Chapter 39: Sir, we have an incoming wormhole
"Sabina!" Rodney's urgent voice startled me back to reality.
"What?" I grumbled in a low voice. "Can't a girl ... rest?!"
"Not until we get contact from Atlantis," Rodney practically ordered. "You need to stay awake until then so you can tell us how you're doing."
"Tired," I complained, "sore ... dizzy. Sleep ... welcome escape ... right now."
"Not an option," Evan sided with Rodney.
"Then you guys ... have to ... help ... keep me awake," I told them seriously. "Everything's a little ... spacey."
"Are you up to talking?" Rodney asked.
"Maybe," I replied uncertainly. "Feeling a little ... breathless for a while ... stake might have ... done something to ... a lung on the way through."
"And you're just telling us now?" Rodney demanded irritably.
"Said ... might," I retorted. "Don't really know ... but ... struggling beyond ... shallow breaths." Rodney made to comment again so I headed him off. "What do you want ... to talk about?"
"As a matter of fact there is something I've wanted to know for going on a year now," Rodney replied slyly. Turning to Major Lorne he explained. "Remember the first time we came across Lucius Luvin?" Evan nodded with a look composed chiefly of distaste and embarrassment. "The only reason John and Sabina weren't affected is because they had that cold ... the one they got on a supposedly tropical planet."
"John's ... birthday trip," I said reminiscently. "Want to know ... how that happened?"
"It'll satisfy my curiosity and keep you distracted until Atlantis calls in," Rodney replied complacently.
"'kay," I agreed after thinking for a few moments about how to summarise things truthfully without going into details. "John got the cold ... because was forced to ... sit in wet clothes ... for a few hours."
"Why was he forced and by who?" Rodney wasn't put off by my very brief explanation.
"Didn't know it before we ... got there ... people in that village had very ... different views about ... things," I capitulated, deciding there was no harm in telling the story. "One ... about men ... women travelling alone ... if not joined."
"They were offended?" Major Lorne asked in surprise.
"No," I returned. "Happy we let slip ... weren't formally linked. Had ... ritual for unattached men ... women. Anyone could ... claim them if ...satisfied ... few requirements. More than one women ... wanted John. Had competition."
"What requirements did you have to satisfy?" Rodney asked curiously.
"John had to show ... was worthy," I revealed. "Had to strip ... to underwear ... then swim across ... huge lake ... island in middle. John waited ... there hours ... for winner to be ... determined. Too long ... no shelter ... wet ... clothes. Made him ... sick."
"And what did you have to do?" Evan asked with an amused smile.
"Tried to ... explain ... misunderstanding ... John not free agent," I explained. "Didn't believe me ... said ceremony announced ... had to be completed. Needed ... formal proof ... we were joined. Didn't have ... it. Had to compete for ... John with anyone ... interested."
"You competed to win John?" Rodney couldn't help himself and laughed at the thought. "I bet that went down well!"
"John didn't get to see ... on the island ... waiting to be rescued," I reminded them.
"You haven't told us specifically what you had to do," Lorne pointed out. "Did you have to defeat the challengers in a fight?"
"Ah ... not exactly," I admitted, shifting in embarrassment. I'd kept myself pretty still while I'd been telling the story, to the point I'd believed I'd reached a kind of equilibrium on my injuries. I'd gotten used to the level of pain and the mild sensation of dizzy floating consciousness and worked out how deep a breath I could take without causing myself additional pain. That minor movement disabused me of that notion, sharp pain shooting through my chest and causing little spots to appear in my vision.
"Sabina!" Rodney's urgent voice brought me back to myself. Looking over at him weakly I tried to smile reassuringly in the face of his obvious panic.
"Sorry," I groaned out. "Shouldn't ... have moved."
"I need to check your wounds," Evan knelt beside me, trying to assess how I was doing without disturbing his previous first aid efforts. He shot a glance at Rodney that pretty clearly broadcast he was less than happy with what he'd seen.
"Still ... bleeding?" I asked weakly.
"You're doing okay," Evan replied evasively. "You didn't finish your story ... if it wasn't fighting what did you have to do?"
