I am so sorry for the long delay. I'm afraid RL intervened and told me I HAD to tend to other things for a bit. Can you believe the nerve? Once again, thank you for the astounding reviews – I know "thank you" is woefully inadequate, but that's all I can do. Many thanks to Kathy for sending me wheatie, currently keeping my neck and shoulders warm and loose so that I dare start typing a chapter at 10pm.

Memories or Nightmares – Chapter 6

Kramer regarded Sheppard with something between awe and dismay. How was the man still on his feet? They weren't really running through the forest, but they were moving at a very fast paced walk, almost a jog. Sheppard had somehow managed to keep up with the group as they made their way to the gate, just barely two steps ahead of the Wraith. Body language and facial expressions let Kramer know that his CO was in a great deal of pain and was having more and more trouble both seeing and breathing.

Kramer recognized the signs – Sheppard wasn't going to remain on his feet much longer. He was slowing, beginning to stagger more, his legs showing signs of buckling. Kramer made sure he stayed close to Sheppard, to be there when his momentum ran out. And finally, it did.

The young airman caught Sheppard as the Colonel's legs gave way and he yielded to the pull of gravity. Although Sheppard's contact with the ground wasn't exactly gentle, it was softened some by Kramer's actions. Sheppard immediately rolled over to his right side and curled up, clutching his right arm across his stomach and groaning softly. In a matter of seconds, the team realized what had happened and rushed to Sheppard's side. Teyla kneeled beside him, placing her hand softly against his back.

"Colonel? Can you hear me?"

A few seconds later, the intense wave of pain lightened and Sheppard relaxed a little, his breathing halting and labored. "Yeah . . . help me . . . sit up." Sheppard began moving his right arm, trying to push himself up off the ground.

Teyla and Kramer helped him sit up and moved him over so that he leaned against a tree trunk. Sheppard pulled his knees up partway to his chest and closed his eyes tightly, battling another wave of pain. A few moments later he breathed out deeply and opened his eyes. He vainly tried to focus on the figures before him, but could still only see blurry shapes. He thought he could identify everyone, but by size and clothing, not by facial features.

"I'm not . . . going to make it. Leave me." He tried to push himself up straighter against the trunk as he struggled to breathe.

"No," snapped Teyla. "We will not leave you."

Sheppard looked at her, trying to emphasize the situation. "Have to . . . Wraith not far . . . can't walk any more . . . Have to leave me."

"I can carry you," said Ronon.

Sheppard tried to shake his head, but quit almost immediately because of the pain it sent radiating into his neck and head. "No . . . hands free to shoot . . . Just give me extra . . . ammo. I'll . . . buy some time."

Kramer's head was spinning. He was thankful it wasn't his decision. What do you do when your commanding officer tells you to leave him behind. He shuddered, hoping the group answer would be no – unable to imagine that they would actually leave him.

McKay sputtered, a combination of anger and fear causing him to stutter. "Y-y-y-ou can't be serious. We don't leave people behind, Colonel, remember? It was you that taught us that."

"This's different, McKay." He fought against the almost overwhelming weight of his eyelids, not sure how much longer he could stay conscious. He had to stay awake.

"How? How is this different? Teyla, do you think this is different? This isn't different. We aren't leaving you here to be fed on by the Wraith. You can sacrifice yourself to the hero gods another day, Colonel." McKay had worked himself up to the point he was red in the face and spraying spittle as he talked. No one seemed to notice, though, as they worked to change Sheppard's mind.

Sheppard breath hitched a second. "McKay . . . I'm probably not . . . going to make it . . . anyway. Let me die . . . saving my team . . . instead of getting them killed."

"No," they all said in unison, surprising Sheppard and themselves.

Ronon's mouth turned up in a small smile. "We aren't leaving you, Sheppard. Get used to it."

"It's an order . . . not a request." Sheppard watched as McKay, Teyla, and Ronon stood side by side with their arms crossed and smiled down at him.

