Action/Adventure, Bonus Round: The Black Lake 2/4
Title: The Black Lake
Author: Tipper (tipper_green)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Prompt: The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly.
Word Count: ~27,740
Rating: K+
Warnings: None that I know of, unless you’re one of those folks who hates a certain canon relationship, then beware, because I reference it.
Summary: Things go belly up (because they always go belly up) on a rescue mission to save an SGA team stuck deep underground and running out of air.
CHAPTER THREE: RODNEY, JOHN AND RONON DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
He grasped at everything and anything, feeling the brittle, fragile dirt break apart in his hands like thin strands of spun sugar. The ground just fell away, crumbling to fine dust, filling his lungs with dirt. He screamed and coughed, and still he tried to grab something, anything!
His screaming echoed back at him, barely registering above the sound of bodies crashing through this planet’s crust, the surface no denser than a sliver of mica. Rocks, twigs, dirt pummeled his back as he fell, breaking apart, nothing strong enough to hold him, to catch him. God, it hurt! HELP!
His fingers scrabbled, desperate, seeking something to hold onto. Anything! There had to be something real to hold onto! Something!
Cold air blasted him, and he was suddenly falling through nothingness, hands outstretched, seeking any kind of purchase but finding only empty space.
The air was freezing, whistling through his pants legs and arms like ice. It burned his skin.
He thought about trying to right himself. He didn’t want to land on his back.
He didn’t want to land, period! He had to catch on something! He had to-
Water exploded around him, the impact feeling like it had broken every bone in his body. It sucked him down in a vortex, and covered him up, swirling and churning, driving him down into the darkness.
No!
He clawed at the water, trying to figure out which way was up, pushing and pulling, trying to see light, to see anything. It pushed back, confusing and cold.
God, it was so cold!
His hands started to sting, and his legs and arms soon followed. His chest was burning, and his back was on fire from pain!
Up! Which was is up?!
And then the pack started to get heavy. Very heavy. He felt it pull him one way. That was down, that had to be down. That meant the other way was up. He had to go up!
His hands scrabbled at the pack, trying to break the straps, but his fingers weren’t working, the buckles weren’t undoing. His lungs burnt more and he pumped his legs, trying to fight the pull.
But he was getting weaker. The pack was like a lead weight on his back, dragging him down. He needed to get free!
Come on, come on, come on! Undo!
God, he needed to breathe! Steel bands encircled his chest, heavier and heavier, and the black started to flash with pockets of lightning as his brain fought to stay alive.
His eyes started to sting, and his fingers started to ache, more sharp than a sting. He just needed some air. A little air. He reached upwards with one hand, or the way he thought was up, and, for a split second, thought he saw a light.
Then something kicked him in the head.
__________________________________________________
Sheppard gasped, feeling his foot hit something hard as he kicked around icy lake, seeking his teammates. His eyes widened and he pointed the flashlight into the dark, murky depths.
And saw a hand, just seconds before it was swallowed up by darkness.
Drawing in a lungful of air, he dove down, pointing the flashlight ahead of him into the darkness, trying to see the hand again.
Instead he saw Rodney.
Sinking.
With all the strength he had left, he shoved forward and grabbed at the man’s hand, trying to pull him up. But Rodney was too heavy. He was being pulled down, almost as if he were tied to something. What the…?
Understanding dawned, and Sheppard shoved his flashlight into his vest to free his hand. Using both now, he dove deeper, grabbing Rodney by the front of his vest and scrabbling at the buckles of the massive pack the scientist wore.
When nothing happened, Sheppard reached around McKay’s hip and drew the knife from the sheathe in back. Bringing it forward, he quickly sawed through the belt buckle and the two sides and, like a miracle, Rodney stopped sinking like a deadweight, his pack falling away into the black depths.
Grabbing Rodney’s hand again, his lungs already screaming for oxygen, Sheppard turned and kicked upwards, seeking the surface. Come on…come on….
Breaking the surface, he drew in a huge gasp of air, before coughing and gagging, spitting out water. He pulled up Rodney a second later, pulling his head even with his chest to get his face above water. Wrapping a hand around his chest, Sheppard sought to see some sort of landmass in the darkness, a shadow darker than the rest of the shadows, something dry.
Rodney wasn’t breathing.
“Hold on,” he begged, blinking the water out of his eyes. With his free hand, he pulled the flashlight free of his vest and shone it outwards. Seeking something.
His eyes narrowed as something more than water reflected back. A smooth surface, like glass.
Rock!
Stuffing the flashlight away again, he started to swim towards the gleaming surface, feeling the ache in his shoulders as he worked, all the while trying to keep McKay buoyed. He gritted his teeth as one of his legs didn’t want to bend as much as the other, trying to force it to behave. The cold helped.
He squinted, focused on getting to the rock, on getting Rodney out of this water, keeping them both alive… and finding Ronon.
He could feel himself shaking, fighting the frigid temperatures, fighting the adrenalin threatening to shake him into submission.
A few feet from what had solidified in his sight as solid rock, he felt the smooth, water worn surface under his feet, under the water. Using it for leverage, he reached hungrily for the dry rock just inches away now, promising safety. His hand brushed the cold, dry surface, and he almost cried.
In moments, he was pulling Rodney up with him up onto the rock shelf, getting him as much out of the water and onto the mostly level surface as possible. Once his friend was all out except for his boots, he turned him onto his back and checked once again for signs of breathing.
Finding none, he pressed his head to Rodney’s chest.
Oh God.
Wiping a cold hand across his dripping nose, he breathed out heavily and reached up to pull the zipper down on Rodney’s vest, and then to rip the man’s shirt open. The skin beneath was pale and slimy with cold and wet, and not moving.
Palms pressed against Rodney’s chest, his arms straight, he started to pump, counting off beats in his head. His eyes, meanwhile, searched the black water for movement.
“Ronon!”
He listened as the name echoed around the underground chamber, with no response. He tried again.
“Ronon!”
His brain suddenly tagged the number 30 in his head, and he leaned down to breathe air into Rodney’s lungs.
And then he did it all again. Including….
“Ronon! Ronon, answer me!”
27, 28, 29….
Breathe.
Breathe.
Come on, Rodney!
1,2,3,4….
“Ronon!”
Damn, he was already getting tired.
“Ronon!”
He wouldn’t have enough breath to yell soon.
27, 28, 29…
Breathe.
Breathe.
1,2,3,4,5….
“Ronon!”
“Sheppard!”
He almost lost count, but his hands didn’t stop pumping. “Ronon?”
“Sheppard! Keep yelling! I’ll find you.”
“I can’t, I have to-“
30…
Breathe.
Breathe.
He coughed, wishing he could wipe his nose again. His arms began to tire.
“Rodney’s not breathing!” he called out. “His heart’s stopped. I’m giving him CPR. I need your help!”
“I’m coming! I can see your flashlight.”
20,21,22,23…
“Hurry!”
28, 29….
Breathe.
Breathe.
Something splashed nearby, and Sheppard turned his head in that direction, searching the water. His arms never let up as they pushed, pushed, pushed…
“Ronon?”
15,16,17…
“Ronon!”
“I’m here. I’m here.” The reply was breathless, and filled with pain.
Sheppard tried to see the big man, but the darkness was thick around him. He could really only make out shapes in the dark, black, blacker, and more black. The flashlight was sitting next to him, pointed in the wrong direction. He couldn’t stop to turn it upright and make it a lamp.
“Ronon?”
28,29….
Breathe.
Breathe.
1,2,3,4….
One shape moved out of the darkness, sliding up the rock towards him like a seal.
“Ronon?”
“I’m okay,” the seal grunted, lifting its head so Sheppard could see his face, a pale blur in the almost non-existent light. The fact that a portion of it was covered in blood was pretty clear, however, along with the black eye.
“Yeah,” Sheppard said, smiling weakly, “you’re just fine.”
28, 29, 30…
As he breathed into Rodney’s mouth, he was rewarded by the feel of the body bucking under him as the diaphragm kicked in. He drew back, caring not at all that Rodney spit a little into his face as he threw up water. Sheppard hastily turned him on his side, gripping Rodney’s shoulder as the scientist coughed and expelled water, his whole body shaking with aftershocks.
“Oh, thank god,” Sheppard whispered, rubbing the man’s back vigorously. “You’re going to be okay, pal. You’re going to be just fine.”
Rodney continued to splutter, until the shaking subsided. Eventually, his body sort of relaxed, and Sheppard quickly pressed a cold hand to the side of the man’s pale neck.
Heartbeat. Erratic, but there. Sheppard lowered his head to Rodney’s shoulder, listening to the ragged breathing as if it were music.
“Stay with me, McKay,” he ordered hoarsely.
Ronon had come alongside, sliding the whole way, and, when Sheppard looked up, he found Ronon peering at McKay’s face.
“He’s out,” Ronon declared. “Looks like he got hit in the head.”
Sheppard just grunted agreement, blinking at the memory of impacting something with his foot. Shaking his head, he told himself he didn’t have time to dwell on that now. Instead, he focused his attention on Ronon, grabbing at the flashlight and upending it, to turn it into a lantern. Pale, blue light pushed back the darkness, and allowed the colonel to see Ronon clearly for the first time.
Blood, red and black, coated one side of his face, and one eye was already swelling up grossly. Talk about being hit on the head. On top of that, Ronon was on his side because he had one hand pressed against what was clearly a freely bleeding wound on his thigh.
“I need to wrap that,” Sheppard noted. Ronon just nodded, lifting his gaze from his study of Rodney’s face to Sheppard’s.
“I know.” Ronon’s eyes narrowed. “You okay?”
Sheppard grimaced. “Sprains, mostly. Back and left knee.” Both of which were really beginning to throb now that the adrenalin was fading. “What else you got beside that leg wound and your head?”
“Might’ve cracked some ribs,” Ronon said nonchalantly. Sheppard sighed.
“You and Rodney probably have that in common now. Pretty sure I cracked some of his ribs while I was trying to get him breathing again.”
“But you got him breathing again,” Ronon stated. “That’s good.”
