Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or any of its characters. I do love to write about them though.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical health care professional. Although I have tried to research medical terms, they may not be 100 percent accurate.
Set halfway through season five, with team Sheppard plus Carson.
This story follows on after Desert planet.
Ice planet.
The view out of the jumper window was a field of white that stretched from horizon to horizon, and in some ways it reminded him of Antarctica – a place that he'd found incredibly peaceful at a difficult time of his life. There was a small yellow sun in the pale blue sky and if John had to guess he'd say that the temperature was one hundred below Zero – or around minus 40 degrees centigrade. It was a beautiful view, at least it was from the jumper and he had no desire to set foot on the planet. The glare of the sun reflecting off the ice made it hard for him to see, so he pulled out his sunglasses and put them on – much to Ronon's amusement. At the moment he was glad to be in the jumper because he knew that when he got out, he would have to listen to McKay grumble and complain about how cold it was, even though he suggested that they come here in the first place.
Things could have been worse though, the last planet they were on had three suns in the sky and must have been one hundred and ten degrees in the middle of the day and at night-time, the temperature dropped below zero – not that he remembered much about it as he'd been unconscious for most of the mission. There had been coarse red sand as far as the eye could see, and an hour after they set foot on the planet – to explore ancient ruins – a dust storm had blown in and they had been stranded for over twenty-four hours. He'd suffered heatstroke and second degree burns to his face and arms from the three suns on that mission, so he was hoping that this planet wouldn't lead to him getting frostbite. That particular mission had turned out to be a complete waste of time and he'd spent over a week in the infirmary recovering. Teyla had spent three days in the infirmary, but for some reason, Ronon wasn't affected by the heat at all and Rodney claimed smugly that his factor fifty coco-butter sun cream had protected him from any ill effects.
The mission to planet hell – as they had called it, had been a complete waste of time. They have found the ruins that Rodney was looking for, but they had never found the medical equipment that was supposed to be there. Carson was disappointed that he had no new toys to play with, but when he had realised the condition that he and Teyla were in, he had kept his mouth shut about it and he had never mentioned it again – much to John's relief.
John had no idea why Rodney wanted to explore this planet, other than the fact that he claimed that there was an ancient research post on this chunk of ice. The other question that needed to be asked was, why would the ancients want to build an outpost on an ice plant?
When Woolsey had told him about this mission, he had begged that he send another team, but Rodney being Rodney had insisted that he should be the one to go and he wouldn't be going without his team. In the end, Woolsey had agreed with Rodney, despite his misgivings. John had then proceeded to remind Woolsey about the planet from hell and Woolsey had suggested that they take a doctor along with them.
He took Woolsey's suggestion on board and asked Carson straight after the meeting. Carson hadn't been too impressed, but when he had reminded him about what had happened on the last planet the doctor had reluctantly agreed.
That was three hours ago and for the last two they had been travelling over this desolate white wasteland and he was convinced that if they didn't find what they were looking for soon he was going to go blind from the sun reflecting off the ice. Rodney had his face stuck in his computer screen as usual and he assumed that the scientist was trying to find the ancient lab – well he hoped that's what he was doing because if there wasn't a lab on this planet he was going to scream.
"Okay McKay, where's this outpost you're so eager to find?" He asked with impatience.
"Umm… I don't really know. It should be somewhere beneath all this snow and ice."
That had to be the most annoying thing he'd heard in a long time, "it's under the snow and ice, you mean that you have no idea where it is? And what about its function, do you have any idea what it does!?"
"Umm… I think that they were trying to find a way to generate energy."
"You mean they were trying to generate hydroelectric power. I've got news for you McKay they actually need water for that. What were they trying to do, melt large quantities of snow?"
"Yeah, and apparently, they had limited success in powering the outpost, but of course, the wraith arrived and tried to cull them. I'm fairly sure that most of the ancients managed to get back to Atlantis and head through the gate to earth though."
"Great," John muttered, "I hope that they're all dead."
He turned to look out of the window and for the first he realised that the sun was setting, and it had started to snow reducing his visibility by half.
"John, I think that it would be a good idea to land," Teyla suggested.
Carson nodded his head in agreement, "yes I would have to agree with Teyla as the last thing we need is to crash the jumper."
