Posting a bit late tonight, sorry about that.

Chapter Four

Rodney was definitely ill. How badly, Ronon couldn't be sure. He held the woman against the wall, trying to decide what to do. He couldn't call Beckett for assistance, or he'd need Teyla to escort him up here, and they couldn't leave the unconscious alone. Therefore, it was up to Ronon to find a way out of this.

"Move and I kill you." Slowly he lessened his hold on her until he was satisfied that she would follow his direction. Never truly letting her out of his sight, he leaned down beside Rodney.

He felt the rapid pulse beneath his fingers. Blue eyes blinked open then suddenly clenched shut. "Oh God, oh that hurts," Rodney mumbled through tight breaths. "Really, really…Ow." He reached one hand toward his forehead and Ronon could see that it was real pain, not just Rodney's fake complaining.

"What happened?" Ronon asked gently. From behind him, the woman moved an inch to the left. In an instant, Ronon's gun was aimed at her, primed and ready to shoot. She didn't try moving again.

"Dizzy. Head. Not really sure." The fragments were a far cry from Rodney's normal tirades, and that made Ronon only worry more. Grabbing hold under Rodney's arm, Ronon heaved him upward. It took a moment before the scientist was steady on his feet, but Ronon didn't let go, not wanting his friend to collapse again.

"We need to get to Beckett."

"No, I gotta…controls," he waved his finger in a loop as though that explained everything.

Ronon looked around. They had finally found the computers, which was the first step to leaving, but he wasn't about to let Rodney work in his current condition. "We'll come back later."

Before Rodney could protest, Ronon swung the injured man's arm over his shoulder. Pointing the gun at their prisoner, he instructed her to move. "Try anything and I shoot."

"We're all dead anyway," she replied, but she pushed away from the wall and slowly moved toward the exit. She had a limp, he realized, and her left arm hung at a strange angle. He imagined that if she was telling the truth about not attacking them, that their aggressor was also hers.

He tapped his earpiece, "Teyla?"

"Go ahead."

"We've found someone. We're heading back now. Something's wrong with Rodney."

"Understood. Be careful, Ronon."

"Always."

Rodney slumped further into Ronon's hold. Ronon chanced a glance, noticing that Rodney's eyes were half-closed and unfocused. He was flushed and creases of pain strained his features.

Ahead of him, the woman spoke. "I'm not a threat to you."

"Sure you're not. Keep moving."

"Listen to me, the dark will consume all of you."

"Stop talking."

They made it to a staircase Ronon had found earlier. It was in the middle of the complex as opposed to the outside. The stairs were less narrow here but still dangerous. Getting Rodney down them safely was going to be a feat.

"I'll have to carry you," he told Rodney. Unhooking the man from his shoulders, he waited a moment for Rodney to get his bearings and give the okay. In a single sweep, Ronon lifted Rodney into a fireman's carry, leaving his left arm ready with the weapon.

"You first," he instructed, motioning toward the staircase with the gun.

The woman said nothing, sweeping in front of them and heading down the stairs; her head was held high, but there were still tears streaming down her face. She was trying to be strong, he realized, but her fear was getting the best of her.

It was difficult, holding onto Rodney and the gun while trying to traverse the steps. He couldn't risk a hand to grab the rail, so he moved as fast as he could without risking a fall. Rodney, meanwhile, was moaning in pain, the position not helping his headache.

At last they reached the bottom of the stairs, entering the decorated hallway. "Move it."

The woman obeyed, stopping before the bedroom door as though she had known that's where they were going all along. At the very least, she had been watching them. "Open it."

Without comment, she followed his orders and a moment later Teyla was helping lower Rodney to the floor.

"I'm fine, get off of me," Rodney tried in vain to push her away as they laid him next to Sheppard. "Ow. Just…ow." His face was wet with tears, and there was now a green tinge to his skin that Ronon didn't like at all.

"Grab an empty basin," he instructed Teyla, knowing what was coming. Sure enough, the moment Teyla returned from the washroom, Rodney leaned over and expelled what food was left in him.

"That's it, easy now," Carson consoled, rubbing Rodney's back.

