“Rodney!!!”
Laura came running onto the balcony only to be stopped as Sha’re grabbed her arm.
“The doctors are doing the best they can,” Sha’re told her.
“What happened?” Laura whispered, her eyes darting over to Carson and Janet huddled over Rodney’s still form.
“It was a bomb,” Sha’re explained, her hand still holding Laura’s arm, “We don’t know any more than that just now.”
“I...”
“Laura,” Sha’re stopped her speaking, “I need your expertise. Dr Brown saw the explosive, she can give you a description but you have to focus on that,” seeing the fear in the other woman’s eyes Sha’re hugged her quickly, “I understand how you feel but Rodney is in the best hands possible.”
“Okay,” Laura whispered shakily, “Okay, just keep me informed of his condition.”
“I promise,” Sha’re nodded.
Laura walked over to where Katie sat huddled in a blanket as Jennifer stood nearby; taking a deep breath she crouched down beside the woman she constantly referred to as ‘bimbo’.
“Dr Brown,” Laura started, “Sha’re said you saw the explosive.”
Katie nodded, she was obviously in shock and Laura felt sympathy for the other woman
“Can you describe what you saw?” Laura asked, she gently touched the other woman’s hand, “This is very important.”
“It...it was a crystal,” Katie told her, “It was pink, very pretty and I reached out to touch it. Rodney grabbed me and threw me out of the way.”
“Was it sitting against anything or just on the wall?” Laura asked.
Katie frowned in thought, “It...I think it was growing against one of the flowerpots.”
“Was it facing you or out to sea?” Laura continued to question but kept her voice soft and soothing.
“It was facing me only slightly,” Katie whispered, tears filling her eyes, “But mostly out to the sea.”
“That’s good,” Laura told her, “That explains a few things and helps me a lot,” she looked up at the doctor who was standing waiting, “Jennifer is going to take you to the infirmary.”
Katie nodded before Jennifer helped her up; Laura watched the other woman and she sighed; now she had to go looking for more bombs.
Laura headed back to where Sha’re was standing, Daniel and John were with her all three were watching as the doctors finally started to move Rodney to the infirmary. Laura caught a glimpse of his bruised face and she felt her stomach flip in fear.
“Laura,” Sha’re pulled her attention away from Rodney, “Did Dr Brown tell you anything?”
“Yeah,” Laura frowned, “It was an Andurian explosive crystal. After they’re planted they grow until they’re activated either by a remote or as in this case body heat. Rodney and Dr Brown were extremely lucky, the crystal couldn’t have been fully grown and it grew against a plant pot facing away from them so the explosion was angled differently than if there was nothing against it.”
“Do you believe there will be more?” Sha’re asked worriedly.
Laura nodded, “Unfortunately yes.”
“Ford must have planted them,” John told them, “He was a weapons expert too.”
Daniel’s arm automatically wrapped around Sha’re’s waist, “I guess he planned on going back to Earth, then when we thought we were safe the bombs would go off.”
“Can you disable them?” Sha’re squeezed her husband’s arm as she questioned Laura.
“I can but we’ll have to find them first,” Laura bit her lip in thought, “I’ll need teams spread out across the city, the crystals give off a signal that we should be able to set the cities internal scanners to find.”
“John, I want search teams split across the city,” Sha’re ordered, “Use the Jaffa, they are excellent trackers. Talk with Radek and get scanners fixed for the frequency Laura gives you.”
“Wait,” Laura said, “You’ll need someone to get Jeannie. She’ll want to know about...”
“It’s alright,” Sha’re soothed, she slipped out of Daniel’s grip and moved Laura to one side, “John will go and get her the moment he’s sorted the teams out. And I promise until you are able to be there, I shall stay in the infirmary.”
“Radek has fixed the cities sensors to scan for the crystals energy signature,” Laura told the assembled group before her, a mixture of Human and Jaffa, “The one problem we have is that they only show where they are not how many are planted in the area so you need to look in every nook and cranny using the handheld scanners Radek has prepared. Once you find one of these things call me, don’t try to remove or deactivate it yourself – I’ve had a lot of experience with these things.”
“Okay,” John took over, “O’Neill is going to supervise from the control room. You all know your teams so go and be careful. We already have one person in the infirmary because of these things we don’t want any more.”
The group split into their teams and waited for their assigned areas, quickly the room was empty except for Laura and John.
“Are you okay?” John asked the pale faced young woman.
“No,” Laura replied, shaking her head, “I am so far away from okay right now.”
John gently rested his hand on her shoulder, “Just keep focussed while I go get Jeannie.”
