A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers so far, I'm glad I've piqued your interest! Also- I realize not everyone likes the McKay/Weir pairing, and I'd like to comfort you a little: It won't be overt, it'll be subtle, and nothing a non-shipper should run away from. So if you like Elizabeth, I think you'll be fine. As for my diehard shippers out there….don't worry, I'll feed you too! Something for everyone! Sorry this chapter's so long, but it had to be!
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or the characters.
IOIOIOI
The next morning, Elizabeth woke up tired and sore. What did I DO last night? She wondered, incredulous. I don't remember my workout being any harder than usual…I didn't get in a fight…my routine was absolutely normal….Elizabeth pondered what could have caused the dull ache in her neck and the sluggish pace of her brain as she showered and dressed for work.As she walked down the increasingly crowded corridors to her office, she felt a twinge of fear. She couldn't remember last night clearly…she remembered saying goodnight to Andrews on the way out of the control room…but after that was a mystery. A jolt of fear ran through her. From old Stargate command mission reports, she knew that sudden loss of memory in an otherwise healthy individual often meant alien interference, and that was never good. Concerned, she walked around a corner without looking up, and found herself on the floor. When she looked up, it was into the face of a concerned Doctor Heightmeyer.
"Dr. Weir? Are you alright?" she asked, extending a hand to help her up off the floor.
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you Kate," Elizabeth replied, straightening up and brushing her pants off. That was stupid, she berated herself. I thought I'd gotten out of the habit of brooding and walking at the same time. I'm getting to be as bad as Rodney, she thought, slightly amused at the idea of Rodney brushing off on her.
"Is anything troubling you Elizabeth? It's not like you to be so distracted," Kate inquired, eyes searching for any sign of discomfort on Elizabeth's face.
Elizabeth took a moment before responding. If she told Doctor Heightmeyer she wasn't all right, and yes, something was troubling her, it would be an acknowledgement of weakness. That even the great Doctor Weir had trouble coping with the daily strain of life on an alien outpost. Elizabeth ran her hands through her hair nervously before saying, "Actually, yes, there is, Kate. Would it be alright to ask you a quick question?"
Kate's eyes showed her surprise at Doctor Weir's answer. "Of course," she quickly responded. "Would you like to come down to my office? I was just-"
"No, if you don't mind, Doctor, I'd rather not. This won't take long," Elizabeth said, glancing down the corridors that make sure no one was paying any attention. But Kate's next words put her at ease.
"Of course we don't have to, if you'd rather not. I understand that as a leader you feel it's better not to be seen with me on a professional basis. I've met very few leaders who feel otherwise. If you'd like to avoid suspicion, I recommend we have breakfast in the mess hall together. That won't arouse suspicion, and I suspect you haven't eaten yet either," Kate accused her gently, a smile tugging around her lips.
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a great idea," she told Kate with a smile, and fell into step beside her as they headed down the corridor.
"You can start now, if you like," Doctor Heightmeyer reminded her quietly after walking in silence for a moment.
Gathering herself, Elizabeth told Kate her fears of an alien intrusion and her loss of memory. Safely seated in the middle of the cafeteria, sipping her coffee, Elizabeth relaxed slightly and allowed herself to be questioned thoroughly. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Kate finally broke the silence.
"In your position I can understand your fears of alien intrusion, and I certainly won't advise against your contacting Carson for medical examination. However, I think the answer to your problem is probably entirely unrelated." Elizabeth's eyebrows raised up, surprised.
"Actually, it's not uncommon for people who live in a permanently stressful environment to develop certain psychological side effects from the pressure. One of the more frequent incidents is loss of memory. You need to remember small details much more so than the average person, because in this environment one needs to adapt quickly to sudden changes, and utilize all the knowledge they have about the situation. Your brain tries to commit as much to memory as it can, but eventually, it has to start erasing the less important details. And one of the easiest ways to edit is by erasing a chunk of time that had no "danger triggers." Taking Elizabeth's open face as a good sigh, Kate continued patiently continued her lecture.
"Last night, I would imagine there was nothing that triggered an endorphin response in your system. Consequently, your mind may have decided to lose that memory because it's not imperative to your survival."
Elizabeth looked faintly shocked at this piece of information. "Will this happen often?" she queried, brow knitting together in worry.
"Generally these cases are isolated. I can however, prescribe some exercises for mind control that may help prevent this type of system overload from happening again. In addition, I suggest you try to eliminate as much unnecessary stress from your routine as possible." Kate got up from the table, tray in hand, and headed toward the doors. Elizabeth followed in suite, walking at a comfortable pace beside her as they exited the mess hall.
"I'll talk to Beckett about combining physical exercise with my own treatment. The positive effects of the two should boost your mental health as well as keep you in shape."
"Alright," Elizabeth agreed decisively, "Contact me as soon as everything's arranged, I appreciate your help in this issue Doctor."
"Anytime Elizabeth. Frankly, I'm very proud of you for admitting to me that you had a problem in the first place, and very impressed that you've agreed to treatment. I think you've really grown as a leader to acknowledge that people in positions of power need to keep themselves in prime condition, even if it means a slight loss of personal dignity."
Elizabeth smiled at Doctor Heightmeyer as she headed off in the opposite direction to her own office. Sipping her morning coffee, comfortably ensconced in her office chair, she decided Doctor Heightmeyer was probably right. How could an alien have possibly gotten through the Atlantian filters without setting off an alarm? And even if it had, wouldn't it have affected more people? Elizabeth stared off into space as she continued to mull things over. As for the physical pains…wasn't someone of SGA five sick a few days ago? She thought, trying to remember. Yes, yes, it was Gabrielle Warner. That's probably what this is- the onset of a virus. Satisfied, she made a mental note to check in with Cason later on. As for alien entry- she could handle that right away. Tapping her earpiece, she said,
"Colonel Sheppard, would you please have your team come to my office immediately? I have a situtation to discuss with you."
"Sure thing Elizabeth," Sheppard replied quickly, "I'll have them there in a few minutes. Sheppard out."
Content, Elizabeth began to organize her files for the day. Finishing the last of her coffee, she swung her chair back around to face the door, propping her elbows on the desk as she did so. Eager to pass the time, she flipped open her laptop for a quick game of solitaire.
Okay, you know what to do: You read, you review! Oh, and one more thing: I'm no psychologist, so who knows if any of what I said was true. But this will all be explained later….faulty psychology or no, it all has a purpose….
