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Chapter 11: Amazing discoveries.
Lorne was on edge when a transmission came through from the mainland. Stackhouse and the combat engineers left for the mainland two hours ago. His worry for Teyla's safety was palpable. Had they found her, and if so, was she injured? If they hadn't found her, it meant she was no longer on the mainland or …well, he refused to think she may be dead. The uncertainty of Teyla's whereabouts hung in the air, thick with suspense.
He'd questioned the prisoners for a second time half an hour ago, and this time, they wouldn't even open their mouths, leaving him with no idea how to contact the new Hilaring home world or KK203. He assumed that people from Core still had control of the Stargate on New Hilaring, and there was no way for John and the others to return to Atlantis through that gate. He also knew that if there were a way, John and Rodney would find it.
"Lorne here," He said, answering the incoming message, the anticipation of the information he was about to receive giving him an adrenalin rush.
"It's Sergeant Stackhouse, sir. We dug through the rubble in the tunnel, and there was no sign of Teyla. Permission to explore the city further?" Stackhouse sounded worried about Teyla's whereabouts but determined to explore further.
Lorne was of two minds. Although he hoped Teyla was still on the mainland, common sense told him she wasn't there any longer. His heart raced with worry, his mind racing through the possibilities.
"Go ahead and explore further, but report back in one hour." His voice was firm, but his team had an underlying trust and determination to do everything possible to find Teyla.
"I'll talk to you in an hour, sir, Stackhouse out."
There was only one other option left to try to find Teyla, and Lorne didn't like it. He would have to contact Todd, which was a risky move, to see if he had any information on her whereabouts.
"Chuck, can you please see if you can contact Todd's hive? Let me know if you do. I'll be in General Sheppard's office. I'm sure there's some paperwork to do somewhere." Lorne said, trying to lighten the tense mood.
Chuck attempted a smile and replied, "Yes, sir,"
Lorne hadn't bothered to contact the SGC yet, but he knew he needed to send the next status report for Atlantis in two days. Hopefully, they would have found Sheppard and his team alive and well by then. But could things ever be that simple? Probably not.
oOo
Carson's unwavering determination to help Teyla was palpable as her labour progressed more rapidly than anticipated. She was drenched in sweat, her face contorted in pain, and he felt a deep sense of responsibility, unable to alleviate her suffering.
When Teyla announced her labour, John vacated the low wooden table to provide her with a relatively clean birthing spot, though it was hardly cleaner than the dusty, hard ground.
The dust storm they'd experienced in the early hours had blown large amounts of the red dust into the ruins, and Ronon and Toth spent numerous hours trying to get it out of the room they'd called home base. Not that they'd succeeded - the air was still filled with fine dust particles.
John, despite his deteriorating health, sat by Teyla's side, offering words of encouragement with each painful contraction. His resilience, except for his feverish cheeks, was a stark reminder of his battle with his health. The man looked like he would pass out any minute, and Carson had no way of alleviating his suffering either because the morphine and antibiotics in Teyla's tac-vest had long been depleted.
A pained moan escaped Teyla's lips, jolting Carson out of his contemplations. His quick response to her distress was evident, spurring him into immediate action.
"Come on, Sweetie, breathe, "John encouraged breathlessly, clearly struggling to breathe.
Carson knew John's lungs were still irritated from the first and second explosions, and the relentless heat from the planet's three suns and the irritating dust were not helping either. John still had the breather on his chest, but given his environment, it was only a stop-gap measure because his lungs would never heal if he weren't in a clean, sterile place.
Teyla's water broke five hours ago, and two suns had risen in that time. Carson suspected the other one would rise soon, and he knew the temperature would continue to rise, making the conditions in the tiny room almost unbearable.
They'd looked for other rooms in the ruins to make their home base, but this was the only one with natural light and fresh air. Rodney was trying to get the environmental systems and communications up and running but wasn't having much luck.
Logo walked over and gave John another bowl of water so he could continue to try to cool his wife off. The only problem was that John needed cooling down himself because it was clear to Carson that he still had a low-grade fever.
They'd had a fire burning in the courtyard all night, boiling water to sterilise what medical equipment they could find. Carson had even managed to wash and dry John's scrub pants. His top half was still bare, so Carson and Logo could keep an eye on his injured back. But at least his pants were cleaner.
The next contraction hit, and Teyla's face contorted with pain before she yelled, "Carson, I need to push right now!"
Carson knew it was time, so he looked at Logo and asked, " Do you have something to wash the child in when he's born?"
