Chapter IV
Rose and the others caught up quickly with Kola. Their footsteps were quiet upon the stone as they crept along the hallway, keeping to the shadows so as to not be discovered. Being the one with the best relationship with the Gabrihath, Rose stayed in the lead but she felt Ronon's body heat directly behind her.
"Kola, where are we going?" she whispered into the bigger being's shoulder since that was all she could reach.
"Your ship," he answered back as they ducked out of the way of wraith drones.
"Which ship, our ship or their ship?" Rodney asked immediately.
The Gabrihath frowned. "I was not aware there were two different ones. It is the blue one."
"Ours," Rose answered, relief leaking out of every note in her voice.
"What about our friends?" Teyla asked just as they had started moving again.
"They are on their way as we speak," Kola replied. "Our leader, Kliptock is retrieving them himself so the drones won't notice that you are missing."
"Why are you helping us?" Ronon's gruff voice asked over Rose's head, startling her for a minute.
The group crossed an open room and entered into another dark hallway, narrowly avoiding being discovered by the wraith. They hid in a corner, huddled together like a group of scared mice, until the wraith passed then started moving again.
"We do not help the spirits willingly," Kola growled through bared teeth. "We are slaves. We are not suitable stock for feeding so we are forced to serve them instead, bringing them humans whenever we find them."
"What makes you think we can help you?" Rodney interjected.
"Our histories tell of a being that travels in a blue box. He is wise and helps those in need. As much as it pains us to admit it, we are in need." A growl rumbled in the Gabrihath's chest, indicating what he thought of having to ask for help. "We are just saddened that we could not free you before your friends have been damaged."
"Damaged?!" Rodney and Rose cried as one. The physicist paled at what implications the word could have and Rose had to agree with him, though she had a stronger stomach.
"You mean they were injured," Teyla gently corrected, her tone giving a small warning to the panic Kola might cause if he used the wrong words.
"Yes," the Gabrihath answered after looking at both Rose and Rodney. "The human will be fine but the Time Lord, I fear, is hurt quite badly."
"Time Lord. Who would be pretentious enough to name themselves that?"
"The Doctor," Rose answered.
Kola nodded his head. "It is his species, not his name."
"His species?" Ronon quietly asked.
Ronon's question rang through the air as the group came upon an empty room with a big blue box inside it. The room itself was small but it looked even smaller with the TARDIS inside it. She pulsed welcomingly as they entered and Rose found herself smiling under its soft glow.
"Perhaps now is not the time for questions," Kliptock, the apparent leader of the Gabrihaths, hinted with what one could only assume was a smile. He slowly descended out of the TARDIS and came to stand next to Kola.
"Where is the Doctor?" Rose asked, noticing where the Gabrihath had just exited. It was a dumb question, given that he had just been in the TARDIS but she felt like she needed to ask it. Her nerves were strung out from the events since she'd arrived and she needed to know that the Doctor was safe and sound.
"He is inside with Colonel Sheppard, resting, as much as we could make him." Rose smiled knowing just how difficult it was keeping the Doctor still even when injured. "You and the fat one are welcome to go inside and see your friends; I have a need to visit with your warriors."
"I-what-I'm not fat," Rodney blubbered. He looked down at his stomach then back up at the leader. "I'll have you know I am within a healthy weight."
"That's not what Beckett says," Ronon replied with a teasing smile.
Rose watched as Rodney opened his mouth to retort. She appreciated that they could joke while in the midst of an escape plan; she also knew the Doctor would appreciate it as well. He liked when people kept a sense of humor no matter the situation and it was obvious that this group could do that.
"I think it may be best to wait for further comment so that we may escape as planned, would it not?" Teyla swiftly interrupted with a pointed look at her friends.
Rodney closed his mouth, though it was obvious he was still annoyed; Ronon merely beamed down at the man in triumph. The physicist turned on his heel and stormed into the ship, mumbling about stupid dogs and their miniscule brains. Rose offered the two Gabrihaths an embarrassed smile, knowing they'd heard him, and quickly followed.
It had taken a good five minutes for the fact that the TARDIS was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside to register with the man. His rambling slowly tapered off and stared open-mouthed at his surroundings. He stuttered a bit with no intelligible words coming out then stopped.
"It's-it's-"
"Yeah, I know," she replied comfortingly not wanting to hear him say the same words that she had said. She knew from the many stories the Doctor has told that many others had said the same exact words as hers; she hated that she hadn't been original in her reaction but it appeared that no one else was either.
