Part 9 – Miracles Do Happen
Laundry assistant, Mary Harper really didn't like her job all that much but as she was no scientist, technician, nurse or military expert, coming out to Atlantis as a general worker was the only way she could get to see the fabled city. Back at SGC as one of the rare civilian aids, she had worked as a computer operator and office assistant until the opportunity to travel to the Pegasus galaxy had come her way. Naturally, she'd jumped at the chance thinking that her reassignment would also entail some form of IT work. She never imagined for a minute that she'd end up washing the expedition's dirty clothes. Consequently a few weeks after arriving, she'd asked Dr. Weir for a transfer and was told that as soon as a vacancy became available she would be reassigned, that was months ago.
Moving over to SGA-1's sleeping bags, she held her nose as she gingerly removed Colonel Sheppard's with a gloved hand, thinking that the man had been sick on it. Nevertheless, as she worked, she still did a little daydreaming as she thought back to the first time she'd see John Sheppard in the main dining area right at the beginning of her assignment. They had flirted with each other across tables but it wasn't until the next day that she'd found out been flirting with the head of military operations. He had seemed so unlike most of the other high ranking officers that she'd ever encountered. Their paths hadn't crossed again but if they did, she sure wouldn't mind doing a database for him. Although from all accounts, the poor man was now laying half-dead in the infirmary.
Saddened by the thought, she was pleased to find that the military green sleeping bag was still reasonably clean. So placing it on the work top, she went about opening the zippers in preparation for their largest machine. The right hand zipper worked fine and opened easily. Only when it came to the left hand one, the stubborn zipper stuck halfway down. She yanked the zipper back up and then gave it a hefty tug downwards until she managed to open it fully. Muttering a few curses, Mary turned back the top flap and began to scream, loudly.
Hearing the racket, supervisor Alison Gibson dropped what she was doing and rushed into the sorting room, thinking that Mary was being murdered at the very least. Relieved at finding her unharmed, she asked. "What in heaven's name is wrong with you girl?"
Mary opened her mouth to speak but closed it again as she pointed to the sleeping bag. The supervisor moved over to stand by her and stared down at a very dead and flattened ugly black bug about the size of a dime.
"Oh, my god!" Alison exclaimed. "Get me…err…a matchbox or something and some tweezers, quickly."
The girl rushed off to search for the requested items and returned a few minutes later. Alison carefully prodded the bug to make sure that it was dead before gingerly picking it up with the tweezers and dropping it into the small box that Mary had procured.
"I think we may have found the answer," Gibson proclaimed with a smile. She may only be a laundry supervisor but that didn't mean she was dumb. Although it wasn't immediately obvious, she was beginning to suspect foul play at work. "Mary," she whispered, "I have a feeling that Dr. Kavanagh is somehow connected to this…thing."
Mary looked a little surprised by her words. "What makes you think that?"
"Just call it a gut feeling but the man has been snooping around here for no good reason other than the unlikely excuse of losing a data disc. Now, I'm going to take this horrible creature to Dr. Beckett as quickly as possible and I'll tell him about my suspicions. I think its best if you don't tell anyone about this for the moment as it may get back to Dr. Kavanagh."
Mary nodded. "Okay, but what if Kavanagh turns up?"
"Just tell him the bags are in the machine and you found nothing." Mary nodded again as the supervisor quickly picked up the box and rushed out of the room.
-SGA-
Carson Beckett was not a happy man as he looked yet again at the microscopic image of the deadly toxin's molecular structure on his computer. How can something this small cause so much devastation, he pondered, but then again, some of the deadliest deceases known to man were caused by viruses one could hardly see, even with the aid an electron microscope. Sighing, he flipped off the image and thought. If they didn't find the answer soon, then there would be no hope for Sheppard.
He looked up and glanced out of his office when he thought he heard someone talking but seeing his head nurse deal with the matter, he turned back to his work.
However, a few minutes later, the nurse came in with a look of hope you her face. "Dr. Beckett, Alison Gibson from the laundry has found a dead insect in Colonel Sheppard's sleeping bag," she stated.
A glimmer of hope also flickered through the doctor's eyes. "Well, tell her to come in and show me." Carson waited patiently until the tall and not unattractive laundry supervisor approached his seat. "Well, what have ya found?" he requested.
Alison showed him the tiny box and prized it open to reveal the deadly bug. "This," she announced, holding the open box under Carson's nose.
"Oh, bloody hell is that thing ugly. I hope it's really dead." Carson commented. Seeing her pained expression, he smiled, "Well, at least we may have the culprit, now all we have to do is identify what it is."
"That's not all, doctor." Alison stated as she went on to explain her suspicions regarding Kavanagh.
Across the infirmary not far from Carson's office, Teyla sat holding John's hand as he slept on in a drugged haze. Better, this, then screaming in agony, she thought before turning to Ronon who had joined her fifteen minutes ago. "Do you think we are going to lose him this time?" asked Teyla, despondently.
