Chapter Thirteen

The next morning Weir had had enough. She knew she couldn't charge anyone so long as the protests were peaceful, but the fact that the city had pretty much shut down was almost enough to make her want to do so. Finally, late in the morning she addressed the issue in the only way she knew. From her position in ops she turned on the city-wide intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I need your attention, please. As you are all aware, a number of you have been arrested and detained on charges of misdemeanor assault. At this point in time, I am willing to allow them to return to their lives on Earth with just that. However, for you to all have a full understanding, I am emailing you all several documents.

"This expedition represents the best of the best from just about every ethnicity on Earth. This expedition embraces racial diversity at its best. For nearly four years we have lived together, worked together, and fought together. For those of you who are not aware, hate crimes that are racially motivated are an international issue. Since 1966 international law against hate crimes has been in effect and growing stronger and gaining more support each year. Wherever you come from, there are laws protecting you from others.

"Those who were arrested yesterday were in direct violation of Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination—or CERD—Chapter Four on Human Rights Section Two and several other international laws. To put things into perspective, what they did falls under a racially motivated hate crime. In some places, that is considered terrorism. They were given the option to accept a lesser punishment, but persisted in stating openly that it was a racially motivated crime.

"I understand that many of you now protesting don't care one way or another about the former Wraith queen, now human, known as Alex. Others refuse to embrace her as human. That is your choice. You are not required to befriend her, merely not to abuse or injure her. Ignoring her is perfectly acceptable.

"But what will not be tolerated on Atlantis or Earth is racial hatred and hate crimes. If you disagree with my judgment, bear in mind I could send them all home to Earth with that hanging over them for the rest of their lives. I'm trying to find a middle ground for them, as well as for us. If you would rather live in a world where Wraith do not exist, even in human form, then you are free to leave this expedition when the Daedalus returns next month.

"Look inside yourselves. Look at each other. Look at all we've accomplished since we've come to this galaxy. Is one human being worth sacrificing all of that? Are we all still so barbaric that all we see is hate for someone who has given us nothing but help?

"Today the city is shut down. I want each of you to take the day and consider what I've said, and what you want to do. If you are inclined to leave on the Daedalus next month, feel free to email me your resignation.

"For the rest of you. I cannot tell you all enough how proud I am of our accomplishments. Thank you."

Heaving a deep sigh, Weir closed her eyes for a moment and massaged her temples. The command center was so silent it seemed no one else was breathing. Finally she opened her eyes and squared her shoulders. She turned to face her crew.

"Do any of you feel you need the day off to consider these things?"

Her heart lifted somewhat and her smile was filled with pride as every one of them shook their heads. "Thank you."

~o~o~o~

Alex woke sometime after shift change when Carson returned later in the morning. She still appeared unresponsive, but she was no longer crying. Carson hated to disturb her, but he had to change the water in the tank and needed to check on her. When he knelt next to the tank he found her eyes were dull and empty.

"Alex?"

She blinked, and her eyes moved toward him. There was a sparkle of something for a moment, before they went back to their flat stare. This concerned Carson more than her crying had.

"We need to move you for a while so we can change the water in the tank. Do you think you can do that?"

Alex nodded.

"Good, lass."

He turned to Rebecca standing nearby and nodded. She came around the other side of the tank. Together they held on to her hands and let Alex pull herself upright at her own pace. As her still scalded skin hit fresh air, her face pinched with pain; but she made not a sound. Eventually they managed to get her standing, though her legs trembled and her breathing was far too quick and shallow. They carefully walked her over to a nearby chair and sat her down. Not for the first time Carson was incredibly grateful that certain parts of her had not been touched by the scalding liquid. Gently Doctor Knightley leaned her back into the chair and made sure she was stable.

Through all of this and the emptying and refilling of the tank, Alex was silent. Her expression was flat and empty. Carson hoped it was just the after-effects of having been in so much pain, but he doubted it. Once he had her settled safely back into the tank, she resumed her empty staring. Turning to Knightly, he nodded toward the door. She took the hint and exited quietly.

Leaning over, he looked directly into Alex's eyes as he stroked her forehead and hair. "Talk to me, love. What are you thinking?"

Her eyes flickered for a moment toward him before closing. "I'm tired."

