True to his plans, Carson spent the following afternoon scouring the neighborhood for the kitten's owner. When no one claimed her, he took her to the town vet in order to see to her health. She was undernourished, he knew, but he also wasn't sure he wanted his feet attacked each morning like they had been that day. The vet promised to care for her and find a home for the kitten, being as soft-hearted as Carson.

The next month passed in relative quiet. Carson angered a few of Esperanza's long-time residents by insisting on appointments before renewing their prescriptions. He explained that he'd been doing work in cutting-edge medicine for years and might have a newer, different treatment for them, and that seemed to smooth the ruffled feathers. He found that most of them needed to stay on the same prescriptions they'd had, however, and refilled them without further delay.

He also settled into a routine. Margaret showed up once a week with a new casserole or soup, varying the days so Carson always stayed on his toes. They shared the evening meal, and he often thought of his own mum on those evenings. His dreams tapered off the longer he was in Esperanza, and he finally started enjoying the night hours. The weather fluctuated between the heat of southern New Mexico and the more moderate temperatures to which he was accustomed, and he treated a lot of the school children for seasonal allergies and colds. The vitamins in his pharmacy sold like hot-cakes, as Margaret would say, and he placed an order with his supplier. He also reviewed Katie's resume, finding her more than qualified to take the job as his receptionist. However, he didn't have enough work to keep her busy all the time, so he hired her on a part-time basis. He spoke with her current boss over at the Esperanza Cafe, arranging for a work schedule that suited both businesses.

Halloween arrived with little fuss from Carson. He'd watched the decorations go up all through town and had shaken his head. Out of all the holidays, this one just didn't appeal, not when he'd seen blood and guts on a regular basis while in Pegasus. Somehow, that dampened his enthusiasm for anything of that nature.

Halloween night, he'd made sure to shut off all the lights in the front of his house and had retreated to his study to read. He'd found another easy chair and had set up a reading corner in the small room, as well as his home office. It was cozy, and he loved it. As he settled into the easy chair with a cup of tea and the latest medical journal he'd ordered, a knock broke the silence. Setting the tea aside, he pushed out of the chair, planning to tell whoever arrived that he didn't celebrate Halloween.

"Trick or treat!" The chorus surprised him as well as making him smile. He looked around at the shadowed faces of Sheppard, McKay, Ronon, Teyla, Jennifer, Marie, Amanda, Lorne, and Woolsey. The group beamed at him, and he stepped back as they carried various items into the house.

Sheppard eyed him. "Don't tell me you forgot."

Carson gave a sheepish shrug. "Aye, I did." He turned on the lights in the front room as Jennifer dumped bags of candy into a huge Jack-o-lantern bucket she'd brought. Ronon helped himself to a handful and received a smack on this hand for his efforts. He simply stared at Jennifer before dropping everything save the Tootsie Rolls back into the bucket.

"Hey, Doc, you know there's a party going on down the street?" Sheppard asked as if the byplay between Ronon and Jennifer was normal. And it was, for those from Atlantis. But Carson hadn't seen it in a while and found himself amused.

"Aye," Carson answered the colonel. "They've been decoratin' for weeks."

"Don't tell me you don't celebrate Halloween." Sheppard scowled at him.

Carson waved a hand. "Och, it was never really my thing." He stopped when he saw the sadness cross Sheppard's face. It was brief, something that he wouldn't have caught had he not been looking directly at the colonel. "I've said that before, haven't I?"

"Yeah." Sheppard shrugged. "Don't give it another thought, Doc. I understand."

Carson touched the man's shoulder and moved through the group, shaking hands with the men and hugging the women. Seeing all of them in his home made his month, and he moved to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. It was bound to be a late night, and he realized he had nothing to serve them. He had well and truly forgotten about their arrival. Picking up the phone, he made a quick call, explaining the situation to Margaret, who promised to arrive shortly with some help.

Just after he hung up the phone, Lorne joined him in the kitchen. "How are you, Doc?"

"Oh, good." Carson grinned. "This town is amazin', an' I've met some very interestin' people already."

