Fic: Invisible [SGA, Lorne/Parrish, PG-13] 1/2
Title: Invisible
Author: Rachael Sabotini (wickedwords)
Other info: Lorne/Parrish | PG | 11000 words
Spoilers through 'Irresistible'
Summary: "If I can work with a botanist, you can synthesize an antidote."
A/N: This was written for kensieg for the Sweet Charity auction in Jan 2008. I offered 2000 words, but, well, the story kind-of grew in the telling. Thank you so much to elynross, montanaharper and sherrold for their mad beta skills. All remaining typos are my own.
***
Invisible
Shaky but feeling better than he had in days, David dragged himself upright and out of bed. This cold had really wiped him out, but he was starved, and after three days of nothing but Gatorade and ginger ale, he figured he was in good enough shape that he could haul himself to the mess and eat whatever they had there. The idea of cream of blue wheat-like grain was strangely appealing. Lord knew he wouldn't be able to smell or taste it, so it might be the best meal he'd had there in months.
The steamy shower made his head feel less like it was stuffed with cotton batting, but not as much as he'd hoped. As he pulled on a clean pair of sweats, he glanced over at his computer, wondering if he should check email first; his stomach growled at him, nixing that whole line of thought, and he was out the door without worrying about tying his shoes.
There weren't many people in the halls, and the main transporter was blocked off. It was odd. Usually if engineering had to work on the system, there was at least a note taped to the outside of the transporter door; no one wanted to be the person to comm about the same stuck door for the sixth time in an hour, and people were generally polite about leaving a note to that effect. There'd been no alarms, no notice of intruders, but then again.... David put his hand up to his ear and sighed. He'd taken his headset off when he first went to bed and hadn't picked the radio up since. Mentally, he shrugged. Whatever had happened couldn't be that bad. If the Wraith invaded, David was pretty sure someone would come get him. They always had before.
Trudging down his alternate route to the mess, the thought brought a twinge of sadness with it. No one had stopped in while he'd been bedridden, and even though he knew everyone was busy, it bothered him. Ever since he'd taken himself off the rotation for Evan's team, he hadn't had a lot of social contact; it was getting to the point where he wasn't sure it was worth sticking around Atlantis any more. He knew that that whole 'team bonding' thing was idiotic behavior times infinity, but when it was the only social outlet he'd had outside of work, maybe he shouldn't have kept turning Evan down. If he'd accepted, maybe he wouldn't feel so lonely all the time.
Still, he knew it was for the best. He'd developed a, ah, rather inappropriate crush on his team leader and figured it was better to just take himself out of temptation's range. Even though it might have been nice to have Ev--a visitor--check in on him. Bring him some Jell-o, or a pudding cup. Thoughts of pudding cheered him as he continued down the roundabout path to the mess, a path that passed through the gate room and up the main stairwell. His legs protested the work after his confinement, but the thought of food was a great motivator.
Chuck was at his station as David passed by, and he looked surprised to see him. "Who are you again?"
"Dr. David Parrish." David glanced hurriedly around the room, trying to ignore the way everyone stared at him. "Acting head of Xenobotany?" He inwardly winced at how far down the scientific totem pole that particular fact placed him. At least he wasn't an anthropologist.
"Don't have you down, doc." Chuck said, fumbling at the clipboard in his hand. "Have you talked with Lucius yet?"
"With who?" David's stomach rumbled.
Chuck clicked his tongue and wrote something on the clipboard. "That would be a big 'no,' then."
"I didn't think we were having any visitors right now." David passed a hand over his face. This was just great. His cold hadn't been worth time in the infirmary, but he hadn't been able to force himself to read email or pay attention to his radio, either. He had no clue what had happened. "Is Lucius from Earth, part of the IOA?"
"Lucius? Nahhh. He's a great guy, our newest trading partner. You should meet him, that's all. Dr. Weir has him set up in the quarters right next to hers. I think she's hoping he'll marry her."
What in heaven's name-- David must have had a horrified look on his face, as Chuck rushed to reassure him that Lucius was a wise man, a wonderful man, and a great humanitarian. It was like listening to the spiel for a Atlantis's lifetime achievement award, which was an unsettling thought.
"You'll meet him later," Chuck said. "He wants to talk with everyone about their jobs here." He blinked and scrunched his eyes up in thought. "What did you say your name was again?"
David felt his neck tense. Chuck was playing with him, obviously, and David was getting seriously annoyed. "David Parrish," he ground out. "Dr. David Parrish."
"That's right. And you're a botanist."
"Senior Botanist, head of Xenobotany, remember?" David's stomach growled at him again; he was running out of patience. "I coordinate hydroponics lab five," he said and ran his fingers through his hair. "I've been out with the flu for the past three days, and now I would like to eat something more substantial than tea and a few salted crackers. So if you wouldn't mind stepping aside, so I could get to the mess..."
"Oh!" With that, Chuck broke out in a bright grin. "That's where you need to go." He scribed another note on his clipboard.
"Yes, I'm hungry, and I want to go to the mess," David said carefully, not wanting to yell. "I'm sure they have some sort of food there."
Chuck pressed his radio and smiled brightly at David. "I need an escort for one of the scientists, please, a Dr. Parrish. Yes. Hydroponics bay. Thanks, Major." He clicked the radio off. "I'm sure they'll have something for you once you get down there. Lucius is very generous, and is having food brought down to the gardeners while they work in the hydroponics labs."
"Gardeners?" David's mouth felt dry, as dry as his plants after three days without water. Chuck was smiling affably and sipping his coffee; there was nothing about him that said he was joking, and David knew he didn't have that great of a poker face. Something had gone seriously wrong. "What are you doing with the hydroponics bays?"
"Lucius has a special project he wants to work on, and everyone has pitched in to help him. Dr. Heightmeyer's working to get it all set up, and she's asked for more people, so we've asked most of the scientific staff to help out. I guess we must have missed you when--"
Every instinct on alert, David skipped the stairs and took off running for the transporter; Chuck grabbed him by the shirt, and David kicked out like he'd been taught. His shirt ripped, and Chuck fell hard against the console; David didn't stop to see what happened next. If he was lucky, he could make it to the transporter before his 'escort' arrived. He didn't know where he'd go, but obviously something very bad had happened to Atlantis, and David had an obligation to figure it out.
"Whoa, whoa there!" Evan--Major Lorne-- said as he stepped in front of David, blocking his way, two marines flanking him. He held up his hands, a bright smile on his face. The smile looked eerily similar to the one Chuck had worn. "What's the rush, Doc?"
"I, uh, wasn't feeling well," David said quickly. "I've been ill for the past few days, and I thought I was up to going to the mess." He manufactured a smile of his own, but suspected it wavered too much to look right. "Guess I was wrong," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Evan's brow furrowed. "Yeah, yeah. I remember. I was gonna look in on you, but with one thing and another, I kinda forgot."
Oh, that would have been nice, if Evan had remembered to stop by. "No problem, Major. I'll just head back to my quarters--"
"You said you were feeling better?" The marines beside him seemed to draw in closer, as if they might reach out and grab David at any moment.
"Yes, yes. No fever or anything." Though his hands were sweating like he was still running one. "I'm just...very tired, Major. I need some rest."
"Yeah, rest." He blinked a couple of times, and shook his head. "Listen," he said to the two marines, "I can escort Dr. Parrish down to the labs myself. You go ahead to the mess, see if Lucius needs anything."
"Yes, sir!" the marines said, smiling brightly. It was as if someone told them there were fresh cookies in the mess, or real steak and mashed potatoes.
Evan wrapped his arm around David's back, tucking him against his side as they stepped into the transporter together; David heard the door lock, but Evan didn't press a destination. "Don't you ever read your email?" he grumbled.
"Not since I've been ill," David said defensively. Really, there was no place for this. Just because he was a little slow at logging onto the mail server--
Evan cut him off with a gesture. "Listen, I'm not sure how long I have. I've been back for three hours, and I haven't been taken to meet Lucius yet. Near as I can tell, he's got some sort of mind control thing going on, and everyone that meets him falls all over themselves doing whatever they think Lucius wants."
Damn. David leaned back against the transporter wall. This was one of the threshold situations they were all taught about. "What about Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard?"
"Dr. Weir is showing Lucius around Atlantis right now, while the Colonel and Dr. McKay are looking at gates that might be usable for the bridge. I couldn't get a message through to them that things had gone south here, so at the moment, it's just us." He looked guilty. "Lucius said he wished someone could help him grow a few of his herbs, so Carson could see how powerful they were, and the next thing I know, Dr. Weir was requesting that all the scientists 'help out.' Chuck even made a list of people to take to the labs, so no one would be missed. He must have been kinda suggestible, though, as I told him to forget about you since you were ill and all." Evan shifted uncomfortably, and David noticed the fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. "I tried to get the message to Colonel, but Zelenka--" Evan shook his head. "He must have done something to make sure no one could get a message out. And the Daedalus is still undergoing repairs."
