By late morning everything in the clearing near the pole had been packed, and Markham's team had carried the last of the supplies back to the jumper. Halling, Jinto, and a few other Athosians who had helped with the packing stood at the edge of the clearing talking to Teyla.
Ford watched as Doctor Beckett finished packing the last of his medical supplies. One of the Athosian children stood a few paces away, and Beckett smiled as he knelt in front of the girl. She gave him a shy smile, and Beckett showed her his stethoscope, letting her listen to her heartbeat.
"Rina!" a woman called and beckoned to the child.
Rina handed back the stethoscope, waved to Beckett, and ran to her mother.
Beckett tucked the stethoscope into his backpack, zipped it closed, and stared at the totem pole as he settled the pack on his back. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, then blew out a breath and wandered over to where Doctor Zelenka and the Marines waited near the edge of the clearing.
Ford knew precisely how Beckett felt. He had gone along with Beckett's plan as far as he could, but Doctor Weir had already radioed twice, wanting to know what was taking so long. He couldn't stall any longer.
Teyla touched foreheads with Halling and waved a final goodbye to the Athosians before walking across the clearing to Ford. "Halling will radio Atlantis if he or any of the others find any sign of Major Sheppard or Doctor McKay," she said, and Ford heard the resignation in her voice.
Ford nodded. "Do you really think they're still out there somewhere?" he asked, watching as the Athosians disappeared into the trees. Only Halling and Jinto stayed to watch them leave.
Teyla sighed. "I am not sure what to think."
Beckett wandered over and stood just outside the ring of stones marking the edge of the no-go zone, his expression somber as he looked around the clearing.
Ford traded a look with Teyla, then walked over to Beckett. "Come on, Doc, we gotta go. I'm pretty sure Doctor Weir is on to us. I think we're going to have some explaining to do when we get back."
Beckett sighed and dropped his chin to his chest. "Aye, I suppose you're right." He glanced around the clearing again. "It was a bit of a daft idea, I suppose, thinking they would just reappear."
"It was worth a shot," Ford replied, unwilling to admit he'd had the very same idea the previous day. He motioned to the Marines standing at the edge of the clearing, and Markham nodded.
"Move out!" Markham ordered and led the way through the forest with Zelenka a few steps behind him.
Ford gave Beckett a bit of a nudge to get him moving toward the jumper and nodded at Teyla to take point. Beckett pursed his lips as he stared at the totem pole, then followed Teyla. Ford waited until Teyla and Beckett were a few steps ahead of him, then turned back to the clearing, hoping he'd see Sheppard and McKay reappear. Instead, Halling caught his eye and held up a hand in farewell. Ford nodded, then hurried to catch up with Beckett.
The hike to the jumper didn't take very long, and Teyla and Beckett were both aboard and stowing their packs when Ford heard a crashing noise in the woods behind them.
He swung around, his P-90 up and ready, then quickly lowered the weapon when he saw Jinto run out of the trees.
"Teyla! Wait!" Jinto called.
Teyla walked back down the ramp with a puzzled frown. "Jinto? What is -"
"They're back!" Jinto interrupted. He tugged on Teyla's hand even as he tried to catch his breath. "Father sent me to find you before you left."
Beckett poked his head out of the back of the jumper. "Did you say Major Sheppard and Doctor McKay turned up, lad?"
Jinto nodded and pulled Teyla's hand again. "Father said to hurry. They're hurt." Jinto turned and ran back into the trees with Teyla close behind.
"Oh, bloody hell," Beckett muttered and grabbed the medical backpack sitting on the bench seat beside him. "You two," he pointed at Corporal Sanchez and Sergeant Jeffries, "grab those portable stretchers and come with me."
Sanchez and Jeffries gave Ford a quick glance.
"Quick as you like," Beckett snapped at Sanchez. He shrugged into the backpack, then ran after Teyla and Jinto with Sanchez and Jeffries on his heels.
"Sir?" Markham called from the front of the jumper.
Ford scrubbed a hand over his face and pointed to Markham. "You and Doctor Zelenka stay here. Radio Atlantis. Tell Doctor Weir we found Sheppard and McKay and let her know we're delayed for a medical emergency. Davis, come with me."
"Yes, sir," Markham replied even as Ford and Davis took off after the others.
The twenty-minute hike from the clearing to the jumper was only a fifteen-minute run back. Ford pushed his way into the clearing in time to see Teyla and Jinto standing next to Halling staring at the pole in the clearing, Sheppard and McKay, bloody and unconscious, lying inside the stone ring, and Beckett about to cross the line of stones.
