Chapter Six-Speaking in Tongues

Carson had grown accustomed to being prepared for everything in this galaxy. As soon as Weir called to tell him what Sheppard was going to do, he had begun to coordinate a contingency plan with the healers from this world for whatever might happen. He found a suitable chamber close to the transfer site and they began setting up for just such a contingency as this. Of course things could not go smoothly. This galaxy was determined to make Sheppard suffer.

Beckett and the planet healers worked furiously on Sheppard. "Give me the damn needle and you hold his bloody hands!" Beckett shouted to one of the females. Becket injected Sheppard with the anti-convulsant. He pushed the attendant away and held Sheppard's hands himself while someone else held his feet. "Bloody hemorrhage," he muttered to himself. Blood still steadily, although not heavily, streamed for the colonel's nose and ears. Sheppard was looking at him but did not seem to recognize him. He had begun to mutter something then stopped suddenly. Beckett looked at the monitors that they had quickly hooked him up to. He was glad that they had planned for this. Breathing okay, heart rate slowing. Blood pressure okay. Beckett started to feel Sheppard's muscles start to relax. After a minute or so, he looked at Beckett and the doctor saw recognition but confusion.

"Doc, why are you in my quarters? Is everyone okay?"

"Yes lad. Just get some rest." No point arguing where they were right now.

"My head hurts Carson."

"I know. I just gave you something. Sleep a wee bit."

"Shouldn't have," Sheppard whispered as he closed his eyes.

Beckett turned to the younger female he knew as an assistant. "Please watch him. If he begins to convulse or experiences any other symptoms again, then get me right away. She nodded, and he headed out the door. Saphides, Weir and the rest of the Atlantis team were waiting.

"Is His Majesty going to be alright?"

"I cannot tell you for sure. I have given him an anti-convulsant. I think the seizures are a reaction to brain swelling. I will run a scan next to make sure. He did recognize me, which is a good sign, but he did not remember where he was or what happened. The next 24 hours will tell quite a bit. All we can do is wait. I sedated him for now, just so he can rest. I need to get back. Please. It won't do any good standing by his door. I will let you know when you can visit."

No one said anything immediately after Carson left. Then Saphides quietly suggested that they go to an adjoining room where they sat and rested. He excused himself for a few minutes then returned with some light refreshments. Weir knew that the others were worried because they did not eat or drink. Not even Rodney.

Beckett looked at the scan and the monitors. His brain was quiet for now. It had been four hours. The medication hade seen to that, but he did not know how long it would last since he really did not know what had caused the seizures. The medicine only worked on the physical brain chemistry. There did not appear to be any brain damage per the scan and other tests the Iliarians performed. There was no swelling after all as he first suspected. Thank God there would be no opening of the skull. The Iliarians looked at him as if he was mad when he mentioned that. They had been quite insistent about not intervening as it would interfere with the transfer. Sheppard had left specific instructions about this. But he did not mention anti-convulsants or sedation. His brain was working, and working more than usual, but it would not overload him. At least Carson hoped not.

He talked to the female healer trying to understand the process but they had no idea what would happen as nothing like this had happened before. Carson was angry but tried not to show it. What kind of madman would create such a thing and not know how it would affect his own grandson thousands of years later? He looked over at Sheppard. Maybe the same kind of man that would agree to take a chance with his own life in the hope of helping millions others. Rodney had told him the story and times had been desperate, but still. It was his friend now that would shoulder the result.

A monitor chirped and he glanced around to see Sheppard stirring. He went over and stood by his bed. "Hi there colonel. How are you doing?"

"Doc?...I ...I 'm okay. Just don't give me ...anything. Let it pass...I'm okay. Have to go through this. More to process and decode. Need Therus." Sheppard closed his eyes again and fell back asleep.

"Okay lad. Okay." Why the hell am I going along with this? He thought better of it but he could feel Sheppard reassuring him in his mind. How could he feel that? Vitals still okay. Brain waves, okay although busy until…there sleeping.

