Okay here is part 3. Having major DSL and electrical issues tonight (well last night no electricity therfor no fan some out there realize the pain that caused. The epilogue will have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll get the light pole box/extension cords figured.

Thanks tons for the reviews. You guys are great.

Part 3

Sheppard stood at the foot of McKay's infirmary bed and wondered if they should really just make a nameplate and plaster it to the foot of the bed. It was McKay's Lucky Bed…lucky in that he survived his multiple, tumultuous visits to the infirmary. Not that he got 'Lucky' as in 'LUCKY'. Sheppard cringed. The thought frightened him. Perhaps they would think of a better term. No sense in inflating the man's already self fed, healthy, above average ego.

It was the dead of night on Atlantis. It amazed Sheppard how many people worked at night within the deep shadows of solitude. It seemed scientists and geeks kept their own clocks.

The Colonel watched McKay sleep. The scientist closed his mouth and swallowed. He was slowly working himself from the deep depths of anesthetic. They were treating his broken bones, assorted bruises and shock. McKay was responding remarkably well. Then again, Rodney never did things by halves.

The broken leg was in a soft cast with ice packs packed in towels surrounding it. The swelling needed to recede some before they could properly immobilize it. His shoulder was another story. The broken collar bone, though grotesque in its misaligned confirmation, was easily fixed and not so easily wrapped. The bandage looked bulky, restrictive and woefully uncomfortable.

When the pain meds no longer flowed through McKay's IV, the complaints and insults would fly. Morrison was in for a verbal rodeo.

There'd be no running interference from Beckett either. Not any time soon at least, well at least not before Rodney's mouth kicked in full force.

Sheppard cast a concerned eye toward Carson. The CMO lay at a slight incline. A large square bandage was taped in place over the overtly large shaved spot just above his ear. The blood and debris had been scrubbed away, but in its place was the orange/yellow stain of surgical soaps. A neat but gruesome arc of staples lay hidden under the gauze. The skin had been puffy, red and glistening with serum. The bandage was changed frequently and the sutured area scrubbed more times that Sheppard cared to bare witness too. Beckett's left index finger, supported by a splint, was hidden under a mound of gauze that encompassed his palm and wrist. A good scouring and a few stitches set the torn digit right.

All the imaging of Carson skull and brain had been clean. The Ancient devices had indicated no lasting damage had befallen him and yet everyone seemed to hold their breath. Beckett had yet to fully waken and engage the world around him. Instead, he stared with unconcerned confusion and simply closed his eyes as if the puzzle of the outside world was just not worth his time and effort at the moment.

Occasionally, his eyes would flutter open, he'd stare at the faces around him, not respond to the questions asked of him and slide further down the slight incline of his bed and curl back to sleep without a word.

He picked the IV out of the back of his hand at least once. It made a mess and had Morrison barking orders at the nurses and cursing his unawares boss.

Had it been McKay, Sheppard would have written it off as pure unadulterated McKay behavior.

Beckett however, the Colonel wasn't too sure. The lack of response was worrisome.

"Don't you work?" The gravely challenge brought a smirk to Sheppard's face as he swung his attention back to McKay.

"Well seeing as I saved your ass once again, I figured I'd take the evening off."

"No one saved my ass, except maybe Carson falling on me," McKay clarified quietly. "and that type of rescue I can do without. He weighs a ton." Rodney swallowed, trying to work moisture back into his mouth without much success.

"We're having a special on ice chips." Sheppard raised an expectant eyebrow.

McKay merely nodded. "Carson?"

Sheppard reached for the small off-pink plastic cup and the spoon that rested within it. "Right beside you. Still sleeping, driving Biro and Morrison crazy."

"Short trip," McKay opinioned. He stared over at Beckett's bed ignoring the Colonel who dipped a plastic spoon in the ice cup.

"Maybe so, but they think he'll be okay by the end of tomorrow." With minimal attention to his movements, Sheppard simply slid the spoon and ice chip between Rodney's chapped lips.

McKay fought to keep his eyes open as the ice readily melted on his dry tongue. The water was absorbed before it ever had a chance to dribble past his molars.

"Phillips left us," McKay stated.

"Yup, he did." Sheppard answered without undo concern. It riled McKay.

"He took off and left Carson and me," Rodney tried again. He cursed the drugs that sapped him of his anger.

"He saved your asses, McKay."

"What? By running into the hills and leaving us to the Wraith?" McKay's mocking acceptance of the explanation held the bite of fury.

Sheppard sighed. He leaned against the makeshift rails that had been placed on some of the infirmary beds to keep patients from sliding to the floor. A few unfortunate accidents, most involving Rodney, and Beckett had engineering working overtime getting things 'fixed'.

The Colonel stared pointedly at McKay.

