Thanks so much for your reviews! It's kinda taking better shape now, and it's nearly done. Hope ya like it! Here's Chapter 2...
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Walking purposefully on the path through the village, the scientist waved to Teyla. If it wasn't for her jacket, the Athosian woman would have blended in with the locals. Briefly, he wondered where Ronon Dex prowled. Not that he could see the specialist anyway. After all, Sheppard wasn't the only one who enjoyed sneaking up on the scientist. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the giant Satedan cornering children, who were squealing with glee. Never thought I'd see that!
"Doctor McKay? Is the colonel well?" Teyla asked, concern radiating from her eyes.
"Yes, yes. He's sleeping, which is probably the best thing he's done all week."
She glanced in the direction of the temple. "It is good to hear he is sleeping. Will he be all right there alone?"
McKay rolled his eyes. "He's a big boy with a big gun. I'm sure he'll be just fine. Now," he gestured towards the immaculate hut. "What's up?"
Leading the way, Teyla pushed open the heavy door. Inside, the small room was dark and empty, with another door. Etchings and ornate carvings graced the smooth surface. Extending a hand, she waved it over a dark square depression in the wall. The door slid open to reveal a short descending staircase. "This way."
"Of course. Why can't we ever find anything outside in the sunshine?" McKay quipped. His complaints were cut short by what he saw. The brightly lit room was a smaller, stripped down version of the chair room in Atlantis. Is that--? He reached out to uncover the object in the center of the room. "Teyla?" he said, uncharacteristically hushed. "I think we better go wake the colonel. Teyla?"
There was no answer from his companion. Turning slowly around, he felt her hand catch his arm, cold fear in her voice. "Wraith!" Teyla ran up the stairs to warn the villagers.
McKay stood rooted to his spot, eyes wide. The chair suddenly activated without anyone sitting in it. Knowing this was impossible, he looked around the room for some sort of console, anything that could explain what was happening. Nothing. Just like the lab in the temple.
"Doctor McKay!" Teyla called.
"I'm coming!" There had to be an explanation, some sort of remote that would have activated the chair. An automatic defense– "The colonel!" McKay bounded up the stairs and out the hut, nearly running into Teyla. She stood at the threshold of the hut staring out at the village.
There were no darts, no mayhem. Everything was as peaceful as before, nothing out of place. "Where–"
McKay stepped out into the bright sunlight, shielding his eyes with his hands. Suddenly, balls of yellow light came screaming over the trees in the distance and into the sky. Little explosions took place high up in the atmosphere, hardly noticeable on the ground. "Drones?" Flying in every direction, each found its target. Finally, a very big explosion sounded, causing everyone to look upward. Was that a hive ship?
"How is this happening?" Teyla's question snapped the scientist into the here-and-now.
"Sheppard!" McKay ran pell-mell towards the lab, narrowly avoiding a wall of flesh, namely Ronon.
"McKay!" Dex turned to Teyla, who began running in the same direction. "Were those drones?"
"Yes. We must hurry!"
When his eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, McKay made his way over to the bench where the colonel slept. Chewing his lip for a second, he drifted over to Sheppard. Off-world, the colonel was usually a light sleeper, if he slept at all. The last time he tried to wake the pilot from a bad dream, he got a wicked right to the jaw.
"Sheppard?" Laying stiffly on the cold bench, the colonel was drenched in sweat, breathing shallowly. The furrow in his brow was deep, pain etched in his features. Great. My jacket is ruined. He couldn't help feeling that way. It was his first thought. However, it was stricken as he looked closer. "Oh no," McKay whispered. He knelt down, placing a hand on a damp shoulder.
"Colonel Sheppard?" Teyla appeared quietly next to him. "He does not look well."
A beeping sound cut off McKay's retort, drawing their attention to the far wall of the lab. The smooth wall was filled with holographic screens depicting a different view of the planet, even a view of the Stargate floating in space. Debris from numerous Wraith ships littered the vacuum of space. No dart ever reached the surface.
"I had a feeling this was a defensive outpost,"
Teyla bit her lip contemplatively. "That would go far to explain the relative peace on this planet."
"And the drones," Ronon grumbled. "Sheppard do that?"
McKay rose, eyeing the screens. "Most likely."
"Major Lorne to Doctor McKay."
Tapping his comm, McKay moved closer to the console in the middle of the room. "Go ahead, Major."
"Is the colonel with you? I can't raise him on the radio."
Reluctantly, he pulled his attention away from the wall back to Sheppard. "Yes, he's with me." The pale man was now visibly shaking. Teyla moved forward to wipe his brow.
"Good. What's your location?"
He wanted to answer, but he suddenly felt an odd weight settle on his chest. McKay took a deep breath. Why does this always happen? Having the gene should make things easier, shouldn't it? Why does it cause more harm than good? Is it the user's fault?
"We are inside the temple, Major," Teyla spoke up when the scientist did not answer.
"On my way."
"Should we wake him?" Ronon approached the bench after surveying the lab.
McKay sighed and set his mouth in a thin line; his own inner dialogue threatened to swallow him. "Colonel?" Tentatively, he stepped forward to lightly shake the colonel's shoulders. "Wake up!"
Sheppard's eyes snapped open, unseeing, his breath came in short gasps. If he was not being held down, he would have jumped off the bench.
"Calm down, Sheppard!" McKay kept his hands firmly placed on the colonel's shoulders. "Keep breathing like that and you're gonna hyperventilate! Now calm down!" But there was no change. He pulled the gasping man into a sitting position as Lorne came running inside. This time, Sheppard did jump up, head narrowly missing McKay's chin.
"What the hell is going on? Colonel, you okay?"
