A Special thanks to Johnshep1 and Mittengal for all your encouraging reviews. I appreciate your constant support. And a big thank you to all the guests for your comments.
Remember, I'm not a doctor or health care professional, so some of my ideas may not be one hundred per cent accurate.
Chapter 17: The Ancient Ship.
When John exited the jumper, he was greeted by driving wind and pelting rain. The grass around his feet was thick, and his feet were wet, but he couldn't be happier.
When he'd been trapped in the infirmary for weeks, he thought he'd never see the outside world again, but here he was. The fact they'd spent most of the last seven months in space didn't help either - although there had been the ill-fated mission to the Hilarian home world. He only wished that Teyla were here to enjoy the current experience with him.
The ship ahead of them looked dark and foreboding, and although it was creepy, he couldn't wait to get in there. He had no idea what he would find, but at least he felt useful.
Ronon was ahead of him, Carson was next to him, and Rodney was bringing up the rear. Although he wanted to watch their backs, Carson insisted that he should walk beside him.
"Are you having fun yet, Sheppard?" "Rodney complained from behind him.
"Yeppp thisss isss greatt."
"Of course you are," Rodney muttered loud enough for John to hear him.
"I agree with Sheppard," Ronon began," this is great."
"Of course, you'd find it great, Conan."
"What's not to like, McKay? There's plenty of fresh air and a strong breeze."
John chuckled at the conversation between Rodney and Ronon, "Annddd donnnt forgettt theee rainnnn."
They walked silently for the next few minutes, and although his head and leg were aching, he was still on high alert. Despite his weakness, he was still a soldier and responsible for the safety of those around him.
As they approached the downed ship, the landscape changed from lush green grass to solid rock. The rain was heavier than when they'd landed, and he was sure it wouldn't stop anytime soon.
His biggest complaint right now was the bugs had decided to visit him.
"Owwww!" He yelped.
"What's the problem now, Sheppard? Are the bugs attacking you again?"
Suddenly he smelt citronella. And he knew that McKay had been using his bug spray again.
"Iiiii still don'tttt wantttt your buggs sprayyy. McKayyyy."
Carson handed him a tiny bottle, "Use some of mine, General."
"Thannkkss Carssonn."
After smothering his arms and face with bug spray, he handed it to Carson. Then he took off ahead of the others.
The closer he got to the ship, the worse the damage looked. The entire front end of the Ancient ship had been crushed like a tin can, and he wondered if anyone had survived the crash. The metal was rusted through in parts, a testament to the weather patterns on the planet. But what disturbed him the most was the scorch marks along the side. Even after thousands of years, they were still visible, which had him wondering how powerful the ship was that had shot the Ancient craft down.
He closed his eyes before he spoke because it was still hard to express himself, "Thisss lookss baddd, weee have to bee onnn alerttt."
"I agree, "Ronon began, "who knows if there are thousand-year-old wraith wandering around in there."
He turned to look at Rodney, who had a worried look on his face, "Arrre youuu okaayy MccKayyy?"
"Of course, I'm not okay, Sheppard. But seeing as this is the same as countless other missions we've been on in the last ten years, I'll adapt."
He turned to look at Carson, "Carsonnn youuu okayyy?"
He didn't miss the fear in his friend's eyes as he answered, "I'm alright. How are you feeling, General."
The pain in his head and leg were notching up a little, but thanks to the leg brace, he felt steady on his feet. So, in the end, he decided to give his usual response, "I'mmm finnne Carsonnn."
"Are you sure you don't want to rest, General?"
Although he would have liked to take Carson up on his suggestion, he knew they needed to keep going.
"Let's keeeeep goinnng."
Rather than continue the conversation, he walked off ahead of the others until he reached a large hole in the ship's side. The hole was big enough for them to fit through, so he figured they might as well enter there.
He stopped and paused before entering. It had suddenly dawned on him that he would need to hold a flashlight, and if he held a flashlight with his left hand, how would he use his weapon if he needed to? He could use his right hand, but it was still so shaky that he would probably drop it.
Ronon must have sensed what he was thinking because he switched on his flashlight and entered ahead of him.
"Come on, Lad, walk with me," Carson suggested switching on his flashlight and entering the derelict ship.
For a brief moment, he had felt strong again. He had even thought he could protect his friends, but Carson's words reminded him that he wasn't whole and may never be again.
The temperature dropped as he stepped into the ship, and a shiver ran down his spine - although he was sure it had nothing to do with the temperature.
A strong sense of foreboding overcame him as he began to walk down the eerie corridor. Light came in from the numerous holes in the ship's hull, but it barely made a difference. The flashlights, although powerful, only made the whole situation creepier.
