A/N: Thanks to Sarah, who inspired this chapter.
The Puppet Master
Chapter Twenty -Deception
There was a knot between his shoulder blades, a kink he couldn't quite reach. Carson cricked his neck and winced at the tiny spasm of pain produced. Blinked heavy lids over dry eyes, struggling to focus on the lines of text that swam across the computer screen.
He had tried sleeping, aware of his own inner angel nagging and scolding, an echo of his mother. Get some sleep, things will look better in the morning. Things always look better in the morning. A lie, one he hadn't believed before school and one he mocked now. His quarters seemed hostile, and when he closed his eyes he was met by a reminder of his own words.
"You think he could harm McKay?"
"No idea."
Another deception. He had theories, imaginings, worst case scenarios. This was new, uncertain ground and his mind was more than capable of filling the blanks in with nightmares. And it was McKay, the most present man he'd ever met. Infuriating, frequently, arrogant, usually, smart mouthed, inevitably, but always there, in every sense of the word. And now he was trapped in a space of his own, and Carson couldn't see a way to bring him out.
One hand reached out and clasped the mug of what passed as Athosian coffee. Thick, syrupy consistency and the colour of chocolate. Bitter to the throat, grainy on the tongue and leaving a stinging aftertaste.
"Carson?"
He turned too quickly, the infirmary threatening to slip away from him and he grabbed the bench to wait out the wave of dizziness.
Elizabeth moved quickly, pressing one hand firmly against his back, holding him in place. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
He started to shake his head, then thought better of it when spots danced in front of his eyes. "Just startled, that's all." Scrubbed a hand across his face, his beard scratching and tugging at his skin. "Sit down."
She took the stool beside his, placing a sheaf of papers on the bench top. Sounded as tired as he felt. "You should get some sleep."
"So should you," he returned, pointedly.
She grimaced. "It's been a long week."
"Aye. I haven't felt like this since I was a med student." He yawned, jaw audibly popping. "What I wouldn't give for a can of Red Bull and a Mars Bar."
Elizabeth pulled a face. "Sounds disgusting, and very unhealthy."
"Oh, yes, but the sugar rush was wonderful. Though don't tell Rodney I said so." He straightened with effort, looking over his visitor with care. She was pale, though she hid her exhaustion better than he, hair neatly curled and uniform crisp. The grey in her face and the lines around her eyes contrasted sharply with the clean image. Her neck was still marked by McKay's fingers, now in the complementary colours of mauve and purple. "How's the throat?"
"Much better." He gave her his best doctor look, and she crumpled, admitted: "It still hurts to swallow."
"That should pass in the next couple of days. I can give you some aspirin if it's troubling you."
"No, thank you." She leant a little over the bench top. "How's it coming?"
He released a long, low breath between his teeth. "You'd think given the amount of information recorded by Stargate Command they would provide a decent search programme."
"You would think. I tried a search of file contents for some key words but after the first hour I decided to quit." She pushed the papers across to the elbow. "Still, I think I may have found something of use."
He raised an eyebrow. "I hope so, because I'm coming up blank."
"No success with Lieutenant Ford's suggestion?"
"Sadly, no. The device only acts as a conduit to transfer information, the…" his hand gestured vaguely as he struggled for the right word, "the essence of the two minds using it. There still need to be two brains to act as receivers."
"The Lieutenant will be disappointed." She pointed towards the papers. "Tell me what you think."
Obediently he opened the folder to find several neatly stapled printouts: mission reports, medical results, blood tests, ECG results.
"Two missions," she said, watching him closely. "The first details an encounter SG-1 had with the inventions of Machello."
"He was the alien who swapped minds with Dr Jackson?"
"Yes. He created a device designed to kill a Go'auld symbiote whilst it was within a host's body. Dr Jackson became infected with one, but without a symbiote to attack the invention had some unfortunate side-effects."
He skimmed a report signed by a name he was now familiar with. "Dr Frasier diagnosed him with schizophrenia." His eyebrows lifted, and he looked across at Elizabeth. "Sounds very familiar. But none of the tests I've run so far have produced any sign of a foreign body within McKay."
She nodded, grimly, and tapped the second batch of papers. "Go on to the next."
He picked up the second bundle and started to read as she recounted the details aloud.
"The SGC dialled a wormhole to a planet populated by living energy, similar to an artificial intelligence. After first building a super computer under Cheyenne mountain, one of the entities entered the mind of Samantha Carter."
He continued reading, adrenaline spiking, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. "The Major was completely subjugated by the alien."
"So it seems. Daniel Jackson attempted to negotiate with the alien and when that failed –"
"She was shot with a …" He paused, squinting at the paperwork. "Now that's too many apostrophes for one small word to have."
"A 'zat gun," she abbreviated, helpfully.
"I'm guessing we didn't bring any to Atlantis?"
"No." She sat back in her chair, placing her hands on the bench top and lacing her fingers. "Is it useful?"
He opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a tinny voice coming from Elizabeth's hip.
"Dr Weir? Major Sheppard's team are back."
He saw her nod, touching her radio. "I'll be right there." Rising, she glanced at the papers, briefly placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's hope Dr Zelenka has found something useful."
"Aye," he returned, and for the first time in days found himself not having to cover a sense of despondency. Returned his gaze to the mission report in front of him, picked up the sheet, and continued reading.
