Another burst of gunfire echoed down the tunnel, and John turned to Ronon. "That's not from any sort of Genii weapon."
Ronon nodded. "Lorne."
"Finally," John murmured. He heard the rapid-fire of another P-90 and started down the tunnel that led to the mine exit. "Now we just have to hope he has the 'gate under guard and that Kolya hasn't already left with Rodney."
A few steps down the tunnel, John saw the barrel lights from three rifles bobbing along the tunnel and heard several people approaching him. "Lorne?" he called.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Teyla replied, and John blew out a breath of relief.
"Yeah," John replied, backing into the cavern. "Good to see you," he added as Teyla, followed by Lorne and Thompson, stepped into the large main cavern.
"And you, Colonel," Teyla replied. "Ronon," she added with a nod and glanced around the rest of the cavern. "Where is Rodney?"
John shook his head and pointed at the P-90 clipped to Thompson's vest.
Thompson unclipped the weapon without a word and handed it to John.
"Colonel?" Teyla asked with a glance at Ronon and then John.
"Kolya has him," Ronon growled.
Teyla hissed in a breath.
John checked the magazine for the P-90, stuffed the extra magazine Thompson handed him into the back pocket of his trousers and turned to Lorne standing next to Teyla. "Has anyone tried to leave the planet since you got here?" John asked.
"Don't think so," Lorne replied and tapped his radio. "Baker. Status update." Lorne listened for a moment, then nodded. "And no one has tried to leave?" Lorne glanced at John. "Understood. Lorne out."
"Well?" Ronon asked.
"Everything around the 'gate is quiet," Lorne reported.
"Let's hope it stays that way," John said. "What's it look like outside?"
"Some of the guards mounted some token resistance," Lorne replied. "It didn't take long for them to realise they were outgunned, and they surrendered without much of a fight." Lorne glanced behind John and added, "Made some new friends, I see."
John nodded, motioned to Graime and Septimia standing behind Ronon, and made a few quick introductions. "Between the people in the mine and the ones in that long building outside, there are close to fifty people that Randorian and the Genii have been holding captive."
He heard movement behind him, turned and saw Brandt and Alman leading the rest of the prisoners into the cavern.
"How …" John started to ask.
"Sera stayed in the tunnel," Alman explained. "She heard you talking, and we came to see what was happening."
Brandt and a few others started coughing, and John turned back to Lorne. "If the camp is secure, we need to get a medical team out here. A lot of these people are sick."
"Already done," Lorne replied. "When Teyla mentioned you were mining uranium, Doctor Beckett insisted on coming along. He's with Sergeant Garcia and a team of Marines not far from here waiting for the all-clear."
John nodded, not surprised Carson would insist on making the trip once he knew there were people in need of medical help. "Graime and the others can help you with the prisoners. Lorne, you're in charge until we," he nodded at Teyla and Ronon, "get back. These people need food and water, and give Beckett whatever assistance he needs."
"Yes, sir," Lorne replied, stepping out of the way.
John waved to Teyla and Ronon and started down the tunnel to the mine exit.
"Colonel?" Teyla asked. "Where are we going?"
"To get McKay," John replied, his expression stony. "And deal with Kolya."
"About time," Ronon muttered, and John wasn't sure if Dex meant for him to hear the comment or not.
John stepped out of the mine a moment later and blinked several times in the bright morning light. Once his vision cleared, he discovered a much different mining camp. Marines patrolled the area outside of the mine, and John noted the line of green and brown-clad guards seated against the refinery wall with a Marine guard standing over them.
Daley and a few other Marines exited the prisoner building, helping men and women walk as they led the former prisoners outside. Two more Marines handed out bottles of water and energy bars to the former prisoners.
"Colonel Sheppard!" Daley called. She helped a woman sit down, offered her a bottle of water, and walked over to John. "The camp is secure, sir, and Doctor Beckett should be here soon."
"Good work," John replied. "Lorne and Thompson are bringing the rest of the prisoners from the mine."
John heard footsteps on the path behind the prisoner building, looked up, and saw Beckett walk into the camp carrying two bulky cases of supplies.
"Colonel," Carson said. He set down the cases he carried, shrugged out of the large medical pack on his back, and stretched his back as he studied the prisoners scattered in the courtyard. Carson crouched next to the woman Daley had escorted from the building and smiled at her. "We'll have you sorted in no time," he told her and patted her hand.
He stood and motioned to John as he stepped away from the woman. "I don't suppose you could talk Elizabeth into letting me bring these people back to the city?"
John shook his head. "We don't know how many different planets these people came from. For the safety of the city, we can't take them back with us."
Carson pursed his lips into a frown as he looked around the camp. "In that case, I'm going to need more than just the supplies we were able to bring with us on short notice. Tents, cots, whatever diagnostic equipment that's portable."
