Red Sky at Dawn - Part Two

[kellifer]

Title: Red Sky At Dawn - Part Two
Author: Kellifer_fic
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis, that is, pegasus_b
Rating: Mild (later chapters mature)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They come from the SciFi Original Series Stargate:Atlantis. Don't own, don't sue!

Summary - “No, it’s not alright, Bartook.” Jack snapped. “You brought a native through the ‘gate without knowing anything about him. Plus the fact that our very survival is based upon the Wraith not knowing we’re here, which means this guy doesn’t get to go home.”

Notes: Branching off from raqs 's Under a Broken Moon

Continuation from The Palest Sky



“Holy crap, that’s no moon, it’s a space station.”

Keelan raised her head, blinking impassively at Jack before tucking the errant thread of red hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear and returning to her work. The other marines in the room also looked at Jack and he sighed, remembering that he probably shouldn’t blurt out random things in a crowded room.

It wasn’t that long ago that everyone thought he was crazy after all.

“What possessed you to bring him back through the ‘gate?” Jack indicated the behemoth sprawled out on the single infirmary bed that Keelan was now examining. The man’s legs were off the end of the bed from the calf downward and his arms dangled off the sides.

Ensfield stepped forward and canted his head slightly. “He was being pursued by three Wraith, Sir. Didn’t seem like a fair fight.” Ensfield grimaced and Jack knew he was leaving something out. He made a ‘and then’ gesture with his hand and Ensfield looked from his teammates back to Jack.

“We went to his assistance and I think we actually only managed to distract him. He took a stun blast to the face when he turned in our direction.” Chee supplied.

“Ah, right. That’s okay then.” Jack said, his eyes hard.

“Really?” Bartook piped up from the back and the three military components of his team rolled their eyes.

“No, it’s not alright, Bartook.” Jack snapped. “You brought a native through the ‘gate without knowing anything about him. Plus the fact that our very survival is based upon the Wraith not knowing we’re here, which means this guy doesn’t get to go home.”

“With all due respect, Sir.” Ensfield said, gesturing towards the instrument table. “I don’t think he was a native.”

Jack scowled and then looked toward the table. The Breenae people had mastered primitive projectile weapons but weren’t even up to crossbows yet. The sleek looking firearm on the tabletop was certainly years beyond that.

Jack plucked it from the table; his trained finger’s automatically finding the trigger and the fact that the weapon had different settings. It was an energy weapon, but unlike a zat, or anything he’d ever seen before. Taking note of the way the gun sections fit, Jack spun it in his hand and the whole thing turned in a lazy arc, a low accompanying hum telling him that the thing was now charged.

“Cool.” Jack breathed, but then looked at the man that had been brought through the ‘gate with it and sighed.

“Crap.”

xxxxxx

Sometimes John Sheppard scared her a little.

Teyla was never frightened by his actions because he would rather cut off his own arm than harm her, but there was something about him that was bigger than both of them, perhaps bigger than their world could currently contain.

The Athosian people were highly spiritual, seeing signs and portents in even the smallest things, seeking meaning and omens in usually mundane occurrences. Faith was something that staved off fear like a shield and her people had needed it. Teyla had always been far more pragmatic; certainly believing in fate, but certain that her actions would govern it. She would listen patiently as the elders of their number would extol the virtue of reading their tea leaves and the stones they cast upon the earth, but she would always know, deep down, that the world was more black and white than that.

When an elder who had died years before told a fifteen year old Teyla that the man she would love would have to come across the stars and walk the line between the living and the dead before they would find each other, Teyla had bowed respectfully and then left, safe in the knowledge that the whole thing was ridiculous.

She buried her fingers in John’s tousled hair and smiled when, despite being asleep, he still curled into her touch. It had been many months of patience before he would stop flinching away from her if he was not fully conscious, but she had understood and had given him the time he needed, edging ever closer as they slept until he’d finally allowed her in.

What scared her about this man was that she could know him a lifetime and there would still be many things about him she could not fathom.

John had once told her of how there would be people on his planet that would work deep underground, retrieving precious metals. Long ago, before they had more advanced technology to gauge such things, they would rely on a small bird in a cage to warn them if there was danger. The bird would be the first to succumb to any poisonous gases released by their digging and it’s death marked their retreat.

Teyla had taken to watching John in his sleep most nights. She didn’t like the analogy but it was an apt one.