"Yes, I have Carson," Logo replied, coming alongside him with a full water container and some clothes they'd found. Luckily, some of the cloths were large enough to wrap the newborn in.
Carson was relieved that Rodney, Toth and Ronon weren't here at the moment because he knew they'd only get in the way. However, he'd been sending them regular updates when he got the chance. Carson suspected that Rodney would be contacting him soon for an update. Rodney had also expressed his relief that he wasn't delivering this baby because after having to deliver Torren on the wraith Hive-ship, he was happy to never be present at the birth of a child again. However, he might consider it if it were Jennifer giving birth.
John yelled, interrupting his thoughts. With one look at John's pained expression, he knew that Teyla was crushing his left hand. Hopefully, she wasn't breaking any bones because the last thing John needed was any more broken bones.
"Okay, Teyla, I'm going to look to see what's happening, and I think you should be able to push on the next contraction."
After a quick examination, Carson knew Teyla was ready. When the next contraction hit, he told her to push.
Teyla pushed as the next contraction hit, and Carson could see how utterly exhausted she was. She needed to be in a hospital bed, not on some rock. Still, she gave birth to Torren on a Wraith hive-ship, so how could this be any worse? The difference was that John got Teyla off the hive-ship and back to Atlantis. This time, Carson had no idea how they would return to Atlantis.
"That's good, Teyla," Carson encouraged, "one more push and your son will be here."
Teyla moaned; Carson could see she didn't have much more in her, so when the next contraction hit, he prayed silently that this would be the last one.
Finally, the baby was born, and it instantly started crying. Carson was overwhelmed with relief that the birth had gone relatively smoothly. It was a moment of triumph in a hostile environment.
"Congratulations, Teyla and John. It's a boy. Would you like to cut the cord, John?"
"No, you do it, Carson; I just want to sit here with my lovely wife."
Carson nodded," Logo's just going to check him over, and then you can hold him."
Carson studied his friends while Logo dealt with the baby. Teyla looked utterly exhausted, and John was barely sitting up. The weight of their situation was evident in their tired eyes and weary postures. However, given the nature of John's injuries and that Teyla had given birth in an Ancient ruin in another galaxy, their exhaustion was understandable.
Once Logo handed him the baby, he placed him on Teyla's chest. "Do you have a name for him?" Carson asked while staring at the shock of black hair on the baby's head.
"His name is Halling Kanaan Sheppard," Teyla replied sleepily as a yawn threatened to split her head in two.
When John didn't say anything, Carson was immediately filled with worry. He looked at his friend just in time to see him list to the side. Unfortunately, he or Logo weren't quick enough to stop him from falling hard on his broken arm. The urgency of the situation was palpable.
The noise of John falling startled Teyla out of her slumber, and then the baby started to cry.
"I'll take care of the baby and Teyla," Logo suggested, "while you take care of John."
Carson nodded and knelt beside John. The man was unconscious, so he carefully rolled him onto his stomach, trying not to roll him on his broken arm. There was no way John could lay on his back, considering the state of it.
"Is he alright?" Teyla asked while trying to settle her crying son.
"I'll look after him, Teyla. I suggest you try to feed your son," Carson replied urgently.
Carson was just about to check John's arm when his com activated. He knew it would be Rodney, but he answered anyway, hoping that Rodney had found something of use.
"Carson here," he said impatiently.
"Hey, Carson, you'll never guess what Ronon found."
"This better be good, Rodney, because I'm busy here," Carson replied, his impatience rising.
"I've found an infirmary, and that's not the best part," Rodney replied, and Carson could sense the excitement in the man's voice.
An infirmary was what he needed now since he had a new baby, an exhausted mother and an unconscious father to take care of. The only questions were whether it was clean and how long it would take to get there.
"Is it clean, Rodney?" Carson asked, thinking anything had to be cleaner than the space they were in. But then there was the problem of ventilation.
"It's cleaner than the room you're in now."
"And what about the ventilation?"
"I've managed to fix the ventilation systems throughout the entire city."
"Good, because I need to immediately get Teyla, her baby and John there."
"I'll send Ronon and Toth up to help. Wait, did you say baby?"
"I'll see you soon, Rodney. Carson is out."
Luckily, the room was quiet for now. Teyla was feeding her son, and Logo was checking on John.
How's his arm, Logo?"
"There appears to be no further damage," Logo replied, his blue eyes reflecting Carson's concern for John.
"That's good," Carson replied with a yawn.