John heard harsh coughing from one of the prisoners near the mine and saw the worried expression on Carson's face. "Not to mention everything for at least one surgical suite. I suspect some of these poor souls may be in a bad way already."
"Talk to Lorne," John said as he glanced toward the end of the valley. "Tell him what you need, and he'll help you get it set up."
"You all were exposed as well, Colonel. You need -"
"Later," John said, his tone taking on an impatient edge. "Right now, there's something we need to do."
Carson started to argue but stopped when he glanced around the camp again. "Where's Rodney?"
"That's the something we need to take care of," John said. He turned to Teyla and Ronon and frowned when he saw Septimia standing next to Teyla.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked with a frown.
"We are coming with you, John Sheppard," Septimia replied with a glance at her cohort standing behind her. "You are going to punish those who captured and enslaved us, yes?"
"Yes," Ronon replied before John could say anything.
"Then we will assist you," Septimia said with a decisive nod.
"I don't think -" John started to say, but Teyla interrupted.
"We do not know how many Genii soldiers Commander Kolya brought with him. Major Lorne and his men will be busy assisting Doctor Beckett with the prisoners. It may be wise to have … back up."
John studied Septimia for a moment, then decided he didn't have time to argue. "All right. Come on. We'll head for the house first. Hopefully, Kolya and McKay are still there."
"And if they are not?" Teyla asked.
John grimaced. "Then we'll head for the 'gate."
"Major Lorne only left a few Marines guarding the stargate," Teyla said. "We were unsure of the amount of resistance we would encounter in the camp."
"If we get lucky, it won't matter." John checked the P-90 and settled the weapon in his arms. "Come on," he said and led the way down the valley.
They rounded the bend in the river a few minutes later, and John held up a hand, stopping the others before anyone near the house could spot them.
"Looks like the Genii are still here," John said as he leant against a tree and watched as a couple of Genii soldiers loaded several small metal chests into the back of a wagon.
From the way the two men grunted and strained as they hefted the boxes, not to mention how the wagon sagged with the addition of each box, John suspected he knew what was in the chests and grimaced. There were at least ten of the boxes, and John could only imagine the havoc Kolya could wreak on the rest of the galaxy with that much uranium.
The two Genii soldiers shoved the last box into the wagon and covered the back with a tarp.
"Looks like Kolya has what he came for," John muttered as the two soldiers climbed onto the bench seat at the front of the wagon.
One of the soldiers picked up the reins, smacked the pair of horses hitched to the wagon, and the rusty wheels squealed in protest as the wagon jerked into motion. The soldier shook the reins again, and the horses tossed their heads as they pulled against the traces. The soldier flapped the reins a third time, and the wagon slowly rolled toward the river.
Septimia stood next to John and frowned. "This man you seek, this Kolya. He will use the mineral in those chests to conquer other worlds?" she asked as the wagon inched over the wooden bridge.
John nodded. "The Genii see themselves as rulers of the galaxy, and Kolya is a true believer."
"Then we will do what we can to prevent such an event." Septimia nodded to the women behind her, and they disappeared into the surrounding trees. "We will deal with the wagon, John Sheppard," Septimia said.
John started to protest, but he saw Septimia's determined expression and changed his mind. "Be careful," he said instead. "They probably have guns, and they won't hesitate to use them."
Septimia smiled. "They will never have the opportunity," she promised and followed her cohort.
"What is your plan, Colonel?" Teyla asked, crouching next to him.
John ignored the question as he continued to study the house. He didn't see any more of Kolya's soldiers and grimaced. Did that mean Kolya had already left and they were too late? he wondered.
"Doesn't look like anyone is still here," Ronon said, giving voice to John's fear.
"We still need to check the house," John replied. "Just in case."
He made one last check of the exterior of the house, and the grounds, then stood and jogged toward the bridge.
Ronon and Teyla stayed on his heels, and once they were across the river and on the grounds, John crept up the front steps of the house and frowned when he saw the front door was cracked open.
"Strange," he muttered as he stood to one side and pushed the door open wider. He nodded to Ronon and dove through the opening with the P-90 raised.
Where was the pompous doorman? he wondered as he pointed the rifle up at the second-floor balcony.
He glanced at Ronon and Teyla, gestured toward the left-hand hallway, then pointed to himself and nodded to the right.
Ronon nodded and headed down the hallway with Teyla behind him. John watched as they cleared the first few rooms, then turned down the other hallway. He was near the room with the plants and the birds when he heard voices coming from the office at the end of the hall.
"Mistress, are you all right?" a male voice asked, and John recognised it as the voice of the stuffy doorman.
