Chapter 7: We all jump up.

The flight to Atlantis was tense, filled with moans and disconnected words. Teyla's quiet reassurances could be heard, louder when the moans morphed into sharp cries.

Ronon stood between the two benches and watched the scene unfold. His injuries were minor, a dull throbbing of his lower legs. He watched Teyla hold John's wrist loosely as she spoke to both injured men.

"Shhhh, we will be home shortly. Do not struggle, I will not hurt you."

This was not Ronon's area, he was too rough, his voice too harsh for him to try his hand at comfort.

A plaintive whine escaped Rodney as he hit his foot against the hard metal of the jumper. Ronon bent over him and spoke as softly as he could. "McKay. Don't move." He dared not touch him.

There was a moment of lucidity for Sheppard, when Rodney cried out. He connected the hand and the tone of voice that followed with safety. "Teyla?"

"Yes. We will be in Atlantis soon, John. Do not worry."

"Rodney?"

"He is near."

The concern on John's face eased away slightly and he nodded. "How're you?"

"We are well." There was no need for her to enquire about his well-being.

He nodded tiredly. "Good."

She brushed a hand over his hair and smiled sadly. "It is." They were well, but at what price? An entire village had died for this flight. Would the two men lying in pain have wanted that? What would they have said, what orders would have come from their leader? More importantly, what would he say upon learning what their rescue had cost?.

These questions floated in Teyla's head, but she could not find the heart to be affected. She knew what they had done was wrong, but were she faced with a similar situation she would still sit and watch as murder was committed. Us or them, she thought, and was not comforted in the least.

They landed in Atlantis and she asked the Ancestors to bless Carson Beckett, for he stood at the ready by the jumper's hatch. She had played this scene often enough to know where to stand, what to do, what to say.

Following the gurneys toward the infirmary she convinced herself it had been for the best, they had done right. Us or them, she repeated until she could believe it. As Ronon was forced onto an infirmary bed, she retreated to the waiting area.

It was a few hours before news came of Sheppard and McKay's conditions. Stable, well on their way, resting; all those words that eased awaiting friends' worries. Teyla and Ronon, who had been tended to and ordered – with limited success – to rest, were allowed a closer look at their slumbering team-mates.

"Only a quick look, and don't get too close. Infection is unlikely, but it's better to be safe than sorry," Carson said, smiling gently, understanding that he held a lucky position in the city. He was the first to get the news, in fact made the news, and when the outlook was as rosy as this one, he was pleased to share. Rosy, apt description, he thought. Rosy, tender skin covered the lower bodies of his patients, but he was hopeful, they would heal. From what he had heard, Ronon had pulled them out just in time. In Atlantis, damages from smoke inhalation and dehydration had been countered, and first and second-degree burns on the patients' skin had been tended to. Carson indicated the beds various members of Sheppard's team occupied on a weekly basis. They knew the way.

Ronon moved closer to the bed, but Teyla held him back with a hand to his forearm. "It would be wise to stay away. Doctor Beckett is right; we would not want to risk infection."

He nodded and took back his step. They stood, side by side, looking at reddened and blistered patches of skin, crumpled eyebrows speaking of the turmoil behind those resting eyes. IVs and oxygen tubes kept Rodney and John attached to the infirmary. They were shiny from the balm that had been applied to the damaged skin, thrashing under the light bed sheet, whimpering when the scratchy material moved against blisters. Reassured, though stricken by the sight, Teyla and Ronon exited the room and went in search of Carson.

They found him, elbows on his desk, chin resting on his linked hands. He heard them come and rose to meet them.

"They have had a difficult day," Teyla said when they were standing together.

"That they have, but they'll pull through. It looks worse than it is. You saved their hides, literally." Carson chuckled at the turn of phrase only he understood.

"That is a relief," Teyla said, smiling indulgently. The ways of the Earthlings would never cease to mystify her.

