Fic: Living (Gen, pg-13)
Dec. 19th, 2009 09:05 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sga_santaTitle: Living
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chokolattejedi
Recipient: Tzzzz
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The universe of Stargate and all the characters therein are owned by many people, but I am not one of them.
A/N: Thanks so much to my Beta, TWO!
Summary: The team goes out on just another mission, only to discover a surprise or two along the way.
oAo
"So remind me where we're going again," Rodney whined, "and why you couldn't just send a team of your jarheads to take care of it instead of dragging me away from work which was very important and time sensitive and that I just know that Zelenka is going to screw up in my absenc-"
"Rodney!" John's raised voice effectively cut through the scientist's complaints. "We are going because the Drya are our trading partners and Teyla is worried about the fact that they didn't deliver their shipment of Tava fruit yesterday." Teyla raised one eyebrow at him. "A- and I'm concerned about them too."
"Yes," Teyla nodded, "in all of our trading experience with them, I have never known the Drya to be anything less than punctual."
"I'm just going so I can shoot something." Ronon added, smirking.
As Rodney opened his mouth to comment, John cut him off. "And since we don’t know if we're going to encounter someone hostile on the other side of the gate, we're going to be stealthy about going in now, so everyone stop talking."
Rodney huffed but hefted his p-90 anyway. "Fine."
"Of course, I'd feel much better if we were in a Jumper…" John said under his breath.
"You know that Elizabeth is worried about the trees so close to the gate," Teyla's voice bore her usual soothing tone, but John was having none of it this morning.
Despite his comments, John did feel discomfort about the lack of word from the Drya people, and he desperately wanted the security of having a Jumper around himself and his team before going off-world to a place that had possibly been attacked by the Wraith.
"I'm a better pilot than that," John mumbled, just barely loud enough for his team to hear. Ronon smiled and Teyla sighed knowingly, while Rodney just shook his head and muttered something about 'irritable flyboys who needed to overcompensate for certain things.'
"Let's go! The faster we figure this out, the faster we can get back home!" John declared, clicking the safety off on his gun and raising it to eye level.
Teyla and Ronon immediately followed his lead, Rodney a step behind. As they walked towards the gate, the shield vanished, and one gut-wrenching moment later, they were on the moon Dryain.
John looked around, instantly suspicious, and he knew the others were doing the same. At first glance, the land around the Stargate looked normal; the Wikkij trees that grew on this island were still standing, at least around the 'Gate, and the bulk of Dryain's sister moon, Myre, filled half of the horizon.
Upon closer inspection, though, John noticed that the natural orchard was eerily still, devoid of both movement and noise, and some of the trees seemed to be blighted.
Teyla gasped and John spun to look at her. "What?"
"The trees. I- I have never seen them in this condition before. So many leaves have fallen off…"
"So maybe it's like alien winter or something!" Rodney sounded as though he was panicking in spite of himself. "They're just trees!"
"Yes, trees that are tied to the Drya people," Teyla's voice carried far more bite than usual.
"Meaning that if something is wrong with the trees, Rodney, that something is probably wrong with the people," John added, unable to keep the condescension out of his voice.
"I do not like this." Teyla's voice shook.
Ronon grunted. "Let's go."
The team made their way towards the settlement on Wikkij Island, one of the largest ones on the ocean moon, where more than thirty linked islands formed the core of the Drya's territory.
They were a good hour away from the gate when Ronon signaled that he had sighted someone ahead. The others crept closer until the figure came clearly into sight. Teyla clearly recognized the man, as she immediately dashed towards him.
John's hissed "Teyla!" did nothing to dissuade her from running up to the man he thought was named Paj. John and Ronon groaned but followed her.
"Paj. Pajma!" Teyla ran up and laid a hand on the young man's shoulder.
He spun around and looked at her, and even from the distance between them, John could see his light green eyes staring blankly at the woman he usually hugged. "Wha-?"
"Paj, it is me, Teyla. Your mother and I have traded together for many years." Teyla looked to be an inch away from shaking the man until he remembered her.
