Day 4
Elizabeth looked at the speech she had spent the entire night finishing. Today was the day of the funeral. In fact, it was due to start soon, and Elizabeth looked worse for the wear of the night.
She quickly showered and changed into her smartest, and in respect to John's wishes, most cheerful suit. It had seemed so unlikely, not long ago when John had said he wanted no black at his funeral, that it would happen so soon.
As she made her way, she saw others making their way to the service. Following the SGC tradition, it was being held in the gate room.
Teyla and Zelenka were both waiting by the gate when she arrived, and she nodded to them as she took her place between them.
The rest of the expedition filtered in, as many people as possible filling the gate room, and everywhere else they could see or hear. The riot of colours somehow made Elizabeth more emotional than she would have been if everyone had been in dark colours. It reminded her too much of John's personality in general.
When everyone was present, Elizabeth took a step forward, and everybody fell silent. "We're all here to honour those that we have lost. Doctor Rodney McKay, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and Lieutenant Aiden Ford were killed in the line of duty two days ago, while involved in a fight with the Wraith. I have asked Teyla and Dr Zelenka to say a few words.
She stepped aside, and Teyla stepped forward.
"I speak for those who cannot. John Sheppard was the man who brought the Athosians and Atlantians together. He acted selflessly and courageously to save both of our people from the Wraith." She paused a second.
"I do not know the exact details of his end, but from what I saw, he ended his time in glory. May he now rest in peace, wherever he now may be." Teyla bowed her head, and stepped back,
Dr Zelenka then took a stop forward to deliver his speech. "Many of us knew, or have experienced Rodney McKay." A few people grinned a little at his choice of words. "But, underneath the façade of superiority and self-importance, there was a kind and loyal man. Though we did not see it often, he possessed tremendous courage and determination, and I would like to think he kept those traits until the very end." Zelenka paused to compose himself.
"That end was worthy of the greatest hero, and I believe he was one. Rest well, my friend, you have earned it." He finished, voice thick with emotion, and took a step back.
Finally, Elizabeth took the fore. "Aide Ford was one of the finest soldiers I have had the privilege to meet. Brave, loyal and funny, he was a credit to this expedition. I am sorry I have little more to say about him. Even after all this time, I do not know him well. However, I am proud to have known him at all. I know commend him to the starts of the place we now call home."
Behind her, the gate dialled out to an orbiting stargate, for from any known civilisation. With the shield raised, none of the three had to move as the wormhole opened.
Only then did they step aside, as the coffin was carried passed them, and pushed through the gate. All the military personnel came to attention as it entered, until it was completely through the event horizon. Then the gate shut down.
Glasses were passed around, and then Elizabeth made a toast. "To fallen friends. May they rest in peace."
"Fallen friends." Replied the crowd in unison.
Rodney woke up looking at John, his head seriously sore. John was looking back at him, hand on head. "De ja vu!" He muttered, and John groaned an agreement.
Carefully, Rodney stood up and shivered. The front section of the cockpit was full of snow to the roof. Very rapidly, he realised what would have happened if they'd been sitting in those seats. They must have skidded and twisted around when they hit the ground.
As John got up, his leg collapsed underneath him. Rodney rushed to his side, and bent to look at the leg. John tried to fight him off with an "Its fine."
"If it was fine you wouldn't still be on the floor." Rodney remarked.
John grumbled but submitted to Rodney's ministrations. Gingerly, Rodney examined the leg, and ignoring the occasional grimace or groan from John, decided that it didn't seem, that serious. "It only looks like a sprain."
"Feels like it."
Rodney rummaged around what was let of the jumper. He brought out the first aid kit, and looked around for a splint. Not seeing anything useful, he decided to try the aft section.
When he finally got the bulkhead to open, he instantly saw themes in there. The rear hatch, as he had suspected, was completely gone. Its frame was twisted and blackened. Anything that wasn't fastened down had gone.
He spotted a piece of plastic that had become lodged in the bench that would work as a splint, and pulled another one off of the side of the bench to act as a crutch. By then, he was shivering from the cold flooding in the open hatched, accompanied by flakes of snow that were already beginning to form drifts.
He forced his way back into the fore section, and closed the door behind him, slowly beginning to stop shivering. Once his hands were still enough to not hurt John, he wrapped the small plastic piece onto his leg with a tight bandage.
Taking his crutch, John attempted to stand, and just about succeeded, if a little wobbly. "Well, thank Rodney. We'll make a medic out of you yet."
