DISCLAIMER: I do not own this show, or these characters; I just borrow them.
Weathering the Storm Part 2
Sora came to the office door to inform Kolya that Major Sheppard was at the final grounding station. She saw as Kolya stood over Elizabeth and buttoned up his pants. She heard as he spat to the female below him "Females should not be allowed to lead. They are weak." Sora did not understand how Kolya could think that way. They had both seen many excellent fighters and warriors from either sex. Does he think this way about me she wondered?
Sora knew what had transpired in this room. It was obvious to see by the lack of dress from Dr. Weir. But regardless of what had happened to Elizabeth, Sora could see the fight still behind her eyes. I don't see how he can think she is weak as she still fights for herself and her people. Sora had a sickening revelation that many times a good leader has to make sacrifices for her people. She wondered what she might do in the same situation. I do not fell sorry for them, they awoke the Wraith and killed my father, she thought bitterly, bring her thoughts back to the reason she was here in the first place.
A slight knock at the door drew Kolya's attention away from the glaringly figure of Dr. Weir. When Kolya was looking at Sora, she stated, "he's at the grounding station."
Kolya started to walk out the door, but when he reached Sora's side he seemed to remember about Dr. Weir. "Take her to her room to change, and then bring her back here. I might need something more from her later."
Sora heard the slip about how HE might need Dr. Weir later, and not that the team might need her. Was he losing his touch on the mission of this incursion? She wondered. "Yes sir" was her reply, as she knew better than to voice her thoughts out loud.
Sora watched as Kolya walked out of the room, and then turned to face Dr. Weir. Her belief that Elizabeth was one of the strongest women she knew was renewed when she saw that Elizabeth was already standing up with her pants fastened around her waist and her jacket in her hands. Sora noticed the white knuckled grasp Elizabeth had on the edge of her desk in order to prevent herself from falling back to the floor. Sora had many times been given the task of picking up those women who had been tortured in a similar fashion to Elizabeth; many times these women would be in hysterics and would have to be dragged away from the scene of the crime as they could not stand on their own. Sora watched as Dr. Weir struggled to get her right arm through her cut jacket. It was then that she noticed the red makeshift bandage around Dr. Weir's shoulder, and the darker red stain that was blossoming from the center of the cloth like a beautiful yet deadly flower.
Sora walked over to Elizabeth and held her hand out toward the jacket, "May I." She knew better than to try and touch the person in front of her, as she was not in the mood to be attacked, nor did she want to unnecessarily frighten Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked toward Sora and saw the sincerity behind her words, therefore she handed the torn jacket over to the person in front of her. Sora took the jacket and helped Elizabeth get her right arm in and then the left arm in the jacket; she then started leading them both out the door.
When Elizabeth got to the door, she clutched the two sides of the torn jacket closed and glanced around for Rodney. She saw him on the other side of the control room, and as his back was turned, she quickly darted through the nearest door to a hallway in order to prevent him from seeing what had happened to her.
On the way toward the door that Elizabeth had taken, Sora heard Kolya tell her comrades over the communication unit, "Use lethal force only if necessary."
She stopped in her track and turned towards her leader, "You told him he would be unharmed." She was having trouble grasping this man in front of her. He was going against his word, and harmed other human beings when it was not necessary. She thought back onto the deaths of the two men when the team first arrived in Atlantis, and to the actions her commander took against Dr. Weir; her thought whirled around about the situation at hand. As she was walking toward the door that Elizabeth had taken, she heard Kolya reply, "Let's hope he doesn't put up much of a fight."
Elizabeth led the way down the corridors of Atlantis to her room. She thought for a brief moment about trying to run away, however she knew this would led to more trouble for Rodney, and she could not put another member of her team in danger like that. As she had the opportunity once again to talk one-on-one with Sora, Dr. Weir tried to explain Teyla's actions and that she was not responsible for the death of Sora's father. "I have known Teyla for awhile now. She is not the kind of person that would leave someone to die if it could be helped. She is a commendable officer who..."
Dr. Weir was cut off by a menacing "ENOUGH," from Sora. Elizabeth knew she had gone to far, however she felt she owed it to Teyla to try. The rest of the walk to her quarters was done in utter silence. The silence in the hall was eerie, as none of the usual hustle and bustle from the daily activities of those in Atlantis could be heard.
Elizabeth walked into her quarters and felt the presence of Sora behind her before she heard her door close. She turned to Sora and asked while gesturing toward the bathroom door, "May I have a few moments to clean up."
"You have five minutes," Sora said briskly, knowing that a longer delay would only cause problems with her commanding officer. She watched as Elizabeth went to her dresser and gathered up another full uniform before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. When Sora heard the water turn on, she sat down on the edge of Dr. Weir's bed and contemplated all that had happened today. She was confused by the actions of her CO, and those of the people in Atlantis. Her own people were acting more like terrorists than she was seeing from the Atlantians. Sora thought of the leader in the next room, and how she was trying to protect her people even in the face of her own danger. She even tried to protect Teyla by speaking up for her. The thought of Teyla brought forward the thoughts of her father, and the anger she felt toward these people returned. I will have my revenge. She thought as the actions of those around her fell into the deep recessives of her mind.
