Chapter 8: A day on the moon.
John opened his eyes and felt the chill in the air, so he pulled his blanket up to his chin. He knew it was early because the first rays of the sun were shining through the window in his hut.
He looked to see if anyone was around and soon realised he was the only one still in bed. The hut was tidy, and Tarrellia, Grantly and Changley were nowhere in sight, so if he had to guess, the others were outside eating breakfast. He had to go to the bathroom and was hungry, so the only solution was to yell and hope that someone would come and help him - maybe not Tarrellia because that would be embarrassing.
"Can someone come and help me?" He shouted as loud as he could without giving himself a headache.
Tarrellia immediately ran into the hut, "Good morning, John. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I need to use the bathroom," he replied, embarrassed, " Can you send Grantly to help me?"
"I'm sorry, John, but he and Changley have gone to explore the underground city, so it's just you and me this morning."
She handed him a bottle, and he felt his cheeks grow red. He glared at her, hoping she would get the message and leave.
It seemed to take forever, but she finally left him to take care of business.
A few minutes later, she walked back in, smirking. John wasn't in the mood for games because his pain levels were beginning to notch up again.
He was relieved when a look of compassion crossed her face, "are you in any pain, John?"
"Yeah, everything is beginning to hurt."
"Let me get rid of this bottle, "Tarrellia said kindly, "and then I'll give you some pain meds. When you're feeling better, I can bring you some breakfast, or you can sit outside with me."
When Tarrellia left the hut again, he lay back on the pillows and wondered how he would return home. The more time went by, the less likely it would be that his friends would find him.
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of all negative thoughts. His friends would find him. It may take some time, but they will show up. Until then, he needed to gain access to the ancient city, and just maybe, there'd be a stargate he could use to contact Atlantis.
His thoughts were interrupted when Tarrellia returned to the hut with a wheelchair, "Would you like to come outside and have breakfast with me, John?"
He thought about saying no, but deep down, he knew he needed to find a way off this planet. And if he managed to leave, he could take the others with him.
"I wouldn't mind going outside for a while, but I need some warm clothing."
"I think it should be a warm day, but it is cold this morning, so I'll give you your pain meds and help you rug up."
He nodded and took the pain meds she gave him. He'd have to tell Carson about these herbs because they worked far better than half the pain medication doctors from Earth and Atlantis prescribed, and they didn't make him sleepy.
Five minutes later, John was sitting in a wheelchair outside beside the fire. He had a robe on that Tarrellia had helped him into, and a thick blanket was covering his legs.
Tarrellia handed him the same stew they'd had the night before and sat beside him. He could tell something was on her mind and braced himself for the inevitable question. She must be wondering where he came from by now.
"Who are you, John Sheppard, and where do you come from?" She blurted out.
He'd awoken in the middle of the night and thought about what he would tell these people if they asked where he was from. In the end, he decided to give them the truth. They saved his life, and for now, they were looking after him.
"I live in the city of Atlantis, but my home planet is in another galaxy."
"So," Tarellia began, "the rumours are true."
"And what rumours are they?" He asked suspiciously.
"A group of people from another galaxy have taken up residence in Atlantis. There's even a rumour that a few of these people are descendants of the Ancients and can operate the technology easily."
John blushed. He knew the rumours were true and told her he could operate the technology effortlessly.
"Well, Umm…I'm one of those people. I have the strongest ATA Gene ever detected in my people. So, if you need help activating anything in your underground city, I can help.
A smile spread across her face, and there was a twinkle in her bright blue eyes, "Do you think if we find the great ring in the city, you can take us to Atlantis?"
He nodded and smiled his lopsided grin, "I think I can manage that?" His mood sobered, "Can I ask you some questions?"
"Go ahead."
"Did you come across any hideous beasts when you were on the Hive?"
She shuddered as she answered him, "Do you mean the large, black creatures with glowing red eyes and ridges down their backs that smelt terrible?"
"Yep, they're the ones."
"Yes, they were let loose on our planet when the Wraith were culling. On the Hive ship, we walked past tanks of gelatinous liquid with the creatures inside. I'm assuming they were being grown. The question is, where did they get the DNA from?"
The creatures were something he'd never seen before, so he wondered when the Wraith started to create them.
"We've been in this galaxy for nearly six years, and until now, I've never seen anything like it."
Tarrellia nodded, "This is new to us as well."
Rather than continue the conversation, he decided to ask his other question, "Why am I not suffering from withdrawal? The queen fed on me a bunch of times and had her drones restore my life. Surely I should be experiencing painful withdrawal from the feeding enzyme?"
