000 Disclaimer,sadly I own nothing, not a sausage 000 OK, this is my first Atlantis story and it came about when I was watchingLetters From PegasusI just wanted to write one of the families reactions to learning their son/daughter etc had been killed. So I did Markham :) Very minor Brotherhood and Letters To Pegasus spoilers. Enjoy 000

The house was almost silent; the loudest noise being the soft splash of water as she carefully washed the dinner plates. She wasn't entirely sure how long she had been stood at the sink, slowly and methodically washing plates. She would've looked at the kitchen clock, but it had almost stopped, ticking slowly and painfully.

She paused in her cleaning and stared out the window. The car from earlier had gone now, taking her emotions with it.

She could remember speeding along to the door and wrenching it open, praying that her intuition was wrong, praying with all her might that they would be here for something else...anything else.

The two men in military dress had looked so solemn, so grave and serious as they turned to walk towards her. She remembered hoping they would turn away again, drop the items in their hands and drive away. She remembered clutching the door as they stopped into front of her.

"Mrs Markham?"

She nodded. The nearest man began to speak but she tuned him out.

She remembered accepting the items, walking into the kitchen and pushing the video tape into the player. A pleasant looking woman had then appeared on screen.

But she couldn't watch. She had turned away, back to her sink. Wanting, praying for the words to disappear.

Blinking swiftly and dropping her gaze from the window, she turned back to the television. All that was left was white noise. But the woman's words seemed to be etched into her very soul as she stared at the screen.

"Mr and Mrs Markham, my name is Doctor Elizabeth Weir, and your son was a member of my expedition team. It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that he was killed in the line of duty just a few days ago. He died in the defence of others, and his sacrifice may have saved many lives..."

She turned back to her sink and started to sob into the soap suds.

Her boy was supposed to come home. Not die, God knows where. He was supposed to have come home.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

And to her left, the clock stopped ticking.

000 Please Review :) 000