"I know. Your body is healing itself. The best thing for you now is rest. Sleep, if you can. But know that I'm here. And no one is going to hurt you like that ever again."

Now her eyes locked on his, intensity radiated from those deep blue irises. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Carson's heart twisted painfully in his chest. "Oh, Alex. Have you heard what is happening out there?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked softly, still stroking her head soothingly.

"I just want to sleep."

"That's it. Get some rest. You'll feel better once you're healed."

Carson's heart continued to be wrenched painfully until long after she fell asleep. It was all he had just to not break down and cry, himself. Knowing he had other duties, he stayed only long enough to ensure he was deeply sleeping before withdrawing and leaving Knightley to watch over her. Despite all their other duties, neither wanted to leave her alone or with anyone else.

For a moment Beckett sat in his office as if lost. He couldn't focus beyond those empty, lifeless eyes. Throwing down his pen he stood up and shrugged out of his lab coat. He needed to see Doctor Heightmeyer.

~o~o~o~

Sheppard found himself yet again trapped in the confines of his little office staring at a pile of paperwork of ridiculous proportions. Much as he hated paperwork, though, this time he was almost happy to do it. After what he'd seen of Alex yesterday, sending almost twenty of his men home in shame with assault charges and one with attempted murder charge was worth the extra effort. The pictures that had been hung in the cafeteria didn't do Alex's suffering justice. For a moment he wondered if he could get a copy of some of the security footage from the hospital wards of Alex's screaming and play them in every cell for a day or two. Weir would probably consider it torture.

Flipping through personnel file after personnel file, he just hoped there would never be another incident like this on Atlantis ever again. Hopefully this example would be enough. He was starting to feel like the whole damn city had gone insane.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I miss being able to slam a door?"

Major Lorne's voice trembled with barely contained rage as he planted himself in front of Sheppard's desk. The Major's face was a study in blazing fury.

"Please, come on in. Have a seat," Sheppard quipped, trying to lighten the mood since seeing Lorne angry was such a rarity that it couldn't be good.

Lorne just grunted and stayed where he was.

"Is there something I can help you with or were you just coming to complain about the futuristic ancient doors around here?" he asked, putting down his pen and leaning back.

"Ravencraft and Chung have requested transfers to another team."

"What?" Sheppard asked, shocked.

"That was my reaction. They don't want to go off world with Alex. And before you say anything, no, it's not about 'Carson's pet Wraith'," he said with absolutely unmistakable loathing for the name. "They are convinced she's a security risk. Chung even pointed out that she's too new to being human to be of any good to us. As a matter of fact, and in his own words, 'She might be socially inept enough to start a war!'."

With a groan, Sheppard shook his head. "Seriously?"

"Yes!"

For a moment Sheppard massaged his temples and grumbled some unsavory things about having to deal with this kind of idiocy. Finally he scrubbed his face with his hands. "Fine. Request granted. Who else do you have in mind?"

"What?"

"You heard me, Major. Do you have anyone else in mind?"

"Just like that? You're just going to get them off my team?"

"Yes, Major, just like that. The last thing we need right now is a couple of our guys running back to the SGC whining about how Weir said they don't have to be friends with Alex, but we're forcing them into working with her. More to the point, a team can't function if they're not willing to work together. That alone could get all of you killed. And I'm not letting Alex off world with a team that might just stab her in the back."

Lorne's expression calmed considerably. Taking all this in, he sat down. "You're right, sir."

"I know. But you still haven't answered my question. Who else would you pick or do you have anyone in mind?"

"No, I had hoped we could settle this without that. I'll have to think on it, sir."

"Don't worry, Alex is going to be a few weeks catching up once she's on her feet again, anyway."

"How is she, sir?" Lorne asked, his brows furrowed in concern. "Beckett wouldn't let me near her yesterday."

"I have been by there today, but his estimate is two to three days before she'll be able to put on clothes again."

Lorne winced. "Damn. You should have broken his arm, sir."

"Believe me, I wanted to. Why don't you drop by later today and see if Beckett will let you in? She's in a tank full of some kind of slimy stuff that seems to help with the pain."

"That bad?"

Sheppard's expression twisted for a moment and his eyes darkened considerably as he recalled Beckett shoving Alex down into the tank screaming. "Let's just say I want to play audio of what happened in the infirmary yesterday into every cell down there. But Weir would likely stop me as it probably violates every international law against torture ever written."

