Chapter 3.
Let the Shep whump begin...Thanks to Kodiak for her beta skills - again!
Sheppard's pov.
I woke up feeling like hell. My side throbbed, my head ached, and I felt like I was going to throw up at any minute. My body was telling me in no uncertain terms, that it wasn't pleased with my decision to go against its advice, and take a little trip back to Linaria.
My heart sank as I remembered why I'd had to go back to that planet. Inari. Sweet little kid, just the sort I'd like to have had myself, if things had turned out differently for me.
From the moment I met her, she sort of clicked with me. Maybe it was the Ancient gene we shared, maybe she filled a void in my life I didn't want to admit was there. I had no idea what it was about her that had captivated me. All I knew was, on top of the physical pain I was experiencing, and boy was there plenty of that, there was a cold, dark abyss in the periphery of my very being. If I wasn't careful, I was going to teeter over the edge and fall right into it.
I'd instantly known I was back in the infirmary. Monitors beeped, IV's pulled, and my favourite nasal cannula tugged at my nostrils. I'd been surprised when Carson had let me go back to Linaria, and I was grateful to McKay for persuading him to give me a temporary visa out of the Doc's corner of Atlantis. I knew McKay would be demanding payback sooner or later, but I'd willingly pay whatever he asked.
I'd managed to get on my feet and say goodbye to a special little girl. All I had to do was try to get over her death, and my inability to do what I'd promised her: to keep her safe. I'd failed miserably at the one thing I'm supposed to be good at: protecting those who needed protecting.
"Colonel? How are you feeling?" Carson's slightly stern voice took me by surprise. I hadn't heard him approaching my bed, which showed just how out of it I was.
How was I feeling? Emotionally numb, in pain, angry, frustrated, useless, pathetic, a failure. Carson could have picked any of those words; they all applied to me.
"I'm fine," I lied, knowing there was no way the Scottish Terrier would let me off the hook that easily.
Beckett gave me his 'don't bother lying to me, because I'm not that stupid' look.
"I very much doubt that. Well, you'll be pleased to know you ruptured some sutures, had a nice little bleed, and knocked yourself even more senseless that you are already," he informed me a little uncharitably.
"You been taking lessons from McKay, Doc? 'Cause I swear I heard snark in your voice," I half joked, though I was secretly appalled at my gravelly voice.
Ignoring my attempt at levity, Beckett scowled at me until I wanted to hide underneath my crisp white infirmary sheets.
"I'm glad you think this situation is amusing, Colonel. After your ill advised trek, you'll now be having an extended stay in my happy infirmary."
I stared back at Carson, and found myself letting out a small hysterical laugh.
"Amusing? You think I've found this situation funny?" I barked at Beckett. "A little girl is dead, and I couldn't save her. I let them kill her. I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life. An extended stay in your fucking infirmary seems insignificant in comparison."
I managed to work myself up to almost yelling, and was half-sitting up, just to find myself suddenly collapsing back against my pillows, regretting the fact that I'd expended that much energy. If I felt crap before, I felt like crapped on crap after that. I panted through the pain, but it wasn't my physical discomfort which hurt so much, it was the loss of Inari. Sure, I'd lost people I'd cared for before, too many too count, but Inari was so young, so innocent. She had her whole life in front of her, and what a wonderful life it would've been. That's what I was finding so hard to accept. An innocent, bright light had been extinguished and I hadn't been able to stop that happening. It was so – futile, and unfair.
Concern crossed Carson's features, and he moved towards me with a syringe in his hand.
"I know you're not feeling yourself, Son. So I'll ignore that." His face softened, and he reached out, injecting the contents of the syringe into my IV port. "There you go, Lad. That'll make you feel a bit better," he soothed.
I shook my head and laughed softly.
"I don't think there's anything you can give me to make me feel better, Carson," I replied bitterly.
"No, I don't suppose there is. I'll not lie to you. I'm angry you went back to Linaria. Angry with you, Rodney - but mostly with myself. I should never have agreed to it." Carson fussed over my monitors and humphed as he checked my BP. "Your pressure is too high, Colonel. You need to rest, and heal."
