There's not much of Sheppard in this chapter, but there will be plenty of him in future chapters.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and commented so far. I really appreciate your support.

Chapter 10: Conflict.

For a second the room was quiet and then people started to panic, some sat and stared into space, while others started to scream. The building continued to shake, and it was clear that someone was trying to destroy the hospital complex – or at the very least force their way in. If that happened Ronon knew that these people wouldn't stand a chance.

Ronon caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and he was relieved to see that Sgt Thaxton and several other soldiers were heading towards him, "what's happening sergeant?"

"Things are getting worse; many people don't want things to change. They were happy to let the gene carriers continue to power the city so that they could maintain their wealthy lifestyles. Now they're trying to get the gene carriers out of the hospitals and somehow get them back in the chambers. So, I suggest you take General Sheppard and get out of here any way possible."

"What…about…these other people?" Rodney stammered.

"We'll look after them, there are plenty of soldiers here to protect them and if need be, there is a bunker under the hospital where we can keep them safe. It's been built to withstand a bomb attack. The military found it a few years ago and it was then that we began to suspect that what is happening now has happened time and time again in our history."

Ronon nodded his head and was about to lead them out of the room when he remembered that he had no idea where Sheppard would be resting. He was about to ask Carson, when another loud explosion rocked the area, and it seemed closer this time possibly just outside the hospital.

"Doc, if we don't leave now, we'll never leave!" Ronon shouted above the noise.

Sophia came up to join them with Lalla by her side, "can you take us with you as I need to get out of the city and see my husband and son."

It looked as if Carson was going to object, when Logo walked into the room, "go Sophia, we have a lot of good doctors to help take care of the patients. At the moment General Sheppard is the only patient in a critical condition, so you need to get him back to Atlantis so that his people can help him." He turned to Sophia before continuing, "Do you remember where the tunnels are at the other end of this complex?"

"Yes, I do," She replied.

"Take General Sheppard, Carson, and his friends through those tunnels? I believe they come out near the tunnels that lead to the gene carrier section of the city."

Ronon was sick of this conversation, and he just wanted to get Sheppard to safety, luckily Lorne felt the same way.

"Come on!" Lorne shouted, "let's get the hell out of this place, Sophia you lead the way?"

When Sophia left holding Lalla's hand, Carson quickly followed her, Ronon followed Carson, Rodney followed him with Lorne bringing up the rear."

Ronon heard gunfire in the distance, so he knew that it was only a matter of time before the hospital complex was overrun – he sure hoped that Sgt Thaxton and his troops could get the people to safety before that happened.

Carson suddenly stopped dead in front of him and a gasp escaped the doctor's lips.

"What's happening doc? Ronon asked, fearing the worst.

Sophia turned around to face him and there were tears in her eyes, "General Sheppard is gone."

"What do you mean he's gone, he's in no condition to get up and walk away?" Rodney asked with a look of panic in his eyes.

Ronon looked past them and from what he could see he assumed that the bed that Sheppard was laying on was gone as well, so he turned to look at Carson, "it looks as if someone has wheeled his bed away. Am I right Doc?"

"Yes, and it appears that the monitoring equipment has gone as well."

A moan from the floor caught their attention, and one of the nurses was waking up, before Ronon could question her, Carson was by her side and talking to her gently, "can you tell me what happened luv? We need to know where General Sheppard is?"

The nurse rubbed her head and started to shake her hands and Ronon was convinced that she had been stunned. When she answered Carson, her voice was shaky, "Umm…Toth took him."

"Do you have any idea where he took General Sheppard?" Ronon asked as gently as he could.

"I think Toth's taking him back to the chamber."

Ronon watched as Sophia put her hand over her mouth and gasped.

"What is it, Sophia?" Carson asked softly.

"You need to find them quickly because if they put him in the chamber without the connecters in his head, it could kill him."

"So let me get this straight," Lorne began, "the chambers can still be used without the tiny needles sticking into the subject's brain?"

"Yes, but it can kill a person within days and given General Sheppard's brain activity when he was last in the chamber, I'm convinced that he doesn't even have that long," Sophia stated and Ronon sensed that she was close to tears.

He looked at Lalla and noticed that she also had tears in her eyes, so he knew what he had to do."

"McKay, I want you to get Sophia and Lalla out of here," Ronon turned to Sophia before continuing, "do you know the way to Jonan's Cabin?"