"Series of challenges ... had to prove .. could look after John better ... than anyone else ... competing," I tried to focus on immersing myself in the memory of something that had been uncomfortable and embarrassing at the time but in hindsight was actually pretty funny. "Protecting him ... was one. Showed them ... stick fighting and the ... gun stuff ... made that one easy to win."
"What else?" Rodney asked, trying to convince me he was interested in the story more than the fact that I was in danger of bleeding out before someone from Atlantis called in to check on us.
"Four aspects ... protection, physical ... stuff, emotional ... wellbeing, and ah ... future generations," I rushed out the last two, hoping they wouldn't ask for details but knowing in the spirit of distracting me they would.
"Did they make you cook something?" Rodney asked with a teasing smirk.
"Basic survival ... training stuff," I told him, "you know – find food ... make fire ... set up camp. John ... made me do that ... first three months on Atlantis. The other women were ... better but I didn't ... disgrace myself."
"How did they judge how strong your children would be?" Evan asked curiously. "It's not like they'd be able to tell who'd be genetically compatible."
"Panel of male judges," I said briskly. "No ... specifics. Just think ... Miss Universe ... be close enough."
"Did you win that one?" Rodney looked at me expectantly.
"They were ... really attractive ... and young," I explained reluctantly. "Lucky they took ... John into account ... height and ... physical strength made me the best ... match."
"So you needed to win the emotion challenge to win the whole thing?" Evan asked.
"Something ... like that," I confirmed. "Each challenger had to ... decide how they'd ask for John ... to join with them. Went to island ... recite to John ... in front of ... everyone."
"You had to propose to John in front of a bunch of strangers?" Evan looked at me in surprise, for the first time sympathetic instead of amused by my story.
"I suppose ... I did," I agreed with a raised brow. "Didn't see it that way ... but I did treat it ... seriously. Made it sincere. Maybe they couldn't have enforced ... a match for John without his cooperation but ... there might have been ... some penalty for not ... abiding by the result. Couldn't risk them ... hurting John because I ... didn't take it seriously. Didn't find out until after ... John was only judge. Could have said anything ... and still come out ahead."
"So you won and they let you leave," Rodney summarised thoughtfully. "This all happened after your birthday right?"
"Wondered how ... long it'd take you to ... make the connection," I replied in confirmation. "John ... laughed his arse off ... when he found out ... about the vinculum."
"Am I missing part of the story here?" Evan looked from Rodney to me and then back again.
"Didn't Sabina tell you she and Sheppard have been married for over a year according to Ancient custom?" Rodney asked slyly.
"No she didn't," Evan looked at me reproachfully.
"That necklace Sheppard gave her was like signing a marriage license for the Ancients," Rodney explained. "If they'd known that before their little trip to the tropical paradise they wouldn't have had to do the challenge at all."
"Not gonna feel ... guilty over a ... 10,000 year old ... obsolete custom," I retorted at Evan's faintly disgruntled expression, wincing when even that tiny hint of heated emotion send pain lancing through me. "God ... how much ... longer?"
"Still at least an hour," Rodney admitted after consulting his watch.
"Morphine," Evan announced, approaching me with the syringe ready to go. "And this time I'm not taking no for an answer."
"That stuff always ... makes me ... loopy," I complained childishly, glaring at him as the sting of the injection registered.
"I'd rather that than having to put up with your pale martyr act," Evan rebuked.
"Because whether ... I take pain relief ... or not ... is all about ... you," I retorted, my voice still choppy and breathless. The effect of the morphine was immediate ... adding more distortion to my already wobbly view of the world. "Not sure how much ... longer can stay ... awake," I added apologetically.
"Just stick with us Sabina," Evan's voice had that order tone that usually had me obeying before I'd fully registered any associated thoughts.
"You gotta stay awake," Rodney urged. "Just think how much more peeved Sheppard's gonna be if he gets here and finds you sleeping."
"Trying," I got out, trying not to get upset at the mention of John's name because he wasn't there and wouldn't be for a while yet.
