Okay, I think I have picked myself up off the floor. WOW. You guys sure know how to make a person feel good. Warm fuzzies doesn't even begin to cover it. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I've been walking ten feet off the ground all day. And yes, there will be John whumping (Hel-lo! Look who the author is. You know I can't help it!). Okay - about speaking Ancient. There will be bits of gibberish I'm trying to pass off as Ancient. I have no idea how to "make up a language" and I sure don't know anything about Ancient. So...just forgive those moments and I will try to keep them at a minimum.

Mind of Atlantis - Chapter 2

John found himself back on the balcony. He leaned heavily against the railing, feeling the full effects of the exhaustion and fever plaguing him.

"You are ill."

He looked around to see Atlantis standing next to him, watching him with concern. "You think?" he asked sarcastically. He sighed and rubbed his hand across his face. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's not your fault...it's my own. Guess I'm just grouchy cause I feel like crap."

"Rest and you will get better. Then we can talk." She started to turn away.

"Wait! I think...Did I call you here?" he asked unsurely.

"That is why I am here. I told you I would be listening if you needed me."

"I remember...I just...my mind's kind of muddled right now and I'm having trouble thinking clearly. I couldn't remember if I called you here or not. I wanted to talk about Atlantis." She raised her eyebrows. "I mean the city...you know, how I should go about waking it up...bringing it to its potential." He felt like he was rambling and his thoughts seemed incoherent even to him. He wasn't sure if he was making sense or not. Man, he felt bad. He felt his knees begin to buckle and then her arms were around his waist. She helped him sit down and turn so that his back rested against the solid bottom part of the railing. "I guess it's pretty sad when you can't even stand up in your dreams."

"It is not just a dream, John. Part of you is actually here on this balcony with me. That is why coming to talk to me in your dreams also drains your energy. It would not be so much if you were well, but when you are already tired and ill, it can be very bad for you. In time, you will learn to talk with me in a way that does not tire you so. But for now, I must go and let you rest. We will talk later when you are stronger. Listen for me...I will help you."

He wanted to call to her and tell her not to leave, but he didn't have the energy. He just looked up and she was gone. He could hear the ocean waves crashing far below and he could see the bright light of the stars in the nightime sky overhead. A gentle breeze wafted over his skin, the scent of the saltwater below filling his nostrils before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

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Dr. Nick Strauhan and nurse Kelly Chastain were doing their rounds and checking on patients. They had started at the far end of the infirmary and worked their way to the patient closest to the duty nurse's desk. Tonight that patient would be Major John Sheppard.

Nick noted Sheppard's pulse on the chart and turned to Kelly. "What his temperature?"

"Hmmmm. Looks like it's up...he's at 103."

Nick frowned as he wrote. "His blood pressure and pulse are both down." He leaned over and gently shook the Major. "Major Sheppard, can you wake up for me for a minute?" Getting no response, he tried two more times before giving up and making a note on the chart. "This is very peculiar and I'm not liking it one bit." He looked up at the almost empty IV bag. "Why don't you go ahead and change his IV...I think I may hook him up to the heart monitor...just as a precaution."

Kelly nodded. "Think we should call Dr. Beckett?"

Nick hesitated, obviously thinking about how to respond to her question. "No...not yet anyway. Let's just keep a close eye on him for now. Let me see what the monitor shows." They each busied themselves, taking care of the tasks at hand.

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Beckett, very much in tune with what went on in his infirmary, noticed the sound of a heart monitor as soon as he crossed the threshold. He also knew that no one had been on one when he left the evening before, so his concern level automatically shifted up a notch. He wasn't surprised when he saw the beeping monitor was sitting next to Major Sheppard's bed. Fortunately, nothing else looked different. Sheppard just seemed to be sleeping. He automatically went over to check the man's vital signs and IV line. By the time he had finished, Nick Strauhan had joined him.

"Should I check his vitals again for the chart, or would you just like to record what you got?" asked Nick, grinning at a caught-red-handed Beckett.

Beckett, a little miffed at having been seen checking out the patients before talking to the attending physician, took the chart. "I might as well write it down." He noted the readings on the chart. "Didn't get a temperature yet."

Kelly appeared on cue. "I'll get that, doctor."

Beckett motioned toward the monitor. "What happened?"

Nick shrugged. "Nothing big. His fever was up, blood pressure and pulse were down, and he was unresponsive. I just hooked him up as a precaution. About an hour later, everything improved somewhat. We got him to wake up enough to answer a couple of questions and then I let him go back to sleep. I'm not sure what was going on, but it had me a little concerned."

Beckett nodded. "I may leave him hooked up a while today and see how it goes."

"His temperature is still holding at 101," reported Kelly.

Beckett noted that on Sheppard's chart. Nick filled Beckett in on the condition of the other patients in the infirmary. There were three additional patients, all with mild injuries, so the briefing didn't take long. When they had finished, Beckett told Nick and Kelly they were officially relieved and free to go.

"How about some dinner?" asked Nick as he and Kelly headed for the door.

"Don't you mean breakfast? After all, it's only 0800."

"Hey, I'm at the end of my workday, not the beginning. I want dinner. A big, juicy steak and a baked potato smothered with butter and sour cream would be nice."

Kelly laughed. "Not in this galaxy, mister."

"That's doctor to you," he replied light heartedly as they walked out the door. Beckett just grinned and shook his head. Sometimes Nick reminded him a little bit of Sheppard. Must be something about the U.S. Air Force that affected both pilots and doctors.

