Yep that took longer that anticipated. Sorry for the wait. Hope you like it.
John looked at his watch and knew he needed to wake his team to get going. Luckily both Ronon and Teyla, being light sleepers, had already started to stir as they heard John coming towards them.
"Hey," Ronon said as he stood up.
Telya sat up where she had lain close by Rodney and placed her hand on his forehead. "Rodney seems to be worse."
"Yeah, I think the infection from his leg is worse…"John began to say but was interrupted by one of Rodney's tremors that all three couldn't help but notice. "…and his blood sugar must be low. We should get some food into him soon but let's get him ready for the trip and see how far we can get back to the jumper while he's still out of it."
John took Rodney's shoulders and Ronon took his legs, being as careful as he could with the splinted one. Even through the drugged state, Rodney's face screwed up in pain and slight groans escaped his lips. Teyla gently helped in the move by holding his head as they placed him back on to the makeshift backboard. She picked up his left arm that had fallen down and noticed his clammy hand as she placed it on top of his chest, and then made sure the jacket over Rodney was tucked around him tight for the journey.
The team then gathered up their effects and set out for the clearing where, according to Teyla, the jumper now laid on its side, totally unable to fly it out. However it would be a good place to wait for Atlantis' rescue…at least they hoped.
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Radek cursed in Czech, 'Ne, nerozumim…,' he pushed his glasses back up his nose as he kept hitting the data pad with the stylus, in what seemed to be a futile effort, to get the city's shields lowered.
Carter came in just then, "Radek, please tell me you have some good news." She said hopefully.
Radek didn't look up but answered, "Prominte, ne."
"Radek, in English please."
Radek looked up like he was just noticing her for the first time, "I'm sorry Colonel Carter, it's just that I have no idea why I cannot figure out how to override the system. I keep running into blocked roads."
"Roadblocks?" asked Carter.
"Yes, them too," Radek said matter-of-factly.
Carter couldn't help but grin a little at his answer as she looked down at her feet and back up. "Can I take a look? Maybe I can help…give you a fresh pair of eyes."
Radek, at his wits end, happily handed over the data pad as he told her all the sequences he had tried.
Carter took in all the information and then started to think out loud to Radek, that what if they somehow made the city believe that environment inside the city was becoming dangerous or inhospitable to human life…then the city would have to recognize this and lower the shields.
"Yes, yes," shouted Radek, "This could work…but how would we do this? It would have to be city wide and not something localized."
Carter nodded, "If we could rig something that would make the city believe the gate was about to explode…then it would understand the only option to save the life of the inhabitants is to lower the shield to send out jumpers."
"Yes, I can do this. What I can do is place…" Radek didn't finish he just went straight to work.
Carter watched as he furiously typed in codes to the computer.
Radek then lifted his eyes to look at Colonel Carter, "Ok, I've crossed power from the ZPM to overload the gate…the city will not understand why there's no outlet or return of power and thus lower the shield."
"How long will it take to reach the 'overload' status and how will the power overload be shut down?" asked Carter.
"It should take about 30 minutes to reach critical and then the shield should lower giving us enough time to send out jumper. After this I will redirect the power circuits and then the shield will go back up."
Carter seemed confident but had some worries, "The waves are diminishing but how much danger will there be for flooding parts of the city?"
"The drop of shields will only be momentary, thus minimal flooding damage and we need to be quick about it. We should call all personal to the central tower…to be safe."
"Good job Radek, I think this will work. I'll get Lorne and Dr. Keller to be in jumper three awaiting the word."
"Thank you Colonel…thank you for your help." And with that Radek went back to monitor the computers.
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Teyla was leading the team through the misty twilight of the forest just about 10 feet in front of Ronon and John. John took up carrying the stretcher at Rodney's head to be able to monitor his friend's condition.
They had been traveling about 25 minutes over the rough terrain through the barely illuminated forest floor and they had another good 30-45 minutes before they reached the jumper.
Ronon and John were traversing over some large rocks and felled trees when John noticed Rodney begin to stir.
"Teyla, hold up a sec," shouted John.
Ronon turned to see what caused John to stop and noticed all of his attention was focused on Rodney. Ronon lowered the makeshift stretcher down to the ground and turned to see John place a calming hand on Rodney's jittery body.
"Hey, Rodney…its ok, we're right here…I'm here."
Rodney's drug hazed eyes cracked open. Glassy and red-rimmed, they tried to focus on where John was.
