oOo

"I just - just - just... it's... no, y-y-you..."

Words. Stupid words.

He wanted to say a very specific and important thing, but it just wasn't happening. They were shushing him, humouring him. They knew what he was trying to say, and they wouldn't listen.

Something was very wrong.

Things were not working... he was not working.

It seemed like only moments ago that he had been trading insults with Dr McKay. They were trudging back to the stargate, across a narrow piece of land bounded by swamp on each side. A mission with Colonel Sheppard and his team to find trading partners, had come to nothing, when no living soul had been found in this desolate place. Rodney was now and again slapping at his neck and bemoaning the species of mosquito residing on the planet. Lorne himself had seen no insects at all and was informing McKay of this fact, along with his concerns about the scientist's obvious paranoia.

It was not the first time he had accompanied this team off-world, but Evan had to admit to still feeling a bit of a newbie. They were tight, this group; McKay, in spite of plenty of evidence to the contrary, had proved himself to be as courageous, as he was smart; Teyla, enigmatic, a dangerous opponent, and totally out of his league (where had that come from?); Ronon, a man who had been running from the Wraith before Lorne even started basic training; and the Colonel, respected and trusted absolutely by all of them.

There was certainly no jealousy, but envy, maybe; how cool would it be, to be in the coolest team?, he thought, smiling inwardly.

Lorne wasn't much of a talker, but he was a people-watcher. Sometimes he would just step back and simply watch their interactions, or like today... get in there and annoy one Canadian scientist.

The first hint he had, that something was amiss, was when he heard a sharp whine next to his left ear. His initial thought was, so, there are mosquitos after all. He brought up a hand to bat it away, and at that exact same moment, his legs folded up under him. As the sky wheeled across, dizzyingly, and the back of his head impacted the ground, he saw Ronon, like a giant, standing over him, blaster at the ready.

Strangely, there was no sound, and through eyes that were rapidly losing the ability to focus, he saw McKay and Teyla, moving with some purpose, it seemed. But it was confusing and he was on the outside, not involved; a spectator unable to participate.

He was lifted up, his stomach turned over and he retched drily. Arms and legs that were not his own, dangled and bumped.

He was trying desperately to fathom what had happened.

Was he sick? He felt sick, but he also felt a calmness and detachment that worried him more than anything else.

Had he been injured? There was no pain, he'd felt no impact. Obviously he was fine.

He needed to be up, doing his job. He hated to be weak, to show weakness. It was on his record, he'd seen it, Major Lorne conducts himself professionally at all times.

His teeth were chattering... they hurt.

When had it gotten so cold? His head felt like it was filled with ice, and a numbness crept from it. It was a chill that came from within, and he couldn't comprehend it.

Sheppard's face was there, lips moving to say... something. Evan tried to respond, to ask, what's happened?

An enemy, maybe... were they under attack?

There were hands holding his head and he realised that he was now lying on his side, eyes blinking and stinging. The hands moved gently, across his eyes, again and again. It was soothing, and calming, and he knew almost at once it was Teyla.

"T-t-t..." Teyla, he tried to say.

She looked so sad... broken, he thought. Like someone had died.

Sudden panic filled him... where are the others?

As though in answer, a circle of familiar faces came into his blurry sight. Lips moving, faces animated... worried.

Get up, he told himself.

He wanted to move. His right side, that was pressed to the damp ground, was cold and senseless.

They needed to go, to get home, and they were waiting for... him.

They would all die because this soldier couldn't get his butt moving. That was unacceptable.

That was when he tried... tried to get them to leave him.

But they would not hear his pleas, incoherent as they were. They shook their heads... McKay looked furious... Teyla gently pressed her fingers to his cold lips, to silence him.

But he kept trying...

"G-g-g-go...", and he said it like it was the most difficult word he had ever said. It wasn't the cold, making him stammer that way, it was something else, something bad.

It was getting so hard to think; it was as if the connection his brain had with his mouth was totally fried, and all his mouth was good for, was drooling.

For the first time he thought of his own mortality and the possibility that he was dying.

Night was falling - and quickly - and Evan felt himself rolled gently onto his back, his head elevated onto something warm.

As the sky darkened it seemed to him that the faces around him grew brighter, leaned in closer. Then one by one they pulled away leaving just the face of Colonel Sheppard.

The world consisted of those steady dark eyes, unblinking within a pale face. Evan could not say if he heard the words or felt them - perhaps by some weird near-death sense, but somehow in that stare and through the hands that held his face, he got what Sheppard was telling him.

"Major... you'll be okay... just hold on..."

And then, although the light had faded completely, and he wasn't sure if his eyes were open or closed, the last thing he heard was,

"Evan? That's an order! You're one of us... and we don't leave our people behind."

oOo

I don't know what Lorne's first name is.. hope y'all don't mind 'Evan'? I've seen it as Evan in some fics.