Chapter 6

A/N Hey I think I'm getting better at this regular updating thing, don't ya think? Well I hope you enjoy the latest instalment and please don't forget to review.

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'Ten minutes, he'll be home in ten minutes and everything will be fine. He's going to be fine.'

No matter how many times Elizabeth repeated her mantra she couldn't believe it. There was this little voice inside her head mocking her and try as she might Elizabeth couldn't make it go away.

'He's going to die and you know it,' the voice said. 'You could have stopped him but you didn't. This is all your fault! He's going to die because of you!'

Elizabeeth started rocking again as she tried desperately to make the voice go away. Her efforts were useless and the voice kept tormenting her.

'Your daughter is going to watch her father die and it will be all your fault! She will blame you, hate you. They all will when they find out about the dream. You killed your husband.'

Sam watched as Elizabeth continued rocking and became very worried for her friend. She wondered what was going through her mind as occasionaly she would hear her say something like 'Shut Up', or 'Go Away.' Sam hoped against hope that John and Isabelle would both return safe, she couldn't bare to think what would happen to Elizabeth if anything happened to either of them.

The wait was soon over as Jack radioed in that he was coming in to land. Jumper two stooped in the docking bay as Jumper one continued down to the gateroom. It had only just set down when Elizabeth jumped up and ran down the steps. When the jumper door opened Isabelle was the first out as she ran into her mothers arms.

"Mommy I was so scared."

"It's ok baby, Mommy's here."

She settled Isabelle on her hip as the stretchers were brought out. Jinto lay unconsious but breathing on one, while John lay on the other with an oxygen mask over his face. His respiration must have worsened during the journey home. Elizabeth was embarassed to admit to herself that she had forgotten that Jinto had been with them, the worse thing was that everyone was thinking the same thing.

Elizabeth knelt down next to John's stretcher and took his hand in her free one. No words were spoken, they didn't need to be. She was just so happy to see him alive, everything else could wait.

"How is he Carson?" She asked looking up at the man who had become one of her closest friends.

"He's stable for now but I need to get him to the infirmary, God only knows how many times he was bitten."

It was then that Elizabeth noticed all the little bite marks that covered her husbands face and arms, there were dozens of them. She nodded and rose to her feet. She kept hold of his hand as they took him down to the infirmary.

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Elizabeth sat outside the infirmary with Isabelle in her arms waiting for Carson to come back with news on John. Isabelle was physically fine no bites, cuts or even bruises but Carson had told Elizabeth that she was in shock and would need time to come out of it. The little girl hadn't said a word since she ran to her mother. Jinto was also going to be fine, he had one bite on the back of his neck but a round of meds was quickly fighting the poison that had infected him.

Isabelle sat on her mothers lap, staring at the wall. Her mother and friends had tried to get her to talk but she stayed silent. The bat attack playing over and over in her brain.

'If only I'd been stronger,' She thought. 'Daddy wouldn't have had to protect me and now he wouldn't be sick.'

She saw the pain that layed in her mothers eyed and was comvinced that her mother would hate her forever for what she'd done. She wasn't strong like her Daddy, or brave like her Mommy. She was weak. Her mother would probably send her to the wraith to be eaten, or back to Earth to live in an orphanage.

'Mommy will stop loving me because I took Daddy away.'

Sam and Jack sat opposite Elizabeth and Isabelle both waiting for news on their friend. They remembered when they first came to Atlantis how friendly Sheppard had been to them. While the other original expidition members, soldiers and scientists alike, had shunned Jack for replacing John as military commander and Sam for becoming head of field science John, and Elizabeth, had been nothing but welcoming. Jack had married John and Elizabeth while Sam was maid of honor. At their own wedding John was grromsman, Daniel being bestman and Teal'c photographer, and Elizabeth was a bridemaid, Cassie was maid of honor. Sam was the first person Elizabeth told when she was pregnant and Sam and Jack were Isabelle's godparents. The two couples had become one big family and it pained Sam and Jack greatly to see their family in pain.

The rest of John's team was also there, waiting for any news on their fallen CO. There wait was soon over as Carson came out to speak to them.

Carson walked over to Elizabeth and knelt down infront of her.

"John's awake Elizabeth but he is very weak."

Elizabeth's eyes brightened at the news as did those of everyone in the room, he was going to be ok.

"Elizabeth," Carson's tone changed and Elizabeths eyes fell.

"I'm not going to lie to you lass, he was bitten 48 times, the poison is infecting his entire body and the medication I gave Jinto is having no affect on John. I'm hoing to comtinue tryin but Elizabeth," Carson paused not quite sure how do tell her what he had to say.

"I don't know if there is anything I can do."

TBC

A/N Hahaha aren't I really cruel with my cliffhangers.