Chapter 9

Hours seemed to pass before anything happened. Finally the door to his cell was opened. A girl walked in, not looking at him, offering a small bowl with some liquid in.

'Finally, some food! And is this all a condemned man gets? Don't I get a feast or a last wish or anything?'

But she didn't stay long to listen to Rodney's complaints. The door was locked again and Rodney stood in the middle of the room, some last rays of sun making their way through the small window. Soon it would be dark all over.

He looked at the broth he had been given. It smelled ok enough. He took a careful sip and then drank the lot as he noticed it wasn't bad at all. Too soon the soup came to an end. He was still hungry. Funny, how you could be hungry at a time like this. But then Rodney was always hungry. Had to be a coping mechanism he thought.

With the last of the light gone, he sat down and put his head on his pulled up knees.

He must have fallen asleep and not notice the door being opened. Someone pulled him up again. He could hardly open his eyes, his arms felt heavy and unresponsive. Someone was taking off his jacket. Then his t-shirt was pulled over his head. He wanted to stop whoever was undressing him. It would be cold and he so hated the cold. But his resisting hands were pushed away easily.

Someone now also pulled off his shoes and socks. Startled he noticed someone unzipping his trousers and pulling them down to his ankles. His boxers soon followed. His legs were lifted one after the other to remove the gathered clothes. His hands moved lower but no one seemed to notice his nudity or seemed to care.

And then they were all gone again. For a while, Rodney just stood there, not sure what to do next. He felt so tired now, his eyes were closing again and he no longer could open them. Slowly he slipped back down on the floor, curling up as the cold registered.

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Sheppard had made his report to Carter. Teyla waited patiently for Sam to agree they were to go back and rescue Rodney.

Lorne and his team were already waiting at the gate. But when Zalenka tried to call the planet, he could not get a lock.

'What is wrong?' Sheppard asked agitated.

'I don't know. Nothing wrong on this side.'

Zalenka tried again but without success.

'The gate may be in use. I'll keep trying. It is nothing on our end.'

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The next time Rodney woke up he was no longer in his cell. Actually, wherever he was, it was an improvement. It felt nice and warm.

Carefully he opened his eyes. He was in a tent, and not alone. Two women were sitting next to him, caressing his naked body with some leaves, their own naked bodies glistening from the sweat created by the hot stones and water vapour. He realised he was in some type of sauna, and naked, with naked women.

He suddenly sat up, fully aware of his body's reaction to the women. Embarrassed he tried to cover up.

'Heu, ladies.' He greeted them trying to push their inquisitive hands away.

They just smiled and poured him something to drink. Carefully Rodney took the cup and smelled it first. Smelled like ordinary water. He drank a sip. It felt really cool in this hot environment.

But as soon as he drank the liquid, he felt strange, more relaxed. He could not remember why he didn't like their attention.

The women pulled Rodney closer to the fire, caressing his hot wet body with their hands. Rodney relaxed under the soft ministrations. His mind reacted when the women came even closer and used their own bodies to massage his tired muscles. He should object but he couldn't. His head no longer had any control over his aroused body. The smell of the vapours was so sweet.

The first time they cut him, he registered it in the back of his mind. That was pain, hidden in all the softness and arousal. The women had attached long and thin sharp knives to their fingers, using these now to cut Rodney. The cuts were not deep or long, and would have had no greater effect on him than a paper cut. But the continued assault on his body, the ecstasy combined with the pain of more and more cuts seemed to bring Rodney to a higher state. Instead of resisting the pain, he craved it more and more.

'Yes, more. Cut . . . more.' He whispered, his eyes closed. And the women gave him what he wanted, more and more.

TBC