Beckett had called for Therus who seemed to know what to do. He had a book and pen or sorts and took a seat discretely in a corner near Sheppard's bed. Then the older man just waited without a word. An hour passed and Sheppard still slept. Sheppard's team, Sophistides and Saphides had come in briefly to check on him, but Beckett did not allow them to remain. Beckett was hopeful that perhaps that had been the end of it, but he knew that was only a wish. Therus voice caught him from his reverie, and Becket turned to see Sheppard's body begin to twitch slightly.

He quickly went over to him not expecting to see the colonel with his eyes open.

Sheppard stained against the involuntary movements and had clenched Beckett's hand. "Strigo" he rasped. "Strigo medi..Doc...nullo interventus...alone"

Beckett grimaced as Sheppard squeezed his hand. He had been restrained gently and his body moved against the soft bindings. His eyes stayed open, staring through Carson, and muttering something about the Armentarii, Ilium and who knows what else. Then it sounded as if he was speaking names followed by other bit of information. Theosticles. Beckett recalled that name from some history class or maybe it was something from the television. Sheppard let out a breath and released Carson's hand. The seizure had passed. Good lord the whole thing had lasted about five minutes.

"Paeniteo Doc" Sheppard said lazily, "Sorry."

Carson had no idea what he was saying. He patted Sheppard's hand.

"Go to sleep lad" There did not seem to be any lasting affects, but five minutes was long for a seizure. He looked at the EEG and realized that during that time he actually had not had a five minute long seizure. It was hard to tell with the restlessness but there seemed to be small ones through out the time period.

Once again Sheppard fell asleep. Beckett felt he would be okay. He was not sure why. Nothing had really changed but he knew it would be fine. He got the sense that Sheppard knew what he needed right now. He nodded to one of the attendants as he left the chamber. Fancy medical room. Much more posh than back on Atlantis. Sheppard was in a real bed, but all the necessary equipment was there. At least there was that. Thankfully the Iliarians had everything he needed and more, but that was only a small comfort, He left to tell the others.

Rodney sighed in relief. Thank God. Weir, Ronon and Teyla just smiled. Saphides shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you doctor."

"Well it was nothing that I did. He did it or is doing it. I think he understands the process better than any of us now. He is speaking Latin or Ancient or both. I have no idea what he is saying. I can't say for certain that he is out of the woods, but other than the seizures he seems to be ok, but this is Pegasus and this is Sheppard. I will stay with him tonight until this all passes."

Weir smiled. Carson did not trust anyone else to care for his patients. He would pull a vigil as he had so many times before.

Beckett made sure He was sleeping but his body was attuned to things, such as when a heart rate monitor beeps a warning. He quickly woke and then stood up and went to the colonel's bed. His heart rate had increased rapidly and he appeared to be in more pain. The colonel was not sleeping restfully actually was not sleeping at all as he was still speaking the Ancient tongue. He was sweating and his brow was furrowed. The bleeding continued and actually seemed to have increased. Dammit maybe I had spoken too soon! Sheppard was sweating and looked pale, but vitals were still acceptable. He looked at Therus who was writing furiously.

"What is he saying?" Carson whispered as he wiped blood away from Sheppard's nose.

"He is reciting his lineage from Evander and talking about battles and other historical events," The man said without looking up. "But these battles and ancestors are unfamiliar to me."

Beckett nodded suspiciously. "I think that is because these are his Earth ancestors."

Therus looked at him incredulous. "How could that be? The book of Evander said that we would know the king, by all the events that have come to pass and then finally, he would recite his lineage as final proof to the people. We assumed this would be his lineage from Evander and before not after." Therus continued to write as he spoke. How the man did that, Beckett did not know. Sheppard had recited his lineage before Evander several generations, but he continued on.

He laid a hand on the colonel's shoulder and waited helplessly. Sheppard gave him the same far off look as continued to mutter in the Ancient tongue. Sheppard blinked then looked around confused. After a minute or so, Beckett felt him relax. Then hazel eyes locked with his. "Hi Doc. Everything okay?"

Beckett sighed in disbelief. This was typical Sheppard. "Aye lad. How are you doing?"

Sheppard continued to look around. "I'm a little tired, slight headache but okay."

"Do you know what is going on?"

Sheppard looked at him pointedly. "Yes, I think so, but I don't know how to explain it."

