For Naught part 2/7

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Sheppard sauntered toward the infirmary feeling a comfortable sense of relief that he was finally back home on Atlantis with his team safe and together again. When he'd stepped through the gate and greeted Elizabeth with a pithy, "sorry we're late," he'd been ready with his next breath to order for Zelenka and put the scientist to work. His main concern, after seeing to Ronon and Teyla's health, was finding a way back to Ford's mystery planet and rescuing Rodney.

Weir had stopped him with a hesitant smile. "He's on the Daedalus, John." Her words had surprised him and,as Carson rushed to check out Ronon and Teyla and escort them to the infirmary. John remembered staring at Weir as if she'd grown a second head.

"What? How?"

"He escaped on his own." She'd nodded, understanding his questions if not giving him the answers he truly wanted. "Helped us figure the location of the Hive ships."

"The Daedalus was there?" John looked at Ronon and Teyla,but they were already leaving the gateroom. "We didn't…"

"We'll explain later," Elizabeth cut him off. "Right now, let's get you checked out at the infirmary. The Daedalus will be back soon."

"And Rodney is?"

Elizabeth nodded again. "He's fine, John. He'll be happy to see you're safe."

John laughed softly now at the memory. Sure Rodney was happy to see them. "Why aren't you dead?" McKay's words brought out a sarcastic response in him, but he knew McKay well enough to know the man was glad to see them all alive and for the most part, unharmed.

Rounding the corner near the infirmary, John moved to allow two nurses to pass him. He nodded a silent greeting and kept walking, hearing them continue their conversation once they were past him.

"Did you see him?" one lady asked.

"No, but I heard about it. Heard he screamed at Dr. Beckett and everything."

"He did. They had to move him to a more secluded part of the infirmary and keep him restrained for quite a while."

John frowned, wondering whom the two were talking about and if they should be talking about the person at all.

As he entered the infirmary, he heard Carson reprimanding Ronon about the importance of resting now.

"Worst is over." Ronon was arguing, obviously put off by Carson's request that both he and Teyla stay the night in the infirmary.

"Aye, I know that, son." Carson was patient. "I just want to monitor you both and make sure there aren't any complications from going through the withdrawal without proper medical care."

Ronon sighed and looked at Sheppard for help, but John merely shrugged. Seeing the Colonel wasn't going to help, Dex tried another avenue. "Why isn't McKay here too then?"

Carson swallowed slowly, his gaze shifting.

"Rodney wasn't taking as large a dose as you two," John reminded, before Beckett could answer the runner. "And he's already had medical attention. I'm guessing his bellyaching was probably worse than his actual withdrawal."

Ronon snorted and Teyla chuckled,but Beckett stiffened and turned away rather abruptly.

"Carson?" Teyla noticed the doctor's reaction first.

"Yes?" Carson turned again, facing the Athosian, but there was anger in his voice.

"Rodney is alright, is he not?"

Beckett glanced at Sheppard.

"What?" John's relief slipped into unease. What wasn't he being told? Since they'd returned to Atlantis they'd been checked out in the infirmary and had the brief meeting when the Daedalusreturned,but Weir had scheduled the official debriefing for the next morning after everyone had gotten a full night's rest. John hadn't minded the idea then, but now, looking at Carson's half panicked, half enraged expression, he wanted to know what he was missing.

Carson continued to stall, his mouth working like he was fighting a battle, wanting to tell the Colonel something, but not knowing if he should.

"Carson?" Sheppard slipped into an 'official' tone. "Did Rodney have trouble with the withdrawal? He seemed fine. Did he give you a particularly hard time or something?"

"Maybe we should wait and discuss this tomorrow at the debriefing." Carson's voice was short and clipped. "I'm not certain…"

"You're not certain of what?" John pressed. "What the hell happened?"

Carson let out a long sigh of surrender. "Didn't Elizabeth tell you what happened? How Rodney escaped?"

"Not yet." Ronon said.

"Figured he outsmarted the guards and put the DHDback together," John answered, his worry growing as he read the mix of anger and concern on Carson's face.

"Oh he outsmarted them alright." Carson shook his head.

"What exactly did Dr. McKay do?" Teyla questioned softly.

"He injected himself with a doze of enzyme so he could overpower the guards and escape."

"He what?" John's heart all but stopped. "How much enzyme?"

Carson looked down again.

"Carson."

Anger flared in the doctor's eyes as he looked up and met Sheppard's demanding gaze. "A massive dose, near as much as Ford," headmitted hotly. "He didn't need to exaggerate his complaining," he,added bitingly. "We had nothing to help him save a few drugs that barely made a dent in his pain, and the man went through hell."

Sheppard backed into Teyla's bed and sank slowly down onto the mattress. His mind raced with images of Ford writhing on the floor of the Wraith cell, of Teyla informing him that Kenau was dead.

"I wasn't sure ifhe was going to…"

John shot off the bed.

"Colonel?"

"I'm gonna kill him." Anger flared through John. What had Rodney been thinking? Did he not think that John and the others would come back for him? Was he so distrustful that he'd gone and almost killed himself rather than wait and stay safe where he was?

"John!"

He ignored Teyla's desperate shout as he stalked out of the infirmary. All he cared about now was finding Rodney and pounding some sense into the scientist.