Chapter Text
Higher.
“Yup”
Higher.
“Yup”
Lower.
“Yup. You cheating?”
No. Lower.
“You’re definitely cheating. That’s ten in a row.”
Higher
“Ha, gotcha. My turn.”
Evan awoke to warmth, his mind and body comfortably numb as he shook off the lethargy of an exhausted sleep. He could sense the far distant ache of limbs stiff from a night spent in one position and knew that moving was going to take time. He focused on the strange conversation.
“Gar? I take it from your distraction the Major’s awake.” He heard someone ask.
Ev?
Gar. Where are we? You okay?
I am fine, Ev. We are in the barn. The storm has passed. We await your awakening.
Who’s here?
It is LT. He has introduced me to a new card game. It is very simple. He is also very bad at this one.
“Sir, you awake? Be good to get you off Gar.” Evan could hear a tightness in his Lieutenants voice. He tried to gather his woolly thoughts but they were moving at a sluggish pace. He needed coffee.
Gar? What’s going on?
Ev, are you well? We are at the village as the storm prevented our return to Atlantis. You were asleep when they arrived so I ensured they would not disturb you. You are healing but your doctor is wanting to see you.
With Gar’s words the events of the previous day rushed back. He jolted where he lay, stiff limbs protesting the sudden movement and a bolt of pain from his leg brought everything back in crystal clear clarity.
“Ow.” Shit.
“Sir, you okay in there?”
“Tom, that you?” He knew the answer as he lay back against the dragon’s side. At least he could get one very needed conversation over with quickly.
“Yes Sir, sorry if I woke you. Me and Gar started playing cards.”
“I admire your perseverance, Lieutenant.” He heard the huff of laughter from the corner of the barn.
“Yes, Sir. Can’t believe a dragon that has played cards for a week is better than me already.”
“A dead slug is better than you.”
“True, Sir.” A pause as if Coughlin knew they were delaying a much-needed conversation. “You ready to face the day, Sir? Can you ask Gar to uncoil a bit so I can get to you?
Gar?
It is my role to protect you when you cannot. I did not allow them to climb on me.
Thank you. I appreciate it. Time to move though.
Evan could feel the dragon uncoil as he slipped slightly down from where he was laying. The wing that had settled over him withdrew and Evan could tell the storm had fully passed over by the slanting sunlight starting to broach the high barn windows. Gars neck and tail slipped by his vision as he realised the dragon had been tightly coiled around him. He wouldn’t be the only one feeling stiff today.
The sound of distant hammering drifted in through the ajar barn door, a shaft of sunlight hinting it was late morning. A hand appeared in his vision. He followed the arm up.
“Damn Tom, that looks bad.” The bruising around Coughlins eye socket was an impressive purple, a hint of green on the brow, extending down the cheekbone in a cascade of colours. A split in the skin below the puffy eye, showed Evan where he had hit his second in command.
“You punch hard, Major.” Coughlin replied wryly with a slight wince, his smile creasing the extensive bruise. Grasping Evans hand, he helped raise him to standing position. Evans muscles felt stiff and unyielding, his injured leg protested the change in position.
“I don’t think you’ll need to call me that anymore soon enough.” Evan replied. “I know it doesn’t help, but I’m sorry. I wasn’t in the best frame of mind.” Gar shifted behind him and something nudged the back of his knees. He sat gratefully down on the dragon’s foot and picked a bit of straw from between the claws.
“You don’t need to apologise, Sir. But as you probably feel you have to, then I accept it. And now we move on.”
Ever dependable, solid Coughlin thought Evan.
“Thank you. But you can probably drop the Sir. I’ll be on a disciplinary as soon as I see the Colonel.” The list of charges was forefront in his mind. The evidence of one of them was right in front of him.
“Sir...” Coughlin started. Evan appreciated the attempt.
“Lieutenant, I know what I did, what rules I broke and it just can’t be swept under the carpet. They exist for a reason and there has to be consequences for breaking them. The cohesion of a unit depends on the strength of their rules. Especially for us, as we are so far out from Earth. Sheppard knows this so don’t object to it when it happens, okay?”
He could see the truth in Coughlin’s face. Sheppard, with his appearance of a very relaxed command structure, still had to play by the USAF military code. Atlantis, and its inhabitants, had to maintain a fine balance between a military outpost and a civilian research centre. Both had to comply with the agreed set of guidelines. There could be no exceptions.
“Any idea what’s going to happen, Sir?” Coughlin queried.
Evan had known Coughlin since the early days of the SGC. They had never been on a SG team when they were based at Cheyenne, but both their teams had been on joint missions together. They had only been teammates on SGA-2 for about a year now but he had come to rely on, and trust, the man in front of him.