John and Ronon reached them before Teyla could do anything so drastic, however, and John put one hand on her arm, both in gentle restraint and for support. "Ask him what happened, Teyla," he suggested.
Teyla paused, and at first John thought that she might not respond, but at last she looked back at Pajma, who was still staring blankly. "Pajma, we are friends. Please tell me what has happened here. What happened to the trees? Where did all the people go? Why was there no one to greet us at the Stargate? Please tell us, Pajma!"
The young Dryan continued to stare, but John felt a growing unease; from the way Ronon was shifting his grip on his gun, John wasn't the only one who felt that way. Before John could call out to Rodney to keep his eyes open, he heard a rustle in the bushes to his left.
Ronon immediately swung his arm around, aiming at the sound, but it was too late. Whoever was out there had surrounded them, and odd-sounding shots started coming from all directions.
"FIRE!" John yelled, spinning around to place his back to the rest of his team.
"WAIT! Some of them may be Dryan!" Teyla cried.
"Teyla!" John yelled, though he did shift his aim towards legs and knees, rather than chests. Ronon growled and continued shooting; John assumed that he had already assumed as much and set the weapon to stun. Rodney, as usual, was yelling nonsense and firing crazily.
After a few long moments, John stopped hearing the strange reports, and he cautiously paused his firing. Ronon shot off a few more rounds before loosening his grip on his blaster, and Teyla and Rodney had already halted.
John's darted glances around the orchard, determined not to be caught unawares again. The trees were still eerily silent, save for the heavy panting of his team, and the slight whimpering of the young Paj, who had fallen to Teyla's feet.
John didn't think he was hurt- simply frightened- but he would have Teyla check on the Dryan once they were assured of safety.
The clearing appeared to have been emptied of hostiles, and so after another long moment, John partially lowered his weapon. Rodney lowered his completely, as did Teyla, who immediately crouched over Paj. Ronon still held his blaster ready to fire, but John was used to the Satedan's paranoia by now.
A second later, a handful of shots were heard, and John felt a stinging sensation in his lower back. The world seemed to stretch into slow motion as Ronon spun around with a savage yell and sent blast after blast at the offending foliage. Rodney screamed as John crumpled to the ground, finding his legs unable to support his body.
"Colonel!" Teyla yelled, lunging across the distance between them.
She caught John's head just before it hit the ground, which he decided was a good thing, as it felt impossibly heavy to keep himself up. He knew that, especially with Rodney and Teyla distracted, that he should be keeping his eye on the forest around them, but he arms felt even heavier than his head.
He tried to speak, to ask Ronon weather he had killed or stunned their last attacker, but darkness edged out his vision, and he didn't think that he got the actual words out.
oAo
When John awoke again, he found himself propped against something rough. He couldn't move anything below his waist, but as he could only barely move his arms, he tried to push his concern to the back of his mind. He had a big enough headache anyway that borrowing trouble about something he couldn’t affect would only make things worse.
"Sheppard? Oh my god you're alive!" Rodney's terrified voice cut through the pounding in his brain and John struggled to reply.
"Oh, Teyla said that you shouldn't try to talk, or move or anything. She and Ronon went out to look for the rest of the tree people, but they brought the one we found with us." Rodney was talking at his usual pace, and John felt a small tingle of reassurance that at least something hadn't changed while he was unconscious.
"The ones that attacked us were a mixed group, Ronon said, of the tree people and someone else that Teyla didn't recognize. The tree people were being controlled by this gem thing that was on their neck, like right between their collarbones. When we pried if off of Pam or whatever his name was he snapped right out of it. Sobbing about how they made him do it and how he didn't want to hurt us, but the Myrians made him."
"My-?" John managed to whisper the beginning of the word before his throat muscles seized, and he spent the next several minutes gasping for breath while Rodney rung his hands and babbled about calling for help.
At last John got his breathing back under control and he allowed his head to fall back a few inches against the rough surface, his energy spent.
"I told you, Teyla said that you weren't allowed to talk," Rodney scolded. "Something about the poison that the Myrians put on their little rock bullets. At least I think that's what Ronon said they used. He might have said rocket buttons with the way he grunts, but rock bullets made more sense."
