Carson opened his eyes carefully, ready to flinch from either a hard blow aimed in his direction, or the hard piercing gaze of his captors. But, to his relief, he found he was alone, with no tormentors in sight. He did find that his wrists and ankles were bound, and he was strapped to a bed, in much the way Michael had bound him several months before. But at least he wasn't in immediate danger of being beaten to a pulp.
However, the relief was short-lived as he quickly realized that he was on the move. The sensation of movement was one he had experienced before, when he was aboard a space-ship.
Carson's heart sank. If he was on board some kind of ship, how on earth would his friends find him? The planet they had been on was far out of reach of Atlantis' censors, and even if the puddle-jumper hadn't been in a million pieces on the forest glade, it wouldn't have been able to find him with its limited sensors.
He felt very alone. More alone than he'd ever felt before. Even when Michael had taken him prisoner before, he knew the others would come for him. He had just not been sure if they would come in time. They had, of course. But this time, they wouldn't even know where to start looking for him.
A lonely tear started to work its way down Carson's cheek. Unable to wipe it away, he felt it progress down his cheek until he could taste its saltiness in his mouth. He tried to control the tears that started to flow, but with all that he'd been through recently, he was unable to control the great wave of sadness that washed over him.
oOoOoOo
They made their way back, purposefully, to the 'Gate, anxious to get back to Atlantis so they could start the search for Carson. They had almost reached their destination, when a group of villagers approached them. Silis was at their head, and the two children were beside him.
Shela broke free from the group and came running towards Rodney. When she reached him she stopped, and then reached up and tugged at his sleeve. The scientist looked down at the girl with a look of irritation on his face.
"Where's Dr Carson?" she asked. John noticed a fleeting look of pain cross Rodney's face at her question.
"The scary men took him," Stanis replied for them. It was clear from his tone that he hoped one of the adults would contradict him, but of course they didn't.
"I'm sorry that Carson suffered at their hands," Silis said, arousing John's suspicions again.
"Did you know about the Wraith?" he asked. "The 'scary men'," he added as the man looked confused for a moment.
Silis hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head.
Ronon grunted at the denial, and John shot him a glance. It was obvious that the big man didn't believe Silis any more than he did.
"That didn't sound too convincing," John commented.
Silis glanced round him. It was a woman who stepped forward, and she answered John's question.
"We did not know who they were," she said. "But we knew there was someone or something in the forest," she continued, giving Silis a scornful look. "My husband is just embarrassed that he did nothing to confront them."
"I thought they were just the outcome of the children's imagination," Silis said defensively.
"Well, they seemed rather substantial to me," Rodney retorted.
"I am truly sorry that they took Carson," Silis said. "He was good to our people, and did not deserve that fate."
"He's not dead, yet," Rodney muttered. "But if you keep talking and keeping us from looking for him, he might soon be."
"Sorry," John said, with a lopsided grin. "He gets a little grumpy when people kidnap his friends. He's not got that many to begin with."
Rodney's indignant harrumph mixed with Ronon's snort of laughter. But their words did have the desired effect on the villagers, who allowed them to continue on their way towards the 'Gate.
Just as they reached it, Shela ran forward again, and this time she tugged on John's sleeve.
"Bring Dr Carson home safely," she said, her eyes pleading.
John reached out and stroked her head. "I promise, we'll do our best," he said, giving her a gentle smile, before he followed the others through the 'Gate.
oOoOoOo
Elizabeth jumped to her feet as soon as she heard whose IDC had been transmitted through the wormhole, and she was standing, waiting, eagerly for them as they trudged home.
"Rodney," she said by way of greeting, laying a welcoming hand on his arm. "It's good to see you again."
She looked around, obviously looking for Carson. She turned a questioning look towards John, her eyebrows raised.
"The Wraith have him," John admitted with a sigh. "Not Michael, but the others. There was a falling out among thieves."
"What happened to Michael?" Elizabeth asked.
"He escaped too," Teyla said, a frown crossing her face.
"So where did they take him?" Elizabeth asked. "Carson, not Michael," she added in case anyone was in doubt.
"We don't know," Ronon growled.
"Rodney . . ." Elizabeth started, before realizing that the scientist wasn't with them anymore. "Rodney?" she said again, wondering what he was doing. He was sitting at one of the screens that ringed the area around the 'Gate. It was obvious that he had pushed one of the technicians away from the screen, as a girl sat a few feet away from him, with a very surprised expression on her face.
"Working, here," Rodney said.
Elizabeth exchanged an amused and exasperated glance with John.
"Okay, Rodney," John said. "But just what are you doing?"
"I'm looking for Carson, of course," Rodney said, using the kind of tone that he would have used when explaining something to a child.
"Surely the sensors can't reach that far," Elizabeth said, sending a hopeful glance John's way.
"Of course they can't," he said derisively. "But I'm modifying them. Now, where's Radek?" He looked around for the other scientist, who quickly hurried to his side.
"Ah, there you are," Rodney said. "About time too."
"Nice to see you too, Rodney," Radek said ironically.
"Yes, whatever," Rodney said dismissively. "Now where's the schematic to extend the censors using the MALP?"
Elizabeth gave Radek a questioning look. But the scientist was too busy working at the terminal to notice her look. His fingers flew across the keyboard, and within a few moments, a schematic appeared on the screen.
"Yes," Rodney said, pushing Radek out of the way, and getting to work on the schematic himself.
"What is this about, Rodney?" Elizabeth asked.
"I've been working on a way of extending our censors using the MALP," Rodney explained. Radek coughed pointedly.
"Okay," Rodney continued. "We've been working on it. Though it'd be ready by now if I'd not had to correct Radek's errors in calculation." The Czech shook his head in bemusement, used to Rodney's behaviour by now.
"So can we use this to find Carson?" John asked.
"In theory it should work," Radek responded. "But we have not tested it in the field, as it were."
"How long will it take you to adapt one of the MALPs?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'd do it a lot quicker if you stop asking all these stupid questions," Rodney responded, earning himself a look from Elizabeth.
"Then why don't de-brief the others, while you and Radek get to work," Elizabeth replied, her diplomatic training coming in useful yet again.
"Good idea," Rodney mumbled as he started type furiously on the keyboard. "Now, Radek, what about the power source?"
Elizabeth and John exchanged an amused glance, and lead the others away to Elizabeth's office so the de-briefing could begin.
oOoOoOo
Carson's isolation ended earlier than he had hoped, when the door to his prison cell slide open to reveal Sandron.
"I see you are making yourself comfortable, Dr Beckett," the Wraith said ironically. "It's just as well that you are resting, so you will be strong and able to work on the cure."
"Do you honestly believe I'm going to help you become full-blown Wraith again?" Carson asked.
"That is exactly what I expect from you," Sandron said, barely restrained anger in his voice.
"And exactly why should I do that?" Carson asked.
"Because if you don't, you will die," Sandron said simply.
"Aye," Carson responded. "That's a real threat, isn't it? Do you think I'm stupid? No don't answer that," Carson continued, as the Wraith opened his mouth to speak. "But I'm not so stupid that I think I'll get out of this alive. Once you are full-blown Wraith, all I'll be to you is a food source. So why don't you just kill me now and get it over with? Because I'm not going to help you."