Series: Moments Sacred and Profane - Season Two

Title: MSP23: Lions

Author: Mice

Email: just_us_mice@yahoo.com

Category: Stargate: Atlantis, McKay/Beckett

Warnings: slash, angst

Spoilers: Runner, Duet, minor for Trinity

Rating: R

Summary: Strange shit happens, and it's a race against time to save Rodney's brain. No, really.

Archive: If it's on your list, you can archive it. If it isn't and you'd like it, just let me know where you're putting it.

Feedback: Feed me, Seymour.

Website: Mice's Hole in the Wall http://www.squidge.org/mice

Mirror: http://mice.inkpress.org

Disclaimer: Not mine. They belong to many other people. But if they were mine, they'd be having very interesting adventures.

Author's Notes: This is a bit of an AU take on Duet. What happened in the ep happens, but... not exactly. Based on a really cool suggestion by Pas. Beta by Pas and Heruadys. WHEE!

~~~

The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man.

~~William Blake -- from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell~~

"Bloody Androcles," Carson muttered, walking into God only knew what. He was supposed to do field surgery on an armed man who was holding Teyla hostage? How he got himself into these things he had no idea. Mum would no doubt fall over in a dead faint if she knew half the things he did.

Rodney was missing and had been for hours. There could be Wraith anywhere, and they might arrive at any moment. Carson was frantic as he cautiously approached the stone arch where Colonel Sheppard said the man was holding Teyla. He tried to tell himself that Sheppard wouldn't let anything happen to him and that really, he was just making a house call.

As if he'd ever made house calls before Atlantis.

It was bright now, but the sun was setting quickly. If he were able to do the surgery at all, it would take time to set up the necessary lights and arrange his equipment. He tried to distract himself by going through the technical aspects of what he might find. The sight of the immense armed man before him, however, shut down everything his mind was going about.

Androcles and the Lion -- no doubt the Colonel had chosen his metaphor well, for the man looked like nothing less than a lion, with his great mane of dreds and the fierce suspicion in his eyes. "Hullo," Carson said. "I normally don't make house calls like this, but then again, this isn't really a house, is it?" All right, so it wasn't a sparkling opening, but he was scared. He did his best to stay professional. If the man wanted the Wraith transmitter out of him, then he wasn't like to shoot a doctor, was he?

It took a bit of persuading to get the young man's shirt off, but he'd not allow Carson to give him anything for the pain. Setting up for the surgery took half an hour or so, and by that time it was black as pitch out. The sun set much faster than Carson had anticipated, but by the time he got his scalpel out to begin, he was cursing the incompetence of the alleged doctors who'd tried to dig the bloody transmitter out of the lad's back before.

Most of the surgery he'd done over the years had been under a certain amount of pressure. Lives were usually at stake, particularly since he'd come to the Pegasus galaxy, but operating in a cave with guns pointing in different directions and the Wraith lurking about in the wings was a new experience for him. He hoped he'd never have it again. At least once he was actually focused on the surgery he was calmer. Carson knew what to do with skin and muscle and nerves.

"Okay, I'm ready," he told Ronon. "Look, I just want to say one last time; I don't think this is a good idea. I'm goin' to be cutting very close to your spinal column here. If you were to flinch--"

"I won't flinch." Ronon's voice was deep and determined.

"Okay." Carson sighed and flipped the magnifying lens down.

The *thing* in the man's back was like an insect burrowed under flesh, with protruding barbs like legs or claws that tore at muscle as Carson tugged at it. He hated doing this without anesthesia, but the huge man insisted. Ronon's skin was sweat-slick and he was trembling slightly, his hand shaking as it aimed his immense weapon at Teyla. Carson prayed Dex's finger wouldn't slip in a moment of unexpected agony. Even though Colonel Sheppard had a bead on the man, Carson thought that more than one person would die if shots were fired.

Once he had the bloody bugger out of Dex's back, the lad passed out and Carson made swift work of sewing up the incision. The danger, at least from that angle, was over for the moment, but he still had to do something to deactivate the Wraith transmitter.

No doubt Rodney and Radek would want to study the nasty thing -- but that had Carson thinking about the fact that Rodney was still missing. It was frightening to think what might have happened to him here in this godforsaken place with its high solar radiation levels and Wraith and possibly even a very ill Lieutenant Ford who wasn't in his right mind at all.

