Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

Part 14/?

-Chapter 13-

Chill

Even in a foreign galaxy, bouts of illness were not uncommon. As a wave of the extremely irritating but unavoidable common cold swept the city, tempers ran short, irritation ratcheted up way past the normal levels, and annoyance became an every moment occurrence.

Only Charin seemed immune to everything. Her sunny personality began to shine as she helped the sick people cheer up. The nanites protected her from all forms of illness, Beckett figured. It was very handy, considering her little body already had enough problems to deal with.

Now that she'd been assured she could use her gift-curse for good, Charin's mood took an upward swing. She cheerfully went around the city, popping in and out of labs, the infirmary, personnel offices, and other various places in the city. A definite happy air persisted, at least for a while, after she left each area.

Beckett spent hours slaving over his computer and separate blood samples from Teyla and Charin. None of the little girl's nanites had transferred from Charin to Teyla during the healing process, and Beckett was trying to figure out how that could be.

At last, as he sat with one hand on his computer mouse and the other holding a tissue to his dripping nose, he figured it out. "I found it!" he declared aloud to no one in particular.

Marie, one of the nurses, rushed over to check on him. "Are you all right, Doctor?" she asked.

Carson sneezed and waved her off. "I'm fine, lass. Just fine."

The tall nurse gave him a strange look, but hurried off to return to her duties.

Moments later Teyla hurried through the door. "Charin is with Ronon. I will update him later." She subtly sniffed and dabbed her raw nose with a tissue. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"

Carson swallowed back another sneeze. "I finally figured out how Charin healed ye."

Teyla brightened slightly. "How?" she asked.

Beckett sneezed into a tissue; stuttered an apology through another; and finally drew in a deep breath to speak. "Charin seems to have the ability to control her nanites at will. I've conducted a few tests, to see if she could make them do what she wanted them to. It appears that this is the case. From what I can determine, the lass transferred the required nanites from her body to yours just long enough to heal you, then recalled them to her own body to keep them from invading yours." He shook his head in awe. "She really is a remarkable young lady."

Teyla nodded slowly. "Extraordinarily so. . ." she breathed. "To think she holds that much power in her small hands. No wonder the Asurans wanted her so badly in that other world." She paused to cough. "Please excuse me."

Carson waved away her apology. "I don't see why any of us apologize anymore, really. We're all doin' it. I almost believe it's become another form of communication." He chuckled softly, then turned serious again. "I believe the lass won't have a problem from now on, as long as she's careful. I don't want her pullin' this stunt every day, either. Controlling her nanites in this way seems to really drain her energy, poor little lass."

Teyla looked down at her hands, which were calmly folded in her lap. "Thank you, Carson, for everything you've done for her." Her voice was strained with emotion.

Carson leaned forward and gently patted her hand. "Aye, lass. Don't you be sad, now. She's a lovely little girl, such a joy to be havin' around. You're a wonderful mother, and Ronon a good father. Even if I weren't a doctor and obliged, I'd do all I could to help her anyway. I canna ignore someone so sweet and generous. Not Charin, and not you and your future husband." He smiled warmly. "Now then, when's this much-anticipated happy event gonna be, and where?"

The Athosian sneezed into a tissue. "Sorry." She delicately blew her nose, but even as miserable as she was, she couldn't hide her sheer joy at the mention of her and Ronon's impending wedding. "Ronon and I talked to the village elders early last week. We have planned the wedding for a month from yesterday." Her eyes sparkled with joy. "We will wed on the mainland. Charin will stay with Col. Sheppard while Ronon and I. . . Enjoy some time alone off-world." Her smile widened slightly.

Carson chuckled and nodded. "Aye, and what a fun time that will be. I can only imagine what things that little girl will pick up."

Teyla laughed freely. "I feel slightly selfish, wanting to keep her to myself all the time, and Ronon feels the same. I think it will be good for her to spend time with her uncle while we are away."

