As the team emerged from the Stargate they found a welcoming party waiting for them.
"Welcome to Talos. We've been expecting you." said a tall, distinguished looking man standing at the front of the group.
"You've been expecting us?" asked John warily.
"The Old One foretold your arrival." replied the man. "Forgive me, I am Jerand. Allow me to show you to our village so you can take some refreshment."
"Thank you." said John. "I am Major John Sheppard. This is Teyla Emmagan, Lt. Aiden Ford and Dr. Rodney McKay."
"Please, follow me." said Jerand.
"I would be interested in learning more about the Old One." said John as he moved up alongside Jerand.
"He has been here for as long as we can remember." replied Jerand. "For many generations he has guided our people."
"How is that possible?" asked John, thinking of Chaya Sar.
"We do not know." replied Jerand. "Whenever he is asked his answers are always cryptic. We have never been able to learn what they mean."
"Would it be possible to speak to him?" asked John.
"Of course." replied Jerand. "He wishes to speak with you too Major, but he has warned me that you are in danger." he added, lowering his voice so that only John could hear him.
"Me personally or the whole team?" asked John uneasily.
"You only." replied Jerand.
"Can you be more specific?" asked John.
"Unfortunately not. You will need to speak with him to learn more." replied Jerand. "He did say that you are about to face the greatest test of your life. And that you could lose."
A chill of foreboding ran down John's back. He thought about the imminent Wraith attack on Atlantis but knew instinctively that that wasn't what the Old One meant. The warning unsettled him more than he cared to admit and he clenched his jaw, making a muscle twitch along his jaw line. For several days now he'd had a feeling of impending disaster and it left him feeling tense and edgy. The events of the last few months were weighing heavily on him and he was almost beginning to second-guess himself. Now he had to contend with this too. He walked the rest of the way to the village in a brooding silence that was uncharacteristic for him.
Jerand watched John surreptitiously, noting the dark look in his eyes. He thought of telling the Major what else the Old One had said but decided not to. John already looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and Jerand didn't want to add to the burden.
Once in the village John seemed to snap out of his dark mood as the villagers descended on them, escorting them to where a banquet had been set up in their honour. He relaxed, smiling easily and charming the young women who blushed prettily at his compliments. The rest of the team also relaxed, enjoying the attentions of the villagers. Jerand was a gracious host and kept them all entertained. During the afternoon one of the men who hadn't attended the banquet approached Jerand and spoke quietly to him. Jerand nodded to the man and turned to John.
"If you'll excuse me there is something I need to attend to." he said.
"Anything I can do to help?" asked John.
Jerand smiled. "Thank you for the offer but I must see to this myself." he said.
"No problem." said John. He watched thoughtfully as Jerand left, his senses prickling. Something didn't feel right but he couldn't pin it down to anything definitive. Thinking he was just overreacting he rejoined the conversation around the table, not noticing that he was being watched.

A short time later Jerand returned and signalled to John that he wished to have a private word. John excused himself from the table and joined Jerand a short distance away.
"What's wrong?" asked John.
"We have a problem." said Jerand. "I cannot take you to the Old One. Something has come up that requires my immediate attention. I have, however, found you a guide."
"So what's the problem?" asked John.
"He insists that you go alone and unarmed." replied Jerand.
"I can't do that. Especially now, after the Old One's warning." said John.
"I understand Major." said Jerand. "I said this to Lorien but he is adamant."
John shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to do. His feeling of unease spiked sharply and his natural instincts warned him of danger. He wanted to see the Old One but he didn't like the conditions being imposed on him. "This could be what the Old One was warning about." he said eventually.
"That thought occurred to me also." said Jerand. "I understand this is difficult but you must see the Old One."
John sighed. He was liking this less and less by the minute. "Let me talk to my team." he said.
"Of course." said Jerand.

"We have a situation." said John quietly as he seated himself next to Teyla.
"What's the problem sir?" asked Aiden.
"Jerand can't take us to see the Old One so he found someone else who could." replied John. "Unfortunately this guide wants me to go alone and unarmed."
"It's too risky." said Aiden.
"I agree." said Teyla.
"There's every possibility this Old One could be an Ancient." said Rodney. "We need to talk to him."
"I know." said John, irritated by Rodney's tone of voice. "I just don't like the idea of walking into an unknown situation without a weapon."
"We could follow a short distance behind and track you with a Life Signs Detector." suggested Aiden. "That way if anything happens we should be near enough to help."
Ordinarily John would readily have agreed with that idea but the Old One's warning combined with his own uneasiness made him consider it more closely. Finally, he came to a decision. He unclipped his P-90 and laid it along with his sidearm on the table. "Let's do this." he said. He handed the LSD to Rodney. "Stay as close as you can without being detected."
"Yes sir." said Aiden.

John followed Lorien, along a forest trail. He'd tried to draw him into conversation but the man had proven to be untalkative. He seemed nervous too, which John found suspicious and put him even more on his guard. Up ahead of them, the trail opened out into a clearing and Lorien quickened his pace. Alert for trouble, John hung back and approached the clearing cautiously. He scanned the tree line, looking for anything unusual but everything seemed to be as it should be. Lorien stopped a short distance into the clearing and called back to him.
"Is there a problem Major?" he asked.
Reluctantly, John walked out into the clearing. "No problem." he said casually but his eyes were everywhere. Even so, he almost missed the attack when it came. A Wraith stepped out of the trees on the far side of the clearing, aiming a stunner at him. "Wraith!" he managed to yell into his radio before a stun blast took him down.

Teyla suddenly sensed the presence of the Wraith in the clearing. "Wraith!" she said urgently.
"Just up ahead!" said Rodney as the LSD picked up the Wraith signature. At almost the same moment John's yell came over the radio.
"Move!" yelled Aiden as he sprinted up the trail, gun primed and ready.
Rodney shoved the LSD inside his jacket as he and Teyla followed Aiden. They hadn't gone more than a hundred yards when they heard the whine of a Wraith dart passing overhead.
"No!" shouted Aiden. He burst into the clearing just in time to see the dart climb steeply towards the upper atmosphere and space. Around him the clearing was eerily silent and empty.
Teyla stopped beside Aiden, her eyes following the dart as it climbed. "Major Sheppard?" she asked.
"I don't know." said Aiden. "Major Sheppard, come in please." he said into his radio. All he got back was static.
Rodney finally caught up with them, completely out of breath. Gasping for air he pulled out the LSD and made a sweep around the clearing. The only life signs were their own.
"Well?" demanded Aiden.
"Nothing." replied Rodney, breathlessly. "The Wraith must have them."

"You need to get your people to safety." said Aiden as they made their way back through the village. "The Wraith could start culling at any minute."
"There are caves nearby that will shelter us until the Wraith are gone." replied Jerand[C1]. "I'm truly sorry about Major Sheppard."
"It is possible we may be able to rescue him." replied Teyla.
"From the Wraith?" asked a surprised Jerand. "How?"
"We have a way to get inside the hive ship undetected." replied Aiden evasively.
"I hope you are successful." said Jerand.
"Thank you." said Teyla.
The team left the village and hurried down to the Stargate where Rodney punched in the address for Atlantis.

