The Mind of Atlantis - Chapter 19

Elizabeth Weir walked out of her office and into the gateroom. The tech at the console looked up at her. "We're receiving Dr. McKay's IDC."

"Lower the shield."

"We're also receiving a transmission. I'll put it through."

McKay's frantic voice came over the radio. "We're coming in hot, Elizabeth. Be ready to shut it down right behind us!"

"Understood, Rodney," she responded and nodded toward the tech to be sure he was ready.

She made her way to the balcony and leaned nervously against the railing. A second later, Dr. Strauhan stumbled through the gate, almost as though he had been pushed. He quickly moved out of the way as Teyla and McKay ran through the gate. A few seconds later, Ford came through and then they all turned and watched for the last team member. Elizabeth was not even aware of how tightly she was gripping the rail, her knuckles turning white with the tension. Peter Grodin knew. He watched her grip the railing every time this particular team returned from a mission. He also knew the grip wouldn't relax until the last remaining team member made it through the gate. And so she watched and waited.

Nick found himself holding his breath along with the rest of the team, waiting for Sheppard to make it through. Suddenly Sheppard flew through the gate, landing on his side and yelling "Raise the shield!" as he slid across the gateroom floor. Nick watched him twist over onto his back as he slid so that when he stopped moving he was facing the gate, gun trained on the event horizon. The shield went up about the time he stopped moving and they heard a very loud and distinct thud as something hit the shield.

"What was that?" called Elizabeth as she made her way down the stairs.

"A wraith dart," replied McKay, panting heavily.

As Sheppard started to get to his feet, Nick extended a hand. Sheppard smiled and accepted the hand, using its leverage to help him get to his feet. "Thanks, Doc. Guess we both kept our promise. Carson might even let you come out to play again sometime...if you still want to."

Nick nodded. "I guess we did at that. That was definitely different than your standard day in the infirmary. I think I'm beginning to get an idea of why you were so anxious to get back out there. Oh...and...thank you, Major."

"Right back at you," said Sheppard. They made their way over to where the rest of the team stood with Dr. Weir.

Elizabeth nodded at Sheppard as he joined them. "Glad you made it back in one piece, Major. Where did the wraith come from? How did they know you were there?"

"They appeared just as we were returning to the gate. I do not know how they knew of our presence on the planet," said Teyla.

Elizabeth looked at McKay and Sheppard. "Either of you got any ideas?"

"No clue," said McKay. "Maybe they had something set up in the temple to warn them of an Ancient presence and Sheppard activated it. He certainly activated the rest of the place."

"Random chance?" offered Ford. "Maybe they just picked that moment to check the planet out."

"It's certainly possible," said Weir. "Major, did you notice anything unusual?"

"You mean like when I activated Teyla's necklace? No...no random jewelry on the floor. I just noticed the light and the stuff on the pedestal we activated to get the ZPM." Sheppard shot McKay a warning glance about saying more.

Elizabeth nodded. "So...I'm almost afraid to ask...did you get a..."

McKay grinned from ear to ear as he pulled the ZPM out of his backpack. "Ta-Da! One ZPM!"

Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "You actually got one? We've been so close so many times...I was almost afraid to hope...you actually found one. Is it charged?"

"I don't know yet. I'll have to test it but...the energy readings look pretty good. I need to get this to the lab."

"No, first you all see Carson. Peter can have the ZPM delivered to your lab."

McKay started to protest, but Weir held up her hand. "No, Rodney, you know the drill. You get cleared by Carson first and then you can test the ZPM. We've waited this long, we can wait a few more minutes."

"Just be sure you figure out why that thing is a different color, cause that's really bothering me," said Sheppard.

Elizabeth looked from Sheppard to McKay. "What's he talking about?"

McKay rolled his eyes. "He thinks this ZPM is a different color than the other one."

Elizabeth scrutinized the ZPM in McKay's hand. "It looks the same to me."

Sheppard gasped. "You've got to be kidding me. It is obviously a different color...why can't any of you see that? What's wrong with everyone?"

McKay stared at him. "Major...perhaps you've noticed that you are the only one who thinks this thing is the wrong color. That probably means there is something wrong with you and not with everyone else. Maybe that thing messed up your color vision when it zapped you."

