The Will of Jennifer Keller Chapter 10

Jen woke on the floor of Jarrick's office with no recollection of how she had gotten there. She strained to pull even one piece of the memory back, but they eluded her completely. All she knew was that Jarrick was unconscious beside her.

She rolled him onto his back, shaking him gently and calling his name, but received no response. She didn't have the presence of mind to try and actually diagnose him. Something terrible had happened, he was unconscious, and she was injured. She was hurt, afraid, and needed to get somewhere safe as soon as possible.

She crawled her way to the door, and used the doorframe to leverage herself to a standing position. Then she was on her way - slowly. She looked down the hallway in each direction and picked left, using the wall to keep her upright.

Jen turned the first corner she came to and stopped. Fifty feet and she had to catch her breath. That was bad. She needed a plan - needed to know what happened so she could make a plan. She thought about it until her head hurt too much to concentrate. She started moving down the hallway again.

Keep moving - slow was better then not at all. One foot in front of the other.

Where? Did it matter? A transporter. To where? Back to needing a plan.

The first wish from Jen's heart was to see Ronon walk around the corner and find her, but that wish turned suddenly to panic. The voice in her head retold the story of her night.

He got back from his mission tonight. He came to your room to find you. He accused you of cheating on him. He was enraged. You had never seen him like that before. He snapped. He attacked you.

Had Ronon been the one who hurt her? And Jarrick?

She shook her head despite the pain. What was the last thing she could remember? Evan. Evan was the last thing she remembered. Evan came to her room and asked to come inside. Did something happen with Evan?

Medical training was her fallback: triage the situation. Assess needs and criticality. What did she need the most?

Sleep. Not an option.

Protection - and a hiding place until she could clear her head. She needed to get a weapon and get someplace safe.

She neatened her hair and let it fall down around her face in the hopes of looking less obvious. The five minute trek to the armory felt a lot longer as she made her way. The route with the least traffic was not the shortest one. Her head was swimming. She forgot where she was going twice.

When Jen reached the armory she waited in the hallway for a moment while she caught her breath. It was manned 24-7; Evan told her that when he was helping her with her firearm quals earlier in the week. She knew there would be someone at the desk.

Walking through the doorway with as much confidence as she could muster a too-happy young Marine greeted her.

"Dr. Keller. Ma'am. What can we do for you down here this morning."

"Need to," she started over, strengthening her voice. "Need to sign out a side arm, Private."

"Umm, Dr. Keller?" She wouldn't make eye contact. "Ma'am?" He even bent down and try to catch her eye, but without success.

"Yes?"

"Is everything alright ma'am?"

"Have an off-world trip coming tomorrow and I'm packing my gear."

He hadn't been around long, but he could tell something was off from the moment she walked in. She was not at all the Doctor he met just days ago at his physical. "At 0400 in the morning, Ma'am?"

His question startled her and she looked up without thinking. "What time is it Private?"

His first good look at her face changed his face from cheery to concerned in an instant. "Oh my god. Ma'am, we need to get you the infirmary."

"What time is it?"

"Doc, I think we should give Major Lorne a call and have him come down."

"Did you say 0400?"

He mustered all of the authority his young voice could manage. "Dr. Keller. I need to ask you what happened. I'm going to call a security team and …" the Marine reached for his comm unit only to be interrupted.

"Private, I'm the Chief Medical Officer for the expedition. My light arms qualifications are up to date and I'm authorized to carry a side arm for mission purposes. Sign me out the 9mm." She looked over her shoulder. "Please."

She had already been here longer then intended. Her vision was getting worse and her balance was deteriorating. She needed to find a place to pass out.

Private Erlich knew better then to argue with that tone of voice. He retrieved the weapon, entered its serial number into the log and turned it around for her to sign. Her handwriting was illegible, and was no where close to the line she was supposed to sign on. She said a hushed and hurried thank you over her shoulder and headed back out the hallway.

She was out of earshot when the young private got on his comm unit.

"Major Lorne, this is Erlich. We have a situation in the armory."

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Evan was at full speed when he reached Jennifer's quarters. He had given the Marines guarding her room the command to secure the CMO and was hoping beyond all reason that Erlich was wrong and they were going to find her curled up watching a movie on her laptop. He would have given anything to have her yell at him for not using the door chime.

But that isn't what he found. The room was empty – no sign of the woman he had secured behind the same door two days before.

Evan shook his head in frustration. He knew something was wrong when he dropped her off here. He had come by and checked on every sentry pair for the last thirty four hours, and every time, he thought of stepping in to see Jen, but she seemed so tired.

It was one thing to have your gut be wrong. It was something entirely more maddening to have your gut be right and not follow it. It made him feel responsible.

Evan got on his comm unit. "Control, this is Major Lorne. I need a location on Dr. Keller."

"Locating now." The five second pause felt like five minutes. "Sir, we don't have a lock on her locator."

"Say again, Control."

"Major, we don't show her locator transmitting anywhere in the city."

Evan turned the comm unit off long enough to release a tirade of curses that would have made any Marine proud. He took one deep breath and steadied himself long enough to ask his next question. "When is the next scheduled check in for Colonel Sheppard's team?"

"Forty-five minutes, Major. 0500."

"Roger that, Control. Forty-five minutes. And a location on Mr. Woolsey."

"His quarters. He is scheduled to be in the Control Room for the 0500 transmission."

"Thank you, Control."

Evan looked at the two Marines standing in Jennifer's quarters with him. "We have forty-five minutes. Every available unit up and moving. This is priority one. I want the situation in the past-tense when I report to Colonel Sheppard."

The Marines were out the door, and Evan spoke to her empty room.

"Where the hell are you, Jennifer?"

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Jennifer continued down the hallway at the top speed her body could reach in her current state. She had spent too long in the armory. Now that Marine was going to have everyone looking for her - including Ronon.

He got back from his mission tonight. He came to your room to find you. He accused you of cheating on him. He was enraged. You had never seen him like that before. He snapped. He attacked you. He stormed out of your room. You have no idea where he is. You are afraid.

The words rolled through her head over and over as she moved. She was afraid. Not much else made sense, but the fear – that she knew was real.

The next time you see him you need to be prepared to defend yourself. You can't let him do this to you again - can't give him that chance. No matter what he does or says, the next time he walks into the room, you will give him no warning. You will just pull the trigger.

She checked her pocket, making sure the 9mm was secure, and headed toward the only place she could think of to hide.