"We have an incoming wormhole." said Peter Grodin.
"Who is it?" asked Elizabeth.
"It's Lt. Ford's IDC." replied Peter.
"Lower the shield." said Elizabeth.
Minutes later the team came through the Gate and headed straight up the stairs to the control room.
"Where's Major Sheppard?" asked Elizabeth, alarmed by his absence.
"He's been captured by the Wraith ma'am." replied Aiden. "We need to take a puddlejumper and go back for him."
"My office." said Elizabeth. "I want to know everything that happened."
"Elizabeth.." began Rodney impatiently but she cut him off.
"I won't authorise a rescue mission until I know what's involved." she said.
Once in the office Aiden quickly told Elizabeth what had happened.
"Don't you find it strange that this Lorien demands Sheppard is unarmed and then they're both taken by the Wraith?" asked Elizabeth.
"We have no reason to suspect betrayal." said Teyla while the two men looked uncomfortable. "The Wraith could not have known we were on the planet."
"I'm not so sure." said Elizabeth, unconvinced. "Nevertheless we need to try and get Major Sheppard back. You have a go for the mission."
"Thank you." said Rodney.
The team hurried out of the office and up to the puddlejumper bay. "I hope you can get us into the hive ship in one piece." said Aiden.
"I'll try." said Rodney, heavily sarcastic.
"We don't have time for this." said Teyla, disapprovingly.
Chastised, the men quickly seated themselves and made the necessary pre-flight checks. Once they were ready, Rodney steeled himself and got the jumper under way. Within minutes they were through the Gate and Rodney cloaked the ship as he pulled it into a climb. When they reached orbit Rodney brought up the main display and immediately discovered a problem. There were two hive ships.
"Now what?" asked Rodney.
"Can you detect Major Sheppard?" asked Teyla.
"No." replied Rodney after a moment.
"They probably took his radio." said Aiden.
"Which means we'll have to search each ship with the LSD to find him." said Rodney. "Which means we'll probably be caught."
"There's nothing else we can do." said Aiden. "We can't just leave him."
"How do you propose to search two hive ships without being detected?" demanded Rodney.
"Carefully." said Aiden determinedly. "Let's get moving McKay, we're not going to do Major Sheppard any good sitting out here."
"Which ship?" snapped Rodney.
"The one on the left." replied Aiden.
"I could try connecting with the Wraith." said Teyla. "It might help us find Major Sheppard."
"No, it's too dangerous." replied Aiden. "If they detect our presence we'll never have a chance."
With a great deal of misgiving, Rodney steered the jumper towards the chosen hive ship but had to stop almost immediately.
"Why have you stopped?" demanded Aiden.
"There's too much activity!" snapped Rodney. "I'll never get the jumper in without being detected!"
They all watched as darts went between the two ships. The activity continued unabated for some time before it suddenly stopped. Minutes later, a large number of darts poured out of both ships and headed for the surface of the planet.
"So the culling begins." said Rodney quietly.

John came awake slowly, unsure of where he was. His body ached abysmally and he felt sick from the stun blast that had taken him down. He remembered what happened and realised angrily that he had been betrayed. He sat up abruptly but the room spun sickeningly and he had to lay back down, the cold floor feeling good against his back as he let the dizziness and nausea wash over him. The more he considered what had happened the more irritated he became, mostly at himself for not seeing through Lorien's deception. He berated himself for falling into the trap and for being foolish enough to believe the man. Finally, anger drove him to his feet and he began to pace his cell, slowly at first as his body fought to overcome the effects of being stunned. His mind raced as he tried to figure a way out but without his gear or even his flack jacket he didn't stand a chance. Unbidden, an image of Colonel Sumner flashed into his mind. He stopped dead as all the guilt over Sumner's death came back to him in force. He saw once again the Wraith sucking the life out of the Colonel and realized with shocking suddenness that he was next. He went hot and cold as the reality of his situation finally sunk in then angrily suppressed the emotions, knowing that way led to panic.

A sound behind him made John turn and his heart skipped a beat as he saw two Wraith guards. He briefly considered refusing when one of them peremptorily beckoned him forward but he rejected the thought knowing it would only bring him pain and he wanted to be alert for his confrontation with whoever was in charge. He left the cell and was escorted to a room nearby. The room was dimly lit and he glanced around uneasily. Suddenly, she was there before him. The Wraith Queen. He tensed warily as she locked eyes with him but her intent was not to feed off him. She brought her hands up close to his head then without warning drove her mind into his. Caught by surprise, John struggled to contain her. He grabbed her wrists in an effort to break the contact but the guards forced him to let go. The Queen was everywhere in his mind and it was all he could do to keep her away from sensitive information.
The Queen was intrigued by this human who had no fear of her or her kind. He was strong this one and would be good to feast upon but there was something she wanted from him first. She withdrew suddenly from John's mind, leaving him reeling. Giving him no time to recover, she reached across with her left hand and ran the back of her index finger down his cheek. His quick, indrawn breath told her a great deal, as did the sudden image of Sumner that flashed across his mind. Unaware of what he had just given away, John tensed as the Queen dropped her hand and ran her fingers down his chest. Mixed emotions ran through him as he tried to figure out what she was up to.
The Queen laid her palm flat against John's chest. She could feel his heartbeat which was strong and slightly fast. Images of Sumner flashed across his mind and she savoured his unease through the light contact that she had maintained with him.
John tried unsuccessfully to suppress the memories of Sumner's death. They played across his mind in vivid detail and gave the Queen everything she needed to try and break him. Once again she locked her eyes with his, her gaze predatory, his defiant in return. Then she took the images of Sumner and altered them, putting John in Sumner's place. Gathering her strength, she forced them deep into John's mind, where they would do the most damage. Shocked by the unexpected assault, John flinched. The Queen smiled, knowing she had found a weakness. Stepping away from him she signalled the guards to return him to his cell.

John sat with his back to a wall, his emotions in chaos as images bombarded his mind. Still feeling the Queen's hand on his chest, he desperately tried to find something, anything that would stop the images. The guilt he felt over Sumner's death took on a peculiar twist as it became himself that he shot, over and over again. In desperation he began to recite mathematical formulae, making them as complex as possible. Little by little he managed to regain control but the effort exhausted him. Afraid to sleep, he got up and began to pace around his cell. He hadn't been at it for long when the Wraith came for him again. Thinking he would be seeing the Queen, he was surprised when he was taken to a different room. Inside, half a dozen Wraith awaited them. Without warning, the guards gripped John's arms and frog-marched him towards the group. Not saying a word, one of the Wraith stepped forward and rammed his hand against the center of John's chest. John choked back a cry as the Wraith's hand burned through his shirt and into his chest. Then pain exploded through his body, ripping a scream from him. It lasted for what seemed an eternity but was in reality only a few seconds before the Wraith abruptly pulled away. John's knees buckled but the guards held him upright as the remaining Wraith circled around him. Almost before he had time to catch his breath a second Wraith closed in and fed off him, eliciting another scream. Again and again the Wraith fed off him but never more than a few seconds at a time. Finally it was over and he was dumped unceremoniously back in his cell where he passed out.

"Okay, here we go." said Rodney.
All of the darts had finally left for the planet giving Rodney the opportunity to fly into the landing bay of the hive ship.
"Let's go." said Aiden once they were down. "We've got a lot of ground to cover and we have no idea how long they'll be on the planet."
Cautiously, they left the jumper and started their search. The hive ship appeared almost deserted allowing them to roam freely with little contact. The few times they did come across Wraith they were able to remain undetected with the aid of the LSD. Eventually though they had to concede that John wasn't on the ship.
"He's not here." said Aiden. "Let's return to the jumper and search the other ship while there's till time."
"We've been at this for hours." said Rodney. "The Wraith could return at any moment."
"It's not been that long." said Aiden. "And in any case, we're not leaving Major Sheppard behind."
"Then we'd better hurry." said Teyla. "The Wraith will not be on the planet much longer."
As quickly as they could they returned to the jumper and left the hive ship. As soon as they were out the main display came up showing the darts beginning to leave the planet and head in their direction.
"Move it McKay!" snapped Aiden. "We need to be in the other hive ship before they reach us!"
Swearing under his breath Rodney flew as fast as he dared and slipped into the hanger of the second hive ship just as the lead darts reached them. He dropped the jumper down into a secluded part of the hangar as darts swarmed in the air above them.
"That was too close." said Aiden, breathing a sigh of relief.
"We're going to have to wait awhile before we can search." said Rodney. "Let's hope they don't jump to hyperspace before we can leave."

John woke hours later, his body on fire. He tore off what remained of his shirt and let the cold from the floor soak into his back, easing the burning. Shock finally set in and he began to shake violently as the memory of his ordeal combined with the images implanted by the Queen played repeatedly in his mind. It took time and a considerable amount of effort before he finally managed to re-establish control. He tried to think rationally about what had happened but he didn't understand any of it. He'd never heard of multiple Wraith attacks on a single victim before and he couldn't understand why they hadn't interrogated him. They had to know he held important information about Atlantis and yet they had asked him nothing. It didn't make sense. While he exhausted himself trying to figure it out, he gradually became aware of the silence. It was deep and impenetrable and he found it unnerving. He strained to hear any sound, no matter how small but the silence stretched on, interminable. Finally, heart pounding, breathing rapid, he forced himself off the floor and began to pace his cell once more. With nothing to hold his attention his mind kept flashing back to the attack and he slowly began to lose his hard-won control. Without realising it, he was gradually unravelling; just as the Wraith had intended. Traumatised and exhausted he started to shake again and angrily hit the bars of his cell, letting the pain in his hand focus his mind. The soldier in him knew he should be looking for a way out but he was desperate and afraid. The two sides warred with each other until he backfisted the bars in frustration, breaking several bones in his hand. The pain made him realise suddenly what was happening. Taking a deep, calming breath he sat with his back to the bars and let his training take over, knowing that escape was virtually impossible.

