Note: Thanks again for all the reviews. For those of you I told I'd never get this chapter together tonight, what can I say? Hubby gave me a couple of breaks during the day and I used them to type like a mad woman. So, here we are.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time – Chapter 8

"How is he?"

Beckett grinned as he glanced down at Nick. "Well, give me a chance to get over here before you start asking questions. We've already started him on antibiotics and fever reducers. He's got some congestion, so I've got him elevated a bit and on oxygen. I won't know anything more until I get the report on his blood work, but I suspect he's picked up some kind of bug."

Nick nodded just a bit. "Resistance is probably down."

Kelly looked up at Beckett suddenly. "What about Nick? He's been through the same things as Colonel Sheppard."

"Yes, but we started him on antibiotics yesterday because of the surgery. I'm hoping that will knock anything out before it starts. The last thing Nick needs is to be sick right now."

Kelly sighed and shook her head. "I knew that. My brain isn't even pretending to function right now."

Beckett laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "Well, lass, I suspect you've had a few other things on your mind lately, so we'll overlook it." The doctor then turned to Nick. "Now that I've got the colonel settled, it's time to check up on you. How's the pain this morning?"

"It's manageable," Nick said quietly.

"Hmm, well, let me have a look at you and we'll see. I'll just get Marcy."

"I can help," offered Kelly.

Beckett paused to consider it a moment, and then nodded. "I guess that will work. Is your brain working yet?"

Kelly blushed. "Uh, yes, sir, maybe."

Carson laughed again. "It's okay, lass, it isn't brain surgery. I just need to check his vitals and his sutures. Why don't you get his temperature while I get his blood pressure? I'm going to want to keep a closer eye on his temperature in case it starts going up."

A few minutes later, Beckett was recording their readings on Nick's chart. He was aware that Nick was becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer he was awake. The lines creasing his forehead had deepened and a slight sheen of sweat had popped out.

Beckett put a gentle hand on Nick's arm. "Almost done lad, and then I'll give you your next dose of pain meds."

"Okay," Nick breathed out softly.

Beckett pulled on a pair of latex gloves as Kelly pulled the sheet down to Nick's hips and his gown up to his chest. A large bandage covered most of his abdomen. The skin around was still tinted a little yellow from the iodine they had swabbed him with. Beckett gently tugged on the edge of the tape until he got it started and then pulled the pad back away from the incision.

Kelly saw Nick clutch the sheet in his fist and she put her hand reassuringly over his. "Just a few more minutes, hon." Nick closed his eyes and nodded.

Beckett carefully examined the stitches and checked the surrounding area for any signs of infection. Satisfied, he went about replacing the dressing with Kelly helping him. Both noticed how Nick's grip on the sheet clenched tighter and tighter. By the time they finished, he was panting and trembling, his eyes tightly shut.

"Be right back," said Becket quietly to Kelly as he carried the tray of discarded bandages with him.

Kelly gently brushed Nick's damp hair from his forehead. "It's okay, hon, we're done. Dr. Beckett's gone to get you something for the pain. You did good." She smiled down at him, noticing how his face had drained of color.

Nick slowly began to relax, eventually opening his eyes. "I'm good," he said quietly as Beckett returned with a syringe and emptied it into the IV port.

"You know, you're beginning to sound like the colonel," Beckett observed. "Two peas in a pod."

Nick blinked a few times at Beckett's remark. "So which pea in which pod am I, because I'm getting confused." He grimaced as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. Movement bad, he thought to himself.

Kelly and Beckett exchanged a confused look and shrugged their shoulders. "I think the pain meds are kicking in already," said Kelly.

Nick frowned at them a few seconds until he realized they didn't know what he was talking about. "No, no. John told me that Carson and I were two peas in a pod. I can't be one with him and with you, so which is it?"

Kelly laughed and took his hand. "You know, I never really thought about it, but you're kind of like both of them. You and Dr. Beckett are both very skilled doctors that really care about your patients and try to watch over them. But I've noticed lately that you have an adventurous side like Colonel Sheppard. When you're with him, you two are like a couple of ten year old boys that can't sit still and can't stay out of trouble. I'm thinking about getting a leash. And all three of you are extremely protective about those around you that you feel responsible for."

Nick's eyes were beginning to drift closed and his expression looking more relaxed. He smiled and his vision slowly tracked up to find Beckett. "We could be . . . three musk . . . muskets . . . musking . . . "

"Musketeers," filled in Kelly, grinning down at her pleasantly drugged boyfriend.

"Yeah . . . that," he slurred.

Beckett snorted loudly. "Not bloody likely. I'll leave the adventures to you two. Someone's got to be here to pick up the pieces and try to put them back together."

oOo

Elizabeth looked into Beckett's office to find him hunched over, working on a report. "Carson, can we check on the boys?"

Beckett looked up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Glancing at his watch, he gasped. "How did it get so late? I meant to call you by now. Colonel Sheppard has had a bit of setback."

