Carson walked quickly, but carefully so he wouldn't jostle the organ cooler in his hands. He quickly glanced up to see a marine in lead vest with a helmet on.

They walked up to each other, meeting in the middle of the corridor. The marine held up his hand and Carson paused as the marine turned to the large container he rolled in behind him. As he opened it a message came through Carson's radio.

"Doctor Beckett! He coding I need help here!" Dr. Yasutake's voice came from over the radio.

Carson could tell he had to hurry, from the tone of her voice. The moment the Marine put his hands on the cooler, Carson turned as fast as he could. As he broke into a run he tapped his radio.

"I just made the hand off, and I'm on my-"

Before he could say the last word, the cooler behind him exploded. Having just stepped through the door, the force of the explosion threw him against the wall. The last thing he felt was the fire against his back.

(Darkness)

His head was pounding. His back was screaming. He felt terrible.

He opened his eyes, briefly exposing them to the light, before closing them tightly.

"Carson?" Came a voice to his right." Oh, thank God! Carson!" He tried to scowl at whomever was trying to keep him from returning to the peace sleep brought. "Carson! Can you hear me!"

"Yes! I can hear you now shut it!" He snapped at the voice.

"Carson?"

'Dear lord, not another one!' Carson grimaced at the new voice. It was a woman's voice. Slowly he opened his eyes, letting the adjust to the brightness of a-

'Hospital? No' Carson thought looking at the room aroumd him. 'I've never seen a hospital like this.' He slowly examined himself and the strange world around him. He was laying on his stomach. 'Now I know why my back hurts! I must've been laying like this a while.' The walls were shades of blue with redish trimmings. 'I thought hospitals only came in shades of white and yellow.'

The people now around him looked as strange as the room. The man with the annoying voice on his right looked terrible. His eyes were heavy with worry and what looked like guilt. Not to mention his receding hairline. Behind him was another man who had obviously never seen a comb before. To that man's right was a small dark-skinned woman. She was very young, but seemed to stand with an air of wisdom around her, despite wearing a hospital gown. The woman next to her was taller. She looked at him with obvious concern, but he knew there was more. She just wasn't letting it out. Speaking of repression, Carson turned his eyes to the dark figure on his left. As Carson took in his long hair and frowning face, names began to spring to his mind. 'Tarzan? Chewbacca? Carson tried to shake his head.'Conan? Yeah! That sounds about right.'

"Carson?" He turned his attention to the taller woman. She held her hands in front of her. "Carson, how are you feeling?" She asked gently.

"Tired. Weak." He answered shortly. Mr. Messy-Hair gave a small scoff.

"After what you've been through? That doesn't surprise me. I told you to get out. You're lucky got as far away as you did." He seemed to be upset about something, but was holding it back.

"I'm... sorry?" Carson said carefully, hoping to ease his obvious frustration. It must have worked, because Mr. Messy-hair smiled at him.

"Just don't do it again, doc." Carson must have smiled back, as all was apparently forgiven. The worried man on Carson's right suddenly started talking.

"Carson, I am so sorry." Carson furred his eyebrows in confusion.

"What for?" He asked.

"This is my fault. I made up that story about Katie wanting to spend more time with me. I just didn't want to go fishing." He said putting his head in his hands. Carson had to strain his hearing as the worried man was talking into his hands. "If I had just gone with you, none of this would have happend. Carson I am so sorry!" Carson's eyes darted back and forth as he tried to process this information.

"It's, uh, It's okay." the worried man looked up at Carson in disbelief. "I forgive you." He smiled at the worried man, just like he did with Mr. Messy-hair, but the worried man was unrelenting.

"But! But! This was my fault! I just blew you off, and you're forgiving me?!" Carson squirmed a little.

"Uhm, sure." Carson began to back away from him, but one can only go so far when they're laying down.

"You can't do that!" he began again, but was stopped as the taller woman put a hand on his shoulder.

"Rodney, let it go." She said firmly. As he let the matter drop, the smaller woman stepped foreward.

"I am glad you're alive, Doctor Beckett." she said smiling so sincearly, Carson couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, lass." Conan reached over and put a hand on Carson's shoulder. Suddenly Carson heard steps walking up behind him. He tried to turn his head to see who was behind him as hands began to examine his back.

"Well, Doctor, you'll be happy to know." It was a woman, deffinately. "You only have second degree burns covering your back."

"What?!" Carson's eyes grew wide as he tried to pushing himself up, only to have several hand push him back down.

"Doctor, please calm down!" The doctor-lady asked. he tried to push the hands away.

"I am!" He snapped. Taking a deep breath he tried to relax again. "I am." He said calmly.

"What's the last thing you remember?" She asked gently. Carson closed his eyes briefly.

"Colorado." He could feel everyone stop what they were doing.

"What?" The worried man asked. Carson tried to shrug.

"The last thing I remember was getting a call. A Dr. Wier had asked for my presence in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I think she had a job offer for me." silence was the only thing he heard for a while.

"Do you know who any of us are?" Asked Mr. Messy-hair. Carson shrugged.

"I'm afraid I haven't the faintest clue." Carson could only watch as they exchanged glances. The tall woman stepped forward.

"Carson, I'm Dr. Elizabeth Wier." She said putting a hand on her chest. "That is Rodney McKay." She pointed to the worried man. "John Sheppard." Mr. Messy-hair. "Teyla Emmagen." the small woman. "And Ronon Dex." Conan.

"So I didn't miss my flight?" Carson asked. "To Colorado?" She smiled at him, though it looked forced.

"No, you made it."

"Oh, good." He said closing his eyes and dozing off.