“Don’t know. Hopefully it won’t be demotion and a trip back to Earth. The latter didn’t go too well the last time.”
I will not let you, Ev
“Don’t think Gar, and a number of people would be too happy about that, Sir.”
“He agrees. If I was Sheppard, it would probably be a demotion and a reduction in duties. Probably house arrest, as well. I’ve been a Captain before; I didn’t think I would see it again but you know what they say about assuming.” He could cope with the demotion, what was concerning is he would probably have to hand his second in command position to Major Walters.
“A demotion will suck, Sir.”
“Yup, not great. But at least I would get a rest after a few hectic weeks. I think me and Gar would appreciate it.” His attempt at humour fell flat as Coughlin’s face fell.
“Sir, what about Atlantis. Will you lose that?”
“More than likely. Walters would be senior. Can’t have a Captain ordering around a Major.”
“Sheppard’s not going to like that, Sir. Walters makes him do his own paperwork.” Sheppard was a well-respected commanding officer but it was a known fact the man couldn’t file a paperclip.
A noise at the open door caused them both to stop their conversation.
“Hey LT, how’s it…” Ortiz whispered as his head appeared around the post. A smile spread across his face when he spied Evan. “Sir, you’re up.” He disappeared again. A loud whisper could be heard by them both. “Reed, hey, Reed. Get over here.”
“You do realise Luis, that sounded louder than talking.”
Evan was glad of the distraction as Ortiz and Reed appeared around the heavy barn door. Discussing his future was getting depressing.
“Doubt anyone heard him Sir, with the amount of hammering that’s going on.” Coughlin got up to push the barn door shut and swatted at Ortiz when the smaller man sat in his seat. “Out of that, floor’s comfy enough.”
Evan became aware of the level of noise that was happening in the village. “What is going on out there?”
“Good to see you awake, Sir,” Reed commented as he sat with his back to the wall. Ortiz joined him with a pout at Coughlin. “Roof repairs. Some houses have lost theirs completely, but its mostly tiles being put back. They’re also trying to get the windmill back up and running. Ronon and Tyrl are in competition to see who can do the most. It’s very impressive.”
“Did the storm turn into a hurricane without us noticing?” Something niggled with Evan. Gar raised his head.
“Yes, Sir,” replied Reed shifting slightly on the compact earthen floor. “When it hit us it was a category 5…”
“Wait, hang on,” Evan interrupted, realisation dawning. “Did you say Tyrl? As in Medic Tyrl?”
“Yes Sir,” Coughlin took over. He shifted forward in his chair as if Evan was about to bolt. “Him and Commander Aliania came through the Stargate earlier looking for you. McKay figured out you were here but we had to wait for the hurricane to move off. We got here about three hours ago.”
Evan winced. “And?”
“Apart from a battle of wills with Gar, who refused either Beckett or Tyrl access to you, they’ve been very helpful.”
That could cover a multitude of things Evan decided. He wasn’t under arrest yet.
“From the start, Lieutenant.” He ordered. Coughlin straightened instinctively.
“They came through with Prefactor Anterls, Sir. Asked for you. Told Colonel Sheppard you were injured. Told him their side of the story. He went into serious Colonel mode. McKay found you. Two jumper loads of people are here in the village. We’re fixing things up. Tyrl and Beckett are helping a logging team that took shelter in the woods. They ordered me to stay with you. It’s the only reason why they are not here prodding you. But that was over two hours ago so be prepared.”
“Then you know the whole story?”
“Most of it, Sir. The rest we can probably piece together. The Colonel played yes/no questions with Gar when we got here.” Coughlin smiled at the dragon. “Gar convinced the Colonel that it was best to leave you where you were.”
“And that convinced Beckett?” Evan asked with surprise. The Head of Medical was not known for leaving wounds unattended. He could feel the bandage sticking to his leg in a rather uncomfortable way.
Ortiz let out a bark of laughter. “God, no, Sir. He was all ready to scale Mount Gar but then the logging team staggered in. Their injuries trumped yours.”
“Are they okay?” There weren’t many Athosians in the village and he knew a number of them well.
“They should be fine, Sir. Two need to head to Atlantis for medical care so Becketts still dealing with them. Want me to go get Tyrl?” Coughlin had spotted the look of discomfort creeping across his face. His leg had started protesting the moving he’d been doing.
“No, don’t want to pull him away from a competition with Ronon.”
Ortiz smirked “Sir, I mentioned about you returning with Godzilla next time. I know Tyrl’s not a giant lizard but, jeez, the man is about the same size. How on earth did you find someone bigger than Ronon. Didn’t think it was possible.”
