Teyla and Ford exchanged a look as Ford tapped off his radio. She knew finding the ZPM was critical to the survival of Atlantis, but for John and Rodney to risk being caught in a snowstorm seemed reckless.
"They'll be fine," Ford told her again and walked back over to the fireplace.
Teyla wrapped her arms around her chest as she turned back to the window and watched as the snow started to come down harder. She remembered their harrowing trip back from the mainland with Doctor Beckett during the lull of a hurricane and John telling her once he wouldn't have tried to fly through the storm, either. Now, it seemed he would have to do just that.
John was the best pilot in Atlantis, she told herself. He knew what to do. She reached out a hand and rested it on the window at the wind rattled it. She hoped their best was going to be good enough.
Yev laid a hand on Teyla's arm. "Come," she said and motioned to the fire and the long sofa. "I'm eager to hear more about your new friends and how you escaped the Wraith."
Teyla smiled slightly and allowed herself to be drawn away from the window. She knew Yev was trying to divert her mind from her worry and silently thanked the other woman for the distraction.
She sat on the sofa next to Ford and accepted the mug of beer Yev held out to her.
"Jinto and Wex were playing outside one night near the end of our winter," she began, and told Yev about meeting John for the first time. How she, Halling, and Colonel Sumner, along with several other Athosians, had been culled by the Wraith. How Sheppard had brought the rest of her people to Atlantis to escape the Wraith attack before mounting a rescue mission to save those who had been captured.
"It sounds like your John Sheppard is an honorable man," Yev said once Teyla was done.
"He is," she replied. "They all are," she added with a nod to Ford. She toyed with the half-empty beer mug in her hand, rolling it back and forth in the palms of her hands. "Yev, have you heard of this cave they are looking for?"
Yev nodded. "It is one of the places, Yana, that's the old woman in the stories, was thought to live. Some of the more adventurous young men and women have made the trek to the cave, and a few of them have tried to decipher what the drawings on the walls could mean."
"The adventurous ones?" Ford asked. "Is the cave dangerous or something?"
Yev shook her head. "The cave is merely a cave, or several caves really, there are supposed to be many tunnels. However, the cave is in a high valley above Prin's hunting camp.
"It doesn't surprise me he told your John Sheppard about it, some of the hunters have been known to take shelter in the cave if they are caught by a rainstorm in the valley during a hunt." She paused, lost in thought for a moment. "I suspect it was Mica, though, who actually told him about the cave." Yev chuckled. "His sweetheart convinced him to make the trip many times this past summer."
She gave Ford a smile. "As I said, the caves are safe enough. I haven't heard of wild animals using them for instance. It is merely difficult to reach the area at certain times of the year."
The awkward silence in the room grew and Teyla cast about for another topic to keep her mind off the storm. Remembering John's suggestion about food, she leant forward on the sofa and said, "Since we have some time, would it be possible to discuss a trade?" she asked as she finished the beer and set the empty beer mug on the table in front of the sofa. "According to Halling, it was a good harvest this year. Would it be possible to negotiate a trade of grain for meat assuming the hunting has been successful?"
Yev sat back in her chair with a smile. "Prin and his family are up at the last camp now. They were set to close the cabin for the season when he sent word of a large herd of wild hreindyr in the area. They were going to stay an extra few days to work the herd. If the hunt went well, we should have plenty of meat to trade."
In far less time than Teyla expected, the trade of grain for meat was negotiated and she was back to worrying about whether or not John and Rodney would be all right. She felt a hand on her arm and looked at Ford.
"They're fine," he told her in a whisper. "Major Sheppard only radioed an hour ago. Give them a little time to get back here."
Teyla nodded absently as her attention drifted back to the window and the heavy snow now falling. "I am not so sure," she replied, not bothering to hide her concern. "The storm is getting worse."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
John opened his eyes with a groan and for a moment wasn't sure his eyes were really open. The cockpit was completely dark. No light came from the console, and when he tilted his head slightly, he noticed the windshield was blocked by something. It took his fuzzy mind a few long seconds to realise the window was covered with snow.
