Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Stargate or its characters, but I love to write about them.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical health care professional. Although I try to research medical terms, they may not be 100 percent accurate.
This story takes place at the end of season five after Atlantis' return to the Pegasus galaxy.
Chapter 1: A Friendly Mission,
John was breathless, running down the narrow path as he cradled his injured left arm. Something was chasing him and, unfortunately, had his scent. That was probably due to the heavy trail of blood that he was leaving behind him. There was pain in every step, but he knew he needed to keep going. The sun was low on the horizon, and he needed shelter. If he couldn't find it soon, he'd be monster chow.
He was positive he would have enjoyed the sunset if it weren't for the beast chasing him. But there was no time to think about that now because somehow, he'd lost the clip for his P90 along the way, so he was all out of bullets – not that he could fire it with only one arm. All he had was a knife - that would also be hard to use with only one functioning arm.
The last time he'd seen his friends, they were heading towards the stargate. Ronon and Rodney were supporting an injured Teyla, and he was worried about her. He had no idea how badly she was injured. But by now, he hoped she was safe and sound back on Atlantis, in the infirmary under Beckett and Keller's care.
She had a son who needed her, so she needed to return to Atlantis safe and sound. He'd manage somehow until help came.
Up ahead, he saw a cave opening, and he sure hoped it wasn't the creature's den because if it was, he knew that he'd be a gonna for sure. He knew that finding a safe hiding place was his only chance for survival, so he kept running toward the cave, trying to think positively.
When he finally reached the entrance, he was panting heavily. After a quick scan, he was relieved that it was empty. There was evidence that the cave had been used as a home by something in the past, but from what he could ascertain, it hadn't been recently. That was a good thing because whatever used to live there was extremely big.
An unearthly howl close by was telling him that his nemesis was still in pursuit, so he knew that just entering the cave wasn't enough to keep him safe since the entrance was large enough for whatever was pursuing him to follow.
He'd glanced at the creature when it had attacked him and shredded his arm, and from what he could ascertain, it was some kind of large dog crossed with a cat, with a bit of bear thrown in. The creature had ridges down its back, was black, had red glowing eyes, and smelled like a wet dog. He wasn't sure how big it was, but he estimated it was twice the size of a North American brown bear. He wondered if Ronon or Teyla had seen the creature before because he certainly hadn't. Perhaps if it didn't end up eating him and he managed to return to Atlantis, he would ask them.
Turning his P90 flashlight on, he scanned the large, sandy cave. And he wasn't impressed. Bones littered the cave, so something had clearly used the cave as its den, and it had eaten a lot of small animals. Luckily, none of the remains were human.
The cave seemed enormous. Initially, John couldn't see another way out other than the large entrance he'd entered by. The creature howled again, and this time, it seemed closer, and he was positive it was about to enter the cave.
By this time, he was beginning to panic – not that he wasn't worried before – and he quickly scanned the large cavern again. This time, he was grateful that he saw a small opening in the side of the cave – he sure hoped it was a tunnel. It seemed big enough for him to crawl through, which meant the hideous beast couldn't follow him.
Slowly, he got down on his stomach and crawled through the opening. The pain in his arm was excruciating as he slowly dragged himself through the narrow tunnel. He had no idea how long the tunnel was, but it seemed to go on forever. Eventually, it opened up to a smaller cave than the first one he'd been in. It was big enough for him to sit, but he couldn't do much else. The advantage of this space was the faint phosphorescence on the walls, allowing him to turn his flashlight off and preserve the battery.
The unearthly howl permeated his senses – not to mention its smell – and it sounded as if the creature had entered the cave and was on the prowl. He wondered if the thing could see in the dark. Not that it mattered because the beast had his scent. For now, he was safe, so he let his mind wander back to Atlantis. There was supposed to be a party on Atlantis in a few days to celebrate their return to the Pegasus galaxy, and he hoped he could make it.
They had just spent three months on Earth while the people in charge decided what to do with Atlantis, and during that time, he'd become extremely bored. There was nothing to do but train troops and keep Rodney from killing his minions. He'd even visited Dave on a few occasions, and although their relationship was still not perfect, it was getting better.
He received his promotion to full-bird Colonel a month after they'd landed, so it hadn't all been bad.