"Colonel Sheppard, we are not leaving you and that is final," announced Teyla. "Nothing you can say will change our mind."

Sheppard sighed, not an easy feat when every breath was a painful struggle. "If we . . . get outta here . . . you're in so much trouble." He looked up at the blurry figures before him, not missing their rebellious stance, even with his eyesight screwed up. "Thanks," he said softly as he smiled weakly.

"You're welcome," said McKay.

Ronon looked around. "Looks like we're digging in to make a stand here. Let's see if we can get a more defensible position."

Teyla nodded. "The Wraith are close. I will let Major Lorne know." Teyla clicked her radio on. "Major Lorne, this is Teyla."

"Lorne here. What's your status?"

"Colonel Sheppard can travel no further and I feel the Wraith are very close. We are attempting to make our situation more defensible and will fight them off here."

"Understood. I think we're close to your position, but we'll double time it."

"Thank you. I believe we will need your help soon."

"We're on our way. Lorne out."

Ronon and Kramer moved Sheppard to a more protected area with some dense bushes and rocks. Ronon told Kramer to continue to stick close to Sheppard, realizing that if the Wraith broke through, Sheppard would be able to do little to defend himself. Everyone then took up positions radiating out from Sheppard, with Ronon on one side and Teyla and McKay on the other. They were barely behind cover when the first stunner blast shot past McKay, causing him to lean back so fast, he almost lost his balance.

Everyone began firing as the Wraith came into view, plunging through the forest in search of their prey. The one in the lead went down almost immediately, hit by several bursts of fire. The Wraith retaliated with a sudden bombardment of stunner blasts, making it dangerous to lean out from the cover to fire their weapons.

Several Wraith were felled by the rapid-firing P90s, as well as Ronon's gun, but it seemed that for every one that dropped, another took his place. Even Sheppard was firing at the enemy. He was unable to handle the P90, so he used his 9mm to carefully dole out headshots. He wasn't fast due to his failing vision, but he could still see enough to be accurate.

Kramer's heart was beating so fast that he was sure it would explode any minute. He could feel the fear and excitement course through him like an electric current and he thought this had to be the ultimate high. He was almost on automatic as he aimed and fired, releasing ammo into each Wraith until it finally succumbed and dropped to the ground, unmoving. As long as it moved, he continued to fire. He had just finished off one Wraith when he realized another sensed his preoccupation and was quickly advancing on Sheppard. He whipped around and moved between the Wraith and Sheppard just in time to receive the stunner blast intended for the Colonel. His body jerked with spasms as he dropped at Sheppard's feet.

Sheppard saw the airman land in the leaf litter beside him as the Wraith closed in on them, the sound of stunner blasts and gun bursts going off all around him. He fired his handgun into the Wraith over and over as it advanced. Each time it momentarily jerked and then took another step forward, smiling as it came closer and closer to dinner.

Sheppard's gun finally clicked empty as the Wraith loomed over him, teeth glimmering as the creature proclaimed, "I will feed upon you." As he pulled his hand back and prepared to slam it into Sheppard's chest, the pilot was glad for his fuzzy vision. He didn't really need a clear view of what was to come. But he locked his eyes onto what he could tell was the face of the Wraith, determined not to look like he was afraid, even if he was.

"Go for it . . . hope spider venom transfers."

He watched in amazement as the blurry figure before him did a grotesque little dance before lurching forward and falling across him, knocking him over onto his side. He could feel the weight of the unmoving form pressing him into the ground at an awkward angle and making it almost impossible to breathe. He quickly realized he didn't have the strength or the muscle control to move the creature and he was rapidly losing consciousness. He thought it ironic that he had been saved from the Wraith at the last minute, only to be killed by him after his death. He would have laughed except, oh yeah, you kind of needed to be able to breathe for that.

Ronon joined Lorne and his men as they watched the forest around them for more Wraith. Teyla and McKay approached, also scanning the area for signs of danger.