"I'll be fine, Hollum," Randorian replied, and John heard her hiss in a breath. "If that man ever returns to this planet, he is to be shot on sight."
"Yes, Mistress," Hollum replied. "I will fetch -"
John walked into the office with the P-90 raised. "Back up," he ordered, pointing the rifle first at Hollum near the door and then at Randorian. "Nice and easy."
Hollum glared at John as he stepped back from the door and raised his hands. "How dare you enter this house without the permission of my mistress."
John scowled as he checked the rest of the office. No sign of Kolya or, more importantly, Rodney. "Where is he?" John demanded. "Where is Kolya?"
"Colonel Sheppard," Randorian replied, pressing a finger to her bloody lip. "I'm not surprised. I told Kolya you would be a problem."
"Bit of a falling out with your partner?" John asked with a raised eyebrow, noting Randorian's split lip and Hollum's scraped knuckles.
Randorian dropped her hand and sniffed. "Commander Kolya was little more than a side proposition," she replied as she walked back to the desk.
"Then you won't mind telling me where he is." John saw Randorian's fingers inching toward the rope hanging at the edge of the desk and held the rifle a little higher. "Don't bother," he told her, his expression hard. "Your guards are a bit tied up at the moment."
"Colonel Sheppard!" Teyla called from the hallway. She entered the office and glanced from John to Randorian. She raised her P-90, pointing it at Hollum and said, "Ronon and I found our gear, along with what we assume are the belongings of the other prisoners, in one of the other rooms."
"No sign of McKay?" he asked with a glance at Teyla.
"Unfortunately, no," she replied. "Other than some frightened kitchen staff, there does not appear to be anyone else in the house."
John turned back to Randorian. "Where did they go?" John heard the whine of Ronon's particle weapon powering up behind him and smiled. "My friend here is getting impatient," he said with a nod at Dex. "The sooner you tell me what I want to know, the better the chances I can keep him from shooting you."
Randorian waved a hand as she sat behind the desk. "You're too late, Colonel. Commander Kolya returned to the portal as soon as we heard the gunfire coming from the mining camp." She smiled as she leant back in her chair. "And he took your friend with him."
John felt his stomach lurch as he tried to think how long it had been since Lorne had liberated the mining camp. Thirty minutes? More?
Ronon stepped in front of John and pointed the particle weapon first at Randorian, then Hollum.
"We don't have time," John said, lowering the P-90. "We need to get to the 'gate."
Ronon growled and kept his gun pointed at Randorian.
John heard footsteps behind him and spun around with the P-90 raised.
"John Sheppard?" Septimia called. She raised her hands as she walked into the office, and John lowered the rifle.
"We have dealt with the soldiers and the wagon," Septimia reported. She stared around the room then focused on Randorian and Hollum.
John gave her an absent nod at the news. The wagon with the uranium was the least of his concerns at the moment. He pointed to Randorian and said, "Kolya is headed back to the stargate with a friend of mine. We're going after him. I need you to stay here and watch these two until we can decide what to do with them."
"These are the persons in charge of the mine?" Septimia asked, her expression hardening as she glared at Randorian and Hollum. "The ones who caused this misery."
John paused and wondered if leaving Septimia and her group to watch Randorian was such a good idea. "Yes," John replied after a slight hesitation. "But we need them alive to answer for what they've done."
Septimia studied John for a moment, then nodded. "It will be as you command," she replied. She waved her hand to her cohort standing in the hall and motioned to Randorian and Hollum. "Put them in the room next door," she ordered.
The women saluted and stepped toward the desk.
"Hollum," Randorian said, standing from the desk. "Deal with this rabble."
Hollum took a step toward one of the women, his face set and his fists raised.
The woman studied him for a moment, then grabbed one of his arms and twisted it behind his back. Hollum yelped in pain as the woman twisted his arm higher and pushed him out of the office. Two others took Randorian by the arms and followed Hollum and his guard out of the room.
John glanced at his watch and backed out of the office. "Let's go," he said to Teyla and Ronon.
"Major Lorne left a guard at the stargate," Teyla reminded him as they jogged back toward the front of the house. "Commander Kolya will not be able to escape."
John shook his head. "We both know how ruthless he can be. Kolya is not going to stop for a couple of Marines. We need to find him before he gets back to the 'gate." he glanced at his watch again. "And we're running out of time."
"Do not let them escape," John heard Septimia order behind him.
He glanced back and saw Septimia following them. He didn't have time to argue about her coming with them, and chose to accept any help she could offer. John ran out of the house, crossed the bridge and looked for any indication of where Kolya would have gone next.
Would they have followed the same route as the wagon? he wondered as he watched Ronon crouch and study the ground. How far was the 'gate from the house? He refused to accept the idea that they were already too late, and Kolya and McKay were already gone.
