Disclaimer: I don't own the boys and girls at Stargate Atlantis
Ford and John sat in the infirmary waiting for news on Teyla. Carson found her symptoms eerily similar to Elizabeth's when she collapsed so he was running some tests, hopefully to rule out that someone had drugged her as well.
Carson finally emerged causing Ford and John to stand up and look at him.
"I found the same drug in Teyla's system. Smaller quantities though. That's why it took longer for her symptoms to show"
John stood confused for a moment
"Why would Bates' drug Teyla as well? It doesn't make any sense"
At that moment, Rodney walked into the infirmary with Elizabeth. Elizabeth had heard over her radio what had happened to Teyla and contacted Rodney to see if she was okay. When he said that he wasn't sure she had straightened herself out and made her way down to the infirmary. She was no longer the only victim.
"We shared some wine. I had too much in my glass so I offered Teyla some. She only drank a small amount."
John stepped forward to Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth you should be…"
Elizabeth cut him off
"I should be what John? Resting, hiding, snivelling. No, I won't do that, not anymore. I will not let it beat me"
Behind Elizabeth, Rodney was smiling at her strength and courage to carry on, to not be a victim but to stand strong.
John sighed and nodded
"Okay."
Elizabeth nodded and turned to Carson.
"How's Teyla feeling?"
"Her temperature's down and she's not as pale as she was"
Elizabeth nodded
"Can I see her?"
Carson nodded
"Aye"
Elizabeth smiled and walked past him towards Teyla. John looked over at the rest of the group and sighed.
"Well, I guess that rules Bates out."
Ford shrugged
"Not necessarily. We only know the drug is not from Earth. It's possible that he found it on Karan"
John sighed and rolled his neck to the size working a kink out of it.
"Carson, can you get me a sample of the drug that you found in Elizabeth's blood. I want to go to Karan, see if they can identify who bought the drug."
Carson nodded and went into his office leaving John, Rodney and Ford looking over to where Elizabeth had just disappeared to see Teyla.
Ford cleared his throat.
"You don't think...that Dr Weir...well you don't think she's trying to do too soon, do you?"
John sighed
"Elizabeth will try not let it affect her, she won't let it show. At least not to any of us"
Rodney nodded
"But maybe to Teyla"
John shrugged
"Maybe"
Only a few feet away Elizabeth sat down on the chair which was next to Teyla's bed. Teyla opened her eyes and smiled at Elizabeth.
"Dr Weir"
Elizabeth smiled weakly
"I'm so sorry Teyla"
Teyla shook her head.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. Nothing happened to me"
Elizabeth shrugged
"But something could have."
Teyla placed her hand on Elizabeth's
"Elizabeth, listen to me. You may think that you should feel guilty, but you did nothing wrong and there was nothing you could have done to prevent your attack. Do not feel guilty for something that was out of your control"
Elizabeth slowly nodded as she listened to Teyla's words. As she listened to the faith she had in her.
"Thank you Teyla"
Karan
When John, Rodney, Stackhouse and Markahm arrived on Karan they was met by Commander Phylis, who smiled at them.
"Major Sheppard. It is an honour to see you again. Please tell me how is your Dr Weir?"
His voice was full of concern for the Atlantis leader and John felt touched by it.
"She's doing better."
Commander Phylis nodded.
"Please send her my best wishes"
John nodded and smiled at him.
"I will"
Commander Phylis nodded.
"I believe you wish to speak to our medicine man, he is in the village at the moment but he is undergoing a spiritual cleansing and must not be disturbed, but I would be grateful to help you with anything you need to know."
John nodded
"Okay, we need to know what you saw that day."
Commander Phylis nodded.
"Of course. Please follow me to my home. We will be more comfortable there."
John nodded and the team followed Phylis to a lavish house on the outskirts of the small village.
They all sat in the kitchen of the great house before Phylis began.