The first thing Woolsey suggested when they arrived back in the Pegasus Galaxy was they contact their trading partners and allies. John didn't mind visiting their allies but wondered why Woolsey had sent them here and not to New Athos.
However, they knew the Athosians were alright because Teyla had visited them a few days before. He knew something had gone down between Teyla and Kannan, but she hadn't wanted to tell him about it, so he hadn't pressured her into talking.
It was his team's first away mission since they'd been back. Way to go, John, go and get eaten on your first mission back in the Pegasus galaxy.
Sighing, he began to sift through his tac vest for first aid supplies – a difficult task as he only had one useful hand. He knew that he'd lost a lot of blood because he was beginning to feel light-headed. He couldn't afford to pass out right now. So he needed to work out a way to get out of the situation, and since he had no idea whether his friends had made it back to Atlantis, he would have to work it out for himself.
After trying for ten minutes, he tightly wrapped his injured arm and put it in a sling. Now, he felt nauseous, not just because of the excruciating pain but because his arm was horrifying to look at. There was damage from the wrist to his shoulder. The monster – at least that was what he was calling it – had chewed through to the bone in places. He was grateful that somehow it had missed the artery because he'd be dead by now if it hadn't. But even more terrifying was that the bite marks looked vaguely like human teeth marks – although the monster's teeth were clearly ten times sharper.
Sighing, he dry swallowed a couple of Tylenol and decided to try and rest. When he had a chance, he would have to look for a water source as his canteen was almost empty. Perhaps an underground spring was nearby because he didn't like his chances of leaving the cave since he could still hear the monster outside.
A roar filled the air, and the beast seemed closer, so he scanned the tiny cave, looking for another tunnel. It took him a few minutes, but eventually, he found a narrow opening, and it appeared to head deeper into the cave system. Laying on his stomach, he crawled through the narrow tunnel, wishing he had something other than Tylenol to help with the pain. This time, the tunnel was short, and within a minute, he found himself in a large cavern with brightly coloured phosphorescence on the walls.
Sighing, he sat with his back to one of the walls and tried to catch his breath. It was as good a place as any to rest, but he knew he would have to find clean water to drink soon. He had enough power bars to last him a few days. Not that it mattered because he wasn't hungry, and if he ate, he was sure he would be sick.
Closing his eyes, he tried to think back to the events that had led to his current predicament. It had started as a simple trading mission with the Narfari people. When they arrived at the settlement, it was in ruins. From what Ronon could ascertain, the destruction of the Nafari settlement had occurred at least a week ago – that explained the ravenous creatures circling the remains of the settlement – although he had only seen a few of them.
John wanted to sleep but knew if he did, he might not wake up again, so he focused on the details of the mission that led up to him hiding in this cave.
Five hours earlier.
"What a beautiful day," Teyla commented to her teammates as she slowly walked down the meandering path towards the Narfari settlement.
It was a perfect day, and the smell of wildflowers filled her nostrils. The sun shone, the sky was blue, and there was a gentle breeze. She couldn't have asked for better weather for their first mission. However, she would have preferred to be visiting the Athosians. But she had seen them two days ago on unofficial business. So she couldn't complain.
"Why am I here, Sheppard?" Rodney complained from behind her.
Rodney was annoying as usual, so Teyla stopped, turned around to stare at him and was about to chastise him when John spoke.
"McKay, you are a member of my team, so if I have to be here, so do you. I'm not particularly happy about this mission either. However, Woolsey insisted, so suck it up and look happy about it."
"Dr. McKay, do not worry. There will be a meal after the negotiations," Teyla soothed, knowing the quickest way to keep Rodney quiet was to offer him food. However, this time it didn't work.
"I hope that they don't serve me citrus. They don't eat citrus, do they?"
She didn't miss the eye roll that John gave Rodney, so rather than giving her team leader a chance to answer back, she beat him to it. Since she was sure that whatever came out of John's mouth would be sarcastic. She knew of John's love of teasing Rodney and decided now was not the time for John to start.
"No, they do not, and if there are any problems, you have your epi-pen with you."
"Yes, yes, you're right. How long are these negotiations going to take?"