Elizabeth looked up. "You got zapped?"

Sheppard opened his mouth to reassure her, but McKay wasn't finished. "You know, you slammed into the ground pretty hard, too, and I heard the Doc say you had a knot on your head. Maybe you have a concussion or something."

"You hit your head? John, maybe you should get to the infirmary," Elizabeth said, worry in her voice.

Sheppard was really getting aggravated now. "I'm fine Elizabeth!" He turned to McKay. "I do NOT have a concussion and even if I did, it wouldn't make me see strange colors. I'm telling you there is something weird about that ZPM! We are not putting that in Atlantis until it is thoroughly tested in every way possible."

"John, I want you to calm down and get to the infirmary right now. The ZPM will be thoroughly tested before we do anything with it, I assure you." Elizabeth put her hand on his arm and looked up into his eyes. "John...go see Carson."

Sheppard took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm going." Nick came up behind him and put a hand on Sheppard's shoulder.

"Come on, Major. Let's go show Carson we both kept our promise." Sheppard's expression relaxed a little and he joined Nick as they walked down the hall toward the infirmary.

Elizabeth looked at McKay, worry in her face. "He seems pretty upset. Is it possible there is something wrong with the ZPM?"

McKay shrugged. "Of course it's possible. I just don't happen to think he's right. But don't worry, Elizabeth. I'll run every test we have before we do anything with it."

Elizabeth nodded. "Okay. You better get to the infirmary before Carson sends out a search party."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Nick watched as everyone received their post mission check, including him for the first time. Beckett saved Sheppard for last since Nick had filled him in on the events of the trip, leading him to believe the Major would take the longest. Sheppard sat silently on the exam bed, waiting his turn. Most of the time he seemed lost in his own thoughts, but Nick noticed he would tune in and listen intently each time Beckett gave his patient their final verdict. Sheppard was quietly watching over his flock from the sidelines.

Nick also noticed the return favor. By now, Teyla and Ford had heard from Rodney the events that had transpired in the temple. Even after everyone was cleared, no one left the infirmary. They were obviously lurking around waiting to make sure Sheppard was really okay. They stood at the edge of the room talking quietly, stealing looks as Beckett examined Sheppard. They watched as Beckett checked the bump on Sheppard's head and made him remove his shirt so he could check his back and ribs. They watched as he had the Major move his right arm, hand, and fingers so he could check the range of motion in the previously paralyzed limb. He noticed that somewhere along the way, McKay had begun to edge closer to the bed and was listening intently.

"...fingers are still a little tingly, but nothing else." Sheppard watched his hand as he wiggled his fingers.

"Okay," said Beckett. "I'll give you some Tylenol for the bruises and the headache. Let me know if you experience any dizziness or nausea or if you have any additional numbness in your arm."

McKay stepped up closer. "So...he doesn't have a concussion?"

"No, just a little bump. He's fine."

"See McKay. I'm fine. I told you I didn't have a concussion. And there's nothing wrong with my vision."

Beckett looked confused. "Why did you think there was something wrong with his vision?"

"Because he keeps insisting that the ZPM we found is a different color than the other one, but it looks the same to everyone else," explained McKay.

"I keep insisting because it IS a different color." Sheppard pushed off the table. "Can I go Doc? I think my headache is getting worse."

Beckett turned around and picked up a small bottle of Tylenol, handing it to Sheppard. "Okay, Major. You're free to go."

Sheppard and McKay walked out the door together, still arguing, but the anger from before now dissipated. Ford and Teyla looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders before following the pair out the door. Nick walked over and stood by Beckett as they listened to the receding voices.

"What makes you think you are qualified to determine anything about the value or quality of a ZPM anyway? What is the title in front of my name? That's DR. McKay. And you are...MAJOR Sheppard. And the title Major means you know sooooo much about ZPMs."

"I don't have to have a doctorate to know my colors, McKay. I think I picked that one up in kindergarten."

"I'm just saying..."

Nick looked over at Carson. "I have to admit... This has been an interesting day."

