Ch. 10

Final Plea

" Thank you," John wheezed, sobbing, dropping his forehead onto Junior's back. His body shook with an emotional flood. " Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

The small party of dino-folk approached the gate with heads down and hackles raised like an animal coming upon something it had never seen before. When they came to the gate, they gave it a wide birth, sniffing at it.

The sight of the gate right in front of him was like a shot of adrenaline into John's bloodstream - a small shot but still the shot he needed. He began feverishly tugging at the ropes binding him to Junior yet never took his eyes from the most wonderful device he had ever seen. Junior swiveled his head around at John's frantic motions. He trilled softly, then looked down as he began working the knots of the bindings. They fell away, one by one.

Taking a deep breath, Junior moved closer to the gate. Poppa Beast trilled, and Junior nodded. Junior sniffed at the DHD, then at the gate. He touched the DHD with his claw.

" It's harmless kid, I swear," John said quickly. He pointed at the DHD. Junior, taking the hint, crouched and Sheppard slid off onto the ground. He dragged himself closer to the DHD with one arm. Once by it, he reached up and used it to haul himself to his knees, grimacing and uttering choked cries of pain. But he didn't care. It didn't matter, not if he could get home.

He leaned heavily on the device. Looking over his shoulder, he waved Junior and the others back. They complied, putting a few more feet of space between them and the gate. John nodded, then began to dial.

SGSGSGSGSGSGSG

McKay held the small pebble with its bit of amber gold in the center of his palm, glaring at it. Then looked up to glare at Zelenka.

" Throw it in the ocean. You want to just chuck it into the sea, this close to Atlantis..."

" No," Zelenka replied defensively. " Far away from Atlantis, and anything else electrical."

Rodney rolled his eyes. " Yes, let's just toss an alien rock into a salt water compound and see what new mineral might be created or if this particular mineral grows... We don't know enough about this thing to just go tossing it. I'm just going to take it back. It didn't do anything to the gate on the way over, so, logically, it won't do anything on the way back. The range of this thing isn't that great."

" You're really willing to go back there? After... After what happened?"

Rodney stared at the rock, then closed his fingers over it. " Actually, I'd like to smash it into a thousand pieces. Can't risk the dust getting everywhere though..."

" McKay?" Dr. Weir's voice sounded over the radio. " I need you up here, now."

" What, why?"

" Now, doctor."

McKay and Zelenka exchanged questioning (Rodney's a little exasperated) looks, then hurried from the lab, McKay tossing the pebble behind him back onto the table, machines flickering then blinking off.

" Stupid rock," McKay muttered. Both he and Zelenka ran to the control room where Weir, Teyla, Ford and other various Atlantis personnel were all gathered. Glancing from the windows, McKay saw that the gate was activated.

" What, what's the problem?"

Weir pointed at the gate. " That. Unscheduled activation."

SGSGSGSGSGSGSG

The gate rushed to life in an explosion of liquid that quickly imploded and smoothed into a shimmering puddle. The dino-folk shrieked, and Junior darted behind Poppa Beast's leg. John looked at his young friend and the big male, and nodded.

" It's good, this is good," he slid to the ground, unable to hold himself up anymore, " this is very good," he panted. He snatched his vest lying by his side, dug through the pockets, and pulled out his transceiver.

" Please work, please, please, please..." He clutched it to himself, then began the agonizingly slow crawl to the gate. But impatience and urgency got the better of him, so he put the radio to his ear.

" Atlantis..." he coughed, sucked in a breath, and tried again. " At-Atlantis, this is Major John Sheppard, I repeat, John Sheppard, do you copy!"

SGSGSGSGSGSGSG

" What!" McKay barked.

The transmission crackled. " Does... copy... John... Atlant... receive... hello...?"

McKay looked at Elizabeth and Elizabeth looked at McKay, her jaw slack. Ford approached them both, his head cocked to one side in a listening manner.

" This... Sheppard!... Please... hear..."

Ford shook his head. " No way."

SGSGSGSGSGSG

" Please!" John screamed. " Please, do you copy, please, answer me!" He choked on his cry, and his breath caught in his throat. He half coughed, half sobbed. " Please, Atlantis, Dr. Weir, Rodney, Teyla, Ford, anyone! Please... I need help...!" He coughed, and wiped his mouth, smearing blood on his hand.

SGSGSGSGSGSG

The transmission was clearer the next time around.

" I need help!"

The desperation in the voice, a voice hoarse and struggling, pierced Elizabeth's heart. The pain in that voice was so palpable it made her ill.

" Respond," Weir ordered one of the techies. The young tech nodded an okay, and Weir spoke.

" Um, Major Sheppard...? This – this is Atlantis, we read you..."

SGSGSGSGSGSG

John's throat caught in another sob. " Atlantis! Dr. Weir, lower the shield. Please. I – I need help!" He coughed another body-wrenching cough, rasped in some air, and spit out a glob of blood. His body felt like gallons of led had been poured into it, and it was dragging him down even with him already on the ground.

Now or never, Atlantis. Please...

