Nightwalker – Chapter 7

Beckett walked into the isolation room just as Kelly, one of the nurses, finished attaching the EEG electrodes to Sheppard's head. The Colonel sat on the bed with an expression Beckett could only describe as pathetic. Extremely pathetic. "Colonel, I see Kelly almost has you hooked up and ready to go."

"Doc, I'm pretty sure I remember waking up from comas with less monitors attached to me than this."

Beckett chuckled as he nodded to Kelly on her way out the door. She smiled and winked at him as she passed, leaving him with a very unhappy subject.

"Aye, you're probably right. I'm going to be watching just about everything, especially since there may be some connection to Atlantis affecting you. This is a little more involved than your standard sleep center monitoring. Now, is there anything else going on that I should know about before we start this?"

Sheppard licked his lips as he looked into Beckett's stern expression. "You've been talking to Rodney, haven't you?"

Beckett sighed. "He was concerned about the way you zoned out, as he put it, after trying to activate that Ancient device. He also said you looked a bit shaky afterwards and didn't seem yourself. I shouldn't have to hear this from Rodney, I should have heard it from you immediately after it happened."

Sheppard shrugged. "It didn't seem like a big deal. It gave me a headache for a while, but I slept most of it off."

"And how long have you been having headaches?"

"Only a few days, since . . . hey, I never said I was having headaches."

Beckett smiled smugly and crossed his arms. "I believe you just did."

Sheppard shook his head in disbelief and looked down at the bed he was sitting on. "Not fair, Doc."

"Maybe not, but it seems to be the only way I can get reliable information. What else is going on besides the headaches?"

Sheppard let his shoulders sag, aware that Beckett apparently had spies everywhere and wasn't afraid to use them. He might as well tell the truth and maybe he could still avoid Beckett's large pointy needle supply. "My appetite's been a little off lately, just not hungry most of the time. Well, at least until last night, when I believe I ate enough for three people. I guess I was catching up." Sheppard grinned as he proudly made the last two statements.

"Any nausea or vomiting?"

"Just once, right after I zoned out on Rodney. That's all Doc, I promise."

Beckett scratched his head and studied Sheppard, trying to ascertain if the man was telling the truth. He finally decided that he might have actually gotten the full story this time. "What about now? Headache?"

"Yeah, just a little one. I think it's mostly just stress over this sleepwalking stuff and the lack of any real sleep the past few days."

Beckett nodded and seemed satisfied. "All right, Colonel. I'd rather not give you anything since we'll be monitoring you, but let me know if you feel you need something. No use in suffering, although sometimes I think you must thrive on it." Beckett checked the various monitors.

Sheppard sat obediently, electrodes attached to his chest and head and a blood pressure cuff on his arm. "Honestly, Doc, how am I supposed to sleep like this?"

Beckett grinned as he helped Sheppard lay back in the bed without getting tangled up. "You'll get used to it in a few minutes and forget it's here."

"Doubt that," Sheppard muttered.

"That's an interesting look." Both men looked up to see Elizabeth standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, well it feels about as odd as it looks," replied Sheppard.

Elizabeth grinned. "Can I talk to him a minute before he goes nighty night?"

Sheppard rolled his eyes and Beckett answered. "Sure, lass. It will take us a minute to get all the monitors set and going properly. Just tuck him in and turn out the light when you leave." He turned back to Sheppard "Colonel, we'll be behind there if you need us." Beckett indicated an observation window on one side of the room.

"Okay, Doc, I'll be fine."

Beckett nodded and went through the door beside the window he had just indicated. Elizabeth walked over to stand beside the bed. "How are you doing?"

Sheppard grimaced. "Carson has me hooked up to every monitor in Atlantis. I'm not sure how he expects me to sleep in this mess."

Elizabeth smiled and patted his arm. "Just try to relax and think of something pleasant."

Sheppard blew out a puff of air. "Yeah, like all of this being over."

"John, I talked to Kate earlier today. She said you had a good session, that you were unusually cooperative. I think you surprised her."