Rodney started wringing his hands, and John found himself keeping a tally in the back of his mind of just how agitated his scientist was.
"Anyways, tree boy, once he stopped groveling, explained that these Myrians came from the other moon; the one that this one co-orbits around. They landed in a great metal ship something like three revolutions ago, with I think comes to about a month. They've been hopping from island to island here on Drya, implanting these controlling gems on any tree folk they can find and then using them to ferret out the rest."
"And he went on and on about some kind of potion that these invaders coated their weapons with that rendered the Dryans completely helpless so that they could put these controlling gems on them, something that overrode something else, but could be overridden by another thing… it sounded suspiciously like Rock, Paper, Scissors, and if I didn't know for a fact that Ronon had no sense of humor I'd question his translation…"
John desperately wanted to ask why the Dryans hadn't hidden, the same way they hid from the Wraith, but he was mindful of what had happened the last time he tried to talk. Instead, he twitched his right hand in what he hopped was a 'go on' type of gesture.
Fortunately, Rodney interpreted it exactly as John hoped he would. "And I asked why they didn't just hide in the tree roots like they claimed to do when the Wraith come, and they said something about the Myrians being tied to the earth and using the ground itself to find them. When I suggested that the poor boy was delusional, he kicked up such a fuss that Teyla had to take him away." Rodney sounded huffy now, a sure sign that he was feeling a bit calmer.
"We put you on top of a tarp to keep you from being spied upon by the evil ground, and Ronon propped you against a tree before he took off, but that was it. For all we know you have spinal damage and he just started dragging you around like a sack of laundry!" John felt a small smile form at McKay's indignation on his behalf.
"Told me to guard you while they both went off into the darkness. For all they knew they could be walking into another trap and then we'll all die here!" Rodney had worked himself up to the point of pacing, and John allowed himself to zone out slightly while McKay worked off his frustration.
If the Myrians were anything like the people on their sister moon, then they very well could be connected to the earth; it would explain the mysterious compound on their weapons - some kind of natural chemical that poisoned trees and those who were bound to them - and it would further explain the blight on the trees that they had passed.
John frowned. If the Dryans had been attacked, and if Ronon and Teyla could not find a way back to the Stargate, then they would be left with no choice but to wait until Atlantis called. He wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but it was probably only a few hours, since the sun, which had been almost directly above them, was now somewhere over his shoulder. That meant that it would be a few hours more before Elizabeth would worry enough to check up on them.
Damn!
He would feel so much safer with a Jumper nearby, so that he might have his own genetic connection to counter the 'tree people' and 'rock people' as Rodney was calling them. But Elizabeth had forbidden the use of a Jumper on this mission, and now, if it became necessary to send one through, it would be with a less experienced pilot through himself.
If any of the marines scratched his jumper, he'd assign them to practice with Ronon every day for a week. No, a month! John growled, low in his throat, and was surprised when Rodney jumped. He didn't think that he had enough force in his weakened state to frighten anyone, let alone Rodney.
Rodney started again, and this time John was paying enough attention to hear a noise in the underbrush. John couldn't move enough to look for the cause, but he still tried. The aborted movement succeeded only in making John instantly weary again, and he wanted nothing more than to let sleep claim him, but he worried about Rodney guarding them alone, so he pushed the sleepiness away. He couldn't fire his gun, and he could barely talk, but their assailants didn't have to know that.
A few seconds later, a shape appeared in the darkness, and John felt a great relief sweeping through him. The hulking figure could only be Ronon, and the petite shadow at his side had to be Teyla. Rodney must have come to the same conclusion, because he lowered his P-90.
When they got close enough, John could see a smile on Ronon's face, and thoughtful expression on Teyla's. He longed to ask them what they had learned, but he feared trying to talk again. Fortunately, Ronon jogged right up to his side and squatted beside John to give his report.
"We found another group and took them out; took the gems off the good guys," he said. "One of them was an elder, and she talked about a counter poison. There's an island, on the far side of the planet, which has a tree whose sap is vaguely acidic. It's the only thing they know of that can cut through rock and burn the ground."