"Damn," Lorne said, his jaw tightening as he ground his teeth against saying something worse.

"Yeah."

Taking a deep breath, Lorne stood up. "I'll drop by the infirmary later, sir. In the meantime, I've got to figure out who I'm going to approach. Cause you may be right about literal backstabbing, if I'm not careful."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. But might I make a suggestion? Consider making one of them female. It might help Alex adjust."

Lorne's eyebrows shot up. "I hadn't thought about that, sir. Thank you. I'll do that."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important CO stuff to do around here."

Smirking, Lorne headed out with a flippant, "And that's why you're the boss, sir."

~o~o~o~

Later that afternoon, Beckett found himself in Heightmeyer's office for the first time in a very long time. As a matter of fact, the last time he recalled seeing her was shortly after Perna's death. And not since. In this case, he had come for Alex. What he wound up doing was spending way more time laying out for the doctor his own plight. Heightmeyer listened in silence, nodding occasionally. There seemed to be no need for questions or prompting as the whole mess came pouring out of him. Finally, out of breath and feeling completely drained, he sat back in silence.

"I'm glad you told me. I had wondered who the lucky person was."

"You already knew?" he blurted. "Never mind, that's a silly question. So, what do you suggest?"

"Honestly, I think you've got the right idea. Believe me when I say I know exactly how painful this is for you, Carson," she told him, and he didn't doubt it for a second. "But you're absolutely right. I don't believe she's ready for any kind of emotional relationship at this stage. She needs more time to explore her emotional nature. And, she needs to spend more time with others."

"Meaning there might be someone else for her," Carson said, in dismay. "Aye, I'd thought of that."

"Maybe, but I was more referring to her needing to establish herself as human in a society of other humans. She's had very limited interaction up until now. But that's about to change. And it could open up a whole new set of problems. Or, it may help her stabilize emotionally."

Carson nodded thoughtfully. "I'll hope for the latter."

"You and me, both. But that's not the only reason you came here."

Carson smiled ruefully to himself. He knew his expressions were a dead giveaway every time. "Aye, it's Alex."

"I heard about yesterday. I won't ask you how she is, considering your expression tells me all I need to know. Will she recover physically?"

"Aye, in a couple of days, hopefully."

"But emotionally?"

"That's what I'm worried about. She's gone flat. Yesterday at least she was crying. Whether it was from the physical pain or something else, I don't know. Today she says she's tired. But I don't believe that's all there is, even for a minute. She's…hollow…flat, somehow."

Kate took this in for a moment. "Do you think she's ready to talk?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you could answer that."

"Is she accepting visitors?"

"She hasn't stated not to, specifically," Carson said, walking a fine line.

"Well, I've gotten word of another going on today that should interest her. I'm going to go poke a couple of people. You can expect a few visitors for her while she's in there."

Carson's expression had curiosity all over it. But this was Kate's specialty. He wasn't about to interfere. "You know visiting hours. But, in this case, I'll make an exception. Thanks, Kate."

"That's what I'm here for."

Carson smiled warmly and let himself out of her office.

~o~o~o~

When Carson returned to the infirmary, Alex was still sleeping soundly. Knightley was sitting in a chair nearby working on a crossword. She looked up when he entered and answered his unspoken question with shake of her head. He sighed and then nodded toward the door. Rebecca glanced one more time at Alex sleeping soundly in the tank and then quietly followed Carson to the other side of the curtain that divided this ward from others.

"Has she woken at all?"

Knightley sighed heavily. "Once. It was a nightmare. She refused to talk about it. Eventually she went back to sleep, but I'm worried about her."

"I am too, love," Carson said, squeezing her arm gently. "I talked to Doctor Heightmeyer. She's got something in the works."

"Good," she said, tiredly.

"Go on. Get some lunch and some rest. You can relieve me after you've had a decent day's sleep."

"Bless you, Carson," she said sincerely.

He smiled warmly and shooed her out of the infirmary. Turning back to Alex, he watched her steady breathing closely for a minute, before taking up the same chair Rebecca had just vacated. He knew there were many more important things he could and should be doing, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave her alone, yet. With his tangled snarl of thoughts and feelings, at least he wasn't bored.