Carson grimaced and put a scalpel through the transmitter. The signal had stopped when he scanned the thing afterwards. Whoever studied it would just have to do it with the horrid thing in pieces.

Colonel Sheppard came to join them as Carson was examining the thing. "I'm quite certain I've disabled the device," Carson said.

"It may be too late," Teyla added, looking uneasy.

"We know at least one Wraith tracked Ronon here," Sheppard said. "I'm gonna go look for McKay and Ford."

Teyla nodded. "Yes. We will be fine."

"Now that the lion's passed out cold," Carson added, casting a nervous glance toward the cave's opening. He hoped the Wraith weren't anywhere close, and that Rodney was safe.

Sheppard strode away from them. "I'm gonna pick you up with the Jumper as soon as--" His sentence was shattered by gunfire in the distance. Sheppard dashed away, leaving Carson frantic.

"We should head back inside," Teyla told him. She slipped into a watchful stance, guarding him as they headed back for the cave.

They turned to gather up Ronon, but he was gone. Carson's heart froze.

***

Rodney got dressed after his post-mission exam. His hip and leg ached and though Carson insisted he hadn't sprained his ankle, it certainly felt that way. "He's insane," he said. "He was gonna kill me while I was hanging upside down by my ankle. If that... that Wookie hadn't body slammed him, I'd be dead right now." Rodney's pulse still hadn't calmed enough for him to feel anything like right. "I was out in all that solar radiation, and god, what if I'm all sunburnt again. What if it starts up another round of radiation sickness?" He looked over at his lover, who was standing there, just looking at him. "Carson?"

"You're all right, Rodney. You'll have some sore muscles for a few days, but you're really no worse for the wear." Carson smiled slightly. "Go on home now and get some rest. I'll see you when I'm off work. You've had a very trying day."

Rodney nodded, his hands in the air. "Yes. Yes. Very trying. Exceedingly trying. Do I need something for high blood pressure? Because I could swear I'm just really on the edge of a stroke here."

Carson sighed and shook his head then put down his data pad and hugged Rodney. "It's nothing a little rest won't cure." Rodney's arms couldn't move under Carson's, so he gave up with the hand waving and just held on, relieved to be doing something normal for a change.

Burying his face in Carson's shoulder, he could smell medicine and bleach and fear on his lover. "You okay?" Rodney asked.

"I've had better days," Carson admitted. He let Rodney go. "I've others to give post-mission exams to, love. Go on home with you. I've work to do."

"Home, right," Rodney muttered. "Remind me I've got a meeting with Brown the day after tomorrow. Something about the energy panels in the botany labs, I think. She wasn't too specific." He limped away, wondering if Osbourne had got the naquadah mining operation set up on PM1-569 yet. The studies from the last week had shown a substantial vein and some Ancient ruins nearby. It may, Geoff reported, have been one of the sites where the Ancients had mined naquadah for manufacturing Gates and Jumpers.

With more naquadah generators, new systems would pose less of a drain on the ZPM if the shield were needed again. Overall, it was a good idea to get the ore and refine it. Keeping the refining process on an uninhabited planet -- like, for instance, PM1-569 -- was also a really good idea. Radek, however, had been less than thrilled with the idea that Geoff would be away so much, supervising the project.

Rodney decided to stop by the labs before he went home, even though it was late. He'd been gone for about a day and a half in the misbegotten and ultimately failed search for Ford. He tried to forget how awful the kid had looked. He really was unhinged, and it had scared the crap out of Rodney.

Terr Hill came down the corridor as Rodney hobbled along, arm in arm with one of the older RAF officers who'd recently transferred in. Right, it wasn't illegal to be queer in the British military. Terr stared at him then held up his cane. "You look like you need this more than I do, McKay."

"Screw you," Rodney grumbled.

Terr laughed. "You couldn't get that lucky." He shook his head and the Brit on his arm snickered as they continued on to where they were going. Probably Terr's room, if Rodney didn't miss his guess. He wondered if they'd show up together on Thursday.

It wasn't far to the lab. Radek was sitting there with most of the lights off, his glasses reflecting blue in the light of his laptop. "Hey," Rodney said.

Radek looked over his laptop. "Rodney. I hear you had a very bad day."

"It sucked more than usual. I mean, not quite Wraith killing me suckage, but it was pretty awful." He sighed. "We lost Ford. He jumped into a Wraith beam. He's gone." He'd never really been a friend of Ford's but still, the loss hurt more than he'd expected. Even with all the crazy addict stuff going on, Ford was really just an overly enthusiastic kid who loved to blow things up. Rodney could get behind blowing things up. He'd done enough of it as a kid himself.