"This way," Ronon said. He stood and pointed in the direction of the low hills.
"You're sure?" John asked as he jogged after Ronon.
"Atlantis boot treads," Ronon replied, pointing at the ground.
John looked down and saw the grooved treadmarks in the dirt. "And it looks like Rodney is still able to put up a fight," he added, pointing out a few drag marks and the broken branches on the nearby bushes.
"Good," Ronon replied. He checked the particle weapon and led the way into the trees.
They found the wagon in a small clearing a few minutes later. The horses stood in their traces, nibbling at the grass while the two unconscious Genii soldiers sat back to back against a tree with their hands tied with bits of vine.
"Nice work," John said to Septimia as Ronon crouched and checked the ground.
"It was not much of a fight," she replied with a shrug.
John shook his head and glanced at Ronon.
"McKay came this way," Ronon said, pointing at a boot print in the dirt.
"How long ago?" John asked. "The track is pretty wide here, probably how they brought supplies to the camp."
"Which means they can move faster," Ronon agreed. "The trail is at least thirty minutes old. Maybe more."
John grimaced. "Damn," he whispered and took a few steps along the rutted trail.
"But you said Rodney was fighting them," Teyla said. "It may be enough to slow them down and allow us to catch up with them."
"Let's hope so," John said and turned to Ronon. "We need to pick up the pace. If they get him off the planet, the chances of finding him are nil."
Ronon nodded, checked the ground, then led the way along the track. He kept to one side of the ruts, and John noticed he scanned the ground more than once as they ran.
"They aren't doing anything to hide their tracks," he said after another glance at the ground.
John nodded. "Kolya wants to get off the planet. He's not worried about us following him."
They followed the dirt track deeper into the forest, and John wasn't sure exactly where they were when Ronon held up a hand, signalling them to stop.
"What is it?" John asked.
"Heard something in front of us."
John strained his hearing and glanced at Ronon when he heard branches snapping and men grunting in front of them. He glanced at Dex and followed Ronon as he crept toward a copse of trees in front of them.
"You're only making things worse for yourself." someone growled, and John heard the sound of boots dragging on the ground.
"You keep telling yourself that," Rodney replied with a breathless snarl.
John ducked his head and blew out a breath of relief that McKay was still on the planet.
"Colonel?" Teyla whispered.
John turned to her and smiled. "We found them," he replied. "We just have to -" He stopped and spun around when he heard the distinct sound of a fist hitting flesh. John peered through a break in the trees and tightened his grip in the P-90 when he saw Kolya pointing his weapon at Rodney, who lay on the ground at Kolya's feet.
"If you plan to stall long enough for Sheppard to come to your rescue, Doctor, it won't work," Kolya said in a low growl.
"Go to hell," Rodney replied, but John heard the fear underlying the bravado. "You and I both know what all of that shooting was about. It won't take Sheppard long to find us."
John pushed through the last of the trees with the P-90 raised. He was only vaguely aware of the five Genii soldiers in the clearing with Kolya and McKay. All he saw was Rodney lying on his side on the ground with his hands tied behind his back and Kolya standing over him with his gun drawn.
John aimed for the center of Kolya's chest and said, "I'd listen to him if I were you. McKay tends to be right most of the time."
Rodney twisted around, and John's expression hardened when he saw the bruise along McKay's jaw.
"Ahh, Sheppard, what a pleasant surprise," Kolya said. He glanced up at John with a sardonic smile, but the gun in his hand never wavered. "You're just in time to watch me leave. With Doctor McKay."
"It's over, Kolya," John said.
"Do you think so, Colonel?" Kolya asked. He looked down at Rodney, inching away from him, and yanked McKay to his feet.
"Hey!" Rodney exclaimed, but the yelp sputtered as Kolya wrapped an arm around his neck and forced both of them to back up several steps.
"Let him go, Kolya," John ordered.
He kept the P-90 pointed in Kolya's general direction, but he didn't have a clean shot. He glanced at Rodney, saw the mix of fear and confidence in his expression, and focused on finding a way to stop Kolya without shooting Rodney in the process.
John's only warning of what was about to happen next was a low growl behind him right before he heard the whine of the particle weapon as it fired. He saw the red flash as Ronon fired and watched in horror as Kolya, alerted by Ronon's growl or some other sixth sense, jerked Rodney into the path of the energy beam.
"No!" Rodney exclaimed as his eyes widened in shock. The beam hit him square in the chest, and Rodney went limp.
Kolya let go of McKay's dead weight and aimed his gun first at John, then Ronon. "Take them," he ordered his men.