"Okay lad. I don't like you going through this. Your vitals, scans look okay, but something is happening to your brain. Your nose is bleeding, and your ears because there is slight hemorrhaging going on when you have these seizures. I can give you something."

Sheppard looked down at his arms that were still tied. He then looked over at Therus who had stopped writing but had not laid his pen down. "Therus, you can take a break. I know why you are here, but it is going to be a while. Give me thirty." Therus understood that Sheppard wanted to speak privately with the doctor for a while. Sheppard turned to Carson when he left. "Can you help me up?"

"What? No you should not get up." Did the man ever learn to just rest!

"Doc. I have to go through this. There is no way to stop this. There is nothing you can do. If you give me something it will mess up the organization of all the info I acquired. That happened a little already. Just a little more to go and I have some time. Please let me get up now, while I can."

Carson untied the restraints and helped him up and escorted him to a nearby room. "I can manage Carson. Really." Translation: Let me go to the bathroom by myself thank you.

Carson gave in and waited for him then walked him back to the bed. Sheppard said nothing as he closed his eyes then fell soundly asleep. Carson sat down where Therus had been. He watched Sheppard for a moment and became lost in his own thoughts about what might be happening.

It was not long before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He shot up from the chair. "Whu..What's wrong?"

He heard a gentle voice answer, "It is okay Dr. Beckett. I just thought I would check on John and bring you a little lunch."

Becket turned to Teyla and smiled as he got up to check on Sheppard. "Oh hi lass. Just lost in my thoughts. The colonel is doing fine overall. I don't like that he is having the seizures, but he says that this is part of the process. He has been sleeping now for about oh my lord, two hours."

Therus walked in and smiled at Teyla. He sat down at the ready but said nothing. He had checked in periodically but waited until the doctor had been awake. The king had good friends and had a strong loyalty from them. This was a good characteristic of a king. Secretly he worried about this process. There had been no indication that he would recite his lineage from Earth, what else could be happening and why? He watched the exchange quietly between the king's friends.

"What has been happening?" she asked.

"Something about his lineage, but I am not completely sure."

Sheppard heard their voices and slowly opened his eyes. "Hey Teyla," he said softly.

She moved over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hi John. How are you doing?"

"Okay," he said as he tried to sit up. "This whole transfer thing is taking longer than expected though."

"Are you in much pain?"

He paused a minute as if thinking. "No. Not really. Headache is gone for now. But it will be back. Still have more folks to meet," he said with a smile. It took her a second to understand that he meant his ancestors when he said folks.

"You must be fine if you can still joke. But you look very tired."

Carson moved to the other room to talk to the other medical personnel. Teyla would be good company for him.

She wiped a cloth across his forehead but said nothing. He did seem very tired. She was concerned about him. He had been through many things, and survived so much, but Dr. McKay was right. Ancient devices seemed to wait for Sheppard. Awakened from their slumber for the touch of the Ancestors. Sometimes, these devices were not good for Sheppard however. She looked at him and noticed the red under his nose. He looked up at her unrecognizing. "Therus," she said, but the older man had already left to get Beckett.

He had been chatting with them and leaving instructions when Therus came running in. "Dr. Beckett! His majesty is bleeding again. It seems much worse."

Carson came running in and saw Sheppard looking around confused. A pool of blood was on the blanket covering him and still coming out of his ears and nose. Carson quickly restrained the colonel. "Teyla, just stay with him and comfort him. He will be okay." I hope. The effects must be cumulative as there had been more blood each time. He hoped that this would be the last of it. The man had been through bloody enough!

Teyla watched Sheppard shake and fight his bindings as he spoke the Ancestral language. He looked in pain and his eyes looked vacant and cold. Nothing like him. She placed a hand on his hot forehead and he stilled for a moment, but could not control his body as it continued to twitch. It continued this way for some time. "Carson, when will this end?" she pleaded.

Carson looked up at a monitor he had reconnected Sheppard to. "I don't know lass. It has already gone on longer than expected. We are at five minutes now, but the names are beginning to sound familiar. They sound modern." Carson watched helplessly as Sheppard struggled. He kept wiping his face and watching the monitor. He was not pleased with the blood pressure or heart rate and certainly not the blood. The convulsions were not as severe, but Sheppard was very restless and was speaking quickly. Finally he heard him say, "Nominare…Ihoannes," and the movement stopped with a large sigh.