"I hope you're not giving up," Ronon growled, "Because while there's life still left in the body, there's hope."
"Yes, I know," she whispered. "But this time…"
"Something will turn up," Ronon interrupted her.
"Something has." Carson broke into their conversation after hearing Ronon's comment. "Do either of you happen to know what this is?" he asked them holding up the box with its dead but lethal occupant. "It was found in the Colonel's sleeping bag."
Ronon looked closely and grunted with a shake his head but Teyla pondered. "I do believe it is a Sati…no…that does not sound right." She searched her brain for a minute. "No, I am sure it is a Salmi, although I did not know it was dangerous."
"Do ya happen to know which planet it originates from?"
Teyla shook her head. "I am sorry but I do not. I can still go to the mainland and ask if anyone else knows. How did this thing end in his sleeping bag?"
"Aye, that's what we'd all like to know." Carson looked towards Sheppard and rubbed his chin. "I don't think we really have time for a trip to the mainland. How's the word spelt?" Teyla told him how she thought it was written. "Okay then," Carson murmured, "I'll do a quick check of the Ancient database, but if nothing comes up then it leaves us with no other option than to ask around. Oh, and don't mention this to anyone, especially Dr. Kavanagh. I'll tell Rodney and Dr. Weir, and we'll explain why to ya both later."
-SGA-
Down in the laundry room, Alison Gibson went into the sorting room to find her young assistant separating the whites from the colors. "Has Dr. Kavanagh been here?" she asked.
Mary shook her head, "No, the weasel hasn't shown his face."
"Okay. Dr. Beckett thinks the same as I do, but we have to play it cool at the moment as we don't want to spook him or anything until there's tangible proof."
"Right. I do hope they catch the sneeze ball if he's guilty."
"Yes, so do I," Alison murmured as she remembered catching a glimpse of Colonel Sheppard and seeing how desperately ill the man had looked.
-SGA-
"How was that spelt again?" McKay shouted from his position overlooking one of the ten thousand year old data consoles where his laptop sat connected to it.
"Teyla said she thought it was s-a-l-m-i." Carson answered him.
Rodney shook his head. "Nope, nothing here by that spelling. Maybe the Ancients called it by a different name. It may take a while but I'm going to put a detailed description of the thing in and see if the database can recognize it from that. Have they found anything from the dissection yet?"
"I'm afraid not. The thing must have died some days ago. Of course being squashed to death was the probable cause."
Rodney looked up. "Yes, yes, I think that would be enough for anyone. Okay, let's start typing in the description. Insect, color black, six legs, approximately 2 centimeters in diameter, two protruding sword like…"
"Rodney?" Carson interrupted making McKay look up in irritation. "I think we'd better send Teyla to the mainland just to be on the safe side."
"Yes, yes, you do that." Rodney answered absentmindedly as he went back to his typing.
-SGA-
"Dr. Kavanagh, this is flight control informing you that Jumper 3 will be leaving for the mainland in ten minutes."
"And about time!" Kavanagh growled into his earpiece. "I'm on my way."
"I'll tell the pilot to expect you. Flight out!"
"Expect me." Kavanagh muttered to himself as he made his way to the bay. "I've been waiting over two flaming hours."
"Have you now." Teyla announced as she pulled alongside of him. Quickening her stride, she called. "You had better hurry up, Doctor, you would not want us to leave without you."
Growling louder, Kavanagh hurried his pace thinking, I wonder why she's going to the mainland, anyway?
They both arrived together so Kavanagh tried to strike up a conversation with her, but the Athosian woman was in no mood to talk to him as she settled into the seat behind the pilot. However, her silence didn't include the young lieutenant as he asked her how his commanding officer was.
"I am sorry to say, but he is still seriously ill," she answered him.
The pilot looked downcast. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"So am I." Kavanagh piped up from the back seat.
Teyla clenched her hands and reined in her anger even though she felt like dashing up to the scientist and pounding his ponytailed head until he was senseless. Alison Gibson wasn't the only one with suspicions. Biting her tongue, she sat quietly and counted to ten as their takeoff clearance arrived.
However, just before the pilot engaged the controls, her earpiece came alive. "Teyla, this is Dr. Beckett. There's no need to go, love, as Rodney has found the information we need on the database."
"All right," Teyla simply replied before turning to the pilot. "Lieutenant, could you please open the hatch, it seems my trip to the mainland has become unnecessary for now."
"Okay," the young pilot replied. "Was it trouble with your folks?"
"Yes, a small family dispute." replied Teyla, smiling sweetly at the lieutenant.
"Does that mean I've waited over two hours for nothing?" asked Kavanagh, angrily.
Teyla turned to him and said coldly. "I suggest you do not make a fuss, Doctor, or they may cancel the flight altogether."
The scientist settled down again as Teyla got up to leave. As she passed through the open hatchway, another passenger quickly ran passed her. She recognized Corporal Higgins out of his uniform and smiled, obviously someone wanted an eye kept on Kavanagh.
tbc