"John, where?" Rodney said. His voice cracked while his hands struggled underneath the jacket tucked securely around him.
"We're making our way back to the jumper..." John told him but was interrupted.
"Go..ing 'ome…" Rodney slurred as his mouth tried to say the words.
"…and since your now awake I need you to eat something, ok." John looked at Rodney and then up to his teammates. He dug into his vest and pulled out a powerbar and tore it open.
John broke off a piece and held it to Rodney's lips.
"Can feed m'self ya know." Rodney freed his right arm but the movement caused him pains no doubt as he shakily held his hand near his shoulder.
"Rodney, just let me help you." John said as Rodney pawed at the powerbar that John held and it dropped to the ground.
"No," Rodney said with a bit more determination and grasped the bar, laid it to his lips and began gnawing slowly. At about half way through he was just too tired to continue. "I'm not hungry anymore…water?"
"Ok buddy, here ya go," as John helped he noticed that this time Rodney didn't seem to mind the help. He really must not be feeling good John thought. The last sip made Rodney sputter and cough hard, which in turn jolted his whole body.
A painful scream…followed by a steady stream of cries and whimpers, like a kicked puppy, came from Rodney as he grasped John's hand and buried his head in the side of the makeshift stretcher.
John, wide-eyed and tense, held on tight as Rodney rode out the pain his movement caused to his leg.
"It's ok buddy, I'm here, and I'm not letting go." John was surprised how his friendship for Rodney seemed raw and open for the entire world to see, but it was no surprise to his teammates, as they knew he felt deeply for all them and especially for Rodney. Many outside of their team would see their friendship as unlikely, but after these years at Atlantis, the two seemed to become inseparable…like two mischievous boys.
Teyla came over and knelt by Rodney to do what she could as the pain seemed to dissipate. It left Rodney panting but a little more relaxed. Teyla wiped away the tears from Rodney's face and then looked up to John's distraught face.
John made a motion to say something but then Teyla made a pained noise of her own as she grabbed her earpiece swiftly taking it out of her ear. John looked over at Ronon who had done the same.
"What is it?" John asked.
"I don't know, the radio just shrilled…" Teyla stopped as she heard what sounded more like words coming from her earpiece now. She looked down at it and then back to John. John grabbed it and placed it in his ear.
"Sheppard..this is Colonel Carter…If you can read me please come in."
"I read you Colonel…thank god," John said in relief. "Send a jumper now, Rodney's seriously injured."
"Jumper is on its way to you John. What happened?"
"Long story short, Rodney had a round with some boulders and the boulders won. He's got a bad break in his lower right leg and a deep infected gash just above on his thigh. Not to mention all the cuts and bruises to go with."
"John, this is Dr. Keller. I'm in jumper three with Major Lorne, making our way to you. Is Rodney awake?"
"He just came out of the morphine we gave him over three and half hours ago, but believe me he's not in a very talkative mood right now."
"John, where are you?" asked Carter.
"We're approximately a half an hour out from where we landed the jumper. It's in a clearing to the west of us. Unfortunately the jumper is on its side from the last tremor."
"Ok, Lorne is on his way to you in Jumper three. Can you be there soon?"
"It will be rough going with Rodney, but we should get there by the time Lorne does, barring no complications."
"John, do you have any more morphine? It should help with the move and Rodney's pain," stated Keller.
"I wish, as the slightest movement is causing him pain,…but we don't."
"If you have any pain killers left give it to him and try your best to immobilize the leg," Keller looked over at Lorne…urging him to step on it.
"We'll do our best. Just hurry. Sheppard out."
John was mixed with relief and concern. We're so close yet for Rodney, so far away. This trip, without the bliss of morphine, was going to be excruciating for him. He looked down to Rodney as he started to shake his head side to side.
"Buddy, it'll be ok. We are almost home," John told him softly.
"It hurts so bad."
"I know, I know. But you've got to hang in there ok. You can do this. Besides you just get to lie there right…Ronon and I are doing all the hard work." John said as he tried to grin.
Rodney curled up a side of his mouth and laughed with a hard puff of air through his nose. "Yeah, just don't drop me ok."
"Yeah, no dropping, right Ronon." John smirked to Ronon.
"Right," Ronon said with a grin as he gently touched Rodney's undamaged leg.
"Ok, everyone you heard what they said. The Calvary's coming and we got to get going." John said as he took his place at the head of the wooden stretcher. "Let's move out…"
John looked down into Rodney's eyes and said softly, "You'll be fine."
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TBC