A/N Thank you so much for all the reviews. They mean so much, and I hope not to disappoint.
I also realised since the last chapter that it's probably easier to say which episodes I don't have spoilers for. No Michael, Inferno or Allies references here.
And again, thank you to GA Unicorn and Ellex for the advice.
Chapter 2
The blood results would take an hour to process through the Ancient's equipment, and then another hour to cross-reference the findings with the medical database. Carson was desperate to scratch his nose and he'd only been in the hazmat suit for 40 minutes.
Most of the equipment he wanted to take to the planet was next door, but he always felt guilty leaving patients trapped in a quarantine area while he could escape. He tended to hang around as long as he could. He had already dismissed Jose and the nurses.
He collected the various pieces of equipment stored in this room. The syringes and needles were stored neatly in the pockets of his rucksack. He wrapped the chemical reagents, emergency antibiotics and anti-virals in their bubble-wrap before placing them neatly in the main body of the bag.
Teyla hovered at his shoulder. Her nimble hands caught a couple of the little plastic bottles before they could fall, and she arranged them alphabetically in the bag. Of course she was unencumbered by the suit.
Eventually, she asked, "You believe Dr. Weir will agree to allow us to visit the village?"
He nodded, and then said "Aye," when he remembered that the movements were not well translated by the helmet.
"She will be concerned that we are going into a 'Plague Village.'" She stumbled over McKay's phrase.
He smiled. "I wasn't spouting off excuses to calm McKay down; it really is far more likely that the cause of the infective outbreak is not airborne. In which case, so long as we take the proper precautions, we should be quite safe."
"I see. But I am unsure Dr. Weir will agree." she said again.
He placed a gloved hand on the young woman's elbow, "Don't be so pessimistic, lass." He winked. "If she doesn't, we'll just say that McKay picked up some energy readings that could be a ZMP."
"Do you mean a ZPM?"
He waved a hand, "That too." He had never claimed to understand the engineering gobble-de-gook that kept this place running. It would be like expecting Rodney to understand the full breakdown of a CBC. Although knowing Rodney, he wouldn't have been surprised.
Speaking of Rodney…
"Does it seem awfully quiet to you?" he asked
She looked at the sleeping form on the examination bed. Rasping snores rattled at regular intervals.
"I didn't mean Ronon," Carson said. He nodded towards the balcony door. "I meant the Prophet of Doom."
"Prophet of Doom?" she asked.
"I was referring to Rodney's unerring ability to see disaster in a walk in the park."
"I see." She tilted her head to listen. "It does seem quieter."
Intrigued, Carson walked to the glass door and glanced out.
Colonel Sheppard lounged against the wall in the sunshine, with his hands behind his head. His eyes were closed and he grinned like the cat that ate the canary, with good reason. Rodney McKay had ceased his hurricane impression and was now seated against the banister of the balcony; his hands flying in fleeting gestures
After the incident with the Wraith enzyme, Sheppard and Carson had shared a nightcap. Over a large glass of whiskey, they shared their 'McKay-stories.' They each tried to better each other with tales of the ego and the damage it wrought. When the tales had become more maudlin, Sheppard told Carson that he always thought of McKay conducting an orchestra when the hands started.
So, Sheppard maintained his crown as chief scientist-handler on Atlantis. Carson would love to know how he did it, but only from intellectual curiosity. He didn't want the job himself.
Teyla joined him. "I am unsure how he does that," she said appreciatively.
"It's no mean feat at all. I wish I'd met him ages ago. I spent months trying to get Rodney to calm down enough to go to work, and John walks in and does it naturally." He shrugged. "But my Gran always said never look a gift horse in the mouth as it is sure to bite your fingers off."
Sheppard opened an eye lazily. He checked first on Rodney, then on the door. He smiled and gave a small wave. Carson was struck with the thought that Sheppard was protecting Rodney, although he was unsure what he was protecting him from.
Carson nodded back, and smiled too.
"Right, lass, shall we bite the bullet?"
-
The video conference with Elizabeth went better than Carson had hoped. He chose to speak to her from the infirmary so he would have Teyla's support at his side. Dr Weir nodded in all the right places as he told her about the villagers and the unknown disease affecting them. He told her his theory that they could be looking at a cholera or dysentery type illness that might just require simple measures to protect the population.
He may have slightly exaggerated the trade opportunities that existed. He also hinted that the name Reliquary implied some kind of relic which might be something ancient and very interesting. He didn't mention that both Teyla and the other teams had never had any hint that Reliquary wasn't just a name the locals used because they liked how it sounded. He glossed over the possible dangers of contamination.