“It wasn’t really planned, Ortiz.” Evan looked round his team deciding it was a good time to start rebuilding the trust. “Sorry about the way it went down. I’ll not let that happen again.”
“So, what did happen, Sir?” Coughlin queried.
Evan reclined against Gar. He could feel the dragon settle behind him. “Reed, keep an eye out for Beckett. This may take some telling.”
……………………………………..
The village had reached a semblance of order by the time Evan and his entourage emerged from the barn, Gar deciding to sleep longer and with Reed volunteering to stay behind to keep him company. He suspected that the dragon had little sleep during the night.
Gripping Ortiz’s shoulder tightly they steered him towards the central area, the corporals arm steady around his waist. A compromise had been reached that either they would call for Beckett or he would accept his teams help. Ortiz being of similar height was nominated. Coughlin just hovered.
A shout of alarm caused them to turn towards where the windmill was being raised, Evan willing his leg to move a bit less painfully. A sharp crack reverberated around the village and the windmill crashed to the ground.
“Damn, I thought that might’ve happened.” Coughlin studied the remains as they settled. “I had a look when we got here and thought the central supports were no-good. Think that proves it.” Coughlin’s engineering training had come in handy on a number of missions both back on Earth and in the Pegasus galaxy. “Think we’re going to have to build it from scratch, Sir. Good thing Gar has a supply of trunks.”
“We we’re planning on bringing them over after the storm has passed. Hopefully we’ll still be allowed.” He had seen the enthusiasm the villagers displayed for the promise of supplies.
“I’m sure the Colonel will allow it, Sir. Especially after the ferocity of this storm.”
Evan hoped that their destination was not too far off. Sharp pains had been radiating down to his ankle on every step and Coughlins hand had crept under his armpit. With the additional support, his leg barely touched the ground. Glancing ahead he identified their target as the village hall, Ronon sitting on the apex of the roof, hammer in hand.
“Major,” came a shout from above, the Satedan pausing his hammering. “Good to see you awake.” He leant over a raised vent next to him. “Beckett,” he bellowed into the building, “Lorne’s here.”
“Does that man have any sense of self-preservation?”
Evan was about to agree with Ortiz’s query when they reached the bottom step of the hall entrance.
The doctor appeared at the top, his glare taking them in. “Not one of you have an ounce of self-preservation.” Becketts tone was sharp and Ortiz took a slight step back as the doctors’ glare landed on him. “Did I not instruct you lot to alert me when the Major was accessible. At no point did I tell you to drag him halfway across the village. Get in here. And, for god’s sake, pick him up, before he falls over.”
Evan felt the hands supporting him grip a bit tighter and his foot barely touched the three steps leading into the spacious hall, where the large windows created a bright welcoming space. Only one far window still had shutters closed blocking out the bright sunlight.
Huddles of people filled the open space, clustered around a handful of beds, occupied by what he deduced was the injured logging crew. His entry caused a considerable amount of the halls occupants to look up, Evan flinching slightly under their scrutiny. He could see relieved smiles on a number of faces and relaxed slightly.
“Come on, bring him over here.” Becketts no nonsense tone was abrupt as he led them to a closed off alcove away from the main area of activity. The thud of the distant hammering receding as they entered the smaller space.
The sound of a commotion in the central hall halted them. A clearly flustered Aliania appeared at the doorway, wisps of her greying hair escaping her tight ponytail. Her eyes fixed on Evan and a slight smile crossed her face. It made her look years younger.
She strode over to him, throwing her arms round him and hugged him tightly. A combination of surprise and balance had Evan holding onto her.
“If you ever disappear like that again,” she whispered sternly in his ear, “ever, Major. I will set Tyrl on you. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes Ma’am. Crystal.” He replied with a smile. As she released him and stepped back, he felt Coughlins hand return as he was lowered to perch at the edge of a raised bed.
“Right,” she demanded, as Evan saw her military bearing reassert itself. “Lieutenant Coughlin, follow me. I need your assessment on the windmill. Corporal Ortiz, please keep the Major company.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Came the dual replies, a look flitting between Coughlin and Ortiz. The younger man nodded. With a “see you later, Sir” Coughlin followed Aliania out.
“What just happened, Ortiz?” Evan asked in confusion. “Did Sheppard give up command?”
“No, Sir.” Ortiz said with a laugh. “The Colonel’s flying the wounded back to Atlantis and left the Commander in charge. I think it was a combination of a healthy dose of respect, the need for her to be busy and abject fear on the Colonels part.”
Evan could see Commander Aliania was a very capable officer who evidently had led troops long enough it had become instinctual for them to follow her. His musings were interrupted when the distant hammering increased in volume.