"We assume it's something to do with the herbs we give you for the pain. When the Wraith captured Grantly, Changley and I, Changley, and I were fed upon and had our lives restored more than once. Changley was injured when we crashed, so he was given the same herbs as you to counteract the pain and never suffered withdrawal symptoms. When I started to suffer painful withdrawal, Grantly gave me the same herbs, and I never suffered withdrawal after that."
The last thing he needed was to go through withdrawal of any kind. He'd had buddies who'd become addicted to morphine after an injury, and it was difficult for them to break the addiction.
"So, am I going to suffer withdrawal from these herbs?"
"No, we've already started lowering your dose."
That explained why the pain was increasing.
He'd eaten his breakfast and asked a few questions, so it was probably time to go back to sleep. He would deal with attempting to get off the planet when he was in less pain and more rested.
Tarrellia must have read his mind when she took his hand and spoke, "Do you want to return to the hut and go back to sleep?"
"Yeah, that would be great."
The day was warming up, so he threw off the blanket and allowed her to wheel him back to the hut. Tarrellia helped him take off his robe and get settled in bed. She then kissed him on the cheek before leaving.
He stared at the ceiling for a long time, thinking about his current predicament. He'd made some new friends and was safe for now. He was also well on the road to recovery.
Although the pain in his head was minimal, he decided it hurt to think, so he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He put his arm across his chest and, for the first time, realised he'd lost his dog tags.
He remembered having them on when they left the hive ship because they hurt his barely healed feeding mark.
Must have left them in the Crashed Wraith ship, was his final thought before he drifted off to sleep.
oOo
Carson shivered as he opened his eyes. It was a cold morning, and a thin layer of frost covered the ground.
The fire was barely alight, so it must have burnt down overnight. Rodney and Rollo were still asleep, but Ronon and Lorne were nowhere in sight - perhaps they'd gone to do some hunting.
Someone needed to put some logs on the fire, and seeing he was the only one awake, it would have to be him - not that he wanted to get out of his sleeping bag.
He was about to climb out of his sleeping bag when Lorne entered the clearing.
"Don't worry about getting up yet, Doc," Lorne said, tossing a few logs on the fire.
"Where's Ronon?" He asked, settling down again.
"He's gone to do some hunting and exploring. You don't need to get up yet, Doctor. The sun hasn't been up long, and it's still cold, so you may as well stay where you are."
"I'll need to check on Rollo's arm when he wakes up."
"Why don't you go back to sleep for a while, Doc? I'll keep watch until Ronon returns with breakfast."
Lorne was right. The sun was just above the horizon, and the air was still cold, so he should go back to sleep for a while because he knew it would be another long day.
The first thing they needed to do was look for Sheppard. Then they needed to search for the ancient technology he was sure was on the moon. And hopefully, they would come across a stargate and find a way home.
"You are right, Major. I know it will be a long day. so I will grab a few more minutes of sleep."
Lorne nodded and threw some more logs on the fire before sitting down.
Closing his eyes, he revelled in the warmth of the fire and his sleeping bag, and it wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep.
oOo
Ronon was on high alert and had his gun ready as he walked through the woods. He'd seen several small animals similar to hares and thought they would make a good meal.
He was also on the lookout for the Wraith because he'd found a crashed Wraith dart. It had clearly crashed some time ago, but it still didn't hurt to be cautious.
It was barely light when he'd awoken, so rather than wake the others, he'd decided to go hunting and find something for breakfast. After walking for five minutes, he'd come across the crashed Wraith dart but hadn't seen any Wraith yet.
He spied three hare-like creatures in the bushes and thought they would make a good meal, so he immediately fired on them and in quick succession, they all dropped to the ground.
Rushing over to his kill, he organised the sack he'd brought to put them in, and within seconds, he had secured breakfast.
He was still on high alert as he walked toward the crashed puddle-jumper. After breakfast, the plan was to go and look for the ancient technology that Lorne and Carson had detected. They would also keep an eye out for Sheppard on their way.
Carson insisted on staying at the jumper with Rollo, but he and Lorne were adamant they should all stay together. Rodney didn't care either way, which was weird because usually, the scientist would be complaining.
Halfway back to the jumper, he saw something in his peripheral vision that looked like a wraith ship. Something on this moon kept bringing ships down, and he wondered if it had anything to do with the Ancient technology they were detecting. Perhaps he would investigate because the last time Rollo saw Sheppard, he was with the Queen. He was sure the Queen would have escaped the hive before its destruction, so there was a good chance it was her ship. And if Sheppard was with her, where were they? Was he still alive, and if so, was he still with the Queen?
There were so many questions he needed answers to, and hopefully, he'd find some very soon.