No, all they had to do was find a way off the rock they were stranded upon because he didn't know how much longer he could keep John Sheppard out of trouble before he got his patient to a proper infirmary.
oOo
Chuck took two hours to locate Todd's hive, and Lorne immediately sent a message; now, he was waiting for a reply. He didn't expect an answer immediately, so Lorne was pleasantly surprised when Todd answered within five minutes.
Lorne was sitting in General Sheppard's office when the transmission came through, and he shuddered when Todd's face appeared on the screen. Although they worked together occasionally, he still couldn't get used to the Wraith's sadistic smile, which sent a chill down his spine.
"What can I do for you, Colonel Lorne?"
Lorne's voice was determined as he spoke, "I'm wondering if you know where Teyla is. It appears as if she's disappeared from the mainland."
Todd shook his head and chuckled, sending a shiver down Lorne's spine for the second time in as many minutes. "So first you lose Colonel Sheppard, and now you've lost his wife. The Pegasus Galaxy is indeed a strange place. "
The wraith's humour didn't amuse Lorne. "So, do you know anything?" he asked impatiently.
Todd became serious, much to Lorne's relief, "When was the last time you saw her, and why was she on the mainland?"
"A group of hostiles came through the gate from the address you gave us in KK203. Teyla inferred there were ancient ruins on the mainland, and two hostiles insisted on going for a look, saying they would take Teyla with them. We had no idea one of them would be able to pilot a jumper, so they kidnapped Teyla." Lorne took a deep breath before continuing because this was hard, as he was still incredibly worried about Teyla. "When Zelenka and I finally overthrew the rest of the intruders in the gateroom, we locked out the gate address from KK203 - it was for New Halling, by the way - and put the hostiles in our holding cells. To cut a long story short, we went to the mainland to find a crashed jumper with the two dead hostiles and some ancient ruins but no sign of Teyla."
Todd was furious, and Lorne was afraid when the Wraith spoke," If these men have hurt my Queen, someone will pay." The potential harm to Teyla was a grave concern, and Todd's threat was a stark reminder of his obsession with her.
Suddenly, an idea formed in Lorne's mind: There might be a way to get the men down in the holding cells to talk, but he needed Todd's help. Todd's unique abilities and influence to elicit fear in humans could be the key to breaking the silence of the captured men.
"Do you want to come to Atlantis? I have an idea, but I need your help."
A twisted smile crossed the Wraith's face, "I would certainly enjoy Atlantis' hospitality again, as will some of my men."
"How about you beam down immediately and meet me in General Sheppard's office."
Todd's face disappeared from the computer screen, and he beamed to General Sheppard's office within a minute.
"Okay, Colonel Lorne. What do you need from me?"
oOo
It took Carson an hour to settle his patients in the newly found infirmary, which left him utterly spent. Thankfully, his three patients were sleeping. The mother and baby were resting on one bed, and John was in a deep slumber beside them. Despite his fatigue, Carson's unwavering dedication to his patients was evident.
Surprisingly, the infirmary was a pristine oasis amidst the dusty ruins, a stark contrast to the environment outside. The absence of the red dust that coated everything else left Carson pondering the existence of such a sterile space on a hot, dry, and dusty planet. It was a sanctuary of cleanliness and order amid chaos, a place that seemed almost out of place in this harsh environment.
Rodney was still excited about something, but when they'd reached the infirmary, he'd told everyone except for Logo to leave. Rodney had left eventually, but Ronon had to drag the scientist out of the room.
Now Rodney had returned. But Toth and Ronon were exploring the ruins further, so at least he only had to deal with an excitable Rodney.
Feeling the weight of exhaustion, Carson yearned for a moment's rest. However, his concern for John's injuries kept him vigilant. For now, Logo was keeping watch over the little family, allowing Carson a brief respite.
"Okay, Rodney, what's got you so excited?"
"I've found an interactive computer program that may be of some help to John."
Carson wasn't in the mood for games, so he looked straight at Rodney and spoke as patiently as possible: " Okay, why don't you tell me about it?"
A flash of light and a strange buzzing sound assaulted his senses before a deep voice he'd never heard before spoke.
"Welcome to the infirmary. How may I assist you today?"
In front of him stood a man who looked remarkably similar to Woolsey, only with hair. It was a sight that left Carson utterly speechless, a discovery beyond anything he could have imagined.
"Umm…" Carson replied, unable to articulate his thoughts.
"I've read about these holograms in our ancient database," Logo said with awe as he came to stand alongside him.