Chemistry sets. Back yards. The occasional tree. At least the nuke hadn't had any real fissionable material, or he might have wiped out part of Toronto.

"I'm sorry," Radek said softly. He sat, watching Rodney. "Do you want coffee? There is still a little left." He gestured to the carafe on his lab table.

"Yeah, that sounds good." He sat on a stool next to Radek and poured himself a cup. He sipped and sat quietly for a while, just listening to the sounds of the lab.

"You were limping," Radek said. "What happened?"

Rodney shrugged. "I was ambushed by Sheppard's new pet Wookie."

"I think you have been too long without sleep," Radek chuckled. "You should go home."

"No, seriously. This guy's like a fucking mountain. With dredlocks. He's... god, he's Tyr Anasazi or something."

"You are no longer speaking English, or any other language I recognize. Go to bed, Rodney." Radek reached for Rodney's shoulder and both of them froze for a fraction of an instant as Radek's hand touched him. Radek pulled it back slowly.

Rodney nodded, his heart pounding. "Yeah," he whispered. "I think I should." He set the cup down and hurried away. Sure, Carson had said Radek was interested in him, but this... this was almost frightening. He needed time to get used to the idea that it was even all right to contemplate feeling the way he felt about the little Czech.

"Life is complicated enough as it is," he muttered to himself as he limped home. "I so don't need this. McKay, you're an idiot."

The door opened for him and he tossed his LBE vest on a chair. It hit with a satisfying thunk. The door hissed closed behind him and he stared around the living room.

Sinking down on the couch, Rodney buried his face in his hands. "I am so fucked."

***

Elizabeth sighed as she faced Colonel Sheppard across her desk. "He just jumped into the beam," Sheppard said.

Elizabeth nodded. "We have no idea what will happen now that he's in Wraith hands."

"You think Caldwell hasn't beaten me around the head and shoulders with that often enough yet today?" He frowned and crossed his arms protectively over his chest, leaning back in his chair. "Ford was my *friend* Elizabeth. My 2IC. I had to give him a chance to come back with us on his own. That wasn't working. I mean, hell, I *shot* him. It should have stopped him. I had no idea he was gonna throw himself into the damned beam."

"What's done is done, John. We'll just have to live with the consequences, whatever those may be. The other thing I wanted to address," Elizabeth said, "is your guest. Did he give you the address for his homeworld?"

"Sateda? Yeah. I think we should check it out. From what he said, they seem to have a fairly high level of tech. If they've survived the culling, they might make good allies."

She nodded. "I agree. I'll arrange to send a MALP through on an exploratory mission."

"Good idea." Sheppard let a tiny smile open his face a bit. "We could use a little good news for a change."

"Isn't that the truth?" Elizabeth sipped her Athosian tea. She'd developed rather a taste for it over the past year. "At least we didn't lose anyone on the recovery mission. Rodney seemed quite shaken, though."

"Well, yeah. Hanging him upside down by his ankle didn't do his temper any good, and with Ford going all freaky on him -- well, let's just say McKay wasn't at his best today."

"He is all right, though, isn't he?" She rested her elbows on her desk, leaning toward Sheppard.

"Seems to be. Beckett said he's fine." Sheppard relaxed slightly, letting his arms slip down near his sides. "The guys that Ford stunned are recovering too. Man, I hate how that damned stunner feels."

"I'm just glad he didn't kill them outright. By all reports, he's not the Aiden Ford we used to know." She held the warm mug between her hands, concerned but uncertain what to do. At this point, mounting another rescue mission was out of the question. There was no guarantee that Ford would cooperate, even if he could be found.

"It's the enzyme, Elizabeth. It's really messed with his head, but I'm sure he's still under there somewhere. He needs help."

"If he's even still alive."

Sheppard shook his head. "He's resourceful. He's survived this long. I don't think we can count him out."

"There's nothing we can do now," she said. "At any rate, we do need to investigate Specialist Dex's claims about Sateda, so I'd suggest we get started on that."

"Right. I'll get Stackhouse's team on it. We'll get a MALP and send it through, then have his team ready for recon if we get good telemetry."

"Excellent. Be ready to go in an hour." Elizabeth stood, dismissing him. Sheppard rose to his feet and nodded.

