Touched By An Ancient

By Ann3

Writer's Note: Okay, okay, so I'm now officially mean, with giving you two cliffies in a row :o) So I guess I'd better make up for it and reveal what chaos and calamity our favourite drone-launching doctor's got himself into this time.

Must admit I've had to do a fair bit of research (such a hardship !) into this bit since, to slightly modify a certain person's protest, I'm a police civilian, not a rocket scientist ! But if I've read the bit about ZPM's in the official companion book correctly, it is viable that a source of special 'super mega-power' through the Chair could give the ZPMs and, from that, the weapons systems, a much needed boost.

So with that, and my twisted little imagination, I've come up with this... as always, I hope you enjoy ! Oh, and no more cliffies... well, for a while, anyway... ;o) just the usual reference to Rising, 'cos it's somehow got stuck in my head... not to mention my DVD player... :o)

Chapter Twenty Six

There hadn't been many times in her life where Elizabeth Weir had felt completely out of her depth. A brilliant diplomat, a natural leader, she'd met all that life had so far thrown at her head on. But this... there was so much for her reeling senses to take in. So much for her stunned eyes to try and accept.

On every workbench around her, computer screens and monitors were making like the fourth of July. That was alarming enough. Inevitably, though, Elizabeth's eyes returned to her CMO. Or, rather, what now passed for her CMO.

He was still there, just feet away from her, his eyes still firmly closed. His face still serenely peaceful. Except now she could see the physically impossible. She could see the Chair, through Carson's body. In front of helpless, spellbound eyes, Carson Beckett was slowly, and surely, vanishing into thin air.

Beside her, in reassuring normality, her chief scientist looked dangerously close to all out collapse. Not that she blamed him. If truth be told, it was taking one almighty effort for her not to do the same.

But right now, Rodney McKay's self-professed brilliance was the best, maybe only, hope she had – if only to reassure her that her CMO hadn't just Ascended himself clear out of existence.

"Rodney…?" she said at last, not surprised, in the slightest, when he completely ignored her. "Rodney…!"

Recovering himself with, all things considered, commendable speed, McKay finally nodded – struggling to find some coherent way to explain his friend's surreal presence within his mind.

"He's okay… yeah, I – I can still… um… still hear him, in – in here, he's… still with us, he's okay…"

Even as she smiled back at him, in unreserved relief, Elizabeth still found herself needing more – Zelenka's quiet, gently accented voice answering not only her prayers, but those of an entire city.

"Power levels to the weapons systems are still higher than normal, Dr Weir, but they are stabilising… and the Chair's interface, it is also re-establishing itself… I – I think Carson's plan is working…"

"Lifesigns also stabilising…" Kate reported, meeting her eyes with the same cautious optimism – whatever she'd planned to say next lost in an excited shout from one of her attending nurses.

"Dr Weir…! He – He's coming back…!"

He was, too, though with the glow that still surrounded him, it took precious moments to be sure – buzzing murmurs of excited relief now joined by a faint, familiar, thoroughly awe-struck voice.

"H – Holy… crap…"

With so much still happening around them, it took several moments for its source to register – and several further moments beyond that for another minor miracle to be seen and believed.

Blue eyes. Electric blue eyes, impossibly wide and unnaturally bright, had snapped open again – memories of the last time she'd seen such panic within them bringing Elizabeth instantly to his side.

"Carson…? Carson, it's alright… it's alright, Carson, you're okay… you're doing just fine…"

Carson blinked dazedly up at her, his eyes creasing into a frown as they squinted around them.

"I – I am…? So – So everything's okay…? I haven't bl – blown anything up…?" he asked at last, frowning even more as a familiar figure appeared beside him, effectively blocking his line of sight.

"Hey, doc, no… no, like Elizabeth said, you're… um… doing just fine…" John Sheppard grinned, sharing Elizabeth's open relief that a still smouldering work-bench had gone thankfully unnoticed.

Deceiving Carson Beckett was one thing. Getting the better of his stubbornness was quite another.

"So it's w'rking…? I – 'm really doin' okay…?" he persisted, pained exhaustion slurring every word.

"Yes, Carson, it's working… you're doing just fine…" Elizabeth assured him, gently taking his hand – pride at his courage warring against her guilt at the silent pain which that courage was costing him. "You're doing fine, Carson, but… this is just taking so much out of you… what can I do to help…?"

That won her a trace of an exhausted smile as Carson squeezed her hand before gently releasing it.

"You – You're al – already doing it, lass…"

Not trusting herself to speak, Elizabeth just smiled back and nodded, her eyes still locked within his, sealing their compassionate gentleness into her mind as she watched them drift inexorably closed.

It would, she knew, be many hours now before she'd see those eyes open again.