"Yep, it's an interactive medical hologram, " Rodney replied. "From what I can ascertain, he can also perform complex medical tasks. Basically, he can take over and function if the doctor is killed."
Carson still had no idea what to say, but he watched as the hologram began to examine John.
"Why hasn't this man been treated?" The hologram asked in a firm voice.
"Do you have a name?" Logo asked before Carson could say anything.
"You may call me Dave," the hologram answered, "now why hasn't this man been treated?"
Dave pulled out a strange device and waved it over John's arm and back. He then walked around the infirmary, opening cabinets, and it was clear he was looking for something.
All Carson could do was stare in confusion at the strange hologram as he went about his business. Rodney stood beside him, his eyes filled with amazement.
"Where is the bone healing device," Dave asked, stopping in front of Logo.
"Umm.., how about I help you look," Logo suggested.
Dave continued to walk around the room, ranting that nothing was where he'd left it the last time he'd been activated. Carson wondered if that was ten thousand years ago and, if so, why the system wasn't severely degraded. However, the sterile environment in the infirmary could be the reason.
After searching and ranting for five minutes, Dave found what he sought. He walked to Sheppard's side and waved the device across John's arm.
"This isn't working," Dave announced. "You'll have to take the bandage off his arm."
Finally, Carson found his voice, "what are you doing?"
"I am trying to fix this man's arm, so if you want me to do it before he wakes up. I suggest you take the bandages off," Dave answered brusquely.
Suddenly, Halling started to cry, which brought Carson out of his stupor. If this hologram could heal John's arm, it would be worthwhile.
"Rodney, could you help Logo with Halling? Be careful not to wake Teyla. I'll help Dave with John."
Rodney finally exited his mesmerised state, "Umm…sure."
Carson was relieved when Logo picked up Halling, and he stopped crying. Thankfully, Teyla and John remained asleep.
Carefully, he helped Dave take the bandages off John's arm, then watched in awe as Dave waved his device over John's arm. John's arm straightened before his eyes, and the bone seemed to knit together effortlessly. Once the bone was healed, Dave picked up another device and began to heal the wound. Within seconds, there was no sign of an injury - not even a scar. Dave then went on to heal his back, and after waving a different device over John's chest, the hologram removed the breather.
"His back and lungs are healed, " Dave announced, "but the muscles in his arm may be weak, so use a bandage on them for a few weeks. If I'm not needed for something else, kindly deactivate me.?"
"Certainly, "Rodney stated, pressing a few buttons on the computer.
"That was incredible, "Logo commented, "I have read about medical holograms in the ancient database, but I have never encountered them before." Logo's blue eyes were dancing with awe."
Carson turned to Rodney, who was standing beside the computer console with a wide grin." Have you ever come across any research on medical holograms in Atlantis' database?"
"No, but this is incredible, isn't it?"
"It sure is," Carson replied, his relief palpable, "John's injuries are one hundred percent healed. So I'll put an ace bandage on his arm for a week or so, as Dave instructed."
"So now, what do we do?" Rodney asked, the relief evident in the scientist's eyes.
"We let Teyla and John sleep, and you get communications back online so we can find a way off this rock," Carson said forcefully.
"I'll get right on it," Rodney replied with a sigh.
Now that Dave had healed, John Carson decided it was time to get some rest. He looked at Logo and indicated that he should keep an eye on things. When Logo nodded, he stretched out on a nearby infirmary bed, closed his eyes, and it wasn't long before he fell into a deep sleep.
oOo
Lorne walked into the brig with a grin. He knew the prisoners would talk this time, and then he could formulate a plan to get his friends back from KK203.
He wasn't sure if the prisoners had heard of the Wraith, but Atlantis had seen evidence of the Wraith in KK203.
That's where Todd came in; if the men knew of the Wraith and how the creatures drained the life out of a person, the prisoners would be terrified when they saw Todd, and then Lorne would get the information he needed. Thanks to a retro-virus Atlantis had developed, Todd didn't need to feed on humans anymore, but the men in the cell didn't know that.
"Gentlemen, I trust you're ready to tell me what I need to know?"
Sillian snorted, "What makes you think we'll speak to you now? When we've never talked before."
Lorne smirked, "Because I've brought a friend with me."
Todd, a Wraith who had formed an uneasy alliance with Atlantis, walked in, tall and imposing. He wore his usual sadistic smile, and Lorne could see the genuine anger in his eyes.
