A/N: Ah, the players are starting to move into position. But what' this? A kaboom? Crap.

Chapter 20

The next thirty-six hours on Atlantis were insane. A small explosion in an engineering lab on sub-level two sent six people to the infirmary, two with serious injuries due to flying shrapnel. Beckett and Keller were both in surgery until nearly supper time with those cases, and Rodney and Zelenka were kept busy with damage assessment and repairs. The explosion took out the power for that section of the level as well, and repair crews worked well into the wee hours of the morning to get everything up and running again. Since Lorne didn't have any assigned duties he helped with clean-up and what repairs he could, and Ronon and quite a few of the enlisted men were right with him. They were a pretty smelly, filthy group by the time they got the area inhabitable again. When they all traipsed into the mess for dinner before cleaning up, Doris, with ladle in hand, almost made them sit out on the balcony. Didn't matter that it was raining cougars and timber wolves at the moment, she just about marched them on out to the deck. But then Keller showed up and made them all promise to move a table back as far from everyone as possible (the smell of burnt insulation and plastic clung to the bunch like a cloud), and directly underneath the intake vent.

Doris was so tickled she allowed the guys through for seconds.

Rodney, Zelenka, and Grodin worked straight through until morning. Lorne swung by at one point with coffee and sandwiches, and the three ate while still glued to computers and consoles. Apparently what blew wasn't the main project in that lab, but some secondary thing, and the three were trying to stabilize the main whatever it was to keep it from going as well. Lorne left the lab as quietly as possible. If he was still in a position of authority, he would have ordered that wing evacuated for the time being, but Ford was now the go to guy and it was his responsibility. But nevertheless, he still might have one of the enlisted men put a bug in the kid's ear.

So for one day, unfortunately, the Great Atlantis Uprising had to be put on hold.

-oOo-

John slept for nearly fifteen hours straight, and he would have slept a little longer if his stomach hadn't have woken him up. The cramps were awful, but drinking a bunch of water helped. And they still weren't as bad as dry heaves. He did a quick clean up at the sink, and Teyla didn't speak to him until he turned around and faced her. She was sitting cross-legged in front of the window again, and she smiled warmly at him.

Your eye is looking much better.

John's hand went to that cheek – he could open his right eye completely now, but his cheek throbbed with every heartbeat. Yeah, but I suspect my cheekbone may be cracked. Hurts like a mother.

Teyla closed her eyes, and John nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt what he swore were ghostly fingers brush his cheek. Then Teyla opened her eyes, and they were practically shining like new pennies. I am afraid you are correct.

"Huh," John grunted. He honestly hadn't spent much time around the Sidhe and had no real idea of what they could or could not do. Oh, he'd met a few at his father's house when they'd visited for some summit or territorial posturing hoopla. All he really remembered was a lot of tall, pale, disgustingly attractive people who didn't have time for little boys. His mother was part Sidhe – not much, maybe a quarter at most – but she died when he was quite young, and he never got to know her. Can all of your kind do that? he asked out of pure curiosity.

It is a skill that comes with age, she replied. Then she lifted one eyebrow and lowered her head a fraction.

John knew better than to touch that subject. He held up his hands in mock surrender, but as he got up to the window he placed them both on the glass and frowned faintly. There were two untouched trays of food on the table just a little ways down the hall. Breakfast and lunch, it seemed. Oh, hey. You didn't have to ….

I do not require as much sustenance as the humans seem to think I do, she replied. Especially since I have been inactive. One meal a day will suffice.

Her mental tone was fairly stern and John knew she wouldn't take any flap from him. Well, I am touched by the show of defiance. Thank you. He nodded at her.

Teyla lowered her eyes and nodded back as well.

Then John's gut gurgled and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the glass. "Yeah, Kolya – I was a bad boy. Send me to bed without dinner. I get it already," he mumbled to himself. He decided he would kill for a Powerbar right then. Wonder where Zelenka was?

These humans are animals.

John looked up and saw the scowl on Teyla's face. "Eh, they're not all bad. There are a few good ones out there," he said softly. He settled down carefully into a cross-legged position as well. The two docs are all right, so's the major and the little Czech. And once you get past the ego, McKay's pretty good, too. The corner of his mouth crooked up on the left – his right cheek hurt too much to grin fully. Hell, even the big guy is okay once you smack him around a little.

Teyla's eyebrows drew down a fraction. He was a formidable opponent. With his size, strength, and speed, I suspect he may have some Pretender in his bloodline.

