towertag



Tower Tag by sablecain So named because that�s what its been called for nearly a year now and I can�t think of it as anything else. Disclaimer: SGA belongs to MGM/Paramount and a bunch of others. No copyright infringement intended with the use of these characters. ---------- Rodney stared into the darkness. �Well, this is better� I guess.� Dust filled the air from the last tremor. Thick and gritty, he coughed and choked on it as he tried to peer around the dimly lit room. He shook his flashlight as if doing so would strengthen its weak light. �Colonel?� He tried to quiet his gasping, holding his struggling breath as he waited for any response on the radio. �Teyla? Ronon?� Nothing. Turning, he glanced at the dark shadowy form of his guide. His guide was hunched over, hands on his knees, coughing and struggling to breathe through the dust as well. �The tunnel is blocked again.� Rodney could hear the fear in Baldric�s trembling voice. He directed the beam of the flashlight towards the young man. �Thanks, Baldric. I noticed.� �My name is Ergo.� �What?� Rodney stared at him. �My name- it's Ergo.� �Ergo?� �Yeah, not Baldric.� �Seriously?� Rodney started to laugh but the look on Ergo's face and realized�he was serious. �Fine, just be quiet so I can think.� �Can you shoot another�thing?� Ergo�s hands moved, outlining the rough shape of a drone. Rodney rolled his eyes. �A drone, and no. No, I can�t.� �Why?� �Well, for starters,� Rodney let his frustration flow through his voice. �We just drained all the power. There�s nothing left to power one of them.� �Oh.� Ergo�s voice sounded small. �Yeah, oh.� Rodney rubbed his forehead. This was so not good. He tried not to think about small confined spaces. Think like you�re on Atlantis, he told himself. Where would you go now? �Let�s�� He waved toward the only exit again. Maybe the small tunnel he�d managed to open with the first drone hadn�t been completely blocked with the latest tremors. If it wasn't blocked, maybe they'd be able to get a radio signal again. �Yeah.� Ergo�s figure nodded, his features beginning to become clearer as Rodney�s eyes adjusted to the low lighting. McKay quickly gathered his equipment and tossed it haphazardly into his pack. Then he motioned with the flashlight for Ergo to follow him. His light barely cut through the thick fog of dust and dirt, limiting visibility and forcing them to move slowly while his mind raced. Had he drained the power in time? Were Sheppard and Carson and Ronon and Teyla okay now? He had to find them. But what if he couldn't get out? What if he was trapped in the 'catacombs'? Was there anyone out there to remember where he was and come rescue him? Was anyone alive to respond to a radio signal? Panic flickered and he pushed it down, blocking it. He could freak out later, after they got out of here. Stumbling over some debris, Rodney paused and shone the light around again. Think! He ordered his mind to work. There had to be another way out of this part of the city. �What are you doing?� Ergo cut into his concentration. �Shhh.� Rodney waved him quiet. �I�m thinking.� �Oh.� Ergo�s tone wavered. �Oh what?� Rodney turned on the native. �I don�t hear you coming up with any brilliant way for us to get out of here.� He swallowed, grimacing at the taste of dust. He eased his tone. �Do you have any ideas?� he asked genuinely. Ergo shook his head. �No, but I think we�re almost to the first hole you opened up earlier with that thing.� The hallway began to shake, the ground rumbling beneath their feet. �Oh great.� McKay ducked, covering his head with one arm and curling around the flashlight to protect it. He expected this tremor to roll through like the one before, but instead it intensified. Debris rained down around him. �Get back!� he yelled at Ergo, dropping his pack and pushing his guide back in the direction they�d come. Something hit his side. Pain rocketed through him. �Go! Go! Go!� he screamed at Ergo, bumping into him and shoving him further back down the hall. Rodney tried to follow but stumbled and sprawled awkwardly over debris. He dropped the flashlight as he threw his hands out to catch himself. He tried to regain his footing as the floor rippled beneath him and the ceiling crumbled in on him. Pain erupted in his shoulder and his back, stealing his breath and knocking him back to the ground again. Struggling to push himself back up, the last thing he heard was Ergo frantically screaming his name. ------------ John sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease his tight, tense muscles. He watched as Carson finished bandaging a young nobleman�s arm. Beckett must have sensed the scrutiny because the doctor looked up and smiled despite his obvious exhaustion. �Yer all set, son.� Carson patted the nobleman�s good arm as he slowly rose from the ornate bench he�d been sitting on. �That�s it,� he told Sheppard. �The last one.� �Nothing major?� John asked. After Otho�s death, a massive tremor had hit the tower. It�d scared everyone and dozens of people had been banged up in the resulting chaos, but he didn�t think anyone had been seriously injured. �No,� Carson confirmed Sheppard�s thoughts. �Scrapes and bruises mostly. Did you get everything sorted out with them?� Beckett waved toward another group of nobles where Mara stood. �As sorted as possible.� John exhaled slowly. He really just wanted to get out of there. After the tremor and a quick assessment of damages or lack there of, while Carson dealt with the injured, John had been left to deal with Mara and the other top nobility. He didn�t quite know how he�d gotten himself into the position, but suddenly everyone seemed to be looking at him for what to do next. He thought he�d at least gotten them started on the right track, but didn�t envy them the task of reorganizing their entire way of life. �Colonel Sheppard?� Teyla�s voice sounded over their radios. �Here.� He tapped his radio, responding, and shared a look with Carson, noting the concern in the doctor�s eyes. �Everything alright out there?� �Nothing has changed from when you checked in earlier,� Teyla answered. �The village did not feel the effects of the tremor you reported, however�� She paused as if trying to figure out how to continue. �What is it?� John felt his apprehension growing. What else could go wrong here? He just wanted to go home. �Dr. McKay has yet to return to the village,� Teyla finally finished. John frowned. �He�s not back yet?� He tried to remember the last time he�d spoken to Rodney. Had McKay radioed in at all after the fight with Otho? �No. He is not responding to our radio calls either.� Carson�s eyes widened. �He did mention the radios weren�t working well in the tunnels, didn�t he?� he suggested hopefully. �Should�ve been back by now,� Ronon pointed out. John nodded. �He�d want to know if everyone was okay.� He glanced at Carson as he tried his radio. �McKay?� He listened with the others for any sign that Rodney could hear them or was trying to respond over the radio, but there was nothing. �Rodney!� he snapped impatiently, fear rising in his gut as silence answered him again. �He would have found a way by now.� �What are you saying?� Beckett�s voice dropped to a whisper. John closed his eyes as Rodney�s words echoed in his mind. �There�s only one problem. This place is pretty unstable. I fire up the engines, the vibrations alone could cause the whole thing to come down on us.� The tremor. �Oh crap.� John�s eyes snapped open. �I told him it was a risk we had to take.� �What?� Teyla asked, obviously confused. �A cave in. He warned me that starting the engines could bring the tower down, but it was the only way to drain the power fast enough to stop Otho from destroying the village. Damn it.� John ran his hand through his hair. �He could be trapped down there, or�� Teyla cut him off. �Ronon and I will find someone to lead us to where Rodney entered the tunnels.� John nodded, forgetting she couldn�t see him. �Carson and I will find a way down from inside. Keep your radios on, just in case we can get a signal through.� �Understood.� John looked around the crowded gallery as Carson quickly repacked what was left of his supplies into his medical bag. Spotting Mara, Sheppard hurried to her. Catching her arm he pulled her gently away from the others. �I need to get down into the catacombs.� Her face crinkled with disgust. �Why?� �I think my friend is trapped down there.� Her expression quickly changed, her pouty lips forming a surprised �o�. �But it's dangerous down there, especially after the tremor,� she protested. �Exactly.� Realizing he was determined, Mara nodded. �I will lead you to the entrance.� She turned and spoke to a nobleman close by. �We need torches. Fetch them and meet us at the entry to the catacombs.� John thought the man would protest but instead he jogged off to do as he was told. Carson appeared by his side and handed him his tac vest. �I�m ready.