Sometime later, the guards came for John again. They appeared soundlessly, seemingly out of thin air which completely unnerved him. It took everything he had just to walk out of the cell, but somehow he made it. The guards flanked him closely as they made their way back to the room he had been in earlier. As before, half a dozen Wraith were there and waiting. Unable to stop himself he balked but the Guards were ready for it. They grabbed his arms and forced him into the room. Fear hit him as he had a flashback to his earlier ordeal and he began to struggle, fighting like a wildcat. The guards however, quickly overcame him and held him immobile between them. The Wraith circled him as before, taking it in turns to feed off him.

Two Wraith watched as John's unconscious body was dragged from the room. One turned to the other and said, "This one is tough. We have not met his like since the Lanteans fled."
"Not tough enough." said the other. "He is ready to break. Next time we question him."

"That's strange." said Rodney, staring at the LSD.
"What's that?" asked Aiden.
"There are no Wraith in this part of the ship." replied Rodney.
"Are you sure?" asked Aiden reflexively, instantly regretting it as Rodney gave him a withering look.
"Do you think it's a trap?" asked Teyla, before Rodney could make any cutting remarks.
"I don't know." replied Rodney.
"What about Major Sheppard?" asked Aiden.
"He's ahead of us." replied Rodney.
"Let's go before any Wraith show up." said Aiden.
The three of them quickly made their way to John's cell but they were unprepared for what they saw. John was lying on his stomach, his back covered by Wraith handprints. There was heavy bruising on his arms and his left hand was badly swollen.
"The Wraith have been feeding off him!" said Aiden in shock.
"He hasn't aged!" said Rodney in disbelief. He looked at Teyla hoping she would have an explanation.
"I've never heard of anything like this." said Teyla.
"We don't have time for this." said Aiden. He took some C4 out of his jacket and moulded it around the lock on the cell door. "Stand back!" he said. When they were away from the door and covering their eyes he detonated the C4. "McKay, help me get him up. Teyla, keep watch." he said as he quickly moved to John's side.
Together Aiden and Rodney lifted John, his unconscious body a dead weight between them.
"He's burning up." said Rodney as he felt the heat radiating off John.
"The sooner we get him back to Atlantis the sooner Beckett can have a look at him." said Aiden.
"Of course." said Rodney.
"How are we going to know where the Wraith are if you're holding Major Sheppard?" asked Teyla.
Aiden and Rodney exchanged looks.
"Fireman's lift." said Rodney.
"Right." said Aiden. He went down on one knee and took John across his shoulders. Pushing himself to his feet he said, "Let's go."
With Rodney leading, they made their way back out of the cell area. It was touch and go as they moved through the populated areas of the ship but they made it back to the puddlejumper without incident. While Aiden and Teyla wrapped John in a blanket and laid him out in the back, Rodney sat down at the controls. He had a bad moment when two Wraith guards appeared and looked straight at the jumper. They hesitated a moment before turning and leaving the hangar. Breathing a sigh of relief, he got the jumper in the air and manoeuvred his way out into space. Once there he dropped the jumper under the Wraith ship to avoid the patrols before heading to the planet and the Stargate.

"We have an incoming wormhole." said Peter over the commlink.
"Who is it?" asked Elizabeth as she came out of her office.
"I'm receiving Dr. McKay's IDC" replied Peter.
"Lower the shield." said Elizabeth.
"Atlantis, this is McKay. We have a medical emergency." said Rodney's voice over the commlink.
Almost afraid to ask, Elizabeth said, "Major Sheppard?"
"Yes." replied Rodney.
"What are his injuries?" asked Carson, who had been listening.
There was a distinct pause while Rodney decided what to tell them. Then he said, "I prefer not to say. We'll be with you in a few minutes."
Elizabeth's anxiety peaked sharply at Rodney's words. Thoughts crowded through her mind as she ran through worse case scenarios. She started in surprise as Peter spoke.
"Dr. Weir? Are you okay?"
Elizabeth was saved from answering by the arrival of the jumper through the Stargate. She hurried up the stairs to the jumper bay to find out what had happened.

Almost before the ramp had hit the ground, Carson was inside the jumper. "What happened?" he demanded as he knelt by John's side.
"He was captured by the Wraith." replied Rodney. He had agreed with the others to say as little as possible until they were in the relative privacy of the infirmary.
Carson looked at Rodney and frowned. He could tell by the team's expressions that something was seriously wrong and was puzzled by their silence. He reached out to pull aside the blanket covering John when Aiden knelt and grabbed his wrist.
"Not here." Aiden said quietly.
Carson was about to protest but Aiden's quiet voice and the intense look in his eyes stopped him. "Okay son." he said. He called in the rest of his team and between them they lifted John onto the gurney.
"What's going on?" asked Elizabeth as she came up to the jumper.
"I'll tell you when we get to the infirmary." said Rodney.
Burning with curiosity and trepidation, Elizabeth joined everyone as they hurriedly followed Carson and his team. A few minutes later they reached the infirmary. As soon as they brought the gurney to a halt Carson lifted the blanket covering John. There was a stunned silence as they all saw the handprints covering John's body.
"His back is the same." said Aiden, breaking the silence.
"I thought being drained by the Wraith caused rapid aging?" asked Elizabeth.
"And isn't it usually only one Wraith?" asked Carson, finally finding his voice.
"It does and it is." replied Rodney impatiently. "The only way we're going to find out what happened is to ask him."
"That may not be possible." said Carson. "At least for now. I'll need to do a full exam to assess his condition."
"Please keep us posted." said Elizabeth. "I'd like to see everyone in the conference room for a debriefing in fifteen minutes."
"Yes, of course." said Rodney. With a last look at John, he headed for his quarters, closely followed by the others.
When the infirmary had emptied, Carson turned back to John. His eyes took in the heavy bruising on John's arms before travelling down to his left hand. The hand was badly swollen and bruised and as Carson picked it up John moaned and stirred which told Carson all he needed to know. "Joe, could you prepare an x-ray please?" he asked his assistant. As Joe Dawson went to get the equipment he continued with his examination, liking what he was finding less and less.

Rodney came into the briefing room and paused in mid-stride as he saw Bates. He was beginning to appreciate why there was so much antipathy between Bates and John. There were times the man exhibited the typical military xenophobia and Rodney was beginning to find his attitude tedious in the extreme. Frowning darkly, he moved to a chair at the opposite end of the table. Almost as if he had read Rodney's thoughts, Bates looked at him and smiled. A few minutes later, first Teyla then Aiden arrived and taking their cues from Rodney, sat at the opposite end of the table from Bates. Bates just smiled sardonically.
"Good, you're all here." said Elizabeth as she came into the room. She noticed the division at the table but chose not to comment. "What happened?" she asked as she took a seat.
"We found two Wraith ships in orbit around the planet." said Aiden. "There was too much activity for us to risk going in so we had to wait until all the darts left for the culling. We searched the first ship without success and moved onto the second."
"Which gave the Wraith plenty of time to torture Major Sheppard." said Bates. "He probably told them everything they needed to know about our defences."
"You don't know that!" snapped Rodney angrily.
"You saw what they did to him!" Bates snapped back. "No-one can take that kind of punishment without breaking, not even Sheppard."
"Gentlemen!" said Elizabeth sharply. "Please continue Lieutenant."
"We found Major Sheppard unconscious in a cell on the second ship." said Aiden. "We got him out as quickly as we could and returned to Atlantis."
"The Wraith have already learned about Earth from Colonel Sumner." said Bates. "Now they have Major Sheppard's knowledge as well. His recklessness has left us wide open to attack!"
"That's enough!" said Elizabeth, angry now despite herself. "You will show respect for Major Sheppard, Sergeant or I will remove you from your post. Is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am." replied Bates, his eyes smouldering sullenly.
"We cannot know for certain what the Wraith have learned from Major Sheppard." said Teyla. "He has not aged so they obviously did not feed for long. It may be that they have learned nothing."
Bates thought about making a comment on Teyla's affinity with the Wraith but he glanced at Elizabeth and decided it wasn't a good idea at the moment. Instead he said, "We should still consider the possibility that the Wraith have gained some knowledge from Major Sheppard and adjust our defences accordingly."
"Agreed." said Elizabeth. "We should also return to Talos and offer whatever aid we can."
"Now that the Wraith have visited the planet it could be a good alternative if we need another alpha site." said Aiden.
"Good thinking Lieutenant." said Elizabeth. "Get what rest you can, then in the morning take a jumper and go back there. Let me know what you find."
"Yes ma'am." said Aiden.
"All right, if there's nothing else we all have work to be getting on with." said Elizabeth, wrapping up the briefing.

