Hey, just a warning: there is some language here. It's blanked out, but I thought you'd appreciate a warning. Cussing is not typical stuff for me to write, but in this case it couldn't be worked around.

~A

How many hours had it been so far? Kathy checked her watch and grimaced at the time it showed: just shy of one o'clock in the morning. That meant it had been sixteen hours. No one had slept, and word from the infirmary was that the temperature of Major Lorne's team was continuing to climb.

It turned out that Kathy had been right in saying that someone needed to be around to keep Jon and Neal calm. The two were totally unpredictable, one moment curt and distant, the next exploding in each other's faces. Kathy had to physically drag them away from each other.

Jeff on the other hand was withdrawn. He spoke only the occasional word to the handful of assistants circling around him, and for the first time Kathy saw his face completely closed. He seemed to be a man of stone.

Kathy didn't try to cheer any of them, she knew there was no point in that right now at this time, so she tried to keep them focused on their work. Occasionally she would drift between the three scientists, checking on what each of them was doing. The continually frustrating truth was that no one was getting anywhere. There was just too little to work with.

Kathy glanced up at Jeff from where she was sitting, worry creasing her brow as her eyes left the pages of the open Bible on her lap.

She was searching for verses on healing, or things regarding the calmness or unsettledness of the mind. She had figured Proverbs would be a good place to look, but already she had reached chapter nine and all she had found so far was encouragements to gain wisdom, discouragements to follow folly, and warnings against adulteresses. Good stuff, but not what she was looking for right now. Well, she did have another twenty or so chapters to go.

Kathy looked back down at read the first words of the ninth chapter.

"Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn out its seven pillars."

Hm, maybe Proverbs wasn't the place to look, Kathy thought to herself. Oh well, I'll finish anyway. Maybe then I'll look in Psalms—

Her thoughts were interrupted by raised and heated voices, and with a frustrated sound that was a mixture of growl and sigh, Kathy closed her Bible around her finger and went to separate Jon and Neal again.

They stood toe to toe, Jon gesturing with his arms angrily as Neal glared at him with contempt.

"Hey, hey!" Kathy shouted over them. They turned to direct irritated and angry eyes on her. "What is it this time?" Both started to answer, but she snapped up her hand and shook her head. "Never mind, I don't want to know, I know it's stupid already.

"Listen, guys, I've tried to be patient with you. I know we're all short on sleep and you've been working nonstop, but we are not going to get anywhere if there is a nuclear explosion every three minutes."

"But—"

"E-nough!" Kathy snapped. "Major Lorne and his men are gonna be toastier than Mercury soon, and you two are not helping them any with your constant bickering! Good grief, McKay gets along with people better than you two!"

Jon and Neal had the decency to look ashamed, but Kathy wasn't buying their apparent contriteness just yet.

"Honestly, if there is another outbreak between you two, I am going to kick you out and do this job myself," Kathy exclaimed. "And considering I don't know how to do any of this, I don't think anyone would want that, would they?"

Jon and Neal mumbled incoherently and with sullen expressions shuffled back off to their work. Kathy sighed and shook her head, exhausted with the two scientists.

"Tension, I love it," she sighed. "This keeps up somebody's gonna choke on the air." She really felt like cussing, but Kathy had long ago learned that losing control of your tongue just sends everything else sliding downhill.

With another irritated shake of her head, Kathy turned to go back to her chair, but then she paused. Turning back around, Kathy found her attention fixed on the image projected on Neal's laptop screen. Still carrying her Bible, Kathy walked over to him and looked at it thoughtfully.

"That's a molecule."

Neal nodded as he tapped on his keyboard, lips turned down in a frown. "It is," he said curtly, and Kathy knew he was angry at her for the tongue-lashing she had just given him. Huh, if he thought that was a tongue-lashing, he should meet her sister-in-law.

"A molecule from the poison, I'm assuming."

"Blown up to several billion times its size, yes." Still he wasn't looking at her. It was like a version of the Silent Treatment.

"What, only that?" Kathy asked. "Seems a small amount. It must be a big molecule."

Neal finally looked over at her, his eyes holding surprise. "Yes, it is rather large," he said, eyebrows furrowing. "How did you know that?"

Kathy shrugged. "It looks like a big molecule," she said. "Lots of spare room."

Neal nodded again. "Yes, that is the strange part," he said, looking over at the screen and adjusting the reading glasses perched on his nose. "A molecule this size, it shouldn't have so much spare room. That room is designed to be taken up, no matter what the size of the molecule is."

"So there's something unusual about this molecule."

"Oh, definitely. I just don't know what yet."

Kathy looked over at him. "You didn't tell me you had a lead."

Neal shook his head. "I don't. Not until it comes to something." He looked at the image on his screen. "I've been staring at this picture for hours, and nothing has come of it."