Beckett huffed as he glanced upwards. “Ortiz, can you go and tell Ronon to give it a break. Tyrl’s with the Colonel so he doesn’t have to keep it up.” Beckett glanced over at the hovering Corporal when he didn’t move. “I would be kicking you out anyway as I need to examine Major Lorne. That was me telling you politely. Out Ortiz.”
“Loud and clear Doc. Major, I’ll go and check on Reed and Gar as well. Back soon, Sir.”
Evan shifted his attention to the dragon. Deep feelings of slumber hit him.
“He’s still asleep, Luis. But appreciate it.”
The mutterings of “so cool, so cool,” reached Evan as his corporal headed out.
Evan watched Beckett as he gathered his equipment; the doctor surprisingly quiet. It dawned on him he hadn’t been directly addressed by the normally blunt Scot.
“Carson, are you okay? I feel like I owe you an apology for something.”
Beckett tense shoulders dropped slightly as the doctor finally looked at him. The doctor grabbed a nearby chair, positioning it in front of the bed, and with a sigh sat down. He looked tired.
“I need to have a wee chat with your dragon, laddie. And, no, I’m not angry with you, just a bit peeved at the situation. I had no idea how hurt you were, couldn’t get to you and had to play a guessing game with an overgrown lizard.”
Evan winced at the description of Gar; glad the dragon was deeply asleep. He had always found it best to let Beckett get his rant out the way before any treatment happened. Also, it was a good way to get information quickly.
“We had no idea where you were.” The doctor continued. “Could’ve been in the bloody hurricane for all we knew. McKays stressing cause he couldnae find ye and yer teams kicking themselves cause they didnae stop ye. And the Colonel just paced. Ye know that man disnae do inactivity well. Then we find out ye’ve been in a bloody war.”
Evan opened his mouth to correct the doctor but took in the broad Scots accent and shut his mouth.
Beckett wasn’t finished.
“And the bloody storm was still going so we couldnae leave. For four hours, Evan. It wasnae a pretty sight. Then we turn up here to find a partly destroyed village and a badly injured logging team. Nerves were a bit frayed. We had no idea what we were gonna see when we opened the barn. Couldnae even see you. That dragon was coiled round you like the overprotective lizard he is. I had to get my information of your injuries from him through Coughlin. Not ideal, Evan.”
“Sorry, Doc.” Generalised apologies was always good in dealing with Beckett.
“Not your fault, laddie.” The Scottish accent lessening. “We were worried is all. Should have realised that dragon won’t let anything happen to you. Maybe I should thank him as well. But I’m still going to have a word with him about your medical care.”
Evan made a mental note to prepare Gar for a bit of Beckett lecturing.
“I’ll set it up, Doc.” Evan reassured the doctor and from the relaxing of his tense expression, combined with a friendly clap on the shoulder, the tension in the room lifted.
“Appreciate it, Evan, and it’s very good to see you. Now, we need to have a wee look at what state you came back in. Lie back now.”
As Beckett peeled the hastily applied bandage that Tyrl had done, Evan could see the state of his leg. The wound was about six inches long, creasing along the outside of his thigh in a slight downward angle. It gaped redly in the centre.
“What did this?” asked Beckett, gently palpating the wound. Evan winced as a clear fluid ran down his leg.
“A Genii pistol.”
“Good. If it was one of their shotguns you wouldn’t have a leg left. It looks okay but once we’re back on Atlantis you’ll be having a full wound debridement. I’ll just give you some painkillers and antibiotic spray for now and cover it back up.”
“Thanks Doc.” Evan replied, grateful that painkillers were mentioned. His leg had started pulsing in time with the hammering he could hear. He decided to get more information from the doctor as he tried to distract himself from the pain.
“So Tyrl’s here as well?”
“Good man that.” Carson replied as he leant out into the main hall. “Allie, can you pop through and bring the scanner and the lido combo please.”
“Yes, doctor,” came from the depths of the hall.
“Excellent medic,” continued Carson, cutting up Evans trouser leg to get full access to the wound. “He’s offered his services to help out in the infirmary on Atlantis and asked to learn a lot of our techniques. The Colonel is gonna put the request to the General. Can’t see it being refused.”
Carson draped a surgical sheet over him, after spraying his leg in cold antiseptic. Evan winced at the feeling on his hot skin. “The Colonel, Carson. How bad?”
Beckett paused in answering as he accepted a tray from a smiling nurse. He remained quiet as he injected a long needle into Evans thigh, a slight pinch followed as Carson emptied the contents of the syringe. The needle was placed back on the tray and he dismissed the nurse. With a sigh Beckett sat down next to Evan.