"Where are my friends," Todd growled with his hand outstretched. It bore the mark of the feeding mouth, and although Lorne knew it wasn't real, it was chilling. Jennifer had done a little cosmetic surgery for effect.
"Your…fri..ends," Sillian stuttered, his fear palpable, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes darting between Lorne and Todd.
"John Sheppard, Ronon Dex, Carson Beckett, and Doctor Rodney McKay. The most important question is, what have you done with my Queen?"
"Your…Que..en," Sillian stammered, and it looked as if he were about to choke with terror.
"TEYLA!" Todd roared, making everyone, including Lorne, jump.
"I don't know where Teyla is; I swear, "Sillian replied, the fear evident in his eyes, "but I'll help you get to my galaxy and find the others."
"I will consider your offer, but first, I must feed," Todd said with a menacing smile.
Todd walked away and left Lorne staring at the prisoners. "When I return, I will need your help."
Lorne felt a chuckle bubbling up inside him, a sign of the relief he couldn't contain. It sure was good to have Todd on their side, and his presence lightened the burden of the rescue mission.
Hopefully, by the time he'd finished lunch with Todd, with Sillian's help, they'd be able to formulate a plan to rescue his friends. The plan involved using Sillian's knowledge of galaxy KK203 to locate the facility where his friends were and then Todd's intimidating presence to extract the necessary information.
oOo
John stared at the hologram in front of him. Teyla sat beside him, openmouthed and, cradling Halling in her arms. Thankfully, their son was fast asleep after being fed and changed.
When John awakened, he expected to be in agony and breathless due to his various injuries, but there was no pain, and other than his right arm feeling slightly weak, he felt better than he had for a while. Teyla immediately placed Halling in his arms, and he enjoyed spending time with his new son and wife. Thankfully, the others had left the room, giving them some privacy.
After an hour with his wife and son, he wanted answers, so he called Rodney, Ronon, and Carson back into the infirmary. He didn't know what Toth and Logo were doing but wanted to be alone with his team.
Finally, he addressed the hologram, "You're a medical hologram named Dave, and you fixed my injuries." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes, and will you stop staring at me?" Dave replied.
"Cool," John replied.
Carson turned to Dave and smiled, "I'd love to get my hands on some of these devices."
Dave looked confused when he answered, "But you are ancients, so surely you would have access to them."
John wondered how long ago the hologram had contact with the ancients and whether he knew that most of the ancients in this galaxy had ascended.
"You realise that most of the ancients ascended from this galaxy around the same time they vacated the Pegasus galaxy. That was around ten thousand years ago. Some of the ancients went to my galaxy and planet, intermingled with the local population, and I am one of their descendants, as is Carson."
"So you're not even from this galaxy," Dave replied, barely above a whisper.
"No, we're not," Carson replied truthfully.
"I do not think the items can leave this room then," Dave replied, and John could sense some uncertainty in the strange hologram.
"Why won't you let us take the technology? I could help save lives," Rodney said, and John was surprised he was so calm.
Ronon, however, wasn't so calm. " Just give us the technology, and we can get out of here!?"
Suddenly, the hologram disappeared, and John was relieved because the last thing he needed was an argument with a holographic doctor. Rodney had clearly turned him off. He might try to talk to Dave later, but there were other pressing matters for now.
"Never mind about the technology; how are we going to get off this rock," John growled; he'd had enough of this galaxy and wanted to get home with his wife and baby.
"I'm still working on the communication device and could use some help," Rodney replied.
"I'll come and help you once I've eaten," John offered.
By this time, Halling was starting to fuss, so he took him off Teyla, placed him over his shoulder and patted him on the back while pacing from one end of the room to the other.
"Shh..." he whispered in Halling's ear, "Don't worry. Daddy's here, and very soon we'll be home, and you can meet your brother and sister."
It didn't take long before the baby settled down, and John found that everyone was looking at him.
"What?"
"You really are a big softy," Ronon smirked.
"Yeah, it takes one to know one," John replied, knowing Ronon was exactly the same with his daughter Sharnie.
Instead of dwelling on the banter, John turned to Carson, "How about you get Logo and Toth in here, and we'll have something to eat before I go and help Rodney find a way off this rock?" The team's unity, a powerful source of strength, was evident in their readiness to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
John sat in a chair, his voice soothing his sleeping son. His injuries were healed, his wife and newborn son were safe, and the team's unwavering determination to find a way home to Atlantis was inspiring. They were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead together, and with each passing day, their hope grew stronger. Things were beginning to look up.
TBC…