After Effects
By Wyndhamfan
(Disclaimer in Chapter 1)
Note: Hello guys, here's the next chapter! Do tell me if you like it. :) Thanks for all your reviews so far! It has kept me going. Oh yeah, about the Johnny Carson thing ... oh gosh, what a mistake! I'm red with embarassment. But thanks for telling me. I hope I remember to correct it ...
Oh yes, neptune60 posed an interesting question: Why would anyone have a problem with what Sheppard did? I think all Sheppard fans know that this is a highly honourable thing to do. Unfortunately, I don't think the suits will appreciate his sense of honour. After all, it is a war, and in war it's do or die. When I watched the show, I was surprised that John just let the Wraith go like that. Sure, it was the right thing to do, but I can't help but think it will bite them in the ass next time. Maybe the Wraith won't rat them out, but what of his superiors? I mean, they're a telepathic race after all, and they would KNOW that Atlantis is out there, ripe for the picking ... so I thought I could explore it in a fanfic :)
(I'm rushing off to the hypermart now for some weekend grocery shopping ... see ya, guys!)
Chapter 4
"You certainly didn't waste your time, Mr Woosely," Weir said, her voice taut with irritation.
When Weir and Sheppard's team entered the conference room, they found Mr Woosely already waiting for them. The IOA official looked more irritated than usual, giving the team a glowering look as his hands clasped a stack of important-looking files.
"Perhaps you should rephrase the question, Dr Weir. What you should say is that the IOA didn't waste time," he said testily.
"Are we supposed to do this without Colonel Sheppard?" Rodney asked brusquely, ignoring Woosely.
"No, we won't Rodney," said Weir without taking her eyes away from the IOA official.
Woosely snapped a file shut impatiently. "On the contrary, Dr Weir, we will. But rest assured that I will be speaking to Col Sheppard soon."
"Col Sheppard is on medical leave," Weir said, her tone hard.
"According to his medical records, he is coherent and walking around. I don't see how a couple of questions will affect his health."
"It's out of the question," Weir said, giving him a sardonic smile.
"Believe me when I say this, Dr Weir. I take no pleasure in doing this. But here am I in the Pegasus galaxy instead of a beach in Hawaii where I'm supposed to be sipping magaritas. Here am I, again, enquiring about yet another security breach and wondering why, despite our previous conversation, no lessons were learnt," he said, his voice rising with each word.
Weir sighed heavily. "Mr Woosely," she began.
But she did not get to finish her sentence. Carson Beckett's voice interrupted her.
"Dr Weir!"
She instinctively looked up in surprise.
"Carson?" she touched her earpiece.
"I need Rodney to come to Colonel Sheppard's room immediately!"
Rodney stood up immediately. "Carson, what's wrong?" he yelled.
"Carson, what's wrong?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.
Teyla and Ronon, meanwhile, were frozen in their seats, their eyes on Weir.
"His blood pressure went through the roof and suddenly lowered and now his pulse is erratic. I tried hailing him, but he has not responded."
"I'm on my way, Carson!" Rodney yelled, pushing away from his chair and hitting the floor running. Ronon and Teyla followed suit.
"I'm sorry, Mr Woolsey. I have more important things to do," she said. Without a second glance at the IOA official, she marched out of the room, leaving Woolsey alone in the conference room with his jaw hanging open in surprise.
X...x...X
Carson was already waiting for them at Sheppard's door.
"I'm sorry to drag you out like this, Rodney. But I know you'll probably get to him faster than the maintainence people," he said.
"Of course. I wrote the security lockdown program after all – and what the hell is Sheppard doing locking his room like that?" Rodney muttered as he took apart the panel beside the door.
Cursing under his breath, Rodney adjusted the crystals in the panel and a few seconds later, the doors swished open. Carson didn't wait at all – he barged into the room. Didn't even pause when he saw Sheppard lying on his side beside his bed, out cold.
"Carson ..." Weir began, her eyes on John's still form. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood trailing down from the Colonel's nose.
"He is bleeding," Teyla said worriedly.
"It's a nose bleed," Rodney explained, his voice flat. "Carson?" he asked when he noticed the doctor feeling for a pulse.
