Chapter 10

"Deriam, my business is almost concluded. We will be leaving soon. I have not been able to catch-up with my friend. Have you seen him?" Teyla had met the young man outside his home once again. Stackhouse and crew waited across the street in the shadows.

"Yes. I have also seen his other friend. They are doing well. I did not have time to talk but they are…fine."

They stepped inside the dwelling.

"No need to say more. I would like to see them myself. Can you help?"

"I think so." He nervously closed the door.

Teyla dropped her smile as soon as the door shut. "Let us speak plainly. Medical supplies are to be delivered to the Proconsul. We will follow these items. If you want your family helped then leave the side door open." She produced a monitor with a schematic of the commune. "This door here. Where are your wife and son?"

He looked it over, amazed at the technology.

"Here. Col. Sheppard and Dr. Beckett are here," he said pointing at two different parts on the schematic.

"When the supplies arrive, have the door unlocked. We will free your family and our friends."

She stayed a little while then left.

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"Dr. Beckett, your equipment should be here soon." She glided into the room as he took the vitals of his patient.

"First Mender, the bug was only attached to Col. Sheppard for 40 to 50 minutes at the most. It has been over 2 hours already. I don't know how long it takes to kill a person but… There is only so much I can do with my equipment."

Carson inspected the victim. "Please, let me take him to my infirmary."

"No Doctor, you can use our equipment and the equipment coming from your people." First Mender Gezble paced back and forth in the examination room. "You will take blood form this man and from Col. Sheppard. I also want to see these markers you spoke of."

"Do you have a microscope? You can't see these markers with the naked eyes."

The door slowly opened and Deriam peeked into the room. "First Mender, the supplies from their people are here."

"Excellent!" She clapped her hands together. "Now show me what to do."

"You are a single minded fool. I have other treatments that could simulate death. Diagnostic equipment that can heal this young man. What you are proposing is torture. There are other options." Beckett was one step away from begging. "First Mender, I won't do this. You have to have all your ducks lined up in a row for this to work."

"Ducks?"

Beckett chastised himself. "Everything has to be just right: the heart, the heartbeat, and the electrical jolt. As I said before, you may just anger the bug and he deals the death blow."

She went over to the care package and picked up the bag. Let's get to it, Doctor Beckett. If you are so ill at ease about doing this then I will." She called for another guard. "Go retrieve Col. Sheppard from his room. We will need him in a little while. Set him up in Room 1 again. Stun him if necessary."

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After the queen mother of spiders floor show, he was returned to his and Carson's holding cell. First Mender Arna Gezble had made his list of things he hated about the Pegasus Galaxy. Too many wolves masquerading in sheep's clothing. Not that he would leave unless forced- too much to do and too many things to set right. He paced until the jingle of keys reached his ears.

He noticed in the bug room that the guards were carrying stun guns now. At least, these people learned from experience. He smiled grimly to himself.

"So what's on the agenda? Macramé or whittling?" They motioned him out of the room and started escorting him down the hall towards the exam room.

They never made it.

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