Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters just in case someone wants to sue!
Warning: There is strong violence in this story and scenes that some people may find upsetting so ye be warned!
Thank you to my beta The Bog Witch who corrected all my mistakes.
Thank you for all the response I got to the last chapter, it's weird how much it helps. I was ready to give up on the story after the second chapter because I thought that no-one liked it! We are hotting up to the end of the story now, just a few chapters to go. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Chapter Four: Explosive Situations
The hallway was as silent as the grave, except for the Weir's panting breath. She knew she was panicking, but she couldn't seem to calm down. Another hostile could come along at any moment and she was sitting on the floor watching her friend bleed to death in front of her.
It was so frustrating; her mind was fighting itself, disgusted that she had actually killed that man who was lying next to the colonel.
Her mind tried to shut down, no longer willing to do anything that she told it to. Weir knew the symptoms, she was going into shock.
Oh no you don't! Weir told herself angrily. If she did nothing, Sheppard would die, that was fact and she refused to have another person's death on her conscience. At that thought her mind snapped into action. She hurriedly grabbed Sheppard's 9mm and tucked it into the waistband of her trousers. Weir then surveyed Sheppard anxiously. The stab wound didn't really seem to be bleeding that heavily anymore but it was probably best to get him to the infirmary as quickly as possible.
Getting him there would be a quandary, however. She wouldn't be able to lift him, even though he was just skin and bones. This meant that the only option she was left with was dragging him.
She thoughtfully looked at Sheppard's strapped up shoulder. Well that decided it, she thought grimly, picking up Sheppard's legs. Despite the gravity of the situation, Weir had the urge to laugh. This was definitely not the most dignified way to travel. She doubted that Sheppard would see the humorous side of the situation but it wasn't like she had a choice, what with the stitches in his shoulder.
She strained to pull Sheppard's deadweight down the corridor. It was physically exhausting and she was concentrating so fully on her task that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.
'Doctor Weir?' A gruff voice said behind her.
She spun round sharply and was relieved to see Ronon standing with one of the soldiers.
'Do you require assistance?' Ronon asked, gazing down at the unconscious Colonel.
'Yes Ronon, we need to get Colonel Sheppard to the infirmary.' Weir rushed, grateful that she was no longer on her own with Sheppard as she wouldn't know what to do if his condition got any worse.
Ronon didn't need to be told twice. He easily picked Sheppard up, holding him carefully with one arm under Sheppard's injured shoulder and the other under Sheppard's knees. He then set off at a smart pace towards the infirmary, Weir falling in behind and the soldier going last so that he could guard their six.
This went on for a few minutes until Ronon abruptly stopped. Weir instantly went to see what the problem was.
'Put me down this second, Ronon, that is an order!' Sheppard said through gritted teeth.
'John, nice to see you back with us!' Weir said brightly.
'If you don't like how I am holding you, you should have seen how Weir was moving you!' Ronon mentioned, trying to wind up his team leader.
'But you were carrying me like a baby! Could you not think of a more manly way to hold me? Not put me down!' Sheppard commanded, glaring at the Satedan.
'As you wish Sheppard.' Ronon said simply, placing Sheppard on the floor. Sheppard swayed dangerously and would have fallen except for Ronon's steadying hand. Ronon grinned, his point, that Sheppard had needed him, proved.
'Alright, you can wipe that look off your face!' Sheppard said to the taller man. 'I just need to get my bearings!'
Sheppard turned to face Weir. 'Elizabeth, I didn't get the chance to tell you before but I got some new information out of the prisoner, which you're not going to like.' Sheppard had let go of Ronon and was standing on his own. 'The 'Chosen Twelve' were all given an explosive device that they were told to place in different parts of the outpost and detonate within four hours of when they got here.'
'But John, that's half an hour away and there are still ten hostiles out there.' Weir gasped.
'Six,' Ronon grunted. 'Smith and me took out four of the hostiles already.'
'Oh!' Sheppard exclaimed. 'Nice work!' He told Ronon and the soldier who was still guarding their six.
'That still leaves six hostiles with bombs!' Weir noted, unsure of how they could overcome this new problem.
'McKay to Weir.'
'Yes Rodney?' Weir answered the radio transmission.
'I managed to fix the biometric sensor, with some inconsequential help from Radek.' There were some sharp Czech words in the background at this last point.
'How many times do I have to tell you that you need to speak English! I don't have the time nor the inclination to learn such a pointless language. Though of course I could if I put my mind to it, being a genius and all.' McKay said smugly.
'Hah, genius! You couldn't even work out how to bypass the Atlantian's safety control so that we could hook the biometric sensor up to a naqahdah generator!' Zelenka scoffed.
'Oh please, like you worked it all out by yourself!' McKay retorted sarcastically.
'Gentlemen! We don't have time for this.' Weir interrupted the heated argument. 'Is the life sensor fixed and working?'
'Yes Elizabeth of course it works.' McKay answered.
'Could you find any of the hostiles or our missing soldiers?'
