bonus chapter because it's a weekend, woohoo!
.
Chapter 10
.
John kept his eyes closed as he heard the door creak open. He knew it was Sunday and so didn't have to worry about any further injury to his already overtaxed body. He felt his chains being undone, though they always left the cuffs on, and then footsteps walk away. He still didn't open his eyes. He wasn't sure he had the strength.
His body sagged without the chains holding him up and he just allowed himself to slide to the side and lay there for a short time. He had nowhere else to go. It had been the same every Sunday for the past … how long had it been? He'd have to count the marks in the outer room; once he got up the energy to actually drag himself out there.
He had to admit it wasn't his favorite place to go though. It's where he was routinely beaten and degraded and forced to acknowledge that he was living a daily hell and there probably was no end in sight. That thought alone, that no rescue was coming, made him want to curl up and just stop breathing.
But every time he contemplated that, he would hear Teyla's voice calling to him, encouraging him to hold on, to stay with her and Torren, to keep living. And only for her was he willing to do that. There was no other reason. No one else even knew he was alive. And somewhere in the back of his head, though he'd never actually admit it, he was aware that Teyla didn't even know.
He cracked his eyes open slowly so they could adjust to the light, dim as it was, at their own pace. He didn't need to rush things today as there would be no rough hands grabbing at him to make him use the damn machine that he couldn't figure out how to work. And no being chained up to the overhead beam so Athena could 'play' with him. He had the whole day to himself.
He knew he shouldn't just lie here on the cold stone floor, though there wasn't anything softer in the outer room either. But there was a toilet and water and hopefully some sort of soup, if history repeated itself. His stomach had stopped growling though months ago. It seemed to have resigned itself to the tiny bowl of mush he got every day, if he had the strength to actually reach for it. Often times he didn't.
He pushed on his hands to sit upright and allowed his head to stop spinning. Movement wasn't always a good thing. But today was also the day he liked to try and regain some of his strength. Twenty-three hours a day of being chained to a wall wasn't real good on the muscles. He was able to move his legs but with the angle his hands were chained to the wall, there weren't a whole lot of other body parts he could move comfortably.
He started to rise and had to lean against the wall until his legs would hold him. The left leg was still weak and he hoped it wasn't permanently damaged. He suspected it had been broken during the first week here but Medusa had focused on it more than a few times when she brought out the wooden stick. Tuesday; beating.
He managed to hobble the few feet of his dingy little cell then stopped to take a breath in the doorway. The room wasn't any bigger than a Queen sized bed. Good thing he wasn't claustrophobic, though he wondered if he was starting to develop that specific fear.
He looked into the larger room and saw his bowl sitting on the floor in the middle. Now that he knew it wouldn't be taken away from him for quite a while, he didn't rush to eat it. But he did walk to it and ease himself gently to the floor and pick up the bowl. It was still warm.
He tipped the bowl up to his face and took a sip. Mmm, pure heaven. Well maybe not heaven but it actually had a tiny bit of flavor in it. Today was a chicken noodle soup though there were less than a handful of noodles and maybe two pieces of chicken. But he'd take whatever he could get. It was better than watery mush.
He drank the broth slow then took his time chewing the noodles and chicken knowing he wouldn't get the opportunity to chew anything again until next week. This reminded him that he needed to check how long he had been here. He used to be able to keep that in his head but with the constant torture and light deprivation and solitude, his mind often got confused and it was hard to recall.
He groaned as he struggled to his feet and placed the bowl in the sink. He'd make sure to drink as much water as he could today. Too much of it though, he'd found, caused his stomach to revolt but today he had a toilet to use for much of the day and as long as he stopped drinking it a few hours before they came back in, he should be okay. It wasn't something he wanted to do while he was chained to the wall. He had a feeling the water wasn't exactly filtered or clean but unless he wanted to be completely dehydrated, more so than he knew he already was, he needed to put some fluids inside him. Unfortunately this water seemed to have the effect of taking it right back out of him as well.
John reached inside the toilet tank and grabbed the small piece of metal he had been using to carve marks on the cinder block wall. He'd thought about trying to stab it into one of the guards but knew the other would simply knock him down and then he'd be in for even more abuse at their hands. And he knew Guido sure did like to use his hands.