Early the next morning, Carson went to Elizabeth's office and found Rodney there ahead of him. "Elizabeth, Rodney." he said by way of a greeting.
"Carson." said Rodney. Turning to Elizabeth he said, "I'll see you when we get back."
"Keep me informed." said Elizabeth. She looked at Carson. "What have you found?" she asked.
"Major Sheppard has definitely been attacked by more than one Wraith." replied Carson. "I ran DNA profiles on the enzymes in his blood and found six different profiles. Ordinarily this wouldn't cause a problem but something in the Major's genetic makeup has changed the enzymes causing them to attack the body instead of enhancing it. I suspect it has something to do with the Ancient gene."
"How is that possible?" asked Elizabeth.
"I've no idea." replied Carson. "I isolated the enzymes and put them in an ordinary blood sample and the result was completely different. I don't know enough about the Ancient gene to know why this is happening."
"We know the Wraith fed off the Ancients in the same way they feed off humans." said Elizabeth. "There should be no difference."
"I know." said Carson. "For whatever reason this situation is different."
"What is Major Sheppard's condition?" asked Elizabeth.
"He has a high fever and there is some internal damage." replied Carson. "Nothing life threatening as yet but I have him under close observation in case there's any change. He has also sustained bruising to his upper arms and forearms where he was held and the bones in his left hand have been broken."
"What about the formula you brought back from Hoff?" asked Elizabeth. "Wouldn't that neutralise the Wraith enzymes?"
"I've already tried it and it's not working." replied Carson. "Again, it has something to do with the Ancient gene and his particular genetic makeup. I'm having to modify the formula to take that into account but I'm having some difficulty. I could use the Hoffans help right about now."
"Unfortunately that's no longer possible." said Elizabeth.
"Aye, I know." said Carson. "I'll keep working on it. Hopefully I can come up with a solution."
"Has he regained consciousness?" asked Elizabeth.
"Not as yet." replied Carson. "A soon as he does I'll let you know."

Rodney pulled the cloaked jumper into orbit above Talos and brought up the main display. There was no sign of the hive ships. "Well that's something at least." he said in relief.
"Let's go and find out if anyone is left." said Aiden.
"Right." said Rodney. He brought the jumper back down to the planet's surface and landed close to Jerand's village. Surprisingly, everything looked almost normal.
"You think they somehow missed the village?" asked Rodney.
"I don't know." replied Aiden. He led the way out of the jumper and was greeted by Jerand.
"It's good to see you again." said Jerand. "Were you able to rescue Major Sheppard?"
"We were but he's been badly hurt." replied Teyla. "How is it that your village is unaffected by the culling?" she asked.
"The Old One protects us." replied Jerand.
"How exactly does he do that?" asked Rodney.
"McKay." said Aiden, warningly.
"It's all right Lieutenant." said Jerand. "To answer your question Doctor, the Old One is able to affect the minds of the Wraith. He makes them see illusions in the same way that they make us see them."
"Is there anything you need?" asked Teyla. "We came to offer aid if you require it."
"Thank you." said Jerand gratefully. "We could use some medicines if you can spare them."
"Would it be possible to speak to the Old One?" asked Rodney.
"McKay!" threatened Aiden. "This is not the time."
"The ships that stopped here are probably on their way to Atlantis to join the other three." snapped Rodney. "Now is as good a time as any."
"Your request has been anticipated Doctor." said Jerand. "If you will follow me I will take you to the Old One."
Rodney shot a triumphant look at Aiden and followed Jerand into the village.
"One of the days McKay." said Aiden softly as he and Teyla followed on behind.

Jerand led the team to a house in the middle of the village. They entered and saw an old man standing and looking out of a window. He turned to face them and Aiden's first thought was "Gandalf!". The old man was tall and dignified and he had long white hair and a white beard. He also carried a staff.
"Welcome." he said with a smile. "A pity we could not have met under better circumstances."
"We are honoured that you have agreed to see us." said Teyla with a dark look in Rodney's direction.
"Yes. Of course." said Rodney looking smug.
"Please, sit." said Jerand. "I will bring refreshments." He disappeared into another room and returned a few minutes later with a tray full of drinks which he offered to the team and to the old man.
"What is your name?" asked Teyla curiously.
"My name." said the old man musingly. "Thalen. Yes, that is my name."
"You don't seem too sure." said Aiden.
"It has been a long time since I have needed a name." replied Thalen. "The people here simply refer to me as 'The Old One'."
"Doesn't that bother you?" asked Aiden.
"No, since it is the truth." replied Thalen.
Aiden wasn't quite sure what to say to that.
"Jerand says you protect the people by affecting the minds of the Wraith." said Rodney, getting bored with the pleasantries.
"That is correct Dr. McKay." replied Thalen. Rodney looked slightly uncomfortable that Thalen knew his name without introduction. "The Wraith are like children. They are easy to influence."
"Why don't you just kill them?" asked Aiden.
"The Wraith have as much right to live as you do Lieutenant." replied Thalen.
"Even though they systematically kill people all over the galaxy?" asked Aiden.
"Do you not also kill?" asked Thalen.
"To survive, yes." replied Aiden. "It's not the same though."
"Isn't it?" asked Thalen. "They too kill to survive and then they hibernate allowing the population to recover."
"But never enough to allow them to develop technology." protested Aiden.
"And yet there are those who do indeed have technology such as the Genii." replied Thalen.
Aiden couldn't argue with that so he gave up, leaving Rodney to take the field.
Impatient as always, Rodney got straight to the point. "Are you one of the Ancient Atlanteans?" he asked.
"No Doctor, nor am I what you would term an ascended being." replied Thalen.
Rodney was beginning to look a lot less smug. "If that's the case then what are you?" he asked.
"I am what I am Doctor." Thalen replied. He held up a hand to forestall any further questions. "Thank you for your offer of aid. In return, there is much that we can offer."
"We are grateful for your generosity." said Teyla.
"There is room on this planet to take refugees but we cannot take everyone." said Thalen.
"Anything you can do to help those affected by the culling is much appreciated." said Teyla.
Thalen looked then at Aiden. "You're destiny lies on a very different path." he said unexpectedly. "Take care that you do not become lost."
"I will." said Aiden, looking faintly alarmed.

