Note: This chapter is intended to present insight. The action begins after this. J
Chapter 3
Carson's POV (few moments before seeing his comrades)
Carson woke seeing familiar walls. Pale white with medical equipment laying about in neat stacks. His infirmary. This time the walls seemed bare; things were missing though he knew they were not.
Flashbacks flew threw his mind of Rodney taking him to activate a room, a mosaic fading to a star shaped room, and sleep. And pain. His hands trembled as he relived the memory of the voice telling him so many things. Why him?
He felt the room seem to…shiver? The room seemed perfectly normal--just as he had left it before his incident. The unfamiliar memories surfaced and showed him images of his infirmary in the past. Missing items.
"Bloody hell," he muttered. Turning away from his own thoughts, Carson bolted out of the secluded room his staff had assigned him and made for the exit.
A groan halted him dead; of their own accord, Carson's feet carried him towards an injured marine. A glance at the vitals revealed regular breathing with a slight spark in the heart rate. Typical for painkillers. The man's arm was wrapped in a stringy gauze and Carson frowned.
Messy. Carson reached to the wall and seized the slender unit waiting for him. His mind triggered the device before he was able to question his actions; flesh knit together neatly leaving a narrow, thread like scar in place of the flesh wound.
"Wat the?" Carson said panicky. "I dinna have this ability before. You've gotta be kiddin me."
Disbelief faded as his rant triggered a fount of memories. So…he knew how to use new medical equipment--not too bad. Yet.
Scampering out of the ICU area, Carson proceeded towards the exit. Only to be caught.
Elizabeth, Ronon and Rodney leapt to their feet as he appeared. He hesitated as they exchanged concerned glances. Crap…his appearance must have been altered by the damned device more than he had realized.
"I spose I must look fairly odd," Carson remarked halfheartedly. "I told ya tha' technology and I dinna mix Rodney. Ya should believe me…"
He looked away from the group. Stares were too much; he felt as if a rift had been created separating him from the rest of the people from Earth. He wondered oddly if this was how Ronon felt among all of them. Last of a people so vastly different than another.
"Carson," he heard Rodney say. "You are an idiot."
Before his next breath, Rodney had pulled him into a fierce embrace that lasted for several heart stopping moments. Looking up, he saw wet spots beneath the physicist's eyes. Glancing to Dr. Weir and Ronon he saw smiles on their faces. He relaxed--they were happy to see him.
A grin captured his face.
"Seems like you had an adventure," Weir commented softly. Her face remained welcoming and reassuring.
They did not know. Could not know. Must not know. He wanted to go back to the way things were before; he hoped such a fantasy had some merit.
Rodney released me and backed up a step.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I was afraid something had happened to you. Well, all appears to be in order so…I should be getting back to work on the internal sensory array. Glad to see you're well Carson."
Rodney scurried out of the infirmary like a bat out of hell. Carson blinked--talk about awkward.
He felt a hand plant on my shoulder. Carson glanced up at the face of the Runner; intensity flared in the big man's eyes as he searched for something. Satisfaction spread over the face and he offered a second smile.
"You look a bit different," he stated. "But you're the same. The healer."
"Do you know anything about what happened to you Carson," Weir interjected quickly. "Remember anything odd?"
"Ah no," Carson replied feigning ignorance. Meeting Weir's eyes to assume an air of blatant honesty. He knew Ronon saw right through him as a pane of transparent glass. "Like a long dreamless sleep; obviously there was more to 't than sleep. I feel well enough though."
"Just the same," Weir replied. "I think it would be best if you took a few days off and allowed Dr. Biro to run some exams. Just to be certain nothing went wrong with you."
"Of course," Carson agreed meekly. "I just hope you dinna think that I am…well…a bit off."
"Not at all Carson," Elizabeth smiled warmly. "Just want to make sure everything is safe."
"By the way," the Satedan said cheekily. "It appears you have an admirer."
Carson's head whipped up and stared at Ronon in astonishment, anticipation. The tall man smiled and patted the doctor indulgingly. Carson turned to Weir with a pleading look. Fighting back a smile, Weir shrugged.
