Because I was cruel and had such a cliff hanger on the end of the last chapter, I'll post this one now.

Oh and to answer Silverthreads question, as it pertains to the Dolosians... I figure that they've always been fairly successful with their 'trojan horse' ploy so they've never really had to face the consequences. And I'm sure the folks on Atlantis won't punish them... too badly.

Chapter Nine: Threats of an Autopsy

Elizabeth was shocked by the sight of Dr Biro doing compressions on Colonel Sheppard's chest. The doctor seemed to stop for a moment and Elizabeth realized they had shocked Sheppard with the defibrillator.

"Dr Biro, at least let's try it," insisted one of the researchers. He was standing next to Sheppard's IV with a massive syringe in hand. "It may not be tested but if we don't do something he's going to die anyway."

The medical doctor scowled at her patient, "Colonel! If you don't get your heart beating, so help me God, when I do your autopsy you're going to regret it." She waited a moment, her eyes glued to the EKG. The heartbeat was still irregular and rapid. Looking up at her researcher she nodded.

He emptied the contents of the entire syringe into Sheppard's IV. It was the hope that enough of the toxin would be neutralized so that some adrenaline or an anticholinergic agent could be administered so his heart could be restarted. They gave it a moment to enter his system. "Ok, one milligram atropine." The drug was added to the IV and the defibrillator was charged once again.

The tension in the room was almost suffocating. Elizabeth waited, prayed, and hoped with every fiber of her being that whatever they used worked this time. Dr Biro told everyone to clear as she applied the paddles once more. The room was silent except for the click of Ronon's respirator and the beeping of the EKG.

"We've got normal sinus rhythm!" The nurse who announced it was beaming and a small cheer went up throughout the room.

Biro patted the unconscious Colonel on the shoulder. "You were lucky this time. Let's hope I never get the chance to threaten you like that again." Clapping her hands she said to the staff, "Let's get back to work people, this is far from being over."

The ceiling was an all too familiar sight for Colonel Sheppard, but blinking to clear his eyes he realized that he had not seen it in a long while. His throat was so dry, when he tried to speak absolutely nothing but a dry cough came out. He closed his eyes again, trying to figure out what had happened. There was something about a mutiny, and he distinctly remembered being threatened by Dr Biro about something, but that was all that came to him.

He rolled onto his side and was met with a steady ache that grew stronger as he became more aware of how his body felt. In the bed next to him, he was surprised to see Rodney on a ventilator. It was even more shocking when the Colonel realized how thin the physicist looked.

"Hey Colonel Sheppard!" Major Lorne saw his commanding officer's eyes wandering around the room. Clumsily he climbed out of his bed using his uninjured arm. He had a full cast on his leg as well, going from mid thigh to the tips of his toes. Hobbling over to the Colonel he grinned happily. "We thought you weren't going to wake up for a bit there."

Sheppard tried to lick his lips, hoping that purveyed his need for water. The Major caught on and reached for a cup that was sitting on the small table next to his bed. "Just a sip, I don't want Biro going monkey poo on me."

"You are my new favorite person," croaked the Colonel after his parched mouth had been wetted.

"Ronon said something similar to me when he woke this morning. You guys must have been pretty thirsty."

"How long?"

Lorne mentally counted out the days, "Uh, well you were put on the ventilator a week ago, and two days ago they took you off it. And then you were sick for a week before that too I think. So two weeks total?"

The Colonel groaned, partially from disgust that he could be so sick for so long and partially because his head really, really hurt. "How's everyone else?"

"Well, you and Ronon are the only ones awake. As you can see Dr McKay's on the vent, as is Dr Beckett. Teyla was taken off it this morning, though the doctor thinks she'll be out for a few more days. Everyone else that was exposed or infected were treated and cleared to go two days ago, except for me due to the obvious reasons."

"John, it's great to see you awake," said Elizabeth as she entered the room. She heard Ronon had woken earlier and she hazarded a guess that the Colonel would be up soon too. "You had us worried for a while."

"I had myself worried for a while," he muttered. "So what happened?"

Her smile fell and Sheppard almost regretted asking. "The Dolosians were using us. After posing as potential trade partners they infect a community with a deadly bacterium that seems to have killed most that come into contact with us. Then they just go through the gate, take what they want and they never have to even trade their own goods."

"So I'm assuming that we're not going to be getting any fresh produce?"

She shook her head. The Colonel leaned back in his bed and stared back up at the ceiling. "What do you plan on doing about them?"

"Right now you need to be concerned with getting better." She turned to Major Lorne who was still standing next to Sheppard's bed. "And what are you doing up? I distinctly remember Dr Biro berating you earlier for the same infraction." Dr Weir raised her eyebrow expectantly at the soldier until he guiltily made his way back to his bed.

Major Lorne watched her leave, and when he deemed all was safe he said conspiratorially, "What do you say about a jail break Colonel?"

"Right now I think I'm going to wait until I can actually get out of bed. But in a day or so…" he trailed off and grinned at his second in command.