He knew he was sitting in the jumper's pilot seat, he could feel one of the tiles digging into his skull where his head rested on the console in front of him. He just couldn't remember why he'd decided to take a nap in the ship, especially when it felt so cold.
The thought trickled through his mind the jumper was never cold, there were environmental controls that kept the interior at a comfortable temperature. Someone should probably do something about that, he told himself even as the slight breeze he felt coming from behind him helped to wake him up further.
He groaned again and rubbed his aching head as memory flooded back. The storm. The crash. Rodney standing at the control box trying to find more power so John could keep the jumper from crashing.
Rodney.
Where was McKay? The thought forced him to sit up enough and check the rear of the jumper. As soon as he tried to move, a stab of pain across the left side of his chest warned him he probably had at least one broken rib and he really shouldn't be making any sudden movements. He groaned again as he carefully leant back in the chair and closed his eyes when his head started to spin.
He waited out the vertigo, and mindful of his ribs, kept his breathing as normal as possible. He opened his eyes again, and when the cockpit proved it was no longer going to dip and sway, he shifted just enough to see into the rear section of the jumper.
"Rodney?" he called, his voice thin and slightly breathy. "Talk to me, buddy."
The rear of the jumper was just as dark as the cockpit, and John let out a frustrated growl when he couldn't see anything, much less where McKay was or how badly he was hurt. His own head and body ached so much it was hard to tell anything through the link, but he thought he felt the itch at the back of his skull telling him McKay was at least still alive.
"Light. Need some light," he muttered and pushed a few of the dead tiles in front of him with his left hand while he kept his right arm pressed against his chest.
Nothing happened.
"Damn it!" he yelled and slapped at the console. His ribs did not appreciate the sudden movement and he bent over in the chair, his head resting on the console again, as he tried to get the pain under control.
He was still hunched over, both arms wrapped around his chest, when he heard a groan from the back of the shuttle. John carefully sat up and angled his body around in the chair.
"Rodney?" he called again once he had the pain under control.
"J'n?" McKay mumbled. "Are we dead?"
"Don't think so," he replied, keeping his sentences deliberately short.
"Dark," Rodney said a few moments later. "Can't see." John frowned at the obvious statements. Rodney was never one to merely state the obvious. Scenarios of serious head injuries started dancing in John's head as he heard movement coming from the rear of the jumper.
"Yeah, I noticed that," John replied. "How bad are you hurt?"
"Umm, not really sure," Rodney mumbled, and John heard more shuffling movement. "Arm hurts," Rodney finally said.
John tried to stand and decided that was a bad idea when another wave of pain hit him. He settled for spinning the chair around as best he could so he could see part of the rear area. "Anything else?"
"Headache," Rodney said a moment later.
John heard more movement then saw a small beam of light illuminate the rear of the jumper and shakily dance around.
"Uh oh," Rodney mumbled, and John saw the light dance higher then disappear presumably as Rodney stood and moved away from the front of the ship. "That's not good."
John heard more rustling and a groan from the back of the jumper.
John rubbed at his own aching head wondering what else could go wrong with a simple mission to locate a ZPM. Before he could ask what the current crisis was, Rodney staggered into the cockpit, his right arm cradled awkwardly against his chest and his coat only half on, the right sleeve dangling empty. John's coat was looped over his left arm and he had one of the large flashlights in his left hand.
"Here, get this on," he said and dropped the coat in John's lap as he propped the flashlight on the console above the mini DHD. The beam gave John enough light to see the bruise already forming on the side of Rodney's face as he headed back into the rear section and he heard McKay rummaging around some more.
John picked up the coat and managed to get the coat half on before his ribs protested the movement and he paused, trying to get his breathing back under control.
Rodney came back with their backpacks in his left hand, kicking a few cases from the cargo netting ahead of him. He dumped the packs in the chair behind John's and glanced over at him. "You need to get your coat on," Rodney told him shortly. "The hull is breached. We're losing heat."