Through all of this, Ronon had kept his gun aimed at the woman. She sat on the floor, next to the mirror, watching all of this through wet eyes. Sniffling loudly, she brushed her arm under her nose.

"You know what's wrong with him," Ronon said, realizing this for the first time. It was clear in her expression.

He had expected her to deny it, as she had denied everything else. Instead she nodded slightly.

Silence filled the room as everyone turned to her. "Explain," Teyla demanded, though her voice was soft.

"Dr. Beckett knows. Don't you, Doctor?"

"And what do you mean by that?" Carson asked angrily.

"The dark," she answered him in a singsong voice, though she was still crying. "You heard the dark and it told you what to do. You didn't realize, maybe you still don't, but check your bag and you'll see. You'll understand."

Ronon marched up to the woman, lifting her up and pressing her firmly against the wall. "Speak plain. What's wrong with him?"

The woman tried to wiggle free, freaking out in his hold. "Let go of me! Please, let go!" Since he had found the stranger, he had noticed two sides to her. When trapped, she was as a caged animal, desperate to get free. It was only when he let her go that she calmed down, finding the strength within her to speak coherently. He had seen this in others, and he wondered what trauma she must have endured to become like this. At the same time, he didn't care. She had attacked them, or knew who had.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Bloody hell," Carson whispered from behind them, his voice shaking.

"What is it?" Teyla asked, coming to his side quickly and holding his shoulder.

"She's right. I…I can't believe it. I did this." He was breathing hard, as if staring down at a terrible massacre. He raised his hands up, staring at them in horror. "Oh my God."

Ronon growled, "Stay still," then lowered the girl back to the ground before also taking his place at Carson's side.

Rodney was hunched over in pain, no longer part of the conversation. He was shaking, unaware of how horrified Carson looked right now.

"Carson?" Teyla prompted. He was now shuffling through his medical bag. In one hand he held a colored box, in the other the empty bag of an IV.

"I can't explain. I must have been confused, but even then that wouldn't explain… I…" He was shaking so badly now that it was making Ronon dizzy. "I can't believe it. There must be some mistake! Oh God, I gotta fix this. Gotta fix this now." Then he swung around, moving to his bag, grabbing a needle and quickly injecting it in Rodney's arm. There was no complaint from the scientist. Carson was still shaking, but his voice was now calm but forced. "That should help for now. You still with us, Rodney?"

"Yes," came the shaky reply.

"It's going to hurt for a while, but you should be okay. Just stay still and try to sleep. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good, you're doing great. Just hold on."

Ronon and Teyla silently spoke to one another, wondering what it was they were missing in the conversation. What was it that could have upset Carson that badly?

As Rodney's body went limp, Carson stood up, rubbing his hands through his hair. He looked ready to burst into tears.

"Carson?" Teyla prompted again. "What is it?"

"I can't…I…" He threw his arms into the air, pacing the room. Ronon had never seen him this upset and it was unsettling. What was wrong with Rodney?

"Explain," Ronon demanded curtly. They didn't have time for this.

It seemed to do the trick. Carson looked up at him, taking a deep breath. "Aye, you deserve an explanation. Just know that I didn't mean…I don't understand…I can't…"

Teyla grabbed hold of his arm, leading him toward the edge of Lorne's bed. He sat down like a rigid puppet, starting at something that wasn't there. "Please, Carson, we need to know."

Carson nodded, his insane stare falling toward the floor. He mumbled quickly as though needed to get through this. As though if he said the words fast enough then no one would hear them. "Rodney's been injected with an Ancient substance called nitra. It's similar to Nitroglycerin. It's used in cardiac patients, but causes headaches, confusion, and fainting, and he got more than a regular dose. It's not a lethal amount, but it is enough to take him out for a while. The Ancient compound is less potent and dangerous than Nitro, which is why we switched to it, but it still packs a punch and shouldn't be administered to anyone unless necessary. He'll be out for a few hours and even then a bit shaky, confused, and in pain." He stopped suddenly, moaning as he stared back at his friend. His breathing quickened, almost to the point of hyperventilating.

"I do not understand," Teyla slowly rubbed his back as she spoke. "How did this happen?"

