Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or its characters…

Author's note: Wow! Thanks for all of the reviews! I guess I'm bound to updating every day for as long as possible… Even if you all lose interest. :-) This part is basically like the first as far as style, but more apparent is my tendency toward lengthiness and focusing on Elizabeth. Hope it still interests you…

The briefing had basically been a reiteration of what she had already been told, only in greater detail and with a little more propriety out of respect to the colonel, who had been forced to the infirmary. Well, he hadn't literally had to been dragged or anything. But they all knew it wasn't something he'd do of his own free will. And it had made them mindful of the manner in which they officially informed Elizabeth of the occurrences offworld.

So that out of the way, she had made her way to the infirmary in the hopes that the doctor would confirm her suspicions that it was just a misunderstanding. However, despite feeling strongly that it must be the case, part of her was worried. Well, part of her was always worried, and rightly so…how could she not be in a perpetual state of preoccupation when she was the leader of an expedition to an alien, often hostile galaxy? But the part of her reserved for worrying only about a certain flyboy who had a propensity for getting himself into trouble was a little louder than normal. It made her take the distance to the infirmary a little faster than usual, or for that matter, necessary.

"What's the verdict, Carson?" she asked putting on an unconcerned, warm face while fighting the knot in her stomach.

John was sitting on one of the hospital beds and despite the reassuring look he was giving her, she could tell he was far from pleased. She brushed it aside, hoping it was because she had ordered him to undergo a superfluous medical exam.

"I'm afraid it's not too clear, yet," Beckett responded, looking slightly concerned. Elizabeth hated that look. It was the one that told her things were going to get worse before they got better. "The Telurians weren't lying though. The colonel appears to have been infected with something."

He referred her to a nearby computer screen, one that he had been studying when she came in. She had to stretch her knowledge of biology to make out the image before her. There were cells; blood cells perhaps? And there were other differently shaped figures.

"A virus?" she asked while squinting her eyes at the screen. They didn't look much like the images of viruses she had seen on previous occasions.

"Perhaps," Beckett confirmed hesitantly as she turned to look at him again. "But it's unlike any virus I've ever seen before. And at this point I cannot determine its pathology."

She gave him a semi-blank stare, indicating that he wasn't being straightforward enough.

"I have no idea how it affects the human body," he explained. "I don't even know how it replicates, let alone how to treat it. Or if I even need to. It could be as harmless as rhinovirus" John and Elizabeth gave him critical looks. "-the common cold. Then again, it could be far more serious. Ebola is a simple virus for God's sake."

"I don't like the sound of that," John stated. Bleeding to death through his pores wasn't exactly on the top of his list of favorite ways to die.

"Should he be quarantined?" Elizabeth asked, now worried about the rest of the city's population. Remembering the last time a 'disease' had run rampant through Atlantis, it was all she could do to fight giving John a glare. His defiance and disrespect of her during that situation still made her fume. Hopefully, he had learned from that situation. In fact, she was pretty sure that they both had come a long way since then in figuring out how to work together.

"I don't think that's necessary," Carson informed them, much to John's relief, which was apparent in his expression. "From what Colonel Sheppard's told me, it sounds like the virus spreads through contact of bodily fluids or mucus membranes."

"And on that note," John said hopping off the medical bed while making a faux disgusted face, which he readily dropped. "I'm going to get something to eat. I'm starved."

"Let me know of any symptoms, colonel," Beckett called at the man's back whom had made a bee-line for the nearest exit. "And try to refrain from kissing anyone!"

"I'll see what I can do, doc. But I'm not making any promises," he called back before he disappeared through the infirmary doors.

Beckett rolled his eyes and Elizabeth forced her face into remaining its stoic 'I am not amused' demeanor to cover the fact that she was actually quite amused, and relieved to see that John was okay. But still, that worry deep down refused to quiet itself.

"I'd like to get samples from the Telurians," Dr. Beckett requested, a bit more serious now that his patient was gone. "They also might have some insight as to the nature of the pathogen. If it's become part of their culture, then it's likely something they've been dealing with for some time."

"Are you asking for permission to go through the 'gate, doctor?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him, knowing how much he despised traveling through the stargate.

"No…I mean…anyone else on the medical staff is perfectly capable of collecting the samples I need," he replied quickly.

"But they don't have the experience researching and treating alien viruses that you do, Dr. Beckett," she pointed out, perhaps getting a little too much amusement out of torturing the good doctor.

"That may be true, but-"

"Don't worry about it, Carson," she cut off his panicked reply. "I'm not sure it would even be wise to send any one else to Teluria, given the circumstances surrounding the departure of Sheppard's team."

The doctor looked greatly relieved at first, and then seemed to change his mind over the news.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to figure out a way to treat Colonel Sheppard without taking samples from various stages of the disease," he said gravely.

"Well, then, we'll see what we can do. And thank you for volunteering for a return mission, Dr. Beckett," Elizabeth said before briskly leaving the infirmary while ignoring his cries of protest.

A/N: John amazingly seems quite fine…hmm…