"Try changing the angle," Kathy suggested. "You know, look at it from a different view."

Neal looked at her.

Kathy shrugged. "It's something my brother says," she told him. "It's what he tells his students to do whenever they're up against a wall."

Neal nodded slowly. "That's good advice." He looked at the molecule. "I've turned it around, but I haven't tried changing the angle…" With a few instructions to the laptop, the sphere tilted and turned, until Kathy said "Stop" as Neal simultaneously did so.

They leaned in.

"Are those… lines?" Kathy asked.

Neal grinned. "No," he said. "They're layers."

"Like a Russian doll," Kathy marveled. "A molecule within a molecule within a molecule."

"Oh, that's good," Neal said, his admiration clearing shining through. "Whoever did this to Major Lorne's team is obviously a psychopath, but come on, you've gotta admit they're a brilliant one." Gesturing to the altered image excitedly he said, "This could be what has been hiding the origin of the poison from us for so long. They've found a way to layer their molecules, but if we peel them back—"

"We've got ourselves an ID," Kathy finished. She slapped Neal on the shoulder. "Oh, well done, Neal."

"What's going on?" Jon asked curiously, coming over and followed by several of the other scientists in the room. Jeff slowly walked over, silently observing the display on Neal's laptop.

"Neal's found us a clue," Kathy said. "The molecules inside of the poison are layered."

"Layered?" Jon repeated. "I've never heard of that being possible."

"Same here, but they've done it," Neal replied. "If we peel back the layers until we reach the core molecule we can trace this poison back to its point of origin."

"And figure out an antidote," Kathy added.

Jon looked at Neal's screen a moment longer. "Send me your new information, my team will work on things from our end."

Neal nodded.

"We'll take the information too," Jeff said softly.

"Great," Kathy said. "Let's get this going."

The scientists dispersed and gathered at different points in the room, murmuring and arguing with each other in excited undertones. Kathy smiled and stepped back towards her seat, opening her Bible and reading again. This verse jumped out at her:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

Kathy's lips lifted in a smile. "Isn't that so," she whispered under her breath. "Isn't that so."

Looking at her watch, she figured it was about time she checked in on Major Lorne and Co. herself. The scientists in here were all busy, so she felt it would be alright if she left them for a moment.

She stood up and walked out of the lab. Entering the infirmary a few moments later, she went over to where Major Lorne and his team were sitting around listlessly. Seeing them bed-bound with such heavily flushed faces made her face soften in sympathy.

"Living in misery over here, I take it," she said, and they all turned to look at her. That's when she noticed two of the men sitting on the floor in between a pair gurneys, playing cards. She folded her arms and tsked disapprovingly.

"Shouldn't you two be in bed?" she asked, an eyebrow arching up her forehead.

"Aw, but we're not sleepy!" one of them replied without hesitation, his voice bearing a distinct Irish brogue. He turned his head to look at her since he was facing the opposite direction. Evidently doctors did not intimidate this fellow.

His compatriot grinned sheepishly. His teeth were a shocking white against the backdrop of his unnaturally ruddy cheeks.

"Hey, you won't tell on us, will you, ma'am?" he asked.

"You know, doctor-patient confidentiality and all that," the original speaker added.

Kathy grinned down at them evilly. "Oh, but you're not my patients."

Major Lorne managed a chuckle from where he was planted in his own gurney. "I told you this would backfire on you, Sergeant."

The last two men of Major Lorne's team snickered, the first sound Kathy had heard them make.

"Oh, you've done it now," one of them said delightedly.

The Irish soldier shook his fist at him and glared. "Mark my words, lad, ye won't find things so funny in a short while!"

The lieutenant only grinned back fearlessly. Kathy chuckled.

"Quite the rowdy bunch you've got here, Major," she remarked.

Major Lorne shook his head lightly at his soldier's antics. "Oh, they're good men, doctor," he assured her. "I'm sure it's just the fever making them act this way."

Kathy tried unsuccessfully to stifle a grin. "I'm sure." She became serious. "So this fever is the only sign you all are showing of the effects the poison took on you?" she asked. "I mean, other than the serious paranoia problem. It's a little hard to overlook a guy pointing a loaded gun in your face."

Lorne winced. "That was you?" he asked.

"Among others."

He winced again. "Ma'am, I'm sorry—"

"Hey, it's no fault of your own, Major," Kathy waved him off. "Don't worry about it."

He looked up at her hopefully. "We getting out of here anytime soon, ma'am?" His expression was one of frustrated patience. He knew he had no choice but to wait, but that didn't mean he liked it.

Kathy felt for him. "We're hoping so, Major," she replied. "We've found a lead, so we're working on that."

Lorne nodded. "That's good," he said.

Kathy nodded as well. They went silent for a moment, no one knowing quite what to say, and Kathy broke it by asking what all of their names were, first giving her own.

