Coughing, hacking, choking; whatever one wanted to call it, all Carson knew was he was surrounded by it all. He rubbed his temples wearily as he took another look around his infirmary.

Major Lorne, Lt. Cadman, Dr. Brown, Dr. Zelenka, Dr. McKay, Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Kosiungi, Dr. Kavanagh, Specialist Ronan Dex…and the list went on, twenty nine patients, fifteen men, and fourteen women had started showing flu like symptoms two weeks ago…within days half of Atlantis seemed to be developing the symptoms that came along with the infection.

Lieutenant Cadman had come in complaining to Carson of a headache, chills, a slight fever and extreme muscle fatigue. Carson, to say the least, had been surprised by her ability to name off the symptoms as though she were a doctor like him. She had simply explained that her mother and sister were both nurses. She had joined the military to become a nurse, but ended up being picked for her weapons specialty instead.

Two days after her Dr. Katie Brown followed, with similar symptoms, and of course hours later Rodney came rushing in, Lauryn no where in sight, saying something about his dying. Once Carson had him calmed down and placed on an IV and cooling pads, he was able to convince Rodney had had a nasty case of the flu. That was when Rodney mumbled something about not kissing girls ever again.

Within days of them John, Ronan, and half the science team showed up, Carson was starting to wonder if they were all just that unsanitary or if the whole science team was having one big affair with each other and passing on the flu.

Whatever it was, few people seemed to be inflicted by it thus far, Elizabeth had steered clear when Carson told her what was wrong, and kept Lauryn with her. Teyla offered to take the rest of Atlantis to the mainland as a joke, however very few found it funny, andthe otherfew had wanted to take her up on the offer.

For every ounce that Rodney McKay was a terrible patient, Carson decided undoubtedly that John Sheppard could be just as bad if not worse at times. Always trying to convince everyone he was fine while he was falling out of bed.

"Carson?" Nurse DeSantos questioned.

"Hmmm?" He asked softly looking at his head of nurses.

"Doctor, I think we should get you into a bed," she replied as gently as possible.

"I'm fine," he replied, not realizing his words were slurring together.

"No, you're not," a cool hand slid up to his forehead, heat emanating from the skin there. "Fever, you're shaking like your cold, headache, when's the last time you slept?"

"How long have we been on Atlantis?" he replied jokingly.

"Cute, come on doctor."

"Can you not perhaps, make her stop screaming," Teyla begged as she watched Elizabeth try to comfort the three month old baby.

"She wants her father," Elizabeth muttered.

"My mother once told me I screamed very much like that when he was not near."

"She sense him…is that possibly."

"She is not human; it is unsure what abilities she could have. I am sure she senses when her father is ailing, or hurt."

"Come on Lauryn," Elizabeth muttered as she continued to hold the child in her arms and gently sing and whisper to her.

"So, I have good news and bad news," Nurse DeSantos said as she suddenly come hurrying into the room. Both women looked up at her.

"Bad news first," mumbled Elizabeth, still holding the sniffling infant.

"Carson has the flu, he's out like a light." Nancy explained as she looked from one woman to the other.

"And the…good news?" Teyla questioned.

"Well, Rodney and John are getting better, I just released Katie and Laura…Radek will be released sometime tomorrow."

"Thank goodness," Elizabeth whispered. She looked down at the baby in her lap and smiled softly as the big teary blue eyes looked up at her in question, "daddy is getting better," Elizabeth explained.

"You will keep us informed?" Teyla requested.

"You bet, someone has to keep this place running," Nancy said smiling.

"No, have to help…" murmured Carson as he tried to push Dr. Jenkins and Nancy away.

"No Carson, you've got to stay in bed, you're running a fever of 104.2, you're really sick," Dr. Michael Jenkins tried to explain with a restraining hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Need me," he mumbled.

"Not that badly," Nancy spoke this time as she gently wiped the sweat caked hair from Carson's face. "Sleep Carson, the best thing you can do for us right now, is to get some well deserved rest."

