Title: Road Trip
Sub-title: Part Four Lake Mead Gone Fishing… Day 3 – 6
Author: stella_pegasi
Rating: K +
Genres: Slice of life, action, hurt/comfort, friendship, humor, and !Whump, of course
Word Count: Part Five…Day 3 – 6 12, 945
Spoilers: Post-Season Five
Warnings: Language
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, Carson Beckett
Summary: The boys take thirty-days leave and set off to see the sights. What could possibly go wrong on vacation?
Disclaimer: I do not own them; I would have treated them better.
Author's Notes: When we left our guys, they had just rescued a family during a violent storm. Now they are dealing with the aftermath of the rescue and planning for the rest of their stay at Lake Mead. Now the question is will Carson get to fish, and can they avoid trouble for the rest of their trip? Enjoy!
Road Trip
Lake Mead Gone Fishin'….Day 3 – 6
Day 3
By stella_pegasi
Rain had been falling steadily all night; in the distance, intermittent thunderstorms continued to rumble angrily. The massive houseboat rocked back and forth as the wind pushed lake water into the cove, meeting the rain running off the rocky hillsides. Carson Beckett sat in the dark in Sheppard's cabin, watching over his injured friend.
When Carson had insisted on sitting with Sheppard, Ronon brought a comfortable chair from the living room for him to sit in. The gentle swaying of the boat had lulled the doctor to sleep more than once, the thunder awakening him each time. Rodney and Ronon wanted to stay with them, but Carson eventually convinced the pair to get some sleep, although he assumed Ronon was wide-awake waiting to see if he needed anything.
Sheppard had been resting quietly; Carson suspected from sheer exhaustion. It was enough that he was recovering from a serious gunshot wound, but he had to overtax his body by jumping into the rough water, swimming against the current. Carson was well aware how exhausted he was from being in the water, and although Sheppard was in much better physical shape normally, he couldn't imagine how badly the colonel's heroics had set back his recovery.
Carson was returning from the galley with a mug of coffee from the pot Ronon made earlier, when he heard a soft groan. He turned on a small wall sconce and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"John, you awake, lad?"
"Ummm…I….yeah…awake," Sheppard's voice was raspy, feeble, ebbing with each word.
"Are you in pain, John, or thirsty?"
"T-thirsty…chest hurts…"
"Aye, laddie, I imagine it does; well, don't worry, I'll give you something for the pain."
The fact that Sheppard didn't argue about taking pain meds, told Carson he was either in considerable pain or too exhausted to care; most likely, a little of both. As he reached for his medical bag intending to get his stethoscope, Ronon appeared in the doorway; he had been awake as Carson imagined he was.
"Is he okay, doc?"
"I think so, says his chest is hurting, and he's thirsty. Could you get a glass of cool water for me?"
Ronon nodded and headed to the galley, while Carson checked Sheppard's respirations. He wasn't certain how much water his patient had breathed in while swimming. He was hoping that the chest pain was predominantly from muscle spasms.
By the time Ronon returned, Carson was slightly less concerned than he had been about the potential for Sheppard developing pneumonia. His lungs sounded clear; his heart rate was normal, and his blood pressure, although a bit high was satisfactory. The elevated blood pressure was probably a result of the pain.
"John, let's get you a drink of water," Sheppard made a sound similar to uh huh. Carson lifted his head, allowing him a few sips of water. "Okay, you need to rest; I'm going to give you shot to help the pain, then back to sleep with you laddie."
After he gave Sheppard the injection, Carson turned off the sconce, and the room was dark once again, flashes of lighting flitting about the sky the only illumination. As he settled in the chair, he could hear the sound of soft breathing, not coming from his patient but from the hallway.
Carson whispered to the big Satedan, "Ronon, go to bed; we're fine here."
"No, you might need me."
"Laddie, I always need you, but I'm gonna need you later this morning. I want to stay with John these first few hours just to make certain we don't have any surprises. But I'm gonna need to sleep, at some point. I would rather you be awake later to help Rodney keep an eye on him."
"I'm okay doc; I can do both."
Carson smiled to himself, thankful for the darkness so that Ronon wouldn't think he was laughing at him. He was smiling because these were the most devoted people he had ever worked with; but Rodney needed Ronon's quiet strength more than he did. He rose from the chair and walked to the doorway. A flash of lighting revealed Ronon sitting on the floor, his back to the far wall.
"Ronon, Rodney is very upset about John's injury. He believes this is his fault; that John wouldn't be hurt if he hadn't gotten into trouble, and once again, it was Colonel Sheppard to the rescue."
"Wasn't McKay's fault."
"No, it wasn't, but convincing that pig-headed fool is another story. I need you to be rested and alert while I sleep. Rodney will be nervous as long as John seems weak, and I'm afraid our friend is going to be weaker after tonight's events. Go to bed, I promise I will wake you up in a few hours. John's resting comfortably; he'll be fine, will just take some time. Now off with you, get some sleep."
Reluctantly, Ronon agreed and headed down the stairs to his cabin. Carson returned to his chair, and as he listened to Sheppard's even breathing, he realized they all were unsettled when Sheppard was hurt. With all the dangers they faced in Pegasus, Sheppard's presence was their salvation, stalwart, never becoming excited, keeping a level head in the direst of situations, ready to give his life to protect them all. When he wasn't able to provide that haven of security to them, it was understandable that they felt nervous. However, Sheppard needed strength from them now, and they were going to provide it; they owed their friend at least that and more. Sheppard always came to their rescue when they needed it, and they returned the favor by rescuing him from himself. Settling in the chair Carson wondered if, for once, they could simply have a few days of quiet.
~~ooOoo~~
Slowly, Sheppard stirred, first realizing he was warm, then becoming aware of the achy pain that seemed to exist in every joint and muscle, and burning pain in his chest. He opened his eyes to discover the room bathed in gray light. The gentle rocking of the houseboat seemed to be in-synch with the rain pelting the upper deck. A rustling sound caught his attention, and he turned his head to the source of the noise, Rodney.
The scientist, slouched in a chair next to the bed, moved restlessly as he slept. Despite the pain coursing through his body, Sheppard was amused; Rodney reminded him of a dog, running after prey in a dream. As he attempted to turn over on his side, he moaned and Rodney awoke with a lurch.
"What…," Rodney was breathing heavily, staring directly at him. It took the scientist a couple of seconds to realize that Sheppard was awake, but when he did, he yelled loudly for Carson.
"Crap…Rodney, no need to y-yell," Sheppard scrunched up his face, turning from the harsh sound. It was that pained face Carson saw when he entered the cabin.
As he reached for his medical kit, Carson asked, "Laddie, are you hurting that badly?"
Sheppard relaxed his face, "No…Rodney's yelling is worse than the pain; I think he broke my eardrum."
Carson frowned at Rodney, "Would you go get John some water please?"
"Sorry…I didn't mean to yell; I was just surprised he was awake." Rodney rushed out of the room, nearly running over Ronon.
Sheppard sighed, "What time is it?"
"It's a little past 1500 hours; you've slept for a long time. Now lie still, I want to check your vitals, and your wound." Sheppard complied and after examining him, Carson sat back, smiling. "Well, your wound has healed enough that nothing tore during your little swim; and your lungs remain clear. I think you simply need rest and pain management."
"That family…they okay?"
"Yes, they're fine, and extremely grateful that you heard their yells for help. Honestly, I'm not certain they would have survived if you hadn't. The storms worsened once the rescue boats left; that family was in real danger of dying."
Rodney had returned with a glass of water, which Carson took from him, "Here, John, a few sips of water, then I'll give you a shot for that pain." He helped Sheppard drink a bit, then reached for a syringe and vial.
"No, just…take the edge off, I don't wanna sleep anymore; however, I would like to go to the bathroom."
"Okay," Carson said, and began to pull the covers away from him; it was then Sheppard realized he was naked. The colonel grabbed the bedcovers from Carson's grip, "Hey; I'm naked, get me some pants."
Rodney grunted, "Well it's not like we all haven't seen you naked."
Sheppard felt heat flush across his face, suspecting his face was turning crimson, "Maybe so, but I'm not usually aware of it. I'm usually unconscious, and in the infirmary. I am not unconscious now…pants."
