"It's me," a familiar voice called. Carson could have fainted from sheer relief. He lowered the gun as Ronan's tall form slid through the door. The Satedan saw Rodney's head turn in his direction. "McKay. You're awake."

"What a brilliant observation. Of course I'm awake! Where the hell have you been while Carson's been doing his Florence Nightingale routine?"

"Scouting. Stargate's about twenty kilometers to the north."

Carson settled his back against a bulkhead, one arm crooked protectively around his side. "How long before Atlantis misses us?"

"Sheppard's due to check in in two hours," Ronan replied.

"So we sit tight and wait for rescue?"

Rodney paused in probing the tender skin around the bandage covering his eyes. "Elizabeth won't send backup until we miss at least two radio checks. That's five hours from now."

"We're gonna have company before then," Ronan said. "Two patrols coming from the city."

"Maybe it's a rescue party," Carson suggested.

"Or maybe they're coming to finish what they started." McKay eased himself into a sitting position, hissing through his teeth at the pain in his collarbone. "Ten to one our good friend Minister Linel is the guy who had us shot down."

Carson let his eyes close, taking shallow breaths to minimize the pain in his abdomen. "I don't understand why he would. What's he have to gain by killing us?"

"Nothing, which is why he didn't. I'm telling you, Carson, the guy was desperate to get his hands on that serum of yours. I guarantee when those patrols get here, they're gonna take you away and do extremely nasty things until you give it to them."

"Surely not. If he's determined to reduce the population," Carson swallowed hard, "there are many other ways to do it, considering Kaleria's current level of science. Why go through all this trouble?"

McKay bit his lip in thought. "That's what I've been asking myself since we left the meeting. Well, discounting the time I was apparently unconscious, of course."

"Blame," Ronan said suddenly. The doctors turned in his direction, and he shrugged. "Maybe this is the only way they can do it and have somebody else to blame. If their science is that advanced…"

McKay picked up the thread. "Then their scientists would be able to recognize any substance developed on Kaleria. This way, they get the serum from us, tell their populace it's a tasty food additive or intergalactic Viagra or whatever, and when half the planet dies –"

"They blame us," Carson murmured. "The government swears they were tricked by aliens who have conveniently vanished."

"If you're right, we can't wait for rescue." Ronan's voice was much closer, startling Carson into opening his eyes.

"Neither Rodney nor the Colonel are in any shape for a 20 kilometer hike," he pointed out.

The Satedan was eyeing him critically and didn't seem to like what he saw. "What about you?"

"Me? I don't think I could hike that far on my best day, lad."

Ronan cast a glance at Rodney, then lowered his voice so the physicist couldn't hear. "I'm going to have to go for help. With any luck, I'll make it to the gate and get back with a jumper before the patrols reach you, but you might end up having to defend yourself and the others. So I need you to tell me how bad you're hurt. The truth."

Carson pulled up his shirt, and they both peered at the dark bruise forming under his ribcage. "I've been hoping it was just a bruise," he admitted. "But the pain's getting worse, and I'm feeling a bit shocky. I'm most likely bleeding internally."