As he approached the downed ship, a stench filled his nostrils, and it was the unmistakable smell of death. Initially, he feared it was Sheppard, but then it smelt nothing like decomposing human remains.
He continued silently, and it wasn't long before he saw a large hole in the front of the craft and wondered if anyone or anything had survived the crash. The smell of death was becoming unbearable, so it was clear that something died.
Covering his nose with his hand, he stepped through the hole in the ship, and the first thing he noticed was the carcass of a beast. It was the same as the beasts that had attacked Sheppard on the Naffari home world.
The ship was a mess. The front corner flattened where it had slammed into a rock. Metal beams were hanging from the roof, and shards of glass littered the floor. The sun was beating down on him through the hole in the ceiling. That was probably why the smell of the decomposing beast was so strong.
There was a lot of blood near the remains of the Queen's throne. He found it strange that the Queen would want a throne on her personnel escape pod. He assumed the blood was human but didn't know if it was Sheppard's or some other poor soul the Queen had captured.
He was about to turn and leave when he noticed something near the Queen's throne. It was small and metal, and the sun was reflecting off it. Unfortunately, it was in a pool of blood. As he moved closer, he realised it was Sheppard's dog tags, leaving him no doubt Sheppard had been on the ship. The only question was, where was he now?
He picked up the dog tags and put them in his pocket. He would return them to Sheppard when they found him alive and well.
Before exiting the ship, he looked around, hoping to find a clue to Sheppard's whereabouts. After a few minutes, he decided the smell was becoming too much, so he left via the hole he'd entered by.
Now, he needed to return to the campsite and cook breakfast. After that, they could look for ancient technology and, with a bit of luck, find Sheppard along the way.
oOo
Rodney was hungry and annoyed by the time Ronon returned to the clearing. All he wanted to do was have breakfast and then look for Sheppard. He knew he had a long day ahead and needed to eat to help regulate his blood sugar levels.
When he'd awoken, Carson was whispering to Rollo, and the boy looked in pain as Carson redressed his broken arm. Lorne was on high alert and continually throwing logs on the fire. That probably wasn't bad because he was freezing the minute he climbed out of his sleeping bag.
It had been over an hour since he'd awoken, and he was starving. He was so hungry that if Ronon didn't return soon, he would hunt for his own breakfast.
He was about to complain when Ronon entered the clearing, and the big man didn't look happy.
"About time you showed up."
"Sheppards on this planet," Ronon replied, pulling something out of his pocket.
Rodney looked at what Ronon had in his hand and realised it was John's dog tags. Fear gripped his heart as he asked, "Where did you find them?"
"I found them in a downed Wraith ship. It was clearly the Queen's personnel shuttle, and unfortunately, there was a lot of blood inside. I don't know whether it was Sheppard's or not, but I found his dog tags in a pool of blood."
Rodney shivered when he realised what this meant, "do you think he's injured, and if so, where is he?"
"I assume the Wraith still have him, and if so, the Queen has probably healed him by now."
"Thank you for putting that image in my head," Carson said, speaking for the first time since Ronon entered the clearing.
"So, are we going to find John?" Rollo asked from the log he was sitting on.
Rodney had forgotten the kid was there, and by the look on Rollo's face, he was terrified. But who could blame him? He was worried and afraid himself. Not that he'd tell the kid that.
He was relieved when Carson softly spoke, "Yes, Rollo, we will look for John. But first, we need to eat."
Rodney was about to disagree when Ronon spoke.
"Are there any power bars or MREs to eat? I can prepare and cook the meat later."
"I think that's a great idea," Lorne said, "we can come back here later after a day's exploring, and hopefully, we'll find a lead on Colonel Sheppard or the ancient technology."
"Great, I'm famished. Where are the power bars? Remember, I like chocolate," Rodney said before sitting on the log.
Rodney didn't miss the eye roll as he threw him a power bar, "How could we forget.".
Rodney caught the power bar and was happy to see it was chocolate. He sat and ate silently, savouring every bite because he knew it would be a while before he ate again. When he ate again, it would be something more substantial. However, he could have another power bar or two if he needed food before lunch.
oOo
A sharp pain shooting through John's leg brought him out of his restless slumber. The pain was so intense that he almost screamed. Luckily, he kept it to a loud moan.
A second pain shot through his leg, and suddenly, he felt hot, so he pushed the blanket covering him off and shouted, hoping that someone would come and help him.
Tarrellia came running into the hut. That was a shame he was hoping for Grantly.
"Are you alright, John?" She asked compassionately.
He groaned. There was clearly something wrong with his leg - other than being broken - and he was in agony.
He gritted his teeth as a fresh wave of pain shot through his leg, "Not really. There's something wrong with my left leg, and it's too hot. Where's Grantly?"