“Maybe,” Sheppard lowered his gaze to the pale face of the scientist. “But who knows for how long. We need Keller down here. Better yet,” he looked up, “we need to get the hell out of here.”
Ronon didn’t answer, he simply looked up. Sheppard followed the stare, spotting the irregularly shaped hole of light far above their heads.
As Rodney would say, not good. There was no getting out of here without serious help. And it was too far for anyone to throw a rope down and climb to their position. He could hear Rodney’s voice so clearly: they were so screwed.
Thank god the Jumper didn’t follow them down. It meant that, at least, Teyla and Keller were safe.
________________________________________________
The Jumper had come to a stop after sliding almost two feet, the angle of the small ship only maybe a dozen degrees off-kilter. It still felt like a hard breeze would send them the rest of the way down, but for now they were stable. Teyla had climbed back into the front, clambering up the hard sloped metal floor, and was now trying to reach the three men on the radio. Jennifer was packing items into a couple of medi-packs, preparing to follow them down.
She refused to consider that it was very likely all three were dead; instead, she packed what she’d need to tend broken bones, bad sprains, concussions, blood loss, and all the other standard injuries after hard falls. They were down there, and they needed her. She’d get to them, fix them up, and Teyla would get them home. All of them.
She was grateful that the Jumper was fully stocked, if not over-stocked, with medical supplies. They’d brought the equivalent of the kitchen sink with them because of lack of information about the status of the hurt Durangese. Oxygen tanks, medicines, defibrillators, bandages…everything she could think of was in a set of five orange crates in the back of the Jumper. Everything that could be useful on a rescue mission.
Now the rescue mission needed to be rescued.
She had to work to hold back the tears threatening at the edge of her vision, sucking in a tight breath to calm down.
Static suddenly filled the Jumper and Jennifer’s head lifted, hope flaring through her chest.
“…eyla? Can you…la? This is…pard. Do you….”
“Colonel!” Teyla’s relief was audible, and the grin she threw Jennifer was broad. “Yes, we read you! Are you alright?”
“…eyla? Is that…?”
Jennifer watched as Teyla hit a couple of buttons on the console, trying to improve the reception. Thank god only flying the ship (and firing the drones) required the Ancient gene. Though, right now, Jennifer would have done anything to be able to fly this thing down the hole over which the Jumper was teetering.
“Colonel,” Teyla called again, hitting one more button. “Can you hear me now?”
“Teyla,” Sheppard’s voice was almost a sigh, the heavy static not masking the clear relief he felt. “Thank god. Yes, we read you. I’d say loud and clear, but that would be stretching it. I’ve jacked up the radio to extend its range, but you’re still pretty faint. Besides the distance, I think something in the rock around us in interfering with the signal.”
“As long as we can hear you,” Teyla replied. “What’s your status?”
“We’re all still alive, for now. We hit a large, underground lake in a cavern, and were lucky that it was deep. But we’re still in serious trouble.” He took a deep breath. “Rodney’s pack nearly drowned him; I got him free, but I had to perform CPR. He’s still unconscious, though I’m hoping that might be due to the knock on the head he took rather than hypoxia. Ronon’s bleeding from a shallow wound on his left leg, which might also be fractured, and he’s got a nasty head wound and some broken ribs. I’m suffering a whole mess of sprains, but am otherwise alright. On top of all that, it’s freezing down here. Is Keller with you?”
Jennifer jumped slightly; her mind had been focused on cataloguing the injuries he’d just described. “I’m here,” she replied quickly.
“What can I do for Rodney?” Sheppard asked.
“Not much right now. Keep him warm and keep an eye on his breathing. When you say CPR, do you mean…?”
“Yes, his heart stopped.”
Jennifer swore softly. “Okay. Monitor his heart rate as well. Any idea what the rate is now?”
“About seventy beats per minute.”
Jennifer nodded once. “Good. How cold was the water you fell into?”
“Ice cold. Like being dropped into a frozen pond. And it’s black as pitch down here. No light or warmth from anywhere.”
“Are you out of the lake now?”
“Yes, sort of. We’re on a rock shelf on one side of it. There’s a glass-smooth wall rising up behind us, and I can’t see the top of it without more light, but there’s no climbing it.”
“Okay. Try to get as far from the water as you can. Warmth is a priority for all three of you. Do whatever you need to do to stay warm until I get down there, and I mean that.”
A sharp sigh. “Speaking of you getting down here, I’m thinking that might be a bit of a problem. Just as much a problem as our coming back out.”
Teyla leaned forward on the console. “I take it you are further down than the rope can reach.”
“Two ropes tied together might get you halfway here, but that’s it.”
Teyla lifted her head, meeting Jennifer’s gaze. They only had two coils in the back of the Jumper, and Sheppard knew it.
“As much as I’d love to see you down here, Doc, I don’t think it’s possible. But I’ve been thinking….” Sheppard paused. “I’ve been thinking that you could drop some supplies down to us, and the life raft. I’ll grab then, and then Keller can tell me what to do.”
Teyla nodded. “What else?”
“That’s it. There’s nothing else we can do until those Wraith leave.”
Jennifer’s eyebrows lifted. “But that could be days!”
“Woolsey won’t send another Jumper for at least 24 hours, if he does at all. Not hearing back from us may force him to wait for the Daedalus, which, as you know, is at least a week out.”
Teyla pressed her hand to her forehead. Jennifer shook her head; she couldn’t accept that.
“Colonel, you know that if Rodney isn’t treated soon, it’s very likely that he could still die. And if Ronon is still bleeding, he’ll need proper attention as well. On top of that…” Jennifer licked her lips, “on top of that, Major Teldy and the others will suffocate if we don’t get to them in…,” she glanced at her watch, “twelve hours.”
“I’m aware of that, Doctor,” Sheppard said quietly. “But we don’t have a lot of options here. As much as I’d love to get out of here, I can’t see a way to make that happen. We’re trapped, and, since you can’t leave the Jumper without following us down here, you’re as trapped as we are. Unless you know of some way to magically get across the surface of that plain, and then past that Wraith ship without them seeing you, and then dialing the gate without them seeing you….” He sighed. “Like I said, not a lot of options. So….” She could almost see him drawing himself up, resigned to his fate, “how about we focus on those medical supplies?”
Teyla was staring morosely at the console, so Jennifer answered.
“Coming down,” she announced. Teyla looked up, sensing something in Jennifer’s voice.
“Great,” Sheppard said. “Call me when you’ve got them rigged up.”
Jennifer nodded. “Will do.”
Teyla hit the communication button to end the call and arched an eyebrow at Keller.
“Coming down?” she repeated. “Was there a silent ‘I’m’ at the beginning of that statement, Doctor?”
“What?” Jennifer asked innocently. “He didn’t say I couldn’t go down there with the medical supplies, just that he didn’t think it was possible. He said himself, they need proper medical attention and, last time I checked, this Jumper was equipped with belay equipment.”
Teyla smiled softly. “I thought you were afraid of heights,” she said.
Jennifer shook her head. “I am. But one of my best friends taught me about what I can endure for my team.”
Teyla smiled more genuinely, and gave a nod. “Well, you’re not the only one.” She hit a few buttons on the console and the HUD popped up. Then she changed seats, so that she could work on Rodney’s laptop, still connected to the Jumper’s mainframe.
Jennifer frowned at the heads up display, a three dimensional scan of the area. “What are you doing?”
“Rodney instructed John to land in this spot because he saw something that suggested landmass, which must be why we’re still above ground,” Teyla explained as she typed. “Whatever this false ground is made of, there must be greater concentrations of it in places, enough to support a person’s weight.”
Understanding dawned for Jennifer as Teyla hit a series of keys, and sections of the landscape on the HUD began to brighten to with a greenish hue. A fairly thick concentration of “land,” or whatever the green patches indicated, lay under the Jumper, but there were other patches. Teyla stood up and studied the map.
Jennifer swallowed. “You’re going to try to make it across this plain, to get to the Gate, aren’t you?”
“If I can memorize this map,” Teyla said, “yes.”
“Memorize,” Jennifer repeated with a frown. Then she brightened, “What about the laptop? You could take that with you. Download the map onto it and…”
“There are a number of places where I’ll need to jump, and I can’t be weighed down by anything extra-not even a laptop. Besides,” Teyla shrugged, “it will not be that useful once I’m out on the ground. It will only have the map fixed from this location. It’s benefit will fade, until it’s nothing more than a burden.”
Jennifer frowned. “But even memorizing it-“
“There,” Teyla said, cutting Jennifer off. The Athosian drew a line with her finger along the map, jumping from green patch to green patch. “If I can follow this route, I should be able to cross the entirety of this plain. It does not appear to be more than a mile to what is clearly solid ground.”
“A mile,” Jennifer noted quietly, “is a very long way.”
“If I run, it won’t be.”
“If you misstep,” Jennifer argued, “it will be. And some of those gaps between thicker patches are really big. If you fall, Teyla, we may not be able to find you.”
“I will not fall.”
“Teyla….”
“I will not fall.” The look Teyla gave Jennifer was the same one that she had given her on Athos, two years previously, when Teyla save both their lives avoiding the Bola Kai.
“Look,” Jennifer said, “I don’t mean to be, well, the devil’s advocate here, but since can’t take this HUD display with you, you said yourself you’ll have to memorize the map in this form, and then apply it to the ground outside using just what you remember, and-“
“Jennifer.”
Jennifer swallowed. “Yes?”
“I will not fall.”
Jennifer studied Teyla’s gaze, seeing nothing but confidence and determination. Finally, she nodded.
“Okay,” she said. “Say you make it across the plain. What about the Wraith ship? How are you going to get to the Gate, much less dial it?”
Teyla’s lips curled into a small smile. “As John said, Jennifer, one step at a time.”
“Yeah,” Keller replied, “but look at where that first step took him.”
