For disclaimer check the 1st chapter…

Chapter Two

The force of the impact pushed Sheppard forward, tackling McKay, inadvertently protecting him from the fragmented projectiles from the Ancient device and everything that was inside the lab. Heck, from the lab itself. They met the wall sideways. It was over quickly but the smoke, the smell and the ringing in his ears lasted a while. He closed his eyes as he slowly slid down the wall until he found himself sitting on the floor. On his way down he was running through a mental checklist, concluding that all his body parts were present and accounted for, he focused on the pain.

"Rodney, are you ok?" – His voice was rough with pain.

"No, I'm not okay. What kind of question is that? We were just blown up!"

"Let me rephrase that, are you seriously injured?"

"Well apart from the obvious smoke inhalation, I'd say broken ribs, broken collar bone, my fingers feel kinda numb... " – The fact that McKay kept rambling about medical stuff told John that he was going to be fine. So for the time being he let go; they had slide down the wall and fell unceremoniously in a heap on the floor. McKay kept cataloguing his injuries while Sheppard silently nodded off.

"Are you paying attention? What kind of person asks another if they're ok and once that person answers they just go off into their own little world? Sheppard?"

"Still here."

"Oh my god! Where does it hurt?"

"Nowhere, I'm fine." – He offered with what should pass off as a smile.

"Now is not the time for jokes Colonel. Where does it hurt?"

"My back."

"Let me see." – All of his injuries forgotten in an instant, he tried not to move Sheppard that much but he could see all the blood on the wall and continuous drops falling on the floor. He even saw some clotting through the rag fabric that used to be a shirt and that alarmed him. – "Shit, shit, shit." He tapped his radio. "Medlab, this is Doctor Rodney McKay. We need a team in what's left of my science lab; there's been an accident."

"Rodney, this is Carson a team is already on the way."

"What can I do?"

"Relax Rodney, why don't you start by doing that?" - Sheppard tried to find a more comfortable position that could take some of the pressure off his back.

"Excuse me if I can't be relaxed when you're bleeding all over the place!"

"Everything is going to be ok."

"I know it is. Hello! Genius here."

Within minutes medical personal arrived; by that time Sheppard was fading in and out. Rodney's rambles weren't making much sense at that point, not that they did on a regular basis. He was transferred to the gurney and they were both taken to the infirmary. He felt the oxygen mask along with the IV they were inserting on his device free hand. The ride to the infirmary felt short but he noticed that in that time the pain he was feeling was decreasing considerably. He looked at the needle in the back of his hand, 'those must be some good drugs' he thought. He knew from experience that he had busted ribs, and from the blood smear he saw on the wall after they put him on the gurney, he must have noticeable lacerations on his back from the flying shrapnel's. As they reached the infirmary Sheppard noticed that he was more alert than before like the shock from all the blood loss was wearing off somehow.

"Let's see what we have here."

"I'm fine" – the voice was muffled by the mask. By the time Beckett arrived he felt nothing but stiffness.

"I'll be the judge of that, lad."

The doctor cut away the bloody shirt from Sheppard and poured some saline before he began cleaning the lacerations for suturing. There were still some pieces of debris embed in the skin. McKay had been silently watching from his bed that was right beside Sheppard's. McKay's nurse concluded that aside from bruised ribs and some small scrapes and burns he was otherwise fine.

"What in the bloody hell?"

"What is it Carson?"

"Yeah. What is it Carson?" – said the patient taking off the oxygen mask.

"There aren't any other lacerations besides that." – pointing to a particularly deep embedded piece barely sticking out of the skin.

"That's not possible."

"Where does it hurt John?"

"Nowhere."

"Now is not the time to be all macho Sheppard!"

"It doesn't hurt McKay."

"At all?" – He hated to repeat himself so he just shook his head.

"Do you feel fine enough to sit?"

"As a matter of fact I do."

"This is going to hurt a bit." – Beckett said carefully pulling out the offending piece of debris.

"Oh my God! You are a butcher!" said Rodney who closed his eyes and looked away.

"Rodney? That is not possible" said Carson referring to the skin that was slowly but surely closing in on itself. "…and yet it's happening."

Rodney watched with incredulity as the skin regenerated itself. The gash was closing, leaving no trace of ever being there. Both Rodney and Carson looked at each other bewildered. McKay moved and positioned himself in front of Sheppard. There were no burns or scratches on his body and everything clicked together in McKay's head.

"Don't you get it?" – He asked the both of them.

"I probably would if I knew what was happening."

"Do you trust me? And leave that solar system thing behind for once."

"Maybe"

"What'd you mean maybe?" Rodney asked insulted.

"Ok, fine, yeah I do."

McKay moved around the Medlab until he found what he was looking for. When Beckett saw what he had in his hand he almost had a fit.

"Are you daft?"

Carson, clearly alarmed, moved in front of McKay, trying to prevent what he was pretty sure Rodney wanted to do. Sheppard was just observing in an attempt to catch up with his two friends and it became clear just a second too late. "Whoa there McKay! What are you going to do with..." McKay grabbed Sheppard's arm and sliced the skin of his forearm open.

"That!" – Sheppard jerked his arm back and cradled it protectively but McKay grabbed it back.

"Wait! Watch" – once again the skin cells regenerated until the skin was back to normal and McKay announced excited. – "It's a healing device! Kinda like the one SG-1 had but it looks different and it certainly appears to work differently."

"And you couldn't just tell me, you had to cut me?"

"You pushed me off a balcony!"

"This is different McKay, you had a personal force field!"

"And you have a healing device!"

"Will you two shut your traps for a second?" said a clearly angered Beckett.

"Huh…"

"Can we get back to the more pressing matter? John, healing device or not I will be conducting some test to make sure you are in fact healed and nothing is threatening your health. And Rodney, aren't you the one who's always spouting off about how proper and careful scientific procedure must be adhered to?"

"Well yes, but…"

"But nothing Rodney, you are a busy man I'm sure you can find something to keep yourself occupied while I run some test on the Colonel."

"Fine" – With a huff McKay left the infirmary determined to gather all the information he could from the database. The device could prove to be an excellent help with the fight against the Wraith and if he found the structure's design he could replicate it. McKay was fueled with excitement over the newest discovery.

TBC