I don't own SGA or any of it's characters. My story and Puren are what I own. Hey there folks. I tried to upload this stuff yesterday but it just wouldn't let me. I don't know if you had the same problem. Anyways, here's the new chapter. I think I'm on a role with this story. I have so many things in mind. Have fun reading everyone. :)

Chapter Fifteen

When Elizabeth arrived at the infirmary she slowed down when she came to Sheppard and Ronan's sides. She stood in between the two beds and looked from the Runner to the pilot. She sighed and then turned towards Carson's office. When she entered she saw the man sitting behind his desk reading files. "Thank you for meeting with me Carson. This is important."

"Not a problem Elizabeth. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the chair which sat on the other side of his desk.

She smiled and sat down on the edge of the chair. She placed her elbows on the desk and put her hands up to her chin. "Carson. I need you to do something for me. And I need you to do it right away. And please think about what I am asking of you before you answer." She said with an imploring look on her face.

"What is it that you require of me Elizabeth?" he asked curiously as he moved forward in his chair.

"I would like you to go down to the lab where Rodney and Teyla are working on the pods. They need you to initialize them. They said that a natural ATA gene is required to activate them before they can be used. And since John and Major Lorne are unavailable, you are the only one we trust with this duty. What do you say Carson, will you do it?" she asked with bated breath.

"Yes." Beckett said without hesitation. "I'll do it."

Weir paused for a moment having not expected the answer that she had received. "You said yes."

"I know what's at stake Elizabeth. I'll do anything to help get Colonel Sheppard back with us. And if that includes me having to activate some Ancient doohickies, then yes, I'll do it." Beckett said with a grave smile on his face.

Weir clasped her hands together and smiled. "Thank you Carson. I guess you do know what's at stake." She let her gaze wander out to where Sheppard and Ronan lay. "How are they doing?"

"I expect that Ronan should be waking up soon. He's doing better. The Colonel is a completely different story as you well know. I've had to keep him sedated so that Puren will not be able to use him. I hate seeing the lad in restraints. This whole thing sickens me. It really does."

"I know what you mean. It's not something that anybody should see. Their friend tied up on a bed." She sighed and turned back to him. "Rodney and Teyla are waiting for you in the lab. The sooner you could get there the better."

"I'll go as soon as I've talked with my staff. Tell Rodney and Teyla that I will be there within the next twenty minutes."

"Very well." She stood and faced the doctor. "Thanks again Carson. This will help a lot." He smiled and she turned and walked out the door. He could see her walk out and stand between the two men laying prone in their beds. She placed her left hand on Ronan's right arm and her right hand on John's left arm. She bent her head slightly and he knew that she was praying for them. Then she was out the door of the infirmary and out of sight.

Almost twenty minutes later Dr. Beckett arrived in the lab where the pods were. True to his word to Weir. "I'm here Rodney. What do you need me to do?"

Rodney's sweaty head popped up from under the control console to the pods and stared at the Scottish doctor who stood in front of him. "You're here!"

"Of course I'm here Rodney. I said I would come." Carson said as he walked towards the man.

McKay stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. "I just didn't think that you were going to get here so fast."

"Well I'm here Rodney. What do I have to do to help Colonel Sheppard?"

"Ah yes. Come over here Carson." He said as he held up his arm to guide the man in his direction. "I need you to use that ATA gene of yours and touch this thing."

Beckett walked over to where Rodney and Teyla were standing and stood beside the mentioned console. He looked at the two members of SGA-1 with a hesitant face. He knew he had to touch it for the Colonel, but he still hated to touch the bloody things after what had happened in Antarctica. He had accidentally set that drone on Colonel Sheppard and General O'Neill and almost killed them. That had been a bad experience. He reluctantly held his hand out.

"Come on Carson. What are you waiting for?" McKay asked with his brow furrowed. "Just touch it and then we can get down to business."

"Right." Beckett said and then placed his right hand on the top of the console. He watched as it came to life, lights flashing.

McKay's face lit up like a Christmas tree and he clapped his hands together in front of his face. "Brilliant Carson!" He moved forward and placed his hands on the console, trying to figure out what to start with first.

