They'd spent five arns sitting in these chairs, waiting for Crichton to be caught. The Zogarians knew he was aboard the ship now. It was twenty-two against one. Aeryn knew Crichton was probably running instead of fighting. It angered her that she couldn't help him... or any of them for that matter.

The weapons fire so close to command worried her. It repeated twice before two of the creatures guarding them left. She was surprised to see the door close after them. The remaining one was surprised also, and began trying to kick it open.

A movement to her left caught her eye. One of the grates leading to the crawl space had opened. She smiled. Crichton really was proving himself resourceful.

The other guard moved away from the door and spun in a circle. He too saw the open grate. It took Aeryn a minute to realize that was what Crichton wanted. The guard remained about a foot away, smart enough not to stand under it.

D'argo and Zhaan had also turned to watch the guard. Rygel was too busy sleeping. She glanced at them, seeing that they had figured it out. Did she actually see approval on D'argo's face?

"John Crichton?" The guard asked.

"Oh, you know my name?" Crichton's voice drifted down.

'What the frell is he doing!?' Aeryn thought.

"I suggest you come down here before your friends are harmed."

"Why don't you come up here?"

The guard stepped forward in a rage, and John took the chance. He jumped down, knocking the guard off his feet. When he landed, he realized his mistake.

"Oh shit. That hurt." He groaned, fighting to get up as the guard did.

He glanced towards his ship mates, not surprised to see them tied up. 'Damn this would've been a lot easier with the gun.' His leg was radiating pain again, making him wish he'd thought twice about jumping.

The guard took the opportunity and attacked, his shoulder ramming into John's chest and pushing him backward until he was against the wall. 'Great. Again.' He didn't even have time to swing before he was being punched in the sides and face.

Aeryn watched the fight, not surprised that Crichton was losing. She reminded herself that Crichton wasn't a warrior. She doubted he'd ever fought hand to hand combat before he was bought aboard the ship.

She struggled against her restraints, seeing that he was going to lose in less than a minute. She looked at D'argo, seeing that he was attempting the same thing. Zhaan's eyes were closed, and Aeryn could hear her soft chanting. Rygel was still sleeping (she really was going to kill the small toad one day).

She had just turned back to watch John lose when a grunt for D'argo made her swing around again. His hands were free. He quickly untied his legs and sprang into action, pulling the Zogarian off of Crichton and hitting it in the back of the head. It fell to the ground.

"Thanks." Crichton mumbled, sliding down the wall.

"You hit them in the back of the head. Their skulls are softer there. Knocks them right out."

"Oh thanks. Next time, tell me something like that before I get my ass kicked!" John said, gasping for breath.

D'argo crossed the room and untied Zhaan and Aeryn. He growled before freeing Rygel, who finally woke up.

"What's going on!?" The Hynerian demanded.

D'argo growled again, said nothing. John watched the whole scene without comment, trying in vain to catch his breath. The guard had hit his already hurting sides enough to make him worry that something was seriously wrong. He couldn't breathe without pain.

Zhaan came over and crouched in front of him. "Are you hurt, John?"

Lying didn't even cross his mind. "Yeah."

Pilot's voice interrupted them. "They're going to cut down the door."

"Crichton, next time you try and rescue us, make sure you don't block our only exit!" D'argo hissed, his eyes on the door.

"Sure...see what happened with one of them in here? Did you really want me to go for three of 'em!? I'd be dead." His voice held no force. Talking hurt too much. "What are we gonna do if we get out of here anyway? Keep running?"

"You don't have a plan?" D'argo sounded surprised.

"Look. I didn't even think this was gonna work." 'Oh please just shut up D'argo. I don't wanna talk anymore.' The light-headed feeling was back, stronger than before. His head and face were pounding in time with his leg, and his side was really messed up. He didn't want to have an argument with D'argo, didn't think he had the energy.

"What happened to your leg?" Zhaan asked him.

He turned to her. "um...I got hit by whatever the hell their guns shoot."

The ship shuddered. Aeryn turned towards the door, saw the spark at the bottom of it.

"They're cutting down the door. We need to get out of here."

"How!?" D'argo demanded.

"Through the crawl space." John answered, not happy at the prospect of getting up there again.

"Let's go." Aeryn announced, making the decision for the group.

Zhaan helped him stand. "Can you do this, John?" she asked.

