Chapter 55
John Sheppard sat in the briefing room, staring out at the gateroom. Elizabeth Weir could see he was lost in thought. As well as deeply troubled. Not something you would usually see or not something he would let you see.
"You know, you don't have to stand in the doorway, Elizabeth."
"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt."
"What's there to interrupt," he asked with a playful grin as quickly changed the subject. "So how much longer til the Odyssey arrives?"
"Under a half an hour."
"How's Dr. Jackson?"
"He's stable. Thankfully. However, they have at least two additional wounded, one of whom is recovering from open heart surgery. I have a team standing by in the infirmary to take care of them upon their arrival."
"Anybody we know?"
"No. Two people that the Odyssey encountered on the planet. A man, about your age suffering from an untreated Atrial Septal Defect. At first they thought it might have been some kind of heart attack but after further testing they determined it was an unstable arrhythmia. They've managed to stabilize his arrhythmia enough to perform the surgery to repair the defect. Dr. Lam says barring any complications, he should make a full recovery."
"And the other one?"
"Not expected to survive. According to Lam she took a gunshot wound to the chest. They thought it was superficial but there was extensive internal damage."
A lightbulb went off in John's mind, "She? Who is she? How did she get shot?"
"I don't know," Elizabeth replied slightly taken aback. "Dr. Lam wasn't too specific about what happened. Only that they would explain it all when they arrived."
"Elizabeth, we can't let her on Atlantis."
"Why?"
"Its what Chaya warned us about Elizabeth. This girl. She's Shadow."
"Don't jump to conclusions, John, for all we know she is an innocent caught up in the crossfire."
"I'm not jumping to conclusions. Chaya said she was almost here. And that she would be coming to Atlantis to Ascend. In order to Ascend, you have to die. And the girl is dying Elizabeth. Of a thought to be superficial gunshot wound. If we let her on board, she will cause nothing but trouble."
"What are we supposed to do, John? Tell them to turn around?"
"Yes."
"John!" Elizabeth cried astonishedly. "We have two people in desperate need of medical attention. I just can't tell them to stay where they are because of something you can't even prove is true."
"Elizabeth, you have to trust me when I tell you that my instincts are right on this one. When have my instincts, in times of peril, ever been wrong."
"Do you really want me to answer that one?"
John shook his head, "Elizabeth, please. Just trust me on this."
"Don't turn this into a trust issue. Now, you were spooked before we even had this conversation, I could see it on your face. Now what really has you so rattled?"
John looked to Elizabeth with utter seriousness. It scared the living crap out of her.
"Because if I'm right about the whole Arthur thing, and I am more convinced now than ever that I am. That means that I am Galahad. Do you know what happens to Galahad?"
"He finds the Holy Grail."
"And dies not too long after. Which means if this thing is starting to go down just like Chaya said it would. we're all as good as dead."
ooooo
"I what?"
"Now calm down, Vala, the last thing we want is to alert the guards or The Doci that you're still alive."
Vala tried not to panic, her mind sweeping back and forth as the memories began flooding back to her.
"The baby! Where's my baby? What have you done with her!"
The Healer grabbed Vala by the arms as she tried, in vain, to beat the living crap out of him.
"Remain calm. You're still very weak. We don't want to cause a set back."
Vala calmed down, a rage now overcoming her, "Where is my child?"
"We don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"When we found you, you had been long dead and the child was gone. What is the last thing you remember?"
"I remember feeling awful. I was in labor. Tomin was here."
"We believe that your heart gave out during labor and that Tomin, believing you to be dead, took the child in order to protect her."
"I asked him to. I asked him to keep her from The Ori."
"Do you know where he would have taken her?"
"I'm not going to tell you anything."
The Healer bent down next to Vala's ear and whispered the softest she had ever heard anyone before.
"My name is Terik. I was a good friend of Fannis."
Vala pulled Terik away from her and looked into his eyes. He was sincere.
"You're part of the underground?"
"Yes. Ever since we learned of your arrival in The Ori galaxy, we have been keeping tabs on you. Working our way to get closer to you. To help rescue you."
"Why couldn't you have done that before I gave birth?"
"It was never safe, as long as you carried The Orici. Now that she is no longer in control of you, we can move as we please."
"But won't The Doci know that I am gone?"
Terik shook his head, "He asked me to rid of your body. He is weakened in his attempt to restore you. He will not be a problem for several hours. We can use it as a window to get you out and find the Orici."
"When do we leave?"
"You are still too weakened. It is not safe to move until you are stronger."
"We don't have the time to wait. I have to find my daughter and get back to my own universe," Vala said as she motioned for Terik to help ease her up.
"We have several hours, you really should rest."
"I can't rest," Vala whispered softly. "Not til I know if Daniel's ok."