AN: Here's the next chapter and I think you will start to understand the mystery behind Teyla, but a new complication arises…

It was all she could to do not to collapse in the tunnels outside the room. There, in the back of her mind, the memories that she had furiously squashed earlier were pounding relentlessly to take control. They wanted to take her back to that place, a place she swore she wouldn't…couldn't…deal with again. Hands on the damp walls, she paused to try to keep the world from spinning out from her. All she had to do was make it outside, then she could sit and calm her mind. Only a few more steps and she would be free…

Footsteps behind her were increasing in volume. Whoever followed her was getting closer and she had to pull herself together before they got to her.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Flash

...the reflection of light off the blade as it arced down towards her hand…

Flash

That one was strong. But she was stronger. She gathered her inner reserves and squared her shoulders. Placing her palms at her sides, she turned to face whoever was following her. And was met by the surprised face of Col. Sheppard.

"Teyla. Are you okay?" he wheezed slightly as he spoke. "You seemed a little faint back in there…are you feeling alright?"

Teyla knew she couldn't outright lie, so she did the best she could, "I am alright, Col. Just a little light-headed. I suspect it will pass once I return to the fresh air."

He didn't believe her, that much was certain. But he hesitated in calling her on it. He saw how she rocked slightly back to rest on the wall. It was barely noticeable, but there nonetheless. He stepped forward slightly to lean into her. It made her uncomfortable for him to be this close, he could see, but he needed some truth. Her eyes had narrowed and a slight sheen of sweat collected on her brow. She was flushed but not the kind of healthy flush he wanted to inspire in her. Frankly, she looked sick.

"We should head back to Atlantis. You aren't looking too hot right now and it would greatly ease my mind if you saw Carson as soon as possible."

"That is not necessary, Col. I will be fine. I just need some…"

"Air, I know. But I do not want to endanger your health more by keeping you on a mission that, frankly, could be done by monkees with a hammer. No offense to Rodney of course." Sheppard tapped his COM and continued, "McKay, Ronon, we're heading back now. Clean up and get outside."

"What's the big rush? We don't have to check in for another hour and this could provide a wealth of information…"

"I don't have time to argue. Teyla's sick and we need to get back now!"

"Fine, fine. We're coming."

"Good. Sheppard out."

They were coming back. Stronger than ever.

…she could feel the slow burn as the knife was dragged across her abdomen…

Oh Ancestors! She could feel a tingle were the scars now resided. It was getting too hard to keep it all down. She needed to be outside now.

Sheppard looked to the woman now completely leaning against the wall in front of him. Her hands were clenched and her eyes shut as if in great pain. He was about to grab her arms to help her up and out when she suddenly opened her eyes and darted towards the entrance. The sounds of retching nearby alerted him to her presence near the bushes. She was crouched on the leaves, head bent, and arms clutching her stomach. She looked ready to curl up and die in that position. It must be the flu, he thought. But did the Pegasus galaxy have necessary the immune resistance capable of sustaining her through the virus? He did not want to find that out first hand.

"Rodney, Ronon, get your asses out here now!"

…fire…heat…her hands were slick with blood and they just kept going…

Her palms were tingling now; the bite of steel curiously asserting itself. This was not right, her mind furiously bit back. There was a hand at her back, rubbing in slow circles. 'John,' she wanted to cry out. But her voice was not working as her teeth ground together to stave off the next wave of glimpses. Her throat was on fire and everything ached, from her head to her toes. Her skin was hyper-sensitive at her back where John's hand was asserting the faintest of pressure. 'John, help me!' was at her tongue. She felt as if drowning in her own mind. She had no control and was being tossed around between memory and reality.

The ground vibrated as the other two team members ran out. Ronon was immediately at her other side, crouching. He and John shared a silent look as they took her arms and half-carried, half-dragged her body towards the trail. Rodney was uncharacteristically silent during the process, following the trio and keeping an eye out for potential surprises.

The entire walk was an arduous task. Teyla was practically dead weight in their collective arms and her body rigid with tension. She was conscious, a fact that eased John's mind somewhat, but barely. She was caught in the throes of something and it scared the hell out of him. It was only within a few hundred yards of the gate that faint moans could be heard from her. Rodney immediately dialed the gate and sent the IDC, but the few moments of waiting were enough to push John to the edge of his restraint. Ronon was quiet beside him, and his face unnaturally calm. But then again, he couldn't afford to be anything less in this situation. Rodney was already showing the signs of strain more than enough for the both of them and it wouldn't do for the team leader to break down as well. 'Grace under pressure' was a motto he wanted to stick by despite who it was that was now under his care.

