Staragateland Little!Bang: The Worst Day Part Two by stella_pegasi Team Atlantis
Title: The Worst Day
Author: stella_pegasi
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing: Radek Zelenka, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay
Spoilers: none
Warnings: Minor language
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Word count: 12,199
Disclaimer: I do not own them, I would have treated them better.
Summary: Dr. Radek Zelenka’s day started out badly; then it got worse.
Written for Stargateland’s Little!Bang Challenge. Posted as member of Team Atlantis.
THE WORST DAY
by stella_pegasi
Part Two
“Colonel, those weapons didn’t wait to fire until you were no longer in the room. Why?”
“Wondering that myself; this part of the complex must be more restrictive. It must require more identification than simply the gene to gain access to this area. What the hell is this place, Radek?”
“I do not know for sure, colonel, but I suspect it might be an Ancient library. If it is, why is it located in the Pegasus galaxy?”
“Asking why the Ancients did anything is the big question, Radek. The problem is figuring out the answer. Looks like we are about to take a turn to the left, does that get us closer to where we think Rodney is?”
Radek looked down at his tablet, “I believe it will, colonel.”
The bend in the corridor was approaching. As they got closer, their vision began fading as the light began to dim. When they reached the turn, Sheppard motioned for Radek to stop. The colonel flattened against the wall on the inside corner of the passageway. He peered around the edge, and then stepped around, disappearing from view.
Radek waited impatiently. He was nervous; anxious about Rodney, worried about Rodriguez, scared about what was down that dark corridor. The colonel was out of sight for what felt like an eternity. Radek was trying to be quiet, but the sound of his own heart beating was pounding in his ears. He thought his heart was going to leap from his chest when Sheppard reappeared and hurriedly motioned for him to come along.
Radek turned the corner, gasping at the condition of the building. The hallway where they were standing was intact, but approximately thirty feet from them was devastation. The ceiling was sagging, fractured; chunks of the panels were scattered about the hallway, obstructing their passage in some spots. The lights were dim where the destruction began, beyond, it was pitch black.
“Colonel?”
“Yeah… I scouted ahead; it’s a mess. I’m not certain far we can get, but we've gotta to try. At least, we know we’re in the right place.”
“Yes, we must try; Rodney is counting on us.” Radek steeled himself for the danger ahead. Rodney would do the same for him.
Sheppard started down the corridor; Radek followed. The colonel's tac light and the flashlight that he carried soon became their only illumination. Both men tripped a couple of times on chunks of ceiling debris as they made their way down the corridor.
“Hold this; need to move a couple of these pieces.”
Radek grabbed the P-90 Sheppard shoved at him. He aimed both flashlights on the area where Sheppard shoved a couple of large pieces of the ceiling toward the wall. Once a narrow path was cleared, Radek handed Sheppard his weapon back, and they continued.
“Colonel, I am beginning to get a spike in the energy levels. Although there are no lights, something is powered up a…” Radek wasn't paying attention to the debris in his path. He stumbled and toppled over a large chunk of what appeared to be concrete. The small scientist's body pitched hard into the opposite wall of the corridor.
“Radek, you OK?” Sheppard asked, as he knelt down beside him.
Radek wearily struggled to sit upright. His hair was sticking out wildly in every direction; his glasses askew. He exhaled before he answered the colonel, “I'm alright. At least, I think I'm OK. This has been a dreadful day that is only getting worse."
Sheppard grinned slightly, holding out his hand to help Radek up. “Don’t say that; although, I have a gut feeling you might be right. As Radek stood with the colonel’s support, Sheppard continued, “As long as we find McKay, it will be OK.” Radek nodded in response, and they continued down the hall. With each footstep, they plowed through an increasing mass of debris.
They had traversed another twenty feet when the tac light on Sheppard’s P-90 revealed another glass doorway. A large amount of debris and dirt was piled against the door, partially blocked passage. Sheppard carefully moved up to the glass, standing on a chunk of concrete. Dirt covered the glass and Sheppard wiped it away with his shirt sleeve.
Radek stood back as Sheppard peered through the still dirty glass, using his hand to wipe a smaller section a bit cleaner. Radek didn’t take a breath until the colonel spoke.
“That’s daylight filtering through; we have to be close to where Rodney fell in. There’s rubble and dirt everywhere. Room looks like the others, bigger than the last one. There seems to be some to be some kind of equipment on the left side. Can’t see well from this angle. Help me move this panel; I need to get further in that corner to get a better view.” Sheppard started to hop down from the section of the large panel he was standing on, but lost his footing. He fell on top of a large piece of the roof material; his lower left side impacting on a sharp, narrow side of the chunk.
Radek clutched the edge of the colonel’s vest before he rolled completely off the rock-like object, lowering Sheppard gently to the floor. “Colonel, are you OK?”
Sheppard shook his head yes, but the grimace that passed his face told the true story. “Help me, up.”
Radek slid his arm under the colonel’s to provide leverage. Planting his feet to support Sheppard’s weight, Radek strained while the colonel pushed up off the floor. Once he was upright, Radek handed him his P-90. Leaning against the wall, Sheppard tired to catch his breath, but the air was thick with dust. Sheppard began coughing harshly from the fine particles he inhaled.
“Colonel?” Radek held out his small canteen. Sheppard grabbed the container, taking a long drink of water. As he handed the canteen back, he managed to speak, although his voice was raspy, rough.
“Thanks. Let’s get that panel moved.” As Sheppard moved, he groaned, and rubbed his side, but continued. Together, they pulled the large ceiling panel away from the door. Sheppard carefully inched over the remaining pile and flattened against the glass.
“I can see the entire room; it looks like the far left corner is caved in. There’s light coming through the ceiling, filtering through gaps in the debris.” Radek watched as Sheppard pushed against the glass to gain a clearer view. Seconds later, Sheppard reacted.
“Rodney’s in there, he's lying in front of that console thing. He’s covered with a lot of rubble.” Sheppard was quiet for few seconds, then said, “The door won’t open, it’s stuck. Help me pull this stuff away.”
Radek and Sheppard worked feverishly to pull away the debris. The pieces were ragged and sharp, and in some cases quite heavy. Radek noticed that every time Sheppard pulled on a heavy piece, he was stifling a groan. He had suspected the colonel was hurt worse than he would admit. When they had most of the big pieces away, Sheppard tried again but the door didn’t move.
“Radek,” Sheppard stepped away from the door. Radek pulled off the door control cover off and jiggled the crystals, then moved them around.
“Do háje! There is no power coming to the control…hold on, there is weak reading…give me moment”
Radek concentrated on the task, trying to forget about Rodney lying on the floor in the room beyond. He allowed brief thanks that Sheppard was patient or, at least, was being quiet. If the situation had been reversed, Rodney would be clamoring at him to hurry up. Then again, Rodney would have already elbowed him out of the way and taken over. He traced the source of the feeble current and made the connections; hoping he could bring enough power to the door to open it.
“Try now.”
