A/N: Ok... so I'm still working on the second part of this chapter but I thought since this part is finished, I should post it.

Chapter 10–Delving Into the Mind of an Astrophysicist

She was taking deep breaths, trying to block out what was happening. She kept her eyes closed, but could feel the straps holding her down. One around her lower legs and one across her chest. That in itself scared her. The sled started moving into the scanner, enough so her head and shoulders would be inside. She focused on her breathing as Dr. Beckett told her to.

"We're moving you in. Just keep breathing deeply, slowly, and relax."

Relax? I'd like to see him get his butt here and see if he can relax… medical doctors…I wonder if he ever had to go through this…I don't ask any of my team to do what I haven't done, medical doctors should undergo these type of procedures at least once…connect with their patients better…but you can't make them.

Dr. Beckett, McKay, and a lab technician were watching from what could be called the control room for the scanner, at least on Earth it would've been a whole separate room with a glass window adjoining it and the scanner room. But there in Atlantis it was on the other side of the same room separated by a short partition. One had to make do with what you had, especially if you were stranded in a whole other galaxy.

"You're going to here a low humming sound, try to ignore it and focus on breathing for me."

The scanner activated, emitting a buzzing sound as it scanned Anirul's skull. She kept breathing, forcing reality out of her mind. Beckett and McKay watched as the scans came up on the computer. Carson pressed a few buttons and combined the images to form a three dimensional view so it was easier to see.

He spoke aloud to no one in particular, "Okay we have a baseline." Then he directed his speech to Anirul, "Now the idea is to get a scan while you activate your ability."

"Okay." She thought a moment and started to feel a rush passing through her…

Carson triggered a scan.

…the feeling of calm power moved into her fingertips…and dissipated finding nowhere to travel.

The scans started coming into the computer, and Carson again put them into one three-dimensional image. Her brain was mostly dark, except for two blurry shines from within the cortex.

"I need a much sharper image…"

"Well it wasn't like she was actually healing anything."

Carson tilted his head at Rodney, "How's your arm feeling?"

"Still hurts like…" He realized what he wanted him to do, "Oh no, you're not getting me to go near that thing."

"It is perfectly safe. I wouldn't have her in there if it wasn't, and I'm not about to injure anyone so she can bloody heal them. So go!" Carson not so gently pushed Rodney in the direction of the scanner.

Anirul could hear mumbling from over by the computers, but couldn't quite make it out. What are they talking about? Is everything going alright? If it's not I want out of here! Maybe that's why they're not telling me something went wrong…because then I would freak out again…maybe everything is going perfectly well and they're just musing over the scans. That's it…everything is perfectly fine. She took a deep breath, eyes still closed and became perfectly calm again, amazingly almost asleep with a clear head.

"Dr. Belacu, I'm having Rodney come over, I need you to use your ability on the pain in his arm for a sharper image."

She mumbled something, and Carson took it as compliance. Then she felt a hand in hers.

Rodney felt very odd, standing over her while she was lying in that machine, holding her hand, very odd. He couldn't imagine being her place, he remembered when Carson gave him the gene therapy with the deactivated virus and not even being found of that. She was given a radioactive substance. No matter how much Carson said it was harmless, he would never let him do that to him. He felt as if he should say something, "Hi."

"Hi yourself."

She took a breath and focused her energy on the pain in his arm. The familiar rush of calm power passed through her, to her hand and into his….

Carson once again triggered a scan.

…She could visualize the pain dissipating, the tissue relaxing. But this time was different, she saw the broken bones and felt more of her energy being drained from her, going into the broken tissue, she wrinkled her face…

Rodney could feel the pain dissolve and then started to feel her hand shaking.

…but the bone tissue would not comply no matter how much instruction from her it received…she let go of his hand with a jerk in defeat.

Carson combined the images on the screen, unaware of the events in the scanner, as the lab technician was getting Anirul out of the machine. She opened her eyes and sat up, blinking, amazed at what just occurred inside.

She managed to say, "That was peculiar."

"That's an understatement." Rodney felt the need to rub his arm, but of course it was still in the cast so that was impossible. One thing he noticed was the disappearance of the pain. "You were shaking."

"I was not."

"Yes you were."

"I think I would now if I was shaky." In reality, she was telling a little lie, she didn't really know, this was the only time in her adult life this happened while she was healing someone and she didn't want to let on to anything.

"Apparently you wouldn't, because you were."

"Not."

"Were."

Carson's cough from over by the computer stopped their banter, Astrophysicists are a different breed…, "If you two are finished, come see this."

TBC...

A/N: I swear there's only one part left, any questions, ask! Any comments, leave them! Thanks to you all for the continued reading...