"Phillips and his team lead the largest contingent of Wraith into the woods in a running fire fight." Sheppard paused, unsure how much to burden Rodney with, wondering if the full truth would be worth the weight of added blame and responsibility upon the burdened shoulders of his friend and Chief of Science. Would it be worth the abated anger directed at Phillips and his team?

"He took off without so much as trying to contact Carson or me."

Sheppard gripped the rail and stared at Rodney as if gauging the weight of responsibility he had toward the living and the dead.

"The Wraith came to that planet searching for the human who masterminded the weapon that killed them when they attempted to feed." Sheppard paused. "Apparently it has become known to the Wraith that one of us, meaning our expedition, was the one behind the Hoffan drug."

McKay's eyes quickly swiveled from Sheppard to the still figure sleeping in the bed behind the Colonel.

"They were after Carson?"

"The Wraith didn't and still don't know who they're after, but they know it's one of us." Sheppard gauged McKay's reaction and level of awareness and continued, "Lieutenant Phillips knew this after a Wraith questioned one of his team before feeding on him." The Colonel peered around his arm to glance at Beckett and turned back to McKay. "Phillips apparently got their attention and led them on a chase through the foothills---they never made it back to the gate."

McKay seemed to shrink into his pillow. "How'd…"

"They holed up, made a last stand, left a message in his boot."

"They're hunting for Carson?"

"No, McKay," Sheppard stressed, catching the astrophysicists eye, "they don't know who they are after. For all we know it could have been Perna they were hunting."

"But you just said they knew it was one of us from Earth."

"McKay, let it go."

"What do you mean let it go?" McKay tried to sit up but drugs and broken bones and lingering anesthetic conspired against him, "Carson's a target."

"They don't know it's the Doc. We, Elizabeth, Teyla and Ronon and a few of the others and myself, think the Wraith might believe it's you."

"Oh great," Rodney exclaimed. "Oh that's just fantastic. Me? I don't deal in squishy science….I don't make drugs or biologics…."

"No, you just blow up whole solar systems."

"Five sixths and you were there too."

"Whatever. Point is, Phillips didn't abandon you. I just want to make that clear. Alright?"

Rodney melted back into his bed and directed his gaze toward his blanket, "Yes. But from our perspective…"

"I know, McKay, and I understand. But now you know."

"What are you going to tell Carson?"

Sheppard sighed and cast a quick glance over toward the sleeping physician. "I don't know yet."

"You can't keep it a secret," Rodney added, "Atlantis is too small. He'll hear it one way or another."

"I know."

A heavy silence fell between them. Both men stared at the sleeping physician who lay curled down at the lower half of the bed doing his best to avoid the slight incline.

"He going to be okay?" McKay paused, "I mean he's not going to join the Fruit of the Club Month or be apart of Name that Vegetable, right?" The worried expression and inflection of tone clarified his concern. "Because, I mean back on the planet he was doing a pretty good impersonation of broccoli. He wasn't exactly…"

"All the tests they've run said he's going to be fine," Sheppard interrupted Rodney before he could possibly insult any other groups of people. "But they won't know for sure until he starts responding to them."


McKay typed one handed on his keyboard while sucking blue Jell-O in and out of his slightly parted lips. His casted leg, which was plain fiberglass off white that ran from toe to groin, rested propped on pillows with a blanket covering his foot. Miscalculated equations had been written on his cast down near his ankle just out of his reach. It drove him to distraction. He kept the foot covered in hopes of outsight out of mind would actually work.

It was failing miserably. He kicked the blanket off again and once again stared at the erroneous equation some joker had written on his cast while he slept. He had his list of suspects and plans for revenge were quickly formulating.

"Ach, the math is wrong," The thick accent and slight distain in the voice had McKay snapping his attention from his leg to his 'roommate'.

"Shut up, Carson, I know," McKay retorted as he pressed the impromptu call button the medical personal had installed near the beds once they got settled onto Atlantis.

"Aye, it's distractin'," Beckett pointed out. He absently rubbed at his head. "You could at least cover it up, man." A hint of whine laced his tone.

McKay looked across Beckett at Biro. She walked purposely toward them with her coat billowing behind her. She quickened her step when she noticed her boss fully awake and engaging in conversation.

"He's awake again and irritating me," McKay stated brusquely.

"The math is wrong, you should fix it." Beckett opinioned, "it's a bit irritating."

"Can you do something about him? Like move him to another part of the infirmary or something?"

Biro shot McKay an impatient glare. She turned her attention to Beckett and let a relieved smile cross her face. Her boss kept showing signs of improvement and she'd be off her rotation of living patients sooner rather than later. "Carson, you're awake."

"Oh, great observation, a first for you I bet," McKay snapped. "Of course he's awake."

"Dr. McKay," Biro warned turning her attention back to the astrophysicist and smiled with a hint of menace, "keep it up and we'll try cutting back on your pain medication sooner rather than later."

"That is so unfair." McKay muttered, "pick on the injured genius….real brave. They teach you that in Medical school?"