______________________________________________________
CHAPTER FOUR: KELLER INSIDE THE BIRD’S NEST
Jennifer adjusted the harness around her waist and leg, making sure the buckles were tight and that she had run the rope correctly through the belt. Memories of attempting to learn rock climbing in order to conquer her phobia rattled through her head, mocking her. She’d never made it past the boulder line on the indoor climbing walls. Hell, she’d never made it higher than a foot or two off the ground.
Her hands shook as she tested the knots for the third time, stopping when a slim, cool hand rested atop hers.
“It is secure.”
Jennifer nodded, not looking up from the knot she’d tied. “You…you’re all set?”
“I have done this many times, Jennifer. You will be safe.”
Jennifer nodded again. “Right. I trust you, it’s just….”
“You’re afraid.”
“Yes.” She looked up. “But I’m doing this.”
Teyla’s smile lit up her face. “Yes, you are.”
Nodding for a third time, more out of nervousness than agreement, Jennifer walked back to the edge of the hatch and connected her carabiner to the rope hanging over the edge. A large plastic crate of supplies, resting on top of the still undeployed life raft, was already over the edge of the hatch, dangling into the hole formed by the three men’s fall. She studied it a moment, closed her eyes, and nodded again.
“Ready.”
Teyla returned to where the other end rope was tied up, double checking her own knots and the anchor around her waist. She then untied the rope, grunting a little as it caught on the belay device. Bracing herself, she turned around and nodded to Jennifer.
The doctor sat down on the edge of the hatch. Closing her eyes, she slipped off the edge until she was standing on top of the crate dangling over the edge, the long plastic box swaying slightly.
It almost felt like she was standing on a swing. Cool air rose up from the hole, rustling her hair and sending chills down her spine.
“Lower me down,” she called.
“Lowering,” Teyla answered. “Take care of them.”
“I will,” Keller replied, turning to look at her friend. “And good luck, though I know you don’t need it.”
Teyla’s answering smile was the last thing she saw as the rope jerked and, slowly but steadily, Jennifer was lowered down into the darkness.
Once she was about a foot away from the Jumper, it vanished from sight behind its cloak, which was incredibly disconcerting. The rope appeared to be feeding out of nothingness.
And speaking of nothinginess….
The air grew colder as she descended deeper into the darkness, and she was able to see what the “ground” was really made of.
Her jaw dropped.
She remember seeing a discovery channel show about how insects build nests for themselves, creating these thin, molded constructs that could be as delicate as a paper lantern but fill a whole wall of a house. What she was looking at was something of that ilk, except on an enormous scale. It must have taken thousands upon thousands of insects to build this “crust,” to make it wide enough to cover several square miles and thick enough for grass to grow on it. Swallowing thickly, she kept her eyes glued on the many tiny holes and tunnels between the thin, reedy walls of the construct.
And realized that she really didn’t want to know what had built it.
When the little black head, no bigger than her thumb, stuck its head out of the nearest hole and peered at her with insect eyes, she felt a little ill.
Scorpions.
She continued to descend, deeper and deeper into the dark and cold, surrounded by the shredded edges of the nest. More and more of the scorpion-like insects…or were they arachnids? Christ, you idiot, did it matter?…appeared on the ragged edges, chittering and crawling, slipping in and out of holes in short, rapid movements. Many just watched her, small antennae testing the breeze. Could they smell her? Did insects smell? Did they even have noses?
No, but they had stingers. These had a large, curled tail with the distinct point on the end, just like the scorpions on earth. Disturbingly similar from the outside, even though, for all she knew, these creatures were more closely akin to the dung beetle than the scorpion, but, frankly…she didn’t care.
She hated them on sight. And she didn’t want to find out if that stinger was poisonous.
Despite her acrophobia, she leaned out slightly to see over the edge of the crate she stood on, in order to see how much longer she’d be inside the nest. While she didn’t want to get to the point where she’d have to drop into the lake, she also didn’t want to spend a moment longer surrounded by these creatures then she already had.
The gray light from the foggy sky no longer lit the walls, and the shadows grew deeper. And the scorpions grew more numerous.
She tapped her earpiece.
“Teyla?”
“Yes?”
“Could you lower me faster?”
There was a pause, then, “Why?”
“The ground…it’s a nest. An insect nest. With lots and lots of insects. Ugly, stinging, deadly looking insects. Or maybe arachnids. Either way, they’re creepy, crawling things and I really, really don’t like creepy, crawly things.”
“Calm down, Doctor. Are they attacking you?”
“No. They’re just watching.” Jennifer turned her head, studying the walls behind her. More insects. She drew closer to the rope she was holding onto.
“It’s not safe for me to lower you faster,” Teyla said calmly. “If they are not attacking you, I suggest we maintain this pace.”
Jennifer swallowed, and leaned to look over the edge again. The darkness was growing deeper. Fumbling with the flashlight attached to her vest, she lifted it up and pointed it down into the black.
She sighed in relief when she realized she could see the bottom of the nest, even though the lack of anything beneath it should have been sending her into an even deeper panic. Weird. Apparently, one fear must be canceling out the other. Who knew?
She felt something fall on her shoulder. She froze for a second, and then squealed, using the flashlight to brush it off, and a scorpion fell, landing on the crate a few inches from her foot.
A swift kick, and the scorpion was gone, falling into the black, cold air.
She breathed shakily, tapping the earpiece again. “Teyla?”
“Yes.”
“One just jumped on me.”
Another pause, and then the rope jerked. She was moving more quickly. Keller tucked the flashlight away in order to hold on to the rope with both hands.
“Hang on,” Teyla said unnecessarily. “I am lowering you faster. You will be fine.”
Jennifer braced her feet on the crate, shifting closer to the rope, almost hugging it. The descent was jerkier now, as Teyla obviously struggled to run the rope more quickly through the belay device while trying to still maintain control.
But it was worth it. When she breached the bottom of the nest, and Jennifer sighed, closing her eyes in thanks.
Then her earpiece filled with static. “…eller? Is that…?” Sheppard?
Jennifer’s head jerked up, and she peered into the darkness, seeking….there!
Oh my God.
A tiny pinprick of blue fluorescent light was visible in the far distance, a miniscule beacon on a slick, black rock next to the biggest, blackest lake she had ever seen. It was if she had descended into the dead of night-not even the daylight far above her head now could penetrate it.
Standing in front of the tiny beacon, she could just make out a figure standing up. Two other lumps were huddled together next to the light.
“…ller! What are you…?” He was still too far away for her short wave radio to pick him up clearly.
She tapped her earpiece. “Colonel! Yes, it’s me. I’m coming down.” She pulled the flashlight free of her vest, flicked it on, and waved it.
“Damn it! I….oo far! I told you to…”
She didn’t need to hear the end of the sentence to guess what it was. “Actually,” she contradicted with forced cheekiness, “you didn’t. You just said you didn’t think it was possible.”
“…eyla! How could…I specifically…not to...”
“I am sorry, Colonel,” Teyla’s voice came in loud and clear over Keller’s earpiece. “I am afraid you are breaking up. But, if you can hear me, please be aware that Dr. Keller is descending with the supplies. Once the rope reaches its end, I will instruct her to drop the supplies, and then she will jump into the lake after them. You may need to assist her, if you are able.”
Jennifer grinned. She knew Teyla could hear the colonel clearly over the superior long-range receiver in the Jumper.
“…eyla, you are one…! When I…next time we…!”
“Again, Colonel, you are breaking up. May I suggest you prepare to assist Dr. Keller now? I am nearly at the end of the rope.”
That wiped the grin from Keller’s face, and she felt the rope jerk taut. She was no longer descending, but she was also nowhere near the lake, or the pinpoint of light where the colonel was standing. She gazed in his direction, barely able to see the outline of his hair in the blue light, like a shark’s tooth.
Frowning, she turned the flashlight around, trying to pierce the rest of the cavern, but there wasn’t much else to see. It was clearly vast, broken up only by tall pillars of stone which partly held up the “roof” of the scorpion nest. There was one very close to her-it was what was holding up the Jumper. There were others, but not close. No way could Teyla jump from one to the next-if she tried, she’d fall through.
She hit her earpiece. “Teyla, there are pillars of stone holding up the nest. One must be holding up the Jumper-they’re Rodney’s ‘landmasses.’ But I don’t think they’re close enough together to-“
“Are you down yet?” Teyla asked curtly, deliberately cutting her off.
“What? Oh.” Keller suddenly realized Sheppard was listening in. “I just…well, you know....”
“I understand. You need to trust me.”
Keller bit her lip. “Okay. But, just…okay. Remember what I said.”
“I will. Are you ready to drop?”
Keller sighed, and just how high up she was sent a shudder down her spine. “That might be a problem. Colonel Sheppard wasn’t exaggerating the distance. If I land wrong, which I could easily do, I-“
Another scorpion dropped on her shoulder.
With a shout, she brushed it off and looked up.
And screamed. The rope was alive with scorpions, encasing it in a writhing, chittering mass above her head.
“Teyla!” she screamed. “They’re on the rope!”
“Engage the raft and drop the supplies,” Teyla ordered sharply.
Jennifer nodded, even though no one could see her. Hastily tucking the flashlight back into her vest, she knelt down and fumbled with the pull cord to the raft. A harsh tug, a whoosh of air, and the yellow emergency raft deployed, creating a cradle for the single orange crate she was standing on.
Another scorpion landed on her arm, and another on her head.
She shrieked, slapping them away, just as more fell on top of the crate.
She grabbed the buckle attaching the bottom of the rope to the crate, and released it.
She gasped as the surface she’d been standing on fell away, and she fell, only to stop harshly when her own rope attachment caught, the carabiners clinking as she swayed above nothingness. Scorpions fell down around her, into the darkness after the raft and crate.
It landed far below in a massive splash, sending black waves cascading in all directions. For a second, it looked like the water would flood the raft and its precious cargo, making this whole endeavor pointless, but the raft soon righted itself, keeping itself and the crate above water.
Something stung her hand where it was holding onto the rope, sending a creeping numbness through her arm even as it throbbed in pain. She shook the creature off, but another clambered down right next to it, and above it, the scorpions continued to swarm the thick cord.
