Author's Note: Italics signify thoughts or emphasis. Part 4 of 5.
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John backed her into a corner and eased her down so she was sitting on the floor before pacing the perimeter of the room. Elizabeth stayed still and watched his movements, recognizing that he was making sure they were safe from further threats. She just hoped the guards stayed far enough from the door that they wouldn't make him more agitated. Right now she didn't think John considered anyone other than her a non-threat.
After five minutes, John was apparently somewhat mollified and returned to her side. He settled into a crouch beside her, his arm brushing hers. Elizabeth waited patiently until his stance had relaxed further.
"John?" He tilted his head in her direction without looking at her and she continued, "I'm okay now. We both are."
He looked at her then, and though his eyes were even more non-human than they had been mere days ago, the gaze was still somehow John's.
"Hurt you?"
The words were stilted and rough, but Elizabeth knew what he was asking. "No, John, he didn't hurt me. You stopped him." A shiver wracked her body. "He won't ever hurt anyone again."
"Killed Ford." The words sounded choked, and Elizabeth thought guilt was creeping in now that the danger had passed. But John kept speaking. "Had to. Stop hurting… protect."
John was struggling to speak, and Elizabeth asked gently for clarification, "Stop Ford from hurting me? Protect me?"
He nodded once, firmly, and settled more fully beside her.
"Safe," he grunted.
"We're all safe now, John," she told him. "Thanks to you. But I have to go back out there and let everyone else know we're okay."
He immediately tensed. "No."
"I have to." Elizabeth reminded him, "It's my job."
"No," he said again, moving to stand over her, a dark look on his face.
Oh, boy, Elizabeth thought. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.
Something she couldn't hear caught John's attention and after a 'stay there' glance at her, he moved to the door of the room. He crouched close to it, listening intently from what Elizabeth could tell, a waiting stillness in his stance.
The wireless headset in her ear… that she had, quite frankly, forgotten in the commotion and subsequent worry… crackled to life, quieter than normal. Elizabeth darted a glance at John, but he was still intent on the door.
"Can you hear me, lass?" She barely made out Carson's voice. "Major Lorne was worried that the Colonel might not let you go, and it has been several minutes. Rodney turned the headset connection down as far as he dared, and he and the Major are providing a distraction. If you answer aloud the Colonel is sure to notice that you're not talking to him, so just press the call button once for no and twice for yes. Alright?"
Taking care that her movements weren't too sudden, Elizabeth eased her right hand up to ear level, shifting so it appeared she was leaning on that arm, and pressed the small button on the device in her ear twice.
"Good," Carson answered. "Now, has he hurt you at all?"
One immediate and emphatic depression of the knob.
Elizabeth heard Carson sigh with relief before continuing. "Is he by the door now?"
Two clicks.
"Will he let you leave the room?"
One click.
"Alright, we have a plan to get you out without risking harm to you, the Colonel or anyone else, but it will require you to get close to the Colonel. Can you without risk to yourself?"
Two clicks.
"Good. We'll clear everyone away from the door and leave a food try outside it. Rodney will open the door remotely, and hopefully Colonel Sheppard will take the tray inside for the two of you. Hidden in the napkin will be a powerful sedative. You'll have to administer it, lass. Once he's out, call us on the headset. Can you do that?"
Two clicks.
"Alright. If at anytime you feel that you're in danger, let us know and we'll come in and get you out by force. It'll be just a few moments before the plan starts. Beckett out."
At any other time, Elizabeth would have laughed at the relatively mild-mannered and definitely non-military Carson using that phraseology, but she knew he only did it so she would know he wasn't waiting for an answer. Apparently the distraction had stopped, because John's stance relaxed. He had just turned to move back to her side when the door slid open soundlessly. John spun, ready to pounce, but the only thing visible in the open doorway was a tray with more than enough food for two people.
John cautiously stuck his head out of the door and looked around briefly before picking up the tray. As soon as he had moved back into the room, the door slid shut again. He gave the door a dirty look but continued on to Elizabeth's corner of the room, setting the tray down in front of her. John squatted across the tray from her, nudging it gently in her direction when she simply waited.
