Author's note - The plot bunnies are killing me here! :P It's gone from a simple rainstorm mishap to an evil-villagers kidnapping with Michael on the way. Who knew things could get out of hand so quickly! I feel like I should be tagging each chapter with one of those old Bat-man endings... Will our hero's get out of the rain? Will Jen recover from her bout of the Flu? Will SGA1 show up with Nyquil? Tune in next week... Nah. Can't make you wait that long. Here's the next installment! :) - Nika
John found the house without problem, but there was no answer. The front door was unlocked and after a quick sweep of the interior, they noted that there was no sign of Evan or the others.
Standing in a circle outside Inta's door, they glanced around at the surrounding houses.
"So now what?" Rodney stared at the scanner. He gave it a shake, stared at the screen, shook it again, stared, and gave up with a sigh. Dropping it back into the pocket of his TAC vest he looked at the others.
"Could they have gone back to the gate?" Teyla asked.
John shrugged. "It's possible. We can try dialing the DHD from the jumper, see if they've returned."
"They knew I was headed for reinforcements." Sanchez shook his head. "More likely they would have waited out the storm somewhere."
"Yeah, well… somewhere isn't here…" Rodney glared up at the cloudy sky, the looked at the cluster of small buildings. "It's a damn postage stamp. How hard could it be?"
"Rodney… you and Sanchez head back to the jumper." John ordered, his eyes scanning the houses next door. "See what you can do to get those scanners working. Ronon, Teyla, you're… with… me…" he trailed off, moving several feet away.
"John?" Teyla glanced curiously at Ronon before stepping after the Colonel.
John walked towards a darkened house two doors over from Inta's. There was no light coming from inside, but something reflected off the large window next to the faded green door. Something... out of place. Something...
He hesitated, then ducked quckly around the corner of an adjacent building, waving everyone down. Teyla followed in a crouch, as did the others.
John ushered everyone into the shadows.
"What's going on?" Rodney asked, his eyes wide. He grabbed his M9 and held it next to his hip. "What's wrong?"
"Sanchez." John nodded at the Captain. "Front window. What do you see?"
Sanchez switched places with John along the front edge of the building and peered around the corner.
"Shit." Sanchez muttered, falling back into the alley.
"What?" Teyla glanced around the corner, but could see nothing out of the ordinary.
"SOS." Sanchez nodded at John.
"SOS?" Teyla shook her head.
"Morse Code." John explained. "On the glass of the window. Three dots, three dashes, three dots."
"International distress signal." Sanchez added.
"International distress signal?" Teyla repeated.
"It's a call for help." Rodney said quietly.
"Ronon, Telya." John ordered. "Around the back. Look for another door, any way in. Wait for my signal."
Ronon grabbed his blaster and ran down the length of the building quickly followed by Teyla.
"Sanchez, McKay. You're with me."
Evan traded his time between digging through the shelves for any useful supplies, and checking on Jen, who was sleeping restlessly, trapped within her feverish dreams.
She needed water, drugs, and warmth, and they were things things they didn't have in the chilled air of the closed store. Marna's deal made it impossible to ask the villagers for help because there was no way of knowing who was on what side. He couldn't chance it.
"Major." Williams called, his tone sharp as he angled himself closer to the window. Gripping his P90, the Lieutenant peered out into the rain. "We've got movement."
Evan stood up, his heart and mind quickly slamming themselves into combat mode. Michael.
Then Edison snorted, and looked over his shoulder at Evan. "Ronon."
Williams relaxed, his face splitting into a grin. "Well it's about freekin' time."
Evan moved to the window, watching Ronon and Teyla banking around the back of the house two doors over.
"They look wet." Edison smiled. "Should we invite them in?"
"Do it." Evan ordered. "Quietly. We have no idea who Marna's working with."
Williams reached for the door handle and cracked it open. He whistled softly.
Ronon spun and aimed, his eyes immediately moving to the waving figure in the doorway a few buildings over. He tapped Teyla on the shoulder, pulling her away from the narrow window she was about to climb through.
"Lieutenant Williams." Teyla whispered to Ronon. She reached for her com. "John. We have them. Two buildings behind this one."
Teyla heard the sound of wood splintering both in her ear, and through the open window beside her. "Oh sure." John sighed over the radio. "Now you tell me."
Ronon quickly crossed the alley and ducked into the open doorway, followed immediately by Teyla. He quickly scanned the room, moving past Edison and Williams, to Evan, then to Jennifer.
Evan saw the sudden flash of panic pass through Ronon's eyes before it was hidden just as quickly.
"What the hell happened?" Ronon took two quick strides and squatted next to Jennifer, who was still curled up on her side. Teyla dropped to the floor beside him, her hand immediately reaching to grab the Doctor's limp fingers.
"She is very hot." Teyla whispered, her concerned gaze moving from Evan to Ronon.