"So we're screwed?"
"Essentially, yeah."
"It's like I never left the team," David muttered, then something that Evan had said filtered through, and he jerked upright, looking directly at Evan. "Wait. You knew I had a cold?"
Evan looked down at his shoes. "I keep tabs on you, okay? Just because you're not on my team anymore doesn't mean--" He swallowed and forced his gaze up to meet David's. "Yeah, I did. Sorry I didn't come by."
"That…might have been nice." A wave of dizziness washed over David, and he rubbed his hand over his face, hoping that Evan didn't see it trembling. "I am really not up for this."
"Sorry, buddy, but I don't know what else to do." Evan put his arm around David's back again. "Let me help you find someplace to rest. Since Chuck remembers who you are now, it might not be safe for you to go back to your quarters."
"What about yours?" David said, and Evan looked at him, startled.
"Yeah," he said carefully, obviously searching for words. "Yeah, that might work." He pressed the right location on the map, then tucked his body in close to David's once the door opened. David could feel the heat coming off of him, and the strength of his body. He slung an arm over Evan's shoulder, grateful for the support.
"I'm not sure how much time we have," Evan said, his words tumbling out in rhythm to their steps. "Lucius is very concerned about tracking everyone, making sure we all get a little 'quality time.' He's like this giant buzzing bee, into everything all the time, getting right into your personal space."
"How have you avoided it, then?"
"I haven't, not completely. I think I'm lucky that whatever he's doing hasn't taken root."
They were outside of Evan's quarters when an announcement came over the radio. "Lucius would like all non-essential personnel to report to the mess."
"Shit." Evan's shoulders drooped. "That means I have to go." He passed his hand over the door lock. "I can get you set up, but I have to report."
"What happens if you don't go?" David headed into the room and collapsed on the bed.
Evan's mouth twisted into a wry smile as he looked down at David. "It depends. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes it means extra-special time with Lucius, while Ronon, his right hand man, holds you up to a wall." He shook his head. "If I go, I can hang back. Everyone wants to get as close to him as possible, so I should be safe."
"Are you sure?"
Evan hesitated. "No."
"Then don't go." David bit at his lip. "We're the only two people that haven't been affected yet. I don't think you can risk it."
Evan's eyes scrunched up, and he rocked back and forth on his toes. "I have to." He gritted his teeth. "Fuck it, no, I don't have to go. I want to go." He turned abruptly and paced over to the window and stared out. "I guess he's already getting to me."
"You have to stay out of his way. What happens if you…succumb?"
"It's not pretty. Mostly people just want to make him happy, and do whatever he wants because of that, like he's suddenly your best friend. The worst of them, well, I might start making eyes at Lucius."
David felt his heart race. Surely that didn't mean-- "Everyone wants to sleep with him?"
"No, just those that are, ah." Evan cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Just the people that find men attractive. At times."
"Oh." Obviously that hadn't been an easy thing for Evan to say. David understood what that might mean to the American military, and why Evan might want to keep that information under wraps, yet there was a part of him that was whooping with the joy at the thought of what had shifted from 'absolute fantasy' into the 'extremely unlikely, but possible.' Unfortunately, his attempt to reassure Evan came out as: "At times, I find men attractive, too."
"Yeah, that's…great." The smile was quick and broken; Evan quickly turned away from him and paced over to the window, drawing into himself and away from what they had just said, folding his arms across his chest as he stared out the window. It was obvious that his sexuality wasn't something he wanted to talk about; he looked incredibly freaked out about it.
Which was okay, David thought, torn between a dozen different impulses, from walking over and pulling him into a hug to screaming 'Why the hell didn't you tell me this before?' The words echoed in his mind, pinning him down: Evan was bi, he liked men, but that didn't mean he wanted David. He had to shake himself, get back on task, take a calming breath and settle down; Evan's sexuality wasn't exactly their most pressing concern at the moment, though, God, did David wish it were. He couldn't help the quiet, "I wish I had known," that slipped out, nor the way that Evan winced at the words.
Dropping his hands to his sides, Evan turned to look at him, his regret quickly painted over with focused intent. "If something happens, I'll probably come back here with Lucius and make you listen to one of his stupid stories. By the end of it, you'll be happy to join the others in the botany bays." Evan hesitantly sat down next to David on the bed. "I have to get a message out, to the Colonel or the Daedalus. I've got to let them know we have been compromised by a...megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur."
The radio crackled and Evan grabbed at it, his attention immediately focused on something so faint that David couldn't understand what was said. "What's going on?"
"There's an inbound jumper near. It's gotta be Sheppard and McKay." Evan slammed his fist on the bed. "That's what the all-hands in the mess is for, to get everyone hopped up before the two of them get back."
"Mind control can't happen that fast, surely? No matter what Lucius is using, it would take some time to overcome the blood-brain barrier."
"Not when Ronon's holding your head to the wall," said Evan. He stood and patted David's thigh. "I have to intercept them before Lucius does."
"Remember, you're vulnerable, too."
"Right." Evan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We've all got to minimize the amount of time we spend with him. And we have to warn Sheppard and McKay."
"So fight whatever this is, and don't go to the meeting. McKay will want to head to his lab, so maybe you could approach them there?" He hunched forward on the bed, feeling miserable and trying to process everything.
"I know you feel like shit, but you're going to need to come with me," Evan said, squeezing David's knee. "If we separate, we're easier to take down."
"Yeah, okay," David agreed, meeting Evan's gaze steadily. "Let's save Atlantis."
It took longer than they wanted to get to the labs. David grabbed a power bar and a bottle of water from the small stash in Evan's room, while Evan pulled out his small supply of C4 that he kept hidden under the towels in his bathroom. (David deliberately did not ask about that.) The hallways were busy with people moving toward the mess, and Evan wanted to make sure they weren't spotted as they headed to the labs. The food helped with David's dizziness, and he followed Evan as closely as possible, all the skills he'd learned as a member of an away team coming back.
Dr. McKay was there, working on some sort of spectral analysis. David could see the colors and graph, but not the element details.
"McKay!" Evan said. "Hey! McKay." He glanced around the room. "Where's Colonel Sheppard?"
Startled, McKay whirled around to look at them, his body blocking the screen so David couldn't see what was going on. "Oh, ah, Major." He gave a little wave. "Good to see you." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But I'm very busy, so you should go and let me work on this."
David moved to Dr. McKay's left; McKay twisted slightly, still blocking the view. "What are you working on?"
"This?" McKay flapped his hand at the screen. "Nothing. It's nothing. Just a, uh, spectral analysis of some rocks we found."
"Rocks? That doesn't seem up your alley, Doc." Evan moved forward, craning around Dr. McKay to look at the screen.
"Yes, yes, just something I need to double-check." He glanced over at David and frowned. "Shouldn't you be in the infirmary? I distinctly remember you coughing all over the last staff meeting."
"I'm fine," David grumbled. "A little tired is all." Too tired to dance around McKay anymore. He waved at Evan. "The major informed me about Lucius and his apparently peaceful takeover of Atlantis." David puffed out a breath. "Major Lorne was off-planet and I was ill in my quarters when he arrived, so neither of us have been affected yet."
"Really? Huh. Sheppard had a cold as well." McKay glanced at Evan, then he huffed out a large sigh. "I thought you were one of his cronies, like Ronon."
Evan shook his head. "I've only been back a few hours."
"Well, stay away from him as long as you can. This stuff requires close contact."
"What is it?" David stepped up to the display. Now that Dr. McKay wasn't guarding it, he could see the full analysis. "It looks similar to the Torlan plants."
"You've seen this before?" McKay said.
"Something close to it, anyway." David looked over at Evan, who blushed and looked away. "The Torlan welcome ceremony makes new trading partners feel very, ah, at ease. The ritual tea causes a pheromone secretion that acts on the pre-frontal cortex, making the newcomer feel relaxed and open to the Torlan's negotiations. The effect wears off in a couple of hours."
"So this will wear off in a few hours?"
"It's possible, as long as the drug isn't reapplied."
"So get to work, synthesize an antidote, just in case Lucius has any more of that stuff on him." McKay grinned. "And here I thought this was going to be difficult."
"I'm not sure--"
"Listen, Parrish." David blinked. He hadn't been sure Dr. McKay even knew his name. "If I can work with a botanist, you can synthesize an antidote."