Sheppard spoke, “Open.” The door hissed, parted slightly, then stopped. He repeated the command with the same results.
Radek fiddled with the crystals again, “The control is receiving power, now; there could be a short somewhere. Hold on; let me see.” He pulled one out and rubbed in on his sleeve, replaced it. Turning to Sheppard, he nodded. This time the colonel gave a silent command, and the door slid roughly, jerking as it tried to open. The door panels partially opened, stalled, then slammed shut. Particles of dirt and tiny pieces of the ceiling floated like confetti over them.
“Pani ho do pekla! Tato věc je kus šoustající shit.” Radek began cursing in Czech; he was becoming very frustrated. Turning to Sheppard, “Plukovník, dělat nebude...sorry…I do not know what is wrong, unless crystal has microscopic crack. I believe that…”
Looking at him, Sheppard frowned, “Radek, this calls for drastic measures.” Picking up a piece of debris, “This should do the trick. Watch yourself.” Sheppard turned around and threw the ‘rock’ at the glass doors. Both men watched in astonishment as the heavy object stuck the glass and bounced off.
“Son of a bitch,” Sheppard was pissed. “What the crap is that made of?” Sheppard walked up to the door, pushing on the glass. Radek watched as the frustrated man slammed the butt of his P-90 against the glass. The glass reverberated, but didn’t break. Sheppard, however, grabbed his shoulder, in obvious pain. “Shit…this is pissing me off.”
“Colonel, that ‘glass’ may not be pure glass; I believe it must be reinforced.”
Radek withered a bit, when Sheppard turned and glared at him, sharply uttering, “You think?”
Radek asked, “Should we try the door again?”
He waited for Sheppard to comment, but the colonel simply stared at him for a moment. Then he began looking around the corridor floor; his tac light pausing when he came to a big piece of rubble. Hooking his P-90 to his vest, Sheppard picked up the thick, heavy block, and started to make his way to the door.
“Radek, get that control working; when the door opens, I’m gonna wedge this between them. This should keep the doors separated enough for us to pass through. Give me a second to get set.”
Radek went back to the controls; he felt a tinge of hope when the sensors in his tablet indicated that the power levels were increasing slightly. Perhaps, it would be enough. “Colonel, the door is drawing power from another source. We might have better chance.”
Sheppard grunted, “Understood,” as he strained to slide the sizable block into place. Satisfied that he had the make-shift doorstop where it needed to, he looked at Radek, “Ready?”
As he bridged the crystals, Radek heard the door emit a low buzzing sound. The morning episode with his alarm clock invaded his thoughts; the morning seemed more than mere hours ago. The door panels started pulling apart, jerking from the center, then flew open. The doors vibrated roughly. Sheppard used his weight to shove the block into the door’s path, then stepped back quickly. No sooner had he cleared the door, did the door slam shut, or nearly shut. The block accomplished what Sheppard had intended; it succeeded in keeping the door panels apart.
“Radek, go.”
Slipping through the opening, Radek didn’t wait for Sheppard, he ran straight to where Rodney was lying. The rubble was piled around the Ancient console standing next to McKay. McKay was lying in an area of less dense debris; his legs trapped by what appeared to be a ceiling support beam. The scientist was pale, even in the dim light, and so still that Radek was extremely concerned. He was shaking as he dropped to his knees, reaching out to check Rodney’s pulse. As he pressed his fingers to Rodney’s neck, he began to breathe easier. He could feel a pulse, weak, but there. Radek was about to yell the news that Rodney was alive to Sheppard when the last sound they hoped to hear shattered the silence. The piercing siren that accompanied the security weapons activated. Turning around, Radek saw two weapons drop from the section of the ceiling still intact; another dropped but was clearly damaged.
Looking toward the colonel, he saw Sheppard take aim at one of the weapons. He fired, but the weapon rotated at the last second and the round missed its target.
Over the din of the siren, Radek heard Sheppard shouting, “Radek, is McKay OK? Can you drag him out of the way?”
“No, he is pinned by debris, but he is alive. His pulse is weak, and he is unconscious.” Radek was hiding behind a large pile of rubble. He wasn’t certain that Sheppard could hear everything he said.
He glanced at Rodney, who was somewhat in the open, to the extent that he was exposed to the weapon, but, most likely, not in danger due to his artificial ATA gene. Sheppard was crouched behind a piece of furniture; he was not in danger from the weapon. No, the Czech scientist knew the weapon was clearly tracking him. He muttered while waiting for Sheppard to tell him what to do, “Toto je vellum špatný den.” It had been very bad day, indeed.
Radek peered around the rubble to see what Sheppard was doing. At that moment, the colonel was taking aim at one of the weapons. A few seconds later the room reverberated with the sound of P-90 fire, and one Ancient security weapon bit the dust. Then the roof caved in.
A crack in the ceiling started at the edge of the earlier collapse, above where Rodney was trapped. Extending across the large room, the crack ended directly above the doorway they had entered. As the ceiling began to fall, Radek guessed that the extreme vibration of the doors, along with the concussion from the P-90 fire, increased stress on the crack. With the damage already done, that amount of mechanical stress could cause an additional collapse. Radek had little time to react.
“Radek, get to cover.” He barely heard Sheppard’s voice over the rumble of the falling ceiling. Sheppard yelled something else to him, but he had already spun around toward Rodney, intending on shielding him from the debris. Anything Sheppard shouted was lost in the din. He flung his body across Rodney’s head and back, sheltering his own head with his arms.
The sound of the ceiling breaking, rocks and debris spilling into the far side of the room seemed to go on forever. The air was filling with dust and dirt particles, fragments from the ceiling were bouncing off the floor, some rolling in his direction. Radek was coughing, the thick air seeping in under his arms. He was beginning to think this would never end, when the deafening noise abated. Only the muffled sound of smaller rocks and settling debris, reached his ears. He checked Rodney and could find no addition injuries, although he was still out cold. Then it hit him, there was no other sound, no human sound. Colonel Sheppard wasn’t calling out to see if he and Rodney were ok.
Struggling to his feet, Radek turned toward the area where he had last seen the colonel. There was nothing there but a pile of dirt, ceiling panels, and concrete. He cautiously made his way through the newly deposited rubble. Visibility was limited, the settling dust still thick and swirling. He had tucked his flashlight into the waistband of his trousers; groping for it, he nabbed the small light, and switched it on. Most of the beam bounced back at him, but he could see slightly better, and began scouring the room for any sign of Sheppard.
He whispered “Zůstávají klidné, Radek”, to himself, trying to make certain he remained calm. He swept the devastated area slowly, so he wouldn’t miss anything; calling for Sheppard had produced no results. Radek’s panic level was escalating quickly when he caught a glint of deep red in the flashlight beam, then of something dark and shiny…and spiky. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light; it was Sheppard or more precisely, Sheppard’s hair. He crossed the short distance as quickly as he could. “Colonel, colonel, can you hear me?”
