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Silent Sacrifice – Chapter 10

Teyla moved to support Sheppard as he leaned against her more heavily. The medic at the colonel's feet realized the pilot had passed out, and immediately stood to help. Together, they lowered Sheppard to the floor, soldiers around them clearing a spot for his limp form. Teyla watched the medic begin to check Sheppard as she fought to control the rising fear.

"Is he all right?" she asked, unable to wait on him to update her.

"Well, I don't think he's exactly all right, but he doesn't seem to be in any immediate danger. He's exhausted for one thing." As the medic lifted Sheppard's shirt to listen with the stethoscope, he and Teyla gasped.

Teyla felt sure she could count every rib in the colonel's chest and sides. She had heard the Earth people use the phrase skin-and-bones, but she hadn't really understood it until now. Bruises in a wide variety of colors covered his chest and sides, indicating a range of injury ages. Sheppard had obviously had a rough two weeks and very little food.

The medic quickly regained his composure and continued his evaluation of the colonel. Teyla watched, realizing that Sheppard was in worse condition that she had first thought. She took his hand and squeezed. "We will have you home soon, John."

oOo

Elizabeth jumped as the alarm sounded, leaping to her feet and rushing out the door. She found herself breathless and afraid to ask, so she waited.

"It's Major Lorne's IDC. There's a transmission coming through."

Elizabeth nodded. "Major Lorne, this is Atlantis. We're receiving your ID."

Major Lorrne's voice filled the control room, making Elizabeth realize he was on speaker. "This is jumper three . . . we have them. I repeat Atlantis, we have our missing people and are bringing them home. Requesting a medical team and three stretchers meet us in the jumper bay in approximately fifteen minutes."

Elizabeth thought surely her grin couldn't be any larger as she listened to the cheers from those around her in the control room. When she finally recovered her voice and the noise had died down somewhat, she radioed back to Lorne. "Well done, Major, well done. We'll patch you through to the infirmary so you can fill Dr. Beckett in on their condition."

Elizabeth wobbled over to the nearest empty chair and lowered herself into it. Hope at finding them alive had been fading faster than she cared to admit the last few days. She had spent the morning trying to figure out how she could run Atlantis without John and Rodney or who else besides Ronon could convince the military men of the city that they could always use more training. But now she didn't have to wonder about any of that because they were coming home. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and headed for the jumper bay.

oOo

Carson Beckett nodded at Elizabeth as he entered the jumper bay, nurses and three gurneys behind him.

"Carson, are you ready for this?"

"Well, I'm not sure anyone is ever really ready when they come back like this, but I've called in reinforcements. Dr. Strauhan and Dr. Biro are getting the infirmary ready so that we can go to work on them quickly. I don't think any of them are in danger, but they've waited for us a long time. I didn't want any of them waiting around when they got home."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled at her CMO, once again appreciating the way he cared for his patients. She definitely had the best people working with her and for that, she was very thankful, especially since she seemed to desperately need every one of them. She turned at the sound of the jumper entering the bay and watched as it landed. The back hatch seemed to open in slow motion.

Even before the lowering hatch touched the ground, pairs of soldiers were carrying the litters with Rodney and Ronon out to the waiting gurneys. Elizabeth noted their haggard appearance. Rodney was pale, a dirty looking field dressing wrapped around his head. Ronon's leg was splinted with sticks and he was shivering, even though covered with sweat. Both appeared to be drifting in and out as Beckett briefly checked each one and then sent them on to the infirmary.

Elizabeth turned to look back into the jumper. Teyla was kneeling beside Sheppard, lying on the jumper floor. As the remaining gurney was pushed into the jumper, several people worked to lift Sheppard off the floor and onto the waiting stretcher. The medic that had been tending him moved out of the jumper with the stretcher, coming up beside Beckett.

As the medic spoke to Carson and Teyla came up beside her, Elizabeth looked down at John. His eyes fluttered open to narrow slits, but she couldn't tell if he was actually aware of his surroundings or not. She leaned over closer to his face as she took his hand.

"Welcome home, John. We've been missing you three."

"Home," he whispered softly.

Elizabeth smiled down at him. "Yes, you're home." She let go of his hand as the gurney began moving forward.

Carson put his hand on her shoulder. "I'll let you know, but we'll need a wee bit of time to get them sorted. Don't worry lass, we'll take good care of them." He nodded at Elizabeth and Teyla as he followed the gurney out of the jumper bay.

Elizabeth turned around as Major Lorne emerged from the back of the jumper. "Good work, Major, Teyla. I can't thank you both enough for bringing them home."