Sheppard tilted his head a bit to one side and the corner of one side of his mouth turned up just a little, as if he was about to smile. "So, do I get brownie points for that?"

Elizabeth crossed her arms as she smiled down at him. "Yes, I suppose you do. We talked about it and decided you can return to limited duty, the limit being no gate travel for now."

"That's okay, Beckett hasn't fully released me yet anyway. He says my ribs still need some time to heal. At least I can do some things around here."

"Good. You can start tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Elizabeth. I hate sitting around doing nothing."

Elizabeth sighed and took a deep breath. "Don't get too excited yet. Kate wants you to continue to have sessions with her for a while, at least until all of this is resolved."

"I know, I expected that. I don't like it, but I guess I'll do it."

A knock from the other side of the window let them know that Beckett was ready to start. "I'd better go," said Elizabeth. "Get some sleep and we'll talk tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning, when I don't look quite so much like Electric Man." Sheppard grimaced as he looked down at all the wires connected to him and thought about how much fun it was going to be removing them.

oOo

Kelly almost held her breath, her eyes darting back and forth between Sheppard and the monitors. She turned toward Beckett, sitting in the chair beside her, but stopped before speaking to him. She almost laughed as she watched him, his chin almost resting on his chest as he snored softly. She gently shook his arm.

"Dr. Beckett," she whispered.

Beckett's head came up quickly and he yawned as he reached up to rub his face. "What? What's going on?" he asked groggily.

Kelly grinned. "I was going to tell you that I think Colonel Sheppard's finally dozed off, but I see he's not the only one," she said softly.

Beckett grunted. "It was a long day. So, he's finally asleep you think?"

"Yes, Doctor, I think he is." They both looked at the monitors hopefully before shifting their gaze to Sheppard. He was still for the first time since they had started many hours ago. They had watched him stir restlessly all during the night, apparently unable to relax enough to actually fall asleep. Twice he had pulled leads loose as he tossed around in the bed, forcing Beckett to hook him back up. As the time had crept ever closer to morning, they had just about given up.

"How long do you think he's been asleep?" asked Beckett, mimicking her low volume.

"Maybe fifteen minutes."

"Good." They sat quietly for a moment before leaned over closer to Kelly. "Why are we whispering?"

Kelly giggled and slapped her hand over her mouth. "I have no idea. It just seemed like we should be quiet. I guess I was terrified I'd wake him up."

"I doubt even Colonel Sheppard can hear that well," Beckett replied, still keeping his voice quiet.

Thirty minutes later, Sheppard sat straight up in the bed with such force that he pulled several of the electrodes off. He sat there breathing hard and looking startled as Beckett shook his head, stood, and stretched. "Turn everything off. We might as well give up for now." Kelly began flipping switches as Beckett walked out of the room.

"Doc?" said Sheppard as Beckett approached the bed.

"It's okay, Colonel, just sit still and I'll get those things off you." Beckett began removing EEG leads from Sheppard's scalp.

Sheppard rubbed his eyes while trying not to move his head. "What time is it?"

Beckett sighed. "It's almost five a.m. I'm afraid you only slept an hour, or maybe even less."

"So this was a monumental waste of time," Sheppard said glumly.

"Not entirely," replied Beckett. "Hopefully you'll be more acclimated to the equipment next time and be able to relax and fall asleep. I'd like to try again tonight."

Sheppard flinched and moved away from Beckett as the doctor pulled his hair in an attempt to dislodge one of the electrodes. "Watch the hair, Doc, I'd like to keep some of it."

"Sorry," said Beckett sheepishly.

Sheppard sat silently as the doctor finished removing the monitoring equipment. He was so tired that it felt like each limb weighed a ton. The headache that had been mild when he came in was now pounding away with fury.

"I'm guessing the headache is worse," said Beckett, seeming to read Sheppard's mind.

Sheppard made no attempt to deny or hide it. He simply felt too bad. "Yeah, that's an understatement."

Beckett nodded. "I figured as much. I'll get you some pain reliever and then I want you to go back to your quarters and try to get some sleep. I'll see you back here at ten tonight."

