It was John's turn to wake with a start, but this time there was more than just a dull pain and a nightmare that woke him. There was an intense, searing pain that radiated out from his chest and spread down his arms and legs. He couldn't speak, and could barely breathe. He looked down and found his t-shirt soaked in blood.

Carson was suddenly standing in front of him, and dimly he realized that he was in the medical lab. He tried to ask what was happening, but all that came out was a chocked cough. His hand went to his mouth and came away bloody.

"Sit back," Carson said, trying to sound calm. John fell back against the pillows.

"Carson, what's going on?" Elizabeth rushed into the room with Rodney close behind.

Rodney saw John and cursed under his breath. "It was a Wraith?"

Carson shook his head. "It looks that way, but it can't be. I was here the whole time. He just lost consciousness and these wounds appeared.

"What if the wraith can hide themselves? Make you think that the room was empty?" Elizabeth asked.

Rodney spoke up. "They may be able to fool a human, but not the censors. We'd know the second the Wraith entered the solar system."

Carson cut through John's shirt, and John winced as he pulled it away.

"John," Elizabeth said tenderly. She reached for his hand, and holding it seemed natural. "John, it's going to be alright."

Carson injected John with something, and that, combined with the pain, made him pass out again.

Distantly he heard Rodney's voice. "That's real blood. This has to be a Wraith attack…"

"Deri, what happened? I heard a—" Morai feel silent as he surveyed the scene. Deri was slumped against the bed, clutching his chest. Liu was pressed against the wall, with her hand cradled against her chest. "What happened here?" he asked, though he already knew.

"It wasn't my fault!" Liu screeched frantically, "He made me do it!"

Deri coughed, spattering blood on the ground. "She's right. It was my idea."

"I don't understand—"

"She was going to die, Mor. I couldn't let it happen."

"You need treatment."

Deri held out his hand. "No…I'll be fine in a minute. I'm going to get out of here, and take Liu with me."

"That's not smart. We can't have a Wraith wandering around the base. It's just not safe, for anyone."

Suddenly Liu spoke, suddenly very calmly. "It's okay." She slipped off the bed and smiled, and suddenly Morai found himself looking at a young blonde Atlantian girl. "I'm strong enough to hide now."

"Incredible…" Morai whispered.

Deri stood up very slowly and held out his hand to Liu. "Well, let's go."

As the walked past, Morai stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the pained look on Deri's face. He spoke in a very low voice, so Liu wouldn't hear. "It's a moot point anyway. There's a problem with one of our experiments that I'd like to see to personally."

"The parasites?"

Morai nodded, "Somehow they've…taken the Unas as hosts."

"Damn, I knew those things were a bad idea."

"In any case, I don't trust anyone but me running this project, so I'll leave her with you." He looked down at the beautiful little Atlantian girl and smiled. "Take care of her; she's a very good girl."

Deri smiled, patting his friend on the back. "I know."

They left the lab and walked through the corridors towards his quarters. Liu looked up at him, puzzled. "What's an Ooonas?"

He sighed. "The Unas are a species on one of the planets that we're using for an experiment. You don't have to worry about it."

She squinted at him. "The experiment…it has to do with healing?"

"We thought it might—wait, how did you know that?"

"Can it help mother?"

He looked down at her innocent, hopeful face, and couldn't bear to tell her the truth. "Maybe, we'll have to just wait and see."