Grief

chapter five

John woke again. This time a bit more coherent, though his fever had not broken. He couldnt figure out where he was. Couldnt remember why his head hurt so bad, or why his leg felt like a hot poker was sticking in it. Everything seemed to be enveloped in a fog. He stifled a groan, not wanting to give himself away just yet...not until he knew more about his situation. He heard noises coming from somewhere near and shifted his hooded gaze to locate what was causing it.

He saw a woman, busying herself at doing something.

"H'lo?" His attempt at speech was garbled at best. He hoped it was due to his dry mouth and not a symptom of his excrutiating headache.

The woman turned around. Even through his muddled fog, he knew something was wrong with her.

She held a long sharp knife, but disturbingly, that wasnt what had made John flinch. It was more the whole picture. On a good day, John was sure this woman was very attractive but today, was not a good one. It was obvious she was sick. Her sweat-slicked pale face and glassy red-rimmed eyes were telltale signs of fever.

"Keon! My love! You are awake!" She moved quickly to him, thankfully leaving the knife on the bench behind her.

Before he could comprehend and deny who she thought he was, she had a flask to his lips. He hoped it was just water, as she forced the liquid into him, despite his feeble attempts at protest.

"Drink my love, it is alright...the sasson berry will help with the fever, the aekenberry will help put you to sleep. Only then will I save you by removing your leg like I should have done the first time!"

John's eyes flew open wide. In his own fog, he was sure he had heard her plans to do what?! Remove his leg?! Oh! No,no,no,no!

Whatever was in the water was acting fast. His sluggish brain was still protesting loudly in his head, but the words wouldnt come out loud and then he felt himself slip into darkness.

It was Ronon who found the hatch. He cursed himself for having missed it earlier. It was hidden so well that if he had not known what and where to look, he would have missed it again.

He alerted the others as he pulled on the hatch to open it. No one needed the ear com to hear his frustrated yell.

Lorne and Teyla had also made it back from town about ten minutes before and every rescue team member rushed to where Ronon was. The jumper holding Carson and his team, was relocated to as near as they could get to the wooded area hiding the shelter.

Dried blood on the hatch cover told them this had to be where the Colonel and the woman were.

Without waiting, Ronon used his gun to break the seal. He was the first to descend into the shelter cautiously. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dimmer light and he froze in place, afraid to move.

The woman had a knife to Sheppard's leg, blood on the blade was visible. He wanted to shoot her but was afraid she would fall forward and cause the knife to go deeper than it appeared to be already.

Teyla was right behind him and was shocked by the scene. The woman was obviously crazed by sickness.

"Uliana, please stop! Whatever you think you are doing...please stop! Tomas told us where you were. It is alright now...we can help John!"

"No, no, no, no, no! The poison cannot be allowed to travel! I need to amputate his leg so that he will live! I didnt know what to do the first time! I will do what I have to, to save him now! You cannot stop me! "

She looked down and stroked the unconscious man's face lovingly. "Oh my love, I can not lose you again!"

"Uliana, please! We have medicine that will help! You do not have to do this...we have healers right outside!" Teyla hoped her pleading got through to the sickly woman. "Uliana, you are not well either. We need to help both of you!"

Uliana stood over John, the knife poised over his leg. " No! The healers said there was nothing they could do! They would let Keon die! I will save him! I know I can!

She focused back on what she intended. Ronon had had enough of Teyla trying to talk the woman down. He made sure his weapon was on stun and aimed.

Uliana fell back, the knife clattered to the floor. Ronon was already moving forward. Teyla close behind with Lorne following her.

Lorne cursed when he saw the Colonel's leg. Not only was his leg obviously broken, but the cut that the woman had made was deep, blood covered the sheet beneath it.

"Get Dr Beckett in here now!"

Carson rushed in followed by his team. He immediately began relaying instructions to his med team. It was evident that the Colonel was in a drug-induced sleep, but not knowing what it was, it would be hazardous to give any other meds due to any adverse cross reactivity that may occur. They did whatever they could to stabilize him and then bundled him onto the waiting gurney for transport back to Atlantis.

TBC