Thanks for pennydreadful for the beta stuff.
Part 5 – Aargh, I can't think of a name for this… Any suggestions welcome.
It was well past midnight when Elizabeth decided to stop off at the labs to check on Zelenka's and Grodin's progress before she finally turned in for the night. As she approached the labs she could hear the familiar voice of Rodney McKay issuing orders and instructions. Irritation and concern fought with one another for prime position as she entered the lab.
As she walked in she saw Zelenka and Grodin bent over an Ancient consol to which a laptop was interfaced which was in turn wired up to a small black box. They were 100 per cent absorbed in what they were doing and didn't notice her come in. McKay was taking a rest from ordering the others around and was sitting in front of a laptop grinning almost manically as his fingers flew over the keyboard. He had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. Elizabeth acknowledged Ford, who was sitting in the corner leaning back on a chair his feet propped up on the work bench, with a nod. Irritation won the upper hand.
"Rodney, what are you doing here? I thought that Beckett had ordered you to get some rest? Ford, aren't you supposed to be resting too?" she asked her voice sharp. Ford scrambled to his feet and, to his credit, looked slightly guilty.
Ignoring her question and the tone of her voice McKay sprang to his feet and said, "Ah! Elizabeth, there you are. Excellent timing. I was just going to call you on the, er, radio." He gestured vaguely with his right hand pointing to his ear. "No doubt you realised it wouldn't take a genius like me long to work this one out, eh?" Still grinning manically he stepped over to her, took hold of her arm and pulled her over to his work bench. He pointed at the screen and said, "There!" in a tone of satisfaction. She looked at the screen which was, from his tone, obviously meant to enlighten her but which, if she was honest with herself, looked like nothing more than a random collection of formulae and vector diagrams.
Stifling her irritation she asked, "What have you found, Rodney?"
"Elizabeth, I have it and I was right by the way. I know how to stop the hallucinations, I know what happened and we're not dealing with any hostile people here at all." His grin became, if at all possible, wider and he continued,"I was talking to Carson and he made some arcane reference to ghoulies or some such and it jogged my memory of something I saw in one of the separate research databases here on Atlantis. So I went and reviewed the data I downloaded on the planet and cross referenced it against the aforementioned research database and bingo! Everything points to the same thing." He gestured proudly at the laptop and stood there grinning expectantly.
"What thing, Rodney?" she asked when it was clear he wasn't going to continue without prompting.
"We're dealing with an automated defence system!" McKay was so proud of himself she thought he might actually burst as he stood there grinning at the screen.
"And knowing this helps us how?" she prompted.
Tearing his eyes off the screen McKay turned her and said, "The outpost was an experimental research station. The Ancients were attempting to find away of countermanding the Wraith's ability of creating illusions and to use them against them… as in the illusions against the Wraith, not the… Anyway, you get the idea. Well, according to the database here, the research station was destroyed during a Wraith attack pretty near to the start of the siege of Atlantis and, since the Ancients had other things on their minds, like their pending demise, they abandoned it. We must have somehow re-activated it, perhaps when Sheppard touched the conduit, and somehow the experimental defence systems kicked in thus creating powerful illusions and hallucinations." He stopped and returned to his gleeful contemplation of the laptop, emanating smugness as he did so.
"And this means that you know how to switch it off?" she asked.
"What? Oh, yes, of course. Now I know what I'm looking for, all I have to do is to hack into the system, bypass a couple of security protocols, reroute the power and Bob's your uncle! It will be simple. Actually when I say simple, I mean incredibly complicated but simple for a genius like me… not that there are any." He paused and turned towards her, the grin replaced with an earnest expression. He continued, "I will still need Zelenka so if you'll just give me the OK I'll get the team together along with Ford here and we can leave?" It was nearly a question. He gave her an uncertain look which she returned levelly whilst she considered what the hell she was going to do next.
When Beckett heard the news that Elizabeth was giving the rescue mission a green light he had been standing in the doorway of the lab looking at Rodney who was humming tunelessly to himself as he happily poked at the device that Zelenka and Grodin were working on. He'd been poised to drag the irritating man back to Infirmary for some rest when he learnt that McKay was actually readying himself for a mission. Beckett decided that he really didn't understand McKay's problem – turning up in the Infirmary for a broken nail but when he had a severe concussion he was doing everything he could to avoid the place including heading off-world. Shaking his head in disbelief that Elizabeth would sanction sending McKay on a mission in the state he was in, he turned and walked swiftly to her office.
When he got there he saw Elizabeth conferring quietly with Grodin. He tapped on the doorframe and said in a soft voice that betrayed nothing of his anger, "Elizabeth, can I have a wee word?"
