A Stream of Consciousness
Part 3
Author: MacGateFan
Disclaimers in Part 1

Rodney was tapping away at his laptop when Elizabeth regained consciousness. She began assessing the pain. Not too bad… wait, don't move so much and its fine, she thought to herself.

"Elizabeth," Rodney said with a smile. "I'll be right back; I'm going to get Carson."

Rodney knew Carson would stab him with pointy needles if he didn't get the physician. His exact words were, 'Do not let her touch your computer until I've checked her over or so help me!'

"How are you feeling, Elizabeth?" Carson asked.

"The pain isn't so bad right now," she replied. "It only hurts if I move so I've decided to keep still for the moment."

He smiled. "Good. I was a wee bit worried earlier because you lost a fair amount of blood."

"Where are Teyla and Ronon?"

Rodney spoke up; telling her about Mynar's people and the Ancient translations then mentioned that the pair had gone to the Mainland to gather any information they could regarding them.

"Let me see the laptop, Rodney," she said. "We need to figure out a way to help John."

Carson sighed. He didn't like this, but it was probably their only chance to save their friend. "Just take it easy, Elizabeth, and let me know if you start feeling more pain."

"I will, Carson."

Ronon and Elizabeth arrived about 20 minutes later. "Any luck?" Rodney asked.

"None," Teyla replied. "My people remember an enemy who were angry at the Ancients for the Wraith, but they had never met them nor know of where they came from."

Ronon watched Elizabeth as she intently poured over the contents on the computer. "What about you guys?"

Elizabeth looked up at them. "According to this, Mynar's people were known as the Cerise. They lived on a planet about five light years from here and they met the Ancients two years before the Wraith came into existence.

"After the Cerise were culled, the Ancients offered the small remaining group sanctuary in Atlantis. Only a handful remained, including Mynar. When he learned where the Wraith came from, they attempted to destroy Atlantis. Everyone but Mynar was killed and his consciousness was some how transferred into the device that John touched."

Rodney eyed her curiously. "It doesn't say how he was transferred?"

She shook her head. "No, just that he was. That's where I left off."

Carson chose that moment to walk over. "Elizabeth, Love, I really think you should rest. You've been sitting up all day and even though you won't admit it, I can tell you're in pain."

"Carson, I do not plan on stopping the translation until I find out how to save John. Didn't you say that we may very well lose him completely if Mynar remains?" He gave a curt nod. "Then until Mynar is gone, I will not rest!"

"Very well, but the moment you've finished, I'm going to sedate you for at least 24 hours!"

Elizabeth was just about finished translating the lab data when she started feeling dizzy. Rodney immediately sensed something wrong and leapt from his chair. "Are you all right?" he asked, as Teyla rushed to find Carson.

"I'm fine, Rodney," she replied. He could tell she was lying because she looked deathly pale. "And I may have found a way to remove Mynar."

"How?"

She glanced up at Ronon and replied, "We need the device John touched. According to the instructions Serenity left, there are settings on it that will extract a consciousness."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "That's how they stopped Mynar's attack to begin with. Their intention was to remove him from his body and bring him back to Cerise. Only the device didn't work and Mynar's body died."

"Okay," Rodney said, "I'm sure I can figure out the settings. What's to say we won't pull Sheppard's consciousness along with Mynar's? Did Serenity mention that?"

"I'm afraid she didn't, Rodney."

"Elizabeth!" Carson exclaimed, rushing over. He could tell that she was in pain, but masking it well. Along with the fact that her eyes were now bright with a fever. "It's time to rest, Love."

She looked up at him dizzily and, although she wanted to be awake to make sure she wasn't going to lose John, she was exhausted. "Rodney, you should be able to read the settings in her findings. Just help him."

"Don't worry about a thing," he replied.

"Franny," Carson said as the other physician appeared, please check on Colonel Sheppard. I'll be there for the transfer, but I'd like you to be there as well."

"Of course, Carson."

Carson helped Elizabeth get settled on the bed. "Are you comfortable?"

"As comfortable as I can be. I'm sorry I over did it, Carson, but even though I'm in pain, I'll be all right. John has helped me as well as everyone in Atlantis a hundred times over, I just figured it was about time someone helped him."

He smiled. "Aye. You just rest now and I'll repeat what Rodney said, don't worry! Pretty soon you'll have Colonel Sheppard begging us to be put back on duty."

"I can't wait," Elizabeth whispered as the medication Carson gave her went into effect.

Rodney looked up at Carson and Franny, a look of pure terror on his face. "I just… I mean, I don't know if this is really going to work."

"Just take a deep breath, Rodney," Carson said. "Let Colonel Sheppard know what's going on. He knows how hard we're trying to save him."

Rodney nodded, explaining to John what was going on as he changed the last setting on the device. He could feel Teyla, Ronon and Lorne's presence behind him and that gave him strength. "Here goes," he whispered, touching John's hand to the device.

A few minutes later, the device blinked and let off a series of beeps, and then all was quiet. "Did it work?" Ronon asked.

Franny looked over at the EEG monitors. "I only see one brainwave pattern, but it's very weak." She continued to stare at the pattern, trying to see anything in it that would tell her whose it was.

"Franny?"

She sighed in relief. "Carson, its Colonel Sheppard's."

"Oh thank God!" Rodney exclaimed. His legs absolutely felt like jello. "I think I'm gonna pass out!"

Ronon and Teyla rushed to his side as he listed to the left. "Rodney?" Teyla said.

"I-I'm fine. Just… I'm fine!"

"All the same get some rest," Carson told them all.

When they were gone, he turned to see Franny checking John's vitals. "How's he doing, Love?"

"He should be all right, but he's exhausted beyond belief. Carson, it's a good thing we got Mynar out of his mind when we did. Another hour or so and we would have lost him completely."

John felt truly and utterly alone. Mynar told him that his friends weren't coming to save him. They hated him for what he did to Elizabeth. He still couldn't believe he had killed her. He saw the weapon in his own hands. Saw the look in her eyes as he pulled the trigger.

He really didn't feel like going back to reality, but he knew he would have to face it sooner or later. John sighed. Might as well get this over with, he thought…

"He's coming to, Carson!" a familiar voice said. At the moment, he couldn't figure out who that was.

John tried opening his eyes a crack, but shut them when bright light seeped through. "It's all right, Colonel, I've turned the lights down."

Another familiar voice, this one with an accent. "Carson?"

"Aye, Colonel." John opened his eyes to see the physician smiling at him. "We're very happy to have you back."

John stared at him in confusion. That couldn't be right. Mynar had said they didn't want anything to do with him. Why were they happy to have him back? No, don't feel sorry for yourself, remember the most important person to ask about!

"Elizabeth?"

Carson moved to the right so John could see the bed next to him. "She's fine, Colonel and resting right now."

"No thanks to you… Hey, ouch! I mean, Mynar."

John looked up at Rodney. "I shot her."

"No," Teyla responded, "you did not shoot Elizabeth, Mynar did."

That couldn't be right. He could see it happen over and over in his mind. He shot her. He nearly killed her. It was his fault. All his fault!

"Colonel!" Carson exclaimed as his heart raced. He called for a sedative and continued to try and calm the man down. He wasn't succeeding so he called Teyla over as the nurse arrived with a syringe.

Teyla gently took John's face into her hands and looked into his eyes. "John, listen to me. John! What happened was not your fault, do you understand me? Elizabeth is safe and she will be all right, I promise."

John nodded, but he still seemed unconvinced. "John, have I ever lied to you?" Teyla asked.

"No…" he whispered, drifting into darkness.