Chapter Four

Elizabeth suddenly froze as a feeling of dread swept through her. She staggered and sank to her knees, clutching her head, lips moving silently as she bowed towards the ground.

Chuck leapt into action, helping Elizabeth to her feet. He tapped his head set and yelled, "Dr Beckett to the Gate room!"

"Trouble...cave...water," she mumbled, wincing as pain shot through her head.

Chuck managed to stop Elizabeth from cracking her head open as she collapsed, eyes rolling to the back of her head. He lowered her gently, and pressed an ear close to her lips. She was breathing shallowly but that was enough. If – when – Radek made it back, the scientist would be none too pleased if he'd let anything happen to Elizabeth.

The Czech had been sweet on her for as long as Chuck could remember, but he figured something had finally happened between the two of them, judging by the change in Radek's behavior in recent days.

"All right, Sergeant?" Carson's deep brogue reached Chuck's ears.

The technician sighed with relief to see the doctor. "She collapsed, Dr Beckett. She sort of fell down before, and then she was saying something about trouble and water, then she just..."

Beckett knelt to examine Elizabeth. He produced an Ancient scanner that bleeped and lit up as he passed it over the leader of Atlantis. Chuck looked on anxiously. The doctor sat back on his haunches and said calmly, "Its all right son, I'll handle it from here."

The medical technicians arrived with a gurney and the doctor looked up. He greeted them with a relieved nod.

"Thanks, lads. Let's get her to the infirmary."

Once Elizabeth was safely lifted onto the gurney, Beckett turned to Chuck.

"You'd better get hold of Major Lorne, son. The only conclusion I can make at the moment is that Dr Weir is in some sort of coma. But I don't really know what's going on. Find the Major, and let him know."

Beckett quickly followed his staff to the infirmary. The technician watched him go, wringing his hands. Oh crap. Radek was so going to kill him now. He tapped his earpiece, saying as steadily as he could, "Major Lorne to the Med Bay."

Major Lorne walked briskly into the Med Bay. He didn't waste any time, greeting unsmilingly, "What's up Doc?"

"The lass is in real trouble, look," said Carson pointing to the sporadic brainwaves on the scanner, "I don't know what's going on but it's playing havoc with her."

On the bed Elizabeth twitched uncontrollably, like she was having a nightmare. Her cheeks burned red as she gasped for breath in her unconscious state. She flung an arm out frantically, then for a few tense moments lay perfectly still. The onlookers held their breath; then her writhing continued.

Dr Beckett spoke tersely, "According to the Sergeant on duty she said something about water and trouble. Didn't you say that the planet you were on was suffering from a severe rain storm?"

Lorne nodded, affirming swiftly, "As my granny used to say 'it's coming down in straight lines'. I was saying to Dr Weir it was my opinion SGA-1 were sheltering from the rain. If it's still raining heavily out there, water could be rising – but how would she know they were in trouble?"

Carson's brow creased momentarily before he shrugged. He cast a worried glance at his patient before turning back to inform the Major, "I've studied the readings I took in the gate room and somehow she's become linked to one of SGA. Look here, there's a faint trace of another brainwave. I can only deduce that it's someone she's close too, probably Colonel Sheppard."

"You're way behind the rest of us, Doc," Lorne chuckled, "She's been having a thing with Dr Zelenka."

Carson raised his eyebrows and decided he had to get out more. He smiled fondly to himself.

"At long last. Right now I need you to find them. They could be in just as much danger as Elizabeth."

"Danger?" questioned Lorne.

"Aye, if we don't sever this link she could have a seizure."