Inhibition14

John and Moira stared at the doctor, rendered speechless for the moment. Stunned by the matter of fact words. The inability to find a cure, a cause, anything. "What do you mean, you don't have one, doc?" John finally asked.

"Just what I said," Carson replied. Sighed. "I've tried sedatives, stronger medications. I've tried some Ancient scans to modify brain patterns. But nothing seems to alleviate the affect. In fact the behavior is only accelerating."

"Accelerating? It's still accelerating?" Moira glanced at John. He was eying the screen, serious expression on his handsome face. His strong hands clenched on the back of her chair.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. And I don't know how to stop it."

"So what's next? I mean, more importantly what affect will this have on Moira and John junior?" John asked, glancing at his wife.

"None. Moira is much less affected than you are. Than the men are. I can take another scan to be sure but the Jumper protected her."

"But what is causing this now? Carson," she touched his arm, "it shouldn't still be happening! We're far from the source of the pulse wave. I mean, none of those things are running around Atlantis, are they? We...we killed them all."

"The Jumper." Both looked at John as he spoke. He met Moira's gaze. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Those things were crawling all over it before we left. Maybe they planted something onto it."

"We've scanned the entire city, John," Carson reminded.

"But not the Jumper." He straightened, tapped his earpiece. "This is Sheppard. Get McKay and a team to sweep Jumper One." He paused. "Moira, what are we looking for?"

"That's not possible, John! How could they devise such a, a device, and know to plant it on the ship? They were only using primitive tools and their limited cognitive abilities would preclude any sophisticated or premeditated–"

"Remember that power reading we had? So...what are we looking for?"

"Oh." She considered. "Um, something natural, not artificial. Crude, but, but maybe utilizing Ancient technology. But that's impossible!" she softly remarked.

"Sweep for any anomalies," he instructed. "Look for any attachments on the ship itself, on the hull or underneath it. Something natural, not artificial. Could be incorporating Ancient tech, and emitting a pulse wave. Not audible but physical. Use caution. Sheppard out. Moira, stay here. Carson, lets go find this damn thing."

"No, colonel," Carson advised, moving to his feet. "You need to stay here. I'll assist in the search."

"John, he's right," Moira agreed, catching his arm before he could protest. "You can't! If it is there you'll be more, um, affected." She stood suddenly.

He looked at her. Smirked. "Would that be such a bad thing?" He raised a brow.

She smiled. "Yes, colonel. I can hardly stand as it is." He laughed. She blushed, freed his arm and followed Carson to the door. "Be careful, Carson. This thing could affect all of you for all we know. I can't believe they had the, the sophistication to create something like that, not to mention employ it in a coordinated attack. It's...it's incredible. How could they develop that quickly, evolve that smartly in such a short space of time?"

"I don't know, love. That's your area, not mine. Stay here. The both of you." Carson glanced at John, left.

Moira closed the door. "It doesn't make sense. The ratio of their evolutionary development versus their technological progression. It's not right, John. Something's wrong. Something's off. Something..." She paused, staring at the wall. "John..." She gasped suddenly, realizations shattered as he grabbed her rear, squeezed, then swatted. "John!" She whirled.

He smiled. Tilted his head coyly as his gaze roved over her. "Whatever, baby. Don't I owe you a very thorough spanking? I seem to recall I do. I need to thoroughly spank that pert little ass blue, as I recall. And since it sounds like we are stuck here for awhile..." Suggestions sparkled in his brilliant green eyes.

"What? Focus, John! Don't get any ideas, sweetie! If you are right about this we will soon be back to normal. And if you're not..."

"Who says I want to go back to normal?" he teased. "Face it, Moy, this has been absolute bliss. You. Me." He stepped closer, backing her into the wall. "Constant and continuous sexual intercourse interspersed by pure, uncomplicated fucking."

She laughed at his tone, his expression, his words. "John!"

He kissed her. "Baby, let's make the most of this." His hands wandered over her. "As long as I can get it up and you can take it let's do it."

She laughed, hands splayed on his chest, gently pushing him back from her. "Really, colonel! I am shocked by your blatant lascivious behavior!"

"Really, doctor?" He raised his brows. "Have we met? I'm John Sheppard. The sex guy."

She smirked. "Don't I know it, sweetie. Wow. I mean...wow."

He smiled. Kissed her. "Wow? I think you can do better than that, baby, hmm?" He moved to kiss her when a voice pinged in his ear.

"Colonel Sheppard, copy? John! We've got it!" Rodney exclaimed. "It's amazing! An organic growth thingy with an Ancient power source, very tiny! I'm surprised it survived the trip at all, through the wormhole and then what? Carson says don't come out yet! We've got to deactivate it and what? Destroy it? Destroy it? Are you crazy? We could study the–"

"Rodney!" John interrupted the flow of increasingly emotional words. "Destroy it! That is a direct order!"

"What? No!" Moira echoed, tapping his chest. "We need to study it! Rodney's right! We need to–"

"I said no. Destroy it, Carson, or so help me I will come out there and do it myself!" he flared, gaze locked with Moira's.

"No! John!" she protested.

"Fine! Destroy yet another piece of valuable data!" Rodney snapped.

John winced as the earpiece squeaked. "Copy? Carson? Carson!"

"It's done, colonel. I'm keeping you in quarantine for another hour. To come down, so to speak. Just to be sure. Rodney and I can examine what's left of the–"

"Negative! Jettison it through the 'Gate to a deserted planet. That's a direct order too! Sheppard out." He saw Moira's glare. Shrugged. "Sorry. Not taking any chances, Moy. Not now." He considered. "What were you going to say? Earlier, I mean. About their evolutionary blah blah versus their tech blah blah?"

