Black and White.

Chapter Twelve.

AN: As TPTB are so poor at choosing names for secondary characters in Atlantis (Chuck the Gate Technician for example) it's my turn to play pick a medic so I've naturally chosen the one with the UK arm patch from Conversion and The Long Goodbye.

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Dr Elizabeth Weir slowed as she reached the entrance to the infirmary. It was an uncharacteristic hesitation…but. She knew that she was not responsible for what had happened to Carson Beckett and his team; she could argue that point clearly with herself. But. She had asked, no persuaded him to go. She had been pushing all the teams hard and had decided to send just a skeleton team with Beckett. She had also wanted him to become as used to 'gate travel as anyone living in Atlantis. Finally, she had thought he could do with a break, a bit of time off base…a bit of fun. And he had looked dead when he had been brought off the returning Puddle Jumper.

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As the Stargate alarm had sounded, Elizabeth had stepped onto the balcony outside her office in time to see the first Puddle Jumper burst through the 'gate. It had settled immediately to the floor of the Gate Room instead of heading for the 'jumper bay. The medical teams were already waiting.

First off had been Alice Carstairs. She had been unconscious but the lack of medical intervention had been a hopeful sign to Elizabeth's eyes. Then Carson. The medical team on standby had gone onto the Puddle Jumper and she had waited five minutes for the gurney to appear. He was rushed off, his staff were going frantic. She had hoped that it was just an expression of their anxiety after waiting several days for the return of their CMO, who was probably the most popular head of staff on Atlantis, but they had felt the need to rig oxygen and IV's in the 'jumper and their haste seemed real. He had looked dreadful.

Then the rest of the rescue team had stepped off the Puddle Jumper, carrying equipment and shrugging off the waiting medical staff. There were two more gurneys waiting but John Sheppard had looked up at Elizabeth as she stood on the balcony and slowly shook his head, regret etched across his face. Her stomach had lurched – they had lost two more. It was little more than a year since she had led this expedition to investigate the wonders and research possibilities of the distant galaxy and even after all that had happened it still seemed wrong to be losing people.

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She drew herself up slightly and entered the infirmary. There were two curtained off cubicles. As she neared the first she could hear voices. A woman's voice rose with a ragged edge of hysteria.

"They will come and we will all die. They suck the life out of your bones –slowly- you can see it, feel it. We will all be ash and dust."

"Alice, you are back in Atlantis. You are safe." The calm soothing tones of Kate Heightmeyer's voice cut across the frantic words.

"Nowhere is safe. They've been here before – they will come again. There is no escape."

Elizabeth stared at the curtains listening to Heightmeyer's soothing reassurances. It was quite possible that the Wraith were already on their way to Atlantis. She wondered if she would be as good as Kate in persuading Alice that there was no possible threat. She started slightly at a gentle touch on her arm and turned to see Yvette Cooper, the English doctor on Atlantis, who gave her a smile that did not reach her eyes and who was holding Carson's notes in her hands. She had obviously come from the direction of Carson's office which felt so very wrong.

"You have come to see Dr Beckett and Dr Carstairs?" She queried in a soft lilting English accent.

"I'm sorry I was not able to come sooner. I was not aware of Alice's condition. As you are aware Atlantis is in a state of alert over its possible rediscovery by the Wraith." Elizabeth was summarising a frantic few hours. She had also been involved in discussions with the Gulathais. And heading off a few requests for reprisal. How can I blame a community for endangering others to protect itself? We have done it too many times ourselves.

"That's not a problem Dr Weir. I think we must have had most of the base coming to the infirmary on some pretext or other. I was not really aware of how many of them Dr Beckett has had to treat while we have been here. The rescue team have all dropped by to check on him – they've been haunting the place. We had to throw out Dr Mckay; he was complaining that none of us knew what we were doing. I'm beginning to think he was right." Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at that remark but followed the doctor up the ward.

Dr Cooper preceded her to the bed where Carson was lying. As could be expected the doctor was surrounded by softly beeping monitors; wires, tubes and IV lines snaked across his body. His face was drawn and pale, what she could see of it, as he was heavily bandaged at his neck and forehead. His chin was scruffy with the beginning of a beard which was not hiding what appeared to be healing talon marks on his face. Elizabeth watched his steady but shallow breathing and prepared herself for Cooper's report.

Dr Cooper spoke. "We have repaired some physical injuries – there were extensive lacerations especially on his wrists and neck, which have resulted in some blood loss. There is an unknown device attached to his central nervous system at the base of his skull, which we have left in place for the time being as we are unsure of what will happen if it is removed. He was dehydrated, weak and quite shocky. In addition there's a slight heart arrhythmia, whose cause we have not yet been able to determine, and he suffered from smoke inhalation which was fortunately minor. But the main problem is that he has not shown any sign of consciousness and to be honest we are not quite sure of what we are dealing with here. This end of the Universe continues to throw up unique problems and the person best equipped to work out how to counter them is lying here in a coma. We are in effect providing full support to Dr Beckett's body and waiting to see whether he will survive this trauma."

Elizabeth's face creased with concern. That did not sound very good. She thought of Sheppard's description of how Carson had been found. The damage to the control room, which he seemed to have survived. But how had he been affected – they simply would not know until he woke if he woke. The biochemistry work-ups that the medic was showing her just seemed to indicate extreme stress and its aftermath, the physical symptoms almost hinted at a form of electrocution. Once more they were dealing with the unknown.

"Come on, Carson," she murmured. She was aware of the cliché but for once it was so appropriate, Physician heal thyself.

She settled into a chair at Carson's side. She could clear space for a vigil. She took up a pale cold hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze, careful not to jostle the IV lines. And began her watch.

TBC