� Following Mara through familiar looking halls, a sense of urgency made John want to push her to move faster even as she almost ran. He had told McKay to take the risk, he hadn�t given him a choice at all and McKay had followed his order. If Rodney was trapped or hurt or worse� John picked up his pace, almost tripping over Mara. He had to find McKay. ---------------- Awareness returned to Rodney in a flash of memories. Starting the star drive engine, draining the city�s power, the tremors and the walls falling in on him, it all washed over him like a tidal wave of pain and panic. �Oh no,� he rasped, choking on dust and stiffening as pain tore through him with each agonizing cough. Oh God. He was trapped. Really trapped. Not trapped in a jumper, able to move around to either get the thing moving or keep water at bay, no. He was stuck, squashed, squished and buried alive! Buried alive! Struggling against the pain and fear, Rodney tried to move. Could he move? Maybe it wasn�t so bad and he could at least get off the floor and try to dig his way out or�instantly he knew this was false hope. Everything hurt and trying to move only heightened his pain. He was stuck. Damn. Debris had covered him, pinning him like a bug to a freaking mounting board. Images of his sister's fifth grade butterfly collection flashed through his mind. Wings spread wide, straight pins holding the creatures to the board. Beady little eyes that stared accusingly up at him. Oh. Oh. Oh. His breath quickened, he was going to die. Buried alive, suffocating beneath a city so like his Atlantis. Wait. He had to think. Breathe. Focus. �Think it through, McKay,� he ordered himself to calm down and take stock of his situation. He was sprawled on his stomach and though his legs were buried, he calmed slightly when he realized he could feel them and wiggle his toes. At least, he was wiggling his toes. That was a good sign wasn�t it? �Yes. Yes, a very good sign,� he assured himself. Something pressed into his left side, and his left arm was trapped beneath his upper body, and though his shoulder throbbed, he could just barely move his right arm. Something large and uncomfortably heavy lay across his back, running from his left shoulder to his right hip. Whatever it was prevented him from lifting his head more than an inch off of the gritty floor and kept him from turning it at all. God, he couldn�t do more than squirm and doing that hurt. He was just�stuck. Rodney felt his panic growing again and tried to take a deep breath, only to wheeze instead. He strained to see anything in the darkness, any light or flicker or shadow at all, but there was nothing. Nothing but thick, smothering blackness. He felt his breathing quicken and closed his eyes. �Wide open spaces,� he repeated the mantra to himself wondering what fate had against him. First a jumper filling with water and now this�this was... He mentally shook his head. �Don�t think about it. Focus on big,� he whispered. �Think about how pissed Sheppard is going to be to have to come find you and�� Oh Crap. �Ergo?� He tried to call out, but his throat was too dry. He swallowed, grimacing with thirst and tried again anyway. �Ergo?� He peered into nothingness. There was no answer. No shuffling. No creaking or heavy breathing. No whimpering. Nothing. �No. No. No.� This couldn�t be happening. �Ergo!� He screamed the guide�s name, choking on the pain. Still, only silence answered him. Reaching, Rodney struggled to grope around with his right hand. Maybe Ergo had gotten ahead of the cave in, maybe he�d reached safety already and had gone for help. Then McKay�s fingertips brushed the course, ridged outline of leather, shaped around a foot. Ergo�s shoe. His foot. �No. no. no.� Rodney closed his eyes again, his head dropping back an inch to the grimy floor. Ergo�s warnings about the tremors resounded in his mind. He never should have asked Ergo to come down here. He should have insisted the kid go back to the village as soon as they�d felt that first tremor, but even by then, it�d been too late, hadn�t it? They�d been trapped. He�d killed Ergo What about everyone else? Doubt suddenly flooded through him, stirring new fear. Had he managed to drain the city�s power in time? Had it been enough? Had Teyla and Ronon died in the village? Had John and Carson been executed in the Tower, just stories above him? He knew with certainty that, if John was able, he was searching for him. Sheppard had proven that when he�d used a jumper as a submersible and forced Zelenka along to search the bottom of Atlantis� ocean for him, but what if John wasn�t able? McKay exhaled slowly, trying not to hyperventilate. What if he had risked all this�? He tried not to think the worst, but he couldn�t help it. His radio was gone; he couldn�t feel it on his ear anymore. He had no way of knowing if any of his team was still living and if they weren�t� Swallowing painfully, Rodney tried to ignore the aches that wracked his body or the thirst that nagged at him. He tired not to think about how very very trapped he was or what would happen if no one ever came for him. Instead he kept his eyes closed and pictured the wide open ocean off the main balcony of Atlantis. He tried to conjure the smell of the water and a constant breeze against his face and focused on the hope that John and the others were still out there- looking for him. --------- John and Carson followed Mara down a long, tapestry-draped hallway. Candlelight flickered from sconces along the way and the torch Mara now carried cast strange, eerie shadows, making it harder to figure out where they were in relation to the layout of Atlantis. Knowing this city was almost exactly like Atlantis should have reassured him, but it was the �almost� that had him worried. John knew he couldn�t afford to waste time getting lost. Biting back the urge to ask �How much further?� Sheppard was relieved when Mara finally paused. She looked around a moment, a puzzled expression raising new worry within him, but before he could question her she nodded and turned to him. �This is it.� She motioned to a tapestry on her right and handed him the burning torch. John took it, ignoring Carson�s inquiring look. He knew they had small flashlights in their vests and was thankful all their possessions had been returned to them before the big tremor had hit, but for now he�d use the torch and save their batteries for as long as possible. Mara pulled at the heavy layers of tapestry, gathering together large folds of the material to reveal a stairway leading down into the darkened depths of the city. Carson stepped forward to help her when the city began to shudder again. �Oh crap!� Carson glanced anxiously at Sheppard as Mara grabbed onto his arm. �Just a small one,� John brushed it off and peered down into the gaping black hole. Slowly, Beckett nodded and peeled Mara�s grasp from his forearm. �Okay then.� �You can not go down there,� Mara let go of Carson but stepped between them, grabbing John with both hands and forcing Beckett to grab the tapestries before they slipped against the torch Sheppard held. �Please, John. It isn�t safe,� she pleaded. Gently, John pushed her back behind Beckett, out into the light of the hallway, carefully checking the flame above him wasn�t too close to the material. �We�re going.� �But�� �Rodney is down there. I�m going.� He glanced at Beckett. Carson nodded and smiled in Mara�s direction. �We have to go, lass. We need to help our friend.� Mara didn�t look either convinced or reassured, but took the tapestries from Carson�s grasp again and nodded. �Please be careful.� Static suddenly crackled over their radios. �Colonel? Dr. Beckett?� Teyla sounded unusually breathless. �Yeah? You okay?� John answered, exchanging a worried look with Beckett. �We are fine. We have found where Dr. McKay and his guide entered the tunnels,� She paused to catch her breath. �Must have run the whole way,� Carson murmured. �It�s blocked,� Ronon helped, finishing Teyla�s statement. �Must have caved in after they got down there.� �Completely?� John questioned. �Yes,� Teyla answered. �There appears to be no way for us to get down into the tunnels from here.� John thought a moment. �Come up to the Tower.� He glanced at Mara, meeting her gaze. �Mara will meet you and lead you to this entrance.� �We�ll catch up,� Ronon assured. �Just watch yourselves,� John ordered. �You�ll bring them here?� He was still looking at Mara. �I will,� she promised. �Thanks. Ready?� He turned to Carson who half shrugged in response and adjusted the strap of his medical bag further up onto his shoulder. �Let's get going.� Mara stepped back as they entered the stairwell and, after a moment of hesitation, let the tapestries fall into place, leaving them with just the torch to light the darkness. John could feel the heat on his face as he held it higher, hoping to produce more light. The stairs were covered in a thick layer of dust and the place smelled of stale, musty air. �Think they�re safe?� Carson eyed the stairs doubtfully. �It's made like Atlantis and everything there is solid,� John reminded. �Aye, but everything there isn�t underground or prone to earthquakes.� John cautiously took a step down. Though filthy, the floor beneath him felt sturdy. He glanced back at Carson. �Only one way to find out.