“That’s a bit more of a tricky situation, laddie.” Beckett said, reaching for a bandage. “I’ve been around the military long enough to know there was a few things you didn’t do by the book. And by the bruise on Coughlin’s face, I don’t think it can be ignored.”
Evan relaxed back into the pillow in a combination of the feeling in his leg receding and the reality of the situation sinking in.
“I fucked up, Carson.” Evan could feel the stirrings of concern.
“I’m not going to lie to you Evan, but there’s been a lot of angry messages flying about. It’s now moved past the Colonel and General O’Neill but you’ve got the support of everyone on Atlantis. It’ll be okay.” Beckett finished wrapping his leg and patted his knee in a show of support. “You may not see the Colonel much as he’s fighting your corner, but remember he has also to appear impartial.”
Evan realised something. “Doc, I can’t feel my leg.”
“That’s what a nerve blocker does, Evan.” Carson had a smug smile on his face. “Really helps with the pain.”
“But not great for my mobility.” His leg would only sluggishly obey commands to move.
“Means we won’t lose sight of you then.” Carson was now sounding smug as well. “It’ll hold till we get you back to Atlantis and get that wound cleaned out.”
……………………………………….
By the time the jumper arrived back from Atlantis Evan had lost complete feeling in his leg. He had begrudgingly shifted over to a basket stretcher, helped by a returning Coughlin and Ortiz, but had sat up in protest, occasionally giving Carson glaring looks. He prodded his leg again, getting the same result.
“Evan, the feeling won’t be back for at least six hours. Stop it.” A hand gently slapped his away. He gave Carson another glare. “Trust me laddie, that wound is deep. It’s close to the nerve. This is the best option.”
“I’m sick of stretchers, Carson.”
“Major.” Came a shout from the doorway. Before he could greet Tyrl, he was enveloped in a tight embrace. As Tyrl pulled back he held Evan by both arms and studied him intently. “Are you well? How is your leg? It is good to see you, Major.”
Evan indicated to the seat next to him and with relief saw Tyrl sink into it. The man was tall enough when Evan was standing. He was a veritable giant when viewed from a stretcher.
“My leg’s fine, thank you, Tyrl. It’s good to see you too.” Evan replied with genuine warmth. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there on Atlantis when you got there. I didn’t expect to return to a hurricane.”
“We were most concerned when we arrived. We feared the worst. But your Dr McKay managed to find you. You have amazing technology. I can see how you can become invisible.”
Oops, thought Evan, forgot about that. He could see Beckett and Coughlin exchange a glance, the latter shrugging. He had unintentionally left out that part of the story.
“What?” muttered Ortiz, a bewildered expression on his face.
“Later, Ortiz.” Evan shifted his attention back to Tyrl. “Did everyone get home okay?”
“Yes, Major.” Tyrl was beaming, oblivious to the confused looks. “We arrived at Sion and there was much rejoicing. The commander’s nephew was not harmed in the raid and she was most thankful. She pulled rank which allowed us to travel to your city. I contacted Sion when I returned earlier. Everyone is relived that you are well. Though young Tomas was more interested to hear about Gar I’m afraid.”
Evan let out a genuine laugh. “I’m sure every five-year-old would be more interested in a dragon than a limping soldier.”
Ronon appeared at the door. “Beckett, the jumper’s ready to depart.”
“Okay, let’s move out then. Tyrl can I ask you to stay here to make sure everyone is moved to their houses safely. You’ll have the two nurses staying with you as well.”
“I’m also not coming back, Beckett. More roofs to fix.” Ronon rumbled. A rare smile on his face.
“Then I can join you, friend Ronon,” Tyrl enthused. “And after my medical duties are complete, I can show you how I hammer nails in with my fist.”
“What’s going on Carson?” Evan asked quietly glancing between the two men.
“Budding bromance, I think it’s called.” Carson pushed him back and connected the straps.
Ev, are you well? Evan had felt the dragon slowly surfacing.
Hope you slept well Gar. Yes, I’m fine. Carson’s numbed my leg so I’m not too mobile. We’re about to head home. What’s your plans?
I will check on you before you leave. Then I will head to the maybe-mango trees as they are delicious and are good sustenance. I will bring some back for you.
Thank you, Gar.
With all the straps tightened, Evan had no choice but to lie back. His view limited to the sky above him and occasional glimpses of Coughlins bruised face. A blatant reminder of what he was heading back to. Halfway to the jumper his view was filled with a huge dragon’s head.
Hey, Gar. He reached up and scratched the dragon’s snout. The smell of slightly charred pine oil wafted over him.
Ev, you are not mobile at all. Concern rose from the dragon.
Beckett’s just being cautious. I’ll be fine. Why don’t you head to the beach for a swim? I’ll check on who’s there.