"Will do."

"And John?"

He paused in his turn toward the door. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

His face closed, but she could read the pain in it. "Thanks," he said softly.

***

Ronon stared at the screen, not sure if he should believe what they were showing him. The skyline of Satond was broken and shattered, toppled like toys in a child's room. He barely heard what they told him about their technology and getting pictures from distant planets.

Sateda was gone.

His people were gone. All of them. Nothing moved on the ground or in the sky around the city.

Gone.

He turned, needing to escape the horrifying picture. The security escort -- laughable -- followed him to his assigned room and stood outside the door.

All these years he'd been running, hoping that at least some had survived the culling and that life would go on.

Nothing.

He was truly alone. Now that he'd finally been rid of the cursed beacon in his back, there was no home for him to return to. He'd been able to accept that while he was Running, he couldn't be around anyone else. He'd been alone, but his people had survived, and that was what mattered. Ronon was a soldier -- he'd been raised with a gun in his hand, knowing he'd give his life to defend his people, but this...

Kell must have had something to do with it. The man was a traitor, but at least he was dead. Nothing could have escaped that level of devastation. He wondered if anyone had ever even made it to the shelters. Ronon sat on the bunk they'd given him, staring out the window over the ocean. The view was as empty as he was.

He should never have hoped. After their Doctor Beckett had pulled the transmitter from his back, he'd hoped he could return home. He'd hoped that maybe some of his friends, some of his unit had survived. That at least he'd have a planet to return to.

What had happened was unimaginable. The Wraith were in the midst of an orgy of destruction the likes of which he'd never even heard rumor of before. Entire planets--

Ronon took a deep breath, eyes closing against the bright light outside his room. It seemed he'd never be able to stop Running.

***

Halling shook his head, shock in his eyes. "I have never seen such destruction after a culling, Teyla." She looked up at her friend, wishing he'd had any other news. "I do not believe anyone survived. We could find nothing to suggest anyone was left on Tahanor."

The sorrow she felt was bone-deep. She had known many on Tahanor over the years. "We will need to inform Dr. Weir. Perhaps they can find survivors with their scanning devices. I know that if anyone is left, Dr. Beckett will want to help them. If anyone was injured and not able to respond to you and the others in the trading party, perhaps they can be found."

"Yes, that... that would be a very good idea." Halling didn't look convinced. He pulled her over to a chair on the balcony and they both sat side by side, staring out over the water. "When you returned with Orrin, I thought that what you described was horrifying." His deep voice was quiet and his long, dark blond hair ruffled in the breeze. Halling rested his bearded chin in one hand. "We have known for a long time now that this was going to be bad. I do not know what to do anymore."

With a quiet rumble, he turned his head, grey eyes fixing her in place. "Our people do what they can to help preserve the City of the Ancestors, but even with all their power, the Lanteans can do little to stop the Wraith. This ruse they have set up, hiding the city, it cannot last. We will have to fight again, and harder than before."

"At least we live to continue fighting." She reached out and took his hand, squeezing reassuringly. "They are good people, Halling. They are trying so hard."

He nodded. "If there is any hope for us, it lies here. You have done so much for us in your work with the Lanteans. Their knowledge is great and yet they have so much to learn."

"I have only so much influence with them," Teyla said. "They listen, but there are times when I truly believe they do not hear." She stood. "If there is any hope of finding survivors, I must go now and speak with Dr. Weir about sending teams to Tahanor."

Halling nodded and rose, touching their foreheads. "Go safely," he said. "Let me know when you return. I hope you will have good news, despite my fears."

***

"What do you mean, I've got to go offworld?" Carson was determined to stay right where he was -- safely in his chair behind his desk, thank you -- and not walk through that bloody Gate.

"Seriously, Doc," Sheppard said, "if there *are* any survivors, you're the one who's gonna know how to help them. I mean, yeah, we took Bentz in when we were looking for you and McKay, but you've got more offworld experience than she does. And besides, I trust you more."

Carson sighed. "And you say the Wraith are already gone?"

"For a day or two at least, we think."

"You think? Well, I don't like it," Carson said, rising to his feet. "It'll take me about ten minutes to get a rucksack and my kit together." He pursed his lips and looked up at Sheppard. "Don't you be makin' a habit of this."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Doc." Sheppard smiled in that flirt with everything sentient and most things that weren't way of his and took off. Carson muttered a curse under his breath and called for Shel Tuchman.