John heard the rapid gunfire as Teyla shot at the Genii soldiers striding toward them. He also heard an undulating shriek and saw a white blur as Septimia attacked the rest of the soldiers, but the only thing he could focus on was the body on the ground at Kolya's feet.
There had been no massive pain spike, and he didn't see any wounds or blood pooling under Rodney's body, so what … He looked up from McKay and glanced at Ronon shooting at the Genii soldiers.
Stunned, John realised, with a flash of relief. He's only stunned.
John didn't waste time trying to understand why the particle weapon wasn't set to kill. He took a step closer to Kolya and tightened his finger on the trigger of the P-90, ignoring the pistol still pointed at his chest.
"Drop the gun," he ordered in a low growl. "Or I drop you."
Kolya smirked, and before John could react, Kolya shifted his aim and pointed the gun at Rodney. John heard Septimia yell something at Kolya as she charged the Genii commander from John's right side. At the same time Septimia attacked, Ronon fired his particle weapon at Kolya from John's left, and Kolya shot at Rodney.
Septimia tackled Kolya low, pushing him out of the path of Ronon's blaster and also disrupting his aim. Kolya, taken entirely by surprise at her attack, grunted as he fell to the ground with Septimia on top of him. Her position blocked John from shooting Kolya, and she managed several solid hits to Kolya's ribs and face before he managed to throw her off with a snarl of anger. Septimia rolled back to her feet and ducked into the trees when Kolya grabbed the gun lying a foot or so away, rolled to his feet, and fired first at Septimia and then at the rest of them.
John squeezed off a few blind shots as he ducked fire and heard the particle weapon firing again. The shooting stopped a moment later, and John glanced back into the clearing to find Rodney still on the ground, but Kolya had disappeared.
"Don't think this is over, Sheppard," Kolya yelled from the trees on the other side of the cleaning.
John glanced at Rodney as he ran past, then skidded to a stop when he saw blood seeping into the dirt.
"No, you don't!" Ronon yelled and fired the particle weapon as he ran after the Genii commander.
"Ronon! Wait!" John shouted, but Ronon ignored him as he tore after Kolya.
John glanced at Ronon's disappearing back, then back down at McKay. "Damn it," he muttered in a low growl.
He glanced into the trees where Ronon and Kolya had disappeared, and when he didn't hear anything, he set the P-90 on the ground and crouched next to Rodney. John felt for the pulse point at Rodney's throat, holding his breath until he found the steady beat, and looked for the source of the blood, grimacing when he found the bloody wound in Rodney's thigh.
"Find a way to untie his hands," John said as Teyla knelt on Rodney's other side.
Teyla nodded and pulled a knife from her tac-vest. John pulled Rodney up enough for Teyla to cut the rope binding his hands, then eased Rodney back to the ground. He took the offered knife and split the trouser leg, cutting off the material just above the jagged tear in Rodney's leg.
"John?"
"Looks like a deep graze," John said as he examined the wound. "The bullet creased his outer thigh. Assuming we can get this bleeding stopped and get him back to Beckett, he should be fine." He glanced over at Teyla as he pressed the discarded trouser material against Rodney's thigh, trying to stop the blood seeping from the wound. "Tell me you have a pressure bandage."
"Yes," Teyla replied and ripped open one of her vest pockets. She opened the bandage and handed it to John.
John wrapped the bandage around Rodney's leg and pulled the straps tight. "That should hold until we can get him back to the mining camp," John said as he sat down next to Rodney with a grunt. He ignored the concerned expression on Teyla's face and watched as Septimia prowled the edges of the clearing.
Teyla gave Septimia a surreptitious glance as she opened her pack and handed John a bottle of water. "Are you all right?" she asked as she pressed a couple of pain pills into his hand.
John nodded. "He was already stunned before Kolya shot him, so there was no spike. There's just the itch." He swallowed the pills with some of the water. "And maybe a bit of a headache," he admitted when Teyla raised a questioning eyebrow.
He swallowed another swig of water, and poured the rest of the water over his hands, trying to clean off the blood. He checked the pressure bandage and glanced in the direction Ronon and Kolya had disappeared when he heard distant gunfire.
John looked over at Teyla and pointed at Rodney. "Stay with him," he said as he pushed himself to his feet. "I'm going to go find Ro -"
"John Sheppard," Septimia said in a low hiss as she picked up a branch, broke it in two, and stood in a low crouch with her knees bent and the pieces of broken branch held in front of her. "Someone is coming." She nodded in the direction that led back to the mining camp, and John grimaced.
Great, John grumbled to himself as he picked up the P-90 and pointed the rifle in the direction Septimia indicated. Now what? Had they missed some of the Genii soldiers? Or was it more of Randorian's guards? He glanced back at McKay and found Teyla standing between Rodney and the trees with her weapon raised.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Lorne called and stepped into the clearing with two more Marines behind him.
