On Any Given Day - The Watch Stander
Just a short chapter, I need to take a little time on the rest. I don't want to hurry it just to get it finished, but rather take it a little slow and do a better job of making it a good story.
Thanks for all your wonderful comments!
8888888888888888
Chapter 7 - Out of the Fire
Carson stood anxiously waiting with his medical team, by the right side of the Stargate. Everyone around him was tense, expecting Sheppard and his team to come through the wormhole at any moment, bringing an injured Dr. McKay with them.
It was times like these that gave the Scot nightmares, never knowing what to expect. Would his patient still be alive or would he be too late to save them? In this case the patient happened to be a dear friend and one he couldn't bear to lose.
Elizabeth Weir stood beside him, not moving a muscle, waiting for what ever might happen next. She was staring straight ahead at the gate, lost in her own thoughts, but still in control. Her only sign of nervousness was when she cleared her throat, then asked Major Lorne, standing on the other side of the stargate, how much time had passed. His answer of twenty minutes came clearly across the room. Beside him was a squad of Marines, heavily armed and ready for trouble.
Carson knew Weir wanted to send Lorne through to help, but Teyla would have asked if she thought it necessary.
And so they waited...
88888888888888888888
Ronon was fast, even with the scientist slung over his shoulder, he outran Sheppard, who was having difficulty keeping up.
"The gate should be ahead!" John managed to tell him, then switched to Teyla's radio freguency. "We're three minutes away, have the gate ready."
Teyla's crisp reply came back, "Already done."
"Good, see you soon, out." he clicked the radio off.
His senses were all messed up by the emotional turmoil he felt inside, but that didn't mean he would let his guard down. Looking around as they ran, he kept expecting people to jump out of nowhere and start shooting, but the only noise was from them running. Their feet pounded on the ground as they ran through the forrest, breaking twigs left and right as if they were prey fleeing an enemy.
In fact they were doing just that, but it was death they were trying to outrun and Rodney was the one they were trying to save from that enemy.
There was no way that death would win today, Not if I can help it, Sheppard promised.
The clearing with the stargate suddenly came into sight as Ronon and he broke through the edge of the forrest.
John still looked around as he ran, but remained behind Ronon, so as to cover both him and McKay.
By the stargate, Teyla was looking around as well, gun in hand. They were only a hundred feet away, when shots rang out. Teyla's P-90 opened up on a group of armed men who were running toward them, Genii!
"Crap!... Ronon don't stop... go through the gate!" he yelled out, no time for the radio, as he too fired his P-90 at the scattering Genii.
Ronon had turned and fired as well, then again continued to run for the stargate. His priority was to get McKay to Beckett, even though he would rather stay and help.
John ran backwards firing his gun in short bursts at the enemy, who seemed to be able to avoid being hit.
"God, I thought that only happened in movies!" he complained out loud.
Teyla was now using the stone side of the gate ring as protection, she too seemed to hit no one.
"Hell, this day just sucks!" John said as he turned and again ran behind Ronon, only turning every few steps to fire at the men who continued to evade their gunfire.
He had just turned back to run another few yards, when two shots pelted his back and vest, making him stumble. The bullets didn't go all the way through, but it made him realize why the Genii hadn't fallen either.
They must be wearing some sort of protection!
Unlike the other men that had gone to get McKay, these guys were heavily armed and armored.
"Well, we'll just see about that," he said as he turned around and aimed for the legs and feet of the Genii. The shots rang out and two of his persuers went down suddenly. The others that ran behind them, quickly dropped to the ground for protection.
"Got yah!" John smiled, as he continued crab stepping and firing his P-90, still protecting Ronon and McKay. They were almost to the Stargate when the other Genii chose to get up and charge.
John moved behind the DHD for cover as Ronon ran for the wormhole, "Shoot for their legs, Teyla!" John managed to yell, as he started firing repeatedly at the oncoming Genii.
Ronon quickly went through the wormhole. John continued firing his P-90 covering Teyla, who soon followed Ronon.
All the time he was firing, John had kept creeping backwards toward the wormhole.
The trigger on his P-90, finally clicked on empty. Turning, he jumped into the blue puddle, followed by a spray of bullets.
The Genii, it seemed ,were not happy to lose their prey.
TBC
888888888888888888888