Chapter Eleven

McKay finally entered the messhall, grabbing up whatever he could find and quickly finding a table to sit at. Quickly, he took a sip of coffee and didn't care how bitter the taste was for it was a supplement to his food. "Oh how I've missed this," he said with a smile, making it seem like he was away from Atlantis for days rather than hours. Slowly, he picked up the knife and fork and prepared to cut into the chicken.

"Ahh Doctor McKay," said the familiar voice. The disturbance caused him to slip, the knife sliding across the rest of the plate and missing the meat altogether. He looked back in annoyance at one Doctor Zelenka.

"What do you want Zolinka," McKay replied putting the utensils down.

"Zelenka," the Czech quickly corrected while taking the liberty of having a seat and looking at McKay. "I need to discuss something with you."

McKay quickly considered this while taking a look at his meal, in all honesty his main priority at the moment was making the chicken disappear and giving it a well deserved place in his stomach. "Can we talk while I eat?" McKay asked, quickly sawing into his chicken.

Zelenka shrugged as if he didn't care as long as he could share whatever earth shattering information he was about to distribute. "Sure," Zelenka replied.

"Proceed," McKay said popping the chicken in his mouth and chewing quickly, while reaching for his coffee and washing it down. Zelenka watched with a mixture of disgust and sympathy indigestion at the sight before him. McKay continued his attack on the chicken in front of him.

"My God, you eat like animal."

"What? I'm hungry," McKay said with his mouth full.

--

Kiki stirred slightly and her body twisted round, she threw her head in one direction and closed her eyes even more tightly. "No," she screamed out loudly.

Beckett immediately looked up from the microscope where he was running another test on Kiki's blood work and had heard her frightened scream. The lass was no longer in a peaceful sleep but instead she seemed to be having some sort of nightmare, or was she possibly reliving whatever it was she had been through? Quickly he got up from behind his desk and walked over to her. "Kiki."

"No," she said sitting up and opening her eyes, breathing heavily. Sweat pouring down her face.

"Kiki," Beckett said gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Papa?" Kiki asked, obviously confused and disorientated courtesy of her dream.

His expression softened and he regarded her with sympathy, "No Kiki, its Doctor Beckett. You had a bad dream."

It was becoming clearer, yes she was in the city of the Ancients after travelling through the great circle that these people called the stargate. Kiki controlled her breathing and looked over at Beckett, able to make out a silhouette of blue and white. "I. Am. Sorry."

"It's all right lass," Beckett said gently while looking over to the monitor, it was incredible. Throughout the whole ordeal her heart rate had never even gone up. "We all have bad dreams."

"It. Felt. Real."

"Some dreams do have a way of doing that," Beckett confirmed quietly, then moved his hand from her shoulder and rubbed her back to calm her down. "Try and get some more sleep, I don't need to wake you up for blood testing for another two hours."

"Thank you," she said, her accent flowing more freely and not as child like as it first appeared. Perhaps she was picking up their sentence structures and may not have been, as simple minded as he first thought.

"You're welcome." Beckett smiled at her softly. "Now lie back down," he said pulling the covers over her and making sure she was tucked in. "Comfortable?"

Kiki nodded slowly, placing her head back down on the pillow seeming very content even though he had heard complaints that the beds in this infirmary were really uncomfortable. Beckett's smile got brighter as he said, "Good. Now if you need me Kiki, I won't be too far away okay?"

"Yes," she answered closing her eyes as the colours faded away from sight. "Thank you."

--

"So this girl really has the Ancient gene?" Zelenka asked for the seventh time.

"How many more times? Yes!" McKay had swiftly moved onto dessert and wished only once for some peace and quiet. If it weren't the fact that he was hungry, he would've tried to escape Zelenka by saying he had work to do but then, McKay looked down to the delicious dessert. No he had made his decision to stay and he was going to stick by it. Even if it did mean listening to the annoying Czech.

"And we still have no idea where she come from?"

"As I've already said no," McKay answered bluntly. "If you are so curious go ask her yourself Ziptinka."

"Zelenka," he corrected once again and paid attention to McKay's arm. "Major Sheppard says you got attacked by this girl? How come small girl do so much damage?"

"Well she…" McKay quickly, thought of something that wouldn't make him sound so bad. "Took me by surprise."

"Is that so?" Zelenka asked with an amused look followed by a chuckle. McKay finished his dessert and pushed his bowl away from him.

--

Weir stood next to Sheppard, arms folded as Beckett went over his findings and held up the personal shield. "That's incredible," Weir said with a smile.

"Incredible yes, but where did she get it?" Sheppard asked, sounding as if that should be the first question on everyone's mind. Weir glanced to him before looking back to Beckett, as if she herself was considering it. "I mean what, did she just stumble upon it one day and pick it up thinking it was neat."

"That would be plausible if she wasn't wearing it Major," Beckett answered. "Whoever she got off knew what it was used for and must have instructed her how to use it." Sheppard took the shield from Beckett and gave it the once over; it was definitely the same as the one McKay had worn. He handed it to Weir who turned it over in her hands then passed it back to Beckett.

"Have you managed to get any more information out of her?" Sheppard asked.

"No," Beckett said putting his hands in his pockets. "I thought it best to let her sleep.

Once more, Kiki's dreams plagued her and she found herself struggling for air. The screams, the sound of flying machines zooming past making the most horrible and most frightening noises she had ever heard. Curling herself into a tighter ball, warm tears trickling down her cheeks. If only she could make it all stop. Another scream, a voice calling her name. "Papa? No…"

All three of them turned to the bed Kiki occupied. "What's going on?" Weir asked immediately, following Beckett as he literally ran across the room.

"Nightmare," Beckett said simply placing a hand on Kiki's shoulder. "It's all right…" he replied in a soothing tone. Suddenly, Kiki jerked away and sat up, throwing her arms around him. Instinctively recognising the voice as Doctor Beckett's. "Don't let them take me," she said crying softly.

Beckett held her tightly and rubbed her back, "Hey it's okay. I won't let anyone take you." He too closed his eyes as he continued to comfort her, her tears wetting his shoulder. "I promise."