He counted the lines, three rows of four then one more row started underneath. He dug the metal into the wall and started on the fourteenth mark. Fourteen weeks; three and a half months; a quarter of a year. So much of his life wasted sitting in this stinking hell hole being abused and tormented and just barely kept alive. And not so much as a freakin' X-Box to keep him occupied.
He started to laugh when he thought of what he'd just been thinking. But he knew if he gave in to the laughter he might not stop and then he'd be so far over the edge he might not come back from it. He wasn't sure he hadn't already reached that point. But the fact that he could actually still think enough to make a mark in the wall assured him he still had a tiny sliver of sanity left. He'd cling to that as long as he could.
Once done, he replaced the metal piece and started his walk around the room. At first he had to keep one hand on the wall for support but he found as he continued, his legs got stronger and managed to hold him and he could even move a little faster. Every four laps he would stop and do a few wall push-ups. Then after ten he would do a few other exercises from his basic training.
By twenty, the tainted water would have kicked in and he'd have to stop and use the toilet. That usually drained him and he lowered himself to the ground to actually try and get some rest while stretched out and horizontal.
As he lay there with his face pressed to the cold stone, his thoughts returned once more to his predicament. He tried to be positive but reviewing it he knew there wasn't much to be positive about. He was being held by a bunch of snake infested aliens and chained to a wall for most of the day. During the short time he wasn't there, he was being tortured, mentally and physically.
The small amount of food they allowed him barely kept him alive and certainly didn't give him enough strength to actually overpower anyone never mind all of them. And he had certainly tried, far too many times. The resulting beatings had been worse than some of the torture.
It was a relief to recline on his stomach and allow his back a reprieve from anything brushing against it. It never actually got a chance to heal before Monday came again and he had new added to the old. But the pain had become such a part of him that he almost didn't feel it anymore. Almost.
He rested his head on his arms, closed his eyes and tried to push away the despair and desolation that ripped through his gut and threatened to overwhelm him at times. He drifted into a land of his creation, though more and more he thought that staying there would be a much better option. There he could do what he wanted and he had Teyla and Torren and even occasionally his brother and his family. And they all got along and he and Teyla were together. It was the perfect life. Yes, there was no reason to ever come back. That thought became stronger every time he went there.
.
.
Sweat dripped from his forehead into his eyes as his feet pounded against the ground. He lifted his hand and brushed at it with the black sweatband on his wrist. Just a short distance to go and he'd be home.
He jogged up the short driveway and saw Teyla standing in the doorway waiting for him, her morning cup of tea in her hand. Her hair was damp from her recent shower and he could hear TJ zooming some cars around behind her somewhere. His lips formed a huge grin at the scene.
She opened the door for him and he paused long enough to give her a quick kiss. "Good morning, John. Did you have a good run?"
John nodded as he walked past her and headed to the kitchen. "Yeah, I went for a little longer than usual but I've been slacking off lately and wanted to get my endurance up again. But now I really need a shower. I'm a bit rank."
Teyla walked up behind him as he stuck his head under the faucet and swallowed a long swig of water. He heard Teyla chuckle at his action.
"You know, John, there is this device called a cup that is very useful when trying to procure liquid and bring it to your mouth."
John straightened up and wiped the back of his hand across his wet lips. His eyes narrowed at her and his lips pursed. "Really," he snorted back at her. "I'll have to try it sometime."
"You must teach your son of this as well. He has gotten into the habit of using the hose in the backyard for quenching his thirst. I am wondering where he learned that habit from."
John's eyes got wide in innocence and he shrugged. "No idea, Teyla." But the twinkle in his eyes gave away the answer.
"Dada, home!" Torren yelled and came galloping into the room to throw his arms around John's legs. John reached down and scooped up the toddler.
"Hey Pal, you being good for Mommy while I was out running?"
TJ held up the little car he had been playing with and ran it over John's shoulder then up the side of his face with a "Vroom, vroom!"
"Good enough answer," John chuckled then added. "Okay, well you continue to play with your car, Daddy has to go and take a shower. I stink!"