� He could see the apprehension in Carson�s entire posture, but then a look came over the doctor that assured him, though nervous as hell, Beckett would do this for Rodney�s sake. Beckett nodded �Lead on then,� he whispered. Once certain that despite the dust and rust, the steps were definitely safe, John and Carson picked up their pace. Twice the steps leveled out to small platforms before twisting and descending another direction into the cool dank darkness. Musty, thick air greeted them as they finally reached the bottom. They paused a moment, each staring at the gaping black hole that awaited them. The floor here was carpeted with a thick layer of dirt and they kicked up small clouds of dust with each determined step. On either side of the hallway towers of handmade wooden crates, rusted candelabras and old furniture were stacked as if someone had decided the catacombs were a perfect place to store junk they were not yet ready to discard...and then had proceeded to forget the important junk ever existed. Huge cobwebs glittered in the flickering light of the torch, creating curtains of silky string that clung to their faces, hands, hair and uniforms. John suppressed a shiver and tried not to think about what kinds of bugs lived down amongst the clutter. He paused, fumbling a minute and causing Carson to bump into him. He stumbled forward a step. �Sorry,� Beckett apologized in a whisper. �What's wrong?� John pulled the life signs detector from his vest and held it up for Carson to see. �Just thought...� he started to whisper then caught himself and spoke normally. �We need this.� �You don't know where Rodney is?� Carson continued to whisper. John shook his head. �Not really. I know he didn't have access to the ZPM but did to the stardrive engines. Least�if he was on Atlantis I'd know. Here?� He shrugged and watched the LSD light up. �I'd rather use this.� They stared quietly at the two dots glowing on the small screen. Carson stepped back out of John's way as the Colonel extended the LSD and rotated in a wide circle. His arm slowly swept up and down as he stared at the screen. �Anything?� Beckett asked as Sheppard lowered the device and pondered what to do next. �No, must be out of range.� He refused to consider any other option. He nodded down the cluttered hallway. �Lets start this way.� Together the two maneuvered through the tunnel, at times forced to turn sideways to squeeze through the stacks of abandoned furniture and crates. John held the torch high to avoid a crumpled pile of smelly old tapestries as he carefully stepped over the remnants of a broken chair. �This is ridiculous,� he muttered in frustration. He glanced again at the LSD and scowled. Only two lights blinked at him. They needed to move faster but the way was so damn cluttered. �What is that?� Carson waved over John's shoulder at a dark shadow in front of them. John squinted and lifted the torch higher. �It's more God damned furniture.� �Looks like we're gonna have to move it.� Beckett wiped a cobweb from his brow. John glanced again at the LSD and sighed wearily. �Here, hold these.� He shoved the detector and torch at Carson. �I'll move it.� -------- Teyla ran through the forest, ignoring the branches that smacked and grabbed at her. The foliage pulled at her hair and clothing, and slapped at her face and arms. She blocked out the sensation, determined the stings and scratches were not going to slow her down. Instead she focused on Ronon and the young guide running a frustratingly slow pace ahead of her. It�d taken a near threat from Ronon to convince their guide to take them to the Tower. She�d seen the fear in the man�s blue eyes. He almost feared the Tower more than the Satedan�almost. And even now it was taking great control on Ronon's part not to drag the man along�the problem was�they needed him to show the way. Teyla�s legs ached for her to go faster, to just burst forward to a pace she craved. There wasn't time for these delays. Rodney was trapped. Teyla grimaced as a large branch hit her arm, tearing skin and drawing blood. She must have groaned because Ronon glanced back over his shoulder. She managed to shake her head and he faced forward again, not asking if she was okay or not. Her head buzzed with the sound of McKay�s voice. His clipped, irritated words spilling out at her, berating her for not caring. His accusations underscored by real fear. At the time, she�d been too busy dealing with her own fears. After all, he hadn�t had a couple dozen drones aimed directly at him, had he? No, he�d just been safely situated below ground�until the earth shook. Now, now he might be buried, hurt, lost or� �There.� Their guide pulled up suddenly, stopping so fast that Teyla would have run into him if not for Ronon�s quick reflexes, grabbing her, catching her. The trees ended abruptly, revealing a sharp incline that rolled into a small field and the entrance of the Tower. �I will not go closer.� The guide was already backing away from them, his entire body radiating his terror. �It is safe now,� Teyla reminded as her body adjusted to the full stop. �The Lord Protector is no more.� She refocused on the guide. But the villager was already running again, faster this time, away from them and the fear bred in him by generations of his ancestors and centuries of brutal service to the Lord Protector. �Think we�re safe?� Ronon asked, ignoring the departing guide and helping her down the incline. Teyla squelched her instinct to shrug off his help, instead realizing she appreciated it. �Does it matter?� She knew they had no weapons save for Ronon�s knives, but from what she�d witnessed earlier in the village, she knew that was enough. The feral grin on Ronon�s face confirmed her knowledge as they started across the small field. Teyla wanted to run again, but she knew they had to approach the Tower with caution and be as non-threatening as possible. Sweat tickled down the back of her neck, sticking tendrils of hair to her skin. She tried to focus on the Tower, searching for any sign of a threat to them. She felt Ronon�s eyes on her. �We�ll find him,� he sounded so confident, so certain-- like he always did. �He tried to tell me.� The words rolled out of her. �I was so concerned about the village, I did not take his situation seriously. I thought�� she couldn�t say it. Couldn�t say out loud that in her own fear and concern for the others, she�d just assumed McKay was exaggerating again. Teyla looked up at Ronon and realized instantly that he understood. She could see the worry and guilt in his eyes and then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. �Clear your mind of it,� he reminded softly, almost as if he was talking to himself. �We will find him.� -------------- Rodney tried to remind himself that a full blown panic attack would be totally unproductive, but this wasn�t like the last time�or the time before that even. It was more like that first time, years ago when� �No!� He growled the memory away, knowing it would only compound his fear and he certainly didn�t need that right now. Last time, trapped in the jumper at the bottom of the sea, he�d at least had something to do. Okay so it�d been the wrong thing to do, but that was beside the point, it�d kept him busy and he�d even conjured up Samantha Carter for company. �Sam?� he whispered her name hopefully, peering around as much as his peripheral vision allowed in the impenetrable darkness. �Of course not,� he sighed and shifted his head slightly. The earth began to tremble again, debris shifting and settling about him in new ways. Dirt and dust rained down on him as he tried futilely to cover his head with his right arm. He couldn�t seem to move it all the way. His fingertips merely brushed the tip of his nose. Finally the shaking stopped again. Rodney exhaled sharply, angling his lips so his breath rushed up his face, clearing his nose and forehead of as much dust as possible. Oh yeah, this was nothing like the jumper. He�d go back into the crashed jumper in an instant if he could, and that time the jumper had gotten stuck in the gate�that time he hadn�t been alone. Yes, he�d like to be with them -- Teyla and the colonel (back when he was �the major�) and Ford (back when Ford was Ford). Yes, he�d rather be there and then. And then he remembered... No. No! What was he thinking? He wouldn�t choose that scenario ever again. His memory of Sheppard with the iratus bug wrapped around his neck made him shiver. Wait. �I�m shivering?� he asked, focusing on the way his body now shook. �Oh no.� He didn�t feel cold, not really and yet, he couldn�t make his body stop trembling. This was not a good sign. �Calm down, Rodney,� he rasped. �You can not go into shock right now. Don�t even think about it.� He tried to concentrate on something else, anything else. The projects waiting for him back in the labs on Atlantis. What kind of junk food the Daedalus might bring back the next time it arrived from earth. Anything but the fact that he was completely unable to move and could do nothing but worry and wonder if there was anyone left alive to search for him. Shifting his right arm again, because it was the only part of his body he could move, his fingers touched the sole of Ergo�s shoe again. He pulled back, grimacing. He didn�t want to touch death. Depression settled on him. �Bad luck,� he muttered. The faces of those who�d died beside him, who�d died over the past two years, rushed through his mind. Why? Why did so many good men have to die? His heart constricted with guilt. Not that he had a death wish or anything, but he did have to wonder�why did he always manage to survive? Loneliness swamped him as he desperately tried to stop shivering. If he could only squirm enough to free himself�he tried again to move, but he cried out as pain radiated up through his body. He pressed the side of his face into the cold, gritty floor and tried to breathe through the spasms. He didn�t want to die, but he didn�t want to survive alone either, he realized. How long would it take to waste away here, buried and alone? He couldn�t even see his watch to keep track of the long torturous minutes. Maybe it�d have been better if he�d gone out like Ergo. Fast. Instant. Just gone. Without warning, the earth jumped violently beneath him, pressing him into the heavy debris as more poured down around him. He screamed in pain and fear. �NO!