Carson smiled. "Oh, I'll just bet."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Well?" asked Sheppard.

McKay watched the computer screen for a few more seconds before turning to Sheppard. He had been testing the ZPM for three days. "That was the last test and it still comes back as being okay. It's almost seventy percent charged, Major. Do you know the implications of that? We can run the central control chair with it. We'll have access to all kinds of things we couldn't use before, including the shield."

Sheppard nodded, but he still looked uncertain. "That's great, McKay."

"You don't sound very happy. Look...I know you think the color is off. I've looked at it in every possible light and I just don't see it. I've held it up to the one we have and had other people look at it. No one sees a color difference but you...I'm sorry...but you're wrong on this one."

Sheppard rubbed the side of his face. "I don't know...maybe I'm just tired...maybe I'm paranoid...maybe I did hit my head too hard. You win McKay. Let's tell Elizabeth."

"No...we all win, Major."

Sheppard nodded. "Yeah...we all win." As they headed for Elizabeth's office to share the good news, Sheppard found it hard to ignore the tightening in his gut. McKay said the ZPM tested out okay, but ever increasing tension in his body was telling him otherwise. The ZPM could make their lives a lot easier and probably would be their salvation in case of a wraith attack. He couldn't stop the installation on his gut feeling that something was very wrong - especially when that feeling was based on a color difference that only he could see. Hopefully he was just being paranoid. If everything actually turned out to be okay, he just might grace Heightmeyer with a visit. No one should be this paranoid, not even him.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Sheppard paced nervously back and forth, occasionally stopping to look at the control chair. They were preparing to install the ZPM and part of him was terrified. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with the ZPM, no matter how much Rodney tried to convince him otherwise. Ford and Teyla were standing in the corner watching him. He knew they were wondering about his sanity about now. He was starting to question it himself. But he'd agreed to go through with the installation and he would honor his word.

They had discovered that the power source for the chair installed in the room next door, so McKay and Zelenka were in there preparing. Sheppard was to be in the chair room with Ford. Teyla would move to the power room when they were ready to go, so that Ford and Teyla could relay messages back and forth between the two rooms. Elizabeth had insisted on medical support in case it was needed, so both Nick and Carson, along with two nurses were in the corridor with gurneys and medical supplies. Apparently Sheppard's unease had her spooked enough to prepare for a worse case scenario.

Sheppard walked over and stood by the chair. He knew it was almost time. Suddenly Atlantis was at his side.

"Where have you been? I've been sending you messages...or thoughts...or whatever for three days. I needed to talk to you." Sheppard wasn't sure whether to be relieved she was finally here or to be angry that it took her so long to come.

"I am sorry, John. One of your scientists crashed part of my systems accidently...a Dr. Kavanagh...and Dr. Zelenka was helping me do repairs. I was deep in the system to do repairs and I had to disconnect some of my sensors. I was unaware of your calls until just a short time ago."

"Oh...well...that's okay. I just really needed to see you. We found a ZPM."

Atlantis looked at him quizzically. "What is a...ZPM?"

"Oh...sorry...it's what we call the power source for the chair. We found one and we're getting ready to install it."

Atlantis's face brightened. "That is wonderful. You will be able to awaken much of the city and you will have the means to protect it. But...I sense you are troubled. Is this what you needed to see me about?"

"Yes...I think there is a problem with the ZPM. Rodney has tested it every way we know how though, and he hasn't been able to find anything wrong with it. I guess I just wanted to talk to you about it. But...it's too late now. Rodney's getting ready to install it in the next few minutes."

"John, if you think there is something wrong, you should stop it."

Sheppard took a long, deep breath. "No. McKay's right. The only thing left to do is hook it up and see if it works. He's run every test possible. It doesn't make sense to refuse to use it just because I think the color looks off. I just hope he's right and I've gotten a little too paranoid."

"As you wish. I am here to serve you and the people of Atlantis. Do you know how to initialize the chair functions once the power source has been installed?"

"Yeah, I know what to do. Where will you be?"

"It is good that I arrived before you began installation. I must take care of some things internally to help reactivate the chair functions. I will be able to assist you from there. We should be able to communicate freely during the process so that I may assist you and offer guidance if needed."