"Do not worry, Dr. McKay. I believe that they should be over within an hour. And then we will eat and enjoy ourselves."
She was relieved when her teammates didn't bother to say anything else because they often reminded her of children when they bickered. All three men were very accomplished in their own right, but when they started talking about the movies they watched or comic books, she felt as if they reverted to behaving like little boys. However, she had no idea what she would do if anything happened to them because she loved them for who they were. Although, she loved John for different reasons than the other two. Not that she'd tell him that.
Happy that her team was ahead of her, she enjoyed the time to reflect. Smiling, she remembered her son Torren waiting for her back on Atlantis. No one knew where his father was, so Torren was spending time with his Aunty Jennifer. When Teyla tried to visit Kanaan two days ago, Halling had announced that her partner, Torren's father, was off-world for a few days, and he had no idea where he was. She suspected that Kanaan had another lady friend, but who could blame him as she'd been on Earth for three months before Atlantis had returned to the Pegasus galaxy. She knew that at some point, she'd have to deal with Kanaan and the state of their relationship, but now wasn't the time to think about it.
Sighing, she looked up and realised that her teammates had stopped, and she immediately saw the reason why. Where the settlement had been, there were ruins. There were ashes where vibrant buildings once stood, where crops grew nothing but burnt ground. There were dried-out remains of people littering the blackened streets and fields, so it was clear the Wraith had paid a visit.
"Do you sense anything, Teyla?"
Suddenly, she sensed something, a strange presence not unlike a wraith but much weaker, "I do not believe that the wraith are here, but there is definitely something here, and I don't like it."
"How long ago was the planet culled, Chewie?" John asked as a look of apprehension crossed his face.
"About a week ago."
"Are you sure the wraith aren't here and about to cull us?" John asked, and Teyla could sense his frustration.
"Yes, John, I am sure. There is something here, but it is definitely not the Wraith."
"Well, I suggest we look around the settlement before we return to…"
She never knew what John was about to say because a roar filled the air, and a giant creature ran towards them. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before, and she wondered how it had come to the planet. Perhaps some of the inhabitants had been killed by it, or maybe there were more creatures nearby. Although the Athosians had traded with the Nefarians for many years, they had never mentioned monsters like this. As the thing came closer, the strange presence she sensed became stronger.
Although if she thought about it logically, she hadn't seen any body parts lying around, and these things didn't look as if they'd eaten recently.
She was about to mention it to John when he yelled, "Run!" Before pulling his P90 out and beginning to fire
Watching for a moment, she was happy to see that the creature went down – shot through the head. Luckily, it didn't take much to kill it, but she sensed that it may have been weak, and if there were any other creatures, they might not be as feeble.
Turning around, she started to run. She'd gone about five hundred meters when she tripped over a large rock in her path. A shooting pain shot through her ankle when she tried to get up, and she cried out. Within a few seconds, Ronon was running toward her at top speed.
"Teyla, are you alright!?" Ronon yelled over the sound of weapons fire.
"I have hurt my ankle, and I do not think I can walk."
She knew she needed to get up and help fight the beast but couldn't, considering she was in extreme pain.
"Let me help you up, and then we must get back to the gate."
A feeling of apprehension overcame her as he helped her to her feet, "What about John?" She asked, looking over in his direction.
She didn't like what she saw. One of the beasts had John pinned to the ground, and Rodney was trying to fire at it. Unfortunately, the bullets kept bouncing off the thick ridges on its back.
She heard John yelling from under the beast, "Fire at the head! That's the only way you can kill this thing!"
She couldn't stand on her own because her ankle was causing her excruciating pain, so there was no way she would be able to help him.
By this time, she was on the verge of panicking, "Ronon, you must help him!?"
She was relieved when Ronon started running toward John and the creature – although she was having difficulty staying on her feet.
She watched in terror as John continued to fight the beast, and Rodney kept shooting. Suddenly, a beam of red light hit the creature in the back of its skull, and it was still – unfortunately, it appeared to be on top of John.
Gritting her teeth, she tried limping towards John, but she froze as she spied another creature heading in John's direction.
"There is another one on the way!" She screamed, hoping that the three men could hear her.
Fortunately, Rodney and Ronon were able to get the dead beast of John quickly, but that didn't stop the other one from approaching.
