WINTER WONDERLAND
By NotTasha
ooo! You are all so kind to me! Your feedback gives me such glee. Thank you!
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CHAPTER 17: ENTOMBED
He was aware of breathing – harsh, labored breathing. He could see nothing – he could just hear his breath being reflected back at him, and with him – the sound of McKay gasping.
"Rodney," he called. "Rodney, are you okay?"
Between panting breaths, McKay got out, "What the hell was that? I thought you said…" He wheezed, hardly able to draw air. "…you said… we weren't going to be… moving! What about… keeping still? I… I…"
"Hang on, Rodney." Sheppard frantically felt around, trying to figure out what was wrong. It was too dark to see. The frantic gasping continued. "Calm down," he demanded. "You have to calm down."
"What the hell happened? Why did you do that?"
"It was either move fast or get crushed in the avalanche."
"Is that what that was?"
"Yeah, tons of snow falling. Avalanche."
"I thought maybe… one of those things was trying to trample us. Least we got away from those dogs, huh?"
"Yeah, the damn dogs. I don't think we have to worry about them anymore."
"Good… good…"
Sheppard let out a sigh, realizing that McKay seemed to be calming down – that he wasn't wheezing quite so much anymore. At least, John thought, I haven't killed him, yet. That crisis temporarily averted, John tried to get a handle on their current situation. They had managed to get under the ledge. It had protected them, but now they were totally entombed. It was dark – but not completely black. Light shown faintly through the layers of snow – pale and blue -- too faint to allow them to see much of anything.
"How do you feel?" Sheppard asked hopefully.
"How do I feel? Frozen! Mauled!" McKay answered testily. "Bruised, maimed, folded, spindled and mutilated." He paused suddenly, and in the almost darkness, Sheppard listened to Rodney breath again.
"Rodney?" Sheppard tried. No answer. "Rodney?" He jiggled the man.
"Still can't," Rodney replied quietly. "I still can't… my legs. I thought maybe… but…"
In the faint bluish light, Sheppard could see almost nothing – shadows mainly. Their sanctuary was tiny – little bigger than a bathtub. The wall of snow encroached on three sides – their fourth wall was the stone cliff. Above them – several feet up was the ledge that had protected them. They were apparently in a depression – the ground beneath them was almost bare of snow.
"Here, let me … ugh… get out from… ah… okay…" Sheppard tried shifting around. He'd ended up with McKay mostly in his lap, and it was a rather uncomfortable position to say the least. "Can you lean forward? There, just put your arms up here. Can you get your weight on the snow here? Okay, hang on… almost… there. You okay?"
McKay was leaning forward, his head pressed against the snowy wall, saying nothing. Painfully, Sheppard managed to get his leg out from behind McKay, the knee letting him know that it hadn't liked the recent escapade. Fine, John thought, thanks for letting me know. He hissed in pain as he drew the leg out from its predicament.
"You okay?" Rodney asked quickly.
"Fine… just fine." Sheppard got out quickly. He pressed one hand against Rodney's back to ensure he stayed upright.
"You don't sound fine…"
"I told you, I'm fine," Sheppard snapped. "Can you keep yourself like that for a sec?" And he maneuvered himself out from behind the scientist. "You okay?"
"Fine…" Rodney echoed.
"Okay, I'm out," Sheppard finally declared. "Let's get you laid back." He felt down to where McKay's legs were, so that he could grab hold and get them moved since Rodney couldn't manipulate them. "Crap," he muttered.
"What?" McKay responded. "What? What's wrong?"
"Hang on a minute," Sheppard demanded, feeling for the P90. He flicked on the light, and the bluish glow of the light beyond the snow disappeared, replaced with blinding white.
Rodney squinted, his upper body pressed against the snow that encapsulated them. His hands gripped at ripples in the snow to keep himself upright. "What?" he asked again, tiredly.
"Crap," Sheppard repeated as the light revealed what he'd feared. He instantly dropped the weapon and started digging.
Rodney looked down in horror. His body seemed to end just above his knees, the rest of his legs disappeared into the white. He let out a miserable sound.
"It's okay, Rodney," Sheppard called. "I'm getting you out! I'll get you out of this. Hang on. Just keep calm."
As John's voice rose in panic, McKay felt a strange composure come over him. "It's okay," he said softly. "I can't feel it." He watched Sheppard frantic movements, digging through snow around his legs. "It's not bad."
"Damn it!" Sheppard cursed as he worked. "Goddamn it!"
"Wait," Rodney said.
"I'm getting you out!" Sheppard declared hotly, not slowing, trashing at the packed snow in his attempt to get through it, to free the trapped legs.
"Just be reasonable a moment then," Rodney declared. Keeping himself propped against the snow, he used his teeth to pull off one glove, dropping it on John as he worked at the other. "At least get your gloves on."
CHAPTER 18: BEAR SHIT
"Oh God… oh God…" Ford gasped as Karluk guided the skid away from the rushing snow. Both Karluk and Akhiok were shouting to their compatriots, calling to them.