Teyla looked at John. Her cool hand still on his hot head. "It's okay John. It is done." He looked at her blankly then around at the room searching until he locked eyes on Therus. "Scribus Therus ab Kalil" Sheppard whispered in the ancestral language. "Have you written the lineage of your king?"

"I have my lord," Therus answered in like language.

"Present it to the Guardian as proof so that he may prepare the coronation."

Therus bowed deeply then left.

Teyla watched the exchange. She could not understand the words except King and prepare. Sheppard was speaking but his eyes were still vacant. He continued to look around but said nothing. Finally she saw the recognition register as he locked eyes with her. She had seen this wide eye look before, when Thalen had occupied his body. "Teyla," he rapsed finally.

"Yes John I am here. So is Carson."

Sheppard looked at the doctor. " Carson?… Carson I need…Tylenol." Beckett thought the man was disoriented to have actually asked for Tylenol. He must really be hurting then.

"Can I give you something now?" Carson asked cautiously as he prepared the syringe. Tylenol hell. He was going to give him something more powerful that would also make him sleep.

"What?" Sheppard asked sounding irritated and distracted. "I have a damn headache…" Then more quietly in realization…"Yes. It is done." Carson needed no further encouragement. Sheppard rarely asked for medication particularly pain medication.

Sheppard looked tiredly at Teyla as she continued to talk to him soothingly while Carson gave him something in the IV. Sheppard smiled at Teyla. "Nice." He said as his eyes closed.

"Oh thank God." Beckett said relieved. He was angry at himself for letting Sheppard talk him into not giving him anything earlier. He wished there had been more about the process he had known. Sheppard seemed to know instinctively what was going on, but the colonel did not have a great track record with self preservation. He had trusted him, but it unnerved him that he had felt Sheppard's thoughts. He looked at his watch. It had been nearly 12 hours from start to finish. "I did not think anyone could lose that much blood through his nose or ears. Will you stay with him lass? He looks fine," he said as he eyed the vitals. "A little feverish, but everything looks good. I just don't want to leave him alone, but want to update everyone." Of course there were other healers and attendants at the ready, but when Sheppard woke, it was best to have a familiar face.

"Of course Dr. Beckett. I would be happy to."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Carson stood next to Weir. "He was reciting his lineage…10,000 years worth of ancestors.

"Wow," she said impressed. Not too many people would get to know their ancestors to that degree.

"Yeah. Do ya know there is a Scot in there somewhere? A king, or knight or something like that, but not sure which. Described some battle" Carson looked impressed.

"But how would he know that? I mean. Evander left the information before he went to Earth. There was no way for that to get back to that stone."

Carson looked at her with a smile. "Aye, Elizabeth." He paused a second as he looked at something an attendant brought him. "The information was in the colonel's genetic code."

"What do you mean? Like a program?"

"I guess of sorts. Just a hypothesis, but I think Evander wanted his heir to come from another world and made it so that each carrier for each generation would add to this code. It is not really that unusual. You have ancient ancestor who had green eyes or at least somewhere down the line. Personality, etc. We pass that on. This is just more purposeful. That is why I believe it all comes so natural to him…the use of his gene...the chair, puddle jumpers. He was literally born to do this. I think that Evander wanted his heir to come from a different world, time, etc. so that this knowledge could be combined…he would have the best of both worlds or galaxies I guess. That stone unlocked the code stored in him as well."

"My God," she whispered.

"Aye." Carson nodded. Who knows what this really means.

"Will he be able to retrieve it all? Use it right away?"

"I dunno. But I don't think so. 10,000 years of information is a lot to make sense out of. My guess though is he already is using some of it. He has a very keen tactical mind, extraordinary eye hand coordination and understanding of space and perspective. That is why he is a gifted flyer...and warrior. He also knows how to handle stress, and not all of that is military training. Some of that is passed down"

"It just sounds so engineered." She said quietly.