"Yes, Carson?" She appeared at his door, curious. "What's up?"

"The Colonel wants me to go offworld on a potential rescue mission. I'll need you to get me up a field kit while I get myself ready. Can you do it in ten minutes, luv?" He gave her a weak half-smile.

She nodded quickly. "Of course. I'll meet you with it in the Gateroom."

"Oh, that's a fine lass." He smiled as she vanished. She really was the most efficient nurse he'd ever worked with. If they lived in a place where money had any meaning at all, he'd give her a raise.

Hurrying down to the armory, he checked out his weapon and LBE for the trip. He was in the Gateroom at nine minutes. Shel arrived a moment later, a heavy black rucksack over her shoulder. "Here you go, Carson. Good luck."

He took the pack from her and slipped it over his own shoulders as Rodney, Teyla and Sheppard entered the room, accompanied by Major Lorne, his team, and two other offworld teams.

"Okay, Cadman," Sheppard said. He gestured at Carson and Rodney. "Beckett and McKay are your responsibility while we're there. Don't let them out of your sight."

"It's about time I got my own security escort on offworld assignments," Rodney grumbled, coming to stand next to Carson. "Beckett needs one too." He snapped his fingers.

"One's all you get, McKay. Don't wear her out."

A lovely strawberry blonde Marine stepped forward. "Docs," she said, grinning. She winked at Carson.

"Lt. Cadman," he said, nodding to her. She was one of the newer Marines. Carson had met her once or twice in passing, but didn't know her well.

"Just don't let anything happen to us," Rodney told her as the Gate bloomed.

"Don't worry, McKay. I'll keep you safe." Her smile was bright as they stepped forward, into the puddle.

***

It was the same everywhere they looked. Huts still smoldering, Wraith-desiccated bodies here and there, things torn and toppled, abandoned everywhere in the villages and fields. Carson shook his head. "It's horrid," he said, "truly horrid."

They'd been on Tahanor for the better part of the day and had yet to find a single survivor, but at least they'd seen no sign of any remaining Wraith so far either. Rodney had been a bit subdued, and Lt. Cadman had been quite alert, though a bit solicitous of Carson when he thought about it. She'd been smiling and joking and teasing Rodney a bit. It had lightened Carson's mood a little, which hadn't been good considering the state of the planet and its people.

Finally, late in the afternoon, they started back toward the Gate. It was a quiet walk through the forest, interrupted only by Colonel Sheppard asking them if they'd found anyone. A few moments later, they found themselves out in a field filled with yellow blossoms. As they walked, Cadman made a casual swipe at the flowers. "So, maybe you should pick some wildflowers from around here. I think she'd get a kick out of that."

Carson was puzzled. "What are you talking about?" Rodney asked, and then Carson remembered Rodney asking to be reminded about his meeting with Dr. Brown.

"You've got a date tomorrow with Katie Brown, right?" Cadman said. So that's what it was about. Cadman was having Rodney on. Carson grinned. "She's a botanist. She never gets offworld, so..."

"What's this now?" Carson asked, trying to hold back his laughter.

"It's nothing, nothing," Rodney said, looking disturbed.

"You have a date, Rodney -- with a woman?"

Rodney's eyes snapped to him. "It's simply two adults sharing -- yes, with a woman!" When Carson and Cadman laughed, Rodney muttered, "Not a *date* Carson." He shot Cadman a glare.

"Well," Cadman said, "she's all excited about it. Not sure why, though."

"How would you know?" Rodney snapped.

Cadman grinned. "Girls' poker night. I know a lot of things, McKay."

"I'm sure it's none of your business. This is an inappropriate field conversation." Rodney glowered at her. He started to say something when Cadman interrupted.

"What? I was just suggesting you might wanna pick some flowers." She shrugged and dropped the ones she'd grabbed.

Rodney started into her as an odd sound grew in the distance. "Yes, and maybe you should do your job, which is to protect us."

Cadman looked around sharply and snapped, "Shut up!"

Carson quieted and started looking about. "Shut up?" Rodney growled. "Let me tell you something--"

"Stop speaking!" Cadman barked. Rodney finally seemed to realize what was happening and froze, looking around him as well.

"Dart," Cadman said. Carson's heart took a leap into overdrive. There weren't supposed to be Wraith here. The planet had seemed empty. Cadman slapped her radio. "We have a Dart incoming." She gestured at him and Rodney. "Move it!"