Given the all clear, Elizabeth looked over the available fare, taking note of the turkey sandwiches, John's favorite, and the empty glasses among other items. She lifted the glassware and held them out to John.
"Could you get us some water?"
He blinked, his head tilted slightly, but took the two tumblers, turning toward the in-suite bathroom. By sheer luck or perhaps some tactical design of John's, Elizabeth's corner was across the room from the bathroom. As soon as he started walking that direction, Elizabeth lifted the napkin closest to her to find it empty. She quickly switched the napkins and discovered a small vial of powder in the second one.
Lifting the top slice of bread from the sandwich nearest John's side of the tray, Elizabeth dusted the sedative onto the mayonnaise present there. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping his taste buds weren't heightened like the rest of his senses, at least enough that he wouldn't be able to taste the drug. John returned shortly thereafter, handing her one of the glasses of water before settling on the floor to sit across from her.
Twenty minutes after John had finished eating and five minutes after she had polished off half of what he'd left her, the sedative started taking effect. His eyes began drifting, the lids drooping heavily. John's head started nodding, and he shook himself in an effort to snap out of the daze.
"John," Elizabeth called to him gently. "Why don't you lay down and get some sleep?"
He shot her a look that clearly told her he didn't want to leave her unguarded. Making a snap decision, Elizabeth straightened her legs and patted her lap with one hand. John simply stared at her for a full minute before an all-too-human sigh escaped between his blue lips. He dragged himself sluggishly to her side, showing her just how strong the sedative had been. His eyes closed the moment his head touched her lap.
Elizabeth laid her left hand on his shoulder and gently stroked his messy, bed head hair with her right. She waited three minutes after the last of the tension left his body before raising her hand to her headset and quietly calling Carson in.
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Major Lorne and an additional six members of the military contingent escorted Carson into the room. The CMO could see the heartache visible on Elizabeth's face, but the fact that she didn't protest the heavy guard told him more about John's condition than Major Lorne's report that the Colonel had killed Lieutenant Ford.
Carson hadn't wanted to believe it, but when he examined the body he was forced to admit to himself that only the mutating Colonel could have gotten close enough fast enough to snap the enzyme-addicted young man's neck. Well, perhaps Ronon could have as well, but Ronon and Teyla had both been with him in the infirmary for just-back-from-off-world check-ups when it had happened.
The other men surged forward to surround the unconscious Colonel. Elizabeth took off her jacket and made a bundle of it, easing it under John's head as she slipped her leg out from beneath his head. Major Lorne pulled her to her feet, asking quietly if she was alright. Elizabeth nodded and stood back when Carson approached to take a new blood sample and use one of the Ancient scanning devices.
When Carson was done, Lorne asked, "Should we move him to the cell, ma'am?"
Elizabeth shook her head, "No, we'll just keep him locked in here. I think it will be safer that way. But we will need more men on guard duty. How many Wraith stunners were we able to salvage from the siege of the city?"
"Nearly four dozen," Lorne answered.
"Good. Arm the guards with them," she ordered. Done with the Major, Elizabeth turned to Carson. "I'll be waiting in my office when you get the results of the most recent tests."
Carson nodded, watching with a worried expression as the leader of the Atlantis expedition left the room, moving with less grace and energy than she usually conveyed.
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"What did you find?" Elizabeth asked as soon as Carson sat across from her.
The Scot looked as exhausted and worn down as she felt, but she couldn't stop hoping that someone would have good news for her eventually.
"The scan I did shows further build up of the hard tissues that manifest as the ridges and spines on his skin. There's also evidence of pinchers like the Iratus bug's coming in."
Elizabeth sank back in her chair, hanging her head. John would look even less human very soon.
"I also did a complete workup on the latest blood sample."
"And?" she prompted.
Carson sighed. "He has very little human DNA left, there's even less in him than in the various Wraith I've examined samples of."
"What does that mean, Carson?" Elizabeth asked, fearing she already knew the answer and not truly wanting to hear it.
"I'm sorry, lass," he answered, not meeting her eyes. "There's nothing I or anyone else can do for him."