-30th November-
"What are you all doing here?" Carson asked as he greeted his friends. His smile quickly dropped when he saw the sombre expression on their faces. "What's happened?"
"You have somewhere we can talk?" John asked.
"Aye, this way." Carson said leading them into a small wooden shack that was he temporary home. "Take a seat." He added as he moved some of his clothes off one of the many boxes and sat down.
"Carson." Rodney started. "The other day…" Rodney started before losing his way.
"It's Jennifer." Teyla took over.
"What happened to her? Is she okay?" Carson asked sensing the worse was coming.
Taking a deep breath John recalled recent events before adding. "I'm sorry."
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Carson asked standing. Seeing the sad looks on everyone's face he went on. "Jennifer would never take her own life. I know people always say that, but there are clear warnings that someone is contemplating suicide. Signs that would be caught."
"Like withdrawing from her friends, not sleeping, losing weight." Rodney listed.
"Feeling worthless, saying we'd be better off without her, inability to concentrate and feeling defeated." John continued. "The signs were all there, but none of us acted on them."
"But Jennifer is so optimistic." Carson said. "This doesn't make any bloody sense." He said sitting down again.
"Yes it does, we failed her." Ronon said.
-00-
Lorne jogged through the city, his feet pounding the deck in frustration. As he pushed himself harder and harder he felt his muscles scream with pain, a pain that helped keep his mind off his anger. Knowing that there was a chance that Jennifer was alive had lifted his spirits until the guilt took over. Guilt that he had wallowed in self pity when his friend had needed him the most.
He was desperate to find her, prove that she was still alive. But he knew he was the wrong man for the job. Until the return of McKay it was down to Zelenka, who so far had made no tangible progress.
He wanted to help, but had no idea how. He had made himself permanently available to Zelenka, volunteering to be a guinea pig for any cloaking test the physicist may want to run. However, when it became apparent that all he was doing was making Radek nervous he backed off. He took up talking to empty rooms, in the hope Jennifer was there and he could encourage her. However, eventually that led him to questioning his own sanity.
Finally consumed by his anger he decided to run. Run through the empty parts of the city where he could think without distraction. However, his anger was temporarily put on hold when he nearly tripped over a body.
Tapping his radio he called for medical assistance before kneeling next to the body and feeling for a pulse. Finding none he radioed Woolsey and Teldy before checking the local area was secure. Happy that the attacker, if there was one, was not still around he rolled the body over and looked at the face in surprise.
"What's happened?" Woolsey asked breathlessly as he approached the Major.
"I found Burke and Miller's killer." Lorne said. "He's dead." Seeing Woolsey's expression he added. "He was already dead. Looks like it has been at least a few hours." He added before asking. "What the-?"
"What is it Major?" Woolsey asked concerned.
"The knife he has been stabbed with is Jennifer's." Lorne said distractedly whilst he studied the body. It was then he saw a black device hanging off the body's wrist. Without thinking he picked up the device and clamped it to his wrist before disappearing.
"Major?" Woolsey called, wondering what was happening.
"You saw that too?" Teldy asked jogging up to the base commander as Lorne vanished.
"I think so." Woolsey said moments before a body appeared at his feet.
"Dr Keller?" He asked dropping down beside her, sagging in relief when he found a pulse.
"She needs water." Lorne said suddenly reappearing before picking up is discarded water bottle and holding it to Jennifer's lips.
"What's going on?" Dr Cole asked as she and Marie ran down the corridor.
"Dr Keller?" Marie asked shocked when she saw who Lorne, Woolsey and Teldy were hovering round.
-00-
"How is she?" Woolsey asked when Cole walked towards them.
"My main concern is that she is very dehydrated. I have set her up on an IV and hopefully that will be enough."
"Is she awake?" Lorne asked.
"Not really, she drifts in and out. At this stage I am not worried by that though."
"Can we sit with her?" Woolsey asked.
"Yes, but please remember she needs her rest."
As the two men took a seat by her bed Lorne said. "I owe you an apology."
"For what?"
"I have always looked for the bad in what you do, compared you unfavourably with Dr Weir and Colonel Carter, always saw you and treated you as an outsider. Yet it was you who didn't give up on her; you who refused to believe what the rest took for granted. If you hadn't made Zelenka run those scans we may never have seen her again."
"If you hadn't run that way we may not have found her in time." Woolsey countered. "The important thing is you did find her and she is going to be okay."
"Will she?" Lorne asked. "Who knows what happened to her." He said pointing towards the bruises on Jennifer's face and neck. "Plus her knife was embedded in our mystery corpse."
"I'm not questioning what she has been through." Woolsey assured him. "But regardless of what has happened, she will be surrounded by her friends who will help her recovery."
A/N: Thanks for reading. Next chapter up tomorrow.