� He didn�t want to die this way, without knowing if Sheppard or the others had survived. Not yet! �Please!� he shouted, his raw plea as pain erupted through his head, his vision flared with bright light and then�there was nothing. ----------- The furniture blocking the hallway turned out to be two enormous armoire type dressers. John grunted a curse as he worked at moving the second one. The first had slid easily on the dust slicked floor, creating an open path to the second. The second one, however, refused to budge. Pressing his shoulder into the monstrosity, John ignored the rough, untreated wood scrapping his face and the cloud of dirt raining down on him and Carson. Behind him, Beckett apologized for another string of uncontrollable sneezing and John bit his lip to keep from snapping. �God, what did they make this thing out of?� He took his frustration out on the dresser instead, as he stopped shoving and punched at the thing. �Don't do that!� Carson grabbed at his arm, checking his hand. �I'm not fixing your hand if you break it.� �Sure you will.� John flashed a grin and pulled away from Carson's grasp, shaking the smarting hand lightly. He peered into the darkness behind Beckett for any sign of Teyla and Ronon but they were nowhere to be seen. He bet Ronon could move this sucker with no problem. �Any change?� John motioned to the LSD, Beckett now held. The torch was wedged into a crack in the debris above them, held firm and freeing up both of them to work on clearing the path. Carson wiped his free hand across his brow, smearing dirt and shaking his head even as he checked the device's screen. �No, just the two of us...wait.� He paused suddenly as he swung his arm around and retraced his movement. �What?� John demanded as Carson stepped closer. �I swear I saw another...� The tunnel seemed to lurch around them, cutting Carson off mid-sentence. �Shit.� John shoved Beckett away from him just as the armoire he'd been trying so hard to move for the last few minutes heaved over and came down at him. Carson stumbled and fell, losing the LSD as he threw his arm up to protect himself from the crates and clutter caving in on him. ---------------------------------------- John groaned as the shaking, trembling tunnel finally fell silent again. �Damn that was big.� He shifted in the darkness, slowly trying to access his situation. Feeling around him he exhaled slowly with relief. Nothing hurt...much. Okay that wasn�t quite true either. His head ached where he knew he'd been hit by something, but other than that he felt fine- just�a bit stuck. With his legs curled up beneath him, Sheppard realized the huge dresser he'd been trying so hard to move, had tipped over and was now wedged at an angle just above him. He was trapped in a tiny triangle of space, just large enough for him to shuffle around in. The dresser, rested against the wall just above his head. Feeling for a way to crawl out, John discovered more boxes and junk blocked his way. �Damn it.� They didn't have time for any of this. �Carson?� He called out, his voice sounding strange in the stillness. Is this what it'd been like for Rodney? Was McKay trapped like this? �Beckett!� John yelled this time, his fear growing. Was Carson okay? �'m here. I'm here.� �Oh, thank God.� John tried to shift as he heard Carson's low moan but there was no room to move his legs. �Are you hurt? Can you move?� �Aye,� Beckett answered sluggishly bringing a new frown to John's face. �Carson� He questioned with a hint of demand. �I'm okay, just...� The Scot's voice drifted again. �Doc!� �No, no. I'm just a bit...stuck,� Carson hurried to explain. �A pile of stuff buried me.� John could hear Beckett moving now, shuffling and sliding items out of the way. �Are you alright?� There was obvious tension in Carson's voice. The doctor wasn't telling him everything. �Bump on the head is all,� John answered, honestly. �Its not that bad, but I'm stuck, too.� �Aye.� There was more shuffling and movement before a loud crash and sharp hiss. �Carson?� John couldn't help the anxiety in his voice. Belatedly he remembered he was still wearing his vest. �I'm good,� Beckett answered immediately, but Sheppard could tell it was through clenched teeth. �You're lying to me, Carson.� Fumbling awkwardly, John managed to reach the pocket that held his flashlight. He pulled it out and turned it on, at once relieved as the darkness dissipated. �Yeah,� Carson mumbled again and went quiet. �You're not doing a good job of reassuring me,� John growled, flicking the light around. He could just make out Carson's legs through the jumble of debris. The doctor had managed to get to his knees. �Yeah, well. You know that broken hand issue I was warning you about?� John swallowed. �Yeah.� �I think I should have learned how to fall better.� �Your hand?� �Or wrist, can't tell exactly, but I messed something up.� John closed his eyes with a mix of relief and renewed concern. Broken bones hurt like a bitch but would heal. A Doctor's hands though, a surgeon's... his hands were everything. He heard more shuffling and grunting. �What are you doing?� Carson cursed under his breath. �Trying to reach...there.� �What?� John hated not being able to see what was going on. �The life signs detector. Right before that last tremor...� �I think it's safe to call that sucker a quake.� Carson chuckled. �Right before it hit, I thought I saw a couple of signals.� �Colonel Sheppard? Dr. Beckett?� �Teyla!� John sat up, whacking his head on the dresser again. �Dang it!� �Are you alright?� Teyla and Carson asked together. �Yeah yeah. You and Ronon?� �We are unharmed.� �Just hit the tunnel when the quake hit,� Ronon added. �Thank God. Get us out of here will you?� As John watched through the wreckage, Ronon and Teyla's legs quickly came into view as they managed to dig Carson out and while Teyla helped the doctor, Ronon moved on to Sheppard. �Think you can move it?� John asked when Ronon cleared the final large crate out of the way and peered down into John's tiny space. Ronon rolled his eyes in a 'duh' expression and effortlessly shoved the armoire up and back against the opposite wall, freeing Sheppard and clearing the hallway. �I hate when you do that.� John accepted the hand offered to help him up. �What? Rescue you?� Ronon grinned. �No.� John patted the Satedan's arm in thanks and moved past him. �Make it look so damn easy.� Teyla had just finished stablilzing Carson's left arm against his chest using field bandages. She immediately handed John the LSD. �Take Carson and go back to the gate,� John started. �John.� �Don't even think it. You're not goin' without me,� Carson cut Teyla's protest off, pushing away from the pile of crates he'd been sitting on. �You don't know what condition Rodney will be in when we find him. I'm going, too.� �But your...� Sheppard waved lazily at Carson's bound arm. �What about you?� Carson pointed to John's head. John reached up and touched his hairline, surprised to find it sticky with fresh blood. �Fine.� He knew when he was on the losing side of an argument. Teyla picked up Carson's pack, dusting it off as Sheppard held up the LSD and smiled tightly. �Let's get moving then.� --------------------------------------------------- Rodney didn't want to open his eyes. He knew instinctively, it wouldn't make a difference. Reluctantly, he forced his eyes open anyway to find he'd been right. Pitch blackness. God, he hurt. Whatever that last jolt, tremor, quake from hell had been- it had not been pleasant. Breathing deeply, Rodney choked and realized that wasn't the smartest plan. What all had happened? He tried to figure out if anything had changed. No, everything still hurt. Something big still pinned him to the ground, but he thought maybe it had shifted? He couldn't be certain. All he knew was that now, his head hurt...a lot. He tried to move his right arm but found it now pinned, outstretched beside him. He shifted his hand and felt Ergo's foot again. This time he didn't pull away. How sad a state was he in that just gripping the worn boot of a dead man made him feel less alone? �Oh God,� he whimpered into the dirt. �I'm gonna die.� He'd thought it before, feared it, rebelled against it, but now, buried and completely helpless...he pushed reality away and tried to raise his head. Pain seared through him, his temple throbbed. He felt the thick wet trickle down the side of his face, tracing his jaw line. Great. Of course he'd been whacked on the head. It fit well into the day and all, didn't it? He was going to be sick. He battled his growing nausea. Do. Not. Puke. He commanded himself. You have no way to move away from it. You will not die lying in your own vomit! Swallowing slowly, he closed his eyes and tried to picture wide open fields again, but it didn't work. What the hell was he going to do now? �Stay warm. Stay breathing. Stay alive as long as you can. Give your team the biggest window of opportunity possible.