He knew that they were right, but he had to wonder why it was almost dark, so he turned to McKay and scowled at him, "McKay why didn't you tell me that the days were so short on this chunk of ice?"
"I think that the planet must have changed its rotation in the last ten thousand years because according to the database the days should be at least two hours longer."
Things were heading downhill fast, and John wasn't happy, "and you don't think that you should have checked it out before you begged Woolsey to send us here!?"
By the looks of things Ronon wasn't happy either and it looked as if he was ready to hit something, "McKay… you begged us to come, so you should have done your research first!"
The snow was getting heavier, and it was getting darker by this time, so John knew that he had to land as soon as possible, "alright guys can we stop arguing long enough for me to land this ship."
Carson came up alongside him and pointed out the window, "Colonel, there looks to be some kind of structure below us."
Looking at the area where Carson was pointing, he was able to make out some kind of wooden structure despite the fading light. He had no idea why they would need a cabin as they would be safe and warm in the jumper until morning, but he may as well land near it anyway.
The swirling snow was becoming more intense as he tried to guide the jumper to a landing place just outside the structure. Within a few moments the wind picked up and the jumper was tossed about like a sheet of paper blowing in the breeze, he gritted his teeth trying to steady the craft and he knew that it was going to be a rough landing, "hold on guys, the landing's going to be rough."
Carson sat down beside him and Ronon and Rodney sat behind him while Teyla sat in the back. He continued to concentrate and grit his teeth as the jumper was tossed around by the strong wind which seemed to be getting stronger by the minute.
Suddenly he lost all power to the jumper, and he knew that there was nothing left for him to do but guide the craft towards the ground, and try and even out the crash landing as much as possible.
Pulling up on the controls to try and even the descent he found that he was chewing a hole through his bottom lip. The ground was coming up fast, so he had just enough time to warn the others before they hit the ground, "brace for impact because we're going down."
The jumper continued to level out as they neared the ground, but the only problem was that they were coming in way too fast. The tiny craft skidded over the snow a few times before they finally came to an abrupt stop when the jumper hit an embankment.
He hit his head hard when the jumper crashed and for a moment or two, he was dazed and confused. When he finally came out of his stupor he wiped his head checking for blood. When his hand came away clear he looked around at the other inhabitants on the jumper.
"Ronon, you alright?"
"Yeah, Sheppard I'm fine."
Looking at the big man he would have to disagree with that comment, as he had blood streaming down the side of his face and one of his eyes was beginning to swell.
"Teyla, are you alright?"
"I think that my arm is broken, but other than that I feel fine."
After a quick look at her, he decided that she was probably telling the truth, so next, he turned to Rodney and from the first glance, he appeared to be fine.
"Are you alright McKay?"
"I think I cracked some ribs."
He didn't even bother to comment because McKay tendered to exaggerate when he was injured - or even if he wasn't.
"Hey doc, how are you feeling."
Carson moaned as he looked up at him and he knew for sure that the doctor was hurt, "I think my leg's broken."
Great! He thought, just what I need a doctor with a broken leg.
It was obvious that he and McKay were probably the least injured – well other than his pounding head – so it was up to them to make sure that everything was in order.
"McKay do you think that you can check out the jumper to see if there is any damage and can you check to see why we suddenly lost power? I know that you may be injured, but I need you to do it. I'm going to check Carson's leg and Teyla's arm out; I'll then check the bump on Ronon's head."
"Yeah, I suppose I can help, but if one of my ribs pierces my lung, I'll be really mad."
Before John had a chance to reply, Carson spoke up, "do you want me to check your ribs for breaks lad?"
It was clear that Carson was in pain, but as usual, he had to do his job.
"No, just let Sheppard check you over and I'll check the jumper because as soon as we can I want to go and look for the ancient lab?"
John was incredulous by what he'd just heard, "McKay as soon as we can leave this chunk of ice we'll be heading back to Atlantis because we have injured and can you try to work out why it's so cold in here. We'll find some cold-weather gear in a minute and if need be, we'll check out the cabin and find some firewood."
John's headache was notching up by this time, but there was no way that he wanted to let Carson or Teyla know about it because the last thing he needed was either of them to go into mother hen mode.
Ronon tapped him on the shoulder, and he almost jumped through the roof, "hey Sheppard, how about I look after Teyla, and you can check on Carson?"