"It's wrong," Beckett softly opinioned.

"Of course it is," McKay exclaimed staring at Biro and squinting his eyes in accusation at her poor bedside manner.

"The math," Carson quietly pointed out again.

"I---didn't---do---it," McKay slowly and clearly announced.

"It's on your leg," Beckett observed.

"Oh shut up," Rodney exclaimed, "you've been nothing more than a piece of mumbling asparagus for the last 24 hours and now you have opinions on math?"

"It's wrong," Carson plainly stated.

"He's right, McKay," Sheppard declared as he strode into the area with a relieved smile on his face. "Hey, Doc. How you feeling?"

Biro stood to the side with a building look of exasperation to match Rodney.

"A bit of a headache." Beckett tried to rub at his head again but his hand was intercepted by Biro's. "Looking at Rodney's poor Math isn't helping much either---quite distracting."

"Oh that's it," McKay dragged the blanket further over his foot hiding it completely from sight. "Fly boy here probably did it."

"Sorry, McKay, my math is better than that." Sheppard stopped on the far side of McKay's bed and tried to get a glimpse of the computer screen. "You get that little problem of Kavanagh's figured out?"

"A child could have solved it," McKay sputtered in disgust.

"That a yes, McKay? Or are you still practicing your multiplication tables?"

"Excuse me, gentlemen, but I must examine my patient."

"Ach, go ahead, I'm sure Rodney'll behave," Beckett muttered and gingerly rolled over. He sucked in a breath as sharp pain radiated from his hip up to his shoulder.

"No, he won't, but he's not the one due for a going over," Biro said as she pulled the curtain closed around Beckett's bed.

Sheppard grinned as Carson disappeared from sight.

"You figure anything out?" Rodney asked.

"I figure out a lot of things, McKay," Sheppard shot back purposely misunderstanding what was meant.

"What have you and Elizabeth come up with?"

The two men stared at the closed curtain and listened to the soft murmur of voices as Biro asked questions and Beckett answered. There were a few sharp intakes of pained breath followed by terse but well-meaning apologies.

"The truth."

"Well, that's original."

"You have any suggestions?" the colonel shot back.

"No," Rodney answered just as quietly, "just have Elizabeth do it. You're kind of blunt. Carson doesn't deserve that."

"I am not blunt," Sheppard retorted with indignity.

"Of course not, you're Mr. Sensitivity."

"I can be."

Rodney's grunt of disbelief paused when a nurse entered the area carrying a vial and syringe. She smiled the nurses' typical hybrid sweet but "you better behave or else" smile at the duo, and entered the curtained off area.

The pair quietly watched the curtain.

They both shared furrowed looks of concern. After a moment the curtain was pulled back. The nurse was fixing Carson's pillow and Biro was making notations in his chart.

Carson was lying bonelessly, blinking owl eyed at the movement of her pen.

"Doc?"

Biro looked up from her chart and pushed her glasses further onto the ridge of her nose. Carson simply blinked again, fighting the rolling of his eyes.

"He'll be fine."

"Somehow coming from you isn't terribly reassuring," Rodney stated. He watched Beckett fight a losing battle with keeping his eyes open.

"Not to worry. Dr. McKay, you're next on my list of physicals."

"What's going on?" Sheppard asked as two more nurses came into the area and started wheeling Carson away, IV and all.

"More imaging. The swelling on his side has gone down considerably. Just being thorough." Biro made a few more notes in the chart. She then looked up and noticed the true concern in the other two. "Gentlemen, we are going to have to manipulate his leg and torso. It doesn't need to be painful."

"I thought it was just deep bruising and pinched nerves?" Sheppard questioned.

"Probably is. I just want to be sure."

"I'm well enough to be discharged. You can't keep me here," Rodney declared. If Beckett looked like that after a just a few minutes with Biro and they got along….what chances did he, himself stand?

"Yes I can." Biro almost smiled and McKay felt his heart almost freeze with terror. "When I'm through with your physical, which will be right after we get done with Dr. Beckett, you might be allowed to leave."

"His head's okay?"

"As I have told you before, Dr. McKay," Biro sighed tiredly, "he did not sustain any severe damage to his skull or brain."

"Well, he's not been exactly sharp since we got back."

"Dr. McKay," Biro stared pointedly at the astrophysicist, "he has been responding to his environment appropriately. He has been capable of sustaining conversation and memory. He is capable of accomplishing simple mathematics that seem to be beyond your ability." Biro stared meaningfully at McKay's blanketed leg and then headed for the imaging area.

"I really dislike her."

"I think she feels the same way about you," Sheppard added.

"What are going to tell Carson?"

"That you and Biro shouldn't be left in the same room together."

"Not about that."

"I'm going to let Elizabeth handle it."

"Chicken."

"Delegation," Sheppard answered back, "it's a sign of a true leader."

"When I see Elizabeth, I'll ask her if it's true," McKay muttered.