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Silent Sacrifice – Chapter 9
John opened his eyes and stared at the cave ceiling. Today was two weeks. For two weeks he'd been telling Rodney that they would come for them and for him not to give up. For the first time, he was beginning to doubt it would be in time to save them. Rodney had once again injured his back when he and Ronon fell, and he could no longer get up and down by himself. Ronon's fever had come back and John had spent most of the night sponging the big man off. They were out of both Tylenol and ibuprofen. With only two bottles of water and no food, he'd have to make a run for both today. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the prospect since he could barely stand himself. He was pretty sure this would be the last run.
His own condition had been deteriorating at a fast rate the last few days and he knew he didn't have long left. He'd run his hand through his hair last night and come away with a clump of it in his fingers. Under other circumstances, Rodney probably would have laughed at his expression, but they all knew it meant he was in serious trouble. No one had said anything, no one needed to.
He heard the sound of Rodney starting to stir and made himself sit up. He had to do this one last time. He slipped a glance at his 9mm sitting beside him, but refused to consider the option it provided. They had all agreed they would fight until the last minute. They would find them eventually, of that he had no doubt and he would not be found a quitter.
"Rodney." His voice was so low and hoarse, he barely recognized it. "Time to wake up, Rodney." He watched as McKay's eyes fluttered open, not liking how dull they looked. "I'll help you sit up." John took Rodney's arm and helped him slide up so that his back was against the cave wall. He didn't miss the look of agony that twisted the scientist's face or the groans of pain. Rodney was panting and pale by the time he was sitting up. "I'm sorry, Rodney."
After a few moments, Rodney got his breath. "S'okay," he mumbled.
"I can take you outside when you're ready."
Rodney finally settled enough to look at John. He wasn't entirely sure John would be able to support him, but he nodded anyway. They both looked over at Ronon, watching him sleep. His brow was furrowed in pain and sweat beaded his face.
"He's not doing so well," observed Rodney.
"Yeah, I know. I have to go after food and water today. I need you to watch him . . . it may take me a while." John's last few trips had taken all day because he usually got lost or confused along the way and he would periodically just black out. He was hot from his own fever, his arm wounds having been infected for several days, but so far he'd been able to keep it hidden. No use worrying Rodney any more that he already was.
John helped Rodney struggle to his feet and get outside to relieve himself. Once he had him settled in the cave again, he tried to rouse Ronon. "Ronon, come on big guy, bathroom break before I go on my field trip."
Ronon finally opened his eyes and looked at him. "Eznik, what are you doing here? We thought you had been captured."
John and Rodney looked at one another. "Oh, this is bad," said Rodney in a panicked voice.
"It's just the fever, he'll be fine."
"Is that all you two know how to say? It's Sheppard, he'll be fine. It's Ronon, he'll be fine. It's just the fever, he'll be fine. They're coming for us, don't give up. What's next? He's just dead, he'll be fine. This river of optimism has gotten us nowhere. Look at us Colonel, we're dying, all of us. And from the looks of it, you and Ronon will go first and leave me here to die by myself. I'm sick of it! Where's the rescue team, Colonel, because I want to go home!" Rodney was panting and red-faced by the time he finished his tirade.
John didn't say anything, mostly because he knew there was nothing to say. He was too tired to make anything up or think of a snappy come-back. He just stood and looked at Rodney with a sad expression and said, "I'm sorry, Rodney."
That scared McKay worse than anything else had up to this point, because to him it meant that a part of Sheppard had given up, and Sheppard was the one who never gave up. He sat in a daze as the colonel somehow wrestled Ronon to his feet and got him outside. He was lost in his own thoughts of being left alone to die of starvation when he realized Sheppard was standing beside him. He looked up at the shell of his friend.
"McKay, can you hear me?"
Rodney nodded. "Sorry . . . guess I kind of lost it for a minute."
Sheppard smiled at him, making him feel even guiltier. "It's okay, I think you're entitled. I put the rest of the water within reach and I'm leaving an empty container in case you need to relieve yourself. Try to get Ronon to drink a little if you can. I'll be back with more water and whatever food I can find. Don't feel like you have to wait up."
