A/N:
Thank you very much for your exemplary reviews, everybody! I'm terribly sorry for the 12 hour delay in posting this chapter but my lovely beta TCB 0.5, who I really can't thank enough for her exertions in the middle of the night, 'dared' to go to bed at 6 AM; tsetsetse. Therefore, you had to wait till I got back home from work before we had a thorough last look at it.

Now sit tight and enjoy!

X

"Please sit down", Dr Cole invited calmly but none of them moved. She gave a resigned sigh and rose to her feet. "Alright…" The physician hesitated once more. "You know we run a daily series of blood tests to see whether we've been able to fight the infection or if there's anything wrong. Today we discovered Dr Beckett suffered from acute renal failure, his kidneys are no longer working, which is usually not a good sign… Anyway, we immediately started haemodialysis."

"Wait", John interrupted. "Dialysis like people who need a kidney transplant."

"Exactly. That's precisely what it is. Since his kidneys are no longer washing the blood, we have to clean it externally in a machine once a day", Cole explained. A moment of silence filled the small room.

"Okay, you said 'not a good sign'. How bad?" Rodney inquired.

"Well… Dr Beckett's condition is still critical but we are…" The young woman looked away from them.

"How bad?" McKay wasn't willing to let it go.

"Acute renal failure is not uncommon… but there's no knowing… As I told you before, organ failure was a possibility… and we started the dialysis…"

"Yeah, yeah", the physicist cut her short, waving his hand dismissively. "You said something like that… actually, since Tuesday you've been simply throwing an awful lot of medical terms at us. Not that I don't appreciate your jargon and all…", his arms were now gesturing wildly, "but you see, this doesn't mean anything to us. I'm not exactly retarded but even a person as brilliant as I am can't know everything, although I like to think of myself that I do."

When the shocked doctor didn't answer immediately, McKay continued, ignoring the colonel's sharp glare in his direction. "Or do you want me to scan through your medical database and try to make sense of it myself…? So, no excuses! What precisely does this mean?" His voice had grown to a shout.

"Rodney", Sheppard hissed.

Not used to the physicist's rants, Dr Cole stood there, aghast, completely taken off her track. The other team members seemed to be less than happy with McKay's outburst but they looked at her with grave expectation, also waiting for a no-nonsense answer. Realizing she wouldn't get around it this time, she drew a deep breath and tried to prepare herself for talking straight. When she began at last, her voice was soft, hardly above a whisper, but she looked deep into Rodney's eyes, for the first time not attempting to mask her feelings. "Okay, you want the truth? Things are not looking up. In fact, I'm afraid this could be the first instance of multi-organ failure."

Another pause settled in.

"What are his chances?" John asked eventually.

Dr Cole swallowed hard. "For a full recovery…" She closed her eyes. "…less than 15 percent."

Rodney felt the ground rock underneath his unsteady feet and the thunderous silence roared in his ears. Figures, statistics were his forte, and they'd beaten odds far worse than 15 percent. And Beckett plus staff had already proven they were capable of working miracles. Yes, their 'voodoo rituals' were rather successful to say the least. But in his mind Carson was the infirmary. So, with Carson out of the picture and Cole saying there was nothing they could do, he simply had hardly any trust in the other 'witchdoctors'. All of a sudden 15 percent seemed like an unsurpassable threshold. Getting over his state of shock, he dashed out of the office to the area shielded from view and drew back the curtain.

The strange machine they had seen earlier was now standing next to Carson's bed, two huge tubes led to the dark-haired man and ended in two gigantic needles sticking in his right arm. The physicist froze at the disturbing sight. Seeing the blood being pumped through the machine, was more than he could bear. His stomach rebelled and he began to retch. Hands flying towards his mouth, he turned away and fled.

Sheppard wanted to follow him but Teyla grabbed his arm. "Not. Dr McKay needs a moment for himself. Colonel… John, he will come back on his own." Her voice was soft and understanding.

For a second the pilot appeared as though he intended to pull free while he considered Teyla's pleading. Finally, he gave in and stepped back towards the infirmary bed. Carefully eying the dialysis device and the tubes, he couldn't help but comprehend why Rodney had been so upset. It was a most unsettling sight, but he refused to let Ronon or Teyla see how much it affected him too. Sitting down and looking into Beckett's peaceful face, Sheppard was glad the doctor was not awake during the whole procedure. From own experience he knew that if at all there could be an advantage to a drug-induced coma, it was the painlessness.

xXxXx

After endless hours, the dialysis machine was finally removed and John began to wonder where Rodney was. He checked his watch and noticed that more than five hours had passed since the scientist's hurried departure. With a tap to his radio he activated the com. "Sheppard to McKay." But there was no response. Teyla rolled her eyes and exchanged a knowing glance with Ronon. A few unsuccessful tries later, John took to more devious methods and radioed Zelenka instead.

Impatiently he waited for Radek to come up with information about Rodney's hideaway. It took nearly 15 minutes before he heard the static crackle, which always preceded incoming calls.

