Chapter 10: Inner Demons
A/N: Carson and Rodney are concerned. A little picking on Sheppard. I think I should be able to wrap this up in 2 or 3 chapters. Spoiler for Duet.
"How is she?" Dr. Weir asked Dr. Beckett. She could tell by the mussed hair and facial stubble that it had been a long night.
"When I released you, yesterday, Dr. Randall had still been sleeping, aided by a sedative. She woke up early last night. We had to sedate her again, heavily. I'm not sure what happened, maybe it was the stress of the past few days, but she was very agitated, started thrashing and screaming, calling for Michael. I was afraid she'd hurt herself – she tore out her IV – we sedated her, but when she woke again," Carson shook his head. "I don't like doing this, but I think restraints would be even more damaging to her fragile state. Hopefully she'll be better the next time the drugs wear off. I have Dr. Heightmeyer on call, maybe she can talk Dr. Randall through this. Her preliminary scans are good, but there's a lot I need to talk with her about. I don't even have a clear picture of what exactly happened to her when she went back to the planet."
"As much as I hate to invade her privacy, she received some things when the Daedalus arrived. Maybe there's something we can use. I for one, would like to understand the significance of this Michael. I think he may be one of the keys," Dr. Weir played with the cuffs of her shirt, trying to re-cover the bandages.
"Might I suggest Dr. McKay and Colonel Sheppard? I released them from the infirmary earlier today, but they're not ready for duty quite yet. Might keep them out of trouble for a little while."
"Good suggestion. I think I saw Colonel Sheppard heading towards the brig. I'm guessing he's got a few questions for a man who shot him. "
Colonel Sheppard scowled as he limped down the hallways. The leg wound wasn't serious, but Dr. Beckett had insisted on immobilizing his leg in an inflatable cast. Ordinarily he would have ditched the cast as soon as he was out of the infirmary, but the doctor knew him too well, and had made an announcement stating that anyone who provided proof of the Colonel castless got a one-time immunity from any alcohol-related incidents. "The Scotsman did not play fair," thought the Colonel.
Dr. Lowell was sitting in a cell and regarded the Colonel with the same curiosity one might give an insect. Despite some obvious bruises, the man was far from cowering. "Nice to see you up and about," he said sarcastically.
"For a man in your position you're certainly cocky. I don't envy what's awaiting you back on earth. I'm sure there are plenty of people with all sorts of interesting questions. Given what you've done, and what you represent, taking the fifth won't be an option."
"What's wrong Colonel? I broke your doll? If I can't play with her, nobody can."
"She'll live."
"There's something wrong though? I'd be surprised if hasn't attached herself to you. At first glance you look a lot like him."
"Who?"
"Ask her yourself," the former negotiator smiled a cold smile.
"Colonel," said Caldwell entering the room. "Dr. Weir needs to ask you about something.
"Yes, sir. I was about to suggest we use this man for target practice. Dr. McKay could certainly use it."
"Dr. McKay's a lousy shot. I wouldn't want to be near him with a weapon," frowned Caldwell.
"Precisely." Sheppard thought he saw a smile flitter across Caldwell's face as he left.
"I'm glad to see you're recovering," said Dr. Weir as he joined her and Dr. McKay in her office.
"I think I can find a handicap placard for the jumper," added Dr. McKay with a smirk.
"Everyone's a comedian. Pick on the injured man. Next time I'll tell Kyte and Dr. Beckett to make sure an Ancient virus destroys your sense of humor, oh wait, you have none," he shot back.
"That wouldn't happen. You forget Dr. Randall's quite fluent in sarcasm. Who'd she talk to?"
"Gentlemen, please," interrupted Dr. Weir. "Dr. Randall seems to be battling some inner demons and losing. Dr. Beckett has had to sedate her, but he's not sure if he can continue doing it. I'd like to have you take a quick look through her things, see if you can figure out some things. I trust you to be discrete."
McKay shot her an offended look. "Aren't we always?'
Dr. Weir raised an eyebrow in response.
XXXXXX
"So what are we looking for exactly, " asked Dr. McKay as the two stood outside the door to Dr. Randall's room.
"Dr. Beckett said she keeps waking from nightmares, calling for someone named Michael. I guess we need to find out who he is, or at least find out something about Dr. Randall, talk her out of this," Colonel Sheppard shrugged. "Don't you want to see how the female species lives?"
