The steady beeping of the heart monitor next to Rodney's bed had become part of the background noise over the past hour that John had sat next to his friends bed, but the sudden loud alarm and the start of one long, high pitched note made everyone in the infirmary jump.

John was woken from his light doze at the noise, his eyes fell upon Rodney as he realised what had happened. He jumped from his seat and sprang to his friend's side just as one of the nurses and Carson came running towards him.

"Oxygen! And prep the Defibrillator" a nurse came towards John and began to attempt to push him backwards, but John couldn't move his feet, he couldn't take his eyes off Rodney.

"Please sir, move back." She said imploringly, he finally managed to wrench his eyes away from the figure on the bed. He moved backwards slowly, he knew that they had to do their work to save Rodney but his friend was basically dead over on that table!

'Come on Rodney, don't do this to us!'

He heard footsteps behind him but he did not turn to look at whoever it was, he just kept staring at the limp figure on the bed.

" John we've managed to get some information from…Oh my god." It was Elizabeth, he knew that he should turn round and face her, tell her what had happened but he just couldn't move.

"Come on Rodney!" Carson was frantically trying to get Rodney to breathe, to get his heart to start to beat again but it wasn't working.

"Doctor Beckett, it's no use." Carson's head flicked up and stared at the young nurse, she flinched away from his scowling gaze. He looked once more at his still friend and bit back a sob, this was it. No more moaning about a minor scrape or cut, no more whining about going on a mission when he should be doing work on the city.

"Time of death, 01:00" his voice caught in the back of his throat as he said this, his eyes began to sting.

John saw Carson heading towards his office, he wanted to follow him. To ask him why he hadn't done more, but he knew too well that Carson would have done everything in his power to save Rodney.

He walked slowly towards Rodney, his feet seemed to drag on the cold panelled floor as he drew nearer to his friend.

He heard Elizabeth walking towards them; he looked at her and saw that she was crying silently. He knew that he should try to comfort her but he just couldn't bear to have another's grief laid across his own, he wasn't ready to be the rock for another just yet.

'Good bye Rodney' he squeezed Rodney's shoulder's slightly, his final good bye to a great man.

Suddenly a brilliant flash of bright light engulfed him, the next thing he knew he was against one of the walls in the infirmary his head was hurting slightly as though he had knocked it moments before.

"What the hell?" John looked up, it couldn't be could it? "Rodney?"

"Yeah? When did I get back to Atlantis?"

John stood shakily to his feet, he looked around the room and saw Elizabeth slumped against another wall; he moved slowly towards her and checked that she was breathing. Then he turned to see Rodney who had moments before been dead, now sitting up and holding the dart that had embedded itself in his back in his shaking hand.

"Ouch!" Rodney's eyes were locked onto the dart now clutched in his hand; it's three spikes were slowly disappearing.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Carson came running in, his eyes wide and frantic as he searched for the culprit of the strange light.

"Rodney? But you're … why aren't you… dead?"

"Nice to see you too Carson, I mean there was no need to go through so much trouble to welcome me back, really!" John smiled at the familiar sarcasm; he saw Carson's eyes take in the rest of the room including Elizabeth lying unconscious on the floor.

Rodney followed Carson's gaze and spotted Elizabeth,

"What's happened?" he asked worry filling his voice,

"No idea, there was some kind of weird light and then you were sitting up." John said shrugging,

'Hello Major Sheppard.' John stared around; he had just heard a voice say his name.

"Major?" Rodney was looking at him curiously

"Did someone say my name?"

"No. Why?"

"No reason." Rodney was still staring at him, it unnerved him slightly and he didn't know why.

"I've got to go, we've got a scientist who said he was a friend of yours. We don't really need his information now do we, I'll just go and show him the door." John turned towards the door and left quickly without a backwards glance, he turned a corner in the corridor and headed towards a transporter.

'Who are you?'

'Why I am a friend of Doctor McKay, I have here to your mind to ask you a favour.'

'Oh yeah? What's that then?'

