Chapter 7: Who are these people?

Rodney brought the jumper to an abrupt halt. They were now in orbit around the Wraith worshipper planet, and he wanted answers.

Fires were still burning, and people were panicking as the jumper took off from the planet, but Rodney hadn't given it a second thought because his primary concern was getting the jumper safely into orbit. He wondered if the wraith worshippers would need rescuing at some point, but he couldn't think about that now because there were more pressing needs to attend to.

It had taken ten minutes to escape the planet, and no one had said anything. But now Rodney wasn't moving the jumper again until someone told him what happened.

"What happened on that planet?"

"We need to get going because I have no idea whether the Wraith are on their way," Lorne suggested,

"I would like to know what happened too," Carson stated, "there were explosions, so you clearly blew something up. I'm happy to wait for an explanation before we move from here, and I'm sure we have a few minutes for a quick answer to Rodney's question."

Ronon sighed, and Rodney suspected he was about to give in and tell them the truth.

"It's simple. We found some sheds where they were breeding the hideous creatures we saw on the Nafari home world. We were then captured and placed in small cages. Rollo gave me the key and my gun, and I escaped. I then went and found Lorne. On our way back to the jumper, we blew up the sheds with the monsters in. Oh, and the people on the planet were definitely Wraith worshippers. I know this because I saw the feeding marks on their chests, and some of the marks were still red and raw."

"So, Colonel Sheppard wasn't on the planet then?" Carson asked, stating the obvious.

Before anyone could comment, Rollo tugged at Ronon's sleeve, "Umm… Ronon, the gate's opening."

"I suggest we get out of here as soon as possible!" Ronon growled.

Rodney didn't want to find out whether the wraith were coming through the gate, so he immediately began to pilot the jumper towards the small moon.

"I wish we could have taken Rollo back to Atlantis before landing on the moon," Carson commented. "The last thing I want to do is endanger him."

"I wouldn't have gone anyway," Rollo replied forcefully," because I want to find John as much as you do!" Rollo's tone softened as he continued. "I don't know what Jallell and I would have done if John hadn't come along. I don't know how long we hid in the caves with the hideous beast roaring outside. So I need to make sure he's alright."

Rodney was unaware of the conversations around him because he detected weird energy readings from the moon they were approaching.

Suddenly, they hit the upper atmosphere, the craft started to shake, and Rodney panicked.

"Lorne, you need to fly the jumper because a strange energy reading is coming from the surface, and we're going to crash."

"Calm down, McKay," Lorne said, sitting in the co-pilot's seat and taking the controls."Can you keep an eye on the HUD while I try and land? Everyone else sit down."

Rodney nodded and looked at the HUD, "Umm… in case you're wondering, a Wraith cruiser has just come through the Stargate."

"That's the least of our worries right now," Carson commented from the seat behind, "We need to find a place to land away from the trees."

"Yeah, I got it, Doc!" Lorned growled, "I can see a clearing up ahead, and I'll try and land in it. Until we land, keep your head down and be quiet!"

Silence fell on the jumper, and all Rodney could do was watch as the ground came closer. He knew Sheppard could land the jumper in this situation, but he wasn't sure Lorne could. Even though Lorne was a good pilot, he wasn't anywhere near as good as Sheppard.

"Brace for impact," Lorne yelled, dragging him out of his contemplations.

He immediately put his head down and put his arms over his head to try and protect it. He felt the jumper hit the ground and start to skid. I'm going to end up badly injured this time, he thought, and the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was the jumper slamming into a rock.

oOo

A gentle whisper permeated his senses, followed by a cool breeze rustling his hair. The fragrant smell of wildflowers filled his nose, and John knew the only way to find out what was happening was to open his eyes. There was a dull pain in both his legs, and his headache was minimal, so maybe now was a good time to attempt the feat.

The whisper continued, and for the first time since he'd awoken, John realised that someone was talking to him. He knew it wasn't Teyla, even though he wanted Teyla to be beside him.

After a few attempts, he opened his eyes and looked straight into a set of bright blue eyes.

