Farewell to Stargate Atlantis Ficathon
Title: Hell or High Water
Author: seramercury
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: John, Rodney, Ronon, Teyla
Disclaimer: Nope they are not mine. :(
Prompts: Shep whump, Team Love, Element of water for writerjc.
Notes: Thanks to karri_kln1671 for the beta!
Summary: Team Sheppard try yet again to negotiate with the locals of a new planet but when do those ever go smoothly?
Word Count: 3,424
All John Sheppard wanted to do was meet the locals and negotiate a trade, but no, he had to be captured by some radical group of crazy people. He still wasn't sure what their deal was and why they had separated from the government.
John fiddled with the ropes around his wrist again and glanced up at the porthole. The last time he attempted to get up and look outside, the ship was tossed about by a huge wave causing his head to slam against the bars of the cell and lose consciousness.
He wondered where in the hell these guys were taking him and where the others were, but unfortunately he was never going to know. He heard a loud crash of thunder followed by the sound of something splintering.
John heard that something coming through the ceiling of the small cell he was in and cried out when the mast slammed on top of him. His last conscious thought was how he should have stayed in bed today.
He woke up sometime later soaking wet and in a tremendous amount of pain. John blinked his eyes open to find himself pinned by a large piece of wood and still tied up and locked in a cell.
John's head was ringing from when he smacked it against the bars for a second time. His leg was also killing him since the damn log was on top of it. Oh, and then there was the fact that the ship was sinking!
He shivered as he reached up to see if his radio was still intact... he paused halfway to his ear. "Wake up, John! The guys who captured you took it!"
Okay he knew it couldn't be good that he forgot about that. Especially since it only happened an hour ago. No, that couldn't be right. What the hell time was it and why was this ship taking so long to sink?
John was rewarded with a shudder and the mast pressing harder onto his leg. He cried out in pain, trying not to lose consciousness. He knew he had at least a slim chance while he was awake.
"Sheppard!"
His head injury was even worse than he thought because he could have sworn he heard Ronon calling his name. John decided it was for the best if he ignored the hallucination. He had enough to worry about anyway.
"John!"
Now that one sounded like Teyla. What the hell was going on?
"Sheppard, enough lying about, we've gotta get out of here!"
"Rodney?" John asked, moving a bit to peer over the mast. Spots danced in his vision as pain erupted from his injured leg. "Shit!" he cried out.
"John?"
Teyla sounded much closer than she did a minute ago, but again he couldn't be certain of anything. He remembered what Rodney told him about his time in a sinking Jumper.
Besides John was cold, wet, in pain, and tired so all he wanted to do was sleep and so he drifted off just as Ronon came into his line of vision.
***************
"What the hell is going on?" Ronon asked, kicking the cell door.
Rodney grunted. "Really, how is that going to help our situation? We were attacked and locked up in a cell on a boat. What we need is something to pick the damn lock!"
"What we need is to find out where they took Sheppard."
Teyla placed a hand on Ronon's shoulder. "Before we can even guess where he is we must first help ourselves." She pulled a bobby pin from her hair. "Will this do, Rodney?"
"Who gave you that?" he wanted to know as he took it from her.
"Elizabeth told me of this a few months ago," Teyla replied. "She said it would be a very useful tool in opening the more primitive doors in the Pegasus Galaxy."
Rodney nodded as he got to work picking the lock. He was just lucky he hadn't eaten anything before this voyage started because he had a feeling he would have puked it all over the place.
Suddenly a loud thunder echoed in the distance as Rodney succeeded in unlocking the door and he was tumbling out of the cell and onto the floor. A loud crash reverberated throughout the ship.
"Oh God," he gasped out as Ronon helped him to his feet. "I'm gonna drown again!"
"Just relax, Rodney, you will be fine," Teyla said coming up from behind.
"This way."
Rodney grabbed Ronon's arm. "Wait! We go that way and we'll definitely die!"
"We can't waste time arguing about this, McKay! The door out of here is at the top of those stairs, but Sheppard is probably somewhere back there. If you wanna go, that's fine. There's no way in hell I'm leaving him behind though!"
