Chapter 6

Dr. Weir buried her hands in her face as she waited for yet another pot of coffee to finish perking. She wished she could simply walk out on the balcony with a cup and stare out at the ocean for a few hours, and forget all that was happening, but that simply wasn't possible. Four of her people were infected, and there were now two additional cases – Dr. Miko Kusanagi and a Captain Richards. Medical was still trying to track down the means of infection, but both had the ATA gene. Briefly she envied Caldwell's stony demeanor, but damnit, she wasn't military. These were her people, and a very insidious attack had been launched against them and her city. She wanted to rage, to throw things and she'd do everything in her power to find some answers, because she sure as hell wasn't going to accept the any possible outcome except a cure for this virus.

Despite the possible risks, she decided to visit the infirmary again, if she was having trouble staying in her office, she knew four individuals, soon to be increased by two, who were probably climbing the walls. At least she hoped they were. Out in the hallway, she ran into Dr. Brown and Teyla. "Katie, Teyla, I take it you are headed towards the infirmary/"

A moment of indecision seemed to cross the botanist's face, before she nodded along with Teyla. "I'm hoping that Rodney's doing ok. He's not always easy to get along with, and I'm sure this has made him and everyone else just a little irritable."

"That may be the understatement of the year," conceded Dr. Weir with a small smile. "I've heard Carson's a horrible patient though, you know the old cliché. I'm sure he's demanding everyone's charts, because what could worse? Being a doctor and not being able to help?"

"Yes and Rodney's probably mad at himself for infecting everyone and at Carson for not 'finding a trick in his bag of voodoo' as he calls it. He called Carson's solution to the Iratus bug some 'nifty slight of hand,'" added Katie.

Dr. Weir picked up the thread, "Colonel Sheppard I'm sure has seen the ravages of chemical and biological warfare. I think he'd rather die on his feet facing the enemy, than in this way, but we can't think like that," she shook her head, scolding herself. "I'm sure he and Dr. Randall would like to run from it all if they could."

The visitors trailed in, despite the risks. Dr. Kusanagi and Capt. Richards were being monitored in a nearby room. "Come to pay your last respects, before things get messy," snapped Rodney, his voice although raspy, carried a deeper bite than usual. Dr. Weir and Dr. Katie Brown shuddered at his tone. They'd come to offer support and optimism, which seemed to quickly evaporate like rain in the desert.

"We'll figure out something, don't worry," said Elizabeth finally, braver words than she'd felt. "We checked out the site where the artifact was recovered for any additional clues, but there was nothing, and I'm afraid the text was just gibberish. We know that the artifact was planted after the city was sunk, so obviously there's nothing in the database."

"And that's supposed to be comforting?" spat back McKay. Dr. Brown walked over to his bed and perched on the edge.

"I think it means the Wraith were desperate. They were afraid if the Ancients came back, they'd have the means to destroy them. So they created this virus," said Dr. Brown softly, after a moment of consideration. "Wouldn't you agree Colonel?" she finished, looking at Sheppard.

"It is a cowardly thing, not to attack your enemy directly," agreed Teyla from the doorway. "But they also make you see things that are not there. They have always used trickery. This is not new to them."

"Cowardly, but effective," added Dr. Randall. "Why sacrifice soldiers, when science can effortlessly destroy a city?" Rodney muttered something under his breath. She glared at him. "Don't go self-righteous on me. Like an atomic bomb isn't better?" She took his silence as an affirmative, both suddenly too tired and coughing too much to argue the point further. Small conversations went on. Teyla and Dr. Weir were talking to Colonel Sheppard, occasionally addressing some remark to Rodney and Katie. Carson pestered Dr. Biro and a few other doctors who trailed in for progress reports. He looked over at Dr. Randall; she was deep in conversation with Dr. Mason. Carson frowned, Dr. Mason was gesturing and seemed trying to convince her of something, she was nodding yes, reluctantly. Slowly people drifted out and vitals were again checked, medications administered.

