Chapter 6

Carson ran rubbed his temple with his hand as he looked over some lab results, his headache was getting worse. Glancing at his watch he figured he had a few more hours before he was completely useless and someone figured out he was sick. He hoped Colonel Sheppard and his team got back soon.

"Dr. Beckett are you feeling okay?"

Looking up he saw a concerned Dr. Biro looking at him. He silently cursed for being obvious. "Of course, just a wee bit tired. There's nothing to be worried about lass." He hoped she believed him though looking at her expression it seemed doubtful.

"Making any head way?"

"No, it's almost impossible to find the cure without a sample of the bacteria that infected him and he's getting worse."

"Colonel Sheppard should be back soon, hopefully, with the sample."

Suddenly an alarm went off and one of the nurses shouted from across the room.

"Dr. Beckett and Biro he's going into cardiac arrest."

They both rushed over to the Private's bed. "We need to intubate him and someone bring over a crash cart," shouted Carson.

A nurse quickly handed him a breathing tube. Carson removed the breathing mask and intubated the unconscious Private while Dr. Biro rubbed the paddles.

"Charging 100," Dr. Biro yelled as she shocked the Private.

"No pulse," replied Carson.

"Charging 200."

"Still no pulse."

"Charging 300."

"No pulse."

Just as she was about to shock the Private again Carson yelled, "Wait we have a pulse." The medic staff surrounding the Private sighed in relief. "I'm need to up date Dr. Weir. I'll be in by office if anyone needs me," said Carson trying to ignore Dr. Biro's concerned looked. He hurried off toward his office and shut the door.

Once inside his office he when over to his desk and sat down, he could feel his head pounding and the start of a chill, that was new symptom. Frowning to himself, he slowly pulled out a folded up piece of paper, his test result, from his lab coat pocket. It had been in his pocket for a few hours now, before Sheppard and his team left Atlantis. He had been avoiding looking at it, knowing what it was going to show. Carson's hands shook slightly as he unfolded the paper. He swore softly as he saw the results; it was for sure that he was infected now. He needed to tell someone on his staff that he was infected before he was unable to, but first he needed to call Dr. Weir to update her on Goodrich, she wanted to know of any changes in his condition. He blinked as his eyes blurred. Shaking his head to clear his vision he pulled out his radio to call Dr. Weir.

"Dr. Weir, its Carson. You wanted to be updated on Goodrich's condition."

"Is he getting worse?"

"I'm afraid so. We've had to intubate him and he went into cardiac arrest, but he seems stable for the moment."

There was a pause before she answered, "Colonel Sheppard should be reporting back soon. I'll send them down right away."

"Okay."

Carson then turned his radio off and rested his forehead on his hand. His thoughts seemed to be a little jumbled now and his forehead felt hot against. He probably had a high fever and he should probably tell someone he was infected. Feeling extremely dizzy he made his way to the door, grabbing the paper with the results from his test in his hand but he never made it that far. He felt his knees buckle beneath him just as he got up from his chair. He reached out and tried to steady himself against his desk, only to succeed in knocking his stereoscope to the floor, and dropping the paper in his hand. The floor seemed to rush up toward him as he collapsed. He lay shivering on the floor, his head pounding, and he could feel the darkness threatening to overtake him. He should have written a note to Dr. Biro or told someone when he had a chance. He just hoped someone found him in time. Carson struggled to keep his eyes open; they were feeling heavier by the second. Maybe he'll rest them for just a few seconds, he thought to himself. He closed them and was soon unconscious. His time was running out, as his staff was unaware of his present predicament.

