Ch. 75

(Atlantis, Sheppard's Quarter's)

John decided to head to his quarter's. He knew that it would be empty. Stacey was in the Infirmary with Carson and the kids were with Teyla and Ronan. John abruptly stripped off his uniform jacket as he enters his living quarters. He sat down on the bed, reaching back with his left arm to remove his T-shirt and freezes, staring at the inside of his right forearm where it's resting in his lap.
There's a pale, scaly patch of skin surrounded by the same bruise coloration located in the same place where Ellia's transformed claw-hand pierced his skin. It isn't at all painful since he hasn't noticed it until now. John prods at it hesitantly, then reaches for his radio earpiece.
At first his radio chirps static before he talked into it, "Hey, Doc? This is Sheppard."
Carson, over radio, "Yes, Colonel?"
"We may have to bump up our first check-in," John told him.

(Atlantis, Infirmary)

John was now in the infirmary, being scanned. Carson and Stacey turn and walk toward Weir, who is gnawing a thumbnail over by the wall. She stops as the doctor approaches and tries to look prepared to hear anything.
Carson tells her very softly, "The retrovirus isn't breaking down in his system like we hoped it would."
"You're positive?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes. In fact, it's beginning to alter his D.N.A. If this is allowed to continue, he'll devolve into a creature similar to what Ellia became," Stacey told her.
Carson moved to sit at his desk. Elizabeth lets out a worried breath, then turns to him.
"How long do we have?" Elizabeth then asks.
"I'm not sure exactly," Carson answered.
Still keeping her voice low, Weir said sharply, "Ballpark it! Months, weeks?"
Even more softly Carson replied, "Days."

"We have days," Stacey put in.
Elizabeth leans over his desk, looking intent.
"Okay, what's the plan?"
"I've injected him with a viral inhibitor. It should slow down the retrovirus as far as his cognitive abilities are concerned, but I'm afraid that's it so far." Carson explained.

"We're exploring various treatments that may or may not be effective, so …" Stacey said.
Weir shakes her head vehemently.

"No, we don't have any time to explore," she said. Gesturing toward his computer she then says, "C'mon, there's gotta be something in the Ancient database that can help you find a treatment!"
"We know that, Elizabeth. We're doing our best!" Stacey told her firmly.
She stands up, looking away uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry, I know. Of course you are," Elizabeth said.

Stacey sighed and then announced, "I'm gonna go see how he's doing. I need a break from all this," she waved around at the monitors.

"How'm I doin'?" John asked as soon as she approached him.
"Uh . . ." Stacey suddenly felt the ability to speak leave her momentarily.

"Anything that has you speechless has me concerned," John said.
Stacey found her voice and told him, "You're gonna be fine."
"Wow. That's dead man talk," he said.

"No, it isn't," she said.
Sheppard turns up his right arm, showing that the scaly patch has grown a bit and changed to an ickily shiny, carbuncle-looking thing.
"Have you seen this?" he asked.

"Quite frankly, I've seen stranger things," Stacey shrugged, trying to sound casual, even though deep inside she wanted to freak out.
"We're gonna figure this one out," she then told him.
"I think I already have. You know who I'm starting to feel like?" John told her. He took a pause before emphasizing, "Ford."
Stacey said, a little too quickly, "Now, what happened to you is completely different."
"I know, I know. Still, I can feel it. I mean, I can feel it changing me inside ... like he did," he said.

John placed a hand on her pregnant belly. Stacey sighed tiredly and cupped his hand softly.

To be continued . . .