NIGHTMARES

Chapter 3

John and Teyla raced through the halls of Atlantis in hopes of finding more of the crew. They saw no one, but heard many distant screams echoing throughout the endless hallways. They decided they should head to the control room in hopes of people congregating there. They found only one person. Hiding in a corner behind one of the main control panels with his hands wrapped around his knees and face buried in between, was Rodney.

"Rodney?" John asked incredulously. Rodney picked up his head swiftly. He quickly scrambled to his feet, staring at both of them angrily. "Oh nice. What, did you two come here to join in the fun and tell me what a joke I am? To tell me how I can't do anything right? Like I need to hear that from either of you! Well, you two, can just GET IN LINE!" He was repeatedly pointing in John's face as his voice rose.

John looked at his finger with disgust. "First of all Rodney, you're the last person on Ear-...you're the last person I would ever call a joke. Second, we need your help. Third, get your God damn finger outta my face." He said this as he pointedly pushed Rodney's hand away.

Rodney stared at them confused. Teyla gave him a half hearted smile. "All right, does somebody wanna tell me what's going on here?" he asked.

John tried to keep a normal face when he said, "We'll ya see, the thing is….…Teyla has this wacky theory," he started, scratching his head as Teyla gave him a challenging glance. "Ok, maybe not wacky. Look there's no way to really explain this without sounding crazy so, I'm just gonna say it. We think we're stuck in our dreams." He looked to Teyla for support but she was eagerly awaiting Rodney's response.

Rodney looked down, mulling this over for a moment. He gazed at each of them before he spoke. "Wow, you two…….. are just completely insane," he said without much expression.

"Now wait a minute here," Colonel Sheppard spoke defensively. "Weren't you the one we just found all bunched up in the corner?"

Rodney jutted his chin out defensively trying to think of what to say. "Point taken." He said after a moment.

"Look Rodney, we need help here. If we're somehow stuck in our subconscious but our minds think we're actually awake, what can we do to wake the hell up?"

Rodney looked at Teyla. "You're asking me to go out on a very twilight Zone limb here, guys. I don't know I'd really have to think about this. This isn't really my area of expertise. Maybe we should go get Dr. Hei-."He stopped talking when he heard a strange creaking. Creak……creak….. creak...creak.

A sound he knew all too well.

"Rodney……"

Rodney stood frozen, a sickened look creeping slowly upon his face. Teyla noticed this. "Rodney, what is it?" she asked worried. Rodney heard the voice again.

"Rodney……"

Rodney ignored Teyla and slowly turned towards the voice. His fear was confirmed as he looked upon an old woman with frayed gray hair and large spectacles wearing a white cotton dress. She was rocking back and forth in a rocking chair while knitting some sort of sweater right in the center of the control room. Her eyes were fixed on her knitting while her voice croaked out his name.

John hurried to Rodney's side, seeing his face ashen. His body was trembling as he stared. "What is it? What are you staring at?" he asked. Rodney turned. "Can't you see her? She's sitting right there!"

Teyla and John looked in the direction Rodney pointed but saw nothing. "There is nothing there," Teyla said gently.

The old woman began speaking. "Why did you leave me here, Rodney? You should never have left me here to rot. All I do is rot now…… thanks to you…….. and your selfishness. Always selfish you were. Always your damn nose in a book instead of where it should have been, taking care of me. Why couldn't you be more like your sister……."

"You guys don't see her?" he said aghast. John and Teyla looked at each other. "No, Rodney snap out of it! This is what we're saying! It's not real, none of this is real. We have to figure out a way to wake up! We need your help, Rodney!"

Rodney's eyes were transfixed on his mothers' hands as they knitted and knitted till blood began pouring from her fingertips, spattering softly onto her white dress as she continued.

Teyla drew back her hand and slapped Rodney hard across the face. Rodney recoiled, looking at Teyla in distress and then back towards where his mother was. She was gone now. "What the…?" Teyla looked at him sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders to John. "I am sorry. I thought it would help."