Carson looked thoughtful. "Maybe engineered in the sense that this would be passed on and stored. But he was not engineered in the sense we think. He is the blood relative of this Evander fellow and Evander wanted to make sure that, if he could, his genetic imprint would survive so that he could fulfill the prophecy. Elizabeth. I would be lying if I said I understood it. Like everything else Ancient, their ability for use of genetics is far beyond what we know. It will take time to understand. We should tell the others of his condition and this information."

She nodded as she walked with him to the other room where the others had gathered.

Saphides looked at Beckett wide-eyed. "The stone decoded more than just information stored in the stone?" Therus had mentioned this possibility to him early but he was still shocked. "There is a vague line in the book of Evander alluding to the fact that the heir would know his lineage but we did not think all of it. It was proof to his people as if the other tests were not enough. We knew that the son of Evander was named Roharin and only the true heir would know this. We did not expect him to know his lineage after Roharin."

Rodney looked at them as he processed the information. " Carson is right. There is no other way. No one even knew what stone out of the hundreds there…just him. That information was literally in his own genetic, code, his blood. Remarkable." Weir looked at Rodney. High praise coming from him. "I wonder what else he has locked in that mutant blood of his."

Saphides looked at the king's friend shocked. Mutant blood? The king kept strange company. He reminded himself that these people did not know him as a king, only as a friend and warrior. The same reverence was not to be expected from them.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Teyla watched John sleep. Her friend John, was the one her grandfather had spoken about although vaguely. She did not know when or how, but John was going to be the one who would defeat the Wraith, and if they ever found that out, they would hunt for him. She knew he would not live his life differently, but it bothered her still. This was too much for one man. She felt anger at the Ancestor Evander and the others for allowing this to happen. It was almost reckless to lay the hopes of millions on one man. Voices in the background shook her from her thoughts.

"When can we see him?" She heard someone ask. That sounded like Ronon.

"Anytime, just for a minute. He may not even be awake, and Teyla is watching over him."

"Oh why does she get to do that," McKay asked angrily. Teyla smiled. McKay had worried himself sick and felt it was his birth right to watch over John.

"Because Rodney" Beckett's voice sounding tired and not very patient, "She knows how to keep her mouth shut and let him sleep." Rodney snorted and walked in behind Ronon.

Saphides looked at Weir and Beckett. "They are a strong unit," he said finally.

"Yes they are. They are going to have to be an integral part of this for him. They won't allow themselves to be shut out."

Saphides nodded. "Yes, we will have to find a balance. But whom he consults is completely up to His Majesty. I am sure he will rely on them greatly, but we also have personnel that he will need to consult. The implications are astounding. I merely thought he would be a vessel for this new knowledge, but it seems that the lord Evander hoped that growing up in another world over the centuries would provide him with a different perspective that may be advantageous. He could not know of course, but to have even thought about it and then been able to make it so that it would be possible to not have lost that knowledge acquired with each successive carrier is amazing."

"Yes it is," said Beckett, "The colonel's lineage contains numerous battlefield commanders, with a few that are well known." There was a part of him that was absolutely fascinated by it all, but another part was somewhat disturbed. In essence, the gene in him was not random, but purposeful, meant to survive.

"Is it possible that other natural gene carriers have the same purposeful gene?" Weir asked almost as if she could read his mind.

"I doubt it. Like so many others in this galaxy and our own, it can tend to get diluted for lack of a better word. Evander meant for this to happen."

Weir sighed. "We really need to be careful with this Carson. I don't want him to become some experimental test case."

"Evander knew what he was doing. It could take years if not decades or more to see what is different about the colonel's blood so to speak than the others, if at all, but aye I see what you mean."

Saphides looked at them confused. "This must be kept a secret. Your colonel is more powerful, or has the potential to be more powerful than anyone else. Besides, I am unsure of your government's intentions, but Colonel Sheppard is the birthright sovereign of this and three other world's. I am sure he would not allow himself to be experimented on as you say."

Weir had forgotten that. She thought of the Trust and IOA the AF and whomever. Yes, this would be difficult. She was not sure how she would handle it. Sheppard, the one who no one thought would even make it to Captain in the United States Air Force, was now the presumptive leader of almost half a solar system." Boy is he going to love that. Not.

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O'Neill will be making an appearance soon! Some angst ahead.