"It's about time you woke up?"

He looked at the young woman, and although he recognised her, he couldn't remember her name.

"Who are you?" He whispered.

"My name is Tarrelia. We've met before."

His mind was a garbled mess, but slowly, his memory was returning. The hideous beast attack, being captured and fed on by the Wraith queen, escape from the wraith hive, and crashing on the planet.

"What do you remember, John?"

There were a few questions John needed answering and now seemed like a good time to ask.

"What happened to the Wraith Queen? And what are my injuries."

"We killed the Wraith Queen and her drones. We then burnt the bodies. So you'll never have to worry about them again."

He nodded. Although, he wondered how they managed to kill the Queen. It took a lot of firepower to kill one.

"And my injuries?"

"You have a compound fracture of your left tibia, and we managed to set the bone. A piece of rebar pierced your right thigh. Don't worry. We managed to remove it and stitch up the wound. And finally, you hit your head hard, but there is no concussion. However, we had to put in ten stitches and shave part of your head."

He wondered where these people came from and how they were able to fix him up. They must have come from a technologically advanced race.

"How long have you been here, and where did you come from?"

"I think we crashed one year ago, and our home planet was Thalliok. We tried to hide our technology for centuries, but eventually, the Wraith found it and destroyed everything. I have no idea how many others survived, but when Grantly, Changley and I found ourselves prisoner aboard the Wraith Hive, we stole a dart and escaped."

"How did you manage to fix my injuries?"

"Grantly was one of the finest healers in our world. He knew everything about herbal medicine. When we crashed, Changley was injured, and Grantly stitched up his wounds from a thin vine he found growing on the planet. Grantly also found plants that are natural pain relievers. He used the same thin vine on your injuries, and we are using plants to relieve your pain."

That was a lot to take in, and his head was beginning to pound, so hopefully, the talk was over now, and he could go back to sleep. But there was one last question he needed to ask.

"Where are Changley and Grantly now?"

"They're exploring the ancient underground city we've discovered. The only problem is we're having trouble activating anything."

He wanted to tell her that he could help, but he was just too tired, and his pain levels were rising.

"I think it's time for more pain medication," Tarrelllia suggested. "Here, drink this," she said, offering him a wooden cup.

He took a sip, and the liquid was cold, sweet and refreshing. Within minutes, the pain started to subside.

"I'm going to put some herb ointment on your injuries. It should numb the pain further and help stop infection," Terrelia told him, and to say he was relieved was an understatement.

While Tarrellia was applying the ointment, he took the time to study his surroundings. He was in a wooden structure made from timber and plants. The bed he was lying on was narrow but soft. Perhaps the mattress was made of feathers. The sheet covering him was light, and for the first time, he noticed he had nothing but his underwear on.

He looked at Terrellia, a little embarrassed, "Umm…who got me out of my clothes?"

"I did," she answered with a smirk.

The ointment she was using smelt incredible, which was a relief because he didn't need anything smelling terrible on his legs.

John's legs were resting on large, soft pillows. Grantly had splinted John's left leg but not bandaged it. Looking at the stitched-up wound made him feel sick, so he turned away, not bothering to look at the state of his right thigh.

"Okay, I've finished, John," Terrellia announced, "why don't you try and get some rest, and later, I'll get you something to eat."

She kissed him on the cheek before leaving the hut.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. The day was warm, and if it weren't for the gentle breeze blowing through the hut, it would be too hot.

The ancient city that Changley and Grantly discovered was calling to him, and as soon as he was well enough, he was determined to explore it. He did have one final question he needed to ask, but that would have to wait until he woke up. Why wasn't he suffering withdrawal from the Wraith enzyme?

With all of these thoughts rolling around in his head, it wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep.

oOo

A loud moan brought Carson out of his stupor, or maybe he was suffering from shock. He wasn't sure, which was strange because he was supposed to be a doctor.

Looking around the jumper, he was relieved everyone except for Rodney was conscious.

The moaning continued, and he soon realised it was Rodney.