"Get Teyla back to the gate. I'll deal with the other one!" John yelled as the creature continued to advance on them.
It looked as if Ronon was going to protest, but John started running off in the other direction, cradling his arm. Ronon and Rodney were still firing, but the beast was getting further away.
Suddenly, she felt herself falling, so rather than fight, she put her arms out to try and break her fall. Luckily, there was a small patch of grass to cushion her fall. She cried out and was relieved when Ronon and Rodney stopped firing and came to help her to her feet.
"I have to go after Sheppard," Ronan growled, "McKay, you need to get her back to the gate."
She knew how Ronon felt, but there was no way that Rodney could get her back to the gate and keep an eye out for the creatures as well.
"Ronon, look at me!?" She demanded."I need you to ensure those things don't come after Rodney and me." She told Ronon in a softer tone.
"I hope that there aren't any more of those things out there," Rodney said in a panicked voice, "what the hell are those things anyway."
She shuddered as she answered him, "I do not know what they are, Dr. McKay, but I did sense some Wraith DNA in them. In the same way, the Wraith can get inside your head. I am fairly sure these beasts can as well."
"Great, something else that wants to kill us," Rodney mumbled, and if she hadn't listened closely, she would have missed it.
"It's time we got back to Atlantis because the sooner we get there, the sooner I can come back and look for Sheppard!" Ronon growled.
"I think Ronon is right," Teyla said in a worried voice because she was concerned about John. "Colonel Sheppard appeared to be injured when he ran off."
"Yeah, the thing tried to rip his arm off, so can we get back to Atlantis now?" Ronon asked forcefully.
Standing between Rodney and Ronon, she allowed them both to help her down the narrow path. When they had arrived earlier that afternoon, the sun had been high in the sky, but now the sun was low on the horizon. The sky was aglow with pink and orange, and if the situation hadn't been so dire, she would have enjoyed the sunset.
There was a howl in the distance, and Teyla wondered just how many creatures were out there and if John had found a safe hiding place. If he hadn't, he wouldn't survive the night.
It was dark when they arrived at the stargate, and Ronon was more agitated by the second. Ultimately, he decided to carry Teyla so Rodney could hold a flashlight and gun – although he still had his gun and would shoot anything that got near them. He and Rodney had walked without talking, with Rodney always a few steps behind him. However, he kept stopping every so often so that the scientist would have a chance to catch up.
The moon was bright, and other than a few clouds scurrying across it every so often, they had plenty of light to see by. Occasionally, they heard a howl in the distance, and Ronon was even more determined to try and find Sheppard.
When they finally reached the gate, he growled at Rodney to dial the DHD, "Dial the gate, McKay and send through our IDC! Let them know Teyla is injured as well."
Teyla was asleep by this time, and Ronon was relieved that raising his voice hadn't awakened her.
"Ronon, I've sent my IDC, and the shield is down, so can we get off this creepy planet – at least for now?"
"Let's go, and once Teyla is in the infirmary, I'm coming back to this planet to look for Sheppard."
"Really, Conan!" Rodney exclaimed, "It's dark, and there are still enormous monsters out there that would like nothing more than to eat us. How about we wait and bring back a team of marines and a puddle jumper? I'm as worried about Sheppard as you are, but we both know it won't do Sheppard any good if we both get eaten."
"You're probably right, McKay, but I still don't like it," he mumbled as he walked through the active wormhole.
The minute he stepped through the wormhole, he placed Teyla on the waiting gurney, "She's hurt her ankle, and she can't walk on it," he said to Beckett before rushing up the stairs to meet Woolsey.
He had no idea whether Rodney was following him, but he didn't care because he needed to speak to Woolsey and return to the planet to try and find Sheppard.
"Gentlemen, where is Colonel Sheppard?" Woolsey asked, coming down the stairs to meet them. "He's back on the planet. Something tried to rip his arm off, so he's injured and needs help!" Ronon growled. "I need to go back as soon as possible."
"I think we should continue this in my office," Woolsey suggested with a glum look.
