The Puppet Master
Chapter Twenty Seven - Because He Asked
After the infamous 'giant tick' incident Beckett had established an unofficial waiting area in a room to the side of the infirmary. One door led to the med lab, and another opened out into the corridor. A third wall bore a large window that looked out over the sea, and along the fourth sat a line of stiff backed plastic chairs. It was in one of these Ford now sat, shifting his spine against the hard material, wondering whether the seat's design purpose was to give its occupant back ache. Teyla sat beside him with perfect posture, but one hand lingered on her knee, tracing small outlines against the material of her pants. She gazed outside, whilst Ford found interest in a potted plant a thoughtful person had positioned beside the corridor door.
He was growing to hate that pot plant. Vested it with all the emotion he currently refused to deal with.
"How's it going?"
Peter Grodin poked his head around the door, an apprehensive look on his face.
Sat beside Aiden, Teyla shifted, looking up at the newcomer. "Nurse Vasquez told us the treatment has been successful, up to now."
The Brit nodded, seeming relieved, stepping through the whole way into the room. "Good. How long ago?"
"Twenty minutes," Ford said, glancing towards the infirmary. "We've not heard anything since then."
"Huh. I guess no news is good news. I saw he spent another night in the cells."
Teyla inclined her head slightly. "I am hopeful there will be few more."
"I hope you're right." Grodin hovered hesitantly in the doorway, until Ford eventually took pity on him.
"Why don't you take a seat? We could be here a while."
"Right. Thanks." In several steps Grodin crossed the room to take a seat several chairs down from Teyla. He bent over slightly, resting his clasped hands on his knees. "No idea of how they're going, then?"
"If the doc's managing to help Zelenka fix that doohickey?" Ford shrugged. "I guess." He added, confidently: "McKay's always telling us he's a genius, and sometimes I almost believe him. Between him and Dr Z, they can fix anything. They'll fix this."
Grodin nodded sagely. "Of course."
"I have full confidence in the abilities of Dr McKay and Dr Zelenka," Teyla added, warmly. "They have solved far greater problems."
"Hey, it's not like they have an entire city to shield."
"Or an energy entity to defeat."
"Or a nanovirus to stop."
Grodin offered Ford a smile. "True. Nothing can be that bad."
"No way. The doc's good at pulling rabbits out of hats."
Teyla frowned. "Why would he wish to put a rabbit in a hat?"
Aiden allowed himself a small snort, enough to let Teyla know he wasn't laughing at her. "Back on Earth, there are guys who pretend they can do magic, but it's all tricks, quick hand movements, you know? And the most famous trick is when the magician gets a big black hat, and pulls a rabbit out of it."
"I always liked it when they would saw a woman in half," Peter said, absently.
Teyla looked mildly horrified. "This is entertainment on your world!"
"Not like that," Aiden said, quickly. "It's a joke, everybody knows the woman will be okay. It's part of the act. It's like –"
A sudden commotion from behind the door to the infirmary caused him to stop, the explanation dying in his throat. There was the sound of something electronic beeping a loud alarm. This prompted a flurry of voices, the words indistinct but the panic clear. Ford rose, Teyla and Grodin following him as he moved to the door, ready to burst into the infirmary – and to hell with Carson's warnings.
A nameless nurse appeared from nowhere to block their path. She had one firm hand on the doorframe and her feet were set apart, forming an efficient defence. "You can't come in at present."
"What's wrong?" Ford demanded, trying to look over her shoulder to the room beyond, and failing to see anything more than a neatly pulled curtain. "What's happening?"
"Dr McKay is our friend," Teyla added, worry prompting impatience, "we wish to know what is going on."
"Everything is fine," the nurse responded, urging: "Please stay here. Someone will be out in a second, I promise." Then she was gone, leaving Ford to look back at Teyla and Peter, feeling helpless.
"I'm sure it's fine," Peter said, fervently. He dropped back to sit on a chair, Teyla joining him a moment later.
Ford lingered by the doorway, listening intently to the sounds coming from the other side. He could hear little. The alarm had stopped, but although he could hear the low voices of Beckett and Weir he couldn't distinguish any words.
He paced, a bundle of nervous energy, while Teyla and Grodin waited in anxious silence in their seats. One wall, two. Back again.
"You'd think someone would come talk to us," he broke.
"They have their duties," Teyla pointed out, "and it is better they concentrate on that than speak with us."
"Still…" Aiden hit another wall, and turned. He was tense, and irritable, his mind conjuring up an assortment of hideous images from a few snatched sounds and voices.
When the Major entered Aiden almost leapt on him. Restrained himself at the final second, seeing the man's dazed expression. When Sheppard finally moved it was with silence, taking a seat beside Teyla.
"We heard something happened," Ford said, impatiently. "Is everything okay?"
"No, not really." Sheppard released a long hiss of air through his teeth then sat back, slumping against the wall. "He woke up."
"Kezan?" Teyla guessed, alarmed.
"Yup. Sooner than we thought."
"What happened?" Peter asked
Sheppard lifted his head, clearly only just registering Grodin's presence. "He forced his way back," he told the Brit, dragging a hand roughly through his hair. "Knocked McKay for a loop and woke up screaming about how we were trying to kill him."
"Does he know what is happening?" Teyla asked.
"Hard to tell. Maybe. Carson doped him up pretty quickly but he's got to realise something's wrong."
Ford dropped his shoulders. "So what happens now?"
Sheppard shrugged. "Who knows? He's not going back to the cell. Beckett has him shackled to the bed and sedated, but he won't stay that way forever. Heightmeyer's persuaded Elizabeth to let her talk to him. If nothing else at least she'll be able to find out whether Kezan knows what we're doing."
"And if he does?" Peter questioned.
"I don't know." Sitting up a little straighter in his chair, a strange expression crossed the Major's face, a mix of apprehension and something Ford couldn't quite place. "McKay asked me to talk to him."
Aiden raised his eyebrows. "To Kezan? Why?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Lieutenant."
"Perhaps," Teyla suggested, delicately, "Dr McKay has come to understand Kezan better than any observer could. He may sympathise with him."
"Maybe," Sheppard agreed, although the doubt in his voice reflected Aiden's own.
"Are you going to do what he asked?"
"Yeah."
"Why?" Grodin asked, curious.
Sheppard shrugged. "Because he asked."
