Chapter Twenty Five

"No," Beckett whispered softly as he looked into the microscope then over to the laptop and back again. "No it's not possible." He felt as though the information on the screen were betraying him, that everything reasonable and logical were against him. Beckett straightened up, his eyes closing ever so slightly as he bravely fought the flood of emotions and he was so sure. So confident and now, well now nothing seemed to make sense at all. "Major," he shouted loudly to grab Sheppard's attention.

Sheppard motioned for Bates to remain where he was before strolling over to Beckett. "So…?" Beckett licked his lips to wet them as they had grown incredibly dry, infact even his mouth felt like cotton wool as he turned to face the man. "Your assumptions were correct," he said gently and as professionally as his body would allow. "I noticed the knife has a serrated edge…"

"It does more damage that way," Sheppard commented putting his hands on his hips.

"Aye but that's not all," Beckett replied. He turned round and brought up the results, pointing at the screen. "Along the handle I found a release mechanism." Beckett gingerly reached for the knife and pressed a small indent in the decorative carving and tipped it upside down, a vial slipping out into the palm of his hand. Sheppard looked at it with an expression that clearly said 'Holy Crap'. Beckett gauged his reaction for a moment before continuing. "According to my data, it's comprised of many highly unstable chemicals and compounds. Most specifically those dangerous to human physiology."

"So some kind of chemical weapon?" Sheppard asked for clarification.

"Aye that would be my guess," Beckett said sadly as he handed the vial to Sheppard for a closer look. He held it between his thumb and his index fingers, then turned it over in his hands. The purple liquid inside moving side to side like the movement of a lava lamp. Sheppard handed it back to Beckett who sealed it away in a small silver case with biohazard stickers attached in every available space.

"I've never seen anything like it," Sheppard finally said after a few seconds.

"No I can't imagine you have. Some of the compounds I can't even begin to identify," Beckett said, still with a grim expression. He picked up the knife and ran a gloved finger down the flat edge of the blade. "It seems that the chemical is released whenever the serration comes into contact with something, in this case when it's inserted into the body. From what I can see, it finds the antibodies and alters them somehow so they effectively fight against the body."

"Resulting in some nasty things," Sheppard concluded with a nod of the head. He wanted to say good work but then again he figured this was hard for the medical doctor to take in. It more or less proved Sheppard's theory that Kiki had something to do with this. Now this provided him with more questions, how Kiki got it and why she'd been given such a weapon. "Can you find something to fight it?"

"I'm trying to come up with some alternatives for an antidote but the treatment I'm giving seems to be working so far."

"Thanks Doctor." He moved back over to Bates, intending to head to Weir's office.

"Major."

Quickly he stopped then reluctantly turned back to Beckett. "I'm sorry I can't guess how hard this must be for you."

"You still believe it was Kiki?" Beckett asked, there was that anger rearing it's ugly head again.

"I can't believe how someone could have a weapon like that and not know what's in there," Sheppard retorted. This was all beginning to feel like familiar ground with the good doctor and an another argument was the last thing he wanted. "If you'll excuse me doctor."

--

Teyla was angry at the mere thought that a young and vulnerable girl was the target of such malicious rumour. Sheppard passed her by, Bates following close behind. Normally, Teyla would have been nothing but polite to him.

"Teyla," Sheppard said simply as he and Bates carried on, intending to get to their desired destination. She glanced back over her shoulder before walking into the infirmary where she found a very disgruntled looking Beckett. Then and only then, did her angry expression falter and soften. "What has happened?"

"I found out some information, the knife does carry a powerful toxin." Beckett tried his best not to get choked up, at the thought that Kiki could have known about this and not told them about it. It tore him up inside and he didn't like this feeling, didn't like it one bit. "I'm finding it hard to believe but the facts speak for themselves." Now as he sat on the small stool, he looked positively exhausted and emotionally drained.

"I am sorry to hear that but I know Kiki would not do this, her people would not condone this sort of action."

"You don't need to try and convince me love," Beckett said looking up to her, trying his best to muster a smile.

"I can't believe how quick people are willing to judge that Kiki could be capable of something like this," Teyla answered sadly, slightly anger still remaining from her conversation with Doctor Weir in her office.

"It doesn't surprise me," Beckett replied as he stood up, removing his lab coat and making sure to hang it up carefully. "Your culture is different to our own." Beckett put his hand in his pocket and stared beyond Teyla as he considered his words and thought back to Earth. "On Earth, that sort of behaviour is very common. People judging others on their race, gender, sexuality. hell even their beliefs."

"I did not know of this, I understand Major Sheppard comes from a place called the United States. Does this name not suggest that everyone is joined together as one community."

"I wish it were that simple," Beckett answered with a sad smile, at least out here in the Pegasus Galaxy all they had to worry about were Wraiths but back on Earth. There were people back there who would probably be a right match for the life suckers, people who thought their ethics were right and tried to oppose their opinions on others with protests and marches. He remembered seeing many himself. "That's just the simple name of their country. There are others I'm from Scotland, which is located somewhere called the United Kingdom but there's nothing bloody united about it I can tell you."

Teyla was struggling with all this.

"There are many countries in poverty, there's famine and disease. They don't even have the luxury of running water. There was a war going on when we left Earth," Beckett carried on as he regressed. "It wouldn't surprise me if it goes on for sometime."

"I don't understand," Teyla said softly. "Your desire to return to your homeworld is so strong yet there are things such as this occurring." Beckett could clearly see that Teyla couldn't understand, hell something he didn't even understand it himself.

"There are many advantages that go along with the bad things," Beckett replied with a small sigh. He would've loved some advice about this current situation with Kiki from his old dear mum. "But there's a saying we have on Earth." Teyla inclined her head as he continued. "There's no place like home."