I would like that, but you cannot join me. Sadness flooded their bond.
Definitely next time Gar. Don’t think Beckett will let me near sand at the moment.
Be safe, Ev. The dragon took a long leap into the air and spiralled round in his view.
Fly safe, Gar.
“Hey Reed.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Anyone at the beach at the moment?”
“You kidding, Sir. That beach break will have a swell with bombs that barrel.”
Evan forgot he was asking a surfer. “No idea what you just said, Reed. Who’s there? Anyone that knows Gar?”
“I think Lieutenant Cadman’s there again, Sir. First time back.”
Gar, Cadman’s at the beach. Would you join her for a swim? It’s her first time back in the water.
I would be happy to, Ev.
“Reed, can you contact them. Tell them Gar’s on his way. Appreciate it if they could give him a scrub.”
“Will do, Sir.”
…………………………………….
The flight back was uneventful. Beckett refused to let him sit up so he stared at a patch of curved jumper ceiling for the short journey back. His mind ticking over what was likely to happen on his return.
He was therefore surprised there was no welcoming committee to arrest him when the jumper docked and no guards were posted at the infirmary on his arrival. The mild sedative Carson administered to do the wound cleaning made him go fuzzy for about an hour and when he awoke, he had a clean, tight white bandage on his still numb leg.
And Lieutenant Rivers standing at the bottom of his bed.
“Rivers?” Evan acknowledged and saw the man flinch. A noise alerted him to the fact that Beckett was standing at the head of his bed.
“Major Lorne,” Rivers couldn’t meet his eye. “I have been informed by Doctor Beckett that your injuries do not impede your cognitive functions. Is that correct, Doctor Beckett?”
“This is ridiculous,” Beckett spluttered, “Ye cannae…”
“Carson!” Evan could tell that the doctor was gearing up a defence. “Just answer the question, please.”
He could see the relief in Rivers face.
“He’s fine Lieutenant. But he’s staying here till that nerve blocker fades. And no guards in ma infirmary, mind.”
Evan knew it had been coming, but to be faced with the reality felt like a hard punch. He could sympathise with Coughlin. Rivers took a deep breath.
“Major Lorne, Sir.” Rivers looked at him with desperate eyes. “I have been deputised by the Office of the Provost Marshall General to present to you an arrest warrant for court martial on the grounds of insubordination and conduct unbecoming an officer. You are to be confined to guarded quarters in the main tower for the next seventy-two hours. After that you are to attend a hearing where you will have access to legal representation to refute these charges. Any questions, Major?”
Evan could see the man was trembling. “Are you okay Rivers?”
“No, Sir. Not in any way.”
“It’s okay. I understand. But I do have one other question.”
“Sir?”
“Where’s your warrant?”
“Sir?” Evan saw the panicked look replaced by a quizzical look.
Evan smiled. “Tell Colonel Sheppard that in the filing cabinet in my office, second drawer down, there are blank ones. Get him to fill it in and then you bring it back. Only then is your arrest valid.”
Rivers had his panicked look back on. “Do I have to go back to the Colonel, Sir?”
“Yes, Lieutenant. Most definitely.” Every officer went through legal training in the OCS. Was he the only one that was awake for it?
“He’s not in a good mood, Sir. Always thought his black ops background was maybe not true. Don’t doubt it now.” Rivers started for the door. “I’ll be right back.”
A snorting noise made him look to the doctor standing next to him. “Carson?” he queried.
“God, Evan.” Beckett was shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re not gonna go anywhere laddie, this place would fall apart without you.”
……………………………………………..
Three hours later he could feel his toes again, but the unfortunate consequence of that was his leg wound, painless until now, had started pulsing. A liberal dose of oral painkillers dulled the pain to the background. A brief mini standoff with Carson allowed Evan to regain a certain amount of control and he slowly hobbled out of the infirmary on crutches, Rivers following, clutching a medication bottle. They were met by Sergeant Stackhouse at the infirmary doors.
“Really Sergeant.” Stackhouse’s normally stoic face showed a hint of regret. “I’m on crutches, how far do you think I’ll get?”
“Sorry, Major.” As the marine fell into step with them. “Orders from the Colonel, Sir.”
Evan knew the policy and two guards minimum were expected especially where the charge of striking another officer had been laid. Evan just wished Sheppard had picked less conspicuous ones.
As they headed slowly along the main corridors Evan became increasingly aware of the lack of foot traffic. In fact, the corridors were nearly deserted. A brief glimpse of a passing scientist was all that was seen, and after a brief cough by Rivers, the scientist scurried through a nearby door.
