Hugs and kisses to you all!

Memories and Nightmares – Chapter 7

They continued to stand in the middle of the poor excuse for a path, slowly digesting the implications of the terrifying announcement. Lorne took a deep breath. "How many?"

There was a brief pause before Jenkins came back on the radio. "The gate just shut down. We counted twenty Wraith, Major. It looks like they're headed your way."

Lorne sighed. Of course they were headed his way. "Wait until they're out of sight and then dial Atlantis. Tell Dr. Weir the rescue team needs a rescue team, or at the very least, some back-up."

"Will do, sir. They're almost to the . . . Shoot! I think they've seen us, sir. Gotta go."

"Jenkins!"

Lorne was met with radio silence. He turned to looked at the others to find he was met with raised eyebrows and open mouths. The men carrying Sheppard had laid the stretcher on the ground and Nick, kneeling beside the injured soldier, was staring hopefully at him.

"They must be running from the Wraith. They'll reestablish communications when they can. We need to keep moving, but I think we'd better veer off the beaten path. Daniels, you and Hutchison scout a new path. We want to go out a ways and then run parallel. We'll give you a few minutes and then follow. Keep watching out for the Wraith." As the two soldiers nodded and headed out into the dark forest, Lorne turned to the rest of the group. "Take a break for a few minutes, but keep your eyes peeled. We'll be moving out soon."

Simpson and Kramer sat down near the stretcher with Sheppard. Kramer watched as Nick checked his vitals and then adjusted the IV and oxygen mask.

"You okay?" asked Simpson.

"Yeah, pins and needles are almost gone. Just a little tingly in my hands and feet."

"Were you scared?"

Kramer shrugged his shoulders. "There really wasn't time. It seemed like everything happened so fast, I was just operating on automatic pilot, just trying to stay alive. I've got to tell you, though, it was exciting!"

Simpson punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I hear you were being all heroic, saving your CO and all."

Kramer looked back over to Sheppard. "I'm not the hero here. He is."

Simpson looked confused. "How do you figure that? He's unconscious."

Kramer shook his head. "You weren't there, Mark. I've never served under anyone like him. He stayed on his feet long after he should have keeled over and when he finally did collapse . . . he told us to leave him and he'd try to buy us some time. His only concern was getting his team to safety."

Simpson narrowed his eyes, the disbelief evident in his frown. "He told you to leave him?"

Kramer chuckled, but it was humorless. "Actually, he ordered us to leave him behind. But the others wouldn't do it. I've heard about teams that work together and live through hell together, developing a bond that isn't like anything else. Willing to lay their life on the line for each other and doing it regularly. There's a trust there that can't be gained any other way. This is one of those teams."

Simpson looked at the ground, rubbing his hand along the smooth edge of his P90. "So, you think we'll ever be part of a team like that?"

Kramer grinned at him. "You better believe it, because we're going to make it happen."

Simpson smiled back at him. "You mean after we get out of this mess, right?"

"We're getting out. And we'll make a team. You've got to trust me on this. One day we'll be part of team that is this close."

Simpson just sighed. "And you'll probably actually do it."

"Okay, people, let's get moving and keep it quiet. Garcia, bring up our rear and try to cover where we left the path." Lorne made a hand motion similar to one Kramer had seen used by wagon train leaders in old western movies. He half expected to hear a voice call, "Wagons, ho!". He stifled a laugh, realizing how inappropriate that would be.

oOo

Elizabeth walked out of her office and stood at the railing, looking down at the silent stargate below. "Anything yet?"

The tech at the contol panel just shook his head. "No Ma'am and they're almost an hour overdue."

Elizabeth nodded. "Dial the gate and patch me through."

Within a few minutes, the tech looked back up at her as she watched the shimmering puddle below. "Okay, Dr. Weir. You're should be able to contact them." If there's anyone left to contact, he thought.

"Major Lorne, this is Dr. Weir. What is your status?"

"This is Lorne, have you heard from Jenkins or Clayson?"

"No, Major. No one checked in at the scheduled time almost an hour ago. That's why we're contacting you. Is there a problem?" Her momentary relief at hearing his voice was now clouding over with worry.

"Nothing but problems. Jenkins contacted me almost an hour ago to tell me the gate had activated and Wraith soldiers were coming through. We lost contact with them shortly after that. We also think we have a few Wraith behind us. We're about to get hemmed in between the two groups and we could sure use some help. Yesterday would be nice."

"Try to find a safe place to hole up, Major. Help's on the way."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Lorne looked around, eyes searching the terrain for the "safe place" Weir had spoken of, but none was to be found. Simpson hesitantly approached him.

"Simpson, if you've got something to say, say it now."

"Major, I may have seen a place about five minues back. It's not great, but we passed a large face of rock with a lot of scattered boulders and brush we could hide behind. If we put our backs against the rock face, they can't sneak up on us that way."

Lorne thought for a moment. "I remember the area you're talking about. The main problem is there's no where to retreat if they overrun us."

Simpson looked down, his expression falling. "Oh . . . yeah. Guess I didn't think about that."

