Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis is not mine; the following work of fanfiction is for fan enjoyment only. No profit is being made (sigh).

Epidemic

By Kerr Avon

3. Letting Them See You Sweat

"Good luck, then." Weir said as SGA-1 headed through the Gate. The four were going on a routine trading mission with the Aramians, a small agrarian village that had a long history of trading with the Athosians. Sheppard knew that Rodney thought this was an incredible waste of his talents, but right now he suspected that the scientist would be grateful for anything that got him away from Atlantis and the warm pollen-filled breezes drifting through the open corridors. Smirking to himself at the genius' discomfiture, the Major entered the wormhole.

Exiting on the other side, he stumbled slightly as the ground suddenly tilted to the right. It straightened immediately, and he realized that it had been a transient wooziness on his own part. 'Whoa! Where'd that come from?' He waited for a moment, but the episode didn't repeat itself. Shrugging, he started towards the nearby village.

The day was positively stunning. The yellow sun shown down on the golden fields of grain as they walked the well-worn path to the Chief's hut. On the way they exchanged smiles and waves with the villagers working at the harvest. Rodney inhaled deeply. "Ah, nothing like autumn to eliminate the pollen from spring flowers." He considered for a moment. "Unless it's winter snow; that tamps it down, too."

"Allergies better?" Sheppard was grateful in his own right; he had gotten tired of being sneezed on.

"Much." McKay took a deep breath in through his rapidly-clearing nose. "Even my sense of smell is coming back." As they continued to walk, he pressed a finger on each side of his nose. "Hey! My sinuses are draining!"

Sheppard winced. 'Need-to-know information that I did NOT need to know!' he thought to himself. The visual alone... he felt a shiver run down his spine, and abandoned that train of thought entirely. To distract himself from McKay's bodily functions, he dropped back a few steps to walk beside Ford. "Hey Lieutenant, long time no see."

Ford smiled slightly. "I've been around."

Getting a better look at the young man, the Major creased his brows in concern. A fine sheen of sweat covered his face, and he seemed overly concentrated on the path in front of him. "Ford, are you alright?"

Aiden glanced at his commanding officer. "Sure sir, why do you ask?" Taking his eyes off the path even momentarily resulted in his tripping on a small stone in the road, requiring Sheppard to grab his elbow to keep him from falling. The major felt a fine tremor in the Lieutenant's arm that hadn't been visible.

"Because you look like shit." Sheppard stopped dead, necessitating Ford to stop as well. McKay and Teyla halted and came back out of curiosity. "What gives?"

Ford shrugged. "I dunno. Guess I might be catching a cold or something."

"Well, you shouldn't be here then." Sheppard's voice brooked no argument. "We don't want to spread our germs all over the Pegasus Galaxy."

"Not to mention spreading them to us," added McKay.

A light dawned in Aiden's eyes. "I didn't think of that, sir."

Sheppard shot him a quick half-smile. "I'm sure you didn't. I want you to head back to the Gate and report to the infirmary, got it?"

"Yes, sir," he replied tiredly. He stumbled slightly as he turned to go, and Sheppard caught his shoulder.

"Are you OK to get back on your own?" he asked as his level of concern increased.

Aiden nodded. "Yes, Major. I can make it."

Sheppard stared at him suspiciously, then tightened his lips and gave a quick nod. "Alright then, go." He jerked his head back in the direction of the Gate.

"Thank you, sir." Ford headed back the way they had come without further incident. Sheppard watched him in concern for a few minutes, the turned back towards the hamlet.

"Let's get this over with, then go check on him." The others nodded, and the three set off again.

The local customs insisted on a three-course meal complete with wine prior to opening any type of negotiations. While the cuisine was excellent, Sheppard found that he had no appetite and only picked at his food. McKay, however, more than made up for the Major's lack of enthusiasm, and after two reiterations of 'Are you going to eat that?', John simply traded his full plate for the scientist's empty one. The village leader beamed at the fervor with which Rodney attacked the meal, while frowning with slight disapproval at Sheppard's poor intake. Sheppard didn't care; the wine was giving him a headache and the food making him nauseated. After dessert, he let Teyla do most of the talking, ultimately striking a deal that both parties were pleased with. He managed to be polite in their good-byes, promising to send men the next day with the agreed-upon items, and to pick up the foodstuffs in exchange. As he stood to go, the world swayed alarmingly, and he felt a hand on his own elbow.

"I think you shall be joining Lieutenant Ford in the infirmary." His lack of appetite had not slipped past the observant Athosian. Teyla turned to their host in apology. "I am sorry, but our leader appears to be ill. Thank you for your generous hospitality. The goods will arrive in the morning as agreed."

The village head was gracious. He bowed, "We wish for his speedy recovery, and will have the grain and fruit ready for the exchange."

Teyla smiled and bowed deeply herself, keeping a firm supporting hand on the Major's arm. As the three headed back to the Gate, Sheppard tried to disengage her from his elbow. Out of the corner of his mouth he hissed, "Come on, Teyla, this is embarrassing. I can walk on my own."

She regarded him skeptically. "That remains to be seen. Nevertheless..."

As she released him, he swayed for a moment, then straightened and headed firmly down the path under his own power. Teyla raised an eyebrow doubtfully, then hurried to catch up. McKay wordlessly shrugged, then trailed, taking care not to approach the Major.

As they hiked the mile or so back to the Stargate, Sheppard's condition rapidly deteriorated. He began to stumble after only a few hundred yards, and then sweating profusely shortly thereafter. A concerned Teyla called for a rest stop after they were only halfway home.

Sheppard gratefully dropped his pack and sank to the grass beside the path. Teyla noted that his BDU jacket was drenched in sweat, as was his hair. She snagged his canteen off his LBE (Load Bearing Equipment) then uncorked and proffered it.

"Drink."

Feverish but grateful eyes silently met hers, then a trembling hand grasped the canteen and brought it to parched lips. As he drank greedily, McKay squatted near (but not too near) to the pair and stared at the Major. "You look terrible!" he blurted.

Handing the canteen back to Teyla, Sheppard dragged the back of his hand across his mouth and glared at Rodney. "Thanks for the assessment, McKay." Pulling his knees up, he propped his forehead on them and sighed. "Actually, I feel terrible."

That caught McKay's attention. The Major never admitted weakness; "Never let them see you sweat". He looked up in surprise to meet Teyla's steady gaze. Silently she mirrored his own concern, then knelt beside their commander. "We must get you to the doctor. Can you stand?"

Sheppard pulled himself together with a visible effort, raised his head, and nodded. "Sure," he breathed. "Give me a hand up, wouldja?" He held out his right hand which the Pegasus native grasped and pulled. Lurching to his feet, he almost toppled the two of them over.

"Doctor McKay, I need your assistance." Teyla grunted, as she swung Sheppard's right arm over her shoulders.

McKay was hesitant; Sheppard's illness looked contagious. "Are you sure..." he began, to be silenced by her stern stare. Gulping, he took the Major's other arm and put it gingerly over his shoulders, trying to avoid contact with bare skin. Teyla scooped up John's pack with her free hand, and the three set off once again.

By the time they reached the gate itself, Sheppard was barely conscious, head lolling on his chest. McKay maneuvered himself to where he could dial Atlantis' address, then, once the wormhole established, transmitted his ident.

"Let us go." Teyla was worried about the rapid worsening of the pilot's symptoms, and wanted to get him to Dr. Beckett as soon as possible. Hurriedly, she and the astrophysicist half-dragged, half-carried their friend to the event horizon, then stepped inside.

TBC...