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Sheppard was surprised to awaken to the steady beeping of a heart monitor. Actually, confused might be a more accurate description. He was relatively certain by the proximity of the sound that the monitor was his, but he was also relatively certain that he wasn't injured or ill enough to need a heart monitor. He forced his eyes open against the light, deciding that he needed to find out what was going on.

"John?" He blinked against the light, trying to bring the face into focus, even though he had already recognized the voice.

"Elizabeth?" he said softly, his voice sounding almost as weak as he felt.

"Just let me get Carson...I'll be right back." By the time he had the world focused, she was gone. He tried to lift his head from the pillow to get a better look around, but the blinding pain that seemed to flash through his temples and behind his eyes caused him to quickly give that thought up. He groaned slightly, bringing his hand up to his head. And there was the expected IV line taped to the back of his hand. Just another day in the infirmary, his home away from home.

"Major, good to see you awake. How do you feel?" Beckett immediately began to check the monitors as he waited for Sheppard's reply.

"Tired. Headache. What's with the heart monitor, doc?"

"You can thank Dr. Strauhan for that one. Your fever went up during the night, while your heart rate and blood pressure went down enough to worry him. He also said you were unresponsive for about an hour. He hooked you up to the monitors as a precaution."

"But...you can remove them now, right?" he asked hopefully.

"Not just yet, Major. I'd like to keep an eye on you for a wee bit longer."

"Oh, goody," Sheppard said sarcastically. "What time is it, anyway?"

"It's almost noon," replied Elizabeth.

"Wow...I guess Atlantis was right."

Beckett and Weir exchanged a look, causing Sheppard to realize what he had said. He still wasn't sure how real his Atlantis was and so was reluctant to share his dreams with the two people standing there looking at him like he had lost it. They just happened to be the only two people who could ground him indefinitely and he thought he'd been grounded quite enough lately, thank you very much. So...he did the only thing he could. He covered.

"Sorry. Weird dream I had last night. Kind of like an inside joke, I guess." He flashed his best 'everything-is-okay' smile at them. And, after all, that wasn't a lie.

"Elizabeth...have you asked him yet?" Rodney asked breathlessly as he rushed into the infirmary, Teyla and Ford close on his heels.

"Hey, Major. How are you feeling?" asked Ford, ignoring McKay's earlier question.

"Excuse me...question on the table. Elizabeth, you didn't answer me. Did you ask him yet?"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at McKay. "No Rodney, not yet. He's only been awake a few minutes. I was trying to let him get his bearings first. If you would just be patient."

Sheppard was getting annoyed as his headache seemed to get worse. "Ford...I'm fine. McKay, what the heck are you yammering about? If you have a question, just ask already and then leave me alone."

"Rodney," Beckett warned. "You'll not be upsettin' my patient or you'll be leavin' with my boot in your backside."

Teyla, sensing that Sheppard was still tired and not feeling well, said, "Perhaps we should come back later. I believe that the Major needs to rest."

"The Major just wants to know what's going on!" roared Sheppard, instantly sorry he had raised his voice as a light show exploded in his head and the sharp pain seemed to rise to a new crescendo. All he knew was the pain for several minutes, until finally the light show dimmed and the pain came back down to a manageable level. Judging from the sluggish feeling beginning to work its way through him, he figured Beckett and drugs had a lot to do with the change.

"Major? Is that better?" He managed to coax his eyes open and was rewarded with Beckett's concerned face.

"Yeah...thanks, doc," he said weakly. He glanced around, careful not to move his head very much or very quickly. Teyla and Ford were gone, but Elizabeth and Rodney had remained. Rodney was looking particularly worried. "So...McKay...what was your question?"

McKay hesitated, looking at Beckett for confirmation that Sheppard was okay.

"Better hurry, McKay...I think the drugs are starting to kick in." warned Sheppard, who was beginning to feel woozy.

"When did you learn to speak Ancient?"

Sheppard just continued to look at McKay with a noncommital stare. "No, McKay...seriously...what is the question?"

"Major, that is the question. You were speaking Ancient in your sleep last night."

Sheppard rubbed his head and yawned. "McKay...I do not speak, read, or understand Ancient. I've picked up a few phrases in several languages over the years, but Ancient is not one of them. There is no way I was speaking it...you must have heard wrong."

"No, John. I heard it too. You were definitely speaking Ancient." Sheppard looked at Elizabeth, disbelief in his eyes.

"That's not possible. I... do...not...speak...Ancient." Sheppard carefully enunciated each word to emphasize his point without raising his voice. Didn't want to go there again. The headache was manageable now, but just barely and he could feel it starting to work its way back up.

"Do too." There was no missing the challenge in McKay's voice.

Sheppard knew better, but he couldn't seem to help himself. "Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not." He closed his eyes, hoping McKay would take the hint.

"Mishane bolie."

"Nasha."

"Hah! You spoke Ancient. He just answered me in Ancient. You both heard him." McKay's face absolutely glowed with victory.

"I did not answer you in Ancient." He looked up at Beckett for support, hoping the good doctor would kick McKay out in order to preserve the sanity of his patient. Beckett was looking at him like he had sprouted a third eye. "What?"

"Lad...I don't know how to say this, but...you just answered Rodney in some language I've never heard. And you responded to a statement spoken in a language I've never heard."

He looked desperately at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth...you know I don't speak Ancient."

"Well...I guess you do now."

Sheppard closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his hand. This was not happening. He heard whispering in his ear and without thinking he answered out loud, his voice low and beginning to slur. "Mishae naetnis koolae trinon Ancientae." His hand slowly slid down to his side as he drifted off to sleep.

Beckett looked dumbfounded. "What did he say?"

Elizabeth reached down and brushed the hair from his forehead as she aswered. "He said, I do not speak Ancient."

TBC