"I did see Dr Weir with St Bates quite a lot over the course of the day. During a brief amount of time, perhaps an hour he disappeared leaving Elizabeth with your Lt Ford. I did not suspect anything at the time. During the evening, well he spent the most time with her. He brought her a glass of wine and sat with her a dinner…"
John cut him off
"Hold up, he brought her the wine"
Commander Phylis nodded
"Yes."
John sighed
"Did she drink anything else other than that wine?"
Commander Phylis shook his head.
"No, she seemed to sip that one drink all night."
John could practically hear Rodney behind him ready to snap Bates' neck
"Tell me about when Dr Weir became ill"
She was sat between myself and St Bates. She started to go dizzy and St Bates said that he would escort her back to her room. I asked if he would be rejoining us and he said no, he had a look in his eyes, I didn't think anything of it. The way he talked to me about Dr Weir at one point…well I thought they were pending joining"
Rodney looked in confusing and Stackhouse whispered to him
"He thought they were to be married"
Rodney nodded but then stopped at the thought and shuddered before speaking up.
"Did he say that?"
Phylis shook his head
"No, but he did not deny it either, he just smiled when I asked him"
John buried his head in his hands.
"When can we talk to the medicine man?"
Phylis sighed
"I do not know. Spiritual cleansing can last for days at a time. I will inform you when he is back with us"
John nodded
"Thank you"
Atlantis
The team arrived back on Atlantis none the wiser about what really happened. All they could ascertain was that Bates' spent a lot of time around Elizabeth and that Phylis thought they were engaged. Sighing John entered the cell area and set out all the guards watching Bates'. He then pulled over a chair and sat down, staring at Bates.
"Bates, this thing is really started to annoy the hell out of me. I've got one half of the Atlantis population wanting to snap your neck and the other half wanting to chop off your manhood. Then there's Kavanagh, the sick bastard, who wants to shake your hand for making Elizabeth weak.
I want this over Bates. Tell me, did you give Dr Weir the only glass of wine she drank"
Bates sighed
"It was the first glass of wine she had, but how drunk she was says to me that it wasn't her only glass"
John nodded
"Dr Weir said she was ill, not drunk"
Bates shrugged
"Maybe she was ill, I don't know."
John sighed
"Where did you get the glass of wine that Dr Weir drunk?"
"A table, the medicine man was stood there, we talk for a while and he poured me the drinks"
John did a double take
"The medicine man, are you sure?"
Bates nodded
"Yes"
John quickly stood up and left the cells contacting Rodney on his radio.
"Rodney, suit up, we've got ourselves a medicine man to find"
Karan
Phylis was shocked when John and the team arrived back on the planet.
John walked right over to him and felt like punching the Commander.
"You lied to me; you are protecting the medicine man"
Phylis lowered his head.
"I am sorry. He came to me, he confessed to attacking Dr Weir. I was so disgusted with him, I did not know what to do, he showed remorse and said he would undergo the spiritual cleansing if I would keep him safe from your people. He is scared."
John sighed
"Why did he attack her?"
Phylis sighed.
"He said that he as never seen a beauty such as Dr Weir, he said demons invaded his mind, told him to make that beauty his. He is very sorry for the pain he as caused both Dr Weir and St Bates. Please, do not let this come between the alliance of our two peoples."
John sighed
"I will have to talk to Dr Weir about that"
Commander Phylis nodded
"Of course and please, send her my deepest apologises. I did not mean this to go as far as it did"
John nodded and dialled the Stargate back up to Atlantis before stepping through.
When he was alone Commander Phylis headed back down to the village but instead of going to his home he carried on. He walked into the woods to a small hut. He walked in to see the medicine man tied and gagged.
Phylis smirked
"They believe it was you, and you shall not tell them any different"
Phylis took the gag off the medicine man.
"They will discover the truth Phylis. You have set me up"
Phylis smirked
"They will discover the truth, but by then it will be too late."
TBC…
I think that the next chapter will be the last.