John grimaced at the thought of moving again. Rodney must have seen the look and stopped beside John's chair. "How bad?" he asked as he helped John get the coat on and zipped up.
"Ribs," John admitted through clenched teeth. "Pretty sure … they really are broken … this time."
"Looks like you cracked your head, too. You're bleeding."
John reached up and felt something sticky near his left temple.
"Don't do that," Rodney admonished, slapping his hand. "You'll make it worse. I'm almost done. Just wait a minute."
John leant back in the chair and closed his eyes.
"Ow! Damn it!" Rodney yelped a few minutes later.
John instinctively tried to move at the sound and groaned, clutching at his chest. He watched as Rodney dumped two sleeping bags on the floor behind the rear two chairs, turned around and grabbed several of the cushions from the rear seats, dropped them on the floor next to the sleeping bags, then triggered the bulkhead door to close.
Nothing happened.
John heard a low growl come from Rodney as he opened an access panel and manually closed the door, jarring his right arm in the process. John watched as the blood drained from his face and he sank into the co-pilot's chair, clutching his arm to his chest, rocking back-and-forth.
"What's wrong?" John asked and pointed to Rodney's arm still curled against his chest.
"I think I broke it again," he finally said and stopped rocking. "Considering we should be dead, I guess I can't complain." He glanced over at John. "Why aren't we dead, by the way?" he asked.
"You found just enough power … I could level off." John tried to take a deeper breath and winced. "Do I want to know … what systems you … cannibalised … to do that?"
"Not really." Rodney glanced up at the supplies piled in the chair behind John. "I really hope I grabbed the first aid kit," he mumbled as he stood and searched the pile one-handed.
John glanced at the large green box near the top of the pile. "Rodney," he said, drawing out the name, "what did you do?"
Rodney ignored the question as he rummaged through their meager gear. "Which one is the first aid kit?" Rodney asked as he shifted more of the supplies around.
"It's the green metal box on the floor," John replied. "Where did you … find the power?"
Rodney pulled the box free of the pile, set it on the jumper's mini DHD, and opened it.
"Here," he said and handed John one of the large antiseptic wipes, "You're a mess."
John did his best to get the blood off, then sat still while Rodney finished cleaning him up and bandaged the cut.
"It doesn't look that bad," Rodney said once he was done. "Shouldn't we tape your ribs or something?" he asked as he dropped the roll of gauze back in the kit. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do when they're broken?"
John started to shrug and thought better of it. "They don't feel … displaced," he said. "Not much … we can do. Just have to be careful … not move around."
"You sure?" Rodney asked skeptically. "My head is killing me and I don't think it's all because of this." He pointed to the swollen knot John could see just above his eye.
"I'm sure," John retorted impatiently. He'd reached the end of his rope as far as McKay's fussing was concerned and decided to turn the tables. He carefully scooted to the edge of his chair and held out a hand. "Let me see … your arm," he ordered. "If it's broken … we need to set it. Before it gets worse."
Rodney hesitated a moment then sighed and shrugged out of the coat. The bruise above his eye stood out in livid detail as the rest of his face paled when he moved his arm. He shifted the first aid kit out of the way left-handed and laid his arm on the DHD.
John gently pushed up the sleeve of his uniform shirt, trying to be careful, but he heard Rodney hissing and felt him trying to jerk his arm out of John's hold. John grimaced when he saw the bruising running from Rodney's wrist to almost the elbow and could tell from the slight bulge just behind his wrist, the bones were indeed broken.
John let go of the arm and sighed. The bones would need to be set, there was no question. He had no idea how long it had been since the jumper crashed or how long it would take for someone to find them. If he didn't do something now, it would be worse later if Beckett had to re-break it in order to set it properly.
"Well?" Rodney asked once John was done.
John shook his head. "It's broken." He glanced over at Rodney. "You know what I have to do, don't you?"
Rodney blanched and started to pull his arm away. "This is going to hurt a lot more than a couple of broken fingers, isn't it."