"He's alive. But we must get him to the infirmary as soon as possible." Carson looked up, his face grim. "He is feverish. He wasn't at all this morning."
Gently, Carson turned the Colonel to his back. Just as he was turned, Sheppard groaned. Galvanised by the sound, Rodney elbowed his way through Elizabeth and Ronon to kneel beside the Colonel.
"Colonel Sheppard, can you hear me?" Beckett asked.
Sheppard frowned, then his eyes fluttered open and then slid closed just as quickly.
"Colonel?" This time, it was Teyla who voiced her concern.
With one final groan, Sheppard opened his eyes ...
X...x...X
He opened his eyes to see three concerned faces looking down at him.
"Colonel Sheppard. Can you hear me?" Beckett asked worriedly. He vaguely remembered being asked that question a while ago.
"Ugh. Too loud," he muttered, wincing at the pain in his pounding head.
"Well, at least we know that his hearing is intact," Rodney said sarcastically. Sheppard saw Teyla gIve the scientist a disapproving look, but he found it reassuring somehow. He grinned weakly.
"What happened?" he slurred after getting his bearings.
"What happened? You fainted, that's what!" barked Rodney.
"Didn't faint," he muttered.
"Would you prefer swooned instead?"
"Rodney," Carson chided.
His body felt achy and bone-weary. John wondered if he landed awkwardly enough to sprain something. He analysed his body carefully again. Well, at least he didn't break anything. That would've really sucked. Wearily, Sheppard rubbed a hand on his forehead. Carson dutifully took it away so that he could aim a penlight in his eyes. He sighed in resignation and just let Carson do what he had to do.
"Your blood pressure went through the roof, Colonel. And I'm concerned about the fact that you now have a temperature. I'm sorry, but it's back to the infirmary for you," he said.
Sheppard groaned, but he didn't protest because he knew it was futile when Carson was this way. He sighed again and began lifting himself up with his elbows.
"Colonel, that's the last thing you need to do," Carson chided and pushed him down gently. Sheppard resisted the gesture and lifted himself up further until he was sitting up.
"I feel fine. So I passed out, big deal. Besides, I-"
He paused and blinked. For a moment, he felt the world shift. It was a strange, disconcerting feeling that left him dizzy and disoriented.
"Did you feel that?" he murmmured, puzzled.
"What is it?" Teyla asked in concern.
"The world ..." he breathed. Then, without a single warning, his eyes rolled up into his head.
Weir cried out in surprise, but Carson was quick enough to catch him before he fell heavily to the floor and hit his head.
"Carson!" Rodney demanded. Carson was frantically examining Shepard, taking his pulse, lifting an eyelid and then donning his stethescope to have a listen at his heart. He then quickly took out an Ancient medical scanner. The results on the palm-sized device apparently wasn't pleasing. Carson frowned heavily.
"Pulse erratic, pressure ... very low. Too low. We have to get him to the medical bay. Right now." Immediately, Carson tapped his headset to call the medical team.
Teyla busied herself by placing a pillow beneath John's head and covering him with a blanket. Ronon, meanwhile, was quietly cursing beside her, feeling helpless because he didn't know what to do.
This time, Rodney did not hide his anxiety. "Carson, tell me it's just low blood sugar or something," he said softly.
"I can't tell you that, Rodney," Carson looked up to see Weir's anxious eyes staring back at him.
"I think what we're afraid would happen has happened ... Colonel Sheppard may be suffering from the effects of the repeated Wraith feedings," he said quietly. Weir looked away. Carson was surprised – was it guilt he saw in her eyes?
Ronon cursed again. And sat heavily at the edge of Sheppard's bed, watching the Colonel's pallid features. All Carson could do before the medical team arrived was to monitor his vital signs – which was erratic at best – and made sure he was comfortable.
x...x...X
Ronon shifted in his seat restlessly. It has been an hour since the medical team took Sheppard beyond the doors of a section of the infirmary where they could not cross. Undaunted, the team had taken to camping outside the doors. Teyla made herself comfortable in the stiff plastic chair by an empty infirmary bed. Weir had taken to staring at the sea from a little window while Rodney busied himself with his ever-present laptop, tapping out goodness knows what.
For the Satedan, waiting has never been this hard.