"I'll do what I can." David's voice wavered, and he resisted the temptation to rub his sweaty palms over his chest and dry them off. Sometimes Dr. McKay could be a little intimidating.
"You have to do better than that. If we don't save the city--" His mouth hardened into a thin line. "We will save the city," he said flatly, his eyes cold and hard. "Right?"
David nodded and swallowed. "Of course, Dr. McKay."
A look of extreme pain washed over McKay's face. "God help me, I'm working with a botanist," he muttered, before the two of them went to work. "I'll need you to take over this, while I go shut down the DHD. As long as you're not a complete idiot, you should be able to finish the analysis by the time I get back."
"I should go with you," Evan said. "If they catch you--"
"If they catch me, then we're sunk." He thrust a hand toward David's chest. "If they catch him, we're also sunk. Stay with the botanist, Major, and make sure Sheppard gets the results if something happens. Maybe he can figure out a way to get Carson to work on it."
"Look, McKay--"
"Please. Like it's going to take me that long to disable a DHD. You help long and gangly here while I'm out, and we'll be able to get through this all a lot quicker."
There was more bickering, but eventually, McKay won out. Evan took up a sentry position at the doorway to the lab while McKay and David talked through what they had and what needed to be done. Occasionally, out of the corner of his eye, David caught Evan staring at him with a confused expression on his face, but David had to just shake it off and go on. He didn't have time to revisit ancient history; he had work to focus on.
McKay finally agreed that David was ready to work on the project alone, freeing him to shut down the DHD, when Evan grabbed David's arm, one hand to his radio. "We've got to go," Evan said, and looked at David. "Lucius and Ronon are on their way. Lucius wants to check on how McKay's doing."
"Shit." David scrambled, grabbing what was left of the sample while McKay downloaded as much of their research as he could to his hard drive.
"Come on, come on," Evan muttered. "We have to get out of here."
"We need this, and Lucius will wipe it if he finds out." McKay stared at the progress bar on the screen, waiting for the data to be written. "Another minute, that's all."
David stoppered the last of the liquid and shoved it in his pocket, but a minute was more than they had.
"Hiya!" Lucius's voice boomed out of the doorway, Dr. Weir at his side. Ronon pressed into the room, Teyla and Carson a few steps behind him. "I wanted to see how you were doing. You were looking kinda pale back up there." He looked around the lab, stopping in front of the each of the screens to stare at them, then moving on.
David had built a picture in his mind of Lucius as a kind of Basil Rathbone type, long and lean and menacing, yet strangely charismatic. The reality was quite different, and David was a little shocked that anyone could have fallen for him. He was more likely to be cast as 'Bottom' in a 'Midsummer's Night's Dream' than Professor Moriarty. He'd never make 'Dr. Evil,' let alone 'Dr. No.'
"Don't touch anything," McKay yelled. "This is very delicate equipment."
"I'm sure Lucius is already aware of that," Evan said, glaring at McKay. David was pretty sure that translated as 'shut the fuck up,' but McKay didn't seem aware of that. How could he not see that this was a delicate situation, and Evan was doing his best to keep Lucius distracted?
David's heart rate ratcheted up a notch as Lucius glanced over at Evan and frowned. "Have we met?"
"Major Evan Lorne," Evan said brightly and saluted Lucius. "You told me to help find scientists to help with the plants?"
"Oh, that's right, that's right," he muttered, and twisted slightly to shouted back to Ronon. "Would you mind holding onto Dr. McKay a minute, so we can have a little chat?"
Oh, God. David felt the sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He had to do something, or they were all doomed.
"Sure," Ronon said, grabbing McKay by the arm and shoving him against the wall. "He's not going anywhere, Lucius."
"Hey, that hurts!" McKay flailed, trying to shove Ronon's hands away.
"Shut up," Ronon said, practically breathing in McKay's face. "Don't say anything, McKay. Let Lucius do the talking."
Ice crept into David's stomach, hands and feet. There was nothing he could do to save McKay. He would have to try and save their research instead.
Heart pounding, David snagged the laptop and two drives, while everyone's attention was focused on Dr. McKay. He tried to catch McKay's gaze, but he was utterly still and focused on Ronon.
Lucius's voice grabbed him. "I didn't see you in the mess, Major," Lucius said in his unctuous voice, and David saw him squeeze Evan's arm. "Are you having any problems with the scientists? I heard that there was some sort of commotion in the gate room."
"That was my fault, I think." David stepped in next to Lorne, his stomach roiling as he looked at Lucius's hand resting on Lorne's skin. "I've been ill, and I hadn't heard you asked for help." He rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm feeling much better now." Only he wasn't, he really wasn't. But Lucius didn't need to know that.
"Ah, I see." Lucius frowned. "You don't look so good. Maybe we should have a chat later, after I've talked with Dr. McKay."
"I'd like that," David said, forcing himself to smile. He looked over at Evan, whose gaze was a little unfocused. Dammit. "I've got my research, Major. You mentioned hydroponics bay five?" David knew where everything was there, and he'd be able to wring out even more information from the tiny sample they had.
"That's right, isn't it, Lucius?" Evan said anxiously. "All of the non-essential personnel to report to the hydroponics bays."
"Yeah, yeah. That's good. Take your friend here--wait." Lucius stroked his chin. "I think I'd like to talk to you both. Have him lie down in your quarters, and I'll come by later. People who are ill shouldn't be running around the halls."
"Goodness, no! You're right about that, Lucius." Carson said, coming up and laying a hand on Lucius's arm. "We need to keep you healthy. Wouldn't want something to spread into the general population."
"That's a very good point, Carson," Lucius said, patting Carson's hand. "A very good point." He pursed his lips in thought. "Okay, Major, I'd like you to take your friend back to your room and take care of him. Make sure he stays there until I come get him." He dismissed them easily and turned back to Dr. McKay. Ronon was holding him easily against the wall; Lucius snagged one of the desk chairs and rolled it over to McKay, setting himself down in it close enough that he could stroke McKay's hand with his own.
David swallowed hard and looked desperately at Evan. "Shouldn't we do something?" he mouthed, but Evan wasn't paying attention. He was looking at Lucius, and David got a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. So not good.
"I got one!" Lucius said brightly from his chair. "Did I tell you about the-- What did you call them, Carson? Marmots?"
"Oh, that's a good story! Yes, the rodents sounded like marmots." Carson said, sitting down next to him on the floor. "You'll like this one, Rodney, I swear."
"Really not interested in marmots--" McKay said, hissing as Ronon seemed to press against him a little harder. "Okay, yes, marmots. Sounds good."
"Yes, it is a good story," Teyla agreed, sitting down on one of the benches. "Elizabeth, have you heard it?"
"Only a couple of times." She sat down next to Teyla, and held her hand. "Go on, Lucius, tell us what happened."
Evan visibly shook himself. "Come on," he said gruffly to David. "I gotta get you back to my room."
And oh, that was never going to sound the way that David once hoped it would sound. Clutching the laptop and drives to his chest, David followed Evan out into the hall. Evan waved or nodded at everyone, and David realized with a chill how few scientists they passed. They really had rounded up everyone, and right now, they were probably destroying all their experiments. At least they didn't keep anything particularly dangerous here, nothing that required gloves and clean room procedures. That had to count for something.
As they walked, David's thoughts spun. This wasn't good. It really wasn't good. He hunched over the laptop, glad that Evan hadn't mentioned it to Lucius. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, his heart pounding. He had to figure out a way to test Evan and see if he was in thrall to Lucius yet. As he thought, they fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that they'd had back when they were on a team together. Time slipped away for a bit, and David smiled a little as Evan's shoulder brushed his own. Then he froze inside, horrified at how happy he was just to walk next to Evan. How pathetic was it that mind-altering aliens were required for him to spend time with someone he had a crush on?
"Just a sec," Evan said, holding up his hand. "Lucius wants to send a team to another planet. I'll need to--oh, wait. Cancel that. Beckett's leading the team off world."
"Becket is leading a team off-world," David said, completely deadpan. Dear god, Evan had to be pretty far gone not to even notice how wrong that was. That would be like putting him in charge of a field team. No, no, it would be worse than putting him in charge. At least David knew he could shoot. "Why?"
"Because Lucius asked?" Evan looked at him, his expression a clear 'duh.' "Where's your headset, anyway?"
"Back in my quarters," David said stiffly. "I took it off when I was ill and forgot to put it back on."
"Isn't that just typical," Evan muttered, shaking his head, his expression fond, not exasperated; David was a little startled at that. "You never could remember to keep track of your equipment, even out in the field."