It really wasn't a question and John knew it. "See if there's an emergency splint in there." He pointed at the first aid kit.
Rodney stared at him for a moment longer then dug through the kit again and set the brace, not much different from a wrist brace, beside the flashlight.
"It would be easier … if you were lying down," John said as he took a practised hold of Rodney's wrist and rested his right hand near the bulge, "but since that's not going to be possible … at the moment …" He gave Rodney a quick glance. "Brace yourself," he said.
John felt the bone grind back into place at the same time he felt a spike of pain go through his head and heard Rodney yell. He took a moment to get his own pain and breathing back under control before he opened his eyes to see Rodney slumped in the other chair cradling his arm to his chest.
"You all right?" John asked and tapped Rodney on the knee, the only thing he could reach.
McKay nodded slightly, but he didn't move and he didn't open his eyes for a few minutes.
"Let me get the brace on your arm and then put your coat back on," John said and waited for Rodney to hold out his arm.
John tried to be as gentle as possible, but Rodney still hissed and glared at him as he tightened the straps for the brace. "Find the pain meds," John said once he was done and Rodney had his coat on again.
Once they'd both taken several of the pills, John sat back and watched as Rodney tried to flex his hand a few times, winced, and curled the arm to his chest. He glanced over at John but didn't say anything in answer to John's questioning gaze and instead fiddled with the dark tiles on the console.
John let him be for a few moments then asked the question Rodney had been avoiding. "Where did you find the power … to get the pods going?"
He saw Rodney's shoulders tighten as he bent down, pulled his combo-computer out of his pack, and plugged it into the console. "It was the life support," he mumbled never looking at John as he handed John his gloves and tossed his own on the console. He tapped on the computer keyboard, read the information on the screen, and pursed his lips.
"You drained -"
"It was either that or the inertial dampeners," Rodney retorted, finally looking John in the eye. "I thought we would need the dampeners more."
John couldn't really argue with that. Chances were, if Rodney had cannibalised the dampening system, they'd both be puddles on the jumper floor instead of merely cut and bruised with a few broken bones. "Okay. I can see the logic in that," he said amiably.
"Thank you." Rodney tapped a few more keys, then crawled under the console and opened the access panel.
John heard him muttering as he pulled out a few crystals and set them next to John's feet.
While Rodney worked, John tapped his earpiece, "This is Major John Sheppard. Can anyone read me?" he said and listened to the dead air through the earpiece. There wasn't even any static much less the welcome voices of Ford or Teyla.
He tried activating the communications for the jumper instead, but the tiles remained stubbornly dark.
"If you're trying the jumper's radio, don't bother," Rodney said from under the console. "I've already disabled it and rerouted what power there was into the life support."
"Any ideas why the personal radios aren't working?" John asked as he sat back in his chair.
"Could be interference from the storm," Rodney suggested. "There might be a mineral in the surrounding rock that's blocking the signal." John heard him grunt and looked down to see another crystal added to the pile in the floor next to Rodney's side.
McKay spent several minutes working under the console, then he put the crystals back, and crawled out from under the console, a worried crease in his forehead.
"So?" John asked as Rodney sat in his chair and typed something on the computer. "How bad is it?"
Rodney ignored him as he typed and frowned at the computer before sitting back in his chair, closing his eyes, and rubbing at his head.
"McKay?" John said, his patience starting to run out. "Spit it out. How bad?"
"Bad," he finally replied. "I tried to reroute any remaining emergency power into the life support systems." He glanced at the cushions and sleeping bags. "I bought us a few hours at most. After that, it's going to get really cold in here."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Teyla watched as darkness descended in the village and a few lights in the neighboring buildings glowed from snow-encrusted windows. She shivered slightly in spite of the roaring fire behind her and listened as Ford paced and tried once again to reach John or Rodney.
"Major Sheppard? This is Ford. Come in." He glanced over at Teyla. "Doctor McKay? Please respond." He shook his head and tapped off the radio. "Maybe it's just the storm messing up the signal," he suggested. Teyla could tell he didn't believe that any more than she did.