'Kill Kelus, he is trying to sabotage Atlantis.

'What? I can't go around killing people, and how do I know that you can be trusted!'

'That is a pity, now I shall be forced to do this deed myself and I was actually hoping that you would consent, but no matter.'

John was in the transporter and had pressed the panel when he fell to the floor, there was nothing but pain, he was writing in agony until the sweet darkness came and swallowed him up.

XXXXXXXXX

"Good evening Sir." John nodded at one of the marines stationed outside the brig where the strange scientist was now staying.

"Doctor Weir asked me to have another talk with our guest" The marine nodded and moved out of the way for John to pass.

Kelus looked up as the doors opened to reveal John Sheppard, he stood quickly he needed these people to trust him so that he could help Doctor McKay.

"Major Sheppard? I have not had the pleasure of meeting you before but Doctor Weir did say that we would meet soon." He inclined his head in greeting, but he received only a cold glare from the officer.

John waited for the doors to close before he let down the small shield that filled in the gaps between the bars of the scientist's cell, Kelus stared at him wondering what he was doing.

John walked into the cell and stood in front of the scientist, he looked straight into Kelus's eyes before hitting him hard.

Kelus was thrown against one of the sides of his small cell, John then picked him up easily and threw him to the other side.

"Why are you doing this Major?" mumbled Kelus as he tried to pick himself up off the floor, John laughed coldly as he stood in front of the injured man.

"Firstly I am not Major Sheppard, secondly because you left my planet without permission, and thirdly because you were going to try and save Doctor McKay. I can't have that now can I?" He grabbed Kelus and snapped his neck, he let the dead man fall to the floor.

'This is a very good body Major, it is very different from Doctor McKay's. It is sad that you shall never regain control of it, but oh well.'

Major Sheppard walked out of the brig and looked around, the two guards that had been posted outside the door where looking at him.

"Sir? What happened in there? We heard a scuffle but we were unable to get in"

"There was no scuffle, the scientist has been disposed of." John said smiling, the two guards looked at each other before moving in front of their commanding officer.

"Sorry sir, you're going to have to stay here. Doctor Weir informed us that no-one should be interrogation the new guy" John looked at the guard who was speaking to him for a while, before he attacked them.

XXXXXXXXX

"WHOA!" Rodney leapt out of the bed onto the cold panelled floor of the infirmary, he was breathing heavily as he stared around.

"CARSON!" Carson was already running towards him, concern all across his face.

"What's wrong lad?"

"You need to get a medical team down to the brig, the two guards who were looking after that new scientist have been attacked!" Carson stared at him in disbelief, how could Rodney know that?

"Look there's no need to look at me as if I'm crazy!" He raised his eyebrows at Carson's searching gaze "It's nice to know that the best scientist in this place is treated with complete respect and is believed by all his friends."

"Okay, Okay. Julie can you get a team together and go and check the two guards posted outside the brig I have reason to believe they may be injured."

"Sure Doctor" came the reply over Carson's radio, he walked towards the scientist who was still standing on the floor next to his bed.

"Now lad back to bed!"

"What? No! I need to go and find him!"

"Find who?"

"Major Sheppard"

Carson stared at Rodney confused; Rodney saw that Carson needed an explanation so he continued.

"He's the one who attacked the guards!"

"Rodney, are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure!" Rodney was beginning to get angry with Carson, he didn't seem to be able to grasp the fact that Rodney was right (once again).

"Doctor Beckett, the two guards are indeed injured. They appear to have been thrown against one of the walls, they have broken ribs and I think some internal bleeding we are bringing them back for surgery now."

"Okay, thank-you Julie" Carson clicked the radio off and stared at Rodney in disbelieve. How could he have known?

"Back into bed lad, now" Rodney complied and settled back into the hard cot, he wanted to see what the Major was up to.

'She couldn't just leave quietly could she, oh no she had to go and take over the commanding military officer, kill one of the scientists from the complex and now try and get back to her planet. Why is my life always so complicated?'