"Looks like it's a worse situation if I stay," he answered, watching the spark move up the door. At least he had some help now.

~~~~

"They'll follow us up here." Rygel from the back of the group.

John looked over his shoulder, struggling not to reach out and bash the Hynerian in the face. Rygel was the only one of them not forced to crawl in the small space, he was short enough to walk. He would've told the pain in the ass off, but trying to breathe was enough fun.

"We needed to get away." Zhaan replied.

"Yeah, well now we need to get out of here." John said. "This is 'not' a good position if anyone comes along. And you can't see them in the dark."

"He's right." Aeryn said. She was directly in front of him.

"We need to find place to rest," was Zhaan's answer.

"We don't have time to stop," D'argo growled back immediately.

"John is injured," Zhaan answered simply.

Even in the dark he could feel D'argo's eyes on him the Luxan turned around. "How bad?"

John stopped, put his hand on the back of his leg. In the dim light he could see that his makeshift bandage was soaked through. "It keeps bleeding." No sense lying to him, but there was no need to tell him that his real problem was his side, which had gone from a throbbing to a stabbing pain every time he breathed.

They continued on in silence until Rygel spoke. "I hate to rain on all this fun, but do any of you have a plan?"

'Keeping running around 'til they get tired?' John thought, but didn't say it. It was too much effort to talk.

"Defeating twenty-two Zogarians with one weapon is impossible. We need our weapons back." Aeryn said.

In front, D'argo stopped short causing everyone else to run into each other. John collided with Aeryn's back, jarring his sides. Rygel did the best part, stepping on the back of his leg. He cried out before giving in and letting his eyes close.

Silence. Aeryn could see dim light ahead. D'argo had to be at a grate. Obviously someone was below them. She looked back at Crichton, who was half slumped on her, half on the floor. Rygel was actually looking a little worried by the developments.

"They're gone." D'argo muttered, starting to move forward again. Zhaan reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Crichton passed out," she said, moving around into a sitting position.

"What? You've got to be kidding me," D'argo replied. "What happened?" He looked at Rygel.

"I don't know!" he said, starting to move back.

"Get him flat, Aeryn," Zhaan said, ignoring her other shipmates. "On his front. I want to check his wound."

Aeryn nodded and moved him so that he was lying flat on his stomach. "I know humans are...odd, Zhaan, but is he supposed to that color?" she asked.

"This pale? I don't think so," Zhaan answered, moving around them. She swatted at his feet, pushing Rygel back silently. "It does look like he's lost a lot of blood."

"So what do we do about that?" Aeryn asked, turning around so that she was facing Zhaan.

"I'm not sure exactly. Species are different. I assume he at least needs to rest."

"Rest is something we can not afford," D'argo hissed.

"Do you want to drag him along with us, D'argo?" Aeryn asked, her tone matching his.

"Can you revive him, Zhaan?" D'argo asked after a minute of brooding.

"I'm not sure if that's in his best interests. He needs the rest."

"So what do we do with him?" Aeryn asked.

Zhaan turned to her, and smiled. Aeryn knew she wasn't going to like whatever she said.

~~~~

Waking up was hard. Everything in him was telling him not to open his eyes, but he did anyway. He was surprised to see Aeryn looking down at him. She looked relieved to see him awake.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice was still weak. With a groan, he sat up. Looking around, he found he was in another one of the storage room, and he and Aeryn were alone.

"D'argo, Zhaan, and Rygel went to get our weapons back. Well, D'argo and Zhaan went, Rygel followed. We figured splitting up was a good idea, and you're the one that the Zogarians want, so leaving you unguarded wouldn't work."

He took it all in. It made sense. "Do you guys have it planned out any further?" There was hope in his voice.

"No. We have no idea how to defeat a group of twenty-two, with only three useful parties. No offense."

He knew what she was saying. Rygel was just as useless as he was... at least he had an excuse, he was hurt. Rygel was just plain useless. His mind was running in circles, something that frightened him. He wasn't a fighter, he was a scientist. He was supposed to be able to think his way out of things, and he couldn't even hold a thought.

"Are you alright, Crichton?" Aeryn asked, pulling him back to reality.

"Yeah...no. I'm tired of this. All we can do is keep running."

"How do you think it makes me feel to hide from the enemy?" she countered, not hesitating a second.

They were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, John spoke. "Aeryn, we need some kind of plan to get them off the ship. And then we need to get this thing outta me."

"I'm well aware of that, Crichton."

He sighed. Aeryn in frustrated mode was no fun. "What I was asking was, do you have a suggestion?"