Strange vines were growing on the walls, and mould covered the floor, causing him to slip occasionally. Carson was always there to steady him - of course.
They walked on without speaking - although he could hear Rodney mutter under his breath occasionally. He had no idea where they were going but assumed they must be heading towards engineering, considering the bridge was a lost cause.
"Areee wee therrre yettt?" He whispered, not wanting to speak any louder because his spidy-sence tingled.
"It should be a few hundred metres ahead of us," Rodney whispered from behind.
"And where are we going exactly?" Carson whispered beside him.
Ronon stopped in front of him, and if Carson hadn't grabbed him, he would have walked into the back of the big man.
"We're going to engineering, right, McKay?"
"Yes, that's where we're going, so if we could all keep quiet, maybe we won't be attacked by monsters or zombies."
"Reallyyyy, Rodnnneyyy, Zombbbiesss, "he whispered - although he could picture a monster or two strolling through the ship.
He could sense the fear in his friend's voice as he answered.
"Yes, Sheppard, Zombies. Now be quiet and keep walking."
As they approached engineering, the hairs on the back of John's neck stood on end, and he sensed that something would go wrong very soon.
He watched as Rodney pushed past Ronon and opened the doors, and in an instant, a large, black, hairy creature burst through the doors. Before it pounced on Rodney, he fired his gun and shot the monster dead.
Rodney sank to his knees, and Carson was by his side immediately," are you alright, Dr Mckay?"
Feeling shaky, John put his weapon away, and rather than falling, he decided to sit with his back against one of the less slimy walls.
"What the hell was that thing?" Rodney asked in a panicked tone, and his voice was high-pitched as always when panicking.
John didn't miss the smirk on Ronon's face as he answered, "Relax, McKay, it wasn't a Zombie. It was just the local wildlife."
After using his good arm to help him stand up, John slowly walked over to the creature.
The thing looked like a brown bear from Earth - the only problem was it was twice the size.
He was still shaky, so he sat down next to McKay, "Are yooou surre you'rrrre okkayyy, MccKaay?"
Rodney turned toward him, and if looks could kill, he'd be dead by now, "what were you thinking firing a gun, Sheppard? You could have killed me!"
"Ussseddd myyyy lefffttt hannnd."
It was clear that Rodney was angry when he shouted at Ronon, "And what were you thinking, Conan? You could have easily shot that bear, but you let Sheppard shoot it!"
"I knew that Sheppard could do it. He's a better shot with his left hand than half the marines are with their right, and his vision is near perfect, so I trusted him."
Clearly, Rodney was still angry when he spoke again, "You trusted him? Of all the stupid things you could say - you trusted him?!
He felt like his head would split in two, so the last thing he needed was for Rodney to keep ranting, "Thattt'sss enough MccKaayyy," he whispered.
Before Rodney could respond, Carson spoke, and he wasn't happy, "Yes, Rodney, how about you stop shouting because it's clear that John has a headache."
Sighing, he looked at his friend, "Caan'tt getttt anythiiinnng passsttt yooou, Doc."
"Okay, before we continue, I'll give you some meds."
"Neeed too bee alerrttt Doc."
"It's just some extra strength Tylenol, so it shouldn't make you drowsy."
Finally, he gave in to the Doctor's demands and took the medication because he was sick of sitting in the dark against a mould-infested wall.
Once he'd swallowed his pills, he pushed himself to his feet and walked through the open doors to the engineering lab.
The minute he stepped inside, the lights came on, and a holographic projection was activated.
The hologram was a tall woman with dark hair and deep brown eyes. She was dressed in a beige tunic - much like the other Ancients they had seen.
Before any of them had a chance to say anything, the hologram began to speak.
"I am Captain Jollie Jenkins, and this is the last recording from the starship Juniper of Ilaria.
Two days ago, we were attacked by an unknown enemy, and although my crew fought with honour and determination, we were very quickly overrun.
The creatures that attacked us had pale green skin and long white hair. And they could suck the life out of you with their bare hands.
Our last hope was to use the escape pods and allow these creatures to possess our ship. Before abandoning our craft, we set it on a collision course with the planet below, hoping the crash would destroy whatever monsters were left on the ship.
I don't know if anyone will ever see this, but the few of us left have decided to look for a new home in this system."
The hologram disappeared, and the revelation they'd just received left him exhausted - although it could have been due to the walk through a creepy derelict ship.
He sat down with his back against the wall and looked at McKay, who appeared speechless.
"Thhattt cann'ttt beee"
"You're right, General, from what we know, the Wraith originated in the Pegasus galaxy, But I guess they could have travelled to other systems thousands of years ago. Don't forget we assume that the Iliarians crashed here ten thousand years before the Ancients from Atlantis returned to Earth."