"Yes, Carson, what is it?" she replied although she had a fair idea of what it was he had come to say.
"Elizabeth, I have severe doubts as to whether Rodney should be allowed to go on this mission on medical grounds. Don't you think Radek and Peter could handle this?"
Elizabeth sighed and then replied, "I had some doubts myself but I don't think we have a choice, Carson. I've already spoken to Peter and Radek and they both say that since Rodney was part way through a work around on the chair they doubt they could follow what he has done. They said that it could take them as long to figure out what he has done as it would take him to finish the job."
Beckett made an exasperated noise and turned questioningly to Grodin who looked up and said, "As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm not sure I even could reverse engineer what it is he has done. I firmly believe that he is the only one who can do this quickly."
"So you think he's right then? He is the only one who stands a chance of turning off this machine so that Ford can take some men there to get Sheppard back?" Beckett asked.
"In the time frame available, I'm afraid so. This time Rodney's ego is fully justified. I'm sending another gate team with him and some field medics who will be looking after him and who will escort him back to Atlantis as soon as he's done. Then Ford will be free to go and find Sheppard."
"Elizabeth, I cannae believe that you're going to send him out there on this mission. Did you nae listen to me when I gave you my recommendation that the man should be in bed asleep in the Infirmary where I can keep an eye on the daft bugger?" Beckett's voice was becoming louder as his anger and guilt rose within.
"I'm sorry, Carson. If there was another way I would take it but Major Sheppard is out there, as Rodney so eloquently put it, being baked and then frozen and he probably is totally unaware of what is happening to him." She spread her hands expressively and said quietly, "I don't have a choice, Carson."
Beckett pursed his lips and then shook his head resignedly. "Alright then, Elizabeth, if you'll excuse me I'd better go and get my stuff together." He turned and began walking out of the room.
Elizabeth exchanged a puzzled glance with Grodin and then called out, "Carson, what did you just say?"
Drumming his fingers nervously against his thigh he replied, "Well, if we have to send Rodney off on this damn fool mission in the state he is in then, as his doctor, I'm going bloody well going too."
As Sheppard turned around he saw her standing there in front of him, just as he had imagined her before he'd left on the mission. The part of his mind that was screaming at him that this couldn't be true faltered and then fell silent as he drank in the figure of the woman who meant everything to him.
"Amy!" he murmured and slowly reached out to stroke her face with his left hand. He noticed the slight tremor in his fingers as he brushed back the dark brown curls that were blowing across her face. He touched her skin and closed his eyes as he felt her warmth. Unable to hold himself back he gathered her roughly into his arms and squeezed her tightly against him his face buried in her hair. "Oh God, I missed you," he choked out almost unable to speak through the constriction in his throat.
"Shep? Are you OK? What do you mean, you missed me? I've only been away for half an hour! Hey," she ended with a laugh as she pushed back from his fierce embrace. He couldn't stop staring at her and as he stared Amy's expression slowly changed and a worried frown replaced the smiling eyes and she reached up to gently touch his face. "Shep, what's going on? Have you had another relapse?" she asked.
"A relapse? What do you mean, relapse?" he asked, worried.
"A relapse? Like you can't remember how you got here kind of relapse?" her eyes were kind and caring.
He nodded mutely. He felt prickles of fear. Something was wrong with him but what? "I know how I got here, I walked down from the house but I can't understand how we're here, last thing I remember I was on a mission and then I got hit," he confessed. He stepped back from her as his confused memories began piling up on him. His adrenalin started to rise and he automatically started to scan the horizon, looking for danger.
Amy reached up and grabbed him. Holding his head between her hands she stared into his eyes and said urgently, "Calm down, Shep. You're gonna be fine. The doctors have said that this might happen. You just need to stay calm and focus. You'll be fine, do you understand me?" She gave his head a little shake to emphasis her words.
Her firm grip centred him. He calmed his breathing and asked, "But how did this happen, Amy? Why don't I remember what happened?"
"Shep, it's a side effect of what happened. The doctors said it could take a long time for everything to sort itself out up there. You've been through a hell of a lot and you're on leave. You remember that don't you?"
"Are you telling me that I had a breakdown?" he asked incredulously staring into her eyes.
She didn't answer, just gave his head another little shake and smiled. It was a crooked smile, tired. It was the smile of someone who has suffered much and is trying to be strong and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't deny the truth he saw in the calm brown eyes returning his questioning stare.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did and even if you didn't please leave a review. They are much appreciated and feedback helps me improve my writing. Thank you. Kat.