"Lorne," John replied and lowered the P-90.
"What happened?" Lorne asked, jerking his chin in Rodney's direction as he lowered his P-90.
"Kolya," John grunted.
"Is he …" Lorne started to ask.
John shook his head. "Stunned. And Kolya shot him in the leg."
"Find some branches we can use to make a stretcher," Lorne ordered the two Marines behind him.
"Yes, sir," one of the men said, and the two Marines walked back into the trees.
"Where's Kolya now?" Lorne asked, looking around the clearing.
"Good question," John replied. "Ronon went after him. I need to go find him."
"Don't bother. He got away," Ronon said as he walked into the clearing. "Caught up to him just as he disappeared through the 'gate. It shut down before I could go after him."
John pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered if Ronon had even bothered to stop and think about the implications of following Kolya through the 'gate alone.
"What about the team I left guarding the 'gate?" Lorne asked.
"Wounded but alive," Ronon replied. "Got them patched up enough to return to Atla -"
"Good work," John interrupted with a glance at Septimia.
Ronon grunted. "Not really. Kolya escaped."
"Something tells me he'll turn up again," John said with a tired sigh. "We'll get him eventually. At least he didn't get McKay."
"Or the uranium," Teyla added.
The two Marines returned from the forest carrying several thick branches. Lorne and Ronon picked two of similar length and thickness as the Marines stripped off their packs and jackets. Once the jackets were tied to the branches, John and Ronon lifted Rodney onto the makeshift stretcher, and they each took an end.
"Let's get him back to the mining camp," John said and hid a wince as the tree bark bit into the broken blisters on his palms.
"The house," Lorne corrected as he led the way back into the trees. "One of your friends, Graime? told us about the mansion, and Doctor Beckett moved his triage set up there. The previous owner wasn't too happy with the idea, but she won't be needing it now, I guess."
"Why is that?" Teyla asked as they walked.
Lorne glanced back at her and smiled. "Apparently, she's not from around here. She arrived a few years ago and made certain threats to get the men in the village to do her bidding."
"What sort of threats?" Teyla asked.
"She told them that if they didn't do what she wanted, she'd kill the women and children in the village," Lorne replied. "Now that we've arrived, the villagers have her and her henchman in custody." Lorne scratched his ear. "I don't think they plan just to let them go any time soon."
John grunted as he followed Ronon back to the house. As far as he was concerned, the villagers could do what they wanted with Randorian. It sounded like they had suffered almost as much as the prisoners forced to work in the mines.
They arrived back at the house an hour later, and John saw two large tents set up on the lawn in front of the house as they crossed the wooden bridge. David and Jason sorted through supplies and directed the Marines carrying gurneys and other equipment into the house.
"David," Carson called from the open flap of one of the tents, "I need the rest of the saline. All of these people are at least somewhat dehydrated."
"Right away, Doctor Beckett," David replied and picked up one of the crates.
Carson looked up, raised a hand when he saw them, then frowned and lowered his arm. "Take that to Sharon," he said to David as he hurried toward John's group. "Colonel," Beckett greeted.
John and Ronon lowered the makeshift stretcher to the ground, and John flexed his sore hands.
"What happened?" Beckett asked. He knelt next to Rodney and reached for the closest wrist.
"Ronon stunned him," John explained.
"Not my fault he got in the way," Ronon retorted with a defensive scowl.
Carson glanced up at Ronon then down at the bandage on Rodney's thigh. "And this?" he asked, pointing at the pressure bandage.
"Kolya shot him," John replied, his tone flat.
Carson stood and studied John then glanced at Lorne, Thompson, and the Marines waiting near the bridge. Beckett bent his head forward and asked in a whisper, "Are you all right?"
John nodded, and Carson stepped back. John picked up his end of the makeshift stretcher and glanced at Lorne. "Head back to the 'gate. Dial the base and let Doctor Weir know we found McKay."
"Yes, sir," Lorne replied and motioned for Thompson and the two Marines to follow him.
"Bring Rodney in here," Carson said and led the way into one of the tents. "Let me have a look at him."
Cots lined the two long sides of the tent, and most of the former prisoners looked better after a decent meal, a shower, and clean scrubs to wear. IVs hung next to most of the cots, several of the men and women sported clean bandages covering their hands or arms, and most of them appeared to be asleep.
Sera sat in a folding chair next to one of the cots where Brandt slept. Graime and Alman sat side-by-side in a pair of cots on the other side of the tent. John saw an IV running into each of their arms and one of the nurses offering Alman several tissues as he started to cough.
"How are they?" John asked with a nod at the other beds as he and Ronon transferred Rodney from the stretcher to an empty cot.