"Something happened to them," she said sadly. "Otherwise they would have returned by now."
"Yeah," Ford agreed as he stopped next to her.
"Teyla, Aiden," Yez said as she entered the room. "I've talked to Teg, he has a room you can use for the night."
"Thank you, Yev," Teyla said with a smile. "Is there no way you can get a message to the hunter's camp? Maybe they simply decided to wait out the storm there."
"I'm sorry, Teyla," Yev replied. "If Prin needs to send a message, he has one of his sons run down with it." She took Teyla's hands and led her back to the sofa near the fire. "Let's hope you are right, and they stayed at the camp. I've asked Teg to bring in some supper for us," she added as the door opened and Teg appeared with food and more beer. "We will eat and sleep and see what fortune the morning brings."
Teyla ate what was on her plate, barely tasting the meat and vegetables, as worry gnawed at her stomach.
"We need to have a plan to look for them in the morning," Ford said later that evening once Teg had damped down the fire in their room, lit the candles, and left them with a pleasant good night.
Teyla shook her head. "First, we will need to go to the stargate and let Doctor Weir know what has happened." When Ford looked like he was about to interrupt, she held up a hand and continued, "If we are correct and something has happened to them and they are not merely waiting out the storm at the camp, we will need assistance from Atlantis to find them. If the jumper crashed, they are likely injured. A ship, in the air, would cover more ground, more quickly, than we could on foot."
Ford toyed with the end of one of his pack straps for a moment. "I guess you're right," he finally said. "I just hate doing nothing."
Teyla laid down on her bed and pulled the blanket and fur-lined comforter over her. "I understand," she said, "I, too, dislike inaction."
Ford blew out the candles and climbed into the other bed.
For a long time, she lay still, listening to the sound of the wind buffeting the pub and trying not to think about John and Rodney stranded in such weather. The jumper would protect them from the worst of the storm, she told herself. She heard Ford tossing and turning in the other bed and suspected he was having no more of a restful night than she was.
She must have slept at some point as she woke to the feeling of someone shaking her arm gently. "Teyla? Wake up, Yev was here," she heard Ford tell her and opened her eyes. Pale sunlight lit the room giving her enough light to see Ford standing next to her bed.
"What has happened?" she asked as she pushed back the heavy blankets, climbed out of the bed, found her boots, and followed Ford as he opened the door.
"Not sure," Ford replied as they left the room. "Yev just said they'd had news from the camp and to come to her office." He looked over at Teyla. "She did not look happy," he added as they crossed the nearly empty taproom on the way to Yev's office.
Teyla entered the office and saw a young man with reddish-blond hair standing by the fire. A coat dripped from a frame near the fireplace and his hair was slightly damp. Obviously, he'd been out in the storm. She glanced out the window and was surprised to see the snow had actually stopped and the sky was almost clear.
She wandered over to the window and was shocked to see the berms of shovelled snow they'd climbed over the day before were completely hidden. She estimated another foot of snow had fallen overnight and her hopes sank as she wondered how much more snow had fallen in the mountains.
"Teyla," Yev said from her chair next to the fireplace, "this is Mica, one of Prin's sons."
"Hello, Teyla," Mica said with a smile as he stepped forward and grasped he hands. "My father has told me about you. He was relieved when Sheppard told him you and your people had survived the culling."
"Hello, Mica," Teyla replied and nodded her head toward Ford. "This is my friend, Aiden." Mica gave Ford a nod and a smile as he let go of Teyla's hands and squeezed Ford's in greeting before letting go and taking a step back.
"I have a message. From my father," Mica said and looked down at his boots. "He sent me as soon as the storm passed." Mica swallowed nervously and glanced up at Teyla. "He wanted you to know we never saw Sheppard's flying ship return yesterday. He fears something may have happened to them on their way to see Yana's cave."
Teyla and Ford exchanged a worried look.
