The arm which had been stroking John's back dropped immediately and her eyes filled with tears. She had seen him just a couple of hours ago, elated that he had managed to deliver a healthy baby boy. The last time she would ever see him, he had been doing what he had always done so brilliantly and selflessly; saving somebody's life. A singly tear trickled down her cheek.
'How?' She asked in a strained voice.
John looked at her, his hazel eyes full of hurt. 'He committed suicide.'
The whole of Elizabeth's insides felt hollow as she absorbed the enormity of this. That he, Carson, the wonderful, smiling man that he was could have felt driven to this...she should have been there for him, been a better leader – she had no idea that he was so unhappy. Everybody has always expected Carson to be there to heel them, had anybody ever really stopped to ask if Carson was the one who needed looking after?
'This is my fault,' John sobbed, 'if I'd just stayed away from Laura.'
The tears that were spilling from Elizabeth's eyes stopped immediately and she stood up, facing Jonathan in an accusatory manner.
'Jonathan?' She demanded.
He looked up confused, 'I though you realised.'
'You think I would welcome you into my quarters after everything that has happened?'
He looked sheepish, 'I thought you felt sorry for me.'
And even though she knew he didn't deserve it, she did. Seeing him so pathetic, guilt-ridden and clearly remorseful, she still wanted to put her arm around his shoulders and make it a little bit better. Or maybe that is what she would want to do for her John.
'I'm sorry. For everybody – he was a good man.' Elizabeth said.
'The best.' Jonathan said, sniffing.
Elizabeth sat down again and held his hand.
'Jonathan, you can't lay all of the blame for this on yourself – Laura's betrayal was equally, if not more so, heartbreaking and if it wasn't for me this would never have happened.' Elizabeth admitted.
'And if I hadn't been messing around with his girlfriend you would never have had anything to tell Lizzie. I should be on that slab – not him.' Jonathan said, depressively.
'How can you say that? You have so much to live for. You have a beautiful son who is going to need his Dad and if anything comes from this tragedy then you have to realise just how sacred life is, how sacred your son's life is.' Elizabeth urged.
Hearing this, Jonathan seemed to overcome his melancholy slightly and there was a new look of tenderness in his eyes. A look which made Elizabeth flutter and fluster in equal measures. He positioned his body so he was facing her and stroked a curl away from her eyes, touching her cheek gently.
'It's a shame.' He said wistfully.
'What's a shame?' She asked in almost a whisper.
'I could really have loved you Doctor Weir with the two PhDs.' He said.
Elizabeth blushed and smiled, 'Jonathan, I have no doubt you could love any female who gave you requisite attention.'
'I'm serious.'
'If that's the case and I strongly advise that you put all of that excess love into caring for your son – you never know, you might surprise a few people.'
Jonathan chuckled and kissed her gently on the lips before standing up and making his way towards the door, leaving with a final regretful smile. When the door slid behind him, Elizabeth shook her head at his admission certain that he had only experienced such feelings in the confusion of finding somebody who would actually support him in this. Out in the city, Jonathan was almost certainly being shunned by everybody. All she could do was pray that Lizzie would allow Jonathan the opportunity to find comfort in his son.
Outside she could hear Meredith's raising his voice and her door slid open. He stood before her, irately, surrounded by marines.
'Get her into a cell.' He ordered.
Elizabeth started to protest, but was lifted off her feet by two burly marines. Her possessions were ransacked and sealed in plastic bags and she herself been gagged with tape. This was bad. In fact, this was terrible. If Meredith had turned against her, the chances of them getting home in the next few days were minimal. And although she was dragged through the city rather violently, and in public view, not one person stopped to protest against this, despite the odd sympathetic look.
When they finally arrived at the cell, she was not entirely surprised to see the rest of her team already there shouting angrily at Meredith's treatment of her. They stopped and a marine ripped the tape from her mouth before shoving her violently into the cell, the bars sliding closed behind her. Meredith stepped up to the bars, cruelty in his eyes.
'Hopefully you can't do any more damage if you're locked in here. Sleep well.'
With this, he turned and exited the room, taking the two marines with him. The team, lost for words, gradually took seats around the cell, trying not to look at each other and admit what they were all thinking.
'That's it. We're stuck here forever.'
Rodney McKay ruined that silent agreement.