“Teyla, one stung me!”
“Drop!” Came the ordered reply.
Jennifer looked down. It was too far! “It’s too far! I can’t!”
“Keller! Drop! Now!”
“Teyla!”
“NOW!”
“Oh God,” she whispered. She reached for the lock on the carabiner, her non-bit hand shaking. Oh god, she couldn’t do this! “I can’t!’
“You must!” Teyla snapped.
“I…” Suddenly, the rope jerked, and she looked up. They were eating through it! “No!” she screamed, reaching up, trying to stop them. She didn’t want to die! “Stop!”
The rope jerked one more time, and then she was falling, scorpions falling with her on all sides.
_____________________________________________________
Sheppard swore, running forward into the lake off and diving into the black water. Keller had landed hard next to the raft, without finesse or preparation. He didn’t know exactly what had happened to cause the rope to break like that, but it had been clear that Keller hadn’t intended to fall when she did. Her shriek sent chills through him as she fell, and who knew what was hidden under the water where she fell? What if, like Ronon, she had hit a rock?
Long strokes pulled him forward, surging through the water towards the raft. If she was dead….
He reached the raft just as a flashlight exploded to life next to it, blinding him when it was pointed right into his face. “Keller!”
“Oh,” she stammered, and the light was turned away. “Sorry!”
He gritted his teeth, drifting to a stop and treading water next to where she was clinging to the side of the raft. She looked miserable, but not hurt.
“You okay?” he asked sharply, still angry that she had even attempted this insane idea.
“Yes,” she replied, her bottom lip already shaking with cold. “I got stung. Otherwise, I’m okay.”
“Stung?”
She lifted the flashlight up and shone it on the water’s surface. Sheppard shuddered, and not from the cold, at the sight of a half dozen struggling scorpion like creatures attempting to stay above the water. They weren’t succeeding. Good.
Keller shone the light back at him, “So, my left hand is throbbing like a son of a bitch, but, other than a few strained muscles which I’ll probably feel tomorrow because of that nasty fall, I’m okay.” She smiled weakly.
He didn’t smile back.
Her smile fell, and she licked her lips. “Um,” she tugged at the raft. “Can you help me pull this over to where the others are?”
“We’re going to talk about this later,” he stated firmly. “About needing to follow my orders on off-world missions.”
“Uh huh, sure,” she agreed noncommittally. “Whatever you say, but can we move now?”
Grudgingly, he swum around the far side of the raft and grabbed at the thin rope running along the raft’s edge and began to pull it towards where the others were.
______________________________________________
Teyla felt the tension on the rope suddenly give, sending her staggering back a few steps, her calloused hands letting the cord go. She slid down to the edge of the hatch, peering into the darkness below, trying to see…anything.
Her eyes narrowed upon seeing movement on the swaying rope down in the shadows, like a black oil, creeping up and down the strand. But nothing breached where daylight lit the hole-whatever the creatures were, they clearly did not like light. Which wouldn't do her much good once night fell on this planet.
She frowned, and scrambled to the front of the jumper, hitting the communications button.
"Doctor Keller," she called. "Colonel Sheppard, do you read me?"
When no one answered, her panic level began to rise. "Colonel Sheppard," she repeated. "Doctor Keller, do you read? This is Teyla, please respond."
Another long pause, and nerves began to plague at her calm. "Doctor Keller," she implored. "Colonel Sheppard, please respond! This is Teyla, can you hear me?"
She willed away thoughts of Jennifer falling to her death, of insects eating her alive, of anything which could mean that she wouldn't see her or any of her friends again. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Keller, Ronon, Rodney, someone please respond!"
"Teyla."
"Ronon?" Teyla's back straightened, trying not to react to how weak his voice sounded. "Ronon, are you alright?"
"Not sure."
She frowned, not sure how to take that. "Are Colonel--?"
"Yeah. They'll be here in a minute. They're swimming. There’s a lake. It’s black."
Teyla released a sigh. "They're well?"
"Think so. Teyla?"
“Yes?”
“Where are we?”
Teyla’s worry heightened about ten notches. “Underground, Ronon. You fell.”
“Oh. Right.”
She swallowed. "Please ask the Colonel to update me once Doctor Keller has looked you all over."
"Sure. Where are you?"
Teyla bit her lip. “Getting you help.”
“Oh. Good. McKay’s not doing so good.”
Teyla closed her eyes. Neither are you, she thought unhappily. “Just hang on, Ronon. You’re going to be fine.”
He didn’t answer. Either he’d fallen asleep, or he wasn’t listening any longer.
She sat down then, and rested her head against the back of the chair. The HUD still glowed in front of her, showing the route she planned to take. She breathed out slowly and once again worked to memorize it.
_________________________________________________
Keller pulled herself out of the water with a gasp, shivering from the frigid temperatures, and took a moment just to breathe, braced on the slick, black stone. Her left hand throbbed, and the back of it was grossly swollen from the bite she had received. There wasn't much she could do about it. The initial sensation of numbness had faded, which was a good thing, and her fingers still worked though her hand felt a little clumsy. As long as it didn't affect what she had to do, it didn't matter.
She turned and helped the Colonel lug the raft up the rock, settling it a few feet from where Ronon and Rodney were huddled together. Her gaze met Ronon's sleepy-eyed one, studying the black eye and wound on his head, before she shifted her gaze to see the wound on his thigh. Blood splattered the wet field bandage the Colonel had wrapped around it, but the bandage wasn't big enough.
She then turned her gaze to the figure Ronon was hugging, holding Rodney's back close to his chest for warmth. Rodney was deathly still and, in the pale light from the lantern, even deathlier pale looking. A reddish bruise marked his forehead, near his temple, but otherwise he appeared unharmed.
She moved quickly to take better stock of their injuries, frowning at how cold both men were, despite Ronon's attempt to share body heat. The wet clothing wasn't helping. Rodney's temperature was dangerously low, and his breathing and heartbeat were still not stable. Ronon wasn't much better, blood loss clearly hampering his ability to stay conscious, and there were clear signs of a concussion. The Satedan’s normally hard head hadn’t been enough this time.
She stood, turning to face Sheppard, who was standing a little behind her. "Can you help me with the supplies?" she asked, pointing to the crate. "There are dry scrubs and blankets in there for you to change into, and you need to help me change them out of their clothes as well. Once you've changed, you can help Ronon; I'll take care of Rodney. First, though, pass me the oxygen canister you'll find on top."
He nodded, already pulling the plastic crate off the raft and onto the rock. Breaking the seal, he pulled out the canister and handed it over. He then paused a moment, clearly spotting the items besides medical supplies that Teyla had packed for him. He picked up the 9MM and glanced at Jennifer.
"Teyla wasn't sure if you still had your weapons," Jennifer explained, feeling the weight of her own gun still on her thigh. "Or if the water might have damaged them." She rested the oxygen next to Rodney's head. "You'll also find firestarters in there, though I don't know what we're going to find that we can burn."
Sheppard smiled briefly, and placed the gun back in the crate. "She's a very smart woman." He started to pull off his vest and jacket, having come across the dry clothes.
"She is," Jennifer agreed, kneeling down next to Rodney in order to attach an oxygen mask to his face.
"Smart enough not to come down here as well," he noted.
Jennifer didn't answer that, adjusting the flow of oxygen to help Rodney's breathing.
The colonel wasn't an idiot; he read volumes in her silence. "She is going to stay with the Jumper," he said, "isn't she?"
Jennifer brushed back some of the wet hair from Rodney's face, then lifted his eyelids in order to see his pupils. They appeared equal and reactive. No concussion. That didn't make her feel much better-since he was still unconscious. She tried not to fear the worst.
"Doctor?" The colonel wasn't going to be put off. "Tell me Teyla is staying with the Jumper."
"As you said, Colonel," Jennifer replied, pulling her scissors so she could cut Rodney's shirt off, "Teyla is a very smart woman, and you should trust that she'll do what is right."
The colonel's groan was deep, reaching to take the radio from Ronon's hand where the Satedan was quietly offering it to him.
"Teyla!"
______________________________________________
The Athosian stilled upon hearing the shout, and considered for a long moment whether to answer. Finally deciding that she needed whatever medical information Jennifer could provide in order to inform Atlantis, she hit the button.
"Colonel? Are you alright?"
"I was until Doctor Keller here refused to answer my question about whether you were planning to stay with the Jumper!"
Teyla closed her eyes. "Please, John, I'm obviously still here. I realize that sending Jennifer down to be with you was not precisely in keeping with your orders, but it seemed the prudent course once you informed us of the nature of the injuries you have received. Ronon has already informed me that you are both well, so I believe you owe the two of us a thank you."
"Teyla…"
"I would very much appreciate a report from Doctor Keller, Colonel."
There was a pause, and then Jennifer's soft voice filled the Jumper. "Teyla?"
"Doctor, what's their status?"
"I haven't had an opportunity to do a thorough examination, but there's no question that they all need the infirmary. Rodney's status…," she exhaled heavily, "Rodney's status is poor. He needs to be out of this cavern and in a place where he can be warm and constantly monitored. Ronon is equally badly wounded, and…" she paused as someone said something to her in the background, too soft for Teyla to hear. "And, although he is insisting he'll be fine, he has lost a lot of blood and, in this environment, that too can be deadly. The colonel appears to be in the best shape so far, but I need to examine him, which he hasn't allowed me to do yet."
Teyla nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. I will leave you to finish your examination, then."
There was some fumbling and increased static on the line, before John's voice came back on. "Teyla," he said, "you are not to leave the Jumper. You need to be there to alert anyone sending a rescue Jumper of our location. You're also our only eyes and ears on the surface. You need to stay there."
Teyla pursed her lips, hearing the "you need to stay safe" in his voice even if he didn't say it out loud. She smiled. "I will do what I need to do to get you out of there, John."
"I'm not kidding, Teyla."
"Neither am I," she replied. "Stay safe, John. I will be in touch."
"Teyla?"
"Yes?"
"You, too."
She smiled again as she cut the connection.
It was time to go.
