Boo
"It is just a legend, Dr. McKay," said Teyla, watching the tree line.
"Legend, my ass," Rodney muttered, his eyes flicking around nervously.
"Your ass is legendary?" Colonel Sheppard asked, throwing Dr. Beckett into a fit of coughing. He leaned over, cocking his head to the side to get a better look. "Nope. Don't see it."
Rodney covered his posterior with splayed hands, turning it away from prying eyes. "You're just jealous," he said darkly. He glanced at Teyla. "The villagers were quite convinced that they existed."
The Athosian sighed patiently. "It is a story meant to frighten children, Dr. McKay. I do not believe they actually exist."
Sheppard leaned over to Dr. Beckett and asked, sotto voce, "Isn't this the part where the R.O.U.S's jump out and start gnawing on McKay's face?"
Beckett began quietly choking again.
"Grow up, you two," McKay snapped. "This is serious."
John bowed deeply, stretching out his arms to either side. He grinned rakishly. "As you wish."
McKay plopped down in the grass. "I hate you."
"So you claim."
"Rodney," said Carson, "if some horrible creature decides to attack you, we promise to take the peril seriously."
John grinned at Carson. "Unless it's too perilous..."
Dr. Beckett chuckled and shook his head. "Colonel, tell me again what we're doin' here?"
"It is our agreement with the Mylorians," Teyla explained. "This is their request of all those they trade with."
Sheppard snorted. "I think this is just Elizabeth's way of getting back at us for the mashed potato incident last week." He took a seat on a nearby boulder. "I mean, it was Miller's team that made first contact, and she makes us take the Mylorians ultimatum." He propped his chin on one fist. "Seems like payback to me."
Teyla smiled indulgently. "It is a nice night. There is no reason why this mission should be unpleasant."
"Oh, wait, I know," Rodney said, holding up a hand. "Maybe it'll have something to do with the monsters that live in their forests and are going to devour us one tasty limb at a time."
The woman sighed and perched on the boulder next to Colonel Sheppard. "How many times must I tell you, the Lokeshi do not exist."
It had been a simple enough request; once a month, the Mylorians put out sentries to guard against the Lokeshi—creatures that lived in their forests and, according to legend, ventured out only on the first night of the new moon to feed on the villagers livestock. The Lokeshi had not been seen in at least a century, but according to the Mylorians it was because of the diligence of their sentries. It had also become part of their agreements with potential trading partners, as well—they demanded that any worlds that wished to do business with them take a shift as sentries. Colonel Sheppard suspected that they hyped up the imminent danger and the horror of the Lokeshi in order to weed out "fair weather friends". But the lack of physical evidence had led to more than a few of their trading partners doubting the existence of the Lokeshi.
"Och, remind me why I had to come on this little adventure?" Dr. Beckett asked, extracting the three of hearts from the collection of cards in his hand and laying it down on the pile in front of him.
"In case the Lokeshi dismember Rodney, we have to have someone here to sew him back together," John said. He grimaced at the sight of his losing hand and collected the pile.
"Funny, Major," Rodney mumbled drowsily from where he was curled up by the fire.
"Lieutenant colonel."
"Don't care."
"Moody-pants."
The trio continued playing cards quietly, hoping that Rodney would fall asleep and stop jumping every time the wind blew. After another round, Beckett laid down his hand, pushing his cards toward John.
Standing up, he stretched and said, "I'll be back," and walked into the woods.
Watching him go, Teyla asked John, "Should we let him go off alone?"
He took the cards she offered him and began shuffling them. "I'm not going to baby-sit him while he takes a piss, although you're more than welcome to." He glanced up and grinned when he saw Teyla's scowl. "The doc knows not to wander off. If something happens, I'm sure we'll hear him yelp." He tapped the shuffled cards with a forefinger. "War?"
Two spirited, high-speed bouts later, Teyla looked over at the tree line. "Should Dr. Beckett not have been back by now?"
John shrugged a little, preoccupied with nursing his hand (he had discovered that the few times he was quick enough to win a tie, it was hardly worth it as Teyla slapped hard). "Maybe he's slow."