"It is the balancing force against the rock dust that the Myrians coat their weapons with," Teyla added. "A diluted dose of the Ichuri sap in a strong tea will negate the effects of the dust upon a person, and also render the natives immune to the controlling gems. It will not affect the Myrians, except in much larger doses than they could easily obtain."
"But it should cure you," Ronon interjected.
"The Elder Ior believed so. When she was taken, almost an hour ago, the island and those around it had not yet fallen to the intruders, but she said that it was only a matter of time. Without a forewarning, they do not have enough sap harvested, and they will be slow to free all of their people."
Teyla glanced at Ronon, as though unsure of how to proceed. John raised one eyebrow, attempting to replicate his normal 'spit it out now' look.
Eventually it was Ronon who spoke. "The only thing is, you have to get to one of the islands closer to Ichuri to get the sap, cause they don't have it on the islands further away, and we're pretty far out here."
"No, no no. No no." Rodney jumped to his feet, shaking his head. "You are not moving a man who is possibly paralyzed! You've already moved him once and Carson is going to kill me for letting you do even that much! You are not dragging Sheppard halfway across this god-forsaken planet!"
"I'm not sitting here in the open, with no cover, against an enemy that can talk to the trees around us either!" Ronon replied harshly.
"I'm sure you're exaggerating!" Rodney snapped back. "Sure they've got the best green thumb in this galaxy, but that doesn't make them the tree whisperer."
Ronon growled. "What do their thumbs have to do with anything?
Rodney huffed exasperatedly. "I thought Sheppard was teaching you all sorts of earth slang! You can ask him about it later!"
"If you keep me from moving him to a more secure location, there might not be a later," Ronon replied.
John desperately wished that he could add something to the conversation, but just opening his mouth caused his throat muscles to tighten. He was not looking forward to another spasm, but it appeared that he might not have a choice. As much as he dreaded the good doctor's wrath, he couldn't allow his team to remain out here, in the open, for hours while waiting for Atlantis to call.
John twitched his hand instead, and he was almost amused by the way that all three of his teammates were immediately drawn to the action.
"Yes?" Teyla asked, lying one gentle hand on John's knee.
He pushed aside the knowledge that he still couldn't feel her hand on his leg and instead focused his attention on Ronon. He looked the Satedan up and down, and then allowed his eyes to roll upwards.
"You want me to carry you?" Ronon asked slowly.
John dipped his head slightly; the closest he could get to nodding.
"You wish for us to find the island with the Ichuri tree on it?" Teyla asked.
Another tiny nod.
"Great! Why don't Xena and Conon go find the tree while we wait here!" Rodney interjected.
"Because that would take hours, Rodney," Teyla snapped. "Would you really like us to leave you alone for that long in this hostile environment?"
Rodney visibly deflated, and John felt himself that much closer to convincing them. He twitched his hand in Ronon's direction again. Up, now. he wished he could say. We've already been stationary for too long. Got to keep moving.
Ronon still seemed a little hesitant, but he grasped John's hand anyway. John did his best to smile, trying to convey his decision, his acceptance, with the simple gesture.
Ronon nodded, now completely sure of himself. John could see it in the other man's eyes - a mind trained for battle, to make the hard choices for the betterment of the team. They had to keep moving, and John was more of a liability like this. If there was any chance of healing him, they had to take it.
Without releasing John's hand, or moving him yet, Ronon stood. "We're going. Now. No arguments." He declared. "Teyla take point. McKay, cover the rear."
Rodney opened his mouth to protest and then snapped it shut again when John raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine."
Ronon leaned over, bracing himself to lift John up, when suddenly all four teammates froze.
At first John thought he had imagined it; the small burst of static over his earpiece, but a second later it came again. And then the voice of the on-duty technician.
"This is Atlantis calling Colonel Sheppard's team. We, uh, just wanted to check in a little early."
John allowed himself to collapse against the tree again as Teyla reached for her earpiece.
He didn't have to make the hard decision for his team this time. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, John knew that he might have to make it again, in the future, but for now he could relax. Today he would make it home.