"That's it, I'm officially making it a request that anyone who has the flu stays in their rooms or in the infirmary, and anyone who doesn't stays the hell away from both!" Mike growled.

"Sorry Mike, isn't going to work, come on, Dr. McKay is moaning and groanin' over there," chuckled Nancy.

"The man seems to think he's the only doctor here," stated Jenkins referring to Carson.

"Michael, I hate to say it, but they all do, Rodney thinks he's the only scientist who can do every job, and in many ways he is. Carson thinks he's the only one who can fix everyone up…and for a lot of people he's the only one they really know. Elizabeth is the only leader we'll ever accept, and John is the one who feels he has to protect everyone."

"Come here Carson," she called gently to the young child. Two bright feverish blue eyes looked up at her, as he shook his head. "Carson, not today okay?" Katherine requested gently of her young son.

"I'm okay momma," he replied grinning as well as he could.

"No you're not, come Carson, I know you want to be a doctor just like your da, but he listens to his body too, come now," she scooped the six year old boy up into her arms, groaning with how heavy he was growing, soon he would be too old to hold and love like this anymore.

Instantly two legs were wrapped around her waist and a sweat damped head was resting against her shoulder. She could feel the heat radiating off him like waves off an ocean. She hiked up the stairs in their small but loving cottage, and carried him into his room.

Pulling back the covers, she placed the baby down on the bed, he looked up at her like he was being punished and not sick. "Carson, don't give me that look, I'm sorry you'll be missing your football game, but when one is ill, one must be taken care of," she explained gently as she pulled the blankets up around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Now, you try and get some sleep sweetheart, okay, I'm gonna get ya some buttermilk, rest," she said wiping more hair from his face.

The little boy would never admit how terrible he truly felt to his momma, the sudden thought of how sick he really did feel, made him do something he hadn't done in awhile, he cried, and began to cry hard, crying out for his mother's help, her touch.

"Shhh, I'm here baby," she whispered as she hurried up the stairs and back into his room. She scooped the boy up into her arms again and held him close, rocking him back and forth gently.

"I don't wanna be sick momma," he cried in her arms, clinging to her clothing.

Katherine smiled simply, and continued to hold her baby, rocking him back and forth, for she knew every child got sick more often than they like, but she also knew he was quite sick. She called the doctor several hours later, her own husband had arrived home by this time, and was waiting down in the living room for the doctor to come out.

"…he's very sick….fever of hundred and four…"

The voices seemed to be fading and out as he tried to focus on the sounds around him. He slowly opened his eyes, everything was blurry, but very few lights were on.

Things slowly came to place in his haze filled mind, as he realized he was in Atlantis' infirmary. Turning his head he groaned as it pounded with vengeance. A fuzzy blob that looked to be Rodney McKay was lying in the bed next to him, a wash cloth draped across his forehead.

Carson tried to sigh but it came out as a groan when he felt his chest grow heavier. He was vaguely aware of the cool compress under his back and shoulders blades and the was cloth draped across his own forehead. He tried to continue looking around, he could hear voices somewhere in the room, but suddenly found himself not caring as his eyes began to drift close again.

"Carson, luv, it's time to take your medicine," Patrick Beckett called gently as he entered the boy's room.

"No," came the soft cry from the bed. Patrick had to hide his grin, Carson had pulled his blankets over his hot little forehead and was hiding behind them.

"Carson, we've discussed this…" Patrick said firmly as he sat down on the bed in front of his son.

"Uh huh!" cried the boy as his father's hand crept over the blanket, beginning to pull it down.

"Carson, you're a big boy now…sick or not I need you to act like a big boy and take your medicine so you can get better."

"No medicine," Carson whimpered as his father set him with a stern gaze.

"Son…"

"MOMMMY!" Screamed the child as he tripped over his blankets and went haphazardly barreling down the hallway; searching for his mommy.

