Well, they're both finished so here they are! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I've gone through my files – no other ones are hiding in there. Which means next time I'll have to do it the hard way…;)
Chapter 7
Later, Sheppard realized that Kolya had half-expected this attack ever since Sheppard's arrival. His existing men were ranged defensively, and engaged the attackers on the edge of the city moments after the jumper arrived - the loudspeakers were alive with orders and cries, and sounds of battle.
"Go." Sheppard told Ford. "To the rendezvous. You can't do anything more here."
He saw a moment of resistance, but Ford, good soldier that he was, nodded and vanished. Sheppard peered out, wondering who was flying the jumper and firing with such accuracy - it was Beckett, who made the craft dance and jig. In the co-pilot's seat - was that Teyla?
They were taking heavy fire, and he yearned to stay and help, but he had another responsibility. He slipped down the staircase and made for the jumper bay.
OoO
"Two jumpers remain, according to your report, and one is flyable." Teyla said, helping Weir over some rubble. "Major Sheppard will initialize. A pilot is coming from another landing place to take you and the Doctor off, in case the battle goes badly. If it goes well and Atlantis is re-taken - you will return."
"If not?"
Teyla frowned. This she wasn't so certain about. "I have been assured it will not remain in Genii hands."
"What? The self-destruct? I have to be there, Teyla, there aren't two command codes present…"
"Doctor McKay will work it out." she replied calmly. "We must worry about you."
OoO
Sheppard made the bay. The Genii were still spread thin, and he nipped in, initialized the jumper, and waited for the second pilot.
OoO
Ford slipped into the room across from the lab. To his way of thinking, Kolya was going to connect McKay to the attack, and he'd need a guard. And it was on the way to the rendezvous point, so he was still obeying orders.
More or less.
OoO
They were getting closer to the control room, and there was more sounds of firing, shouts. They were trotting, running by turns, Teyla staying by Elizabeth, supporting her over the rubble that still littered the hallway.
There was an explosion. It seemed very near, and Teyla cried out, and collapsed.
Simply folded to the ground, bonelessly.
"Teyla!"
Elizabeth knelt by her, looking for wounds - shrapnel? Concussion? But Teyla appeared uninjured, physically, though her face was folded in pain.
"Teyla? What's wrong?"
"Dr. McKay warned me," she gasped. "Reaction. To this place…" she groaned slightly, curled over.
"Teyla, we can't stay here. I'm so sorry, but we've got to keep going."
"A moment…" she whispered tightly, but there were footsteps and Elizabeth knew there was no time. She helped her carefully to her feet and, wrapping her arms around her friend, they kept going.
OoO
The pain was getting worse, but there wasn't much longer to endure it. McKay gritted his teeth against the ache and pulled up on the false bottom of the drawer of his lab table.
He pulled the unit out carefully, placed it on the table. Stared at it.
The battle was going badly, he knew.
Time for plan B.
Chapter 8Elizabeth and Teyla appeared at the door on one side of the bay, and Sheppard saw that Teyla seemed to be leaning heavily on Elizabeth. He palmed the door open and met them.
"What happened?" He helped them to the bench.
"She collapsed." Elizabeth replied, tearing her eyes from the sight of Sheppard, alive, and moving so that the Athosian could lie down. Even hearing it from Rodney, she hadn't more than half-believed it.
"Teyla?"
"I am recovering, Major. The pain was intense."
"We have to get out. You must be more sensitive to this universe." He looked out the door again, impatient.
Elizabeth nodded. "Or something happened to her doppleganger."
OoO
Time ticked past, and no sign of Kolya. Ford began to wonder what was happening upstairs. They needed intel, he argued to himself, and he wouldn't be that far away. There was a window at the end of the hall that looked almost straight into the gateroom. And he had these nifty, high powered binoculars…
OoO
It was Stackhouse that appeared, finally. Sheppard planted him in the pilot seat.
"We're going after McKay," he said. "We'll contact you. But if we're not here in fifteen minutes, leave."
"John?" Elizabeth touched his hand. She'd been staring at him again, as if she couldn't get her fill of seeing him.
"Elizabeth." He crouched by the bench, took her hand in his. "I'm sorry. In our reality, we won. We'll try to make it true here, too."