"Rodney, are you with us?" He asked, kneeling beside the pilot's seat.

"Yeah, I think so," Rodney muttered.

"Are you injured?"

"What do you think, Carson? The jumper just slammed into a rock. Of course, I am."

"Hey, McKay, we didn't crash into a rock. Lorne managed to stop before we hit it." Ronon told him, and Rodney could sense the amusement in the big man's voice.

Rodney lifted his head and was relieved when he looked out the window and saw they'd stopped a few metres away from a large rock formation. Although, he wondered why he assumed they'd slammed into a rock. The last thing he remembered was impacting the rock. Maybe that was his overactive imagination.

"Well, that's a relief."

"Are you injured?" Carson asked again, trying to ascertain if the scientist had any injuries.

"I think I chipped a tooth. I'll need to see a dentist when we return to Atlantis."

Carson looked at the others to ascertain if they had any injuries, "Is anyone else injured?"

"I'm fine, Doc," Lorne replied.

"I'm good," Ronon replied.

He knew he'd have to look closer at them later because they were both as bad as Sheppard admitting they were injured.

For the first time, Carson noticed Rolo sitting in the back of the jumper quietly, and he wondered if the boy was injured or maybe he was in shock.

"Are you alright, Rollo?"

The boy looked at him, and Carson saw tears in his big brown eyes. His hair was even messier than before, and his fair skin was a ghostly shade of white.

"I hurt my arm."

Carson immediately went into doctor mode, "Let me have a look, Laddie?"

Rollo carefully held out his left arm towards him. There was bruising and swelling around Rollo's wrist, and on first inspection, he suspected a fracture.

"I don't know for sure, but I think you might have broken your arm," Carson said gently. "I'm going to put a splint on it, and then I'll give you something for the pain."

Rollo nodded, and Carson saw he was trying to hold back the tears.

While he got to work, Carson listened to the conversations around him - not that it was hard because everyone was very loud.

"Can you get this thing flying again?" Ronon asked impatiently.

"I said that even if the hull was intact, it could take days to fix the Jumper. That's even if I can find the parts needed."

"Are you sure, McKay? Because I would hate for this to be one of those times where you say you can't do it, but you can!" Ronon was shouting by the time he'd finished.

Lorne was listening to something else, "Shhh."

"Can you hear that?" Lorne asked.

"I can't hear anything," Rodney and Ronon answered simultaneously.

However, Carson knew what Lorne was hearing," Aye, Major, I hear it too?"

"What?!" Ronon growled, and Carson could sense his frustration.

"The hum of ancient technology," Lorne replied with a grin.

I thought Sheppard was the only one Atlantis talked to. And now you're telling me you and Carson can hear ancient technology?" Ronon asked, looking confused.

"It's more like a gentle whisper," Lorne replied," At the moment, I can hear a low hum."

Carson nodded, "I concur."

Rollo's soft voice spoke from the back of the jumper, "We're not going out there in the dark, are we?"

The boy sounded afraid, and considering what he'd been through his the last few days, Carson didn't blame him, so he handed Rollo some Tylenol and a canteen of water before speaking gently, "No, the jumper is full of camping equipment, so we will stay here tonight and look around in the morning."

"How about I start a fire outside to keep us warm? Perhaps you'd like to sleep under the stars in sleeping bags," Ronon suggested to the child before leaving the jumper to collect some firewood. At least Carson assumed that's what he was doing.

A smile spread across Rollo's face," can I sleep next to you, Carson?"

"Sure, but first, how about we get some MREs and power bars to eat."

"I'll go and help, Ronon, while you organise something to eat," Lorne suggested before leaving the jumper.

"Umm…maybe I'll look for some sleeping bags," Rodney announced.

Over the next few minutes, it was silent in the jumper as Rollo and Carson organised a meal and Rodney pulled sleeping bags out of a rear compartment.

Carson wasn't a big fan of sleeping under the stars but would do it for Rollo. He was beginning to like the boy and wondered what would happen to him and his sister when they returned to Atlantis. Perhaps an Athosian family would take them in. Athosian numbers were dwindling, and others were always welcome to join their community.