"Doc, wait!" Ford yelled, grabbing Beckett's arm as he stepped over the line of the stones.
Beckett turned on Ford, a look of fury on his face. "No, I will not bloody wait, Lieutenant. They're hurt, god only knows how badly, and they need help. Now, get out of the way."
"No, sir," Ford said with a stern expression. "We know you getting too close to that pole will set it off. I can't let you go in there, sir."
"So, we what? Stand around and wait for them to help themselves? I don't think so," Beckett retorted as he shrugged out of Ford's hold and glared at him.
Ford reminded himself he was the ranking military officer, and he needed to stay calm. He glanced at the two bodies lying near the pole, then at Beckett glaring at him. Ford heard either Sheppard or McKay groan and knew he had to do something before Beckett took matters into his own hands.
"Sanchez and Jefferies will go into the ring and carry them out," Ford said. "Neither of them has the gene, so they should be safe." He matched Beckett glare for glare. "The last thing we need is for all three of you to disappear this time."
Beckett faced him for a moment longer, then dropped his gaze with a nod. "Fine," he said and turned to Sanchez and Jeffries. "Be careful. We have no idea what sort of internal injuries they may have."
"Yes, sir," Sanchez said and nodded to Jeffries.
They stepped into the ring, carrying one of the stretchers, and stopped next to Sheppard. Ford watched as they did a quick check, then picked up Sheppard, carried him out of the ring, laid him on the ground next to Beckett, and then returned for McKay.
"Major, be still," Beckett admonished when Sheppard pushed at Beckett's hands and tried to sit up. "I'm trying to see what you did to your arm."
"I'm fine," Sheppard mumbled.
Sheppard looked around the clearing, and Ford thought he looked a bit dazed as he stared at each of them in turn as if unsure they were really there. When Sanchez and Jeffries laid McKay on the ground next to him, Sheppard squirmed out of Beckett's hold and pointed at McKay.
"Carson, his hands. Check his hands. Electrical burns." Sheppard groaned and squeezed his eyes shut.
Beckett looked over at McKay, who, unlike Sheppard, wasn't moving. "All right, Major," Beckett said. "Just calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Just let me check you both over, and we'll get you back to Atlantis and sorted out in no time."
Beckett finished his exam of Sheppard with a frown and turned to McKay. He took a quick peek under the bandage on one of McKay's hands, made a check of McKay's vitals, and opened the backpack.
"How is he?" Sheppard asked and glanced at McKay. "The transporter or whatever it was knocked him for a loop the first time, too."
"He's been better," Beckett admitted. "And you're both a bit dehydrated. When was the last time either of you had anything to drink?"
Sheppard shrugged. "Hard to say. It wasn't easy to keep track of time. What about his hands? He said they were really hurting him."
"Aye, I can imagine," Beckett replied. "You did a good job with the wrappings, Major. It's just as well to leave them be until we get back to Atlantis where there's less risk of infection." He pointed to Sheppard's arm and asked, "What happened to your arm?"
Sheppard glanced down at the crude dressing on his arm and shrugged. "Had a run-in with a sword," he answered cryptically.
Beckett stared at him for a moment, then must have decided it wasn't worth asking for clarification. He looked up at Ford and said, "I think we're ready, Lieutenant. It's well past time we got these two home."
Ford motioned for Davis and Sanchez to take McKay while he and Jeffries bent next to Sheppard. "I can walk," Sheppard muttered and tried to get up again.
"Sorry, sir," Ford replied before Beckett could jump in. "Doctor's orders. Just lie back and enjoy the ride."
Doctor Beckett quickly repacked the medical kit and waited for Ford and Jeffries to pick up Sheppard's stretcher before he fell into step with Teyla at the head of the procession.
Ford glanced down at Sheppard when they were about halfway back to the jumper and noticed his eyes were closed. "Hey, Doc?" he called softly and signalled for Jeffries to stop.
"What is it, Lieutenant?" Beckett replied and came back toward him.
Ford nodded at Sheppard lying on the stretcher with his eyes closed. "He's just asleep, son," Beckett said with a smile after checking Sheppard's pulse. "The man is more tired than he will admit. No need to worry. He'll be fine."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
"He said sword?" a voice asked, and John slowly opened his eyes.
"Aye. And from the looks of both of them, there was more than one. They both have several lacerations along their arms and legs. It's just as well I had to take Rodney's cast off to check the burns on his hands as the cast had a deep slice in it as well."
