Chapter 18: What now?
John awoke to a throbbing in his skull, which didn't want to go away. What the hell has happened to me this time? He dared not open his eyes out of fear for what he may see, so he just relied on his other senses for the time being. There was a strange rumbling sound coming from somewhere nearby and the surface he was laying on seemed reasonably comfortable, so perhaps it was safe to open his eyes.
He tried opening his eyes and the throbbing in his skull intensified, so he slammed them shut again. Another annoying sound pervaded his senses and it sounded as if someone was moaning, so at this point he decided he had no other option but to open his eyes. Looking around the room, it didn't take him long to realise that he probably had a hangover, although he didn't remember drinking much the night before. He suspected the other occupant of the room probably did as well.
For some reason he was laying on the couch and not in his bed, but the thing that shocked him the most was he was wearing a bright red shirt and red was not a colour that he would usually wear. He decided it was time to get to his feet and find out what was going on. Perhaps he would wake up Carson and then maybe he could tell him what had happened.
"Carson, wake up?" He whispered not wanting to talk any louder, for fear of making his headache worse.
There was no response, so he spoke a little louder, "Carson, wake up?"
Still no response no he decided that he had to shout, "Carson, wake up!?"
That got a response Carson was awake in seconds and moaning as he held his hand in his head.
"What the hell happened here last night Carson?"
"Well the mourning ceremony for Tuart and Roget was over yesterday, so we were celebrating their journey to the afterlife. "Carson explained, still holding his head.
"Why are you in my room and why did I sleep on the couch?" He asked, as his stomach suddenly started to churn.
"That would be because I didn't want to be alone last night, and you said that I could sleep in your bed." Shalite explained entering the room and John had to wonder why she had only a nightie and a gown on.
John looked at Shalite with confusion, "umm… I don't remember much, how about you Carson?"
"Joe and Rodney left around 1am and by that time you were giggling like a teenage schoolgirl, so Shalite and I helped you settle on the couch. Everything is a bit fuzzy for me as well, but clearly I remember a bit more than you." Carson explained with a smirk on his face.
He sat on the couch and tried to think about what had happened the day before. The three days of mourning had ended at around 3pm. Once the Tuart and Roget had been buried they moved to the Presidential dining room where afternoon tea was served, next they went up to their rooms and changed into bright garish clothes and that was how he ended up with the red shirt, apparently Shalite had bought it for him because she thought he'd look nice in red.
That's when the party had started in his room. After the others had changed their clothing, they had all come to his room and someone had delivered large quantities of wine. That's when things started to get a bit blurry. "That wine must have been pretty strong."
"Aye lad it was and if you hadn't had vomited a few times last night, chances are you would have ended up in the infirmary with alcohol poisoning."
"You know doc, I honestly don't remember drinking that much, could there be some other explanation for it? Suddenly a thought struck him, he was supposed to be heading to earth today and Rodney was supposed to be coming with him, to see if they could procure a time-ship. "What time is it?"
"I can take some tests after breakfast to see if there is anything else affecting you?" Carson offered and before he had a chance to tell him the time Shalite interrupted.
"It's only 8am and we're not due to leave until after lunch."
John just stared at her, not really sure whether he had heard her correctly. "Excuse me, did you just say we? You don't have to come with me, in fact I don't want you to come with me. I want you to stay here, as I don't want anything to happen to you or your baby."
He felt her intense glare and for a moment he felt a little afraid, "John I have made my decision and Carson is coming as well, so there will be a doctor on hand if I need one."
"I wouldn't argue with her John," Carson stated, "Joe and I have already tried to convince her not to come, but she insisted."
"What about Julian and Rohan are they coming along?" John asked wondering just how many people he'd have to put up with on this trip.
"No, they're not coming, and neither is Joe." Shalite informed him.
He nodded and immediately regretted it when his headache notched up a little. Rather than try and convince Shalite to stay here, he tried to get back to finding out what happened last night. "What happened after we got to my room?"
"We had a meal of Roast meet, with more wine and for some reason you seemed to like drinking it a bit more than the others." Carson told him and he really couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
Back in his time, he prided himself on his self-control and there would be absolutely no way he would let his guard down and drink as much. But then when he got back to his own time, he would have little chance to enjoy himself, so he might as well while he was here. It hadn't been much fun so far, with people wanting to arrest him and Michael experimenting on him. Then there was the cave-in, which is something that he wouldn't want to live through again. He decided that he would let his guard down and try to enjoy himself while he was here.