Major Lorne grinned. "Happy to do it, ma'am. I have no desire to take over for the colonel, so finding him was to my benefit. Plus . . . I kind of like his style." Lorne nodded to Elizabeth and Teyla. "Thanks for your help, Teyla. I think it helped the colonel that you were there."

Teyla nodded. "I was happy to be of assistance. They are my friends as well as my teammates."

"Do you have any idea why it was so hard to find them?" asked Elizabeth.

Lorne frowned and shook his head. "I don't know, ma'am. We didn't get any life sign readings on our first pass of the planet and we only picked up one on this pass. We never did pick up Ronon and Dr. McKay."

"Maybe I can answer that." They all watched Lt. Bond emerge from the back of the jumper. "I checked when we got to the cave and I still couldn't read life signs from Dr. McKay or Ronon. I stayed outside and monitored. Every time someone entered the cave, they disappeared from the LSD. There must be something in the wall of the cave that interferes with the reading."

Realization dawned on the face of Major Lorne. "They were all in the cave on our first pass, so we didn't see any life signs on the planet."

Elizabeth nodded. "I hate to say it, but whatever is in rock of that cave wall might be worth further investigation. But we can check that out later. You say you only saw one life sign when you landed?"

Lorne nodded. "Yes, ma'am, and I've got to tell you, that scared me to death. I honestly thought we'd be bringing back one living person and two bodies. That was not a pleasant thought."

"No, I imagine not. I'm just glad that wasn't the case."

"I'm going to hit the showers. I figure I'll see you later in the infirmary." Lorne gave one more nod before leaving.

Elizabeth turned to face Teyla. "Are they really okay?"

Teyla shrugged her shoulders, a habit she had picked up from her teammates. "I cannot say. I know they are injured and have all lost weight, but I do not know how serious it is. The medics assured me they would recover. Colonel Sheppard said they lost the jumper and most of their supplies in the crash. They have apparently been gathering their own food and water for some time and . . . Colonel Sheppard was very thin. I am afraid he has not been eating much."

Elizabeth nodded, looking grim but not surprised. "It would be like him to give most of the food to the others. I guess we'll just have to see what Carson says. He indicated it might be a while before he could tell us anything. Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll meet you in the infirmary later. You must be tired after spending several days on a jumper with a bunch of men."

Teyla sighed. "It has been interesting."

oOo

Beckett leaned down over Rodney as the man stirred and moaned. "Rodney, it's me, Carson. You're in Atlantis, lad, so just relax. Can you tell me where you're hurt?"

Rodney's eyes squinted for a few seconds, then opened all the way. He seemed dazed as he looked around the room, taking in his surroundings. "Atlantis?"

Beckett smiled at the recognition. "Yes, you're in Atlantis. Can you tell me how you feel?"

Rodney tried to lift his head and see more. "Are we all here? Did we all make it? How long have we been here?" Grimacing at the pull on his back, he let his head fall back on the bed.

"Be still, Rodney, I haven't fully examined you for injuries yet. Yes, you are all here in the infirmary. Dr. Biro is taking care of Ronon and Dr. Strauhan is with Colonel Sheppard, so you can relax. You've only been here for a few minutes. Major Lorne and Teyla brought you back, do you not remember?"

Rodney lay with his mouth open a few seconds, as if lost in thought. "Yeah . . . I thought that was a dream."

"No, lad, not a dream. You really are home. Now, where are you hurt?"

Rodney seemed to focus on Beckett and what he was saying. "I guess you noticed I hit my head. And I think I wrenched my back pretty good. I've had a hard time moving."

Beckett nodded. "I understand you lost most of your provisions in the jumper crash two weeks ago. How has the food supply been?"

Rodney closed his eyes against the headache and tried to get his thoughts straight before answering. "I uh . . . let me think a minute. Okay, we had some MREs and power bars, which we spread out over most of it. Sheppard's been picking berries and some kind of carrot-like roots for us, too. We never really had enough to get full or anything, but we've had something to eat every day until today. It's been a little more sparse the last few days though and we ran out last night. We didn't exactly starve, but it was definitely the next best thing."

Beckett nodded, thinking about what the medic had told him about Sheppard. "Rodney, I need you to think. How often did you see Colonel Sheppard eat?"

"I don't know, not often. He usually said he had already eaten or would eat when he went out collecting food and water. I only actually saw him eat a few bites here and there. He's thrown up a lot the last few days too. Oh, and he tried out these fruit things that were poisonous or something about a week ago. They made him real sick for a couple of days. Idiot kept taste-testing stuff to see if it was edible."

"All right, Rodney, thanks. You just rest and we're going to get some x-rays and get you fixed up. I think I have some nice pain medication with your name on it."