"Genius is as genius does," Weir teased. "By the way, if you find a way to reverse the de-aging process feel free to take away some of my years."
Confusion blotted Carson's mind. At Ronon's delighted grin Carson knew something dramatic had happened. Mirrors were in order.
"Bloody hell," Carson muttered before Biro came up and seized him for more medical testing.
Zelenka's POV
"Rodney!" Zelenka called out sharply. "We may need to set the panel up for a cyclic energy diagnostic loop with-"
"Do you think its my fault?" McKay interrupted.
"Wat are you talking about you self absorbed loon," the Czech demanded angrily. He swore the man was brilliant but lacked basic human skills. Resigning himself to listening to one of McKay's spiels, Radek Zelenka leaned against the firm flooring--waiting for it.
"I don't want Carson to hate me," Rodney sputtered. "But I really couldn't blame him if he did, after all, I do force him to partake in my experiments any chance I get. Sure, it probably is beneficial to him in the long run, but I should not have to make him; right?"
The Czech shook his head and threw the closest non-lethal object at McKay's blathering form.
"Shut up you imbecile," the Czech growled. "Have you no concept of how fortunate you are? Carson likes you; you like Carson. Wat is problem? You are stupid and I do not know how to correct dat!"
Rodney halted his protests and stared at Radek, jaw dropped. Zelenka merely glared at him before returning to his work.
Radek whistled while dreaming of his latest fantasy: scientific plausibility of removing a man's voice box and render its occurrence to an accident…
Carson's POV
Biro had released him from the infirmary, but he was still relieved of duty for a few days.
Carson exchanged friendly nods with the expedition members he encountered in the halls feeling oddly detached, uncomfortable.
Carson had considered seeking out Rodney, but was afraid of Rodney's reaction if he told him the truth. The last thing he needed was to unwittingly become a government research project. He could see it now, 'Come see the Ancient--before we dissect him.' Yep, the American government was so lovely.
"Hey doc," the familiar, confident voice of Colonel Shepherd.
Turning, Carson plastered a smile on his face. "Something you needed Colonel?"
"Not particularly," Shepherd remarked thoughtfully. "Just wondered how you may be doing."
"Just great," he babbled. Sweat dotted his brow. "Everything's just fine."
Shepherd opened his mouth to reply when the lights flickered to darkness for a moment. Taking the opportunity to escape, Carson hightailed it to his quarters. He halted in the doorway taking in the sickeningly familiar atmosphere of the room.
The familiarity did nothing for the physician as he entered his rooms. They belonged to him, but they also belonged to a lie. He was a lie…his life was a lie.
Trembling, Carson steadied himself on the wall. Using his strengthened mental skills, he illuminated the room to a casual lighting.
"Why can't I be normal," he whispered to nobody in particular. "I feel more alone than I ever have."
On impulse, Carson strode to his closet. His clothes were gone, replaced by various styles and colors of the Ancient garb.
"No," he screamed. "You cant take my life away from me. Why are you doing this?"
Lashing out with his mind, what little décor was in the room: a vase, a teacup; shattered. As the glass fragments shattered tears dripped from his eyes. Each drop embodying a piece of anger he felt. He hated them for doing this to him.
Carson's body turned about and took him to the door. He had to get out of here. He could not stay in that room.
Abandoning the quarters, the new Ancient headed towards the transporter and mentally ordered it to a part of the city he had never been, but was remembered. Living quarters of his ancestors. How true.
Touching the keypad outside the door, Carson entered the small room. Using his mind, he accessed the life support and allowed a trickle of power to drain to this room.
"Rodney," Carson murmured affectionately. "Only you would notice a blip like that. I hope you don't tonight."
The room illuminated to elegance personified. A king-sized bed with fluffy white bedding, real wooden furniture, and paintings depicting faces that no part of him knew. Thank God! A lovely view of the sea.
A little haven. Maybe he could bring Rodney here sometime?
Carson took one step towards the bed when he practically felt the city scream at him. Gripping his head he silenced the scream.
Danger--intruder in the city.
Thoughts of his discovery forgotten, Carson scrambled to his feet and raced down the hall. He had to warn Rodney and most importantly of all: save his city.