Sheppard was lying beneath an enormous slab of concrete, with more debris heaped on and around him. The flash of red Radek saw in the beam was blood; the colonel had suffered a deep, uneven laceration on the back of his head. The injury was low, near his neck, and was bleeding profusely. Radek plucked a pressure bandage from his TAC vest, placing it over the jagged cut as securely as possible. He felt for Sheppard’s pulse, relieved to find a strong heartbeat. Radek sat back on his heels, contemplating his next move. He decided to attempt to extract Sheppard from underneath the rubble.
After a bit of trial and error, he located a chunk of debris that he could utilize to prop up his flashlight. The air remained dense with dust, and visibility was very limited. The light from the small flashlight helped, but the particles suspended in the air behaved like fog, diffusing the light. Staring at the pile of rubble in front of him, he felt overwhelmed. Exhaling a long sigh, he began to tug at the debris; he didn’t have a choice; he had to try.
Radek worked diligently, carefully removing bits of debris that surrounded the colonel. The pile was not as unstable as he had feared; however, it wasn’t exactly steady either. He was reminded of the game pick-up sticks, he played as a child; a game which he sucked at. He finally managed to clear part of the debris away from the large slab that was pinning Sheppard to the floor. One more block of the ceiling panel to move, then he would have to find something to use as a fulcrum to pry the slab away.
After a bit of a struggle, he manhandled the last large piece of rubble from the slab. Standing up, he took a long swig of water from his canteen, and scanned the debris. The air was still full of dust, but visibility was improving. Spotting a lengthy piece of pipe, Radek thought he might have found his fulcrum. He stretched as far as he could, but barely managed to brush the pipe with his fingertips. Pressing forward to secure a better grip, he lost his balance. Before he could grab onto anything, he pitched face first into the rubble. Radek’s forehead struck against a lump of concrete, and he blacked out.
~oooOooo~
Gradually, Radek drifted back into awareness; for a second, he couldn’t remember where he was but then the situation came flooding back into his senses. He sat up; rubbing his forehead, he discovered a large and very tender knot had formed above his right eye. He was relieved to find his glasses still intact. As he looked around, he spotted a pool of light a few feet away, his flashlight. The air was clearer, most of the dust had settled, and visibility had improved.
When he fell, he had landed near Colonel Sheppard. Reaching out, he felt again for a pulse and thankfully, Sheppard’s heartbeat was still strong. Before he attempted to free the colonel, he needed to check on McKay’s status. He rose gingerly from the floor, and had taken only one step, when he heard a low grinding sound. He froze, “Oh, žádné,” the sound was coming from the security weapons. Hearing the sharp whine of the weapon, building energy to fire, he lunged behind the rubble pile that was covering Sheppard. Shards of concrete and ceiling panels exploded from the spot he had been standing.
He sat with his back toward the weapon. He was pinned down with nowhere to go. Thinking that the weapon must work on motion and detection of the gene, the clearing air allowed it to detect him. The fact remained that he was the only person in the room without some form of the ATA gene; he was dead if he moved. “Come on, Radek; think.” He had to formulate a plan to get himself and his friends out of danger.
For the first time since he entered the room, Radek took notice of the equipment that Sheppard had mentioned when he first looked into the room. Along the opposite wall, there were three consoles of Ancient design; Rodney was lying in front of one of them. Radek aimed his flashlight toward the area, and could tell they were similar to the consoles scattered about Atlantis. He felt a twitch of excitement when he realized that the consoles were active. Rodney’s artificial gene or Colonel Sheppard simply entering the room may have been enough to power the consoles up. It also meant that power was still flowing to that side of the room. If that was so, he might be able to get them out of the situation. But first he had to keep from getting killed.
Radek looked at Sheppard, who was laying on his side, under the slab, a pool of congealing blood beneath his head. The bandage he had applied wasn’t soaked with blood, so he was moderately certain Sheppard’s head wound was no longer bleeding. Radek leaned against the debris pile, slipped off his glasses, and rubbed his tired, dry eyes. He mumbled, “Stupid ATA gene, if it had taken on me, I wouldn’t be dead man walking.” He sat up straight, “By mohlo... mohla, práce? Could that work? Could it be that simple?” Radek began crawling toward Colonel Sheppard.
Sliding across the floor, he stopped next to the colonel’s head and dipped his fingers in the thickening blood. He grimaced at the tackiness of the blood, then proceeded to spread a thin layer over his hand and wrist. Cautiously, he elevated his hand until it cleared the debris. He heard the weapon pivot on the suspension rod, searching out the movement it sensed. He kept his hand exposed for about two minutes, waving it ever so slightly at first, then very quickly. The security weapon didn’t fire. Slowly dropping his hand, Radek stared at the sheer red stain across the back of his hand in disbelief. It worked.
“Colonel, we never want to see you injured; today, however, your injury may help us to get out of here; just don’t do it again.” Radek smeared Sheppard’s blood across his bare hand, face, and neck. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he slowly stood up. The weapon didn’t react.
Careful not to make any sudden movements, Radek treaded through the debris to Rodney. Radek was pleased to find that the scientist’s pulse seemed slightly stronger. Once he was satisfied that Rodney was no worse than before, he started toward the consoles. He could not get to the front of the consoles from where Rodney lay; the debris was blocking access. The only way to get to the controls was to make his way to the last console, then around to the working side.
Surveying the symbols on the consoles, Radek reached the conclusion that they must be in the control room of the facility. One of the consoles appeared to be for life support, one for security, and one for operations. He decided to start with the security system, trying to disarm the weapons' system. He worked quickly; luckily, the consoles on Atlantis were nearly identical. He was certain he had found the emergency override code for the security system. Once he was confident it was the correct sequence, he inputted the code and waited. Within seconds, the tiny red light indicating the weapon was powered, faded to black.
Radek lowered his head to the console’s front edge, taking a few seconds to relax. He resisted the urge to feel pleased; disarming the weapon was important. However, he had two injured friends who were depending on him. He had to find a way to communicate with Major Lorne.
Moving to the console that he assumed handled operations, he lifted the larger pieces of rubble off, using his hand to brush away the dirt and smaller debris. It was then he noticed a blinking light. Radek racked his brain, trying to remember how the crystals were laid out on Atlantis’s consoles. They had interfaced their computers with the Ancient equipment, and rarely accessed the Ancient controls, running everything from their laptops. Which he could possibility do here, if his laptop was working.
Along the wall, behind him, was a series of towers that held the active crystals. He began pulling the drawers open, examining the small symbols engraved on each. Crystal by crystal, he reconstructed the console schematic in his mind. Once he finished, he knew what the blinking light on the console represented. He began to mutter to himself as the realization of what the steady humming sound he had come to investigate actually was. If he was right, they had a big problem. He had to talk to Lorne.