"Damn it, John!" She hit his chest. "What the hell are you thinking? Rodney is right! Once again you are destroying valuable data when we need to study it and figure out the–"

"I'm thinking of you and the baby you are carrying, Moira! That's all I think about, all right? Now, answer me. Well?"

"Well what, colonel? You are making any kind of prognosis impossible because you refuse to allow us to do our jobs! To study the pertinent data and evidence! No, instead you have to go all Alpha male and destroy what you don't understand!"

"Doctor, the only pertinent thing I want to study is that pert little ass of yours. Now answer me before I give you the spanking you deserve!"

"John! You...oh." She considered a moment. "Oh!" Her brown eyes widened in alarm. "John! That's it! It doesn't make sense. The ratio of their evolutionary development versus their technological progression! It shouldn't have been possible! They didn't have the intellect, the capabilities. Not on their own!"

"Ah." He frowned, thinking. Fingers tapping on her shoulders as he held her against the wall. "Crap," he realized. "You think, no. You know. You know they had help."

She nodded. Hands sliding along his chest. "Yes. But, but who? How? And why?" She sighed. "Someone's...someone's been to Pleistocene Park, John." Dismay.

He scowled. "Great. I can't have that planet compromised in any way. But who? How? And why? Why on Earth hasten their evolution and development?" he wondered. Smiled as her hand was snaking down to his crotch. "We can figure this out later, baby. We better have pulse wave sex just to be sure we're clear."

She smiled. "Okay, John. Hey, weren't you going to spank me? Spank my pert little ass blue?"

He smiled.

John eyed the two men seated across from him in the conference room. Both appeared guilt-ridden. Embarrassed. Still marred by their fight. Bruised. Battered.

"Sir," Jason said, breaking the terse silence, "I would like to apologize to Doctor Sheppard for any distress I may have caused her."

"So would I, sir...I said some terrible things to her which I deeply regret," Evan noted. Chagrin and guilt on his face.

"Yes, you did, major. But I trust that it's all now sorted after our little talk, isn't it?" John continued, without waiting for an answer. "As I told the other men I am going to let this one slide, for now. Due to being under the influence of a malignant pulse wave and all. Just another day in Atlantis." The men briefly smiled. "But if anything like this happens again I will take disciplinary action." John paused. Flashing on the erotic discipline he had enjoyed with Moira. Spanking her naked rear as she bent over the table. Her giggles and squeals. Turning to whimpers as the spanking had escalated into quite enjoyable intercourse. On the table. He shook the images away. "Is that understood?" he asked curtly.

"Yes, sir," they chorused. Eyed one another, clearly relieved.

"Now...as to Moira's status...for now she is assigned to team Sheppard."

"Team Sheppard, sir?" Evan asked, glancing at Jason who shrugged.

"Yes. Team Sheppard, being myself. I need her here, in the city, working on what just happened to us. Plus the sub-Wraith equation and rapid evolution. For now she only leaves this city if and only if I deem it absolutely necessary."

"Yes, sir," they chorused again.

"Dismissed. Oh, Reynolds, wait." John stood, watched Evan leave the room. Close the door. He looked at Jason who was standing behind his chair. "Pending any other developments the transfer you requested is still approved. Moira is on your team, but will not leave this city on any mission without my express approval."

"Understood, sir. Thank you, sir."

I'd like to thank you for defending my wife."

"I always will, sir. In any situation," Jason assured.

"Good to know. Dismissed."

John sighed. He headed for the infirmary. Walked over as Moira and Carson were arguing over a data screen. It was good-natured argument, a difference of opinion with no aggression or underlying threat. Just two scientists having a discussion. He relaxed. Sighed again, reluctantly nearing. "Progress?" he asked.

"Not yet, colonel. Without the actual device not to mention any tissue samples of the actual sub-Wraith all we have is pure conjecture! We have no idea how they progressed to that level, or even what level that was since the device is destroyed and gone! We–"

"We had no choice, Carson!" Moira argued. "It was too dangerous. We can successfully extrapolate the data from the readings Rodney took before it was destroyed, and the Jumper's own scans recorded the sub-Wraith before they...we..."

"Extrapolation will only get us so far, Moira. We needed that device to determine the level at which the sub-Wraith had progressed and the power transmissions that were affecting the men. At this rate we are just building castles in the air!"

"We are not! We can determine the facts from what little data we have and we can even possibly get tissue samples if we venture to–"

"Doctors!" John interrupted. "Do what you can with what you can. No one is going anywhere to collect anything! Is that understood? Moira, a word. Please."

She sighed. "Fine." She followed him to a private corner. "What is it, John? There's a lot of work to be done."

"It's handled. Don't you worry," he said quietly.

"What? Oh. You mean...I...I was going to talk to them and–"

"No. Don't. To either one. Like I said, it's handled. Leave it be, Moy. Please."

"Okay, John. If you really think that's the best–"

"Thing, yes. I do." He touched her arm. "Trust me, Moira. Just leave it be. I've taken care of it. Of everything. And don't you worry. About anything. About what we did. What we had to do. To protect our child." He glanced briefly at her abdomen. Met her gaze. "To protect you. I'd do anything, Moy. Will do anything to protect you and our son. As will you." He kissed her. "Now that get that pert little ass to work, baby, unless it's too sore."

She smiled. "Sore enough, sweetie. You and your rough handling." But she kissed him. He smiled, winked at her. Left. Moira watched him leave. Thinking over his serious words. His assertions that they were the same. Would kill to defend their child. At any cost. At all costs. That John had already killed to protect her. Would do so again if necessary.

She realized in that moment she would do the same for him. Knew what she had to do if that nightmarish future came to pass. Moira knew what she had to do to protect John.

She would have to kill Evan Lorne.