Torren made a face and held his nose and shook his head. John lowered him to the floor then moved closer to Teyla. "Too bad you already took your shower. We could have shared and saved some water."
Teyla blushed and pushed at his damp chest, allowing her hands to linger a bit longer than typical. "But when that happens, we usually spend even more time in there but get much less washing done."
John leaned in to nip at her lips and gave her a wink. "But it's a lot of fun, isn't it?"
Teyla just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Go and take a quick shower. I will put some sausage on to cook. And if you take too long you know they will be burned so I suggest you do not linger."
He did know. Teyla was always willing to cook and her efforts were much appreciated however she still hadn't gotten the knack for making food edible. "I'll be quick."
And he was true to his word and managed to save the sausage and even add some eggs to be ready at the same time. He dished up the food and brought it to the table as Teyla set a bowl of cut fruit on it as well. Torren wandered over at Teyla's call and John set him in his booster seat and pushed him closer to the table.
"You have to put the car down to eat, though, Pal," John instructed the child who pouted but set the toy vehicle beside his plate.
John scraped some eggs into it and then shared the rest between the other two plates. He pulled a sausage off the serving dish, cut it into very small pieces and then put them on Torren's plate beside his eggs. Torren picked up his spoon and then used his fingers to place the sausage onto it. Then the spoon went into his mouth.
John and Teyla merely looked at each other and laughed. Torren understood the concept of using utensils but still hadn't quite gotten the proper way to get food onto them. It reminded John of when Ronon first came to Atlantis after being on the run for so many years.
The thought of Ronon brought a bit of an uncomfortable feeling to John and he couldn't figure it out. Was he real or only pretending to be his friend? Images of someone talking to him while he lay in a hospital bed floated through his mind and again there was an awkward feeling inside his stomach. He didn't understand it and didn't want to try and analyze it.
He looked over at Teyla and knew she was real and so he focused on her, and on his son chewing his sausage happily. John dug into his own food and chatted with Teyla until they had all finished with their meal. A quick clean up and they were ready for the day. And he knew it would be a good one; they'd be spending it together.
They drove out to a nearby park and Torren immediately squealed when he saw the swing set and slides. John had barely gotten him out of his car seat when the child took off running in that direction. John quickly caught up with him and scooped his squirming body up into his arms.
"Listen, TJ," John warned sternly but in a soft, caring voice, "You know what the rules are when we come here, right? No running off without Mommy or Daddy or we can't stay here. You remember?"
Torren gave a pout and his eyes filled with tears. He nodded his head and wrapped his arms around John's neck. Seeing the boy sad like this always broke his heart. He squeezed the child tight to him and kissed his damp cheek.
"Hey, I'm not mad at you, Pal. I just wouldn't want anything to happen to you. You and Mommy are the most important people in my life and I would be so sad if anything happened to you. I don't want to see you hurt. I love you very much."
John kissed his cheek again and Torren pulled his head up and said, "Luh you, Dada."
"I know you love me too, TJ," John replied and Torren now kissed his cheek. John put him on the ground and said, "Come on, I'll race you to the swings."
The boy perked up and started pumping his chubby little legs in the direction of the swings. John allowed him to win and once they got there picked him up and put him inside the toddler swing with the safety straps. He made sure the buckle was snug enough then set the swing in motion.
Teyla finally caught up with them, having carried a backpack with supplies along. She saw her son going up and down and when he realized she was there cried out, "Mama! Wee!"
Her smile grew large and she waved at the boy. She dropped the bag on the ground then stood near John, linking her arm in his, the one that wasn't pushing Torren on the swing.
They stayed that way for a while, John leaning down to steal a kiss from Teyla every few pushes. She finally understood his pattern and was ready with her upturned face when he leaned down.
After a while, John pointed to the other swings and suggested, "Teyla, why don't you have a swing, too?"
"I am not sure I will fit in those, John. They are made for children, are they not?"
"These are industrial strength swings because they're in a public place and need to be heavy duty. Besides you can't weight more than some of these kids I've seen here. And this," and he squeezed her butt cheek, "may be nicely rounded but it's not huge."