"Sound's good Chewie and when I've seen to Carson maybe the doc can look at your head."
"I'll take a look at Rodney and Ronon, and I'd like to check you out as well," Carson added.
John just rolled his eyes, which led to a sharp pain shooting through his temple, but he tried to hide it because someone needed to take control, so he couldn't afford to be injured.
"Sure doc, let me look at that leg of yours."
"Aye lad, but I don't think it's anything too serious. If you just get the portable splint from the overhead locker and put it on, I should be alright."
John knelt beside Carson as Ronon handed him the splint. After checking the doctor's leg, he was relieved that Carson was right, and it wasn't too serious because the last thing he needed to deal with right now was a compound fracture and compromised blood flow to Carson's foot. He splinted the doctor's leg up and was about to get up when Carson grabbed his wrist and told him to sit down.
"Do I have to doc? I need to make sure everything is in order."
Carson was firm in his answer, "once I know that you're alright, I'll let you get on with it, now sit down!"
He didn't want to annoy the doctor any further, so he sat down and let him carry out his health checks. Despite the headache, he felt fine – and a couple of Tylenol could fix that, so he didn't expect Carson to find anything.
A few minutes later Carson was tutting, and he feared the worst, "I don't think there are too many problems other than the headache you're experiencing, but I want you to take a couple of Tylenol before you leave the jumper."
"Thanks, Doc," he said standing up. He turned to Rodney before continuing, "Rodney why's it getting so cold in here."
"Well, we've obviously lost power and unfortunately to crash has torn through the front of the jumper, so we're now open to the elements as well."
Great not only were things getting colder by the minute, but they were getting worse as well. He looked over at Ronon who was sitting next to Carson while the doctor checked out his head wound, "is he alright doc?"
"There appears to be no concussion, so he'll probably just have a headache for a few days."
"Chewie can you stay here with the others while I go and check out the cabin. Maybe you can help Carson and Teyla get some cold-weather gear on," he turned to look at Rodney before continuing, "Rodney, I trust you can manage it yourself?"
"Sure Sheppard," Rodney mumbled.
Five minutes later he exited the jumper and found that he was happy for the cold weather gear as the snow was swirling around him in a thick dense mass. If it weren't a blizzard now, he was positive it would be by morning.
Holding up the large camping lantern he managed to spy the door to the wooden cabin a few metres in front of him, so it was relatively easy to find. Cautiously he pushed on the door, and it opened relatively easy.
He slowly walked inside and was amazed to see that there were a few comfortable looking chairs and a bed in the main part of the cabin. What surprised him the most though was that there was a fireplace with a pile of firewood sitting next to it. He shivered at the cold which led him to the conclusion that the wood was not going to last through the night, so he knew that he would have to go out and find a larger supply – a thought that he didn't relish. The floors and walls were made of timber, but there appeared to be some kind of mud on the walls that were insulating the cabin from the fierce weather.
Why was there a cabin in the middle of a snowy field, had someone lived here recently and if so, what had happened to them? These were all very good questions but perhaps he would speculate at another time when his head wasn't about to split in two.
A noise from behind startled him and it had him turning around so quickly that he thought he'd given himself whiplash.
"Chewie, don't scare me like that."
"Sorry Sheppard, but I made a noise so that you would know that someone was there."
"Yeah, I know, that's what scared me. How are things going are you ready to help Carson and Teyla to the cabin?"
"McKay is making sure that they've both got their cold-weather gear on, but he wanted me to let you know what's happening with the jumper first. I don't think he wanted Carson to know how bad things are."
He sighed, he knew that the jumper was going to be a lost cause, but he had no idea how bad, "why don't you tell me how bad it is Chewie?"
"McKay says that even if he could get the jumper flying again – which he can't, the damage to the ship is extensive and he wouldn't be able to repair it even if he had the materials."
"Okay, as usual, we'll have to wait for a rescue jumper then, so how about you light a fire and get the others in here and I'll go and find a source of firewood?"
Ronon looked as if he were about to complain, but he knew that Ronon was injured and needed to rest, so he needed him to keep an eye on the others.
"Do I need to make that an order Chewie?"
"No, I'll do it," Ronon mumbled," but if you're not back in an hour I'm coming to look for you."