Carson sat in the folding chair next to Rodney's cot, set the ends of a stethoscope in his ears, and glanced behind him. "From the basic tests we've been able to do so far, these men and women and the villagers in the other tent appear to have suffered fewer effects from their exposure." He listened to Rodney's chest for several seconds, then nodded to himself and turned to Sharon. "Lungs are clear," he muttered, and Sharon made a note on the tablet computer in her hand.
Carson wrapped the stethoscope over his shoulders and glanced up at John. "They should be fine once they complete the series of treatments we're giving them to reduce the amount of radiation in their bodies."
John felt a wave of relief wash over him at the news so many of the former prisoners would recover.
"Villagers?" Ronon asked.
Carson glanced up at him and then at the men and women scattered around the tent. "The former guards at the mining camp," Carson explained. "Many of them are suffering from the same illnesses due to uranium exposure." He checked Rodney's temperature and held the thermometer where Sharon could record the reading. "It didn't seem wise to keep both groups in the same tent."
John remembered Lorne's comment that Randorian had coerced the guards into working in the mines as much as the prisoners and nodded. "It doesn't sound like the villagers had much choice, but probably a good idea," he replied.
Carson nodded as he picked up a blood pressure cuff. "We moved the worst cases into the house."
"Will they recover?" Teyla asked.
"I'm not certain, lass," Carson admitted. "I suspect many of them already have tumors or other more severe organ damage. I will need better diagnostic equipment to determine the extent of their exposure. For now, the ward we've set up in the house will keep them as comfortable as possible and allow us to monitor their condition."
Carson pursed his lips and toyed with the blood pressure cuff in his hand. "I'm afraid for some of them we were simply too late. We can help with pain management, but there isn't much else we can do."
"John Sheppard," Septimia said with a frightened glance around the tent. "I do not see any of my cohort or my daughter."
"Would you be Septimia by chance?" Carson asked with a glance at her as he wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Rodney's arm.
"I am."
Carson smiled. "Not to worry, my dear. Your … cohort? did you say? Your cohort is in the village. They insisted on helping the villagers guard the two prisoners we found when we arrived here."
Septimia bowed her head. "In that case, I must go, John Sheppard."
"Umm, thanks," John said, holding out his hand. "You probably saved McKay's life when you tackled Kolya."
Septimia grasped his forearm and nodded at Rodney. "I wish a speedy recovery for your shield-brother, John Sheppard," she replied. She nodded to Ronon and Teyla, then left the tent.
Carson noted the pressure reading to Sharon, then pulled on a pair of latex gloves. He checked the sores on Rodney's palms, then untied the pressure bandage around Rodney's thigh and tsked. "It could have been worse, I suppose," he muttered as he probed the edges of the gash with his fingers.
"Carson?" John asked.
Carson sat back on the folding chair and looked up at John. "The wound is deep. We'll get it cleaned out and stitched. Barring any sort of infection, he should be fine." He turned to Sharon and added, "Go ahead and get him prepped." He peeled off the gloves and stood. "Once he's ready, I'll get that sewn up, and we can deal with his hands at the same time."
"Yes, Doctor Beckett," Sharon replied.
Carson motioned to John, Ronon, and Teyla and led them out of the tent. "As for you lot," he said, "there is a decontamination shower over there you can use to clean up." Carson pointed to a small tent next to the medical tent. "Once you're done, come back here, and I'll have Serefina check you over and take some blood samples."
"Blood tests?" John asked.
"You were all potentially exposed to radiation working in that mine," Carson told him. "It wasn't for that long, so chances are you are fine, but we need to be sure."
John nodded and focused on Sharon walking out of the tent. "He's ready, Doctor Beckett."
"I'll be right there," Carson replied and turned back to John. "Go on. I'll get Rodney sorted out, and you can see him once Doctor Cortes has had a chance to check you over."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
The buzzing in his ears was the first thing he noticed. It wasn't so much words at first as noise, and he twitched his head in annoyance. He was exhausted, and all he wanted was to go back to sleep. No, he couldn't sleep, he told himself. Something was happening. Something important. If he could just remember what it was …
He forced himself to focus, and the buzzing noise became words fading in and out.
"Doctor … supplies …"
"… good. Tell … set up … diagnostic hood first … dealing with … the rest."
A tingling in his hands and feet and a dull, throbbing pain in his leg made itself known next. He tried to move his leg, which only made the pain worse, and he groaned.
"Carson?" a voice called. After a few seconds, the voice added, "I think he's hurting."
"The effects from the stun beam must be wearing off," a second voice replied. "Unfortunately, he needs to come out of it entirely before I can give him anything else for the pain."
Rodney let that filter through his brain for a few seconds, not sure what any of it meant.
