Chapter 2

"Rush!"

The smaller man was shaking and breathing like he had just emerged from underwater for a very long time. His eyes were closed but his brow was creased in obvious pain.

"Rush!" shouted Young again as he gently laid the shaking man to the floor. He immediately checked for a pulse and was surprised to find out his heart was racing. He fished out his radio. "Scott, Greer, TJ. Get to the Control Room, NOW!"

He wasn't surprised that it was TJ that got there first and immediately knelt by Rush's side as soon as she saw them.

"What happened?" asked TJ but she didn't look the colonel's way. TJ immediately checked Rush's pulse and her hand felt for a fever. Rush was still shaking, breathing hard and still had the pained expression on his face.

"We were talking and he just suddenly fell," explained Young as Scott and Greer arrived.

"Infirmary, now!" ordered TJ and Scott and Greer carried rush to the infirmary where they laid him on a bed but as soon as Rush was down he started screaming in pain. "Hold him!" TJ ordered and Scott and Greer both tried to keep Rush steady as TJ rummaged through the things in the infirmary and finally filled a syringe with a clear liquid and injected it to Rush's arm.

The scientist calmed down slowly and Scott gently placed him back down onto the bed. He turned to see Chloe and Eli hovering by the door.

"What happened?" asked Chloe worriedly as she made to stand by Rush's side but Scott gently moved her away as TJ checked Rush's vitals again.

"TJ?" asked Young as she shook her head.

"No injury, the only thing abnormal is his heart rate which so fast and he's breathing like he's having some sort of attack," replied TJ.

"Not to mention the pained look on his face," added Eli. "Could it have something to do with whatever the Lucian Alliance did to him?"

"The Lucian Alliance tortured him," whispered Young as all eyes turned to him in surprise. Rush didn't tell anyone then and just went back to work like nothing happened. Well how could he anyway? As soon as he was back in his own body, the Lucian Alliance had taken over the ship and Rush needed to save them again. "I should have made him get checked out."

"Any idea what exactly they did to him?" asked Greer.

"Well I can bet the person who did know is dead," pointed out Scott but he turned to Young. "I'll go ask them and hopefully at least one of them is decent enough to help us."

"Don't count on it," replied Greer but Young nodded and the two of them left.

"Is there a chance that this could be PTSD?" Whispered Young as Eli and Chloe stood beside Rush's unconscious form. TJ studied the scientist's sleeping form before turning back to Young.

"I'm not really sure," bega TJ. "You'll have to ask Camille about that." She debated whether to hook Rush to an IV given the fact that the man has hardly eaten anything and has not had any decent rest whatsoever. "I came by the Control Interface Room a few hours ago and I saw him sitting on the floor. I should have known something was up."

"You've just come out of an ordeal as well," began Young, putting a hand on her shoulder which TJ shrugged off. Young's face masked the surprise and hurt he felt but didn't say anything further. "What's your course of action?"

"For now?" asked TJ as she moved to check Rush's pulse once again. "Try to get his heart rate down and see where he goes from there."

Varro should have just spoken with Lt. Johansen when they first arrived. He should have just told her what had happened to Rush when things had died down. No, he chose to trust that the man describe only as being a genius would get himself checked out.

He should have known that geniuses were only good at specific fields. Rush didn't strike him as being one with common sense when it came to his own well being.

Scott and Greer had escorted him to the colonel's quarters and motioned for him to enter. He found the colonel there with Lt. Johansen discussing a few things and they both turned when the door opened.

Colonel Young immediately stood and nodded towards his two men and the door closed behind Varro. "I understand you know what happened to Dr. Rush while he was being interrogated by Kiva."

"I do," replied Varro, keeping his voice steady and sounding sincere. He honestly wanted to help the man and be of use, not a prisoner on the ship.

"Just to get his out of the way quickly," added Colonel Young, circling his desk to stand right in front of him. "Did you torture Rush?"

"No I didn't," came the steady reply and Young just glared at him but there must have been something in Varro's eyes that made the Colonel sighed and lean back on his desk, motioning for Varro to continue.

"The device that was used on Dr. Rush is called a 'Pulser'," began Varro, turning to the medic. He wanted to express his condolences with the child she had lost. It was clear that she and the colonel had a relationship more than that of coworkers or officer and commanding officer. Squashing the ever growing feeling inside of him, he shrugged it off and continued his explanation. "It is similar to that of the 'Rod of Anguish' that was the choice of the Goa'uld."

The Colonel turned to TJ. "Basically a pain stick," added the medic. "Torture device that sends energy through a person's body, feels like some sort of enhanced electric shock."

"It's more than that," cut off Varro. "Like I said, it's been enhanced. The 'Pulser' doesn't discharge energy to the person's body, or where the device comes contact with. No it goes to the brain, sending a pulse of pain. You would think it's the same but it's actually much worse."

Lt. Johansen's eyes widened in realization. Man she was quick. "Because if used too much the pulse might linger in the brain." She turned to the colonel and added, "It's basically a device that will induce chronic pain on someone."

Varro nodded. "I haven't seen it been used that much on a person. But it has been known to have that effect if used that often enough."

"How long will it last?" asked TJ, immediate concern written all over her face.

"Dr. Rush wasn't feeling it before maybe because of all the adrenaline and stressful events for the past couple of days." began Varro. "His reaction has been delayed a couple of days already."

"But now that things have calmed down...," began Colonel Young. "Any estimate on how long?"

"I really don't know," admitted Varro in a low voice. "Nobody has lasted long against it like Dr. Rush did. He has a high tolerance for pain than most people and Kiva was using it at the highest level of pain."