The big problem was that Radek was convinced that the humming sound was from a shield. A shield that was not only designed to protect the breached facility, but also serving as a force field to keep the remainder of the roof from collapsing. If he turned off the force field, eventually the others could reach them. However, they would find them crushed under more debris. He pulled his borrowed tablet from its connection on the security console, and slipped the interface connector into the operations console. After a few erroneous pathways, and a few uttered expletives in Czech and English, he located the shield program. After a few minutes of review, he realized that there were some weak sections in the shield. Perhaps, if he could manipulate the field, he could punch a small hole in it, enough to get communications through without disturbing the entire integrity of the field.
He was about to implement his plan when he heard a soft moan. He immediately thought that Colonel Sheppard was coming to, but a quick flashlight swing showed the colonel to be very still. Radek hurriedly made his way around the consoles, if the moan did not come from the colonel; it had to be from Rodney.
Dropping onto his knees next to McKay, Radek spoke to him, “Rodney, can you hear me? With a rush of relief, Radek watched Rodney’s eyelids flutter for a few seconds and then open.
McKay’s voice was raspy, weak; Radek had to lean in closely to understand him as he whispered, “Radek?”
“Yes, Rodney, it is me.”
“You, you…rescue…me?”
Radek grinned, “That is idea, Rodney, but we have run into snag, must get through the force field to get help from Major Lorne.”
“Saw weak spots…go…through…them…” Rodney closed his eyes again. Radek realized he was unconscious once more.
As he stood up, he smiled, “That’s what I am planning to do, smartest man in two galaxies.” He was sort of glad that Rodney was unconscious again. He didn’t want Rodney to hear him say that, even if it was the truth.
Returning to the console, Radek began his efforts to punch through the force field. After several near misses, almost collapsing the field completely on one try, Radek keyed his radio and called for Major Lorne.
“This is Lorne. Radek, Radek, is that you? What’s your status?”
Radek nearly wept for joy, but composed himself to reply. When he spoke, the words tumbled from him, “Yes, yes…it is me. We found Rodney; he is alive, but injured. Colonel Sheppard and Corporal Rodriguez have been injured, also. Left Dr. J and Brenner in facility…”
Lorne interrupted, his calm voice helping Radek calm a bit, “Doc., slow down. Let’s take this slower.”
Radek took a deep breath. He then proceeded, slowly, to give Lorne detailed information about their journey through the facility. Once he finished, he succumbed to his weariness and the pain in his head, joining Sheppard and McKay in unconsciousness.
~oooOooo~
The soft repetitive beeping entered his consciousness; a low, melancholy sound. Although his eyes were closed, he could sense light. There were other strange sounds, smells he didn’t recognize. There was, however, a voice he recognized, McKay. He forced his eyes open to discover he was in the infirmary on Atlantis. Raising his head, he saw McKay in a bed on his left, Colonel Sheppard on his right. Teyla was sitting in a chair between his bed and Sheppard’s, Ronon on the other side next to Rodney.
“Rodney?”
“Well, the hero finally awakens,” was Rodney’s somewhat groggy response.
Sheppard struggled to sit up, “McKay, we could very well be dead if Radek hadn’t figured out how to get us out of there. So be nice…” he grimaced. His shoulder was in a sling from being dislocated, he had a cracked rib from his fall, and his right hip severely bruised from the slab of concrete that had fallen on him. “Just…be nice, Rodney.”
“I am nice…I’m just…” Rodney faltered, his head was hurting, and he couldn’t think what he wanted to say.
Ronon interjected, “Jealous that Radek saved everyone.” He flashed a strong grin at McKay.
“No, I…am not.” Rodney answered with a glare toward Ronon. “I am thankful Sheppard brought him. Radek rescued us.”
Radek, surprised at Rodney’s admission, stared at Rodney, who refused to look at him. He uttered a quiet thank you to McKay, and then turned to Sheppard. “Colonel, do you know what happened after I spoke to Major Lorne?”
“Yeah, Lorne immediately sent for Beckett, since Jennifer doesn’t have the gene. He then assembled a team of Marines and scientists with the gene, since they were uncertain the security system was completely inactivated. Once Carson arrived, they went to the ring and teleported into the facility. They found Dr. J and the corporals, then proceeded on to the room we were in. At the same time, the CE’s were tunneling from above through the gap in the force field.” He took a sharp breath, and Teyla spoke up to finish the story.
“Once Dr. Cox and Lt. May had reliable data readings, they stabilized and widen the gap in the force field. The combat engineers were then able to extract sufficient debris to clear a path into the room where you were trapped. Using a basket attached to the underside of a jumper, they hauled you to the surface. It took a few hours to accomplish rescuing you. At least, Dr. Beckett and Dr. J were there to take care of you.”
McKay looked at Radek, “That was a good call bringing Cox and May.”
Sheppard added, “I think they should both get more mission time. Lorne said they handled themselves very well. By the way, Radek, can you explain why you were covered in blood? Lorne said when they found you, they thought you were the most badly injured.”
Radek sank down in the pillows, “The security weapon was still active and tracking me. You were unconscious and couldn't shoot it down. I thought maybe I could fool the weapon to think I had the gene, so I smeared your blood on my skin. I was surprised, but it worked.”
“You used my blood…to…fool the security system? Clever; don’t you think so Rodney?”
“Yeah, clever, very clever,” Rodney groaned as he jostled his broken right leg.
Radek remembered that Corporal Rodriguez had been injured, “Colonel, Rodriguez, is he OK?”
Sheppard pointed to a bed on the other side of the room. “Yeah, he’s gonna be fine. Brenner’s over there with him. Damn fool won’t go get any rest, has to stay there he said. Teammates can be stubborn.” He smiled as he watched Teyla frown at him.
Radek smiled, he liked Brenner and Rodriguez as well. He was very happy that the young corporal would be alright. He sighed, thinking how lucky they all were to have such amazing people around that took care of each other.
“Radek,” Rodney rolled over to look at him, “your theory about the facility being a library of some kind; I believe you’re correct. From what I saw, and from what Sheppard told me, this place may predate Atlantis. Once the CE’s get the place stabilized, we’ve got a tremendous amount of research to do there. I think Cox and May should head the research team; that OK, with you?’
Radek smiled, “OK with me, Rodney; I think...”
“What is going on here?” The lilting Scottish brogue of Carson Beckett interrupted Radek’s reply. “You lads should be resting. You’re very lucky you were not hurt worse. As it is each of you suffered a mild concussion,” pointing to Rodney, then to Sheppard, “you, a broken bone, and you, a dislocated shoulder, and a cracked rib. I want all of you to be quiet, and go to sleep, now.” Carson went off muttering to himself that he would probably have to return to quiet them down again.
Radek decided that sleep sounded very appealing; he was drifting off when Sheppard spoke to him.
“Radek, earlier you told me this had been a very bad day, didn’t you?”
“Yes, the worst day I have had in a very long time, colonel.”
“Well, look at the clock, Radek. It’s over.”
Radek looked at the clock hanging on the infirmary wall; the hands were at 0000 hours. His worst day was indeed over.
The end…
Included in this story are phrases in Czech that I translated using Bing Translator. My apologies for any of the phrases that did not translate correctly.