During the afternoon Elizabeth went to the infirmary. She looked for John but couldn't at first see him. Then she saw that an area at the far end of the infirmary had been curtained off. Behind the curtain John lay, still unconscious from his ordeal. He was restless, agitated, his body damp with sweat from the fever. Of immediate concern to Elizabeth was the fact that he was shirtless and his wounds had no dressings. She looked around for Carson and spotted him heading in her direction.
"Elizabeth." said Carson as he approached.
"Carson, what's going on?" asked Elizabeth. "Why haven't Major Sheppard's wounds been dressed?"
"Believe me, they were." replied Carson. "He just keeps pulling them off. His upper body is incredibly sensitised, he can't stand anything against it. That's why he's so restless."
"Isn't there anything you can give him?" asked Elizabeth.
"I've given him as much as I can but it seems to be having very little effect." replied Carson.
"Are you able to give him stimulants?" asked Elizabeth.
"If you're thinking about what I think you're thinking about, the answer is no." replied Carson.
"I need to talk to him, Carson. I need to know what he told the Wraith." said Elizabeth.
"Assuming he told them anything." said Carson. "I'm sorry Elizabeth, I strongly advise against doing this."
"I take full responsibility." said Elizabeth
Carson looked at her for a long moment before finally relenting. "I'll be back in a moment." he said as he went to get what he needed.
A few minutes later he was back with a hypodermic syringe. He injected the contents into the drip attached to John's arm. "This should only take a few minutes to work. Be warned he could be delusional and he may even become violent."
"I understand." said Elizabeth.
A few minutes later, John's breathing changed as he began to regain consciousness. As the burning pain from his wounds began to register, his breathing became shallower and quicker. He shifted fretfully, finally opening his eyes. The room blurred out of focus and for an instant he had no idea where he was or what had happened. Then he remembered. With a terrified "No!" he tried to get off the bed but Carson was ready for him. He grabbed John's arms and pinned them across his chest.
"John! John, its Carson. Stop fighting!" said Carson.
"John, it's Elizabeth. You're safe now." said Elizabeth, trying to break through John's fear. "You're in Atlantis. They can't hurt you anymore."
Exhausted, the fight abruptly went out of John. He lay trembling, his chest heaving as Elizabeth's words gradually sank in. "Elizabeth." he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"I'm here John." said Elizabeth. She put a reassuring hand on his arm and was startled by how hot he was.
Carson frowned. John's eyes were glazed and his pulse was becoming uneven. The chemical cocktail in his body was obviously taking a heavy toll and Carson wasn't sure how much of this he could take. "Whatever you're going to ask him, do it quickly." he said.
"John. What did you tell the Wraith?" asked Elizabeth.
"Wraith." repeated John, his voice almost inaudible. Memories of his ordeal flashed across his mind and he drew in a sharp breath. His breathing quickened as he remembered the feel of the Wraiths hands on his body, the mind-numbing pain as they slowly drew the life out of him. "No!" he said, his voice stronger as the adrenalin kicked in.
"John! Stay with us!" Carson said sharply as he felt John's muscles tense.
"It's not real John!" said Elizabeth. "You're in Atlantis, remember? You're safe here."
On the edge of panic, John pulled against Carson but Carson held him firmly.
"Major! Snap out of it!" commanded Carson.
John didn't hear him. In his fevered mind he was back on the Wraith ship. He felt the hands holding him and knew the other Wraith were nearby, waiting to feed on him. In desperation he began to fight, to try and break free.
Carson felt the fight coming an instant before it happened and yelled for assistance. Elizabeth could only watch helplessly as Carson, Dawson and Gibbs held down a struggling John. Within minutes John exhausted what little strength he had and subsided. Carson breathed a sigh of relief as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Later that evening John stirred, the burning pain in his body making him restless. Finally the pain drove him awake. His heart pounded in momentary panic as he tried to work out where he was but the familiar sounds and smells of the infirmary reassured him. Feeling sick from the pain and the fever he lay still for a long moment but almost immediately the memories returned along with the images implanted by the Queen. In desperation he tried to call out but his voice was little more than a hoarse croak. It was several minutes before his voice was finally strong enough. "Carson!" he called.
Hearing his name, Carson hurried to John's bed. "It's good to see you back with us lad." he said as he checked John's pulse. It was still irregular and his skin was hot and damp with sweat. "Do you feel up to telling me what happened?" he asked.
"It was a trap." replied John, finding the effort of talking almost too much. "I was hit by a Wraith stunner. When I woke up I was in a hive ship." He stopped, unwilling to continue.
"Take your time son." said Carson gently.
John looked away, his emotions in turmoil. The guilt returned forcefully, making breathing difficult as the Queen's 'gift' continued its deadly work.
"John." said Carson in concern as he felt John tremble.
"I can't." said John, his eyes haunted as he looked at Carson. "Not again." The conversation was tiring him fast and he was struggling to stay conscious. His vision blurred in and out of focus and the room began to feel like it was slowly spinning. His breathing deepened and his eyes flickered closed as he slipped back into unconsciousness.
Disturbed, Carson checked John's IV as he thought about the brief conversation. What had happened to John Sheppard on that Wraith ship? There was more to this than just the physical injuries and Carson was determined to find out what it was.

Once again John's dreams were haunted by the memory of Sumner's death, only this time Sumner's image was overlaid with his own. His uncertainty and guilt twisted sickeningly as he shot not only his commanding officer but also himself. Dreams became nightmares as he relived the ordeal of being fed upon, again and again. He thrashed, crying out as the nightmares stalked him bringing Carson on the run.
"John! John!" said Carson urgently as he tried to awaken the struggling Major.
John came awake with a shouted "No!", his eyes wild, his heart hammering from the adrenaline surging through him.
"Easy son." said Carson reassuringly. "It was just a bad dream."
Breathing heavily, John relaxed as he realised where he was. The nightmares refused to fade though and Carson could see it in his eyes.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Carson gently.
"She... I..." began John, but he trailed off, unable to continue.
"She?" prompted Carson.
"The Wraith Queen." answered John.
"What did she do to you?" asked Carson.
The dual images of Sumner and himself flooded John's mind. He shifted uncomfortably, his breathing harsh as the accompanying guilt twisted through him. "No." he moaned, his voice tight with anguish. "Not again."
"John?" asked Carson in concern, but John wasn't listening. "John!" said Carson more forcefully as he gripped the Major's shoulder.
John started violently as Carson broke the spell. Struggling to suppress the memories and the emotions, he said, "I'm sorry."
"That's quite all right." said Carson. "I know you've been through a terrible ordeal."
"I didn't tell them anything." said John, aware even in his distress how important this information was.
"I'll tell Elizabeth." said Carson, grateful he wouldn't need to ask that particular question. There was more he needed to know but he was hesitant to ask.
John glanced at Carson and read the question in his troubled expression. He looked away, clenching his jaw as the memories paraded through his mind despite his efforts to suppress them.
Carson watched John struggling and felt deeply sympathetic towards the younger man. He knew John was strong, but would he be strong enough?
"There were six of them." John said suddenly. He looked at Carson. "They took it in turns to... to... feed." he added reluctantly.
"Why? And why haven't you aged?" asked Carson, forgetting for the moment that he was supposed to be going easy.
"They didn't... They..." John stopped and took a deep breath as he fought for control. "They only took a few seconds each. I don't know why."
In a sudden flash of insight, Carson remembered the mission report detailing Sumner's death. He knew John had issues over his decision to shoot his commanding officer, issues that had never been resolved. Somehow the Wraith had found out and used it against him.
John stared at the ceiling feeling exhausted. The combined effects of the fever and the physical trauma of the feeding had pushed his endurance to its limits. Now the emotional trauma was draining what little strength he had left. He struggled to stay conscious, not wanting the dreams again but the exhaustion took its toll and his eyes flickered closed.
Carson stood for a long time, watching over John. John's words burned across his mind as he took in the Wraith handprints covering the Major's body. The wounds refused to heal and Carson wondered suddenly if the same would be true of the wounds in John's mind.

Next morning Carson went in search of Elizabeth.
"Carson. Come in." said Elizabeth as Carson knocked on her office door. "How is Major Sheppard?"
Carson hesitated, reluctant to say what he knew had to be said. "I think we may have a serious problem." he said finally.
"What do you mean?" asked Elizabeth, alarmed.
"We know the Wraith are telepaths." answered Carson. "It's my belief they attacked Major Sheppard's mind as well as his body."
"What makes you say that?" asked Elizabeth.
"The Major briefly regained consciousness last night." said Carson, as he took a seat at the desk.
"What happened?" asked Elizabeth, apprehensively.
"From the little that he told me I think the Wraith have somehow used Colonel Sumner's death to get to him." replied Carson. "Major Sheppard has never dealt with his decision to shoot Colonel Sumner and it's left him open to this kind of attack. I also believe the feeding was a way to reinforce the mental attack."
For a moment Elizabeth couldn't breathe as her chest tightened. She got up from the table and went to the window where she could look out over the gate room as she tried to regain a measure of calm. After a few minutes she turned back to Carson. "I think it's time to get Kate Heightmayer involved."
"I agree but it won't be easy." said Carson. "He refused point blank to talk to her after the death of Colonel Sumner."
"I could order him to talk to her." said Elizabeth.
"It wouldn't do any good." said Carson. "And he will resent the order."
"What do you suggest?" asked Elizabeth.
"Let me think about it." replied Carson. "I may be able to find a way to persuade him to do this."
"How is he?" asked Elizabeth.
"His condition is steadily deteriorating." replied Carson. "The progress on the Hoffan formula is slow. By the time we've worked it out, it could very well be too late."
"We've tried dialling Hoff but we can't get a lock." said Elizabeth. "I'm sorry Carson."
"I expected as much." replied Carson. "It was a small hope at best."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Elizabeth.
"Thank you Elizabeth, but everything that can be done is being done." replied Carson. "About all we can do now is pray."

John regained consciousness several times during the day but never for long and he was increasingly delusional as the fever raged out of control. Nightmares stalked him relentlessly, making him restless, delirious. Carson and his team worked tirelessly on the Hoffan formula but the protein refused to bind to the enzyme leaving them all feeling frustrated and helpless. As day became night Carson ordered his team to get some rest. "I don't want you making mistakes because you're asleep on your feet. Come back in a few hours when you've had some rest." he said.
Dawson however, remained. "I won't be able to sleep anyway so I might as well be useful." he said.
"Thank you." said Carson with a tired smile.

