A/N: Thanks for all the reviews :)

oOo

Chapter 3: Nurse Teyla

"Teyla, go away," Rodney muttered.

Teyla glanced down, startled. She had been staring off into space for the last ten minutes, idly stroking Rodney's forehead with the hand that wasn't keeping his face out of the water. "I…what?" she asked, confused but relieved he was awake.

"Get…out of the water," Rodney clarified.

"Why?" She asked, puzzled.

Rodney actually blushed. He was definitely aware of his surroundings again, much to her relief. "Because," he said, blushing deeper, "because I'm…naked, and you're…you're…you know…female." he fluttered his hand helplessly, splashing the water gently.

Teyla smiled in spite of herself as she realized what he was getting at. "Doctor McKay," she said, eyes twinkling, "I assure you that you do not have anything I have not seen before." She knew she was teasing him, but she was relieved to see that he was getting well.

Rodney glared at her. "Still. This is just…you know. Awkward. Come on."

She sighed. "Rodney. I am holding your head out of the water. If I leave, you will drown."

Rodney snorted. "Oh ye of little faith. I think I'm capable of keeping myself from drowning…hey." He looked at her. "Why am I in the water?"

Teyla sighed. So maybe he wasn't completely over the confusion yet. "You are sick, Rodney."

He looked at her. "Oh." He closed his eyes, then opened them again. "I knew it!"

Teyla frowned. "You knew it? You knew you were sick?"

Rodney nodded. "Yes. I knew it. I have heatstroke, don't I?"

Teyla nodded. "If you knew—" she began, before Rodney cut her off.

"Oh god, I'm going to die, aren't I? Heatstroke is fatal if untreated, and excuse me, but I don't see Carson and his medicine anywhere around here! All I see are trees and vines and water and…dammit, Teyla. I'm still naked."

Teyla almost smiled, but she caught herself. Leave it to Rodney derail his own tirade. "Think of me as a doctor. Or a nurse."

"Not helping. I wouldn't want a doctor or a nurse seeing me naked, either."

"I'm sure that Doctor Beckett has seen you naked many times," Teyla said without thinking. Rodney just gave her a look, and she sighed. "Besides, I am not looking."

"I hate this planet," Rodney muttered.

Teyla nodded, agreeing with him.

"Where are Ronon and the Colonel?" Rodney asked suddenly, turning confused eyes to Teyla's face.

"They have gone to…scout ahead," she lied. She realized just in time that telling Rodney about the missing Stargate would only upset him, and it was imperative that he remain calm at this point.

"Scout? But we've…Oh!" Rodney curled to the side, and Teyla shifted just in time to avoid getting hit in the chest with a stream of vomit as Rodney was violently sick. She held him up out of the water, supporting him across the chest, until the heaving subsided.

"I'm sorry," Rodney whispered, blushing again.

"Do not be silly," Teyla said, stroking hair off his forehead. "You are sick."

"Right. Heatstroke. How silly of me." But there was no force behind his words.

Teyla looked at him, trying to figure out if there was anything she could do. "You should drink," she said finally.

"Dammit, that's all you people keep telling me to do," Rodney complained, but he drank when Teyla put the canteen to his lips.

Rodney seemed to calm down after that, although Teyla wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He drank when she offered him water, and he wasn't sick again. He was pale now, where he had been bright red before. She wished she knew more about this heatstroke. She had no idea what symptoms were to be expected, nor how long it took to recover. All she could do was support her teammate and give him water. She dipped her head a little to lean her forehead against his, noticing with relief that his face was no longer hot.

At her touch, Rodney jerked as if stung. "Teyla, I mean it! Let me out of here!" he exclaimed as if they were still in the middle of their previous argument.

Teyla sighed. "But you are still too hot and unwell."

"Too hot? I'm freezing! Take my temperature again! I'm sure it's dropped right down."

Teyla obligingly put the thermometer back to his forehead. "Ninety nine," she read off. "It would appear you are no longer feverish."

"There, you see? Back to normal!" Rodney said, trying a disarming smile which didn't quite work.

Teyla looked at him, unsure. It was true that he was no longer too hot, but he still looked very unwell. His eyes were no longer unfocused, but they were glassy and glittered unnaturally. "How do you feel, exactly?" she asked finally, feeling helpless.

Rodney sighed, sounding frustrated. "Teyla, I'm fine. I'm cold and wet. And sitting in mud. And naked. Sitting in mud, naked. Please, please let me out of the water. I'm uncomfortable," he admitted, sounding vulnerable.

"Very well." Teyla relented. "If you promise to keep still and calm, you may sit on the bank for a while."

Rodney's smile was real this time, and grateful. "And my clothes?" he asked hesitantly.

"You may put on your…undergarments," Teyla said, noticing him blush again. "But you do need to keep as cool as possible, and you must keep drinking."