"Yeah," Rodney replied, swallowing around his heart that seemed to be lodged in his throat. He knew his friend would come after him hell or high water (the latter definitely being the case here) so Rodney was going to find him no matter what.
Ronon kept his eyes trained for any movement but it didn't look as though anyone was in this part of the ship. He spotted a door at the end of the hall and went to it. Ronon opened the door and saw the huge mast in the middle of the room.
"Sheppard!" he called out.
Teyla stepped in after him, stifling a gasp. She truly hoped her friend was not in this room. "John!"
"Sheppard, enough lying about, we've gotta get out of here!"
"Rodney?" The three looked at one another and then sprang into action trying to find him. "Shit!" he cried out.
"John?"
Teyla couldn't see him anywhere and was starting to worry because he was no longer answering them. Any hope she had of finding him alive was quickly fading until Ronon called her over.
Making her way over the debris, Teyla peered over the mast to where Ronon and Rodney were looking. "By the Ancestors," she breathed out. "John!"
He blinked his eyes open but John's responses were a bit sluggish. "Hey guys. Sorry I can't get up to greet you properly," he said, coughing.
"We need to get that thing off him," Rodney exclaimed, stating the obvious. "Yes, I know!" he said when he saw all eyes on him.
"Just... careful guys, that thing really did a number on my leg. Hurts like hell. Well, it did. Now it's just numb. Don't know if it's the cold or if..."
"Sheppard!" Ronon said, shaking his friend, but there was no response. "Come on," he said, "we've gotta get him out of here!"
"Rodney, do you see anything we can use to prop up the mast?" she asked, looking around as well.
Rodney couldn't concentrate. He was frozen, literally and figuratively, where he stood. This was not how he pictured his dying day. Okay so he never tried to picture it before but somehow dying in a sinking ship was not how he wanted to go.
"Rodney!"
He blinked, looking over at Teyla. "I'm on it!" he exclaimed, moving over and around various planks of wood.
After five agonizing minutes Teyla found something that would work prop up the mast. She and Ronon set about getting it lifted while Rodney stood behind John, ready to pull him out.
"Rodney?"
He nodded once he was situated. "Go ahead."
Making sure the entire mast was off John Rodney pulled him out, shouting at Ronon and Teyla once they were clear. Unfortunately, Ronon dropping the mast caused another breech in the ship and Rodney felt himself and John heading towards the hole.
He heard Teyla calling his name and before he could even respond, he was splashing in the frigid water headfirst and luckily still clinging onto John.
Rodney couldn't tell which way was up and he was surprised when an arm snaked around his waist and seemingly pulled him up towards the surface. Once his vision cleared, he saw John grimacing but quite alive.
"Sheppard!"
"Hey, Rodney. Really, if you wanted to go for a swim, all you had to do was ask."
"Haha! Funny, but as you can see our situation is nothing to be laughed at," Rodney replied. The lightening streaking across the sky lit up the ship, which had drifted about 20 feet away.
John nodded, wincing. "Yeah, my leg is killing me now that I have to actually use it."
Rodney looked around hoping for something they could use in all the debris that was lying around them. He spotted a large enough plank of wood, and grabbed John's arm.
"Sheppard, you see that? Come on."
John's movements were sluggish at best, but with Rodney's help they arrived to their lifeboat unscathed. "R-Rodney," John said, teeth chattering. "You'll have to-- to climb up first."
"What? No, you're crazy because I'm not going up there."
John glared at his friend. "What is this, Titanic? There's plenty of room for both of us up there. And I'm only asking you to go first because I can't get up there on my own; you'll have to pull me."
"Oh. Right."
Ten minutes later they were both on the plank breathing heavily and staring up at the dark sky with rain pelting them. "I swear, the next time someone requests we go for a ride on a boat, I'm going to be unavailable," Rodney said.
John nodded, but now that his adrenaline wasn't pumping he was exhausted. His head was pounding terribly and again he could no longer feel his left leg. Now Rodney sounded as if he were under water.
He blinked his eyes open but quickly shut them as he tried to remember where they were. That's right a bad storm hit while they were being held on some prisoner ship. What a way to start off negotiations!
