A/N: Major Spoilers for Poisoning the Well. I do not own SGA (if I did, Sunday would never have happened) and all mistakes are mine. Enjoy, and please review.

Paring: Minor Beckett/Teyla

Major Sheppard packed up the medical equipment into the puddle jumper. He sighed, how could a simple mission cause so much death? The people of Hoff only wanted to help their families defend themselves against the Wraith; they didn't deserve what had happened. How could everything have gone so wrong so quickly?

He thought about Dr Beckett. The poor doctor really did have the worst luck off-world. He was blaming himself, but it wasn't his fault. In no way was it his fault. He tried to stop them giving the drug to everyone, but they wouldn't listen. It wasn't his fault all those people died. It wasn't his fault he'd fallen for Perna and was then forced to watch her die a painful death.

Speaking of Carson, where was he?

"Any one seen the doc?" he asked.

Lt Ford shook his head. "No sir."

"He's probably crying in a corner somewhere, you know how he gets when his patients die on him," said Rodney, totally oblivious to what his friend must be going through.

Teyla gave Rodney a look and said, "I will go and find him."

She headed into the town and checked the hospital and research labs, but was unable to find him. She shook her head in disgust when she saw a number of dead bodies that had been piled into a corner, as if no one cared about them any more. Didn't the Hoffan's have any respect for the dead?

She continued looking for the Scottish doctor. She looked in the shops and the town centre, but was unable to locate him.

"Hey Teyla, any luck?" said Major Sheppard over the radio.

"Negative, Major. I will keep looking and get back to you," she said, knowing that Dr Weir would start to worry if they were not back soon.

A thick forest of trees surrounded the town. She thought about searching the town again, but then decided against it and headed into the forest. All the trees looked the same and there was no path, she was going to have to be careful not to get lost.

Brushing the branches out of her face and ignoring the plants that were scratching her legs, she ventured further into the forest, looking for a sign of Dr Beckett.

She pushed a few more leaves out of her way and came to a clearing. Sitting in front of her with his legs drawn up against his chest, staring at the ground and sitting against a tree, was Dr Beckett.

"Major? I have located Dr Beckett. We will be back in a few minutes," she said into the radio.

His icy blue eyes that were normally full of life looked like the fire in them had been put out long ago.

"Dr Beckett?" she said as she moved closer to him.

He looked up slightly. "Go away, Teyla."

"We are about to go back to Atlantis. Major Sheppard sent me to find you," she said. When she got no response she hesitantly walked closer and sat down next to him. She put a comforting hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

He gave a small chuckle at the question. "Am I alright?" he repeated. "Am I alright! How can I be alright! I've just helped kill hundreds of innocent people, how on Earth could I be alright?!"

"It is not your fault," she insisted, resisting the urge to point out that they were not on Earth.

"Lass, of course it's my fault. How could it not be my fault? I'm the one who did the research, I'm the one who finished the prototype, I'm responsible."

She decided to try a different tactic. "Did you not try to convince Chancellor Druhin that the drug was not ready for use?"

Dr Beckett nodded, so she carried on. "Then it is not your fault. You knew there could be problems, but there was nothing you could do to stop them," she moved her hand to his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "It would have happened sooner or later."

"But at least I wouldn't have had a part in it," he sighed and ran a hand through his dark, messy brown hair, the guilt refusing to leave his conscience alone. He knew what Teyla was saying was true, but he still helped to kill all those innocent people.

"I am sorry about Perna," said Teyla. "I know you two were – "

"We weren't in love," he interrupted.

She smiled slightly. "I was going to say close," she put an arm around his shoulders. "I know what it is like to lose someone you care about, Carson. I have lost my entire family and many of my people at the bloody hands of the Wraith."

Great, more guilt. "I'm sorry, Teyla. I didn't mean to –"

"It is not your fault."

Carson sighed again and leaned into her, resting his head on her shoulder. "Thanks, love" he whispered.

"What for?"

"For being there for me," he said.

She smiled. "You are very welcome, doctor."

"Call me Carson. I like it when you call me Carson," he said, his accent thick.

She got up and held her hand out. "Come on…Carson. Major Sheppard is waiting for us."

He took her hand and pulled himself up and followed her out the clearing and back to the puddle jumper, where the rest of the team were waiting for them.

He spent the journey back to Atlantis thinking about what Teyla had said. She was right, it really wasn't his fault. It was the Chancellor's fault for not listening to him.

Carson smiled, he was lucky to have a friend like Teyla, who was wise beyond her years and would always be there for him.

End