"What's for breakfast then?" He asked wondering if he was going to regret eating anything.
"Julian has allowed us the use of the dining room this morning, so Rodney and Joe will meet us down there at 9:00. I believe that Rodney had told the cooks to make pancakes and we are having them with squill syrup and whipped cream and there'll be plenty of coffee and tea," Shalite informed him with a twinkle in her eyes.
The thought of it Pancakes made his stomach churn, so perhaps he would just have some strong black coffee. Looking at his watch he realised that it was 8:30 and there was no way he wanted to turn up to breakfast in a bright red shirt, so it was about time he told the others to change and got ready for breakfast.
He looked at Shalite, standing next to him in her nightie and gown, "umm… Shalite, you're not going to go to breakfast like that are you?"
She just rolled her eyes at him, "No, my clothes are in your room, so if you don't mind, I'll go and get changed and then I'll leave you too it."
"I'll get going and see you at breakfast," Carson told him, as he stood up ready to leave.
Fifteen minutes later when Carson and Shalite had left, he put his head in his hands again and moaned, not only did he still have the headache from hell, but his room smelt like Shalite and it smelt incredible. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about how nice she smelt, but he found himself becoming more attached to her every day, so he wondered if perhaps he should just stay here with her. She had asked him too after all. He shook his head and chastised himself, he knew that he had to get home to save Teyla and her son. Putting the thoughts out of his head, he went to find some comfortable jeans and a shirt to put on, but he was definitely not wearing red.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Rodney watched as John walked into the dining room, he suspected that he'd have a huge hangover this morning and he was just waiting for the opportunity to tease him about it. He'd seen Carson earlier and he didn't look too bad. Joe hadn't bothered to drink much, and he was a hologram, so for some reason alcohol didn't seem to affect him much. Shalite was pregnant, so she obviously hadn't been drinking.
"Morning Sheppard," he greeted in a loud booming voice.
"Shhh...," was the only reply he got.
"Are you looking forward to some pancakes and whipped cream?" Rodney asked, wanting to watch him squirm. He almost laughed when John seemed to turn pale and stumble, right before he sat down next to Shalite.
"Rodney leave him alone; can't you see he'd not feeling well?" Shalite said, as she gave him a hard stare.
He was still amused by what was going on around him, so he had to make another dig at his friend, "I know, and whose fault is that? It's definitely not mine?"
"Shut it McKay!" John growled.
"Aye Rodney, leave him alone. It's good to see him having some fun, because you and I both know that is something that doesn't happen very often." Carson interjected.
Rodney had to agree with Carson, John hadn't really had much fun since he'd been here and he actually felt a little guilty, so he decided that he would keep quiet for a while.
"How are you this morning John?" Joe asked as he sat down beside of him.
"I've been better," he replied holding his hand up to his head.
Just then the food was brought in and Rodney sat and watched to see how Sheppard would react and it wasn't good, John stood up and placed his hand over his mouth and rushed out of the room. He didn't bother to follow him out at this point, because he suspected that he would be back soon. With that in mind he started to pile pancakes onto his plate and he made sure that he poured himself a big cup of coffee, it was going to be a long day, so he knew that he'd need it.
He ate in silence not bothering to look up from his plate and when he did, he found that Shalite, Joe and Carson were staring at him. "What?"
"Aren't you worried about John?" Carson asked him while continuing to stare, "he's been gone quite a while."
"He'll be alright, it's just a hangover," Rodney replied rolling his eyes.
"Well I'm going to see how he is, he mentioned this morning that he didn't drink a lot and I was supposed to conduct some extra tests on him after breakfast, so I think I will go and do that now." Carson stated, standing up.
"I'm coming to," Shalite announced.
Joe stood to his feet as well, "I'm going to the infirmary to make sure everything is ready to conduct some tests."