� Samantha Carter's voice echoed in his weary mind. �Can't stay warm,� he automatically argued, knowing not even her illusion was there now�just the memory of it. �They're coming for you. They're going to get you out of here.� Damn, she was persistent. �They don't have a clue where I am.� McKay felt heavy. What was he arguing for? He didn't even know if the others were still alive. �Please just give them a chance.� But if they were�McKay tried not to think about his aches and pains. He tired not to concentrate on anything else. Stay breathing. Stay alive. A comforting confidence overwhelmed him. If John Sheppard was out there�he was searching. The knowledge washed over him as Carter's words resounded in his memory once more. �They'll find a way.� ------------------------------ Holding the scanner out before him, John tried to ignore the way the hallway seemed to sway and lurch around him. He didn't need anyone noticing that he wasn't really as okay as he'd originally thought. He caught a glimpse of Ronon studying him closely and knew that he wasn't pulling off the act. His head was killing him and his vision blurred every few minutes, which was confusing as hell since he was already seeing double. Ignoring the Satedan's raised eyebrow, John refocused on the path. Thankfully, the clutter and stacks of crates and furniture had finally cleared, but there were still no signs of life other than their own on the detector, and the further they went, the more confused John was getting as to where they were in relation to Atlantis' layout. Toss in the slight tremors still rumbling every few minutes, and Sheppard's need to find Rodney and get the hell back to Atlantis just kept intensifying. Behind him, he heard Beckett quickly reassure Teyla that he was, indeed, all right, but nobody missed the strain in the Doctor's voice as he tried to cover his pain. Should have sent him back, John thought. �We might need him,� Ronon's low answer surprised Sheppard. He stopped and blinked up at the larger man. �I said that out loud?� �Yup.� Ronon grinned, but John didn't miss the concern in Dex's large brown eyes. �Which way?� Ronon directed the beam of his small flash light down one hall and then another. Their tunnel had come to a sudden split. John rubbed his forehead and looked down each direction. He didn't know. �Colonel?� Teyla's light touch on his arm turned him toward her. �What does the life signs detector show?� �Nothing.� He could hear his own frustration tighten his voice. They needed to find Rodney. He held the detector up again, the screen still showing only four lines. Swinging it toward the other direction he held his breath. Please, he begged inwardly. I don't know which way to go. The screen flickered once and then...responded to him like it was meant to. �There.� Ronon had been looking over his shoulder, watching the screen, but was now barreling down the hall to the right. John stared first at Ronon's back and then at the two extra life signs blinking at him on the small screen. Relief flooded through him, overwhelming everything else, erasing his confusion and his pain. Rodney was still alive. He began to run after Ronon. ----------------------------------- Rodney didn't know how long he'd been unconscious again. Time seemed to have stopped...or even sped up for all he knew. Maybe it'd only been a few moments since this had all started. Maybe...it'd been hours, or days. �Not days, you idiot,� he tried to mumble, but his throat ached from thirst and no sound came out. Without water, days would mean he was dead. Maybe...maybe he was? God, wouldn't that be hell? Stuck here for eternity? He'd never thought much about 'eternity' per say, but damn, he didn't want 'this' to be it. Something was wrong. The sense came over him along with his own mind yelling �Duh, of course something�s wrong. � He pushed his self directed sarcasm aside and tried to focus. Man, he was tired. He just wanted to go to sleep, to let the darkness take him away...again. But there was something he was supposed to be doing. It was important wasn't it? He forced himself to remember. Stay warm. Stay breathing. Stay alive. That was it. It all sounded so simple and yet...the darkness was easier. It didn't hurt so much there. Sighing, McKay tried to squeeze Ergo's foot, to focus on anything other than the pull of the dark, but he came up with only a handful of air. �No.� Rodney panicked. His hand flailed helplessly around, searching for Ergo's foot. Where did it go? What was happening? It had just been there, hadn't it? He knew it�it wasn't like he could move his arm anywhere else. He couldn't be alone here. No! He just couldn't be alone. He reached, choking as the forced movement shifted him beneath the pile of rubble. He gasped, tears filling his eyes again at the resurgence of sharp pain. They mixed with the dust and suddenly his eyes were on fire. He couldn't open them. He couldn't move to wipe them clear, he couldn't find Ergo. All that was left was the darkness. �I'm sorry,� he whispered the words to Ergo, for getting him killed. To Sam, for not being able to meet her challenge to stay alive. To Sheppard, for not being strong enough to wait for him... �Rodney!� Suddenly warm, strong fingers wrapped around his hand and squeezed tightly. �McKay? Can you hear me?� Rodney knew he was dreaming now. He had to be. He was still pinned to the ground, his eyes burning, his body aching...there was no way Sheppard could be here now�but--the grip on his hand felt so real. �Come on, buddy. Talk to me. We're gonna have you out of there as soon as we can. McKay!� The grip changed, sliding to his wrist and for a moment, Rodney panicked all over again. �Don't let go!� he tried to scream, but his voice wouldn't work. Instead he grasped onto Sheppard's wrist in return. �There you are.� He could hear the relief in John's voice. �He squeezed my wrist.� Sheppard's voice was suddenly muffled as he reported back to someone. That's when it dawned on Rodney. They were really here. Sheppard had found him. He wasn't dreaming. He wasn't alone. He'd have smiled if it didn't take so much energy, or hurt so much. Instead he let himself focus on the only thing that mattered to him right now, his grip on John's arm. ---------------------------------- John about shouted with relief when McKay's hand had tightened around his wrist. It'd taken them longer to push through the caved in hallway and clear the mess off of McKay's guide than they'd hoped. The guide, only semi-conscious, had a definite head injury and his one leg had been caught in the debris but other than that, had been spared any serious injury. The bulk of the cave in-- it'd landed on Rodney. Only the life signs detector kept them reassured that McKay was still alive under that mass of rubble. It was too dark even with flashlights to see him in the ruins and it wasn't until they pulled the guide completely out free, that John had seen Rodney's hand and grabbed it. Behind him, Carson was now wrapping up the guide's leg as Teyla and Ronon studied the pile of debris with their lights. �Look,� Ronon pointed to an area John couldn't see from his position. �Something's gotta be holding that beam there, up and off of McKay. Otherwise he'd be...� Ronon's voice faded and they all got the picture clearly. It was amazing McKay was still alive and they had to get him out of there...now. John patted Rodney's hand and tried to pull away so he could stand and help but Rodney's fingers immediately tightened�painfully. �Ow! McKay. You got to let me go so I can help get you out of there,� he explained, but McKay wasn't hearing him, or listening. �McKay.� John tried to keep his frustration out of his voice as he squatted in the dark and debated whether or not he should pry McKay's grip loose. Then, Teyla was beside him. Without a word, she slid her hand under John's and grasped Rodney's wrist. At her touch, McKay responded and loosened enough for John to pull away as Teyla took his place. �I am here, Rodney,� she spoke with a gentleness and softness that reassured Sheppard as much as it was meant for McKay. �You are not alone any longer.� Sheppard nodded his thanks and stood to help Ronon. �Where do we start?� he asked, seeing the Satedan obviously already had a plan in mind. --------------------------------------------------------- John followed Ronon's lead, working quickly and trying to quell the frantic need to just start pulling at things and tossing them aside. It'd surprised him at first, to see Ronon's initial restraint and calm, but he'd realized just as the Satedan had that one false move, one hasty decision and the precariously stacked pile of rubble would collapse on McKay. Rodney had held on this long, and John wasn't about to let him down now. Teyla held a light for them to work by and Sheppard could hear her from time to time explaining to Rodney exactly what they were doing, reminding him that they would have him out of there soon and reassuring him that he was not alone. Carson had joined her, trying to monitor Rodney's vitals as well as he could from the odd angle and cramped spacing. What frightened John the most though, was that through it all�there'd been no response from McKay. Other than that first desperate grab for John's wrist there'd been nothing. No complains, no exaggerated moans, no demands for them to hurry up�nothing. Carson asked questions but got no answers and, as of yet, couldn't get close enough to do more than brush his fingers over the top of McKay's head, which John noted, the doctor continued to do despite the awkward and painful looking angle it put him in. �There.