Elizabeth frowned. "What kind of a setback?"

"Elizabeth," came an annoyed voice from behind her. "Man on crutches here, remember. Could we actually move into Carson's office for this conversation, because I'd like to sit down. I do have a broken leg, in case you've forgotten."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and moved into the office as Beckett tried to hide a smile. They both took seats.

"All right, Carson, now, what kind of setback?"

"He's picked up a bit of a bug – "

"A bug! Another one?" exclaimed Rodney.

"No Rodney, not an actual bug. I mean he's sick. He began running a fever early this morning and he's got some congestion in his lungs. It's a bit like bacterial pneumonia. We've started him on some antibiotics and we're managing his fever. As long as we keep his fever in check, he should be okay. So far he's responding well to the fever reducers, so I'm not anticipating any problems. His recovery may just be a little more uncomfortable."

Elizabeth nodded, relief evident on her face. "What about Nick? Is he okay?"

"Nick's doing well. I'm keeping him pretty heavily medicated at the moment, so he's sleeping a lot. We started him on antibiotics when we did his surgery, so I'm hoping he'll be able to fight this thing off without getting ill."

"What about the rest of us?" asked Rodney. "Can we get it?"

"I doubt it. Of course we can't be certain yet, but I think you'd need pretty close contact to catch it and even then, there's a good chance you wouldn't get sick. I think this may be one of those things that the average person's immune system dispenses with rather quickly. The colonel's resistance was compromised because of the torture, lack of food and water, exhaustion, and their little all night stroll through the cold rain."

"Can we see them?" asked Elizabeth.

"Aye, for a few minutes. Don't get too close to the colonel, just in case." Beckett stood up and headed for the door.

"Carson, when's the last time you slept?" asked Elizabeth, noting his tired step and drooping eyelids.

"Oh, I've gotten a few hours here and there on the cot in the back. I think we'll have the children sorted enough by tonight I can get some real sleep."

"Children is right," said Rodney. "Leash, Elizabeth, I'm telling you."

Beckett snorted. "That's what Kelly said this morning."

"See, I told you."

"Rodney," said Elizabeth, the warning in her voice evident.

"Hey, I'm just saying . . . "

They approached the foot of Nick's bed to find him sleeping peacefully. Elizabeth looked around the small cubicle surrounding the bed. "Where's Kelly? I thought she'd be staked out here," she asked softly.

"She was," replied Beckett, equally quiet. "I told her if she didn't go get something to eat and some sleep, I was going to have her banned from the infirmary. Since Nick was freshly drugged and asleep, she allowed me to push her out the door. Marcy got off about that time, so she went with her to make sure she complied with my orders."

Elizabeth nodded, smiling at her CMO's habit of keeping watch over everyone, even if they weren't patients at the time. "He looks like he's resting well."

"Oh, he is. I gave him the good stuff, as Colonel Sheppard calls it."

As quietly as possible, they moved around the privacy curtain to the bed next door. John was shifting around in the bed, pulling away from the nurse trying to take his temperature.

"Colonel Sheppard, you have to be still for me to do this."

"Then quit jabbing me," he snapped.

Beckett sighed. "Colonel, could you let my nurse get your temperature?"

"Fine, just tell her to quit jabbing me in the ear." He scowled as the nurse took his temperature. The minute she was finished, he pulled away and squirmed around in the bed, trying in vain to get comfortable.

"One hundred point eight," she reported. "Do you need anything else, Doctor?"

"No, Amy, you can go."

Amy nodded and turned back to Sheppard. "I'm sorry if I poked you in the ear," she apologized. "But if you'd be still, I probably wouldn't be so likely to jab you," she whispered as she leaned in close to his ear.

John let his head fall back against the pillow and closed his eyes. "I know, I'm sorry. I just feel like crap and can't seem to get settled."

"Hang in there, sir. It's bound to get better." She patted him on the shoulder and winked at Dr. Beckett as she left.

"Well," said Elizabeth. "I guess there's no need to ask you how you feel."

John opened his eyes and stared blankly at her, his misery obvious to everyone. He took a couple of deep breaths to regain his composure, which only succeeded in sending him into a coughing fit that made his eyes water.

Amy had returned rather quickly to help Dr. Beckett sit Sheppard up until he could breathe again. "You know if you wanted me to come back, all you had to do was ask," she teased.

John tried to smile. "I'll remember that next time," he responded, still a little breathless.

Beckett brought out his stethoscope and spent the next couple of minutes listening to John's breathing. "Well, I'm glad your temperature is staying down, but the congestion isn't much better. Just try to stay still and not exert yourself."

John snorted as he pulled his legs up and then pushed them back down, grimacing. "I might be able to do that if these stupid muscle cramps and the twitching would stop. It's driving me crazy." He squirmed around some more until he was almost panting.