"But, how is this possible? This goes against the basic laws of physics," the man babbled still staring around at everything.
"Oh come on Rodney, I'm sure the Ancients have something similar," the voice of Colonel Sheppard intoned from the other side of the room. Rose couldn't stop herself from staring at the man as he walked out from the hallway and into the console room. Part of the reason she was staring was because she found him attractive; not as attractive as the Doctor but then again, comparing any human to him wasn't fair. But the other reason for her staring was due to the bruises on his face and his split lip.
"Well, yes, I'm sure they have but – what the hell happened to you?" Rodney babbled. At the beginning his tone was condescending but it soon changed to horror when he actually took a good look at the Colonel.
"Just a little meeting with a couple of wraith Queens," the Colonel quipped with a quirk of a smile on his face. He nodded his head in the direction behind him, "The Doctor's worse off than I am; though with the way he's flying around this place you wouldn't know it."
Rose chuckled, "That's the Doctor. It's always hard to keep him still."
"Oi! I think I represent that remark," the Doctor's annoyed voice replied. He slowly limped into the console room and began pressing buttons and flipping levers, probably hoping to distract them from his injury.
Rose knew that it took a lot to make the Time Lord acknowledge pain like he was and it hurt her to see the limp. She winced when she saw the bruising on the right side of his face and the swelling of his eye; both looked painful and he no doubt could use some ice but she knew he wouldn't openly admit any of it so she kept her mothering to herself.
The Doctor waited until Ronon and Teyla had joined the group before he began activating the TARDIS and jabbering, "So! Where to next? Well, I suppose that's obvious isn't it? Atlantis is next, of course; got to return these lovely people to their city then attempt to free the Gabrihath's from the wraith."
"Should we not alert Doctor Weir that we are coming?" Teyla inquired with her eyes still focused on the size of the room.
"It doesn't really matter since we won't be able to get through the Stargate, now will we?" Rodney returned sardonically.
"Oh that won't be a problem at all," the Doctor replied earning four confused looks from the Atlanteans. "Oh! And do yourselves a favor and treat her with respect," he added when he noticed that the physicist was beginning to tap and prod the TARDIS. All of the Atlanteans gave him a look that said they thought he was crazy but they didn't say it out loud.
Wheezing filled the air as the cylinders in the middle of the console started to thrum up and down. Rumbling filled the air making Rose grab a hold of the closest guard rail and cling until the TARDIS had landed. Briefly she looked over at the Doctor then rolled her eyes when she saw that he was trying not to look like he was in pain from all the rough handling.
The TARDIS jolted, tossing all the occupants to the floor then remained still. The Doctor, Rodney, and Rose cried out as they hit the ground, hard, while Colonel Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla didn't make a sound.
"What the hell was that?!" Rodney exclaimed while rubbing his arm where it had smacked into the metal bars of the railing. "Don't you know how to fly this thing?"
A rumble echoed through the TARDIS, tossing Rodney back onto the ground while a freezing breath of cold air descended upon him.
"I don't think she appreciated your accusing comments Rodney," John informed with a nasally voice. Ronon, Teyla, and John had all paid attention to the Doctor when he'd instructed them to be nice to and with the ship and therefore still remained comfortably standing while Rodney had begun to shiver, almost violently, on the grated floor. "I think she wants you to apologize."
"Apologize?! I'm not apologizing to it. It's a machine!" At his latest comment a growl sounded throughout the ship, quickly making Rodney cower where he lay and mutter, "I'm sorry okay? Are you happy now?"
Rose stood leaning against the console, giggling when the TARDIS equivalent of a self-satisfied head nod echoed through everyone's minds as Rodney got off the floor with a deep, unhappy scowl upon his face. Next to her the Doctor stood with his arms over his chest and a smile on his face. Neither she nor the Doctor made a comment since they knew the TARDIS had made her point for them.
"What is that thing?" a woman's curiously wary voice could be heard outside the ship, drawing everyone's attention to the fact that they weren't alone. "Someone call Radek and keep your eye on it for strange activity."
John took that opportunity to walk to the doors, opened them and poked his head out. With an arrogant looking smirk upon his face he asked, "Is this strange enough or would you like more?"
As if taking his cue, Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, Rose, and the Doctor all poked their heads out, lining up like they were on a theater stage peeking out from behind a curtain.
"Hello," the Doctor greeted with a wave and a broad smile as shocked silence descended upon the colossal room.
TBC