Suddenly a dark figure was looming over him and John, despite feeling like crap, attempted to jump out of the way. He would have landed in the water too if the figure hadn't reached out to grab him.
"Easy, Sheppard!" the figure said.
"Rodney?" John asked. He smacked the scientist on the arm. "Damn it! You gave me a heart attack. You could have warned me."
Rodney frowned. "I've been calling your name for the past five minutes. I noticed that your eyes were open so I freaked out a bit myself."
Again John lost anything Rodney was saying. All he wanted to do was sleep, but he could hear Carson's voice in the back of his mind saying he shouldn't. Not with being so close to hypothermia.
"Sheppard!" Rodney said, shaking his friend. "John!"
John was definitely passed out now. Rodney laid next to him, moving closer in hopes that his body heat would help keep John warm. Not that he would ever admit to doing so despite the fact that it was a life saving measure.
***********
Teyla watched in horror as John and Rodney slid away from them. "Ronon!"
"Shit!" Ronon exclaimed, attempting to grab John's ankle. He just missed it as they went through the hole. "Teyla, we gotta go up and find a lifeboat. They are not gonna last long in that weather."
Teyla nodded in agreement and led the way up to the top deck. They found one of their captors preparing a boat. Before she could say anything, Ronon had rushed to the man and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "You will get that boat ready and take us to our friends!"
The man merely growled at them and attempted to shove Ronon away. The Satedan stood his ground and swung his arm back, intending to knock the man out. He felt Teyla's hand restrain him. "What?"
"Ronon, we do not have time for this and we cannot leave him behind. Rodney and John need our help now!"
He grunted in agreement and began to help the man, whom Teyla learned was called Mytis, and they were soon in the storm-churned waters. "We must go the other direction," she said when she realized they were heading to the shore.
Mytis was about to protest but decided against it when he saw the look Ronon gave him. He was just a deckhand and was not trained very much in combat and this man was huge in comparison. As he and the man rowed, he realized the lengths the two would go to save their friends. He wished he had someone like them in his life.
After nearly ten minutes of rowing, Teyla exclaimed, "There!"
Ronon and Mytis paddled the small lifeboat to the makeshift raft Rodney and John were on. By the time they reached Rodney he was attempting to wake John up with little success. "He's been unconscious too long," Rodney said as Teyla helped him pull John to the boat.
As Ronon wrapped a blanket around the Colonel, Teyla helped Rodney. "Are you injured?" she asked him.
"Just unbelievably cold. Let’s get the hell out of this weather!"
"Rest, Rodney," Teyla said, handing him a blanket.
The moment Rodney lay down and wrapped the blanket, which was waterproof by the way, he immediately fell asleep.
**********
John stirred just as the arrived to shore. He blinked when he heard Teyla calling his name softly. "John."
"Hey," he replied, which sent him into a fit of coughing. He could feel Teyla's hand making a circling motion on his back. "Thanks," he replied a few minutes later.
She smiled. "We're only a few miles away from the Stargate. You and I shall remain here while Ronon and Rodney dial Atlantis and request a medical team."
John shook his head. "I really don't want to stay on this planet longer than necessary, Teyla."
He could tell that a serious infection was developing in his lungs and his head was still pounding. In fact, he was seeing two of everything. John didn't know if it was from the head injuries or the fever.
"John." Teyla said, "You have injured your leg and should not stand on it."
"I... what?"
John was confused now. Where the hell was he and how did he hurt his leg? And why the hell was he freezing? He was tired and it felt as if his brain were going to ooze out of his ear. John felt Teyla's hand on his forehead.
"Gonna sleep now, k?"
"John!" Teyla exclaimed. She glanced back at Ronon. "You must hurry!"
"Let’s go, McKay," Ronon said, helping the scientist to his feet.
"Hey! Take it easy, I can walk ya know!"
Mytis watched the men in amusement before turning back to Teyla. "I want to thank you for helping me see the error of my ways. The only thing I kept thinking of was how wonderful it would be to have friends such as you, people who were willing to lay down their lives for me. As you can see I was the only person left on the ship. I had fallen and was dazed for a moment. I asked for help but no on came. When I came to my senses I found the last lifeboat and that's where you and Ronon found me."
