The Wishing Well
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of the characters associated with it.
Chapter Four
McKay leapt to his feet and sprinted around the well just as Sheppard hit the ground. "Sheppard!... Sheppard!... No! No! No! This can't be happening! JOHN!" Sheppard was slumped on the ground with his upper half leaning against the well. His neck rested at an uncomfortable looking angle, and his left arm was pinned behind his body. McKay eased Sheppard down to a more natural position and elevated the man's feet. McKay then removed his own jacket and placed it over the unconscious form to help keep him warm.
McKay's radio crackled to life, and Teyla's anxious voice sounded in his ear. "Colonel Sheppard, I heard shouting. Are you and Dr. McKay all right or do you require assistance?"
McKay gave his earpiece a quick tap, "Teyla! Sheppard collapsed! We need medical assistance here, now!"
"Dr. McKay, what is the Colonel's status. I will relay his condition to Dr. Weir and ask her to send a medical team." Major Lorne's calm voice restored McKay's focus.
"Uh, condition, yes, right! Let me check on that…" McKay did a quick exam of Sheppard's vitals. "Heartbeat…he has one and it is nice and steady, check! Breathing….he is, so…check! No injuries, other than a small bump where he may have hit his head. Coloring looks normal. Okay, maybe just a tad pale. He looks like he's just sleeping!"
Over the radio, McKay could hear Lorne directing the soldiers at the gate to establish a link to Atlantis.
"This is Dr. Weir. What's your status, Major?"
"Ma'am, something's happened to Col Sheppard. We need a medical team to evaluate and assist in transporting him back to Atlantis."
"Understood, Major. Carson is on his way now." After a brief pause she asked, "How's Sheppard doing, Major?"
"According to Dr. McKay, the Colonel is stable. Vitals are normal; nothing immediately life threatening, just unconscious. Apparently, he resembles the male equivalent of Sleeping Beauty. Maybe he needs a princess to kiss him awake?" Lorne's attempt to lighten the moment caused Weir to smile.
"I don't know if Carson qualifies as a princess, but maybe he can work his magic and wake Sleeping Sheppard! Keep me posted, Weir out."
McKay watched Sheppard's face closely. He raised a trembling hand and gently shook Sheppard's arm. "Wake up, Colonel! No resting on duty! If Caldwell could see you, he'd have your ass!" When shaking did not rouse the Colonel, McKay tried again. "You had to go and drink the old, stodgy water! Why is it you never listen to me, hmm? I told you Carson would be mad. Actually, mad is probably an understatement at this point!"
Teyla and Ronon broke through the heavy underbrush surrounding the outpost, followed shortly by Major Lorne.
"How is he, Rodney?" Teyla rested a reassuring hand on McKay's shoulder. "Any change?"
"Nope… hasn't moved since he collapsed." McKay sat dejectedly next to Sheppard's inert form.
Lorne knelt down and did a re-check of Sheppard's vitals. "I don't understand, Doc. What happened to him?"
"Well if I knew that, don't you think I would have a said already?" McKay dropped his head into his hands and rocked back and forth. "
"McKay, relax. This isn't your fault." Ronon's deep voice chimed in from behind Teyla.
McKay's head shot up, tortured blue eyes meeting sympathetic amber ones. "Of course it is! Sheppard put me in charge of this mission. Anything that goes wrong is automatically my fault! Although, the Colonel contributed immeasurably to his own situation because he wouldn't listen to me. The man has serious authority issues!"
"Enough!" Lorne interrupted with a tinge of irritation in his voice. "Doc, just tell me what the Colonel was doing when he collapsed. Maybe, if we retrace his steps, we can figure out what caused this."
"Well, like I said, the Colonel had issues with my advice. He was drinking the well water and I was explaining that it probably wasn't the healthiest thing to do. Of course, he chose to ignore my advice, even though I am way smarter about these things…"
"McKay!" Lorne rubbed a hand across tired eyes. "Just stick with the facts, please!"
"Yes, yes, facts. You military types always want the short version…"
"Rodney!" Teyla interrupted gently "please…"
The radio buzzed and one of Lorne's men could be heard. "Major Lorne, extra security and the medical team have arrived and are en route. They should reach your location shortly."
"Roger that, thanks!" Lorne turned back to McKay. "Doctor, do you think something in the water made the Colonel collapse?"
"Yes…. Well maybe….but… I don't know for sure!" With a somber look at Sheppard, McKay stood and began pacing around the well, examining it again with renewed interest. "There is definitely something strange about this well. Carson will need a sample of the water so he can check it for ancient icky germs."
McKay recovered Sheppard's empty canteen and proceeded to fill it with water from the well. After capping the canteen and placing it with his other supplies, he began to scan the well with the energy reader.
"Curious, now I am reading two energy signatures, although one is very faint." McKay followed the faint readings and blanched when he discover it was emanating from Sheppard's canteen. "The well isn't the only thing giving off energy, so is the water!"
McKay's stomach dipped down and bounced off his toes as realization dawned. "Oh, no! This is so not good! You did make a wish, didn't you, Sheppard! I knew I heard you! And you drank the water and…and...and rested by the well, and you have the ancient gene by blood! The well isn't just a... well. It must be an ancient device and, of course, you activated it!" McKay spun towards the well in horror!
Sheppard felt a permeating sense of warmth, not as in room temperature, but radiating throughout his body. It was not at all an unpleasant sensation. The smell of flowers or Anna's perfume, he wasn't sure which, lingered in the air. He cracked open an eye and instantly slammed it shut again as bright white invaded his ocular pathways. He gave it a minute and tried again, more slowly this time. As his eyes adjusted to the bright light, he began a cursory check of his surroundings. From his position sprawled on the soft floor, he could see walls encased in what looked like quilted padding so white it appeared to glow from within. He didn't spot any obvious source of light, no fixtures or windows, but the brightness made it difficult to see much of the rest of the room.
He decided it was time to test his limbs and see if he could move from his supine position. His attempt to sit up elicited an involuntary groan. The room tilted sharply and he almost lost the battle to remain upright. He was disoriented, with an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. Because the walls, floor, and ceiling were covered in identical padding, it was hard to tell which way was up. After a moment his vertigo subsided.
"What the hell? Who put me in a padded cell! Hello?" Sheppard struggled to his feet, using the soft wall for support. He glanced down and discovered that he was dressed in what he considered the equivalent of white fleece pajama pants and matching shirt. Very comfortable, but he didn't feel like staying at this slumber party any longer than necessary. And where the Hell are my shoes?
As he made his way slowly around the edge of the room, examining the walls for an exit, his foot bumped a solid object on the floor. Sheppard stumbled and would have fallen save his grasp on the padded wall.
Glancing down, Sheppard was alarmed to discover another person unconscious, face down on the floor. From the size and shape of the body encased in similar white fleece, his cellmate appeared to be female.
"Hey, wake up!" Sheppard knelt next to her and shook her gingerly. This brought fourth a small moan as the petite woman rolled to face him. Sheppard sprang back, spooked by the sight of her face.
TBC