Three hours later, John returned to the Infirmary to find Rodney sitting on his bed, with Carson's computer in pieces around him. He was muttering to himself, and John suspected some of the mutterings might be some Czech oaths he'd picked up form Zelenka.

"Rodney?" John said, questioningly as he approached. "Aren't you meant to be resting?"

"Idiot," Rodney muttered. John looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

"Not you!" Rodney replied, impatiently. "Here, hold that for a minute." Rodney handed John a small component from inside the computer.

"What are you doing?" John asked, holding the component carefully, as if it were about to explode.

"I'm trying to prove that Carson didn't try to kill me," Rodney replied, as if it was obvious.

"Okay," John drawled. "And how is this helping?" He waved his free hand at the computer in a multitude of bits.

"Well, some idiot erased the data from Carson's computer," Rodney said, disgust in his voice. "I'd promised Carson that I would look at the data, to see if I could find something to prove he was in his room rather than setting up the laser."

"You've spoken to Carson?" John asked, picking up on the less obvious point. "Is he awake?"

"Sometimes," Rodney replied, dismissively. "But when I checked the computer, someone had erased the data."

"Was it Carson?" John asked.

"Not unless he managed to be in two places at one time," Rodney replied. "It was erased while he was carefully under guard here in the Infirmary."

"Dr McKay!" Jeff Stanton's voice rang across the Infirmary. "Just what are you doing?"

"He's trying to prove Carson's innocent," John said, ironically. "Isn't it obvious."

Stanton just gave John a withering look.

"You should be resting," he said, addressing Rodney.

"How can I rest knowing someone is trying to kill me, and that Carson is being accused of it?" Rodney replied with an edge to his voice.

"If you don't rest, Dr McKay," Stanton replied. "Then whoever is trying to kill you might just succeed. Your body has been through a lot and needs rest."

Before Rodney could retort, John decided to intervene, and change the subject slightly.

"How's Carson?" he asked, glancing over at the cubicle where the Scot was lying. He noticed that there was quite a lot of activity going on.

"We're moving him back to his cell," Stanton said, sounding rather depressed by the thought.

"Who authorized it?" John asked, sharply.

"It was Dr Weir," Stanton replied, quickly, not wanting to get caught in some kind of tug-of-war over Carson. "Carson has improved considerably now. He just needed to sleep, it seems. And Dr Weir suggested the safest place for him was back in the cell."

"Wouldn't it be better to find the bad guy, rather than lock up the good guy just to keep him safe?" Rodney asked. "And last time I looked, I seemed to be the person he was after. I'm the one who was almost killed twice, or was it three times? So why don't you lock me up in a cell?"

"Don't tempt me," Stanton muttered under his breath. John tried to hide his grin, but luckily Rodney hadn't heard.

Just then Nurse Thomas arrived. "We're ready to move Dr Beckett, Sir," he said to Stanton. Stanton nodded and then hurried off with the nurse, to oversee the re-imprisonment of his boss.

Rodney yawned, loudly, which made John smile.

"I think you should take the Doc's advice," he said, patting Rodney's shoulder. "You look a little peaky."

"'Peaky'," Rodney said indignantly. "Is that a medical term?"

"Yep," John replied. "It's out of the 'Sheppard Book of Medical Phrases'."

"Not only do I have to content with quacks dispensing their voodoo medicine, I have to deal with amateurs too," Rodney replied with a sigh, which quickly became another yawn.

Thomas approached them again. "Dr Stanton said I was to make sure you rested, Dr McKay," Thomas said. Although his tone was even, his bulk made the words sound almost threatening. Rodney threw an anxious look at John, wanting support.

"Hey, don't look at me," John replied to the look. "I kinda agree with the medics here. You look pooped."

"Pooped!" Rodney replied, his voice rising into it's higher register. "Another wonderful medical term. I look pooped!"

"Done-in?" John suggested. "Dead-beat. Worn-out. Exhausted."

"And now he's become a walking thesaurus," Rodney said, muttering to himself.

Before John could retaliate, his comm-link sounded.

"Sorry guys," he said. "I've got a meeting I should have been at 10 minutes ago. Play nice!"

oOoOoOo

Carson lay back on the bunk, trying to work out how he felt. So much had happened in the last week or so, and his body had reached exhaustion point and beyond. The more he tried to make sense of things, the less sense they seemed to make.

He felt as if his brain was stuffed full of cotton wool. The more he tried to concentrate, to put the facts together, the less certain he became of anything.

He sighed deeply. At least Rodney seemed to believe him. It was strange that the person he was supposed to be trying to kill was the very person who seemed to believe most in his innocence.

There was something niggling at the back of Carson's mind. Something he knew was important; something that could save Rodney's life, and his own freedom. But he couldn't remember what it was. It was something elusive, floating just beyond his cognitive abilities. It was something that had happened as he'd been getting ready to come back to his cell. Something had happened to spark a memory, but he couldn't bring that memory into focus.

He concentrated for a moment, trying to force his tired brain to co-operate, but the more he tried to focus, the fuzzier the memory became. Exhausted, physically and mentally, the doctor fell into a deep and troubled sleep.

oOoOoOo

Carson wasn't the only one troubled. The eyes were troubled too. It had been a little too close, sabotaging Dr Beckett's computer. He'd almost been caught. And with McKay and Sheppard both working on the puzzle, he would have to watch his step even more carefully.

He couldn't delay his plan much longer. He needed to bring his revenge to full and sweet fruition. Now, before someone, somewhere realized what he was up to.

oOoOoOo

John sat in Elizabeth's office, with Ronon and Teyla standing at the side.

"How is Carson?" Elizabeth asked.

"Dr Stanton says he is improving," John said.

"You don't sound too happy about it," Ronon observed.

"While he was in the Infirmary, he was safe; he couldn't be accused of anything else, but now . . . ."

"Do you have any thoughts on what is going on?" Teyla asked. "Everyone we spoke to, seemed to see nothing out of the ordinary."

"Yep," Ronon agreed. "Whoever did this, is someone they're used to seeing, someone like Beckett."

"That's what worries me," Sheppard admitted. "The more I investigate, the more likely it seems to be that it was Beckett."

"What about his computer?" Elizabeth asked. "Rodney said it had been erased while he was in the Infirmary."

"Zelenka said there was a power surge," Ronon pointed out. "Coulda been a pure fluke."

"So," Elizabeth said. "We've had two attempts on Rodney's life. One of which was witnessed by someone who identified Carson. We've had a marine, last seen with Carson, who ended up dead, killed with Carson's scapel, and the only defense he had, has been erased."

"Doesn't sound good, does it?" John agreed.

"I need something more to work with, John," Elizabeth said. "I'm already under pressure to send Carson back to Earth to stand trial. And even if he's found innocent, it's unlikely they would let him come back here, after all of that."

"Just give me a little while longer," John said pleadingly. "I'll find something. I have to."