The simple fact was, John’s nightmares would grow worse when danger was near. If he had a restless night, Teyla would be vigilant the whole next day, wary of any danger that would befall someone close by.

Teyla dreaded the nights when John woke up screaming.

xxxxxxx

Jack had gone to meet Elizabeth’s jumper, called back because of their visitor, when his headset had clicked and Keelan’s agitated voice came across, asking that he return to the infirmary as soon as possible. Elizabeth was just walking out of the jumper and Jack flicked his head, silently asking her to follow.

As they jogged the narrow hallway towards the infirmary, Jack’s gaze slid towards Elizabeth.

“Nice-“

“Don’t start,” she snapped, but was grinning and Jack held up his hands in mock surrender.

When they reached the infirmary, it was in a shambles and Chee and Ensfield were lifting the large man back onto the narrow infirmary bed.

“What the hell happened?” Jack demanded.

“Who the hell is that?” Elizabeth exclaimed at the same time.

“We were leaving when we heard a loud crash,” Ensfield said, his voice strained as he lifted the dead weight in his arms.

Jack and Elizabeth’s eyes swiveled to Keelan, who was looking a little flushed. “He came to all of a sudden. I’m used to people recovering from a Wraith blast slowly, usually disorientated and groggy for at least the first couple of minutes. I didn’t want to administer a sedative until he started his recovery from the stun blast because it could be dangerous.” Keelan explained, looking mystified. “I’ve never seen anything like it. One minute he was completely prone and the next he was up and screaming.”

“Screaming?” Elizabeth prompted.

Jack had noticed Wendy, one of the nurses who had been a last-minute jumper pilot when they were attacked by the Wraith, as far back in the corner of the infirmary as possible. What was a little unsettling was that she was holding the energy weapon by her fingertips like it was a dead animal and it was bigger than her forearm.

“Did you shoot him?” Jack prompted her, leaning forward and relieving her of the weapon. Wendy relinquished it with no protest.

“We were the only ones in here and he was trashing the place and yelling. I… didn’t know what else to do.”

Jack checked the weapon and huffed a sigh of relief. He’d left it set to stun when he’d last picked it up. Of course, it was his fault it was charged in the first place.

“Alright, he was screaming you said?” Elizabeth interjected, taking charge. “Was it anything you could understand?”

“Yes,” Keelan nodded. “He was screaming about having to go and how we were all in danger with him here. He seemed more scared than angry.” Keelan touched his arm lightly.

“Have you found anything to suggest that’s true?” Elizabeth approached the bed and the now unconscious figure. She took in his rough dress, wild dreadlocked hair and then her fingers rested on his pulse point at his throat. Her fingers traced the lines of a tattoo that was faded and a little stretched, obviously something he’d had since he was smaller.

“I was just starting my prelim exam when he came to. He’s got cuts and bruises all over him but nothing really serious. I’ll give him a thorough workup and run him through every scan we have just in case.”

“Good. Ensfield, Chee, you guys go get some rest. I’ll post an extra detail down here just in case this happens again.” Elizabeth turned kind eyes on Wendy. “I’m sure you could handle him if he came to but I might get the guys who are actually trained for it to handle it so you don’t keep showing them up.”

Wendy smiled gratefully; holding her hands out in what Jack could only translate as a ‘thank god’ gesture.

“Let me know the minute you’re finished,” Elizabeth added and Keelan nodded.

xxxxxxx

“Do you still talk to Aiden Ford?”

“Yes, but he answers now. Actually, I’m not sure if that makes me less or more crazy.”

“Daniel, you’re not crazy.”

“Really? I still have my doubts.”

“Why did you come back from the wedding-“

“According to John it wasn’t a wedding.”

“Okay, why did you come back from the party early? I thought the Athosian celebration was supposed to go till dawn. Major Sheppard is a good friend of yours isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. I just… I’m still not dealing with crowds all that well.”

“I’m starting to think that Aiden is your escape. While you have him you don’t have to deal with the real world. With the pain of losing-”

“Ah, you see Doc, there lies the problem. I would agree with you if you were talking about an imaginary friend, but Aiden Ford is real and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon, no matter what people might hope. Plus, he’s got nothing to do with… he doesn’t…”

“Daniel, I didn’t mean-“

“Kate, it’s fine. I think we’re done for the day.”

Part Three