How To Save A Life
by The Watch Stander
An: Thank you to everyone! Your kind reviews have made this a joy to write. This will only have a few more chapters and then it's on to another adventure. I'll try to have this done this week.
Chapter 14 - Salvation
Carson and Sheppard were led to where the sick were housed and once again the doctor was confronted by faces looking up at him for some measure of hope that their family member would be cured. Turi was there sitting with his brother and he had a slight smile on his face when he saw Carson enter.
"You came back!"
"Aye, I told you I would come back to help." Carson said softly, then took a deep breath, "Have you news of Rodney?"
Turi shook his head, but his eyes said something different. Carson wondered what he was concealing and hoped it wasn't bad news.
John watched the interaction between the two men, wondering what was being left unsaid. He still had to come up with a plan to find Rodney, but first needed to get an idea of what he was up against. The guards who had brought them here were in the room, but had fanned out along the walls where they could watch them.
Three of the men suddenly left the room, leaving just two behind to guard them.
Now would be a good time to take a scan, so John took out the adjusted scanner and walked over to a patient and pretended to check him with it. Unfortunately there was no signal. Rodney's transponder wasn't showing up. John flipped a switch on the scanner and his and Carson's transponder showed on the screen, but not Rodney's.
Carson noticed what Sheppard was doing and was disappointed when John shook his head slightly indicating no luck.
The doctor turned back to Turi, "Well, let's get started. I'll give the medication to your brother first, then we'll go down each row, that way no one gets left out."
John helped by taking out the supplies, being careful to leave the stunner inside the small case where it would be out of eyeshot. It was too soon to hope for results in locating McKay, but he knew that time was not their friend. Rodney's life was at stake and time was of the essence in finding him.
As they made their way down the rows of patients one by one, Carson would give each patient a pill or a shot and then talk softly to the family that was there, giving further instructions on how to care for the patient. Many of the families thanked him, even hugged him when he gave them news of their family member's condition and that they would survive.
John thought Beckett was the best doctor he'd ever met. His kindness toward these people was above and beyond the call, especially after what he and Rodney had gone through. Sheppard wasn't sure he would be so forgiving if it had happened to him.
They had just started down the third row when a little girl came running in and quickly went to Carson.
" Carson, you're back!" She immediately hugged him.
She seemed so relived to see him it made both John and Carson smile.
"Lass, what is it you need? I can't believe this is all for me?" Carson disentangled himself so that he could look at her face.
"Ailee, Lass, what is it?" Carson asked, when he saw the upset look on the little girl's face.
"A man has fallen in the field and can't be moved! One of you must come to help!" She looked from him to John and then at her brother.
Turi came up beside Carson, "One of you go, I'll stay here and help give out the medicine."
Carson saw that same look on Turi's face that he wanted to say more, but couldn't, as they were within earshot of one of the guards.
"All right. Sheppard, go with Ailee and see what you can do to help." Carson looked at John and then tapped his ear with one finger, "Just let me know what you find."
John caught on and nodded, knowing the radios had been carefully concealed in the cases with the bandages where no one had discovered them. He picked up the bag that held his radio and stunner, then quickly left with Ailee.
Carson watched him go and then turned his attention back to his patient. He would put his radio earpiece on in a few minutes pretending it was part of his medical equipment and hoped no one would be the wiser.
Turi looked at him, "I hope they get there in time," was all he said as he turned away.
Carson wished it as well . . .
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John followed Ailee out of the house and down the road toward the fields that he had walked by earlier when coming from the gate. Once they were out of sight of the house the little girl slowed down and walked along beside him.
"I know where McKay is. When my father's men took him from his bed, I followed them. I came back and told my brother, but he and my father had argued and Turi was being watched. When we heard that two of you had returned we decided the story of an injured man in the fields would be a good way to take one of you to where he is."
John smiled at her, clearly worried by what he remembered Carson telling him about Rodney's injuries. "That's great news, hopefully he's still alive and we get to him in time."
Ailee looked stricken, "Please, I don't want him to die!"
Sheppard immediately wished he had phrased that better, "I'm sorry! Look, Rodney's stubborn, he won't give up that easily. He's been in worse situations."
"He can't die, he and Carson have done nothing wrong, I won't let them hurt him again!"
She was obviously still upset over all that had happened to the two men. It made John smile slightly, knowing Rodney had won the little girl over so that even she was ready to protect him. It amazed him sometimes how people just liked and accepted McKay the way he was.
"We'd better go, or someone may get wise and come after us. You lead the way and I'll explain my plan as we walk." He smiled at her and was gratified when she smiled back.
Now if everything else were so easy . . .
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Rodney heard distant voices, but when he tried to open his eyes, he found nothing but darkness surrounding him. His mind grappled with all that had happened as his memory slowly returned.