Carson snickered, as he handed a pair of track pants to Sheppard, "Well, I'm your doctor so seeing you naked is within my purview." Turning to the others, "Out, let our shy colonel dress without an audience."
After helping Sheppard get the track pants on, Carson called Ronon to assist the grumpy colonel across the hall to the bathroom. Before he came out, Carson passed a shirt to Ronon and then told him to help Sheppard into the salon.
After settling on one of the couches; Sheppard looked out the salon windows; the rain was still falling heavily, but the winds were calmer than last night. Rodney brought him a cup of coffee and Carson a glass of water and two pills. Frowning, Sheppard muttered, "I'm not an invalid; you don't have to wait on me."
"Quiet," Carson admonished, "Now what can I fix you to eat?"
"Not hungry."
"Not the right answer, laddie; you will eat something. How 'bout a steak sandwich, there was some steak leftover."
Sheppard knew he might as well give in; the good doctor would not stop, "All right, 'Momma Carson,' I'll eat."
Carson fixed a plate with a sandwich of thin sliced sirloin piled on a whole-grain bun, a little horseradish mayo, chips, and watermelon, then put it in front of Sheppard.
"I said I'd eat, but not this much."
"Hush, eat what you can."
Ronon and Rodney were both snacking while Sheppard ate, a bit more heartily than he had thought he would. He looked over at Carson, who was fidgeting in the kitchen. "Hey, doc, this sandwich is really good."
Before Carson could answer, they felt a bump against the houseboat. Ronon immediately pulled a 9-mil from under the couch cushion where he was sitting, as Rodney looked out the window on the starboard side of the boat.
"It's a couple of Park Rangers."
Sheppard spoke quietly but sternly, "Ronon, put that gun away now." Ronon quickly slid the gun back under the cushion and sat down on it.
The Park Rangers hopped up onto the front deck of the houseboat from the bow of their boat, which they had tied off to the railing. Rodney opened the door to let them in.
One was a Park Police officer, who had been on scene the night before. He spoke, "The weather let up a bit so we thought we'd come out and check on you." He turned to Sheppard, "Colonel, good to see you awake; you were pretty out of it last night. That was some rescue you guys pulled off, it's no wonder you were wiped out after what you'd already been through." He shook Sheppard's hand, followed by the other Ranger.
"Rangers, thanks; how's the family doing?"
"Took 'em to the hospital in Vegas and had 'em checked over; they're fine, mostly scrapes and bruises. A lodge employee drove over early this morning and brought 'em back to Callville Bay. They're at the lodge now, planning on going home in a couple of days."
Carson smiled, "That's good to hear; they're a nice family."
The Ranger nodded, "Yeah they are; I also wanted to let you now that I spoke with Detective Marshall of the LVPD. He confirmed you were involved in the situation at Caesars and said that if you guys needed anything to contact him. He also mentioned that you all stopped a bunch of bikers over in Bakersfield. You've been busy for a group of guys on vacation."
"Aye, lad; it seems we've been in the wrong places at the wrong times in our travels. Then we come to the loch, and it happens again; only this time, I like to think we were in the right place at the right time."
The Ranger appeared puzzled, "Loch?"
Sheppard chuckled, "Lake…he's Scottish…don't mind him."
Rodney harrumphed, "Why does he get by with saying weird things, and I don't?"
When the Ranger looked confused again, Sheppard laughed, "He's Canadian."
The Rangers looked at each other and nodded, as if they completely understood.
"Would either of you like some coffee or something?" Carson asked of the Rangers.
The Rangers refused, "Thanks, doctor, but we just wanted to be certain you guys were okay and let you know about the Coopers."
After the Rangers departed, the four friends settled in the salon, listening to the rain, and watching satellite television through bouts of rain fade. Soon, all four were asleep; the effects of the last night had worn all of them down.
~~ooOoo~~
Ronon woke first. Quietly, the Satedan slipped out onto the front deck of the houseboat, gazing up the rock face rising up above the narrow beach. Heavy rain was still falling, and the sky was darkening. He was concerned about the effect the constant rain was having on the anchors. Scanning the anchor lines, he was relieved to find the ropes were taut but holding under the sway of the boat and the water streaming down the rock.
Returning inside, he noticed how chilly it was in salon. Carson and Rodney appeared comfortable, but Sheppard lay on the couch, curled-up, as though he was cold. Ronon knew the colonel got cold easily, so he retrieved a blanket from Carson's room and threw it over Sheppard. Then he made coffee and sat down at the table to wait for his friends to awaken. It didn't surprise Ronon that Rodney woke up first, the aroma of coffee too alluring to the scientist.
Rubbing his eyes, and yawning, Rodney stumbled to the galley, where he poured a cup of coffee, taking a sip of the steaming hot brew. He turned in Ronon's direction, "You make this?" Ronon nodded. "Pretty good coffee, Conan; much better than that rotgut crap Zelenka makes."
Rodney grabbed a package of Oreo cookies lying on the counter and sat down at the table, prying the cookies apart he scraped off the white filling, then scarfed down the cookies separately. Ronon grabbed two cookies and ate them whole.
"You truly do not know how to enjoy these do you…Jeannie ate hers the way you do, all together. So much more fun to eat the components one at a time."
"McKay, you have some really weird habits on your world."
"Well, you seem to be enjoying it here."
Ronon thought for a minute, before he replied, "I like it here; it reminds me of Sateda."
Rodney, scraping the filling off another Oreo, mumbled, "How so?"
"We had cities, lakes, boats, cars…well, transports…they all looked the same." He sighed, "I think we would have developed to be more like Earth if we'd had a chance."
"Not so certain that would have been a good thing."
Rodney realized as soon as he closed his mouth that he had been insensitive, if Sheppard was awake, he would have let him know. However, the steely look on Ronon's face was enough to tell him he had said the wrong thing. "Sorry, I didn't mean that it was a good thing Sateda didn't have the opportunity to survive. I meant that I'm not so certain Earth is such a great role model. Sure, we have all these luxuries and all this technical stuff, but we still have war, racism, and greed. I'm not convinced how civilized we really are; some times I think that we are too much like the Alterans. The Ancients were arrogant and so self-assured they couldn't recognize, or wouldn't admit, when they were wrong; Earth is a lot like that."
"You think that Earth is really that bad?"
"I…," Rodney sighed, "No, not really. I mean considering what you, and Teyla…," he hesitated as he said Teyla's name, "and others in the Pegasus galaxy have gone through, not to mention what the people affected by the Gou'ld and the Ori have gone through in this galaxy. We haven't gone through much at all."
Ronon looked knowingly at Rodney, "Yeah…McKay…I miss her, too."
"Miss who?"
Rodney, startled, turned toward the voice, "Oh, Carson's gonna kill me, I was talking too loud."
"No, didn't hear you; woke up on my own…," Sheppard threw the blanket off and pushed himself up. He was very wobbly and Ronon jumped up to help him.
Sheppard raised his hand, "Stay there, Chewie; I'm going to the bathroom all by myself…no arguments."
Neither Rodney nor Ronon moved; they both recognized the tone in Sheppard's voice. He didn't want their help.
The two friends waited as Sheppard first went to the bathroom, then across the hall to his cabin. When he came out, he was wearing a hoodie and had slipped on his sneakers. Moving slowly, he stopped in the galley, got a mug of coffee, then returned to the couch.
"Proud of yourself, laddie?" Carson sat up in the chair he'd been napping in, an annoyed expression on his face.
Sheppard mimicked Carson's annoyed face, "I'm fine; I made it there and back without any trouble. Even got a cup of coffee for myself." Sheppard was hoping Carson didn't notice that his hand was trembling; the effort had sapped his meager energy.
Carson stood up, "It's after 1900 hours, I think dinner is in order. How does something Italian sound? I was hoping for more fish tonight but since there was no fishing today, I think we'll have salad, spaghetti and meatballs, along with a loaf…" looking at Ronon, he grinned, "make that two loaves of garlic bread. Ronon, let's cook."
"I can help," Sheppard said, causing Carson to whirl around, hands-on-hips.
"Colonel, you sit there and be quiet." He turned to Rodney, "You can set the table in a bit."
About forty minutes later, the four friends sat down to eat, all of them hungrier than they imagined. Sheppard watched as Ronon dived in for seconds. He grinned at Carson, "Hey, doc, not certain you made enough spaghetti?" He jerked his head toward Ronon.