Dr. Biro was getting worried. Dr. Beckett looked like he was getting sick and he shut himself in his office again. She sighed and walked toward his office. She shook her head; she knew that he wouldn't rest until he found a cure for Goodrich but Atlantis needed their CMO to stay well. She knocked on his door. "Dr. Beckett?" She waited but there was no reply. She knocked again then slowly opened the door. "Dr. Beckett?" Looking inside she didn't see the Doctor. That's weird; she didn't remember seeing him leaving the infirmary. Just as she was about to leave to check in the cafeteria she spotted his stereoscope on the floor by his desk. Frowning she walked over to pick them up. She bent down to pick them up and gasped. She saw a very pale looking Dr. Beckett lying on his side on the floor. She quickly kneed beside him and felt for a pulse. Finding one she let her breathe go that she was holding. She shook her head; he probably collapsed from his lack of sleep. Shaking him lightly she tried waking him. "Dr. Beckett can you hear me?" Getting no response she gently rolled him over so he was lying on his back and pulled out her penlight. Opening his eyes she shined her light into them. "Dr. Beckett?" She heard him grumble a bit and he tried swatting her hand away but his eyes were still closed. "Dr. Beckett I need you to wake up." Noticing he had some sweat along his hairline she felt his forehead with her hand. She quickly pulled her hand away when she felt how hot it was. Maybe he wasn't get tired after all; it looked like he was very sick. "I need some help in here," she yelled as loud as she could. Soon she heard the footsteps of someone coming in the office. Looking up she heard the nurse gasp.

"Is Dr. Beckett okay?"

"I need you to get a medical team in here quickly." The nurse seemed frozen in shocked at the condition of the CMO.

"NOW!" Broken from her trance the nurse then hurried off. She tried waking the Doctor again. "Dr. Beckett you need to wake up."

Deep in his mind Carson could hear a familiar voice calling to him. He tried opening his eyes and to his surprise, he was able to crack them open a bit. "Dr. Biro?" he mumbled weakly.

"Dr. Beckett that goodness you're awake. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

Carson blinked his heavy eyes. Didn't she know what was wrong with him, he told her; wait, he suddenly realized he must have passed out before telling her. He had to tell her quickly before he wouldn't be able to. Just as he was about to he felt exhausted and his eyes were closing again. He felt a finger tip tap his face gently.

"Dr. Beckett I need you to stay awake."

"Bacteria...I'm...infected," he said slowly. Each breath seemed harder to take and his lungs felt sore in his chest. He saw Dr. Biro's concerned face.

"Bacteria? Infected? What are you talking about? Doctor...," her voice trailed off when she made the connection. "I thought you said it wasn't contagious?"

"It's not," Carson gasped and he tried lifting his hand to show her he poked it with Goodrich's blood sample but he was unable to do so. He felt his eyes closing again.

"Dr. Beckett I need you to stay with me."

"So tired," he gasped out as his breaths were becoming labored. He saw Dr. Biro's concerned face as his eyes shut and his lids became heavy.

"Carson! Open your eyes." That was the last thing he heard before he lost consciousness.

Just as Carson lost consciousness the medical team arrived.

"Quick I need a portable oxygen mask. Someone call Dr. Weir and tell her to come down to infirmary immediately. Don't tell her what happened, I'll tell her as soon as she comes," said Dr. Biro.

She barely noticed someone running out of the room to call Weir. One of nurses handed her the mask quickly, placing it on Carson's face.

"Let's get him into one of the infirmary bed," she told the staff.

They nodded and gently lifted Carson onto the stretcher they brought with them. Within no time they had him on the stretcher and were out the door. She started to follow them out, but one of the nurses grabbed her arm.

"Dr. Biro, I think you should look at this," she said handing her a piece of paper.

Taking the paper she glanced down at it, she felt her heart stop for a second. It was a test result paper and looking closer she saw it was Carson's.

"Where did you find this?"

"On the floor over there," the nurse said pointing by the desk.

Dr. Biro was torn between being furious and extremely worried about Carson. She couldn't believe he actually tested his blood without telling anyone that there was a good possibility that he was infected. Taking a few deep breaths she looked up and saw the nurse's concerned face.

"Is Dr. Beckett going to be okay?" the nurse asked.

"I hope so. Come on we better go," Dr. Biro said gesturing toward the door.

They hurried after the medical team. Dr. Biro still couldn't believe Carson didn't tell her he was sick even after she asked him, she wished she checked his office soon. The nerve of him, he could have at least written her a note. Why on earth would he not tell her, she thought he had enough common sense and he was the CMO. It then dawned to her, he must thought that if anyone knew he was infected he would have been confined to a bed. She almost grinned; it was so typical of Carson to do something like that. Dr. Biro shook her head; he was always putting his own health second and pushing himself to the limits. If he got better no, she corrected herself, when he got better she was going to have a long talk with him. She hoped that Colonel Sheppard and his team made it back soon before it was too late.

AN: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you liked this chapter, my longest one so far :) I'll try to update soon within a couple of days or at the end of the week… if my schoolwork allows me too.