Author's Note - GLENN has dedicated this chapter to Renisanz, because she wanted more nail-biting suspense. Or rather... didn't. GLENN's response sounded very much like neener-neener. They made me type quickly, so the spelling mistakes are all their fault. - Nika
Evan was a little concerned the first time Jennifer blew over, and he was definitely worried the third, forth, and fifth time. With the wind gusting hard enough to push him around, it stood to reason she'd have a hell of a time keeping upright. She was having more and more trouble staying on her feet, and he was no longer sure it was just the storm.
Rain pelted them through the trees, as the wind shoved the branches out of the way, letting the weather fall to the ground below. Thunder rumbled almost consecutively, and while it was barely noon, the sky was dark enough that each flash of lightning was nearly blinding.
Motioning for Williams to grab her other arm, they hauled Jen up and pinned her between them. Her body vibrated violently with shivers – the trembling jarring his own shaking. He caught Williams worried glance above the top of her head.
Two steps later she stumbled again, sagging between them.
"Edison!" He waved the Lieutenant closer so he could be heard over the wind and rain. "Get to the village! Find us someplace warm and dry! And keep trying to reach Sanchez! He should have reached the gate by now!"
"Roger that!" Edison shouted before he turned and disappeared down the path.
"Doc!" Evan shouted, forcing her to look at him. He knew he was cold, but her skin was like touching ice.
"S-s-sorry." Was all she could muster.
Evan nodded at Williams, and they continued to half walk, half drag her down the path after Edison. They were only a quarter mile from the edge of the village, but with the wind shoving them back a foot for every two taken, it was an excruciating process.
Edison met them at the edge of the village, shadowed by a man, and two women. The village was small, but it's location well planned for what was obviously not a random weather occurrence. Sheltered beneath a low rising escarpment, it was buffeted by the wind and rain, but with no where near the same volume as the trail they'd just crossed. The small houses were built low to the ground, mixed in amongst the trees and boulders which formed a natural wind abutment.
They were ushered into a small hut along the back corner, and Evan felt more than saw the warmth of the roaring fire the minute he crossed the threshold.
The main room was small and tidy, a one room living area with a table and chairs, a kitchen section, and a large pallet on the floor beside the fire. In the back corner an archway announced another room, but it was shrouded with a heavy, maroon drape.
The small hut smelled of a deep spice, mostly likely coming from the large pot hanging on an iron hook above the fire.
The older man turned towards them wiping rain from his face. Evan pegged him to be in his late forties… young for Earth. Old for Pegasus. He was short and stocky, with dark eyes and an easy smile. Deep laugh lines were prominent around his eyes and mouth, telling Evan that despite a harsh lifestyle, he wasn't a harsh man. His grey hair was cropped tightly against his head, and while he wore simple clothes, he carried himself with authority.
"Welcome to Rella." The man nodded, shaking the rain water out of his hair.
"Is the weather always this lovely?" Evan smiled, accepting the man's outstretched hand.
"Well you have come during the rainy season." The man smiled in return. "You are welcome to stay here until the weather passes. The storm should abate by the sun's rise. I'm Turne, and this is my wife Inta, and her sister Marna." He pointed to a stack of cloth next to the palette and the fire. "We have clothes and blankets. The sizes may be off, but they're dry. My wife has something that should fit your woman friend."
"Thanks." Evan nodded. "We appreciate the hospitality."
The first woman drew back the hood of her long cloak. Her hair was long and dark, her skin warn from years of working in the sun. She looked with concern at Jen. "I'm Inta. Let us take her. We'll get her into something warm and dry."
"Oh y-yes p-lease." Jen muttered. She struggled on her wobbling legs, and Evan wasn't about to believe for a moment she'd stand on her own. Her teeth where chattering so loudly it was like listing to a castanet. He released his hold on Jen's right arm to Inta.
The second woman dropped her hood to reveal a equally weathered face, her hair cropped short. She relieved Williams of his hold on Jen's left arm, and the three women moved towards the archway.