"I remembered enough, thank you very much." David flushed as he remembered leaving his pack behind on his first trip out, when he spotted some interesting vegetation off the main path. "The first time never counts."
"Oh, I think it does," Evan said, flashing him a toothy grin.
"Asshole," David muttered under his breath.
"Ah, you love me and you know it." David's stomach twisted into a knot with the truth of that statement, while Evan bumped his shoulder companionably. "Too much trouble to go back for it now, I guess." He glanced back at David, who felt rooted to the ground. "You're looking kinda pale, too. Guess we better slow down the pace." He tugged gently at David's arm. "Here, lean on me. We have a lot of ground to cover with most of the transporters out."
"What happened to the transporters?" David asked as he carefully slid his arm across Evan's broad shoulders, telling himself that he really didn't need the support, yet reveling in the freedom to touch.
"Not sure," Evan said, moving slowly down the hallway. "Zelenka was working on the system when we got back. Lucius talked to him a lot about them, but somehow only a few have been put back on-line."
Probably only the ones that Lucius wants on-line, David thought. He sighed heavily, and Evan made them stop for a breather. If only Evan were that solicitous when not under alien influence.
Thankfully, David was able to convince Evan that he could walk on his own before they reached the transporter, though their pace was still slow. Two marines were stationed outside of it; Evan nodded easily to them and gestured David inside. David felt his skin prickle as they watched him brush past Evan, taking the far corner of the booth.
"I need to go to the lab first," David said hurriedly. "I need to check some research." He reached for the screen to touch the lab level, but Evan blocked his hand and touched the residential area instead.
"You can get to it later, Doc. Lucius said my quarters, and I think we should stick to that."
The doors opened, and Evan nodded towards the hall. "After you."
Groaning inwardly, David did as he suggested, wishing all the while for some damned distraction. Evan placed his hand on the small of David's back, guiding him down the path. "We'll get you all tucked in okay? You can nap while we wait for Lucius."
"Do you have anything else to eat in your room?" David asked as his stomach growled at him again. "I haven't had anything substantial all day."
"Oh," Evan said, his brow furrowing in thought as he slowed down their walk. "I'm not sure I have anything." He looked a little distressed. "Lucius wouldn't like it if you passed out."
"I wouldn't like it if I passed out," David snapped. "Why don't I just zip up to the mess and pick something up? I'll meet you back in your room after, and we can wait for Lucius there."
"No, no. I don't think so. I think Lucius would want me to make sure that you're safe back in my quarters. You're too important to be wandering the halls if we're being invaded."
A kind of hysteria crept over David, and he wanted to laugh and laugh and laugh. The idea of a xenobotanist being considered important in Atlantis was almost nonsensical; there were so many other groups and divisions that got priority over his organization that the very thought just showed how screwed up Evan was, thanks to Lucius's pheromone potion. He leaned back against the wall, and started chuckling weakly, unable to contain his bitter amusement. He kept laughing, moving into big, broad guffaws that made him gasp for breath as he sank onto the floor, placing the laptop down gently and laughing even more.
Evan looked panicked, and that made David try to bring himself under control, but he kept losing it every time he thought of the absurdity of the situation.
"Change of priorities," Evan said, sitting on the floor and pulling David against his shoulder. "We're going to the mess and getting you fed."
"Thank...God," David said, and smiled weakly at Evan. "I really am starved."
Evan pulled back and David could hear Dr. Beckett's voice crackle over Evan's radio. "Atlantis, this is Beckett! We're coming in hot!"
"Shit," Evan muttered. "I need to--"
"Check it out, I know," David said, his breath finally coming back to him. "Give me another couple of minutes, and I'll be ready to go."
Just about the time David felt he was under control, they heard someone walking down the hallway; David tried to get up, but he couldn't seem to get his feet out from under him.
"Major, Doctor." Colonel Sheppard paused the moment he saw them. He looked wary, and David supposed he had the right. At the moment, he guessed that he and the Colonel were the only ones not affected by Lucius's drug.
"Sir, I heard an alert over the radio." Evan scrambled to stand up. "I didn't hear an all clear, though."
Sheppard grimaced. "Beckett, Ronon, and Teyla went to fetch some herbs for Lucius, and ended up chased by the Wraith. The gate shut down before the Wraith came through."
"That doesn't seem very...like them," David said.
"Tell me about it," Sheppard agreed. "McKay was acting weird, too. He did a marmot imitation." Sheppard put his hands up, momentarily curving the palms, then shook his head and dropped his hands.
"Hey, who doesn't like marmots?" Evan interjected. "Lucius has this great story about how he--"
David talked loudly over whatever it was Evan was saying. "Yes, Lucius tells everyone that story. He told it to McKay right after he had a small talk with the Major."
"Got it," Sheppard said, his back stiffening. "Have you had a talk with Lucius too?"
"I'm on the schedule for later," David said bitterly. "You don't happen to have any food on you?"
Sheppard fumbled in his pockets and frowned. "Nope," he said, while Evan looked at them both in confusion. "McKay must have cleaned me out."
"Sir, Lucius charged me with getting Dr. Parrish here to my quarters for a nap. Would you be willing to get a tray of food for him from the mess?"
Sheppard blinked twice. "I'd rather not go to the mess right now, Major. Why don't you just take Dr. Parrish there yourself?"
"Actually," David said, scrambling upright. "I am feeling very tired. Colonel Sheppard, why don't you escort me to the Major's quarters, while he gets the food?"
David tried to signal that he had some information he needed to share in private, pointing at the laptop and drives, making circular motions around it. Sheppard looked puzzled, and rubbed at the back of his neck; he glanced at the equipment again, stared at the laptop, and seemed to get it.
"Yeah, that's a great idea, Lorne. Go pick up a tray for Dr. Parrish, and I'll get him to your quarters for that...nap."
Evan nodded. "Yes, sir." His lips thinned in a tight line. "Lucius did say I should look out for him," he muttered, looking torn.
"It's fine, Major. I'm your commanding officer, and I promise to take good care of him."
"Thank you, sir." He turned to David. "Straight to my quarters, got it? No dilly-dallying with strange plant life along the way."
Evan left, and Sheppard turned to look at David. "Well?" he said softly.
"Here." David handed him the laptop and the disks, all of the research that he and Dr. McKay had worked on. "This is everything. I got it out when Lucius and his people came into the lab, but I couldn't do anything for Dr. McKay."
John looked the pile over. "I thought I recognized Rodney's laptop. Can you do anything else with this?"
David shook his head. "I'm stumped. I've gone as far as I can in creating an antidote."
Sheppard packed up everything and ran his hand through his hair. "Maybe I can get one of the medical or biochem people to do something with it, if I can get one of them away from Lucius. From what I saw back in Lucius's village, the withdrawal’s bad, but it won't kill you." He pursed his lips and his eyes focused on the mid-distance, then switched back to David. "Have you backed this up?"
David shook his head. "I haven't had time."
"Well, I'll try hard not to be converted."
"Me, too," David said, "but just in case, you better not tell me where you're going next."
Sheppard agreed, and gestured at the laptop. "Thanks."
"No problem, Colonel." With a sigh, he watched Sheppard lope down the hallway and wished he had that much energy. He could count on the Colonel being able to get them all out of this mess, the way he had so many times before.
He stumbled mid-step, and had to place his hand on the wall to keep himself upright. What if he was wrong? What if Sheppard couldn't do it? What if he was captured and imprisoned, or Lucius converted Sheppard?
What if he ended up the only person on Atlantis not affected by Lucius's pheromone potion? The thought nearly made David hyperventilate. He picked up his pace to a fast walk as he headed for Evan's room, then into a slow trot. This could be bad. This could be very, very bad. What could he do by himself that would shake everyone out of this?
Mentally, he heard Dr. McKay shouting at him: "Just make the damned antidote."
Okay, fine, he thought. He'd finished the analysis, anyway, and he had the stuff from Torlan to work with. Beckett's group had just brought back fresh plants, and some of them were probably being taken down to the botany bays while Lucius used the others for more of his serum.
He might be able to snag some of the plants himself, but he'd need Evan's help with that, since the bays were probably going to be guarded. And for that, he'd need to get Evan alone somewhere for long enough that the drug would wear off.
David was going to have to kidnap him. He could grab Evan and knock him out somehow, then drag him off to one of the unused sections near the lab until he recovered, that should be fine. He could do it. If he-- Or if-- David frowned.
