Another round of special thanks to those that took the time to review (LOVE YOU ALL), to my beta (togitnj) for correcting a ton of mistakes while patiently teaching me to find my own, and to my inspiration (Rogue1503) for always filling me with ideas and offering encouragement when I need it most.

The Day of Reckoning – Chapter 9

Elizabeth poked her head into Beckett's office and found him sitting at his desk, a pile of papers before him. "You in here?" she asked.

"I'm here."

She entered the office, McKay following close behind her. "Rodney was with me when you called, so he tagged along."

Beckett nodded his approval as they sat down in the chairs on the opposite side of his desk.

"All right, Carson. What's up?"

"I wanted to let you know that Colonel Sheppard has had a bit of a setback. He became ill during the night with what looks like the flu. Fortunately, no one else has come to me with symptoms. Have you heard of anyone being ill?"

"No, I haven't. Do you think we'll have a problem with this?"

"Well, probably not. He obviously got it here at Atlantis since he hasn't been anywhere else in the last three weeks. The fact that no one else is presenting symptoms probably means that very few have been infected. But I would like to know if anyone else is ill and just hasn't reported to me so we can try to keep this confined."

"I'll check around and let you know. How sick is he?"

"He's pretty miserable right now—fever, vomiting, headache, generally feeling like crap. I've had to start him on an IV so he doesn't get dehydrated. He hasn't kept down so much as a drink of water since early this morning."

McKay began to feel his forehead and cheeks. "Maybe you should check me for a fever. He spent quite a while with me in the lab a few days ago and we've been eating lunch and supper together the last few days. I bet I have it. You know, I noticed I felt kind of tired and achy this morning."

Beckett looked at McKay. "You're tired and achy today because you walked five miles with Lt. Yarnell's team yesterday and you're out of shape. I understand he sets a brisk pace."

McKay sighed. "Brisk? It was much closer to running than walking. You should try moving that fast with a heavy backpack and carrying equipment cases. It's a wonder I can walk today."

"Exactly my point," said Beckett.

"Oh . . . yeah," said McKay. "But I could still have a fever."

Beckett sighed loudly. "If it'll make ya feel better, I'll check your temperature before you leave."

"Thank you!"

Elizabeth frowned at Rodney and then looked back to Beckett. "John will be okay, right? I mean this is just the flu."

"Aye, he should be fine in a few days. It may take him a bit of time to recover, though, since he was already exhausted when it hit."

"Can we see him?"

Beckett paused. "I've moved him to the back corner of the infirmary and we've set the curtains back up in an effort to minimize his contact with others. I suppose we could peek in on him a minute, but I want you to maintain some distance so I don't end up filling more beds."

The three of them got up and made their way to Sheppard's bed, stopping several feet away as Beckett indicated. He seemed to be asleep at first, but then opened his eyes as they shuffled in. Tension pulled at his pale features and he moaned softly as he shifted positions, trying to push himself more upright on the pillows.

"Hey, guys," he said, his voice scratchy and low.

"How are you feeling?" asked Elizabeth, regretting the question as soon as it left her lips.

"Death warmed over comes to mind."

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, just do what Carson says and I'm sure you'll feel better in no time."

"Yeah, no time."

McKay looked on sympathetically. "If you get bored, I could bring you some calculations to do for that energy conversion problem Radek and I have been working on."

Sheppard gave a small smile. "Thanks, but I don't think I have the energy, and every few minutes it seems like . . . oh, crap."

Beckett got the basin beside Sheppard's bed under his face as he rolled to his side and began heaving. He didn't bring up much except for some spit and bile, but the sound made McKay's stomach tighten.

"Sorry, gotta go," mumbled Rodney through clenched teeth as he hurried away from the cubicle.

When Sheppard finished, he just dropped his head back to the pillow where he was, his arm draped across the rail. He didn't have the energy to move back to the center of the bed.

Elizabeth helped Beckett ease him over far enough that he was no longer dangling off the edge of the bed. He moaned at the movement, his eyes glassy and unfocused.

"Sucks," he whispered so softly they barely heard.

Beckett patted his shoulder. "Aye, lad, I know it does."

Marcy appeared with a damp rag and began to wipe Sheppard's face. Beckett took Elizabeth's arm and steered her outside the curtained area.

"We need to let him get some rest. You can stop by later if you like, or I can call you."

"I'll stop by. The nausea's pretty bad, isn't it?"

"Aye. I've given him Compazine, but it doesn't seem to be helpin' much. He's exhausted and his stomach is empty and yet he still keeps heavin'. I wish we could do somethin' more for him, but he'll just have to ride it out."

"I just hate to see him go through this so soon after . . . you know."

"I know. He'll get through it, though. We'll see to it." Beckett looked around the infirmary. "Where'd Rodney get off to? I thought he wanted me to check his temperature."