She hugged him gently, mindful of his bruises, knowing from experience what they meant. "Missed you," she whispered, and Sheppard squeezed his eyes shut. Too much to do, no time for emotion…but it was Elizabeth, and she needed him. He returned the embrace, cautiously, because of his ribs, then knelt back and looked into her eyes.
"Leave, Elizabeth. Be safe. If you have to leave, you know I'll get McKay out some other way."
He stood, glanced at Stackhouse, who nodded.
"Yes, sir" and Sheppard knew he would wait, only fifteen minutes, no more.
OoO
The heart of the battle was still raging on the floors above. Sheppard leaned hard against the wall just outside McKay's lab, panting, P90 in hand, and heard running steps behind him - he swung out and verified his target for a nanosecond before opening up on the Genii running towards him. He glanced at Teyla, peering around the corner, propped up in his old alcove from when this whole nightmare began.
He tucked the weapon up against his shoulder, ignored his ribs - the heat of battle was good for something - and slipped down the side of the hall, stopping just outside, banging the door with the butt of his weapon.
"McKay!" he yelled. "The party's over - we're getting out!"
He glanced up at more running feet - it was Ford pounding down the ramp towards him, tucking his binoculars into his vest.
"They've taken the control room, sir. We're not holding them."
"McKay! Damnit!" Sheppard flung the door open with a single, furious thought. "See Teyla? Stay with her, she's feeling it. Keep watch from there," he directed Ford.
He slipped inside. The lights were dim, as they always were, except on the lab table where they were bright white. A silver tube with buttons on it sat there. McKay was in front of it, slouched in his chair, staring at it.
"We're outta here, McKay." Sheppard strode over and unlocked the brakes on the wheels. "Come on. They've got the control room, we have to leave."
McKay didn't look up. "No, John. I'm not going."
"Bull, you're not going!" Sheppard's head swam slightly as the adrenaline began to lose the battle with his injuries, and he leaned on the lab table. It brought McKay's face into his line of sight and he frowned. "What's wrong - what's bleeding?"
McKay looked up. "You shouldn't be here, John," he said quietly, disregarding the streams of blood that dripped off his chin. "Go and save Elizabeth. Then save yourself. Please."
Sheppard shook his head slightly, leaned down farther. "You're sick. Come on. Carson can help."
McKay laughed shortly, mirthlessly, then coughed twice. "John. I'm dead. I just haven't laid down yet." He coughed again, harder, and it brought bright red blood to mix with the streaks that seemed like warpaint on his white face.
Sheppard felt his gut twist. "Oh, crap."
Radioactive material. A genius made to work at a weapon against his will. Another held hostage for his good behaviour.
McKay was watching him through bloodshot eyes, nodded as he saw realization.
"I couldn't take the chance, John," he said softly. "I had to make certain I couldn't be of use to them for long. And it was Elizabeth - she wouldn't leave me in their hands - wouldn't even try to escape. I had to make certain she wouldn't have any reason to stay if the opportunity to leave presented itself."
He began to cough again, and Sheppard let his weapon drop, braced the quivering shoulders with his arms.
"You always wanted to go out with a bang…" he said ruefully.
"And…it'll be a good one..." McKay choked. "You gotta go. This controls the release of three gallons of cesium. When I had them put the detection system in, every sensor contained it. Little explosives. Every alarm will go off. They'll be forced to abandon the city."
"And cesium has a short half-life. The city will be habitable again."
"Eventually. John, pass me what's in that packet?"
It was the one the other Rodney McKay had sent through with Teyla. He opened it carefully, drew out a small bottle. It held something yellow. He opened it, sniffed, stared, shocked, at McKay.
The physicist just nodded. "I'm a coward," he whispered. "Radiation poisoning is really painful. I can't take it much longer. That - " he tilted his head at the bottle "is my easy way out."
"Major, gotta move!" Ford's voice came through faintly.
Sheppard capped the bottle, crouched before McKay, ignoring the ache from the bruises. He met the man's eyes, handed the vial of lemon juice over.
"Rodney," He paused, trying to find words. "I - thank you. For everything. You're the bravest man I know."
McKay's gaze was steady. "Thank you for being alive, John. You tell the other me. Life doesn't get better than living on Atlantis, being on your team. Tell him to enjoy it."
"Major, now!"
He stood reluctantly, reluctantly shouldered his P90. Grasped McKay's shoulder. And left without looking back.