Carson laughed, pointing to Rodney's who was taking his third piece of garlic bread, "I'm beginning to think I might not have."
Ronon grinned, "The spaghetti's good."
Rodney attempted to reply with a mouthful of bread, but his words were garbled, causing everyone else to laugh, Rodney eventually joining in.
After dinner, Ronon and Rodney, who didn't need prodding, washed dishes while Sheppard and Carson watched a bit of cable news. It was still drizzling, but the thunderstorms had passed as the friends settled in, watching television. Realizing the events of the past twenty-four hours had taken a toll on all of them, they turned in early.
Carson woke when he heard a noise in the hallway; he glanced at his watch; it was 0418 hours. Suspecting that Sheppard was making a bathroom run, he waited for the colonel's return. After a few minutes, he heard the bathroom door open, but instead of hearing Sheppard's bedroom door close, he heard the telltale squeak of the door leading to the tiny back platform and the upper deck. Sighing, he got up, threw on a pair of pants, shoes, and grabbed a sweatshirt; time to check on his friend.
The rain had stopped, and the sky was beginning to clear. Splotches of glittering stars peeked through the dark clouds that remained. Carson stepped up on the deck; the only light from the soft glow cast by the tube lights that encircled the railing. He was slowly making his way toward the bar area when a deep voice interrupted the silence.
"Checking up on me, doc?"
"You keep this up, and I'll tie a bell around your neck."
"Go back to bed, Carson; I'm fine."
"I'm not sleepy anymore, I'll stay."
"Fine, as long as you don't ask me how I'm feeling."
Carson pulled another deck chair from storage and sat it close to Sheppard's, "So I won't ask, you can just tell me."
Sheppard laughed, "You are a cheeky bastard, aren't you."
"That's my line, Colonel Sheppard; besides you should remember the pecking order around here. You injured; me in charge."
"And I thought McKay was the only person with delusions of grandeur."
Sheppard sighed as Carson chuckled, and continued, "To keep you from pestering me, I actually feel a bit better. I slept pretty hard yesterday; who knows maybe that swim stretched out the kinks."
"I hardly think so, John. I just think you finally got a long bout of rest." He noticed Sheppard rubbing his chest, "Your chest hurting?"
"Um…don't miss much do you; yep, it hurts, mostly from the staples, when the hell can you take them out?"
"I checked your wound yesterday. It's been over ten days since you were shot, I might consider taking them out tomorrow…uh today; we'll see."
"Good, I'm tired of this shit."
"Well, laddie, I will say this, trouble does seem to follow us."
"I was thinking it's just me," Sheppard scoffed.
"There is no arguing that you are a trouble magnet, Colonel John Sheppard. I don't think I've ever had a patient, who required me to ask which volume number we are on when I pull your medical charts. However, let's see, our little group consists of Rodney, who we know can get into trouble just by opening his mouth, Ronon, who wades into trouble without thinking. Then there's me, I seem to attract the absolute worst of the bad guys." Carson took a deep breath, "At least the other Carson did; I seem to have avoided that problem."
Sheppard hid the sharp intake of breath that hit him; Carson rarely talked about what had happened to him at Michael's hand. He also knew that he, Rodney, and Ronon were too chicken to bring it up; they all assumed Teyla had taken care of dealing with Carson's emotional needs. His voice was somewhat shaky, but he decided to ask.
"Uh…Carson, how…how…," Sheppard was spared from continuing, when Carson finished his question.
"How am I dealing with being a clone? I'm dealing with it just fine, laddie; take my medication everyday, have regular checkups. Things are pretty much back to normal, as far as normal goes."
"You know we don't really think about it much; I mean it's like you were never gone."
"Aye, I know…except I have memories of nearly two years of Michael, and you have memories of my death, neither very pleasant. It's much easier to put it all behind us."
"Well, I'm certainly not one to talk; I've been doing that all my life." Sheppard got up, turned on a light over the bar area and opened one of the ice chests. "Damn, these chests are good, still some cold beer and ice in here." He grabbed a couple, flipped the light off, and returned to the lounge chair.
"Here," Sheppard handed a beer to Carson.
"Tell me you have an O'Doul's, John."
"I have an O'Doul's, in a Budweiser bottle," before Carson could complain he continued, "Don't sweat it. It's been five hours since I took any pain pills; I can hold off for a while. I need a real beer."
"I suppose if anyone deserves it, you do."
Sheppard took a long swig of the cold beer, "Ummm…now that hits the spot." He took another drink, then asked, "Are you really able to put what happened behind you?"
"Do you remember that nice restaurant we went to after seeing Celine Dion?"
"Yeah, the food was really good, nice place."
"You teased me about turtle soup, remember?"
"Yeah, well, I teased you about turtles making good soup after you went on about your 'wee turtles' on the return trip…." Sheppard stopped, "Oh crap, that wasn't you." He dropped his head against the chair, "I can't believe I didn't…sorry, Carson."
"No, laddie, don't say you're sorry. It's when things like that happen that I realize that life has gone on for me and that all of you accept me back as if I were the real Carson Beckett."
"You are the real Carson Beckett."
Beckett chuckled, "Aye, laddie; at least, I'm the only one here. Sometimes when you talk about the things that happened during that time, I can deal with it, because all of you spent so much time trying to fill me in on even the smallest details of those last few months before…before the explosion. It's not having a memory of Elizabeth's loss that causes me the most difficulty. Even with all the retelling of those events, well, I haven't been able to come to terms with that yet."
"Hell, Carson, I was there, and I still can't come to terms with her loss. Fact is that we have been through so much, seen so much, that it's almost overwhelming; we have to compartmentalize and move on."
"John, how do you do it? How do you deal with the responsibility of all those souls on Atlantis? You may have broad shoulders, but that's a heavy burden."
Sheppard was reluctant to answer, but he felt he owed Carson Beckett the respect of doing so. "If I didn't tell you that it scares the crap out of me every day I'd be lying to you. After my mother died, my dad didn't want anything to do with me. Miss Gilly's always been convinced that he couldn't bear to look at me because I looked just like my mother, and he was devastated by her death. For whatever reason, I never felt good enough, and I rebelled against him and every other authority figure in my life. Then I met General O'Neill, then you, and found out this little secret that the Air Force had been keeping. But I still thought I was a failure, that first year on Atlantis, well, killing your commanding officer is frowned upon."
"John, you have proven yourself time and time again to be an excellent commander. You should be proud; we are proud of you."
Sheppard felt his face flush with heat, thankful Carson could barely see him. "Never been able to see myself that way; spent too many years being told I was a failure. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm a good pilot; I'm not stupid, and that I've been lucky. I also have an exceptional team around me. Hard not to be good when you guys, Lorne, Woolsey, all the others, have my back."
"Yeah, there's a surprise, who knew Woolsey would be such a good fit for Atlantis? I was shocked to find him there when I came out of stasis. Someone from the IOA in command, I thought we were doomed."
"I thought so as well. He's surprised me, but Woolsey's a smart man, Carson, and a fair man. Smart enough to realize that we may try to apply the rules, as we know them, but those rules didn't include dealing with the Wraith, the Ori, the Gou'ld…, or Michael. It didn't take long for Woolsey to understand what has to be done." Sheppard sighed deeply, once again rubbing his chest.
"Getting tired, lad?"
Sheppard didn't answer immediately, reluctant to tell Carson the truth, finally he spoke, "Yeah that burst of energy didn't last long."
"Let's get you back to your cabin. The weather reports said that tomorrow would be sunny and hot; a good day for fishing."
Day Four
Carson had been right, as Sheppard opened his eyes, he saw that the sun was shining brightly through the window in his cabin. He was comfortable lying in the queen-sized bed, although the mattress was a bit softer than he liked, but he enjoyed the cocoon-like feeling of sinking into the softness. Daring to stretch, he felt the stiffness in his arms and legs as his muscles protested the movement.
Sheppard ventured to take a deep breath, anticipating the pain, and he wasn't disappointed; pain radiated from the location of the bullet wound. He took some solace in the fact that the pain was less intense than it had been. There might be a possibility that he could salvage this vacation yet.