His suspicions rose. “Alright, guys. What’s going on? It’s the middle of the afternoon, where is everyone?” He asked as they turned down an unfamiliar corridor. “And where are we going exactly? I’m not up for a trek.”
He had used crutches before but had forgotten how cumbersome they were. He had been trying to get back into the rhythm of them but his instincts were based on a lower leg cast and not a thigh wound. He stumbled slightly as his foot caught an edge. He hissed with the jolt of pain.
“You okay, Sir? We can request a wheelchair. That’d make Beckett happy.” Rivers had stopped outside a smaller transporter.
“I’m okay, Lieutenant. Just getting used to these damn things again. But I’d appreciate knowing our destination as I don’t think I’ve much left in the tank.” He could feel his energy levels waning and he wanted to get horizontal soon.
“Only a bit longer, Sir. The Colonel’s asked for you to be placed under guard in the penthouse.”
“What? Why on earth there?” The aptly named penthouse apartment was huge, covering three levels, and considered totally impractical for quarters. He had only been up there once; the all-round views of the city were stunning from the expansive balcony. Ah. “Don’t answer that, I think I know.”
Expansive enough that a dragon could land on them. Sneaky Sheppard. Appear to be containing him in the most secure accommodation available while allowing access to what will probably be a pissed off dragon. His admiration of the Colonels deviousness went up a notch.
A short transporter ride had them at the penthouse door, standing alone in its own foyer with a corridor stretching along to storage rooms at the far end. Two seats placed either side of the door already stood sentry.
“Dr McKay has restricted the transporter authorisation to only a handful of people.” Rivers explained. “It’s me, Stackhouse and the Colonel. So, guard duties will be rotational with one of our team members. You will only be allowed to use the transporter during a city-wide emergency, Sir.”
Evan wondered if they realised that he could just hop on a dragon if he wanted to leave. He decided not to remind them of the fact. He was sure the Colonel had realised that. If they didn’t want that as an option he would be in the cells. Definitely no balconies there.
As Stackhouse opened the door, both him and Rivers stepped back allowing Evan access. They didn’t follow him in. After glancing back at them in confusion for a blatant breach of policy, he headed down the corridor leading to the main living space, searching out a horizontal surface. He stopped in surprise.
Colonel Sheppard was standing at the floor to ceiling windows, staring out at Atlantis.
The heavy quiet continued for a minute, before Evan decided it was better for him to sit down. He sank into an armchair. Damn, it was a comfy one. He felt his leg relax as he stretched it out.
Sheppard broke the silence.
“Do you know the main strength of Atlantis, Major?” Sheppard did not turn round. He stood ramrod straight surveying the view to the North Pier. “People, Evan. Always its people.”
“Sir?” Evan decided vague answers was the safest way forward.
Sheppard glanced round at him. “Not the time for a ‘Sir’, Evan. This isn’t a Colonel/Major chat.”
Ah, one of those conversations, he thought. “John, what are you doing here? You know this isn’t a good idea.”
Sheppard moved away from the view, sitting in the matching chair next to Evan and reached down to the side. A quarter full bottle of 20-year-old Scotch appeared on the low table between them, followed by two glasses.
Evan smiled. “Now that’s a much better idea, Sir.”
“Ak, no rank at the moment.” Sheppard held up a warning finger as he poured a healthy measure into both glasses. “I checked with Beckett, the painkillers you’re on will not react with alcohol.”
“And he agreed, with no lecture?”
“Oh, there was a lecture, mostly about the use of his whisky. But I think Beckett marked it down as vital medicinal use. Besides, we need to have a chat.”
“I will say again, John. This is not a good idea. You could be dragged into this. I can’t see you go down as well.”
“I prefer nobody to go down. Least of all you. And, anyway, I’m not here.”
Evan frowned at his commanding officer. “Yes, you are.”
“Nope, definitely not. I was not seen arriving. And at a certain moment in the near future your two guards will patrol to check the storerooms. If my exit happens to coincide with that patrol then, hey, never seen.”
“What about the transporter records?” Nothing happened on Atlantis without a record of it somewhere. His concern about implication now included Rivers and Stackhouse.
Sheppard leant back and sipped his whisky, a devious look on his face. “I have told Dr McKay a number of times that he needs to keep the transporter system running smoothly. Lifeblood of the place, you know. The system requires regular upgrading especially when changing transporter protocols. Means sensors may have to go down for a minute of two.”
The man was definitely sneaky he concluded. It still made him feel uncomfortable about the risk others were taking for him.
“Still not liking this.”
“Tough.” The stern Colonel tone creeping in. “Deal with it. I needed to give you a heads up.”
The tension in the room rose again. “How bad?” Evan asked with trepidation.