"Mytis, I can only thank you for allowing us to help you and for finding our friends. You did not have to do so. When my people discuss what happened on that ship, you will not be mentioned. In fact I am certain once Colonel Sheppard is healed he will want to thank you himself. Now, go and be with your family."
"I will, Teyla," he said with a nod.
Meanwhile the other two were heading to the Stargate with Rodney complaining every step of the way. Ronon was glad he was complaining because when Rodney did that, it meant that he was all right. It was just so damn annoying.
Rodney continued muttering as he dialed the 'Gate and entered his IDC. "We need a medical team out here yesterday!" Rodney exclaimed.
"Carson and his team will be there shortly," Elizabeth replied. "What's going on? You were due to check in almost 45 minutes ago."
Ronon shoved Rodney towards the event horizon. "McKay'll give you an account of it cause he needs to see a doctor too. I'll be waiting. Ronon out."
**************
John felt like complete and total crap the next time he woke up despite the fact that he was back in Atlantis and wrapped up in warm blankets. His throat was killing him and his chest hurt from coughing.
Per Carson he had a dislocated knee and a severe concussion, the latter just recently (after a week of being in the infirmary) getting better. The double vision was gone and his brain no longer felt as if it were oozing from his skull.
John closed his eyes as he remembered falling off the ship and being dumped into the freezing cold waters. At first he didn't know what the hell was going on because he had been barely conscious when the others found him.
When he felt someone pulling at his arm, John had reached around and grabbed the person, who happened to be Rodney, by the waist and they broke the water's surface. It was all pretty fuzzy after that.
He remembered saying something about the Titantic, lying on a plank of wood, and Rodney's frantic cries as he lost consciousness. John opened his eyes again to see Carson checking his IV.
"Colonel," he said with a smile. "How are you feeling today?"
"Tired and a bit sore. Got any ice chips?"
Carson nodded and reached over to get some. "You had us worried there for the past few days, Son," he said once John was finished. "Especially with that fever and concussion. Your team was with you through all of your hallucinations."
"Oh God, did I say or do anything embarrassing?"
"Not that I know of, Colonel," Carson said with a chuckle. "However, I think you should know that you have some wonderful friends."
John smiled as he saw those friends coming over. "I do know, Carson, thanks."
Carson patted John on the shoulder and headed to office. "Not too long," he told them, "the Colonel needs his rest."
"We will be brief, Carson," Teyla replied, giving the other two a look. They just shrugged innocently. "John, it is good to see you awake."
"Hey guys. Wanted to say thanks for helping me out there."
Ronon waved his hand. "It's nothing you wouldn't have done," he replied.
Rodney, who was standing a good distance away to keep from getting sick said, "I can't believe you've seen Titanic!"
"I thought that was a dream," John groaned. "I can only plead insanity for that."
Teyla shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Well, John we just wanted to come and see how you were doing, but you need your rest now."
John nodded, stifling a yawn. "Yeah, guess so. Thanks again, guys, really."
"Anytime," Rodney said.
"Yeah," Ronon replied in agreement, going after Rodney. "Hey, what's a Titanic?"
Teyla stepped to John's side. "I thought you might like to know that Dr. Weir spoke with the leaders of the planet we visited. They need to deal with some problems internally before they are able to branch out to other planets."
"I would think so. They still interested in us, though?"
"Yes," she said. "They will contact us when they are. Besides there is someone who would like to apologize, at least for his behavior. His name is Mytis and without him we may not have succeeded in saving you and Rodney."
John was quiet for a moment. "I think I remember him on the lifeboat. He kept looking at me sadly. I was so exhausted I thought I was imagining him."
"He was very much real, John, and although I know you have already forgiven him, he would like to meet you at some point to apologize himself."
"Definitely, Teyla."
She smiled. "Good, I will see you in the morning, John."
"See ya," John said as he snuggled under the blankets, being careful not to jar his sore knee. Once he was settled he closed his eyes and soon he was dreaming of his friends, no his family.