They all started running across the field, trying to get back to the Gate before they were spotted. Carson didn't think they'd make it. The Dart screamed closer, swooping down on them and Cadman called out, "Scatter!" and shoved him. He wasn't expecting the push, and tumbled. "McKay," she shouted. She was reaching to push Rodney as well when the Dart's beam swept them both away.

Carson stared for a moment, in shock. Rodney was *gone.*

"Oh, bloody hell," he gasped, staggering to his feet. He ran for the Gate, panicked.

As the Dart sped toward the Gate, Carson could hear shots being fired. P90s were going off nearby, and then the ear-shattering report of an anti-tank weapon. Voices on his radio and Sheppard saying their cover would be blown and Rodney was *gone*. Out of breath, he bellowed, "Wait! McKay and Cadman have been beamed aboard that Dart!"

"We can't risk the Dart making it back to the Hiveship," Sheppard snapped. He opened fire, and Carson kept running, his lungs burning. The damaged Dart spun and flipped, suddenly careening toward Carson as he kept going.

"Oh, crap," Carson yelped. He turned to run away, but the Dart was nearly upon him. Throwing himself to the ground, the Dart skimmed over his head and he could feel the wind from its passing. It crashed only metres in front of him, throwing earth and broken parts everywhere, almost burying him.

Shocked, he looked up. The Dart was smoking there before him. He got to his hands and knees then staggered over to it. Rodney and Cadman were in there somewhere. There had to be some way to get them out. There had to.

Carson approached cautiously, pistol drawn. His hand didn't waver. The Dart's canopy vanished, revealing a grievously injured Wraith. Maybe it would be able to reverse the beam and give Rodney and Cadman back. Carson held out one hand, trying to be calming, though his heart was thundering with fear and anxiety. "I'm a doctor. I can help," he said.

The Wraith moved and a spray of bullets zipped past Carson. He ducked, shocked, as another volley tore by, making the creature jerk and fall silent. "What the hell d'ye think you're doing?" he shouted at Sheppard as the Colonel approached.

"It was reaching for the self-destruct," Sheppard said. He looked the Wraith over to make sure it was dead.

"He's the only one that can get McKay and Cadman out!" Carson was frantic. Now he'd never get Rodney back.

Sheppard just looked at him. "I seriously doubt he'd oblige."

"Well, we'll never know now, will we?" Carson was furious and on the verge of tears, but he held them back. Teyla came running up and asked if everyone was all right, but Carson barely heard any of it. The only thing that truly registered was that the Colonel was sending for Radek. If anyone could fix this, he'd be the one. Assuming the situation could be fixed at all, and Carson didn't want to believe Rodney and Lt. Cadman were gone forever.

Shaken and exhausted, Carson sank down next to the Dart and buried his face in his hands. "Oh, god," he murmured. "Rodney."

When Sheppard was done giving orders, he came and sat next to Carson. "I'm sorry, Doc. I couldn't let him set off the self-destruct. He'd have destroyed the Dart and killed you along with it. At least this way, we have some hope of getting McKay and Cadman out of there."

"You don't know that," Carson said softly. "You've no way of knowing that. What if Radek can't figure it out? What if it's too badly damaged? What... what if Wraith ships are like Jumpers and you have to be a Wraith to make 'em work?"

"We'll do everything we can." Sheppard put one hand on Carson's filthy shoulder and squeezed gently. "You know Zelenka's the next best thing to Rodney."

"I just wish Rodney were still here." Carson looked up at Sheppard. "It's not only me that'll suffer from his loss."

***

Rodney lay hooked up to sensors and electrodes as Carson examined scans of his brain and brainwave readouts. He'd not regained consciousness yet, though Carson felt lucky that the Colonel's random choice had given him Rodney back. There were reasons for concern, though.

The brainwaves seemed bizarre, and Carson had no idea what effect this might have on Rodney when he woke. He was having difficulty understanding what the readings suggested, but it certainly wasn't anything akin to normal.

He was, at least, closer to consciousness than when Carson had rushed him through the Gate and into the infirmary. Aside from the odd brainwaves and the fact that he hadn't wakened yet, nothing else seemed wrong. There were no physical injuries. His heart rate and blood pressure were within his normal limits. His breathing was normal. The effects were similar to Wraith stunners, which made a certain amount of sense. They probably didn't want to deal with their food fighting back when the humans were rematerialized aboard the Hiveships.

