John sighed quietly as he lay on his bed; an old Johnny Cash cassette playing softly on his stereo.
He had just returned earlier that evening from a 24-hour discretionary leave back to Earth; to attend the funeral of a family friend who had been like a younger brother to him.
Aaron, who had followed his dream like John in becoming a pilot; Aaron, who was shot down in Iraq three days ago, two weeks before his tour of duty would have ended.
John's team had wanted to go with him, but he had declined their offer; this was something he had to do on his own.
Curling in on himself, he closed his eyes remembering how Aaron's father, with eyes swollen red with tears had slowly made his way to the church's altar overlooking his son's coffin.
John had sat in the back of the church in full uniform, listening as tears threatened to pour from his own eyes as the older man broke down as he talked about how proud he was of his boy.
John flinched inwardly as his mind slipped back to a conversation he had with his own father years ago.
"Dad, I just want you to be proud of me!"
"Proud of you? You turn on me…your family… to what...go play G.I. Joe? After everything I've done for you?!"
"But, it's my life!"
"Then go...leave...but know this...you hurt me John...and I will never ever be proud of you for that!"
John had stayed long enough to pay his respects then had quietly left, a heavy sadness pressing down on him.
-A month later -
The small house in the center of the village was warm and comfortable; the moonlight flowing through the small window painting the room a silvery grey.
John lay on the small bed sighing contently; he hadn't felt this at peace for a very long time.
A soft snoring turned his attention to the bed adjacent to his and he smiled at Carson who lay fast asleep on his back, one arm dangling off the bed, lightly touching his emergency medical bag on the ground.
"Good ole doc," John whispered.
He had accompanied Carson to the Ulatai home world after a plea for help had made its way to Atlantis; the Ulatai children were falling ill.
Things had been quiet for a while, so Woolsey had given the go-ahead for the team to have some free time.
Teyla and Ronon had decided to go to the mainland; the Athosians were planning a feast to celebrate the birth of a child to a couple believed to have been barren.
Rodney had decided that it was a good time to run diagnostics on the lab computer systems.
John was planning on going with Teyla and Ronon, when Woolsey had asked him if he wouldn't mind accompanying Carson, who had recently returned to Atlantis, to the planet as he tried to help the sick Ulatain children; Jennifer could not go as one of her patients was scheduled for surgery and she had to stay close to the infirmary.
Not reluctantly, John agreed to go. The Ulatai home world was beautiful, the people, a quiet friendly farming community. He could relax while still keeping an eye on Carson as he helped cure the children.
They had stayed three days, the Ulatai children slowly bouncing back to health under Carson's caring hands; and John had his time to just breathe and take in the sun and wonderful home cooking offered by the locals, who were so very much appreciative of Atlantis sending them help.
This was their last night; they were due back on Atlantis the next morning.
A knock on the door and John glanced over as Torias, the elder of the village and the owner of the home they were in, stood in the doorway.
He was a widower, tall and thin with a long grey beard and a twinkle in his eyes. He and John had whiled away the previous nights' hours staring at the stars as John listened to the old man spin stories from his youth.
"Just checking if you have everything you need." the old man whispered.
"We're good…no stories tonight?" John asked.
The man's face was in shadows, but the Colonel could hear a whimsical chuckle from the doorway.
"No my friend, an old man must rest his bones every now and again. I bid you goodnight."
"Night, Torias."
Nestling his head into his pillow, John smiled and closed his eyes.
…
"…up!
"…ake up!"
"…WAKE UP!"
John's eyes flew open to the wide-eyed Torias who was shaking him.
"Wha…?"
"The sky… the sky! It is the end!"
John shook his head to clear it and quickly sat up grabbing his weapon that rested by the side of the bed. From outside, the sound of a deep roar filled the sky, the following explosion shaking the home and shattering the glass in the windows.
"What the hell was that?!" shouted John, racing to the window to look out.
"The gods…" was all Torias could muster, his body trembling.
Balls of fire streaked across the pre- dawn sky, one slamming into a field near the edge of the village, the field bursting into flames.
"Oh crap…meteor storm!" hissed John, his heart dropping.
"Carson!" he shouted and turned to find his friend already up and pulling his medical bag across his back.