Laura gave him a weak smile watching as he left her, before she reached for her radio, “Okay, Colonel. I’m waiting for our first hit.”
Daniel squirmed uncomfortably in the infirmary seat, he wanted to be out with the search teams but when his wife had asked him to stay with her while she waited on news of Rodney’s condition...he’d never been able to say no to her.
He studied Sha’re as she sat almost like a statue waiting, she looked drained and Daniel pulled her over to him.
“I am just tired,” she murmured to him pre-empting his question.
“Maybe you’re pushing yourself too hard,” Daniel rested his hand on her stomach, feeling the slight swell of their baby.
Sha’re laughed softly, “We are building a new home for ourselves,” she reminded him, “It is not exactly a relaxing time for any of us.”
Daniel kissed her cheek before sighing, “I wish they’d tell us something.”
“I know,” his wife agreed, “I want to be able to give Laura some news. She’s worried and I can imagine how she feels.”
“Shh,” Daniel breathed, holding her close, “Rodney is in the best hands, the only thing we can do is be here.”
Sha’re closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder, “I know.”
*********************************************
Jeannie looked up from her reading, as a man entered the room, “Hi Siler.”
“Hi,” he greeted her back, “How are the power relays coming?”
“Considering how old these things are,” Jeannie replied with a smiled, “Pretty good. What about you, I heard you managed to finally get the water reclamation system working finally.”
Siler shrugged, “It was old and we had to repair several systems but it’s working finally.”
Jeannie offered him some coffee, smiling as he leaned back and took a deep breath savouring the smell.
“Enjoying that?” she teased as she watched him.
“Back when we were in the SGC,” he started after taking his first sip, “I wasn’t much of a coffee person but after several months of helping Daniel fix up some shelves in his office, which I had to keep adding to, I began to appreciate it.”
“Daniel’s a coffee drinker?” Jeannie asked, she’d never known him to have anything other than tea.
“Only when Sha’re isn’t around. Daniel was injured when they rescued her from the Gould,” Siler explained, smiling slightly at the memories, “A few days later I was in the infirmary myself and overheard them talking.”
“Why were you in the infirmary?” Jeannie interrupted him, grinning as he looked embarrassed.
“Just a slight burn,” he waved her question away, “Anyway, Janet had been speaking with Sha’re telling her that once Daniel was released he was to rest and not have any coffee. Sha’re, new to our world asked what that was.”
“And Janet ratted Daniel out,” Jeannie laughed.
Siler nodded, chuckling at the memory, “Sha’re made him promise her he would cut back on the coffee.”
Jeannie watched him as his amusement turned to sadness as he thought back to those days.
“I’m going to go grab some dinner,” she pulled him out of his musing, “Want to join me?”
“I would,” Siler grinned at her, “But Diayla asked me first.”
“Oh,” Jeannie leaned forward interested, “Isn’t she the one who told you off for nearly letting the goats out?”
He smirked but before he could answer they heard a Jumper landing nearby.
“This can’t be good,” Jeannie murmured, especially when she saw John’s grim face through the windows.
John landed the Jumper and took several deep breaths when he saw Jeannie’s curious expression staring at him. He’d contacted Atlantis just before he’d landed for news only to be told there was none.
John didn’t want to do this, he didn’t want to tell Jeannie about her brother’s accident, didn’t want to see the fear and panic in her eyes he’d already seen in Laura’s. Jeannie was someone he’d come to care for deeply since he had, well kidnapped her, she was brilliant but sweet and funny.
“John,” she greeted him as he left the ship, “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”
Her grin faded as he continued to stare at her sadly.
“John, you’re scaring me,” Jeannie whispered, “What’s going on?”
To her surprise John reached out and took her hand, “There’s been an accident.”
“Accident?” Jeannie gripped his hand, “What kind of accident?”
John licked his lips nervously.
“John?” she cried, “John, please tell me what’s going on?”
“There’s been an explosion,” John explained, seeing the panic in her eyes he didn’t want to, “Rodney was caught in it.”
“Oh my God,” she gasped, “Is he...Is he...d...d...”
John shook his head, “He’s in Carson and Janet’s care for the moment. I don’t know anything else just now.”
“Okay,” Jeannie pulled away from him, pacing worriedly, “I need to get there but I have to...I have to...”
“Here,” Siler handed her the overnight bag she kept in her room for emergency trips back to Atlantis, “Don’t worry about anything here.”
Jeannie nodded and allowed John to move her into the Jumper, sinking into the seat beside his.
“Hey,” he gently rubbed her shoulder, “He’s going to be okay.”
