WHIP NO MORE
By ErikaHK
Chapter 9
Ronon lay awake in his bed not able to sleep. He had betrayed Sheppard's and the rest of the team's trust and said he was sorry. He hoped it would be enough.
How could he make a mistake as bad as that? He thought he had it under control, but of course, he was wrong. To make the same mistake twice was dumb and he wouldn't forgive himself. If he couldn't, how could the others? But he learned his lesson. He wouldn't repeat it.
Sheppard asked for him not to do that again and he promised. Sheppard knew that his word was good. That he always meant what he said. Sheppard was a fighter too, he knew it. He was also his friend. The first one he had in a very long time. They trusted each other with their lives.
It was enough to him.
…
Teyla still went through that moment. That split second that defined their fate. Something stupid. She had gone after Ronon without warning John about it and failed to track him. Just a few meters of walk and Ronon had already lost her. It was a tick jungle and the sun didn't pass through the tree tops. That small mistake cost them very dearly.
Crack!
That was it. She is captured.
The others didn't know where she went. They didn't know where Ronon went.
But she wasn't alone.
Ronon goes for it.
He is captured too.
They are both exhibited on the center of the square like a prize.
Then John surrenders.
She knew the importance of team work. She knew the importance of obeying orders. But she forgot about it for only a small second and it all crumbled down as if she didn't know it at all.
That would never happen again.
…
Rodney snapped waken suddenly. He blinked a few times trying to sink in the location where he found himself. The shapes formed in the darkness were strange to him for some moments.
As realization hit him he smiled.
He was on the infirmary.
He was safe.
Despite the fact they were all tortured by the maniac on the most horrible way, he was alive.
They were all alive.
And Freyr was dead.
He was dead and wouldn't come back to whip him ever again. Ronon did a real favor to humanity by killing him.
The big guy really overdid it this time. The stupidity of going all by himself get revenge for some dark event of the past against a whole camp of arm dealers was beyond all else. He knew that Ronon was impulsive, but doing that?
He felt sorry for him though. He wasn't sure why. He knew all about Ronon's loyalty and courage, and he really liked the guy, much for his own amazement. And as much as he really thought it was Ronon's fault for putting them through all that, he wouldn't rub it on his face. They had all gone through the same thing, he wasn't the only one that suffered. He may have being the one that least suffered, if he came to think about it. There was a lot of pain, of course, physical pain, but the real suffering happened for the others. He didn't have to watch them on the stake over and over. He saw Sheppard on the stake for only a few moments, but it was enough. He knew how it felt. He never doubted his strength, but seeing that surprised him more that he thought it was possible after knowing the man for three years.
They all felt the same way and everyone new that. There was no need to keep dwelling on these thoughts. This was the kind of thing that united them on a deeper level than before. He smiled at that. Never on Earth had he thought he could have bounds as strong as these. Especially with people so different. Two aliens, a rakish Air Force pilot and a scientist. Instead of the horrible memories of torture, he concentrated at that.
Friendship.
It was much easier to avoid nightmares with that in mind.
…
The infirmary was dark and silent. Beside him he heard Rodney's even breathing that indicated that the scientist was fast asleep. He knew he needed the rest too, but couldn't get his eyes to shut. They just snapped open again with all the adrenalin that still had an effect on his body, but he didn't want to ask Carson for some pills, afraid of what the doc will say.
John turned to his other side and saw Rodney's slump figure lying on the side too, his back turned to him. Bellow the sheets he could see in his mind all the bruising and lacerations Freyr had done to him. His anger boiled again.
How could he leave Rodney alone like that? He should have seen it was a trap. First Teyla gets captured, followed by Ronon, and he bravely goes on to follow the same fate. He should have done something different. He wasn't sure what and, most of all, it infuriated him. How could he rethink his actions to avoid future similar mistakes, if he didn't know of any alternate line of action?
They pretty much seemed unfriendly from the beginning, but Ronon's word made him think there could be hope before turning it all to confrontation. After all they were trespassing their territory. That's what happens when each member of the team goes off to do things for themselves. They worked together for a reason. He knew that Ronon had a tendency of taking matters to his own hands, but he had the distinct impression that the Satedan had understood the meaning of group work when they started working together.
He could perfectly understand Ronon's reasons for hating Freyr, he hated the man also, but he thought he had befriended the Satedan enough to have him trusting him with these things when they actually had a very big importance on a mission. But after all that happened because of it, he imagined Ronon ended up learning his lesson on the hard way. He seemed really broken up when he apologized, on a very Ronon way. For a man that never expresses emotions that was as good as he would ever get. He understood how the big man must have felt. More than he would even let on.
He never expected to have to go through that level of emotional distress. Enough to have him so close of losing control. He still didn't know how he was able to hold it together after Freyr beat Rodney at the stake. As he went over that moment he felt the rage all over again. He gritted his teeth. He wouldn't do that. He couldn't torture himself all over again. He shut his eyes and pushed that memory aside. Instead he concentrated on letting it all go.
It had happened.
It was in the past.
Ronon learned his lesson.
Teyla learned her lesson.
And Rodney wasn't responsible for anything. He was just plain victim, like he kept repeating numerous times while he had his wounds treated. And knowing Rodney, if he had any issues with him he would've said it already.
Not too much to discuss about it, then. Hopefully they won't have to go through that again.
He resolved the situation like he did with everything else. Just leave it behind where it belongs and avoid it if he could.
THE END