My eyes started to close, as whatever Carson had injected into me started to take effect. I thought back to what had happened six days previously and replayed the events in my weary mind. Surely I could've done more? I must have missed something. This had to be my fault, I was sure of that. After all, life wasn't that capricious was it? That tragedy would come without giving a person any hope of avoiding it?
Inari and I had been walking through the quieter corridors of the Sanctum when the shit had hit the fan. My team had been the guests of the Linarian Alliance for five days, but we'd reported back to Elizabeth frequently. She'd understood the situation, and as there were no crises on Atlantis, was happy for us to get to know the Linarians and to try and negotiate some sort of trading partnership, or an exchange of information and technology.
I'd gotten to know Inari pretty well in the days I'd spent with her. She was an amazing kid: bright, perceptive, calm and persuasive, to say the least. She'd filled me in on the history of her planet, and it hadn't been a pretty picture. The Ancients weren't kidding when they said that ten thousand years before they'd been pretty rotten through and through. Yet they'd learned from their mistakes and moved on – at least they thought they had. Our arrival turned out to be the catalyst that showed that maybe things weren't as good as everybody had thought.
We were walking along quietly, Inari reading my mind, and turning out to be pretty damn good at it, when her innocent features suddenly showed alarm.
"Inari? You okay?"
Her face wrinkled in confusion.
"It is not safe for us to be here. We should leave," was all she said to me.
I didn't argue with her. She was a pretty intuitive sort of kid, and I knew that whatever was wrong was potentially dangerous to us.
Before I had a chance to utter a reply, or look behind at the guards trailing us, the first shots rang out. Grabbing Inari in my arms, I darted forwards, only to find myself looking at the barrel of a fancy gun. I felt a searing pain in my arm, and the next thing I knew, I woke up to semi-darkness and a cold cell.
Blinking my eyes to get everything into focus, I soon made out Inari, cowering in the corner, looking terrified. I tried to sit up, but failed pretty miserably, falling back to the cold floor with a groan.
"John? Are you all right?" Inari whimpered, as she scrambled over to me.
I started when my eyes focused on her torn dress, and the blood that was spattered down the dirty fabric.
"Inari. Are you hurt?" I managed to croak. "Did they hurt you?" I asked, anger simmering inside me.
She looked at me in surprise, and shook her head.
"No. The blood is yours. I ripped my dress to make a bandage for your arm. They refused to bring medical supplies, so I…improvised," she told me, in a proud voice that reminded me of McKay's.
"That's good. You're okay though?" I asked again, concerned at how pale and scared she looked.
Inari nodded, and reached out to touch my injured arm.
"It is you who are hurt. The projectile went straight through you, and you bled so much. I was scared you were dead," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.
Jesus, what sort of bastards would kidnap a little kid and subject her to that?
Looking up at Inari, I managed a smile.
"Hey, takes more than a bullet in the arm to kill me. I'm fine. I just need to get my bearings a little."
I managed to sit up, and rapidly had to close my eyes as nausea and vertigo assaulted me. Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself with my good arm, and gingerly opened my eyes.
"There you go. I'm good now." I grimaced as I tested my injured arm. It hurt like hell, but the fact that I could move it and feel my fingers was a pretty good indication it was nothing too bad. "Do you know where we are, or why we're being kept here?" I asked.
Inari nodded again, and I saw the fear in her eyes.
"I read one of their minds. It was not easy to do so, and I am not certain of what their true purpose is." She looked at me with pain in her eyes, and rubbed at her tear filled eyes with grubby hands. "They are an alliance of outsiders, who have waited for millennia to claim their right as leaders of the Linarian Alliance."
I sat there numbly, not believing my ears. We'd got caught up in yet another civil war. Funny that Meldos hadn't mentioned anything to us about this little group of terrorists.
"Have you heard of these people?" I asked tentatively.
Inari nodded, and bit her lip, trying to control herself.
"I have heard my father discussing them. He has never spoken to me directly of this, but I know most things," she answered honestly.
I managed a small chuckle, as I knew she probably did.
"Okay. These 'outsiders' presumably don't want your father or you around, and want to take control, right?"
Inara smiled at me, her sad eyes scrutinising me.
"You are very perceptive, John."
"Do you know where we are?" I asked. I knew the layout of the sanctum pretty well, but something told me we weren't there any more.