When she nodded, he turned to Lorne, "we'll go and find Sheppard and then we'll find the passageway leading out of here."

"I'm coming with you!" Carson stated forcefully, "he's going to need a doctor when we find him. I just hope that idiot Toth hasn't tried to put him in the chamber again!"

It was rare to see Carson go into a full-blown rant and when he did the doctor became scary, so Ronon knew that they had to get moving and fast, "right come on let's go and find Sheppard. Rodney make sure you get Sophia and Lalla back to their family, "do you have a weapon?"

"No, they took them off us when we entered the city."

"Don't worry I have your weapon," Logo announced walking into the room and handing Rodney a 9mil, "and do not worry I will accompany Sophia and Lalla through the passageways and back to her family's cabin."

"I still want you to go with them, McKay. Don't worry we'll look after Sheppard." Ronon said as firmly as he could without shouting at the scientist.

He was relieved when Rodney didn't protest, so Ronon just smiled at him and led the way towards the chamber. He knew that he needed to be quick because they had no idea how much of a head start Toth had gotten. The biggest question he had though, was how did the maniac escape his jail cell and break back into the hospital complex?

oOo

Rodney watched as Ronon, Carson and Lorne walked away, and he longed to go with them, but he knew that he had a job to do and that was to make sure that Lalla and Sophia were safe. But then he wasn't a soldier, like Lorne or Ronon and he certainly wasn't as brave as they were. He wished that Lorne were going with the civilians, but Ronon was placing his trust in him which is something that never would have happened nine years ago when they first met.

Turning to face Sophia and Logo he realised that they were waiting for him to take the lead. Being a leader was something he was good at – at least he thought he was – but that was when he was on Atlantis issuing orders to his minions.

"Umm…do you guys know the way to the passage?"

"Yeah…just follow me," Logo announced bravely.

When Logo nodded, Rodney looked at Sophia, "Can you please follow Logo, and I will follow you."

Sophia and Lalla very quickly followed Logo and Rodney rushed after him, the only thing he hoped was that no one was following them – he didn't have eyes in the back of his head after all.

When they'd left the ICU the unconscious nurses and doctors were beginning to wake up so he was sure that they would be able to take care of the patients in that part of the hospital and assist in getting them to safety if need be.

So, for now, all he had to do was get Sophia, Logo and Lalla out of the city safely and then hopefully within a short amount of time Lorne, Ronon and Carson would follow with Sheppard.

Then he could get back to Atlantis and try to access the data chip that Voth had given Lorne. Maybe then they could get back to when and where they belong and find a nice planet to settle down on and call home.

For the moment the path ahead of them was clear and the lights were on – much to his relief. He hadn't really given much thought as to what would happen when they were in the tunnels, because he didn't have a flashlight on him, and he was convinced that Logo and Sophia didn't.

Up ahead he heard someone whispering and he immediately stopped and patted Sophia on the arm indicating that she should probably do the same thing. Sophia patted Logo on the arm, and the man stopped abruptly. Rodney pulled them both back into a tiny side room and listened as the voices came closer. He tried to hear what they were saying, which wasn't a problem because they were talking extremely loudly. They stopped just outside the tiny room that they were hiding in, and he was able to listen to their entire conversation.

"Do you think that Toth will manage to take control of the city again?"

The other man replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "I don't know, but from what I hear he's captured the guy from Atlantis, who has the strong ancestor gene. And I think he's trying to put him in the chamber again."

"Yeah, the sooner the better, I have a hell of a lot of research to do on ancient artifacts and without the carriers powering the city or the devices, I'm sunk."

"Well hopefully this will all be over soon, and we can both get back to work."

Rodney was incredulous by what he'd just heard, and he felt like going out and shaking both of them until they saw sense – what they were doing was wrong.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and when he turned around, he saw that Sophia was gently shaking her head. He knew that she was right, and it wasn't time for them to get involved. Right now, he needed to get these people to safety what happened after that he had no idea.

Once he was sure that the two men had left, he carefully came out of the tiny room and was relieved that the passage was empty again.

"Come on," he whispered to Sophia before turning to face Logo, "do you know how much further the entrance to the tunnel is?"

"It's not far," Logo replied before leading the way again.

All of this time Lalla had been quiet, and Rodney wondered what kind of phycological effect this would have on the child. What am I a shrink now, he thought before following the others.

oOo

Carson was on high alert as he walked down the corridor towards the Chamber room. Ronon and Lorne appeared to be tense as well, but it was clear that it was for a different reason.

