UNDER GLASS
By NotTasha
A/N: Thank you, thank you for the reviews!

CHAPTER 10: TOAST

They fired at his door again. John held his P90 at his side, for it would do little good if the door failed. The door won't fail, Sheppard reminded himself.

They came in, stunners firing – the drones and the male – came in as if they owned the place, thinking their quarry was trapped and at their mercy. John wouldn't show them any mercy in return. The stunner-fire stopped. Sheppard watched their movements carefully. The male came to stand at the control console, the drones stood around him. The leader of the group gave Sheppard a superior look, and then it glanced to McKay with a look of detached hunger.

It moved in that strange inhuman manner of its kind. There was something totally alien about it – more insect than man. The closeness of the thing made Sheppard's skin crawl.

"Two trapped," it hissed. "I would have thought that only one would be in the alcoves."

"Guess you lucked out, Bruce. Mind if I call you Bruce?" Sheppard asked casually.

The Wraith looked annoyed. He'd expected fear, he'd expected resistance, he'd expected an attempt at escape – not coolness. Sounding a little ticked off, the creature growled, "I am not to be called by human voices. I answer only to…"

"This trap was set to spring as soon as someone stepped far enough into one of these alcoves, wasn't it?" Sheppard interrupted. "To trap at least one of our group, and then make it impossible for anyone to mess with the control console to rescue him."

The Wraith looked proud, as he gazed toward McKay's unmoving form. It sneered, annoyed. "The others with you…" it paused, glancing toward the door, "Certainly there were others. They managed to escape?" It was a question, laced with a certain amount of disbelief and anger.

"Figured out how to open the door," Sheppard stated. "Wasn't so hard."

"Yet you are still trapped." It gave an awful smile. "It surprises me that you still have air to breathe. We would have arrived sooner, but were -- detained. How did you survive for so long?"

To that question, Sheppard responded with, "Honestly, I don't think you deserve to know. You're going to be toast in a few seconds anyway."

Annoyed, the Wraith continued, "A dead human is worthless to us." And he grinned all the wider, his foul teeth showing. "I will take YOU alive."

"Seem to have gone to a lot of trouble to catch us like this," Sheppard went on. "Don't know how well it worked."

The Wraith stepped away from the platform, moving across the room. "We have you," he voiced. "We have captured a human from Earth – and that was our desire."

"So you have me. Big deal. You lost a bunch of your guys and some ships, right?"

Snarling, the Wraith stated, "Soon we shall know everything about Earth."

"Earth?" John echoed. "You don't want to go there," he told him. "The Goth look is passé. It's all Emo now. You'd need to find a new hair stylist and everything."

The Wraith tried not to look perplexed at this statement, and he stepped closer, two of the drones keeping close behind. "We shall have all of Earth as our new feasting grounds."

"I don't think so," John responded. "Tell you the truth, I don't think you know what the hell you're doing." He watched the creature step onto the center circle – his drone guards just outside it. "And you're not getting anything out of us."

The horrible grin did not dip from the creature. "You humans are so weak," he declared. "We will learn everything we want from you."

"Obviously not," Sheppard responded, watching the being shift closer. "Seems to me you've learned nothing. Seems to me that you're all just a bit stupid and a lot over-confident."

Oh, it didn't like defiance. Its face became even more awful. "It is a pity for your kind that you do not know when you are defeated."

And it stepped closer – the two drones moving with him – into the circle. "Yeah, a pity," Sheppard stated, and, holding the data-tablet tightly, tapped the central circle on the screen, and then a button corresponding to one of the planets. The room flashed with light, and John threw up an arm to shield his face, closing his eyes against it. Everything flared even brighter, but in a second, the light faded.

John blinked, finding his vision blurry. He blinked again to clear it, and dropped his arm and stare out at a much emptier room.

Three Wraith transported to who-knows-where. Sheppard grinned. Not bad. Not bad at all.

The remaining two Wraith, spun about, seeming confused, baffled by the sudden disappearance of their compatriots. Then, they did the only thing a rational and thinking creature could do – they fled.

It was probably just a communal instinct – their leader gone – the drones sought to return to the hive. From his space inside the alcove, Sheppard watched the two muscular creatures quickly exit the room and disappear from his sight. In the next second, they were caught up in a firefight. Sheppard nudged open the transparent door with a thought and sprinted across the open space in time to see the drones fall under Ronon and Teyla's barrage. One went down before the other. The first one staggered, struggling to get away, only have its head blown off its shoulders with a blast of Ronon's weapon.

The faceless head clonked to the ground like a coconut and rolled away, a second before the body fell.

The other almost made it to his feet, but Sheppard was ready. He aimed his P90 and fired, filling the creature with as many rounds as the weapon could get off. Teyla assisted. Between them, the Wraith tottered, stumbled and fell down for good, not far from its decapitated brethren.