He threw back the covers and swung his long legs over the edge of the bed, chuckling as he realized he was dressed for once. He remembered saying good night to Carson, then falling into the bed, not bothering with the blanket. Someone had covered him up at some point, most likely the good doctor. Sheppard shook his head; he had invited Carson to join them because he was their friend, it was just lucky he was also a doctor. They seemed to need one wherever they went.
He slipped on his sneakers and headed for the salon after a pit stop. He found Rodney curled up on one of the couches, immersed in his laptop. Sheppard entered the salon in stealth mode, standing only a couple of feet from the distracted scientist when he spoke.
"Rodney, you working again?"
McKay yelped, nearly dropping his laptop as he jumped. When he recovered, he replied, sputtering, "What the…what…that was uncalled for. You could have made a tiny bit of noise instead of scaring the hell out of me." He sat up, "When did you get up?"
Sheppard walked over to the galley and poured a cup of coffee, "Just now." He looked at his watch, "Damn it's 1000 hours…I can't believe I slept that long. Where are Carson and Ronon?"
"Carson wanted to go fishing, so he and Ronon left around 0700, said they'd be back around noon. Carson left you pain pills on the table, said they wouldn't make you drowsy, and that I was to make you take them. Also, there are doughnuts on the table if you're hungry."
Grabbing a couple of doughnuts, Sheppard stared at the pills lying on a napkin next to the doughnut box. Hesitating, then deciding it was better to take them, mostly because Rodney would whine all morning if he didn't, he grabbed the pills and headed for the other couch, snatching the remote control on the way.
He took the pills, then a big bite from a doughnut before he asked, mumbling a bit, "Rodney, what are you working on? That's not Atlantis stuff, is it?"
"Don't talk with your mouth full. No, it's not…just some stuff."
"Some 'stuff', that's descriptive coming from a Mensa member."
"Oh, bite me, Sheppard."
"You're in a great mood today, someone piss you off?" Then it dawned on Sheppard, "You spoke to Radek this morning, didn't you?"
Rodney looked over at him, frowning, "Yes…I spoke to Radek."
"And…?" When Rodney didn't answer, Sheppard added, "Don't make me threaten you to get it out of you, what's wrong?"
"Nothing…nothing really, it's just, Radek said that the Area 51 guys have requested more time on Atlantis. They are attempting to determine how to retro engineer the stardrive and they want more time to study it."
"Well, we aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so what's the harm in letting them look at the stardrive a bit longer. Some of those guys on the 51 team are rocket scientists, literally, they might be able to figure out how it works."
The higher pitch in Rodney's voice revealed his exasperation, "We know how it works; the question is where we get the power to make it work. Atlantis stardrive is a lot more powerful than the Asgard drive. First, the drive on Atlantis is pushing a whole lot more weight, and second, the power source, the Zed PM, is much more powerful than the Asgard engines. I just don't want them messing where they don't understand. Those guys are idiots."
"They're our idiots, Rodney; let them do their jobs." Sheppard turned on the TV and found a rerun of CSI, "Put the laptop down and relax, watch this show with me."
About thirty minutes later, Sheppard was regretting that invitation. Rodney had been relentlessly trashing the forensic science. Finally, Sheppard had enough, "Rodney, shut up and enjoy the show…stop trying to analyze everything. Can't you just suspend reality for a while and enjoy something? Just stop criticizing and watch Marg Helgenberger, the redhead, she more fun than the story."
He wasn't certain if Rodney had taken his advice, but at least there were no more critiques coming from his companion. They were almost through another episode when they heard the sound of a boat motor approaching. Rodney jumped up and looked out the window. "It's Carson and Ronon."
A few minutes later they felt a bump as Carson nudged the Whaler against the houseboat's hull. He and Ronon came into the cabin, both slightly sunburned but grinning. Carson was holding a couple of large white paper bags, and Ronon was carrying a cooler.
Carson was excited, "We caught a lot of trout this morning, so we went up to the marina where we cleaned the fish at one of the cleaning stations. We are going to have a feast tonight." As Ronon pulled out plastic bags full of fish fillets and put them in the refrigerator, Carson began pulling wrapped sandwiches from the white bags, as the aroma of grilled hamburgers floated throughout the salon.
"The restaurant at the marina was grilling burgers outside today. There's a fishing tournament starting tomorrow, so all these people are arriving; it's really getting festive at the dock. Come on, let's eat; I'm famished and I know Ronon is, although he ate a hamburger on the way back here."
Carson piled several burgers on one platter, along with fresh-grilled corn-on-the-cobs on another, and a couple of large paper boats of fries in the center of the table. Ronon grabbed beers for everyone, an O'Doul's for Sheppard.
Sheppard sat down at the table, frowning at his beer, "Quite the spread, Carson, looks good."
"Yeah, the aroma of all those burger's cooking was too much; had to have some. When did you get up, laddie?"
"Around 10 and before you ask, I took the pills, and I feel better," he flashed a cheeky grin at Carson, who flashed a cheeky grin back at the colonel.
They dove into the delicious burgers without talking for several minutes. Ronon had consumed two burgers, along with pile of fries, and two corn-on-the-cobs before he spoke. Grinning he said, "Now that's good food."
Carson feigned indignation and hurt, "You like this food; I suppose that means that you don't like my cooking."
Ronon appeared stunned, "No…no…I like your cooking, I didn't mean…," before he could continue, Carson started laughing, then Sheppard and Rodney joined in.
Ronon began to laugh when he realized that Carson was teasing him.
"Ah, laddie, I couldn't resist. I also agree with you; I love these burgers…nothing better than that char-grilled taste."
Sheppard, between bites of burger, asked, "So, there's a fishing tournament?" Carson nodded, and Sheppard smiled, "Why don't you enter?"
"I…I…," he stopped and beaming said, "you're right I should enter; it would be fun."
"You came here to fish, so you should fish. Have you ever entered a tournament before?"
"Oh, as a lad on a lark…nothing as serious as I know these bass anglers are. They spend thousands of dollars on equipment, and live and breathe this sport; lots of money to make if someone is good at it, though. I have a feeling that I'll get laughed out at with my puny tackle, but it'll still be fun."
Sheppard smiled, "Go for it, Carson."
"I'll head back to the marina this afternoon and enter. However, I want to check your incision before I go."
After finishing lunch, Carson took a shower, changed into his non-fishing clothes, and was examining Sheppard's wound before he left for the marina.
"John, I think the staples need to stay in at least another day or two. I would feel more comfortable about you not tearing things if we wait." Seeing the look on Sheppard's face, he said, "Look, I know you want them out, but I want you well-healed. However, I will allow you to get in the hot tub if you want; I think your muscles would benefit from a good soaking."
"Thanks, I've really wanted to get in that hot tub."
"But only if Ronon is with you, and I don't want you to stay in too long; you could get dizzy. I went up before I took a shower and turned it on, so the water should have heated up by now. Cover your incision with this waterproof bandage when you get in, then dry off as soon as you are out and apply this antibiotic cream over the area. Probably not necessary, but it'll make me feel better."
"I'll do it; I promise," Sheppard was putting his shirt back on.
"Okay, then…I'll be back in probably about two hours."
"Wait, two things, take Rodney with you, he's been moping around here all day after he spoke to Radek this morning. He needs a change of scenery."
"Any problems on Atlantis?"
"No, but you know Rodney, nothing short of being there makes him happy."
"He's gonna whine, but I'll take him."
Carson was about to open the cabin door when Sheppard grabbed his arm, "Hang on."
Sheppard opened the top drawer of the dresser, taking out his billfold. He pulled out the Centurion card and handed it to Carson. "Take this and go to the tackle shop and get a good rod and reel and all the stuff that you need for the tournament."
"John, I can pay for my own things."
"I know that; however, that equipment is not cheap. If you use this card, they aren't likely to call your card company, and find out that you haven't used it in several years. Besides, I put the houseboat rental on this card, so if they have any questions, tell them check with the rental company; they know you. We'll settle up the bill later."
"Okay, that makes sense; I'll do that."
~~ooOoo~~
Carson had been correct, Rodney had whined about going to the Marina with him, and had been quite sullen, as they took the boat out of the cove. Once they were in the open water of the lake, Carson took pity on him, and turned the Whaler over to Rodney. As they approached the breakwater opening into the marina, Rodney appeared shocked that Carson allowed him to take the boat into the marina basin and dock the craft.
