AMONG THE RUINS...part 12
John made his way back to his team, Deyenne's words echoing in his head. Something about her had changed, and he knew it wasn't a good change. Another not good thing was the look on Beckett's face when he spotted John.
The doctor's face was flushed as he strode over to John. "I told you to stay put and rest!" he yelled, although he did make an attempt to keep the volume a bit hushed.
"I needed a shower," John replied, knowing it was a weak comeback. But it was all he had.
Ronon looked amused and commented, "Nice clothes."
John made a face, looking down at his attired. "Deyenne let me borrow them. Uh, we have a problem." He figured there was no reason to hide what had happened to the others. But before he got a chance to continue, the ground beneath his feet lurched and John stumbled, nearly falling. He felt strong arms catch him and after a few moments he realized he was lying in bed again. He blinked Carson's face into focus and mumbled, "What happened to the floor?"
"What?" Carson looked confused but then he got an aha look on his face and shook his head. "It wasn't the floor, Colonel. It was you. You had a dizzy spell. Hence why I'd told you to stay in bed in the first place."
"Oh." John had the grace to look repentent. At least he hoped he pulled off that look. He had learned, since his first injury on Atlantis, that it was best to have Carson on his side in the long run. Shifting against the pillows, he made the attempt to sit up without being too obvious about it. Ronon, of course, became impatient with his efforts and reaching out simply tugged John upright in one, smooth, motion. Which was nice on the one hand, but gave him another head rush from the abrupt motion, on the other.
Carson tutted. "Ronon, he's not some doll to toss around as you please!" he scolded the Satedan.
Who didn't look the least bit impressed. Ronon simply shrugged and smirked. "Got the job done," he replied.
"Thanks," John interjected, befor the two could get any futher into it. They needed to focus on what was important right now. Getting out of here and back to Atlantis. "Guys, we need to figure out a way to leave here," he said.
"What's to figure out?" Carson countered. "We simply go out the way we came in."
John winced and shook his head. "Not that easy. Remember how I tried before and I needed Deyenne to guide my way?" He watched them all nod. "Well, let's just say we'll need her help again and I don't think she's going to be all that cooperative." As he spoke, John was well aware of the fact that Deyenne and her brother were no doubt listening to their conversation. It also bothered him a bit to realize he hadn't seen Dahvi around for a while.
Teyla moved to his side, sitting on the edge of the mattress. "What makes you believe she will be uncooperative, John?" she asked.
"Something about the way she said I was home now," he replied. "That we were all home now." John waited for the reactions to that. He didn't have long to wait.
"She can't keep us here!" Ronon rumbled.
It was Carson who turned to scowl at him. "Of course she can. She and her brother have more control over this place than we do."
John was almost amused. "It's good to know that you believe they exist now, Doc," he replied. It had bothered him a bit when no one wanted to believe he was telling the truth about the twins.
"I rather wish they didn't right now," Carson confessed, looking a bit sheepish.
"Me too." John sighed, running fingers through his hair and resisting the urge to yank on it in frustration.
Teyla tapped his shoulder, drawing his attention. "So what do we do? Can you talk to Deyenne and explain that we must return home to our people?"
John wished it would be that easy, but he knew it wouldn't be. "I suppose I could try," he allowed. And even as he spoke he shivered, feeling a cold chill wrap around him. He realized it had to be Deyenne.
"Why would they want us to stay anyway?" Carson queried, looking at John.
"Good question," John replied, mentally relaying it to Deyenne, who's presence he could feel almost as if she were trying to climb inside him. He shivered again, heard Carson asking if he was all right, then he slipped away.
John saw a rush of images. He saw Deyenne and Dahvi in a flash of white light. He felt their anger and denial as they were shunned by the others. He felt their loneliness, trapped in this place for ten thousand years with no one but each other for company. And as quick as the images and emotions hit him, they were gone, leaving John shaking and gasping. He felt warm hands on him, and Carson's familiar voice.
"Can you open your eyes for me, Colonel?"
It took John a few tries to succeed. He stared at the concerned faces gazing down at him. "That was not fun," he croaked.
A soothing hand brushed over his forehead. Teyla's hand. "What happened, John?"
"Deyenne just gave me the cliff notes version of why she doesn't want us to leave," he replied. He shifted and made an attempt to get up, only to have Beckett press him back against the pillows. John glared at him. "I'm fine!"
"I'll be the judge of that," Carson shot back, expression grim. "Being the doctor and all." He took John's pulse, studied his face and shook his head. "Do you have a headache or any aches and pains I should know about?"
John realized that his best bet right now was to be honest with Beckett. "I have a headache, I'm achy and tired and a bit weak. I'm betting you all feel that way a bit." He looked at the others and they didn't deny it. John focused on Carson. "You can lock me in the infirmary for a week once we get back to Atlantis," he promised. "Right now, we need to do whatever it takes to get out of here.