Lorne looked around their current position. "However, it's still better than here. All right people, we're back-tracking about five minutes. Everyone get turned around."

oOo

Lorne went from person to person, checking everyone's position, making sure everyone was prepared. He had three men posted farther out on the perimeter to warn them when the Wraith approached. Silently he hoped they wouldn't find them, that they had gotten far enough off the path to send the monsters on a wild goose chase. He knew they wouldn't fool them for long, but he hoped it was long enough for the cavalry to arrive.

He stopped by Nick as he tended to Sheppard. "How's he doing, Doc?"

Nick 's expression gave him more of an answer than he really wanted, but the doctor tried to sound positive "He's holding on."

"I'm trying to get us back, Doc, I promise I am. Believe me, I don't want his job."

Nick nodded sadly. "I know you're doing what you can, Major. I'm just not sure how much longer he can hold out."

Lorne nodded. "Do what you can." Turning, he saw Kramer standing and talking several yards away. "Kramer! Simpson!"

The two men jogged over to their position. "Yes, sir?"

He regarded the young airman, realizing that the man had done a lot of growing up in the last twenty-four hours. "I want you to continue to stick with the Colonel. You've been doing a good job so far. Simpson, you stay too. If the Wraith find us, I want Colonel and Sheppard and Dr. Strauhan kept safe, is that clear?"

The two men nodded. "You can count on us," replied Simpson.

Lorne nodded and moved down to inspect the next defense position.

Once everyone was settled, it got quiet. Everyone sat, still and quiet, afraid to move and almost afraid to breathe. It seemed like they loitered in the darkness forever, waiting to hear that the team from Atlantis was here to take them home As time passed, they began to hope that, for once, the Wraith were as stupid as they looked, that they would fall for their ruse. And then came the faint crackle of the radio.

Click. Click. That was the warning. The Wraith were here. Lorne's head shot up at the sound of the radio clicks. He tightened his grip on the P90, as did everyone in the camp. As he squinted, straining to see through the darkness, he thought he could hear the sound of approaching footsteps, crashing through the underbrush. The Wraith made no attempt to be quiet, but plowed through like the proverbial bull in a china shop. He sighted the first Wraith he saw, but didn't fire until he was several steps closer and Lorne was certain he could get a clear shot. And then all hell broke loose.

As gunfire and stunner blasts exploded all around him, Nick tried to shift gears from healer to killer, from doctor to soldier. It took a few seconds, but when a stunner blast almost nailed Sheppard, he was startled into action and began firing his P90 into an approaching Wraith. When he was sure the creature was dead, he turned and began firing at another. He was beginning to understand why Carson preferred the infirmary. He continued firing at the same Wraith for what seemed like several minutes. The stupid thing just would not die.

Finally, the Wraith dropped to the ground, a mere three feet in front of Strauhan. He turned to his side to look over his shoulder and check on his patient, but a Wraith was standing there. He instinctively brought his gun up to shoot, but the Wraith jerked it out of his hand and threw it against the rock wall they were camped out in front of. Nick saw a flash of movement and then he was off his feet and spinning in mid air. He stopped when he slammed face first into a tree trunk and dropped like a rock, unconscious before he got anywhere near the ground.

Kramer had looked over just in time to see the Wraith hit Nick and send him flying. He ran toward the creature, yelling and firing his gun into its back as it reached over Nick as if to feed. Although its body jerked with each entering bullet, it wouldn't seem to die or give up it's quest for food. Kramer finally rammed into the Wraith, knocking it to the ground as he tumbled on top of it. He looked into the Wraith's eyes, evil eyes that thought they had won, evil eyes that taunted him with all the lives they had ended. And he shoved his knife right through one of those evil eyes. Even though the Wraith stopped struggling, he got up and bashed it's head in with a large rock after retrieving his knife, wiping the blood on the Wraith's clothing.

He whirled around at the continuing battle. Teyla and another soldier were apparently out of ammo, because they were fighting the Wraith by hand, never a good idea as far as he could tell. They were both starting to look pretty battered. Mark was firing on a Wraith that had Lorne by the throat, pinning him to a tree. He looked around in time to see another Wraith just a few feet from Sheppard and the doctor. He tried to fire, only to find himself out of ammunition as well. He used the gun to club the enemy in the head, snapping his head back from the force of the blow. The Wraith straightened and smiled. This would not be good. The Wraith suddenly hit him in the chest, slamming him several feet to land flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him.

Kramer's mind seemed to fog over for a minute and the distinct sounds became a dull roar in his ears. He looked through graying vision and watched, almost in slow motion, a Wraith slam his hand into a soldier and drain the life away as the man screamed in agony. He could see Wraith everywhere, battering his people, people he had thought were destined to become his friends. He saw Teyla thrown to the ground and the Wraith poised over her ready to feed. They were losing. The team from Atlantis hadn't made it and they were all going to die.

He felt his vest ripped open and looked up into the face of his death. He let the darkness and the fog take him, grateful he wouldn't be there.

TBC

This chapter is a little short, but that seemed like such a good place to stop. And since I had about an hour of sleep last night, I can't keep my eyes open any longer. More tomorrow.