"I'm sure you have," the major replied dryly. "Listen, we all brought something. A housewarming gift, so to speak. I didn't know where you wanted everything."

Carson looked around, seeing the boxes the rest of the group held. Before he could say much more, there was a knock at the door. Ronon leaped to answer it, blinking down at two children dressed as a princess and a Transformer.

"Trick or treat!" The childish voices tapered off as they looked up and up at the huge Satedan.

The little boy recovered first. "Dude! What are you? Like, a surfer?"

Ronon blinked. "A what?"

Sheppard rescued the Satedan. "He's an alien."

"Cool!" the boy said. "What kind of alien?"

"A Satedan." Ronon's serious voice was lost on the kids. "Want some candy?"

"Yeah!" The two held out their buckets and received massive hands-ful for their efforts.

"What's a Satedan?" asked the boy.

Sheppard moved to Ronon's side. "It's an alien from the show Wormhole X-Treme."

"Oh!" The two stared up with awed eyes. "Thanks, Mr. Satedan!" They scampered off while waving.

Ronon closed the door and frowned at the room. "Why were they wearing costumes?"

While Sheppard explained the finer points of trick or treating to Ronon, Carson busied himself with pouring coffee and reconnecting with friends. Lorne carried a large, draped painting into the living room during a lull in the conversation and called Carson over to reveal a beautiful rendition of the Golden Gate Bridge. Carson recognized the angle, realizing that the major had painted it on the balcony of Atlantis. The gesture touched him, and he simply shook Lorne's hand rather than hugging him.

Marie caught his attention, and Carson found her, Amanda, and Jennifer grinning like Cheshire cats in the kitchen. They handed him a small box, saying they hadn't been able to think of anything for the house to get him. So, they settled for something to fit in the office. He opened the expertly-wrapped box and found a very nice, very expensive Littmann stethoscope in it. Laughing at the irony that he'd mentioned one of these just before Michael captured him, he hugged each of the women, thanking them for their thoughtful gift.

Sheppard mentioned that he'd unload Carson's new grill the next day, and McKay added a new coffee maker to the kitchen. It was bigger than the basic four-cup version Carson had purchased for his home, and it had quite a few upgrades—including voice activation. All the while, Ronon simply answered the door and handed out candy as neighborhood kids showed up. At one point, he yanked open the front door and stared down at Margaret Porter as she blinked up at him.

"Well, you must be Carson's friend," she said softly.

Carson rushed to Ronon's side. "Margaret. Let me introduce Ronon, a private contractor I worked with before coming here." He escorted the petite woman inside and introduced everyone in turn. Margaret found herself in her element and promptly took over the kitchen. She shooed Carson out of the way and informed him that he could play host from the other side of the island. Replying that he'd remember that the next time she showed up, he spent the time mingling with his friends.

The trick or treaters slowed after the first hour, and the group settled in to laugh and talk about their experiences since he'd left Atlantis. Margaret moved through them, serving coffee, cinnamon-apple Danish ring, and carrot cake. Carson tried to help, of course, but she seemed perfectly happy to serve the group. At one point, Carson pulled her into the kitchen.

"Margaret, I appreciate you comin' over, but you don't need ta stay."

She swatted his arm. "It's not a problem, Carson." She shrugged. "I was sitting at home, feeling sorry for myself anyway. Seeing your friends helps me feel better about being alone tonight."

He blinked as he realized she was still not happy at her daughter's delay. He pulled her into a hug, feeling almost as if his own mother had admitted to missing him. He briefly wondered if his own mum missed him in spite of knowing he was "dead." Did she wish he was around for her to hug? Thinking about it made tears come to his eyes, and he hugged Margaret tighter for just a moment. She patted his back, thinking he must have been lost in thought, and allowed him to slip back into the laughing group in the front room.

Someone pounded on the door the next time Carson moved to the kitchen to urge Margaret out and into the laughing group that had accepted her. He'd seen Mr. Woolsey watching her appreciatively and wanted to give his friend—and adopted mum—a place among his other friends. Now, however, he glanced up and frowned as Ronon opened the door, clearly expecting more trick or treaters.