Comments of any kind are always welcome, I look forward to hearing from you.
Author: stella_pegasi
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG
Character/Pairing: Radek Zelenka, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay
Spoilers: none
Warnings: Minor language
Het/Slash/Gen: Gen
Word count: 12,199
Disclaimer: I do not own them, I would have treated them better.
Summary: Dr. Radek Zelenka’s day started out badly; then it got worse.
Written for Stargateland’s Little!Bang Challenge. Posted as member of Team Atlantis.
THE WORST DAY
by stella_pegasi
Part Two
“Colonel, those weapons didn’t wait to fire until you were no longer in the room. Why?”
“Wondering that myself; this part of the complex must be more restrictive. It must require more identification than simply the gene to gain access to this area. What the hell is this place, Radek?”
“I do not know for sure, colonel, but I suspect it might be an Ancient library. If it is, why is it located in the Pegasus galaxy?”
“Asking why the Ancients did anything is the big question, Radek. The problem is figuring out the answer. Looks like we are about to take a turn to the left, does that get us closer to where we think Rodney is?”
Radek looked down at his tablet, “I believe it will, colonel.”
The bend in the corridor was approaching. As they got closer, their vision began fading as the light began to dim. When they reached the turn, Sheppard motioned for Radek to stop. The colonel flattened against the wall on the inside corner of the passageway. He peered around the edge, and then stepped around, disappearing from view.
Radek waited impatiently. He was nervous; anxious about Rodney, worried about Rodriguez, scared about what was down that dark corridor. The colonel was out of sight for what felt like an eternity. Radek was trying to be quiet, but the sound of his own heart beating was pounding in his ears. He thought his heart was going to leap from his chest when Sheppard reappeared and hurriedly motioned for him to come along.
Radek turned the corner, gasping at the condition of the building. The hallway where they were standing was intact, but approximately thirty feet from them was devastation. The ceiling was sagging, fractured; chunks of the panels were scattered about the hallway, obstructing their passage in some spots. The lights were dim where the destruction began, beyond, it was pitch black.
“Colonel?”
“Yeah… I scouted ahead; it’s a mess. I’m not certain far we can get, but we've gotta to try. At least, we know we’re in the right place.”
“Yes, we must try; Rodney is counting on us.” Radek steeled himself for the danger ahead. Rodney would do the same for him.
Sheppard started down the corridor; Radek followed. The colonel's tac light and the flashlight that he carried soon became their only illumination. Both men tripped a couple of times on chunks of ceiling debris as they made their way down the corridor.
“Hold this; need to move a couple of these pieces.”
Radek grabbed the P-90 Sheppard shoved at him. He aimed both flashlights on the area where Sheppard shoved a couple of large pieces of the ceiling toward the wall. Once a narrow path was cleared, Radek handed Sheppard his weapon back, and they continued.
“Colonel, I am beginning to get a spike in the energy levels. Although there are no lights, something is powered up a…” Radek wasn't paying attention to the debris in his path. He stumbled and toppled over a large chunk of what appeared to be concrete. The small scientist's body pitched hard into the opposite wall of the corridor.
“Radek, you OK?” Sheppard asked, as he knelt down beside him.
Radek wearily struggled to sit upright. His hair was sticking out wildly in every direction; his glasses askew. He exhaled before he answered the colonel, “I'm alright. At least, I think I'm OK. This has been a dreadful day that is only getting worse."
Sheppard grinned slightly, holding out his hand to help Radek up. “Don’t say that; although, I have a gut feeling you might be right. As Radek stood with the colonel’s support, Sheppard continued, “As long as we find McKay, it will be OK.” Radek nodded in response, and they continued down the hall. With each footstep, they plowed through an increasing mass of debris.
They had traversed another twenty feet when the tac light on Sheppard’s P-90 revealed another glass doorway. A large amount of debris and dirt was piled against the door, partially blocked passage. Sheppard carefully moved up to the glass, standing on a chunk of concrete. Dirt covered the glass and Sheppard wiped it away with his shirt sleeve.
Radek stood back as Sheppard peered through the still dirty glass, using his hand to wipe a smaller section a bit cleaner. Radek didn’t take a breath until the colonel spoke.
“That’s daylight filtering through; we have to be close to where Rodney fell in. There’s rubble and dirt everywhere. Room looks like the others, bigger than the last one. There seems to be some to be some kind of equipment on the left side. Can’t see well from this angle. Help me move this panel; I need to get further in that corner to get a better view.” Sheppard started to hop down from the section of the large panel he was standing on, but lost his footing. He fell on top of a large piece of the roof material; his lower left side impacting on a sharp, narrow side of the chunk.
Radek clutched the edge of the colonel’s vest before he rolled completely off the rock-like object, lowering Sheppard gently to the floor. “Colonel, are you OK?”
Sheppard shook his head yes, but the grimace that passed his face told the true story. “Help me, up.”
Radek slid his arm under the colonel’s to provide leverage. Planting his feet to support Sheppard’s weight, Radek strained while the colonel pushed up off the floor. Once he was upright, Radek handed him his P-90. Leaning against the wall, Sheppard tired to catch his breath, but the air was thick with dust. Sheppard began coughing harshly from the fine particles he inhaled.
“Colonel?” Radek held out his small canteen. Sheppard grabbed the container, taking a long drink of water. As he handed the canteen back, he managed to speak, although his voice was raspy, rough.
“Thanks. Let’s get that panel moved.” As Sheppard moved, he groaned, and rubbed his side, but continued. Together, they pulled the large ceiling panel away from the door. Sheppard carefully inched over the remaining pile and flattened against the glass.
“I can see the entire room; it looks like the far left corner is caved in. There’s light coming through the ceiling, filtering through gaps in the debris.” Radek watched as Sheppard pushed against the glass to gain a clearer view. Seconds later, Sheppard reacted.
“Rodney’s in there, he's lying in front of that console thing. He’s covered with a lot of rubble.” Sheppard was quiet for few seconds, then said, “The door won’t open, it’s stuck. Help me pull this stuff away.”
Radek and Sheppard worked feverishly to pull away the debris. The pieces were ragged and sharp, and in some cases quite heavy. Radek noticed that every time Sheppard pulled on a heavy piece, he was stifling a groan. He had suspected the colonel was hurt worse than he would admit. When they had most of the big pieces away, Sheppard tried again but the door didn’t move.
“Radek,” Sheppard stepped away from the door. Radek pulled off the door control cover off and jiggled the crystals, then moved them around.
“Do háje! There is no power coming to the control…hold on, there is weak reading…give me moment”
Radek concentrated on the task, trying to forget about Rodney lying on the floor in the room beyond. He allowed brief thanks that Sheppard was patient or, at least, was being quiet. If the situation had been reversed, Rodney would be clamoring at him to hurry up. Then again, Rodney would have already elbowed him out of the way and taken over. He traced the source of the feeble current and made the connections; hoping he could bring enough power to the door to open it.
“Try now.”
Sheppard spoke, “Open.” The door hissed, parted slightly, then stopped. He repeated the command with the same results.