Carson shuddered at the thought. He could so easily have lost Rodney in that momentary pulse of energy. Radek had assembled a team of engineers to transport the remains of the Dart to a lab and was currently at work trying to pull the storage pod from the ruined craft. Carson had no idea if their efforts to extract Lt. Cadman would work, but he prayed they would. She'd seemed a lovely lass, and she'd not hesitated to put her own life in danger to save his.

Dr. Weir had come by a little while ago to check on Rodney, and she'd promised him she would let him know immediately when Lt. Cadman was retrieved from the Dart. Carson was thankful that Radek's team was on the project.

***

The Dart was partly organic from what Radek could determine, but the transformer itself was definitely mechanical in nature. How to interface their equipment -- or the Ancient's -- with it was another question entirely, though. Radek sighed and pulled his glasses off, rubbing at tired eyes.

Wen Lin Yao sorted through the transformer bits they'd pulled from the trashed machinery. She looked somber but didn't speak. Everyone was working fast and frantic. Who knew how much time they had to extract Lieutenant Cadman from the device? Would her patterns deteriorate if she were in there too long? Radek wished desperately for Rodney's presence, but he was still unconscious in the infirmary at last report.

Perhaps in a few hours Rodney might be awake again and able to at least consult on the process. From what Carson had said, the effects of the beam seemed most like a Wraith stunner blast. Radek went over the readings again, trying to understand how to best regulate the energy they would need to channel to trigger the rematerialization.

Reverse engineering the transformer itself was crucial if they were to rematerialize the lieutenant. Radek was uncertain if any parts were missing, though he'd had them sweep the crash site with sensors and metal detectors to look for any possible missed pieces. It was worse than jigsaw puzzles by orders of magnitude, and a life was at risk if they were to get it wrong.

Hilde Schiffer was cursing in German as she tried to interface with the Dart systems. She was obviously having no luck at all. Their hopes of learning anything from the onboard systems were shrinking rapidly. Others were swarming over the Dart itself, trying to learn everything they could about the craft.

Radek wanted to go to the infirmary and see how Rodney was, but there was no time. If Rodney were conscious, perhaps he could offer suggestions from his bed, but he was sure Carson would have said something if that were so. Radek grumbled to himself and put his glasses back on, studying the schematic sketches he'd been able to put together from the transformer fragments so far. The power requirements were going to be excruciatingly precise.

Focus was what he needed. Radek forced everything else out of his mind.

***

The brainwaves were still very peculiar, but Rodney looked near ready to wake. It was odd, really. He had no way to interpret what was going on with them. Carson sat next to his bed just watching as his eyes moved beneath his lids.

"Come on, Rodney, wake up for me." He patted Rodney's wrist.

Rodney's eyes opened, but he looked terribly confused.

"It's all right, love. You're safe, but Lieutenant Cadman's still stuck inside the bloody Dart."

"Stuck in... but I'm here," Rodney said. His voice had a peculiar timbre to it.

Carson nodded. "Aye. Radek got you out."

"But you said I was stuck in the Dart."

He shook his head, wondering if Rodney was still disoriented. "No, it's Lieutenant Cadman who's still stuck in the Dart, poor lass."

"But --" Rodney raised his hand and looked at it. "Oh no." There was a stricken expression on Rodney's face. "Oh no. This is... this is impossible."

"What do you mean? You've got some odd brainwave readings, but you should be all right."

"No, no, you don't understand." Rodney's eyes screwed shut and he covered his face with his hands. "I'm not Rodney. I'm Laura."

"Oh, no, Rodney, that doesn't sound good at all. I need to examine you more closely, I think. Something must have happened to you in the Dart."

"I'm stuck in McKay's body!" Admittedly, the squeak sounded nothing like Rodney usually did, even when he was panicking. Carson tilted his head and looked at Rodney.

"Rodney?"

"Laura. Lieutenant Laura Cadman, 073-99-1732," he said. "And I am seriously, seriously screwed if I'm stuck in McKay's body."

"Oh, dear," Carson said, feeling a wee bit faint. "That might explain the odd brainwaves I've been getting. And if Rodney's not here, we're going to have the devil of a time getting your body out of the Dart." His heart constricted in his chest. If Laura was in Rodney's body, where was Rodney?