"So your Ken doll come up with anything new? Or this all just some fascinating experiment to him," snarled Rodney to Kyte, slowly reviving.

"Don't call him that. He's taking it all very personally. We did use to work together, remember. He's a very smart guy."

"Yeah, a virologist with the alphabet after his name.

"I was headed down that path, too, Maybe not the MD part. I don't know why he did that bit. Of course this is coming from someone who built a bomb for a science project. Admit it, Rodney, you like the power."

"Power?"

You have all this power concentrated before you. Little bit God-like, you know. Unleash the most destructive of forces at will. Almost intoxicating at times."

"The quote, 'I have become Death, Destroyer of worlds' means nothing to you?"

"Funny you should mention that," she began, before Colonel Sheppard brought the argument to a halt, interrupting the two with a bout of coughing.

"Can't clear my lungs," he panted as several doctors rushed into the room. Carson was on the edge of his bed, observing the situation. The virus was suppressing pulmonary function, allowing fluid to build up and making it difficult to breathe. Carson knew the drugs they were administering, they'd help in the short term, but could put pressure on the liver and kidneys. "Any other solutions, Doc?" whispered Sheppard, seeing the look of apprehension on the Scotsman's face.

"I don't think you want to deal with large-bore needles right now," he noticed Sheppard flinch. Obviously he wasn't in that much distress, or he hid it well. "There are a few other drugs, but they also have some serious side effects, " he added. Despite it all, he was still a doctor. He was lost in the thought of next steps and didn't notice the silent exchange between Dr. Randall and Dr. Mason in the doorway, but Dr. McKay did and scowled as sleep pulled him into his welcoming embrace.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I've got friends in low places, where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases," sang Dr. Randall softly as Colonel Sheppard awoke. She didn't look up from the laptop until she heard another voice joining hers.

"Wouldn't mind being there right now." he sighed.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," she smiled slightly at his hair, sticking up more than usual. "My old advisor liked every song you could classify as 'bad.' That and Dr. Mason's taste isn't much better." She looked down at her laptop. 'Dr. Biro and Dr. Mason have the structure of this virus partially characterized, I'm trying to figure out how it works." Seeing Rodney suddenly awake she added, "That's what I do. You have your Ancient devices, I happen to like putting together and taking apart complex molecular systems." She shrugged. "Despite what I said earlier about designing superbugs, we were trying to do some good. Maybe we were a little undisciplined, but," she turned back to her computer. "I figured out I might as well offer my services. I'm a little rusty, but hell, what have I got to lose?" She allowed herself a weak smile, at her attempt at morbid humor, focusing again on her computer when there was no response. Finally she held the laptop out to Carson in frustration, "Does any of this make sense?"

Carson looked at the figure on the screen, which resembled a spiky pollen grain. He shook his head slowly, trying to disentangle the cobwebs surrounding his brain. "Looks familiar, but I can't place it." He waited a moment before handing it back. "You said you designed viruses. How?"

"Tried to combine things like Ebola with smallpox."

"Lovely," muttered Rodney. "Tinkertoys for biologists."

"Actually, that's not a bad analogy and I'll bet that's what the Wraith did. They had to work with human diseases, right?" She paused for a moment, coughing violently. Dr. Mason instantly appeared at her side, emptying the contents of a syringe into her IV. "Talk to Teyla. See if she can recall any major sicknesses that swept through the populations here. Cross-reference whatever further structural data you get from this virus with anything from earth," she said after a moment, suddenly energetic. A little too energetically, in Dr. McKay's opinion. There was an odd look in her eyes he didn't like.

TBC

A/N: Ok, so I'm going to ask for some reviews and help here. I think my cat has been keeping the plot bunnies away – this story keeps turning philosophical. Maybe if I set a plate of carrots out for the bunnies and some turkey leftovers for the cat.