Jeannie simply leaned back silently and closed her eyes as he started the engines.
*********************************************
Sha’re jerked away from Daniel as realisation hit her that she’d missed several meetings. Try as she might keeping everything straight without constantly looking at the small list she had on her desk was impossible. She needed to return to her office and sort that out but she had promised Laura she’d stay here. To her surprise the doors near them opened and Lisa, a young woman about the same age as Cassie who occasionally helped her appeared.
“Sha’re,” the young woman came over, “Since you’ll probably be here for a while I cancelled your meetings for today and tomorrow. They’re scheduled for next week now.”
“Thank you,” Sha’re said stunned.
Lisa smiled slightly, “No problem. I’d better get back to the Control room.”
Sha’re watched the young woman go before turning to her husband, “That was unexpected.”
“Yeah,” he stood up, “I’m going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?”
“Water would be nice, Dan’iel,” Sha’re smiled at him, closing her eyes as he kissed her forehead before leaving the room.
Daniel jogged along the corridors to catch up with the young blonde who was walking away.
“Lisa,” he called making her turn back.
“Yes, Dr Jackson,” she asked.
“It’s Daniel,” he told her, “I haven’t said anything to Sha’re about this as I just thought of it but would you be willing to work as her assistant? Keeping her schedule, I don’t know exactly what else but you could work it out I’m sure.”
Lisa smiled, “That would be great. I’m not doing much in the control room other than staring at a console for several hours that someone else uses if anything happens.”
“Like I said I haven’t spoken to Sha’re about this,” Daniel reminded her, “I just wanted to know if you’d take the job.”
Lisa nodded, “Just tell her to let me know when I can start.”
“Thanks,” Daniel said, he let her go before getting some water for both him and Sha’re; he’d approach the subject once they knew if Rodney was alright.
Laura sighed in relief as she managed to disarm what had to be the sixteenth bomb, “Well?”
“The signal’s gone from that area,” Jack reported, “Still got a load to get rid of though.”
“Damn it,” Laura groaned, wiping damp hair off her forehead, “Okay, where to next?”
“T’s waiting for you,” Jack told her, “He’ll take you to the next bomb. You know you could teach someone else to deactivate them.”
“It would take too long,” Laura replied walking along the corridors till she met Teal’c, who greeted her with a quick nod, “Any news on Rodney?”
“Nothing yet,” Jack replied softly, “I’ll tell you the moment I hear, Laura. Just keep focussed on what you’re doing.”
“I’m trying, sir,” she sighed, smiling slightly as Teal’c rested his hand on her shoulder. They hadn’t known each other very long but during their few missions together he’d already become extremely protective of her.
“I know,” Jack whispered.
Jeannie was practically bouncing as she waited for the hatch of the Jumper to open, tearing out the moment she could. John ran to catch up with her as Jeannie raced towards the infirmary. Suddenly she stopped and leaned against the wall.
“Hey,” John caught up with her, “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to know,” Jeannie breathed, fear in her eyes, “I don’t want to know if I’ve lost him too.”
“Jeannie,” John started but she wasn’t listening to him.
“My Mom,” she raked her hands through her hair, “Caleb, I can’t lose Mer too. I can’t lose my brother after everything we’ve been through. I can’t be alone.”
“Jeannie,” he took a hold of her arms, “Look at me.”
Her blue eyes locked with his hazel ones, the panic in them overwhelming.
“No matter what happens,” he soothed her, “You are not alone. We’re a family, all of us and you are not alone. I promise.”
Jeannie wrapped her arms around John and hugged him tightly, for a moment John hesitated before he held her just as tightly. After several minutes he pulled back and wiped away the tear trailing along her cheek.
“Ready?” John asked kindly.
Jeannie sniffed, “Yeah,” she took a deep breath and nodded, “Let’s go.”
Jeannie reached out and grabbed John’s hand as they entered the infirmary, Sha’re was instantly on her feet the moment she saw them. The Abydonian hugged the other woman quickly before they all turned as Janet appeared.
Daniel was instantly at Sha’re’s side, his arm winding around her shoulders while John did the same to Jeannie as they waited for whatever news Janet was going to give them.
“Janet?” Daniel asked for the small group.
Pulling off the cap she’d worn in surgery Janet took a deep breath, getting ready to give the news to the small family standing nervously waiting.
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Cuckoo In The Nest
by LE McMurrayKapitel Bemerkung:
Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.The next chapter is in progress but with RL being a little hectic at the moment so may take a while.
Enjoy
Site Navigation
Support Heliopolis