"Okay. I have to admit, I feel better now. I was a little worried about doing this by myself, especially with my doubts about the ZPM."

"I will be with you, John. If you have questions, you need only think about them and I will be there. I will talk to you later to report the status of the chair and what functions are on line."

"Thanks. I'll see you later." Atlantis disappeared.

"Major Sheppard?" Sheppard looked over at Teyla, who was beginning to move toward the door. "They are ready. Dr. McKay said you should get in the chair now. I am on my way to the power room." Sheppard nodded at her as she left the room.

"You ready for this, sir?" asked Ford.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Lt. Just keep me informed on what's going on." Sheppard sat in the chair and waited.

Teyla walked into the power room, where McKay and Zelenka waited with the ZPM. "I will tell them," she said into her radio. She looked over to the two scientists. "Lt. Ford said that Major Sheppard is in the chair and ready to begin."

"Fine," said McKay. "Okay...let's do this." He picked up the ZPM and held it over the empty compartment where the old ZPM had been removed. Zelenka kept an eye on the information on the screen of the connected laptop. McKay carefully lined up the ZPM and clicked the power source into place, causing it to immediately light up. "Yes!" he said and grinned excitedly at Zelenka.

In the other room, the chair Sheppard was sitting in lit up and leaned back, indicating it had been activated. Sheppard closed his eyes and began concentrating on the first steps of initiating the chair. Nick and Carson stood in the doorway watching. Several seconds later, Sheppard's body tensed up and his eyes flashed open. "Ford!" he yelled. "Tell them to pull the ZPM. Something's wrong...McKay...pull it, McKay...for God's sake pull the ZPM!"

"Teyla!" Ford shouted into his radio. "Tell them to pull the ZPM. Something's happening to Major Sheppard. Get the ZPM out." Ford watched as Sheppard's face contorted in pain and his back arched up off the back of the chair.

"Atlantis!" Sheppard yelled, hearing her screams in his head as he lost consciousness. Beckett and Strauhan had moved into the room by now and were approaching Sheppard when his eyes rolled back in his head and his body began convulsing.

"He's having a seizure. Help me hold him!" yelled Beckett. All three men held Sheppard as his body convulsed violently for several minutes. When he suddenly went limp, Beckett quickly put his fingers to Sheppard's throat and leaned down toward his chest. He straightened quickly. "He's in respiratory and cardiac arrest. Help me get him on the floor."

They quickly moved Sheppard's limp form to the floor. The nurses were there with the medical equipment. Working like a well-oiled machine, Beckett began chest compressions while one of the nurse placed a mask over Sheppard's face and began squeezing the attached bag, pushing air into his lungs. Strauhan grabbed the defibrillator and began charging it. Now that the medical staff had taken over, Ford called Teyla on the radio and reported what had happened.

In the power room, Zelenka and McKay were having their own problems. They had immediately begun trying to remove the ZPM as soon as Teyla relayed the message that Sheppard was in trouble. Problem was, that the thing wouldn't budge. It seemed to be stuck. Eventually, both Zelenka and McKay were pulling frantically on the power source, trying to force it loose. A little while after Teyla reported that Sheppard was in cardiac arrest, the ZPM began to make a low humming noise. McKay was desperate to get next door and see about the Major, but he couldn't leave the ZPM because it sounded like it was overloading.

"Zelenka...you and Teyla get out of here! I've got it!" McKay shouted.

"No, you don't Rodney. I"m not going anywhere." The two men continued to struggle as the humming gave way to a much higher pitched whining.

"Teyla...get out of here. There's nothing you can do and this thing is liable to blow any minute. Go check on the Major for me."

"Are you certain that I may not assist you?"

"You can assist me by getting out of here so I can stop worrying about you and concentrate on getting this thing out of here." Teyla paused a few seconds and then turned and left.

When she entered the chair room, she walked over to stand by Ford, her eyes drawn to the drama on the floor. Sheppard lay on the floor, his shirt cut open and heart monitor leads attached to his chest. A nurse was pumping air into his lungs. She paused and leaned back away from Sheppard when Nick called, "It's charged." Beckett leaned forward and placed the paddles against Sheppard's chest. They watched Sheppard arch up off the floor as Beckett discharged the paddles. All eyes went to the monitor, which did not show any change from the relatively flat line and the high pitched whine.