"How about you make it two. I'll take a handheld radio, so if we need to contact each other we can."
In the end, Ronon just nodded at him, so he grabbed his battery-operated lantern and headed out into the night. The first thing he did was head around to the back of the cabin, hoping that there would be a woodshed and much to his relief there was, but the only problem was there was no wood in it. There was an axe and an area for cutting wood, but no sign of firewood whatsoever.
"Great" he muttered before spying a small grove of trees across a large field of snow.
Grabbing the axe he headed out in that direction. He'd only gone a few hundred metres when an intense shooting pain shot through his temple and at that moment, he thought about going back and having Beckett check him out, but he knew if he did that they would run out of firewood before a rescue jumper could come. Closing his eyes for a second, he waited until the throbbing subsided a little before continuing in the direction of the grove of trees.
The snow seemed to be getting heavier and he continued, and visibility was almost down to zero. He was positive that he should have come to the grove of trees by now, but he had found nothing. Perhaps what he needed to do was try and either head back to the cabin or find somewhere to take cover until it stopped snowing.
Suddenly he saw a large shape moving in the distance – at least he thought that's what he saw, he couldn't really tell because the snow was so heavy. Could it be a person and if so, what were they doing out in this storm? Although he couldn't be sure if he'd seen something or not, he decided to head in that general direction anyway.
By this time, he was beginning to shiver, and he knew that if he didn't get back to the cabin soon chances are he would freeze to death. Way to go stupid John, just go and get yourself lost in a snowstorm, he chastised. He knew that there was probably something seriously wrong with his head because it seemed to be messing up his judgment and come to think of it why the hell didn't Ronon stop him from this stupid idea.
A stabbing pain shot through his temple and this time it was so intense that he felt as if someone was chopping his brain in half with an axe. All of a sudden, he felt dizzy and black spots started to dance in front of his eyes. The pain was excruciating, and he fell to his knees while trying to catch his breath. Darkness was approaching and he tried to keep it at bay, but for some reason, he wasn't succeeding. Right before he gave in to the pull of unconsciousness, he saw a large furry creature heading his way. Great now I'm hallucinating was his final thought before he lost consciousness.
oOo
Rodney was beside himself with worry as he looked out of the window at the blizzard-like conditions. It was pitch black and the snow was constantly whirling around the cabin and Rodney suspected that if it didn't stop snowing soon, they would have to dig themselves out when it finally stopped – he didn't relish that idea because his back was already aching from the cold.
Carson was asleep on the bed and Teyla was asleep in an armchair, but he was too wired to sleep. Ronon was constantly passing backwards and forwards across the small cabin and it was driving him nuts, but he didn't want to comment on it in case Ronon was tempted to hit him.
He had exited the jumper with Teyla over two hours ago and in that time Ronon had managed to build a roaring fire to keep the room warm. After giving Carson and Teyla some pain relief, they had both promptly fallen asleep. Ronon had tried to contact Sheppard over the handheld radio a few times, but all he could get was static.
Now Ronon was threatening to go out in the storm and look for Sheppard, "it's been over two hours I need to go and find him."
"Then you'll be lost in a blizzard too and that's this last thing we need right now. And Sheppard wouldn't want anyone to risk their lives on his account."
"You know what McKay that rhetoric is getting old. We don't leave a man behind and that includes Sheppard, so how about you get out of my way and let me go and find him?"
But Rodney wasn't listening as right outside the window was a tall furry creature, carrying firewood and it looked exactly like a yeti. Before he had a chance to comment another yeti came up alongside the first and to his amazement, it carried Sheppard in its arms. All he could do was stare as the creature lay Sheppard outside the front door and the other yeti placed a pile of firewood next to him before running off into the night.
He turned to look at Ronon who stood with his mouth open for a minute before opening the door and picking Sheppard up and bringing him indoors to place him in front of the fire. Rodney ran out and immediately picked up a handful of firewood and put a few more pieces on the fire.
"How is he Ronon?"
"He's shivering, so he seems pretty cold, but I think that I may need to wake Carson up to take a look at him because I can't get him to respond."
Rodney nodded and walked over to where Carson lay on the bed and gently shook him, "Doc, I need you to wake up?"
Slowly Carson opened his eyes, much to Rodney's relief because there was no way he wanted to shout at the injured man.
"What's happening Rodney?"