� Ronon pointed to a large relatively flat piece of debris. �We move that and we should only have that beam left.� John nodded and moved to help, pitching forward with another wave of dizziness. Dex caught hold of his bicep and pulled him to standing before he could smash his face into the floor. �Take a break.� He pushed John back a step towards where Rodney's guide rested silently. �No.� John jerked free. �I'm fine.� �Sheppard.� �No.� John picked up the fragment of wall himself. It was surprisingly light, to his relief. He heard Ronon muttering something about being an idiot, but ignored him. They could finally reach McKay. Carson had already scooted closer and was gently wiping Rodney's face with a clean bandage and checking the suddenly visible wound on McKay's temple. Even one handed, Carson's movements were confident and skilled. �We need you to move so we can get that beam off of him,� John reminded. �Let me check him first.� Ronon wiped his brow and frowned. �Why? Faster we get that off him, faster we get can all get out of here.� �I realize that.� Carson didn't look up. Instead he began to run his good hand over McKay's visible shoulder and down his side. �But if he has some other serious wound and this beam is the only thing keeping him from bleeding out...� He kept up his exam, never finishing his thought. Carefully he moved around Teyla and climbed over piles of debris they'd set aside. John felt a new fear stab at his gut. Carson only had one working hand and no surgical or trauma supplies. He knew whatever Mara's people had would be too antiquated to be of any use. What had he been thinking? He should have sent Ronon and Teyla back to the gate to radio Atlantis for help, but...there'd been no time, not really. Even if he had, there was no room down here for the equipment they'd need to get Rodney out of here alive, not if he had the kind of injury that Carson was referring to, and then there were the damn tremors. Oh God... �Thank heavens.� Carson's words brought John's head up. �What?� He could see where Carson had managed to get over the beam and on the other side of Rodney. �It's definitely resting on him but it's not crushing. I've found no signs of any bleeding. I'm fairly certain we can move this monster without hurting him worse.� John's doubtful �Fairly?� was drowned out by Ronon's incredulous �We?� --------------------------------------- Despite his sarcasm, Ronon refused to let John help, instead, telling him to get McKay out of the way fast. Carson, though relieved at not finding any other visible injuries, was still concerned about Rodney's back and possible internal damage, but he understood. There wasn't room to shift the beam anywhere else�they had to move Rodney. They acted fast this time, Teyla helping to stabilize Rodney as much as they could while dragging him. �Hurry!� Ronon grunted as he supported the long wide beam across his thigh, sweat rolling down the sides of his face. �Move.� When they had Rodney clear- instead of just dropping the beam, Ronon uncharacteristically set it back down with great care. Carson hovered over Rodney directing John as they slowly rolled him over. To everyone's surprise and relief, McKay groaned. �Rodney?� Teyla touched the side of his face, her other hand still caught in his tight grip. Bleary, watering eyes blinked open. John felt an indescribable sense of relief as bloodshot blue eyes met his. �Hey.� Rodney grimaced. �About time you showed up.� His voice was harsh and raw but John smiled even as Carson shushed them both and insisted they needed to get moving. ------------------------------ Teyla adjusted her grip around Ergo's waist and hitched his arm higher across her shoulder before bearing the brunt of his weight as they climbed the last step out of the tunnels. As relieved as she was to see the tapestry covered opening before them, it didn't temper her worry. Rodney had slipped back into unconsciousness only moments after his quiet complaint as they freed him. It'd taken Carson by surprise and panicked them all until Beckett had been able to reassure them that Rodney's vitals had stabilized...for now. There was still so much they didn't know about McKay's injuries though and that made the task of getting him out of the tunnels complicated. Carson had refused to allow either Ronon or John to hoist McKay into a fireman's carry, emphatically insisting they needed to keep him as immobile as possible. Sheppard had argued for speed over caution until Beckett had spouted out the high likelihood that McKay could be suffering from a spinal injury or internal bleeding...or both. John had paled considerably then and ordered Ronon to help him find something they could use to transport Rodney. They'd settled on the long, relatively flat piece of debris they had pulled off McKay. With Carson leading the way with a flashlight, and Ronon carrying Ergo in the fireman's carry behind them, Teyla and John had carried the stretcher with Rodney on it. By the time they reached the most cluttered area of the tunnels, Ergo was through with being carried and Teyla was honest enough with herself to know that Ronon would be better at handling the stretcher over the debris they had to climb through, so she let Dex take her end of the stretcher and had moved to help Ergo. Now, finally, with a weary relief, Teyla pushed the tapestries aside and helped Ergo into the dimly lit passageway. Behind her, she could hear Carson directing Sheppard and Ronon up the steps with their burden. Taking a minute, she breathed deeply, trying now to refocus on what needed to be done next and not on her sore muscles or the painful blisters across her palms left by the ragged edge of the stretcher. The first thing they needed was to contact Atlantis. There was no time to carry Rodney out on foot and neither John nor Carson were fit for the hike back to the jumper anyway. Teyla sighed and rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead as she helped Ergo sit down along the wall. Either she or Ronon could run back to the jumper to radio Atlantis for help...but neither of them could fly the ship back to the tower. There was no way John should be running or flying, but Teyla knew that the Colonel would insist regardless of his own state of health and injuries. She really didn't know yet how badly he was injured since he brushed off anyone's concern every time he was questioned. If only they weren't out of radio range with the gate or... �Teyla.� Teyla spun in surprise at the new voice, a smile already forming. �Major Lorne.� Lorne grinned as Mara stepped back and out of the way. He dropped his pack next to Ergo as the four marines behind him caught up. �Dr. Weir was concerned when you guys didn't check in again. Problems?� Teyla nodded. �It is good to see you. We need...� �Easy there, easy. Keep him level.� Carson parted the tapestries as he backed out of the tunnel's entrance. Teyla quickly moved to catch and hold the curtains out of the way. Lorne stepped forward as well. �What can we do, Doc?� Beckett jumped in surprise and then grinned. �Take the Colonel's end of the stretcher,� he ordered immediately. �And please tell me you brought the jumper with you?� �Sure did. Only took a minute to find it on our scanner.� Lorne waited, his expression changing to concern as Sheppard and Ronon stepped into full view. His gaze swept over McKay's still form as he moved to take John's place. �He gonna be okay?� Carson nodded as he reached for Rodney's wrist again. �Aye, I hope so.� There was a moment of silence as everyone watched Carson's expression closely, waiting for any signal of how McKay was doing. Finally Carson sensed the inactivity. �What the devil are ya doing?� he snapped at Lorne. �We need to get back to Atlantis- now.� He turned to the other marines from Lorne's team. �Two of you take this one,� he waved his good arm at Ergo, �to the alpha site and get his leg tended to. He shouldn't need surgery but have the doctor on duty there take x-rays to make sure. The rest of you,� he turned back to Lorne, �get Rodney and John into the jumper...now.� Teyla smiled as soldiers twice Beckett's size jumped into frenzied activity to follow his orders. Lorne and Ronon went first, Mara quietly leading the way back through the corridors. John followed with the reluctant acceptance of help from Lorne's team and grumbling about the fact that he was 'just a little dizzy'. The last two members of Lorne's team supported Ergo between them and followed the others. Finally, it was just Carson and Teyla left, but Carson had yet to move. Teyla watched him, noting the lines of concern etched on his face. Concern or pain...or both. She wondered what he was thinking. �Dr. Beckett.� She moved beside him but he didn't respond. Fear flashed through her. Was Carson hurt more than he'd let on or was he that worried about Rodney? �Carson?� she tried again, touching his uninjured arm lightly. He looked at her, almost startled, his eyes wide with pain, worry and fear...and then it was gone, replaced with the softness and gentle reassuring strength she was so used to. �Let's go then.