Elizabeth sat in her quarters listening to John as he told her what he had found out on the planet about the medicine man, Phlieep.
Elizabeth, though was not entirely convinced. Doubt still riddled in her mind.
"John, I met Phlieep. He was just like Carson. He's not...he's not a rapist John"
John sighed
"Elizabeth he confessed to Phylis."
Elizabeth sighed
"Did you hear him confess, did you see a sighed confession?"
John shook his head
"Why would Phylis lie? What would he have to achieve?"
Elizabeth sighed and sat down. John watched her for a moment before continuing.
"I have ordered Bates' release. We can't keep him locked up"
Elizabeth nodded.
"Send him to my office, I need to speak with him"
John nodded and left her quarters."
John walked into the holding room and ordered the door to Bates' cell to be opened.
Bates curiously left the cell and stood in front of John.
"What's happening?"
John sighed and took a step back.
"The medicine man on Karan confessed to attacking Dr Weir. They are punishing him though their court of law."
Bates nodded.
"Told you I didn't do it"
John nodded.
"Go to Weir's office. She wants to see you"
Bates sighed and nodded before leaving the cell room.
Elizabeth's office
Bates hesitantly knocked on the door to Elizabeth's office. She looked up and gestured him in.
As Bates walked in he saw for the first time the extent of Elizabeth's injuries, her bruised cheek and her black eye.
He was still angry and annoyed with her, but seeing her like this softened him.
As he entered her office Elizabeth stood up.
"St Bates"
Bates nodded
"Ma'am"
Elizabeth gestured for him to sit down and Bates did so. Elizabeth sat opposite him and sighed.
"Bates, I am so sorry for assuming it was you but...I thought I saw you"
Bates nodded
"It hurt,"
Elizabeth nodded
"I am sorry"
Bates sighed
"I know"
Elizabeth was about to respond when the alarms went off. Elizabeth ran out to the control room and stood beside Peter.
"Peter who is it?"
Peter looked over at the IDC computer.
"It's the Karan's Ma'am. It's a radio message."
Elizabeth nodded
"Patch it thought"
Peter nodded and hit a button to allow the radio transmission to come though.
"Major Sheppard this is Commander Phylis of the Karan's. I have news for you."
Elizabeth cleared her throat.
"What's the problem Commander?"
"Dr Weir. It is good to hear your voice. I have news for you. May I please come though the Stargate?"
Elizabeth turned to Peter and nodded. Peter turned the shield off and Elizabeth turned back to her conversation with Phylis.
"The shield is lowered. You may step though"
A few seconds later Commander Phylis stepped through the 'Gate.
Elizabeth walked down the stairs to him.
"Commander, What's the problem?"
The Commander looked at Elizabeth sympathetically
"I know what you have been through and I apologise about keeping what I knew from Major Sheppard, but the medicine man, the one who attacked you has taken his own life."
John, Elizabeth and Commander Phylis sat in the briefing room.
Commander Phylis was talking of how they found Phlieep, the medicine man.
"He regretted what he did to you. He was sorry for getting St Bates in trouble"
Elizabeth sighed
"What happened to him?"
Phylis looked at her for a while before responding.
"After the spiritual cleansing he returned to a holding house where he would stay to pay for his crime. When we arrived back in the morning, he had hung himself"
Elizabeth looked down in guilt before standing up and excusing herself and leaving the room.
Commander Phyis' eyes watched Elizabeth as she left the room before he looked back at John.
"I am sorry if I have upset Dr Weir"
John shook his head.
"It's not your fault. She's still trying to work though it."
Commander Phylis nodded
Elizabeth sat down on the bed in her quarters. She had been so sure it was Bates'. How could she have been so wrong.
She sat in silence for a few moments until she heard a knock on the door.
Slowly she walked over to the door and opened it, shocked to see Commander Phylis standing there.
"Commander, what are you doing here?"
Phylis smiled at her.
"I hope I have not caused you upset."
Elizabeth shook her head.
"No, no I'm fine"
Something suddenly struck Elizabeth.
"Why do you not have an escort?"
Phylis' smile turned into a smirk as he quickly pushed Elizabeth into her room, hitting the door closing switch.
He pushed her to the floor and sat on her, pinning her to the floor where he trapped her arms underneath her body.
As Elizabeth struggled to get free she saw something on his neck. A scratch. A scratch she caused.
John bumped into Bates' in a corridor as he jogged round.
"Bates' have you seen Commander Phylis. I turned round for a second and now he's missing."
Bates' thought for a second, before something hit him.
"Dr Weir, he was the one who attacked her"
John shook his head.
"What?"
"You never spoke with the medicine man and now he's dead. Who told you about his confession? Who said I was the one who was giving Dr Weir drinks and paying attention to her."
The colour drained from John's faces as he realised Bates' was right.
In a flash the two men bolted from their position in the corridor and down to Elizabeth's quarters, calling for Rodney, Ford and Carson on the way.
Elizabeth struggled under the weight of Phylis.
"I will not let you escape me again. The drug I gave you was suppose to make you more relaxed. I didn't anticipate that you would fight it. I will not make that mistake again"
Phylis took a needle out of his pocket and placed it near to her neck. As he was about to inject her the door opened. Bates' and John rushed into the room knocking the needle from his hand and pulling him off Elizabeth.
As John checked Elizabeth over Bates' threw Phylis against the wall and punched him as hard as he could. When John saw what Bates' was doing he stood up and grabbed his arm.
"No, Bates. He's not worth it"
Bates' pushed him against the wall one last time before withdrawing back.
He turned round and saw Elizabeth still sat on the floor. Huddled next to the bed. Slowly he walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. Carefully he placed his arm around her. She tensed for a moment before relaxing into him. She didn't cry, he didn't expect her to, but he could tell she wanted to.
Within a few minutes Carson walked into the room. He totally ignored the man with broken jaw and black eye and went straight over to Elizabeth. Bates' moved away from her and went over to where John was standing.
"Thank you Bates', for figuring it out. If you hadn't..."
Bates' nodded
"Not a problem."
A few weeks later
Although they were shocked the other leaders of Karan had decided on a punishment for Phylis and they were currently executing it.
Elizabeth, she was still having the nightmares, nightmares in which John and Bates didn't arrive in time and that Phylis raped her. She was having a difficult time but she was talking with Kate on a regular basic and Kate was confident that Elizabeth was making some progress.
Bates had forgiven Elizabeth for accusing him, after seeing how scared she was after Phylis' second attack it was obvious she hadn't been thinking straight and that's how she came up with the conclusion it was him.
Bates was sat in the mess hall drinking a coffee like drink which was much more heavily caffeinated.
He sat there alone until someone walked up and sat down opposite. Bates looked up to see John.
"Major Sheppard"
John nodded
"Bates. I just wanted to say, sorry. I know it's a little late but I mean it. Sorry I treated you the way I did."
Bates' nodded
"You thought I was guilty of attacking Dr Weir. I would have done the same to you"
John smiled
"Don't doubt that for a second."
John stood back up and left Bates with his thoughts.
Fin...