"Oh, there's my boy," came Katherine's voice as she easily intercepted the small winded child and lifted him up into her arms. She cradled him against her hip and looked at him as sternly as she could without giggling. "Are you giving daddy a hard time?"

"No," Carson lied as he played with one of the button's on his mother's shirt.

"Carson, sweetie, da knows what's best for ya son," she gently rubbed his back and carried him back into the room. Carson turned in his mother's arms, burying his face in her neck.

Patrick grinned at the sight, Carson was quite a boy, and more attached to his mum than most wee ones. "That boy is never going to grow out of this," stated Patrick.

"He's only six Pat, give him time, he's just a wee one…"

"Aye, but he is in school lass, he shouldn't need you all the time…"

"Patrick, for every ounce that I love you, I cannot ignore my child's cries. He is my baby, and always will be."

"He's never going to leave your side at this rate…"

"No, he's my son, and he will do many great things. He will see the world…"

Carson smiled softly at the dream, he had seen more than just the world, he was seeing the universe, and loving every minute of it. He groaned as he tried to get comfortable again, but he was quickly finding there was no comfortable position for him at this point.

"Carson…." Nancy whispered as she leaned over him…

"Carson…" Katherine whispered as she knelt over the bed, looking at her young son.

"Tired," he murmured as he rolled on his side towards her offered comfort.

She pressed a cool hand to his forehead and sighed, wishing she could understand how someone so tiny could possibly emanate so much heat. Bending over she pressed a kiss to his forehead, "a charm for luck," she whispered, as she brushed the hair from his forehead.

"Love you mum…."

"Carson…no offense but I'm not your mum," joked John as he stood over his best friend.

Carson tried to focus on the man, heaving a large sigh he nodded, "dreamin' bout mum…helluva lot pretty than you too…" he slurred.

"I'm sure she was…mine certainly looks prettier than you look right now."

"Prude," mumbled Carson.

"There's the good ol' doc," John grinned.

"Where's Mck…aay…"

"He went back to his room an hour ago, your nurse Nancy went psycho with him around and finally kicked his ass out. Apparently he's only tolerable when he's eating or unconscious. Anyway Nancy was sure he was on the mend…even if he wasn't, and sent him back to his room."

"You…"

"I was discharged from this boot camp about two days ago."

"Two…how long have I been out?"

"Well…you were admitted about a week to ten days ago, you've been in and out of consciousness for four days."

"Saw Rodney…cloth on his head."

"Yeah that was about three days ago, he's still running a bit of a fever, but he'll survive, you my friend will too," John said smiling weakly.

"Vitals?" Carson mumbled.

"Your BP is back to normal, your fever is down around one hundred and the doc says we can try and feed you some solid food later today, if you're up to it," John replied like a doctor.

"Up to it…water?" Carson whispered weakly.

"We can manage that, listen you relax for a few minutes, and I'll go see if I can't find something for you to munch on and something to drink, the doc says you need your strength back."

"Elizabeth…?"

"Elizabeth is at the moment incapacitated in the bed two cubicals next to you, she and Teyla got the flu a day ago…Caldwell and Major Lorne are running the place, well now I'm running it with Rodney as soon as he gets off his duff."

"Who's caring for Lauryn?"

"Caldwell, she hasn't been enjoying it much without her Rodney, but Nancy says in three or four more days she can go back to Rodney's care."

"Good girl," mumbled Carson.

"Get some rest doc, we'll take care of you," John said rubbing his friend's shoulder.

"Thanks."

Five Days Later

"It's just the flu," that's what Carson kept telling him, but that didn't keep everyone from worrying about their strong leader; Elizabeth wasn't supposed to get sick, she wasn't supposed to have any weakness. For some, to find out she was sick with the flu seemed almost surreal, but for Rodney it was no surprise. He'd been watching her for the past week since some for of the flu bug descended upon Atlantis. He knew instantly she had it and just wasn't willing to tell anyone. Elizabeth had said it herself a few times, she couldn't show weakness, not in times when things were bad and not when she had to be strong for everyone on the base.

