AMONG THE RUINS...part 13
He felt like he was moving through mud, only he knew he wasn't really moving at all. Which was rather creepy, John thought. Knowing that he wasn't awake, yet he was aware. Knowing that his body wasn't moving, yet he felt like he was rocking through thick waves of mud. Or maybe it was his thoughts that were sluggish. He lacked the energy to care about that.
What he did care about was the fact that he was pretty sure he wasn't alone inside his head, and tha was really starting to freak him out. The other presence made him feel confused and somehow achy and like there just wasn't enough room.
It made him feel cold as well. Cold as if his blood was turning to ice in his veins. He could feel himself shivering and he didn't have a clue how to stop it. Although maybe getting rid of the presence would help. So to that end, John tried willing it to go away. When that didn't work he decided to order it to leave. When that didn't work he gritted his mental teeth and shoved the damn thing out. Which hurt like hell, made him shake harder, but at least he was alone again before darkness claimed him.
"Colonel, can you open your eyes for me?"
He knew that voice. It was Beckett's voice. A good voice. So John made the attempt to peel his eyelids open. But he had to blink hard to bring the good Doc into focus. "Wha' happnd'...?" he croaked out. Then something hit his bottom lip and John realized it was a bottle of water. He lifted a shaky hand to help steady it as he took a drink. The blessed coolness eased his aching throat.
Carson was eyeing him with concern as he handed off the water bottle to Teyla. "I was hoping you could tell me, son," he replied. "One minute we were facing down Deyenne and the next minute you collapsed at our feet. You've been out of it for six hours."
"Oh." John hadn't expected it to be so long. Shifting experimentally, he realized he wasn't lying against a bunch of pillows. Instead he was leaning against a solid bulk. Turning his head he wasn't as surprised as he should have been to see Ronon smile at him. Looking down at himself, John realized he was cradled between Ronon's legs and a that three blankets were tucked over him. Which meant he was surrounded in blessed warmth between Ronon's body heat and the blankets. He also realized that Ronon's strong arms were wrapped around his waist. Not tight, but they were tense. In fact, he could feel tension radiating from the Satedan, more so than his body heat. "What's going on?" John demanded. Because it was pretty damn weird that Ronon was just sitting there, cradling him. Which meant something had happened and they were damn well going to tell him what it was.
It was Teyla who answered him. "You went into convulsions, John," she said gently. "And then you were shivering and at times screaming in pain and then trying to hurt yourself. So Dr. Beckett felt that Ronon would be able to help warm you and keep you from doing harm to yourself."
That was not what John wanted to hear, so it took him a moment to digest it and respond. "Has Deyenne popped in again?" he asked.
"No." Carson looked worried about that fact too.
"I think she was in my head," John stated, and he almost laughed at the reactions from Beckett and Teyla. He could feel Ronon's reaction as the body he was leaning against almost started vibrating, and the heavy arms around his waist tightened almost painfully. John winced and poked Ronon's forearm. "Um...I think I'm okay now, big guy. So we can peel apart now." He tried to shift forward, helpfully, only to find himself half lifted as Ronon stood up, then carefully desposited against the pillows this time. John had intended to get out of bed himself, but didn't move a muscle in that direction when Carson started fiddling with the blankets and glaring at him. Since he wasn't feeling all that great, John figured it couldn't help to rest for now. It wasn't like they were going to get out of here without a plan of some kind.
Teyla moved to his side, perching on the edge of the bed. "What do you mean she was inside your head?"
John sighed, ran a hand through his hair making it stand up more, then tried to explain. "It was like I wasn't alone. I wasn't totally out of it or totally awake and I could tell there was someone with me. I shoved her out."
"That can't be good," Ronon interjected, succinctly.
"No, it's bloody well not!" Carson exploded. He grabbed John's wrist, almost viciously, taking his pulse.
What that was going to do, John didn't know, but he figured maybe playing doctor helped Carson in the stress relief department, so he let it go for now. He looked at Ronon. "Were we cuddling the whole time I was out, or did you try to see if we can make it out of here?"
Ronon snorted at that, then shook his head. "I didn't go but Teyla did."
John turned to her. "And?"
"I was stopped within two hundred yards, no matter which direction I went in. Every conceivable way out of here is blocked." Teyla kept her tone soft, but it was obvious she was angry by the glint in her eye and her body language. She looked wound up tight as a spring.
"I'm guessing that no one will be able to get in either," John mused. Not that he really wanted them to try. He was pretty sure it would mean they would be trapped as well, or they'd get sick and die. Deyenne was becoming way overly possessive of his team. Which was something he needed to put a stop too, and fast.
Knowing that the others wouldn't like what he was about to do, John didn't bother sharing it with them. He was just going to do it. So he tugged his arm free from Beckett, cleared his throat, then called out, "Hey, Deyenne! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Carson gripped John's shoulder. "What are you doing, Colonel?" he demanded, sounding both worried and scared. A combination he did even better than McKay.
"I'm getting us out of here," John calmly lied. He would have said more but just then Deyenne made her appearance.