"Our room is through the door." Inta angled her chin towards the curtain. "We have clothes that should fit."
With the barest of nods, Evan ordered Edison to check it out, and the Lieutenant quickly stepped towards the archway, pulling aside the curtain, as though to offer his assistance. After a quick survey he nodded the all clear to the Major, as the women helped Jennifer through.
"Were you caught by the storm?" Turne asked.
As they changed into the dryer clothing, Evan explained what happened in the lab, and their narrow escape.
Turne eyed the collection of weaponry on the small table. "Then I guess it is a good thing you always travel so… lightly." He raised an eyebrow.
Evan glanced at the table. It did resemble a small armory. He shrugged. "We like to be prepared."
Turne shook his head in awe, then smiled. "Teyla Emmagen did mention that about her fellow 'Lanteans."
"You know Teyla?" Evan wasn't really surprised. Teyla represented Atlantis on most of their trading missions.
"Yes." Turne nodded. "For many years now."
The curtain parted and Marna stepped out, warily eyeing the mass of weapons on the table. Then she turned towards Evan. "Your friend is changed and dry, and already fast asleep."
Inta stepped out, and glanced from her husband, to Evan. "I have covered her with warmed blankets to keep off the chill." She added, then she moved towards the hearth, and stooped next to a small metal box that rested near the fire. Lifting the lid, she reached inside, and held up of chunk of woven cloth. "It is a small blanket. Beneath her covers she has a similar piece over her torso. Replace it with this one when it chills, and return the other to the box to re-warm."
Evan understood the logistics behind treating hypothermia – keep the core warm, not the extremities, and nothing too hot or it would burn. He was impressed with their innovation, and told them so.
Inta laughed. "Your Doctor said the same thing." She shrugged. "When it rains every other day, being wet and cold is as common as a Wraith."
Marna pointed to the pot over the fire. "Dellian soup. Hearty. Strong for your stomachs. There are bowls and scoops in the cupboard. Please help yourself."
A round of thanks was met by quick smiles.
"It is no trouble." Inta nodded and hooked her hand through her husband and they moved towards the door. "We shall leave you to rest. If you should require anything, Turne and I are but two houses over."
Marna nodded and followed her sister out the door.
Edison was scooping soup before the door had even closed.
"What?" He frowned when Evan stared. "We didn't have lunch. Besides," he handed Evan a bowl. "It would be rude not to."
Evan laughed and accepted the bowl. "You sound like McKay."
"I resent that." Edison frowned.
Evan grinned. "Yeah, so does McKay."
"In here." Sanchez pointed, stepping into the small opening in front of the lab. John and Rodney pushed past him to stare at the still open hatchway, and the metal wall that blocked the other side of the opening.
John reached through the hatch to pound on the gray metal.
"Lorne! Keller! You guys okay in there?"
Silence.
"Lorne!" He pounded again.
No answer.
"Where's Edison?" John looked at Sanchez.
Sanchez shrugged and shook his head. "I left him right here. Maybe they found a way out?"
Ripping a hand-held sensor out of his wet TAC vest, Rodney scanned the room. "I'm not getting any energy readings. Nothing beyond the wall. Could be something in the metal."
"Sheppard!" Ronon's voice cut through the com.
"Go ahead." John answered.
"Up top." Ronon answered from the top of the escarpment as he stared down at a massive hole which overflowed with water.
Teyla crossed quickly to Ronon's side, her hair matted to her head. "It is the right location." She glanced worriedly from the edge of the hill, over to where they were standing. "The cave is right below us." Kneeling, she withdrew her flashlight and tried to see into the murky depth.
John climbed the rocky incline, quickly followed by Sanchez.
"Shit." Sanchez muttered. "Is that…?"
John glanced back at the waterfall, then down to his feet. "It's the lab." He unclipped his P90, and handed it to Sanchez. Then he moved to undo the straps of his TAC vest.
"What are you doing?" Teyla straightened and stood beside him.