Elizabeth grinned. "I think the sound effects scared him off. Weak stomach."

Beckett returned her smile. "Well, at least the Colonel being ill is good for somethin'."

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Sheppard watched as Genii soldiers marched around his bed, ready to take him to his next torture session, but he no longer had the energy to fight. They were everywhere, swirling around in the blur of the tilting room, his head pounding and his stomach rolling with them.

Cold seeped into every inch of his body. Feeling a blanket on him, he pulled it tighter, but it didn't help. He eventually realized that the blanket itself was freezing and tried to push it away, but hands held his arms down and pulled the blanket back over him. He thought he heard voices, but they were too garbled to recognize or understand. Out of energy, he finally stopped struggling and lay there, shivering and miserable.

Then the Genii were joined by wraith, circling his bed and taunting him. Steve was there, telling him he was going to feed on him. Then Steve stepped back and Caldwell stepped up, determination on his face.

"You know what you have to do, Colonel."

Sheppard looked where Caldwell was pointing to see Ford. But it wasn't the enzyme-hyped Ford, it was the old Ford. The innocent kid who had erroneously believed that his CO had his back. Ford waved at him. "Hi, sir."

A gun was shoved in his hand. "You know what you have to do. Now do it. That's a direct order," commanded Caldwell.

"No!" Sheppard threw the gun on the ground like it was a poisonous snake. "I won't kill him. He's just a kid."

Caldwell glared at him. "Still can't obey orders, huh Sheppard. Well take another look at your innocent kid."

Sheppard looked back to Ford in time to see him mutate into a wraith. He tried to back away as Ford descended on him, grinning with the all too familiar mouth full of sharp teeth.

"Sorry, sir," he laughed, hitting Sheppard hard in the chest with his hand and sucking the life from his body.

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McKay walked into the infirmary, searching for Beckett. He had tried to visit Sheppard each of the last two days, but the Colonel had been too miserable to carry on a conversation. McKay was hoping Sheppard would be feeling better by today. As he turned around, he almost ran into the doctor hurrying across the room with an arm full of supplies.

"Rodney! Watch where you're goin', lad."

McKay moved over. "Sorry. Where's the fire?"

Beckett paused a second, weighing whether he had time to talk to the man. "Listen, I'll talk to you later. We're having a bit of a crisis with the Colonel and I need to get back to him."

McKay's face drained of color. "What kind of a crisis? Carson, you can't tell me something like that and just leave."

"Okay, lad, but I haven't time to dawdle. The Colonel's fever has shot up to 105 and we can't seem to get it down. He's delirious and fightin' us . . . keeps yelling about the Genii and wraith and Ford and such. I'm afraid if we don't get his fever down soon, he'll start havin' seizures. I've got to go now. Come back in a few hours and check with me." Beckett turned and hurried to Sheppard's cubicle in the back of the room.

McKay stood and watched for several minutes, the area around Sheppard a virtual hub of activity. No point in going to the lab, he thought. He wouldn't be able to concentrate. Walking over to the unofficial waiting area, he pulled up a chair to where he could clearly see Sheppard's bed. As he sat there, he decided that everyone on the team should know about was happening, and reached up to activate his radio.

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Beckett looked hopefully at Marcy as she took Sheppard's temperature, unaware his hands were clenched into fists.

He almost leaped for joy at the look of relief that crossed her face when she announced "103.8."

"Finally," he moaned.

Nick clapped him on the back. "We did it."

"It's about bloody time. I just hope we can keep it there this time. I want his temperature taken every thirty minutes."

"Yes, sir," responded Marcy.

Nick looked at Carson. "I know you're beat. You've been fighting this all afternoon. Why don't you get some rest and I'll keep an eye on him for a while."

Beckett nodded. "I will, but I'm not leaving. I'll just nap on the cot in the back. Be sure to let me know if his temperature starts edging up again. You'll need help."

"I will. Now get some rest."

Beckett rubbed the back of his neck as he left the cubicle, trying to ease some of the tension. He was exhausted.

"Carson," called Elizabeth. Beckett looked over to see Elizabeth, Rodney, Teyla, and Ronon gathered in the waiting area. He shuffled over to them with a sigh.

"It's almost nine o'clock. What are you all doin' here?" asked Beckett.

"Dr. McKay was kind enough to let us know about Colonel Sheppard," said Teyla. "We wanted to make sure he is all right. Has his condition improved?"

Beckett nodded. "Yes, finally. He scared us earlier with a minor seizure, but he should be able to get some rest now that his temperature's falling."

"Maybe it's just me, but this seems to be worse than the flu," said Elizabeth.

"Aye. We've been lookin' at his blood work. It appears to be a flu-like virus, but not quite. Could be a Pegasus Galaxy version, I suppose."

"Have you had any other cases?" asked Ronon.