Carson registered for the amateur division of the tournament, after he picked up his packet of tournament rules and a gift bag, he found Rodney. The scientist was sitting on a bench outside the pro shop, looking totally lost.
"Carson, you really enjoy this? These people are…"
"These people are from all walks of life, Rodney. While I was waiting to register, I met three guys, one's a psychiatrist, one a manager of a trucking company, one an accountant; all walks of life. This is a hobby, a passion, something fun, a diversion from the lives we all lead. Some of these other guys are professional bass fishermen, who make their living doing these tournaments; they are the hardcore."
"Seems trivial way to spend your life if you ask me," Rodney crossed his arms, glowering.
"That's only because you don't have a hobby."
"I have hobbies…." He paused, as though he was groping for an answer, "I like to race model cars."
"That's only after John bought a couple and asked you if you wanted to race one."
Rodney frowned, "I like it."
"Yeah, I know you do…once you realized how much fun it was. But I suspect you were reluctant and only joined John because he cajoled you into trying. See what happens when you open your mind to new things?"
"He doesn't know I modified mine."
"He still beats you though, doesn't he?"
Rodney sighed, "Yeah."
"Come on, let's go inside, time to get some new gear."
Carson felt like a kid in a candy shop, due to the tournament the pro shop brought in new inventory of rods and reels, and the fisherman in the Scottish doctor took over. While he was selecting the new gear, Rodney was shopping around the store. By the time Cason finished, Rodney was standing at the counter, a large shopping bag in hand.
"What in the world did you find in here to buy?"
Rodney smirked, "Stuff."
Shaking his head, Carson began to check out, then handed Sheppard's credit card to the clerk, quietly explaining the situation. The tackle shop manager remembered Carson from the day he and Ronon came down to check out the boat, and told the clerk everything was fine. As the clerk was wrapping everything up, a couple of guys who were in the shop came over to Carson and Rodney. The shorter of the two men spoke first.
"Hey, man, that's some good equipment you got there; you fishing in the tournament?"
Carson smiled, "Only in the amateur division."
The other man, who was quite tall and burly, said, "Some pretty fancy equipment for an amateur; Shimano and Daiwa's best reels and you got the best American Rodsmiths and Cabela rods you can get. Nice rigs."
"Every little advantage helps, even for an amateur, laddies."
The shorter man, who was of much slighter build than his companion, asked Rodney, "You fishing?"
Rodney shook his head no, "Not my thing."
"Not a sportsman I take it," the shorter of the two men asked him. Rodney simply shook his head no, again.
The tall man smacked Carson on the back, hard enough to cause Carson to stumble, "Good luck, man."
The two strangers left the shop, and within a few minutes, Carson and Rodney left as well. They stopped at the small grocery store to get more beer and snacks along with more bacon and eggs. When Carson bought six dozen eggs, Rodney was curious and asked, why so many eggs. Carson laughing replied because he underestimated the number of eggs Ronon could consume in one meal. A grocery clerk offered to help them carry everything to the Whaler, and once loaded the two Atlantians headed for the houseboat.
~~ooOoo~~
John Sheppard was a happy man. After a long soak in the hot tub, he stretched out on a lounge chair soaking up the sun, iPod buds in his ears, and a fake beer on the deck next to him. Ronon had gone swimming in the lake, and was now lying in a chair next to him, asleep.
Sheppard was warm and drowsy, as he drifted off, he thought, "Now this is a vacation."
The sound of a boat motor woke both Sheppard and Ronon, and Ronon went down to the main deck to help Carson and Rodney aboard with their parcels. Once they put the food away, the three joined Sheppard on the upper deck.
"Well, you look comfy, laddie."
"First time I've been really warm, since we arrived. The hot tub was wonderful, feel much better. Now what did you buy?"
Carson showed off all of his new gear, as he began to put everything together. Sheppard, who knew a little about fishing, was impressed with the equipment.
"Some nice reels here; you should do well tomorrow."
"I'll at least have fun, whether I catch any fish or not." He laid down one of the rods, picking up one of the others. "By the way, I rented another boat for tomorrow; I didn't want you guys to be without a boat while I was out."
"Good thinking."
"They didn't have a big Whaler, so I'll take this one tomorrow. They assigned me a partner, and I told him I'd supply the boat. Rodney can go over with me and bring the other one back."
McKay mumbled, "What time do you have to check in? Didn't I hear that guy say something about 6:30 am?" Carson confirmed the time, and Rodney, whined, "That's damn early."
"Rodney, you make your scientists meet with you every morning at 0600 hours, not going to hurt you to get up and take Carson over in the morning."
Rodney made a face at Sheppard's remark, "That's work but this…yeah; I'll go with him in the morning."
Sheppard noticed the bag Rodney had sat behind his chair, "What'd you buy, Rodney; something for Madison?"
Sheepishly, he opened the bag, "I just got a few things." He pulled out a straw lifeguard hat with fishing lures attached and tossed it to Ronon; next, a blue visor that he threw to Sheppard, and he gave sport wristbands to both men. He then pulled out a fishing vest, handing it to Carson.
"Rodney, this is the vest I looked at and decided not to buy. This is a really nice one, but I have one."
"The clerk said this one would be cooler since its mesh, so I got it for you. It's hot out here."
Carson smiled, "Thanks, Rodney...this is really nice."
"Thanks for the visor, marine camo of another sort, a fish camo pattern with added sunshield…cool." Sheppard slipped on the visor and the wristband.
"Yeah, well I figured that you wouldn't want a hat, because it would mess up your hair."
Ronon put on his wide-brimmed straw hat and grinned, "This is cool."
"It fits? I was worried about all that hair."
Carson was trying on his vest, "Did you get yourself something?"
Rodney pulled a tan cap with an embroidered marlin on it, "Yeah. And I got this for Madison." He pulled a child's fishing vest from the bag, "I figured a little girl could find things to put in all these pockets."
Sheppard laughed, "You're a good man, Rodney; I don't care what people say about you."
Rodney looked hurt, "Wha…?"
Ronon got up and gave Rodney a big bear hug, "Sheppard's kidding, McKay."
Dinner that night consisted of freshly grilled fish, more corn-on-the-cob that Carson bought when he returned to the marina, accompanied by lots of fish stories from Carson and Ronon. After clean up, Sheppard and Carson poured over the lake's navigational maps and the latest fishing reports to plan Carson's day. Everyone helped Carson get his gear ready before they called it a night.
Day Five
Sheppard woke fleetingly when he heard voices, then felt the houseboat rock as Rodney and Carson pushed off. The Whaler's motor started a distance from the houseboat. Carson no doubt rowed them away before starting the motor to keep from waking him. As the din of the motor faded, he heard a loud splash, Ronon taking an early morning swim in the lake. Sheppard drifted back to sleep.
Some time later, the smell of bacon and coffee woke him, and realized he was actually hungry. He gingerly stretched his body, and although he felt twinges of pain, he was relieved that the burning sensation in his chest was nearly gone. He took a deep breath and didn't feel like his chest was going to explode. Feeling more encouraged about his recuperation than he had in days, Sheppard got out of bed, dressed, and headed across the hallway to the head.
When he walked into the kitchen, he found Ronon about ready to scramble eggs. "Chewie, need some help there, buddy?"
Hey, Sheppard; no, got everything under control."
"Better watch out, I'm going to tell Cookie to put you to work when we get back to Atlantis."
"Be better than that drivel we get served." Rodney mumbled.
"Carson got off on his fishing jaunt okay?"
"Yeah, he met up the guy he was paired with yesterday, and they took off. He said to expect him back about mid-afternoon; weigh-in, whatever that is, was earlier for the amateur division."
"He's going to be one happy guy when he gets back, whether he catches fish or not."
Ronon announced breakfast was ready. After they ate, Rodney started to pull out his pad, but Sheppard said, "No, time for some mindless fun. We're going swimming. Get your trunks on and come up top."
"Sheppard, I don't want to go swimming."
"You can swim?"
Testily, McKay replied, "Yes."
"Then it's settled; you're going swimming."
By mid-morning, the three were on the upper deck; Ronon dove into the water off the boat, while Sheppard opted for the slide. He knew he would be in enough trouble with Beckett for swimming, much less, diving into the water. When he surfaced, Sheppard looked back up at Rodney, who was standing by the slide.
"Come on, Rodney; it's only cold for a minute."
"Cold; I don't like cold."