"You are sure they did not pass the cabin during the night?" Teyla asked. "The jumper is not loud, it would be easy to miss in the chaos of a storm."
Mica shook his head. "Father offered to put them up if the storm got bad. A few of us waited outside until past dark in case they came back. We never saw the ship come back. Father is certain they must still be up in the valley."
"We need to alert Doctor Weir," Teyla said, and glanced out the window at the deep snow in the street. Walking back to the stargate would not be easy.
"That may be difficult," Yev said. "This is only a quiet moment, the storm is not finished with us yet. See," she pointed to the gathering clouds on the horizon, "that will be here later today. If you cannot find your friends by this evening, there may be nothing we can do to help them."
"I do not understand," Teyla said. "Can we not simply wait for another lull?"
It was Mica who answered. "The snow is much heavier in the mountains." He turned to Yev and added, "Father and the others should be here by early this afternoon with the rest of the meat." He looked back over at Teyla and Ford. "Father knew you would want news of your friends as quickly as possible and sent me ahead. It may be too late already if the pass is completely snowed over."
"We have another flying ship," Teyla told him. "If we can reach the stargate, we can alert our people. They can send help."
"I can -" Mica started to say before Yev stopped him with a raised hand and a frown.
"You are tired and your animals are nearly spent," she told him. "Both of you need to rest for a few hours." She turned to Teyla. "I'll see if I can find someone to drive you to the Portal," she said and left the office.
Teyla caught a glimpse of the slightly more crowded taproom through the open office door and Yev talking to three men at one of the tables near the bar.
"We need to gather our packs and coats," Teyla said as she left the room and crossed the taproom. She could feel several pairs of eyes watching her as they ducked behind the bar and through the door that led back to their room.
"Drive?" Ford asked once they were in the narrow hallway.
Teyla nodded as she entered the room, pulled on her coat, and looked around for her gloves and goggles. Halling had told her once about the large sleds the Lurrans used to carry meat down from the hunting grounds or deliver trade goods to the stargate.
"The Lurrans have domesticated several animals to assist with various tasks," she said as she buckled her tac-vest and shrugged into her pack. "One such task is pulling a sort of high sled as a means of transportation usually bringing back meat from hunts."
Ford nodded as he put on his winter gear then led the way back to the office.
As they walked back through the taproom, Teyla felt even more eyes watching her as several people whispered to one another. She glanced around the room and was surprised at the number of somber expressions on the faces looking back at her. They think Rodney and John are already dead, she realised as Ford held the office door open for her.
Yev came back into the office a few minutes later, an older man with curly white hair and a white beard nearly down to his chest, following in her wake. "Teyla, Aiden, this is Klaus. He is the only person I could find willing to risk the weather to take you to the Portal."
Klaus waved a dismissive hand at Yev as he walked over to Teyla and Ford. "This is a tiny storm, not much snow left in her," he said as he grasped both Teyla and Ford's hands in greeting.
"Klaus, you always think a storm is tiny," Yev told him with a patient smile. "And I've never understood why you always refer to storms as 'she'."
Teyla saw the twinkle in Klaus' eye as he turned back to Yev. "Because the only thing more temperamental than the weather is a woman. Just look at your auntie. We've been married nigh on forty cycles and I still haven't figured out all of her moods."
Klaus gave Teyla a pat on the arm as he walked past her and back to the door. "This time I'm right. You'll see! The sled will be ready in a few minutes. It takes time for boys to add a second team to the harness."
"Second team?" Teyla asked as they followed Klaus out into the taproom.
Klaus signalled Teg to pour him a mug of beer. "You'd better pour one for these two youngsters as well, Teg. They'll need it to keep warm on the ride out to the Portal."
Ford looked a little dubious as he took his mug. "You're sure your sled will get us there?" he asked. "The snow is kinda deep."
Klaus laughed. "To the Ancestors," he said and tapped each of their mugs with his. "No problem. My hreindyr are good, strong animals. Good sleigh, too."
Teyla saw Ford's eyebrows rise at the word sleigh and couldn't understand why he would be so surprised. She'd told him the Lurrans used such sleds for transportation.
