A.N.- So sorry it took you so long. Finals caused the muse to commit suicide but the thoughts are slowly coming back. enjoy

The mere few minutes it took the med team to get there seemed like hours to Ronon.

"Alright, people. Let's get her on oxygen an' stabilized."

Admist the swirl of choas the group loaded Sara on a gurney and raced to the infirmary, a nurse steadily pumping much needed oxygen into the young girl's lungs.

"Will she be alright, doc?" Ronon asked as he jogged along with the group, his voice even as he ran.

"I don' know, lad." Beckett gasped back as they rounded the corner to the transporter.

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Jennifer entered the main portion of the infirmary with a sigh.

"How is she?" Sheppard asked from his infirmary bed, Ronon and Rodney with him. The Satedan stood from his position on the end of the Colonel's bed. A half an hour had past with Carson and Jennifer working to preserve Sara's life. They had pushed back the cold hand of death but only for a short while, the girl's radiation damage was too extensive.

"She's resting." Keller answered, walking up to the trio. "The damage to her lungs is taking it's toll. We have her on pure oxygen but her lungs won't be able to take the strain for very long. One has already collapsed and will not function any longer."

"What do you mean?" Ronon asked. In truth, he could read between the lines but he didn't want to.

"She's dieing, Ronon." John answered for the doctor, his tone gentle with his large friend. He turned his head back to Jennifer. "How long would you give her, doc?"

Keller sighed and looked at her feet. "If both lungs were functioning, I would give a few days but with only one, we're looking at, at most, 48 hours."

"That's it? You can't do anything else?" Rodney's went wide.

"No, we've done everything we can do. I'm sorry."

Sheppard nodded, his eyes holding more emotion than he could ever express, filled with sorrow and grief.

Ronon growled under his breath, using anger to cover the emotions he was really feeling. Anger was the only true emotion he was comfortable to show outwardly. Sheppard's people had saved his life and changed the way he looked at his purpose. Sheppard had changed him the most. Taught him how to laugh again, how to enjoy life. He had hoped to be "the Sheppard" for Sara, help her get over her disturbing past. Ronon knew the pain the girl had gone through, having been imprisoned and toyed with by the wraith for years. Sometimes he wondered why the universe was so cruel. Why had he survived when he was a soldier, he had killed, while Sara lay dieing, a Satedan girl who had never hurt anyone, having simply got into trouble due to her brains. While these dark thoughts rolled through Ronon's mind, John was having thoughts of his own.

He had promised to save her, had done his best to save her. If they had just gotten out a day sooner, an hour sooner, she would be alive. He told himself this irrationally, the logical bit of his mind knowing that it wouldn't have changed anything if he had gotten her out two years ago. The damage was too intense, her exposure too long. There was nothing he or the doctors could have done. John knew all this but the feeling of failure was over-powering. He hadn't saved her. She was still a prisoner of Sora, trapped inside her slowly failing body, a body Sora had destroyed.

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"Teyla. You have to talk to him." Lorne's voice was firm but gentle as he watched the Athosian pace in front of him. They were in her room, Evan sitting on the bed twirling a pen cap in his fingers. Teyla paced in front of him, her steps closer to a waddle.

"No..I..I can't...I just can't, Evan."

"It's been weeks. The colonel's nearly on his feet and you have yet to talk to him. All you've done every night ever since he got back was stand at that door and watch him, stewing in your guilt." Lorne said in earnest, standing and placing his hands on her shoulders to look her straight in the eyes. "You have to go talk to him."

She shook her head, looking down at her shoes. Evan had not released his grip.

"You have to. This is hurting him as much as it's hurting you." He told her, his voice unwavering. "He needs to talk to you. It's kinda like closure for him. To see that your safe and you and the baby are alright."

Small tears were escaping from her eyes now, streaming silently down her cheeks.

"Can you talk to him? Help him find some closure in all of this?" He asked.

Sniffing a little, she gave him a small nod. Evan gave her a genuine smile and wrapped an arm over her shoulders before leading her towards the door.

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It was late again, most people asleep, except Sheppard. John sat in his bed, lost deep in thought once again. He had gone to see Sara in the isolation ward, only for a few moments but she had seemed okay if not a little weak. She had seemed at peace with her 'sickness'. Her peace was something Sheppard didn't understand. Sora had taken her life away. If that had been him, John would have been ticked, if not just a little bitter. He was bitter now, and he was healing and would sooner or later return to normal, but Sara wasn't healing. She was dieing, with no hope of a cure and yet she had more peace than the Colonel. Their whole conversation had shocked him, the girl speaking of her death without fear, but her last words left Sheppard baffled. John had been apologizing for not having got her out sooner but she had stopped him, pausing in silence for a few minutes, before looking up into his eyes and whispering.

"John, I have had many years of hardship but I wouldn't change any of it." He had wanted to ask her what she meant but her dropping eyelids had stopped him. He had left her to sleep, reminding himself to ask her later. The man's thoughts were interrupted when someone cleared their throat. Looking up he found Evan Lorne standing at the foot of his bed, standing a little stiff.

"Colonel, sir. Is this a bad time?" He asked.

"Nah, not much to do but mission files, and you know I'd rather burn 'em." Sheppard answered, grateful for the distraction. "What's up?"

The Major swallowed, glancing towards the infirmary door. "Well, sir, Teyla's outside and she wants to talk to you."

"She does?" John said, slightly surprised.

"Yes, sir." Lorne replied. "Do you want to see her?"

"Um, yeah." John answered, suddenly nervous. Maybe Teyla didn't want to see him at all. Doubts plagued his mind now, they had since he had been rescued. Sure he had always had doubts, like any other human but he had never allowed himself to dwell on them for long. He was a soldier and soldiers didn't have the luxury of the doubt. One second thought for him could mean life or death for many people and possibly for Atlantis and Earth as well. So why couldn't he bury these doubts behind the metal door he had stored so many other doubts and mistakes? Each time he tried to push them from his mind they only clawed their way back.

Lorne gave him a small smile before walking towards the door to get Teyla.

"He's ready, Teyla." Lorne whispered softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, looking nervous. Lorne shook his head slightly. He had seen the woman stare down wraith queens and face almost certain death but she was terrified when it came to confronting relationship issues, but come to think of it, the Colonel was even more awkward when it came to these things. He watched as the Athosian slowly walked up to the bed. This would be an interesting conversation, one that should be left between the two of them. The Major smiled as Teyla slipped her hand into the Colonel's before he turned to walk away, planning to get a cup of coffee in the cafeteria.

A.N.- Thank you all so much for sticking with me and I'm sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up. Finals suck but I passed so I'm happy. :) Please review!!