Author: seramercury
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: John, Rodney, Ronon, Teyla
Disclaimer: Nope they are not mine. :(
Prompts: Shep whump, Team Love, Element of water for writerjc.
Notes: Thanks to karri_kln1671 for the beta!
Summary: Team Sheppard try yet again to negotiate with the locals of a new planet but when do those ever go smoothly?
Word Count: 3,424
All John Sheppard wanted to do was meet the locals and negotiate a trade, but no, he had to be captured by some radical group of crazy people. He still wasn't sure what their deal was and why they had separated from the government.
John fiddled with the ropes around his wrist again and glanced up at the porthole. The last time he attempted to get up and look outside, the ship was tossed about by a huge wave causing his head to slam against the bars of the cell and lose consciousness.
He wondered where in the hell these guys were taking him and where the others were, but unfortunately he was never going to know. He heard a loud crash of thunder followed by the sound of something splintering.
John heard that something coming through the ceiling of the small cell he was in and cried out when the mast slammed on top of him. His last conscious thought was how he should have stayed in bed today.
He woke up sometime later soaking wet and in a tremendous amount of pain. John blinked his eyes open to find himself pinned by a large piece of wood and still tied up and locked in a cell.
John's head was ringing from when he smacked it against the bars for a second time. His leg was also killing him since the damn log was on top of it. Oh, and then there was the fact that the ship was sinking!
He shivered as he reached up to see if his radio was still intact... he paused halfway to his ear. "Wake up, John! The guys who captured you took it!"
Okay he knew it couldn't be good that he forgot about that. Especially since it only happened an hour ago. No, that couldn't be right. What the hell time was it and why was this ship taking so long to sink?
John was rewarded with a shudder and the mast pressing harder onto his leg. He cried out in pain, trying not to lose consciousness. He knew he had at least a slim chance while he was awake.
"Sheppard!"
His head injury was even worse than he thought because he could have sworn he heard Ronon calling his name. John decided it was for the best if he ignored the hallucination. He had enough to worry about anyway.
"John!"
Now that one sounded like Teyla. What the hell was going on?
"Sheppard, enough lying about, we've gotta get out of here!"
"Rodney?" John asked, moving a bit to peer over the mast. Spots danced in his vision as pain erupted from his injured leg. "Shit!" he cried out.
"John?"
Teyla sounded much closer than she did a minute ago, but again he couldn't be certain of anything. He remembered what Rodney told him about his time in a sinking Jumper.
Besides John was cold, wet, in pain, and tired so all he wanted to do was sleep and so he drifted off just as Ronon came into his line of vision.
***************
"What the hell is going on?" Ronon asked, kicking the cell door.
Rodney grunted. "Really, how is that going to help our situation? We were attacked and locked up in a cell on a boat. What we need is something to pick the damn lock!"
"What we need is to find out where they took Sheppard."
Teyla placed a hand on Ronon's shoulder. "Before we can even guess where he is we must first help ourselves." She pulled a bobby pin from her hair. "Will this do, Rodney?"
"Who gave you that?" he wanted to know as he took it from her.
"Elizabeth told me of this a few months ago," Teyla replied. "She said it would be a very useful tool in opening the more primitive doors in the Pegasus Galaxy."
Rodney nodded as he got to work picking the lock. He was just lucky he hadn't eaten anything before this voyage started because he had a feeling he would have puked it all over the place.
Suddenly a loud thunder echoed in the distance as Rodney succeeded in unlocking the door and he was tumbling out of the cell and onto the floor. A loud crash reverberated throughout the ship.
"Oh God," he gasped out as Ronon helped him to his feet. "I'm gonna drown again!"
"Just relax, Rodney, you will be fine," Teyla said coming up from behind.
"This way."
Rodney grabbed Ronon's arm. "Wait! We go that way and we'll definitely die!"
"We can't waste time arguing about this, McKay! The door out of here is at the top of those stairs, but Sheppard is probably somewhere back there. If you wanna go, that's fine. There's no way in hell I'm leaving him behind though!"