A teenager with white face paint streaked with tears blinked up at Ronon. "Where's the doctor?"

Carson moved across the room at the panicked sound in her voice. "I'm right here. What's goin' on?" He reached out to invite her into his home, knowing she'd be overwhelmed but in a safe place.

She grabbed his arm. "Come quick! Debbie's sick!"

Carson took her by her shoulders. "Wait. Slow down. Who's sick?"

"Debbie." The girl rolled her eyes. "Her daddy owns the Double E Ranch?"

Carson immediately pictured the charming couple he'd spoken with at Howell's going-away party. "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know!" The girl, who grew more agitated by the moment, grabbed his arm to drag him down the street. "Look, I was at the party down the street. I don't know what happened, but she just started shaking and fell over. There's foam coming out of her mouth, and she won't wake up. You have to come now!"

Carson turned. "Jennifer, my medical kit is just inside my office door. I'll need it and you to come with me." He started to leave only to find Ronon pushing his way out the front door with him. He looked up. "Listen, Big Man, I appreciate the thought, but I need you to stay here."

"I'm coming." Ronon's short statement irritated Carson for a moment.

"Ronon, I don't have time. . . ."

"That's right, you don't." The Satedan stared at him. "I'm coming."

Carson gave Ronon a frustrated look and grabbed the medical kit that Jennifer had retrieved. He headed down the street, following the distraught girl to the house that Sheppard had pointed out earlier that evening. The front yard had been decorated in various gory decorations, and he was grateful when their escort led them down the side of the house into the backyard. A long table had been set up, and teenagers in various costumes and various states of disarray crowded the small yard. The majority of them were huddled around one area, but a few seemed to not care what was happening. One tall young man made a comment to Jennifer, and she just rolled her eyes. Carson ignored all of that, taking in the plastic cups that littered the area along with the strong smell of alcohol, loud music pounding out of the house, and strobe light in the tree. Finally, he pushed his way through the onlookers, somewhat amused when Ronon shoved drunk teens back so that he could get to his patient.

Debbie Engleside lay on the ground, unconscious with vomit draining down the side of her face. Carson dropped to his knees, feeling for a pulse as he accepted a pair of latex gloves from Jennifer. Snapping them on, he checked pupil dilation and was discouraged to see them sluggish. Turning, he snapped, "What happened?" Seeing the strobe light, he pointed. "Turn that off."

The annoying strobe winked a final time as silence settled. Jennifer looked at him. "Carson, is she epileptic?"

"No, an' that's wha' has me worried." Carson whirled to the girl who had come to get him. "What did she take?" When no one answered, he stood and raised his voice. "Listen, if no one tells me wha' she took, I can't treat her! Now, someone tell me wha' she took and how much so I can save her life!"

The young man who made a pass at Jennifer earlier raised one finger into the air. "She took some pills. Lots of 'em."

"What kind of pills?" Carson demanded. He received various shrugs in response. Pointing at the girl who had come to get him, he ordered, "Call an ambulance now! No questions! Get one on the way here." Whirling, he met Ronon's eyes. "Ronon, I need ye ta head back to my house. Tell Amanda and Marie I've got a patient who has suffered a seizure of unknown etiology. If you can remember that, they'll know what to bring. Everything is in my study. Now, hurry!"

Ronon took off with the speed that kept him alive. Carson knelt back by the girl and cursed his lack of any kind of medical equipment in his bag. Of course, he didn't keep benzodiazepines in his medical kit. Together with Jennifer, he worked to keep Debbie alive until medical help could arrive.

Amanda and Marie arrived some time later, along with Sheppard and McKay. The party broke up when the colonel appeared, with almost everyone deserting Debbie. The girl who came for Carson, named Beth, stayed behind. She watched with a sick expression, and Marie moved to her side to get her out of the way. Carson and Jennifer administered an IV, started medications, and did everything in their power to keep Debbie from slipping further away. When the ambulance finally arrived, Carson helped secure Debbie to a backboard. Mr. Engleside had already been notified and was on his way in his own vehicle, escorted by the local sheriff to the nearest hospital.