Inari shook her head, and once again I saw that she was terrified.
"I do not. John? I am scared. I feel their hate towards me. I am sorry you have been captured too, as I fear they will kill you." Tears slid down her pale cheeks, and she edged towards me, finally burying her head under my good arm.
"Hey. No crying. I won't let them hurt you. I promise. I'll get us out of here. You have to believe me." Why did I always promise things that I knew I might not be able to deliver?
I knew we were in real trouble. I had no idea where we were, and if our captors had a sensible kid like Inari spooked, then I had my work cut out for me.
Suddenly our cell door sprang open, and a pretty angry looking guy strolled in. I managed to stand, hustling Inari behind me.
The angry guy beckoned to two burly guards.
"Bring me the girl. Leave him," he ordered.
I backed up, blinking away my blurry vision.
"No way. You're not touching her. Talk to me, and let's see what I can do for you. Maybe I can get you what you want?" I knew my words wouldn't help. But I'd be damned if I'd give up Inari without a fight – whatever it cost me.
Angry Guy laughed. Not a nice laugh. The kind of laugh you hear in those bad horror movies. Shit. We were in deep trouble.
"Colonel Sheppard. There is nothing you can help me with here. You're alive only because you give me bargaining power. Let the little princess go, or you will not enjoy the consequences of your defiance," he warned.
When have I ever responded well to threats? I backed away some more, until Inari was up against the wall behind me.
"You touch her and I'll kill you."
I knew that was a pretty idle threat. But, I would do my damndest to take them out if they harmed a hair on her head. Even if it meant haunting them in the afterlife.
The angry guy nodded at the guard, and as they approached, I took my only chance. I rushed them, only to feel a pain in my head, and then darkness.
Waking up a second time was just as worse as the first. My head argued with my arm as to which hurt the most, and nausea threatened to rear its ugly head as I opened my eyes wearily. My right eye was blurry, and I couldn't see clearly out of it.
I looked around for Inari, and my heart sank as I remembered she'd been taken. So much for me protecting her. Great job I'd done – again.
I must have zoned out for a few minutes, as the next thing I knew, the cell door was opening and Inari was pushed inside.
She ran over to me, and knelt by my head, as the door was slammed shut.
"Hey. You okay? Did they hurt you?" I croaked, as I swallowed back bile.
Inari closed her eyes briefly, and reached out to touch my head.
"You are bleeding." I heard the rip of fabric, and groaned as I felt a pressure at my hairline. "Stay still, John. I must stop this. I am unharmed. Do not worry about me. I know you feel guilty I was taken, but there was nothing you could have done."
I hissed as she applied more pressure to my head wound. Opening my eyes, I blinked furiously, and I realised my right eye was full of blood. Well, that explained the blurry vision. I reached up to wipe my eye, and as I pulled my hand away it came away red.
"Stay still." Inari warned. Her calm behaviour was incredible to witness in someone so young. I knew she was frightened, but she didn't let it overwhelm her. She sure was an amazing kid.
"What did they want?" I managed to slur.
Inari sighed, as she ripped more of her dress, and pressed it against my head.
"The bleeding is slowing, but you have lost a fair amount of blood."
I grunted as my head pounded.
"Head wounds always bleed a lot. I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks. What did they want?" I repeated.
"They made me speak with my father, and relate their demands to him," she answered quietly.
Great. I'd let them take a small kid and use her as a pawn to get at her father. Anger welled up in me.
"What do they want?" I asked, as I ground my teeth together.
Inari didn't answer me straight away. I heard her swallow, and I reached with my good arm to hold her hand.
"They had me tell him that if he and his advisors do not surrender to them by nightfall tomorrow, that I will be executed."
My ears rang, my vision blurred. How the hell was I going to come good on my promise to Inari? I knew Meldos would never agree to those terms.
I'd been scared quite a few times in my life. The Wraith had certainly frightened me on more than one occasion. I'd been scared as hell when I thought Kolya had killed Elizabeth, and then would kill McKay. But this…this was different. Inari was a kid. An innocent kid in danger because she'd had the misfortune to be born into a ruling family. As my body decided to check out for a while, my last thought was that I'd failed to keep my promise to Inari. She was going to be executed and there was nothing in hell I could do to stop it.
Tbc.