Rodney grimaced. He still didn't consider medicine a real science. "You landed well, considering. The gate is about ten minutes that way, along the ditch you dug for us." He grinned as John scowled.
"Shall we go then?"
"Wrap up warm. In the wind, it'll be well below zero out there."
"Yes mother." Replied John, easily acting the little child. They both grabbed what blankets were left, and with John leaning heavily on his crutch, they made their way to the gate.
The first kilometre wasn't too bad, the jumper's landing had compacted the snow into ice.
"Almost like a road." Remarked John.
After that, the going was much harder. Both men were soon shin-deep in the snow, and John kept staggering on his injured leg.
For a while they walked in silence, until John fell for what felt like the tenth time, and lost his crutch in the snow. He was so fed up, he was tempted to just stay there.
"Just go." He said through chattering teeth. "I'm only slowing you down. Don't worry about me."
"Oh no you don't." Replied Rodney. He ducked down and get John's arm around his neck. Using what leverage he could get in the snow, he just about managed to get him upright. "Now, we are both getting to that gate, and you do not get a choice in the matter soldier." Rodney snapped, his authoritative tone slightly spoiled by his shivering.
"Pilot!" Muttered John, but he complied, leaning heavily on Rodney as they got closer to the gate.
When they eventually got there, Rodney let John rest in the lee of the mound of snow that was the DHD while he dug it out. As he brushed away the last of the snow, he tried to enter Atlantis's address.
None of the symbols lit as he pressed them, and when he tried again, he noticed that none of the buttons were actually moving.
"It's frozen." He yelled to John, who jerked up as if he'd fallen asleep. "Don't drop off on me now."
John grunted a response.
Rodney crouched with John while he considered what to do. There was no way they could get back to the jumper, to that the DHD was likely to be working there either.
He could only think of one thing to do. Carefully, so he didn't waste too much heat, Rodney rearranged the blankets around his chest and lay down on the DHD, letting what was left of his body heat warm it. He could fill the chill of the metal penetrate to his bones, and became so cold he stopped shivering. However, he stayed there until he felt some of the buttons move under his weight.
Quickly, before they froze again, he entered Atlantis's address with remarkably steady hands. Idly, he noticed this, and wondered why they were so still. It was a struggle to enter his IDC into the GDO as his hands were going stiff, and he was beginning to think he had frostbite in his hands. The DHD seemed to have sapped the last of his heat.
Supporting John enough to get them both through the gate sapped most of Rodney's remaining strength as well, and as thy approached the event horizon he muttered, "After this, I think I need to go into training."
"After this, I'll help you all you want." Replied a slightly more alert John.
Together, they crossed the event horizon.
The funeral had dispersed into small groups, discussing John, Ford and Rodney. Elizabeth drifted from group to group, trying to find out what everyone thought of the men, half to get an idea of what to tell their next of kin.
She looked at her watch. It was getting late, and she was considering going to her room, where she could finally grieve in private.
The incoming wormhole caught everyone by surprise. The shield rose automatically, and everyone moved clear as defence teams moved in.
Elizabeth spun to face the control room and said, "Any IDC?"
The man paused, and then said in surprise, "It is Dr McKay's!"
"Lower the shield!" Yelled Elizabeth.
"Need I remind you, Doctor, that his code could have been captured?" Put in Caldwell.
"Don't defy me now Caldwell." Elizabeth said coldly. The man in the control room didn't need telling twice. A few flakes of snow came through the gate as the shield lowered, and then they were followed by two deathly pal people.
"John?" Elizabeth said, at the same time as Zelenka, who was also close to the gate, said, "Rodney?"
They both rushed over to the shaking men. Elizabeth touched John's arm. He was so cold. Immediately she wrapped her jacket around him, and noticed Rodney had acquired Zelenka's jumper, though, and she giggled, it pinned his arms to his sides. She laughed, slightly hysterically, as the relief of their return overwhelmed her.
Dr Beckett appeared from somewhere whit a medical team he must have summoned. Ignoring all comments and protests, he forced both men onto gurneys, and attached heated IVs to both of them. Before he was wheeled away, John reached for Elizabeth's arm, and said, "Go' to ge' For'." His speech was slurred as exhaustion and hypothermia overwhelmed him.
Elizabeth took his hand and said kindly. "We got him, John. He's at rest now, don't worry. Just get better now."
"He won't get better here." Carson remarked acerbically.
Elizabeth let him go, and watched as John and Rodney, both completely unconscious, disappeared down the corridor.
A/N: This is nearly finished. Just one more chapter to go...