"Tell me how you're feeling now," Evan said seriously. "Give me the highlights."
"Still ... dizzy," I began my list of current ails. "Sick. Short ... breath. Thirsty."
"Is that bad?" Rodney asked when Evan sat back with a frown.
"It's not good," Evan admitted. "I can't say for sure but shock would account for most of those symptoms."
"Which means we need to get her back to Atlantis urgently," Rodney summarised. "So – no different than five minutes ago."
"I might ... be ... dizzy, but I ... can still ... hear," I reminded them. "Your turn ... talk ... distract me."
"You've spent a lot of time in the Ancient library lately," Rodney tried a new topic. "Find anything interesting"
"Mostly ... history," I admitted. "Did find a cool ... room the ... other ... day."
"What makes it cool?" Evan asked curiously.
"Have to tell ... John first," I smiled weakly when Rodney groaned impatiently. "It's not ... weapon ... or puzzle ... like in the past."
"You don't always have to tell your husband everything before you tell the rest of us you know," Rodney pointed out sarcastically.
"Don't care ... if you're ... grumpy," I forced out, blinking rapidly as everything started to feel like it was slipping away from me. Suddenly I felt cold ... right down to the core ... enough that I began shivering violently. The involuntary movement jostled my wounds ... I couldn't help but moan with a pain that even Evan's prior dose of morphine couldn't dull.
"Sabina?" Evan picked up on my changed status immediately, putting his fingers to my wrist quickly to take my pulse.
"John? Is ... he here?" I was struggling now ... to keep myself conscious, not to give into the confusion and fear sweeping over me.
"Her blood pressures dropping," Evan told Rodney. "We need to –" he paused, holding up a hand as his radio sprang to life.
"Sir, we have an incoming wormhole," Parker reported.
"Atlantis?" Rodney looked at his watch with a frown. "It's too early."
"Wraith!" Parker's urgent voice issued the warning, his tone a harsh whisper in the quiet of the cave.
"Could this day get any worse?" Rodney complained while manfully raising his weapon to ready position.
"How many?" Lorne demanded over the radio.
"Just one dart," Parker replied. Funny how we'd gone from one Wraith being almost too much to handle to thinking a Dart wasn't anything to really worry about.
"Did they see you?" Evan moved to the cave opening, P90 trained down the path leading in.
"I don't think so," Parker returned. "I'm hiding in the trees a few metres south of the gate. I'm sorry Sir, they're headed in your direction."
"The Replicators must have had some kind of subspace signal attached to the shield," Rodney spoke in sick horror, his eyes trained on me. "The Wraith picked it up and now they know someone's here ... someone capable of activating the device."
"Which means they won't be going anywhere anytime soon," Evan concluded.
"This is bad," Rodney panicked, his movements jittery as he paced in the tight space. "This is really, really bad. That booby trap on the shield affected its operation – it's not working. The Wraith are free to pretty much go where they want!"
"Contact with Atlantis is still more than half an hour away," Evan pointed out, "plus we have no way to warn them before they send someone through."
"What if they find the cave?" Rodney looked worried. "We can't move Sabina ... we're sitting ducks."
"Need to ... leave ... me," I urged, my voice almost too weak for them to hear. "Now ... so can ... flank them. Only one ... Dart."
"If you're suggesting we abandon you here as bait so we can attack them from behind you're even more nuts than Sheppard!" Rodney retorted grimly. "You'd have no way to defend yourself if they get past us!"
"Rodney's right," Evan said firmly. "We need to think of another way to disable that Dart. And we need to do it fast."
"That's it!," Rodney might as well have had a light bulb over his head, the fact he had an idea was so obvious. "We need to capture that Dart."
"Ah ... why?" Evan frowned in confusion.
"Because it can save Sabina," Rodney said impatiently.
"Can't ... fly ... it," I pointed out weakly.
"I know we can't," Rodney retorted. "But we don't need to. All we need to do is get them to scoop you up before we take them down. Of course we're gonna have to be careful how we do that last part so we don't damage their beaming systems."
"Cle ... ver," I complimented as understanding of his plan dawned on me.
