Stranded
Chapter 2
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard was frozen in place, his body rigid, his eyes a mixture of disbelief, rage and fear as he glared at Captain Lewis. They were in the stargate control room, and surrounding the two officers was chaos. Wounded personnel were being triaged by the medical staff as technicians scurried about, confusion and apprehension on their faces.
"Are you telling me that you left Dr. McKay on the planet? Alone? With armed and angry natives attacking you?" The Captain took a step backward as John advanced on the man, his hands forming into tight fists. Only Elizabeth's grip on his arm prevented the Colonel from physically harming the young soldier.
Moments before, Captain Lewis and the rest of SGA-5 had tumbled through the stargate, most of his men wounded. Without warning, the stargate had snapped off, and John's eyes had swept the team, his heart pounding as he noticed the absence of one irritating physicist. He proceeded to interrogate the young Captain, his horror growing as Lewis admitted that McKay had been lost in the confusion.
"We must return to the planet immediately and find Dr. McKay," Teyla Emmagen said. Ronon Dex had already unholstered his weapon, his warrior's body tense and ready for action. John absorbed her words, and with a final threatening glare at the Captain, he nodded.
"Dial PX7-312," he ordered, then keyed his headset. "Major Lorne, I need you and your team to get a puddle jumper ready. We'll meet you in the hanger bay. We're going back for Dr. McKay."
Rodney had been left behind. He couldn't believe it. The fact that the scientist was entirely alone on a strange world, with an unfriendly population as company, send rivulets of fear through John. Rodney was a pain in the ass, true, but he was also John's friend. He could be hurt, dying, as John stood here, waiting for the stargate to…..
John looked up as the technician let out a soft, "Oh no."
"What's the problem?" Elizabeth asked, already climbing the stairs to the control center, John and his team on her heels. The technician was frantically typing in commands, her face growing more and more panicked.
"Dr. Weir, the stargate won't connect to PX7-312." The technician was repeatedly dialing the coordinates for the planet, but the stargate refused to activate.
"Try again – and check the system," Elizabeth ordered curtly, and the tech nodded, her eyes focused on the computer screen. Frowning, she shook her head.
"Our stargate seems to be okay. Something must have happened to the other gate on PX7-312. We can't connect."
"Are you telling me that we can't go back and get Dr. McKay?" John asked, disbelief in his voice. The tech slowly nodded her head. John turned away, his body cold.
"Get Zelenka up here now!" Elizabeth ordered. "And run a full systems diagnostics. I want to be sure that the problem is on the other side." She turned to Sheppard, worry in her eyes. Tamping down his own fear, John reached out and lightly grasped her elbow.
"He'll be fine, Elizabeth. You know Rodney…he always lands on his feet." Although his statement was meant to be reassuring, John could hear how flat and hollow his words rang as soon as they left his mouth. Elizabeth only nodded sadly. As Radek Zelenka came running into the room, John turned towards the immobile stargate, his hands tightening around the cool metal of the railing. His green eyes were distant and worried.
"You got that McKay? You'll be fine," John ordered softly.
TBC