"Major Lorne," Major Lorne started to reply, but Kathy interrupted him and said, "No, I want your first names too."

"Oh. I'm Major Evan Lorne," he introduced himself in full. He pointed to one of the men also lying in bed, one of the older-looking ones of the group. "That's my second, Captain Steven Reed."

Major Lorne pointed to the Irishman. "Sergeant Keenan O'Meara."

Sgt. O'Meara gave her a dazzling smile. "Pleasure, ma'am," he said, and Kathy knew in an instant that he was the charmer.

Lorne finished the introductions by indicating the two lieutenants remaining. "Lieutenant Sandy Houser and Lieutenant Michael Saint." They nodded.

"Michael… Saint," Kathy said slowly, a smile appearing on her face. "Kudos to your parents, Lieutenant."

Lt. Saint chuckled. "Believe me, I've heard that before."

"I bet." Kathy glanced down at her wristwatch, and sucked in a breath as she realized how much time had passed. "Sorry guys, I gotta go. I'm on scientist-monitoring duty, so I can't be gone for long."

"Scientist-monitoring?" Sgt. O'Meara repeated, an eyebrow arching up curiously.

"Yeah. My job is basically to keep the infighting under control."

"Huh. Didn't know they had a job for that."

"It's a volunteer kinda thing. No payment involved." Kathy started walking away. "Sorry again guys, I'd love to stay and talk with you, you're awesome, but I have to go." She turned and went out of the room.

"So we're awesome, huh?" she heard Lt. Houser remark.

"Finally, someone notices!" Sgt. O'Meara exclaimed.

"You guys are a riot," Lt. Saint snickered. "Now get back up here before the next doctor passes through."

…

Elsewhere in the infirmary, John sat with his boots propped up on a desk. All was quiet in the infirmary, and he was starting to find it a little difficult to stay alert. Of course, the increasing pressure of Major Lorne's team's climbing temperature made sure he would never drop off to sleep.

His stomach growled hungrily once again, and John looked down at it with a frown. "Ronon, think you can hold the fort here?" he asked. "I'm gonna go get a sandwich."

Ronon nodded, dreadlocks shifting. "Get one for me, too," he rumbled.

And by one he means three, John thought to himself.

"I would appreciate one as well," Teyla added.

"You got it," John said as he headed off.

He was just outside the infirmary when he heard Keller shout, yes, shout, "Colonel Sheppard, we need you in the infirmary now!"

John spun around mid-step and bolted back into the infirmary.

"Keller, what's happening?" he demanded to know upon skidding into the infirmary. Keller didn't answer, but the man she was desperately trying to hold down answered for her.

It was Lorne. But he was unrecognizable to be. His face was flushed a terrifying red, and John thought he wasn't breathing.

"Their lungs aren't getting enough oxygen!" Keller cried. "We didn't see it coming; the poison came flooding back into their systems, and this time it's going to kill them!"

"Not today, Doc!" John snarled. He looked around, trying to find something to do, and Keller told him to hold Lorne down before he threw himself off the bed. John did so, and immediately Keller joined the doctors swarming around computer monitors and prepping needles full of temporary solutions.

John vaguely noticed Ronon, holding a writhing Sgt. O'Meara in place as the poor man's eyeballs strained to pop themselves out of his skull. Teyla was pinning Lt. Saint in place, and the boy barely seemed to have enough strength to struggle against her. A handful of Marines were assisting with the rest.

Then John's eye caught Kathy, running back through the door into the infirmary. She stood, staring in shock at the men who had been fine less than a minute before.

"Kathy, get back in the lab!" John shouted at her, raising his voice to a commanding bellow to be heard over the pandemonium. "Tell those scientists they need to hurry!"

Kathy nodded mutely, her face pale, and fled.

John focused his attention onto the trembling Lorne. The man was shaking like a leaf, sweating profusely, and if the smell was anything to go by he had just lost control of his bladder. That was always a bad sign.

"Colonel," Lorne rasped. "Colonel."

"Yeah, Lorne?" John looked down at his subordinate.

The Major's eyes stared up at him from within a puffy red face. "I'm dying, aren't I?" he grunted, wasting precious breath.

John shook his head defiantly. "You sure as hell aren't!" he said fiercely. "You're gonna pull through this, Lorne."

Lorne's eyes closed a moment, and labored to draw a breath, shudders running up and down his body. "You don't know that."

"I know you're a soldier, Major. D****it, you're my soldier, you sure ain't gonna go without a fight, and I sure as heck ain't gonna let you go without a fight!"

"'preciate it, Sir."

"You'd better. Now don't go getting all ungrateful and dying on me, you hear?"

Lorne chuckled. "No, sir. Of course not, sir. Wouldn't—nn!—dream of it."