Today they were all on the side of the living.
Author:
chokolattejediRecipient: Tzzzz
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The universe of Stargate and all the characters therein are owned by many people, but I am not one of them.
A/N: Thanks so much to my Beta, TWO!
Summary: The team goes out on just another mission, only to discover a surprise or two along the way.
"So remind me where we're going again," Rodney whined, "and why you couldn't just send a team of your jarheads to take care of it instead of dragging me away from work which was very important and time sensitive and that I just know that Zelenka is going to screw up in my absenc-"
"Rodney!" John's raised voice effectively cut through the scientist's complaints. "We are going because the Drya are our trading partners and Teyla is worried about the fact that they didn't deliver their shipment of Tava fruit yesterday." Teyla raised one eyebrow at him. "A- and I'm concerned about them too."
"Yes," Teyla nodded, "in all of our trading experience with them, I have never known the Drya to be anything less than punctual."
"I'm just going so I can shoot something." Ronon added, smirking.
As Rodney opened his mouth to comment, John cut him off. "And since we don’t know if we're going to encounter someone hostile on the other side of the gate, we're going to be stealthy about going in now, so everyone stop talking."
Rodney huffed but hefted his p-90 anyway. "Fine."
"Of course, I'd feel much better if we were in a Jumper…" John said under his breath.
"You know that Elizabeth is worried about the trees so close to the gate," Teyla's voice bore her usual soothing tone, but John was having none of it this morning.
Despite his comments, John did feel discomfort about the lack of word from the Drya people, and he desperately wanted the security of having a Jumper around himself and his team before going off-world to a place that had possibly been attacked by the Wraith.
"I'm a better pilot than that," John mumbled, just barely loud enough for his team to hear. Ronon smiled and Teyla sighed knowingly, while Rodney just shook his head and muttered something about 'irritable flyboys who needed to overcompensate for certain things.'
"Let's go! The faster we figure this out, the faster we can get back home!" John declared, clicking the safety off on his gun and raising it to eye level.
Teyla and Ronon immediately followed his lead, Rodney a step behind. As they walked towards the gate, the shield vanished, and one gut-wrenching moment later, they were on the moon Dryain.
John looked around, instantly suspicious, and he knew the others were doing the same. At first glance, the land around the Stargate looked normal; the Wikkij trees that grew on this island were still standing, at least around the 'Gate, and the bulk of Dryain's sister moon, Myre, filled half of the horizon.
Upon closer inspection, though, John noticed that the natural orchard was eerily still, devoid of both movement and noise, and some of the trees seemed to be blighted.
Teyla gasped and John spun to look at her. "What?"
"The trees. I- I have never seen them in this condition before. So many leaves have fallen off…"
"So maybe it's like alien winter or something!" Rodney sounded as though he was panicking in spite of himself. "They're just trees!"
"Yes, trees that are tied to the Drya people," Teyla's voice carried far more bite than usual.
"Meaning that if something is wrong with the trees, Rodney, that something is probably wrong with the people," John added, unable to keep the condescension out of his voice.
"I do not like this." Teyla's voice shook.
Ronon grunted. "Let's go."
The team made their way towards the settlement on Wikkij Island, one of the largest ones on the ocean moon, where more than thirty linked islands formed the core of the Drya's territory.
They were a good hour away from the gate when Ronon signaled that he had sighted someone ahead. The others crept closer until the figure came clearly into sight. Teyla clearly recognized the man, as she immediately dashed towards him.
John's hissed "Teyla!" did nothing to dissuade her from running up to the man he thought was named Paj. John and Ronon groaned but followed her.
"Paj. Pajma!" Teyla ran up and laid a hand on the young man's shoulder.
He spun around and looked at her, and even from the distance between them, John could see his light green eyes staring blankly at the woman he usually hugged. "Wha-?"
"Paj, it is me, Teyla. Your mother and I have traded together for many years." Teyla looked to be an inch away from shaking the man until he remembered her.
John and Ronon reached them before Teyla could do anything so drastic, however, and John put one hand on her arm, both in gentle restraint and for support. "Ask him what happened, Teyla," he suggested.
