He rubbed his face with his hand in a vain effort to feel more awake, but it did little good. And the three cups of coffee he'd downed only seemed to make him feel worse. It didn't help that he hadn't slept much in the past few days, and despite the good doctor Beckett's best efforts – he seemed to feel drained more and more each day. The headaches he'd been having had been more annoying than anything, but they too were starting to wear him thin – also despite Carson's efforts.
It slightly disappointed him that the Scottish doctor had even cleared him for this mission, but after a few weeks of 'vacation,' he was starting to get restless. He knew he had to get back to work sooner rather than later, he just wished he felt better.
He wasn't surprised that he heard McKay before he saw him, nor did it surprise him to find his team and Weir standing in front of the Stargate waiting on him. Rodney seemed like a kid who'd just gotten the best gift ever – eyes wide and bright... it was annoying. Teyla was her normal self – calm, but ready for the mission. Ronon was his normal self, too – calm, quiet, kinda bored and not really interested in whatever Rodney was excited over. Weir simply looked between all three as McKay rambled on further, earning himself only a blank stare from the Satedan across from him, “Come on, Ronon. How can you not be excited about this? I mean, this energy signal could be--”
“A Z.P.M.?”
Rodney wheeled around to face John as he entered the Gate Room, “Um, yes?” Seeing John's small grimace, Rodney covered his tracks and spoke quickly, “Yes, that's exactly what I was going to say.”
Ronon shot the scientist a skeptical look, “Sure it was.”
John sighed once before finally stopping at the group, “Morning, kids.” He waved at the techie at the DHD, ordering him to begin dialing.
Teyla nodded before frowning slightly, “Are you alright, Colonel?”
He looked up at her as he finished checking his vest, making sure he had everything he needed, “Yeah. I'm fine.”
“That's good,” John looked over at Weir as she spoke, “Strange energy readings aside, establishing good trade relations should be your first priority.” Rodney's face fell slightly, and John smiled at him as the seventh chevron was locked and the Stargate activated.
Sheppard clasped Rondey on the back as he walked past him, “Don't worry, McKay. If we get done at the settlement in enough time, we can check it out.”
McKay groaned, “Oh, like we have anything better to do.”
SGASGASGASGA
The Stargate deactivated just behind Rodney and Teyla, a short distance in front of them, Ronon and John scanned the area – silently watching for danger. With only the sound of birds in the trees and McKay and Teyla's boots on the mossy ground, John decided to break the silence, “No one to greet us...” he mused, mostly to himself, rather than to his team.
Rodney was quick to voice a sarcastic question as he and Teyla stopped next to the other two, “And that's something new?”
Sheppard rolled his eyes, tolerating McKay's usual 'the-answer-should-be-obvious' attitude, before glancing at Teyla, “Which way?”
“This way,” she said shortly as she took point, leading the team deeper into the thick forest. Sheppard fell in line behind her, McKay behind him and Ronan somewhere near McKay.
As the walked, John took a moment to really take in his surroundings. Thick tree trunks sprouted out of the ground, tall and massive. Ground and tree alike mostly covered in a thick green and brown moss. There were patches of grass here and there, some random shrubs that looked an awful lot like ivy to John. He looked up, the sky was dark and could barely be seen through the tree tops. Add in the fog that had begun rolling in soon after they had arrived, and it all summed up to one creepy forest. And that feeling only intensified as they pressed on. John sensed that Rodney was feeling the same way. It felt like there was something wrong with this forest. John stopped, “Anyone else getting a bad feeling about this place?” he asked pointedly.
“Y-yes?” The pilot looked behind him to see McKay with a hand raised nervously, then forward again at Teyla.
“This place has always felt this way, but once we are out the forest,” She looked back at the three behind her, “Things will feel better.”
John grimaced slightly, “That's good to know...”
“Woah...”
John spun on his heel to face McKay, who'd pulled out his LSD. John made a face and started to scold the scientist, “McKay--”
“Yes, yes, yes, hold on.”
John sighed and rubbed his temple, his headache had gotten worse and he was doing his best to ignore it while Rodney tried his patience.
“Okay. There it is again.”
John walked closer, “There's what?”
“The energy signal we picked up with the MALP. It just spiked.”
John looked around the thick forest, weighing his options. Go against orders and check out the spike, or continue on and let McKay whine about about it. He wasn't too keen a listening to whining....
John grimaced slightly, “That's good to know...”
“Woah...”
John spun on his heel to face McKay, who'd pulled out his LSD. John made a face and started to scold the scientist, “McKay--”
“Yes, yes, yes, hold on.”
John sighed and rubbed his temple, his headache had gotten worse and he was doing his best to ignore it while Rodney tried his patience.
“Okay. There it is again.”
John walked closer, “There's what?”
“The energy signal we picked up with the MALP. It just spiked.”
John looked around the thick forest, weighing his options. Go against orders and check out the spike, or continue on and let McKay whine about about it. He wasn't too keen a listening to whining....
“Alright,” McKay looked up at him for a moment, “What have you got?”
Rodney began fiddling with the scanner again, pressing things on the screen and pad, “There's a field surrounding a large portion of the forest, most the forest around the 'Gate, in fact.”
“Okay,” John shifted his weight, “It is dangerous?”
Rodney groaned, “How should I know? Look, I can even pin-point the source of power. There's too much interference from all the other energy sources.”
Sheppard narrowed his eyes slightly, “There's more than one?”
“Yes. Didn't I say that?” He looked at the other members of the team as they each shook their heads, “Okay, hold on. There's a source close...” he paused, and pointed the scanner here and there, “That way,” a finally said, pointing the way towards the village and the end of the treeline.
Out beyond the treeline was the Village, dwarfed by the purple mountains further beyond the next patch of forest. Golden grass filled in the space around the settlement, waving in the cool breeze, seemingly greeting the off-worlders to their home. It held a much more pleasant feeling than the forest did.
John sighed, his curiosity very nearly getting the best of him, “Alright, let's check it out on our way back.” He looked back at Rodney, “It's not going anywhere.” Sheppard started forward, well aware that he would need pass through the field to get to the settlement. He paused where he felt the strange energy field might be, but he couldn't see anything, “Is it safe?”
“Again. How should I know?”
“I have been here many times,” They all looked back at Teyla, “I have been to the settlement with no problems.”
The Colonel turned back towards the village, “Okay. So safe, huh?”
McKay lingered behind, still playing with the scanner. Ronon brushed past him and Sheppard and stepped out beyond the treeline and turned back to face the others, “No problem.”
John finally nodded and stepped through. He didn't feel anything at first, but then the headache from Hades returned with a vengeance and the world began to tilt and his vision began to darken. He felt himself falling slowly to the ground, the dirt and moss under his knees. He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead, and he was dimly aware of hands on his shoulder and a face in front of him before his vision blanked completely and he felt himself falling further.
TBC
A/N: Chapter 1 wordcount: 1381.
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