The Wishing Well

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of the characters associated with it.

Chapter Seven

"I was so sure McKay was pulling my leg." Sheppard scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I though his talk of alternate realities was so…SciFi! Damn! That means I have to apologize when I get back. His head's gonna swell up worse than it already is…. I'm so going to hate that!"

Anna just smiled at his obvious discomfort.

"So you're saying you don't have Wraith in your Pegasus Galaxy?" Sheppard leaned back against the wall using the padding as a backrest, one leg out straight, the other foot flat on the floor, his arm draped casually over his bent knee.

Anna lounged against the wall in a similar manner. "Nope, never heard of the Wraith. We don't have enemies. Our mission on Atlantis is mostly scientific, with not much need for a military presence."

"Wow, I guess that's why it's called an "alternate" reality." Sheppard laughed. "We live every day with one emergency after another, constantly having to figure out ways to keep Atlantis with power or protection. It's never dull, but I like it!"

"Would you ever give that up in exchange for a safer Atlantis?" Anna asked neutrally. "I mean, if we figure out how to get out of here, would you consider coming back to my reality instead of your own?"

Sheppard's gaze sharpened. "I would have to give it some serious thought, Anna. I mean, why would you want me to come back with you? You're married to Rodney. Oops, I mean Rod."

"True," she smiled sweetly, "happily married, but that doesn't mean I don't selfishly want you alive and well and living in my world. Plus, as the expedition leader, I can guarantee you a job."

"Well, just for fun, let's reverse the question." Sheppard smiled wickedly. "Why don't you come back with me to my Atlantis? You wouldn't be married to anyone, and we could be together again."

Anna frowned and looked away. "John…. I don't… I can't…"

"Leave Rod," Sheppard finished flatly. "It's okay, I understand. I guess I'll just have to take solace in the fact that you are alive and happy…. with someone else!"

"Well, if we can't find a way out, it's a moot point." Anna stretched and yawned. "I think we should brainstorm and see what we can come up with."

"My brain doesn't storm! I'm a pilot. My brain soars. Besides, you're the genius in the room. How do you think we can get out of here?" Sheppard tried to smile and shake off his slightly depressed mood.

"Was there an ancient poem engraved above the well in your reality?" Anna asked thoughtfully.

Something about her question sent a buzz of familiarity through his brain. "Yeah, McKay tried to explain it to me, but I wasn't paying attention." At her disappointed frown, he quickly added, "I wasn't feeling well, and that's when I saw you!"

She nodded her understanding. "Luckily for you, I did read the poem. I think it's a roadmap to lead us out, but I'm not sure exactly how to use it. There's no obvious way out of here."

She leaned her head back against the wall and thought for a minute. "Okay, we know the Ancients were trying out ways to travel from one reality to another."

"Yeah, in my reality, the Ancients were trying to escape to a reality like yours, one without Wraith."

"I ended up here because I have the Ancient gene, I stopped to rest against the well, I wished you were still alive and I drank the water. The poem foretold each of these events. What about you?"

Sheppard's unbelieving expression spoke volumes. "You wished for me in the wishing well? Cool!"

"Oh stop! You must have done the same or you wouldn't be here."

"Okay, so I did. The smell of the flowers reminded me of your perfume and I guess I must have made a similar wish, but it wasn't a real wish 'cause I didn't have any pennies in my pocket." Sheppard grinned innocently.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, however you did it, Fate granted your wish, and mine, too, obviously." Anna drummed her fingers on her chin several times while she contemplated their situation.

"The poem said something about two entering and only one leaving. Who gets to leave? I don't get that part." She smothered another yawn and pulled her hair back away from her face.

"I remember McKay saying something about making right choices and dire consequences… Mean anything to ya?" Sheppard was struggling to recall the exact words.

"Right, I remember that part. There was more… something about not trusting because someone lies, something else about not quitting or we'll die, and the last part said something about staying on a course to get our lives back." She sat a little straighter. "Damn! I don't get it!"

"I thought you said you are the genius here!" Sheppard teased, trying to ease the tension a bit.

"I'm a scientist, not a wordsmith!" Anna kicked the padded floor in frustration.

Sheppard eased over, took her foot in his hands and began massaging it. "Hey, easy now. Getting all worked up won't help. We'll get this. We just have to reason it out."

"I know, you're right…" She giggled and tried to pull her foot out of his hands. "Stop that! It tickles!"

"It's supposed to!" He managed to say with a perfectly straight face.

The faint light of dawn was just inching its way into the lab when Radek abruptly pulled his face away from the computer screen and gestured frantically to a lightly dozing McKay. "Rodney, you need see this."

"What now, Radek?" McKay groaned as he forced his tired body to rise and carry him across the floor to the Czech's desk. "I've been at this all night. I'm close to a solution, but I'll never finish if you keep interrupting me with your bumbling attempts to help, which, by the way, haven't been overly impressive…"

"You will like this time. Come. See." Radek was bouncing in his seat and grinning, wild hair encircling his head, strongly resembling a mad scientist. The sight had McKay blinking twice.

McKay peered at the screen with bleary eyes and a big yawn. Coffee.. I need more coffee.. When his overtaxed genius kicked in to gear and he realized what he was seeing, his eyes and mouth popped open in tandem.

