Hey, Atlantis fans are the best! Thanks for all the kind words! Better buckle up cuz things are about to get intense...well, more intense! LOL! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Nine

A long tendril of late afternoon sun broke through the clouds as Teyla watched Ronon. He traversed the fast-moving stream between them and the jumper as easily as if he had lived around it all his life. He was on his way back from yet another scouting trip, using the assorted rocks littering the stream's path as stepping stones. Even from this distance, she could see Ronon was in warrior mode, eyeing the shadows for danger. Maybe she was just imagining it, but the worsening weather made those shadows seem more ominous.

She sat on a rock in front of the jumper's forward viewport, watching Rodney work on the main access panel to the damaged jumper systems. John was up and in the pilot's seat, insisting he was fine, but he looked like nothing of the kind. Dressed in a spare t-shirt and with his boots back on via assistance from McKay, he sat at an angle – one she assumed allowed him to guard his injured shoulder, or his ribs, or maybe both.

The sarcasm in Sheppard's voice drew Teyla's attention back to their conversation. "Well, if we can't move the jumper out from under this pile of rubble, then it doesn't really matter, now does it, Rodney?"

"A child could come to that conclusion, Colonel." Rodney made a point of emphasizing Sheppard's rank. The scientist rubbed gingerly at the goose egg on his forehead before he continued, "but gunning the engines in a mad attempt to blast ourselves out of here is sheer idiocy. The whole thing would be completely uncontrolled. And there would be nothing to prevent that mountainside of rubble from crashing down on us after we did it, making the situation infinitely worse – that is, if we didn't blow ourselves up in the first place – because, as I mentioned before, trapped is still trapped and I don't do trapped well. Not in the least."

Sheppard smacked his lips together as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. "McKay, you're just a fount of positivity. Think. There's got to be a way to get us out of here."

Rodney tossed down the tools in his hands in a fit of anger, then had to reach out to the wall steady himself. Sheppard shot him a worried glance, then looked over at Teyla in concern. "Maybe you better sit down for a moment," he said cautiously.

McKay shook his head, then his expression contorted into one of deep frustration. "Think, McKay. Sit, McKay. Go fetch, McKay. I feel like a damned trained seal. Besides, I've been doing nothing but think ever since Conan woke me up from a perfectly good bout of semiconsciousness. And everything I can think of just won't work!"

Sheppard scratched his eyebrow. "Fine. Do whatever you want, just don't pass out on me. And you've got to admit my idea was a hell of a lot better than your idea of using a drone to blast away the rubble above us."

"I know nothing of the kind," McKay said defiantly, then looked around as if searching for an explanation. "I was dizzy when I came up with that idea. It was probably low blood sugar and my concussion that altered my thinking, so it doesn't really count as an idea. Things became much clearer after I ate an MRE and rested a bit."

Then Rodney looked around for a moment, confused, then he rubbed his bruised forehead again. "Now, what – what was I doing before you interrupted me?"

"Ranting incessantly?" Sheppard offered.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Sheppard. Oh, yeah, the starboard drive pod." He turned back to the open access panel.

When he faltered again, Teyla cleared her throat and said, "Rodney, perhaps it is time for another break."

McKay shook his head. "I'll never get anything done at this rate. Listen, everybody just shut up and let me work in peace."

Teyla took a deep breath, hoping to get them back on track. "Perhaps, we are going about this in the wrong way. Instead of thinking of ways to get the jumper out from under the rubble, maybe there's a way to make an opening in the starboard side of the jumper through which the two of you might escape or maybe through the forward viewport," she said, gesturing toward the areas of the jumper she'd just mentioned.

McKay rolled his eyes and swivelled around to face her, his expression slaying her with its intensity. "Oh, like that's going to help. May I remind you this is a space-worthy vehicle that can also act as a submersible? Every possible weakness in this jumper has been fortified, then fortified again, then fortified again just to be sure nothing was missed. Do you catch a pattern there?"

He shifted his weight off his bad foot. "Besides, it isn't like you would be slicing through butter to make an opening. Quite the opposite. We have nothing on this jumper that can cut through the shielding on this – this...wait a minute – "

He snapped his fingers together and began to pace with a wicked limp, apparently not noticing it as he moved with sudden animation. "There's nothing on board that could cut through the jumper's shielding, but maybe the key to our problem involves the shields."

"The shields," Sheppard repeated, then let out a long breath.

McKay stopped, his mouth gaping open as he turned to look at Sheppard. John met his gaze with equal amazement. "Could it work?" John asked cautiously.

"No," Rodney said with certainty, then he stopped.

"Well, I don't think – " he started, pausing as he blinked a few times. Then he brought a hand to his temple and held his head.

"What is it, Rodney?" Sheppard asked.

