Mil stood silently over the bed. She was in a back room in the SGC, which was cold and dimly lit. The walls were plain silver metal except small metal doors that lined them: doors that led to trays with dead bodies. She was in the morgue of the SGC. Zola was laid on a tray that she had pulled out of the wall and covered up to shoulders with a white sheet. Mil must have stared at the body for over an hour, not really seeing her but, was instead thinking. Mil knew she had wanted her to act like her and live her life. It was odd; Mil could remember thinking about it through Zola's memories. Mil couldn't quit thinking how wrong it felt to not tell them but, what could she do? She knew how much it had meant to Zola not to tell and yet, it still made Mil feel awful. The lights flickered, startling her into jumping slightly.
She looked at the body, really looked at it. A tear made its path down her cheek as she whispered, "I wish you were still here. I can't be me but, I really can't act like you very well either. What am I supposed to do?"
Mil sighed at the silence that followed. She hadn't expected an answer. However, saying it out loud made it a little more real. Mil shook her head and said, "I'm sorry Zola. I'm so sorry. I should've died, not you. Obviously I'm replaceable. I guess I'm just lucky I got stuck here. My reality is…," Mil couldn't finish. She shuttered at the thought and the cold. Now that she knew what other realities were like, she could never go back to hers. Mil slid the tray back in, hearing a slight click as it stopped in the back. Hearing it, she shut the door and stepped away. Taking one last glance at it, she walked away.
Dacey stomped her way to her quarters. Inside, she stripped and grabbed her Athosian-made outfit. She quickly shoved it on.
As she went, she passed people who looked surprised someone could actually be in a hurry to get somewhere.
Dacey went straight to the shooting range next door to the gym. No one else was in there so, she picked up a weapon at the door, loaded up a target, and starting firing at will.
Shaun walked up to Katie Brown with a pot of coffee and a bottle of caffeine pills. Jennifer came up behind her son. Ronon practically growled, "What are you doing?"
Shaun popped a pill in Katie's mouth and some coffee. He made her swallow it and he turned around to face his mother and Ronon. He hurriedly explained, "Based on what mom told me and the data she gave me about the transformation, I figured out a way to cure them. Tell me, what do all of these people have in common?"
Jennifer stuttered, "Well, that's kinda confidential, don't ya think?"
Shaun sighed and said, "That's not the point. They all have slow heart rates. Give them enough caffeine; their heart rate will speed up. The coffee will interact with the virus, which causes their blood to become extremely oxygenated."
Jennifer eyed him oddly, "So?"
Shaun bobbed his head in impatience, "So, the plague they designed was spread through Carbon Dioxide particles and was protected against any other particles in the air. But, when I was going through the info about the composition of the plague, I noticed it didn't react well to high amounts of Oxygen."
Recognition spread across Jennifer's face. She said excitedly, "And the plague has the side effect of bringing in slightly more Oxygen every heart beat than normal when it comes in contact with coffee. And since the plague is taking over their entire bodies, it will. Then the pills make their heart beat faster, causing more to circulate Oxygen in the bloodstream."
Jennifer went to get her coffee mug from a nearby counter and snagged a bottle of pills from the cabinet. Ronon went back to staring at his wife as son and mother started going around the room, giving people the cure.
After a while of giving people the treatment, everyone was cured. As Shaun gave the last patient the remedy, Katie Brown sat up in her bed. She said, "What happened?"
Ronon leaned over to her; she looked normal again if not paler than usual. Ronon gave a rare smile and said, "You were infected with a modified Ori virus. You're fine now."
Katie Brown nodded and swung her feet over the side of the bed. She stumbled but, Ronon steadied her.
Shaun and Jennifer rushed to her and instantly began berating her for getting up and told her to lie back down. Katie sighed and followed the doctors' orders.
Dacey was changing into her Garrison uniform, the blue military uniform, worn by the people off duty on the base. She had just buttoned up her shirt when Cameron Mitchell contacted her, using the ear radio devices, "Major Sheppard, come to the control room; you're going to want to hear this."