He had been gratified that Sheppard had come after him in Sateda. Even if he hadn't explicitly said so to the Colonel, both understood how each other felt about the whole thing. Words need not be said.
When Sheppard had been taken by Koyla, his mind had screamed for him to go get Sheppard back. But he was not given that chance; Weir had preferred a more covert approach when he had wanted with every fibre of his being to just charge in and get him from Koyla's filthy hands. Watching him being tortured and killed slowly had been agony for all of them, but for Ronon, it fueled a rage that was itching to be satisfied.
He couldn't do what Sheppard had done for him. This whole thing had been a frustrating experience - he couldn't save Sheppard from the pain the creature had inflicted on him nor could he punish Koyla for what he had done. And when the opportunity came to strike out at the Wraith in revenge for Sheppard - he wasn't even allowed that. Then he had watched Sheppard let the Wraith go, against all logic.
He cursed again.
"Do you mind not doing that every two seconds? Because it's really getting to me," Rodney said sharply, looking at him with narrowed eyes.
Ronon shot him a heated look, which Rodney, to his credit, smoothly ignored. "It's taking too long," Ronon growled as he got up and started to pace.
"At least we agree on one thing," Rodney sighed.
And as if the Ancestors read their minds, the doors to the surgery slid open. A tired-looking Dr Beckett stepped through, still in his scrubs. He gave them a tired smile as they rose as one from their seats.
Weir turned from the window and quickly made her way to Carson's side.
"Carson?" she asked anxiously.
"He's resting. But before you all move, I'd prefer that all of you spend only five minutes with him. He needs all the rest he can have," he said sternly.
Impatiently, Rodney just muttered an affirmative and entered the room with Teyla and Ronon. Weir, however, stayed behind with Carson.
"I have to be frank with you, Elizabeth. Colonel Sheppard is a mess right now," Beckett said gravely. "I know it's not the news you want to hear-"
"No. No, but this is what it is, isn't it? But he will get better?" she asked hopefully.
Becket sighed. "I wish I can say 'yes', Elizabeth. The unidentified protein that I spoke about before? It has completely disappeared from his system. I think this is the reason why the Colonel is now exhibiting symptoms. I suspect that the protein is a stimulant of sorts that helped his organs function at peak capacity. Once it was gone, his system did not have the artificial crutch to keep it going any more. Basically, his body needs to remember how to function without that stimulant once more. The fluctuations in his vital readings are just symptoms of his body trying to adjust," he said.
But Weir could see that Beckett was still concerned. "There's something you're not telling me."
He sighed again. "There is another disturbing development, Elizabeth. His dopamine levels are fluctuating as well. And I have not even started telling you about the strange developments in his brain chemistry-"
"Dopamine ... are you saying that his mental health is affected too?"
"I'm afraid so ... he has not manifested any symptoms yet. But ... but it will be any moment now."
Weir looked away, and tried to digest all this.
"But it is temporary, right?" she asked hopefully.
"Aye. I believe so. As long as we keep him comfortable and rested, I believe he will pull through. But enough about the Colonel for now. How are you doing, lass? You look more than a little run down."
Weir took a shuddering breath and gave Carson a wry grin. But the grin wavered and turned into a grimace.
"I think I may have something to do with his collapse," she said, her voice brittle.
Beckett frowned. "I don't see how that's possible, Elizabeth."
" I ... spoke to him about the IOA investigation," she said guiltily. "It wasn't what you call a ... level discussion. We were both a little ... angry. That didn't do any favours for his blood pressure, did it?"
Carson tsked. "But he would've found out about it some other way. Being honest with him was probably better than putting him through the stress of wondering what's happening. There was no way you could've predicted his collapse."
She nodded, but appeared unconvinced.
"Elizabeth. You've got enough to worry about already. Worrying about what ifs is the last thing you need to do at a time like this. Besides, knowing the Colonel, he'll probably give you one for blamin' yourself." He gave her a smile.
"Carson?"
The two turned to see Rodney looking worriedly at them. The scientist was clasping his hands together so tightly that his knuckls were white.
Weir frowned immediately. "Rodney, what is it?"
"I'ts Sheppard. He just asked me why Peter Grodin was staring at him from the bed next to his."
Weir felt her blood turn cold.
So ... it has started, she thought.