Carson nodded. "And ye know, if ever a problem arises, I'll be happy to watch after her myself. Like I said, she's a joy."

Teyla smiled sincerely and leaned forward to squeeze Carson's hand. "Thank you, Carson. You are such a good friend, to me and my family."

"Nay mention it, love." He smiled broadly, then sneezed again and sputtered a swear word. "Now, if only we can find the cure for the common cold here in the Pegasus galaxy, we'll have it made. . ."

Teyla laughed again, wished him a good day, and left him to his work.

-Atlantis-

Ronon caught Charin as she jumped into his arms, laughing and squealing in victory. "Good job, Papa!"

John groaned. "Good fight, Ronon, good fight." He leaned his Bantos rods against the wall and went to get a towel to wipe his sweaty face. "Same time next week, except I win then?" He sneezed and scowled.

Charin laughed in amusement, at being immune to the cold everyone else had fallen ill with or her uncle's words, Ronon couldn't tell which. Maybe both. "Sure, sounds good, Sheppard."

Charin kissed her father's cheek, then leaned over to hug John. "You both fought well. Considering you're both sick. Why do you insist on sparring, when you can both hardly breathe?"

The two men swapped looks and shrugged.

"Guy thing," Charin decided.

Ronon decided he wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. He decided on the former. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Sick or not, we gotta keep in shape," Sheppard said as he tossed his towel in the hamper in the corner. "Hey, see you guys later. I'm gonna go shower and crash."

"Later," Ronon said.

"Bye, Uncle John!" Charin chirped happily.

Ronon was glad his daughter's mood had improved. He hated seeing such a young child so unhappy all the time. But ever since she'd healed her mother, and he and Teyla had talked to her, she seemed a lot more confident about her abilities. A whole lot happier in general, for that matter.

"Hungry, little warrior princess?" Ronon set his daughter down and rumpled her soft caramel curls.

Charin smiled angelically up at him. "Yes. Cafeteria?"

"Yep. Let me call your mother. We can meet her there." Ronon crouched by his things, piled in one corner out of the way, and extracted his radio from his duffel.

Behind him, Charin gasped. A thud followed directly.

Ronon spun on his haunches, expecting to see some alien threat crouched over his daughter. Instead, he saw Charin rolled into a tiny ball on the floor, her arms around her middle as she writhed in pain.

"Charin!" He stood and ran the ten feet that separated them. He knelt next to her. "What's wrong?"

She gasped in sobs; uneven, rasping breaths that seared his nerves and scared him more than he'd ever been as a Runner. "Papa – the machines. . ." She screamed. "Make it stop!" she begged.

Ronon quickly picked her up and clung to her with one arm. He began to run as he reached his other hand for the radio headset he'd just returned to his ear. "Doc, this is Ronon, please respond!"

Immediately the Scot's calm voice replied. "I'm here. What's wrong?"

"I'm on the way there with Charin. She's – something's happening." He knew he didn't have to explain further. There was no way his daughter's screams couldn't be carrying over the radio.

Beckett's accent had deepened considerably when he responded. "We'll be waiting at the door, lad. Hurry!"

"I am!" Ronon slammed his down on the closest destination point to the infirmary on the LCD readout for the transporter and reactivated his radio. "Teyla! Meet me in the infirmary! Something's wrong with Charin!" He couldn't keep the blinding panic from his voice. Ancestors, please let her be okay. I can't lose this little girl, I love her too much. . .

Charin continued to cry and scream alternately into his neck. Her tiny hands gripped fistfuls of his shirt so hard he was almost sure the fabric would tear at any moment. "Just hang on, little warrior. Just hang on. . ." He exited the transporter at a full run, fleetingly apologizing to blurry shapes as he passed, and sometimes nearly ran over, them in his haste.

Teyla caught up with him somewhere around the third hall down from the infirmary. "What happened?" she demanded. Almost before she finished asking that, she began to speak again. "Charin, it is going to be okay. Just hang on, Charin."