Really, he couldn't think of any situation where he could knock Evan unconscious. Evan was a soldier, and David, well, he was almost the poster boy for the 98-pound weakling. Still, there had to be a way to keep Evan occupied until the pheromones wore off. It should be just a few hours, right?
to part two
Author: Rachael Sabotini (wickedwords)
Other info: Lorne/Parrish | PG | 11000 words
Spoilers through 'Irresistible'
Summary: "If I can work with a botanist, you can synthesize an antidote."
A/N: This was written for kensieg for the Sweet Charity auction in Jan 2008. I offered 2000 words, but, well, the story kind-of grew in the telling. Thank you so much to elynross, montanaharper and sherrold for their mad beta skills. All remaining typos are my own.
***
Invisible
Shaky but feeling better than he had in days, David dragged himself upright and out of bed. This cold had really wiped him out, but he was starved, and after three days of nothing but Gatorade and ginger ale, he figured he was in good enough shape that he could haul himself to the mess and eat whatever they had there. The idea of cream of blue wheat-like grain was strangely appealing. Lord knew he wouldn't be able to smell or taste it, so it might be the best meal he'd had there in months.
The steamy shower made his head feel less like it was stuffed with cotton batting, but not as much as he'd hoped. As he pulled on a clean pair of sweats, he glanced over at his computer, wondering if he should check email first; his stomach growled at him, nixing that whole line of thought, and he was out the door without worrying about tying his shoes.
There weren't many people in the halls, and the main transporter was blocked off. It was odd. Usually if engineering had to work on the system, there was at least a note taped to the outside of the transporter door; no one wanted to be the person to comm about the same stuck door for the sixth time in an hour, and people were generally polite about leaving a note to that effect. There'd been no alarms, no notice of intruders, but then again.... David put his hand up to his ear and sighed. He'd taken his headset off when he first went to bed and hadn't picked the radio up since. Mentally, he shrugged. Whatever had happened couldn't be that bad. If the Wraith invaded, David was pretty sure someone would come get him. They always had before.
Trudging down his alternate route to the mess, the thought brought a twinge of sadness with it. No one had stopped in while he'd been bedridden, and even though he knew everyone was busy, it bothered him. Ever since he'd taken himself off the rotation for Evan's team, he hadn't had a lot of social contact; it was getting to the point where he wasn't sure it was worth sticking around Atlantis any more. He knew that that whole 'team bonding' thing was idiotic behavior times infinity, but when it was the only social outlet he'd had outside of work, maybe he shouldn't have kept turning Evan down. If he'd accepted, maybe he wouldn't feel so lonely all the time.
Still, he knew it was for the best. He'd developed a, ah, rather inappropriate crush on his team leader and figured it was better to just take himself out of temptation's range. Even though it might have been nice to have Ev--a visitor--check in on him. Bring him some Jell-o, or a pudding cup. Thoughts of pudding cheered him as he continued down the roundabout path to the mess, a path that passed through the gate room and up the main stairwell. His legs protested the work after his confinement, but the thought of food was a great motivator.
Chuck was at his station as David passed by, and he looked surprised to see him. "Who are you again?"
"Dr. David Parrish." David glanced hurriedly around the room, trying to ignore the way everyone stared at him. "Acting head of Xenobotany?" He inwardly winced at how far down the scientific totem pole that particular fact placed him. At least he wasn't an anthropologist.
"Don't have you down, doc." Chuck said, fumbling at the clipboard in his hand. "Have you talked with Lucius yet?"
"With who?" David's stomach rumbled.
Chuck clicked his tongue and wrote something on the clipboard. "That would be a big 'no,' then."
"I didn't think we were having any visitors right now." David passed a hand over his face. This was just great. His cold hadn't been worth time in the infirmary, but he hadn't been able to force himself to read email or pay attention to his radio, either. He had no clue what had happened. "Is Lucius from Earth, part of the IOA?"
"Lucius? Nahhh. He's a great guy, our newest trading partner. You should meet him, that's all. Dr. Weir has him set up in the quarters right next to hers. I think she's hoping he'll marry her."
What in heaven's name-- David must have had a horrified look on his face, as Chuck rushed to reassure him that Lucius was a wise man, a wonderful man, and a great humanitarian. It was like listening to the spiel for a Atlantis's lifetime achievement award, which was an unsettling thought.
"You'll meet him later," Chuck said. "He wants to talk with everyone about their jobs here." He blinked and scrunched his eyes up in thought. "What did you say your name was again?"
David felt his neck tense. Chuck was playing with him, obviously, and David was getting seriously annoyed. "David Parrish," he ground out. "Dr. David Parrish."
"That's right. And you're a botanist."
"Senior Botanist, head of Xenobotany, remember?" David's stomach growled at him again; he was running out of patience. "I coordinate hydroponics lab five," he said and ran his fingers through his hair. "I've been out with the flu for the past three days, and now I would like to eat something more substantial than tea and a few salted crackers. So if you wouldn't mind stepping aside, so I could get to the mess..."
"Oh!" With that, Chuck broke out in a bright grin. "That's where you need to go." He scribed another note on his clipboard.
"Yes, I'm hungry, and I want to go to the mess," David said carefully, not wanting to yell. "I'm sure they have some sort of food there."
Chuck pressed his radio and smiled brightly at David. "I need an escort for one of the scientists, please, a Dr. Parrish. Yes. Hydroponics bay. Thanks, Major." He clicked the radio off. "I'm sure they'll have something for you once you get down there. Lucius is very generous, and is having food brought down to the gardeners while they work in the hydroponics labs."
"Gardeners?" David's mouth felt dry, as dry as his plants after three days without water. Chuck was smiling affably and sipping his coffee; there was nothing about him that said he was joking, and David knew he didn't have that great of a poker face. Something had gone seriously wrong. "What are you doing with the hydroponics bays?"
"Lucius has a special project he wants to work on, and everyone has pitched in to help him. Dr. Heightmeyer's working to get it all set up, and she's asked for more people, so we've asked most of the scientific staff to help out. I guess we must have missed you when--"
Every instinct on alert, David skipped the stairs and took off running for the transporter; Chuck grabbed him by the shirt, and David kicked out like he'd been taught. His shirt ripped, and Chuck fell hard against the console; David didn't stop to see what happened next. If he was lucky, he could make it to the transporter before his 'escort' arrived. He didn't know where he'd go, but obviously something very bad had happened to Atlantis, and David had an obligation to figure it out.
"Whoa, whoa there!" Evan--Major Lorne-- said as he stepped in front of David, blocking his way, two marines flanking him. He held up his hands, a bright smile on his face. The smile looked eerily similar to the one Chuck had worn. "What's the rush, Doc?"
"I, uh, wasn't feeling well," David said quickly. "I've been ill for the past few days, and I thought I was up to going to the mess." He manufactured a smile of his own, but suspected it wavered too much to look right. "Guess I was wrong," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Evan's brow furrowed. "Yeah, yeah. I remember. I was gonna look in on you, but with one thing and another, I kinda forgot."
Oh, that would have been nice, if Evan had remembered to stop by. "No problem, Major. I'll just head back to my quarters--"
"You said you were feeling better?" The marines beside him seemed to draw in closer, as if they might reach out and grab David at any moment.
"Yes, yes. No fever or anything." Though his hands were sweating like he was still running one. "I'm just...very tired, Major. I need some rest."
"Yeah, rest." He blinked a couple of times, and shook his head. "Listen," he said to the two marines, "I can escort Dr. Parrish down to the labs myself. You go ahead to the mess, see if Lucius needs anything."
"Yes, sir!" the marines said, smiling brightly. It was as if someone told them there were fresh cookies in the mess, or real steak and mashed potatoes.
Evan wrapped his arm around David's back, tucking him against his side as they stepped into the transporter together; David heard the door lock, but Evan didn't press a destination. "Don't you ever read your email?" he grumbled.
"Not since I've been ill," David said defensively. Really, there was no place for this. Just because he was a little slow at logging onto the mail server--
Evan cut him off with a gesture. "Listen, I'm not sure how long I have. I've been back for three hours, and I haven't been taken to meet Lucius yet. Near as I can tell, he's got some sort of mind control thing going on, and everyone that meets him falls all over themselves doing whatever they think Lucius wants."
Damn. David leaned back against the transporter wall. This was one of the threshold situations they were all taught about. "What about Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard?"
"Dr. Weir is showing Lucius around Atlantis right now, while the Colonel and Dr. McKay are looking at gates that might be usable for the bridge. I couldn't get a message through to them that things had gone south here, so at the moment, it's just us." He looked guilty. "Lucius said he wished someone could help him grow a few of his herbs, so Carson could see how powerful they were, and the next thing I know, Dr. Weir was requesting that all the scientists 'help out.' Chuck even made a list of people to take to the labs, so no one would be missed. He must have been kinda suggestible, though, as I told him to forget about you since you were ill and all." Evan shifted uncomfortably, and David noticed the fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. "I tried to get the message to Colonel, but Zelenka--" Evan shook his head. "He must have done something to make sure no one could get a message out. And the Daedalus is still undergoing repairs."