'Yes it was quite easy Doctor Weir. There are over fifty people locked in the gym. Rodney believes it can be opened from the outside.' Zelenka informed her.
'What about the hostiles?' Sheppard asked shortly. He was well aware that they were fast running out of time.
'Sheppard!' McKay exclaimed. 'Hasn't Elizabeth carted you back to the infirmary yet?'
'Just answer the question McKay!' Sheppard growled.
McKay was more relieved than he would ever admit to hear Sheppard's voice. 'Fine, there are six life signs where they shouldn't be. Two by the east pier, near the gym, two by the north pier, there is another directly below us in a room under the control room and there is one by the living quarters.' McKay told them.
'Thank you Rodney, we'll get back to you if we need help.' Weir signed off.
She turned to the three men standing round her. 'Right first things first. John we need to get you to the infirmary.'
'Like hell!' Sheppard growled. 'Elizabeth you need me! Atlantis will be destroyed otherwise.'
'He's right.' Ronon agreed reluctantly. 'I will bind his wound up. He will be alright until this crisis is over.'
Weir could see that she wasn't going to win this fight. 'Fine, but I go with you Colonel.' She demanded.
'Fine.' Sheppard agreed easily. He leaned against the wall, lifting his shirt so that Ronon could administer first-aid. He hissed slightly as the shirt caught where the material had stuck to the drying blood of his wound.
'Right here's the plan.' Sheppard told them as Ronon wrapped the bandage tightly around his middle. 'Smith, you head off to the north pier and take out the two hostiles. Ronon, you take out the ones in the control tower and the living quarters, I don't need to tell you how much damage a bomb would do in those areas. Elizabeth and I will go take out the ones on the east pier and let Major Lorne and the others out of the gym as well. Ask McKay the exact position of the hostiles once you're nearer.'
Ronon finished securing the bandages and nodded to Sheppard to show that he understood his orders. 'Right move out, oh no wait!' Sheppard said as Ronon and Smith began to leave. 'Does anyone have any Tylenol?'
Weir frowned. 'What for?' Then she realised. 'Really John, you're not really suggesting taking Tylenol for a stab wound?'
'Why not?' Sheppard said defensively. He took the tablets offered to him by Smith and gulped them down without water. He smiled at Weir cheekily. 'It may take the edge off the pain.'
'Is it that bad John?' Weir asked sympathetically.
Sheppard frowned at what he heard in her voice, he hated people feeling sorry for him. 'I've felt worse.' He said honestly.
Weir could tell he was being truthful and thought back to the whole bug stuck to neck incident and just a few months ago when he had almost turned into a bug/wraith creature. Sheppard had gone through a lot of pain in his career.
'Right move out, good luck!' Sheppard said to Ronon and Smith. They all set off, Smith jogging to get to the north pier on time. Sheppard thought back to when the hurricane had hit Atlantis and McKay had sent him off on the journey to the north pier. Oh well, that's why it was good being in charge, so that he could delegate.
Sheppard set out with Weir to the east pier. 'Elizabeth, I think it's time to give me back my gun now.' He suggested.
Weir gladly gave the deadly weapon back, relieved to be rid of it. She noted how tense Sheppard was and how clenched his jaw was. 'How are you still on your feet John?' Weir asked gently. 'You could hardly stand before, when we had left the brig…'
'It's called adrenalin Elizabeth.' Sheppard said shortly, saving his energy for walking. 'Atlantis needs me to be up and moving, so I am. I'm sure Carson will be keeping me in the infirmary indefinitely after all this is over,'
'I think you're probably right about that, after your stunt this morning! Carson doesn't like being disobeyed.' Elizabeth commented.
They finally arrived at the gym, where Sheppard spared so often with Teyla. He passed his hand over the switch but it didn't open.
'McKay! The damn door won't open!' Sheppard shouted angrily into his radio.
'Won't it? Oh they must have sealed it somehow, has the switch been tampered with?' McKay asked.
'That's an affirmative, Rodney.' Weir answered, looking at the wires hanging out of the switch that Sheppard was trying to activate.
'That's great, just great!' McKay moaned.
Sheppard paced impatiently. 'Elizabeth, I'm gonna have to go on to find the hostiles. Will you be o.k. here by yourself?'
'Yes John, you go. I'll be fine.' Weir told him.
Sheppard quickly set off again, knowing that the four hours were almost up.
'Colonel Sheppard, the hostile is ten metres in front of you, just round the corner.' Zelenka said, over the radio.
'Understood.' Sheppard replied quietly.
He quickly had visual on the hostile who had no idea that Sheppard was behind him. The hostile was leaning over some kind of device, obviously getting ready to arm it. Sheppard didn't give him the chance to do this, however.
He got as close as he could to the hostile and fired a bullet straight into the man's head. He was dead instantly, his body slumped over the device that he had never got the chance to use.
Suddenly the floor shook violently beneath him and Sheppard had to grab the wall for support. A second later, frantic alarms began to sound throughout the city.
Not another cliffy! Well if people have time would they be able to review as it does give me the motivation to write the next chapter. Thanks and hope to get the next chapter up a bit quicker than this one.