Rodney sat and watched as the others left and it was at that point, he realised that he was sitting alone. Looking down at the table he realised that no-one had eaten much, so he wondered whether he should eat some more, or follow the others to see what was happening with Sheppard. In the end he decided that he'd have another serve of pancakes and then go to the infirmary waiting room.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
John felt incredibly nauseous as he left the dining room, he was positive that whatever was wrong with him wasn't a hangover, because he really hadn't drunk that much. His vision was becoming blurry and he knew that he had a fever. Struggling down the corridor, he was desperate to make it to the bathroom before he lost his stomach contents. Eventually he made it to the bathroom, but he never made it to the toilet before he started to retch, he held on to the side of the sink and emptied his stomach and even after his stomach contents had been emptied, he kept on retching. Finally he stopped and was able to stand up and look at himself in the mirror and he didn't like what he saw, his vision was still blurry, but from what he could see he was as white as a sheet and he had sweat beading on his forehead. He was trembling all over and his head was really pounding. Suddenly he felt dizzy and then he felt himself falling, on the way down he hit his head on the corner of the sink. "Aw crap," he said right before he lost consciousness.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Carson quickly left the dining room with Shalite following close behind, he had a really bad feeling that something was seriously wrong with John, but he had no idea what it could possibly be. The one thing he did know was that John hadn't really drunk that much last night and now he was kicking himself for not realising it sooner. But for now, he knew that he needed to get to John and the sooner the better.
Arriving at the bathroom a few minutes later, he immediately knew that something was wrong when he smelt the vomit before walking into the room. When he finally managed to make his way in he was shocked by what he saw. John was lying on his side with a large gash to the side of his head and he was trembling all over. He immediately tapped his arm, where a radio had been inserted when he had arrived on New Sateda.
"Carson to Joe, come in please?"
"Go ahead Carson."
"We're going to need a gurney; John has just been sick, and he appears to have passed out and hit his head on the way down. He is incredibly pale and shaking like a leaf. It's almost as if he has been poisoned."
"I'll send a gurney straight away and I have a fairly good idea what may be wrong with him, but I'll need to conduct some tests to make sure. Joe out."
"Is he going to be alright," Shalite asked and it took him by surprise, as he had forgotten that she was there.
He turned to her with a grim look in his face, "I don't know luv, but I suspect that he has been poisoned."
"And if he has, I have a pretty good idea of who would want to do this to him." Shalite said and Carson could see the determination in her eyes.
"Well let's not worry about that now, since the first thing we need to do is to get him to the infirmary, so how about you go and wait in the waiting room and I will let you know how he is as soon as we've had a chance to examine him."
Shalite seemed reluctant to leave him, "please go, we will take good care of him." Carson told her as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I will wait until the medical team gets here and then I will leave."
It wasn't long before Joe arrived with his medical bag and the first thing he did was set up and IV before putting and oxygen mask John his face.
Carson looked at Shalite and spoke to her gently, "Shalite I would like you to leave now."
She nodded and Carson watched as she left the room. He could see the anguish on her face and was worried about her, she had been through so much in such a short period of time that he wondered if she might go into premature labour.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The minute Shalite left the bathroom, she tapped communication device, if John had been poisoned, she wanted to know why.
"Shalite to Rohan, come in please?"
"What can I do for you Shalite?"
"John is very sick, and the doctors suspect that he has been poisoned, so I need to talk to you right away."
"Where are you now Shalite?"
"I am on my way to the infirmary waiting room."
"I'll see you there in a few minutes and then you can tell me your suspicions. Rohan out."
By the time she'd finished talking to Rohan she had arrived at the infirmary and she was happy to see that Rodney was already there.
"What's going on, how is Sheppard?" He asked and Shalite could see the worry in his face.
"Joe and Carson are with him now and they suspect that he has been poisoned."
Rodney opened his eyes wide, "who would want to do that?"
"I have a few idea's, don't forget that the head of the Coalition of planets and the leader of Louisa are still on New Sateda and one thing I do know is that they are still wanting to stop him from going back and changing the time-line."
Rodney snorted, "well their idiots to think that by Sheppard going back in time will change this timeline. This will just become and alternate reality to him. So, in theory this timeline will continue to exist."
"I know, but they are politicians and they're really not that bright, so I don't think that understand the concept of alternate realities."
Before they had a chance to continue their conversation Rohan walked into the room and sat down next to Shalite, "so tell me what's going on?"
"John has been feeling unwell all morning and at first we thought he had a hangover, but he didn't really drink much last night, so we quickly came to the conclusion that something else was wrong." Shalite explained.
Rohan looked at her with a troubled look on his face, "and what makes you think that he had been poisoned?"
Shalite took a deep breath before answering, as she didn't really have any evidence to prove here suspicions, "Carson told me when he examined him that it looked as if he has been poisoned."
"If he has been poisoned, I will begin and investigation immediately and I will post a couple of guards outside the infirmary, but for now there is nothing I can do. Please let me know when you know anything." Rohan said before standing to his feet.