Lorne's head fell back, and John turned his head to see a doctor extracting his needle from Lorne's IV drip.

"That will keep him sedated," he said. "But… it doesn't look good, Colonel."

"No," John agreed, "it doesn't." He straightened up and turned his head away. Immediately his eyes landed on the rest of Major Lorne's team, red faces and heaving chests, albeit a little more calmly now.

He was not going to let these men die. He may not be a super genius like some people around here, but John wasn't going to sit around and wait for the worst. That's what he had been doing since this whole mess started. He wasn't going to do that anymore. It was time to do something, anything.

John took a final check. "Call me when you need me," he said curtly, and turned on his heel and stalked out of the infirmary. He headed for Parrish, Pokorny, and Neal's lab. Everyone looked up for the briefest of moments as he came in, but then returned to whatever it was that they were doing.

John looked for Kathy. She was pacing amongst the scientists, checking one task after another and murmuring soft words of encouragement. John went over to her, and she turned to face him. "Have you told them?" he asked.

"The only reason they're talking is to ask each other for equipment," Kathy replied. "What do you think?" The doctor paused a moment, face pinched with anxiety. "John… back in the infirmary," she said. "I've seen something like that before. It ended terribly. For everyone."

John didn't like the sound of that. "What happened?"

"They died," Kathy said flatly. "All of them. All we could do was sedate them and allow them to die in their sleep." She shook her head and sighed, fingers rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "Didn't think we'd have to do it for Major Lorne and his men."

"We won't," John said fiercely. "How close are you? Have you found an antidote yet?"

"Not even close," Kathy said with a shake of her head. "We're still trying to figure out what it originally was, and what's been done to it. Until then, we're stuck."

"We don't have time, Kathy, we need results!" John snapped.

"I know that!" Kathy snarled, and John was taken aback by her ferocity. "You think I don't?" Angrily, she spun around and rejoined the scientists.

Dr. Pokorny had heard the raised voices, and he turned to look down at John, taking in his surprised and slightly offended look. Softly he said, "You shouldn't mess with that Irish temper of hers. Especially when she's under stress. Usually Kathy's the nicest of us, but when she gets angry everything goes up in flames. Don't try pushing her."

"Lorne and his men are dying, Doctor," John said harshly. "If this isn't the time to push then I don't know what is."

Dr. Pokorny nodded in agreement. "I know that. But not everyone is McKay."

John shook his head, making an irritated noise in his throat.

Dr. Neal blinked at his screen. He leaned in closer to his computer screen, brow furrowing. His hand shot out to the side, pointing at Dr. Parrish. "Parrish, what did you do," he said.

Dr. Parrish went over to him. "I took the core molecule and ran it through our databases of plant life, toxins, and chemicals," he replied, looking at Dr. Neal warily in anticipation of an explosion.

"Brilliant," Neal breathed. "For once you've done something right, Dr. Parrish." He grinned over at him. "We just got a result. Do you know what it is?"

Kathy dashed up to the group, rising on tiptoe to peer over Dr. Parrish's shoulder, and John found himself joining them. Dr. Parrish leaned in closer, reading the text and image on Dr. Neal's screen.

"Oh my… I do believe you're right, Dr. Neal. We do have something."

"What is it?" Kathy asked.

"Taxus Baccata, from the family Taxaceae," Parrish grinned. "Or something very like it."

"Great," John said. "Sounds Latin, and it means…?"

"It means a result," Parrish excitedly. "It means progress! Now that we have an idea of what to look for, we can start on an antidote!"

"You'd better start fast," John told them. "From the looks of things, Major Lorne's team can't hold out much longer."

The scientists nodded gravely. "I'll send the information to Dr. McKay," Dr. Neal said, "he can run it through the database and find any planets with the necessary environments for yew."

"Me?" John asked, confused.

"No, yew," Dr. Neal said exasperatedly. "Taxus Baccata, the yew tree."

"Oh. I knew that."

Dr. Parrish snorted.

John decided it was time to take his leave. He figured it would be best to avoid Rodney for the moment—the scientist was bound to blow a gasket at his elevated workload—and it was now that he remembered the sandwich he had been planning to get before everything had gone completely insane. He didn't have an appetite now, but he knew that his body needed fuel.

On his way to the mess hall, John hailed Colonel Carter over the comm and filled her in. She already knew about what had happened in the infirmary, Keller had told her. She was pleased with news of the breakthrough in the lab, but still her concern was obvious.

"Unless they can move a lot faster, that won't be enough," the colonel said. "According to Dr. Keller, it will be a miracle if Major Lorne's team lives another 24 hours."

"That's what I was thinking," John said. "We're not going to let them die, ma'am."

"None of us are, Colonel."

The door to the mess hall came into sight. John walked in, grabbed a few sandwiches for himself and the others, and headed back to the infirmary.