"Any more water, and I'll explode," Rodney muttered, but he really wasn't arguing with her.

Teyla smiled at him again, relieved that he was sounding more like himself. He helped him sit up, then climbed out of the water. She would have liked to stay and help him climb out, but doubted his modesty would allow that.

"Ok, turn your back." Rodney said when she didn't move away from the stream bank.

Teyla rolled her eyes, but complied. Considering she had just spent the last ten minutes in the stream with his naked self, she would think he would get over it. She watched the birds in the trees as she listened to the splashing behind her.

"Teyla," a weak voice called from behind her.

She turned quickly, concern etched into her features. Rodney was slumped about halfway out of the water, looking pale. She should have known better than to have let him lift himself out of the stream! She rushed over to him and helped him the rest of the way out of the water, noting with relief that the skin of his arms was cool to the touch. "Are you alright?" she asked, knowing that he wasn't, but needing to say something.

"I…I thought I could do it," he panted, leaning against her. "So weak…God…"

"It is alright. I can help you." Teyla said soothingly, easing him the rest of the way onto the bank and laying him down on the grass.

"Still naked," Rodney said, sounding morose.

Teyla grabbed the first article of clothing that came to her hand—Rodney's t-shirt—and spread it over his mid-region. "Better?"

Rodney glanced down with a slight whimper. "Yeah, sure," he said without any conviction. He laid an arm across his face. "God, Teyla. I feel horrible."

She put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched unconsciously, and she removed it. "Can you be more specific?" she asked gently.

He peered up at her from under his forearm. "Specific? Sure. My whole body hurts. I have a headache. I feel sick…ah, nauseous. I'm both too hot and freezing. And best of all, so I've saved it until last, my brain doesn't seem to be firing on all cylinders!"

Teyla had no idea what a firing cylinder was, but she could guess at the meaning. Of course, that would be the most worrisome thing for someone who relied as heavily as Rodney did on his mind. "Do not worry," she said, placing her hand back on his shoulder. This time when he flinched at the touch, she didn't pull her hand back. "I am certain it is temporary."

Rodney looked at her dubiously, then sighed. "And I am certain that I'm going to become a vegetable. But thanks for the thought."

Teyla squeezed his shoulder, then let go. "You should drink more water."

"Oh no I shouldn't! That's probably why I'm sick right now! You DO know that too much water can kill you, don't you?"

Teyla sighed. This was going to be a long afternoon. "Rodney," she said reasonably. "Right now you are severely dehydrated. That is why you feel sick."

"But I was drinking! I drank over half a canteen today before…" his voice trailed off. "Actually, I'm a little fuzzy on the details."

"You do not remember?"

"Yes, that's what 'fuzzy on the details' means!" He snapped.

Teyla didn't take the bait. "You are suffering from what the Colonel called 'heatstroke.'"

"Yes, yes, I got that part! From the heat and humidity, no doubt, which I said was going to be a problem. I told Sheppard that we shouldn't be out here after noon, or at least not moving around like lunatics! Ah…" he paused. "Where is the Colonel, anyway? And Ronon? What happened?" He tried to sit up, voice rising. "Where are they? Are they ok?"

Teyla leaned over him, pushing him back down into the grass. He was repeating his earlier questions, which still cast doubt in her mind as to his mental state. She tried not to let the worry show on her face. "Rodney, you must calm down. You are only generating more heat. Everything will be alright." He nodded and relaxed slightly, taking long, deep breaths. She nodded and settled back. "Everyone is fine," she added softly. Except for you. "They have gone to…investigate something."

"Really?" Rodney asked, giving her an odd look. "What? What's more important than trying to help their fallen teammate?" He almost, but not quite, kept the bitterness out of his voice.

Teyla shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't working. She was going to have to tell him the truth, even though it would upset him further. "Rodney, they are investigating the Stargate."

He looked at her, obviously confused. "The Stargate? But they already know where that is. Why do they need to investigate?"

"Because it is not there now."

Rodney let this sink in for a few minutes. "Don't be stupid. Of course it's there. Where else would it be?"

"Ronon went for help, for you. He reported that the Stargate was missing, and the Colonel has gone to verify this."

"Do you think magic pixies carried it off?" Rodney asked snidely. "It was there this morning. Maybe Conan the Barbarian was looking in the wrong place?"

"Rodney!" Teyla snapped, narrowing her eyes. She had no idea who Conan the Barbarian was, but from the tone she deduced that he had just insulted Ronon.

He looked slightly abashed. "Ok, sorry, sorry. But Stargates don't just…disappear." He fluttered a hand helplessly.

"I know. We do not understand it either. We will have to wait for the others to return. Perhaps they will have something more to report."

"Perhaps," Rodney echoed, letting his hand flop back onto the ground disconsolately. Teyla wished she had words of comfort, but the missing Stargate was bothering her too. They would just have to wait for the Colonel.