All he was worried about was the General's condition. Having a head injury in any circumstance was bad enough, but being moved about recklessly was downright dangerous and Carson was worried that it may cause brain damage. As far as he and Sophia could ascertain, he didn't have any brain damage at the moment, but that could change if he weren't properly cared for.

Ronon stopped in front of him and held his fist up, indicating that he should stop. It was only then that he realised that they'd reached the chamber. Lorne went around Carson and stood behind Ronon with his gun at the ready.

It wasn't long before he heard mumbled voices inside the chamber room, and he couldn't quite work out what they were saying. He was convinced that one of them was Toth and from what he could figure out Toth wanted to put Sheppard back in the chamber and a soldier was trying to stop him.

Ronon and Lorne walked out the join the lone soldier and they both had their guns pointed at Toth. When Carson followed them, he was shocked by what he saw – Toth was trying to drag an unconscious limp Sheppard into the chamber and the bandages around his head were covered in blood.

"Leave him alone," the young soldier pleaded.

"There's three of us now!" Ronon shouted, "so let him go!"

Carson watched as a sneer crossed Ronon's face and from the gleam in the big Satedan's eyes, he knew exactly what the man had planned.

"Please don't stun Toth, I don't want John getting in the way and getting hit because I'm convinced that it may cause brain damage."

"Well if you've got any better ideas I'm listening doc?!" Ronon growled.

Carson let out a sigh, there was no way John was going to get out of this without further injury. He only hoped that it didn't involve brain damage, "go ahead if you have to Ronon, I just hope that I can pick up the pieces later."

Ronon nodded and fired his weapon hitting Toth squarely in the chest – he only hoped that he'd missed General Sheppard because that was the last thing Sheppard needed right now.

For the next few seconds, things seemed to go in slow motion as Toth fell to the floor with a thud and John fell on top of him. Several more soldiers came through the door and Carson wasn't sure what side they were on until one of them spoke.

"I'm sorry that Toth got away sir, but he managed to knock out the three soldiers that were supposed to be guarding him."

"Do you want help tying him up and taking him back, "Ronon offered.

Before the soldier had a chance to answer Ronon, Lorne interjected, "I'd rather you didn't because I think it's time, we got off this world and got back home."

By this time Carson had made his way over to where Sheppard was laying on top of Toth, "I couldn't agree more, so can someone help me with John please?"

Carson was relieved when Lorne helped him lay Sheppard out on the floor, giving Ronon and the Hilaring soldiers a chance to deal with Toth. He was distressed by what he saw when he peeled back the bandages on John's head.

"Dam it!" Carson exclaimed in anger, "the stitches from the gunshot wound are torn, so I'm going to have to fix that before we even attempt to get back to Atlantis. I will also need to sedate him again soon if we're going to keep him in a medically induced coma."

I'm not sure we can risk going back to the hospital," Lorne told him.

He knew that the Colonel was right, but they didn't have any other choice. Before he had a chance to voice his concerns one of the soldiers who was dealing with Toth spoke up.

"I believe that there may be supplies in a cupboard in the spare room over there."

"That'll have to do for now," Carson stated, looking to where the soldier was pointing.

"I'm just going to take Toth back to his jail cell," Ronon stated throwing the man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "You three with me," he said pointing to three of the soldiers. "The rest of you stay and help Lorne guard Beckett and Sheppard."

It was clear that Lorne wanted to say something, but Ronon left before he had the chance to open his mouth.

Once Ronon and the three soldiers had left with Toth, Carson decided that it was time to get to work, so while Lorne and the other soldiers were guarding John he entered the tiny room hoping that what he needed would be there.

oOo

Rodney had no idea how long he'd been in the dark damp tunnel with only a small flashlight – that Logo had in his pocket – to guide the way, but he was relieved when they finally made it out. And thankfully they were near one of the jumpers. It wasn't the one that he Sheppard and Carson had come in on, but he was thankful all the same.

The bright yellow sun was high in the bright blue sky and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. It was close to perfect and if he hadn't been so worried about the others, he might have enjoyed it.

"So, what happens next?" He asked Sophia as she exited the tunnel behind him.

"Our cabin is not far. You do not have to come with us if you don't want to Dr McKay."

