Chapter 10:

"Lexa?" Marcus touched her face gently trying to wake up her up, but she was out cold. He tenderly lied her down on the floor, then took off his jacket and tucked it under her head. He knelt down next to her and activated his radio. "Um, Colonel Sheppard, you might want to hurry, we have a slight situation down here."

Sheppard and the others paces quickened as the Colonel radioed back. "We're just passing through the main room now. What happened?"

"Lexa collapsed," Lorne hesitated realizing the name he called her by. "Er, Madison, she opened the urn, but there wasn't anything in it, and nothing happened. Then she just passed out."

Sheppard stopped and turned to Lt. Wallace. "Take Ronan and head back to the Gate. Radio Atlantis and tell Beckett that Madison is out cold, and he needs to get a team out here ASAP." Wallace and Ronan activated the Rings while the rest of the team headed down the west wing. "Alright Major, I sent Wallace and Ronan to go get Beckett. Where are you?"

"About a quarter mile out, on the left side." Lorne glanced over to the door. "The door's open. You should see blue light." He tried to conceal it but there was obvious concern in his voice.

Teyla looked down the long passageway. "There I see it, just up ahead."

Sheppard activated his radio. "Alright Major, we got ya. Be there in a jiff, Sheppard out."

Lorne continued trying to revive Lexa, but there was no waking her. In a few moments the rest of the team had made there way to the small lab. As they walked in McKay and Zelenka headed straight to the database, while Teyla and Sheppard went over to Lorne and asked what happened. He didn't know what to say, there was really no apparent explanation for it. "I don't know sir. She was up on the platform and just fell unconscious. I've tried to wake her up, but she won't come to."

"Well relax Major, Beckett's coming to check her out and I'm sure McKay and Zelenka will find something in the database to explain it." Colonel Sheppard tried to ease the Major's obvious concern for Alexa.

After trying to read through some of the database Zelenka spoke up, "That might be easier said than done." The others looked to the scientists apprehensively.

McKay interrupted, "The database is in some sort of code. I'm fairly certain it's all in Ancient, but it's going to take a while to decipher. I'm guessing they didn't want anyone to know what they were working on."

Zelenka cut him off, "Probably the reason 'Trespasser' was the only thing written on the urn. It was intended to be cryptic."

"Yes, yes. Unfortunately the point is, what happened to Madison may not have been an accident. It's probably an Ancient booby-trap, to prevent anyone from finding out what they were doing." McKay jumped back in.

Lorne looked down at Alexa, this all felt so familiar. Once again she was right there, he could touch her, but there wasn't a thing he could do to help. "So, you're saying what ever happened… It's reversible?"

"Well probably," McKay answered. "I won't really know for sure until I decipher the text." He glanced at Zelenka who was rolling his eyes. He corrected himself, "Until we decipher the text."

"It's also possible that the effects are only temporary. That they last just long enough for you to be moved somewhere else and forget what you were doing," Zelenka tried to ease Lorne's concern for the young Captain.

Forty-five minutes had gone by with fairly little conversation, except for your typical squabble between McKay and Zelenka. Sheppard had found a chair to plop himself in and stay out of they way, while Teyla took a seat on the floor next to Lorne to tend after Alexa who's temperature was rising by the minute. Sweat began to bead down her face so Lorne took off her vest and jacket, about a minute later she began to tremble. "This isn't good, we gotta get her outta here. Where the hell is Beckett?" Lorne was losing his composure, he couldn't lose her again, he wouldn't.

Teyla put a hand on his shoulder. "Major," she said calmly, "I'm sure Dr. Beckett is moving as quickly as possible. But I believe you are correct, we should move her from this room, even perhaps out of the facility all together." Colonel Sheppard walked over from his seat and gave Teyla a puzzled look. "Dr. Zelenka said it could possibly be temporary. That if you are moved somewhere else, that you'd wake up. I believe it is worth a try," she explained as Alexa stopped trembling. Lorne nodded his head in agreement.

"Couldn't hurt. Alright Major, you and Teyla take her up to the surface, I'll stay here with McKay and Zelenka," Colonel Sheppard approved the action.

Lorne picked Alexa up, one arm under her knees, the other behind her back, her head on his shoulder and headed down the hall to the Rings. Teyla picked up his jacket and Alexa's things and tailed after him. As they approached the main room Teyla inquired about Lorne's actions. "Major, perhaps it is not my place, but you seem more troubled about Alexa's condition than the others. Are you alright?"

Lorne sighed. He wasn't sure what to say. "I'm just worried that's all. It'd be nice if we at least knew what was going on." Teyla didn't say a word, but with her expression Lorne figured she knew she was only getting half of the truth. He knew whatever he told her would be in confidence so he continued as he activated the Rings, "I love her."

Now on the surface in the temple, Teyla was confused, "But I thought you had rules against that?"

They began to walk out of the temple as Lorne replied, "Yeah, we do. It could get us both court-martialed, which is why no one can know."

Teyla nodded, "I understand, you have my word."

They continued on to get a little further away from the temple and finally ran into a much needed Dr. Beckett and his team being led by Ronan and Wallace. "Aye Major, how's our young Captain?" Lorne shook his head. "Here, lie her on the backboard, let met take a look at her."

Lorne softly put her down on the ground and filled Carson in. "Her temperature is rising and she was trembling about ten minutes ago. McKay and Zelenka haven't been able to come up with anything yet, the database is in code."

Beckett quickly examined Alexa. "No obvious signs of trauma, she is running a fever. Alright let's get her back to Atlantis." Lorne grabbed one side of the backboard while Ronan grabbed the other. Beckett sent his team with Wallace to temple to analyze the lab, while Teyla headed back to Atlantis with the others. "How exactly did this happen, Major," Beckett asked as they started their three mile trek back to the Gate.

Lorne was reluctant to answer, "I don't know, she just collapsed."

The walk back to the Gate took about 40 minutes. A little longer than Lorne had hoped, but anytime Alexa convulsed they stopped for Beckett to look her over. As they dialed Atlantis Carson informed them that he had a team standing by in the Control Room to rush her to the Infirmary. After they stepped through the Gate, Lorne and Ronan put her up on the awaiting gurney and the med team wheeled her away. Lorne was about to follow but was stopped by Dr. Weir. "What happened?"

"We don't know Ma'am," Lorne's answer came out slightly hostile.

"Major, are you alright," Weir questioned.

"We're all just worried for Alexa's well being Dr. Weir," Teyla jumped in now knowing Lorne's feelings for the young woman.

"Yes, that's understandable, but I am going to need an update on what exactly is going on. Why don't we discuss this in the conference room," Weir turned and headed up the staircase followed by Teyla and Ronan. Lorne hesitated, staring off in the direction Beckett had taken Lexa. All he wanted was to be with her, make sure she was all right. But he had duties to perform, and those came first. He turned and noticed the others were halfway up the stairs, he followed.