Chapter 11: Kinda Weird Don't You Think

Isabel was lying on an infirmary bed, staring into Ryan's eyes. It turned out that her near death experiences had broken a few of her ribs and torn a few of her arteries. She had just come out of surgery and wasn't allowed to do any pulse raising activities. Dr Beckett's ban on visitors caused her heart rate to spike due to anxiety. He had allowed Ryan into the infirmary to hold her hand until she was allowed to move freely around the city. Isabel had been slipping in and out of consciousness for a few hours due to the oxygen deprivation her heart had experienced, it would continue for a few days until her body had time to recover. Ryan wanted to tell her about his conversation with Dr Zalenka but was worried that she would freak out. He remembered the scientist's words and allowed them to echo in his mind. "You won't lose me." Isabel spoke to him. "If this ever ends I want to ask General O'Neill about staying at the SGC." Isabel squeezed Ryan's hand. "What's the point of me being cleared and having access to all areas of the SGC if I'm being shipped back to England when this is over. I know as much as you and could be a big security risk."

"That's not the only reason you want to stay is it?" Ryan asked her.

"Well the food here is to die for." She humorously retaliated, making sure he could hear the sarcasm in her voice. "It was at first. Then came my experience of gate travel and my poorly hidden feelings about a certain air force officer." Isabel smiled to him before she started coughing again. By the time she had calmed down Isabel had fallen asleep and torn her stitching. Ryan simply kissed her forehead, then her cheeks and finally her lips, before letting one of the nurses patch her up.

Ryan walked aimlessly through the halls of Atlantis before he found his way to the pier where it had begun. It was the first time they had kissed each other and it made him smile inside. He stood in the very spot he had been that day, looking over the same blue and feeling what he had felt in that in that moment, possibly more. He was worried that she might push herself too far and have to endure more surgery. She was already going to get a scar down her chest, parallel to her spine and he didn't want her to go through more of them. He thought about what she had told him and was worried that his young genius might not live to see that happen. It had almost happened to her once and he was worried that she might not be so lucky next time.

"She'll be ok." He heard Daniel say. "If she can lead us to safety straight after it then she can survive an operation." Daniel put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "The general wants to speak to you both, Isabel's just woken up and he needs you there. Good luck" With that Daniel left Ryan to himself. Ryan didn't feel much better but he was willing to make the effort up to see what the general wanted.

The spacious halls gave him time to think, it let him reflect on what he had heard from two of the scientists. Maybe he would lose her and maybe it was a big risk but his thoughts kept wandering back to the kiss. Her sweet lips, the feel of her soft skin against his rough touch and the spark of electricity that had flowed between them. He shook the thoughts out of his head as he made his way to Isabel's bedside, standing to attention and turning to General O'Neill. He gave the general a crisp salute and awaited orders.

"At ease, Lieutenant." Jack informed him. Ryan took a seat next to Isabel; he held her hand and was stroking the back of it with his thumb. "Isabel has told me about her wish to stay at the SGC, she has also told me about some of her ability's exceptions! I don't fully understand so I'll let her explain." The general shoved his hands into his pockets and awaited her explanation.

"There are some people whose thoughts I can hear wherever they are. Now, I have started to hear that with you. I want to stay because I feel that if I can keep in contact with you through my ability then I might be able to help more than normal." Isabel knew that Ryan was a little sceptical but she didn't mind. "You were thinking about what I said to you before on the way up here."

"That's unfair! True, but unfair. I won't be playing poker with you any time soon." He lied. Ryan was starting to become a little suspicious. "There's something else isn't there?"

"Yes, do you remember the scar that I had on my wrist a few days ago?" Isabel watched Ryan nod and showed him her injured arm, there was no evidence that the wound had ever been there. "I always wondered why I never broke a bone when I was younger. Apparently I have this enzyme in my system that helps boost my immune system and healing process. After my encounter with the wraith the enzyme has multiplied in my system. I don't have any more broken ribs."

"And the stress it put on her body caused her to pass out only a few hours ago. Now that the healing process is over she shouldn't pass out any more." Ryan was not making sense of the situation; it was hard enough that she had been ill but she was better? Something was definitely wrong here.

That was when alarms went off, Ryan and General O'Neill ran to the control room to receive the biggest shock in their lives. "Doctor Weir, I'm not sure if this is possible but we're receiving Isabel's IDC code." There was a raging battle going on inside of Doctor Weir's head.

"Atlantis, have you lowered the shield? I have wraith advancing from all sides! I am under heavy fire!" They heard Isabel's shattered voice call. The radio message made everything clear for Atlantis.

"Defence teams stand by." Dr Weir shouted from the balcony. She turned to face the gate technician and simply nodded. Two wraith stunner blasts flew across the gate room, hitting one of the personnel shortly before Isabel ran through.

Isabel handed her weapon over to one of the SFs as the gate disconnected. With guns trained on her she threw her hands in the air in surrender. "What's going on here?" Isabel questioned of Doctor Weir. Isabel's confused face caused Ryan's heart to break apart. If she was the real Isabel then nobody could stop her from overcoming the man she was faced with. "Doctor Weir, what do you mean 'there's two of me'?"