And it stopped. The snow stopped rumbling and tumbling. The trumpeting and thumping of the tapas faded as they put distance behind them. Snow-skids still puttered. Somehow, about half of the itnas had escaped the devastation, and they limped about, looking chagrinned and confused -- hearty bastards.
"Get closer!" Ford ordered, his voice hoarse. He pointed to the spot where he'd last seen the major and the doc. A ton of snow rested there now. Good God – was there any hope?
"Tyonek and Gakona!" Akhiok said, pointing toward a couple of Ekukians who stumbled about without a skid near the mounded snow. "We have to see to them."
"They're movin'!" Ford shot back. "There's others who can look after them! We've got to find the Major and Dr. McKay!"
Karluk seemed to see the wisdom in this statement, and he left Tyonek and Gakona to be picked up by others of their group. He diverted the course of his skid, bringing it back around to where the Atlaneans had once been.
Ford clutched at his radio, trying it in spite of his fears. "Major! Major! Dr. McKay! Can you read me?" Only static was returned. Please, he prayed. Please… And still nothing.
It was just snow, right? Fluffy, puffy snow – soft and light and… nice. But as they closed on the site, Ford saw nothing of the sort. Boulders of snow -- slabs of snow covered the area – looking as heavy and uncompromising as stone. They're fine. They've got to be fine, Ford insisted to himself, even as he felt his hopes fading.
Karluk brought the skid to a stop at the foot of the newly created hill. "Where?" he called over his shoulder. Between them, Akhiok scowled uncertainly.
Ford pointed up. They'd have to get up and over the pile to where he remembered they had been – but honestly he had no idea. All he could remember was that Sheppard and McKay had been relatively near the cliff – but everything looked different now. All points of reference were gone.
A shitty situation all the way around – there was no better way to describe it.
Killing the engine, Karluk nodded. "We should be on foot," he declared. And they dismounted. Some of the other Ekukians had followed them, pulling their skids alongside. Akhiok descended from the skid to talk to the others. Ford followed Karluk as he climbed up the helter-skelter pile of snowballs.
It reminded the lieutenant vaguely of a winter spent with his cousins, and how they'd spent a day making a fort – shaping snow into walls and passageways. It had been pretty impressive when they were done. They'd labored on it all day.
Then, someone had decided to play 'king of the hill' and the fort had been smashed to nothing within a few minutes. With a tight expression, Ford recalled that he was the one who'd started that particular game. He and his older cousins – big fellas – had destroyed everything. He also remembered that his younger cousins were the ones who had done most of the work on the fort.
His uncle had owned a Newfoundland-mix – Chief – a big as a bear. The cheerful dog had loved the snow. Ford remembered how his cousin Lara had sat down in the snow and had pulled the overgrown pup into her lap and had cried over the ruin of that winter wonderland. Chief was a great dog. That dog could do anything.
Glancing back, Ford watched as the remaining devil dogs slinked in among the parked skids. "Karluk!" he called, catching up to the nimble man. "Karluk! Those itnas, do they know how to search for people?"
The Ekukian gave Ford a strange look. "No, they are creatures for hunting animals. I don't trust them much," he admitted. He paused to watch one of the itnas as it crept in amongst the skids. Karluk changed his gaze to take in Ford. "You do realize that your friends' chances are bleak?" he asked softly.
"We're not going there," Ford responded, his voice still harsh and a little squeaky from his shouting. "We're going to do everything we can to find them."
Karluk nodded. "We will do all we can," he pledged. He turned when a couple of the skids fired up below them. The snowmobiles peeled off and headed back the way they'd come. "They're returning for digging supplies," he explained.
As they reached the top of the pile, Ford took in the extent of the disaster. The entire hillside was free of snow. It had all come down – all on top of his teammates. Oh shit… shit shit shit! How in the hell were they going to find them?
He snapped on his radio again, hoping against hope, "Major Sheppard. Doctor McKay?" static – only static. Frantic, he turned, watching as the two skids headed back toward the compound. Teyla, he thought. Teyla, he had to get a message back to her – so that she'd dial Atlantis – get some real help. She'd make that decision though, wouldn't she? Once the word reached the compound? Of course – but if she was still sick – if she were asleep – would the Ekukian's be too stupid to wake her?
Does a bear shit in the woods?
"Call them back!" Ford demanded. "I need to send a message to Teyla."
With a shrug, Karluk commented. "We have no means of doing so. I could send another skid."
"Yes, yes… Now!" Ford responded quickly, gazing toward the compound. "She needs to send a message to our home."
"Who should I send?" Karluk asked him, gesturing to the remaining group.
Ford gazed at the man as if he'd just grown another head. How the hell should I know? Ford thought. Dammit, these people truly had shit for brains. "Listen," he stated, "I don't care who the hell you send, just…" his voice trailed off as he spotted something heading toward them – something far above the valley. The glare of the snow made it difficult to differentiate - but as it came closer he nearly dropped to his knees in relief.
A ship. A puddlejumper.
The vision reached them to hover, dipping slightly so that he could see the occupants. Stackhouse and Markham nodded down at him from the cockpit – and between them, Teyla smiled.
A/N: Teyla! There she is!