John stirred restlessly, becoming increasingly agitated as the nightmares plagued his dreams. Ghostly images of Wraith surrounded him, their touch burning like fire. Panicked, he jerked awake. Confused and disoriented by the nightmares, he didn't recognise where he was in the dim light. Thinking he was still on the Wraith ship he got up and made his unsteady way to the door. His eyes refused to focus properly making the room swim sickeningly. With no clear idea of where he was or where he was going, he left the infirmary and made his way through the halls. Although the fever was affecting his conscious mind, a deep inner instinct guided him unerringly to a weapons locker. Bates, suspicious as always, had posted a guard but to John's fevered eyes the guard appeared to be a Wraith. Fear hammered into him as his mind flashed back to his captivity and it was all he could do not to turn and run. Heart pounding, he changed direction and slipped away without the guard even realising he was there. Fear and adrenaline driving him on, John found his way to his quarters where he picked up a spare gun and two ammunition clips. Gun in hand, he headed towards the jumper bay.

Carson sighed in frustration as he returned to the infirmary. He was exhausted but couldn't sleep due to worrying about his patient. He silently made his way down the room to check on John and was stunned to find him gone. He swore to himself and went to find Dawson.
"Major Sheppard is gone!" said Carson as he burst into the office where Dawson was doing paperwork. "I need you to get Dr. McKay, Teyla and Lt. Ford and bring them here."
As Dawson left at a run Carson went to a cabinet and pulled out a small case. Working quickly he took out a tranquilliser gun and several darts. Next he located a bottle of fast acting sedative and began filling each of the darts. As he finished and loaded the first dart into the gun, Dawson returned with Rodney, Teyla and Aiden.
Rodney took one look at the gun and said, "Shooting him is a little extreme, isn't it?"
"It's a tranquilliser gun Rodney." replied Carson. "Major Sheppard is delusional right now and probably hallucinating as well. He'll never let us close enough to bring him in and force will only do more harm than good. This way we can take him down safely."
"What about Wraith stunners?" asked Aiden.
"He's not strong enough." replied Carson. "That's why I'm using tranquillisers. They'll do less harm."
"Let's hope we find him before Bates does." said Aiden. "He would like nothing better than to take the Major by force."
"How are we going to find Major Sheppard?" asked Teyla.
"The biometric sensor." said McKay suddenly.
"The what?" asked Aiden.
"It's like the life signs detectors but it can scan the whole city." replied Rodney. "There's only one problem."
"What's that?" asked Aiden.
"At the moment it can only be accessed from the control room." replied Rodney.
"How will it help us find Major Sheppard?" asked Carson.
"It can be calibrated to detect different life forms." replied Rodney.
"How does that help us?" asked Aiden.
Exasperated, Rodney replied, "The Ancient gene. Sheppard's biometric profile is different to most of the people in the city. It should be easy enough to eliminate the others who possess the gene which will leave us with Sheppard's location."
"Well what are you waiting for?" asked Carson. "We need to find him quickly."
"What about Bates?" asked Aiden.
"I'm sure you'll think of something." said Rodney. "Let's go."
Leading the way, Rodney quickly headed for the control room. He brushed past the guard Bates had posted in the corridor and went to the biometric sensor, the others close behind him. Bill Peters, who was on duty, looked on with interest as Rodney re-calibrated the sensor to detect anyone with the Ancient gene. In seconds, yellow dots indicating those with the gene appeared all over the screen. Only one was moving. Rodney zeroed in on the location. "Got him." he said.
"Where?" asked Carson.
"Puddlejumper bay." replied Rodney.
"If he takes a jumper out we'll never find him." said Aiden. "Come on!"
The four of them raced up the steps to the jumper bay, but Aiden raised a hand in caution when they reached the top. "Easy, we don't want to scare him off."
Cautiously they entered the bay.
"We could really use an LSD right now." said Rodney quietly.
"He should be near the far entrance." said Aiden. "If we go by Jumper 3 you can get the LSD from there."

John slipped into the jumper bay. Deceiving the guard had fortunately been easy. He had no compunction about shooting the Wraith but he didn't want to draw any attention to himself. He slipped into the shadows by one of the jumpers and scanned the bay, listening for any sound. He was just about to enter the ship when something caught his attention.

"He's over by Jumper 1." said Rodney.
"I'll need a clear shot for this to work." said Carson.
Aiden gave a slight nod and stepped out from behind Jumper 3, his hands in the air. "Major, it's Aiden Ford. I need you to come back to the infirmary."
"Stay where you are!" demanded John as he appeared around the back of Jumper 1, gun levelled at Aiden.
"Take it easy, sir. We're not here to hurt you." said Aiden, his heart skipping a beat. He knew how good a shot John was.
"Aiden's right John. We only want to help you." said Teyla as she moved up alongside Aiden.
John drew in a sharp breath. In his mind, all he saw were two Wraith, one of whom was the Queen. His heart pounded as his mind flashed back to the hive ship and he swore he wouldn't let them take him again. "Stay away from me!" he said as he edged closer to Jumper 1.
"Doc." said Aiden warningly.
"He thinks we're Wraith." said Carson in sudden understanding.
"If you don't do something now we're going to lose him." said Aiden.
"I need you to distract him." said Carson.
Teyla immediately stepped away from Aiden, stopping John's movement.
"What are you doing?" asked John suspiciously as he followed Teyla with the gun. He saw once again the Wraith circling him, preparing to feed. Close to the edge of panic, his finger tightened on the trigger.
"Now Doc!" said Aiden urgently.
Carson came out from behind the jumper, aimed and fired. John saw him and the gun and realised his mistake. He started to swing his gun back to Carson when the dart hit him in the chest. He flinched and inadvertently pulled the trigger, discharging the gun. Carson jumped as he heard the bullet pass close to him. John jerked the dart out of his chest but it was too late, the sedative was in his body and doing its work. Within seconds he collapsed, unconscious. Carson immediately crossed to John's side and felt for a pulse. At that moment Cross entered the jumper bay, his gun aimed and ready to fire.
"Stand down!" ordered Aiden.
"I heard a shot!" said Cross.
"I said stand down!" Aiden repeated angrily. "The situation is under control."
"We need to get the Major back to the infirmary." said Carson, forestalling any argument from Cross.
Aiden sighed. "I'll carry him." he said.

"Why wasn't I informed that Major Sheppard was on the loose, with a gun?" demanded Bates as he stormed into the conference room next morning.
"That was my decision." said Elizabeth before anyone else could reply. Rodney had told her what had happened and she knew Bates was going to be a problem. "If you had gone after Major Sheppard with a security team there was a very real possibility that someone would have been shot."
"We would have used the stunners." said Bates. "I'm not stupid enough to shoot my own C.O."
There was a moment's stunned silence as the implications of Bates words sank in. Elizabeth looked at the members of John's team and saw anger on all their faces. She expected Aiden and Teyla to be the first to move but surprisingly they weren't. Rodney was.
"How dare you!" Rodney demanded in outrage as he stood up. "Major Sheppard made a difficult decision in a dangerous situation and he has to live with that for the rest of his life. You have no idea what it's like seeing someone drained of their life by a Wraith! It's horrific!" He thought of Dr. Brendan Gall as he glared at Bates. Gall had been driven to taking his own life after being left almost totally drained of life by a Wraith. The memory still haunted him and he could only imagine what seeing Sumner dying had done to John.
"Taking Major Sheppard down with Wraith stunners would have done more harm than good in his condition." said Carson angrily, which was unusual for him. "Why do you think I used a tranquilliser gun?"
"In his present condition, Major Sheppard is a security risk." said Bates defiantly. "I'll be posting a guard in the infirmary to make sure nothing like this happens again."
"No you won't!" said Carson. "I will not have armed men in the infirmary. Post a guard outside if you must but that's as far as they go."
"Fine." snapped Bates. "But if Sheppard gets out again, my people will use whatever force is necessary to subdue him."
"That's enough!" Elizabeth rose to her feet, her temper finally getting the better of her. "That is the last time you show disrespect for Major Sheppard! Or anyone else for that matter. Do I make myself clear?."
Bates glared at Elizabeth for a moment before giving a slight nod. "Of course." he said stiffly.
"That will be all Sergeant." said Elizabeth coldly. She was beginning to second-guess her decision to have Bates in charge of security. The clashes between him and John's team were becoming a little too frequent for her liking. She knew the time was fast approaching when something would have to be done about it.
Bates spun on his heel and stormed angrily out of the conference room. There was a collective sigh of relief from around the table as the level of tension noticeably dropped.
"John Sheppard needs to teach that man some manners." said Carson as Rodney and Elizabeth sat back down.
"Let's hope he's able to." said Elizabeth. "How is he?"
"Not good." replied Carson. "The fever is taking it out of him. With the physical and mental trauma added in, he's fighting a losing battle."
"The Hoffan formula?" asked Rodney.
"My team are working on it day and night but we still can't get it to work." replied Carson. "Unfortunately we're running out of time."