Dumped here by two men, then left behind. I wonder if they are coming back to finish the job . . .
Every inch of him hurt, but he was beyond caring, only wishing that it would be over soon. Darkness called to him again and he felt himself falling.
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Sheppard followed Ailee down the winding tunnel of the mine as she held a lit torch showing the way. He had the stun weapon in hand ready to use it if they found anyone there guarding McKay. He didn't know whether he'd find Rodney dead or alive, but somehow he had to get ready to deal with either scenario. It still left him with a knife twisting inside him.
Carson had told him about Rodney being injured, but he wasn't prepared for what he found on the ground, just at the end of the tunnel.
A grey lump, wrapped in tattered clothes and bloody bandages lay beside a small pool of blood.
"McKay!"
John wasted no time in quickly kneeling beside Rodney and checking his neck for a pulse. It was weak, but there.
The fear that had been inside John moments before seemed to abate as he realized that his friend was still alive. Carefully he turned the injured man over. Then after checking his injuries, pulled out a medical wipe from the case and carefully cleaned off McKay's bloody face. The bruising from the beating was starting to turn black and blue, but the blood that was pooled beside him worried John. It meant there were internal injuries and bleeding.
Ailee had looked on wide eyed waiting for John to say something."Is he all right?" she finally asked.
"He needs help." John reached inside the case and pulled out the radio. He handed it up to her.
" Remember what I told you earlier?"
She nodded. "Yes."
John stood up and after searching the walls found another torch. He used Ailee's to light it then handed it back to her.
"Good, take this radio outside and push this button three times."
She nodded then left to follow the instructions he had given her on the way here.
Once more he kneeled down next to McKay, who lay still as death. Using a bandage with water from the canteen, he wiped it across the injured man's face. The cold water made McKay's face twitch slightly making John smile in relief. He used more water and finally Rodney showed signs of waking.
As Rodney came to he started to cough and blood appeared on his lips. John carefully sat the scientist up, leaning him against his shoulder while holding the canteen in front of McKay's face.
Everything was hazy at first and then Rodney felt the warmth of an arm around his back and realized someone was with him. Thinking it was Carson, he opened his eyes and for a moment thought he was dreaming when John's face swam before him.
A sudden coughing fit and the taste of blood in his mouth afterwards made him realize this wasn't a dream. The coughing weakened him and his whole body began to shake.
"Here, McKay, take a drink and rinse out your mouth..." John held the canteen to the man's lips, who did as asked, then spat out the water to the side.
"Better?" Sheppard asked as he supported Rodney, holding the trembling man a little tighter against his shoulder.
The scientist could only nod, then took another sip from the canteen. Finally he was able to talk....his breath coming in small gasps, "You came...."
John smiled, "Of course! Did you think that I wouldn't?"
Rodney, looking down, shook his head, talking was painful, every breath he took set his chest on fire.
"No, ... wasn't sure you'd find us..." Suddenly he gasped, his
blue eyes widening in fear as he frantically looked up at John, "Carson! You have to find Carson!"
"Easy, who do you think brought me here? Carson came through the gate and told us everything that had happened. He's down in the village helping with the sick."
John tried to calm him, not liking the paleness of Rodney's face or the traces of blood that kept reappearing on his lips when he talked.
Rodney looked at him sadly as he comprehended what Sheppard had just said.
"Why didn't Carson come for me sooner?" His voice shook showing the hurt of knowing that he had been left here alone for so long.
Sheppard tried to lighten the mood," Maybe because you forgot to leave a forwarding address and a new phone number."
"What?", McKay eyes widened, then he looked at John as if the man had lost his mind.
Sheppard felt guilty for teasing him, "Never mind, we need to get you out of here."
Rodney slowly leaned heavily against John's chest, grabbing a fistful of the pilot's coat as if to fight off a sudden pain, "Wish I could, ... don't think I can move... I tried, even crawled." His voice was barely above a whisper, showing just how weak he was becoming.
Sheppard sighed as he looked down at McKay, "I know you did....", he didn't get to finish as he could hear the sound of voices coming down the tunnel.
"Colonel Sheppard!" a voice called out.
John turned and shouted back, "Down here, Lorne."
Earlier when John and Carson had come through the stargate, a cloaked
Jumper flown by Lorne had followed. The Major had landed it near the hills with orders to wait for Sheppard's signal. John had explained his plan to Ailee on the way to the mine. She had used the radio to send the signal from outside the mine where there wasn't any interference.
"Hang on, Rodney, the calvary's here . . . " John started to say, but when he looked down at McKay, he found him unconscious, face pale and sweaty and the scientist was having trouble breathing.
John called out again, "Hurry!"
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