"I saw a little too much of that, with Lt. Cadman, thank you very much," responded Dr. McKay as they stepped into the room. The two men took in the poster of San Francisco, the surfboards and wet suit hanging in a corner, and the piles of books.
"Wow, she's serious," said the Colonel studying the surfboards. "She's got a longboard and a shortboard. Nice."
"She's pretty well read, too, Certainly not a complete idiot in physics," Dr. McKay added as he flipped through a few notebooks. There was nothing personal out in the open, very few clues to the occupant's personality. Everything was picked up, squared away. "Maybe there's something in her desk."
"Right," said Sheppard. "Well, she's got interesting taste in movies. Casablanca, Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2, Bladerunner, Bullitt…she'll be popular on movie night," he flipped through the DVDs in the rack.
"I think I found what we are looking for," said McKay holding up an envelope. The two men flipped through photos. A few photos of a young Kyte with family members at various holidays, posing with her high school cross-country team, partying with friends in college, grad school, surfing, posing with what must be her motorcycle. McKay pulled one out of the pile, Kyte and a few friends must have been surfing. Someone with a camera had caught her unaware. She looked so happy, head thrown back in laughter. He hadn't seen her like this.
"I think that's it. No clues. No wait," said Colonel Sheppard, finding an envelope within the original. The images on the two photos rendered him speechless for a moment.
"What?"
"The Colonel handed him the first photo. "I'm guessing this is Michael Buchanan." Kyte appeared about eighteen in the arms of a man a few years older. Both were obviously enthralled with each other. The man could have been the Colonel's cousin, same build, same unruly dark hair, She wore jeans, he wore a kilt.
"Carson can probably identify the tartan," muttered McKay. "So what's the bombshell?" Sheppard wordlessly handed the second photo. Kyte and the same man. He wore a military uniform, she wore a pale green cheongsam and clutched a small bouquet of flowers. "She's married?" sputtered McKay.
Colonel Caldwell, Dr. Weir, and Dr. Beckett had the exact same thought a few minutes later. "That's Buchanan tartan," confirmed Carson. "She couldn't have been more than eighteen in that picture. I wonder why she never mentioned him before."
"He's a lieutenant in the Army and a helicopter pilot," said Caldwell after studying the photo.
'No wonder she keeps you at arm's length," nodded Dr. Weir to Colonel Sheppard. "Dr. Lowell implied that he was dead. If that's the case, he must have reopened some very deep wounds."
"I'll see what I can find out," stated Colonel Caldwell. "If he was military, Stargate Command should be able to dig up his records. Let me know if there's any change in Dr. Randall's condition. General Landry will be quite interested to hear if she obtained any useful information from that temple."
He left, followed shortly thereafter by Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard, puzzling over this new piece of information.
"Dr. McKay, not so fast. I'd like to run another scan and take some blood, make sure there are no long term effects of the fever," said the doctor noting that the physicist was also trying to make his escape. "If you'll follow me."
"Dr. Beckett, she's waking up," one of the doctors ran up to the pair. "What are your orders?"
Dr. Beckett ran to the bed where Dr. Randall was starting to struggle, followed by Dr. McKay.
"Help me, I may have to sedate her again," Carson nodded at a nervous-looking McKay. "Talk to her for pete's sake,"
"Michael?" cried Dr. Randall.
Dr. McKay looked at the woman in obvious agony, trying to match the image with those in the photos. "Hush," he whispered, stroking her forehead and hair. She relaxed a fraction. Encouraged, he sat on the bed, and continued. "I'm right here. You've been through a rough patch, but you'll pull through. We need you, I need you," he whispered surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. Carson quirked an eyebrow at him. "If you ever repeat that," Rodney warned him.
"Just keep it up, she's not as agitated."
Dr. McKay continued to stroke her forehead and hair. "You have some interesting ideas. I saw your physics notebooks. Crazy, but interesting. Plus, I love knowing someone has more Ancient gene-ness than Carson and Sheppard." Dr. Randall relaxed, turning on her side and curling her body around his. He could feel her the warmth of her small body.
"She's asleep. I think you helped her conquer some demons," smiled the doctor.
"Well. Um. I can't move.
"So I guess the scan is out for now, but I can still draw blood, wait while I get a couple things."
"This is a conspiracy. You were in on it, weren't you?" growled Dr. McKay to the sleeping figure.
TBC
A/N: Don't worry Kyte will get her revenge. A cheongsam is a high collared Chinese dress. Why? Well, that too will be explained.