McKay pulled his hand away from his head and waved his fingers in the air. "It's nothing, just got a little dizzy. Let's see what I can do with my brilliant idea."

Teyla leaned closer to the forward viewport. That didn't sound like the same Rodney McKay who had been constantly complaining about his injured foot in the hours after the sinkhole collapse. She licked her lips and met Sheppard's worried gaze.

McKay was oblivious to their silent communications. He limped over to the copilot's seat and touched a few buttons on the console, bringing up the HUD. Sheppard stared at the screen, reading the information, momentarily distracted by it.

Teyla scowled at the two men as their attention became riveted on the HUD. She leaned closer. "Rodney, what is it?"

Sheppard shook his head as he looked at McKay in amazement. "That would be too easy."

Rodney stopped and gaped at Sheppard. "Easy? There is nothing even remotely easy about this. We'll probably wind up killing ourselves while attempting something this farfetched...if it's even possible for the computers to assimilate the data. They are still crunching the numbers. And the power consumption curve would be incredible. It would work for only a matter of minutes at the most – probably not long enough to be of any help at all."

Teyla waved her hand at them, trying to get their attention. "What are you talking about?"

McKay stood and limped over to another access panel on the port side of the jumper, the same panel that had been smoking hours earlier. He rubbed a hand over his face. For a moment, Teyla thought she saw it shaking.

"Insanity. Pure, unadulterated insanity," he said quietly.

The corners of Sheppard's mouth quirked upward. The effect made him not seem quite as sickly. If there hadn't been a need to have someone in the pilot seat while McKay tested the jumper's different systems, Teyla knew Sheppard would still be resting in the rear compartment. Then again, McKay wasn't in much better shape.

She glanced at John and he wiggled his eyebrows at her as he said, "It's going to work."

"In a pig's eye – " Rodney said, then stopped, his eyes darting to a couple of new readouts. "Damn, it might be possible..."

Teyla's gaze darted back and forth between the two men. "What is going to work?"

Sheppard gave her a roguish grin, albeit one that was only a fraction of his usual vivacity. Since McKay seemed oblivious to everything except his computer readings, Sheppard explained, "We're going to use the jumper's shields to expand out, inserting an artificial wedge between us and the rubble, and then leave it in place, so we can back out from under this mountain without disrupting things too much, at least for as long as we need it to hold for us to get clear, then we can retract it and get the hell away from that area."

There was a whimper from McKay's direction, revealing that he had indeed been listening to their conversation. When Teyla glanced over at him, he said wistfully, "You know, I'm much too smart to die in such a stupid way. It would negate every accomplishment I've ever made. I can see my tombstone clearly: Here lies Rodney McKay, killed by his own stupidity."

Yet, despite his predictions of doom, Rodney kept working. His fingers flew over the keyboard of his laptop.

Sheppard rolled his eyes, something McKay couldn't see, then looked at Teyla. "We can swing by once we were in the clear, pick up you and Ronon, and then head out."

The HUD beeped and McKay smiled. He bent to slide a control crystal into place in the open access panel he'd been working on, then exclaimed, "Aha!"

Teyla straightened when she heard and saw the starboard engine pod extend to a certain point, but not fully. Her surprise reaction caused a stabbing pain in her side and she pressed her hand against her wound in an attempt to appease it. When she looked up at the others, she was relieved to see they hadn't noticed, because their attention was riveted on the HUD.

"I told you that would do it," McKay said, gloating as he sat beside Sheppard, basting in his moment of glory. "It's about damned time something worked the way it's supposed to. I guess the odds finally worked in our favor."

Then he frowned as he looked at his laptop. "But it looks like the pod didn't extend all the way. Teyla, can you confirm that for me?"

She nodded. "Yes, Rodney, it is extended, but not completely."

"Can you see what's – " Sheppard began as he moved to sit up, then cringed, putting a hand to his shoulder as he bent forward for a moment and he went a little paler. When he opened his eyes again, they barely contained the pain radiating from them. His voice was weaker when he gestured with his fingers and said, "Teyla, can you see what's preventing the drive pod from extending fully?"

"Give me a moment," she said as she stared at him for a moment before climbing down from her perch to look at the drive pod.

She walked up and down the length of the extended pod, squatting down to look at the mechanism more closely. "In order to look at the mechanism itself, we will need to dig below ground level. It should be fairly easy to do with the loose soil, but it will take some time."

McKay sighed. "Time is something we seem to have in abundance. Have Lurch give you a hand and report back when you're done."

Teyla had returned to her perch in front of the forward viewport when she looked at Rodney through the barrier separating them. "Lurch?"

Sheppard made a face of distinct irritation. "McKay..." he started.

McKay ignored him and looked to Teyla. "You know – the tall, dark, and brooding one. Where is he, by the way?"

Still unsure of what he was referring to, but she assumed it was Ronon, and answered, "Ronon is doing a perimeter search."

