How to Save A Life

by The Watch Stander

Many thanks to everyone! I'm so glad people are still reading this. Since we have Fay here today I have lots of time to type away, so here's another chapter of whump! Let me know what you think.

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Chapter 10 - Paying The Price

Carson was surprised by the number of beds that were crammed into one building. There were mostly men in these beds and some of the patients were being tended by women acting as nurses.

Turi nodded to the women he passed as he led Carson to a far bed against a wall. On it lie a young man not much older than Turi. He had similar features, however he was pale and sickly looking. Others in the surrounding beds had the same sickly appearance. Whatever the disease was it seemed to have decimated the number of males in the village.

Carson looked at the young man as he sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I'm a doctor and I've come to help your people. I'll need to examine you, if you don't mind."

Cerwin looked over Carson's shoulder and saw Turi nod. Ailee was beside him smiling.

"All right." Cerwin agreed, if his family members were saying it was ok, than it must be.

Carson opened his pack and pulled out his trusty stethoscope. Without the tools of Atlantis he would be working blind, but he could still check for symptoms and ask a few simple questions.

An hour later he had finished examining Turi's brother and also a few other men from beds nearby. All seemed to have the same symptoms. Loss of appetite, nausea and headaches. These symptoms were eventually followed by hallucinations, coma then death. The women taking care of the patients supplied the latter information when Carson questioned them.

Turi watched as the doctor had checked each patient carefully. He was gentle and caring in his approach to them, taking time to speak with each patient while trying to put them at ease before examining them.

Earlier the women had brought the three of them drinks and bread as refreshments. Carson drank the liquid, but hadn't touched the bread, being too deeply involved in examining his patients. Beckett found the symptoms unusual and not appearing to come from a virus. They were also disturbingly familiar and he would need Rodney's energy scanner re-calibrated to confirm his diagnosis. If it did, they would need to find the source of the problem.

Carson rubbed his eyes with his hands, his headache was back in full force. Way beyond tired, he still got to his feet, determined to find the cause of this so called disease. Sighing tiredly, he put his stethoscope away, gently recovered the patient and looked at Turi.

"I'll need to talk to Rodney. He has a scanner that can help in diagnosing the disease. If it's what I think it is, then you have a major problem."

Turi looked at the exhausted man before him. Here was a stranger that was willing to help them and they had done nothing but treat him badly from the very beginning. He felt ashamed of his behavior. Of all of them, Ailee was the only one who had treated this man with kindness.

"Whatever you need will be done," was all he could say.

"Aye, then lets go see if my friend is awake, we're going to need his help."

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Rodney tried to reason with the man questioning him as best he could, but the constant blows made his head and body throb with renewed pain and it was getting harder to stay conscious, never mind think. Blood flowed freely down the back of his throat and made him choke as he tried to speak.

"I told you, we've never been here before..." he managed to get out before cringing, waiting for the next blow to fall.

Jerin looked at the bloody face of the injured scientist. This man wasn't a soldier, he was soft and should have told them everything by now. Something wasn't right, but he decided to continue the questioning, not wanting to be wrong again. His hatred for this man and the others like him smouldered inside him. It made Jerin want to strike out, the liquor giving him courage to allow the beating to go on. There would be no compassion shown, for his village hadn't received any.

"Let us continue...why did you come here?" Jerin asked again.

McKay hated that voice. He was well beyond caring what they did to him, just wanting it to end. Waves of pain continued to wrack his body and he knew he would pass out soon. Then nothing would hurt anymore.

Instead of answering, he coughed up more blood and shook his head. The next blow took him in the gut and brought excruciating pain to his already injured ribs. Flashes of light tinged his vison causing it to blur. Falling off the chair, he curled into a ball on the floor whimpering in pain. It felt like forever before he could open his eyes again. The first thing he saw was a pair of brown boots walking into his line of sight.

Jerin was beyond angry, not getting the answers he wanted was making him livid. He walked over and suddenly kicked Rodney in the side as the helpless man lay before him. Rodney cried out in agony as knife like pains shot through his insides. It felt like he was dying...

Furious at the lack of response, Jerin was about to do it again when a voice shouted for him to stop.

"Father! Stop! You'll kill him!" Turi entered the room and ran to his father, grabbing his arm to prevent him from kicking the fallen man. "We need him to help find the cure!"

When they had returned to the house and found the scientist missing, Turi had questioned the guards and found out where he'd been taken. Fearing the worst he had run all the way over here.

Carson suddenly came into the room and was horrified by the scene before him. Rodney was lying on the floor, covered in blood and whimpering in pain.

"Bloody hell! What have you done to him!" he yelled out angrily.

When he started to go to his friend, one of the goons grabbed Beckett and struck him a glancing blow on the head, almost knocking him over. Carson might be shorter than his adversary, but he was strong and pissed. He struck back with a right cross that decked the guard.

When the other guard started to come at him, Carson was ready, "Don't even try it !" he said threateningly, ready to take him on as well.

Turi shouted at the guard, "Leave him alone!"

The man backed off.

Carson quickly kneeledby McKay and gently gathered his friend's upper torso into his arms. The doctor's left arm supported his friend's head and shoulders as Rodney's body shook from the trauma it'd been through.

"Easy, Lad, no one's going to hurt you again," The doctor said soothingly trying to reassure the injured man that he was safe.

Carson's heart was pounding, the adrenaline in his system was slowly dissipating, but fear for Rodney was still present.

Bloody, bruised and barely conscious, Rodney's body trembled from waves of pain. Hearing Carson's voice, he buried his face in the doctor's jacket, wanting the comfort and privacy it provided. He hated appearing weak, but was in too much pain to care. The jacket soon became covered with blood that flowed freely from his mouth and nose.

Beckett held McKay closer rubbing his back with his hand to offer comfort. He was furious as he looked up from his injured friend and stared daggers at the men surrounding him.

" He was already badly hurt!... What's wrong with yee?... Ye're worse than bloody animals!" When his Scottish ire was up, his accent thickened.

Jerin indignantly shook off his son's hold on his arm, "He refused to answer my questions!"

Carson looked at him angrily, "What bloody questions?... That's nay an excuse to use him as a punching bag! ...Why didn't ye ask me! "

"You weren't here!" Jerin snarled in reply.

"You're bloody well lucky I wasn't or you'd not be standing there in one piece!"

Turi knowing this would end badly, intervened. "You can talk later, we need to get your friend back to the house. I'll help you."

Carson took a deep breath, "Aye, let's go... Be careful with him... They've injured his ribs again."

Turi took one of McKay's arms across his shoulders and Carson took the other. Together they had to drag McKay out of the room as the man was nearly unconscious and barely able to find his feet. Just before they arrived at the house Rodney passed out and they were forced to carry him the rest of the way.

Ailee was waiting for them inside and cried out when she saw Rodney's blood covered face.

"No... who hurt him?"

"Not now, Ailee! We need water and fresh bandages, go get them!" Turi yelled at her.

She took one more look, then left quickly. Clearly upset, she still followed her brother's orders just the same.

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