"She's pretty sick." Evan dropped to one knee and placed his hand against Jen's forehead. Her skin was pale and clammy, and she let out a tiny moan of displeasure when he took his hand away. She frowned, and blinked open her eyes.
Rolling her head a few inches, she stared, unblinking, up at Evan. Her eyes were glassy and dull, and he wasn't sure if she was really even awake.
"We need drugs." Evan looked from Ronon to Teyla. "Tylenol."
Ronon shook his head. He had nothing.
"McKay should have something." Teyla nodded.
at the sound of Teyla's voice, Jen rolled her head and twisted her shoulders, her eyes moving slowly from Evan to the the Athosian.
"Jennifer." Teyla smiled. "You are going to be fine." Teyla clasped Jen's left hand tightly between her own. "We will get you back to Atlantis as soon as we can."
"Atlantis?" Jen frowned, then rolled her head further until she could see Ronon.
"It's a long way..." She whispered.
Ronon glanced worriedly between Teyla and Evan. Evan shook his head.
Jen's right hand lifted slowly, reaching towards the leather gauntlet around Ronon's wrist. Then she sighed and her hand dropped to her side. "Can I go home now?" She asked him, her voice soft and pleading.
Ronon stood with a growl, turning towards the door as Sheppard, McKay, and Sanchez stepped through.
"McKay." Ronon yanked Rodney into the room.
"What… hey!" Rodney frowned, clearly suspicious. Then Rodney's eyes moved past Ronon to Evan and the woman on the floor.
"Ohmygod." Rodney exhaled, shrugging out of his pack, leaving it hanging in Ronon's hand as he moved past. "Is that Jennifer? What happened? Is she okay?"
John followed Rodney and dropped to his knees next to Jennifer. He rolled her slowly onto her back, his fingers brushing the hair away from her face. He cursed to feel the temperature of her skin. She muttered and her eyes fluttered open briefly before closing again.
"What the hell happened?" John glared up at Evan.
Evan almost rolled his eyes at the very Ronon-like expression the Colonel was giving him. Instead he chose the moment to ignore his Commanding Officer's question in favor of a different one.
"McKay." Evan grabbed the knapsack from Ronon and handed it back to Rodney, who was kneeling on the floor next to the Colonel. "You have water and Tylenol in there?"
"What?" Rodney tore his eyes away from Jen and stared up at Evan.
"Water. Drugs." Evan repeated. "She needs something to help bring down the fever."
Rodney nodded frantically. "Yes. Of course. Of course." He ripped into the top pocket and rummaged around, his voice fast. "Always carry painkillers. Never know when you might…" He held up a water bottle, which Teyla quickly grabbed. "Need to use them in this galaxy… germs… disease… mosquitoes the size of… here." Rodney then held up a small blister-pack.
Teyla held her hand open, and Rodney dropped the pills into her palm.
John straightened and stepped away, moving with Evan to a corner. While they watched Teyla crush the pills in a bowl with the water, Evan did his best to explain what was goign on. With Rodney's holding her head, they coerced Jennifer into drinking it. Ronon stood between them and Jennifer, close enough to hear as Evan relayed the events of their day.
"Shit." John cursed as soon as the Major finished. Rubbing his hand over his jaw he considered their options.
The jumper was well over a mile away, and Jen was in no condition to walk. She could easily be carried, but it was raining - not exactly prime weather for moving someone who was already quite ill. Then of course they'd risk getting caught in the open, or ambushed, since Michael was on his way with god-knows-how-many hybrids, expecting to take possession of several Atlantian team members. Plus they had no idea who out of the villagers was loyal to who, and no idea what Michael would do when he found the lab destroyed and his trade agreement reneged.
"Shit." John muttered again.
"Shit. Evan agreed.
"We need to get her out of here." Ronon turned to John.
"Agreed." John nodded, then frowned when he heard a single beep.
"Where'd you park?" Evan asked.
Another beep.
John stepped away from Evan and into the middle of the room. "What is that?"
Another beep.
"McKay." John moved towards Rodney.
"What?" Rodney looked up, his hands still cradling Jennifer's head as Teyla helped the half-asleep Doctor sip the last of the Tylenol-water.
Beep.
"You're beeping."
Beep.
Rodney looked down at his vest, a frown furrowing his brown. He dug into his TAC vest, yanking out the scanner. "Ah-ha!" He gave it a little shake. "It's working."
Beep.
Rodney stared at the screen. "Oh crap." He lifted his head, and looked directly at John.
"What?" John exhaled, knowing that look on McKay's face could mean only one thing.
Bad just got worse.
"Wraith dart." Rodney exhaled.
A snort and a giggle from Jen and everyone looked down. "Wraith dart." She whispered with a half smile. Then she slowly lifted her hand and wriggled her fingers in the air above her face for a brief moment before her eyes rolled closed and her hand dropped to her chest.
"Evan wins."