"Colonel Sheppard", the Czech accent was unmistakable, "this is Zelenka. I found Rodney. But I had to sneak out again so that he doesn't know you sent me to look for him. He has locked himself in one of the labs, says he has important work to do and doesn't want to be interrupted." After a short pause he added, "Actually, he shooed me out of the lab with some very unpleasant terms."

John chuckled heartily; the last part was so much like Rodney. Teyla, Ronon and Elizabeth, who had just entered the infirmary, shot Sheppard a quizzical look, completely puzzled by the unexpected reaction. "Just a second", he mouthed to them. "Thank you, Radek", he said with a smile, then disclosed, "McKay told Zelenka whereto he could go."

The Satedan's face lit up, he had an all too vivid imagination of that scene. Elizabeth still didn't understand what was going on. She was about to ask when Teyla gave John a reassuring nod, "I am sure Dr McKay will return any minute now."
It was another three hours before he did.

xXxXx

Another night came and went. This time, after having read in the chart, Dr Gitano had refrained from kicking them out of the infirmary to get some rest. Somehow the visitors couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that there was a very good reason to it, one they didn't like. Yet, despite a marginal rise of Carson's fever, nothing had happened; a fact they all appreciated greatly.

In the morning, after a thorough examination by Dr Cole, Teyla was discharged from the infirmary at last. She was not surprised to hear she wasn't to overdo it or that she wasn't cleared for even light duty before another week. The young Athosian was not iching to be on duty again since the only place she wanted to be was near her friend, the man who had saved her life a week ago.

Wearing again her own clothes instead of scrubs, she came over to where John, Rodney and Ronon had almost literally fallen to sleep. Elizabeth had left roughly two hours before, claiming she needed some sleep, but they all knew too well she had gone back to her office. John in particular had not been happy about that; yet, there was nothing he could do, so he let it slip without comment. Hearing Teyla approach, the colonel blinked sleepily and tried to move his stiff limbs. Ronon was already sitting up as if he had never closed his eyes when Sheppard cast a short glance at the Satedan. Rodney on the other hand was still snoring noisily in his seat, taking no head at all. She smiled at the three men and offered to get breakfast from the mess hall.

By the time Teyla returned with a huge tray of food, McKay still hadn't stirred. For the better part of a second Sheppard considered letting the scientist sleep through their mealtime, but at last he nodded towards Ronon, who stood next to Rodney's chair.

"That can be amended", Dex murmured, a vicious grin unfolding on his lips.

With one swift move he inflicted a powerful kick upon the legs of the chair, sending it sliding away a few feet. If not for John's quick intervention of supporting McKay's shoulders, the physicist would have landed on the floor. He woke with a start. "What?! Not my fault!"

The others burst into a laugh, and Teyla only just managed to hold on to the tray, which swayed dangerously to the rhythm of her sniggering.

Realizing what had happened, Rodney was fuming. "Are you crazy?! I could have broken my neck! And why are you laughing like mad?"

"Your face", Ronon pressed out.

"Priceless", John threw in.

"Haha, very funny", the scientist scowled grumpily.

A nurse appeared next to the curtain, looking less than pleased, but her stern expression made it even harder to stop chortling.

"This is an infirmary, not a pub! There are patients in here who need their rest. If you can't behave yourself, you had better leave", she reprimanded. Giving the group no opportunity to reply, she stamped away. Calming down, they smirked at each other. Then Teyla placed the tray on the night stand.

After their extensive breakfast, both John and Rodney feared their stomachs might blow any second, only Ronon looked as if his hunger wasn't entirely satisfied yet. When she spotted Dr Cole heading towards Carson's office, Teyla said she needed to talk to the young physician and left. When she reappeared from the office, the women were fondly smiling at each other.

"…of course." Dr Cole patted Teyla on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Doctor Cole." Teyla gave her a smile that would have melted the south pole, Sheppard reflected dryly. The two women were obviously getting along well.

"Call me Samantha." At this, John almost choked on his orange juice while Rodney simply gaped at them with his mouth standing wide open. They were obviously getting along very well.

"Thank you… Samantha." The Athosian turned her attention again at her team mates, who stared at her questioningly. "Last night I had an idea", she explained, "and I asked if I was allowed to do it. Now I have to ask Dr Weir before I go to the mainland. If anything happens while I am away, please call me immediately." Not caring the least that her words didn't answer the unspoken question at all, Teyla hurried out of the infirmary again, taking with her the empty tray.

xXxXx

As she approached the office overlooking the Gateroom, she saw that Elizabeth had not taken a break but was working on the laptop. The Athosian smiled and knocked on the door before she entered. "Elizabeth, do you have a minute?"

"Of course, Teyla. Come in. Is anything wrong?" The expedition leader offered her a seat.

"No, everything seems to be fine. I wanted to talk to you about something else."

"How are you feeling? Have you been released from the infirmary?" Elizabeth eyed her carefully.

