"What happened?!" Weir demanded, exasperation finally getting the better of her and creeping into her voice.
"As far as we can tell, it's some kind of security system." Rodney flashed schematics on the screen behind him and explained. He sensed the frustration in Elizabeth and decided the simplified route would be the best option. "It was originally designed to pinpoint and incapacitate Wraith, letting Ancients pass through unharmed, but apparently the computer got confused when it dealt with both Sheppard and Teyla."
"I still don't understand how the computer being confused led to them as children!" Carson interrupted. Elizabeth shot him a look reminding him that, though she was getting irritated with the Colonel's adept ability at finding trouble, she was still the one asking questions here.
"Actually, despite this hiccup, the technology is quite ingenious." Rodney continued, electing to ignore Carson's agitation rather than taunt it. The Doctor was too high strung at the moment to take any teasing in stride.
"The system issues a standard stunner pulse, to put the Wraith in a weakened mental state, and allow the draining of life through the reversal of time." Rodney stopped for his favorite moment in these speeches, the stress inducing pregnant pause, but hurried along when Carson started to open his mouth again. "All the energy that the Wraith would've expended in that span of their lifetime is released into the device's system during the reversal. We're not sure what they did with the power, but the Ancients did it through the same technology as in the time dilation field, but on a much smaller scale. And of course, rather than time progressing forward, it progresses backward, and at a much faster rate."
"Faster than in the valley?" Carson took it upon himself to interrupt (interrupted) again.
McKay was beginning to lose patience. "Fast doesn't even being to describe it. Rather than six months in a day, it's two hundred years in four seconds. It's really quite brilliant actually. They reverse the polarity of the system and-"
"Rodney! If it's so brilliant, what went wrong?"
Zelenka moved to the screen, and continued on Rodney's flustered behalf. "We believe the computer was torn between responding to the genes in Colonel Sheppard, or the genes in Teyla. Eventually it found a sort of, happy medium- still responding to its basic programming by reversing time, but just enough to make them children. Which if they'd been Wraith would be hypothetically enough energy to scare them off once they awoke from the stunner pulse."
"How do we fix it?"
"Well Carson, we're uh, still investigating that… but the point is, we know what happened."
"Dr. Beckett?" filtered over the comm before Carson could retort.
His glare was sufficient enough chastisement as he answered back, "Beckett here."
"Teyla is beginning to wake sir, but the Colonel has yet to show any signs of consciousness."
"Alright love, be there in a moment, Beckett out." Carson rose and turned to McKay, resting his hands on the table for emphasis. "As nice as it is to know how it happened, I'd much rather know how we intend to return them to normal. When you have any information regarding that, Rodney, let me know."
Elizabeth gave a pacifying motion to Rodney as she followed Carson out and matched his infuriated stride down the hall. They made it halfway to the infirmary before the tension in Beckett's shoulders began to release, and Weir knew it was safe to attempt a conversation.
He just sighed when Weir slowly opened her mouth and muttered, "Yes Elizabeth, I know that I'm unduly stressed over their condition, and I shouldn't have snapped at Rodney." He stopped in the hallway and whirled to Weir, throwing his hands in the air. "I have no idea what to do for them, Elizabeth! No where in my training- or my imagination- do I have any idea how to fix this!" He lowered his hands and sighed "I'm sorry, Elizabeth."
She rested her hands on Beckett's shoulders and reassured him, "We have time for you to figure it out, Carson. So, Sheppard and Teyla spend a few days as children- they don't seem to be in any immediate danger," she joked. "Enjoy what I'm sure will be a very rare opportunity to learn anything about their childhoods, beyond when they had the chicken pox. It'll be good insurance for the next time Sheppard has dirt on you." She gave Carson a teasing smile and headed back to her office, debating how to force Rodney into joining her in the infirmary.
Rodney had been in a panic when he and Ronon had carried the tiny, unconscious bodies back through the gate. Ronon bore Teyla's minute form in his massive arms like she was nothing, and Rodney cradled John in close, willing him to keep breathing. Neither man had relinquished their precious cargo until expressly ordered by Carson. They hadn't ventured more than three feet away from either child while Beckett conducted his exam, only agreeing to be debriefed after Carson had declared both John and Teyla in perfect health.
Those on the medical staff had told the whole city just how affectionate Ronon and Rodney had been with the children, which Rodney was now striving to deny. Ronon could cow anyone with the slightest glance, but Rodney had to work a little harder. She knew from his newly assumed disdain at the situation that Rodney was keeping up appearances (in particular constantly mentioning that Sheppard had probably gotten himself into this situation by pretending he was Kirk again.) He also spent every moment in the lab, quietly sending one of his research assistants to check on John and Teyla every half an hour, and denying it every step of the way.
She'd strong-arm him in defense of his dignity, making a show of her concern. She'd be worried for them and Rodney would dismiss their condition as nothing important, though both felt a different way. They could all feel it deep down inside, something about this wasn't right. She couldn't place it, but she was afraid. Rodney would console her in public, and she'd console him in private, and maybe by telling him everything was alright, she'd begin to believe it herself.