Carousel (part 14)

Sheppard couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Watching the two men grapple over the gun, it firing, and now both Rodney and Kolrin lying unmoving on the floor. He was uncertain what he would find as he made his way agonizingly slow over to them. Reaching the young Athosian first, he looked down to see blood pooling from a hole in the science lab coat near the boys heart. The shot had killed him instantly. So, if Kolrin had been the one shot, what was wrong with Rodney?

The scientist had fallen on his side facing away from Kolrin.

"McKay. Hey, McKay, you all right?" Painfully dropping down to his knees and using his good arm, he rolled Rodney over on to his back. "Oh my god." Blood covered the front of McKay's jacket and chest and there was dried blood on his hands and slacks.

It took the major a moment to realize that Rodney was uninjured and that the blood had actually come off of him and the teen. The green glow of the personal shield confirmed that it was still functioning. Reaching down to check Rodney's pulse, he was surprised at how cold the doctor's hands were. "Come on, McKay, time to wake up," he encouraged. Not getting any response, he slowly sat down beside his friend and closed his eyes. He knew something was terribly wrong and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it but wait and hope that help arrived soon. He also wasn't sure he could hold on much longer himself.

SG:A

Elizabeth was pacing again, this time in the infirmary.

Stepping away from Dr. Zelenka's bedside, Carson stopped her movements with his hand on her arm. "Lass, you're gonna wear a hold through the floor. Pacing like a caged animal won't wake Peter up any sooner. Give him time."

"They might not have time, Doctor. I need to know what they found on Sublevel 4."

"Cargo bay," whispered a hoarse voice from behind them.

Weir and Beckett spun around in surprise to find Zelenka watching them through slit eyelids.

"Grodin told me," he continued before holding his breath, trying to stop a coughing spell.

"Shhh, son. You need to rest," Carson encouraged as he adjusted the rebreather mask over the physicists face.

Zelenka shook his head in agitation. "No. Underwater access," he gasped painfully.

Beckett quickly removed a hypodermic needle from a nearby tray and injected it's substance into Zelenka's IV port. "Rest now, Doctor." Once the physicist was sleeping, Carson turned to Dr. Weir. "Do you know of an underwater access?"

She shook her head 'no'. "There's so much about Atlantis that we don't know about. Rodney might have found something and was still trying to figure out what it was. I just don't know."

"We do," said an annoyingly familiar voice from behind them. Kavanaugh.

Weir looked at the man a moment before responding, "Doctor Kavanaugh, do you have something that may help us?"

The scientist shifted uncomfortably before nodding to a woman behind him. "Actually, Dr. Popolov was able to retrieve some surveillance footage from a lower section of Atlantis that you will be interested in seeing."

Elizabeth met the other woman's steady gaze. "What did you find, Doctor?"

"I was able to locate Dr. McKay and Major Sheppard after they were abducted by Kolrin." Snapping open her laptop, the engineer tapped out several keys, bringing up an image of the three men in the hallway. Weir and Beckett stepped in closer as she started the footage.

"Oh dear Lord," the physician said under his breath as they watched McKay and Sheppard disappear behind the door, followed by Kolrin firing the gun. Seeing the Athosian eventually run down the hall from view, Carson turned to Dr. Weir, "We need to find Rodney now."

"He looked a little tired but alert after the major put him down," she started, but stopped, seeing him shake his head. "What's wrong with him?"

"I asked him earlier when they contacted us if he had eaten and he said yes, a power bar." Nodding towards the screen, he continued, "That must have been it. Other than that and a small piece of fruit, he hasn't eaten in over eight hours. Notice the way his hands are shaking and he's rubbing his face. Also, the way he yells at Kolrin. These are classic signs that he's having difficulties with his hypoglycemia."

Seeing Weir's confusion, he added, "Rodney's glucose levels are falling. If he doesn't get help soon he could fall in to a coma or possibly die."

Elizabeth studied the laptop screen a moment before turning to Popolov and Kavanaugh. "Kolrin said Sublevel 8. What's down there?"

The long haired scientist shrugged, "Stabilizers for the station and water storage tanks."

"So, we know that what ever he's up to, he's going to do it down there." Looking directly at Kavanaugh, she questioned, "Is he intelligent enough to know how to damage Atlantis's systems?"

Kavanaugh nodded.

"I figured as much. When we last spoke to John and Rodney, they had left Sublevel 4 and couldn't say where they were heading. I believe they were on their way to Sublevel 8 to stop Kolrin." Speaking into her headset, she called Lt. Ford.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Lieutenant, I want your team to meet me near the lift that accesses Sublevel 8." Turning to Carson, she sighed, "Get what you need, because you're coming with us. If Rodney's in as bad as shape as you think, we don't have time to waste."

Dr. Kavanaugh stood quietly to one side watching Weir get her team ready. When she pointed at him, he waited.

"You're coming with us. With Dr. McKay's team incapacitated at the moment, you will have to take his place."

"Yes, ma'am." At any other time he would have jumped at this chance, now he remained restrained knowing that this was mainly his fault.

SG: A

The trip down the lift and then having to follow behind security was excruciatingly slow but Elizabeth refused to put anymore of her people in danger from this madman. Once security made sure the passageways were clear, they rushed towards the engineering bay praying they were heading in the right direction. It was Ford and Teyla who first spotted their missing crewmates as well as the dead Athosian.

Major Sheppard sat hunched over on the floor beside Rodney's still figure. His uninjured right arm draped over the scientist's chest as he cradled his friend the best he could. All who entered the room heard him softly telling the other man to hold on that help would be there soon. He didn't seem to notice that help had actually arrived.

Carson squatted down beside him, taking in the major's grey complexion, sweating, and blood soaked shirt. He gently grasped Sheppard's face and turned the glazed over dark eyes to meet his own. "John, we're here. Let me help him now, lad."

The injured man blinked before his gaze returned to his friend. "It won't come off," he whispered.

"What, lad? What won't come off?"

Slowly the major's hand slid off Rodney's chest, revealing the glowing personal shield. Haunted eyes glanced back to Carson's, "Can you help him with it still on?"

Sheppard's voice was so soft that Carson had to lean in to hear him. "I'll try, Major. Why don't you rest now while I help Rodney?"

John swallowed and blinked, his eyes remaining closed for several seconds before looking back up, searching for someone. He spied Elizabeth sitting on his other side. "Shut down stabilizers," he mumbled before finally succumbing to the darkness.

Weir looked over to Kavanaugh and Popolov. "Find it and fix it," she ordered. Returning her attention to Beckett and his team, she waited quietly as he issued orders to his people. In a matter of moments, they had both patients secured in litters, ready for transport.

"Carson?" she questioned, afraid of what his answer might be.

"I don't know, lass." He replied, shaking his head slowly. "They're both in a bad way."

The teams ran carrying the litters to the lift.