"It is. Now, you two should get some food into you, and rest…after you've been to see Elizabeth, she's expecting you. I'd prefer you stay the night, Ronon, but…" He trailed off at Ronon's glare.

Sighing, Teyla smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Get some rest. I'll call you if there's anything. Don't forget to apply the lotion to your legs, Ronon. Come see my in the morning, or I'll have you brought here. Don't think I won't. Marines are more afraid of me than of you, they won't hesitate."

Ronon and Teyla exited the infirmary in companionable silence. As they drew closer to the central tower, and the debriefing, Teyla's thoughts turned to their defence. Us or them, she thought, surely Elizabeth would understand.

They reached the meeting room and entered to find the team of Marines sitting, talking and laughing; seemingly unaffected by the day's events. Teyla knew it was not so, that these young men would now have new images to link with the sight of blood and the scent of smoke. Images to add to their steadily filling memories.

Elizabeth appeared at the door as if she had been watching, waiting for their arrival. "Thank you for waiting, gentlemen. Let's get this debriefing under way, shall we?"

She took her place at the head of the table and linked her hands together as she usually did. Teyla prepared herself for the tale. The team leader spoke first, relating the events following their arrival. Teyla waited for him to say they had killed them all, to say they had committed an atrocity, but he didn't. He related the facts, without details, without telling Doctor Weir that they had killed an entire village to save two men.

He finished.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Stevens. Is that all?" Elizabeth looked at the rest of the team, who nodded, before she turned to Teyla and Ronon. "What happened? We hardly got any information out of you two before you shut down the gate." She was not angry, merely curious and concerned.

Teyla breathed in deeply and spoke. "Everything went well, until the trade. Ronon and I were asked for Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay in exchange for a sizeable portion of the Gapho's crop. We refused, but they believed we wished to barter. When we explained that we did not trade people, they became agitated and spoke harsh words and threats. They took the Colonel and Doctor away, tied them and enclosed them in a wooden cage. The Colonel sent us back to the gate, for backup, but we were unable to leave without angering the Gaphos and causing further harm to the Colonel and Doctor McKay. The Gaphos are skilled in hand to hand combat, and would have proven too numerous for Ronon and I."

Elizabeth nodded her understanding.

"Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay were forced to fight each other, with sticks. Doctor McKay was hit; he fell to the ground, his head colliding with rock. He was still unconscious when we left for the gate. I cannot say what happened next, but it seems that they would not fight, for when we returned Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay were tied to wooden frames, atop a pyre. Ronon freed them whileI tried to speak with the leader of the Gaphos. The rescue team arrived and we fled."

Go on, she thought to herself, and tell Elizabeth what you have done. Do not lie; it is unbecoming and unworthy of you. Teyla watched the eyes of the men surrounding the table. Some downcast, some anxious, some devoid of any feelings. Her gaze encountered Ronon's and she breathed in deeply once more, gathering the courage to admit to the carnage. She looked Elizabeth in the eyes and spoke clearly. "We killed them all. The Gaphos would not relent in their attacks. They are all dead."

Elizabeth's sharp intake of breath preceded her stern question. "How many?"

"Forty, perhaps less if by chance any escaped through the woods."

"I didn't see any leave," Ronon said, the air of defiance surrounding him. He had done no wrong. They had wanted to harm him, he had simply been faster. It was a matter of survival.

"I see." Elizabeth seemed to be at a loss for words. The meeting room was quiet for some time before she spoke again. "I will conclude this debriefing with Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay's accounts. I'll expect your reports will be on the Colonel's desk for review before his release from the infirmary. Dismissed." She rose and walked stiffly to her office.

Teyla made to follow, but the door closed before she could reach it. She returned to Ronon and, together, they made their way to their respective quarters. At the door to her own, Ronon stopped and regarded her.

"We were right to kill them. They would've killed us."

Teyla did not answer.

"There's nothing you could've said."

"It does not make it right."

"It's not wrong," Ronon said before turning toward his door.

Teyla watched him disappear. "Disrespect and death are always wrong." She entered her quarters.