Carson stared back at his medical bag as though it had betrayed him, then back at his hands as though they too were his enemies. "I did it," he mumbled. "I don't understand, but I know I did. I remember it now, though I didn't before. I thought I had given him something entirely different for the shock and his exhaustion, but there's no reason I should have confused medicines. They're color coded to prevent that. I…I must have…I did it on purpose. I remember that now, but I can't think why. He's my best friend. My…Bloody hell…"

Now he really was hyperventilating. Teyla reached into her vest, pulling out a bag and holding it out to him. For a moment there was nothing but the sound of it being inflated in and out in short bursts, the breaths gradually slowing down. Eventually, he finally managed to get control. He was crying, Ronon realized, leaning into Teyla's hold. "I could have killed him. My own friend. He trusted me and I could have…"

Rodney was motionless now, not hearing any of the confession. Ronon watched the injured man carefully, but his words were directed at Carson. "Why would you do this?" Was he aiming his gun at the wrong person?

There was movement from behind as the woman shifted around. Ronon tilted his weapon slightly to remind her it was still aimed. She finished standing up, but remained motionless. "It's the dark," she whispered. "It makes you do things, though you don't realize it at first. It turns friend against friend and makes even the most loyal question one another. It was afraid of him. It thought he'd find a way out, but it wanted to keep you here, keep all of you here until there was no one left to keep."

There was silence as her words sunk in. True or not, what she was proposing…Ronon had a flash of a wooden board slamming against Sheppard's head. Ronon had been holding the board. Something about that memory…It felt more real than the one he had had before, the one he had shared with the others.

Teyla's voice broke the silence. "I do not understand. Rodney had headaches before you gave him the medicine."

It was hard to understand anything Carson was saying between sobs. "Aye, but they weren't as serious, just the shock and exhaustion. He would have been fine soon enough. That must be why I used the nitra. Its effects matched the symptoms he had already. What have I done? I've doomed us to this place, haven't I? I nay deserve…I've…Bloody hell."

"So what are we saying?" Ronon asked, surveying the room. "We can't trust each other?"

Carson offered no answer, his hand shaking as he breathed once more through the bag. "What the hell did I do?" he kept asking himself.

Teyla continued to pat his back consolingly as she turned to the stranger. "I do not understand. How do you know all of this? How have you been watching us?"

"The monitors upstairs see everything, and then what they cannot see, the dark relates to me."

Ronon was amazed at how calm Teyla could stay during all of this, but he knew that she was as horrified as he was. The two of them were warriors, trained to hide their inner turmoil in times of danger. Watching Lorne he wondered about the stairs and the fall, knowing deep down that Teyla had pushed him just as Ronon had attacked Sheppard and Carson had poisoned Rodney. They were a team, and as such they depended on loyalty and trust to find them to safety time and again, but how could they trust one another now? It was that Wraith planet all over again, the one where they had hallucinated attacks and had actually been fighting one another, only this time they weren't lost to false worlds. They were aware enough to know what was happening and who was attacking.

Marching back to the stranger, he pushed her against the wall, growling, "What is this dark? How do we fight it?"

"You don't," she cried, trying to force herself free, but he only tightened his grip. "Let go. Let go!"

"Why does it tell you about us? Are you helping it?"

"No! I hate the dark! I hate it! Leave me alone! I can't help you."

There was a soft moan from beside them where Sheppard was shifting slightly. Teyla was at his side first. Carson continued to sit on the edge of the bed, frozen in place and staring at nothing.

"Carson!" Teyla called, snapping him from his reverie.

"Right, of course." He forced himself up, coming to the Colonel's side with a fake smile. It wouldn't fool anyone, especially not with the tear stained cheeks.

"What happened?" Sheppard asked. "Feel like I got run over by a…" Then his eyes widened. "Ronon! Where's Ronon?"

"He's right here, Colonel. Now calm yourself before you get hurt."

Sheppard held his head, as though he could ward away the pain with the touch.

"Ronon attacked me," he said through clenched teeth. "Damn bastard attacked me. What did you do that for?" His eyes were shut tight, unwilling to open for fear of causing more pain.