Teyla gave a quirky smile and sauntered to the next swing that wasn't for toddlers. She sat on it and adjusted herself to be comfortable. She pushed her feet back a short distance then picked them up to sway back and forth a few times.
"You need to start pumping to get yourself really going high," John told her but she looked confused.
"Pumping? I do not know what this means."
"It means you need to pump your legs back and forth to get momentum going," John instructed.
Teyla tried a few times but couldn't quite get the hang of it so John gave TJ one very high push then sat on a swing next to Teyla's.
"Watch me. When you swing forward you extend your legs and lean back but then when you swing back, you need to lean a bit forward and bend your knees."
He showed her a few times and she copied his movements becoming better at it as she felt herself rise higher. But Torren had slowed down and wasn't having any of this swinging by his parents if he wasn't going anywhere. And he didn't know how to pump either and was much too young to understand the process.
"Dada! Wee!" Torren yelled fiercely.
John slipped off his swing and walked back to give the child a serious look. "How about you ask please?"
Torren put on his cutest face and let his eyes twinkle as he said, "Pease Dada. Wee!"
John laughed at the charm this little boy had already learned how to use on his parents and others. He'd seen him do it so many times. He knew he'd be a real problem when he was sixteen and starting to like the girls.
John smiled at him and gave him another push to get him going again. Then he stood and watched as Teyla and Torren glided side by side. Teyla had really gotten the hang of pumping and was flying very high. He loved watching the expression on her face as the wind blew past her and pulled a few strands from her ponytail. She looked like she was seventeen.
Times like this made John so glad for everything he had. This family of his made him so happy and he could think of nothing better than spending the rest of his life just being with them doing little things like swinging.
But Torren soon became restless buckled into the swing and yelled," Dada, do side?" Then he looked at John's face and remembered to add, "Peeeeease!"
"Sure, TJ, we can go on the slide."
John unbuckled the child and Teyla stopped swinging as well. They grabbed the bag and walked to where there were a variety of slides. John chose the smallest one and set Torren at the top.
"Now you need to stay sitting when you're on this, remember, or you could fall and get hurt. And you know I don't want you to get hurt."
"Luh me!" Torren called out and patted his own chest.
John chuckled and pressed a kiss to the boy's head. "Yes, Mommy and I both love you."
Torren looked at Teyla and yelled out, "Mama luh me!"
Teyla's wide smile lit up her face and her eyes sparkled with delight. "Yes, sweetheart, I love you very much."
"Dada, side?" Torren looked at John now indicating he was ready to go down.
John nodded and said, "Sure, Pal. Mommy will catch you okay?"
Teyla knelt at the bottom of the slide with her hands ready for her son and John let go, though his hands followed the boy the whole way down. The squeals coming from his mouth let them know he had enjoyed it. He pulled from his mother's grasp and jumped up and down and ran back to where the ladder was to climb back up.
"Side aden, Dada?" Torren asked and John nodded and scooped to deposit him back at the top.
This went on for some time with Torren wanting to go on the bigger slides. They allowed him to but only if he went on with an adult. So John and Teyla took turns climbing up the higher slides and racing down them with the child in their laps.
The highest one Teyla made John go on and as they sat at the top, Torren looked both scared and excited. John held him tight in his arm and whispered into his ear, "This one's gonna be like flying, TJ!"
Torren's eyes opened wider than John thought they could go and he almost quivered with anticipation. "We fy, Dada?"
"Well, as close as we can get without having an aircraft, Pal. You ready to go?"
The dark curls shook as the little head bobbed up and down. John pulled his arm a bit tighter and wiggled to get his hips past the railings at the top and let gravity pull them down. Torren let out another shriek of glee and John gave a little whoop himself. Teyla waited at the bottom, her eyes alight with merriment as she watched her two boys relishing the activity.
"Mama, we fy!" Torren exclaimed as John stood up and deposited the child on the ground. His eyes were as round as a ball.
"Yes," Teyla acknowledged indulgently. "I see that you did. But then your Daddy loves to fly. Perhaps you two could use a break from all this excitement to have a little lunch."
John nodded and they moved to a grassy area and settled down onto a blanket Teyla had packed in the backpack. Containers of food were passed around and soon John was patting his stomach and groaning.