She screamed again, her entire body curling in on itself in his arms. Ronon shifted her so he cradled her in both arms, clinging to her so she wouldn't fall from all her writhing. "It's okay, I've got you—"

They burst through the doors into the infirmary and skidded to a halt. Beckett was waiting with a gurney, which Ronon carefully laid Charin on. Then the Scot and his nurses vanished to the back.

Ronon started to follow, but pulled up abruptly when Teyla turned into his arms and buried her face in his chest. Immediately his arms went up to hold her. "She'll be okay," he said.

But the screams from the back of the infirmary seemed to contradict his assurance with cold, cruel opposition.

Then, abruptly, they stopped.

Ronon and Teyla's breaths both hitched at the same moment as their gazes went to the curtained-off cubicle across the infirmary. Dex's heart seized. No, no, no. . . Please, Ancestors, no. . .!

Beckett staggered around the edge of the curtain, his face pasty white. He stared at the couple with round, shocked blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing except a small squeak passed his throat. So he clamped his lips together and pointed.

Ronon grasped Teyla's hand tightly and went with her to the edge of the cubicle. They peered around, hardly daring to breathe.

Charin, still dressed in the baggy clothes she preferred, suddenly didn't look so small in them. In fact, the clothes looked far too tight on her. . .

Teyla's hand constricted painfully on Ronon's, and he felt his vision begin to swim.

Charin looked up with haunted eyes. "I'm sorry. . ." she whispered.

In the blink of an eye, she'd aged again. Suddenly, just like that, she was now eight years old.

Oh, Ancestors!

-To Be Continued-

Dia: You haven't seen anything yet, sweetie. LOL I promise the explanation for why Charin was able to heal her mother is in this chapter, plus a lot more. Thank you! Sometimes it's hard for me to write Charin – it's hard to get the right balance of child-like wonder and nanite-induced maturity. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy. . . Thanks for the review! -hugs-

Bellkie: Here's the next update – and I'm sorry it took me a while! Real life has been a real bear to me lately. I hope I can get the next one up sooner, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks for the review!

AthosionWarrior: Yes you are! I'm glad you liked the Teyla whump – sometimes I just can't resist it. For some reason she's just so – whump-able. (Is that a word?) Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

TeylaFan: You know I can't resist Teyla whump. LOL And I can't resist a happy ending, either. . . Though you know me, there's got to be a lot of angst, first. . . -rolls eyes innocently- I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and please don't kill me. . . Thanks for the review! -hugs-

Hannah554: Thank you! Charin accepts her gifts a little more in this chapter – for a while, at least. There's some more Teyla, more of Uncle John!, and a lot more Ronon, in this chapter. (And there's a lot more Uncle John coming up soon!) I hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for the review!

Bugginkrd: Thank you so much! OMG – I love Chicago! It's my favorite city in all of America! The storms persisted for a couple of days here, but I managed to find some time in there to write. . . But it took me a while to get the whole chapter done. Thank you again, so much, for the review and the well wishes. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'm sorry it's a little late!

Bunnylass: Yes – the last chapter was really hard to write. Charin being a little girl, and me writing her mom hurt, her emotions were just – really hard to write. You're very welcome, I'm glad I could give you a double update! Sorry I can't this time, though, real life has got me so busy. I had to write this chapter over the course of four days. I hope to get it updated again soon, though. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

SpaceMonkey0941: No, not the Asurans – but I promise, they'll be making an appearance (well – kind of) pretty soon. I'm sorry I haven't updated this before now, I've been so busy lately. I hope I can get the next update up sooner, though. I hope, I hope. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

TubaPrincess: Thank you! Actually, the scene where Charin saved her mother was the very first part of this story that I wrote. The rest of it so far has kind of built around that one pivotal scene – and one other, coming up within the next few chapters. Her gift makes another appearance in this chapter. . .I hope you enjoy, and thanks for the review!