"Yeah," Rodney replied, swallowing around his heart that seemed to be lodged in his throat. He knew his friend would come after him hell or high water (the latter definitely being the case here) so Rodney was going to find him no matter what.
Ronon kept his eyes trained for any movement but it didn't look as though anyone was in this part of the ship. He spotted a door at the end of the hall and went to it. Ronon opened the door and saw the huge mast in the middle of the room.
"Sheppard!" he called out.
Teyla stepped in after him, stifling a gasp. She truly hoped her friend was not in this room. "John!"
"Sheppard, enough lying about, we've gotta get out of here!"
"Rodney?" The three looked at one another and then sprang into action trying to find him. "Shit!" he cried out.
"John?"
Teyla couldn't see him anywhere and was starting to worry because he was no longer answering them. Any hope she had of finding him alive was quickly fading until Ronon called her over.
Making her way over the debris, Teyla peered over the mast to where Ronon and Rodney were looking. "By the Ancestors," she breathed out. "John!"
He blinked his eyes open but John's responses were a bit sluggish. "Hey guys. Sorry I can't get up to greet you properly," he said, coughing.
"We need to get that thing off him," Rodney exclaimed, stating the obvious. "Yes, I know!" he said when he saw all eyes on him.
"Just... careful guys, that thing really did a number on my leg. Hurts like hell. Well, it did. Now it's just numb. Don't know if it's the cold or if..."
"Sheppard!" Ronon said, shaking his friend, but there was no response. "Come on," he said, "we've gotta get him out of here!"
"Rodney, do you see anything we can use to prop up the mast?" she asked, looking around as well.
Rodney couldn't concentrate. He was frozen, literally and figuratively, where he stood. This was not how he pictured his dying day. Okay so he never tried to picture it before but somehow dying in a sinking ship was not how he wanted to go.
"Rodney!"
He blinked, looking over at Teyla. "I'm on it!" he exclaimed, moving over and around various planks of wood.
After five agonizing minutes Teyla found something that would work prop up the mast. She and Ronon set about getting it lifted while Rodney stood behind John, ready to pull him out.
"Rodney?"
He nodded once he was situated. "Go ahead."
Making sure the entire mast was off John Rodney pulled him out, shouting at Ronon and Teyla once they were clear. Unfortunately, Ronon dropping the mast caused another breech in the ship and Rodney felt himself and John heading towards the hole.
He heard Teyla calling his name and before he could even respond, he was splashing in the frigid water headfirst and luckily still clinging onto John.
Rodney couldn't tell which way was up and he was surprised when an arm snaked around his waist and seemingly pulled him up towards the surface. Once his vision cleared, he saw John grimacing but quite alive.
"Sheppard!"
"Hey, Rodney. Really, if you wanted to go for a swim, all you had to do was ask."
"Haha! Funny, but as you can see our situation is nothing to be laughed at," Rodney replied. The lightening streaking across the sky lit up the ship, which had drifted about 20 feet away.
John nodded, wincing. "Yeah, my leg is killing me now that I have to actually use it."
Rodney looked around hoping for something they could use in all the debris that was lying around them. He spotted a large enough plank of wood, and grabbed John's arm.
"Sheppard, you see that? Come on."
John's movements were sluggish at best, but with Rodney's help they arrived to their lifeboat unscathed. "R-Rodney," John said, teeth chattering. "You'll have to-- to climb up first."
"What? No, you're crazy because I'm not going up there."
John glared at his friend. "What is this, Titanic? There's plenty of room for both of us up there. And I'm only asking you to go first because I can't get up there on my own; you'll have to pull me."
"Oh. Right."
Ten minutes later they were both on the plank breathing heavily and staring up at the dark sky with rain pelting them. "I swear, the next time someone requests we go for a ride on a boat, I'm going to be unavailable," Rodney said.
John nodded, but now that his adrenaline wasn't pumping he was exhausted. His head was pounding terribly and again he could no longer feel his left leg. Now Rodney sounded as if he were under water.
He blinked his eyes open but quickly shut them as he tried to remember where they were. That's right a bad storm hit while they were being held on some prisoner ship. What a way to start off negotiations!
