Chapter 8
Stepping through the stargate Colonel Sheppard and his team found themselves back on Atlantis. John looked up at the control room expecting to see Dr. Weir watching overhead, but was surprised when he did not see her. Before he was able to ask someone and a technician spoke.
"Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Weir would you to report to the infirmary with the water sample."
"Okay, where's Dr. Weir?" John asked the technician.
"I think she may be in her office."
John nodded to the technician as he returned back to his work.
"Well let's get this sample to Dr. Beckett," said John turning to his team members. They then made their way to the infirmary with a grumbling Rodney, who was still upset at John. Near the doors John turned around and asked, "So how's your wrist McKay?"
"What do you think? It's fine no thanks to you," McKay said with a hard stare.
"Ouch that was harsh. You almost make it sound like it was MY fault you tripped and hurt your wrist. It's not like I pushed you down that hill."
"But you made me go down it!"
"So?" John sighed before continuing, "It's not like I wanted you to get hurt. Why don't you grow McKay?"
"Me? What about you?"
Before they could go on Teyla cleared her throat, "I believe you both need to let it go." Now John and Rodney glared at her.
"I thought you were on my side?" said John.
Behind her Aiden started laughing.
Teyla rolled her eyes, "I'm not on anyone's side. All three of you need to grow up."
She then walked ahead of them toward the infirmary.
John turned to Sergeant Edwin who was standing silently off to the side. "What do you think? Do you think she's right?"
"Sir I rather not answer that question." Still under the Colonel's stare he added, "Shouldn't we get that sample to Dr. Beckett?"
"Yea." Turning to Rodney he said, "We'll discuss this later."
They hurried after Teyla who was waiting patiently by the door. Soon they were inside the pretty quiet infirmary. Looking around for the good Doctor, they noticed how quiet it was. It gave them an eerie feeling as they ventured further in. Deep in the infirmary they saw Dr. Weir and Dr. Biro talking in hushed voices. John then shouted, "Dr. Weir we're back. What are you doing in the infirmary? Where's Dr. Beckett? We've got the water sample he wanted."
They stopped talking and turned toward the team.
"John you're back early," Elizabeth said and glanced down at her watch. "I wasn't expecting you back for another fifteen minutes."
"Surprise? If we're too early we could go back to the planet for a few minutes."
"No, that's okay."
"Where's Dr. Beckett?" asked Rodney.
"He's um…" Elizabeth paused, unsure of how to answer. She looked at Dr. Biro.
"Unavailable right now," Dr. Biro said. "Did you get the sample?"
"Yea."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the vial. John started to hand it to Dr. Biro but then stopped midway. "Shouldn't I give this to Dr. Beckett?"
"Can I please have the sample?" Dr. Biro said.
"No offense but shouldn't I give it to Dr. Beckett? I mean he's the one working on the cure."
"He was but I'm now working on it. Can I please have the sample?"
"What do you mean he was? Why isn't he…" he started to say before he was interrupted by Elizabeth.
"John, please give her the sample."
Without another protest he handed the sample over. Dr. Biro nodded and rushed off toward the lab. They watched her leave; after she was gone Teyla broke the silence.
"Dr. Weir did something happen while we were gone?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Wait where's Carson?" asked a slightly panicked Rodney, who's wrist was still sore.
"He's in the infirmary."
"Is he okay?" asked John now very worried.
"I'm afraid not."
"He's sick?" asked Rodney in disbelief.
"Yes even Doctors get sick Rodney."
"But he's never sick," said Rodney.
"Will he be okay?" asked Teyla.
"He's not doing so well. We really need to find a cure for that bacteria from the river."
"What does he have?" asked Rodney.
"He doesn't have the same think as Goodrich does he?" asked a worried Aiden.
Elizabeth looked around at the worried faces. She hated it when she was a bearer of bad news. She took a deep breath.
"I'm afraid so. So you can see why we need to find a cure fast."
"I thought it wasn't contagious," said John.
"It's not."
"Then how did he get sick?" asked Aiden.
"He might have accidentally infected himself," said Elizabeth sadly.
It was silent as it sank in.
"How bad is it?" asked Rodney softly.
"I don't know. I didn't get a good look at him."
"Could we see him?" asked Teyla.
"I don't know."
A nurse came out of the back room and walked by them. "Nurse, would it be possible for us to see Dr. Beckett?" asked Dr. Weir.
The nurse glanced at the worried faces and slowly nodded her head. "I guess it would be alright if you're all quiet and only for a few minutes."
They nodded, the nurse then beckoned them with her hand to follow her. They followed her silently to the room she had come out of. Stopping at the door, she turned toward them.
"Are you sure you all want to see Dr. Beckett? It doesn't look very good."
Once again they nodded they're heads.
"Okay then. Please remember to remain quiet."
She slowly opened the door and walked in. Inside they saw Dr. Beckett laying on one of the bed and Goodrich on a bed on the other end of the room. Dr. Becket had an oxygen mask over his mouth and there were various wires attached to him and monitors near by. He looked very pale and seemed to be barely breathing; they were all shocked at the doctor's condition.
"Is he going to be okay?" Rodney asked quietly.
"I hope so," the nurse replied.
Dr. Biro hurried out of the lab with two syringes in her hand; she hoped she found the cure in time, it had been a few hours since Sheppard and his team came back with the sample. Reaching the room that Goodrich and Carson were in she rushed in, not surprised to find Colonel Sheppard's team near Carson's bed. She wondered how they convinced the nurses to let them stay in the room and surprisingly, John and Rodney were not arguing. They looked up as she approached them; their faces seem to light up a bit.
"You found it?" John asked her.
"Yes and hopefully it will work."
"Wait a minute, what do you mean hopefully?" asked Rodney.
"Well, it was successful in a lab simulation but I'm afraid that there's not enough time to run any more tests on it."
They nodded, understanding Goodrich and Carson were getting worse and that they did not have a whole lot of time left. Dr. Biro handed one of the syringes to one of the nurses, to be used on Goodrich. Taking the other one she injected it into Carson's arm.
"Do you think it's going to work?" Teyla asked.
"I don't know. Hopefully it will. We'll know in a few hours."
AN: I hope you're enjoying the story so far. There's one more chapter left, maybe two depending on how long it is. Please keep reading and reviewing. So until next week…