________________________________________________
To be continued in Part 3
Author: Tipper (tipper_green)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Prompt: The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly.
Word Count: ~27,740
Rating: K+
Warnings: None that I know of, unless you’re one of those folks who hates a certain canon relationship, then beware, because I reference it.
Summary: Things go belly up (because they always go belly up) on a rescue mission to save an SGA team stuck deep underground and running out of air.
CHAPTER THREE: RODNEY, JOHN AND RONON DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
He grasped at everything and anything, feeling the brittle, fragile dirt break apart in his hands like thin strands of spun sugar. The ground just fell away, crumbling to fine dust, filling his lungs with dirt. He screamed and coughed, and still he tried to grab something, anything!
His screaming echoed back at him, barely registering above the sound of bodies crashing through this planet’s crust, the surface no denser than a sliver of mica. Rocks, twigs, dirt pummeled his back as he fell, breaking apart, nothing strong enough to hold him, to catch him. God, it hurt! HELP!
His fingers scrabbled, desperate, seeking something to hold onto. Anything! There had to be something real to hold onto! Something!
Cold air blasted him, and he was suddenly falling through nothingness, hands outstretched, seeking any kind of purchase but finding only empty space.
The air was freezing, whistling through his pants legs and arms like ice. It burned his skin.
He thought about trying to right himself. He didn’t want to land on his back.
He didn’t want to land, period! He had to catch on something! He had to-
Water exploded around him, the impact feeling like it had broken every bone in his body. It sucked him down in a vortex, and covered him up, swirling and churning, driving him down into the darkness.
No!
He clawed at the water, trying to figure out which way was up, pushing and pulling, trying to see light, to see anything. It pushed back, confusing and cold.
God, it was so cold!
His hands started to sting, and his legs and arms soon followed. His chest was burning, and his back was on fire from pain!
Up! Which was is up?!
And then the pack started to get heavy. Very heavy. He felt it pull him one way. That was down, that had to be down. That meant the other way was up. He had to go up!
His hands scrabbled at the pack, trying to break the straps, but his fingers weren’t working, the buckles weren’t undoing. His lungs burnt more and he pumped his legs, trying to fight the pull.
But he was getting weaker. The pack was like a lead weight on his back, dragging him down. He needed to get free!
Come on, come on, come on! Undo!
God, he needed to breathe! Steel bands encircled his chest, heavier and heavier, and the black started to flash with pockets of lightning as his brain fought to stay alive.
His eyes started to sting, and his fingers started to ache, more sharp than a sting. He just needed some air. A little air. He reached upwards with one hand, or the way he thought was up, and, for a split second, thought he saw a light.
Then something kicked him in the head.
__________________________________________________
Sheppard gasped, feeling his foot hit something hard as he kicked around icy lake, seeking his teammates. His eyes widened and he pointed the flashlight into the dark, murky depths.
And saw a hand, just seconds before it was swallowed up by darkness.
Drawing in a lungful of air, he dove down, pointing the flashlight ahead of him into the darkness, trying to see the hand again.
Instead he saw Rodney.
Sinking.
With all the strength he had left, he shoved forward and grabbed at the man’s hand, trying to pull him up. But Rodney was too heavy. He was being pulled down, almost as if he were tied to something. What the…?
Understanding dawned, and Sheppard shoved his flashlight into his vest to free his hand. Using both now, he dove deeper, grabbing Rodney by the front of his vest and scrabbling at the buckles of the massive pack the scientist wore.
When nothing happened, Sheppard reached around McKay’s hip and drew the knife from the sheathe in back. Bringing it forward, he quickly sawed through the belt buckle and the two sides and, like a miracle, Rodney stopped sinking like a deadweight, his pack falling away into the black depths.
Grabbing Rodney’s hand again, his lungs already screaming for oxygen, Sheppard turned and kicked upwards, seeking the surface. Come on…come on….
Breaking the surface, he drew in a huge gasp of air, before coughing and gagging, spitting out water. He pulled up Rodney a second later, pulling his head even with his chest to get his face above water. Wrapping a hand around his chest, Sheppard sought to see some sort of landmass in the darkness, a shadow darker than the rest of the shadows, something dry.
Rodney wasn’t breathing.
“Hold on,” he begged, blinking the water out of his eyes. With his free hand, he pulled the flashlight free of his vest and shone it outwards. Seeking something.
His eyes narrowed as something more than water reflected back. A smooth surface, like glass.
Rock!
Stuffing the flashlight away again, he started to swim towards the gleaming surface, feeling the ache in his shoulders as he worked, all the while trying to keep McKay buoyed. He gritted his teeth as one of his legs didn’t want to bend as much as the other, trying to force it to behave. The cold helped.
He squinted, focused on getting to the rock, on getting Rodney out of this water, keeping them both alive… and finding Ronon.
He could feel himself shaking, fighting the frigid temperatures, fighting the adrenalin threatening to shake him into submission.
A few feet from what had solidified in his sight as solid rock, he felt the smooth, water worn surface under his feet, under the water. Using it for leverage, he reached hungrily for the dry rock just inches away now, promising safety. His hand brushed the cold, dry surface, and he almost cried.
In moments, he was pulling Rodney up with him up onto the rock shelf, getting him as much out of the water and onto the mostly level surface as possible. Once his friend was all out except for his boots, he turned him onto his back and checked once again for signs of breathing.
Finding none, he pressed his head to Rodney’s chest.
Oh God.
Wiping a cold hand across his dripping nose, he breathed out heavily and reached up to pull the zipper down on Rodney’s vest, and then to rip the man’s shirt open. The skin beneath was pale and slimy with cold and wet, and not moving.
Palms pressed against Rodney’s chest, his arms straight, he started to pump, counting off beats in his head. His eyes, meanwhile, searched the black water for movement.
“Ronon!”
He listened as the name echoed around the underground chamber, with no response. He tried again.
“Ronon!”
His brain suddenly tagged the number 30 in his head, and he leaned down to breathe air into Rodney’s lungs.
And then he did it all again. Including….
“Ronon! Ronon, answer me!”
27, 28, 29….
Breathe.
Breathe.
Come on, Rodney!
1,2,3,4….
“Ronon!”
Damn, he was already getting tired.
“Ronon!”
He wouldn’t have enough breath to yell soon.
27, 28, 29…
Breathe.
Breathe.
1,2,3,4,5….
“Ronon!”
“Sheppard!”
He almost lost count, but his hands didn’t stop pumping. “Ronon?”
“Sheppard! Keep yelling! I’ll find you.”
“I can’t, I have to-“
30…
Breathe.
Breathe.
He coughed, wishing he could wipe his nose again. His arms began to tire.
“Rodney’s not breathing!” he called out. “His heart’s stopped. I’m giving him CPR. I need your help!”
“I’m coming! I can see your flashlight.”
20,21,22,23…
“Hurry!”
28, 29….
Breathe.
Breathe.
Something splashed nearby, and Sheppard turned his head in that direction, searching the water. His arms never let up as they pushed, pushed, pushed…
“Ronon?”
15,16,17…
“Ronon!”
“I’m here. I’m here.” The reply was breathless, and filled with pain.
Sheppard tried to see the big man, but the darkness was thick around him. He could really only make out shapes in the dark, black, blacker, and more black. The flashlight was sitting next to him, pointed in the wrong direction. He couldn’t stop to turn it upright and make it a lamp.
“Ronon?”
28,29….
Breathe.
Breathe.
1,2,3,4….
One shape moved out of the darkness, sliding up the rock towards him like a seal.
“Ronon?”
“I’m okay,” the seal grunted, lifting its head so Sheppard could see his face, a pale blur in the almost non-existent light. The fact that a portion of it was covered in blood was pretty clear, however, along with the black eye.
“Yeah,” Sheppard said, smiling weakly, “you’re just fine.”
28, 29, 30…
As he breathed into Rodney’s mouth, he was rewarded by the feel of the body bucking under him as the diaphragm kicked in. He drew back, caring not at all that Rodney spit a little into his face as he threw up water. Sheppard hastily turned him on his side, gripping Rodney’s shoulder as the scientist coughed and expelled water, his whole body shaking with aftershocks.
“Oh, thank god,” Sheppard whispered, rubbing the man’s back vigorously. “You’re going to be okay, pal. You’re going to be just fine.”
Rodney continued to splutter, until the shaking subsided. Eventually, his body sort of relaxed, and Sheppard quickly pressed a cold hand to the side of the man’s pale neck.
Heartbeat. Erratic, but there. Sheppard lowered his head to Rodney’s shoulder, listening to the ragged breathing as if it were music.
“Stay with me, McKay,” he ordered hoarsely.
Ronon had come alongside, sliding the whole way, and, when Sheppard looked up, he found Ronon peering at McKay’s face.
“He’s out,” Ronon declared. “Looks like he got hit in the head.”
Sheppard just grunted agreement, blinking at the memory of impacting something with his foot. Shaking his head, he told himself he didn’t have time to dwell on that now. Instead, he focused his attention on Ronon, grabbing at the flashlight and upending it, to turn it into a lantern. Pale, blue light pushed back the darkness, and allowed the colonel to see Ronon clearly for the first time.
Blood, red and black, coated one side of his face, and one eye was already swelling up grossly. Talk about being hit on the head. On top of that, Ronon was on his side because he had one hand pressed against what was clearly a freely bleeding wound on his thigh.
“I need to wrap that,” Sheppard noted. Ronon just nodded, lifting his gaze from his study of Rodney’s face to Sheppard’s.
“I know.” Ronon’s eyes narrowed. “You okay?”
Sheppard grimaced. “Sprains, mostly. Back and left knee.” Both of which were really beginning to throb now that the adrenalin was fading. “What else you got beside that leg wound and your head?”
“Might’ve cracked some ribs,” Ronon said nonchalantly. Sheppard sighed.
“You and Rodney probably have that in common now. Pretty sure I cracked some of his ribs while I was trying to get him breathing again.”
“But you got him breathing again,” Ronon stated. “That’s good.”