"I don't understand, Carson." John blinked a few times and recognised the voice as Elizabeth's. "We scanned the mainland before the Athosians left Atlantis. Where could they have found men with swords?"
"Not on the mainland," John croaked and sat up as Beckett and Elizabeth walked over to his bed.
"Major," Beckett said by way of greeting. "How are you feeling?" He filled a cup with water and handed it to John.
John sipped the water gratefully. Once he was done, he looked down and saw that the bandage Rodney had wrapped around his arm had been changed. Several other cuts were taped or bandaged. "Umm, okay, I guess." He looked around the room. "Where's McKay?" he asked, his voice still a little rough. "How bad are his hands?"
"Rodney is right here, John," Elizabeth said and stepped to her right.
John glanced behind her and saw Rodney asleep in the next bed. His hands were rebandaged, and there was a new cast, acid green this time, on his right hand. John idly wondered who kept picking the colors.
"Second degree burns on his fingers and his left palm," Beckett said. "His right hand isn't as bad, mostly first degree, but there are blisters on his first two fingers. You mentioned electricity?" Beckett left the question hanging.
John ignored the hint. "But he'll be all right? No permanent damage?"
"Oh, aye, It will take a few weeks, but he'll be fine," Beckett said with a slight smile. "You both will."
John let out the breath he'd been holding. He wasn't sure what he would have done or how Rodney would have handled no longer being able to tinker. Thankfully, they'd dodged that bullet.
"How long have we been back?" John asked.
"Only a few hours," Beckett replied. "But you both will be here a few days at least. Not only do I want to keep an eye on those burns," he nodded at Rodney, "but since we don't know exactly what happened to you, I'll want to run some tests."
"John, what did you mean when you said you weren't on the mainland?" Elizabeth asked.
"The totem pole was some sort of transporter," John replied. "No idea where we were, really." He winced and rubbed the back of his head.
"That's enough for now," Beckett admonished. "You need to rest. I'm sure there will be plenty of discussion about what happened later."
"You're right, Carson," Elizabeth said with a nod and took a step back. "This can wait until after you and Rodney have had a chance to recover," she said to John.
John waited until Elizabeth left, then settled back in the bed and tried to sleep.
John was awake again a few hours later when he heard noises coming from the next bed. He glanced at Rodney, twitching in his sleep, and pursed his lips. John made a quick survey of the infirmary, and not seeing anyone, climbed out of his bed and stood next to Rodney's.
"Rodney?" John called.
Rodney groaned, slowly opened his eyes, and looked around.
John tapped Rodney's arm to get his attention and frowned when McKay jumped.
"Atlantis?" Rodney whispered as he focused on John.
John nodded and poured a cup of water. "Yep, back safe and mostly sound."
Rodney sat up and tried to take the cup, but between the puffy bandage on his left palm and fingers and the cast on his right hand, he had no grip and resigned himself to John holding the cup for him.
He nodded his thanks and looked at the bandage wrapped around John's arm. "You okay?" he asked and tried to point to the injury.
John smiled and sat on the edge of the bed near Rodney's hip. "Yeah, Carson stitched that one and a couple of others. They should heal in a week or two."
Rodney looked at his hands and sighed.
"How badly are they hurting?" John asked and reached for the call button.
"How did you know my hands hurt?"
"Not that hard to figure out. Your hands are burned. They've got to be hurting." John didn't mention the vague sense of … something … itching at the back of his skull.
Rodney shrugged and stared down at his hands as John pushed the call button.
"Carson says it looks worse than it is," John reassured him as they waited for Beckett. "Couple of weeks, and you'll be good as new."
"Couple of weeks? How am I going to get anything done?" Rodney held up his hands with a frown.
"You will let Zelenka and the rest of your staff do the work," Beckett said as he stopped at the end of the bed. "Major, don't you have a bed of your own?" he added with a pointed glance at John's bed.
John went back to his own bed as Beckett started to check Rodney's vitals.
"How are your hands?" Beckett asked as he picked up one hand and then the other and checked the bandages.
"They hurt," Rodney grumbled.
"I can give you something for the pain, but you need to eat something first," Carson replied.
Rodney made a face. "How am I supposed to do that with three fingers?" He held up his right hand with the ring and pinky fingers along with his thumb, the only digits not wrapped in fresh bandages.
"We'll start with something you can pick up easily," Beckett said. He turned to Sharon waiting at the end of Rodney's bed and asked her to have a tray brought from the mess hall.