"No one is that slow," Teyla replied, still looking at the woods with a worried frown.
John flipped his radio on. "Dr. Beckett?"
They both listened for the click that would indicate that while Beckett had heard them, he wasn't about to respond while otherwise occupied. There was only silence.
"Dr. Beckett, this is Sheppard. Please respond."
More silence.
"Shit," John muttered and threw down his cards. He scrambled to his feet and collected his gear as fast as he could. "McKay, get your ass up now." He reached over and smacked Rodney's knee.
McKay sat up abruptly, blinking owlishly in the firelight. "Whazzit?"
"The doc's missing. He went to take a leak and didn't come back. So get up, we're going to find him."
McKay rubbed his eyes but didn't move otherwise. "Carson probably just got lost."
John tossed Rodney's pack to him. "Maybe, but he's not answering his radio and heaven only knows what's lurking around here."
Rodney and Teyla exchanged looks. "I thought you didn't believe in the Lokeshi," Rodney said.
John fixed him with a hard stare. "It doesn't matter whether I do or not. I don't, however, want to explain to Elizabeth that we lost her boyfriend and Atlantis' CMO. Move it, now."
Teyla nodded her agreement while finishing to kick dirt on their fire.
Rodney climbed to his feet and shouldered his pack, a troubled expression on his face. It deepened as he said, "Wait, Carson and Elizabeth are together?"
Sheppard took point as they all headed into the woods. "You know, McKay, it wouldn't kill you to stick your head out of the lab every once in awhile—get some sun, a little fresh air, the local news."
"They have been together for several months now," Teyla clarified.
"Gossip about who is swapping spit with who is not news," Rodney muttered.
John's shudder was caught by the light of their flashlights. "Do me a favor, McKay," he said over his shoulder. "Don't use the phrase 'swapping spit' ever again."
"Gentlemen, perhaps we should concentrate on our task," Teyla advised.
"You do know you're dating Dr. Brown, right?" John asked Rodney as he batted aside some tree branches.
Rodney studiously ignored John. "What do you think happened to Carson?"
John crouched down to take a closer look at some broken underbrush. "Looks like something big came through here." He glanced up at Teyla. "Wraith?"
She shook her head. "I do not sense them. And it is not like the wraith to be so discreet."
Sheppard stood up. "Yeah, they're not exactly known for their understated tactics."
"That's good. Right?" McKay asked.
John just shook his head and headed off in the direction that the "something big" had gone, creeping carefully through the underbrush.
"It is good that it is not the wraith," Teyla said softly, "but that also means that we do not know what we are up against." She too followed the path John had taken.
There was a crack of branches breaking somewhere in the distance. Rodney immediately scurried to catch up with Teyla, muttering, "It's just a squirrel, just a squirrel. Just a huge, red-eyed, man-eating alien squirrel." When he reached Teyla, he leaned over and asked nervously, "But we don't know anything's happened to Carson. I mean, he could have just gotten lost."
"It is possible," the Athosian replied in a tone that implied she thought it was highly doubtful.
McKay frowned and glanced at the surrounding trees. "You don't think it's the Lokeshi, do you? I mean, you said they were just a, a, a myth."
"I know my people have never encountered problems on this planet, but I do not know what lives in these woods," Teyla replied. She glanced upwards as a particularly strong gust of wind made the branches rattle. "It needn't be a mythological creature for it to be dangerous."
"Great," Rodney muttered and hurried a little to put himself between John and Teyla were he hoped it was safest. "If the Lokeshi don't dismember us, Elizabeth will."
They continued on in silence, accompanied only by the sounds of the forest, until John motioned for them to stop. He directed the beam of his torch to illuminate something on the ground before he bent over to pick it up. It was Beckett's radio.
"He would not have willingly gone this far from our campfire," Teyla said. "And he certainly would not have forgotten his radio."
"Thank you, Mistress of the Obvious," Rodney snapped. Teyla glared at him and he took a quick step backwards.
John took out his canteen, took a swig, and handed it to Rodney.
McKay made a face and deliberately wiped off the mouthpiece.
John rolled his eyes.