***

Rodney sat in the infirmary bed playing peekaboo with Carson while Cadman's voice ranted in his head. This was bad. This was, in fact, very, very bad. If he didn't know better, he'd imagine it was some kind of sick, twisted nightmare.

Until he got her out of his head, life was going to suck in a truly monumental way.

***

"I don't know," Rod-- Lt. Cadman said. Elizabeth blinked. "It's... it's like I can feel some of his emotions, but I can't hear his thoughts or anything. I mean, I know I'm not the only one in here." Cadman tapped Rodney's temple.

Carson nodded, looking worried. "Aye. Two consciousnesses in one head; that might explain the strange brainwave readings I've been getting. I've not seen anything like it before. I don't know what we can do."

Kate Heightmeyer tilted her chair back a little. "I think we can try to communicate with Rodney through hypnosis, in something approaching the way that Teyla was able to communicate with the Wraith."

Elizabeth sighed. "So you're suggesting that we might be able to reach Rodney's subconscious?" It was all bad. None of them knew what to do or even what they were coping with. That Rodney was still in there somewhere seemed likely, but not particularly useful at the moment.

"There's no way of knowing," Kate said, "but it's worth a try. Without him, we're going to have a very difficult time extracting the lieutenant's body from the transformer and getting her back into it where she belongs."

Zelenka nodded. "I agree. We need Rodney's mind for this. He is able to make connections that come far more slowly for others." His brows were knit together, his forehead wrinkled with worry. "I do not know if I am capable of doing this without him."

"I have great faith in you, Dr. Zelenka," Elizabeth said. "You may be used to working with Rodney, but I've seen how you complete each other's sentences. I know your mind works in very similar ways. If he could do this, so can you." She reached out and laid her hand on his. "I know you'll do your best for him, and the team you've assembled is without equal. You've also reported that some progress has been made."

Zelenka sighed. "Yes, this is true. We have some idea of the power requirements. They are very precise. I do not know if we can modulate them properly so as not to damage equipment." He leaned forward, resting his chin on both hands. There was exhaustion in his eyes. "If we damage the equipment, we may damage the pattern buffer." He looked over at Cadman and she knew he saw Rodney. "If that happens, we may never get either of them back as they were."

Shock flickered over Cadman's face. It was different than Rodney's usual look of shock and buried much more quickly. Cadman in his body was so unlike him. Elizabeth felt like everything in her world was at some strange angle, like that campy old Batman series where the villains' lairs were all filmed off bead.

Unfortunately, there was nothing even slightly funny about this. She knew it had to be even worse for Carson. He simply sat there, hands clasped on the desk, looking lost. This wasn't something he could cure with gene therapy or surgery. Fear haunted his eyes. She hoped that between them, they would find a way to get Rodney back. Everyone needed him, Carson most of all.

"What can I do?" Cadman finally asked, looking at Kate.

"We'll set up for a hypnosis session, see if we can find him," Kate said. Cadman nodded, the gesture strangely feminine in Rodney's rumpled form.

"I'll get started on it." Carson stood and held out a hand to Cadman. "Come along, then--" He paused for a moment as though to continue with 'Rodney' then shook his head. "We'll need to prep you for the work."

Dr. Zelenka and Kate stayed for a few moments after Carson left with Cadman. "Keep an eye on him, Kate," Elizabeth said. Kate nodded.

"I should get back to the lab," Zelenka said softly. Elizabeth laid a brief touch on his shoulder.

"You'll figure this out," she said. "You can do this." She hoped she believed it.

***

Sheppard watched as Ronon Dex sparred with the Marines. The man was good. He was damned good, in fact. One of the best he'd ever seen, really, and that was saying a lot these days. After all, he had Teyla to compare this guy to. And Dex had survived seven years on the run from the Wraith. That was a hell of an accomplishment any way you looked at it.

He probably knew seventy-three ways to kill a Wraith with a pencil.

This was a skill set that Atlantis desperately needed. The guy obviously didn't have a home to go back to. Sheppard wondered if he might seriously consider the suggestion to stick around. He didn't know from Satedans, but Dex was military. Chances are he'd fit in on some level. Didn't seem to matter what service you were in -- the idea was the same. Shoot things, get shot at, stand in front of the civilians when harm came along. Pretty simple, really.

Talking to Elizabeth about it with the whole Cadman stuck in Rodney's body thing might not be very good timing, but he'd have to do it at some point. Maybe after dinner.