Elizabeth clutched the new uniform to her chest as she walked into the bathroom. She shut the door behind her, and turned the knob to lock the outside world behind her. She started running hot water in the sink in order to try and clean herself up a little. She felt so dirty, but she knew she did not have time for a shower. That could come later when she knew her people were safe.
Elizabeth felt the panic rise to her chest from what had happened mere minutes ago in her office. She collapsed onto the seat of the toilet and started to rock back and forth while the memories played out in her head. I don't have time for this, she thought to herself, and fought to pry her focus back to what was happening right this minute. I need to clean up, and get back to the control room before anything else happens to my people. She took a deep breath, and struggled to stand up. Once standing she was able to get out of her torn uniform. Luckily he only ripped my shirt; I only brought 3 pairs of uniform pants. She grinned at the odd directions her thoughts were taking her as she was struggling to deal with all that had happened to her.
Once she was undressed from the waist down, she was able to wash off the sweat and the smell of sex from her skin. She quickly got her pants on and sat back down on the toilet. She struggled to catch her breath, as the exertion to clean and change had taken it's toll on her bruised body. She looked down at her bra covered chest and marveled at the fact that Kolya had not cut that off her. 'Rape is not about sex, but about power,' she remembered hearing a lecturer state. Elizabeth never really knew what that meant until now, as she realized that Kolya got off by the play of emotions on her face, and not on the act of sex itself. He wont get that satisfaction again, her eyes blazed as she made this promise to herself.
Dr. Weir pushed herself back to an upright position. She was glad that she did not have to change her bra, as the thought of trying to clasp the back of one with her injured shoulder brought the knowledge of the pain back to the forefront of her mind. Well that was one good thing about almost going into shock, she thought, I forgot about that wound without feeling the pain. She struggled through the pain in order to pull the red shirt over her head, while being careful not to jostle the bandage.
Once she was done getting her shirt on, she looked at herself in the mirror. She watched her facial expressions and put on the mask in order to not let Kolya have the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. Dr. Weir also mused how her mask would keep Rodney and others from finding out what had transpired in her office. There was not time for sympathy; they needed to get back to the task of saving Atlantis. That was all that mattered right now. With her mask in place, Elizabeth put her jacket on as carefully as possible; she then squared her shoulders, and grasped the handle of the door in order to face reality again. She was grateful for the few moments she had in which to get away from the harshness of what was going on in the city, but she knew she must get back.
When Sora and Dr. Weir walked back into the control room, they could hear Sheppard's voice over the comm. berating Commander Kolya. They were drawn into the gist of the conversation when Kolya drew his pistol while stating, "I don't like even." He pointed the gun at Elizabeth, "Say good-bye to Dr. Weir."
Elizabeth tried to keep her mask in place, but is cracked slightly under the pressure, and Kolya was able to see the fear that danced across her eyes. He thought she was afraid for her own life, but she was mainly worried about what would happen to the city, and to her people if she was gone. You are not some miraculous savior, they will make do, she thought and pulled her mask back in place. "How is this going to help you get what you want?" Dr. Weir asked Kolya.
"Sheppard put you in this position not me," he replied while looking into her eyes for any slight glimpse of emotions. He almost wanted to pull the trigger just to see the look of pain on her face, and he remembered the pain he saw when he pulled the knife from her shoulder.
In the next second though, Elizabeth really feared for life; but not her own. Dr. McKay stepped between her and the gun. "You can't do this. This is crazy. You need her."
Sora took the opportunity to try and talk her leader out of what he was planning. "She's right! Commander." Sora hoped that her commander would do what was more important for the mission than for his own personal agenda.
McKay started stuttering that Kolya needed both of them alive in order to get the codes needed to activate the shield. He was winging it, and hoped that the man in front of him would not notice the slight sheen of perspiration that had started to cover his forehead as he struggled with the life and death situation he was literally standing in front of.
"Rodney… Rodney he gets it…" Elizabeth touched Rodney on the arm in order to bring him out of the babbling state that he had fallen into. I can't believe he did that for me.
When Kolya finally walks away, Rodney turned to Sora to thank her, "I appreciate…"
"You're an asset we need to complete this mission," but as Sora walked away, she wondered if that was the only reason for what she did.
Once Dr. Weir and Dr. McKay were alone, she faced Rodney and asked the questions she was dying to ask, "You stood in front of a gun for me…"
She did not get a chance to complete her thought as Rodney interrupted and reminded her that if they did not get the other grounding station separated that he might have only lengthened her life for a few hours. Dr. Weir closed her eyes and thought of all that had happened in the past few hours. Dr. McKay and been stabbed and interrogated, she had been raped, cut, and threatened with a gun, and two good men had lost their lives. She wondered how much more death and pain this storm would cause before it finally abated.