McKay frowned. "For what?"

"Damn it, McKay, just let Ronon do what he needs to do! And stop calling him names," Sheppard snapped, cradling his shoulder more tightly. "One of these days, he's going to get pissed off over it and wipe you out of existence."

Sheppard took a deep breath, then his face contorted in pain as he bent forward again.

Teyla noticed it. It appeared John's pain medication was wearing off. Obviously, Rodney had noticed it, too, because he went back to his access panel without any further rebuttal, other than a quietly mumbled, "Fine."

Silence stretched on for a long moment. She cleared her throat. "So, Rodney, do you think you will be able to escape the rubble and fly out or not?"

McKay looked reluctant to agree, but he nodded, then shrugged. "Yeah, as long as you and Ronon can see what the problem is with the starboard nacelle. I don't think we can rely on any power from the port nacelle – it's either too heavily damaged or buried – or a combination of both. All of our electrical problems have involved the port side, especially the panel that blew and knocked me out."

Sheppard moved the wrong way again and bit his lip, a low groan escaping this time before he could stop it. His eyes nearly closed, then he let out a long breath and straightened as if nothing had happened, and said, "We can fly with just one drive pod. It will be difficult to navigate, but it can be done."

She had learned to read the signs of Sheppard in pain long ago, but knowing them didn't change Sheppard's situation or make her feel any better about it. McKay glanced over at Sheppard and his expression changed from analytical to concerned. He looked up at Teyla, pointing to Sheppard and raised a shoulder, mouthing the words, 'What do I do?'

Teyla shrugged slightly and decided they needed to focus on the things they had control over and not dwell on the others. She shifted her focus to accommodate her decision and said, "Well, that is encouraging news. I will inform Ronon of your progress and see what we can do to resolve the starboard drive pod issue."

She started to climb down when McKay said, "Progress? What progress? This is all theory at the moment. I'm not committing to this until I see numbers that supp– "

A stream of numbers appeared on the HUD, making Sheppard grin, despite his discomfort. "There's your confirmation, Rodney. Teyla, tell Ronon it's a go. We'll get things set here and let you know when we're ready to try it."

She nodded and left, climbing down. When her feet touched the soft soil at the bottom, she felt a wave of dizziness hit her. She grabbed the side of the jumper for support with one hand while the other went to her side. John and Rodney didn't need her infirmities, they needed her help. Besides, she told herself, just a little longer and they would be home again.

Home. She shook her head, more than a little confused. What was really home to her? The definition seemed to bounce back and forth, depending on her frame of mind and if she was thinking about the past or the present, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. She had to find Ronon and update him. As she came around the jumper, she spied Ronon moving out of the shadows toward her.

"Ronon. Good news. It looks like John and Rodney might have a way to get the jumper clear of the rubble."

There was relief in his eyes, but he looked very tired, reminding Teyla the sooner they escaped this pit, the better it would be for everyone concerned.

"That is good news," he said quietly, then glanced back into the shadows, drawing her attention.

She straightened, sensing Ronon's quiet apprehension. "What is it?"

He chewed on his lower lip for a moment as his gaze darted east of them. "I thought I heard something earlier."

She put her hand on his arm and squeezed. "Try to relax. We will be out of here soon."

His eyes were still on alert, never stopping their sweeping motion around them, and Teyla knew he wasn't about to relax. He sighed and looked at her. "How long did they say?"

"They did not, but I got the feeling it would not be long. Why?"

He swallowed and looked up at the cloudy sky as rain began to fall again. "Because come sunset, I have a feeling your skree friends will show up for another visit."

Teyla looked at him, then around the area. "Let us keep that between ourselves. John and Rodney have more than enough to deal with at the moment."

Ronon nodded, then let out a long breath. She wrapped her arm around his and pulled him a little. "Come, let us see if we can find out what's wrong with the starboard drive pod. It will not extend completely."

As they went to the drive pod, Teyla noticed Ronon's furtive glance dart around the area one more time. Ronon was worried. She prayed it was for nothing, but deep down she felt the same apprehension.

oOoOoOoOo

"Okay, guys, I guess we're almost ready to fire up the shields," McKay said over the radio with more than a little uncertainty in his voice.

The rain had stopped. Teyla knelt at the stream, rinsing her hands. She was covered from head to toe with dirt, so a little bit of washing seemed ridiculous, but she did it anyway. With Ronon's help, they had freed the starboard drive pod so that it was fully extended. She had a sense of accomplishment until she thought of John and quickened her pace.

Sheppard's prolonged silence spoke volumes to her, making her worry as she climbed to her perch in front of the forward window. Her first glimpse of him confirmed her fears. He looked bad, even with another shot of morphine.

Her voice was soft as she asked, "John, are you sure you do not need a little more time to recover? It's only been a few minutes since Rodney applied the healing salve."