Ronon's loud voice interrupted his thoughts, "Hey doc, fire's started. Do you want to bring out the food you've organised?"

"Don't worry, Conan," Rodney said, "we've got plenty of food. Although, shouldn't we be rationing it?"

A smile spread across Ronon's face as he answered, "Don't worry, McKay, there's plenty of wildlife, so we can always go hunting."

The look on Rodney's face was pure terror, and Carson almost laughed as he spoke, "Don't worry, Rodney, I'm sure Ronon won't make you go hunting."

"That's good," Rodney replied with a sigh of relief. "Can we get this food outside because I'm starving?"

Carson nodded and carried a tray of food out of the jumper. When he arrived outside, he was surprised to see a roaring fire with logs around it for sitting on. Carson sat on one of the logs and was surprised when Rollo sat beside him. Clearly, the boy had taken a liking to him, and he wondered why. He could understand why Rollo would like Colonel Sheppard because the man was oozing charisma, but there was nothing special about him.

He looked at the child and saw pain lines around his eyes, "how's the pain, Rollo?"

"It's not too bad." Rollo replied before looking at him timidly, "Will you help me eat if I need help?"

He smiled at the boy and nodded before attacking his own MRE Lasagne.

Slowly, Ronon, Rodney and Lorne joined them. He had no idea how long the nights were on this moon but hoped it wouldn't get any colder before morning.

oOo

Teyla woke to the sound of a sobbing child, and instantly. It took her sleep-addled brain a while to realise it wasn't Torren, making her wonder who it was. As she became more cognizant, her thought processes returned, and she soon realised it was Jallell.

Considering Jallel was depressed and had been all day, it didn't surprise her. Maybe now was the time to find out what was bothering the child. Other than the fact her brother was missing, and mother and sister may have been culled by the Wraith.

She was about to go to Jallel's room when she realised the child was standing near her bed.

"Can sleep with you?" Jallell asked through her tears.

She had always wanted a daughter and even entertained having a child with John. But she knew he only saw her as a friend, so that would probably never happen. Although the way he looked at her sometimes made her wonder.

Jallell's sobbing brought her out of her thoughts.

She nodded her head and watched as Jallell climbed into bed beside her. However, the child didn't lay down. All Teyla wanted to do was sleep, and the pain in her ankle was notching up, but she sensed that Jallell wanted to talk, so she needed to be wide awake.

"Is anything else other than the obvious bothering you, Jallell?"

"My Dad died last year in a hunting accident, and there's a good chance that Momma and Stella are dead. So what happens if I never see Rollo again?"

Her heart broke for this child, but she knew Jallell would survive. Teyla had lost many loved ones to the Wraith, but she survived and was stronger for it.

"My parents died when I was young, and a lovely woman named Charin raised me…"

Before Teyla could continue, Jallell interrupted, "Did the Wraith kill them?"

"Yes, they did. My point is, I survived and became stronger, so I am convinced that you will be okay."

"Can I stay with you?"

Teyla felt tempted to say yes, but she knew the child would be far better off with the Athosians.

"You would enjoy living with my people on New Athos?"

"Will you please think about it?" Jallell pleaded.

"I will consider it. But now I think we should sleep."

Jallell nodded and lay down beside her, and it made Teyla feel uncomfortable. Usually, she didn't have a problem expressing her emotions or physical touch, but this wasn't her child, and she didn't want to become attached to her.

"Goodnight, Teyla," Jallell whispered.

"Goodnight Jallell."

She listened to Jallell's ragged breathing even out and immediately knew when the child fell asleep.

Teyla lay awake for a long time, staring at the ceiling. Jallell was endearing. Teyla hoped to have a daughter one day and would like her to be like Jallell. But if she were to have another child, she would have to find someone interested in her, and right now, the only person she was interested in was missing.

She smiled when she thought of John and prayed that he was safe. He was her best friend, and if anything happened to him, she would be devastated. Ending her relationship with Kannan was hard on her, and she would have loved John around to help her deal with things.