John shifted fretfully as his nightmares worsened. He rambled deliriously, his words largely incoherent but obviously distressed. He came awake suddenly, images of Wraith reaching for him imprinted across his mind. Feeling unbearably hot he got off the bed and immediately had to grab hold of it as his knees buckled. He stood for a few moments until his legs stopped shaking, then used the bed as a prop to get over to the wall. Leaning against the wall he made his way slowly and unsteadily towards the door.

"These latest test results don't look good." said Dawson as he handed Carson a sheet of paper.
"His condition is deteriorating." said Carson, looking at the results. "He can't..." he stopped abruptly, realising he could no longer hear John. Putting down the paper, he hurried out of the office closely followed by Dawson. Almost immediately they caught sight of him.
"John!" said Carson, stopping John in his tracks.
John looked up on hearing his name and saw two Wraith bearing down on him. He wanted to run but he no longer had the strength. All he could do was wait.
Carson approached John carefully and saw by the look in his eyes that he was still hallucinating. "Careful. He thinks we're Wraith." he said to Dawson. Speaking to John he said, "Easy son. We're not here to hurt you."
"Don't do this." begged John, his voice desperate.
"We only want to help you." said Carson as he slowly reached out to take John's arm.
At Carson's touch, John jerked back forcing Carson to grab his arm. Dawson moved fast to get his other arm as he began to struggle. In his weakened condition John was no match for the two men and he tired rapidly. Within minutes he had passed out again.
Carson breathed a sigh of relief. "Help me get him back on the bed." he said.
"We really need to think about restraining him." said Dawson after they had returned John to the bed.
"I don't like that idea." said Carson.
"I know, but we can't afford to have him getting loose again." said Dawson.
Carson sighed. "You're right." he said, thinking about Bates and his threats.

"Carson? What's the meaning of this?" asked Elizabeth as she looked at the restraints on John's wrists and ankles.
"I'm sorry Elizabeth. It's the only way to stop him trying to leave the infirmary." replied Carson.
"He tried again?" asked Elizabeth amazed.
"Aye, last night. Luckily we were able to stop him in time." replied Carson.
Hearing the tiredness in Carson's voice, Elizabeth asked, "When was the last time you got any sleep?"
"I've been getting a little here and there." replied Carson evasively.
"You're not going to do your patient any good if you're out on your feet." said Elizabeth gently.
A soft moan from John saved Carson from having to answer. He'd been much quieter since the attempted escape and Carson was worried that the fever was becoming critical. He put a hand on John's forehead, which was burning hot. "I wish there was some way we could bring this fever down." he said in frustration.
"Have you thought of using ice?" asked Elizabeth.
"Ice?" asked Carson.
"I saw it done with a cousin of mine. The staff at the hospital packed ice bags around him to bring down a high fever." replied Elizabeth.
"It's unconventional but it might just work." said Carson. "Thanks Elizabeth."
Elizabeth smiled briefly as Carson hurried off to organise the ice. The smile disappeared as she looked back at John. He looked so helpless as he lay there, his body covered in gruesome handprints. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he'd been through but she knew that if he survived she would have no choice but to put him under even more pressure. The Wraith were almost upon them and she couldn't spare anybody, especially the ranking military officer. It made her heart ache to know she was going to push him well beyond breaking point but she didn't see that she had much choice. Aiden was a good officer but he didn't have the experience or the creativity that John did. That left Bates and she wasn't even going to consider that idea, not after his recent insubordination. Elizabeth sighed in frustration, suddenly hating the position she found herself in. In that moment she would have gladly given everything she had just to give John the time he needed to heal. He was her strength, even if she didn't want to admit that and she was feeling the loneliness of command without him. She missed his straightforward way of looking at things, the way he could break everything down to black and white whereas for her everything seemed to be many different shades of grey. This had led to several disagreements, most notably the incident with the nanovirus, but in the end the bond between had grown stronger because of it. Now as she stood watching him, she realised for the first time how much his loyalty and his trust meant to her. How his easygoing confidence helped her when things got too much for her. Almost as if he sensed her presence, John stirred and muttered her name. Elizabeth squeezed his hand and said softly, "I'm here for you John." Hearing a sound behind her she turned to find Carson watching her.
"Are you alright?" asked Carson in concern. He'd seen the emotions flickering across her face as she watched John.
Taken by surprise, Elizabeth couldn't immediately think of anything to say. Recovering quickly, she gave Carson a tired smile and said, "I'm fine, I was just doing some thinking."
Carson flicked a glance at John then looked back to Elizabeth. "He's a remarkable man. A few months ago he wasn't even aware that aliens existed and now he might die because of them. In the short time that he's been here he's been forced to kill his commanding officer, negotiate trade agreements with alien races and be military commander to a city full of scientists and soldiers. It can't have been easy but he's risen to each challenge and grown stronger for it. Now he faces the most difficult challenge of his life but with our help he can get through it."
"He needs time Carson and that's something we don't have." said Elizabeth.
"Have faith in him Elizabeth. He's a lot stronger than you think." said Carson.
"But is he strong enough?" asked Elizabeth, unknowingly echoing Carson's own thoughts.

Rodney's gaze travelled across John's body, taking in the restraints and the ice packed tightly around him. John was extremely pale and he lay silent and still, the rise and fall of his chest the only movement. "Are those necessary?" Rodney asked, indicating the restraints.
"Unfortunately, yes." replied Carson. "Other than having him watched twenty four hours a day, it's the only way to keep him in the infirmary."
"You really think he's strong enough to try and escape again?" asked Rodney.
"You heard Sgt. Bates." replied Carson. "I can't take the risk."
Rodney looked at John for a long moment, a mix of emotions running through him. John was the closest friend he had in Atlantis. The Major understood him in ways no one else did and had a way of seeing past the sarcasm to the man underneath. He had drawn Rodney out and made him a part of the team, something no one else had been willing to do. Despite their apparent differences they had become good friends although they never acknowledged it as such. They used words to cover it and Rodney gave a small smile as he thought about how much he enjoyed the verbal fencing they shared. Now all that was set to end and there was nothing he could do to stop it. A feeling of helplessness washed over him as he looked at his friend, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop John's life slipping away. Feeling a need to break the silence he said, "I take it the ice is to try and break the fever."
"Aye, his temperature was nearing critical." replied Carson. "The ice has brought it down some, but it's not enough. If we don't break the fever soon, we're going to lose him."
Rodney's chest tightened. He wasn't used to losing friends and he didn't want to start now. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
"Not unless you understand molecular biology." replied Carson.
"Sorry, no." replied Rodney.
They were both silent for a moment and then a dishevelled Dawson entered the infirmary.
"I thought you were getting some sleep." said Carson.
"I can't." replied Dawson, casting a look at John. "I think we've been going about this the wrong way." he continued.
"What do you mean?" asked Carson.
"We haven't taken into account the way the enzymes have been denatured." replied Dawson. "Under normal circumstances there's no problem binding the protein to the enzyme but in Major Sheppard the situation is different. The enzyme has changed and in order to work the protein needs to change too."
"What do suggest?" asked Carson.
"We tailor the protein to the enzyme." replied Dawson.
Carson pursed his lips as he thought for a moment. "It might just work." he said at length. "Get everyone in. We need as many people working on this as possible."
Dawson nodded and hurried off to round up the rest their people.
"You really think it could work?" asked Rodney.
"It's our only chance." replied Carson. "Nothing else is working."

Later that evening Elizabeth joined Rodney in the infirmary. "Any news?" she asked.
"Not yet." replied Rodney as he rubbed tired eyes. He'd stayed with John throughout the day, keeping watch.
"How is he?" asked Elizabeth.
"He's hanging in there, but only just." replied Rodney. "The ice is holding his temperature down but there's increasing damage from the Wraith enzymes."
"Hopefully not for much longer." said Carson.
"You've got something?" asked Rodney hopefully.
"Aye but we don't know for sure if it will work." replied Carson. He inserted the hypodermic he was carrying into John's drip feed and slowly injected the contents. "All we can do now is wait and hope."