“Maybe,” Sheppard lowered his gaze to the pale face of the scientist. “But who knows for how long. We need Keller down here. Better yet,” he looked up, “we need to get the hell out of here.”
Ronon didn’t answer, he simply looked up. Sheppard followed the stare, spotting the irregularly shaped hole of light far above their heads.
As Rodney would say, not good. There was no getting out of here without serious help. And it was too far for anyone to throw a rope down and climb to their position. He could hear Rodney’s voice so clearly: they were so screwed.
Thank god the Jumper didn’t follow them down. It meant that, at least, Teyla and Keller were safe.
________________________________________________
The Jumper had come to a stop after sliding almost two feet, the angle of the small ship only maybe a dozen degrees off-kilter. It still felt like a hard breeze would send them the rest of the way down, but for now they were stable. Teyla had climbed back into the front, clambering up the hard sloped metal floor, and was now trying to reach the three men on the radio. Jennifer was packing items into a couple of medi-packs, preparing to follow them down.
She refused to consider that it was very likely all three were dead; instead, she packed what she’d need to tend broken bones, bad sprains, concussions, blood loss, and all the other standard injuries after hard falls. They were down there, and they needed her. She’d get to them, fix them up, and Teyla would get them home. All of them.
She was grateful that the Jumper was fully stocked, if not over-stocked, with medical supplies. They’d brought the equivalent of the kitchen sink with them because of lack of information about the status of the hurt Durangese. Oxygen tanks, medicines, defibrillators, bandages…everything she could think of was in a set of five orange crates in the back of the Jumper. Everything that could be useful on a rescue mission.
Now the rescue mission needed to be rescued.
She had to work to hold back the tears threatening at the edge of her vision, sucking in a tight breath to calm down.
Static suddenly filled the Jumper and Jennifer’s head lifted, hope flaring through her chest.
“…eyla? Can you…la? This is…pard. Do you….”
“Colonel!” Teyla’s relief was audible, and the grin she threw Jennifer was broad. “Yes, we read you! Are you alright?”
“…eyla? Is that…?”
Jennifer watched as Teyla hit a couple of buttons on the console, trying to improve the reception. Thank god only flying the ship (and firing the drones) required the Ancient gene. Though, right now, Jennifer would have done anything to be able to fly this thing down the hole over which the Jumper was teetering.
“Colonel,” Teyla called again, hitting one more button. “Can you hear me now?”
“Teyla,” Sheppard’s voice was almost a sigh, the heavy static not masking the clear relief he felt. “Thank god. Yes, we read you. I’d say loud and clear, but that would be stretching it. I’ve jacked up the radio to extend its range, but you’re still pretty faint. Besides the distance, I think something in the rock around us in interfering with the signal.”
“As long as we can hear you,” Teyla replied. “What’s your status?”
“We’re all still alive, for now. We hit a large, underground lake in a cavern, and were lucky that it was deep. But we’re still in serious trouble.” He took a deep breath. “Rodney’s pack nearly drowned him; I got him free, but I had to perform CPR. He’s still unconscious, though I’m hoping that might be due to the knock on the head he took rather than hypoxia. Ronon’s bleeding from a shallow wound on his left leg, which might also be fractured, and he’s got a nasty head wound and some broken ribs. I’m suffering a whole mess of sprains, but am otherwise alright. On top of all that, it’s freezing down here. Is Keller with you?”
Jennifer jumped slightly; her mind had been focused on cataloguing the injuries he’d just described. “I’m here,” she replied quickly.
“What can I do for Rodney?” Sheppard asked.
“Not much right now. Keep him warm and keep an eye on his breathing. When you say CPR, do you mean…?”
“Yes, his heart stopped.”
Jennifer swore softly. “Okay. Monitor his heart rate as well. Any idea what the rate is now?”
“About seventy beats per minute.”
Jennifer nodded once. “Good. How cold was the water you fell into?”
“Ice cold. Like being dropped into a frozen pond. And it’s black as pitch down here. No light or warmth from anywhere.”
“Are you out of the lake now?”
“Yes, sort of. We’re on a rock shelf on one side of it. There’s a glass-smooth wall rising up behind us, and I can’t see the top of it without more light, but there’s no climbing it.”
“Okay. Try to get as far from the water as you can. Warmth is a priority for all three of you. Do whatever you need to do to stay warm until I get down there, and I mean that.”
A sharp sigh. “Speaking of you getting down here, I’m thinking that might be a bit of a problem. Just as much a problem as our coming back out.”
Teyla leaned forward on the console. “I take it you are further down than the rope can reach.”
“Two ropes tied together might get you halfway here, but that’s it.”
Teyla lifted her head, meeting Jennifer’s gaze. They only had two coils in the back of the Jumper, and Sheppard knew it.
“As much as I’d love to see you down here, Doc, I don’t think it’s possible. But I’ve been thinking….” Sheppard paused. “I’ve been thinking that you could drop some supplies down to us, and the life raft. I’ll grab then, and then Keller can tell me what to do.”
Teyla nodded. “What else?”
“That’s it. There’s nothing else we can do until those Wraith leave.”
Jennifer’s eyebrows lifted. “But that could be days!”
“Woolsey won’t send another Jumper for at least 24 hours, if he does at all. Not hearing back from us may force him to wait for the Daedalus, which, as you know, is at least a week out.”
Teyla pressed her hand to her forehead. Jennifer shook her head; she couldn’t accept that.
“Colonel, you know that if Rodney isn’t treated soon, it’s very likely that he could still die. And if Ronon is still bleeding, he’ll need proper attention as well. On top of that…” Jennifer licked her lips, “on top of that, Major Teldy and the others will suffocate if we don’t get to them in…,” she glanced at her watch, “twelve hours.”
“I’m aware of that, Doctor,” Sheppard said quietly. “But we don’t have a lot of options here. As much as I’d love to get out of here, I can’t see a way to make that happen. We’re trapped, and, since you can’t leave the Jumper without following us down here, you’re as trapped as we are. Unless you know of some way to magically get across the surface of that plain, and then past that Wraith ship without them seeing you, and then dialing the gate without them seeing you….” He sighed. “Like I said, not a lot of options. So….” She could almost see him drawing himself up, resigned to his fate, “how about we focus on those medical supplies?”
Teyla was staring morosely at the console, so Jennifer answered.
“Coming down,” she announced. Teyla looked up, sensing something in Jennifer’s voice.
“Great,” Sheppard said. “Call me when you’ve got them rigged up.”
Jennifer nodded. “Will do.”
Teyla hit the communication button to end the call and arched an eyebrow at Keller.
“Coming down?” she repeated. “Was there a silent ‘I’m’ at the beginning of that statement, Doctor?”
“What?” Jennifer asked innocently. “He didn’t say I couldn’t go down there with the medical supplies, just that he didn’t think it was possible. He said himself, they need proper medical attention and, last time I checked, this Jumper was equipped with belay equipment.”
Teyla smiled softly. “I thought you were afraid of heights,” she said.
Jennifer shook her head. “I am. But one of my best friends taught me about what I can endure for my team.”
Teyla smiled more genuinely, and gave a nod. “Well, you’re not the only one.” She hit a few buttons on the console and the HUD popped up. Then she changed seats, so that she could work on Rodney’s laptop, still connected to the Jumper’s mainframe.
Jennifer frowned at the heads up display, a three dimensional scan of the area. “What are you doing?”
“Rodney instructed John to land in this spot because he saw something that suggested landmass, which must be why we’re still above ground,” Teyla explained as she typed. “Whatever this false ground is made of, there must be greater concentrations of it in places, enough to support a person’s weight.”
Understanding dawned for Jennifer as Teyla hit a series of keys, and sections of the landscape on the HUD began to brighten to with a greenish hue. A fairly thick concentration of “land,” or whatever the green patches indicated, lay under the Jumper, but there were other patches. Teyla stood up and studied the map.
Jennifer swallowed. “You’re going to try to make it across this plain, to get to the Gate, aren’t you?”
“If I can memorize this map,” Teyla said, “yes.”
“Memorize,” Jennifer repeated with a frown. Then she brightened, “What about the laptop? You could take that with you. Download the map onto it and…”
“There are a number of places where I’ll need to jump, and I can’t be weighed down by anything extra-not even a laptop. Besides,” Teyla shrugged, “it will not be that useful once I’m out on the ground. It will only have the map fixed from this location. It’s benefit will fade, until it’s nothing more than a burden.”
Jennifer frowned. “But even memorizing it-“
“There,” Teyla said, cutting Jennifer off. The Athosian drew a line with her finger along the map, jumping from green patch to green patch. “If I can follow this route, I should be able to cross the entirety of this plain. It does not appear to be more than a mile to what is clearly solid ground.”
“A mile,” Jennifer noted quietly, “is a very long way.”
“If I run, it won’t be.”
“If you misstep,” Jennifer argued, “it will be. And some of those gaps between thicker patches are really big. If you fall, Teyla, we may not be able to find you.”
“I will not fall.”
“Teyla….”
“I will not fall.” The look Teyla gave Jennifer was the same one that she had given her on Athos, two years previously, when Teyla save both their lives avoiding the Bola Kai.
“Look,” Jennifer said, “I don’t mean to be, well, the devil’s advocate here, but since can’t take this HUD display with you, you said yourself you’ll have to memorize the map in this form, and then apply it to the ground outside using just what you remember, and-“
“Jennifer.”
Jennifer swallowed. “Yes?”
“I will not fall.”
Jennifer studied Teyla’s gaze, seeing nothing but confidence and determination. Finally, she nodded.
“Okay,” she said. “Say you make it across the plain. What about the Wraith ship? How are you going to get to the Gate, much less dial it?”
Teyla’s lips curled into a small smile. “As John said, Jennifer, one step at a time.”
“Yeah,” Keller replied, “but look at where that first step took him.”