Radek fiddled with the crystals again, “The control is receiving power, now; there could be a short somewhere. Hold on; let me see.” He pulled one out and rubbed in on his sleeve, replaced it. Turning to Sheppard, he nodded. This time the colonel gave a silent command, and the door slid roughly, jerking as it tried to open. The door panels partially opened, stalled, then slammed shut. Particles of dirt and tiny pieces of the ceiling floated like confetti over them.
“Pani ho do pekla! Tato věc je kus šoustající shit.” Radek began cursing in Czech; he was becoming very frustrated. Turning to Sheppard, “Plukovník, dělat nebude...sorry…I do not know what is wrong, unless crystal has microscopic crack. I believe that…”
Looking at him, Sheppard frowned, “Radek, this calls for drastic measures.” Picking up a piece of debris, “This should do the trick. Watch yourself.” Sheppard turned around and threw the ‘rock’ at the glass doors. Both men watched in astonishment as the heavy object stuck the glass and bounced off.
“Son of a bitch,” Sheppard was pissed. “What the crap is that made of?” Sheppard walked up to the door, pushing on the glass. Radek watched as the frustrated man slammed the butt of his P-90 against the glass. The glass reverberated, but didn’t break. Sheppard, however, grabbed his shoulder, in obvious pain. “Shit…this is pissing me off.”
“Colonel, that ‘glass’ may not be pure glass; I believe it must be reinforced.”
Radek withered a bit, when Sheppard turned and glared at him, sharply uttering, “You think?”
Radek asked, “Should we try the door again?”
He waited for Sheppard to comment, but the colonel simply stared at him for a moment. Then he began looking around the corridor floor; his tac light pausing when he came to a big piece of rubble. Hooking his P-90 to his vest, Sheppard picked up the thick, heavy block, and started to make his way to the door.
“Radek, get that control working; when the door opens, I’m gonna wedge this between them. This should keep the doors separated enough for us to pass through. Give me a second to get set.”
Radek went back to the controls; he felt a tinge of hope when the sensors in his tablet indicated that the power levels were increasing slightly. Perhaps, it would be enough. “Colonel, the door is drawing power from another source. We might have better chance.”
Sheppard grunted, “Understood,” as he strained to slide the sizable block into place. Satisfied that he had the make-shift doorstop where it needed to, he looked at Radek, “Ready?”
As he bridged the crystals, Radek heard the door emit a low buzzing sound. The morning episode with his alarm clock invaded his thoughts; the morning seemed more than mere hours ago. The door panels started pulling apart, jerking from the center, then flew open. The doors vibrated roughly. Sheppard used his weight to shove the block into the door’s path, then stepped back quickly. No sooner had he cleared the door, did the door slam shut, or nearly shut. The block accomplished what Sheppard had intended; it succeeded in keeping the door panels apart.
“Radek, go.”
Slipping through the opening, Radek didn’t wait for Sheppard, he ran straight to where Rodney was lying. The rubble was piled around the Ancient console standing next to McKay. McKay was lying in an area of less dense debris; his legs trapped by what appeared to be a ceiling support beam. The scientist was pale, even in the dim light, and so still that Radek was extremely concerned. He was shaking as he dropped to his knees, reaching out to check Rodney’s pulse. As he pressed his fingers to Rodney’s neck, he began to breathe easier. He could feel a pulse, weak, but there. Radek was about to yell the news that Rodney was alive to Sheppard when the last sound they hoped to hear shattered the silence. The piercing siren that accompanied the security weapons activated. Turning around, Radek saw two weapons drop from the section of the ceiling still intact; another dropped but was clearly damaged.
Looking toward the colonel, he saw Sheppard take aim at one of the weapons. He fired, but the weapon rotated at the last second and the round missed its target.
Over the din of the siren, Radek heard Sheppard shouting, “Radek, is McKay OK? Can you drag him out of the way?”
“No, he is pinned by debris, but he is alive. His pulse is weak, and he is unconscious.” Radek was hiding behind a large pile of rubble. He wasn’t certain that Sheppard could hear everything he said.
He glanced at Rodney, who was somewhat in the open, to the extent that he was exposed to the weapon, but, most likely, not in danger due to his artificial ATA gene. Sheppard was crouched behind a piece of furniture; he was not in danger from the weapon. No, the Czech scientist knew the weapon was clearly tracking him. He muttered while waiting for Sheppard to tell him what to do, “Toto je vellum špatný den.” It had been very bad day, indeed.
Radek peered around the rubble to see what Sheppard was doing. At that moment, the colonel was taking aim at one of the weapons. A few seconds later the room reverberated with the sound of P-90 fire, and one Ancient security weapon bit the dust. Then the roof caved in.
A crack in the ceiling started at the edge of the earlier collapse, above where Rodney was trapped. Extending across the large room, the crack ended directly above the doorway they had entered. As the ceiling began to fall, Radek guessed that the extreme vibration of the doors, along with the concussion from the P-90 fire, increased stress on the crack. With the damage already done, that amount of mechanical stress could cause an additional collapse. Radek had little time to react.
“Radek, get to cover.” He barely heard Sheppard’s voice over the rumble of the falling ceiling. Sheppard yelled something else to him, but he had already spun around toward Rodney, intending on shielding him from the debris. Anything Sheppard shouted was lost in the din. He flung his body across Rodney’s head and back, sheltering his own head with his arms.
The sound of the ceiling breaking, rocks and debris spilling into the far side of the room seemed to go on forever. The air was filling with dust and dirt particles, fragments from the ceiling were bouncing off the floor, some rolling in his direction. Radek was coughing, the thick air seeping in under his arms. He was beginning to think this would never end, when the deafening noise abated. Only the muffled sound of smaller rocks and settling debris, reached his ears. He checked Rodney and could find no addition injuries, although he was still out cold. Then it hit him, there was no other sound, no human sound. Colonel Sheppard wasn’t calling out to see if he and Rodney were ok.
Struggling to his feet, Radek turned toward the area where he had last seen the colonel. There was nothing there but a pile of dirt, ceiling panels, and concrete. He cautiously made his way through the newly deposited rubble. Visibility was limited, the settling dust still thick and swirling. He had tucked his flashlight into the waistband of his trousers; groping for it, he nabbed the small light, and switched it on. Most of the beam bounced back at him, but he could see slightly better, and began scouring the room for any sign of Sheppard.
He whispered “Zůstávají klidné, Radek”, to himself, trying to make certain he remained calm. He swept the devastated area slowly, so he wouldn’t miss anything; calling for Sheppard had produced no results. Radek’s panic level was escalating quickly when he caught a glint of deep red in the flashlight beam, then of something dark and shiny…and spiky. He allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light; it was Sheppard or more precisely, Sheppard’s hair. He crossed the short distance as quickly as he could. “Colonel, colonel, can you hear me?”