Sheppard smiled at Beckett. "And when are you going to sleep?"

Beckett shook his finger at Sheppard as he returned the smile. "You don't need to worry about me, but since you asked, I'm about to go take a nap myself. And I may let Nick keep an eye on you part of the time tonight."

Sheppard stood up and followed Beckett into the main part of the infirmary, where the doctor gave him a small bottle of Tylenol. "Let me know if the headache gets worse."

Sheppard nodded and headed for his quarters. Half an hour later, he had showered and was standing in his room, trying to make a decision. Part of him really wanted to put on sweats and crawl into bed. He was exhausted and the headache only seemed to be getting worse. Another part of him kept remembering that he was back on active duty as of this morning, well, limited active duty. That made him feel like he should put on his uniform and do something more constructive than take a nap. He finally grabbed his uniform and began pulling it on. Maybe there would be time for a nap later.

His stomach grumbled loudly as he walked through the door of his quarters. Maybe breakfast was in order before he began checking on his men. He was halfway to the mess hall when his radio crackled to life.

"John? I need you in the conference room."

Sheppard slowed his pace as he answered the radio call. "Elizabeth, what's going on?"

"Just get here quickly and I'll explain."

"On my way." Sheppard picked up the pace as he hurried down the hall, now heading for the conference room near Elizabeth's office. He arrived about the same time as Teyla and Ronon and discovered Major Lorne and Elizabeth already in the room and waiting.

"What's going on," Sheppard asked as they grabbed a seat around the table.

Elizabeth crossed her arms and rested them on the table. "We received a radio transmission from Miran on R3T-667. The Wraith attacked them last night. Most of the people made it to the deep cave systems, but they know of four dead and six missing right now. Many of their homes were destroyed, as was most of their ready, available food supply. They also have several wounded. They want our help."

The people of R3T-667 were strong allies of Atlantis. The people reminded Sheppard of the Athosians. They were strong and proud and a very honest, trustworthy people. They had begun trading with them several months ago, medical supplies and farming implements for part of their crops and some hunted meat. The people also provided them occasional information gained from other trading partners, particularly keeping Atlantis apprised of what the Genii were up to. The relationship was a valuable and honored one that everyone wanted to protect.

"We could help them clean up, provide medical treatment for the wounded, and give them some of the temporary housing to use until they can rebuild," suggested Sheppard.

Elizabeth nodded. "I've already contacted Carson. Dr. Strauhan is putting together a medical team to take to the planet."

"Good," said Sheppard. "We can join with Lorne's team and maybe a few extra marines to take in supplies and help them as much as possible. We can also help watch in case the Wraith come back."

"That's what I was thinking, except it will just be Teyla and Ronon from your team. Rodney's busy in the lab and I somehow doubt he'd be much help anyway. Major Lorne can pick up some extra people from the pool to go along and help. Major Lorne, you'll be in charge."

"Hold it," said Sheppard, his jaw tightening as he realized Elizabeth meant for him to stay in Atlantis. "I'm going along."

"No, John, you're not. You haven't been cleared for gate travel yet."

Sheppard's face began to redden as the anger began to rise. "Then I'll get clearance. My ribs are almost healed. There's no reason why I can't do this. They need our help."

"They'll get our help, just not directly from you. I've already spoken to Carson and he said no."

"But why? I'm fine." In the back of his mind, he realized he was starting to whine, but he couldn't stop himself. This was important and he needed to be there to help protect their friends and allies.

Elizabeth looked at him sternly, her gaze not wavering. "Carson said your ribs are still pretty sore. Add to that the fact that we haven't solved your sleepwalking problem yet. He also said you got no sleep last night and you've been having headaches, which he has yet to diagnose. The answer is no."

Sheppard just shook his head and rested his face in his hands a second. "The ribs are fine, I've gone without sleep before and done my job, the headaches are caused by stress, like from being held hostage and not allowed to do my job. As for the sleepwalking, I can come back to Atlantis at night if it will make everyone feel better. I should be helping with this."

