AN: Make I take a moment to say how much I really, really hate FFnet? Posting problems are pissing me off so much that once this story is done, I don't think I'm going to post here anymore. I do have an account at Wraithbait, same name.

Carmen was at his side before he was fully awake. "Carson, it's okay, take it easy."

Cloudy blue eyes blinked up at her, and a slight moan of pain emitted from his lips. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead and trickled down Carson's nose. He reached up to wipe it away – only, he didn't. A distressed whine rose in his throat as he jerked restlessly against the restraints.

"He's not quite awake," Carmen said. "Relax, Carson, you're all right. Easy…" She sighed and motioned to a nurse. "I'm going to sedate him again, I'm really worried he's going to aggravate that spinal injury." She leaned over her patient and carefully captured his chin, forcing his roving eyes to his face. "I know you're scared, but you're going to be all right. We're going to figure this out, and we're going to keep you safe. Just relax and go to sleep, and when you wake up everything will be better." She took the syringe from the nurse and injected it into the I.V., then talked gently to Carson until he drifted off.

Carmen leaned heavily against the bed rail for a moment. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Weir's sympathetic eyes. "Sorry," Carmen breathed. "I just hate putting him through this."

"This has been hard on you," Elizabeth said. "He's not just your boss."

"He's my friend, and the best man I know," the doctor confided. She took a breath and straightened. "I'll go speak to Jeff."

"Doc, can you spring me?" Rick called from his bed.

"I'm tempted to keep you here and observe you for a few hours."

"I can rest just fine in my quarters," he countered, "and Cindy'll check on me when she gets off shift. Right?" The pony-tailed nurse smiled and nodded, showing no reluctance whatsoever in paying a visit to Rick's rooms.

"Okay, but take it easy, understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Rick slid carefully out of bed, reached for his clothes and drew the privacy curtain with a practiced flick of the wrist.

Twenty minutes later he was hiding in a doorway, watching Doctor Ruiz leave Jeff Dunne's lab. He craned his neck and watched until she'd disappeared around a corner, then slipped inside.

Dunne had a rack of blood-filled test tubes and a flat of slides on the lab table before him. He responded to the new arrival without looking up. "Whatever it is, it's gonna have to wait. This has got priority."

"I know," Rick said, stepping forward.

Jeff looked up and held out his hands, "Whoa, man, I do not have time to get into it with you again."

"I know," Rick repeated, "that's why I'm here. I want to help."

Dunne studied him for a moment. "How's your head?"

"Hurts like hell."

Nodding, the researcher nodded to a stool. "Okay. Two heads, and all that. Let's get to work."

SGA

They worked through the rest of the day. For the first hour they suffered constant interruptions from people wanting updates and reminding them that come morning, the Daedalus would leave for Earth with Colonel Byrd and his damned recommendation. Rodney stopped in to pester them three times. Eventually they appealed to Elizabeth, who promptly put a stop to it.

Dinner came and went. Outside Atlantis' walls, the sun went down and bathed the city and surrounding water in moonlight.

Rick was taking yet another dose of Tylenol when Dunne exclaimed, "Got it!"

"What?" Dunne leaned away from the microscope and gestured for Rick to look. The nurse stared at the sample for a moment in puzzlement. "What the hell is that? It doesn't look organic."

"It's not, but whatever it is, it's in both samples," Dunne announced. "We need Doctor McKay."