oOo

4

"Rodney? Can you hear me?"

"Rodney"

But there is no answer.

At that moment she hears a clatter at the door to the hut; it squeaks open. Teyla pops in her head, and smiles... the med-team is here.

At last, Jennifer can rise from her cramped knees. She feels light-headed for a moment; the room does a lazy spin and then rights itself. Her vision comes back and there, standing at the door, like an answer to prayer, is Carson Beckett.

oOo

Dr Beckett fastens the clasp on the red kit box. He has given Rodney a brief but thorough examination. Jennifer had looked relieved to see him, and backed off almost immediately in order to give the team space. This small group of highly trained people is now preparing the patient for his journey home. Things are not so black; McKay is yet to regain consciousness but he seems stable for the time being and his vitals are satisfactory. It's hard to believe in fact that anything is amiss with the scientist. Dr Keller has done a stirling job. Beckett takes a moment to turn and look for his colleague.

She's there... off in a corner, on hands and knees, busying herself folding pieces of drab clothing, and then... folding them again. Her eyes are in shadow, but he guesses they are wide and troubled.

"So... how are we doing?" She starts at the sound of his voice, as he moves away from Rodney and towards where she still kneels.

As he gets closer he hears her take a deep but unsteady breath. Carson doesn't miss the tremor in the hand that tucks a strand of damp hair behind her ear. He too kneels on the crude dirt floor.

"He's been... ah... steady at 97.1 for 15 minutes... unresponsive throughout... intubated at-"and she checks her watch, brows knit, tense, "-ah-... eleven twenty..."

Carson's large and capable hands descend upon both of her flapping ones, and envelop them completely.

"It's alright love.. we've got him now. And that's not what I meant." He gives her his warmest and most reassuring smile.

He knows this is what he needs to tell her; that she can stop... that the responsibility is no longer hers to bear. He knows very well what they have together, this young woman and his best friend.

"You've done a great job - he'll be fine I'm sure. Tough as old boots, our Rodney...." She tries to smile back at him, but the Scottish medic is worried. There's something about her... a certain hard edge - a strung out and lonely look that doesn't become her at all. She's wired, that's for certain... so up there, she's flying.. and sometime soon she'll come down - hard.

"Rodney's going to be fine, but - Jennifer - it's you I'm worried about" and as he says it he has to search out her wandering eyes with his own steady ones. She blinks at him.

"Me? I'm okay. I didn't even - even -"

She swallows hard and stares past him... at Rodney.

"I wasn't the one who-who dragged..." it seems she can't finish this sentence either and then suddenly she asks, almost guiltily,

"John and Ronon! How are they? I didn't check... I should have checked-" She slaps a hand to her head, berating herself, a theatrical and strangely out of place gesture. Beckett's anxiety is growing.

He reaches over quickly, and takes her hands again. They are cold.

"They're right as rain, my dear, no cause for all this..."

He is referring to the state she is rapidly getting into; her eyes, although wide, are dull and red rimmed. Her hands, even though he holds them, she rubs constantly against her knees. Carson can easily hear the hitches in her breathing, see the trembling of her frame.

Of course he's trained to recognise these things... the signs of shock. He's seen them many times. Some people will deny their condition, try to hide it, but you can't hide much from your doctor.

"Let's get you warmed up, shall we?" he suggests.

Jennifer just looks puzzled. "I'm not cold" is the almost indignant answer.

"You let me be the judge of that" he says, not unkindly.

Before he has chance to do anything, though, there is a sudden ripple of movement around the fire place; a cough... faces turn to search out the doctor.

"Doctor?"

"Yes" is their simultaneous answer.

"He's conscious..." says a nurse.

Carson goes to make a move but watches as Jennifer scuttles past him, back to the fire. She finds a spot and squeezes in.

As Beckett himself approaches the group, the prone form of McKay comes into view. Carson and his team have administered an IV, nasal canula and have dressed their patient in warm, blue scrubs.

He sees Jennifer's left hand resting on the scientist's shoulder; her nails are blue-white. Her expectant face is held above his.

McKay's face convulses and he gives another painful cough.

"Breathe.... come on.... " she whispers.

His eyes flicker open.

"Hey..." she breathes and her mouth curves slowly into a smile.

Rodney's mouth works.

"Shhh..." she says, shaking her head, "Don't talk..."

He swallows and says,

"Jennifer...?"

She nods.

"Glad... you didn't.. leave me here..."

There is a pause, her eyes close briefly and then open again; her smile is gone.

"Now why would I leave you.. here or anywhere else?"

And then they just stare... their faces sober and thoughtful, and it's only now that Carson notices; they are hand in hand.

oOo

TBC and thanks for your reviews... they keep me at it!