~o~o~o~

Beckett knew it was approaching dinner time, and wasn't surprised in the least to find he had no appetite. He's spent most of the late afternoon and early evening alone with his thoughts. Alex hardly stirred the entire time. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly and stretching for the dozenth time while trying not to pull on his sutures when a nurse peeked around the ward door curtain.

"Doctor Beckett?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Tania?" he replied just as softly, hoping not to disturb Alex.

Glancing again at Alex, Tania waved at Carson to come closer. Heaving his tired body out of the chair, he shuffled over to her.

"You weren't answering your radio, Doctor."

Before she had a chance to go any further, Carson's face scrunched up with a muffled curse as he realized he'd taken it off in Doctor Heightmeyer's office and forgotten to put it back on.

"Oh, no, it's fine," Tania hurried to assure him. "I saw Doctor Knightley leave earlier and I wasn't sure if you had any lunch. So I brought you a tray and some coffee."

The food had little appeal, but Carson's face brightened at the delightful scent of hazelnut coffee. "You are an angel," he said softly, taking the tray.

Tania's eyes strayed over to Alex's tank again. Not liking someone just being nosy, Carson was about to dismiss her when she asked, "Is he going to be alright, Doctor?"

Sensing that this wasn't about anything malicious, he relaxed. "Aye, she will be."

"We all heard what was going on. I've dealt with minor burn patients before, but that was horrible. I can't believe someone would do that to her. She's so nice."

Latching on to something tickling the back of his mind, Carson asked, "Do you know her?"

Tania's cheeks flushed. "Kind of."

"If it's not too personal, I would like to know. You may be able to help me with something."

Tania shook her head her face flushed to her ears. "Not really. I just kind of got…bored. So I started going to some martial arts classes. Daniels and I hit it off and…um."

"Say no more, love. I understand," Carson said with a warm smile. "Were you there when Alex and Daniels paired up?"

"Actually then and after. She's really good. Even people who don't like her will say so. I'm a terrible klutz. But whenever we were paired up, she was really nice. I think Krissy got a little jealous, so I quit going."

Carson could have hugged the woman. Not only did he have someone he could trust to help keep an eye on Alex, but someone she was familiar with. A familiar face coming around and maybe even trying to get her to talk might be just what Alex needed. With one last glance at Alex to make sure she was still sleeping soundly, Carson gently led Tania through the curtain and around a corner.

"To be perfectly honest, lass, she's in bad shape. Her body is healing, but I think she's been hurt inside far more, if you know what I mean."

Tania nodded, a sad expression gracing her delicate features. "How can I help?"

"Nothing too burdensome. I would like you to help Doctor Knightley and me with her care, of course. But more importantly, try to talk to her. Just make light conversation. See if you can draw her out."

"Definitely," Tania said, beaming. "Krissy says I'm a chatterbox, anyway. You couldn't have asked a more qualified person."

Beckett chuckled at this. "When do you go off duty?"

"In about an hour. Want me to come back?"

"No, that's quite alright. Go, enjoy your evening. When you come in tomorrow, report to either myself or Doctor Knightley. I'll fill her in."

"Thanks, Doctor Beckett," she said happily. "I better get back before Doctor Spaulding notices I'm gone."

With that, she ducked back through the wards and out to the main infirmary. Carson watched her go, smiling. Glancing down at the tray of mixed foods, he almost convinced himself to eat. Taking the tray with him, he set it beside his chair and sipped his coffee, savoring the comforting warmth.

Not five minutes later, Alex finally stirred. And Beckett almost wished she hadn't. One minute she was clearly dreaming, and the next she was screaming and thrashing again. Coffee forgotten, he dropped the cup in his scramble to reach her before she did herself more harm. As he was calling her name and reaching to calm her, Alex shot upright in the tank with a giant splash. For a moment she seemed ready to fight or run or both.

"Alex! It's all right, lass. You're—"

"Carson!"

With this cry Alex dove into his arms, the edge of the tank cutting into her ribs completely unnoticed. Terrified of causing the poor woman more pain, Carson hesitated in reciprocating the already painful embrace. The terrified woman was shaking so violently it took him a moment to realize she was sobbing quietly into his already soaked shirt. Ignoring the pull of his sutures, he gently leaned back trying to find a place to grip her that would not cause her further pain.