"So what are we going to do then?" asked the colonel turning to Lt. Johansen .

"Is there anything else you can tell me about the device?" asked TJ, turning to face Varro.

"The energy discharged by the 'Pulser' is more electrical in nature," offered Varro. "That's the only thing I can think of that may be of use."

TJ looked down in deep thought as both the Colonel and Varro studied her. "I may have an idea but I still need to wait for Dr. Rush to regain consciousness before I try anything."

"Understood," replied the Colonel and he turned to Varro. "My men will escort you back. Thank you for your help."

"You can trust us, Colonel," voiced out Varro.

"I'll be the judge of that," replied Young. "If I get even the slight evidence that you are doing this to Rush, you and your friends will be left on the first planet we come across...livable or not."

The two stared each other down before Varro finally relented and turned to leave the room. Young turned to TJ who watched the exchanged, her face unreadable and she too left soon after.

He was confused...where was he? What happened?

He was in darkness...maybe because he had his eyes closed. Or were they open and he was blind? No...they were closed…

Rush took in a breath to steady his overthinking brain and relax. He assessed his own body and concluded that he was laid down, not on his own bed...well not his bed in Destiny anyway. Where the hell was he? Infirmary? But how did he get here?

"Dr. Rush?" came the whisper of his name. So he was in the infirmary if it was TJ that was calling him. He needed to open his eyes...why was it proving to be a difficult task?

"Dr. Rush, can you hear me?"

Damn it man just open your eyes.

Rush blinked. Everything was too bright and he had to shut them again, his hand immediately going up to cover his face but a softer one stopped him from moving. He finally felt some sort of pressure on his hand and with the little movement he managed, he felt some sort of pull under his skin and was glad that another person stopped him from moving.

"I connected you to an IV, Dr. Rush," he heard TJ say. "Keep still or you'll dislodge it."

Rush blinked open his eyes again, finding the room's light bearable than before. His eyes were still blurry but finally the clear image of TJ's concerned face came to his vision. "Hey, glad you could join us."

"What happened?" asked Rush, slightly surprised with how hoarse his voice sounded. His throat felt like a desert and TJ must have known it would have because she was soon offering him a glass of water.

"Slowly," said TJ, helping Rush drink, covering his hands with hers while another hand steadied him. She wanted to make sure Rush wouldn't gorge down the water, that he just take steady sips as to not make him feel worse.

TJ was glad that Rush managed to finish the glass and set it down by his bed. "How do you feel?"

"How did I get here?" asked Rush as he lifted his head slightly to see that he was in fact in the Infirmary. He didn't recall heading there...what was the last thing he remembered? He was talking to the Colonel. Or no, he was heading back to his quarters...but he ended up here.

"You and Colonel Young were having words earlier today and you collapsed," explained TJ. "Please, Dr. Rush….how are you feeling, really?"

"Tired," whispered Rush, letting his head drop back down in the pillow. "Feels like someone is bludgeoning my head open."

"What else?" asked TJ, hovering over him. "How about your chest?"

Rush eyed her and TJ returned the gesture before finally sighing. "Varro told us about the weapon used on you and its possible side effects. Why did you not come to me sooner?"

"You were-"

"I'm the ship's medical officer Dr. Rush," replied TJ sharply and sighed as she realized her tone of voice. She met Rush's gaze and added softly, "I'm concerned. Frankly, we all are. I know you think you can handle whatever it is and I know you don't trust anyone but please let us help."

Rush swallowed the lump in his throat as TJ kept eye contact with him. "I trust you TJ, I really do...it's just…"

"Just what?" she asked.

"I don't want to burden you especially after…" Rush's voiced trailed off and he looked away from her eyes. "I know how it feels to lose someone...I just wanted to be left alone."

TJ studied the man in her infirmary and she remembered that small piece of information that told her that Rush wasn't just a brilliant, genius, scientist. He was also a husband, once upon a time. "Or be swallowed by your job that you won't have time to think about what you've lost."

Rush, even with how weak he was, snapped his head back up quickly to look at her. TJ's gaze was fixated on the floor. Ignoring the problem may have worked for him before but it wasn't going to work now…Rush was going to need her help, their help to get through this and he needed to accept that. If he continued to fight this, he might just deal with this pain, this trauma for the rest of his life...just like he couldn't handle the loss of Gloria Rush to this day.

"You can't ignore this forever, Dr. Rush," began TJ, looking back up to meet the man's eyes. "You can't brush this aside."

"I can try," replied back Rush as he sat up, slowly. He's movements were sluggish but the motivation of the man was pushing him through. "I can handle this by myself TJ."

"Writhing in pain on the floor is not handling it," fired back TJ, trying to keep her cool. She knew fully well that if Rush got agitated or stressed, it might just trigger the pain again.

"Then I'll take it easy," argued Rush, dangling his legs from the bed. He was going to try and stand but he was pacing himself to prove his point to TJ. He did stand slowly and stayed standing. "You shouldn't be concerned about me any longer Lieutenant."

TJ's concern was still written all over her face and Rush knew he to bargain more to get out of the infirmary. "How about I stay in my quarters the entire day, you can come check on me yourself or send someone to make sure I stay there?"

"And not work?" asked TJ with a raised eyebrow.

"Minimal work, not too tasking." countered Rush. Seeing that TJ wasn't budging, he added, "You can add eating in the mess."

TJ sighed and finally relented. "No, I'll bring it to your room. You going to the mess is basically just inviting you to work." She eyed Rush who sagged a bit in relief. "We try this your way but if things don't get any better, I'm dragging you back here."

"I can handle this, TJ." replied Rush as he slowly made his way out of the infirmary. He didn't know how wrong he was.