"Colonel," Teyla said, taking a step closer to Sheppard. "I believe something is following us."
McKay spat out his water, fumbling for his handgun as water dripped down his chin. "What?"
John ignored him. "I thought as much."
"For how long?" Rodney asked.
"I have felt that something was watching us for some time," Teyla replied.
"Why didn't you say anything?" he hissed.
"It appears to only be interested in observing us," she said. "It has been following us for maybe twenty minutes and has made no attempt to harm us or even interact with us."
"Great," Rodney said, glancing about. "The Lokeshi are gonna kill us and Beckett's not even here to reattach the pieces they don't eat."
"And they won't eat Beckett because, what? They were so impressed by Braveheart that they've made a pact not to eat Scotsmen?" John asked him with an incredulous laugh.
"Actually, the infamy of haggis has probably spread across several galaxies and they figure it'll just make him stringy."
"There are no Lokeshi. And whatever it is, it's not hunting us; it is merely following us," Teyla cut in before the men could continue arguing.
A soft thud sounded behind Rodney. Quick as a flash, John and Teyla both raised their P-90s in his direction.
McKay raised his hands until he realized that both of them were concentrating on something behind him.
"Oh, god," he said, "It's behind me, isn't it?" He glanced over his shoulder, and, seeing a figure there, shot away to duck behind John.
"Scratch the no interaction thing," John murmured, as they observed the new addition to their little group.
It was a boy—a young man, really—with the gangly looks of someone who had not quite reached adulthood. His ragged hair was dark and littered with leaves and other things apparently picked up from the forest. He wore an odd garment that looked to be made of some rough material. He had the same fabric tied around the soles of his feet. He watched them for a moment, long arms hanging limply at his sides, head cocked to one side as though he didn't know what to make of these strangers. (John thought that was only fair as the feeling was mutual).
Teyla was the first to lower her weapon.
"Teyla?" John said, never taking his eyes off the boy.
"He is only a child," she replied. "He is harmless."
"Famous last words," Rodney said from behind John. "Children of the Corn, anyone?"
John relaxed a bit, and took a step forward. "We're not going to hurt you," he said to the boy, nodding encouragingly. "We're looking for a friend of ours. Seen him?"
The boy took a step backwards then said something in an odd, lilting tongue.
"Teyla?" John glanced behind him.
She stepped forward and this time the boy did not step backwards. She smiled kindly. "We're looking for a man. He is dressed like us." She pointed first to John then to the uniforms they wore.
"Just great," Rodney muttered darkly. "We're reduced to alien charades."
But the alien charades seemed to be getting through to the boy. He held out a hesitant hand toward Teyla. When she did not move, he took another step, then another, until he was close enough to reach out and stroke a hand down her sleeve. He pointed to her expedition jacket and said something else. He grinned and scampered off a few feet. The boy turned again and beckoned them forward.
John and Teyla exchanged looks. "Think it's safe?" John asked.
"Of course it's not safe," Rodney snapped. "Nothing in this damn galaxy is safe."
"He is heading in the same direction we were already going," Teyla pointed out.
The boy started gesturing more fervently, jabbering hurriedly, and John swore that if a brook could talk its language would not be unlike the boy's.
"Come on, gang," John said, following the boy as he scampered down a nearby embankment. "It's worth a shot."
Teyla nodded and followed, as did Rodney after a moment, muttering about being gnawed to death by strange troglodyte children.
They trailed after the boy for nearly a kilometer, apparently too slow for his liking; he would dash ahead, turn to see that they were well behind him, then come back to chatter at them before starting the process all over again. Just when they were all beginning to doubt the boy's directional skills, they came to a clearing in the woods. In the dim light of the early morning, they saw a large earthen mound covered in moss, leaves, and mud.
Rodney stopped walking to stare at it. "See, he's going to kill us. That's a burial mound if I ever saw one."
John shot him a disparaging look. "Why would he take us to a burial mound to kill us? Murderers aren't usually known for their thoughtful treatment of the dead."