“Before we get into it, I would like to say how happy I am that you’re not dead. Good work on the staying alive front. In fact, good work all round, Evan.”
“Thank you.”
“Good. Now we’ve established that I am glad for your continuing existence, let’s discuss how we are going to achieve that going forward.”
A small part of Evan shifted back onto an even keel. With the Colonels absence, from the time Evan awoke in the village, a tiny voice had whispered concerns.
“I’m sorry I’ve been hands off, but I had my reasons.” Sheppard continued. “I even got a talking to by Tyrl on the jumper flight back because of it. By the way, please stop picking up intimidating giant individuals on your travels.”
“I’ll try my best.” At that Evan felt the familiar camaraderie click back into place. He relaxed back into the very comfortable chair and sipped his whisky.
“Good. Now to the nitty-gritty.” Sheppard swallowed the rest of his whisky and poured them both a new one before continuing. “A court martial pre-hearing is unavoidable, me and General O’Neill tried to contain it at a summary level, hence why I’ve not been about, but it’s being pushed up to potentially the general level.”
Evan closed his eyes when a surge of panic hit. Of the three levels of court martial the general court martial was the most serious with far reaching consequences. If they had just held a summary one it could have been done by Colonel Sheppard and had the minimal level of punishments. The general level was not a good sign.
“Shit.” Evan said with feeling.
“Exactly.” Sheppard nodded. “There is a bigger agenda here and we’re not seeing the full picture. That pisses me off. You know how much I hate higher up politics. So, we need to figure out our next step.”
“I need to plead guilty, John.” He knew it had been coming to this.
Evan got the full Sheppard stare for a beat. “No, you damn well don’t. That’s not an option that’s on the table.”
“It has to be.” He argued, his musings on the jumper trip home had covered this. “I’m screwed if I go down the route of being controlled by an external source. That never ends well. I’m also screwed if I argue that I wasn’t in my right mind. I loaded up with weapons, Sir. Either of these ways, my military career is over before the first argument is presented.”
Sheppard remained silent. His look dark.
“If I plead guilty,” Evan continued, taking the silence as confirmation that Sheppard had no real plan, “then I can say that I knew what I was doing, that the information I received put me on a combat ready footing. I reacted accordingly, but rashly.”
“Won’t you just be playing right into whoever’s hands are pulling the strings.” Sheppard countered.
“Yes, Sir. But maybe that means we can see the puppet master. I would rather see if we can get them now than at a random point down the line.”
“I’m not liking it, Evan.” Sheppard stared into his glass. He swirled the amber liquid around. “But I can see your point. I feel like you’re being laid out as bait.”
“I don’t want to live my life looking over my shoulder. If we can use this to our advantage then I’m all for it.” He could feel the anger building up in him. The self-serving bullshit that went on at high levels sickened him. He wanted to fight back.
“This is going to take some persuading. O’Neill’s ready to come in with guns blazing.”
Evan stared at him in horror. His feeling of panic increasing. “Tell me you talked him out of it. That’s not going to help anyone. He’s needed at the SGC.”
Evan grinned at the look Sheppard sent him.
“I do sometimes see the bigger picture, Evan. And speaking of the bigger picture it’s arranged with Prefector Anterls that if this all goes boom, you and Gar will be heading to Sion until we can get it all sorted.”
“What?” Evan hadn’t thought much past the start of the court martial.
“Think about it, if you’re taken back to Earth, that dragon will go with you.”
“We can’t let him.”
“That’s not a conversation I plan on having with a rather intimidating dragon. I heard he breathes fire.” Sheppard poured the remains of the bottle into their glasses. Evan could feel numbness creeping in along with the unnatural effects of alcohol induced relaxation. He leant his head back. He was taking one of these chairs to the courtyard and claiming it as his.
Evan knew the Colonel was correct. Gar would not leave him and at the same time Evan would not leave the dragon. Their lives were forever intertwined. If they ever ended up on Earth it had to be on their own terms.
“You’re right.” Evan smiled at Sheppard’s enthusiastic ‘yup’. “But if it does go boom they may just transfer me straight to the Daedalus after the court martial.”
“Well,” Sheppard said slyly, “a little birdie tells me you’ve been using Atlantean technology that makes you invisible. Pray tell Evan, what technology was the very reliable Commander Aliania talking about?”
“Ah, that.”
“Yup, that. Probably something we should have known about, doncha think?”
“Don’t think I’ve told you the story from the start. Maybe I should rectify that.” Evan stared at his near empty glass. “Shame, a good story is always best with alcohol.”
“Don’t worry, Major.” Sheppard leant down and pulled a full bottle from the floor. “I know where Carson stashed his second one.”