Dacey walked out of her room and towards the control room. On arrival, the general looked her way. Computers lined the wall to her right, under a large window overlooking the Stargate. Samantha Carter-Mitchell sat at one of the computers. Her husband had been looking over her shoulder at the monitor until Dacey arrived. He glanced back at the monitor and said, "Go ahead Atlantis."
Dacey approached the computer and stopped beside the general. Shaun's voice came over the radio, "Hi General Mitchell. I figured out a way to cure my mom's patients who still had the plague. I'm glad to say, Atlantis is no longer under quarantine. Permission for personnel from the SGC to come to the city and help with repairs?"
Mitchell replied, "Granted. I'll send up Dacey, Zola, Wen, and Ahn too."
Shaun said, "Thanks, General. Atlantis out."
General Mitchell nodded while he placed his hand on his wife's shoulder. He looked at Dacey and said, "Get your team together and ring up to the city."
Dacey saluted and left; she walked towards the armory.
Shaun stood in front of Dacey when the transport rings disappeared into the floor, holding out his arms. Dacey smiled and walked straight into his arms, hugging him fiercely. He buried his face in her hair. Shaun could fell her head against his chest, right over his heart. Zola, Wen, and Ahn stood awkwardly behind Dacey, not really knowing what to do. After a long pause, Dacey pulled back from Shaun and looked his in the eyes and asked, "How did you cure the plague?"
Shaun said, with a serious face, "I gave them coffee."
Dacey gave him the most annoyed look she could muster and playfully punched his arm. Shaun said something close to "ow" but, he was smiling the whole time. To everyone else, except Dacey, he was flirting with the major.
Dacey regained her thoughts and said, "Alright, let's go to pay Abbie a visit."
The rest of the group nodded. Dacey and Shaun walked out together, followed by Wen and Ahn. Mil was the last one out, realizing the number of guys needed to be larger. Wen and Ahn were quietly talking about battle strategies as they went on their way. Wen rolled her eyes while she crossed her arms over her chest. Ahn sighed as he gave her a look that said I think she is so hot when she's mad. Mil grinned as it all happened.
When they reached the control room, Abbie stood by Anna, who seemed to be working on a computer that was hooked up to one of the many consoles. She cussed in Czech as she typed in a few more things. Dacey paced to Abbie, never giving Anna a second glance, and said, "Abbie, your dad says he can and will send you repair teams."
Abbie shook her head and said, "I would actually, upon thinking on it, like to land on Earth before repairing the city. I could really use you flying the city, if you would."
Dacey gave her an odd look and replied, "Of course."
Dacey turned to walk out of the room, to go fly the city, when Abbie held up her hand. Dacey stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face her commanding officer. Atlantis was being contacted by Arhgohnn. Abbie nodded to Anna, who pushed down a crystal on the console. The transmission came through loudly. In the background of the transmission, blasts and a cacophony of sounds could be heard. Suddenly, a panicked voice came over the radio, "Atlantis! This is Arhgohnn. We are being attacked and need immediate help. I don't kn-"
The alien's words were cut off as a scream filled its place. Then, all the group heard was static. Dacey whipped around while cussing loudly, "Son of a bitch!"
Abbie looked at her puzzled. Dacey told her, "John said the Zamora split up whenever they attacked someone. I didn't believe him because he lied about so many other things."
Abbie looked back at Anna and ordered her, "Anna, contact the SGC. Tell a team of Marines to meet Dacey's team in the ring room."
Abbie looked to Dacey and said simply, "Take your team."
Dacey nodded and grabbed Shaun's arm as the team exited and made their way to the armory and then the ring room. Shaun reached down and intertwined his fingers with Dacey's. She gave his hand a squeeze as she led him onward.
Back at the ring room, a team of Marines waited for Dacey. Dacey wiggled her hand out of Shaun's grasp. He frowned when she did but, Dacey didn't notice his displeasure. Dacey said to the Marines, "You will go ring there first and set up a perimeter around the immediate area and wait for my team to ring in."
The other team nodded and stepped into the center of the ring. The rings came up and lit up the room as they transported the Marines away. Dacey and her team stepped into the room next and ringed away.