"Sorry to wake you doc, but Sheppard's been out in the storm, and he is shivering and unresponsive."
"I knew he was injured," Carson muttered, and Rodney didn't miss the pain in the doctor's eyes.
"Right, I need someone to help me over to the fire so that I can have a look at him. And can someone get me a medical kit please?"
"Sure, thing Carson," Rodney said before turning to Ronon, "Can you please help Carson over to the fire so that he can look at Sheppard."
Within a couple of minutes, Carson was sitting beside John on the floor. He had his back against a chair and his leg spread out as he examined his patient. By this time Teyla had woken up as well and was sitting beside John.
Rodney wasn't impressed at the way Carson kept tutting and he didn't miss the worry and concern in the doctor's eyes, "how is he, Carson?"
"His temperatures down a bit, but that's not what I'm worried about. His pupils are slow and sluggish and he's non-responsive, which leads me to believe that there is a head injury, but I won't know for sure until I can get him back to Atlantis and under my scanner. The only problem is I hope that he survives long enough for us to get home."
The thought of Sheppard not surviving never crossed Rodney's mind and at Carson's words he began to panic, "what do you mean Carson?"
"I'm sorry Rodney but without scanning his brain, I have no idea whether there is a bleed on the brain or not. The only thing I know for sure is that he hit his head and that is evidenced by the bruise that is forming on the side of his temple. Which is something I should have picked up when I examined him in the jumper and right now I'm annoyed with myself for missing it."
"So, what can you do for him doc?" Ronon asked, hoping to stop the doctor from berating himself.
"All we can do for now is try and keep him warm and I can keep an eye on him throughout the night, but first we need to get his wet Jacket off. And then hopefully Atlantis will send a rescue jumper at first light."
"I am awake now, so how about you go back to sleep Carson as you must be in pain, Ronon will you be able to keep watch with me and then Rodney can have a rest as well? We promise to wake both of you if there is any change in John."
"Are you sure Teyla? I mean you are injured as well."
"I do not feel too bad at the moment Dr McKay, so you may as well get some sleep."
He knew that Teyla was right, he was exhausted, and it wouldn't hurt him to get some rest, "fine, I'll go to sleep then, but make sure you wake me if you need me."
"Can you make sure you get his wet clothes off and then help me back to bed?" Carson suggested looking at Ronon.
Rodney didn't want to try and get Sheppard's wet clothes off, so he sat down in the armchair that Teyla had just vacated and closed his eyes and despite the noise going on in the room he slowly drifted off to sleep.
oOo
Teyla sat in the other armchair and watched as Carson and Rodney fell asleep. She suspected that Rodney was tired out by the day's events and the fact that he hadn't eaten a lot didn't help either. After getting John's wet coat off him, Ronon sat down next to him, and Teyla didn't miss the worry in her friend's eyes.
It was good that John was warm and dry, but she was extremely worried about the fact that he was unresponsive. There was one thing that she was curious about though – how did John get back to the cabin if he was unconscious.
"Ronon how did John get inside of the cabin?"
"Some kind of large furry creature dropped him off at the cabin. Rodney called it a Yeti."
"A Yeti," she commented with a raised eyebrow.
Ronon shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea."
"Do you mind keeping an eye on John for a while so that I can close my eyes for a while?"
"Are you in pain Teyla?"
She looked down at her splinted arm and for the first time she realised that it was beginning to hurt, "I guess I am. Do you have any Tylenol?"
"Yeah, I'll get you some and then I'll keep an eye on Sheppard, while you go to sleep."
A moan from beside the fireplace caught her attention and she was down beside John's side in an instant.
"John it is Teyla how are you feeling?"
"Hea…urts."
His speech was heavily slurred, and she feared the worst, so she turned to Ronon, "Please wake Carson up again?"
"John, can you look at me?"
"Ca…see"
With that, he closed his eyes and lost consciousness again.
"Teyla, what's going on?" Carson called from the bed.
"John just opened his eyes and he claimed that he can't see. His speech was heavily slurred, and he seemed disoriented.
"That's not sounding too good, what can we do?" Ronon asked and Teyla didn't miss the hint of worry in her friend's eye.
Carson sighed, "as I've said before there's nothing I can do until I get him under a scanner, so if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep. Although I doubt, I'll be able to sleep between the pain in my leg and worrying about John."