Sheppard shook his head, but it was a feeble gesture. Between the morphine, the poison in his system and his other injuries, John was going on sheer willpower alone. He cleared his throat and said, "I'll be fine. It's getting late. Those skree will be up and about soon. We've got to go now."

Teyla tried to move on, but she was still disturbed by his appearance. He was more hunched over, almost slumped in the pilot's seat. He must have realized his awkward position, because he attempted to sit up. McKay walked over and gave him a hand, then was glowered at, instead of being thanked. Yes, Sheppard was definitely on the cranky side.

What was worse, he sounded weaker and there was a glistening of sweat on his ashen skin. Her heart went out to him, especially when she realized he was pushing himself so hard out of concern for them. She glanced up, cursing the dark sky above them, then lied. "The sun is just now setting. We have some time."

John shook his head, his voice sounding rough as he said, "It will take a few minutes for you and Ronon to get into position."

McKay stopped what he was doing and looked over at Sheppard. "Maybe Teyla's right. A few minutes won't matter that much – "

A hard glint came into Sheppard's eyes. "Look, I said I'm fine. Beside, you're the one who's dealing with a concussion. Are you going to take a break?"

McKay blinked a few times and shook his head. "Well, no, I can't. There's too much to – "

"Exactly. Teyla and Ronon have done their part, they cleared the starboard drive pod. Now, you just need to finish what you have to do."

"But – "

"Get to work, McKay, so I can fly us the hell out of here," he growled.

"Rodney, John, please," Teyla said in a calm firm voice.

McKay sighed deeply as he tried to calm himself. He clenched his fists as if he wanted to strangle Sheppard, then let them fall to his sides. Teyla gave him a sympathetic smile. Rodney was trying so hard to help, but some things, such as Sheppard's unyielding stubbornness, were beyond the best of Rodney's good intentions.

Sheppard wiped a hand over his face, apparently trying to rein in his emotions. He went to raise his left hand to grasp one of the controls on the jumper's dashboard, but couldn't. He used his right hand to lift the left one up to where he needed it, then moved the controls as if testing to see if he could in fact pilot the jumper. The expression on his face didn't reassure Teyla's concern.

McKay turned to the access panel, but staggered and remained upright only because he was able to grab at the wall. John didn't see it happen. Rodney rubbed at the growing knot on his forehead for a moment, closing his eyes. The bruise was spectacular with a myriad of blues and purples. Teyla sighed. McKay's condition was worsening the longer he worked. Finally, Rodney dropped his hand and connected a cable from the access panel to his laptop.

John looked up at Teyla. She could see determination shining in his eyes. "You and Ronon better head out. Just be sure you get a safe distance away from the jumper. If this hillside really lets go, you won't be able to outrun it."

Teyla was torn by indecision. She wanted to give the two more time to recover, but as she stared into John's expression, she could see he was fighting to stay upright. He would lose that battle soon. He knew it and she did, too. Then there was Rodney's deteriorating condition to add to the mix. If this was going to work, they had to act quickly.

"Very well. We will leave," Teyla said reluctantly. She looked at John. "Rest until we are in position."

McKay grunted. "Right. Rest. As if we could."

There was a silence that followed as she climbed down the rocks, and it left a lot to her imagination as her mind's eye recreated a picture of what she could no longer see: Rodney tight-lipped as he worked as fast as he could and Sheppard fighting to stay upright and work the controls of the jumper.

Ronon joined Teyla as she donned her backpack, and they silently headed out. Several minutes later, they were following a trail Ronon had scouted out earlier. Sheppard's voice came over the radio and it was only at that moment that she realized how long it had been without anyone speaking.

"Ronon, be sure to head for the center of the sinkhole. It's probably the safest place if any of the sides of this thing start collapsing."

"Way ahead of you," Ronon replied.

Rodney interrupted, sounding nervous. "Guys, save the chitchat for later. This little extravaganza is going to use up tremendous amounts of power – power we don't have in great abundance. Reversing the cloak to use as a mobile shield is about as far out there on hairball schemes as I can possibly imagine."

"But it will work," John said with confidence.

"Says you," McKay said without any enthusiasm.

Ronon's gaze met hers and there was a slight sparkle of humor in his eyes. He shook his head as John continued, "Well, you'll have your moment of truth as soon as Ronon and Teyla are in place. I'm starting the pre-flight checklist."

Teyla glanced over at Ronon as they traveled toward the center of the sinkhole, thinking of Ronon's earlier encouragement of hope. Sheppard often worked on the far edges of hope and determination, and succeeded time after time. Ronon called it being lucky and she'd told him it was being prepared. McKay had said it a matter of the odds working in their favor.

Whatever it was, she prayed it would hold out for them for a little longer.

oOoOoOoOo

Chapter 9