� -------------------------------------- John recognized the sounds first- the shuffling, beeping, the low hum of machines and the soft restrained whispers. Despite the roaring in his head, he knew immediately where he was�even before the smells hit. God, how he hated the infirmary. Reluctantly, he forced heavy eyelids to open and blinked against the sudden brightness. John tried to push himself up, to sit up, but a wave of nausea and dizziness dropped him back against the pillows. �Ugh,� he groaned, scrunching his eyes closed again. He felt like he�d just stepped off of a tilt-a-whirl after a sadistic carney had left him on it far too long�going backwards. Add a dozen elephants dancing on top of his head and� �You should keep still.� Teyla. Very cautiously John turned his head in the direction of her voice. �Did Carson knock me out?� He tried again to open his eyes and frowned. Why were there two Teylas? Not that he�d complain but still that couldn�t be right. The Teylas smiled at him. �No. You collapsed on your own.� �I collapsed?� He cringed. She nodded. �Crap.� He closed his eyes again. It was too hard to keep them open. He felt Teyla�s warm hand on his forearm and tried to remember what all had happened, but everything was jumbled and disjointed. He remembered the tunnels and the tremors. He remembered Mara�how can anyone forget her? He remembered climbing steps and carrying something and then wondering what Lorne�s team was doing there. He remembered hearing some smart ass Marine respond, �We�re rescuing you, Sir.� And he�d argued that he was perfectly capable of flying the jumper home and then�nothing. �I can�t remember.� His voice grated his own ears. �You were injured more seriously than you told us,� Teyla reprimanded softly. �You have a concussion.� He blinked at her as the bed seemed to tilt beneath him. �Just a concussion?� He wondered out loud. Teyla�s smile faded to concern. �It is a severe one.� �Great.� John tried to focus. There was something dancing around the edges of his memory. Something other than his head or the double vision or the constant vertigo. �How?� He looked at Teyla again, focusing until she began to meld into a single form again. �You were injured during a tremor in the tunnels.� She was being extremely patient with him and he wondered if maybe he�d asked these same questions already. Concentrating, he reached up, intending to rub his head, but Teyla caught his hand and held it firm. A white bandage wrapped around her palm. Tunnels. He�d been in the tunnels. Why? Pieces of a puzzle flashed like bursts of light in his mind. As much as he wanted to just let go and slip back into the comfort of darkness�he refused to give up. He could hear Carson�s frantic voice echoing in his mind. Frantic, urging someone to hurry and to be careful not to jar him. Him. Rodney. �McKay?� He tried to sit up again, fear pushing him past the pain and vertigo but Teyla was quicker. With strong hands she held him down. �He is being cared for,� she whispered. John searched her face. There was something wrong, he knew it instantly. �What�s wrong? How bad is he?� Teyla shook her head. �You need to concentrate on getting well yourself. Rodney is in the best of hands.� �Beckett�s?� He remembered now that Carson had been hurt in the tunnels, too. �He is assisting as he is able,� Teyla assured. �How bad is it?� John demanded harshly. Sadness filled Teyla�s expressive eyes; her shoulders dropped slightly. �I do not know,� she admitted. �Carson spoke of many things. Bruising, a fractured ankle.� �What else?� There had to be something more, he could tell from Teyla�s whole posture. What was wrong with Rodney? �Dr. McKay has a head injury as well�� �And?� Teyla blinked rapidly before answering. �He will not wake up.� John was halfway out of the bed before Teyla even realized what he was doing. His momentum carried him upright, but it was Teyla�s strong grip that kept him from continuing on to the floor. �Colonel.� �Don�t tell me to stay in this bed.� John�s whisper was desperate and pleading. �Where is he?� He demanded as he pulled his IV out and tossed it aside. The alarm blared behind them. �This way.� Teyla motioned toward a quieter section of the infirmary that John recognized as one Carson usually reserved for more serious patients. Rodney wouldn�t wake up. John let Teyla support him. �How long?� he asked still whispering. �How long has it been?� �We returned to Atlantis two days ago.� Teyla shifted her arm around his waist. �You have been conscious a few times but never�� �I wasn�t all there?� John interrupted. �You were not.� �What the hell do you think you�re doing?� Carson met them at the small partition that served as a separation for that section of the infirmary. His makeshift sling was gone now, replaced by a bright blue cast that went from his hand to just below his elbow. �Are you mad?� �Furious,� Sheppard flashed a stiff smile. �Where is he?� There was a moment when he feared Carson would stand his ground and refuse to let him in, but then despite his obvious anger, Beckett seemed to see his need to get to Rodney. Shaking his head, Carson moved to John�s side, ready to add his support to Teyla�s if it was needed. �I swear, I�m going to start putting all of you in restraints,� he mumbled. It only took another few steps for Carson and Teyla to get John into the bed beside Rodney�s. He tried to insist on a chair, but one look at Carson�s expression and he let it go. �I�ll not have you falling out of a chair because you�re just too bloody stubborn to admit you�re still as dizzy as hell,� Beckett ranted as he motioned for a nurse to start a new IV and shoved John back against the pillows. He paused and caught John�s gaze. �You should have told me how bad this was.� He gestured toward Sheppard�s head. John shrugged. �Nothing you could have done.� He ignored Beckett�s snort of disgust. �We needed to get Rodney out of there.� Carson glanced at the next bed. �Aye.� John sensed more than saw Teyla quietly slip from the area. �How bad is he? Really?� John wasn�t sure he wanted an answer. As relieved as he was to actually set his eyes on McKay�to see that he was at least breathing on his own� Rodney�s stillness unnerved him. �Is he in a coma?� His voice fell to just above a whisper. Carson closed his eyes for a moment before answering. �It�s complicated,� he admitted. �He�s got some swelling that we�re keeping an eye on, but we�re seeing small improvements. If they continue, we won�t have to operate to relieve the pressure. If he worsens�� Beckett stepped closer to Rodney and pulled the one blanket further up on the scientist�s chest. Fiddling with McKay�s IV line, he straightened it and patted the lax hand once before turning back to John. �What about you?� John motioned to the blue cast. �It�s a hairline fracture, my wrist, nothing for you to worry about. Now rest,� he ordered, scratching under the edge of the cast. �And stay put.� John looked over at Rodney. �I�m not going anywhere.� ------------------------------------------ Within twenty four hours, John�s symptoms had stabilized enough for Carson to tell him he was free to return to his own quarters and, ensuring that Ronon would stay with Rodney, John did. A quick shower and change of clothes later however, Sheppard was back in the infirmary, blatantly ignoring the irritated looks from the medical staff and claiming a chair beside McKay�s bed as his own. Ronon and Teyla stayed in shifts, keeping him company and talking on occasion to Rodney in hopes that the scientist would at least get annoyed enough to wake up and tell them to go away, but Rodney remained stubbornly still and quiet. John suspected that the two timed their visits carefully to make sure he was taking the pain meds that Carson had left him as well since there always seemed to be a fresh glass of water ready for him when it was time to take the pills. Carson, though tired and often lectured by his own staff to rest, visited regularly, taking readings and checking on both McKay and Sheppard. There�d been no visible improvement in Rodney, but the latest round of scans had brought a relieved smile to Carson�s face. The pressure and swelling he�d been so concerned about appeared to be showing a significant reduction. McKay wouldn�t need surgery. �Then why won�t he wake up?� Sheppard asked when Beckett had shared the good news. Carson had shrugged and deflated a little, his weariness showing again. �I don�t know,� he answered honestly. �He could wake up in an hour or days from now or�� his voice had faded as he�d turned and shuffled back toward his office again. Time dragged and flew and John stayed in his chair, stubbornly refusing to leave for anything longer than a quick trip to the restroom or to grab a cup of coffee from Carson�s stash. Sometimes he�d putter with his laptop. Sometimes he�d attempt to read. Sometimes he�d talk with whoever was around, or to McKay, but most of the time he just sat there and simply watched Rodney. Sometime around the start of day two in the chair he must have dozed off because he woke with a start and groaned as his stiff neck protested the sudden jolt and his headache ramped up another notch �You should rest.� John blinked in the general direction of Ronon�s voice and was relieved to find only one of the Satedan. The double vision had finally faded. Ronon sat on the next bed, leaning back slightly, his arms holding him up while one leg swung lazily. �I�m fine,� Sheppard rasped, pushing his stiff frame up in the chair. �Right.