"Yes, I was released this morning, and I am feeling good," Teyla assured her.

"Good. What can I do for you?" the dark-haired woman shoved her laptop aside.

"The Athosians have a tradition. When a boy comes to manhood, he must pass a ritual to show his strength and skill, to prove he is mature enough to be counted among the men of my people." Teyla studied Weir's face, searching for any hint that would give her away, but Elizabeth's expression was unreadable. She purposefully didn't let on what she was thinking.

Warily the young Athosian continued. "While all the men of the village take part in that ritual to witness the boy's passing from childhood to manhood, the women of the family gather inside and perform a ritual which gives the boy strength to pass the test. This ceremony stands in high honour among my people and can also be held when exceptional hardships lie on the path of a man." She paused once more to let the words sink in and study Elizabeth's face before coming to the crucial point.

"You have told me many times that we are a family here on Atlantis. I would like to perform this ritual for Dr Beckett to give him strength. And I invite you to take part in it."

Elizabeth thought about it for a moment, then smiled at Teyla. "I'm honoured that you asked me, Teyla. And I will gladly take part. Where do you intend to do it?"

"I have already spoken to Dr Cole. She allowed the ceremony in the infirmary, and she agreed to taking part as well."

"Fine. Just tell me when." Weir nodded, expecting the conversation to be over.

"I will. But first I need some things from the mainland."

Looking up from her laptop, Elizabeth replied, "No problem. Ask Major Lorne. I'm sure he will fly you over."

"Thank you", the Athosian said on her way out of the office.

xXxXx

Major Lorne had jumped at the opportunity to give Teyla a hand when he heard what she was planning to do. He felt still guilty for not abandoning his picture instead of going fishing with Beckett. Of course the fact that Carson was alive had lifted some of that weight off him but the heavier part lingered on. What worth had a painting compared to a life? He was still deeply ashamed for having chosen the lifeless canvas over the well-being of a friend then. He knew about the Scot's condition and would have given anything to go and pay him a visit, but just like Radek, he wasn't allowed to enter the intensive care unit. This privilege was reserved for Carson's closest friends, and he understood that.

xXxXx

While Teyla was gone, Carson had endured another dialysis, and later on his fever had risen to 106 degrees. Dr Jollet had injected something into the IV port and told several nurses to discard the blanket covering the physician's body and put cold compresses round his legs and torso. McKay had shuddered at the thought of the cool cloths and begun to shiver in sympathy with his friend. Apparently unmoved, John and Ronon had watched. But even though they didn't let on, all three of them had felt the cold creep into their bodies and minds, and the knot in their stomachs had grown to the size of a rock.

Shortly before nightfall, Teyla had returned from the former Athosian settlement and with Elizabeth in tow rejoined the waiting party. The two women had been shocked to find the Scot's condition had deteriorated during the afternoon. With the help of the fresh compresses every 30 minutes, the fever had gone down by 0.4 degrees; too little if Sheppard interpreted the doctors' faces correctly.

Now, halfway through the nightshift, Weir had dozed off on her seat, Rodney had pulled up a second chair to support his feet while napping, and John's head rested on his arms on the foot of Carson's bed. Teyla lay outstretched on the adjacent infirmary bed, not asleep but eyes staring into the far distance. Ronon, being weary of just sitting around, leaned absentmindedly against the wall, arms folded in front of him. The night nurse sneaked in, trying to check the displays without making too much noise. Assessing the monitors, she stifled a gasp and stormed out, no longer caring about startling anybody awake. The sudden clamour had alerted four of the five visitors and Sheppard gave McKay a not too gentle jab on the shoulder to rouse him. Therefore, all of them stood upright in anxiety as Dr Gitano hurried towards his patient. He concentrated on the readings while Rodney nervously bit his lip, unable to hide his fear.

The Columbian doctor sighed deeply, then fumbled at the control panel of the ventilator before he met their worried faces. It seemed as if someone had flipped a switch, for what they saw in the shadowy eyes of the physician made their blood turn to ice-water. The dark circles underneath his eyes became more prominent and his expression revealed a broken old man who was on the verge of defeat. The five of them stared at him blankly, prompting him to say aloud what they already knew from his bloodless face.

"Dr Beckett's oxygen saturation has fallen, and I increased se pressure for counteract sis." A long pause followed in which Gitano was clearly at a loss for words. There was no easy way to tell something like that. Finally he spoke again, his voice tinged with regret and sorrow. "Besides se oxygen saturation, his heart rate decreased considerably. Sere is nosing more we can do. I'm afraid multi-organ failure is imminent. He is dying. Unless a miracle happens, it can be over any minute now."

The shell-shocked team stood there, aghast, frozen to salt statures, unable to move or say a word. Trembling and with unseeing eyes they gazed for an endless moment into nothingness as cruel silence flooded the room, threatening to drown them.

And it was Sunday…

To be continued…

A/N 2:
I know this was a very evil cliffhanger but I promise to type as fast as lightning… ;-)