Sheppard was lying beneath an enormous slab of concrete, with more debris heaped on and around him. The flash of red Radek saw in the beam was blood; the colonel had suffered a deep, uneven laceration on the back of his head. The injury was low, near his neck, and was bleeding profusely. Radek plucked a pressure bandage from his TAC vest, placing it over the jagged cut as securely as possible. He felt for Sheppard’s pulse, relieved to find a strong heartbeat. Radek sat back on his heels, contemplating his next move. He decided to attempt to extract Sheppard from underneath the rubble.
After a bit of trial and error, he located a chunk of debris that he could utilize to prop up his flashlight. The air remained dense with dust, and visibility was very limited. The light from the small flashlight helped, but the particles suspended in the air behaved like fog, diffusing the light. Staring at the pile of rubble in front of him, he felt overwhelmed. Exhaling a long sigh, he began to tug at the debris; he didn’t have a choice; he had to try.
Radek worked diligently, carefully removing bits of debris that surrounded the colonel. The pile was not as unstable as he had feared; however, it wasn’t exactly steady either. He was reminded of the game pick-up sticks, he played as a child; a game which he sucked at. He finally managed to clear part of the debris away from the large slab that was pinning Sheppard to the floor. One more block of the ceiling panel to move, then he would have to find something to use as a fulcrum to pry the slab away.
After a bit of a struggle, he manhandled the last large piece of rubble from the slab. Standing up, he took a long swig of water from his canteen, and scanned the debris. The air was still full of dust, but visibility was improving. Spotting a lengthy piece of pipe, Radek thought he might have found his fulcrum. He stretched as far as he could, but barely managed to brush the pipe with his fingertips. Pressing forward to secure a better grip, he lost his balance. Before he could grab onto anything, he pitched face first into the rubble. Radek’s forehead struck against a lump of concrete, and he blacked out.
~oooOooo~
Gradually, Radek drifted back into awareness; for a second, he couldn’t remember where he was but then the situation came flooding back into his senses. He sat up; rubbing his forehead, he discovered a large and very tender knot had formed above his right eye. He was relieved to find his glasses still intact. As he looked around, he spotted a pool of light a few feet away, his flashlight. The air was clearer, most of the dust had settled, and visibility had improved.
When he fell, he had landed near Colonel Sheppard. Reaching out, he felt again for a pulse and thankfully, Sheppard’s heartbeat was still strong. Before he attempted to free the colonel, he needed to check on McKay’s status. He rose gingerly from the floor, and had taken only one step, when he heard a low grinding sound. He froze, “Oh, žádné,” the sound was coming from the security weapons. Hearing the sharp whine of the weapon, building energy to fire, he lunged behind the rubble pile that was covering Sheppard. Shards of concrete and ceiling panels exploded from the spot he had been standing.
He sat with his back toward the weapon. He was pinned down with nowhere to go. Thinking that the weapon must work on motion and detection of the gene, the clearing air allowed it to detect him. The fact remained that he was the only person in the room without some form of the ATA gene; he was dead if he moved. “Come on, Radek; think.” He had to formulate a plan to get himself and his friends out of danger.
For the first time since he entered the room, Radek took notice of the equipment that Sheppard had mentioned when he first looked into the room. Along the opposite wall, there were three consoles of Ancient design; Rodney was lying in front of one of them. Radek aimed his flashlight toward the area, and could tell they were similar to the consoles scattered about Atlantis. He felt a twitch of excitement when he realized that the consoles were active. Rodney’s artificial gene or Colonel Sheppard simply entering the room may have been enough to power the consoles up. It also meant that power was still flowing to that side of the room. If that was so, he might be able to get them out of the situation. But first he had to keep from getting killed.
Radek looked at Sheppard, who was laying on his side, under the slab, a pool of congealing blood beneath his head. The bandage he had applied wasn’t soaked with blood, so he was moderately certain Sheppard’s head wound was no longer bleeding. Radek leaned against the debris pile, slipped off his glasses, and rubbed his tired, dry eyes. He mumbled, “Stupid ATA gene, if it had taken on me, I wouldn’t be dead man walking.” He sat up straight, “By mohlo... mohla, práce? Could that work? Could it be that simple?” Radek began crawling toward Colonel Sheppard.
Sliding across the floor, he stopped next to the colonel’s head and dipped his fingers in the thickening blood. He grimaced at the tackiness of the blood, then proceeded to spread a thin layer over his hand and wrist. Cautiously, he elevated his hand until it cleared the debris. He heard the weapon pivot on the suspension rod, searching out the movement it sensed. He kept his hand exposed for about two minutes, waving it ever so slightly at first, then very quickly. The security weapon didn’t fire. Slowly dropping his hand, Radek stared at the sheer red stain across the back of his hand in disbelief. It worked.
“Colonel, we never want to see you injured; today, however, your injury may help us to get out of here; just don’t do it again.” Radek smeared Sheppard’s blood across his bare hand, face, and neck. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he slowly stood up. The weapon didn’t react.
Careful not to make any sudden movements, Radek treaded through the debris to Rodney. Radek was pleased to find that the scientist’s pulse seemed slightly stronger. Once he was satisfied that Rodney was no worse than before, he started toward the consoles. He could not get to the front of the consoles from where Rodney lay; the debris was blocking access. The only way to get to the controls was to make his way to the last console, then around to the working side.
Surveying the symbols on the consoles, Radek reached the conclusion that they must be in the control room of the facility. One of the consoles appeared to be for life support, one for security, and one for operations. He decided to start with the security system, trying to disarm the weapons' system. He worked quickly; luckily, the consoles on Atlantis were nearly identical. He was certain he had found the emergency override code for the security system. Once he was confident it was the correct sequence, he inputted the code and waited. Within seconds, the tiny red light indicating the weapon was powered, faded to black.
Radek lowered his head to the console’s front edge, taking a few seconds to relax. He resisted the urge to feel pleased; disarming the weapon was important. However, he had two injured friends who were depending on him. He had to find a way to communicate with Major Lorne.
Moving to the console that he assumed handled operations, he lifted the larger pieces of rubble off, using his hand to brush away the dirt and smaller debris. It was then he noticed a blinking light. Radek racked his brain, trying to remember how the crystals were laid out on Atlantis’s consoles. They had interfaced their computers with the Ancient equipment, and rarely accessed the Ancient controls, running everything from their laptops. Which he could possibility do here, if his laptop was working.
Along the wall, behind him, was a series of towers that held the active crystals. He began pulling the drawers open, examining the small symbols engraved on each. Crystal by crystal, he reconstructed the console schematic in his mind. Once he finished, he knew what the blinking light on the console represented. He began to mutter to himself as the realization of what the steady humming sound he had come to investigate actually was. If he was right, they had a big problem. He had to talk to Lorne.