Rodney couldn't tell if Sheppard was trying to lighten the mood, or let him know he might not make it back. He didn't really think he wanted to know. They were both aware Sheppard had to try or they would all die. "Try not to get lost this time."
"I'll work on it, but no promises. You know I don't like to ask for directions. I'll be back before dark."
No one had the energy to even smile at the attempted humor. Rodney watched Sheppard drag out of the cave, weaving slightly as he walked. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever see him again.
oOo
"Keep your eyes open, this is the last planet that is habitable and, therefore, their last chance at being found alive." Lorne flew the jumper as low to the ground as he dared. His men were tired and almost out of hope. He couldn't even imagine having to go back to Atlantis and report the loss of the three men on jumper five. It would devastate a lot of people.
"Sir . . . could you pass over that last sector again? I think I'm detecting a life sign."
The jumper was dead silent as he turned to Lt. Bond. "Lt., how sure are you about that life sign?" He was almost afraid to ask.
"Pretty sure, sir . . . but I'm only detecting one."
Lorne took a deep breath. They would handle that possibility when they got there. He glanced back at Teyla, but her face was neutral as she nodded to him. He nodded back and returned his attention to Bond. "Show me."
oOo
John no longer had any idea what time it was. He'd finally found the stream after wandering around in confusion for several hours. When the water bottles were filled, he'd climbed into the stream to cool his fevered body. Emerging wet and shivering, he'd moved on to the bushes with the berries. He only managed to find a handful, but gathered what he saw.
Next he moved on to the carrot patch, as he called it. It took twice as long to get there as usual because of his staggering, disoriented gait. There weren't many left, but he pulled what he could find and stuffed them in his pack. When he tried to stand, a wave of dizziness knocked him off his feet and his vision grayed out. A strange sound from above jarred him back to consciousness, but by the time he was awake and coherent, he was no longer sure if he'd actually heard something, or he'd been hallucinating. He made himself get up. It was getting late and he'd promised he'd be back by dark. He had to make it back to check on Rodney and Ronon.
As he covered the last few feet to the clearing, making himself put one foot in front of the other, he thought he heard voices. He would have laughed if he'd had the energy. Now he really was hallucinating, because he recognized some of the voices. As he cleared the tree line, his mouth dropped open and he was not aware of the pack sliding from his now slack hand. There, in the middle of the clearing, sat a jumper with familiar faces emerging from the open back hatch.
oOo
Approaching the clearing they had selected as a landing site, Lorne studied the terrain. "Look at that," he exclaimed, pointing to the trench left by jumper five as it crash landed. "This is it! This is where they went down." He could feel the excitement mounting in the men behind them. He knew everyone in the jumper was clinging to the first sign of hope they'd had in a long time.
Teyla was carefully trying to remain calm as the jumper landed. In her mind, she was screaming at Lorne to hurry, that her friends were probably injured and needed her. Her outer countenance remained passive, however, as she prepared to help search for her lost teammates. They had detected only one life sign, and the possibility that two of her friends had perished was almost unthinkable. He mind whirred as each of them went through her thoughts and she silently prayed that they had all somehow survived.
"All right, move out and assemble beside the jumper while we set up search groups." Lorne led the way out the back hatch and then turned to face the jumper and the soldiers emerging from it. He was waiting on the last couple of men to clear the jumper when he noticed the odd expression on the faces of Teyla and the soldier standing next to her. She began slowly walking forward, looking almost like she'd seen a ghost. He turned around as he followed her with his gaze, intending to ask her where she was going. Before he could open his mouth, he saw the reason for her distraction.
Teyla could scarcely believe her eyes. She looked at the pale, thin form for several seconds before allowing herself to believe it was really John Sheppard. His face was partially hidden by a beard, but she could still see his hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. His tattered clothes hung on his slim frame and he was filthy, with dirt and grass matting his normally spiked hair. As she walked slowly forward, he allowed the pack in his hands to slide to the ground from his now slack hands. She stopped when she was directly in front of him and stood looking into his unbelieving eyes. She smiled as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned her head forward.