"Uh, gentlemen?" Teyla said. When they both turned to her, she pointed at the mound. While they had been arguing, the boy had run ahead of them into the knoll. He now exited, supporting the weight of a limping Dr. Beckett.
The trio rushed forward, scaring the boy. He extracted himself so quickly from under Dr. Beckett's arm to hide behind him that the doctor almost fell over. Carson regained his balance and held up his hands to ward off his friends.
"Woah, there," he said, still teetering a bit. "No reason to frighten the lad."
John moved forward a little to grip Carson's elbow, helping him balance. "What happened, doc? You had us worried."
"Aye, sorry 'bout that," Carson said. He had the good grace to look embarrassed. "I tripped over something in the dark and took a nasty knock to the head. When I came to, I was here." He glanced over his shoulder at the young man. "Deceptively strong, this one."
Rodney reached out and smacked John's arm. "See?"
John glared. "Do that again and I break your arm off, McKay. Go on, doc."
Carson grimaced. "Can ya help me sit down? My ankle's throbbing something fierce."
John nodded and helped him over to a nearby boulder. Once he was settled, Carson continued, "Well, with a little persistence and a lot of gesturing, I got the lad to go find you lot."
Rodney glanced at the boy, who was standing in the doorway of the mound, watching Beckett like a hawk. "How'd you manage that?'
Carson smiled and extracted a Power Bar from one of his vest pockets. The young man perked up, his eyes going wide in excitement. Carson ripped open the packaging and handed the Power Bar to the boy as he rushed forward to accept it. He tore into it the moment it was in his hands.
Carson watched him with fond amusement. "They say that music soothes the savage beast, but I find that food will do in a pinch."
"Sorry, doc," John said. "You can't take young Boo Radley here home with you." He took a gauze pad out of a vest pocket and pressed it to Carson's bloodied temple. "Speaking of home, we need to get you back to Atlantis."
Carson glanced down at his ankle. "I don't think it's broken, merely sprained. And we can't just leave him, Colonel. I believe he's something of a feral child."
John frowned. "You mean, one of those kids that are raised by wolves?"
"Something like that, aye."
"You don't suppose," Teyla said slowly, looking thoughtful, "that he," she gestured to the young man, "is the Mylorian's Lokeshi?"
"Boo Radley is the horrible Lokeshi?" Rodney repeated. John's name for the boy seemed to fit somehow, although it caused Teyla to give them an odd look.
"It would make sense," Carson said, glancing behind him. The boy seemed to be most comfortable there, where he was able to watch the others in relative safety. "He doesn't speak the same language as the Mylorians. It's possible he was abandoned here by another group; he might just go into the village to get food."
"And he only does it when there's a new moon so people are less likely to see him." John smiled at the young man. "Smart kid. Look, Carson, I'd love to take him home with us, but what are we going to do with a feral child?"
"Yeah, he probably has worse table manners then Ronon," Rodney added.
"This is hardly the place for a lad," Carson argued. "Living all alone for God knows how long. He could use a proper meal and a bed, not to mention medical care."
"Dr. Beckett," Teyla said kindly. "Your notion is very kind, but Atlantis is no place for him, either."
"Yeah, doc. He would need to be watched 24/7 and we don't have that kind of time or personnel," John said.
Carson sighed. "Aye, you're right."
He looked so dejected that Rodney said, "You know, if you wanted, we could probably convince Elizabeth to let us check up on him periodically."
Everyone stared at him until he shrugged. "It's just a suggestion."
Carson smiled. "A very good one, Rodney."
Rodney beamed in response.
"Come on, doc," John said, helping Carson up. "It's gonna be a long walk. We need to get going. We should stop by the village and let them know about Boo here, just in case."
"A moment, Colonel," Carson said. He held a hand out to Rodney. "Hand 'em over."
Rodney stepped back. "What?"
"The extra Power Bars on your person. I'm all out, and the least we can do is leave the lad something nutritious."
Rodney scowled but dug through his pack until he came out with four bars. He handed them grudgingly to the young man, who looked like he had been giving the world on a silver platter.
"Bye, Boo," John said, with a friendly wave.
Carson smiled, albeit a little sadly, and allowed the colonel to lead him away.