"We need to get our weapons."

"After that?"

She looked away from him. "No idea."

He exhaled, then groaned, rocking forward and holding his sides. 'Damn. Do not do that one again.' He thought.

"Are you alright, John?"

He shook his head, to tired to deny it. Screw being macho. He was tired of trying to give an appearance of some big strong guy. He wasn't exactly weak, but he was human. He wasn't from some big warrior race.

"What else is hurt?" Aeryn asked, concern in her voice.

"My side. Right side. Damn thing kept punching me there." Breathing was a little easier, but not much.

"How badly is it hurt?"

"I'm not a doctor, Aeryn." He paused, knowing that taking his frustration out on Aeryn was wrong. "Sorry. Lets just say it hurts like a bitch."

Aeryn raised her eye brows but said nothing. She had grown tired of trying to get Crichton to explain his expressions. She understood well enough -it hurt a great deal. Which was not a good thing.

They sat in silence, waiting for a transmission from Zhaan and D'argo.

~~~~

Crichton had drifted off to sleep. She had turned off the lights so he'd sleep better, knowing that he did need rest. She could tell, even in the darkness, that he was still in pain even as he slept. She could hear it in his uneven breathing.

"Aeryn, John?" Zhaan's voice over the comm startled her. Aeryn was momentarily ashamed that she had been so easily surprised. Her training was slipping away. A soft groan from Crichton's direction made her aware that he was awake too.

"Yes, Zhaan?" Aeryn answered, standing and turning on the lights.

"We've retrieved the weapons."

"Good. Where are we meeting?"

"The Zogarians are mostly around the command." Pilot supplied, always ready to help.

"Far away from them." John mumbled.

Aeryn glanced at him, but again opted to say silent. She debated a second before speaking. "How about the infirmary?"

"It's clear." Pilot answered a second later.

"Good. We'll meet there." D'argo said, ending the transmission.

Aeryn turned to look at Crichton. He smiled at her, though he was sure it came out more looking like a wince. "Great idea, Aeryn."

She reached down and helped him to his feet. He swayed for a second, but managed to keep his balance. Seeing that he was ready, she opened the door, checking both directions before leaving the room. John followed close behind.

~~~~

It happened quickly. One minute they were alone, walking silently through Moya's dim halls, the next Pilot was warning them that someone was there. Then Aeryn cried and out hit the ground. John spun, anger flaring.

The two Zogarians smiled, each holding their weapons pointed at him. They shot without warning. John reacted quickly, dropping to the ground on top of Aeryn.

His anger flared higher. It was all getting to be way to much for him to handle. Some strange woman knocked him over, did something to him, told him to run. The next thing he knew he was being hunted down on his ship, being attacked and shot at. And now they'd shot Aeryn in the back, without even a warning.

Then all his anger was gone, abruptly as it had come. He gasped at the release, then remembered the two Zogarians behind him. He turned slowly, his mind almost expecting what he saw.

They were both dead.

~~~~

"Where are they?" D'argo questioned, more out of anger then concern.

"Aeryn and Crichton have run into some trouble." Pilot informed them, his voice calm as it almost always was. "I'll update you on the situation briefly."

Zhaan closed her eyes, wondering how bad the situation was.

~~~~

His mind was a mess of emotions. He was relieved that the two Zogarians were no longer shooting at them, horrified that he was the reason they were dead, concerned over Aeryn's condition, and angered about the situation as a whole.

Blood was running from a wound in Aeryn's left shoulder. The best he could tell, they hadn't hit a vital organ. That was if human and Sebaceans were as close inside as they looked outside. He prayed they were.

He shook her lightly, hoping that she'd wake. She didn't. "Oh shit, Aeryn. Not now. What the hell am I supposed to do?" he mumbled.

'Check for an exit wound John.' he thought to himself. With a grunt, he managed to turn her over and sit her up. She was bleeding from the front of her shoulder as well.

It worried him how limp she was. And heavy. 'Just dead weight.' He immediately willed the thought away. She was still breathing. And bleeding. A lot.

He lay Aeryn back down and turned on his comm.

"Zhaan?" he asked, his voice tight.

"Crichton!" D'argo practically screamed into the comm. "What is going on?"

"Aeryn's been shot." He paused. "She won't wake up."

"Get her here quickly, John," Zhaan said.

"I'll try," he answered, then cut the transmission. "Easier said then done." he mumbled to himself.

His mind struggled to find a way out of the mess he had created.