The big problem was that Radek was convinced that the humming sound was from a shield. A shield that was not only designed to protect the breached facility, but also serving as a force field to keep the remainder of the roof from collapsing. If he turned off the force field, eventually the others could reach them. However, they would find them crushed under more debris. He pulled his borrowed tablet from its connection on the security console, and slipped the interface connector into the operations console. After a few erroneous pathways, and a few uttered expletives in Czech and English, he located the shield program. After a few minutes of review, he realized that there were some weak sections in the shield. Perhaps, if he could manipulate the field, he could punch a small hole in it, enough to get communications through without disturbing the entire integrity of the field.
He was about to implement his plan when he heard a soft moan. He immediately thought that Colonel Sheppard was coming to, but a quick flashlight swing showed the colonel to be very still. Radek hurriedly made his way around the consoles, if the moan did not come from the colonel; it had to be from Rodney.
Dropping onto his knees next to McKay, Radek spoke to him, “Rodney, can you hear me? With a rush of relief, Radek watched Rodney’s eyelids flutter for a few seconds and then open.
McKay’s voice was raspy, weak; Radek had to lean in closely to understand him as he whispered, “Radek?”
“Yes, Rodney, it is me.”
“You, you…rescue…me?”
Radek grinned, “That is idea, Rodney, but we have run into snag, must get through the force field to get help from Major Lorne.”
“Saw weak spots…go…through…them…” Rodney closed his eyes again. Radek realized he was unconscious once more.
As he stood up, he smiled, “That’s what I am planning to do, smartest man in two galaxies.” He was sort of glad that Rodney was unconscious again. He didn’t want Rodney to hear him say that, even if it was the truth.
Returning to the console, Radek began his efforts to punch through the force field. After several near misses, almost collapsing the field completely on one try, Radek keyed his radio and called for Major Lorne.
“This is Lorne. Radek, Radek, is that you? What’s your status?”
Radek nearly wept for joy, but composed himself to reply. When he spoke, the words tumbled from him, “Yes, yes…it is me. We found Rodney; he is alive, but injured. Colonel Sheppard and Corporal Rodriguez have been injured, also. Left Dr. J and Brenner in facility…”
Lorne interrupted, his calm voice helping Radek calm a bit, “Doc., slow down. Let’s take this slower.”
Radek took a deep breath. He then proceeded, slowly, to give Lorne detailed information about their journey through the facility. Once he finished, he succumbed to his weariness and the pain in his head, joining Sheppard and McKay in unconsciousness.
~oooOooo~
The soft repetitive beeping entered his consciousness; a low, melancholy sound. Although his eyes were closed, he could sense light. There were other strange sounds, smells he didn’t recognize. There was, however, a voice he recognized, McKay. He forced his eyes open to discover he was in the infirmary on Atlantis. Raising his head, he saw McKay in a bed on his left, Colonel Sheppard on his right. Teyla was sitting in a chair between his bed and Sheppard’s, Ronon on the other side next to Rodney.
“Rodney?”
“Well, the hero finally awakens,” was Rodney’s somewhat groggy response.
Sheppard struggled to sit up, “McKay, we could very well be dead if Radek hadn’t figured out how to get us out of there. So be nice…” he grimaced. His shoulder was in a sling from being dislocated, he had a cracked rib from his fall, and his right hip severely bruised from the slab of concrete that had fallen on him. “Just…be nice, Rodney.”
“I am nice…I’m just…” Rodney faltered, his head was hurting, and he couldn’t think what he wanted to say.
Ronon interjected, “Jealous that Radek saved everyone.” He flashed a strong grin at McKay.
“No, I…am not.” Rodney answered with a glare toward Ronon. “I am thankful Sheppard brought him. Radek rescued us.”
Radek, surprised at Rodney’s admission, stared at Rodney, who refused to look at him. He uttered a quiet thank you to McKay, and then turned to Sheppard. “Colonel, do you know what happened after I spoke to Major Lorne?”
“Yeah, Lorne immediately sent for Beckett, since Jennifer doesn’t have the gene. He then assembled a team of Marines and scientists with the gene, since they were uncertain the security system was completely inactivated. Once Carson arrived, they went to the ring and teleported into the facility. They found Dr. J and the corporals, then proceeded on to the room we were in. At the same time, the CE’s were tunneling from above through the gap in the force field.” He took a sharp breath, and Teyla spoke up to finish the story.
“Once Dr. Cox and Lt. May had reliable data readings, they stabilized and widen the gap in the force field. The combat engineers were then able to extract sufficient debris to clear a path into the room where you were trapped. Using a basket attached to the underside of a jumper, they hauled you to the surface. It took a few hours to accomplish rescuing you. At least, Dr. Beckett and Dr. J were there to take care of you.”
McKay looked at Radek, “That was a good call bringing Cox and May.”
Sheppard added, “I think they should both get more mission time. Lorne said they handled themselves very well. By the way, Radek, can you explain why you were covered in blood? Lorne said when they found you, they thought you were the most badly injured.”
Radek sank down in the pillows, “The security weapon was still active and tracking me. You were unconscious and couldn't shoot it down. I thought maybe I could fool the weapon to think I had the gene, so I smeared your blood on my skin. I was surprised, but it worked.”
“You used my blood…to…fool the security system? Clever; don’t you think so Rodney?”
“Yeah, clever, very clever,” Rodney groaned as he jostled his broken right leg.
Radek remembered that Corporal Rodriguez had been injured, “Colonel, Rodriguez, is he OK?”
Sheppard pointed to a bed on the other side of the room. “Yeah, he’s gonna be fine. Brenner’s over there with him. Damn fool won’t go get any rest, has to stay there he said. Teammates can be stubborn.” He smiled as he watched Teyla frown at him.
Radek smiled, he liked Brenner and Rodriguez as well. He was very happy that the young corporal would be alright. He sighed, thinking how lucky they all were to have such amazing people around that took care of each other.
“Radek,” Rodney rolled over to look at him, “your theory about the facility being a library of some kind; I believe you’re correct. From what I saw, and from what Sheppard told me, this place may predate Atlantis. Once the CE’s get the place stabilized, we’ve got a tremendous amount of research to do there. I think Cox and May should head the research team; that OK, with you?’
Radek smiled, “OK with me, Rodney; I think...”
“What is going on here?” The lilting Scottish brogue of Carson Beckett interrupted Radek’s reply. “You lads should be resting. You’re very lucky you were not hurt worse. As it is each of you suffered a mild concussion,” pointing to Rodney, then to Sheppard, “you, a broken bone, and you, a dislocated shoulder, and a cracked rib. I want all of you to be quiet, and go to sleep, now.” Carson went off muttering to himself that he would probably have to return to quiet them down again.
Radek decided that sleep sounded very appealing; he was drifting off when Sheppard spoke to him.
“Radek, earlier you told me this had been a very bad day, didn’t you?”
“Yes, the worst day I have had in a very long time, colonel.”
“Well, look at the clock, Radek. It’s over.”
Radek looked at the clock hanging on the infirmary wall; the hands were at 0000 hours. His worst day was indeed over.
The end…
Included in this story are phrases in Czech that I translated using Bing Translator. My apologies for any of the phrases that did not translate correctly.
Comments of any kind are always welcome, I look forward to hearing from you.