"I may need to go for another run after that. I'm gonna start getting fat with the amount of food you keep giving me."
"Did you not say you wished to hike down to the lake today from here?" Teyla questioned as John reclined on the blanket and closed his eyes.
"Mmm," John murmured back. "You better get me going on that before I fall asleep right here though."
"Torren," Teyla instructed the toddler. "You need to wake Daddy up so we can go on a walk through the woods to the lake."
Torren needed no further directive. He hopped over to John and tapped on his belly. "Wate up, Dada!"
John bolted upright and grabbed the little boy around the waist and blew a big raspberry into his neck. Teyla just sighed with happiness at their antics and began to clean up and repack their lunch. Soon they had Torren tucked into a carrier and strapped to John's back. They knew he loved to walk now that he could but at fifteen months they also knew there was only so much hiking this child could manage. And the lake was over a mile away.
And sure enough by the time they had reached the sparkling water, Torren was out cold. John carefully settled himself on a large outcropping of rocks that overlooked the lake and pulled Teyla to sit in between his legs once she had removed the back pack she had carried.
"I'm guessing this will replace his afternoon nap," John said as he wrapped his arms around Teyla and pressed his lips to her exposed neck. He couldn't move too much or he would dislodge Torren from his comfortable position on John's back.
Teyla relaxed against John's chest. "Hmm, as long as we have a few minutes to sit here and enjoy the view and each other, I will not complain. I love our son but I also very much cherish the time we have together, just you and me."
"Me, too," John agreed and they lapsed into silence appreciating the serene scene and the comfort of each other.
John couldn't believe how lucky he was to be here with them both. It was better than anything else he'd ever experienced. He wanted to stay here forever. At that thought a pleasant smile crossed his handsome features.
.
"Why is he smiling again?" Guido asked as he and Bruno hoisted him from the cold, stone floor and dragged him to his cell.
Athena hovered and her smile was twisted. "I have a feeling we are slowly losing him to mental instability. Perhaps too many days of being alone and in the dark have finally driven him to lose his mind. If that is the case then he will be no good to me in using the Ancient device. But my next phase is just about ready. We will need to begin with that tomorrow."
She looked around the tiny cell one last time as Sheppard was chained to the wall. He hadn't even attempted to escape or thrown any insults at them. His eyes were blank and the little smile that had been playing around on his lips when they came in was still there. He had looked that way more and more lately. Yes, it was definitely time to use Colonel Sheppard for the other reason she had taken him.
.
.
"Mr. Sheppard, there's a woman on the phone who says it's urgent she speak with you. She says she knows your brother, John."
David listened to his secretary's words over his intercom and wondered if it might be Teyla inviting him and the family to the Nantucket cottage. That would be nice. The Fourth of July holiday had just passed and so the crowds from that would be less. He wondered how she was coping. Hopefully better than he had been. His guilt at not communicating with his brother more was still eating away at him.
"Put her through, Carol," he instructed and picked up the phone.
"David Sheppard, here," he said and waited for her reply.
"Mr. Sheppard, my name is Athena and I have a little proposition for you that I'm sure you'll be interested in."
David sighed hoping it wasn't some gold digger claiming to have had John's baby. He knew there were tons of people out there that saw someone rich had died and tried to profit from it. But it hadn't been highly publicized that John had been stationed out of the country for over six years. That might come as a surprise to this woman and negate any claim she had.
"Miss … Athena, my secretary told me you were a friend a John's. What can I do for you?"
"Actually it's what I can do for you. In the next few days you will be contacted by a firm that will offer to buy out Sheppard Industries. You will happily do so and be relieved of the incredible pressure of running a company that size. We will leave you with a few of your smaller subsidiaries but we want all your power companies and access to the entire power grid that you control." Then she named a pitiful amount stating that he would gladly accept the offer.
"Are you crazy, lady?" David almost shouted into the phone. No one in their right mind would sell a company for that amount or give up their biggest money maker. "Why would you even think I would consider that?"
"Because I have something I think you'll want even more," Athena replied. "Check your e-mail, Mr. Sheppard. You'll find a link to a live feed and you might want to check it out while we're discussing business."
