Cold Nights (2/5, PG)titan5December 14 2009, 03:01:25 UTC
John gripped Ronon’s hand, but when he tried to climb off the cot, he almost fell into the water. Would have if Ronon hadn’t caught him. His legs appeared to be locked, unable to respond to commands. Rodney reached out to help Ronon get the colonel to his feet.
“Sorry . . . g-g-guess b-b-been here . . . t-t-too long . . . just s-s-s-so c-c-c-old.”
Rodney winced at the stuttering apology. Now that they had Sheppard partially upright, he could see how thin the man had become. The wet t-shirt clung to his body, revealing weight loss from his captivity. Apparently he hadn’t exactly been fed well the last week and a half. Rodney helped Ronon get John moving toward the door, not easy with the high water level and John barely able to move.
By the time they reached the door leading out of the building, Sheppard was dead weight between Rodney and Ronon. The Satedan threw the pilot’s arm around his neck and put his own around Sheppard’s waist, looping a finger through his belt hoop. “I’ve got him,” he said firmly.
Rodney relinquished Sheppard’s arm and they filed quietly into the night. He remained behind Ronon, making sure that the big man kept their team leader safe. They had lost him once. It wasn’t going to happen again.
Halfway to the jumper, Ronon hit a slick spot in the mud, sending him and Sheppard down in a pile of arms and legs. There was much scrambling and flailing and then the Colonel was crawling away through the muck.
“Sheppard,” Rodney whispered, taking off after him. “Where are you going? Get back here.”
Teyla managed to get ahead of John and kneeled in front of him, taking him by the shoulders. “John, you must stop. We are trying to help you.”
John pulled away so fast he slipped and landed on his side, one arm stretched out beside him. Every time he tried to pull it under him, it would slide away, making him growl in frustration.
“John,” Teyla said. “Stop.” He did. Looking into her face for a moment, he looked at Rodney on his left and Ronon, now on his right, and then back to Teyla.
“Teyla? You guys . . . you’re r-r-really here?”
“Yes, John, we are.” Teyla smiled, reaching out slowly to touch his face.
With a small nod, John glanced around at the wet forest around him. “Can . . . w-we go home? Want to go home.”
“Good, because that’s where the rest of us want to go. It’s freezing and pouring down rain, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Rodney said.
John chuckled and then slumped over in the mud as if the exhaustion was just too much. Not thinking, Rodney reached out to touch his shoulder when it looked like he’d passed out. There was a sudden impact and sensation of falling and then John was straddling him in the mud with his arm pressed to Rodney’s throat, making it hard to breathe. He was suddenly aware that the others were all calling to John to stop, but with his vision graying, he couldn’t seem to add his own encouragement.
And then he could breathe again, an act he relished as he sucked in copious amounts of oxygen. Rodney knew he probably looked like a floundering fish, but he didn’t care. His heart was racing so fast that he was dizzy. Or maybe that was the lack of oxygen.
“Rodney, are you all right?” Teyla squeezed his shoulder.
“Yeah . . . fine . . . “ Teyla helped him sit up and he could see Sheppard slumped over in Ronon’s arms. “You didn’t . . . stun him . . . did you?”
“Passed out finally,” the runner responded.
“Oh . . . okay . . . we should go now.”
Ronon grinned and nodded as Lorne rolled his eyes. “Why is it rescuing one of you guys is always some kind of crazy adventure?”
“Not always,” Rodney protested. “Maybe every once in a while . . . or more . . . okay a lot canwego now? So we don’t freeze?” Rodney took off toward the jumper and hoped everyone else would follow . . . soon. The wind had picked up and it really was cold out here, which couldn’t possibly be good for Sheppard, even if the man could still knock you down and strangle you to death.
“Sorry . . . g-g-guess b-b-been here . . . t-t-too long . . . just s-s-s-so c-c-c-old.”
Rodney winced at the stuttering apology. Now that they had Sheppard partially upright, he could see how thin the man had become. The wet t-shirt clung to his body, revealing weight loss from his captivity. Apparently he hadn’t exactly been fed well the last week and a half. Rodney helped Ronon get John moving toward the door, not easy with the high water level and John barely able to move.
By the time they reached the door leading out of the building, Sheppard was dead weight between Rodney and Ronon. The Satedan threw the pilot’s arm around his neck and put his own around Sheppard’s waist, looping a finger through his belt hoop. “I’ve got him,” he said firmly.
Rodney relinquished Sheppard’s arm and they filed quietly into the night. He remained behind Ronon, making sure that the big man kept their team leader safe. They had lost him once. It wasn’t going to happen again.
Halfway to the jumper, Ronon hit a slick spot in the mud, sending him and Sheppard down in a pile of arms and legs. There was much scrambling and flailing and then the Colonel was crawling away through the muck.
“Sheppard,” Rodney whispered, taking off after him. “Where are you going? Get back here.”
Teyla managed to get ahead of John and kneeled in front of him, taking him by the shoulders. “John, you must stop. We are trying to help you.”
John pulled away so fast he slipped and landed on his side, one arm stretched out beside him. Every time he tried to pull it under him, it would slide away, making him growl in frustration.
“John,” Teyla said. “Stop.” He did. Looking into her face for a moment, he looked at Rodney on his left and Ronon, now on his right, and then back to Teyla.
“Teyla? You guys . . . you’re r-r-really here?”
“Yes, John, we are.” Teyla smiled, reaching out slowly to touch his face.
With a small nod, John glanced around at the wet forest around him. “Can . . . w-we go home? Want to go home.”
“Good, because that’s where the rest of us want to go. It’s freezing and pouring down rain, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Rodney said.
John chuckled and then slumped over in the mud as if the exhaustion was just too much. Not thinking, Rodney reached out to touch his shoulder when it looked like he’d passed out. There was a sudden impact and sensation of falling and then John was straddling him in the mud with his arm pressed to Rodney’s throat, making it hard to breathe. He was suddenly aware that the others were all calling to John to stop, but with his vision graying, he couldn’t seem to add his own encouragement.
And then he could breathe again, an act he relished as he sucked in copious amounts of oxygen. Rodney knew he probably looked like a floundering fish, but he didn’t care. His heart was racing so fast that he was dizzy. Or maybe that was the lack of oxygen.
“Rodney, are you all right?” Teyla squeezed his shoulder.
“Yeah . . . fine . . . “ Teyla helped him sit up and he could see Sheppard slumped over in Ronon’s arms. “You didn’t . . . stun him . . . did you?”
“Passed out finally,” the runner responded.
“Oh . . . okay . . . we should go now.”
Ronon grinned and nodded as Lorne rolled his eyes. “Why is it rescuing one of you guys is always some kind of crazy adventure?”
“Not always,” Rodney protested. “Maybe every once in a while . . . or more . . . okay a lot canwego now? So we don’t freeze?” Rodney took off toward the jumper and hoped everyone else would follow . . . soon. The wind had picked up and it really was cold out here, which couldn’t possibly be good for Sheppard, even if the man could still knock you down and strangle you to death.
Reply
Leave a comment