The moans were getting louder and they were not gentle noises.

"Col. Sheppard, you have clearance to proceed through the gate."

The mismatched trio of warriors were the first ones through the gate, immediately met by Elizabeth with a questioning look of concern on her face.

"We need a medical team down here stat!" John immediately started in. "We don't know what's wrong with her. She just started feeling sick while we were checking out the building. None of us were affected by anything and nothing weird happened. I think she may be sick with something she caught a while ago. She was supposed to be checked out by Carson earlier today."

Elizabeth calmly replied, "Nonetheless, I'd like the entire team checked for toxins. It may be something specific in her that would cause this reaction whereas it may be slow acting in you three."

Teyla was in a haze. She was vaguely aware of the men supporting her at each side, but it was too hard to focus on anything other than the sensation of contact. The memories were getting stronger and longer. She could no longer fight them off as before.

…the ropes around her wrist were tight and the blood was everywhere. One… 'Athos,' she whispered. And there was relief for a brief moment. Then the hands were at her again. Two… 'Athos,' once more, faintly. Three…

All at once, Teyla threw her head back and cried out in a hoarse voice, "JOHN!" before collapsing finally.

John took her weight as they slowly fell to the floor. She was out completely and he was left holding her limp body. Medics were coming in to take her to the infirmary with Carson at the helm. John knew he should let go of her and let them take care of the situation, but oddly, his hands weren't responding to the call of his brain. There was something so jarring, almost primal in her use of his name. He never wanted to hear her say his name like that ever again.

"How long has she been like this?" Carson's question seemed to snap John out of his thoughts, "Son, I need ta know how long she's been feeling unwell."

"For the last hour I think," came his stilted answer.

"All right. Lets get her ta bed. Her pulse is steady. She seems ta have just collapsed. Now, I need all of ya ta come along as well. We'll need ta do full work-ups on all of ya."

They wheeled her prone body out of the gate room with all three men following. The rest of the personnel were left standing in the room with a faintly shocked look about them. They had all stopped working when they heard Teyla call out for the Colonel. It was a painful cry reminiscent of Col. Sheppards shouts of pain when the Iratus was clamped to his neck. All were at once grateful for not being on the first-contact team. It was not the first time they had thought this and it certainly would not be the last.

The infirmary was as cold and sterile as it ever had been. Various nurses were taking blood samples and tests on three patients while the fourth was in an isolated bed, hooked up to an array of monitors. She still hadn't awakened but all electronic read outs were within the normal parameters. It seemed as if she was just sleeping. An IV was hooked up to her arm, the saline drip a steady clear flow into her body. She was still and pale, a far cry from the earlier flush and incessant sweating on the planet.

"All her tests came back normal. There is no infection, no virus, no nothing. Her adrenalin levels were quite a bit elevated which has me concerned. What produced such a violent reaction tha' her adrenal glands would pump out this much hormone? You assured me she ingested nothing and you all inhaled the same air, so I know abou' as much as you all as ta what's wrong with her," Carson explained in a quiet voice to his audience of Elizabeth, Maj. Lorne, and the three other patients. "Mayhap once we get the results back from tha Colonel, Rodney and Ronon we shall have our answer. All we can do for now is monitor and wait for her ta come out of it."

"Thank you, Carson. For now, all travel to M3X-P429 is suspended just in case. Update me if…when her condition changes," Elizabeth replied. She wanted this situation to resolve itself. Despite their roles as individual leaders, Elizabeth felt a kinship to the petite woman on the bed. She couldn't say they were good friends in the way that Teyla bonded with her teammates, but she liked to think they were friends of some sort. Teyla understood her duty to Atlantis and never questioned her. Well, not never. But she comprehended the responsibility and the decisions Elizabeth never wanted to take but had to make anyway. They were too similar to become much more than they were. At least, that's what Elizabeth thought. There was always that small hope that she could find that kindred soul and share the burden. She saw in Teyla that potential and never pursued it, too scared to let go of her control. And maybe Teyla thought the same.

TBC