"You think storing Sabina in their materialiser will give us the time we need to wait for contact with Atlantis," Evan concluded incredulously.
"It's worth a shot," Rodney confirmed. "And it has the added benefit of taking care of the Wraith too."
"We have no idea what that will do to her!" Evan bit out grimly. "She's not exactly at full strength McKay."
"And the longer we wait the worse she'd gonna get," Rodney retorted. "We both know she may not have time to wait for Atlantis to get here!"
"That's not a definite," Evan countered. "But we do know getting rematerialised takes a lot out of a person. You know that from personal experience. How the hell will we explain to Colonel Sheppard the risks we took if this goes badly?"
"He'd tell us to save her no matter what," Rodney said firmly.
"Guys," I called out with a groan. When they both looked at me as though they'd forgotten I was even there I had the insane urge to laugh. "Do ... it."
"You're agreeing to being dematerialised?" Evan asked in surprise.
"Good ... plan," I told him firmly. "Not ... gonna make ... it ... other ... wise."
"Don't do that!" Evan ordered. "You don't get to talk like that."
"Sorry. Rod ... ney," I called out. "Tell ... John ... no re ... grets."
"You can tell him yourself when this works," Rodney said confidently. When I looked at him pleadingly he capitulated, rolling his eyes impatiently. "Fine ... on the very slight chance that this doesn't work, which is extremely remote because it will, I'll pass on your message. Okay?"
"Thank ... you," I relaxed back gratefully. "Go ... now."
"First we have to get you out into the open," Rodney looked to Evan for his agreement, even though I'd already said I wanted them to proceed.
"One of us will have to stay with her," Evan pointed out. "They won't scoop someone up if they're lying on the ground obviously injured."
"You're right," Rodney frowned, thinking out the logistics of his plan.
"It'll have to be me," Evan added. "We need you to get us out of the materialiser once Atlantis gets here."
"Then who takes out the Dart?" Rodney looked at Evan with dawning horror. "No, no, no. You do not want to put something that crucial down to my aim!"
"You can do this McKay," Evan stated confidently. "You know exactly where to target and if you do it the second after they've scooped us up they'll still be close to the ground. Should minimise damage to the Dart when it crashes. The Wraith will be disorientated – you just need to get in there quick and make sure he stays down."
"You're right, this really is a bad plan," Rodney complained weakly, letting himself be dragged along in the wake of Evan's push for action.
Quickly grabbing an end of my stretcher each they walked out of the cave and into the open. We moved a short distance before I was once again down on the ground.
"There," Evan pointed to an outcrop of rocks that would keep Rodney close enough but provide cover from the Dart spotting him. "Now remember ... this is just like target practise and you've done plenty of that. Keep it steady and controlled and you'll do fine."
"Be ... lieve ... in ... you," I added my vote of confidence.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Rodney muttered miserably, running for his position with P90 poised and hunkering down quickly.
Evan squatted beside me with a hesitant expression. "You realise you're gonna have to be standing for this one?" he asked in concern.
"Is ... o ... kay," I got out, trying with the expression in my eyes to tell him I was fine with the course of events.
"Right," Evan looked at me resolutely for a second before carefully shifting an arm under my shoulders. I think we both groaned as he pulled me upright and from there quickly to my feet.
There was a buzzing in my ears and dark spots in my vision but I was standing ... just barely and with most of my weight being held up by Evan.
"Okay?" he asked softly.
"Not ... real ... ly," I admitted painfully. "Hope ... they do ... this ... quick."
"Me too," Evan muttered under his breath.
I don't know how long I could have stood there waiting for action but luckily I didn't have to find out. The unmistakable sound of a Wraith Dart whining towards us came less than a minute later. I had just enough time to ponder the bizarre nature of the world that I'd seek out something that usually spelled disaster before the beam passed over us.
Author's Note:
Apologies for the cliff hangers guys ... kinda ... well, not really LOL. The story wanted to be this way - honest! I'll try to post the next chapter tomorrow if I can.
Next Up? The Other Side of the Story - John's POV: Chapter 10