And for a moment – everything was quiet. Sheppard kept his gaze on the two bodies – but there was no need to worry about them any longer.

Ronon and Teyla appeared from the cover of the woods. "Did the plan work?" Teyla asked urgently.

"Yup," Sheppard responded, and he ducked back into the room, back to Rodney's cell. The door shot up as he reached it and he gently grabbed hold of Rodney and eased him out of the confined space.

"How is he?" Ronon asked, staying at the doorway as guard.

"Alive," Sheppard told him bluntly, he kept his eyes focused on the pale and unconscious scientist.

Teyla was beside Sheppard, helping him with Rodney. She seemed discontent as she brought Rodney onto his side.

"We should hurry," she said softly. "Dr. McKay needs assistance. We must return home before any more Wraith are sent."

"Speaking of that," Ronon started. "Where'd you transport them?" He nodded to the circle in the room – the large matter transporter.

"I think it was the planet nearest the sun. Either that or that gassy one. I wasn't payin' that much attention and I'm okay either way."

"Think they made it there in one piece?" Ronon continued, as he went back to fetch the pieces of his half-constructed stretcher. He frowned as he realized what he'd said. "I mean, did the three of them get there in their three pieces?"

Sheppard shrugged and uttered, "I was happier with your first idea. Either that or three new and amazing Wraith blobs that have never been seen before."

Ronon nodded, appreciating that image.

Sheppard turned toward the door and said, "Let's get moving." And they went to work.

He was aware of movement. He swayed. He dipped. He moved. He tried to drift, to let the movement soothe him, but the jagged pain woke him, tormenting him, jabbing at him until he couldn't slip into the quiet any longer. It brought him back to the living world of agony. Muscles cramped, demanding relief.

He couldn't stand it. He couldn't handle waking in that horrible space again. He had to get out. Get out now. Sheppard… he had to find out… had to see if the Colonel was all right.

I have to call the others, he rationalized. They'd come back. I have to get out of here.

He had to find Sheppard, had to see if he was okay. He had to reach for his radio – to call the others – to get them to stop chasing Wraith. Should have kept them at the outpost, because, once the door had been opened, they might have been able to escape back through the gate with Sheppard.

Ronon – Teyla – were they okay? The realization made him gasp. Oh God… were they dead, too? I have to … I have to… help…must move… must get out of here.

Nothing… nothing… He couldn't move. What use are you anyway?

I have to try… I must…

He used every ounce of energy he could muster to turn, to open his eyes, to at least see what had happened to Sheppard. His muscles contracted, screaming as he forced them. Please…please… I must…

And then the whole world exploded on him.

"Rodney," Sheppard called softly, from his rear position, carrying the stretcher. He'd seen a flicker on the scientist's face, a bit of a grimace where there'd been no expression before.

Ronon, who carried the front of the litter, looked over his shoulder, and slowed his gait. "He wakin' up?"

"Might be," Sheppard responded.

They traveled along the high bank of the little brook, carefully toting the scientist back to the gate. Teyla had run ahead, to activate the Gate and to call for the help of others. Worryingly, Rodney hadn't made a sound and shown no sign of waking. He'd tremble, but there'd been no further movement from him – until now. McKay's frown deepened, and his limbs made strange little jerking motions.

"Rodney," Sheppard called again, wishing he had a free hand. "Hey, pal, you all right?" Carrying the stretcher was murder. Already John's arms ached and he'd considered jettisoning McKay's pack to lighten the load – but he knew the scientist would strangle him if that happened. At least they were more than halfway there. It wouldn't take much longer and they'd have McKay someplace safe – have someone who could look after him properly. The stillness had scared Sheppard, but this new movement wasn't any less disturbing.

"We're gettin' you home," Sheppard continued, trying to sound soothing. "Just hope you don't rip my arms out of their sockets on the way."

The twitching continued. The grimace increased.

"How 'bout we set him down for a sec?" Sheppard asked Dex.

"Be better if we kept moving," the former runner stated, increasing the pace and forcing Sheppard to keep up.

"I need to check him," The colonel told him, stumbling at the new gait as he glanced around, hoping to find a decent place to set down their burden.

It was when John's head was turned that McKay moved – violently. Somehow the scientist twisted, flipping to one side, disrupting the simple litter. Sheppard dropped his end of the stretcher in an attempt to catch Rodney. The pack, caught up in Rodney's feet only further tangled him. Ronon – shocked by the sudden change, went down on one knee.