"Wha's happening?! Wraith?" Asked the doctor as he ran behind John who had already exited the room pulling Torias with him.
"Meteor storm, we need to get the villagers to the Gate!" replied John.
The Colonel's mind was racing as he tapped his ear comm.
"Atlantis, this is Sheppard! We have a problem, there's…"
He frowned tapping his comm again.
"Atlantis, do you read?" Static echoed from the earpiece. Worried, John looked over at Carson, who tried his own comm.
"Static." frowned the doctor. "The meteors?"
Suddenly, Torias, gathering his bearings pulled away from John's grasp.
"Go! I am an old man, I will slow you down!"
"No, you'll be safer with us!" argued John as another explosion shook the home, this time throwing the men to the ground.
They heard screams coming from outside.
John struggled to his feet pulling Torias up with him. He turned to make sure Carson was okay and saw the doctor's eyes widen.
"The children!" Carson gasped.
"Wait!" John stepped toward him, but Carson had already raced out the door towards the village's small meeting hall that had been turned into a makeshift clinic; where most of the children who were still recuperating were sleeping.
John turned back to Torias, "Do you have a cellar you can go to?"
"Please, save my people…"
"Torias!"
The old man nodded and John grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Go! I'll come back for you!" John ordered.
He stayed a split-second more hoping against hope that the old man would come out of this alive and then turned and ran out after Carson; stumbling to a halt for a moment, taking in the horror of what he saw.
Villagers were rushing past him, screaming as they tried to find cover from the onslaught from above; homes were burning, crushed beyond repair and the fields beyond where they grew their food to eat and sell were on fire.
"Get to the Gate!" John shouted, trying to keep his footing on the shaky ground; his voice barely piercing the noise of the barrage from above as he tried to push people in the direction of the Gate, that lay in a small valley a little over a mile from the village.
Running towards a group huddled together in the doorway of a nearby home, he grabbed one of them; a man, eyes wide in terror.
"Tell everyone to head for the Gate; we'll get you to Atlantis…Go!"
The group scattered and John, spotting Carson standing in the distance veered towards him.
"Doc, what are you doing?!"
Carson stood staring, mouth agape, eyes wide in shock and grief at the crushed building in front of him, flames licking from the debris.
The meeting hall had been destroyed, the lives of several children and some family members wiped out.
John stepped forward, maybe there were survivors, maybe he could…
The building creaked and collapsed in more on itself, the fire spreading.
He backed away…
"Doc..."
Carson just stood staring at the ruins, the shadow of flames flickering over him.
Another explosion nearby...more screams.
The sky was on fire.
"Doc!"
The heat and smoke from the surrounding flames was making it harder and harder to breathe.
Coughing, John grabbed Carson's arm, shaking him out of his grieving reverie, and held on tight as the ground around them shook throwing them off their feet.
Scrambling on the ground, he grabbed Carson behind the neck forcing him to focus on his face.
"Carson…We have to go!"
Carson stared at him, eyes wide but understanding.
"Aye." was all he could say.
Soon both men and as many villagers as they could gather were racing for the Gate. John had tried to go back for Torias, but the road to the man's home was filled with burning debris that had blocked the path.
"Keep moving!" John shouted as he kept up the rear pushing them along as fast as possible.
He tried to focus on his goal; dial the gate, contact Atlantis and get the hell out of Dodge; but regret for not being able to return for Torias tightened his chest.
"Sola, no!" came a shout; and John looked up just in time to see a young boy racing past him…in the opposite direction.
Seconds later, Carson ran past him after the boy.
"Stop!" John shouted; Carson stumbled to a halt.
"I 'ave to get him!" the doctor gestured wildly, "His mother 'n sister were in the hall… he thinks he could save 'em!"
"I'll get him!" John shouted. "Go with the others and dial the…"
Suddenly a loud roar made John stop and look up, his eyes widening.
No!
Charging forward, he tackled Carson just as the ground beneath them exploded sending both of them flying through the air into a group of trees.
Minutes later, with no movement from the trees, it was with the pale sky lighting its way towards dawn, that the screams of the villagers seeped away as the meteor storm slowly came to an end and rain began to fall over the silence.
-tbc-