For the next several hours there was no sign of any change in John's condition. Elizabeth, Rodney and Carson all remained by his bedside talking quietly. The rest of the infirmary staff were nearby, unwilling to leave until they knew whether the formula had worked. It was Rodney who first noticed the change. He was staring at the monitors while his mind wandered and it took him a few moments to realise what he was seeing.
"His temperature's going down!" Rodney said suddenly.
Slowly at first, then more rapidly John's temperature started to drop.
"Help me get the ice off him." said Carson as he quickly began removing ice bags.
Within minutes all the ice was in a pile on the floor. Carson quickly checked John's vitals, all of which were getting stronger. "It seems to be working." he said in relief.
There was a collective sigh of relief from everybody in the infirmary, followed by smiles and handshakes as they congratulated each other on getting the formula right.
"That's good to hear." said Elizabeth, almost in tears as emotion surged through her.
"Yes it is." agreed Rodney with a delighted smile.
A few minutes later John stirred and opened his eyes. The room blurred in and out of focus and he pulled weakly against his restraints as he tried to bring his hand up to rub his eyes.
"Hey, welcome back." said Elizabeth with a warm smile.
"Elizabeth?" asked John as he tried to focus on her. "What's happening?"
"You've been extremely ill for the last few days." replied Elizabeth. "We thought we were going to lose you."
"You don't get rid if me that easily." said John, his voice thickening as he lapsed back into unconsciousness.
"Right, I think it's time we all got some rest." said Carson. "Well done everybody and thank you for the excellent work today."

John moved fretfully. He was dreaming and in the dream he was watching the Wraith queen draining the life from Colonel Sumner. At the same time, he could feel her draining his life. He moaned as the pain ripped through him. Hands shaking, he lined his sights up on Sumner's chest and slowly pulled the trigger. Sumner jerked back as the bullet struck him and John felt a searing pain through his chest.
Drawn by John's cries, Carson tried to wake him. It took a few minutes before John suddenly jerked awake with a shouted "No!".
"Take it easy lad." said Carson reassuringly. "It was only a dream."
Breathing heavily, John tried to move and was alarmed to find he couldn't. "What's going on?" he demanded, his voice panicked.
"We had to restrain you to keep you in the infirmary." said Carson. "You kept trying to escape." Working quickly, he released John.
John struggled to regain some composure. "What happened?" he asked.
"What's the last thing you remember?" asked Carson, evasively.
Almost as though someone had opened a floodgate memories rushed in on John, engulfing him. Unprepared for it he began to shake as the full weight of it hit him. "The Wraith ship!" he whispered hoarsely. Unbidden, the altered image of Sumner and himself came into his mind. He drew in a sharp breath as the scene held him, while the twisted guilt continued to work it's way deeper.
Alarmed by how pale John had gone, Carson gripped his shoulder. "John!" he said sharply.
John flinched as he was abruptly brought back to reality. The guilt however, remained.
"What is it?" asked Carson, concerned by John's obvious distress.
John lay back against the pillows, still trembling. "Sumner." he said at last in a low voice.
Carson knew then that his earlier intuition had been correct. "The Wraith found out you shot him." he said.
"Yes." said John. "She did something, made it worse."
"Worse? How?" asked Carson, wondering what could possibly be worse than shooting his own commanding officer.
"It's... I'm..." stammered John, growing increasingly distressed. The guilt writhed liked a snake in his stomach making him feel sick.
"Easy John." said Carson. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
John looked at Carson, his eyes haunted. "It's me Carson. It's me with Sumner." he said, his voice anguished.
Carson didn't understand what John meant for a moment and then the realisation struck him. "My God!" he said, shocked. "Now you listen to me lad." he said determinedly. "You need to talk to Dr. Heightmayer. She can help you through this."
"I can't." said John, looking away.
"Yes you can." said Carson. "If it will help you I will be there with you."
John was silent for a long moment before he nodded his assent.

"We have an incoming wormhole!" said Peter.
"Who is it?" asked Elizabeth as she came out of her office.
"Talosian IDC." replied Peter.
"Lower the shield." said Elizabeth.
A few minutes later Jerand and Thalen appeared through the Gate. Elizabeth went down to meet them. "Welcome to Atlantis." she said. "We weren't expecting you."
"Major Sheppard has need of my help." said Thalen.
Elizabeth considered what John's team had told her of Thalen. "You know what the Wraith did to him." she said.
"Yes, that is why I have come." said Thalen. "Dr. Heightmayer will not be able to undo the damage inflicted by the Wraith queen."
Elizabeth looked at Thalen for a long moment, slightly taken aback that he knew so much. Reaching a decision she called over one of the SO's stationed around the Gate room. "Please take Thalen to the infirmary to see Major Sheppard." she said.
"Yes ma'am." replied the SO and indicated that Thalen should follow him.
"Can I offer you some refreshment?" Elizabeth asked Jerand.
"Thank you." replied Jerand. "If I may, I would like to discuss a trade agreement with you."

John looked up as the SO approached with Thalen.
"You have a visitor, sir." said the SO.
"Thank you." said John. He knew without asking who his visitor was. "I do not know your name." he said, his voice awed.
"I am called Thalen." replied Thalen as he sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes taking in John's wounds. "The Wraith have taught you fear." he said. "In the battle that is to come, fear is the one thing you cannot afford. If you are willing, I can help you."
"Anything to make it stop." said John, his voice desperate. "I can't do this any more."
"I know." said Thalen gently. He held up his hands. "Take my hands." he said.
"What about this?" asked John indicating his cast.
Thalen smiled. "It will make no difference." he said. He took John's hands in his own, which began to glow.
John drew a surprised breath as he felt himself drawn into the glow. Its comforting warmth filled his mind, dissipating the fear and confusion that had gripped him. It reached deep into his mind, to that place where the Wraith queen had left her deadly 'gift' and it undid the damage, easing away the guilt until there was nothing left. Feeling at peace for the first time in days, John looked up at Thalen. "Thank you." he said gratefully.
"I'm sorry I cannot heal your body as I have healed your mind." said Thalen. "If it was within my power I would."
"You've done more than enough." said John. "I'm grateful." He was silent a moment then he said, "You're not Atlantean, are you?"
"No." replied Thalen with a smile. "My race is far older than the Atlanteans. Sadly, I am the last of my kind. When I am gone no-one will remember us."
"The Talosians will remember." said John. "My descendants will too."
"Thank you." said Thalen.
"How did the Wraith know I was on Talos?" asked John, changing the subject.
"Lorien." replied Thalen. "He is a Wraith worshipper and as soon as he realised who you were he sent a signal. The two hive ships were in the vicinity and responded. By the time I realised what they were up to it was too late to save you."
"The Wraith have worshippers?" John asked incredulously.
"The Wraith are not above using humans to do their work for them." replied Thalen. "We may not like it but people will do whatever they can to survive."
"What will happen to Lorien?" asked John.
"He cannot return to Talos so he will most likely be placed somewhere else." replied Thalen.
John was silent a moment then he said, "My team tell me you're willing to take refugees."
"I am not under the same restraints as Chaya Sar." replied Thalen. "I am free to protect as many people as I can."
"Thank you." said John. "The Wraith are devastating towns and villages like never before. Any help is greatly appreciated."
"You're welcome." said Thalen warmly.

John walked into the control room, glad to finally be moving around again. His wounds were healing rapidly and the bruising was almost gone, although his hand would remain in plaster for a while yet. Carson adamantly refused to put him back on active duty although his restlessness had eventually persuaded Carson to let him return to his quarters. Getting bored with the inactivity he had decided to go for a walk and had inevitably headed here.
"Major Sheppard. It's good to see you back on your feet." said Peter.
"It's good to be back." replied John. He saw Bates near the railing overlooking the Gate room and went up to him. "If you ever show disrespect to or for a superior officer again, I'll personally feed you to the Wraith." he said quietly.
"It won't happen again." said Bates. "Sir." he amended.
John gave Bates a cold, hard look before leaving him and heading for Elizabeth's office.
Elizabeth smiled warmly as John walked through the door. "Hey stranger." she said. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I want to get back in the saddle." replied John, finding a chair.
"Carson says you're not ready yet." said Elizabeth. "Does he even know you're here?"
"Not exactly." said John, looking slightly guilty.
"That's what I thought." said Elizabeth with a half smile. She sighed, turning serious. "It won't be long before the Wraith get here John. You should get what rest you can, while there's still time."
"I'm going stir crazy not being able to do anything." said John. "I might not be able to go into the field but there are other things I can do."
"You've been through a terrible experience John." said Elizabeth. "With the best will in the world you need time to get over that."
"I need something else to occupy my mind Elizabeth." said John. "I can't just sit around not doing anything."
Elizabeth sighed, knowing she needed John's creativity and experience but hating to put him back to work so soon after his ordeal. "I'll talk to Carson and see if he'll clear you for duty." she said.
"Thank you." said John gratefully.
"Light duty only." warned Elizabeth. "You're still recovering and I won't risk you having a relapse."
"Elizabeth." said John, his expression dark.
"No arguments!" said Elizabeth sternly. "I can always reconsider my decision."
"All right." said John, giving in.
"Good." said Elizabeth with a smile.

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