Teyla paused, and at first John thought that she might not respond, but at last she looked back at Pajma, who was still staring blankly. "Pajma, we are friends. Please tell me what has happened here. What happened to the trees? Where did all the people go? Why was there no one to greet us at the Stargate? Please tell us, Pajma!"
The young Dryan continued to stare, but John felt a growing unease; from the way Ronon was shifting his grip on his gun, John wasn't the only one who felt that way. Before John could call out to Rodney to keep his eyes open, he heard a rustle in the bushes to his left.
Ronon immediately swung his arm around, aiming at the sound, but it was too late. Whoever was out there had surrounded them, and odd-sounding shots started coming from all directions.
"FIRE!" John yelled, spinning around to place his back to the rest of his team.
"WAIT! Some of them may be Dryan!" Teyla cried.
"Teyla!" John yelled, though he did shift his aim towards legs and knees, rather than chests. Ronon growled and continued shooting; John assumed that he had already assumed as much and set the weapon to stun. Rodney, as usual, was yelling nonsense and firing crazily.
After a few long moments, John stopped hearing the strange reports, and he cautiously paused his firing. Ronon shot off a few more rounds before loosening his grip on his blaster, and Teyla and Rodney had already halted.
John's darted glances around the orchard, determined not to be caught unawares again. The trees were still eerily silent, save for the heavy panting of his team, and the slight whimpering of the young Paj, who had fallen to Teyla's feet.
John didn't think he was hurt- simply frightened- but he would have Teyla check on the Dryan once they were assured of safety.
The clearing appeared to have been emptied of hostiles, and so after another long moment, John partially lowered his weapon. Rodney lowered his completely, as did Teyla, who immediately crouched over Paj. Ronon still held his blaster ready to fire, but John was used to the Satedan's paranoia by now.
A second later, a handful of shots were heard, and John felt a stinging sensation in his lower back. The world seemed to stretch into slow motion as Ronon spun around with a savage yell and sent blast after blast at the offending foliage. Rodney screamed as John crumpled to the ground, finding his legs unable to support his body.
"Colonel!" Teyla yelled, lunging across the distance between them.
She caught John's head just before it hit the ground, which he decided was a good thing, as it felt impossibly heavy to keep himself up. He knew that, especially with Rodney and Teyla distracted, that he should be keeping his eye on the forest around them, but he arms felt even heavier than his head.
He tried to speak, to ask Ronon weather he had killed or stunned their last attacker, but darkness edged out his vision, and he didn't think that he got the actual words out.
When John awoke again, he found himself propped against something rough. He couldn't move anything below his waist, but as he could only barely move his arms, he tried to push his concern to the back of his mind. He had a big enough headache anyway that borrowing trouble about something he couldn’t affect would only make things worse.
"Sheppard? Oh my god you're alive!" Rodney's terrified voice cut through the pounding in his brain and John struggled to reply.
"Oh, Teyla said that you shouldn't try to talk, or move or anything. She and Ronon went out to look for the rest of the tree people, but they brought the one we found with us." Rodney was talking at his usual pace, and John felt a small tingle of reassurance that at least something hadn't changed while he was unconscious.
"The ones that attacked us were a mixed group, Ronon said, of the tree people and someone else that Teyla didn't recognize. The tree people were being controlled by this gem thing that was on their neck, like right between their collarbones. When we pried if off of Pam or whatever his name was he snapped right out of it. Sobbing about how they made him do it and how he didn't want to hurt us, but the Myrians made him."
"My-?" John managed to whisper the beginning of the word before his throat muscles seized, and he spent the next several minutes gasping for breath while Rodney rung his hands and babbled about calling for help.
At last John got his breathing back under control and he allowed his head to fall back a few inches against the rough surface, his energy spent.
"I told you, Teyla said that you weren't allowed to talk," Rodney scolded. "Something about the poison that the Myrians put on their little rock bullets. At least I think that's what Ronon said they used. He might have said rocket buttons with the way he grunts, but rock bullets made more sense."
