Lucius sat quietly in the dark of the healer's quarters listening to him sleep.

The healer had been having nightmares, late night groans and shouts heard by some passing guards.

"Maybe he has someone in there with him." Winked a guard on the second night they heard the sounds. The older guard with him smacked him across the head.

"The crippled speech mauled foreigner has a woman in there." he said incredulously pointing at the closed door. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Who knows?" smiled the younger man, only to be smacked again by his elder.

"Come, we must tell the Sovereign." he ordered leading the younger man away.

"Have you even heard him speak? Cause I never have…I wonder what he..."

"Come!" ordered the grizzled guard. "You speak too much, be wary of what that can bring in this place."

Lucius' methods were well known throughout the manor. The younger man gulped, bit his lip and followed quickly behind the departing guard.

"N-no…'Lizbeth!

….Colonel…I…

...I'm here…I'm….nononono…"

Lucius' eyes narrowed in the darkened room of the healer. He had heard Nahkhan shout out in his sleep on several occasions like this. He had stood in the corner of his son's room hearing him murmur, Atlantis…and other names that had also come out of the healer's mouth.

Anger raged in the tall man.

The healer was causing this, staining his son with his returning delusions. He stood and moved over to the bed, the moonlight from a nearby window guiding his path.

I could just kill him. He thought as he looked down at the sleeping man.

Nahkhan would not be the wiser…

But…

He didn't want his son pining over a lost friend.

Lucius smiled, a plan forming in his mind.

Several nights later, Carson was stoking the fire in his room's fireplace as he prepared for bed when there was a knock on his door. He glanced over in time to see a folded piece of paper slip from under the door into his room.

Curious, he picked it up and opened the door; there was no one in the hallway. Shrugging, he closed the door and unfolded the paper, his eyes widening, mouth going dry.

Carson,

Your friends from Atlantis are looking for you, they haven't given up the search.

Destroy this note then come to the large hill for more details.

A friend.

Carson inhaled sharply, his heart thudding in his chest as he re-read the note in his hands.

Carson.

He remembered when he thought that was his name; when he thought he was a healer from Atlantis. He shook his head.

This couldn't be right!

Nahkhan was right, they had been hurt, the delusions part of their injuries.

What was this?

He thought of the dreams he had been having then looked down at the crumpled note in his hand.

Atlantis.

Carson looked around his room, his brow furrowing, his heart pulling in two directions.

Go.

No.

Go!

Images flashed through him, pictures he'd been trying to force behind the wall of sanity in his mind (it was insane, wasn't it? Atlantis?), but had seeped their way through.

What if the note was true?

What if I don't go and it's all been true?

Carson exhaled slowly nodding to himself then threw the note in the crackling fire and watched as it curled and burned away.

He would go.

The wary healer, grabbed his coat and slowly opened the door. The hallway was empty as he slipped out, closing the door behind him.

John had decided to visit the healer, hoping he hadn't already turned in for the night and was just turning the corner to his room when he saw the man shuffle away in the opposite direction.

He was about to call out to him, but stopped himself at the furtive way the healer was moving.

Where are you going, Arex? John frowned and silently followed behind his friend.

A half hour later, John stood behind a tree watching Carson in the near distance at the base of the village's largest hill. The moon was high in the sky, its crisp light pushing some of the night's darkness away. The healer was slowly pacing, his eyes glancing every which way like a man nervous of his surroundings.

John frowned.

Who are you waiting for? He thought; Arex didn't have many or if he was being honest, any friends that he knew of in the manor besides himself.

Maybe someone from the village? But why? And…who?

He was torn, wanting to go to his friend and wanting to stay behind the tree to find out the reason for his secrecy.

"You saw him too." came a deep voice from behind him.

John gasped and spun around to the face of his father who was standing close behind him.

"I didn't hear you there." John frowned, his heartbeat fumbling in his chest.