______________________________________________________
CHAPTER FOUR: KELLER INSIDE THE BIRD’S NEST
Jennifer adjusted the harness around her waist and leg, making sure the buckles were tight and that she had run the rope correctly through the belt. Memories of attempting to learn rock climbing in order to conquer her phobia rattled through her head, mocking her. She’d never made it past the boulder line on the indoor climbing walls. Hell, she’d never made it higher than a foot or two off the ground.
Her hands shook as she tested the knots for the third time, stopping when a slim, cool hand rested atop hers.
“It is secure.”
Jennifer nodded, not looking up from the knot she’d tied. “You…you’re all set?”
“I have done this many times, Jennifer. You will be safe.”
Jennifer nodded again. “Right. I trust you, it’s just….”
“You’re afraid.”
“Yes.” She looked up. “But I’m doing this.”
Teyla’s smile lit up her face. “Yes, you are.”
Nodding for a third time, more out of nervousness than agreement, Jennifer walked back to the edge of the hatch and connected her carabiner to the rope hanging over the edge. A large plastic crate of supplies, resting on top of the still undeployed life raft, was already over the edge of the hatch, dangling into the hole formed by the three men’s fall. She studied it a moment, closed her eyes, and nodded again.
“Ready.”
Teyla returned to where the other end rope was tied up, double checking her own knots and the anchor around her waist. She then untied the rope, grunting a little as it caught on the belay device. Bracing herself, she turned around and nodded to Jennifer.
The doctor sat down on the edge of the hatch. Closing her eyes, she slipped off the edge until she was standing on top of the crate dangling over the edge, the long plastic box swaying slightly.
It almost felt like she was standing on a swing. Cool air rose up from the hole, rustling her hair and sending chills down her spine.
“Lower me down,” she called.
“Lowering,” Teyla answered. “Take care of them.”
“I will,” Keller replied, turning to look at her friend. “And good luck, though I know you don’t need it.”
Teyla’s answering smile was the last thing she saw as the rope jerked and, slowly but steadily, Jennifer was lowered down into the darkness.
Once she was about a foot away from the Jumper, it vanished from sight behind its cloak, which was incredibly disconcerting. The rope appeared to be feeding out of nothingness.
And speaking of nothinginess….
The air grew colder as she descended deeper into the darkness, and she was able to see what the “ground” was really made of.
Her jaw dropped.
She remember seeing a discovery channel show about how insects build nests for themselves, creating these thin, molded constructs that could be as delicate as a paper lantern but fill a whole wall of a house. What she was looking at was something of that ilk, except on an enormous scale. It must have taken thousands upon thousands of insects to build this “crust,” to make it wide enough to cover several square miles and thick enough for grass to grow on it. Swallowing thickly, she kept her eyes glued on the many tiny holes and tunnels between the thin, reedy walls of the construct.
And realized that she really didn’t want to know what had built it.
When the little black head, no bigger than her thumb, stuck its head out of the nearest hole and peered at her with insect eyes, she felt a little ill.
Scorpions.
She continued to descend, deeper and deeper into the dark and cold, surrounded by the shredded edges of the nest. More and more of the scorpion-like insects…or were they arachnids? Christ, you idiot, did it matter?…appeared on the ragged edges, chittering and crawling, slipping in and out of holes in short, rapid movements. Many just watched her, small antennae testing the breeze. Could they smell her? Did insects smell? Did they even have noses?
No, but they had stingers. These had a large, curled tail with the distinct point on the end, just like the scorpions on earth. Disturbingly similar from the outside, even though, for all she knew, these creatures were more closely akin to the dung beetle than the scorpion, but, frankly…she didn’t care.
She hated them on sight. And she didn’t want to find out if that stinger was poisonous.
Despite her acrophobia, she leaned out slightly to see over the edge of the crate she stood on, in order to see how much longer she’d be inside the nest. While she didn’t want to get to the point where she’d have to drop into the lake, she also didn’t want to spend a moment longer surrounded by these creatures then she already had.
The gray light from the foggy sky no longer lit the walls, and the shadows grew deeper. And the scorpions grew more numerous.
She tapped her earpiece.
“Teyla?”
“Yes?”
“Could you lower me faster?”
There was a pause, then, “Why?”
“The ground…it’s a nest. An insect nest. With lots and lots of insects. Ugly, stinging, deadly looking insects. Or maybe arachnids. Either way, they’re creepy, crawling things and I really, really don’t like creepy, crawly things.”
“Calm down, Doctor. Are they attacking you?”
“No. They’re just watching.” Jennifer turned her head, studying the walls behind her. More insects. She drew closer to the rope she was holding onto.
“It’s not safe for me to lower you faster,” Teyla said calmly. “If they are not attacking you, I suggest we maintain this pace.”
Jennifer swallowed, and leaned to look over the edge again. The darkness was growing deeper. Fumbling with the flashlight attached to her vest, she lifted it up and pointed it down into the black.
She sighed in relief when she realized she could see the bottom of the nest, even though the lack of anything beneath it should have been sending her into an even deeper panic. Weird. Apparently, one fear must be canceling out the other. Who knew?
She felt something fall on her shoulder. She froze for a second, and then squealed, using the flashlight to brush it off, and a scorpion fell, landing on the crate a few inches from her foot.
A swift kick, and the scorpion was gone, falling into the black, cold air.
She breathed shakily, tapping the earpiece again. “Teyla?”
“Yes.”
“One just jumped on me.”
Another pause, and then the rope jerked. She was moving more quickly. Keller tucked the flashlight away in order to hold on to the rope with both hands.
“Hang on,” Teyla said unnecessarily. “I am lowering you faster. You will be fine.”
Jennifer braced her feet on the crate, shifting closer to the rope, almost hugging it. The descent was jerkier now, as Teyla obviously struggled to run the rope more quickly through the belay device while trying to still maintain control.
But it was worth it. When she breached the bottom of the nest, and Jennifer sighed, closing her eyes in thanks.
Then her earpiece filled with static. “…eller? Is that…?” Sheppard?
Jennifer’s head jerked up, and she peered into the darkness, seeking….there!
Oh my God.
A tiny pinprick of blue fluorescent light was visible in the far distance, a miniscule beacon on a slick, black rock next to the biggest, blackest lake she had ever seen. It was if she had descended into the dead of night-not even the daylight far above her head now could penetrate it.
Standing in front of the tiny beacon, she could just make out a figure standing up. Two other lumps were huddled together next to the light.
“…ller! What are you…?” He was still too far away for her short wave radio to pick him up clearly.
She tapped her earpiece. “Colonel! Yes, it’s me. I’m coming down.” She pulled the flashlight free of her vest, flicked it on, and waved it.
“Damn it! I….oo far! I told you to…”
She didn’t need to hear the end of the sentence to guess what it was. “Actually,” she contradicted with forced cheekiness, “you didn’t. You just said you didn’t think it was possible.”
“…eyla! How could…I specifically…not to...”
“I am sorry, Colonel,” Teyla’s voice came in loud and clear over Keller’s earpiece. “I am afraid you are breaking up. But, if you can hear me, please be aware that Dr. Keller is descending with the supplies. Once the rope reaches its end, I will instruct her to drop the supplies, and then she will jump into the lake after them. You may need to assist her, if you are able.”
Jennifer grinned. She knew Teyla could hear the colonel clearly over the superior long-range receiver in the Jumper.
“…eyla, you are one…! When I…next time we…!”
“Again, Colonel, you are breaking up. May I suggest you prepare to assist Dr. Keller now? I am nearly at the end of the rope.”
That wiped the grin from Keller’s face, and she felt the rope jerk taut. She was no longer descending, but she was also nowhere near the lake, or the pinpoint of light where the colonel was standing. She gazed in his direction, barely able to see the outline of his hair in the blue light, like a shark’s tooth.
Frowning, she turned the flashlight around, trying to pierce the rest of the cavern, but there wasn’t much else to see. It was clearly vast, broken up only by tall pillars of stone which partly held up the “roof” of the scorpion nest. There was one very close to her-it was what was holding up the Jumper. There were others, but not close. No way could Teyla jump from one to the next-if she tried, she’d fall through.
She hit her earpiece. “Teyla, there are pillars of stone holding up the nest. One must be holding up the Jumper-they’re Rodney’s ‘landmasses.’ But I don’t think they’re close enough together to-“
“Are you down yet?” Teyla asked curtly, deliberately cutting her off.
“What? Oh.” Keller suddenly realized Sheppard was listening in. “I just…well, you know....”
“I understand. You need to trust me.”
Keller bit her lip. “Okay. But, just…okay. Remember what I said.”
“I will. Are you ready to drop?”
Keller sighed, and just how high up she was sent a shudder down her spine. “That might be a problem. Colonel Sheppard wasn’t exaggerating the distance. If I land wrong, which I could easily do, I-“
Another scorpion dropped on her shoulder.
With a shout, she brushed it off and looked up.
And screamed. The rope was alive with scorpions, encasing it in a writhing, chittering mass above her head.
“Teyla!” she screamed. “They’re on the rope!”
“Engage the raft and drop the supplies,” Teyla ordered sharply.
Jennifer nodded, even though no one could see her. Hastily tucking the flashlight back into her vest, she knelt down and fumbled with the pull cord to the raft. A harsh tug, a whoosh of air, and the yellow emergency raft deployed, creating a cradle for the single orange crate she was standing on.
Another scorpion landed on her arm, and another on her head.
She shrieked, slapping them away, just as more fell on top of the crate.
She grabbed the buckle attaching the bottom of the rope to the crate, and released it.
She gasped as the surface she’d been standing on fell away, and she fell, only to stop harshly when her own rope attachment caught, the carabiners clinking as she swayed above nothingness. Scorpions fell down around her, into the darkness after the raft and crate.
It landed far below in a massive splash, sending black waves cascading in all directions. For a second, it looked like the water would flood the raft and its precious cargo, making this whole endeavor pointless, but the raft soon righted itself, keeping itself and the crate above water.
Something stung her hand where it was holding onto the rope, sending a creeping numbness through her arm even as it throbbed in pain. She shook the creature off, but another clambered down right next to it, and above it, the scorpions continued to swarm the thick cord.
“Teyla, one stung me!”