"So we're screwed?"
"Essentially, yeah."
"It's like I never left the team," David muttered, then something that Evan had said filtered through, and he jerked upright, looking directly at Evan. "Wait. You knew I had a cold?"
Evan looked down at his shoes. "I keep tabs on you, okay? Just because you're not on my team anymore doesn't mean--" He swallowed and forced his gaze up to meet David's. "Yeah, I did. Sorry I didn't come by."
"That…might have been nice." A wave of dizziness washed over David, and he rubbed his hand over his face, hoping that Evan didn't see it trembling. "I am really not up for this."
"Sorry, buddy, but I don't know what else to do." Evan put his arm around David's back again. "Let me help you find someplace to rest. Since Chuck remembers who you are now, it might not be safe for you to go back to your quarters."
"What about yours?" David said, and Evan looked at him, startled.
"Yeah," he said carefully, obviously searching for words. "Yeah, that might work." He pressed the right location on the map, then tucked his body in close to David's once the door opened. David could feel the heat coming off of him, and the strength of his body. He slung an arm over Evan's shoulder, grateful for the support.
"I'm not sure how much time we have," Evan said, his words tumbling out in rhythm to their steps. "Lucius is very concerned about tracking everyone, making sure we all get a little 'quality time.' He's like this giant buzzing bee, into everything all the time, getting right into your personal space."
"How have you avoided it, then?"
"I haven't, not completely. I think I'm lucky that whatever he's doing hasn't taken root."
They were outside of Evan's quarters when an announcement came over the radio. "Lucius would like all non-essential personnel to report to the mess."
"Shit." Evan's shoulders drooped. "That means I have to go." He passed his hand over the door lock. "I can get you set up, but I have to report."
"What happens if you don't go?" David headed into the room and collapsed on the bed.
Evan's mouth twisted into a wry smile as he looked down at David. "It depends. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes it means extra-special time with Lucius, while Ronon, his right hand man, holds you up to a wall." He shook his head. "If I go, I can hang back. Everyone wants to get as close to him as possible, so I should be safe."
"Are you sure?"
Evan hesitated. "No."
"Then don't go." David bit at his lip. "We're the only two people that haven't been affected yet. I don't think you can risk it."
Evan's eyes scrunched up, and he rocked back and forth on his toes. "I have to." He gritted his teeth. "Fuck it, no, I don't have to go. I want to go." He turned abruptly and paced over to the window and stared out. "I guess he's already getting to me."
"You have to stay out of his way. What happens if you…succumb?"
"It's not pretty. Mostly people just want to make him happy, and do whatever he wants because of that, like he's suddenly your best friend. The worst of them, well, I might start making eyes at Lucius."
David felt his heart race. Surely that didn't mean-- "Everyone wants to sleep with him?"
"No, just those that are, ah." Evan cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Just the people that find men attractive. At times."
"Oh." Obviously that hadn't been an easy thing for Evan to say. David understood what that might mean to the American military, and why Evan might want to keep that information under wraps, yet there was a part of him that was whooping with the joy at the thought of what had shifted from 'absolute fantasy' into the 'extremely unlikely, but possible.' Unfortunately, his attempt to reassure Evan came out as: "At times, I find men attractive, too."
"Yeah, that's…great." The smile was quick and broken; Evan quickly turned away from him and paced over to the window, drawing into himself and away from what they had just said, folding his arms across his chest as he stared out the window. It was obvious that his sexuality wasn't something he wanted to talk about; he looked incredibly freaked out about it.
Which was okay, David thought, torn between a dozen different impulses, from walking over and pulling him into a hug to screaming 'Why the hell didn't you tell me this before?' The words echoed in his mind, pinning him down: Evan was bi, he liked men, but that didn't mean he wanted David. He had to shake himself, get back on task, take a calming breath and settle down; Evan's sexuality wasn't exactly their most pressing concern at the moment, though, God, did David wish it were. He couldn't help the quiet, "I wish I had known," that slipped out, nor the way that Evan winced at the words.
Dropping his hands to his sides, Evan turned to look at him, his regret quickly painted over with focused intent. "If something happens, I'll probably come back here with Lucius and make you listen to one of his stupid stories. By the end of it, you'll be happy to join the others in the botany bays." Evan hesitantly sat down next to David on the bed. "I have to get a message out, to the Colonel or the Daedalus. I've got to let them know we have been compromised by a...megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur."
The radio crackled and Evan grabbed at it, his attention immediately focused on something so faint that David couldn't understand what was said. "What's going on?"
"There's an inbound jumper near. It's gotta be Sheppard and McKay." Evan slammed his fist on the bed. "That's what the all-hands in the mess is for, to get everyone hopped up before the two of them get back."
"Mind control can't happen that fast, surely? No matter what Lucius is using, it would take some time to overcome the blood-brain barrier."
"Not when Ronon's holding your head to the wall," said Evan. He stood and patted David's thigh. "I have to intercept them before Lucius does."
"Remember, you're vulnerable, too."
"Right." Evan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We've all got to minimize the amount of time we spend with him. And we have to warn Sheppard and McKay."
"So fight whatever this is, and don't go to the meeting. McKay will want to head to his lab, so maybe you could approach them there?" He hunched forward on the bed, feeling miserable and trying to process everything.
"I know you feel like shit, but you're going to need to come with me," Evan said, squeezing David's knee. "If we separate, we're easier to take down."
"Yeah, okay," David agreed, meeting Evan's gaze steadily. "Let's save Atlantis."
It took longer than they wanted to get to the labs. David grabbed a power bar and a bottle of water from the small stash in Evan's room, while Evan pulled out his small supply of C4 that he kept hidden under the towels in his bathroom. (David deliberately did not ask about that.) The hallways were busy with people moving toward the mess, and Evan wanted to make sure they weren't spotted as they headed to the labs. The food helped with David's dizziness, and he followed Evan as closely as possible, all the skills he'd learned as a member of an away team coming back.
Dr. McKay was there, working on some sort of spectral analysis. David could see the colors and graph, but not the element details.
"McKay!" Evan said. "Hey! McKay." He glanced around the room. "Where's Colonel Sheppard?"
Startled, McKay whirled around to look at them, his body blocking the screen so David couldn't see what was going on. "Oh, ah, Major." He gave a little wave. "Good to see you." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But I'm very busy, so you should go and let me work on this."
David moved to Dr. McKay's left; McKay twisted slightly, still blocking the view. "What are you working on?"
"This?" McKay flapped his hand at the screen. "Nothing. It's nothing. Just a, uh, spectral analysis of some rocks we found."
"Rocks? That doesn't seem up your alley, Doc." Evan moved forward, craning around Dr. McKay to look at the screen.
"Yes, yes, just something I need to double-check." He glanced over at David and frowned. "Shouldn't you be in the infirmary? I distinctly remember you coughing all over the last staff meeting."
"I'm fine," David grumbled. "A little tired is all." Too tired to dance around McKay anymore. He waved at Evan. "The major informed me about Lucius and his apparently peaceful takeover of Atlantis." David puffed out a breath. "Major Lorne was off-planet and I was ill in my quarters when he arrived, so neither of us have been affected yet."
"Really? Huh. Sheppard had a cold as well." McKay glanced at Evan, then he huffed out a large sigh. "I thought you were one of his cronies, like Ronon."
Evan shook his head. "I've only been back a few hours."
"Well, stay away from him as long as you can. This stuff requires close contact."
"What is it?" David stepped up to the display. Now that Dr. McKay wasn't guarding it, he could see the full analysis. "It looks similar to the Torlan plants."
"You've seen this before?" McKay said.
"Something close to it, anyway." David looked over at Evan, who blushed and looked away. "The Torlan welcome ceremony makes new trading partners feel very, ah, at ease. The ritual tea causes a pheromone secretion that acts on the pre-frontal cortex, making the newcomer feel relaxed and open to the Torlan's negotiations. The effect wears off in a couple of hours."
"So this will wear off in a few hours?"
"It's possible, as long as the drug isn't reapplied."
"So get to work, synthesize an antidote, just in case Lucius has any more of that stuff on him." McKay grinned. "And here I thought this was going to be difficult."
"I'm not sure--"
"Listen, Parrish." David blinked. He hadn't been sure Dr. McKay even knew his name. "If I can work with a botanist, you can synthesize an antidote."