John was sure this was a hallucination. He was terrified that if he moved, Teyla and the jumper would disappear, so he remained frozen to his spot at the edge of the clearing. But then Teyla had touched him, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaning forward in the customary Athosian greeting. He closed his eyes, silently hoping they didn't vanish, and touched his forehead to hers. He could feel her skin against his and his heart began thumping in his chest. He pulled his head back and opened his eyes. "Are you real?" he whispered.
Teyla smiled broadly, her own heart racing. "Yes, Colonel . . . John. We are real. We have come to take you home." She didn't comment on his frail appearance or the heat radiating from his fevered body. Now was not the time.
Lorne approached the two figures, almost unable to believe they had finally found them. The frail man in the shredded clothes reminded him more of zombies from a bad science fiction movie than his CO. He wasn't sure how the pilot was still on his feet.
"Colonel Sheppard, sir, I can't tell you how glad we are to have finally found you." Lorne couldn't help but think that Sheppard looked like he was in shock. The pilot stared at him, almost as if he was afraid Lorne would disappear, until his eyes widened, as if he had suddenly emerged from a daze.
"Major, did Carson come? Or maybe Nick? Ronon and Rodney are injured." John stepped forward, scanning the men standing around the jumper for the faces of the Atlantis physicians.
"No sir, we were gone too long to bring one of the docs with us, but we do have a couple of good medics and some supplies. Sir . . . are you sure they're alive? We only detected one life sign." Lorne couldn't imagine being trapped on a planet for two weeks injured and with limited supplies, wondering if and when help would come, but he imagined if you were the only survivor in such a situation, it could play tricks with your mind.
John had a moment of panic, but then realized that surely they hadn't both died while he was gone. They hadn't been in any immediate danger, of that he was fairly certain. "They're alive. They're in a cave up ahead. Tell the medics to grab a couple of stretchers and their supplies and I'll show you." He felt the needed surge of adrenalin kick in and he planned on using it to get help to his injured friends. "Follow me."
Lorne was amazed at the fast pace Sheppard set as he took off across the clearing. Teyla ran to catch him and Lorne turned to Lt. Bond, but the young man was already handling things.
"Go, sir, stay with Colonel Sheppard. I'll bring the medics and equipment. We'll be right behind you."
Lorne nodded gratefully at the officer and ran to catch up to Teyla and Sheppard. They jogged for several minutes before Sheppard stopped. He pointed to the top of a rocky hill. "The cave is up there. The only safe way up is over this way." Without waiting for a response, he immediately began climbing the steep trail to their right.
Rodney had been trying to give Ronon a drink when John rushed into the cave and stopped at his feet, panting and swaying as if he would topple over at any minute. He started to ask what was wrong, when he noticed Sheppard was grinning. Rodney just sat looking at him, wondering if he'd finally lost it.
"They're here! We're going home." His voice hitched as he spoke. "They came for us, Rodney . . . we made it."
Rodney opened his mouth to tell John he was crazy, but stopped when Teyla stepped into the cave and stood beside John, with Major Lorne coming up behind them. "I'm hallucinating," he said softly as he reached up and rubbed his eyes.
"Then I'm having the same hallucination," said Ronon, breaking into a broad grin. "And I don't want this one to stop."
"Ronon, Dr. McKay, it is good to see you both. We have been very worried." Teyla smiled at the two forms before her, relief flooding her to have found them alive. She didn't miss the fact that they were also dirty and thinner, pain etching their features, but she knew the hard part was over. They could take them home to Atlantis.
"We have medics and supplies on the way. We'll have you checked over and on your way back to Atlantis in no time," said Lorne, still marveling at finding all three of them alive.
"Thank goodness," said Rodney. "This whole roughing it routine got old about two weeks ago."
"We've only been here two weeks," said Ronon.
"And your point is . . . "
Lorned looked forlornly at Sheppard. "Sir, now I'm really sorry it took two weeks to find you."
