Carousel (continued)

Sheppard scanned the room in search of the source of the smokey smell before spotting Beckett and McKay on the floor. "What happened?" he demanded.

Carson nodded towards his patient. "He thought he heard something when he came back to check on an experiment."

Rodney shifted his position against the wall, trying to push himself up without use of his hands. One red eyelid cracked open and he frowned at both men. "You know, I'm right here. Try talking to me, instead of around me."

Sheppard's raised brow met Carson's slight grin. If the scientist was snippy, he must not be seriously injured. "McKay," he drawled, "did you see anyone?"

"Don't you think I would have told you already, if I had?"

Sheppard opened his mouth to make a comment about why Rodney didn't say that in the first place, but closed it and took a deep breath. "What happened after you got here?" A tap on his shoulder interrupted further questions when two techs with a litter appeared behind at his side.

"Sir, could you please step back?" the first requested.

At this, the physicist opened both eyes and glared with disdain. "I can walk."

Carson stopped the rant with a firm hand to the shoulder, "No, you can't."

The scientist twisted away with a grunt. "Yes, I can. Watch me."

"No, you don't. I'm not about to let you take a tumble down the bloody stairs because you suddenly feel well enough to be difficult."

The two doctors maintained a short standoff until Sheppard had enough. "McKay, if you don't get on that litter, I'm going to toss you over my shoulder and carry you. Now it's late, and I'm tired, and I want to know what happened when you got here."

With a huff, Rodney allowed the techs to help him get situated. In all honesty, the mere thought of walking up a flight of stairs made his head pound harder, but he didn't want them to think him more a wimp than they usually thought. "I reached out and touched the panel with the back of my right hand to turn on the lights. There was a 'pop' and then a flash. Next thing I know, I'm heading ass over tin cup back into the wall."

"Are you sure it wasn't a malfunction with the lights?" Dr. Weir questioned, looking worried as she entered the doorway. "I don't see damage in here from an explosion."

Sheppard straightened as a thought occurred to him. What if...? His eyes scanned the counter tops and floor.

"John, what are you looking for?"

He ran his fingers through his unruly hair, pushing it out of his eyes. "What if it was a flash grenade?" He made his way to the closest work space and began moving items about.

"Excuse me," McKay's irritation could be heard from the doorway, "why don't you get Zelenka or Grodin to check the lab? That way, the lone Hardy Boy can go do his sleuthing without damaging my equipment."

"Beckett," Sheppard warned.

"I'll be takin' him out of your hair, Major." Once in the hallway the others could hear the physician admonish his patient, "Rodney, be quiet, or I'll make the next twenty-four hours just as miserable for you as you'll make them for me."

With silence once again, Sheppard walked slowly through the room, looking for anything amiss. Shaking his head, he nodded to Ford, "He's right. Wake up Grodin and Zelenka. I need them to tell me what I'm missing."

"Yes, sir," the lieutenant snapped before he too headed out into the hallway.

Dr. Weir took up the vacated position beside her second in command. Looking as though she'd yet to turn in for the night, she stood with arms folded, surveying the room. "What do you think happened?"

"You know, as bright as McKay is, he has a way of rubbing people the wrong way. Maybe this was a prank gone bad, a possible warning, attempted sabotage. I don't know. The guy has a list as long as my arm of people who don't like him."

"That's no excuse." She gave the room one more pass before leaving to follow the others to the infirmary. "I want your report on my desk as soon as possible," she called over her shoulder. "Just because someone rubs you the wrong way, that doesn't justify a terrorist act. He could have been seriously hurt, or worse. And as much as I hate to admit it, we would be in a lot of trouble without him."

Sheppard remained still as he listened to her footfalls disappear down the hallway. With the room empty, he pictured himself as McKay and retraced the scientist's steps.

The door to Rodney's quarters was still open. Stepping inside, he noticed the organized room with few personal belongings displayed, but many awards and photos decorating the walls. The bed appeared as though the covers had been pulled back, but not slept in. And Rodney's shirt was hanging half off the chair at his desk, with his slacks folded neatly on the desktop.

Apparently, the doctor had been getting ready for bed when he decided to return to the lab. Walking the brief distance back to the room, he reached out to activate the lights, and 'flash'.

Why hadn't McKay been blinded by the brief explosion? Sheppard remembered seeing the red face and eyelids. Of course, his eyes had been closed or he had been looking down when he activated the lights.

Dropping down to his hands and knees, the major scanned the floor for anything out of place. If McKay kept his office as neat as his room, then whatever distracted him earlier had to still be here. Spotting a small ball of rolled up foil between the baseboard of two counters sitting close together, he used a pencil to draw the material out.

"Heard the brilliant scientist had a problem this morning."

The unexpected interruption from behind, when he thought he was alone, caused Sheppard to pause. He palmed the foil so as not to show his find, then turned to meet McKay's scientific nemesis. Dr. Kavanaugh stood smugly in the doorway. "Yeah, he did. Who told you?"

The scientist shrugged. "I overheard your man Ford talking to some of the others."

"It's kind of late to be up eavesdropping, don't you think?"

The chemist's smile didn't reach his eyes, "I was working, Major."

"Oh, I see. Anyone 'working' with you?" Crossing his arms over his chest, he dropped the small ball of foil into his jacket pocket.

The smile slipped briefly as the long-haired man studied the officer. "Major, Dr. McKay and I may have our differences, but you can't think that I'd have anything to do with this."

"I didn't say you did." Sheppard looked around Kavanagh, pleased to see Grodin and Zelenka hurry into the room.

"Major, is Rodney alright?" Zelenka asked, with Grodin standing at his side.

"Yeah, I think he's going to be fine." He watched as the two newcomers to the scene visibly relaxed. "Did Lieutenant Ford tell you what we need for you to do?"

Peter Grodin cast a questioning glance at the uninvited scientist, and then to Radek. "Yes, Major. We'll go over the lab from top to bottom."

"Okay then, get to work." Turning to Dr. Kavanagh, Sheppard nodded to the doorway, "If you don't mind, Doctor."

Kavanagh strolled slowly across the room once before turning on his heels. "I think I'll turn in now. Morning will come soon enough."

Sheppard rubbed his chin as he watched the scientist walk away. No one could be that stupid, could they? "Fellas, I'm going to check on McKay. If you need anything, page me."