Teyla looked at Carson with concern, "do you need some pain relief?"
"No thanks Luv I've just taken some, but can you please keep me informed of the Colonel's condition?"
"Yes Carson, but please get some rest as you look like you need it."
She looked over at Rodney and realised that he was still sleeping soundly. Two down one to go, she thought before turning to Ronon, "how about you get some rest as well, I will keep an eye on John for a while?"
He looked as if he was going to argue, but in the end, he was happy that he nodded and sat in the armchair with his feet up.
Turning to look out the window she was relieved to see that the snow had stopped, but what took her by surprise was that the strange Yeti like creatures seemed to be shovelling snow. Although she couldn't know for sure, as the only light she had to see by was the dim light from within the cabin.
She thought about going out in the snow to talk to them, but she was just too exhausted, and her arm was beginning to hurt again, so she sat down next to John and tried to keep her eyes open. She had arranged for Ronon to take over in one hour, so she was determined to keep her eyes open until then.
oOo
Rodney awoke to bright sunlight streaming through the windows of the cabin and he was surprised to see that no one except Dr Keller was in the room with him.
"Doc, what's happening?"
"I have transferred everyone else to the jumper, but I wanted to leave you sleeping till the last minute as Teyla told me you were up most of the night looking after Colonel Sheppard. Are you injured at all?"
Panic began to set in, because although Jennifer had told him that she had transferred the others to the jumper he was still afraid that Sheppard might be dead, "no, I'm okay, but how's Sheppard?"
"He's alive but still unresponsive, so I need to get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible."
At last, someone was here to take over and look after the injured – especially Sheppard. He had stayed awake for most of the night along with Ronon looking after Carson and Sheppard. Teyla had offered a bit of help, but she was injured and seemed to want to sleep a lot.
Jennifer's soft voice interrupted his contemplations, "are you ready to go Dr McKay?"
"Sure."
Following her out of the cabin into the morning light, he was surprised to see that the snow had been cleared from around the cabin. He thought about asking her about it, but he knew that she would tell him to hurry up and that someone would explain later.
When he arrived in the jumper he almost tripped over Carson and Sheppard who were lying in the middle of the floor with Jennifer in between them. Carson seemed to be asleep at the moment with an IV in his arm and the splint on his leg still in place from the night before. Sheppard had an IV in each arm, oxygen under his nose and he could see the large black bruise on the side of his temple.
"How are they?"
"Carson should be fine in four to six weeks. It looks like it's only a fracture to his lower left leg."
"And Sheppard."
"His vitals seem to be normal for the moment, but he's unresponsive and that is what is worrying me. I won't know for sure until I can get him back to Atlantis and under my scanner."
All he could do was nod and head up the front to sit beside Lorne in the pilot's chair. Teyla sat behind him and Ronon sat behind Lorne. He looked at his two friends and Ronon's face looked like one big swollen bruise, with a small cut over his left eye. Teyla looked as calm as usual although he didn't miss the pain lines under her eyes. Her right arm was still held in a sling and was splinted to the elbow.
He turned to Lorne as he gently took off, "how long before you came and rescued us this time?"
"When you were half an hour overdue, we mounted a rescue and by the looks of things it was a good idea that we did."
"Yeah, this is the last time I ever go looking for ancient labs," he mumbled more to himself than anyone else.
A sudden thought struck him, "hey Lorne do you know who cleared the path around the cottage?"
When Lorne shrugged his shoulders, Teyla spoke up, "I saw the Yeti doing it last night."
Lorne looked at him with disbelief, so rather than bothering to reply, he turned to look out of the front window and much to his amazement he saw a group of Yeti crossing the icy landscape.
"Are those what I think they are?" Lorne asked with a look of shock on his face.
"They sure are," he replied before closing his eyes.
It had been a long night and now that they were on their way back to Atlantis he could rest at last.
oOo
Soft voices invaded his senses and for a moment he had no idea who they were or where he was. As he became more aware he realised that he had the headache from hell, and he couldn't remember what had happened to him this time. For a moment he felt lost and was on the verge of panicking until someone gently called his name. "John are you awake?"