"Alex, it's all right, lass. I'm here. But you're going to make the pain much worse if you don't let go."

Still sobbing Alex clung even tighter shaking her head. Carson was glad for the numbing effects of the oils in the water as he felt helpless. Finally words started to come through her sobs.

"They were burning me alive. They were going to burn you, too. I just…I couldn't…"

Placing a hand gently on her head, Carson stroked her hair, certain it was the only place he could touch that wouldn't hurt her more. "You're safe, Alex. I'm right here."

Breathing deeply several times, Alex visibly tried to get herself under control. Taking advantage of the moment, Carson gripped her head in both hands gently and tried to tilt her head back to look at him.

"You need to let go, love. You're going to start feeling the pain from touching me, if you don't. Please?"

Seeing the blood seeping through the left side of his shirt Alex's face transformed into one of horror as she released him so fast he nearly fell backward. Curling up into a ball with her knees under her chin she cried, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Not entirely sure what had made her jump, Carson checked himself and cursed quietly at the blood seeping through his shirt and down his left side. The pain killing properties of the oils in that water were not to be underestimated. Putting on a smile, he returned his attention to the still trembling woman now sitting in a less than half-full tank. Only then did he realize her arms were wrapped around her legs. Some of the worst burns had been on her arms.

"Not to worry, love. I'll just have Rebecca help me clean them back up when she gets back soon."

She refused to look up from where she buried her face in her knees.

"Alex, look at me, please?"

Slowly her head came up.

"That doesn't hurt?" he asked, pointing to her arms.

She shook her head.

"That's fantastic!" he said smiling brightly. "You've healed enough we can at least get you out of here and into a proper bed."

Alex just buried her face in her knees, still crying softly. Now certain he would not injure her, Carson reached over to pull her toward him. Gently he placed his grip just under her elbows.

"Come on, love. Let's get you cleaned up and into some dry clothes and a nice, warm bed."

For a moment she seemed to resist, but before he could say anything Knightley appeared like an angel from the sky.

"Good to see you up, Alex," Knightley said, squatting down beside the tank. "Are you ready to move somewhere more comfortable?"

Again Alex appeared not to have heard. But, after a few more deep breaths as she tried to control her runaway emotions, she nodded slightly.

"I feel…disgusting."

"That's to be expected, dear," Rebecca said. "Come on, now. Let's get you cleaned up while Carson changes into something dry."

Taking a hint, Carson patted Alex on the shoulder. Her face popped up for a moment in panic. But, before he could say anything, she seemed to swallow the fear he saw. Doctor Knightley watched as her eyes tracked him all the way out of the ward.

A few minutes later, Rebecca was helping Alex towel herself dry after a gentle shower to wash away most of the oil. She tested various areas that now sported new, pink skin to ensure the pain wasn't returning. Satisfied, she helped Alex into some pink scrubs and got her onto a bed. Alex sat as dull and lifeless as a doll throughout the exam and reconnecting to an IV. Thought Knightley kept up a steady stream of meaningless, comforting talk, she made no response except to follow instructions.

After ducking into his office for a quick change of clothes and a fresh bandage to cover the seeping sutures, Carson watched from the doorway to the ward. It seemed Knightley was having no more success than he at getting Alex to show signs of life again. Sighing heavily, he watched as Rebecca tried to get Alex to lie back. Her resistance was the only real interaction he'd seen. Knowing the poor woman was in for a long night, Carson entered the ward and approached Alex's bed, putting on a beaming smile.

"I'm sure that feels much better, doesn't it?"

Alex nodded dully.

"Why don't you go ahead and get yourself some coffee and get set up for the night?" he asked, turning to Rebecca.

Sensing there was more to this than a suggestion, Knightley said, "That sounds wonderful. I was so excited to see Alex up and about, I almost forgot. I'll be right back."

Turning back to Alex, Carson stuffed his hands in his lab coat. For the first time, he was at a loss for what to say or do for one of his own patients. The body he could heal, but her mental and emotional state was out of his territory completely. Wondering why Doctor Heightmeyer hadn't been around, yet, he sighed heavily. More than ever, he wanted to embrace Alex and protect her, to take her far away from the world she'd known here in Atlantis thus far. Ferociously squashing those feelings, he stepped up to her bed and sat on the edge.