"Yeah, just after the Hillarins crash landed on their city." Ronon mumbled, "I still don't understand why they left the city, though."
"So wouldn't that mean the Ancients from Atlantis are about to return to Earth?" Carson asked.
"Yesss," John answered, "Butttt theeee question issss whattt happenedddd tooo the Ancientttsss fromm Illllariaaa?"
"A good question, so if you let me get to work, I'll try and find out."
"Youuu, dooo thattt MccKaay I'mmm going tooo sleeep."
"I'll keep watch," Ronon suggested, "you go to sleep too, Doc."
He immediately closed his eyes and tried to tune out the noise around him, and within a few minutes, he was asleep.
oOo
Carson sat and watched as John fell asleep. He was so proud of him. It was only four weeks since John had been in a coma and suffered significant brain damage. It was a miracle that he was even standing on his feet, let alone firing a gun and flying a puddle jumper. His speech was progressing more slowly, but when John had awoken from the coma, he could barely string a sentence together, but now he could understand his friend. He was still worried that John could have a seizure at any moment, even though he was on medication. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.
He knew that John still had a long way to go, but progress was progress. For now, his patient was sleeping soundly, and the room was quiet, so it was probably a good time for him to sleep.
Someone sitting beside him disturbed his thoughts, "he's a remarkable man, isn't he, Carson?" Rodney said in an uncharacteristic display of kindness.
"He sure is, Rodney, Carson replied with fondness.
"Yes, well, don't you ever tell Sheppard I said that."
He smiled at the scientist, "Your secret's safe with me."
"So," Ronon began, "he should be able to be back on active duty eventually, then?"
Carson sighed. He knew without a miracle that John would never recover.
"I don't think so, Ronon. In fact, I should never have allowed him to carry a gun today. That was incredibly irresponsible of me."
"Why, Doc? He well and truly proved that he could fire with his left hand."
"I know Ronon, but what if he'd had an epileptic seizure while firing the gun?"
Ronon just shrugged his shoulders and turned away, and he could see the sadness in the big man's eyes.
For the first time, Carson noticed that Rodney was standing by the console with his laptop plugged in.
"How's it going, Rodney?"
"Give me half an hour, Carson, and I should be able to tell you."
He sensed that now wasn't the time to bother the scientist, so he sat with his back next to the wall and closed his eyes.
A shuffling beside him made him open his eyes, "What's happening, Ronon? He asked as the man sat down beside him.
"I thought about what you said before, and I've taken Sheppard's gun off him. I want him to be well one day, but I'm beginning to realise that may never happen. Although I'm never going to give up hope."
"I'm never going to give up on him either, Ronon, and we both know that General Sheppard will never give up."
Ronon was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, "Please don't tell Sheppard we had this conversation because it's just plain embarrassing.
What is it with these three men not wanting to express their feelings, he thought before chuckling quietly.
"Anyway, Doc, do you think you can keep an eye on McKay while I close my eyes for a few minutes."
"No problem. I'll wake you if there are any issues."
"Thank's Carson, " Ronon mumbled before closing his eyes.
Once Ronon had fallen asleep, he took the chance to look around the lab they were in. Considering the ship had crashed ten thousand years ago, it was in reasonable condition - at least, they assumed it had crash-landed that long ago.
Rodney was working at a round console in the middle of the room, and the lab looked similar to many they had discovered in Atlantis. The walls, although worn, were identical colours to the Atlantis decor. It was clear the Ancients in the Pegaus galaxy had the same tastes as the Ancients in this galaxy.
The room was quiet as Rodney worked, and Carson felt tempted to join his friends and sleep. He sat down next to John and was happy to see that he was still sleeping soundly, as was Ronon. As much as he'd like to fall asleep, he remembered that he'd promised to keep an eye on Rodney. And he had every intention of following through with that promise.
oOo
A muffled growl invaded his senses, and John wondered who was snoring. Probably Ronon, or Rodney, was his first thought. Next, a high-pitched squeal affronted him. It didn't take him long to realise Rodney was whining about something. As he became more aware, it became evident that Rodney was panicking.
"How the hell are we supposed to get out of here, with those things outside trying to eat us."
Rodney's high-pitched squealing became annoying, so finally, he decided to open his eyes, and when he did, he didn't like what was happening.
"Whaaatss haaappening?"
Carson knelt beside him, "there are two big brown bears outside, and they are twice as big as the one you shot. Rodney has just closed the doors to keep them out."