"Is that all of them?" asked McKay, his voice higher than normal.

"I think so," replied Lorne. "I've got a couple of men out checking."

Teyla sighed. "We are thankful you arrived when you did. We could not have held them off much longer."

Lorne nodded and then turned at the sound of someone approaching. Nick Strauhan and the rest of the medical team advanced with their supplies.

"Where's Sheppard and do you know if anyone else is injured?"

Teyla turned to point to Sheppard and it was then they noticed the Wraith lying on top of the Colonel. Nick, Lorne, and Teyla immediately rushed over, pulling the dead body off Sheppard and turning the Colonel around to lay him out flat. The first thing Nick noticed was slightly blue tint to Sheppard's lips. After making sure the Colonel was breathing, he quickly got an oxygen mask on and began checking his pulse and blood pressure.

Teyla and one of the nurses began checking Kramer for signs of injury. "I believe he was hit by a stunner blast," explained Teyla.

The nurse nodded. "I think you're right. That's good, then. He should be okay in a minute."

Teyla looked up to see a young soldier walk up and look down at Kramer, frowning as he chewed on his lower lip. "Is he gonna be okay?"

Teyla smiled. "Yes, he will be fine, Airman Simpson. He was hit by a stunner blast, but he should wake up in a few minutes. Perhaps you would like to stay with him so that we may tend to Colonel Sheppard?"

Simpson's face relaxed and the tension rolled out of his shoulders. "Yes, ma'am, I would. Thank you."

The nurse smiled at Teyla and then looked back at Simpson. "When he wakes up, just have him lay still for a bit. He'll feel like his whole body is numb at first and it takes a little while to wear off. Call one of us if you need us."

Simpson plopped down on the ground beside Kramer. "Yes, ma'am."

As Teyla got up, she reached over and placed a hand on Kramer's shoulder. "He did very well, tonight. He was hit by the stunner while trying to protect Colonel Sheppard."

Simpson grinned. "Really? In spite of his moments of glaring stupidity, he really is a good soldier."

Teyla just nodded as she left to find out how Sheppard was. Sliding over a few feet to stand beside McKay, she peered over the shoulders of the medical personnel. "How is he?"

McKay sighed. "Nick hasn't said much yet. I think he's still trying to figure that out."

She noticed that Sheppard's vest had been removed and they had started an IV. Nick had cut across the shoulder of Sheppard's t-shirt and seemed to be examining the bite on his shoulder. He didn't look particularly happy.

A circular patch, about four inches in diameter, was bright red, with two small punctures in the middle. The puncture marks were a darker red, almost tinged in brown, and were weeping blood and fluids. Nick cleaned the site as thoroughly as he could and placed a dressing over it. He adjusted Sheppard's oxygen mask and listened with the stethoscope again. Sitting back up, he placed his hand lightly across Sheppard's lower chest, feeling the spasmodic contractions that were resulting in his irregular breathing.

Standing, he looked at Lorne and the rest of Sheppard's team. "We need to get him back to Atlantis. It's definitely a neurotoxin and causing severe muscle spasms, making it hard for him to breathe. Symptoms seem to be getting progressively worse and I'm assuming his breathing problems will continue to follow suit. I'd much rather have him in the infirmary if he stops breathing than out here."

McKay's mouth dropped open a bit. "Do you think it'll come to that?"

Nick sighed. "No way of knowing until it happens of course, but if I was a betting man, I'd say it's almost a sure thing."

Lorne nodded. "Get him ready for transport. My men should be back in a few minutes." He nodded over to Kramer. "What about him? Is he okay?"

"He was hit by a stunner blast," said Teyla.

"I'll give him a once-over, but he should be awake in a few minutes. Just don't expect a lot out of him for a little while," said Nick.

"As long as he can walk," said Lorne.

Nick nodded. "He'll be able to do that."