Dave did as asked though he really just felt like hanging up on this nutcase. Sure enough he had a new e-mail from someone named Athena and he clicked on the link to see a video of a very dark room.
"Now bear with me, Mr. Sheppard," Athena continued over the phone. "And you'll soon see what I'm offering."
Dave clicked a few keys and turned on his automatic screen capture program. He figured he better just to have proof of whatever this lady thought she had over him. He wasn't too concerned. He always filled out his taxes correctly and he didn't cheat on his wife. Heck, he even made sure to pay any parking tickets he had.
A bright light suddenly turned on in the video and he saw a very small room with cinderblock walls. As the light moved across, he saw a figure chained to the wall. His feet were bare and his head was hanging down, his shaggy hair hiding his face from the camera. Dave could see bloody wounds surrounding the cuffs on the poor person's wrists and his clothes were disheveled and torn in spots.
"Who is that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. But as she continued talking he remembered Carol had said she claimed to be a friend of John's. But it couldn't be! John was dead.
"In exchange for your complete cooperation I will be more than happy to reunite you with your brother."
And now a female hand reached into the viewing area and grabbed hold of the shaggy hair and pulled up to show the prisoner's face. The skin was covered in bruises, lips split and swollen, months' worth of facial hair and sunken cheeks and eyes. But there was no doubt; it was John!
"John!" the exclamation escaped from his mouth before he could stop it. This wasn't right. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, lady, but my brother died over three months ago."
"Yes, that is what you were made to believe and truthfully the military certainly believed it to be true. But I managed to rescue Colonel Sheppard right before the explosion and he has been my guest ever since then. But I'm willing to trade him back to you for your cooperation. What do you say, Mr. Sheppard? Do we have a deal?"
Dave wasn't sure he could even breathe never mind respond to this woman. Could this really be John? It sure as heck looked like him but maybe it was some video taken years ago when he was in Afghanistan.
"How do I know this is really my brother and you aren't just using old footage of him?" Dave demanded.
"Fair question. I will let you speak with him. You may ask him something that only the two of you would know."
Dave saw the female hand put a cell phone up to the prisoner's ear. "Colonel Sheppard, your brother wishes to speak with you."
Dave watched as John struggled to hold his head up and his eyes were vacant and bewildered. It made him wonder exactly what he had endured the past three and a half months. His stomach rebelled at the very thought. John poked his tongue out of his mouth and tried to moisten the dry, cracked lips then croaked softly, "Dave."
"Oh, God, John!" Dave cried out when he heard his brother's voice over the phone and on the computer speakers. "John."
He had to stop, his emotions were riding so high but he knew he needed to ensure this was really his little brother. He swallowed hard and continued, "John, I need to know this is really you. What did I give you for your tenth birthday? Do you remember?"
John's head lifted a bit higher, his eyes drifted off in remembrance and his mouth curved into a crooked grin, there was no doubting that grin but Dave waited for his answer.
The tongue poked out again and he dryly chuckled, "A broken arm. You gave me a … broken arm and a … day at the hospital. Never … wanted a piggy back ride … from you again."
Dave felt moisture well up in his eyes and before he knew it he could feel tears streaming down his face. "John," he cried out sorrowfully. "I am so sorry."
John's mouth crooked into a bigger smirk. "I asked for the ride. Not your fault."
At this point Dave saw the phone taken away from John's ear and he heard the woman's voice again. "Are you convinced, Mr. Sheppard? Do we have a deal?"
"Yes," Dave answered succinctly.
"Good, my people will be in touch in a few days once we get the paperwork drawn up. Once I have the papers signed, I will hand you the GPS coordinates of where your brother is being held. I feel that's very fair. Until then, Mr. Sheppard," and the phone disconnected.
As the dial tone rang in his ear, Dave saw the video feed also shut off. He immediately pressed a few buttons and was relieved to see his program had captured the whole thing. He inserted a flash drive to make a copy then rifled through his desk for a card he had haphazardly thrown in there. In less than three minutes he was on the phone again.
"I need to be connected to General O'Neill immediately. This is David Sheppard. Please let him know I have some important information about my brother, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and it's urgent that I speak with him."
.