Rodney hated watching her do this to herself, almost as much as she hated watching him drive himself into the ground. None the less, he had sat by her side since the day she had finally collapsed from utter exhaustion and had been brought here.

"John, Carson and I are working to keep everything in order, we'll of course fill you in as soon as Carson gives us the okay," Rodney gently squeezed her hand and smiled.

Two days ago her fever had spiked so high that it had sent her into a seizure, Rodney of course, had remained by her side. Not to be moved, even by the angry annoyed doctor who ordered him to get some of his own rest before Rodney collapsed from the same thing Elizabeth had collapsed from. But it did no good, Rodney wouldn't be moved, not now and not any time soon.

He didn't love her…at least he didn't think so, he could possibly love someone he had never dated. He had dinner with her on occasion in the mess hall, but even John had those. He knew Elizabeth better than anyone on this base, aside from maybe Carson, he had seen her cry, he had held her when Simon dumped her like yesterday's trash. He had calmed her from a few nightmares, but he had never dated her, never slept with her, never even really held her hand before. Aside from holding her, he had only hugged her maybe once. He'd never kissed her, never even said he liked her. So was it even remotely possibly to love someone who couldn't even love you back.

She had far too much on her plate to have time for love, she had too much to do, too many people to save and watch over. Love was something that only the ignorant made time for, at least that's what Rodney's father had always said. It was useless in real life. There was nothing to be learned from it.

He didn't believe this, he had seen true love growing up as a teenager, Luke and Lauren had loved each other more than life itself. No matter how vehemently John and Teyla denied it…they certainly seemed very attracted to one another. So why was it, that Rodney couldn't fathom loving someone, couldn't quite grasp the idea of true love, or even puppy love. He knew he hadn't loved Sam, no matter how often he spouted off how beautiful she was, there was no true love there. Perhaps a lust for a woman, who he could never have because she was very possibly already in love.

Yet, here he sat, day in and day out for three days now, waiting for the leader of Atlantis to open her eyes and tell everyone she was alive and feeling fine. Holding her soft yet strong working hands. Looking upon her usually brightly lit green orbs, waiting for her beautiful red lips to speak something to him. Gently caressing her soft chestnut waves.

How could he have fallen for someone who couldn't love him, why had he fallen for someone? Wasn't he supposed to build those walls up, and keep them up. Had his time with John, Lauren, Luke and now on Atlantis changed him so greatly that the walls were literally non-existent to those who bothered seeing past them? Was he that weak that he couldn't hold up those damn barriers he had created?

What had changed him, this woman? Carson? Perhaps even John and his family? Why did they suddenly give a damn what happened to him. He never understood the concept of caring, understanding, love or compassion. It was impossible to understand something that he had only felt for eight years before moving out. Only after a year and a half here, had he truly regained some of the faith in people he had had during his time with the Sheppards. He cared about Lauryn, his little Lauryn, he loved her, but not the same way he had come to care about Elizabeth. He truly respected the woman for all her strengths and weaknesses...and he would perfer to have that reciporcated rather than the love he held for her at this moment.

"Rodney, you just got over the flu yourself, you really ought to be resting," Carson spoke to his friend.

"That's calling the kettle black isn't it Carson, seeing as you were only discharged three days ago."

"Don't get smart with me Rodney, I'm not afraid to send you to your quarters."

"Oooh," mumbled Rodney as he looked at Elizabeth again.

"She's going to be fine Rodney, her temperature is already descending, she and Teyla were the last ones to get sick, and they're going to be fine in no time."

"I know…"

"You just have to see it for yourself, aye lad, I understand."

"Can I sit with her for just a bit longer?"

"I suppose, twenty more minutes, than it's off with ya, it's hard enough to get you in here, now ya won't go away when I tell you to."

"Thank you Carson."

"Aye, I'm a Saint, I know..." mumbled the Doctor as he headed back out of the infirmary.