“Drop!” Came the ordered reply.
Jennifer looked down. It was too far! “It’s too far! I can’t!”
“Keller! Drop! Now!”
“Teyla!”
“NOW!”
“Oh God,” she whispered. She reached for the lock on the carabiner, her non-bit hand shaking. Oh god, she couldn’t do this! “I can’t!’
“You must!” Teyla snapped.
“I…” Suddenly, the rope jerked, and she looked up. They were eating through it! “No!” she screamed, reaching up, trying to stop them. She didn’t want to die! “Stop!”
The rope jerked one more time, and then she was falling, scorpions falling with her on all sides.
_____________________________________________________
Sheppard swore, running forward into the lake off and diving into the black water. Keller had landed hard next to the raft, without finesse or preparation. He didn’t know exactly what had happened to cause the rope to break like that, but it had been clear that Keller hadn’t intended to fall when she did. Her shriek sent chills through him as she fell, and who knew what was hidden under the water where she fell? What if, like Ronon, she had hit a rock?
Long strokes pulled him forward, surging through the water towards the raft. If she was dead….
He reached the raft just as a flashlight exploded to life next to it, blinding him when it was pointed right into his face. “Keller!”
“Oh,” she stammered, and the light was turned away. “Sorry!”
He gritted his teeth, drifting to a stop and treading water next to where she was clinging to the side of the raft. She looked miserable, but not hurt.
“You okay?” he asked sharply, still angry that she had even attempted this insane idea.
“Yes,” she replied, her bottom lip already shaking with cold. “I got stung. Otherwise, I’m okay.”
“Stung?”
She lifted the flashlight up and shone it on the water’s surface. Sheppard shuddered, and not from the cold, at the sight of a half dozen struggling scorpion like creatures attempting to stay above the water. They weren’t succeeding. Good.
Keller shone the light back at him, “So, my left hand is throbbing like a son of a bitch, but, other than a few strained muscles which I’ll probably feel tomorrow because of that nasty fall, I’m okay.” She smiled weakly.
He didn’t smile back.
Her smile fell, and she licked her lips. “Um,” she tugged at the raft. “Can you help me pull this over to where the others are?”
“We’re going to talk about this later,” he stated firmly. “About needing to follow my orders on off-world missions.”
“Uh huh, sure,” she agreed noncommittally. “Whatever you say, but can we move now?”
Grudgingly, he swum around the far side of the raft and grabbed at the thin rope running along the raft’s edge and began to pull it towards where the others were.
______________________________________________
Teyla felt the tension on the rope suddenly give, sending her staggering back a few steps, her calloused hands letting the cord go. She slid down to the edge of the hatch, peering into the darkness below, trying to see…anything.
Her eyes narrowed upon seeing movement on the swaying rope down in the shadows, like a black oil, creeping up and down the strand. But nothing breached where daylight lit the hole-whatever the creatures were, they clearly did not like light. Which wouldn't do her much good once night fell on this planet.
She frowned, and scrambled to the front of the jumper, hitting the communications button.
"Doctor Keller," she called. "Colonel Sheppard, do you read me?"
When no one answered, her panic level began to rise. "Colonel Sheppard," she repeated. "Doctor Keller, do you read? This is Teyla, please respond."
Another long pause, and nerves began to plague at her calm. "Doctor Keller," she implored. "Colonel Sheppard, please respond! This is Teyla, can you hear me?"
She willed away thoughts of Jennifer falling to her death, of insects eating her alive, of anything which could mean that she wouldn't see her or any of her friends again. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Keller, Ronon, Rodney, someone please respond!"
"Teyla."
"Ronon?" Teyla's back straightened, trying not to react to how weak his voice sounded. "Ronon, are you alright?"
"Not sure."
She frowned, not sure how to take that. "Are Colonel--?"
"Yeah. They'll be here in a minute. They're swimming. There’s a lake. It’s black."
Teyla released a sigh. "They're well?"
"Think so. Teyla?"
“Yes?”
“Where are we?”
Teyla’s worry heightened about ten notches. “Underground, Ronon. You fell.”
“Oh. Right.”
She swallowed. "Please ask the Colonel to update me once Doctor Keller has looked you all over."
"Sure. Where are you?"
Teyla bit her lip. “Getting you help.”
“Oh. Good. McKay’s not doing so good.”
Teyla closed her eyes. Neither are you, she thought unhappily. “Just hang on, Ronon. You’re going to be fine.”
He didn’t answer. Either he’d fallen asleep, or he wasn’t listening any longer.
She sat down then, and rested her head against the back of the chair. The HUD still glowed in front of her, showing the route she planned to take. She breathed out slowly and once again worked to memorize it.
_________________________________________________
Keller pulled herself out of the water with a gasp, shivering from the frigid temperatures, and took a moment just to breathe, braced on the slick, black stone. Her left hand throbbed, and the back of it was grossly swollen from the bite she had received. There wasn't much she could do about it. The initial sensation of numbness had faded, which was a good thing, and her fingers still worked though her hand felt a little clumsy. As long as it didn't affect what she had to do, it didn't matter.
She turned and helped the Colonel lug the raft up the rock, settling it a few feet from where Ronon and Rodney were huddled together. Her gaze met Ronon's sleepy-eyed one, studying the black eye and wound on his head, before she shifted her gaze to see the wound on his thigh. Blood splattered the wet field bandage the Colonel had wrapped around it, but the bandage wasn't big enough.
She then turned her gaze to the figure Ronon was hugging, holding Rodney's back close to his chest for warmth. Rodney was deathly still and, in the pale light from the lantern, even deathlier pale looking. A reddish bruise marked his forehead, near his temple, but otherwise he appeared unharmed.
She moved quickly to take better stock of their injuries, frowning at how cold both men were, despite Ronon's attempt to share body heat. The wet clothing wasn't helping. Rodney's temperature was dangerously low, and his breathing and heartbeat were still not stable. Ronon wasn't much better, blood loss clearly hampering his ability to stay conscious, and there were clear signs of a concussion. The Satedan’s normally hard head hadn’t been enough this time.
She stood, turning to face Sheppard, who was standing a little behind her. "Can you help me with the supplies?" she asked, pointing to the crate. "There are dry scrubs and blankets in there for you to change into, and you need to help me change them out of their clothes as well. Once you've changed, you can help Ronon; I'll take care of Rodney. First, though, pass me the oxygen canister you'll find on top."
He nodded, already pulling the plastic crate off the raft and onto the rock. Breaking the seal, he pulled out the canister and handed it over. He then paused a moment, clearly spotting the items besides medical supplies that Teyla had packed for him. He picked up the 9MM and glanced at Jennifer.
"Teyla wasn't sure if you still had your weapons," Jennifer explained, feeling the weight of her own gun still on her thigh. "Or if the water might have damaged them." She rested the oxygen next to Rodney's head. "You'll also find firestarters in there, though I don't know what we're going to find that we can burn."
Sheppard smiled briefly, and placed the gun back in the crate. "She's a very smart woman." He started to pull off his vest and jacket, having come across the dry clothes.
"She is," Jennifer agreed, kneeling down next to Rodney in order to attach an oxygen mask to his face.
"Smart enough not to come down here as well," he noted.
Jennifer didn't answer that, adjusting the flow of oxygen to help Rodney's breathing.
The colonel wasn't an idiot; he read volumes in her silence. "She is going to stay with the Jumper," he said, "isn't she?"
Jennifer brushed back some of the wet hair from Rodney's face, then lifted his eyelids in order to see his pupils. They appeared equal and reactive. No concussion. That didn't make her feel much better-since he was still unconscious. She tried not to fear the worst.
"Doctor?" The colonel wasn't going to be put off. "Tell me Teyla is staying with the Jumper."
"As you said, Colonel," Jennifer replied, pulling her scissors so she could cut Rodney's shirt off, "Teyla is a very smart woman, and you should trust that she'll do what is right."
The colonel's groan was deep, reaching to take the radio from Ronon's hand where the Satedan was quietly offering it to him.
"Teyla!"
______________________________________________
The Athosian stilled upon hearing the shout, and considered for a long moment whether to answer. Finally deciding that she needed whatever medical information Jennifer could provide in order to inform Atlantis, she hit the button.
"Colonel? Are you alright?"
"I was until Doctor Keller here refused to answer my question about whether you were planning to stay with the Jumper!"
Teyla closed her eyes. "Please, John, I'm obviously still here. I realize that sending Jennifer down to be with you was not precisely in keeping with your orders, but it seemed the prudent course once you informed us of the nature of the injuries you have received. Ronon has already informed me that you are both well, so I believe you owe the two of us a thank you."
"Teyla…"
"I would very much appreciate a report from Doctor Keller, Colonel."
There was a pause, and then Jennifer's soft voice filled the Jumper. "Teyla?"
"Doctor, what's their status?"
"I haven't had an opportunity to do a thorough examination, but there's no question that they all need the infirmary. Rodney's status…," she exhaled heavily, "Rodney's status is poor. He needs to be out of this cavern and in a place where he can be warm and constantly monitored. Ronon is equally badly wounded, and…" she paused as someone said something to her in the background, too soft for Teyla to hear. "And, although he is insisting he'll be fine, he has lost a lot of blood and, in this environment, that too can be deadly. The colonel appears to be in the best shape so far, but I need to examine him, which he hasn't allowed me to do yet."
Teyla nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. I will leave you to finish your examination, then."
There was some fumbling and increased static on the line, before John's voice came back on. "Teyla," he said, "you are not to leave the Jumper. You need to be there to alert anyone sending a rescue Jumper of our location. You're also our only eyes and ears on the surface. You need to stay there."
Teyla pursed her lips, hearing the "you need to stay safe" in his voice even if he didn't say it out loud. She smiled. "I will do what I need to do to get you out of there, John."
"I'm not kidding, Teyla."
"Neither am I," she replied. "Stay safe, John. I will be in touch."
"Teyla?"
"Yes?"
"You, too."
She smiled again as she cut the connection.
It was time to go.
________________________________________________
To be continued in Part 3