Rodney McKay looked over the table top, one eye squinted shut and the other swollen nearly closed. He was staring fixedly at his teammate. John Shepperd returned the steady gaze, his eyes twinkling with humor.
"What ARE you doing, Rodney?" John asked, cocking his head to one side. "Do I look smaller when you do that?"
"No." The scientist answered tersely. "Shut up, I'm concentrating."
That made the soldier scoff. "On what? My glorious morning hair?"
"No."
"Then...?" John pried, now curious.
Rodney sighed heavily, obviously irritated. "I'm trying to squint at exactly the right degree so that I'm seeing the same amount out of both eyes...otherwise it's distracting! ... If you must know."
John chuckled. "Well, we wouldn't want you distracted." He said with a mocking nod.
Rodney shoveled a mouthful of breakfast onto a spoon. "Don't knock it 'til you try it."
"Uh, oka-ay." John felt confused. "Why would I?"
"I'm sure if you're hit in the head by a tree branch and one eye swells almost shut and you still need to shoot at the enemy then you'd think it's a good idea to be able to shoot straight which is easier to do if the world isn't lopsided." Rodney took a bite of his food. "So there, hm."
When silence fell again John burst out into loud laughter.
"I cannot - I cannot." It took a moment for him to catch his breath between giggles. "Believe we just had that conversation!"
Rodney glowered in response and kept eating.
-THE END