"No. It's still just the Colonel. That could be caused by a number of factors. I was researchin' the Ancient database before the Colonel's temperature shot up. Maybe I can get back to that now."

"Can we see him?" asked Elizabeth.

Beckett shook his head. "No, not tonight. Come around tomorrow and we'll see how he's doin'. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to the computer to see if I can find any information."

When Sheppard's friends left, Kelly stepped in Beckett's office. She watched him work on the computer until he took notice and glanced up at her.

"Please don't tell me his temperature's going up all ready?"

Kelly smiled. "No." Beckett's bunched shoulders relaxed at the news. "I was just thinking that you told Nick you'd be getting some rest. This doesn't look very restful."

"I'll be getting' some rest in a few minutes. But I saw a reference to somethin' like this in the Ancient database earlier and I wanted to track it down. It might help us with Colonel Sheppard."

"Okay, but you make sure you get some rest after that."

Beckett's eyes danced. "And what are you going to do if I don't."

Kelly crossed her arms and frowned. "I will be forced to turn you in, good doctor."

"And who would you be turning me in to, since I'm the chief medical officer?"

"You can be overridden in cases of your own health."

Carson laughed and held up his hands. "I give up. I'll just be a few minutes, I promise."

Kelly winked. "Okay, but I'll be watching."

As she left, Carson couldn't help but think he was getting a little taste of his own medicine.

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Sheppard was a little afraid to open his eyes, worried that his head might explode if he did. He wasn't sure he ever remembered having a headache this bad. He would have brought his hand up to shield his eyes, but he was so weak that even the slightest twitch took a major effort. What the hell had happened to him?

"Did he wake up yet?" someone whispered. A nurse?

"Shhh. Not yet. But his temp is holding at 102, so I'm happy."

"Dr. Beckett should be here soon. Do you want to have breakfast again?" Kelly.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Nick.

Sheppard managed to work his eyes open a bit and look their way. He moaned with the effort, drawing their attention to him.

"So, Colonel, I see you're awake. How do you feel? And something more specific than 'crappy,' if you don't mind."

Sheppard's mouth was dry and tasted vile, so he was thankful when Kelly slipped him an ice chip. "Let's see if you can keep a bit of water down today," she said.

Sheppard blinked several times, trying to keep his eyes open. He was just so tired.

"Oh, no," said Nick. "Stay with me a minute, Colonel. I need to know what you're feeling."

"Headache," whispered Sheppard. "Tired . . . ache."

"How's the nausea?"

"Better." Sheppard struggled with his eyelids a minute. "Hey, Doc . . . did you ask her?"

Nick grinned. "Yes, I did. We've actually had two dates now."

Sheppard worked to produce half of a sideways grin. "Atta . . . boy."

Kelly smiled down at Sheppard and placed her hand on his arm. "I understand I have you to thank for him finally working up the nerve to ask me. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me."

Nick blushed. "Could we talk about something else?"

"Nick?"

He turned at the sound of Beckett's voice behind him. "Yeah, Carson. We're here. Guess who's awake?"

Beckett stood beside him, observing Sheppard. "Good mornin', Colonel. Nice to see you awake."

"Doc," said Sheppard, still trying to keep his eyes open.

"How's his temperature?" asked Beckett.

"Maintaining 102 for the last few hours. He said he has a headache and he's tired and achy, but the nausea is better," reported Nick.

Beckett nodded. "Colonel, your team is lurking outside waiting to see you. I have a feelin' the only way to get rid of them is to let them in for a minute. Think you can handle that?"

"Sure."

"I'll get them, doctor," said Kelly as she slipped out between the curtains. She returned a few seconds later with Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, and Elizabeth.

"Hey, guys," Sheppard croaked.

"You look a little better than the last time I saw you. Well, at least you sound better," said McKay, his upper lip curling at the thought of Sheppard hurling.

"Thanks McKay. You're all heart."

McKay was about to snap back, but fell silent as he took in the flush of Sheppard's cheeks and the fact that he was lying perfectly still, moving only to breath. It was obvious that Sheppard was fighting to keep his eyes open, and he wasn't doing a terribly good job of it—each time his eyes closed, it was a little longer before they opened again.

Teyla filled in the silence. "We wanted to see you and tell you that we hope you feel better soon."

"Yeah," said Ronon. "No soldier should ever look like you do now.'

There was a pause while they waited to see if he was still awake. He finally responded. "Thanks . . . I think."

Beckett and Nick looked at one another and nodded. "Time to go," said Beckett. "You've seen him. He's alive and kickin'. Well, maybe not kickin' just yet, but he will be soon. So out with you."

Elizabeth squeezed his shoulder, but he didn't open his eyes to look at her this time. "Feel better, John." She smiled at him as he made a small sound under his breath; she doubted he had even heard her. But he was sleeping and he was getting better, and that was something. These days, she'd take anything she could get.

TBC