Rodney smiled. "Thank goodness, it's about time." His expression sobered as he looked back up at Carson. "They're going to be okay, right?"

Beckett patted him on the arm. "Don't you worry yourself, I'm sure they will be fine."

Rodney frowned, remembering his little tirade on the planet and how much Beckett sounded like Ronon and Sheppard.

Nick didn't hesitate to cut Sheppard's shirt off. It was torn and tattered beyond repair and definitely would never be worn again. As he peeled the cloth from the pilot's torso, he and Kelly stopped to stare at the thin figure on the bed. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen anyone this close to starving before.

"Carson?" he called. He knew his boss would want to know immediately, since it could affect treatment of any injuries the colonel had.

Carson appeared at his side, but didn't seem surprised. "Aye, I was afraid of that."

Nick widened his eyes. "You knew?"

"The medic warned me when we were preparing to transport the colonel and I've just spoken to Rodney. Food was apparently in short supply and they didn't actually see the colonel eat very much. I suspect he's been giving them most of the food because of their injuries. Rodney also said he's been vomiting a lot the last few days, so be sure to check the lining of his esophagus and stomach."

Nick nodded sadly. "Sounds like a rough two weeks."

"Aye, for all of them."

Beckett left Sheppard in Nick's care and moved over to Dr. Biro and Ronon. "How's the big lad doing?"

Dr. Biro looked up from her patient. "I'll be sending him to x-ray in a few minutes. So far we have dehydration that is probably partially due to the fever he's running and a broken leg. There's a cut on his leg that seems infected, probably the source of the fever. We're still getting him sorted out."

Beckett nodded, observing Ronon as he stirred restlessly and mumbled in his sleep. "Okay, let me know if you need anything."

Biro nodded and smiled. "Dead people may be my specialty, but I still know what to do with the live ones."

oOo

The waiting area had slowly become crowded over the past couple of hours. Elizabeth sat watching as Teyla talked with Major Lorne and Lt. Bond, Radek Zelenka paced, and three marines from the rescue mission played cards in the corner. Various soldiers and scientists had wandered in and out, checking to see if there was word on the condition of the survivors yet. She had been able to see into the main infirmary, watching carefully as each patient had taken his turn in x-ray and been brought back. She had seen nurses and technicians, as well as the doctors, moving around with various equipment and medications, consulting one another and working on their patients. She was getting close to heading a revolt and charging the unit when she finally saw Carson headed their way. Standing, she rose to meet him as he entered their domain.

"Carson, finally, I was about to hunt you down." She hadn't meant to say anything, it had just popped out of her mouth, borne of frustration and increasing worry.

Beckett smiled at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. We're just dealing with two weeks worth of problems and none of them are very coherent, so our verbal information has been limited. Why don't we sit down? With three reports to give, this could take a minute."

A nurse came up and handed Beckett a cup of coffee as he sat down. "Here, Dr. Strauhan said you could probably use this about now."

Beckett grinned and nodded to her. "Thanks, Kelly. I knew I hired him for a reason." Kelly just returned the smile and left, obviously still busy with their newest patients.

Beckett took a sip and faced his audience, now settled in chairs pulled up close enough they could hear. "All right, first of all they are all experiencing some degree of dehydration. It appears as though Colonel Sheppard was hauling water from a stream, but has had trouble making the trip the last few days due to increasing weakness. Rodney's case is so mild as to be borderline. Ronon and Colonel Sheppard are more severe. Ronon has had a prolonged fever and I'm sure that, combined with his reduced fluid intake due to sleeping is causing his. Colonel Sheppard has experienced a lot of vomiting the last few days and I'm sure that's the primary cause of his. Other than that, they are all malnourished to some degree, the result of limited food intake over the past two weeks. Ronon and Rodney's cases are relatively mild, since it appears Colonel Sheppard was giving them most of the food. And they all have a wide variety of healing bruises, scrapes, and scratches due to the crash."

Beckett paused a second, giving them a few moments to absorb what he had told them so far. "Ronon has fractured the two bones in his lower leg. Colonel Sheppard did a good job of straightening and splinting the leg under the circumstances. The healing process has been slowed by the fever and lack of proper nutrients, but I don't see any long term problems. The break was clean and we're going to put a cast on shortly. There was some accompanying muscle damage, but that should heal with time. Our main concern is a rather nasty cut on his leg that has become infected. We're giving him strong antibiotics to fight the infection and trying to reduce his fever. He'll probably have a rough few days ahead, but he should recover."