Sheppard just smiled and sighed. "I'm just glad you got here when you did. I'm not sure we could have held out much longer. We lost the jumper and most of our supplies down a ravine shortly after we crashed. Food was getting harder and harder to find."
Lorne couldn't help but look at the way Sheppard's uniform hung loosely on his body. Rodney and Ronon also looked like they had lost weight. "Yes sir, I can see that."
Lt. Bond arrived with the medics and the stretchers and they began to tend to Ronon and Rodney. Sheppard moved over to the side to get out of the way. Lorne and Teyla watched as he slid down the side of the cave and sat watching the medics start an IV on both of his injured teammates. Lorne squatted beside him, pulling a power bar from his vest. "Hungry?"
John glanced briefly at the power bar and shook his head. The thought of trying to eat anything made him nauseous. "Not now. I just want to be sure they get back to Atlantis."
"Sir, we could go ahead and walk back to the jumper. My men will get them back safely when they have them ready to transport."
John shook his head again. "No. I'm staying with them until they get to the jumper. I have to be sure they get there okay."
Lorne and Teyla exchanged a look, noticing that John never took his eyes off the people working on his teammates. They both knew his tenacity for sticking with his people until he was sure they were safe. "Okay sir, we can wait."
Rodney and Ronon were ready to transport within just a few minutes. The medics had decided it would be best to clean and dress wounds back in Atlantis since they were two weeks old. They had checked their vital signs and started an IV in each and given them something for pain, knowing the ride to the jumper over the rocky ground would not be a pleasant one. As they prepared to move out, one of the medics came over and kneeled beside Sheppard.
"Sir, how about if we take a look at you before we head out?"
"No, I'm okay. Let's just get them to the jumper and I'll get checked out in Atlantis." John smiled and used the last of his fading energy to pull himself to his feet, trying to convince the others they needed to get moving. The medic didn't look convinced, but he nodded.
Lorne looked at the medic and nodded toward Sheppard, indicating that he would keep an eye on the colonel during the trip to the jumper. They watched as the two stretchers were lifted and carried out of the cave. Teyla, Lorne, and Sheppard brought up the rear of the parade.
It took a little over an hour to get the stretchers back to the jumper. The rough ground made for difficult travel, especially when carrying a litter. They stopped once for Ronon and Rodney to rest a few minutes, since the medication didn't stop the pain of the trip, only dulled it. Sheppard stumbled more than once, each time being steadied by either Lorne or Teyla as they walked on either side of him. And each time, he pulled away from their grip as soon has he had regained his balance. He was determined to make it back to the jumper under his own power.
John stood in the open back hatch watching as they loaded the stretchers on the jumper. Soldiers entered the ship around him, stealing glances at their disoriented CO, marveling at the fact that he was still standing, reminding them of a Pegasus version of Robinson Crusoe.
"Colonel? Are you ready to go?"
John fought through the fog cluttering his mind to look at Teyla and concentrate on what she was saying. He could hear the buzz of voices and noises around him, but he almost felt like it wasn't real, like he wasn't really there. Everything seemed muffled and vague, like a dream you couldn't quite remember the details of.
"Colonel?"
John forced himself to focus on Teyla. "Yeah, I'm coming." He let her lead him to one of the benches running along the back of the jumper. He was vaguely aware of the hatch closing and the ship becoming airborne. He was going home. He looked down to the medics tending to Ronon and Rodney, who both seemed to be sleeping. "Are they going to be okay?" he asked the medic sitting next to his feet.
"Yes, sir, they should be fine. They're slightly dehydrated and probably malnourished, but their injuries don't seem to be too severe. They'll be fine once Dr. Beckett gets hold of them." The medic smiled up at him, conveying his certainly that they would recover.
John felt the tension begin to drain away, the adrenalin rush long gone. He gave a small, weak smile. "Thanks," he whispered. "Take good care of them, they've been through a lot."
"Nothing but the best, sir."
John nodded. His eyes slowly closed and he felt himself sliding sideways, leaning more and more against Teyla as he finally let the darkness settle in and pull him under.
TBC