"Down the slide."
Rodney's shoulders dropped as the realization that he was not getting out of swimming. He climbed onto the slide and dropped into the lake, making a big splash.
After swimming for a while, Sheppard became fatigued and began to tread water to conserve his energy. Within a few seconds, Ronon swam up beside him. "You need to get out."
"I'm fine, just getting my second wind." Ronon just stared at him. Sheppard sighed, "Okay I'll get out."
Rodney followed him out of the lake, and they both got into the hot tub to warm up. After ten minutes, an exhausted but satisfied Sheppard dropped onto a lounge chair and fell asleep.
"Sheppard, wake up."
Groggily, Sheppard slowly opened his eyes, in response to whoever was pushing on his shoulder to wake him up. "Wha…" A shadowy outline was all he could make out. He pushed up, nearly bumping heads with the shadow, which turned out to be Rodney.
"What do you want? In case you hadn't noticed, I was asleep."
"Time you woke up, there's food."
"Just what part of 'I was asleep' did you not understand?"
"Ronon brought food; I figured you were hungry. Besides, if you're crashed out when Beckett gets back, he'll be pissed that we let you do too much."
Sheppard reluctantly sat up, "Oh…I see. You're not worried about me; it's your own hide you're worried about."
"You want to piss him off?"
Sighing, Sheppard slowly rose from the lounger surprised, he wasn't as sore as he expected from swimming; in fact, he felt stronger. "No, I don't."
A platter of ham and turkey, along with a loaf of bread sat on the bar. Sheppard was hungry but he didn't want to admit it to Rodney. He made a turkey sandwich, grabbed a real beer, and returned to his chair. "When's Beckett due back?"
"He said his weigh-in was around 1:30, it's that now."
"Already? I must have slept for three hours."
Ronon came up from the lower deck, carrying a bag of chips, which he tossed to Sheppard. "You did, needed it. Could hardly keep McKay from waking you up."
"So, Rodney, enjoy your swim?" Sheppard asked.
"No…well, that's not true, I actually feel more energized."
"Thought you would, except for Chewie here, we all needed some physical activity. I don't know about the rest of you, but now that Carson has had the opportunity to get the fishing in he wanted, I think we need to decide where we want to go next."
Rodney opened his mouth, "I vote we retu…"
Sheppard stopped him with one word, "No."
"What if I was going to say return to Vegas?"
"You weren't and not going to; we've got just under two weeks left, so we need to explore more of the US."
"Three."
"What do you mean three?"
"Uh…when I talked to Radek yesterday, Woolsey had a message for you. He and Landry decided since we were kind of stuck in Vegas for a week while you were in the hospital and since Area 51 asked for more time, Landry extended our leave for another week."
"And you were going to tell me this when?"
"Now."
"McKay…"
Ronon spoke up, "So, does this mean we can go to where Wyatt Earp lived?"
Sheppard was glaring at McKay, while he answered Ronon, "Yeah, that's exactly where we go next. I'm certain Rodney can't wait to experience more of the Wild West." He was no longer glaring at McKay but smirking.
Rodney groaned.
~~ooOoo~~
Carson returned around three in the afternoon, excited about his day. He had caught the heaviest string of bass, and the largest bass in the amateur class, winning a thousand dollars, a new rod and reel, and a gift certificate to the pro shop at the marina. After taking a shower, he joined the guys on deck.
The first thing Sheppard noticed about him was that the Scotsman was beaming. "Have a good time, doc?"
"Aye, I did, laddie. More fun than I expected. One of those spots you and I looked at was a hot one. My partner did pretty well, but I got lucky and got the bigger bass."
"What was your partner like?"
"His name was Ed Murray, and he owns a plumbing company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nice guy; married, a couple of kids and grandkids, just an ordinary guy. It was so refreshing to talk about fishing and the weather, and family…we even talked plumbing. Not a mention of a Wraith or a stargate or anything…very pleasant day."
"Sounds like you had a good day, doc. Going back tomorrow?"
"The amateur division was only one day, but I'd like to go back at weigh-in for the pros. See if they did any better than I did."
"A thousand dollars, I'd call that pretty big."
"Aye, it is but two days of fishing, whoever has the biggest fish, or the heaviest catch will win ten thousand dollars and a boat; not bad for a couple of days. At least, we will eat well tonight. And John, the money I won, I think it should go toward this trip. You've been covering too much of the expenses."
Sheppard frowned, "We'll discuss that later."
Beckett let Sheppard's response go and asked, "What did you guys do while I was gone?"
"Sheppard went swimming." Rodney's comment garnered another glare from Sheppard.
"You went swimming, laddie; how do you feel?"
"Fine."
McKay continued, "Ronon had to help him back onto the houseboat."
"Damnit, McKay."
Beckett chuckled, "Don't be mad at him, I told him to report back what the little mice did while the cat was away."
"Really, Carson this constant conversation about how I am feeling is getting old and I want these staples out."
"That I can do, come downstairs, and we'll take them out right now."
About an hour later, everyone had showered, changed, and gathered in the salon. Sheppard was surprised to see a bottle of scotch sitting on the counter, along with four squat glasses.
"Carson? Your Scotch?"
"Yep, it's after four in the afternoon and time for a cocktail." He poured a glass for everyone, and smiled at Sheppard, "Yes, even you…time to wean you from the hard drugs. You are healing nicely; the staples are out, time to get you back in shape."
Sheppard raised his glass, "Here, here to that, doc."
They spent the next two hours relaxing before Beckett decided to fix dinner. He got the bass out of the fridge and gathered other ingredients, including a six-pack of beer.
Rodney's curiosity got the better of him, "What are you making."
"Ed gave me the recipe; it's called 'Drunken fish." Carson opened one beer and measured out two cups. He then passed out three beers to his friends, retaining one for himself. "The recipe calls for two cups of beer plus a beer per person. Two cups go in the sauce, and the rest we drink, hence, the drunken fish. The recipe just doesn't say who gets drunk."
Over dinner, they discussed where the trip would take them next. Sheppard told Carson, "I just found out this afternoon that we have another week of leave thanks to General Landry. So I was thinking we stay here for another two days, then head for Arizona and New Mexico. How does that sound?"
"Peachy…" was Rodney's only reply, prompting Sheppard to laugh.
"So if Rodney thinks its peachy, then its peachy…so that's the plan. Tomorrow, however, I think we should explore more of the lake. There are a couple of other marinas we could visit, maybe have lunch."
"We should take the boat I rented for today back tomorrow."
"Okay, and we should rent some water-skis and maybe a tube. Going to be a fun day." For the rest of the evening, the friends watched a couple of movies, then called it a night.
Sheppard wasn't certain exactly what wakened him, but he was instantly alert. There was the sound of footsteps, someone walking through the houseboat. He listened for a moment, expecting to hear the bathroom door close, certain it must be Beckett, or maybe Rodney rummaging for a snack. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when he heard a second set of footsteps, then the creak of a door, Carson's door.
Easing out of bed, Sheppard grabbed his P-14 from the dresser drawer, and slipped up against his closed doorway, listening. A muffled cry from Beckett sent him into the hallway; a blow to the back of his head sent him to the floor, unconscious.
A male voice whispered, "Who the fuck is he? He wasn't with the other two at the marina."
"I don't know," his taller companion spoke, reaching for Sheppard's gun, "but he's got a pretty fancy 9-mil here. What the hell are they doing with weapons like this? Bennie, you said these guys were an easy target; I think we should get out of here."
"No, finish tying these two up while I look for the other guy; he must be below. Then we'll look for the money this guy won today and stuff he bought yesterday. We can sell that stuff for some good money."
On the lower deck, the thud that resounded when Sheppard fell onto the deck awakened Rodney. He heard what sounded like a couple of people moving around, and became concerned that Sheppard might have fallen. He got out of bed and ran up the stairs.
"Carson, Sheppard, everything oka...ugh," Rodney tripped over Sheppard, slamming into the wall. Stunned, it took him a moment to realize that a gun was sticking against his ribs.
"Who are you people?" Rodney was scared, from his vantage point he couldn't tell if Sheppard was breathing.
"Shut up or I'll shut you up." Bennie stepped up next to Rodney, "Anyone else on this damn boat?"
Rodney stuttered, "No, just us…hey, he…he's hurt, can I check on him?"