Everyone looked relieved that Ronon would be all right. One down and two to go. "Rodney had a severe concussion and pretty bad cut on his head, one that will probably leave a scar since we didn't get to suture it. They managed to keep it pretty clean, though, so he has avoided infection. He is still experiencing some headaches and dizziness, and that could continue for a bit. He's also injured his back. He not only seriously strained some muscles in his lower back, but he has a compression fracture of T12 and L1."

Elizabeth sat up straighter in her chair, her eyes going wide. "He broke his back?" Fear raced through her as she pictured Rodney in a wheelchair.

"It's alright," Beckett said quickly. "A compression fracture is easily treated without surgery and doesn't involve the spinal cord. Basically, the front part of the last thoracic and first lumbar vertebrae are fractured, but not the back part. The middle part surrounding the spinal cord is in tact. We've checked and he hasn't experienced any neurological damage. That doesn't mean it isn't painful, or that it hasn't limited his movement. I think the strained muscles have caused him more pain than anything so far. He won't be happy, but he'll have to wear a brace for six to twelve weeks when he's up working or doing things, but it shouldn't be too bad. We'll need to get him on his feet and walking to restore muscle strength and he'll have a few weeks of physical therapy after he's done with the brace." Beckett sighed. "I expect this to be more painful on those around him in the long run." They were all imagining the barrage of vocal complaints and moaning that would accompany the scientist for the next several weeks.

"God help us," said Elizabeth softly. Beckett chuckled.

"What about John?" asked Elizabeth, noticing Carson had saved him for last. She figured there was a reason.

Beckett sighed deeply. "His injuries from the crash weren't too severe. He did have a concussion, which from what information we've gleamed from the three, seemed to cause some initial dizziness and disorientation. He has had a few headaches as well. His ribs were seriously bruised and it looks like one or two may have been cracked. He's completely exhausted himself over the last two weeks. He was responsible for finding the cave and getting them and all their supplies moved to it."

"Getting up that hill to the cave wasn't easy. I can't imagine doing it while injured and carrying stuff, much less helping Ronon with his broken leg," interjected Lorne.

"He then had to take care of Ronon and Rodney, since they were unable to get up, as well as haul water and collect food. At one point he tried to return to the jumper, but it was at the bottom of a ravine. When he couldn't get to it, he tried to get some supplies that were scattered down the hillside. He lost his grip and slid partway down the hill, almost falling in the ravine. He injured his arms during that little adventure, and developed a bit of an infection in one of the wounds, resulting in a fever. He has apparently given almost all of the food to Rodney and Ronon. As near as we can tell, the only thing he's eaten the past two weeks is a few bites of power bar, a few berries, and some of the roots he was collecting. I'm thinking the combined effects of the concussion, the lack of food, and an apparent run-in with a semi-toxic fruit resulted in a total loss of appetite, nausea, and lots of vomiting. As a matter of fact, he's vomited so much that the lining of his esophagus and stomach are inflamed and he's ruptured a few blood vessels in his lower esophogus, resulting in a bit of bleeding. As you can imagine, this has resulted in a . . . rather big weight loss."

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Carson, what are we looking at? He'll recover, right?"

Beckett pursed his lips a second before continuing. "I'm sure he will, but it won't be easy. It's been my experience that once someone is this near starved, especially with the extra problems he's experienced, it's hard to get them eating again. I know that sounds backwards. It seems like he should stuff himself all the time to make up for the food he's missed, but it doesn't always work like that." He permitted a brief smile. "Although I rather expect that will be the case with Rodney. We'll have to bring food back slowly and carefully, partially because it's been so long since he's had anything in his system and partially because of the inflammation. Even when we get past that and he's released, he may not want to eat. I don't think anyone completely understands exactly why this happens, but it often does. We'll have to work together to watch him and make sure he eats enough, and I think that's going to be harder than you realize. He had Rodney and, to a certain extent, Ronon fooled into thinking he was eating more than he was while they were on the planet."

Teyla smiled and sighed. "Colonel Sheppard can be rather . . . sneaky when he wants to be."

They all nodded in agreement, having seen that side of the pilot when he felt it was needed. They were also painfully aware that he wouldn't complain if he was having problems or hurting, they would just have to be extra watchful.

Beckett took another sip of his cooling coffee. "What everyone needs to understand is that they are all three in for a prolonged recovery period. It's taken two weeks to get them into this shape, and it's going to take them even longer to get back to normal. We're going to need to be there for all three of them. They have all lost weight, they have all been injured, and they've spent the last fourteen days wondering if and when help would come. They've been through a heck of a physical and emotional trauma and we're going to need to give them some time."

Elizabeth looked at the concerned faces around her and smiled back at Beckett. "We're just glad to have them home, Carson. We'll be more than happy to give them whatever they need."

TBC