"Secrets and Challenges"

Ch. 2

(Dr. Grayson's Quarter's)

An hour later . . .

The sun was starting to rise and the light began to filter through the windows of Atlantis. Stacey stood outside of her balcony to her quarters, freshly showered. John was taking his turn in the shower. When he finished, he went over to Stacey, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Do you think that we should tell Dr. Weir about us?" John asked after a few moments of silence.

She looked up at him. Before she could answer they heard a familiar voice coming from the next balcony over.

"What about you two?" a voice asked.

Elizabeth pocked her head around the wall that separated the two balconies. Stacey and John shared glances.

"Well?" she asked.

"Stacey and I are married," John told her.

"Married?"

"Yes," the two confirmed.

There was a sudden alarm.

"All available medical personnel to the Jumper Bay," Peter's voice rang.

"The Jumper Bay? No one's off world," Stacey said.

"There is a team on the mainland," John said slowly.

Stacey ran out of the room and started for the Jumper Bay. She tied her hair up in a ponytail as she ran. Major Sheppard was running beside her. They met Dr. Weir and the three ran,

(Jumper Bay)

When Stacey, Weir and John arrived Dr. Beckett was already there.

"What have we got?" she asked Carson.

"Two of the scientists suddenly collapsed. They both have high fevers, chills and experiencing migraines," Beckett informed her as they hurried around.

"Okay, let's give them something for the migraines and the fever. I want extensive blood tests on both patients ASAP!" she ordered to a medical team that just arrived. "Let's go! Go! Go!"

The two sick scientists got wheeled away, with Stacey and Carson following, while Weir and John questioned the other two surviving scientists.

"I want them in isolation. Whatever they have might be contagious," Beckett said. "We're not taking any chances."

(Medical Lab)

"From what the two other scientists are telling me, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Jacobson were taking samples of the soil beyond the proximity of the Ethosian camps, so that the Ethosians could expand and grow. When Dr. Johnson became suddenly ill, they hightailed it back here," Weir said to Beckett, Grayson, Sheppard, Teyla, and McKay.

The group stood around, discussing the situation, not paying attention to the hustle and bustle of the Atlantis Infirmary.

"What can you tell me about what's affected them?" Weir asked after a moment's pause.

"It's a virus that's spread through bodily contact," Beckett said. "Containment should be the first thing to do and make sure that the virus doesn't spread to anyone else.

"We should round up the medical staff that's had contact with Johnson and Jacobson and anybody that, they in turn, made contact with," Grayson said.

"Agreed," Weir slightly nodded.

Dr. Weir had announced that everyone on Base was to be examined and that Atlantis be on Lockdown. She had Peter contact the five teams off-world to stay put until further notice.

(Atlantis Control Room)

Weir was leaning against the balcony, overlooking the Stargate. A team was returning. Stacey walked up to her cautiously.

"I thought that Atlantis was on Lockdown," Stacey said.

Elizabeth looked over to her wearily, then back to the Gate. She looked exhausted.

"It is. But, they were overcome by a Wraith attack. I had to let them come through. I've warned them to stay away from anyone who might be infected," Weir told her.

"I don't think that's necessary anymore," Stacey said. "We've completed the blood work of everyone on the base. We've managed to isolate the infected."

"How many?"

"12 total. All four members of the science team are in Diabetic Comas. The rest shouldn't get there so quickly since they didn't make direct contact with the source. But, they will eventually get there," she explained.

"I'd like to have a team take a Puddle Jumper and take some in depth scans of the area the organism is growing," Weir finally turned to Stacey. "As soon as they send the data back here I want you and Dr. Beckett to start working on a cure immediately."

"Of course," the other women nodded. "Dr. Beckett has already started looking in the infecteds blood to look for anything that might help."

"How is that going?" Weir asked.

"Not good," Stacey said simply.

"Alright," she said. "Be ready to get to work as soon as the new data comes in. I'll check on things in several hours."

Stacey gave a small nod and left.

To be continued . . .