Once Rodney had struggled through a meal of scrambled egg and toast, Beckett gave him the pain medication to swallow.
"Now then," Beckett said as Rodney tried to settle on the bed without using his hands. "You both need to rest," he told them.
Rodney sighed and stared at the ceiling once Carson had gone back to his office.
"What's the matter?" John finally asked though he thought he knew the answer.
Rodney hesitated, then rolled his head until John could see his face. "What are we supposed to tell Elizabeth when she asks what happened?"
"We tell her just enough to explain all of this." John nodded to Rodney's hands. "The rest stays just between us."
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
Rodney awkwardly pushed open the door to the balcony near his quarters, sat in one of the chairs, and watched the sunlight play across the water. Totem poles, Ancient gauntlets, not to mention the whole idea of a mental link with someone. Rodney huffed out a breath. If one of his scientists had come to him with such a story, he would have suggested a prolonged vacation.
"Assuming there was someplace to send them," Rodney muttered, staring at his bandaged hands.
There had been a few odd coincidences since their return from the mainland a week ago, which made him feel more than a little uncomfortable. Rodney wondered again exactly what The Overseer had meant by his last comment that Atlantis would know they'd completed his warped obstacle course.
He heard the door open behind him a few minutes later and wasn't surprised to see John walking toward him, two cups in his hands.
"Beckett's looking for you," John said as he handed Rodney one of the cups. He waited until Rodney had a sure hold in his awkward three-fingered grip and sat down next to him. "You were supposed to be in the infirmary fifteen minutes ago so he could check your hands. Thought you would have been down there early since he promised to take the bandages off your right hand today."
Rodney shrugged. "Meant to be. Was thinking about something else." He swallowed some of his coffee and watched the water.
"Okay, I'll bite. What's got you so distracted you're willing to ditch Beckett's appointment?"
Rodney shrugged and drank his coffee. He felt John watching him and sighed. "Have you noticed anything … odd since we got back?" he asked.
"Odd how?"
"Just … odd." Rodney glanced over at John and hesitated. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear Atlantis feels different somehow."
Now it was John's turn to study the water.
"You have, haven't you?" Rodney exclaimed and waved his bandaged hand around. "Why didn't you say anything?"
John sighed. "I wasn't really sure," he admitted with a crooked smile. "It sounds weird to say a city seems happy to see you."
"Exactly!" Rodney replied as he scooted forward in his chair. "Things seem to work, I don't know, better. Faster. It just feels different." Rodney paused. "And it doesn't make sense."
"That Overseer did say something about the Atlantis knowing -"
"Yes, yes, but that's ridiculous," Rodney interrupted. "It's a city. It's not sentient. It can't know anything we don't tell it."
"So maybe we're telling it something somehow," John countered. "There's a mental component to getting Ancient stuff to work, right?"
Rodney made a face but nodded.
"So, maybe whatever happened in that gauntlet changed some mental wavelength once we got back. We're sending out some sort of signal that we've earned the next level of access or something."
Rodney thought about that and decided it was possible. "Maybe," he grudgingly admitted.
"The part I don't get is why two people?" John mused. "Where are these symbiotic systems that take two mentally linked people to access?"
"If they still exist, systems like that would require a massive amount of energy," Rodney replied. "Maybe even more than one fully charged Zed-PM. Until we can fully power Atlantis, we may never find these systems or get them to work."
John watched the water and finished his coffee.
Rodney glanced over at him and did a double-take when he noticed the strange expression on John's face. "Was there something else?" Rodney asked. "You look like something's wrong."
Another fleeting expression crossed John's face before he settled on an easy smile and stood. "We should probably get to the infirmary before Carson sends out a search party."
Rodney snorted. "That's not you?"
John grinned. "Nah, I'm just the advance scout," he replied and waited for Rodney to stand.
~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~
John stood at the end of the infirmary bed, watching as Beckett carefully removed the bandages from Rodney's fingers and right hand.
"These have healed well," Carson said as he examined McKay's hand. "We'll leave the other hand for a few more days, just to be safe."
"Finally," Rodney replied with a grunt and flexed his fingers. "Maybe now I can get some work done."
John smiled as he watched Rodney hop off the exam bed. He hadn't mentioned the odd itch he had felt in the infirmary whenever he knew Rodney was in pain to either Beckett or McKay. That was a discussion that could wait for another day when the wounds were healed, and the gauntlet was only a memory in a box or a shadowed corner of a mind.
FIN