With everything he could do done, Carson watched the ambulance take off with sirens, lights, and speed. He let out a deep breath and turned to Sheppard. "Now you know why I don't like Halloween."

oOo

They were dying.

He held the head of a man who convulsed, hoping to minimize the potential damage caused by repeated impacts to the skull. But it was a lost cause. This patient, just like the ten before him and the twenty or so that still languished on harsh metal beds, would die. There was nothing he could do to prevent it.

Soon, the fight was over, and he covered the body with a sheet. Before he could do much more than that, another patient went into convulsions. The metal bed she occupied rattled against the wall of the warehouse, and it triggered two more patients' seizures. He rushed from bed to bed, trying to ease the final passing from this world for at least a few. Their skin had already turned blue, something that was inevitable given his experiments, and their eyes showed the reptilian slits of the Wraith.

He couldn't save any of them. But he still tried. Administered medications to ease their suffering while hoping that something, somehow, would stop the fatal seizures. Nothing he did helped, and he watched while those he'd tried to save slipped through his fingers.

Carson didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he sat upright. It was actually close to dawn, though his body craved more sleep. After the heartbreaking end to last night's reunion, he'd returned home to wait for a phone call. Part of him had wanted to climb aboard that ambulance, but he knew he couldn't leave Esperanza. Especially if more of those kids had taken whatever drug Debbie Engleside had ingested. So, he'd sat up and waited for another phone call to come. None had, save for Mr. Engleside calling to tell him that Debbie would pull through her experience.

With the first day of November now upon him, Carson quietly crept into his washroom and splashed cold water on his face. He hadn't dreamed of that first batch of patients in a while. Among his nightmares, it was one of the worst. Not because of the trauma of it, though there was plenty of that. But because he'd been so frustratingly helpless. His hands had been tied just as much as theirs had. He was a captive, just like them. And, yet, he'd inflicted that death upon them. He knew they suffered, heard it in their moans and saw it in that frightened gaze that fixed on him in their dying moments. And he'd wept when it was all over.

Michael had wanted him back up, back to work the next day. But Carson had refused. For some reason, Michael had left him alone for several days after that, though he insisted that Carson return to work within the week. That callousness had stayed with Carson, and he could not forget the expressions on the villagers' faces.

Strolling into the kitchen, he wasn't surprised to find Sheppard and Ronon sharing a cup of coffee. Jennifer and Rodney had taken a room at the bed and breakfast, as had Amanda and Lorne. Marie settled there as well, leaving Sheppard and Ronon to crash at Carson's. The familiar presence of his friends soothed Carson's nerves as he poured a cup of coffee from McKay's housewarming gift. Last night, he'd been among friends and perfectly happy. Today. . . .today, he struggled to shrug off the first nightmare he'd had in a month. Part of him wished he hadn't given the kitten away in spite of his memories of being allergic, and the other part of him was grateful he could be alone.

Ronon met his eyes and nodded once, the Satedan's nightmares just as vivid as Carson's. And Sheppard didn't speak. Out of the entire group that appeared last night, these two best understood the aftermath of a flashback. And they simply waited until Carson was ready to talk.

"Thank you," he said softly after twenty minutes or so.

Ronon shrugged. "Didn't do anything." But his expression said he understood.

Sheppard leaned forward. "You gonna be okay, Doc?"

"Aye." Carson offered the colonel a smile. "Just brought up some. . .unpleasant memories."

Sheppard touched his shoulder as he got up for another cup of coffee. Before much more was said, the rest of their team arrived. Mr. Woolsey had returned to Atlantis the night before, but everyone gathered around Carson's table for breakfast and laughter, no one commenting on how tired Carson seemed. When they left later that afternoon, Carson waved goodbye and allowed himself to admit the truth. As much as he needed to be here, in Esperanza, he missed Atlantis. He missed his friends. And he looked forward to seeing them at Christmas, just as they'd planned that morning.

~TBC