Ronon sighed and nodded. He wanted to disagree with the man, but he knew he wouldn't stand a chance alone on the planet, so the quicker they went to Woolsey's office, the faster he could return and look for Sheppard. Hopefully, they could go back within the next half an hour. That's if Sheppard had that long.
oOo
Teyla was angry when she reached the infirmary and not because she was in agony. She was worried about John and needed to help find him. She cared about John more than she was willing to admit and had no idea what she'd do if something happened to him.
Carson was x-raying her ankle and tutting constantly, and it annoyed her. She knew he was about to go into mother-hen mode and wasn't impressed. As much as Carson was one of her dearest friends when he was in doctor mode, he could be painful.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to remain calm as she spoke, "What is wrong with my ankle, Carson."
By this time, her pain had lessoned because Carson had given her a painkiller when she entered the infirmary. However, she was beginning to feel drowsy and wanted to sleep.
"I'm sorry, Luv, but you have a hairline fracture."
"So, how long will I be off my feet?"
"I won't need to put it in a cast. You should be able to get around with crutches and a walking boot. But you can't go through the gate for at least another five weeks."
That wasn't the answer she was looking for. John needed her. So she had to be on the team to find him.
"I need to help search for John. Isn't there something you can do to help me get on my feet?"
"I'm sorry, Teyla, you can't join the search for Colonel Sheppard. But I will let you return to your quarters if you try and stay off your feet."
She knew Carson was telling her the truth, but it didn't make her feel better. She also knew she would do whatever it took to try and help find John - not that she'd tell Carson that.
"I guess I could go and visit my son."
"I want you to stay here for another hour before I release you because I want to go through the results of your x-rays and scans again. If I am satisfied everything is okay, I will let you go then.
Teyla sighed. Of course, Carson wouldn't let her go in a hurry because he was being a mother-hen as usual. At least, that was what John would say about him if he were here. But he wasn't here, and she hoped Ronon would find him as soon as he got the chance to look for him.
Laying back, she closed her eyes, "I will do as you wish, Dr. Beckett, but you must let me know if you hear anything about John."
"Aye, lass, I'll tell if I hear anything."
She watched as Carson left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. If she needed to be here for the next hour, she might as well close her eyes and fall asleep. Although if there were any way she could get out of here to try and help John, she would find it.
oOo
Ronon sat and stared at Woolsey. He had been sitting in a meeting with him for the last half an hour, and Woolsey didn't seem convinced to send a rescue mission for Colonel Sheppard. Lorne had joined the conference a few minutes ago and was just as adamant as he was that they should help Sheppard.
"You didn't see those things, Woolsey," Rondey stated in a high-pitched tone. "I agree with Conan. We need to go back to find Sheppard before he bleeds to death.
Carson entered the room before the conversation could continue, "What do you mean Colonel Sheppard will bleed to death?"
"A hideous beast tried to rip his arm off!" Rononn growled. "And Woolsey won't let us send a rescue mission."
"I just don't want anyone else injured," Woolsey replied, defending himself.
"If Colonel Sheppard is seriously injured, someone needs to find him," Carson interjected before anyone else could speak.
"Colonel Sheppard would do the same for any of us," Lorne added.
The room fell silent, and Ronon continued to stare at Woolsey, "Prepare a rescue mission."
"Already on it," Lorne commented before turning to Beckett, "Are you with us doc?"
"How's Teyla?" Rodney asked before Carson could answer."She's fractured her ankle and needs to stay off it for at least four to six weeks. And in answer to Lorne's question, I'll grab my medical bag and meet you in the jumper bay."
Ten minutes later, Ronon sat in jumper one, ready to go through the gate. Lorne was beside him in the pilot's seat, and Rodney sat behind him.
They were still waiting for Carson, and Ronon was beginning to get agitated again. He was about to hit the wall when Carson entered the jumper with two bags full of equipment.
"So, can we go now?
Lorne closed the back hatch and dropped the jumper into the gate room, "Dial the gate, Chuck?" He said, talking into his com.
Ronon watched in anticipation as the Chevrons lit up, and things ran smoothly until the Seventh Chevron failed to lock.
"Redial it!?" Ronon shouted into his com.
He watched and hoped the wormhole would activate, but he knew it wouldn't. Something was wrong, and he was sure of it.
When it didn't the second time, his heart filled with despair.
"It's the Wraith," he muttered.
TBC…
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