"Grantly and Changley haven't returned from the underground city."
Either they'd been gone a long time, or he hadn't slept very long.
"How long was I asleep?"
He realised the question was dumb as soon as he'd asked it because these people would have a different concept of time.
She shrugged her shoulders, "not very long."
"Why's it so hot in here?"
Tarrellia sat beside him and placed her hand on his forehead. Even he could feel the heat radiating off his skin.
"I think you have a fever," Tarrellia surmised, "I'll look at your leg and see if an infection has set in."
He sat up the best he could and watched as she carefully unwrapped his leg. He felt like using every swear word in every language he knew because it was so painful. At that moment, he longed for one of Beckett's magical, pain-reducing cocktails running through his veins.
Once she had removed the bandage, he looked down at his leg, and he was sickened by what he saw. The wound was red and swollen, with pus seeping out, and for some reason, his leg looked crooked.
"Umm… I think the wound may be infected, and it appears as if the bone isn't knitting properly."
"Ya think!" He growled, taking a deep breath as another wave of pain shot through him.
"I'll put some herb ointment on the wound and try to sponge you down with cold compresses. That's all I can do until Grantly returns."
He nodded and watched her leave, not really wanting her to start sponging him down, but he didn't have a choice. It was times like this when he wished Teyla was with him because he wouldn't mind her sponging him down.
A few minutes later, she returned with clean bandages and foul-smelling herbs.
"Hey, what are those for? I prefer the smell of the other herbs you were using."
"This should help with the infection and fever. I don't know how effective the herbs will be, but that's all I can do until Grantly returns."
Taking a deep breath, he gritted his teeth and allowed her to put the disgusting herbs on his infected leg. He didn't want to contemplate what Carson would do when he got his hands on the barely healed break. He was sure the doctor would insist on breaking it again and fixing it surgically.
"Drink this," Tarrellia said, interrupting his thoughts.
"You expect me to drink that foul-smiling broth!? He knew he was rude but was in so much pain that he didn't care.
"Yes!" She answered forcefully, "With a bit of luck. It will reduce your fever."
He took the broth off her and placed his hand over his nose before swallowing it as quickly as possible. Somehow, he managed to keep it down even though he wanted to gag.
Once John's stomach settled, he allowed her to help him remove the weird gown he was wearing - luckily, he still had his boxer shorts on. She then proceeded to wipe a damp cloth over his forehead. He found it soothing, but the only problem was he wished it was Teyla sponging him down.
He closed his eyes as the pain began to subside. The problem was he could still smell the foul-smelling herbs Tarrellia had put on his wound.
Despite the disgusting smell, it wasn't long before he fell into a restless sleep.
oOo
Rodney was complaining again and had been ever since they'd left the clearing. Ronon was ready to hit him if he wasn't quiet soon.
"Why are we coming this way?" Rodney asked, "How do we know where the ancient technology is? I'm hoping it's some kind of city, but how would I know because I can't see any ancient spires."
Ronon was about to reply when Carson cut in.
"You told us to follow this path, Rodney. If you have changed your mind and want to go a different way, please let us know?"
The doc looked frustrated, and who could blame him?
"When can we find John?" Rollo asked from beside Carson.
Ronon was looking for any clue to John's whereabouts while they were looking for the Ancient technology but hadn't found anything.
"I hope we'll find him soon," Ronon said, smiling at Rollo.
"There's definitely Ancient Technology nearby, "Lorne commented, "I can hear it humming, and it's definitely getting louder."
"Really? I can't hear anything."
"That's because you won't shut up, McKay!" Ronon growled.
"No need to be rude, Conan," Rodney replied.
Ronon heard a twig snap nearby and was instantly on high alert. "Shh.." he said, stopping abruptly and looking at his surroundings.
Lorne stopped beside him and held his fist up, indicating that those behind him should stop.
"What's happening?" Carson whispered in Ronon's ear.
"Shh.. I heard something."
Ronon cautiously moved forward.
Suddenly, two men came out of the shrubs with weapons raised.
"Who the hell are you, and how did you end up on this planet?" Ronon asked, raising his weapon. He was aware that Lorne, Rodney and Carson were doing the same.
Rather than wait for an answer, Ronon fired upon them, deciding to ask questions later.
Rodney shouted at him, and Ronon could tell the scientist wasn't impressed.
"What did you do that for Conan? These guys may have seen Sheppard! Just typical shoot first and ask questions later."
Ronon glared at the annoying scientist, "They may be wraith worshippers because one of them has a feeding mark on his chest. Which means the Wraith may be close. So please be quiet?!"
"Great, just what we need," Carson muttered.
TBC…