Suddenly a dark figure was looming over him and John, despite feeling like crap, attempted to jump out of the way. He would have landed in the water too if the figure hadn't reached out to grab him.
"Easy, Sheppard!" the figure said.
"Rodney?" John asked. He smacked the scientist on the arm. "Damn it! You gave me a heart attack. You could have warned me."
Rodney frowned. "I've been calling your name for the past five minutes. I noticed that your eyes were open so I freaked out a bit myself."
Again John lost anything Rodney was saying. All he wanted to do was sleep, but he could hear Carson's voice in the back of his mind saying he shouldn't. Not with being so close to hypothermia.
"Sheppard!" Rodney said, shaking his friend. "John!"
John was definitely passed out now. Rodney laid next to him, moving closer in hopes that his body heat would help keep John warm. Not that he would ever admit to doing so despite the fact that it was a life saving measure.
***********
Teyla watched in horror as John and Rodney slid away from them. "Ronon!"
"Shit!" Ronon exclaimed, attempting to grab John's ankle. He just missed it as they went through the hole. "Teyla, we gotta go up and find a lifeboat. They are not gonna last long in that weather."
Teyla nodded in agreement and led the way up to the top deck. They found one of their captors preparing a boat. Before she could say anything, Ronon had rushed to the man and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "You will get that boat ready and take us to our friends!"
The man merely growled at them and attempted to shove Ronon away. The Satedan stood his ground and swung his arm back, intending to knock the man out. He felt Teyla's hand restrain him. "What?"
"Ronon, we do not have time for this and we cannot leave him behind. Rodney and John need our help now!"
He grunted in agreement and began to help the man, whom Teyla learned was called Mytis, and they were soon in the storm-churned waters. "We must go the other direction," she said when she realized they were heading to the shore.
Mytis was about to protest but decided against it when he saw the look Ronon gave him. He was just a deckhand and was not trained very much in combat and this man was huge in comparison. As he and the man rowed, he realized the lengths the two would go to save their friends. He wished he had someone like them in his life.
After nearly ten minutes of rowing, Teyla exclaimed, "There!"
Ronon and Mytis paddled the small lifeboat to the makeshift raft Rodney and John were on. By the time they reached Rodney he was attempting to wake John up with little success. "He's been unconscious too long," Rodney said as Teyla helped him pull John to the boat.
As Ronon wrapped a blanket around the Colonel, Teyla helped Rodney. "Are you injured?" she asked him.
"Just unbelievably cold. Let’s get the hell out of this weather!"
"Rest, Rodney," Teyla said, handing him a blanket.
The moment Rodney lay down and wrapped the blanket, which was waterproof by the way, he immediately fell asleep.
**********
John stirred just as the arrived to shore. He blinked when he heard Teyla calling his name softly. "John."
"Hey," he replied, which sent him into a fit of coughing. He could feel Teyla's hand making a circling motion on his back. "Thanks," he replied a few minutes later.
She smiled. "We're only a few miles away from the Stargate. You and I shall remain here while Ronon and Rodney dial Atlantis and request a medical team."
John shook his head. "I really don't want to stay on this planet longer than necessary, Teyla."
He could tell that a serious infection was developing in his lungs and his head was still pounding. In fact, he was seeing two of everything. John didn't know if it was from the head injuries or the fever.
"John." Teyla said, "You have injured your leg and should not stand on it."
"I... what?"
John was confused now. Where the hell was he and how did he hurt his leg? And why the hell was he freezing? He was tired and it felt as if his brain were going to ooze out of his ear. John felt Teyla's hand on his forehead.
"Gonna sleep now, k?"
"John!" Teyla exclaimed. She glanced back at Ronon. "You must hurry!"
"Let’s go, McKay," Ronon said, helping the scientist to his feet.
"Hey! Take it easy, I can walk ya know!"
Mytis watched the men in amusement before turning back to Teyla. "I want to thank you for helping me see the error of my ways. The only thing I kept thinking of was how wonderful it would be to have friends such as you, people who were willing to lay down their lives for me. As you can see I was the only person left on the ship. I had fallen and was dazed for a moment. I asked for help but no on came. When I came to my senses I found the last lifeboat and that's where you and Ronon found me."
