Understand, by Huggle, for the Enclosed Spaces Challenge
Title: Understand?
Author: Huggle
Pairing: None
Warnings: violence
Word Count:495
Summary: Major, you must be still and quiet. I will return for you. Do you understand?
Major, you must be still and quiet. I will return for you. Do you understand?
He understood why she looked so worried. Those bear things - whatever they were - came out of nowhere. It was that sudden, them all bursting out of the trees. Dark, bristling with rage and hunger, all howling and snarling. He, Teyla and Ford reacted on instinct; they fired their P90s into the pack, bullets tearing out bloody chunks of flesh and fur and smashing into bone. But they were in the midst of a circle of teeth and claws and when the opening came they had to take it; Teyla grabbed his arm and dragged him one way while Ford hauled McKay off in the other direction. The pack split and gave chase. Two miles, Sheppard thought. To the Stargate. They hadn't a chance.
He understood why his leg hurt. One of their pursuers was faster, more determined, hungrier than its brothers. Sheppard never realised it was so close until something big and heavy smashed into him, bringing him down. He was pinned and its teeth were in his thigh before he could react. He remembered screaming as it lifted its head, a glistening strip of flesh dangling from its maw - part of him. Then there were shots and Teyla was straining to heave it off him. Her face was pale as she hastily tore a field bandage from her kit and strapped it firmly around his leg. The bleeding was sluggish now, the bandage tacky around his thigh. But it was the heat he was struggling with; he was sitting next to a roaring fire and he couldn't move away from it. Except the fire was in him, charring its way through every inch. He wished he had his canteen.
He understood also why she'd put him in here. She'd heaved him as far as she could, him hanging against her side like a doll with the stuffing ripped out. But she couldn't shoot and support him; he knew it even as he watched in fevered confusion her kneeling beside the huge tree and shining the light of the P90 down among the roots. Then she was digging a little. When she turned back to him, slipping her arms under his, pulling him in against her chest, he knew what she was doing. She manoeuvred him backwards, pushing him down into the small burrow, shoving him as far back as she could until he felt wedged. Those bear things couldn't get down here. There wasn't room for them to dig down to him. The huge roots dug into his back and side; she'd had to take his pack, there just wasn't room for it as well. Finally she shimmied back aways and pressed a hand to his face.
Major, you must be still and quiet. I will return for you. Do you understand?
He did. The only thing he didn’t understand is why she never came back.
Author: Huggle
Pairing: None
Warnings: violence
Word Count:495
Summary: Major, you must be still and quiet. I will return for you. Do you understand?
Major, you must be still and quiet. I will return for you. Do you understand?
He understood why she looked so worried. Those bear things - whatever they were - came out of nowhere. It was that sudden, them all bursting out of the trees. Dark, bristling with rage and hunger, all howling and snarling. He, Teyla and Ford reacted on instinct; they fired their P90s into the pack, bullets tearing out bloody chunks of flesh and fur and smashing into bone. But they were in the midst of a circle of teeth and claws and when the opening came they had to take it; Teyla grabbed his arm and dragged him one way while Ford hauled McKay off in the other direction. The pack split and gave chase. Two miles, Sheppard thought. To the Stargate. They hadn't a chance.
He understood why his leg hurt. One of their pursuers was faster, more determined, hungrier than its brothers. Sheppard never realised it was so close until something big and heavy smashed into him, bringing him down. He was pinned and its teeth were in his thigh before he could react. He remembered screaming as it lifted its head, a glistening strip of flesh dangling from its maw - part of him. Then there were shots and Teyla was straining to heave it off him. Her face was pale as she hastily tore a field bandage from her kit and strapped it firmly around his leg. The bleeding was sluggish now, the bandage tacky around his thigh. But it was the heat he was struggling with; he was sitting next to a roaring fire and he couldn't move away from it. Except the fire was in him, charring its way through every inch. He wished he had his canteen.
He understood also why she'd put him in here. She'd heaved him as far as she could, him hanging against her side like a doll with the stuffing ripped out. But she couldn't shoot and support him; he knew it even as he watched in fevered confusion her kneeling beside the huge tree and shining the light of the P90 down among the roots. Then she was digging a little. When she turned back to him, slipping her arms under his, pulling him in against her chest, he knew what she was doing. She manoeuvred him backwards, pushing him down into the small burrow, shoving him as far back as she could until he felt wedged. Those bear things couldn't get down here. There wasn't room for them to dig down to him. The huge roots dug into his back and side; she'd had to take his pack, there just wasn't room for it as well. Finally she shimmied back aways and pressed a hand to his face.
Major, you must be still and quiet. I will return for you. Do you understand?
He did. The only thing he didn’t understand is why she never came back.