Carson grabbed his arm and started taking his pulse. "Well at least we know your memory hasn't been affected."

Ronon just stood there with no answer to give. He had promised himself he'd keep his team safe, and instead he had been the one to attack one of them. It was too much to take in. "Sorry," Ronon finally said, knowing he would never find the right words.

"Sorry?" Sheppard asked incredulously. He looked up for the first time, noticing how Ronon held a stranger up to the wall. Turning his gaze, his eyes fell on the unconscious Rodney. "What the…? Rodney?"

He looked up to Carson, demanding answers. "What hap…?" he stopped, noticing Carson's soaked face for the first time, and Teyla's worried expression. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked in a calmer voice, looking back down at his sleeping friend.

"Aye, no thanks to me," was Carson's subdued reply.

Sheppard stared at his team, wondering just how FUBAR the mission had gone since Ronon knocked him out. His head pounded fiercely, as though a woodpecker had made a nest in his brain. He was nauseated, tired, and very confused.

"What do you mean 'no thanks to you'? What's wrong with him?"

"Ronon and Teyla can explain after I'm done checking you over."

There was something definitely wrong with Carson. He was acting disturbed, not unlike he had after the Hoff incident, if not more.

His hands were shaking, his eyes wet, and he kept fumbling with the various instruments. Teyla was watching him closely, Sheppard realized, and her gaze wasn't just worried, it was cautious, as if she didn't trust him. Ronon, though he had a stranger held firmly in his grasp, was also watching the doctor from the corner of his eye. What had happened here?

"Someone start explaining. Now."

He reached over for Rodney's hand, holding it in his own. Even in sleep, Rodney's forehead was creased with pain, his body trembling. "You'll be okay, buddy," he consoled.

Teyla was shaken up, not meeting John's eyes as she told the story of what they had discovered. She left nothing out. She explained how she had pushed Lorne down the stairs, and how she realized Ronon must have attacked John. Then she paused, looking uneasily at Carson.

"I poisoned Rodney," Carson explained for her.

John held tighter to Rodney's hand, but said nothing. He motioned for Teyla to continue. She explained about the stranger that was watching them, warning of the dark. How she claimed the dark had forced them to do these terrible deeds.

John was no fool. He saw the situation for what it was immediately. Whatever was here, whatever was controlling them, it had as good as taken Rodney out, which meant that unless John could work the controls upstairs, they'd be trapped. According to the woman, they'd eventually kill one another.

He watched her, trying to decipher who she could be and what her motivations were. How much she wasn't telling them.

"Let her down," he ordered, coming to his feet with Teyla's assistance despite Carson's unusually half-hearted objections.

"It was not your fault," he heard Teyla telling Carson.

Slowly John approached her, reaching out his hand. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, but I'm guessing you already know that. Who are you?"

The woman visibly relaxed as Ronon let her go. He backed slowly away, aiming his weapon at her.

"I am Meri, last survivor of Enma," she answered sadly.

"Well Meri, here's the deal. You're going to tell us everything and in return I'm not going to let Ronon kill you. What do you say?"

Meri glanced at the Satedan with her creepy black eyes. "We are all dead anyway. Why should I help you?"

"Something tells me you've seen enough death for a lifetime. Do you really want to see more?"

"It will know that I have told you. It will torture me."

"We'll protect you."

"You cannot. Don't you see? Don't you understand what the dark can do? It killed everyone. Everyone!" She lowered herself to the floor, sobbing.

Teyla stepped forward, and Sheppard realized maybe a gentle hand was just what they needed. "You have seen terrible things, Meri, and I am sorry for your pain. But, please, we need your help if we are to escape. Help us and we will help you."

"I can't," she cried.

"Yes, you can," Sheppard interrupted, ignoring his pounding head. "You know you can. Do you really want to die here, knowing you could have saved us, knowing there was a chance you could have escaped? Help us. Tell us what is happening."

Meri sniffled loudly, brushing away tears with her sleeve. Then she gave a slight nod. "If you insist," she replied at last.

TBC

Things are slowly revealing themselves. I hope you're enjoying this!