That was definitely Teyla's voice and by the softness of his surroundings, he guessed that he must be in an infirmary bed. As he became more cognizant, he realised that there was an IV in his arm, a nasal cannula under his nose and he hurt from head to toe, with the worst pain in his head.
Slowly he opened his eyes to find that everything was blurry. He could just make out the image of Teyla sitting beside him, and he was sure that her arm was in plaster, "Are you alright Teyla?"
Another voice entered the conversation, "she's fine Colonel, it's you we've been worried about."
He looked to his left and realised that Carson was lying in a bed next to him – well he assumed it was Carson, "Are you alright Carson."
"Just a fractured left tibia, but Ronon and Rodney are fine. Rodney's just gone to get Jennifer by the way."
As he lay there, he tried to remember what had happened to him this time and the last thing that he remembered was a shooting pain in his head before face-planting in the snow. He was fairly sure that he'd seen a yeti as well.
Before he had a chance to ask the others what was going on Keller walked into the room with Rodney in tow, "Hey Colonel how are you feeling?"
"Other than a headache I'm not feeling too bad right now, but what happened to me?" He asked, his throat suddenly feeling scratchy.
"Here have a drink of water John, "Teyla suggested offering him a glass of water with a bendy straw.
"Thanks," he whispered after taking a few sips.
"How long have I been in the infirmary this time?" He asked looking at the blurry image of Keller for an answer.
"You've been back for five days and when you arrived back you were a real mess."
He was beginning to panic again by this time because he still couldn't see properly and he hoped that it wasn't permanent, "What's the damage then doc and why can't I see?"
"You must have hit your head hard in the jumper crash, which led to a hairline fracture of the skull. You developed a bleed on the brain and luckily it stopped on its own and your intracranial pressure remained fairly normal. Your optic nerves were irritated when you hit your head, that's why things are a little blurry at the moment. Your eyesight should return to normal in a few days."
That was a lot to take in and he knew that he would be feeling unwell for a while longer, but at least he was home, and his friends weren't too badly injured. He turned to look at the fuzzy image of Carson before talking to Keller again, "so everyone is going to be alright then? They'll be no permanent injury or disability?"
"Rodney and Ronon are fine and can go about their normal business. Carson will be off his feet for four to six weeks and Teyla will be off duty for about four weeks. Your eyesight should return to normal over the next couple of days, but I suspect that you'll be getting headaches for a bit longer. So, I would say it will be at least six weeks until you're back on duty."
"So, how long until I can get out of here doc?"
"I want to keep an eye on you for a couple of days at least before I consider releasing you, but what I'd really like to know is do you have a headache right now?"
"Yeah, I do doc."
"Right, I'll give you something for the pain in a moment and if your friends are quiet, they can stay for a while."
He nodded his head and for the moment he was happy to be in the infirmary surrounded by his friends, he knew that over the coming days he would become frustrated, but for now, he was happy to go to sleep and allow his friends to look after him.
Just as he was dozing off a sudden thought struck him, so he turned to the blurry image of Teyla and asked, "did you guys see a yeti on that planet, or was I hallucinating?"
"Aye lad we all saw it," Carson replied.
"Yes, and when you're well enough we're all going back to the planet to do some exploring and to study the Yeti," Rodney explained with a smug grin.
John scowled in his direction, "I don't think so, that planet will go on the very long list of planets that I'm never visiting again and I'm calling this planet the chunk of ice."
"I would have to agree with John, we should leave these creatures in peace," Teyla soothingly told Rodney, "Perhaps you should go and research these creatures in your lab."
"That's a great idea Teyla thanks," Rodney said getting to his feet and running out of the room."
"I out of here as well," Ronon mumbled, and John watched his blurry image leave the room.
"I will sit with you for a while," Teyla offered, "but then I must go and see Torren."
"I'll be here until tomorrow as well," Carson reassured him.
"Thanks, guys."
A few minutes later Jennifer came and injected some pain meds into his IV, which was a good thing because the pain in his head was beginning to notch up again. He knew that he was lucky this time because things could have been a lot worse. For now, his team was safe, and they would all heal in time as would he and before he knew it, they would be going through the gate again – he was never going to look for top-secret ancient labs again though. The last two missions had been disastrous, first the planet from hell and then this latest mission to the ice planet. With all of these thoughts rolling around in his head it wasn't long before he fell into a deep sleep.
Fin….
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