"I'll do what I can." David's voice wavered, and he resisted the temptation to rub his sweaty palms over his chest and dry them off. Sometimes Dr. McKay could be a little intimidating.
"You have to do better than that. If we don't save the city--" His mouth hardened into a thin line. "We will save the city," he said flatly, his eyes cold and hard. "Right?"
David nodded and swallowed. "Of course, Dr. McKay."
A look of extreme pain washed over McKay's face. "God help me, I'm working with a botanist," he muttered, before the two of them went to work. "I'll need you to take over this, while I go shut down the DHD. As long as you're not a complete idiot, you should be able to finish the analysis by the time I get back."
"I should go with you," Evan said. "If they catch you--"
"If they catch me, then we're sunk." He thrust a hand toward David's chest. "If they catch him, we're also sunk. Stay with the botanist, Major, and make sure Sheppard gets the results if something happens. Maybe he can figure out a way to get Carson to work on it."
"Look, McKay--"
"Please. Like it's going to take me that long to disable a DHD. You help long and gangly here while I'm out, and we'll be able to get through this all a lot quicker."
There was more bickering, but eventually, McKay won out. Evan took up a sentry position at the doorway to the lab while McKay and David talked through what they had and what needed to be done. Occasionally, out of the corner of his eye, David caught Evan staring at him with a confused expression on his face, but David had to just shake it off and go on. He didn't have time to revisit ancient history; he had work to focus on.
McKay finally agreed that David was ready to work on the project alone, freeing him to shut down the DHD, when Evan grabbed David's arm, one hand to his radio. "We've got to go," Evan said, and looked at David. "Lucius and Ronon are on their way. Lucius wants to check on how McKay's doing."
"Shit." David scrambled, grabbing what was left of the sample while McKay downloaded as much of their research as he could to his hard drive.
"Come on, come on," Evan muttered. "We have to get out of here."
"We need this, and Lucius will wipe it if he finds out." McKay stared at the progress bar on the screen, waiting for the data to be written. "Another minute, that's all."
David stoppered the last of the liquid and shoved it in his pocket, but a minute was more than they had.
"Hiya!" Lucius's voice boomed out of the doorway, Dr. Weir at his side. Ronon pressed into the room, Teyla and Carson a few steps behind him. "I wanted to see how you were doing. You were looking kinda pale back up there." He looked around the lab, stopping in front of the each of the screens to stare at them, then moving on.
David had built a picture in his mind of Lucius as a kind of Basil Rathbone type, long and lean and menacing, yet strangely charismatic. The reality was quite different, and David was a little shocked that anyone could have fallen for him. He was more likely to be cast as 'Bottom' in a 'Midsummer's Night's Dream' than Professor Moriarty. He'd never make 'Dr. Evil,' let alone 'Dr. No.'
"Don't touch anything," McKay yelled. "This is very delicate equipment."
"I'm sure Lucius is already aware of that," Evan said, glaring at McKay. David was pretty sure that translated as 'shut the fuck up,' but McKay didn't seem aware of that. How could he not see that this was a delicate situation, and Evan was doing his best to keep Lucius distracted?
David's heart rate ratcheted up a notch as Lucius glanced over at Evan and frowned. "Have we met?"
"Major Evan Lorne," Evan said brightly and saluted Lucius. "You told me to help find scientists to help with the plants?"
"Oh, that's right, that's right," he muttered, and twisted slightly to shouted back to Ronon. "Would you mind holding onto Dr. McKay a minute, so we can have a little chat?"
Oh, God. David felt the sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He had to do something, or they were all doomed.
"Sure," Ronon said, grabbing McKay by the arm and shoving him against the wall. "He's not going anywhere, Lucius."
"Hey, that hurts!" McKay flailed, trying to shove Ronon's hands away.
"Shut up," Ronon said, practically breathing in McKay's face. "Don't say anything, McKay. Let Lucius do the talking."
Ice crept into David's stomach, hands and feet. There was nothing he could do to save McKay. He would have to try and save their research instead.
Heart pounding, David snagged the laptop and two drives, while everyone's attention was focused on Dr. McKay. He tried to catch McKay's gaze, but he was utterly still and focused on Ronon.
Lucius's voice grabbed him. "I didn't see you in the mess, Major," Lucius said in his unctuous voice, and David saw him squeeze Evan's arm. "Are you having any problems with the scientists? I heard that there was some sort of commotion in the gate room."
"That was my fault, I think." David stepped in next to Lorne, his stomach roiling as he looked at Lucius's hand resting on Lorne's skin. "I've been ill, and I hadn't heard you asked for help." He rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm feeling much better now." Only he wasn't, he really wasn't. But Lucius didn't need to know that.
"Ah, I see." Lucius frowned. "You don't look so good. Maybe we should have a chat later, after I've talked with Dr. McKay."
"I'd like that," David said, forcing himself to smile. He looked over at Evan, whose gaze was a little unfocused. Dammit. "I've got my research, Major. You mentioned hydroponics bay five?" David knew where everything was there, and he'd be able to wring out even more information from the tiny sample they had.
"That's right, isn't it, Lucius?" Evan said anxiously. "All of the non-essential personnel to report to the hydroponics bays."
"Yeah, yeah. That's good. Take your friend here--wait." Lucius stroked his chin. "I think I'd like to talk to you both. Have him lie down in your quarters, and I'll come by later. People who are ill shouldn't be running around the halls."
"Goodness, no! You're right about that, Lucius." Carson said, coming up and laying a hand on Lucius's arm. "We need to keep you healthy. Wouldn't want something to spread into the general population."
"That's a very good point, Carson," Lucius said, patting Carson's hand. "A very good point." He pursed his lips in thought. "Okay, Major, I'd like you to take your friend back to your room and take care of him. Make sure he stays there until I come get him." He dismissed them easily and turned back to Dr. McKay. Ronon was holding him easily against the wall; Lucius snagged one of the desk chairs and rolled it over to McKay, setting himself down in it close enough that he could stroke McKay's hand with his own.
David swallowed hard and looked desperately at Evan. "Shouldn't we do something?" he mouthed, but Evan wasn't paying attention. He was looking at Lucius, and David got a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. So not good.
"I got one!" Lucius said brightly from his chair. "Did I tell you about the-- What did you call them, Carson? Marmots?"
"Oh, that's a good story! Yes, the rodents sounded like marmots." Carson said, sitting down next to him on the floor. "You'll like this one, Rodney, I swear."
"Really not interested in marmots--" McKay said, hissing as Ronon seemed to press against him a little harder. "Okay, yes, marmots. Sounds good."
"Yes, it is a good story," Teyla agreed, sitting down on one of the benches. "Elizabeth, have you heard it?"
"Only a couple of times." She sat down next to Teyla, and held her hand. "Go on, Lucius, tell us what happened."
Evan visibly shook himself. "Come on," he said gruffly to David. "I gotta get you back to my room."
And oh, that was never going to sound the way that David once hoped it would sound. Clutching the laptop and drives to his chest, David followed Evan out into the hall. Evan waved or nodded at everyone, and David realized with a chill how few scientists they passed. They really had rounded up everyone, and right now, they were probably destroying all their experiments. At least they didn't keep anything particularly dangerous here, nothing that required gloves and clean room procedures. That had to count for something.
As they walked, David's thoughts spun. This wasn't good. It really wasn't good. He hunched over the laptop, glad that Evan hadn't mentioned it to Lucius. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, his heart pounding. He had to figure out a way to test Evan and see if he was in thrall to Lucius yet. As he thought, they fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that they'd had back when they were on a team together. Time slipped away for a bit, and David smiled a little as Evan's shoulder brushed his own. Then he froze inside, horrified at how happy he was just to walk next to Evan. How pathetic was it that mind-altering aliens were required for him to spend time with someone he had a crush on?
"Just a sec," Evan said, holding up his hand. "Lucius wants to send a team to another planet. I'll need to--oh, wait. Cancel that. Beckett's leading the team off world."
"Becket is leading a team off-world," David said, completely deadpan. Dear god, Evan had to be pretty far gone not to even notice how wrong that was. That would be like putting him in charge of a field team. No, no, it would be worse than putting him in charge. At least David knew he could shoot. "Why?"
"Because Lucius asked?" Evan looked at him, his expression a clear 'duh.' "Where's your headset, anyway?"
"Back in my quarters," David said stiffly. "I took it off when I was ill and forgot to put it back on."
"Isn't that just typical," Evan muttered, shaking his head, his expression fond, not exasperated; David was a little startled at that. "You never could remember to keep track of your equipment, even out in the field."