Sheppard missed. Ronon vainly tried to keep from losing their cargo. McKay hit the ground, and tumbled down the bank, twisting toward the little stream. Cursing, Sheppard lunged after him, grabbing for Rodney, catching one leg. He threw down his own weight to stop the their downward path, but they skidded on the loose soil. Ronon was beside him in an instant, reaching for Rodney's arm, slamming himself down on his belly, bringing everything to a stop.

For a second, they panted, completely still, lying on the bank of the creek, while they clung to Rodney. The pretty sound of the water continued past them.

"Damn," Sheppard said in an exhale.

"Yeah," Ronon agreed. After drawing in another breath, he climbed to his knees, carefully checking McKay to see if he was okay.

"Why the hell didja have to do that, McKay?" Sheppard groused, watching Ronon as he checked on the Canadian.

"He's out," Ronon proclaimed.

Sheppard pressed himself up to his hands and knees, to see for himself. Rodney's face was slack again – there was no sign of further movement.

"Rodney!" Sheppard called sharply, giving the scientist's leg a shake. "Come on, Rodney. I know you're in there!"

But the effort it had taken Rodney to free himself from the stretcher had been enough to send him back into oblivion. Sheppard took his pulse again, and frowned. It didn't seem good to him, and they were still a long way from the Gate. What were they going to do? Goddamn it! What were they going to do?

Ronon got to his feet, not bothering to dust the sandy soil from his clothing as he grabbed Rodney's pack and hiked the few feet back to where they'd started. He settled the upset stretcher so that it was level, perching the pack beside it. He glanced down at Sheppard expectantly. "Let's get going," he declared.

"Yeah," Sheppard sighed, rubbing at his aching arms. "Let's go." Something told him that Rodney might not have that much time left though. His breathing was still too shallow, and he was still pale as hell. "Come on, McKay," he sighed. "Wake up, just for a little bit, okay?" He sat down beside his unmoving friend, even as Ronon came back toward them to help tote McKay back to the stretcher.

"We gotta go," Ronon said. "Him layin' in the dirt like that isn't gonna do him any good."

"Yeah," Sheppard responded harshly.

"Beckett will help him more than we could."

"Thanks for the info."

Ronon scowled. "I wonder about you," he grumbled. "I got to tell you the most obvious things sometimes."

Sheppard looked up at Ronon, and found himself smiling at that comment, but the smile dropped into a look of wonder as he looked beyond the Satedan.

From that angle, he could just see something strange in the woods behind Dex -- something out of place in that green and brown world of growing things.

Ronon increased his unhappy look. "What?" he asked. "I got twigs in my hair again?"

"There's something back there," Sheppard declared. He stood quickly. "Stay with him," he ordered as if there was any doubt, and hiked up the steep bank, scuttling quickly to investigate the strange shape in the woods.

Sheppard continued forward, enticed by the perplexing shape. It was almost hidden -- massive trees had grown into it, over it. It was covered in dirt and moss and lichen and probably 10,000 years of crap. He frowned as he closed on it – a squat building. What the heck was this for?

The architecture, mostly swallowed up by the centuries, the millenniums of growth, was still visible. Here and there it peeked out at him – the work of the Ancients. John pressed his lips together, remembering how they'd been instructed by the devious Tuweepan hunters to take the path over the hill, and not the easier trek through the valley – this, he figured, was the reason they'd been rerouted.

There was something important about this little building.

"Sheppard," Ronon called from behind him.

"Gimmie a second," Sheppard declared, reaching out to touch a wall. He brushed at it, knocking down the moss to reveal a symbol – he recognized it from before -- 'power'. He brushed again, revealing further symbols that he didn't recognize.

"Sheppard," Ronon called again. "We have to go. Now."

"Yeah," Sheppard responded, there was no doubting that. "I'm coming." The sooner they got McKay back, the better chance he'd stand. This wasn't at time for exploring. He turned, his foot slipped in the duff and he shot out a hand to steady himself against the building – and the wall beneath him shuddered.

He jerked away, gazing in astonishment as a door quivered, sluggishly responding – slowed by the growth of ten-thousand years of ivy and vines.

It made a cracking, shattering sound as it broke up the ancient vines, scraped away the eons of moss and muck, opening to reveal a small room. Daylight streamed into darkness. He stepped forward to gaze into it. What if there was something here to help us, he thought. Something…anything… But little was revealed -- a room, with benches across three walls, a tall cabinet, and then a stairway leading downward into the earth.

"Sheppard!" Ronon called again, his voice urgent now. "Sheppard! Now! He's not breathing!"

Spinning away from the opening, John lost all interest in the space. Ronon was crouched over Rodney, arranging his head and squeezing his nose shut to begin artificial respiration.

"No…" Sheppard groaned and dashed down to Ronon's side. The building, apparently sensing he had gone, brought down its door to hide its mysteries once again.

TBC - Yeah, I bet you didn't think things would get worse.