Chapter Twelve

Back in the lab, Radek could see Frung injecting another solution into Sheppard's capsule, then Sheppard stopped struggling and Radek was knocked sideways by a wave of despair that flowed from the Colonel. Rodney groaned in pain as Sheppard's despair hit him too.

"He's giving up, Elizabeth told him about you two, and he's giving up, it's that stuff Frung put in his tank, it's a depressant, Sheppard's going to kill himself," said Rodney.

"Elizabeth!! Elizabeth!! Stop him, Frung is trying to tempt Colonel Sheppard into suicide!" yelled Radek.

Elizabeth felt helpless to do anything for Sheppard, but suddenly an idea came to her. If the alien was doing experiments to connect their minds, maybe she could do the same. Who would John listen to…? Teyla.

Elizabeth called out to Teyla.

Within seconds Teyla responded, "I am here, what is going on? All I could see is Wraith until I heard you call out my name. What are you doing here?"

"No time to explain", Elizabeth yelled, "John needs you; an alien is giving him drugs to make him kill himself. You must call out to him, to help him, to STOP him!"

Suddenly Radek yelled out, "Elizabeth watch out! I think Frung is setting a trap, he wants you, I can feel it. He knows about you and me. That may not be Teyla, please break off your connection."

Rodney pipes in, "Elizabeth, we have to assume the alien is monitoring us, he must know we are awake and communicating. Be careful, I agree with Radek, the alien wants you!"

"I can assure you that I am Teyla," Teyla quickly responds. "Tell me how to help Colonel Sheppard!"

Elizabeth did not know who to believe. She had to make a choice, which one to trust...

Lorne stepped through the Stargate with his team. They had found footprints in a cave, but no sign of Colonel Sheppard, Radek, or anyone else. Dejectedly, he contacted Dr Beckett, who informed him that Elizabeth's heart rate had increased, and that he could not wake her…

Elizabeth concentrated hard, her heart pounding, and found herself sitting with Teyla on a beach. It was a surprise, at first, and she shut her eyes for a moment to steel herself.

Teyla was looking around, confused. "Dr Weir, why have you brought me here?"

"I... I don't know. I just needed to reach you, to see if you could help."

"Where are we...? Dr McKay and the others...?"

"I really don't know, Teyla, but you are imprisoned somewhere on the planet with the energy source, and someone is trying to take your dreams, your memories. They are hurting you, drugging you. John is in deep trouble."

"What are they doing to him? How can I help?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath, "Whoever has captured you has drawn on all John's darkest emotions. He might die."

Teyla grabbed uselessly at the sand, watching it trickle away between her fingers. "I don't know if he will listen to me," she said quietly. Teyla closed her eyes and concentrated on some of the times where Sheppard and herself had been together alone. The time when Colonel Sheppard and Doctor Weir had been possessed by an entity or the time when she... Teyla stopped and opened her eyes. She turned to Elizabeth with a puzzled expression. "Is there some kind of rectangular console where we are?"

Elizabeth smiled at Teyla and vanished from sight.

Rodney and Radek were standing in the darkness of the Wraith's mind. Screams could be heard occasionally and it was continuously cold. "What are those screams?" pondered Rodney.

"I think it's the life forces of everyone that the Wraith has fed on..."

"They get trapped here?!"

"They've got nowhere else to go..." Radek sat down and looked around at the darkness. "Elizabeth? Hello? Are you there?" There was no response.

Rodney sat down beside Radek and looked around.

"Rodney? Radek?" Elizabeth's voice echoed across the room.

Rodney and Radek looked over to where her outline had just appeared.

"Elizabeth. Is that you?" asked Rodney.

"Yes, it's me. I need to ask you a question..."

Radek looked at the form of Elizabeth appearing.

"Rodney, is Major Lorne coming to find us? Is he bringing a team? How many are coming?" asked Elizabeth.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "What? How the hell should I know? If we've been missing for a while I should think he is looking for us!" he said.

Radek jolted his head back. "Rodney, don't say anymore, this is not Elizabeth, its Frung. He wants to catch Lorne," said Radek.

Frung lashed out and Radek hit the deck. Rodney lost his temper and grabbed Frung by the throat.

"Why don't you just leave us alone, can't you get it into your thick head that we are on to you?" he said.

Frung's eyes bulged as three more figures moved into view...

Lying on the imaginary floor, Radek closed his eyes in his mind, and concentrated hard. He found the Wraith, and started to will them towards Frung. They were hard to move away from where Teyla seemed to be talking to Sheppard.

It was as if the Wraith were vultures, waiting for Sheppard to give up, to finally let go of his consciousness. Teyla was holding Sheppard's hand, telling him endless tales of endurance and triumph, and he was slowly coming round from his despair.

The Wraith were getting bored as they realised Sheppard was not going to be on the menu in this imaginary world, and Radek led them in his mind towards Frung.

Radek felt himself losing energy; his grasp on the Wraith was slipping. He needed more of that dream power that Frung was linking them all with. If he called out to Elizabeth, Frung would realise what was happening, and would leave, instead of concentrating on Rodney as he was at the moment.

In his mind, Radek used thoughts only to connect to Elizabeth. He began to conjure impressions, feelings; her scent. As he felt the caress of her hand on his face, he had a surge of power, and he was able to lead the Wraith once more, closer to Frung. Without warning, he felt a soft kiss press to his lips, and he knew that Elizabeth was doing the same thing, back on Atlantis.