Teyla was unaware of what she was doing as she leaned in close to Ford, seeking comfort from the fight being waged before them. Ford put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close, also seeking comfort from the fear beginning to clutch his gut. They watched for several more minutes as the doctors alternately shocked Sheppard, did chest compressions, and injected things either into the IV port or directly into his chest. Nothing seemed to have any effect.

In the power room, the whine from the ZPM had become loud and annoying. McKay elbowed Zelenka away from the power source. "Radek...get out of here. That's an order."

"We are not military. You cannot order me out," said Zelenka stubbornly.

"I am the head of the science department though, so I can order you out. OUT Radek...I'm not kidding. I'm right behind you." Just then, the ZPM came loose. The two men looked at each other in panic as they realized the ZPM was still whining. "Run, Radek!" yelled McKay. Zelenka ran for the door as McKay threw the ZPM to the far corner of the room and also ran. Zelenka was in the doorway with McKay about halfway there when the explosion shook that whole section of Atlantis.

As the area shook, pieces of ceiling began coming down on the medical staff still working to save Sheppard. Beckett and Strauhan both instinctively leaned over Sheppard to protect him from falling debris, while Ford tried to cover Teyla. When the shower of structural materials was over, they straightened up.

"What in the bloody heck was that?" asked Beckett, the frustration of the losing battle showing in his face. Ford and Teyla realized there had been an explosion and instantly knew where it had to have come from. They were moving toward the door when Zelenka, covered in dust, blood, and bits of debris staggered in from the hall.

"Explosion...Rodney...trapped." Ford and Teyla each took one of Zelenka's arms and helped him sit down against the wall.

"We'll find Dr. McKay," said Teyla. She and Ford ran out the door and down the hall.

"Go Carson!" said Nick. "I'll keep working here." They looked at one another for a second, their eyes carrying on a whole conversation. They both knew Sheppard had been down too long and there was very little hope of bringing him back. McKay's condition was unknown. He might still stand a chance of being saved. Beckett finally nodded. "Take care of him, Nick."

Nick nodded sadly, knowing there wasn't much else he could do. Beckett looked down at Sheppard. "I'm sorry, lad," he whispered. He got up and headed out the door as Nick resumed chest compressions and the nurse charged the defibrillator.

Beckett joined Ford and Teyla digging through the rubble in the power room. They dug for several minutes before they had any success. "I found him!" yelled Ford. Beckett and Teyla made their way to where Ford was. Beckett could see a hand amidst the rubble. They dug frantically, throwing pieces of wall and ceiling and who knows what else aside as they unearthed McKay. When the upper part of his body was uncovered, Beckett leaned over him for a minute while Teyla and Ford stood nervously waiting.

"He's got a pulse. It's weak, but he's got one. Get the gurney in here while I check for broken bones." The relief in Beckett's voice translated into regular breathing for Ford and Teyla. They quickly made their way to the hall and grabbed one of the gurneys, wheeling it into the room as far as the rubble would allow. They then went about trying to move McKay without injuring him further.

Nick turned to the nurse recharging the defibrillator and reached for the paddles. "Okay, let's try again."

The nurse hesitated. "Doctor...it's been over thirty minutes...there hasn't been any response...maybe we should let him go."

Nick let his arms fall to his sides. He looked at the nurse that had been squeezing air into Sheppard's lungs all this time. She looked down at the mask on Sheppard's face, still pushing the air, refusing to meet his gaze. He looked at Sheppard's still form and thought of the man pushing him out of the way of the wraith beam and saving his life just a few days before. He'd known for several minutes it was hopeless, but he just couldn't bring himself to stop trying. He couldn't face telling his team that he hadn't been able to save their CO...and their friend.

"Stop." He watched the nurse slowly remove the mask from the Major's face. "I'm sorry, Major. Guess I wasn't able to keep my promise after all."

TBC

Two words of advice: don't panic.