Elizabeth bought it all.
"You and Teyla have my permission to go ahead," Elizabeth said. She sounded distracted.
"Is there a problem, lass?" he asked. He was a lousy liar, and he had been concentrating on maintaining his façade, so he hadn't noticed he did not have Elizabeth's full attention.
"Major Lorne is two hours overdue for report."
Carson said, "I see."
"I'm giving him another hour, and then I'm sending another team to check on them."
"Very good." He checked his watch. "The people littering up my quarantine area should have the all clear by then, providing the database can't identify anything nasty in their blood."
"I'd appreciate Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay being available for a rescue party," she glanced at her watch too.
"I'll have them cleared for active duty as soon as the bloods come back clean," he replied confidently.
"Good." She consulted something on her PDA. "You have gate access at 1130."
"Thank you."
The screen flashed to darkness, and then the standard Atlantis backdrop flickered on. It was an improvement, Carson thought, on the photograph of a certain kiss. Dr. Zelenka had hacked into the entire computer system and set the picture as the default wallpaper and it had taken Rodney twenty-four hours to remove it.
"We have permission," Teyla said.
"Right. That was the easy part," Carson said. "Now I have to live with the fact that I asked to go through that damn polo mint of my own accord".
"Polo mint?"
Carson sighed. How he wished for the comforts of home. "Small, minty sweetie with a hole in the middle… Never mind."
-
SGA
-
"The blood results are negative," Carson declared to the gathered team-members in his infirmary.
Sheppard and Ronon nodded. Teyla smiled.
Rodney said, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Rodney, I'm sure," Carson replied. Did it use up a lot of energy being so ruddy pessimistic all the time?
"You checked with the database? Because there are bugs that aren't on our computer…"
"Yes, Rodney," Carson said again. He unclipped the helmet, and began climbing out of the suit. He felt sweaty and uncomfortable.
"See," John said cheerfully. "He's getting out of the suit. That's got to be a good sign, eh, Doc?"
Carson nodded. "I'm not going to risk my own ass, Rodney. Relax."
"Well, I know, it's just because if there's a cold doing the rounds I get it like that," he clicked his fingers.
"So I've heard," Carson sighed. He folded the hazmat suit neatly and placed it beside the packed rucksack.
"Are you going somewhere?" Sheppard asked. He indicated the bag, and Carson had a feeling he equated with being caught in the act.
"Teyla and I are going to the village."
"You're doing what?" Rodney demanded. He had made no move to leave the infirmary.
"We're going back to see if there's anything to be done for them," Carson answered.
"Not that I don't think the sentiment is laudable," Sheppard said, "but are you sure that's wise? Those people really didn't look well."
"And if something happened to you…" Rodney stuttered to a halt.
Carson smiled. He would take that as a compliment. "Thank you for the kind words, Rodney. I am sure Dr. Biro will patch you up adequately in my absence."
Rodney mumbled, "That wasn't what I meant."
"I understand, Rodney. Don't worry. Teyla and I will be careful."
"I'll look after them," Ronon said from the end of the examination bed.
"Oh not you as well," Rodney said in despair. "What part of people getting sick and dying did you Samaritans not listen to?"
"It's not often I agree with Rodney…" Sheppard started to say.
"You agree with me all the time."
"Sure. We only argue for show."
Rodney looked about to answer, but Sheppard headed him off. "It's just that I hate to be the voice of doom about this, but it seems like a risky idea without much reward."
Carson sighed. He was a doctor, and he knew his job. And it meant treating sick people when it wasn't sexy or glamorous, or accompanied by a 'reward', as Sheppard called it. He allowed his temper to get the better of him.
"Colonel Sheppard, Dr McKay, I don't second guess your command decisions about military or scientific matters, and I'd rather you didn't when I make decisions on medical matters. Teyla, and I," Ronon growled from the couch, "and Ronon, will be wearing hazmat suits for the initial investigation. If there is nothing to be done, we'll be back. We won't allow ourselves to be contaminated. And…" he turned to Sheppard, "I refuse to allow the provision of a 'reward' to influence my decision to treat or not treat a community."
Sheppard nodded.
Rodney looked ready to say something else, when an open call came over the radio.
"Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay, report to the control room."
They turned for the door.
Sheppard said over his shoulder, "Be careful, Doc."
The door closed behind them.
"I intend to."
He had no plans to turn his first voluntary mission through that godforsaken tunnel into a disaster.