"I'm sorry, but the answer is still no. Major Lorne can handle it, especially with Teyla and Ronon there to help him." Elizabeth turned to Lorne. "Take as many people as you need. I've already arranged for the supplies to be taken to the puddle jumpers for loading. You should be leaving in thirty minutes. I'd plan on staying a few days, unless you need to make some return trips for extra supplies."

Lorne nodded and quickly left to begin rounding up his team and the extra men. Teyla walked by Sheppard on her way out the door and paused to put her hand reassuringly on his shoulder. He nodded and gave his best fake smile, but she saw through it as always. Still, she continued out the door with Ronon, knowing there was nothing she could do or say to change the situation.

Elizabeth looked across the table at Sheppard, staring sadly at his hands folded on the table. "I know you wanted to go, but we didn't feel that was wise at the moment. I'm sorry, John, I really am."

"So am I," he said quietly. "Why did you even call me down here?"

"I just thought you should know what was going on. I wanted to keep you in the loop."

"Next time you can just let me know what you did by radio after the fact. There doesn't seem to be much difference, except this way I didn't get breakfast." He stood and walked out the door, no longer even wanting the breakfast he'd missed.

oOo

McKay pulled back out of the front of the console and turned to Radek. "It fits, so it's bound to be the correct crystal, right?"

Radek shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Rodney, other crystal fit too and Colonel Sheppard said it was wrong one."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Let's see if we can pick anything up?" McKay tapped some keys on the laptop and watched for a few seconds. "Well, we're getting something, even though Sheppard hasn't activated it yet. Maybe that's a good sign. I'll get him down here."

oOo

Sheppard arrived back at his quarters, moving immediately to the bed. He'd been so angry at being left behind in Atlantis like an invalid that he'd returned to his room on autopilot. He barely remembered navigating the corridors as his heart raced and his head throbbed. The headache had flared up to new proportions and he just wanted to lie down for a while. The whole thought about needing to do something constructive now seemed like a moot point.

He had just dozed off when his radio came on, jerking him back to wakefulness. He sat up groggily, fumbling the headset as he struggled to get it on his head properly. "Sheppard here."

"Well, it's about time. What are doing, avoiding me? Never mind, don't answer that. We need you in the lab right now. Radek and I think we have it this time."

Sheppard sighed. His luck, it had to be McKay. "Look, Rodney, I'm really tired right now and I have this gigantic headache –"

"Yes, yes, we all have our crosses to bear. This console could control something vital to the protection of Atlantis. I promise we will only drag you away from nap time or whatever you're whining about for a few minutes. The sooner you get down here, the sooner we can get started."

Sheppard rubbed his pounding head and wished he could just tell McKay no. But he knew it wasn't that simple. If he refused, McKay would just show up in a few minutes beating on his door. Maybe if he just went down and activated the console, he would be left alone for the rest of the day. The thought was just pleasant enough to get him moving. "I'll be there in a minute."

He arrived ten minutes later, glaring at Rodney as he came through the door. "And this couldn't possibly have waited until later?"

Rodney ignored him and continued to type away on his laptop for a few moments before turning to him. "Okay, Radek and I have scavenged around and replaced the crystals with what we hope are the correct ones. Since you were not very forthcoming about how to know which crystals are the correct ones, we have no way of checking it out except trying to flip the switch, so to speak. And since you are the switch . . . "

"Yeah, I know. Think it on." Sheppard walked up to the console, remembering the headache it had given him earlier. Since his head was already home to quite a wall-banger, he wasn't sure this could hurt any worse.

Sheppard placed his hands on the console and began to think it on. He felt the same hum and tingle of electricity racing through him just before the pain exploded in his head to the flash of various colors of light behind his closing lids.

McKay and Zelenka tried to watch the console, Sheppard, and the computer screen all at once. They saw the lights of the console come on as they heard a humming noise, which then converted to a buzzing sound, like a hundred angry bees. The lights on the console, as well as those in the room, then blinked on and off several times before going off entirely. There was still enough light from the hallway to illuminate Sheppard as he slumped forward against the Ancient device and slid off into a heap on the floor.

TBC