A loud thumping sound filled the air, and it didn't take a genius to know the bears were trying to break through the door. So, he needed to do something. He wondered why Ronon hadn't killed the things by now, but there was only one way to find out.
He struggled to his feet and reached for his weapon, only to find it wasn't in his holster - which was incredibly annoying, "Giiivveee meee myyy gunnn annddd I'lll shoot it.
The problem was, when he got his first look at the things through the glass in the doors, it terrified him. They were bigger than anything he'd ever seen, except for the movies. Now he understood why Ronon hadn't dealt with them.
He turned to look at Ronon with pleading in his eyes, "whereesss myyyy gunnn?"
"Sorry, Sheppard, I took your gun off you because Carson was worried you might have a seizure.
He was incredulous by what he'd just heard he thought that Carson believed he was getting better. But it was clear that his doctor still wanted to treat him like an invalid.
"Iii'mm finne Doccc!" He almost shouted.
Rodney, Ronon and Carson all stared at him with compassionate looks. As usual, it annoyed him no end.
"Wellll, somebodddyyy, betterrr dooo somethinggg quickkk!" He shouted.
He watched as Ronon ran to the door. Then suddenly, his eye began to twitch, and he felt dizzy. The next thing he knew was that he was lying on the ground, and his muscles were beginning to convulse and shake just before the impending darkness overwhelmed him.
oOo
Carson had been so busy watching Ronon that he didn't realise John had fallen. He heard a thud and quickly looked at Sheppard lying on the floor, with his muscles twitching.
"Ronon, Rodney! Get over here? John's having a seizure."
Carson grabbed John's head while Ronon and Rodney held his arms and legs. All the while, he could hear the banging on the door. He feared what might happen if one of the creatures managed to find its way into the lab.
All he could do was focus on Sheppard until the convulsions ceased. It only took about a minute until the seizure finished, and once it had, he immediately put his patient in the recovery position.
"Ronon, General Sheppard, needs to return to Atlantis as soon as possible."
"And just how are we supposed to do that, Carson?" Rodney whined.
"I don't know. I'm a doctor, not a commando."
Suddenly the banging stopped.
"What's happening, Ronon" He whispered.
"I don't know, Doc, but they appear to be walking away."
"Well, in that case, maybe we should get out of here," Rodney said with a whisper.
He walked up to the door and looked through the windows, and he was relieved that the creatures had gone.
"It's as good a time as any to leave," Ronon began. "The only problem, Doc, is Sheppard is still unconscious.
"I guess we can wait until he wakes up, but he won't be very steady on his feet, and his reflexes may be a bit slow."
"Well, you'll have to help him, Doc, because I'll need McKay to help me shoot the big ugly bears if we come across them."
Rodney's voice was high-pitched as usual, "You want me to help you shoot those monsters, Conan?"
"Yes, McKay, there's no other way, so finish what you were doing and when Sheppard wakes up, we'll get out of here."
A moan from the back of the room caught his attention, so Carson rushed to his patient's side.
"Lay still, General, You've just had a seizure. So you may feel weaker than normal."
A pair of gassy hazel eyes stared back at him, "Wha…?"
"Never mind, son, I'll give you a few more minutes, and then we'll have to go."
It took another ten minutes until Sheppard was ready to leave, and Carson was relieved that the angry bears hadn't reappeared. Perhaps, they would get out of this one after all. The only problem was they hadn't found anything to help Sheppard's or Teyla's conditions. At least he assumed Rodney hadn't found anything.
After helping the General to his feet, he tried to put his arm around the man's shoulders. Only Sheppard didn't like that idea and pulled away.
"Imm alright Doccc."
He watched as John steadied himself and then staggered towards the door.
Carson followed him and stood behind his patient in case he fell.
When he reached the door, he noticed Ronon was looking through the window with his gun ready.
"How's it looking, Ronon?"
"It appears to be clear, Doc, but we're going to have to be quick, so if you need to help Sheppard make sure you're ready."
"Donnnttt neeeeed helpppp," John stated firmly.
Carson had no doubt the man would do everything in his power to stay on his feet, but it didn't stop him from worrying about his friend.
He stopped worrying long enough to notice Rodney had his hands over the door control, "right, I'm going to open the door now, so make sure you're ready."
Ronon nodded, as did he, and then they waited for the door to open.
The minute the door opened, all hell broke loose. A Large bear rushed through the open door knocking them sideways. Once in the room, the beast immediately looked at John and pounced.
John's shrill scream filled the air, and the sound of an energy weapon being discharged joined the cacophony of noise. Carson then watched on in horror as the beast fell on top of John. Just as another bear came rushing into the room, he was enveloped by a white light and he felt the familiar feeling of a transport beam surrounding him.
TBC...
