"No Dr. Weir, nothing so far. There is no sign of a ship anywhere," reported Maj. Lorne.
"Sgt. Stackhouse anything?" asked Weir.
"We're coming up empty. As the colonel would say, there is something hinky going on. The family that Drs. Beckett and McKay visited is gone. No one knows anything. Teyla is searching for the mender who brought Dr. Beckett to them." He paused for a second. "Ma'am, I think this was a real coordinated effort. The tracks are covered and no one is talking. We'll keep poking around, but if Teyla's lead doesn't pan out…I don't know where else to look."
"Keep trying, we'll make contact in two hours. Weir out."
The Gate shut down.
Infuriating, the Proconsul had been little to no help. He insisted it must have been a Wraith ship. They were good friends. They were partners. They could not do anything as heinous as this. He would have his people investigate just in case. She had wanted to laugh into the radio. He was lying to her face, so to speak. She was going to have to go face the lying, little bastard herself.
She turned to face the soldier behind her. "I'm going to the planet if we have not heard anything in 2 hours. I'm going to need an escort."
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"I found the mender," whispered Teyla. "She told me that she had to report the boy as bitten to the medical commune. They isolate the individual until they recover or die."
"Maybe we should have Dr. Weir contact the Proconsul again to have him investigate." Stackhouse looked around, this whole thing was strange. Where did these people get, let alone fly, a Wraith dart. Their technology was 19th century if that.
"The mender came to get Dr. Beckett first; she is friends with the family and did not want to report them. Maybe we can go the medical commune and ask for the parents. They should not be in isolation."
"Alright, let's try the commune first and see how far we get."
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They sat facing each other on their respective cots in the small room. Questions raced through his mind. Answers, he needed answers.
"So, you know the First Mender?" Sheppard asked offhandedly.
"Yes, met her at some of the first aid classes I gave when we first arrived here," replied Carson fidgeting with the blanket on his bed.
"I wonder how they found out about the…bug incident." Sheppard asked as he shook off a case of the heebie-jeebies.
"Well…um…ya see Colonel, Rodney and I were only trying to help…discussing the fact you had survived an attack," stammered Carson.
Sheppard stared at him.
"The child was sick…Rodney discovered the bugs live here…We were only worried about you." Carson looked down and mumbled, "The mender or the parents must have said something."
Sheppard stared and blinked for a couple seconds before saying anything. "Unbelievable, this is so un-fucking-believable. OK, I'll kill you both later. I know how to wait, watch and strike when you least expect it," a wicked lilt entered his voice. "Just ask Elizabeth."
Carson swallowed.
"But it seems simple; we show them a defibrillator, a car battery or a lightning strike. Run them through the procedure- boom- we go home."
"Colonel, there might be more to it than that," Carson said hesitantly.
"More? What more? There is no more. Zap- I died- bug removed- zap- I'm alive." Sheppard shook his head, "What else is there?"
"I don't even want to guess. Remember, I took…samples." Carson really wanted to dig a hole and hide from the wide-eyed look he received.
"Oh, no fucking way. These people are maybe one step above Theodoric of York. They are not going to touch me without a fight." Sheppard started pacing. "No…Fucking…Way. He stopped and looked at Carson. "We can just offer them your results."
"That was the plan, Colonel," rejoined Carson.
"Glad we agree on that, Carson. I really don't need them trying to figure out how my ATA gene works while they're at it."
A jingle of keys came from the door.
Sheppard gave one last look at Carson and sat down on his cot. Plastering a gracious smile on his face, he waited.
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A/N: Alright, who can tell me who Theodoric of York is? Please feel free to review.