John blinked, and drew his head back a fraction. "Huh," he muttered. I never thought of that. Holy crap. Makes sense – the heavy forehead, the size. Yeah, I can see it. He grinned but then added a mental ow as he held a hand to his cheek. You thinking, what – ogre or troll?

Teyla frowned and cocked her head. Ogre, I think. Yes. But far enough removed that the ugliness has bred out of the line.

"Ow," John said out loud this time and clamped down on an even bigger grin. And because he couldn't help himself, thought, You think he's cute. When she lowered her head and shrugged, he chuckled. Ah, you do!

He has some … appeal, she thought. Then she tucked her hair behind one ear and John blinked in surprise.

You had your ears altered.

And you have not.

John's hand went from his cheek to his ear and he shrugged. Yeah, well, it was a matter of pride with the old man. By the time I struck out on my own, I didn't really give a crap anymore.

Teyla nodded. All of our people have it done now at a very young age. I was older when I had mine rounded, and it was uncomfortable. She grimaced. I do not recommend it.

Doubt I'll get a chance, he thought and tried really hard to keep it to himself. But she must have caught it because she suddenly looked concerned. Kolya thinks I'm a cursed lycanthrope – plans on doing something to me first night of the full moon. He gave a mild shrug like it was nothing.

John, that is tonight. Teyla's eyes were wide with alarm.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered out loud and rubbed his mouth. He'd lost track of more time than he realized. He was on his feet and pacing before he even knew he was doing it, and when he looked out across the way he saw Teyla was on her feet as well. He had a feeling his eyes were a lot wider than hers right now. "Okay, guys, if you're going to get me out, now's the time to do it," he muttered. Then he stopped cold. "Oh, crap." He had a sick feeling in pit of his empty stomach that something happened to them. "Oh, crap," he repeated and resumed his pacing. It was a good thing his stomach was empty, or he'd be puking again.

-oOo-

They came for him about three hours after dinner. He was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his right foot jigging nervously, when he heard the door unlock. Teyla gave him a warning, and the second the door opened he rolled off the bed. One tranquilizer dart impacted with the mattress where his left thigh was a moment before, and the other ricocheted harmlessly off the wall. John stayed crouched until Teyla gave him the signal, then he shot to his feet and flipped the mattress into the two guards just coming into the room. The first man barely got his arms up before the awkward mass caught him and knocked him into the man behind. He went down, but the second man only staggered back into the hallway.

John landed on the mattress a second later and punched the man, hard, before he could recover. His head snapped back against the tile floor and he went limp instantly. John was on the other man before the first guy quit moving and they plowed hard into the door that led to Teyla's cell. John bounced him once more for good measure off the door, then threw him towards the table. The man slid across the top, and he and the table went over.

John picked up one of the heavy metal chairs and swung it with every ounce of strength he could muster. It connected with the door to Teyla's chamber and the thinner glass actually spider-webbed at the impact point.

John, forget about me. Get out!

"You're coming with," he gritted out and swung again with a yell. This time there was an audible crunch from the door and a metallic ping as one of the welds on the chair gave way. He was bringing the chair back for a third swing when he heard a soft discharge followed by a sting in his right shoulder. Without breaking momentum he bellowed and just spun around and threw the chair as hard as he could towards the end of the hall. He pulled the dart out immediately after letting go, but he could already feel a numbness creeping through that arm.

He saw Ford drop back quickly and the chair bounced off the wall less than a foot from him. Then Ford dove forward and came up with that man's tranquilizer pistol and fired as John came over the table at him. The dart caught John in the stomach and he crashed into the kid. They both rolled into the wall, but John wound up on the bottom and took the brunt of the impact. Between that and the drugs he was losing strength fast, but like hell he was going to give up without causing some damage. He aimed a punch for the kid's nose, but his fist grazed off his cheek. Ford came around with a cross that made John see stars, but John countered by grabbing two handfuls of the kid's tac vest and tried to bring him in for another head butt. He only wound up connecting with Ford's chin, and that brought another splash of stars to his vision, but he snapped the kid's head back and he let out a grunt of pain. Then the kid kneed him by pure chance and he let go with a yell of his own.

There was another soft pop from the door, and another dart caught John in the side as he partially curled up. Ford jumped to his feet and aimed a kick at John's stomach. The air whooshed out of him and he curled up even more. At least the drugs were really taking hold, now, and John was glad that wasn't as painful as it should have been. As the world began to disappear in a gray roar, he heard Teyla's voice in his head. It was far away, but distinct.

Be strong.

End Note: Yeah, it's not gonna frakkin' help, Teyla. Where's the damn C4 when you need it?