The sun was barely up and Atlantis' day shift had yet to come on duty. Elizabeth Weir hid a yawn behind her hand and reached for her coffee mug. She glanced at the tired, worried people gathered around the conference table and tried not to think of the one face that was missing.

"Okay, people, what have we got? Doctor Ruiz?"

"Carson had a quiet night. The swelling in his legs is coming down nicely, so we're planning on casting his left foot this morning. The stress fractures in his right leg should heal without casting given rest and anti-inflammatory drugs."

"What about his back?" Rodney interrupted, drumming his fingers nervously on the table.

"His scans show minor compression fractures in two vertebra of his thoracic spine. There's no evidence of paralysis or spinal cord involvement. I'll do a full neurological workup when he wakes up to confirm, but at this stage I'm confident the fractures will heal completely without surgical intervention. We'll continue to manage his pain, and when he's stronger we'll begin a physical therapy regimen."

Elizabeth nodded. "Good news, all things considered. Doctor Heightmeyer?"

"I've been speaking to some of Carson's colleagues in the infirmary. None of them noticed any unusual behavior in the past few days, no emotional withdrawal, no sudden mood swings or giving away of personal items. As soon as Doctor Ruiz gives her okay, I'll be talking to Carson himself."

Rodney heaved a gusty sigh. "Unbelievable. You're as bad as Caldwell! You've already decided he tried to kill himself and needs therapy!"

Kate was unruffled by his outburst. "I haven't made any such assumption. Whether he attempted suicide or was the victim of an attack, he's going to need help dealing with the emotional fallout."

McKay wasn't satisfied. "Carson would never doubt you. If your situations were reversed, do you think he'd waste time asking stupid questions about your mood swings?"

It was Doctor Ruiz who answered. "Of course he would," she said calmly. "He's a researcher as well as a physician. He'd be methodical and consider all angles, starting with the most obvious and eliminating possibilities as he went. Doctor McKay, I know you're upset, but please understand that you're not the only one. We have faith in Carson, too, but we have to approach this rationally."

Rodney stared at her for a moment before nodding shortly and turning to the man seated to his left. "Right. So, rationally speaking, did you find anything in his quarters to explain this nightmare?"

"Not a thing, and we looked all night." Sheppard rotated his head until the bones in his neck popped, earning him several disgusted glares. "We checked his quarters, his lab, his office – hell, the whole infirmary."

Zelenka took off his glasses and dropped them to the tabletop, rubbing his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of one hand. "We scanned for unauthorized electronic devices, anything capable of sending a signal, subliminal or otherwise. We also checked for foreign substances. We found nothing out of the ordinary."

"Food?" Rodney prompted, "That awful tea he drinks?"

"Bagged and taken to the lab. Doctor Biro is examining it now and promises to have a report done this morning."

Elizabeth sighed. "Keep looking, Radek. If there's any possibility –"

"Ano," Zelenka replied wearily. Realizing he'd slipped into his native Czech, he corrected himself. "Yes, of course. I will review sensor logs from last night, see if there were any incoming transmissions or anomalies."

"Good. Doctor Ruiz, let's start looking at Carson's workload. I'd like you to review his recent research projects and patients, see if he came in contact with anything unusual."

"That could take a while," Carmen admitted. "Carson has a research assistant who can describe his lab work, but his patient load has been tremendous lately. He must have seen seventy patients in two days when the latest refugees arrived, and that's not even counting our people he's treated."

Sheppard leaned forward with a speculative look. "Start with the refugees. While you review the patient files, I'll start interviewing the people. Doc, can you help me set that up?"

Zelenka nodded, a faint blush on his face. It seemed all of Atlantis knew he'd been spending time with the new arrivals – one young, pretty refugee in particular.

"Very well. I know I don't have to remind you all how important this is. Carson is counting on us." Elizabeth let her gaze rest on each person for a moment before nodding. "Dismissed."

As her staff filed out, she became aware of Caldwell's presence by the door. Rodney noticed him too and lagged behind, scowling at the colonel as though he was personally responsible for Carson's condition.

"Good morning, Colonel," Elizabeth greeted, gesturing to the coffee pot.

Caldwell shook his head at her invitation. "Good morning. How's Doctor Beckett doing?"

"Stable. Unfortunately, he still isn't in any condition to answer our questions."

He nodded. "Have you found anything to suggest foul play?"

Pulling herself straight, Elizabeth looked him in the eye. "Not yet, but we're confident –"

"I came to warn you," Caldwell interrupted. "Colonel Byrd is making his recommendation official. He's asking Stargate Command to relieve Beckett of command and recall him to Earth."

"What?" Rodney exploded. "Can't you do something? You're his so-called superior officer, can't you order him not to do that?"

"No more than Doctor Weir could order Beckett in medical matters. We're scheduled to leave for Earth in two days. You have that long to find proof that your doctor isn't suicidal. After that, it's out of my hands."