Lorne nodded and went to check on his men. Nick bent back down beside Sheppard and began giving the nurse some instructions.

oOo

The first thing to occur to Sheppard as he drifted toward consciousness was that he was alive. It took a few moments to remember why, but he was pretty sure he was supposed to be dead. As the pain began to infiltrate his awareness, it awoke the memories of what had happened. Or had it been a nightmare? No, too much pain that was all too real. This one was a memory, a very recent memory. Big, hairy spider with nice, big fangs, followed by big, hairy Wraith. Now it was starting to sound more like a nightmare.

He felt the muscles across his chest and stomach spasm as he tried to draw in a breath, sending him into a coughing fit. He could feel hands supporting him, lifting him up and helping him breathe through the shooting pain until the coughing spell finally passed. He was lowered back down and he worked to get his eyes open. He needed to know what was happening.

He was aware of the oxygen mask and welcomed it. It felt like his diaphragm was on strike and only working periodically, making it hard to draw in a breath; but at least when he did, he was getting more than his fair share of oxygen. It sure beat the heck out of suffocating like he had been with the dead Wraith sprawled across him.

"Colonel? John? Can you hear me? It's Nick. Open your eyes if you can."

Slowly, he managed to pry his eyes open to see Nick's face looking down at him, worry in his expression.

"Good," said Nick. "How's the pain?"

Sheppard licked his lips, suddenly realizing how dry his mouth was. "It's here."

Nick smiled. "Now that doesn't really tell me anything, does it?"

Sheppard tried to smile under the mask. "Guess not. Pretty bad."

Nick nodded. "I thought as much. So far, it looks similar to the bite of a black widow on steroids with just a small touch of rattlesnake thrown in. Very small touch, fortunately."

"Yeah . . . fortunately," Sheppard parroted sarcastically from under the mask.

Nick leaned out of his field of vision for a few moments and then he saw him inject something into his IV port. He disappeared a few more seconds and then was back. "I gave you a little something for the pain, but I don't want to give you anything too strong until I get you back to Atlantis. That should take the edge off, though. We're about to move out and I'm afraid it won't be much fun for you."

Sheppard gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. Suddenly he grabbed Nick's arm, his eyes wide. "Kramer?"

Nick smiled. "He can tell you himself." Nick moved out of his view and Kramer leaned over him.

"Hey, Colonel. I'm okay, just took my first stunner blast. I'm glad you're okay. I was afraid we were both goners."

Sheppard smiled and reached up with his right hand, moving the oxygen mask off his face. "Welcome to . . . pins and needles club."

Nick reached down and pushed the mask back in place. "I have that there for a reason."

Sheppard looked back at Kramer. "Thanks," he said, his voice low and muffled so that Kramer barely heard him.

"It's an honor, sir."

Kramer moved out of the way to be replaced by Lorne. "We're ready to head for the gate, Colonel. Are you all settled?"

"Yeah . . . Thanks for saving our butts. What . . . about Wraith?"

Lorne's expression hardened. "We think between three and five of them got away. Hopefully they'll leave us alone since we outnumber them now. We'll be watching for them just in case, though. Don't worry sir, we've got it covered."

Once again Sheppard gave a small nod, and then his eyelids drooped until they were closed. Lorne looked up at Nick.

"Is he going to be okay?"

Nick looked down at Sheppard and then back at Lorne. "I hope so, but I don't really know. It's too early to tell. It's going to be close, either way."

Lorned nodded. "Let's move out. We've got a CO to get back to Atlantis."

They walked in relative silence for the next twenty minutes, trying to move as quickly as possible to the gate without sacrificing safely. Lorne suddenly stopped to answer his radio.

"Major Lorne, we have gate activation."

Lorne cursed beneath his breath. "Get away from the gate, but try to maintain a visual."

They all stood and waited to hear the report, fearing they already knew the answer. Several seconds later, a strained voice came across the radio.

"Sir, it's more Wraith."

TBC