Stun beam? he wondered. Why …
Kolya! his mind shrieked as memory slammed back into place.
Kolya was taking him back through the 'gate to who knew where. He needed to get away! He needed to find Sheppard.
His eyes flew open as he tried to sit up. Everything was blurry, but nothing looked familiar. Wherever he was, it wasn't Atlantis, and it wasn't the prisoner building where the team had been held captive the last few days.
"Whoa! Hey!" someone said. Rodney felt hands on his arms even as the pain in his leg spiked as he moved.
"Ge' of' me," Rodney grunted and fought against the hands suddenly holding him down.
"Hey! Easy, easy," the voice said. "You're safe. Kolya isn't here. You need to calm down before you undo all of Beckett's hard work."
The voice sounded like … Rodney stopped fighting and blinked a few times. "John?" he croaked as Sheppard let go of his shoulders.
"Yeah," John replied, rubbing his forehead.
"Rodney?" Carson asked from where he stood behind John. "Are you back with us now, lad?"
Rodney blew out a breath and nodded. His leg spasmed, and he groaned as the pain flared at the movement.
"I'll be right back," Carson said to John.
Rodney watched as Beckett walked over to the other side of the tent and opened one of the crates stacked against the canvas wall.
"Where?" he started to ask, but his voice cracked.
John looked around and picked up a bottle of water sitting on the table beside him. "Here," he said, offering Rodney the bottle.
Rodney took a couple of swallows and tried again. "Where are we?"
"Still on the planet," John replied, taking the bottle.
Rodney shifted on the cot and squeezed his eyes shut as his leg throbbed.
Carson walked back over to the cot and set a tray on the table behind John. "How are you feeling?"
Rodney grunted. He held his hands up, wiggled his fingers, and studied the bandages covering the palms of his hands. "My leg aches, and my hands and feet are all tingly." He looked over at Sheppard, saw the gauze wrapped around John's hands, and frowned. "What happened? The last thing I remember is Kolya dragging me back to the 'gate."
John looked up at Carson then back at Rodney. "Ronon might have … umm … stunned you."
Rodney dropped his hands in his lap. "He what?" he started to ask and yelped when his left hand landed on his thigh. Ow!" he exclaimed and reached for his leg. "Since when does getting stunned feel like getting shot?"
"It's just a graze," John said, and Rodney glowered at him.
"You're kidding, right? It feels like half my leg is gone."
Carson pulled over another folding chair and sat on Rodney's other side. "Colonel Sheppard is right. It was a deep graze. I stitched it up, and you should be fine in a few weeks."
Rodney crossed one arm over his chest and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand. "I suppose this means the crutches again," he said with a pained sigh. "I really hate trying to get around with those things."
Carson patted his arm, and Rodney looked up at him. "Not this time," Carson replied with a smile. "Just the cane, I think." He took Rodney's wrist and checked his pulse. "Other than your leg, how are you feeling? Any headache? Nausea?"
"Did Kolya hit me over the head too?" Rodney grumbled.
Carson pursed his lips and tapped Rodney's knee. "No. I need to know you aren't suffering any after-effects from the stun beam before I give you any pain medication."
Rodney sighed and did a mental inventory. "Just the tingling in my hands and feet," he replied. "It always takes days for that to go away."
Carson nodded. "All right then." He picked up two paper cups, handed one to Rodney and the other to John.
John took his cup and swallowed the pills with a swig of water from the bottle still in his hand.
Rodney looked at the pills in his cup, recognised the pain pills, and felt a jolt in his stomach when he saw what else was in the cup. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, holding up a dark blue capsule.
"Prussian blue," Carson replied with a nod. "It's to absorb any lingering radiation in your system."
Rodney paled and dropped the pill back in the cup. "Great," he muttered. "So much for those kids I planned on having someday."
"Your exposure was minimal," Carson assured him. "This is just a precaution."
Rodney scowled but took the pills and swallowed them with a few gulps of water.
"The pain medication will likely make him groggy," Carson said to John and picked up the tray of supplies. "Be sure to let him rest."
Sheppard nodded.
"Rodney, I'll come check on you later," Carson added.
Rodney settled on the cot and glanced at John. "When can we go home?"
John shrugged and sat back on the folding chair. "Carson thinks we can start sending the least affected people back to their home planets in a few days. Not sure you're going to want to try walking back to the 'gate until then anyway."
Rodney nodded and blinked a few times as he tried to stay awake. John had a point. At the moment, the last thing he wanted to do was trek back through the woods to the 'gate, and the idea of Ronon or a bunch of Marines carrying him home wasn't worth considering.
"You heard Carson," John said, leaning back in the chair. "Go to sleep. We'll head home soon."