Rodney decided he was famished, so if he went with these people to the cabin perhaps, he could grab a bite to eat. Lorne and Ronon knew where the cabin was, so if they came looking for him, they would probably have a fair idea where he'd gone.

"Umm…no, I think that I will make sure that you and Lalla get home safely."

"Do not worry Dr McKay, you stay with your craft, and I will make sure they get home." Logo suggested. "perhaps we can bring some food out to you if you're hungry?"

Perhaps they were right and the best thing he could do was wait here for his friends. Maybe he could get the ship into orbit and try to contact Atlantis.

"You're probably right Logo, so I will stay here and wait."

He watched as Logo, Lalla and Sophia walked away and he wondered if he would ever see them again. Lalla really was a cute kid and he found himself wondering if he would ever have kids. Perhaps he would discuss it with Jennifer when he got back to Atlantis, but maybe he'd propose to her first.

Shaking his head, he knew that he needed to get his mind on the matter at hand. He looked over at the city and could see smoke billowing into the sky. Things were not looking good, and he knew that he and his friends needed to get off this planet as soon as possible.

He stood staring at the smoke for a few minutes contemplating what he should do next – who knows how long it would be until he saw Carson and the others. In the end, he decided that he would take the jumper into orbit and try to communicate with Atlantis and then he would come back to the surface and wait for the others.

oOo

With Lorne's help, Carson managed to get John back on the gurney and after scrubbing up the best he could, he managed to stitch up the General's head again. It was lucky that John was deeply unconscious because he didn't flinch through the entire procedure. Hopefully, he would stay that way until they could get him back to Atlantis and then he could get him under the ancient scanner.

"How is he Doc?" Ronon asked entering the room.

"I've stitched him up for now, but I'd be surprised if he didn't end up with an infection."

"Right Toth's been dealt with for now, so how about we get the hell out of here and get back home."

Suddenly they heard weapons fire in the corridor and Carson knew that there was no way that they were going to be able to make it to the tunnels that Rodney and the others had gone through.

He turned to look at Ronon and he was happy when the man spoke to one of the three soldiers remaining in the room, "is there another way out of here."

The man nodded as he answered, "head out the door in front of you and about a hundred meters on your right there is a back door, which leads to the back of the building. Head in a straight line from the back door until you reach the wall and there should be a passage leading under the wall – you can't miss it."

In theory that sounded easy, but what if they were seen? It was going to be difficult trying to remain inconspicuous pushing a gurney with an unconscious man between them – a man that half the city was looking for.

"Umm… and what if we're seen?" Carson asked the soldier standing in front of them.

Ronon raised his eyebrow at the man and the soldier looked a little scared and stammered as he answered, "Umm…not many…people use that path."

"Well, we'd better do something quickly, because the gunfire is getting closer and if we don't leave now, we might never get out of here!" Lorne said forcefully and Carson didn't miss the anger and frustration in his voice.

The lead soldier looked at them and smiled, "good luck," he said before walking away with his two men following him.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Ronon suggested, leading the way out of the chamber room.

Carson took one last look at the room and was about to leave, with Lorne helping him push Sheppard's gurney, when Ronon came back in.

"What are you doing Ronon?" Carson asked as the man pulled his gun out.

"Get Sheppard out of here doc, I'm about to destroy that chamber, so it can never be used again."

He didn't need to be told twice so with Lorne's help he wheeled Sheppard out of the room and a few seconds later he heard the sound of shattering glass, followed by a loud bang. Then he heard gunshots enter the chamber room – well he assumed that was what was happening. The sound of an energy weapon being discharged told him that Ronon was trying to stop whoever was advancing on them.

Ronon came through the door with his gun still firing and somehow, he managed to shut the door to the chamber room – he sure hoped that he'd managed to break the lock.

"Come on!" Ronon shouted, "let's get the hell out of here?"

And then they were running towards the back exit. As they continued down the corridor, he could still hear the weapon's fire, but as they neared the back exit, it began to fade away. At least they hadn't broken through the door yet. He was relieved that Lorne and Ronon were pushing the gurney because he was becoming out of breath just running himself. He definitely needed to do more training when he got back to Atlantis – that's if they ever got back to Atlantis.

A few minutes later when they exited the building, the first thing he noticed was that the sky was a brilliant blue and the sun was shining. The second thing he noticed was that the area wasn't as empty as the soldiers in the chamber room had suggested. And the third thing he noticed was at least five soldiers were pointing their guns at them.

TBC…