Beckett stood watching the colonel for a few seconds. "When was the last time you had anything for pain?"

"I don't know, a few hours ago, I guess."

"Let me go check your chart. I'm betting you're overdue if you're hurting this badly. Elizabeth and Rodney can keep you company." Beckett turned and hurried across the infirmary.

Elizabeth stepped up to stand beside John, but Rodney stayed back several feet, pulling a chair over to sit in. "Well, I'm sorry you're not feeling too well right now," sympathized Elizabeth. "When you feel better, I need to know more about what happened down there."

John moved his legs back and forth. "I can tell you now. Maybe it'll distract me. You know everything up until we sent Teyla and Ronon back. After they left, the Chancellor died and the people held us responsible. They attacked us as we tried to leave and knocked us out in the fight. We woke up in their prison. For the next . . . well, I don't actually know how long we were there. There were no windows and they kept dragging us back and forth between the cell and the torture room."

Elizabeth frowned. "I had a look at the torture room." She shivered, remembering the blood on the shackles that hung from the ceiling. She looked down to see the reddened abrasions on John's wrists, one of them bad enough to be bandaged. He seemed to notice her looking at him and slid his arm under the sheet.

"Here we go, Colonel, see if this helps." Beckett was back with pain medication, which he immediately added to the IV.

John nodded. "Thanks, Doc." He looked back at Elizabeth. "However long we were there, the Enforcer kept asking us why we killed the Chancellor and we kept explaining to him that we didn't. He started out working us over with his hands, him a couple of his goons. When that didn't work, he brought out the brass knuckles."

"Brass knuckles? Are you serious?" Rodney's eyes were wide and his tone echoed his disbelief.

"Well, they weren't exactly brass knuckles, but they reminded me of them and served the same purpose. When that didn't get a response he liked, he brought out the neurodisrupter." John shivered suddenly and pulled the blanket up to his neck, even though the cold he felt had nothing to do with the temperature. "Man, that thing was awful. He stuck me in the stomach with it the first time. After I had a chance to get over it, they took us back down there and he stuck me with it in the back. Nick said he did it again, but I was too far gone to realize. When I woke up in the cell, I found out they had stuck Nick with that thing too. Nick said they planned on executing us and that's when I decided it was time to get the hell out of Dodge. The next time they came for us, we jumped them and ran."

Elizabeth raised one eyebrow and smiled. "I understand you had a parting gift for the Enforcer."

John smiled and sighed. "Yeah, I just couldn't resist. I thought he needed a taste of his own neurodisrupter."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that he was still twitching and unable to speak when we got there."

"Good. I just wish he could . . . " John stopped talking and brought his legs up to his chest, pulling them in for a minute, only to extend them straight out as if he were stretching. "I hate this," he hissed.

Beckett frowned. "Are you still having the shooting pains in your legs?"

"Yeah . . . but it's better now." He finally relaxed back against the bed again. "It comes and goes." He pulled his legs up and used them to push the covers down to his ankles. "Hot again."

"I know, lad, it's the fever."

John looked sadly at the three people facing him. "I just keep thinking of all the things I should have done differently. I should have left the planet at the first sign of trouble instead of pressuring Nick to treat that Chancellor guy. I could have gotten us out of that cell earlier. I kept trying to get them to let Nick go, but they wouldn't listen. I should have – "

"John. Don't do this. It's not your fault and you did everything you could at the time. None of us have a crystal ball to see how a decision will turn out before we make it. All of the decisions you made were sound under the circumstances. You have to quit beating yourself up over this." Elizabeth smiled down at him. "That's an order."

Beckett noticed Sheppard's eyelids beginning to droop and his struggles beginning to slow. "I think maybe the colonel's medication is beginning to kick in. Let's let him get some rest and you can talk later."

Elizabeth laid her hand on John's arm. "You get some rest, John. I'll stop in later to see how you're feeling. Take care and do what Carson says."

"Thanks. I will," he said, his lids drifting down even further as his movements almost stopped.

Elizabeth and Rodney followed Beckett back to his office. They all stood quietly for a few seconds. "I should have gotten the rescue team together sooner and gotten them out. I just kept trying to reason with those people, long after I should have just taken them by force." Elizabeth rubbed the side of her head, anger making her breaths come quickly.

"Now, lass, you couldn't have known what they were doing to them," said Beckett, patting Elizabeth on the shoulder. "I'd suggest you follow the advice you just gave the colonel. The people who are at fault here are those nuts on the planet."

"Carson's right, Elizabeth. You did everything you could and when the time came, you got them out and back to Atlantis in one piece. Granted, they're a little worn around the edges, but they're going to be okay."

Elizabeth sighed. "I guess you're both right. We just need to remember that they're back and they're going to be okay. And we'll be here to help them when they need us."

Rodney nodded. "Yes, we will. But I still think we need that leash."

TBC

I'm thinking one more chapter to tie up some loose ends and get the boys out of the infirmary.