SGSGSGSGSGSG

Teyla heard coughing coming from Major Sheppard, and her heart started a kind of mad-dash thumping.

" What is wrong, Major Sheppard?"

" Please, lower the shield! Please! I – I can't..." either the transmission had broken up again, or John had trailed off.

Teyla looked at Dr. Weir. " We must lower the shield."

Sgt. Bates, who'd been standing to the side, shook his head. " No, we can't. This might be a trap. If that is Major Sheppard, and I'm not saying it is, he might have been compromised."

" He's right," Weir said with a tight swallow, and Teyla knew it wasn't an easy thing for her to be agreeing with the man.

McKay's eyes rounded over. " A trap? You think this is a freakin' trap? What, the Major was captured, tortured and is being forced to tell us to open the gate? It's Major freakin' Sheppard for crying out loud! The man would risk his own butt to save a kitten, and you think he's compromised! There is nothing in the entire galaxy that would force him to give us up except us and we're all here safe and sound."

Teyla looked back at Dr. Weir. " He is right. John would never put us in such danger."

Bates stepped forward. " We can't trust the situation, ma'am."

McKay rolled his eyes. " Oh, so what, you're going to just leave him there to die? What if it is him? I don't know about you, Sargent, but it sounded to me like Sheppard was not his usual one hundred percent self."

They heard coughing, then: " Atlantis..." the voice sounded weaker, and it stabbed Teyla to the core.

He is suffering. He is suffering and we are just standing here...

Ford stepped up then. " Send me through. I'll bring him back."

" What about a MALP?" Zelenka suggested.

Ford shook his head. " Don't think we have time, doc."

" Well, we need to do something," McKay growled. " I'll be damned if it's him and we lose him again."

" Same here, doc," said Ford.

" I as well," Teyla rejoindered.

Dr. Weir looked from one to the other, then exhaled sharply.

SGSGSGSGSGSG

John could no longer keep his head up. It didn't matter his desperation, the darkness hovering at the edge of his vision was being pushy. It wanted in, and no amount of chemical-inducing terror was going to stop it.

His breathing was being uncooperative, as though his lungs were packed with cotton. He coughed, trying to clear it, and winced from the pain.

Hello death, took you long enough.

He felt something lightly touch his back, and he opened his eyes to see Junior. He was worried, and sad.

Not naïve. Never was.

" You tried," John whispered, closing his eyes. " You tried. You're a good kid, a good owner, and I'm proud I could be your pet." He chuckled, then coughed. " Weirdest thing I've ever said. But... hey... it's true. I'm sorry you couldn't do more. But don't feel bad. You tried. Nothing to feel bad about when you try."

He lifted a shaking hand, but didn't have what he needed to reach Junior's snout. So Junior brought his nose in closer, and touched John's hand.

Yeah, friends now. Not pet. Friend.

" By the way, my name's John... What's yours?"

The radio crackled. " Major Sheppard, this is Atlantis. The shield has been lowered. You may come through."

John gasped, the darkness receding like an army being driven back. He dropped his hand, and stretched it out, pulling himself across the sand. He barely moved an inch.

" I – I can't..." he coughed. " I can't... move...!"

" We will be sending help..."

Suddenly, John was lifted from the ground in both of Junior's claws. He sucked in a breath from yet another wave of pain, then coughed it out.

" No! No help! I'm – I'm coming, I'm coming now..." he said, unable to hold back his hysterical, but weak, laughter. It would have been rather nice to have Atlantis come get him, but he didn't want them overreacting at the sight of Junior and his kin. Junior approached the gate hesitantly until he had John only an inch from it. John looked back at Junior.

" Time to let go, kid." John touched the shimmering surface of the event horizon – shimmering like the silver Aurora Borealis. " Thanks kid." John managed a weak smile. " You did it."

A smile touched Junior's features.

John summoned his very last, tentative thread of strength, and rolled off Junior' outstretched claws. The last thing he saw was Junior beaming, and the last thing he heard was a gentle trill. Then he was sucked up into the gate, broken down, and careening through time and space.

When he emerged, he emerged rolling and ending up on his back, staring at a metal ceiling. The floor felt cool beneath him, and it seeped through his jacket to help out the cold already clinging tenaciously to his innards. He heard a strange, rasping sound, and realized that it was his own breathing.

" Stand down!" Someone shouted, a familiar female voice. Faces moved into his line of sight, human faces, and familiar to boot.

" Major?"

" Sheppard!"

" John!"

Now too many voices.

" John, lad, can you hear me?"

John smiled. " C-Carson... h-hey..." The need to cough consumed him. He hacked, gasped, sputtered, and choked.

" He's coughing up blood..."

Way to state the obvious, doc.

" We need to move him..."

John didn't hear the rest. He didn't have the strength to, and it didn't matter at any rate. He was home.

The last thing he heard was the rush of the gate shutting down, and he smiled again.

" Thanks kid."

Good owner. Great friend.

SGSGSGSGSGSGSG

A/N: One more chappy to go. Then it's off to Disneyland! Hah! No, not likely. More like off to bed. One in the morning, yeah, definitely off to bed. Tra-la-la, la-la...