The door of the pub banged open, a boy of about twelve hurried in and stopped in front of Klaus. "All done, Papa," the boy said. "The hreindyr are eager to be off, they like the snow!"
Klaus thumped his mug back on the bar. "Come, come!" he said with a wide grin as he pulled on a red coat lined with fur. "Time to go." He hurried out behind the boy, clearly expecting Teyla and Ford to follow him.
She heard Ford choking on his beer and turned back to him. "Is everything all right, Lieutenant? You are acting very strange."
Ford grinned as he zipped up his coat and pulled on his gloves and goggles. "It's … he looks just like -"
Teyla opened the door and another blast of cold wind blew through the pub before Ford could finish his sentence.
Outside a sled waited with eight hreindyr pawing eagerly at the ground.
"No way!" Ford exclaimed with a laugh as he walked all the way around the sled. "There are even bells!" He jingled the bells lining the harness for the hreindyr.
Teyla looked at the high red seats and metals runners, not seeing what was so special about the vehicle; she'd seen dozens like it on many different worlds. She climbed into the back of the sled as Klaus sat on the front bench and picked up the reins. "Lieutenant?" she called over the jingling of the bells as the hreindyr shifted in the harness. "We need to leave."
"Yeah, yeah," Ford replied still grinning. "It's a real Santa sleigh! How cool is that?" He sat down beside Teyla and she pulled the fur-lined blankets up around them. Klaus called something to the animals and the sled jerked into motion.
She wanted to ask who this Santa person was and why he apparently gave secret gifts with a sleigh, but the spray of snow and the howl of the wind as the sled seemed to fly over the pristine snow was too loud to allow for any sort of conversation.
It was late morning when Klaus drew the hreindyr to a halt near the DHD. "Here we are all safe and sound," Klaus said as he jumped off his bench and helped Teyla down.
"Thank you, Klaus, for getting us here so quickly," Teyla said as Ford started to dial the stargate.
"You are welcome," Klaus said with a smile. "If you need help finding your friends, you let me know."
The wormhole formed with a whoosh and Ford tapped his radio. "Ford to Doctor Weir. Come in, please."
Teyla stepped over to Ford and tapped her own radio.
"Lieutenant? This is Weir. You're overdue for your check-in. We were beginning to worry."
Ford closed his eyes. "We had some problems with the weather, ma'am," he replied.
"What kind of problems, Lieutenant? And where is Major Sheppard?"
Ford took a deep breath. "Doctor Weir, I'm sorry to report …" He paused for a moment and looked over at Teyla. "Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay are missing, ma'am."
There was a long silence over the radio then, "Is Teyla with you, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Doctor Weir. I am here."
"All right, you two need to come back and tell me exactly what happened."
"Ma'am, we need to start a search," Ford argued.
"I agree, Lieutenant. Before we can do that, I need to know what's been going on."
"We will return momentarily," Teyla replied before Ford could continue the argument.
"Very good. Weir out."
Teyla saw Ford glaring at her as she tapped off her earpiece and adjusted her hood. "We were losing valuable time arguing," she told him.
Ford didn't say anything in reply as he headed for the stargate and disappeared.
Teyla felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Klaus standing next to her.
"I'll wait here until you either come back or send word," Klaus told her. He squeezed her arm and added, "We'll find them, you'll see."
"Do not wait too long," she said with a glance at the looming sky behind them. "Yev did say the storm was not finished."
Klaus gave her a dismissive wave. "Yev worries too much, just like her mother. I'll be fine."
Teyla followed in Ford's footprints as she walked to the edge of the shimmering pool. Just before she reached the wormhole, she turned, gave Klaus a final wave, then stepped through the event horizon.
NOTE: Just a heads up, since tomorrow is New Year's Eve (in my corner of the world at least) there will not be a chapter update this time tomorrow. Hope you all have a safe New Year's Eve and a Happy 2019! The next chapter will post Tuesday night.