"I can't promise you the hurt will ever go away completely, Alex. But it will get easier to bear, with time," he said gently, putting a hand on her hunched shoulder. "It's the wounds on the inside that take the longest to heal."

Her shoulder trembled under her grip as if she were fragile enough to fall apart at even the gentlest touch. Again resisting the urge to take her into his arms, he pulled back his hand and moved to stand up. Before he had a chance, she had again launched herself at him and buried her face in his chest. This time she was mindful of the stitches and held onto his lab coat instead.

"Please, just make it stop," she begged in a voice so child-like it pulled at his heart painfully.

His heart aching badly enough to make him tremble slightly in response, he said in a quavering voice. "I'm sorry, Alex. I can't."

Alex held on to Carson as if he were her anchor to the world. She buried her face in his chest and breathed in the unique scent of him that was both man and doctor.

"I love you…"

Carson closed his eyes to hold back the tears he felt stinging the backs of his eyes as he held her. What he had to do next was probably the hardest thing he would ever do as a person…and a doctor.

"Oh, Alex. I love you, too," he finally said. Pulling back, he cupped Alex's face in both of his hands. "I'm sorry, lass. But you're not ready. Right now you're hurt, and scared, and confused, and that makes you vulnerable. I'll not do that to you, no matter how much I feel for you. You need more time. You need to heal inside as much as your body needed to heal. You still need to learn what all those human emotions mean and how they affect you. You need time to just be human, without other attachments and distractions, for now.

"But I will wait. I love you enough to wait for you. Then, when and if you are ready, I will be here, waiting for you."

"Promise?" she asked in a whisper, her intense blue eyes utterly trusting.

That expression of absolute trust convinced him as nothing else had that he had made the right choice. Still cupping her face, he kissed her forehead tenderly. "I promise."

~o~o~o~

At the entrance to the ward a pair of piercing green eyes watched the whole scene unfold. The curtain gave barely a ripple as he ducked back out, leaving a small trail of blood in his wake.

~o~o~o~

Having settled Alex into her bed, Carson gave her one last pat on the shoulder as she rolled away from him. He managed to keep his composure until he made it beyond the curtain to the adjoining, also empty, ward. Just outside the door, he leaned against the wall and dug his fingers into his tightly closed eyes trying to rub away the unshed tears. He took several deep breaths trying to steady his frayed nerves and trembling limbs.

A comforting hand on his shoulder brought him back to the moment to find Rebecca offering what support she could. He had no idea what she had seen or heard, if anything, but it didn't matter now. He was just done. He couldn't do this anymore. From here on out, her care would be relegated to Knightley and Tania and anyone else he could trust. He wasn't sure he could trust himself after that. Shaking himself, he took a deep breath and shoved his hands in his pocket. Rebecca, thankfully, said nothing. That was when he saw it. Just beside his shoe was a drop of blood. Looking around, he checked himself and didn't see any of his sutures seeping.

"What's wrong?" Knightley asked.

"There's blood on the floor," Carson said, now following back toward the infirmary an intermittent splatter trail.

He was just about to pass into the main infirmary when Doctor Spaulding nearly ran into him head-first. The reedy little man was so startled he nearly fell over backwards causing Beckett to reach out to steady him.

"There you are, Doctor Beckett," he started with thin lips and his nose predictably elevated. "Ronon Dex is waiting for you."

"Me?"

"Yes, something about my being a ham-fisted twit when it came to sutures," the man said, looking a little too much like a stork with ruffled feathers.

"Ah," Carson said in understanding. "Don't take it personally, Doctor Spaulding. He's not a very trusting man."

"Yes, well, it's a good thing you happened to be around, because I wasn't about to stir you out of your…other work."

Carson sensed there was something unpleasant behind the man's words, but let it go with an order to have someone clean up the blood. Thinking that perhaps it had come from him earlier in the evening, he let it slip from his mind. As described, Ronon was sitting on a gurney with his hand wrapped in a fresh towel quickly soaking through with blood.

"Well, now. What have you got yourself into this time?" Carson asked good-naturedly.

"Hey, Doc. Carmichael did it," he said.

Carson just gave a grin and shook his head. Back on safe, comfortable ground with his profession, he settled into his work never noticing the frequent glances Ronon continued to make toward the ward where Alex was being kept isolated.