With all these thoughts rolling around in her head, it wasn't long before she fell into a deep sleep.

oOo

It was dark when John awoke, and his first thought was, how long have I been asleep?

The tiny window in the hut showed a small smattering of stars across the night sky, and the door was open, allowing a gentle breeze to blow through the room.

His pain was minimal, and he needed to use the bathroom, so he called out as loudly as he could manage, "Hello, can someone help me?"

There was no reply, so he spoke louder, "Can someone help me?"

There was still no reply, so this time he shouted, "Can someone please help me!?"

Terrellia rushed into the hut.

"Are you okay, John," Tarrellia asked gently.

He felt uncomfortable as he answered,"Umm…I need to go to the bathroom."

He watched as she walked across the hut and grabbed something from the table, and he was horrified when she returned and handed him a bottle.

"Do you need any help?" Tarrellia asked, and he didn't miss the smirk she gave him.

He wasn't impressed by the grin on her face, so he grabbed the bottle off her and glared, "I think I can manage."

"Let me know when you've finished, and I'll get you something to eat." She answered with a wink.

Once she had left, he tried to take care of business, but that was difficult in the weird gown he found himself in. The last time he was awake, the only thing he had on was boxer shorts, so clearly someone had changed him again. He only hoped it wasn't Tarrellia.

After taking care of business, he yelled at the door again, "Can I get some help in here!?"

A man he'd never seen before came running in, and if he were to guess, he'd say it was Changley, Tarrellia and Grantly's brother. He had the same blue eyes and blonde curly hair as Tarrellia - although not as long.

"Hello, I'm Changley."

"I'm John," he answered, feeling a little embarrassed with what he was holding.

"I'll take that off you," Changley offered, "and then would you like to come outside and have dinner with us?"

As great as that sounded, he couldn't walk and still had a headache. He didn't want to think about how much his legs hurt.

"In case you haven't noticed, I can't walk and have a headache."

"Don't worry," Changley replied, "we found a wheelchair in the underground city."

Grantly came in with a wheelchair that looked like something you might find on Earth.

"Let us help you get settled, and then I'll give you something for the pain," Grantly suggested compassionately.

Five minutes later, he was seated in the wheelchair with both leg rests up, wearing a strange fluffy robe with a thick blanket covering his legs. His pain levels were high, and he regretted even wanting to get out of bed.

"Here, take this," Grantly said, handing him a wooden cup. " I'll put more ointment on your legs before you go to bed."

He was relieved to taste the sweet herbs that would numb the pain. It only took a few minutes for the pain to diminish, so when Grantly pushed his wheelchair out of the hut, he was more than happy for some company.

A fire was in the centre of a clearing, and logs for sitting on surrounded it. A large pot hung over the fire, and whatever was cooking smelt delicious.

"Would you like some stew?" Tarrellia asked, handing him a wooden bowl and spoon.

The stew was divine, so he sat and ate it quietly while he listened Grantly and Changley tell them what they had found in the underground city.

"We found a large control room, but nothing was working," Grantly told them," there was also a strange chair, which might be some kind of control interface."

"Perhaps the rumours are true, and only an ancestor with a certain gene can activate the technology," Changley surmised.

"I sure wish we had an ancient around," Tarrellia commented.

John knew he could help them, but he wasn't sure what he thought of them. Sure, they'd saved his life and were looking after him, but he still wasn't one hundred per cent sure he trusted them. He would see how things played out over the next few days before deciding what to tell them.

Listening to the conversation around him, he looked up at the night sky. The stars were bright, the night was cold, and there was a gentle breeze. He pulled the blanket covering him up to his chin and closed his eyes.

He wondered where his friends were. Were they still looking for him, and if so, would they ever find him on this planet? If he was stuck here for the foreseeable future, at least he had found some friends, and there was still the underground city to explore. However, he first needed to get over his injuries. Unfortunately, he didn't know how long that would take.

The conversations became more distant as he began to drift off to sleep. Tomorrow was another day, and anything could happen.

TBC…