"I remembered enough, thank you very much." David flushed as he remembered leaving his pack behind on his first trip out, when he spotted some interesting vegetation off the main path. "The first time never counts."
"Oh, I think it does," Evan said, flashing him a toothy grin.
"Asshole," David muttered under his breath.
"Ah, you love me and you know it." David's stomach twisted into a knot with the truth of that statement, while Evan bumped his shoulder companionably. "Too much trouble to go back for it now, I guess." He glanced back at David, who felt rooted to the ground. "You're looking kinda pale, too. Guess we better slow down the pace." He tugged gently at David's arm. "Here, lean on me. We have a lot of ground to cover with most of the transporters out."
"What happened to the transporters?" David asked as he carefully slid his arm across Evan's broad shoulders, telling himself that he really didn't need the support, yet reveling in the freedom to touch.
"Not sure," Evan said, moving slowly down the hallway. "Zelenka was working on the system when we got back. Lucius talked to him a lot about them, but somehow only a few have been put back on-line."
Probably only the ones that Lucius wants on-line, David thought. He sighed heavily, and Evan made them stop for a breather. If only Evan were that solicitous when not under alien influence.
Thankfully, David was able to convince Evan that he could walk on his own before they reached the transporter, though their pace was still slow. Two marines were stationed outside of it; Evan nodded easily to them and gestured David inside. David felt his skin prickle as they watched him brush past Evan, taking the far corner of the booth.
"I need to go to the lab first," David said hurriedly. "I need to check some research." He reached for the screen to touch the lab level, but Evan blocked his hand and touched the residential area instead.
"You can get to it later, Doc. Lucius said my quarters, and I think we should stick to that."
The doors opened, and Evan nodded towards the hall. "After you."
Groaning inwardly, David did as he suggested, wishing all the while for some damned distraction. Evan placed his hand on the small of David's back, guiding him down the path. "We'll get you all tucked in okay? You can nap while we wait for Lucius."
"Do you have anything else to eat in your room?" David asked as his stomach growled at him again. "I haven't had anything substantial all day."
"Oh," Evan said, his brow furrowing in thought as he slowed down their walk. "I'm not sure I have anything." He looked a little distressed. "Lucius wouldn't like it if you passed out."
"I wouldn't like it if I passed out," David snapped. "Why don't I just zip up to the mess and pick something up? I'll meet you back in your room after, and we can wait for Lucius there."
"No, no. I don't think so. I think Lucius would want me to make sure that you're safe back in my quarters. You're too important to be wandering the halls if we're being invaded."
A kind of hysteria crept over David, and he wanted to laugh and laugh and laugh. The idea of a xenobotanist being considered important in Atlantis was almost nonsensical; there were so many other groups and divisions that got priority over his organization that the very thought just showed how screwed up Evan was, thanks to Lucius's pheromone potion. He leaned back against the wall, and started chuckling weakly, unable to contain his bitter amusement. He kept laughing, moving into big, broad guffaws that made him gasp for breath as he sank onto the floor, placing the laptop down gently and laughing even more.
Evan looked panicked, and that made David try to bring himself under control, but he kept losing it every time he thought of the absurdity of the situation.
"Change of priorities," Evan said, sitting on the floor and pulling David against his shoulder. "We're going to the mess and getting you fed."
"Thank...God," David said, and smiled weakly at Evan. "I really am starved."
Evan pulled back and David could hear Dr. Beckett's voice crackle over Evan's radio. "Atlantis, this is Beckett! We're coming in hot!"
"Shit," Evan muttered. "I need to--"
"Check it out, I know," David said, his breath finally coming back to him. "Give me another couple of minutes, and I'll be ready to go."
Just about the time David felt he was under control, they heard someone walking down the hallway; David tried to get up, but he couldn't seem to get his feet out from under him.
"Major, Doctor." Colonel Sheppard paused the moment he saw them. He looked wary, and David supposed he had the right. At the moment, he guessed that he and the Colonel were the only ones not affected by Lucius's drug.
"Sir, I heard an alert over the radio." Evan scrambled to stand up. "I didn't hear an all clear, though."
Sheppard grimaced. "Beckett, Ronon, and Teyla went to fetch some herbs for Lucius, and ended up chased by the Wraith. The gate shut down before the Wraith came through."
"That doesn't seem very...like them," David said.
"Tell me about it," Sheppard agreed. "McKay was acting weird, too. He did a marmot imitation." Sheppard put his hands up, momentarily curving the palms, then shook his head and dropped his hands.
"Hey, who doesn't like marmots?" Evan interjected. "Lucius has this great story about how he--"
David talked loudly over whatever it was Evan was saying. "Yes, Lucius tells everyone that story. He told it to McKay right after he had a small talk with the Major."
"Got it," Sheppard said, his back stiffening. "Have you had a talk with Lucius too?"
"I'm on the schedule for later," David said bitterly. "You don't happen to have any food on you?"
Sheppard fumbled in his pockets and frowned. "Nope," he said, while Evan looked at them both in confusion. "McKay must have cleaned me out."
"Sir, Lucius charged me with getting Dr. Parrish here to my quarters for a nap. Would you be willing to get a tray of food for him from the mess?"
Sheppard blinked twice. "I'd rather not go to the mess right now, Major. Why don't you just take Dr. Parrish there yourself?"
"Actually," David said, scrambling upright. "I am feeling very tired. Colonel Sheppard, why don't you escort me to the Major's quarters, while he gets the food?"
David tried to signal that he had some information he needed to share in private, pointing at the laptop and drives, making circular motions around it. Sheppard looked puzzled, and rubbed at the back of his neck; he glanced at the equipment again, stared at the laptop, and seemed to get it.
"Yeah, that's a great idea, Lorne. Go pick up a tray for Dr. Parrish, and I'll get him to your quarters for that...nap."
Evan nodded. "Yes, sir." His lips thinned in a tight line. "Lucius did say I should look out for him," he muttered, looking torn.
"It's fine, Major. I'm your commanding officer, and I promise to take good care of him."
"Thank you, sir." He turned to David. "Straight to my quarters, got it? No dilly-dallying with strange plant life along the way."
Evan left, and Sheppard turned to look at David. "Well?" he said softly.
"Here." David handed him the laptop and the disks, all of the research that he and Dr. McKay had worked on. "This is everything. I got it out when Lucius and his people came into the lab, but I couldn't do anything for Dr. McKay."
John looked the pile over. "I thought I recognized Rodney's laptop. Can you do anything else with this?"
David shook his head. "I'm stumped. I've gone as far as I can in creating an antidote."
Sheppard packed up everything and ran his hand through his hair. "Maybe I can get one of the medical or biochem people to do something with it, if I can get one of them away from Lucius. From what I saw back in Lucius's village, the withdrawal’s bad, but it won't kill you." He pursed his lips and his eyes focused on the mid-distance, then switched back to David. "Have you backed this up?"
David shook his head. "I haven't had time."
"Well, I'll try hard not to be converted."
"Me, too," David said, "but just in case, you better not tell me where you're going next."
Sheppard agreed, and gestured at the laptop. "Thanks."
"No problem, Colonel." With a sigh, he watched Sheppard lope down the hallway and wished he had that much energy. He could count on the Colonel being able to get them all out of this mess, the way he had so many times before.
He stumbled mid-step, and had to place his hand on the wall to keep himself upright. What if he was wrong? What if Sheppard couldn't do it? What if he was captured and imprisoned, or Lucius converted Sheppard?
What if he ended up the only person on Atlantis not affected by Lucius's pheromone potion? The thought nearly made David hyperventilate. He picked up his pace to a fast walk as he headed for Evan's room, then into a slow trot. This could be bad. This could be very, very bad. What could he do by himself that would shake everyone out of this?
Mentally, he heard Dr. McKay shouting at him: "Just make the damned antidote."
Okay, fine, he thought. He'd finished the analysis, anyway, and he had the stuff from Torlan to work with. Beckett's group had just brought back fresh plants, and some of them were probably being taken down to the botany bays while Lucius used the others for more of his serum.
He might be able to snag some of the plants himself, but he'd need Evan's help with that, since the bays were probably going to be guarded. And for that, he'd need to get Evan alone somewhere for long enough that the drug would wear off.
David was going to have to kidnap him. He could grab Evan and knock him out somehow, then drag him off to one of the unused sections near the lab until he recovered, that should be fine. He could do it. If he-- Or if-- David frowned.
Really, he couldn't think of any situation where he could knock Evan unconscious. Evan was a soldier, and David, well, he was almost the poster boy for the 98-pound weakling. Still, there had to be a way to keep Evan occupied until the pheromones wore off. It should be just a few hours, right?
to part two