Lucius cocked an eyebrow at him then turned and nodded towards Carson.

"I wonder why the healer would be out at this late hour?" he asked.

John turned back to Carson. "Maybe he's been summoned to heal someone?"

"Empty handed?" muttered Lucius.

John twitched, but he gave no reply.

"He's up to no good." pushed Lucius.

John glanced back. "We don't know that." he replied softly.

Lucius touched John's shoulder then pointed towards the hill.

Carson was near panicking. He shouldn't have come, this was a mistake. He turned to leave when a hooded figure stepped out from some nearby trees and slowly made its way towards him.

Heart in throat, he froze. As the figure neared he saw it was a young woman, her long blonde hair slipping out from the sides of the hood.

Who are ya an' what do ya want with me?!

His mind shouted out. But in reality all he could do was stare, his mouth slightly open, breath coming in spurts and stutters.

"Carson?" whispered the woman. "You don't know me, but your friends on Atlantis have been looking for you and Colonel Sheppard. They haven't given up the search and will be happy to know you have been found!"

Carson could only stare, unable to speak at this news.

The woman continued, glancing around as she pulled a folded note from within her cloak. "I am to give you this note and tell you to hold on to hope and that you and the Colonel will be rescued soon."

The woman pressed the note into Carson's hand then smiled tightly, turned and made her way back from whence she came disappearing quickly among the trees.

Carson blinked slowly, looking at the disappearing woman then down at the note in his hand; a sudden rustling making his head shoot up, his teeth clicking together in fear.

"Healer!" Lucius voice was sharp and full of anger.

Carson's eyes widened, his hand clenching around the note as he watched the Sovereign and Nahkhan making their way towards him.

The Sovereign's eyes were dark, accusing; Nahkhan's eyes, tight in confusion and something else he couldn't place.

They stopped a few feet from him. "Arex, what are you doing here?" John asked, glancing at the note then back at his friend.

Carson blinked, his mouth opening, "I…" was all he could voice.

Lucius stepped closer, like an ominous shadow.

He stared hard at the smaller man as he plucked the note from his hand and handed it to John.

"What does it say, son?"

John slowly took the note as he stared at Carson, then looked up at the moon and held the note up to catch some of its light.

He read aloud:

"Carson,

You're doing well, keep up the good work. Soon you will have Daravilus' son where we want him; so draped in his delusions of Atlantis that he will be of no use to his father when we invade. Keep up the good work, we are counting on you!"

As John finished reading, only the quick panting of Carson's breath could be heard against the soft rustling of the nearby trees; the cool night air carving through them.

Carson, mouth agape took a step back, lowering his eyes.

Lucius watched as his son took a deep breath, slowly crumpling the note in his hand and then turned a hardened gaze to the cowering healer.

"Is this true?" John held the note out to Carson.

Carson's head shot up and he shook it wildly in denial.

"I'm gonna need to hear you say it, Arex." John's voice was like granite.

"M…m'lord." Carson swallowed, his eyes flicking back and forth from John to Lucius. He shook his head, his voice clawing from his lips. "It's nah true. I…I was told ta come here!"

"Told?" sneered Lucius.

Carson's head bobbed. "A note, under ma door."

"A note from who?" asked John.

"I-I don't know…" Despair filled him as he watched the two men give each other a look.

John took a step towards him. "Where's the note now?"

Carson's heart dropped. "In…in the...I burned it. It said in the note to destroy it, once read."

Lucius stormed towards Carson at those words.

"Father..." started John, aware of what was about to happen.

The older man grabbed the healer by the back of the neck pushing him forward.

"Wait!" John exclaimed as he watched Lucius push Carson down the path back towards the manor.

"His punishment will not be by my hand, son." Lucius called out without turning around. "You will not escape the responsibilities of your position this time, Nahkhan."

He turned slightly and gave John a pointed look before continuing down the path; a stumbling Carson next to him and a concerned John behind.

-tbc-