Carson didn't look happy, but he nodded and allowed John to swing his legs over the side of the bed. He gripped his arm to help him stand. "Just take it easy," he admonished.
"Working on that," John replied, locking his knees and holding fast as he regained his equilibrium. The room tilted a bit, but it soon passed. He studied the people that surrounded him. A team of people he knew he could trust. A team of people that were trusting him to get them out of there, even as they watched his back. He was going to get them home. "From what Deyenne showed me, I think they ascended but were kicked out. I think the others were afraid they would catch the madness, so to speak. So Deyenne and her brother were sent back here and they...well...they're lonely."
"Which is why they wish for us to stay," Teyla stated.
John nodded. "Seems like."
Carson was frowning. "But they wouldn't be able to catch anything if they were ascended," he muttered, almost to himself.
"Maybe the others didn't know that and didn't want to risk it," Ronon piped up.
Which made sense to John, in so much as anything they were going through right now made sense. He was tired and hurting and he just wanted to go home. He broke away from his team and headed for the door. He heard their footsteps as they followed him.
Carson caught up to him. "Where are we going?"
"To see how far out of here we can get without being stopped," John replied. Which seemed to be answer enough for everyone as they continued on in silence. They didn't have any of their gear but John wasn't concerned with that. Once they were out of this place, connecting with Atlantis would be easy. They had stashed a backpack with weapons, radios and IDC's just in case of emergency. There was food and water and blankets as well. So John's only focus right now was in getting out of the ruins.
"Why can we not see them?" Teyla asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
John stopped walking to look at her. "What do you mean?"
Teyla hesitated, as if not sure how to answer, then she said, "If they are ascended, then should not we all be able to see them? We could see Athar."
"That's a very good point," Carson interjected.
"Athar chose to take human form so we could see her," John replied, even as he pondered Teyla's words. Then he decided it would be best to just ask the source, since he knew that Deyenne was with them. He could feel her. "Are you afraid to show yourself, Deyenne?" John challenged.
There was a crackle of light, a misty shimmer that suddenly became solid, then Deyenne stood before them, almost glowing.
Teyla gasped, Ronon looked for a weapon he didn't have and Carson, frankly, stared.
John felt like laughing as he glanced at his team. He felt suddenly vindicated for their doubting him. He settled for grinning and saying, "Told you so." A little petty of him maybe, but it felt good. Then he focused on Deyenne. "I'm betting you could do that all along."
"I did not have the power before," she replied, looking haughty.
"What do you mean?" Teyla asked, stepping closer to the girl as if entranced by her.
Ronon spoke up before Deyenne could reply to that. He was glowering as he approached the girl. "Why did you hide from us?" he demanded. "You made us doubt Sheppard!" He was angry and he wasn't even making an attempt to hide it.
Deyenne was not in the least bit intimidated. She studied Ronon in a way that said he did little to impress her. "If he was truly your friend, you would have believed in him anyway."
"What's done is done," Carson interjected, perhaps feeling the need to play peace maker. But he did turn to John to say, "I'm sorry for doubting you, Colonel."
"Forget it." John realized it was a hollow victory anyone. They were alive and that's what mattered most to him. That and getting back to Atlantis.
Carson nodded, as if reading John's thoughts, then he spoke to Deyenne. "I wish to thank you, lass, for helping save our lives. We are all very grateful to you." He glanced at Ronon as he spoke, but the Satedan seemed content to do more than glare at Deyenne.
Deyenne shrugged. "If you died then I would alone, so I was happy to help you."
"You do realize that we cannot stay here," Teyla interjected, her tone soft and warm as she attempted to appeal to Deyenne. "We must return to our people."
"You belong here now," Deyenne replied, and the glowy aura of her being seemed to intensify. She was smiling at Teyla, but it was a cold smile.
Something that Deyenne had said a moment ago, struck a chord in John. "Why would you be alone?" he asked, turning Deyenne's attention back onto himself. "Your brother is with you." He didn't like the way her eyes narrowed at his words. Something in his gut twisted and he knew things were going to go from bad to worse. "Where is Dahvi?" John asked. Although he was pretty sure it sounded more like a demand to know.
His team seemed to get his meaning, even as Deyenne replied.
"I killed him!" Deyenne hissed. "He was weak and foolish! He wanted to let you leave us! He wanted us to be alone again!"
"That's why we can see you now," John said, as everything seemed to click into place. "He limited your powers, so to speak. That's why you had to connect to help me heal the others and stuff." Something in the flash of images she had shown him came back to John. Something one of the others had said to the twins before they were banished. They had not been trusted and so their power had been dimished to that of only one, which was then to be shared. But now Deyenne had taken back that power some how and that scared the crap out of John.
Teyla looked horrified. "How could you kill your own brother?"
Deyenne looked amused. "He was weak and stupid. He was content to stay here forever in this way. To alone in this place. I am tired of being alone. You will stay," she told them. Then the glow became a flash of bright light and she was gone.
"Crap," John muttered, right before his knees buckled.
THE END...of part 12