Chapter 6

He wasn't sure if he was awake or dreaming. He felt a warm presence beside him and his arm wrapped in a tight embrace as if it was a teddy bear in the arms of a child. Faces swam before him, the concerned face of John, sorrowful look of Phiscus, screaming image of Judy and angry visage of Appolus. He tried in vain to open his eyes, but it was as if a lead cloth had been laid across them. The warm presence was ripped away from him, and strong hands surrounded his throat, constricting it until he gasped for air.

Voices entered his consciousness. "Breathe, Don." His mouth and nose were covered by a mask and pure oxygen entered his lungs. He took several deep breaths and his eyes fluttered opened to see the concerned faces of Marcus and Judy floating above him.

Noting the confusion in his eyes, Judy soothed, "We're both safe. You're going to be okay. Marcus and the bacta saved you."

He pushed the mask aside and reached up to touch Judy's face. She leaned down and met his lips, pouring all of the love and devotion she had been storing during their time apart into his being. He held her eyes and whispered, "You're pregnant."

She nodded and smiled as a tear slid down her cheek. "Congratulations, 'miracle man'."

As he pulled her in for another kiss, Marcus turned abruptly at a commotion that was occurring outside the med bay. Gannon and Kairon were helping an injured Ronon into the room. Marcus helped them get him onto a gurney and asked what happened.

A distraught Kairon answered, "We thought that Appolus and the mechanic were dead. We were wrong."

Judy interrupted. "But I killed him with Don's pistol!"

Don enlightened her. "It was… on stun."

"Why?"

"Because… you were in there."

Marcus encouraged Kairon to continue, "Go on."

"Ronon brought the soldier in the office, and we were trying to talk him into joining us, when a laser shot caught Ronon in the side. I turned and saw that it came from the mechanic, so I fired at him. The soldier then lunged and knocked me down. I managed to shoot him, but Appolus jumped up and ran out of the building."

Ronon weakly admonished, "You should have… chased him."

"But I had to get you medical help!" Kairon defended.

"Mission… first," Ronon replied.

As Gannon gently examined Ronon's wound, Marcus looked at Don in frustration.

"Rookie mistake," Don commented. Turning his attention to Kairon he added, "You should have confirmed… they were dead… before turning your back on them."

"I'm sorry, Don. I should have caught Appolus too," Kairon lamented.

Don shook his head at that statement. "Priorities… You did right… bringing Ronon here."

Marcus' face was dark. He was reliving his own nightmare so many years ago. "Gannon, can you take care of him?"

"Yes. I'm fine." He looked at Ronon with affection and added, "I'll be sure he recovers."

"I'm going to find John and Scotter. We need to stop Appolus now." He turned and strode quickly out of the room.

Kairon gazed helplessly at the rest of them and then followed him out.

Don lay there silently as Judy helped Gannon with Ronon. He mulled over several thoughts in his mind. Scotter, Marcus and John would be more than happy to take the situation with Appolus into their own hands. He couldn't let them do that. He knew that the battle with Appolus would be a fight to the death, regardless of who was fighting him. He had to find a way to protect them all, and he knew just the man who could help him do it.