Rodney started wringing his hands, and John found himself keeping a tally in the back of his mind of just how agitated his scientist was.
"Anyways, tree boy, once he stopped groveling, explained that these Myrians came from the other moon; the one that this one co-orbits around. They landed in a great metal ship something like three revolutions ago, with I think comes to about a month. They've been hopping from island to island here on Drya, implanting these controlling gems on any tree folk they can find and then using them to ferret out the rest."
"And he went on and on about some kind of potion that these invaders coated their weapons with that rendered the Dryans completely helpless so that they could put these controlling gems on them, something that overrode something else, but could be overridden by another thing… it sounded suspiciously like Rock, Paper, Scissors, and if I didn't know for a fact that Ronon had no sense of humor I'd question his translation…"
John desperately wanted to ask why the Dryans hadn't hidden, the same way they hid from the Wraith, but he was mindful of what had happened the last time he tried to talk. Instead, he twitched his right hand in what he hopped was a 'go on' type of gesture.
Fortunately, Rodney interpreted it exactly as John hoped he would. "And I asked why they didn't just hide in the tree roots like they claimed to do when the Wraith come, and they said something about the Myrians being tied to the earth and using the ground itself to find them. When I suggested that the poor boy was delusional, he kicked up such a fuss that Teyla had to take him away." Rodney sounded huffy now, a sure sign that he was feeling a bit calmer.
"We put you on top of a tarp to keep you from being spied upon by the evil ground, and Ronon propped you against a tree before he took off, but that was it. For all we know you have spinal damage and he just started dragging you around like a sack of laundry!" John felt a small smile form at McKay's indignation on his behalf.
"Told me to guard you while they both went off into the darkness. For all they knew they could be walking into another trap and then we'll all die here!" Rodney had worked himself up to the point of pacing, and John allowed himself to zone out slightly while McKay worked off his frustration.
If the Myrians were anything like the people on their sister moon, then they very well could be connected to the earth; it would explain the mysterious compound on their weapons - some kind of natural chemical that poisoned trees and those who were bound to them - and it would further explain the blight on the trees that they had passed.
John frowned. If the Dryans had been attacked, and if Ronon and Teyla could not find a way back to the Stargate, then they would be left with no choice but to wait until Atlantis called. He wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but it was probably only a few hours, since the sun, which had been almost directly above them, was now somewhere over his shoulder. That meant that it would be a few hours more before Elizabeth would worry enough to check up on them.
Damn!
He would feel so much safer with a Jumper nearby, so that he might have his own genetic connection to counter the 'tree people' and 'rock people' as Rodney was calling them. But Elizabeth had forbidden the use of a Jumper on this mission, and now, if it became necessary to send one through, it would be with a less experienced pilot through himself.
If any of the marines scratched his jumper, he'd assign them to practice with Ronon every day for a week. No, a month! John growled, low in his throat, and was surprised when Rodney jumped. He didn't think that he had enough force in his weakened state to frighten anyone, let alone Rodney.
Rodney started again, and this time John was paying enough attention to hear a noise in the underbrush. John couldn't move enough to look for the cause, but he still tried. The aborted movement succeeded only in making John instantly weary again, and he wanted nothing more than to let sleep claim him, but he worried about Rodney guarding them alone, so he pushed the sleepiness away. He couldn't fire his gun, and he could barely talk, but their assailants didn't have to know that.
A few seconds later, a shape appeared in the darkness, and John felt a great relief sweeping through him. The hulking figure could only be Ronon, and the petite shadow at his side had to be Teyla. Rodney must have come to the same conclusion, because he lowered his P-90.
When they got close enough, John could see a smile on Ronon's face, and thoughtful expression on Teyla's. He longed to ask them what they had learned, but he feared trying to talk again. Fortunately, Ronon jogged right up to his side and squatted beside John to give his report.
"We found another group and took them out; took the gems off the good guys," he said. "One of them was an elder, and she talked about a counter poison. There's an island, on the far side of the planet, which has a tree whose sap is vaguely acidic. It's the only thing they know of that can cut through rock and burn the ground."