In a flash of glowing white light that made them all shade their eyes. She focused her attention completely on John. "Did you need something?" she asked, sweetly.
John nodded. "I need you to let my team go home." He heard the protests the other made and tuned them out. "What do you say, Deyenne? Can we make a deal? They go home and I stay with you. For as long as Iive. Although you do realize it won't be for all, right? I mean, I won't live for ten thousand years."
"You will live," Deyenne countered, moving closer to him, and nearly shoving Teyla out of the way to do so. "We will join when the time is right and you will live forever, John."
"I'm not really sure I want to live forever," he replied. And the way Deyenne was acting around him was starting to freak him out. Sure she was thousands of years old, but she still looked like a teenager. But John was going to play this out for now. Whatever it took to get his team back to Atlantis, he would do.
Deyenne reached for him, pressing one hand to his cheek. "I will show you things that you cannot even imagine, John. It will be wonderful for both of us."
Ronon decided to break them up by pulling John away from Deyenne. "Like hell it will!" he snarled. "We're not leaving without Sheppard!"
"Easy, big guy," John countered, shrugging Ronon's big hands off his shoulders. "I'm in charge here so it's my decision who stays and who goes. And I say you guys all go. Got it?"
"No!" Ronon could be one stubborn bastard when he wanted to be. Which, apparently, was right now. He had his arms folded across his chest and if looks could kill, Deyenne would have disintegrated on the spot.
John shifted out of bed, feeling far too vulnerable just lying there. But even on his feet he wasn't half as imposing as Ronon was. Which he had pretty much gotten used too, when he was feeling himself. But feeling like crap, achy, and creeped out by a teenaged, whacked out, ascended person, John wasn't feeling up to dealing with Ronon going against orders. But glancing at Carson and Teyla, he could see they were ready to side with the big guy. Maybe he should have told them the plan ahead of time, he just figured Deyenne would be listening in on them. Which meant he had to convince his team to follow his orders, like them or not. "You're going home," John stated, before turning back to Deyenne.
She was smiling at them, and glowing brighter than before. "They are free to go, John," she replied.
"Good." John managed a somewhat genuine smile, then he moved to her, reaching for one of Deyenne's hands and shivering at the contact. "I'd like to see them out, if you don't mind. I won't have peace of mind if I don't see them go through the gate."
"No!" Deyenne pulled away from him, shaking her head. "I won't let you leave. I can't go with you, you know that. And if you leave you won't come back!"
John could feel something cold wrapping around him, making him shiver. Maybe it was her anger. Anger he didn't want directed at his team, so he would have to pull off an award winning performance right now. "I'll come back," he promised, not even twitching at the lie. He didn't owe Deyenne anything, so he refused to feel guilty about lying to her. "You keep your word to let my friends go and I'll keep mine to come back to you."
Deyenne looked ready to refuse, but instead she moved to him, gripping John's face in both hands and suddenly surrounding them in a misty silver glow.
John could feel her pushing into his mind, trying to connect with him. He knew what she was doing. Trying to catch him out in a lie. So he projected what she wanted to see. He pretended to want to be with her, to be excited about the future. He conveyed his sincerity, hoping against hope that she couldn't interpret the lie, and then the pressure in his head was gone, as was the light and John felt his knees buckle.
Strong hands caught him, lifting him, settling him back on the bed. When they got back to Atlantis, John was going to have a long talk with Ronon about carrying him around like a child. For now though, he just wanted the pounding ache in his temples to go away.
"What have you done to him?" he heard Carson fling the question at Deyenne.
"I had to know if he was being truthful," Deyenne replied, her tone soft with regret. "I did not want to hurt him. I will for you to tend him and in the morning I will let you go."
John wanted to ask if he could still go with them, but Teyla beat him to the question.
"And will Colonel Sheppard be allowed to go with us?"
"If he is strong enough," Deyenne replied.
John opened his eyes in time to see her mist away. He wondered if that was part of why she had connected with him, in the hopes of making him too weak to make the journey. She was going to be disappointed, because he was going to make if he had to ask Ronon to carry him.
Carson was eyeing John with worry dark in his blue eyes. "How are you feeling, Colonel?" he asked.
"Like I got run over by a semi," John replied. "Got any tylenol?" He wasn't surprised when Carson handed him a packet and a bottle of water. John swallowed them with gratitude, then he looked at the faces surrounding him. They showed varying degrees of anger mingled with concern. "I need you guys to trust me," John said, willing them to see that he had a plan and they needed to follow him without question.
"We do trust you," Teyla replied.
Ronon leaned in and rumbled, "But you're coming back with us, Sheppard. Got that?"
John grimaced, but didn't reply. Although that was his Plan A. All of them going home. Plan B was him staying behind and the others going home. He liked Plan A better.
Carson had a plan C right now. "Get some sleep, Colonel," he ordered, dragging a blanket over John and pretty much tucking him in. "We'll talk in the morning.
Since he was too tired to argue right now, and his head hurt fromt he simple act of breathing, John gave in and closed his eyes. Drifting into a restless slumber.
THE END...of part 13