"Hurt...well, we don't want him to be lonely." Bennie slugged Rodney across the jaw, splitting his lip open. "Now you're hurt, too." Let's get these three into the front and then get the loot and get out of here.
Bennie pushed Rodney into the salon and pulled a piece of rope from the knapsack he was carrying, and tied Rodney's hands, and feet. He then forced Rodney to the floor, waving Sheppard's gun in his face. "Now you stay there or one of you dies."
Going back down the short hall, Bennie dragged Sheppard into the salon, leaving him behind but close to Rodney. Frank appeared with Carson, who had also been hit; one of his eyes was already swollen, blood flowing across his face. He pushed Carson onto the floor, where he fell across Rodney.
"Now all of you be quiet, or I swear I'll kill you."
Carson spoke, his voice raspy, "I remember you two; you were at the pro shop."
"Yeah, that was us…now shut up."
Frank and Bennie began searching through the houseboat, returning to the salon every now and then to drop stuff onto the dining room table.
They heard them go down the stairs and Rodney whispered to Carson, "You okay?"
"No, Rodney, my head hurts. John, what happened to him?"
"Don't know, he was already out before I came upstairs."
"Ronon?"
"I told them there was no one else here; I'm hoping he woke up."
Bennie came back into the salon carrying Rodney's wallet, laptop, and pad. After he dropped the items on the table, he came over to Rodney. "I thought you told me no one else was here, but someone's stuff is in the fourth bedroom. Where is he?"
"I told you, not here."
Bennie whacked Rodney across the cheekbone with the barrel of Sheppard's gun, "Don't lie to me, where is he?"
"Ugh…h-he ran into some friends…staying with them to-tonight."
"You better not be lying to me."
Frank came from the back of the houseboat, "Found the fishing rods; they're up top. Come help me get 'em down."
The two robbers headed for upper deck ladder. The door closed just as Sheppard began to stir.
Carson whispered, "John…John be quiet, they'll hear you."
"Uh...what the hell…"
"We're being robbed, but they haven't found Ronon yet."
Sheppard moaned, "You guys okay?"
In unison, Rodney and Carson answered, "Fine."
Sheppard tried to roll over, "Somehow…I don't believe you. Who's behind me?"
"Me," Rodney answered.
"The ropes around my wrists are loose, can you reach them?"
Rodney wiggled closer and after a few minutes of groping, eliciting a 'Watch it McKay' once from Sheppard, Rodney got his hands on the ropes binding Sheppard's hands. He almost had them loose when Frank and Bennie returned.
The robbers started throwing the items they had stolen into heavy cloth bags they had brought with them, then Frank took the bags out to the Whaler. When he returned, Bennie said, "Frank, find the keys, so that we can get out of here." Frank headed for the helm's console and found the keys to the larger Whaler.
"What about them, Bennie?"
"I think we need a little insurance, bring him with us." Bennie pointed to Carson.
Sheppard was feigning being unconscious, so Rodney quickly spoke, "Hey… you don't need to take him, we won't tell anyone."
"Yeah, well, this way, we can guarantee you won't tell anyone, or your buddy here dies."
Frank grabbed Carson's bound hands and pulled him up, shoving him through the doorway. Bennie knelt down next to Rodney and grinned, "Nice knowing you…good night." He struck Rodney, half-heartedly, and left, closing the door behind him.
Sheppard whispered, "Rodney, get me loose."
Rodney found the ropes, and managed to get Sheppard untied. As the colonel got his feet unbound, they heard a deep voice yelling for the robbers to halt…Ronon.
Sheppard jumped up and slid his hand under the couch cushion where Ronon had stashed a gun when the Park Rangers had visited. Good man, he had left the gun there. He ran to the door as he heard the Whaler's engines roar to life. As he opened the door, a gunshot rang out from above him. He stepped onto the front deck and saw Ronon jump from the upper deck into the boat, slamming into Frank. The robber's bulk was similar to Ronon's, and they struggled until Bennie hit the throttle and turned the Whaler sharply left. As Bennie swerved the boat toward the opening of the cove, the motion threw Ronon and Frank overboard. Bennie headed out toward open water, never looking back.
Frank was struggling to swim away, but Ronon grabbed him, pressing the 9-mil against the robber's temple. "You struggle and I will kill you." Frank went limp and Ronon began to pull him back toward the houseboat. Sheppard jumped in the water and helped Ronon drag the man onto the shore.
Sheppard placed the barrel of his gun under Frank's chin, "Your buddy mentioned a boat ramp, where is it?"
"I don't know." Frank spat at Sheppard, prompting Ronon to tighten his grip on the man, his hand around Frank's throat.
Ronon growled, "Answer him," then released the pressure on Frank's throat.
Sheppard asked again, his voice harsh, "The ramp, where is it?"
Frank was gasping for breath, "Across…the lake…Boulder Harbor."
"Tie him up," Sheppard stood up, "I'm going to untie Rodney and get the keys to the other boat."
As he jumped onto the front deck, Sheppard heard Rodney yelling for him. "John, John…what's going on?"
Rushing inside, Sheppard began to untie McKay, "We got one of them, but the other one got away with Carson. We're going after him." He helped Rodney to his feet, then reached into the helm console for a map of the lake. He found the boat ramp across the lake in the direction of the dam. "Contact the Park Rangers, tell them what happened, and tell them we are heading to Boulder Harbor...," he wrote down the coordinates, "tell them the robber is armed, and has Carson hostage. And get them here to secure this bastard."
Ronon entered with Frank, throwing him onto the floor. He had bound Frank's hands, and had taken one of the anchor ropes and began to bind his feet, securing him, so he couldn't get free.
Sheppard turned to Ronon, "Where's the other weapon? Bennie's got mine, you've got one, and I found the one you left under the couch. Rodney needs a gun."
"Must be one in Rodney's room, the one under the couch cushion was Carson's. I'll get it."
Sheppard ran into his room to get more clips, his K-Bar, slipping on a hoodie and his sneakers. As soon as Ronon returned, they grabbed the keys and headed for the smaller Whaler that Carson had rented. Finding the robbers' boat tied to the Whaler, Sheppard cut it loose with his K-Bar and started the Whaler's motor. He handed a high-powered light stored under the dashboard to Ronon, "Keep this shined toward the front." Sheppard inputted the coordinates in the boat's GPS, pushed the throttle forward and headed across the lake, thankful that there was a glimmer of moonlight to help guide the way.
The lake surface was smooth as glass; the intermittent moonlight filtered by scattered clouds, created a mirror-like effect on the water. Sheppard's heart was pounding in his chest; they had to get to Carson before Bennie left. He was hanging on to the belief that if Bennie were a killer, they would all be dead already. He hoped the bastard didn't have enough guts to commit murder.
Over the din of the motor, Ronon asked, "How far is this place?"
Sheppard yelled back, "About five miles or so, it's a boat ramp with a dock, not a marina…when we get close, I'm gonna cut the lights, hopefully there will be some lights on the ramp."
As the minutes ticked by, both men became more and more focused on their task. As they approached the harbor opening, Sheppard motioned for Ronon to shut off the spotlight. He steered the Whaler toward the port shoreline which was bathed in shadows, turned off the running lights, and throttled the motor back.
As they slowly made their way along the shore, they could see the boat ramp illuminated by a few pole lights. There were a few vehicles with boat trailers parked in the lot next to the ramp, but only one boat, a Boston Whaler, tied to the front of the dock. Sheppard eased the boat a bit farther through the shadows, until they could clearly see Bennie pulling the items he had stolen out of the boat. Carson wasn't visible; Sheppard assumed he was lying in the boat.
He whispered, "Drop the anchor slowly."
Ronon put the anchor into the water without a splash, and Sheppard motioned for the Satedan to follow him. They climbed off the boat into the shallow water along the shore and headed for the ramp, using the parked vehicles as a shield. They had anchored approximately five hundred feet from the boat dock, but stopped short, about twenty-five feet, hiding behind a pick-up truck.
"Ronon, wait until he heads for his car, then get to the boat and get Carson. I'll take care of Bennie."
Ronon nodded, and when Bennie exited the boat with an armful of fishing rods and headed for his car, Ronon took off, moving swiftly and quietly toward the boat. Sheppard waited until Ronon made it on board, then stepped out from behind the truck and approached Bennie.