� John glared but said nothing. He glanced at Rodney instead, searching for any change but the man looked just as he had hours ago. �He�d call you an idiot,� Dex continued. John huffed. �He calls everyone an idiot.� �True.� John listened to Ronon change positions. �What do you want?� he asked looking up at him. He liked it better when Ronon just sat with him. He didn�t want to talk right now. �Stop blaming yourself.� �I�m not.� Dex grinned that little half smile that was more frightening than comforting. �I told him to stay down there,� John admitted suddenly. �I told him it was worth the risk, to start the stardrives and drain the power.� �Was it?� John scowled. �Look at him. How can you even ask that?� �How many people did he save?� Ronon�s look was intense now, all humor gone. �Not counting you or Teyla or Carson or me?� �I don�t know�still.� �Still nothing.� Ronon hopped off the bed and towered over him. �Why not blame me?� �What? Why? You had nothing to do with this.� John pointed at Rodney. Cocking his head to the side, Ronon looked at him incredulously. �If I hadn�t killed the guard�� John shook his head, ignoring the dizziness that still snuck up on him with the action. �No. We�re not playing that game. It�s not even the same thing.� �Really?� Ronon sat on the edge of McKay�s bed, careful of the booted ankle. �So what would Rodney say?� John chuckled at the random thought of little wrist bands with �WWRS� printed into them. �He�d probably whine about how I�d nearly gotten him killed and in the same breath turn around and tell me to stop being an idiot.� Ronon folded his arms across his chest. �So�� �So, what?� �God, are you a plank?� Rodney stirred, his harsh throaty whisper startling them both. �Quit being such a damn idiot.� He blinked bloodshot, unfocused eyes at them. �And shut up will ya? I think I�m half dead here.� Ronon was off the bed and yelling for Carson as John reached for a cup of water. �Stay awake,� he ordered gently. �No, problem.� Rodney�s words slurred as he already started to slip back under. � �m wake.� ------------------------------------ John rubbed the back of his neck as he made his way toward the nearest transporter. Even though it�d been nearly three weeks since his injury, he was well aware that the small headache nagging him would quickly turn into something akin to a migraine if he didn�t take something soon. It bugged him that he was still bothered by the concussion�s aftereffects to the point that he�d finally questioned Beckett about it. It wasn�t like he hadn�t been whacked on the head before. Why was it different this time? Carson had, of course, lectured him. Launching into a rant about rest, stress and repeated head injuries. He emphasized the fact that John should be easing back into a normal workload�slowly. �Right.� John breathed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. He�d already had to return to the Tower twice. He was hoping this past time was the last. The nobles there had wanted nothing to do with bringing Elizabeth into the restructuring process so he�d taken a lot of notes from her and gone on his own. He�d brushed it off earlier, making light of the fact that they�d tried to persuade him to stay and help rule, but the talks had been long, stressful and boring. Very boring. He was glad it was over. Now, he planned on taking some of the �good drugs� Carson had prescribed and taking a long nap. Stepping into the transporter he tapped his destination and seconds later was there. Exiting into the hallway John couldn�t help but grin when he recognized Rodney�s familiar clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. The heavy, stabilizing walking boot that Carson had ordered McKay to wear on his fractured ankle echoed loudly through Atlantis� halls and, up until now, it had made Rodney�s efforts to sneak away from the infirmary a challenge. Sheppard wondered how McKay had managed to get this far. Slowing his own steps, John eased around the corner, suppressing a laugh as he watched McKay�s off balanced gait. �Going somewhere?� he asked calmly, leaning against the hall. Rodney startled but covered it well, straightening and looking as indignant as he could considering the black monstrosity swallowing half his leg. Looking at him now, John thought of a �crooked man� and wondered if McKay had ever lived in a crooked house. From Rodney�s expression, he decided not to ask. McKay scowled. �What are you lurking here for?� The bruising that had run from Rodney�s temple to his chin had finally faded leaving only dark circles under his eyes � if not for those and the cast--one would never know he�d been hurt. �Trying to scare me to death?� John ignored his instinct to throw a sarcastic comment back at McKay. �Not really, just heading to my quarters.� �Really? Why? You okay?� Rodney asked, automatically his expression changing from annoyance to concern. �Eh, headache. What about you? I thought Carson was adamant about you taking it easy?� John pushed away from the wall. Rodney snorted and started walking again. �Around here? This is taking it easy. Do you know how far behind I am? I�ve missed too much work already.� John jogged a step to catch up, marveling at the speed Rodney managed even with the cast. �You were in a coma, McKay.� �I�m aware of that, Colonel.� John shook his head. He hadn�t really talked much to Rodney since the scientist had woken up. He�d visited, but McKay had been in and out of reality for a while and Carson had been pretty strict with the whole �rest� thing. He�d been in those damn talks with the Tower folks and honestly�once McKay was awake and everyone knew he was going to be okay, John just wasn�t sure what to say to the man. �Sorry I got you trapped in a cave in and stuck in a coma,� just didn�t seem adequate. �I�ve been wanting to catch up with you, ya know.� John forced himself to not run away. He waved his hand between them as they continued down the hall. Rodney rolled his eyes. �It�s not like I�m moving that fast these days.� John frowned. �About that.� He turned so that he could meet Rodney�s gaze as he tried to figure out how to proceed. Comprehension dawned and McKay drew back a step. �Oh, you are not doing this.� He watched John�s weak shrug. �What? I just wanted to�� Rodney held up his hand. �I know what you want to do. Don�t.� �McKay,� John argued. �I�m the one�� �Just stop.� Rodney spun again and started stomping away. The loud, harsh clomp of his cast made Sheppard wince this time. That had to hurt. John jogged again, getting ahead of McKay and blocking his path. �Why are you so mad?� �You think I enjoy this,� he gestured at Sheppard, �this little guilt trip you�re on? This�� He lifted his cast and jiggled the foot around almost losing his balance in the process. �Not your fault.� Catching McKay�s elbow to steady him, John kept a hold of him. �I told you it was worth the risk to stay down in those tunnels McKay and they collapsed on you.� �And if you hadn�t? Do you honestly think I�d trade my life for Teyla�s or Ronon�s? Or all of those villagers? Not to mention both you and Carson?� �No, No of course not. I just wanted to make sure you realized I didn�t mean�� He swallowed and looked down at the floor, letting go of Rodney�s arm when he realized they were standing there yelling at each other. He lowered his voice. �I never meant that you weren�t�� He couldn�t seem to finish it. He sucked at words. Rodney scoffed. �You are such an idiot.� He chuckled, his shoulders slumping as his posture relaxed again. �Am not.� John protested with a pout. �Oh yes, yes you so are.� Rodney grinned, then grew serious again. �You know what got me through it?� John didn�t have to question what �it� was. �Knowing that if you were still out there and still able�you�d be searching for me.� Sheppard looked up. �I mean, yes, I was terrified I was gonna die right there but at the same time, I knew and I mean I KNEW, if you were okay. You�d find me.� �Why were you so certain?� John frowned. What had he done to deserve that kind of faith? �Oh I don�t know, you did turn a jumper into a submersible to find me at the bottom of the ocean didn�t you?� �Yeah.� �Dragged my ass out of an exploding galaxy?� John huffed at that memory. �Rescued me from the Genii how many times now?� �Lost count.� �Exactly.� Rodney kept talking before John could cut in. �I don�t think I�ve ever had a friend who could drive me quite as mad as you seem to manage�but� he smiled softly. �I�ve never had one that I knew I could count on so certainly either.� John wasn�t sure how to respond now or even if he should. He felt like if he said anything, it�d be the wrong thing. �So, stop with the guilt.� Rodney made the decision for him. �I don�t have the time or energy for any of it. Next time we�re in the middle of a crisis, I�ll find another way to save your ass. Deal?� �Deal.� John grinned, a sense of relief and gratitude washing over him. �So,� he smiled mischievously. �You�re admitting that I saved your ass?� Rodney�s eyes widened and then narrowed. �Oh please!� He turned and started clomping along yet again. �Only after I saved yours first.� �It was my idea to start the star drives, gimpy.� John pointed out, following. �Ha! Might have been your idea but how far would that have gotten you without me to carry it through? Huh? You. Need. Me.� �Like a hole in the head.� �Hardy har har. How original. You really are a plank, aren�t you?�

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