Chapter 7

The sound of someone retching miserably pulled Sheppard abruptly awake from his restless sleep. His feet dropped to the floor with a thud as he sat up, his gaze instantly shooting over to see McKay's sweaty sleeping form. Not seeing the scientist move, he scowled and glanced around the room.

"Major Sheppard," Carson called out quietly, "I could use your help." He was holding Teyla over the side of her cot, her sides heaving as another wave of nausea struck.

Grabbing the empty bowl from under McKay's bed, he hurried over to place it near his team member. She looked downright awful, not even noticing him as he knelt in front of her. "How long has she been sick?"

"Going on thirty minutes. She's got to be about tapped out." Carson shifted, making room for Sheppard to take his place, "Can you keep her steady while I change her IV?"

"Why didn't you wake me sooner? I could have helped you."

"Major, you needed the rest and it's not like I haven't dealt with something like this before." He changed the empty saline bag to a full one before injecting an anti-emetic into the port. Bringing a cool towel over from the sink, he carefully wiped of Teyla's face and eased her back down to the bed. "There you go, lass. You should be feeling better soon."

Her fevered brown eyes slid shut, as she fell into a deep exhausted sleep.

Carson watched her a moment and then made his way over to check on Rodney. Satisfied that both his patients were stable at the moment, he returned to his stool and dropped his head into his hands. "I've got more bad news, Major."

Sheppard took up Havis' empty stool at the table, "What now? Are you getting sick?"

"Nay, lad, not me. But apparently two of Master Tenbrook's team members that accompanied you earlier are. Havis left over an hour ago to see to them."

"Has he gotten back to you on their condition?"

"No. I imagine he has his hands full."

John stood up and began to pace the room, running his hands through his unruly hair. "I don't know what to do," he confessed in frustration. He opened his mouth to say more but the words wouldn't come.

"Major. John, there may be nothing you can do. This may be one time when we won't find the answer."

"That's not acceptable!" Sheppard snapped, his eyes instantly looking to his friends to see if he had awoken them, then spying Ford's empty cot. "Where's the lieutenant?"

"I sent him to check in on Dr. Kavanagh."

Sheppard blinked then scrunched his face in disgust, "Oh, god, I forgot about him."

"He's fine, lad," Beckett replied, his concern growing as he watched the major's pacing resume. "Sleeping rather loudly last I heard."

The major stopped to check his watch, his shoulders sagging when he noticed the time. "Why didn't you wake me? It's 8:30 in the morning! I've been asleep for four hours."

"You needed the rest. If you didn't sleep, I was about to sedate you."

Piercing hazel eyes fixed on the physician, "Have you slept?"

"A nap here and there."

"Right." Stalking out the door, Sheppard called over his shoulder, "I have to contact Atlantis. Call if you need me." And then he was gone.

SG: A

Weir instantly returned his hail, "Major, we were getting worried. How is your situation?"

"Not too good. Rodney and Teyla are both sick and now the Krahns are becoming ill."

He heard her sigh before she responded. "We might have some better news on our end. Dr. Zelenka has discovered that the signal to stop the gate from opening here emanates from your planet. It isn't us, John."

"Well that's great, Doc. Now if I only had someone here who could crack the code. Like I said, McKay's out of it and I'm not about to turn it over to Kavanagh. And even if we could release it, we're still carrying some unknown bug. We can't come back."

"John, Radek has offered to come through and help as well as Doctors Turner and Kasbaugm. This is their specialty. I wouldn't send them if I thought they were going to die."

"No, we already have two scientists. If we don't make it back, you'll need Zelenka. I don't want him coming over."

"I understand, but what about Turner or Kasbaugm? They're disease specialists. If even one joined your team, he could be an asset to Beckett. John, he can't solve this on his own. If I know him, I imagine he didn't sleep last night, did he?"

Sheppard sank down on the gate steps and stared out across the room. The spectators from the day before were gone, hiding from the unseen illness, leaving him alone in the cavernous ghostlike portion of the city. They had done this, he and his team. For some unknown reason, because of them, the inhabitants might all die. Sure, they survived the wraith, but what did that matter now?

"John, are you still there?"

He glanced at his radio, turning it slowly in his hands before answering, "Is Zelenka nearby?"

"I'm here, major."

"Do you think you could talk Kavanagh through how to fix the gate?"

This time the silence was on the other side of the radio. "Yes," the Czech replied reluctantly.

"Good. Beckett does need help, Elizabeth. As long as they know what they're getting in to, send one of the doctors. We're also going to need some more equipment if we have to take the gate apart."

"Don't worry about that, Major. I send what you need."

"Thanks Z. Sheppard out."

SG: A

Thirty minutes later the gate whooshed open, admitting one heavily laden Dr. Carl Turner.

Sheppard took one of the bags from the scientist and shrugged, "Welcome to Fantasy Island, doc. Or should I call it Hotel California? "

The tall dark-skinned doctor smiled, looking over his shoulder as the gate powered down. "Major Sheppard. I must admit, I always wondered what it would be like to be on one of your teams."

"Well, you dived in head first on this one. Ready to get to work?"

Turner shifted his bags and glanced up the long staircase, "Lead the way."

TBC

A/N: Way short chapter, I know! More to come over the weekend. Now, I must go to work!