"Going somewhere?"
Bennie stiffened, and whirled around, Sheppard's P-14 in his hand. His faced registering surprise to see Sheppard facing him, gun steady, pointed directly at him.
"So, looks like this is a standoff, wonder which one of us is the better shot?"
Sheppard laughed sarcastically, "I wouldn't go there. You won't know what hit you if you want to play that game."
"Look, your friend's in the boat. I'll just take my leave and we'll call it even."
"No, we won't; it's over."
Ronon yelled, "He's fine, Sheppard."
Bennie's head snapped toward the boat, to see Carson on his feet, Ronon untying his hands. His head snapped back to Sheppard.
"You are a piece of work Bennie, a couple of bumbling thieves, and you left your partner behind to save your own hide. Nah…not letting you go. Put the gun down and this will be over."
The sound of sirens cut faintly through the quiet of the harbor. Sheppard said quietly, "The Park Police are on their way, Bennie. It's done."
Bennie quickly glanced toward the water, the blue flashing lights of the Park Police boats were getting closer.
"No, I'm not giving up. You can go to hell…" Bennie's finger squeezed the P-14's trigger, but the gun flew from his hand just as it fired. Sheppard had placed a bullet into Bennie's forearm.
Ronon had jumped from the boat and was running toward Sheppard and Bennie when they fired. He rushed toward Bennie, kicking the gun out of the robber's reach. Sheppard joined him.
"Well, you didn't kill him."
Sheppard chuckled, "Told you, try to avoid killing at all cost."
Carson reached them, "John, are you alright?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Been better, bastards loved to hit hard." He knelt down next to Bennie, "Ronon, help me, need to get this bleeding stopped. Go get the first-aid kit from the boat."
"Ronon, leave your gun here on the ground." Sheppard put his gun down on the ramp, and stepped away from the weapons, as Ronon headed for the boat. The first Park Police boat docked, and four officers hopped on the boat, guns drawn. One stayed on the dock watching Ronon.
The first officer to approach Sheppard was the same officer, who they had spoken to twice already. He holstered his weapon as he walked up to Sheppard, motioning for another officer to secure the weapons on the ground.
"Well, well, colonel; we meet again. You guys alright?"
"Ronon and I are but Carson and Rodney were both beaten up. Is Rodney okay?"
"Yes, there are officers at the houseboat now. They have secured the other robber and are planning to transport McKay to the hospital to be checked out. Police and ambulances are rolling from Boulder City to this location. So, can you tell me what happened."
Ronon and the officer with him arrived, and Ronon handed the first-aid kit to Carson, prompting the Park Officer to shake his head. "You guys amaze me…you take them down, then patch them up."
Sheppard just shook his head, " Let me tell you how this went down, officer."
After giving a statement to the Park Police, Carson and Sheppard, Ronon riding with them, were loaded into an ambulance to be taken to the University hospital in Vegas, where McKay had transported.
Carson and Rodney both required stitches, and Carson had a slight concussion. Sheppard suffered a bad bruise but no concussion. Overall, Sheppard thought as they were dismissed from the hospital, they were lucky.
The Park Police officer was waiting to take them back to Callville Marina. "Gentlemen, the houseboat is still a crime scene, so I'm taking you to the lodge for the rest of the night. Vegas PD said they'd release the houseboat in the morning. Bennie's been treated and released, and both are in jail. This should be over soon, they confessed to the robbery."
It was nearly four in the morning when the four men arrived at the lodge. Exhausted, they retired to their rooms and slept.
Day Six
Sheppard and Ronon had just sat down for breakfast in the lodge restaurant, when they received a surprise visitor, Las Vegas PD Detective Hank Marshall.
"Colonel, Mr. Dex, fancy meeting you again."
"Detective, how are you." Sheppard smiled, a tad sheepishly, as he shook Marshall's hand.
"I think the correct question is how are you guys?" Marshall asked as he sat down.
"A little worse for wear; Rodney and Carson got banged up a bit, but they're okay. What brings you here?"
"Well, when I heard about your latest adventure, I decided to check things out. The robbers, Bennie Thompson and Frank Simmons are petty thieves, who hang around events like the bass tournament looking for high rollers to rob. They said they spotted your two friends in the pro shop, spending a lot of money using one of those 'rich peoples' credit cards,' and thought they were easy targets. Don't think they had a clue the two of you were with them. They saw Rodney leave Carson off and then followed Carson back to the houseboat yesterday after the weigh-in. They didn't get close enough to see there were other people onboard. Might have changed their mind if they had. They copped a plea pretty fast. I wanted you to know that I worked it out with the DA to return your possessions. I reminded him of the Caesar's robbery and let's just say…your rather highly placed connections. The Vegas PD will deliver everything later today."
"Thanks, Hank; we appreciate that."
"So my question is, when the hell are you leaving my jurisdiction?"
Sheppard laughed, "Well, not before breakfast, care to join us?"
Marshall grinned, "Only if you're buying, colonel."
About mid-day, they arranged for a new Whaler and returned to the houseboat after it was released. Later in the afternoon, a couple of Park Rangers delivered their stolen belongings. Ronon took Carson's fishing gear and sorted it out as Sheppard checked out the electronics. Setting the weapons aside, he told Ronon they would need to clean and check the guns.
Carson and Rodney had both gone to bed when they returned. About five o'clock, Carson wandered into the salon.
"Well, you certainly look perky." Sheppard gave the doctor a lopsided grin.
Carson muttered, "Cheeky bugger."
"Looks like the swelling's going down, but you have one hell of a black eye."
"Yeah, my vision's improving."
"How many stitches did you get to sew up that eyebrow?"
"It took three, cut wasn't big, but bled like hell."
Rodney, his voice a bit slurred from sleep, interrupted as he entered the salon, "Well...I have two stitches in my lip, and three on my cheek." The scientist was wearing the happy face pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, his hair a mess. Sheppard restrained from teasing him about the pajamas or his swollen lip.
Sheppard scoffed, "Okay then, that settles it…you win, Rodney." Carson chuckled when Rodney bristled at Sheppard's remark.
Before Rodney could reply, Ronon stuck a cup of coffee under Rodney's nose, ending the stitch debate. He then got coffee for the rest of them.
Rodney spotted his laptop and pad, grabbing them, "Thank goodness. I was worried we wouldn't get these back."
"We were lucky that they weren't kept for evidence. But those guys admitted the robbery, and Marshall intervened, so we got the stuff back in record time."
Rodney, who was already tapping away on the pad, remarked, "I'm hungry."
"Ronon warmed up some soup we bought at the restaurant before we left this afternoon; figured neither of you would feel like chewing anything."
While eating, Carson asked, "John, what's next? Do we want to go ahead and leave Lake Mead?"
"I think we should stick to our plan. Ronon and I'll go to the marina tomorrow morning, rent some skis and a tube, and we'll do what we planned. You two should be feeling better by tomorrow; and I'm better. Advil chased away all my aches this morning. So I vote we relax tonight, have some fun tomorrow, and then maybe consider leaving the next day or so."
Everyone agreed, and they spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the upper deck enjoying the evening sky and the hot tub. Sheppard noticed that Ronon kept a computer sleeve nearby at all times, a computer sleeve that had an uncharacteristic bulge in it. A bulge likely made not by a laptop but by a 9-mil.
Sheppard sighed softly, staring at the night sky, thinking how nothing changed for them. Regardless of where they were in the universe, they had to be ready for whatever came their way. However, he knew he was ready for a couple of days of mindless fun and willed the bad stuff to stay away. Surely, they could have two days in a row without trouble finding them. Surely.
To be continued…
Camcampgirl, in a review to Road Trip wrote this thought, "Shep comes to their rescue when they need it, then they return the favor by rescuing him from himself." A wonderful observation and a wonderful line; I asked for permission to use the line in this story and was given it. Carson uses the thought in the first section of this segment. Thanks, Camcampgirl, an extremely insightful comment about these characters.
Well, they have survived with a couple more days on Lake Mead, then off to the Wild West. Cowboys and Indians…right up their alley…even Rodney might have some fun! Hope to have the next installment soon, at least as soon as possible.
Thanks to all of you who are enjoying Road Trip. I hope you enjoyed this installment…I really appreciate you reading and thanks for the comments and private messages. I love them all!