"Major, get my pack, will you?" McKay said calmly, forcing the shaking colonel back down to the bench. If he wasn't using both hands to still the man, he would be snapping his fingers impatiently at Lorne. The pack appeared at his left. "Paper bag, inside left pocket." Leave it to a hypochondriac to carry a paper bag. Lorne was all at once amused and worried and thankful.
Grabbing it with one hand, McKay quietly opened it expertly with one hand. "Okay, Colonel. I want you to breathe into this," he said calmly, cupping the taller man's chin with his free hand. As Sheppard flinched away, McKay's grip tightened. "John. Look at me."
Teyla pulled her eyes away from the colonel to rest on McKay. While the good doctor never did well in the face of danger, he did not "freak out" this time when it came to helping the colonel. She watched as McKay used his voice to calm his friend.
"Breathe, Colonel."
Sheppard seemed to understand now, visibly calming. He nodded once, willing his heart to slow down. Soon, his breathing followed as his body relaxed. Slumping back against the wall, he closed his eyes.
Holding the colonel's wrist, McKay felt for a pulse, even though he could clearly see Sheppard's heart beating at the base of his throat. Too fast. Way too fast.
"Feel better now?" It came out more harsh than he meant, but McKay was looking for answers. The sooner Sheppard was better, the sooner he could find out what was going on. He neatly folded the paper bag and placed it back into his pack, waiting for the colonel to say something, anything.
The pallid man did not seem to trust his voice, merely nodding in reply to McKay's question. This, however, sent a spiral of dots dancing behind closed eyes. After another shuddering breath, he opened his eyes, looking from McKay to Lorne.
"How ya doin', Colonel?" Lorne knelt beside the bench next to both men.
"Tired," the colonel finally said, his voice dry and raspy. He could be nothing but honest, after all. He was gasping like a fish out of water a minute ago.
Lorne reached for a water bottle that had fallen on the ground. "Hang on, sir. This one's empty." Rummaging in his own pack, he pulled out another bottle. "Here ya go." As Sheppard drank slowly, his 2IC gave him the once-over. He wasn't sure anyone could get that white without being dead. "Thanks, by the way, sir."
"What do you mean?" asked Sheppard, as he lowered the water bottle. His face was puzzled as he tried to close the bottle with shaky hands. Giving up, he handed it back to the major. "What happened?" He wanted to believe that everything was a dream, however, intense flashes of memories assaulted his overworked brain.
McKay stood suddenly, pointing at the far wall. In two long strides, he stood in front of the blank console. "This whole wall was filled with displays, just like from the control chair, which–" he now pointed at Teyla, "–we found in –"
"A hut with Ancient writing on the door." Sheppard finished for him.
"And you annihilated the Wraith! On every screen, from every angle possible, you destroyed every ship. Even a hive ship, Colonel. Wait. How did you know that?"
The information too much to handle at the moment. Sheppard felt every inch of his aching body as his breath caught; he scrubbed both hands over his damp face. The headache was still there, and now his companions were telling him that he obliterated an entire fleet of Wraith before they culled a single human. After what seemed like hours, he looked up at the concerned faces.
"Are you well, Colonel?" Teyla sat beside him, knowing what he would say.
"I'm fine." He said it before he could stop it, knowing they wouldn't believe him.
"Hmph, of course you are. Just when –"
Ronon cut off McKay before his tirade began. "You do all that, Sheppard? Didn't see a single dart." The Satedan absently stroked the hilt of a knife.
Moving forward, Sheppard rested his elbows on his knees. "Yeah," he drawled. "Why don't you tell me about that."
"Whoa, whoa, wait. How did you know –" McKay snapped his fingers, then pointed to the blank wall. "The displays. You saw us, right? Teyla found a control chair in, as you said, a hut. When the Wraith came, the chair activated."
"We left you alone here in the temple," Teyla supplied, seeing the deep exhaustion in the colonel's eyes. "You were asleep, and Doctor McKay thought it best to let you remain so." Sitting next to him, she captured the colonel's icy hand in hers, trying to warm it. "Almost immediately after I sensed the Wraith, the displays came up as the chair came to life."
"Drones filled the sky. The Wraith never had a chance," Ronon's feral grin spread quickly across his face.
"By the time I got back to the 'jumper, there was no sign of any Wraith." Major Lorne shifted uncomfortably.
"Well, that's good news, I guess." The colonel leaned back. At least his ATA gene was good for something. These people here didn't deserve what the Wraith had in store.
Teyla smiled warmly. "I do not believe there was a culling here today on this planet, John." She was now stroking his arm, watching his eyes droop again. They snapped back open as the major moved towards the entrance.
"I'll go check on the villagers, and collect Collins and the others. Then, I'll bring Jumper One over to you."
"No, that's okay." The colonel took a deep breath. "I can walk. Just give me a minute." He looked at Teyla, and wearily smiled. "You and Ronon go on ahead. We'll catch up."
Teyla reluctantly released his hand and rose. "If you insist, Colonel," she said slowly. "You realize the people here would welcome a longer stay. It is not necessary to leave –"
Guilt quickly registered in his eyes. It always came back to this. It was his fault the Wraith were awake. Every incident involving his team and a helpless village would send him into the same spiral of doubt and guilt and grief. This time he was able to do something about it. "I think we got all the information we need from this planet. Now's a gooda time as any to leave. Chances are the Wraith won't be back." Rubbing gritty eyes, he leaned forward, readying himself to stand. "I'm gonna make sure this outpost is set up to continue protecting them."
Nodding firmly, Teyla walked away, looking back once. Ronon followed her, exiting the outpost.
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TBC
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