"It is the balancing force against the rock dust that the Myrians coat their weapons with," Teyla added. "A diluted dose of the Ichuri sap in a strong tea will negate the effects of the dust upon a person, and also render the natives immune to the controlling gems. It will not affect the Myrians, except in much larger doses than they could easily obtain."
"But it should cure you," Ronon interjected.
"The Elder Ior believed so. When she was taken, almost an hour ago, the island and those around it had not yet fallen to the intruders, but she said that it was only a matter of time. Without a forewarning, they do not have enough sap harvested, and they will be slow to free all of their people."
Teyla glanced at Ronon, as though unsure of how to proceed. John raised one eyebrow, attempting to replicate his normal 'spit it out now' look.
Eventually it was Ronon who spoke. "The only thing is, you have to get to one of the islands closer to Ichuri to get the sap, cause they don't have it on the islands further away, and we're pretty far out here."
"No, no no. No no." Rodney jumped to his feet, shaking his head. "You are not moving a man who is possibly paralyzed! You've already moved him once and Carson is going to kill me for letting you do even that much! You are not dragging Sheppard halfway across this god-forsaken planet!"
"I'm not sitting here in the open, with no cover, against an enemy that can talk to the trees around us either!" Ronon replied harshly.
"I'm sure you're exaggerating!" Rodney snapped back. "Sure they've got the best green thumb in this galaxy, but that doesn't make them the tree whisperer."
Ronon growled. "What do their thumbs have to do with anything?
Rodney huffed exasperatedly. "I thought Sheppard was teaching you all sorts of earth slang! You can ask him about it later!"
"If you keep me from moving him to a more secure location, there might not be a later," Ronon replied.
John desperately wished that he could add something to the conversation, but just opening his mouth caused his throat muscles to tighten. He was not looking forward to another spasm, but it appeared that he might not have a choice. As much as he dreaded the good doctor's wrath, he couldn't allow his team to remain out here, in the open, for hours while waiting for Atlantis to call.
John twitched his hand instead, and he was almost amused by the way that all three of his teammates were immediately drawn to the action.
"Yes?" Teyla asked, lying one gentle hand on John's knee.
He pushed aside the knowledge that he still couldn't feel her hand on his leg and instead focused his attention on Ronon. He looked the Satedan up and down, and then allowed his eyes to roll upwards.
"You want me to carry you?" Ronon asked slowly.
John dipped his head slightly; the closest he could get to nodding.
"You wish for us to find the island with the Ichuri tree on it?" Teyla asked.
Another tiny nod.
"Great! Why don't Xena and Conon go find the tree while we wait here!" Rodney interjected.
"Because that would take hours, Rodney," Teyla snapped. "Would you really like us to leave you alone for that long in this hostile environment?"
Rodney visibly deflated, and John felt himself that much closer to convincing them. He twitched his hand in Ronon's direction again. Up, now. he wished he could say. We've already been stationary for too long. Got to keep moving.
Ronon still seemed a little hesitant, but he grasped John's hand anyway. John did his best to smile, trying to convey his decision, his acceptance, with the simple gesture.
Ronon nodded, now completely sure of himself. John could see it in the other man's eyes - a mind trained for battle, to make the hard choices for the betterment of the team. They had to keep moving, and John was more of a liability like this. If there was any chance of healing him, they had to take it.
Without releasing John's hand, or moving him yet, Ronon stood. "We're going. Now. No arguments." He declared. "Teyla take point. McKay, cover the rear."
Rodney opened his mouth to protest and then snapped it shut again when John raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine."
Ronon leaned over, bracing himself to lift John up, when suddenly all four teammates froze.
At first John thought he had imagined it; the small burst of static over his earpiece, but a second later it came again. And then the voice of the on-duty technician.
"This is Atlantis calling Colonel Sheppard's team. We, uh, just wanted to check in a little early."
John allowed himself to collapse against the tree again as Teyla reached for her earpiece.
He didn't have to make the hard decision for his team this time. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, John knew that he might have to make it again, in the future, but for now he could relax. Today he would make it home.
Today they were all on the side of the living.
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