"They could be trapped." John answered, the sound of velcro tearing drowned out beneath a roll of thunder. "Pocket of air…"
Ronon growled and in one fluid movement handed Teyla his blaster, shrugged out of his leather jacket and grabbed her flashlight. Then he stepped off the edge of the opening and disappeared beneath the surface under a massive spray of water.
"Ronon!" Sheppard shouted, then rolled his eyes. "I swear he has the patience of a three-year old."
Teyla frowned, then shrugged. Sanchez returned the P90, and all three edged the water, staring into the murky hole.
Ronon's head broke the surface and he gripped the edge of the rocks.
"It's the lab." He grunted as he pulled his shoulders out of the water. Teyla and John grabbed for his arms and hauled him up. He handed Teyla back her flashlight. "No one there." He shook his head violently, flinging water everywhere. "Must have blown the hole. Went for shelter. Probably to the village."
Teyla handed him his jacket and he yanked it on before dropping his blaster back into the holster at his hip.
"McKay." John activated his com. "Head back to the jumper."
"But…"
"They're not here." John added, leading the way across the rocks towards the entrance to the cave. "Looks like Lorne made himself an escape hatch."
"Then why…"
"Jumper, McKay." John ordered.
"Fine." Rodney sighed, his displeasure evident in his tone. "And when we get there maybe you can explain why I had to come in the first place…"
"Because we'd miss hearing your lovely voice." John said snidely, jumping the last of the way down to the gorge to land next to Rodney who'd exited the cave opening.
"Ha. Ha." Rodney answered, wincing as the rain pelted him in the face. "I'm so going to catch a cold from this." He shuddered and tried to pull the collar of his jacket up around his neck. "Or pneumonia. Fever. Chills."
"I promise to buy you some chicken noodle soup as soon as we get home." John muttered, patting him on the back. "Now. Lets just get to the village, shall we?"
There was something to be said for the adrenaline rush of waking up in a strange place, with no memory of how you got there in the first place. And normally, Jen was sure she would be feeling that rush, but at the moment, her addled mind would only let her wash over the confusion with the realization that she was actually, finally, warm.
Really warm.
Too warm.
But her limbs wouldn't cooperate in their quest to kick the blankets off.
So she gave up, and closed her eyes again. She slowly pieced together the who, what, where, when, why, and how… and came up with Michael, a booby-trap in his lab, the flood, Williams getting crazy with the C4, and a really cold walk in a hurricane. Which was apparently still going outside, if the sharp pelting on the roof was any indication.
She sighed and snuggled further under the covers, curling onto her side. Her muscles ached slightly, reminding her of their displeasure at being left so cold for so long. And while the palette was small and lumpy, it was definitely better than being outside… or well… being… dead. Under water trapped in that damned lab.
She could feel the stuffy pressure in her sinus and fought a sneeze. Running her fingers over her forehead, she wondered if her hands were cold, or her head was warm, or both. Knowing her luck, the cold was blowing itself into a lovely case of the flu. She most likely wasn't warm from the blankets… in fact she was pretty sure she had now had a fever, and absolutely no modern medical supplies. Scratch that. No supplies period. At least she was already laying down. With the fuzz in her head she'd be hard pressed to stand.
Whispered voices reached her ears, snippets of conversation from the front room. With her back to the door she noted the added light reaching the far wall as the curtain was moved back. Shadows lengthened and she squinted, even the simple brightness making her head ache. Yup. Definitely sick.
"She still sleeps." One voice said softly.
Jen wondered if she should get up, since technically she wasn't sleeping any more, and maybe someone else wanted their bedroom back. But she was toasty warm, and despite the awkward slope she was comfortable… And she did feel, well, rather crappy indeed.
"Leave her. She's done nothing wrong." A second added harshly. "You have the others… that's enough."
Jen's heart skipped. Okay… that didn't sound good at all.
"But I promised."
"You have done enough! You will not condemn her, too."
The hushed voices moved away, the light cut off as the curtain fell. Jen heard the latch on the front door.
"What do we tell her when she wakes?"
"The truth." A pause as the curtain swayed with the influx of open air. "Her friends are dead. Because they will be by nightfall."