She watched him leave the room and decided that it was probably a good idea to close her eyes. Things were not going to well for her, she had just lost her husband and her mentor, who was one of her closest friends. Now someone was trying to kill John as well and that was the last thing she needed right now.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
As soon as Carson and Joe arrived in the infirmary with John, Joe immediately started to take blood. Carson just stood by and watched him work, setting up a heart monitor and attaching the leads to John's chest. Joe appeared to know what he was doing, so he tried to close up the head wound on the side of John's head using the healing device that Joe had used on his head wound when he had been rescued from the cave in.
After a few minutes Joe looked up at him and spoke, "I suspect that he has been poisoned and I think that somehow he has managed to ingest the tincara leaf."
"I have never heard of it?" Carson stated looking worried.
"If ingested in small quantities it just causes nausea and vomiting, but if it is consumed with alcohol, it can cause a fever, seizures and even death. I should have thought of it sooner, when he was vomiting last night, but I just assumed that he'd drunk to much wine. Limin wine is extraordinarily strong after all."
"So, what is the treatment Joe?"
"The only thing that we can do, is continue to induce vomiting and all being well he should be alright in a day or two. How's his head Carson? Did he hit his head in the same place that he did in the cave-in?"
Carson looked up from what he was doing, "It appears to be in a different spot, and I have healed it up and reduced the swelling. He'll probably end up with a headache for a day or two though."
"I think that he should have a nurse of doctor close by for the next 24hours, so I'll take the first watch if you want to inform the others. I'm fairly sure that they're in the waiting room." Joe suggested
"Aye I'll go and talk to them now."
Carson took one last look at John's pale trembling form and headed the waiting room. Poor John, he'd already been in the infirmary once since he'd been in the future and now someone was trying to poison him and he had no idea How were they supposed to protect him if he remained here much longer?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Shalite awoke suddenly when someone entered the room, she had no idea how long she'd been asleep. It didn't take her long to remember that she was in the infirmary waiting room again and she was waiting for news on John, who they suspected had been poisoned.
Finally, she got her bearings and realised that Carson had entered the room, looking at the chair beside her she realised that Rodney was awake as well, "how is he Carson?
"Joe has confirmed that he has been poisoned and he suspects that someone has given him tincara leaf."
"How could that happen that happen, someone had to have put it in his food last night, so it would have to be someone with access to the kitchen."
Carson sighed and she could see his frustration, "I will contact Rohan when we leave here, so that he can put some guards on the door and I will get him to start a investigation."
"Can I see him now?"
"Aye follow me."
"I think I 'll go and do something else," Rodney stammered and Shalite had to wonder why he didn't want to see John.
Carson just rolled his eyes, "off you go Rodney we'll let you know how he is."
Shalite watched Rodney leave before following Carson to the infirmary, "what is with Rodney? She asked Carson still feeling a little confused, by his actions.
"He doesn't like to be around sick people, I know that he's only a hologram, but for some reason he has the same aversion as his creator did." Carson explained.
She nodded and followed John into the infirmary, and she wasn't happy by what she saw, John was as white as a sheet, trembling like a leaf and there was sweat beading on his forehead. She immediately sat down and held his hand and was surprised to see how hot it felt.
Carson smiled at her and he felt his hand on her shoulder, "Joe's in the office if you need anything."
"Thanks Carson." She whispered before turning her attention back to John.
She knew that she really needed to get him back to his time frame as soon as possible, because if someone had tried to kill him once, she was sure that they would try and do it again.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
John was in a world of pain and darkness and he had no idea what happened to him this time. He was incredibly hot, his head ached and his whole body was trembling. He heard distant voices and he wondered whether he should open his eyes to see who was in the room with him, but the darkness was encroaching on him once again. He was about to surrender to it when he felt a soft silky hand in his and he wondered if Teyla was there with him, and he wanted to open his eyes to see her.
Slowly he managed to peel one eyelid open and he was disturbed to find that his vision was blurry. He wondered if he opened his other eye whether his vision would be better, so he opened it and was disappointed to find that things were still blurry.
The face that was looking down at him seemed familiar, "Teyla," he whispered, hoping that it really was her and his time in the future had just been a bad dream.
"I'm sorry John, Teyla's not here it's Shalite."
"Wha…appened?" he managed to croak out.
"We suspect that someone has poisoned you."
Suddenly his chest felt tight, he was having difficulty breathing and his chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. He had no idea what was going on, so he desperately tried to get Shalite's attention and it wasn't long before he heard her yelling. The encroaching darkness was beckoning to him again, so he just closed his eyes and let it claim him again.
TBC…