Teyla moved to stand next the doctor and watched her teammate. He was enthusiastic to say the least. They watched him systematically go through every control with a giddy expression on his face. "Did it work Dr. McKay?" Teyla asked.

"Hmm?" Rodney said distractedly.

"Did it work?" she asked again.

McKay looked up at his two friends with his eyebrows raised. "What was that?"

"Did it work?" Teyla asked for a third time, more frustration in her voice.

"Yes. Yes. Of course it worked. Now you can get back to your voodoo Carson." He said as he basically shooed the doctor away.

Teyla and Beckett looked at each other and then the doctor threw his arms up in the air and walked out of the lab. He knew he wasn't going to get any kind of a 'thank you' from the physicist. But at least they were going in the right direction. The pods would work now. That's all that mattered.

John's head twitched and then moved to the left. His eyes were closed and it looked like he was dreaming. In reality, Puren was trying to wake the pilot up. Trying to control his ever thinning body. He began to twitch more and he began to breath heavily.

Daylight had already come to the Lantean home world but the infirmary had been kept on a lower lighting level. Ronan's eyes slowly began to open up when he heard the moaning coming from his left. He blinked numerous times and then turned his head to face the noise. He was surprised to see Colonel Sheppard laying just over from him. He coughed when he tried to swallow and then reached his hand up to his throat. He rubbed the offending bruises and then winced with pain. He slowly began to sit up in the bed and then sat and stared at his commanding officer. He placed his hands on the bed on either side of him and then looked at the floor. When he finally managed to get himself up off of the bed he swayed slightly and then reached out for Sheppard. He placed his left hand on the Colonel's arm and then stood over him. "Sheppard. Are you there?" he asked in a raspy voice as he lightly shook him.

The Colonel continued to moan and twitch as the Runner tried in vain to wake him up. He wasn't even sure if it was Sheppard that he would be waking up. He had remembered the force which Puren had used to bring him down and for the first time had realized what a threat the creature actually was. Not just to the pilot, but to him and his new found team as well. Then quite suddenly the prone man's eyes opened and he was breathing quite rapidly. Ronan did not like what he saw.

Within those bloodshot, tired hazel eyes was evil. Not the Sheppard that he had at first reluctantly decided to get to know, but pure evil. Puren. He backed away from the restrained hands of the man. "How is your neck Ronan Dex?" came the taunting, familiar voice. The Runner touched his neck without even realizing it.

"It's fine." He said with an even raspier voice than usual.

"Is it now?" the body of John said with a malicious smirk. "Then why are you touching your neck? Does it hurt?"

Ronan brought his hand down and frowned. "I know what you're trying to do and it won't work."

"Nice bruises." Puren continued. "It is nice to know that this vessel is physically strong. It will make my job much easier."

Ronan growled. And if anybody else had been there they would have thought that it sounded even scarier than it normally did. The man was about ready to reach over and wipe the smug smile off of his friend's face. But he knew that would only hurt Sheppard so he refused to give in to the being's goading. "We'll defeat you Puren. It's only a matter of time."

"I highly doubt that Ronan Dex. This vessel will be mine to command and there is nothing that any of you can do about it."

The frown intensified on the Satedan's face and he turned when he heard someone approaching the infirmary. He was not surprised to see Beckett appear at the entrance to the room. Carson stopped in his tracks when he saw the Runner. "Ronan. You're awake lad. I'm glad to see it. How are you feeling?"

"Not now." Came the raspy voice as he pushed by the doctor. "Take care of Sheppard. I need to see Weir."

Before Carson could object his patient was out the door and on his way to the Control Room. He shook his head and turned to see that the Colonel was awake as well. "Hey lad. Good to see you up."

"There is nothing that Dr. Elizabeth Weir can do to help. I will have this vessel."

Beckett sighed. "Not you again." And then he turned and left the room, Puren spouting his regular bull the whole way to his office.

TBC in Chapter Sixteen….

A/N: Well, how are ya likin' it? I'm likin' it, so I hope you are. I have another chapter to post after this but I'm afraid I have to write more after that. Anyways, Enjoy the next chapter ya'll. Later Days. :)