A/N: mini tag for Lifeline.

Breakdown

Elizabeth wants to scream.

She wants to yell at Rodney for activating the nanites. At Keller for giving him the idea. At John for not being able to stop them. At Teyla for being so happy she's back, because of the nanites.

Elizabeth wants to scream. Long and loud and wet.

But she doesn't. She doesn't, because above everything else she is still their leader. Dr. Weir. And Dr. Weir doesn't yell at her team, even when she wants to.

Instead she sits on the cold bed in the sterile room and waits for the inevitable. Because she didn't need the nanites, the previous invaders of her body, activated to tell her that this will all end bad. She feels it in her bones, her nanite infected bones and body, and it scares her. God, it scares her so much, but she can't show that either.

She hears the door open and looks to see John entering the room in full gear.

"Are you okay?" He asks her an old question.

Like before Elizabeth meets his eyes. "No."

He nods, but doesn't tell her she will be, like before. They both know she won't be, they both know things are about to get worse.

But this time John take her small hand into his glove covered one and meets her eyes. Her eyes water slightly and closes her eyes with a deep breath. She pretends to feel skin instead of plastic as he covers both of her hands in his, like he wants to protect them from the air.

They hold hands in silence, waiting for something they don't know, but fear regardless.

This is her breakdown.