Radek laughed gleefully as he pushed McKay's mouth shut with his index finger.

McKay scowled and slapped Radek's hand away. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

At Radek's happy nod, he smiled. "We'd better show Elizabeth!"

McKay contacted the control room and Weir was soon on her way to the lab.

"So, you're telling me the water is alive?" Weir looked dazed and a little frightened.

"Alive? Well… yes and no. Scientifically speaking, all water is alive. If you could see the things swimming in most water you'd never drink…"

"Rodney, I'm only interested in this water!" Weir began to pace slowly around the lab while eyeing the two scientists.

"What? Oh, of course." McKay waved his hands in circular motions as he tried to explain. "The water emits energy readings because it contains microscopic particles of living energy. Contained within the energy is Ancient DNA. We think the DNA strands in the water recognized and interacted with Sheppard's DNA and caused him to jump to another reality."

"Can you get him back?" Weir's eyes were huge with worry.

"Yes" proclaimed McKay confidently.

"No" Radek interjected at the same time.

"Not by ourselves." Radek amended at McKay's dark look and Weirs confused one.

"If we can isolate the proper genetic code contained within the DNA, we should be able to manipulate it enough to reverse the trip. In order to do that, we're going to need Carson's help."

"Carson has most experience in DNA arena. He come here, we can fix." Radek added.

Weir let out the breath she'd been holding. "Well, let's get him back here then."

"Major Lorne….Sir, do you copy?" The disembodied voice of Wesson erupting from the earpiece embedded above his left ear yanked Lorne from a sound sleep.

"Ow! Wesson, that hurt!" Lorne adjusted the volume to a more comfortable level. "Go ahead, Sergeant."

"Sorry about that, Sir, but I have Dr. Weir on com link. She's asking for you."

Lorne fisted the sleep from his gritty eye sockets and tried to disengage from the disturbing dream he'd been having about strange glowing clouds with watchful eyes. "Go ahead and patch me through."

Weir's melodic tones soon graced his eardrums. "Major Lorne, how are you faring?"

She sure sounds a hell of a lot better first thing in the morning than Wesson's scratchy voice. "We're fine, Ma'am. How's McKay coming with the miracle potion?"

"That's why I woke you so early. Rodney and Radek think they have isolated the correct properties, but they're going to need Carson's expertise with manipulating DNA to finish. If he can safely leave Sheppard's side, we need him to return to Atlantis."

"Elizabeth," Beckett cut in with his radio, "I'm here. The Colonel is the same this morning. I can come back and help as long as you send one of my other doctors to take over for me. I think Dr. Seace is on duty."

"No problem, Carson. Be at the gate in an hour and we'll make the swap."

Before leaving for the gate, Beckett stooped down close to Sheppard's face and spoke in low tones. "Fight this until we figure out how to bring you home. Atlantis needs you, son, and so do we." He patted Sheppard's shoulder then turned away to follow his two escorts to the gate.

Beckett and his staff were safely through the gate and back on Atlantis. Dr. Marie Seace, a petite 5', 1" blonde with sharp violet eyes that didn't miss a trick, was settling in. Lorne, Ronon and Teyla had departed to scout the area for anyone or anything out of the ordinary. The security teams kept watch over the camp, but, for all intents and purposes, she was alone with her patient.

Marie performed her initial check of Sheppard's vitals and noted his heart rate, blood pressure and coloring on his chart. His skin looked paler than normal, but not unhealthy. Before he left, Carson had started an I.V. to sustain the Colonel until he could be revived. She watched closely for any signs of awareness as she set about her duties; nothing, not even the flicker of an eyelid.

The doctor had seen her share of ill patients, but it was unusually disconcerting to see such a normally vibrant individual this motionless. Any other day, had she been treating him for some ailment, Sheppard would have flirted a little while telling her he was "fine" or "good" and would have put up a ruckus trying to sneak out of the infirmary. His behavior normally earned him a smile and a sharp command to stay put. Shaking her head sadly, she placed a cool hand on his chalky cheek. "Where are you, Colonel? Come back to us soon, okay?"

Lorne stopped walking and held up a hand signaling Teyla and Ronon to do the same. He cocked his head to the left and let his ears reach out for any possible sound. Hearing nothing but the soft scurrying of something small off to his right and the melodic song of this world's native birds hidden in the thick tree branches above, he motioned for the others to join him.

"We've been out here for the better part of the day, Ronon. There's nothing here." Lorne whispered to the larger man.

"I have not experienced the feeling of being watched this day." Teyla glanced at Ronon, eyes filled with a mixture of regret and sympathy.

"It's gone now." There was an edge in Ronon's voice. "But it was present last night as we slept. Couldn't you feel it?"

"No. I slept well and felt nothing." At the cold amber stare this comment earned her, Teyla quickly added, "But that does not mean it wasn't there."

"I know it was there. I felt it!" Ronon moved off to the left, heading toward the outpost.

"Ronon!" Lorne called out sharply, "Ronon! Damn it, Dex! Where are you going?" Lorne chased after the retreating figure of Ronon Dex. Seizing a large muscled arm to stop his forward motion, Lorne looked into frigid eyes and repeated his question. "Where are you going?"

"I listened to you last night and did as you asked. It didn't work." Ronon snarled. "Now, we do it my way!"

TBC