"Offworld activation!" Doctor Weir walked into the control room from her office. "We're receiving Colonel Sheppard's IDC Ma'am"
"They're not due to check in for another hour. Lower the shield."
"Sheppard to Atlantis request a medical team to the gate room immediately. We have a woman with a bullet wound that needs Beckett."
"Understood Colonel." Weir turned to Chuck who simply nodded and called Beckett. As she looked back towards the gate, she saw Ronan walk through the event horizon carrying a middle aged woman. She rushed down in time to see Teyla and Sheppard walk through, along with a teenaged boy, who was clearly distraught. "Colonel Sheppard, what happened?"
"The Genii happened."
"I thought there was no Genii activity on this planet."
"There isn't. We were just unlucky that they came looking for something. The planet is full of great people, who are happy to trade."
"Do we know what they were looking for Colonel?"
"Me." Weir looked at the boy, who was a little shorter than Sheppard was. He looked down at his feet. "They wanted me." Carson arrived and began to quickly assess the treatment of the injured woman. "Please help Mother."
"I'll do my best son, she's in a bad state though." He looked at the boy up and down. "You'd better come with me as well. I better take a look at ye."
"Help Mother please."
"Aye, I will first, but then you son." Ro looked between Sheppard and Teyla.
"Go with Doctor Beckett, Ro." The boy nodded and followed Beckett and his staff as they raced to the infirmary. Ronan glanced at Sheppard and then turned to chase after them. Sheppard looked back to Weir.
"Colonel, was that true?
"Unfortunately, yes. He was helping us. And for that, they shot his mother."
"What could the Genii possibly ..."
"He can read Ancient, Elizabeth." Teyla stated simply.
Elizabeth stared at Sheppard and Teyla. "What?"
"The boy can read and understand Ancient. The intel we had on that planet was correct. There was an outpost there and he led us to it. He has been copying the database from the outpost into books one letter at a time. You should have seen it, the place lit up around him." Sheppard's excitement was held back underneath his serious face, but it was plain to see that the Colonel was looking forward to seeing what the boy could do.
"He has the gene?" Elizabeth asked. She thought of how Atlantis would literally light up around Colonel Sheppard.
"He has to. I can't think of another way for it to make any sense." Sheppard sighed as they reached the turn to the lockers. Teyla bowed her head slightly and left Sheppard with Elizabeth. "I hope that Carson can help his mother."
"I'll see you down at the infirmary then?" Sheppard nodded as they headed off in separate directions.
Elizabeth hurried towards a transporter. With everything that they had encountered in the Pegasus galaxy thus far, she knew that she should have learnt not to be surprised by now. And yet here she was, faced with another seemingly impossible scenario. They get intel about a possible Ancient outpost, visit the planet to meet a boy who not only shows them where it is, but also has the gene. And he can read and understand Ancient. She sighed as she pressed the dot closest to the infirmary. As she exited, she sped up to a jog. She had to speak to this boy. Entering the infirmary, she found one of Doctor Beckett's assistants was drawing blood from the teenagers' arm, with Ronan sitting nearby. He seemed remarkably calm compared to barely ten minutes ago in the gateroom. She approached the bed and spoke to Marie.
"How is he doing?"
"He's strong" Ronan said. Marie nodded at his interjection.
"He definitely is, given what's just happened. When his mother was brought in, he was distraught, until Doctor Beckett took off his coat to prepare for surgery."
"What's significant about that?"
"I saw the blue and white." Ro piped up. Elizabeth looked to Marie for clarification.
"The flag on his shoulder." Marie stated.
"I knew that Carson of Scotland would heal Mother." He looked at Elizabeth, noticing the expression on her face. "The Ancestors give me visions. Carson has been blessed with the gift of healing."
Elizabeth sat down next to the bed. "Is that how you knew his name?" The boy nodded. "Have you dreamt about this city?" Another nod.
"I have seen the grand City of the Ancestors many times. You are indeed blessed to be here." Ro looked around for his bag. Seeing it near Elizabeth, he motioned for it. "Please, my strength fails me. Inside please."
Elizabeth followed his motion and picked up the woven bag, opened it and held it out for Ro, who reached inside and pulled out what a clay jar. Pulling the stop out, he stuck in his finger, then put it in his mouth. He smiled as he sucked on the sweet taste. He opened his eyes and offered the jar to Elizabeth.
"The sap of the JinJin. It is most sweet." Elizabeth smiled, but motioned that she wasn't brave enough to taste it. Ronan however, gladly took the offered treat. Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. He may be large and intimidating, but Ronan was a child at heart. She looked down and saw the bundle of leather pages in Ro's bag. She pulled them out gently.
"May I?" Ro nodded as she looked over them, her fingers tracing the Ancient text tattooed onto the leather pages. Colonel Sheppard hadn't been exaggerating when he said that he was copying the database. As familiar as Elizabeth was with the language, even she could see that it would take her a long time to understand all of it. "You can read this?"
Ro nodded. He looked over at Ronan, who handed back the jar of JinJin sap. Ro smiled and returned the jar to his bag. "It is a gift since I was very small." Elizabeth nodded as she heard Colonel Sheppard enter. Ro's face lit up as he saw him.
"John!" Sheppard walked over and ruffled his hair.
"How have ya been Ro?"
"I am better. Carson will heal Mother and Elizabeth is a new friend."
"That's good to hear. Ro, I understand that you might not want to, but can you tell us how you know the Genii?"
The boy swallowed and carefully explained the experiences of his world with the Genii. At first they had appeared as simple farmers coming to trade. But that all changed following the last culling. Rumours had circulated about the Ancient outpost, drawing all manner of cultures and people to their village to trade. But soon people began to connect Ro with the outpost. Some had heard of his visits there, others simply gave opinion on rumour. Some tried to take advantage of the village, but they banded together to protect what they had built up. Then the Genii came a few weeks earlier. They had also heard the rumours, but instead of visiting as farmers, a pair of soldiers appeared. They had demanded any Ancient artefact be turned over to them. To prevent any loss of life, they had acquiesced. After the soldiers left, the village agreed to protect Ro, so that no one could steal his knowledge or gifts.
Ronan found himself inwardly promising to hurt the Genii, now not just for McKay, but for Ro and his village as well. Sheppard was sharing a similar thought to Ronan, but his was still tempered with the guilt that they still had not found Rodney. Elizabeth resolved to protect the boy and his mother within Atlantis and to provide whatever aid they could to his village. Teyla had arrived during Ro's recount and empathised with the boy. They all sat silent for a moment until Carson walked over. Ro brightened at the sight of the physician.
"Have you healed mother, Carson?"
"She'll need to rest awhile, but it looks like she's going to be fine. She's got a punctured lung from where the bullet hit her, but she'll live. She's a strong woman."
Carson gently placed a hand on Ro's shoulder. Ro reached up and took the doctor's hand in his, then placed it against his forehead. Carson was surprised at the action, but didn't attempt to stop it.
"My thanks to you Carson. May the Ancestors smile on you."
He let go of Carson's hand, with a big smile on his face.
"I'm happy to help Lad. Now, you'd best have a wee rest here. You're mum will be awake soon and I'm sure you'll be wanting to see her."
"We'll come see you later Ro."
Sheppard and the rest left the boy with Carson, who found himself watching the boy from his desk. He was leaning back on a bed, taking in all of the details of the room. It was amazing that after everything he had been through, he still found something to be happy about. Looking down at the reports on his desk, Carson sighed. He had to wait until the boy's mother was awake, so he may as well catch up on some of his paperwork. There'd be time to relax later.