"Mytis, I can only thank you for allowing us to help you and for finding our friends. You did not have to do so. When my people discuss what happened on that ship, you will not be mentioned. In fact I am certain once Colonel Sheppard is healed he will want to thank you himself. Now, go and be with your family."
"I will, Teyla," he said with a nod.
Meanwhile the other two were heading to the Stargate with Rodney complaining every step of the way. Ronon was glad he was complaining because when Rodney did that, it meant that he was all right. It was just so damn annoying.
Rodney continued muttering as he dialed the 'Gate and entered his IDC. "We need a medical team out here yesterday!" Rodney exclaimed.
"Carson and his team will be there shortly," Elizabeth replied. "What's going on? You were due to check in almost 45 minutes ago."
Ronon shoved Rodney towards the event horizon. "McKay'll give you an account of it cause he needs to see a doctor too. I'll be waiting. Ronon out."
**************
John felt like complete and total crap the next time he woke up despite the fact that he was back in Atlantis and wrapped up in warm blankets. His throat was killing him and his chest hurt from coughing.
Per Carson he had a dislocated knee and a severe concussion, the latter just recently (after a week of being in the infirmary) getting better. The double vision was gone and his brain no longer felt as if it were oozing from his skull.
John closed his eyes as he remembered falling off the ship and being dumped into the freezing cold waters. At first he didn't know what the hell was going on because he had been barely conscious when the others found him.
When he felt someone pulling at his arm, John had reached around and grabbed the person, who happened to be Rodney, by the waist and they broke the water's surface. It was all pretty fuzzy after that.
He remembered saying something about the Titantic, lying on a plank of wood, and Rodney's frantic cries as he lost consciousness. John opened his eyes again to see Carson checking his IV.
"Colonel," he said with a smile. "How are you feeling today?"
"Tired and a bit sore. Got any ice chips?"
Carson nodded and reached over to get some. "You had us worried there for the past few days, Son," he said once John was finished. "Especially with that fever and concussion. Your team was with you through all of your hallucinations."
"Oh God, did I say or do anything embarrassing?"
"Not that I know of, Colonel," Carson said with a chuckle. "However, I think you should know that you have some wonderful friends."
John smiled as he saw those friends coming over. "I do know, Carson, thanks."
Carson patted John on the shoulder and headed to office. "Not too long," he told them, "the Colonel needs his rest."
"We will be brief, Carson," Teyla replied, giving the other two a look. They just shrugged innocently. "John, it is good to see you awake."
"Hey guys. Wanted to say thanks for helping me out there."
Ronon waved his hand. "It's nothing you wouldn't have done," he replied.
Rodney, who was standing a good distance away to keep from getting sick said, "I can't believe you've seen Titanic!"
"I thought that was a dream," John groaned. "I can only plead insanity for that."
Teyla shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Well, John we just wanted to come and see how you were doing, but you need your rest now."
John nodded, stifling a yawn. "Yeah, guess so. Thanks again, guys, really."
"Anytime," Rodney said.
"Yeah," Ronon replied in agreement, going after Rodney. "Hey, what's a Titanic?"
Teyla stepped to John's side. "I thought you might like to know that Dr. Weir spoke with the leaders of the planet we visited. They need to deal with some problems internally before they are able to branch out to other planets."
"I would think so. They still interested in us, though?"
"Yes," she said. "They will contact us when they are. Besides there is someone who would like to apologize, at least for his behavior. His name is Mytis and without him we may not have succeeded in saving you and Rodney."
John was quiet for a moment. "I think I remember him on the lifeboat. He kept looking at me sadly. I was so exhausted I thought I was imagining him."
"He was very much real, John, and although I know you have already forgiven him, he would like to meet you at some point to apologize himself."
"Definitely, Teyla."
She smiled. "Good, I will see you in the morning, John."
"See ya," John said as he snuggled under the blankets, being careful not to jar his sore knee. Once he was settled he closed his eyes and soon he was dreaming of his friends, no his family.