McKay was sitting on the bed staring morosely at the floor when Sheppard walked in.
"Hey there. You're home early."
McKay turned pitiful eyes on him.
"She gave me time off to rest. ME!"
"Did she at least ground Kavanagh, too?"
"No. He's in the labs right now. Where I should be. This is ridiculous!"
"Is that safe? After…"
"Elizabeth said she has Zelenka watching him to make sure he doesn't mix something he shouldn't and blow up the solar system. Says he 'needs to work'. Like I don't!"
Sheppard sat down beside him.
"Come on, Rodney. Maybe he was…close to his family."
"So close he couldn't be bothered to send a personal message home when we thought we were going to die?"
"Well…" Sheppard frowned thoughtfully.
"Still, whatever the case, it's gotta have shaken him up pretty badly. I mean—you saw…"
Rodney hunched over miserably.
"I thought I told you I didn't want to talk about that. Ever again." Seeing Kavanagh stripped of everything, right down to the quick, had written for Rodney in giant, sprawling red letters just what it would be like if something were ever to happen to Sheppard. He didn't even want to contemplate it. It was too huge, too impossible. Too inevitable.
"Ok. No more talking about Kavanagh. Do you want me to put in a word for you with Elizabeth?"
McKay groaned.
"No, I just…I need to be working. This isn't a solution. In fact, having Kavanagh in the labs without me there is worse than a non-solution."
"I thought we weren't talking about him."
"We're not! Except as pertains to the possible destruction of this whole city. You don't think he's capable of it?"
Sheppard's face went expressionless. He looked away.
"I think…most of the senior scientists are capable of…acts of great destruction."
"Yes, well. Enough about that as well. We've…been through it. Already."
Sheppard watched him for a minute.
"I'll talk to Elizabeth. You really think that person we're not talking about is a threat to the city? Was he any better this morning?"
"How would I know? I haven't seen another scientist all day. My brain cells are, are killing themselves like lemmings." McKay's hands came up to form claws of frustration.
"That's—"
"—actually a myth. I know. Thank you. Figure of speech, all right? I'm bored stiff, is what I'm saying."
"So…you weren't saying that I'm not smart enough to pull your brain cells back from the edge?"
"You…" McKay made a short, annoyed sound, his voice quieting.
"…haven't…been here all day." He gave Sheppard a sidelong glance.
"Part of the problem," he groused.
"Well then. Problem solved." Sheppard pulled his shirt off and tossed it in the general direction of what served as a hamper.
"Part of the problem solved," McKay corrected, but he smiled a little in spite of himself.
"Stop talking," growled Sheppard, and McKay stopped, because what he was looking at was way, way more interesting than speech, and Sheppard was right, this was going to help significantly with the boredom.