Line of Fire
Chapter 2
Rodney lay down on the thin, hospital mattress, his left arm screaming with pain. Normally, the hypochondriac in him would have taken advantage of the situation, whining and complaining about his wound, and generally causing those around him to shake their heads in amused disgust.
Now, though, Rodney was silent and still, his aching shoulder almost forgotten. In the next room, the woman he respected most in this world - and in the other, if the truth be told – lay dying, covered in her own blood. Through the window, he could see Carson and two other physicians circle around her, their faces drawn and serious, Carson repeatedly shaking his head. Bags of blood were being hung on poles, and IV's started, so Rodney was slightly reassured that the tall, willowy leader was still alive.
"You want to tell me what happened, Dr. McKay?" Dr. Stein leaned over, placing his stethoscope against Rodney, frowning at the rapid beat he heard. Rodney barely acknowledged his existence, his gaze focused on the other room. Stein looked up, then reached over, yanking the curtain closed.
McKay turned, his blue eyes fearful. "Will she be okay?" he asked. He raised his face to Stein's, only to see the truth in the young physician's brown eyes. Rodney closed his eyes, drawing in a long, shuddering breath.
"Let me help you, Dr. McKay. Dr. Beckett and the others are doing everything they can for Dr. Weir. I'll go ask them for a status report when I'm done with you. And Teyla, as well," Stein added, glancing at the Athosian slumped in a chair in the corner. Next to her, the ever-vigilant Ronon Dex sat, his eyes darting from Teyla to Rodney to Elizabeth, a deep frown on his face.
Rodney only nodded his head. He opened his eyes, looking for Sheppard. The Colonel came striding into the infirmary, a wild look about him. He seemed oblivious of the blood on his hands and jacket. John froze in the middle of the room, his attention riveted by the action around Elizabeth. He stood there for a minute, the look of loss vivid on his face. Then, he approached Rodney's bed, looking down at the exhausted scientist.
"Rodney. You okay?" John asked, although McKay could tell John's thoughts were not with him, but in the next room.
"I'm fine," Rodney whispered. "Do me a favor?" Rodney watched as John absently nodded his head. "Go and check on Elizabeth for me?"
John's eyes met Rodney's and the two men shared a grief-stricken look. Then, almost reluctantly, Sheppard nodded his head. He grasped Rodney's arm, giving it a squeeze, then made his way to the glass, gazing through it.
Dr. Carson Beckett ran a trembling hand through his dark hair. He stared at the still form of Dr. Weir, his heart almost stuttering to a stop. He cared for this woman, and he knew that nearly everyone on Atlantis held her in some regard, even the taciturn Colonel Caldwell. But her injuries….they were so severe, he wasn't sure that she would survive the trip down the hall to the surgery, let alone the operation. He watched as yet another liter of blood was given, making the total five so far. In theory, she had lost all of her blood. She should be dead. Yet, defiantly, she clung to life.
"We're going to have to contact Earth," one of the physician's stated, and Carson nodded. He sighed, then turned and his eyes fell on the silent form of Colonel Sheppard. The man had been standing at the window, watching every move Carson and the others made through the glass that separated the recovery room from the trauma unit. Carson made a mental note to install some kind of privacy curtain on this side. He drew in a deep breath, then walked out into the recovery area.
"Doc?" The anguished tone of Colonel Sheppard pierced Carson's already shrinking resolve. He placed a comforting hand on John's shoulder, then steered him to Rodney's bed.
The astrophysicist was staring vacantly into space, his bloody shirt removed and his arm bound by a large, white bandage. On the bed adjacent to Rodney, Teyla lay, her leg propped up and an ice pack on her ankle. Ronon stood between the two, leaning his weight on Teyla's bed, his arms crossed. All three were silent, all lost in their own thoughts. They stirred, however, when John and Carson stopped next to Rodney's bed.
"Okay. Here's what going on. Dr. Weir has been shot twice; once, in her lower abdomen. And once, in the head," Carson began. John leaned over and braced himself against Rodney's bed, the room starting to spin. Elizabeth…shot… head… echoed in his ears, and for a moment, he thought he would be sick. Carson eyed John with concern as he turned a ghastly white, and sagged on to Rodney's bed.
"Colonel Sheppard, are you alright?" Carson's deep Scottish brogue cut through the roaring in John's ears, and he nodded.
"What does that mean, Carson?" Rodney cut in, his normally sharp voice subdued.
"We're trying to get her stabilized so we can go in and repair the damage to her abdomen, " Carson said. "The head wound does not appear to be serious – the bullet only grazed her scalp – but we need to take some CT scans to make sure."
He paused, listening to the sigh of relief coming from Colonel Sheppard.
"What is the problem, Doctor?" Teyla asked softly, and Carson took another deep breath.
"She doesn't seem to be stabilizing. And we can't risk sending her back to Earth in this condition; I doubt she'd survive a trip into this room, let alone through the stargate," Carson paused, aware of four sets of eyes riveted on his face. "There's also the problem that she seems to be slipping into a deep coma. Now, normally, that would be a good thing. A coma is the body's way of conserving energy. But, this time," Carson paused again, his blue eyes worried, "if she is comatose and we perform the surgery, if she survives it, there is a chance she may never wake up."
"Oh my God," Rodney said softly, his eyes bleak. He raised his good hand, covering his face. He heard Teyla take in a sharp breath next to him. John stared blankly at Carson, hearing the words but refusing to believe them. Elizabeth – never wake up?
"I know this is hard to hear, but you all should be prepared for the worst. I'm not confident that she'll recover enough to even have the surgery on her abdomen. I'm very sorry," Carson said, his voice trembling with emotion. With one last look at the team, Carson returned to the trauma unit.
The four teammates remained huddle together, each lost in their own thoughts, each drawing strength from the other. John briefly closed his eyes, focusing on Teyla's soft voice as she quietly recited an Athosian prayer. When she finished, they remained silent for a long moment then, his voice heavy with fear and sorrow, John whispered a soft, "Amen."
TBC