The Little Things
By
Denise
Elizabeth stepped through the gate, the clanging of her shoes on the metal grate ramp a disquieting and disconcerting sound. She heard a metallic whine behind her and she jumped, the sound of the SGC's iris closing catching her off guard. She'd forgotten about that, she was so used to the barely perceptible crackling of Atlantis' force shield.
"Welcome back to Earth," a man greeted, stepping forward.
"General Landry, I presume?" Elizabeth said, making an assumption. Colonel Caldwell had tersely informed her that the SGC was under new management, General O'Neill was now the head of Homeworld Security, taking the position vacated by the retired General Hammond.
"You presume right," the middle aged man replied, his firm but warm voice and brush hair cut suggesting to Elizabeth that he was definitely a 'lifer' and probably someone not quite as eccentric as General O'Neill. "Let me guess, Major Sheppard, Doctor Beckett and Doctor McKay," he said, nodding at each of the three men accompanying Elizabeth.
"Yes, yes, pleased to meet you. Is Colonel Carter here?" Rodney asked, his eyes darting around the room.
"She's working at Area 51 right now," General Landry replied.
"Really? Well that's…Why'd she go to Area 51?" he asked.
"You'll have to ask her," Landry answered. "Doctor Weir, as I'm sure you know, there are a lot of people very anxious to hear all about your discoveries in the Pegasus Galaxy. And I'm sure you all have phone calls to make and family to talk to. I do need you to clear Medical first then I thought you might like the rest of the evening to acclimate. I have briefings scheduled for first thing in the morning."
"Evening?" John asked, joining Elizabeth at the bottom of the ramp as she shifted her briefcase from one hand to the other.
"It's 1800 hours Earth time," Landry said.
"Really?" Carson said. "It's early morning on Atlantis."
"Time is hardly a universal constant when you're dealing with two different planets on two different rotational axis in two different galaxies," Rodney said. "In fact, it would be quite a feat if it was exactly the same time on two different planets. Although given the sheer number of planets and the limited number of seconds in a day, then statistically, at any given time hundreds of planets have to have the same time," he rambled.
"Fascinating," Landry drawled. He turned to Elizabeth. "Once you've cleared Medical I have four VIP rooms put at your disposal. I'm sure you'll understand but you are to be confined to base until all your test results come back."
"A sensible precaution. Although I can assure that everyone in this group is in fine health," Carson said.
"I'm sure they are, Doctor," Landry said. "But rules are rules."
"We understand," Elizabeth said. "And staying in the VIP room is fine, although we really didn't pack for a long stay. I think all of us counted on having access to our own belongings."
"I'm sure we can come up with something." He turned to look at the sergeant standing at his side. "Walter?"
"I'll contact the PX and see if we can find some clothes and toiletries until they can retrieve their own, sir," he said.
"Thank you," Landry said. "Walter will escort you to the infirmary. If you'll excuse me, I'm due to call the President."
Landry left the gateroom and Elizabeth stood there for a minute, feeling a bit less like a returning 'hero' and more like a barely welcomed house guest. "If you'll follow me, ma'am, sirs," the sergeant said.
"Of course," Elizabeth answered, well aware that her mood governed the mood of her staff. And the last thing she needed at the moment was to deal with Rodney or John on a full tear tantrum.
John seemed to catch her mood and grinned, making a sweeping gesture with his arm. "Ladies first."
Elizabeth smiled her thanks and fell into step behind Walter, following him into the corridor. She looked around, shaking her head slightly. Just a year ago she'd found this place impressive and awe inspiring. Right now all she could think was that, compared to Atlantis, it was a dark and dreary place.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"The commissary is closed," the sergeant said, answering Elizabeth's question. "But they always keep a selection of refrigerated plates. Left overs that can be microwaved. We used to have a full time hot bar but…budget cuts," he finished with a shrug.
He was a young man, looking barely over twenty and not seeming old enough to be charged with the safety of the SGC. He'd offered to show her and her crew to their quarters and although she bristled at the idea that they were under guard, she willingly accepted the escort. Even though she'd been the commander of the base, she really hadn't had time to fully explore it and knew that she'd just get lost somewhere.
"That sounds delicious," she sighed, realizing that it was going to be a long night. Her body clock was firmly set on Atlantis time so she was definitely ready for lunch.
"I can have someone bring something down for you ma'am," he offered.
Elizabeth started to refuse then changed her mind. Even though she normally wouldn't have eaten for a few hours, the whole night stretched out ahead of her and she'd definitely want something to eat in the next eight hours. "Maybe a sandwich," she said. "Something that will keep for a few hours."
"Yes, ma'am. Anything else, ma'am?"
Elizabeth looked around the room before shaking her head. "That will be fine, thank you." The sergeant nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Elizabeth stood there for a second before the reality of her situation sank in. She was home. For the first time in a year, she was home.
She sank down on the bed, her hand mindlessly stroking the cover. It didn't feel like home, didn't feel like Earth. In fact, she was unpleasantly reminded of her time on the Genii homeworld. The air felt chill and the concrete walls seemed to close in on her. That was one of the few times in the past year she'd felt truly terrified. Alone and imprisoned, very well aware that there could be no rescue. Not that people didn't want to but she knew that circumstances would prohibit any rescue. They'd be far too busy trying to save the city to worry about her.
She shivered and got to her feet, making her way over to the thermostat on the wall. Impulsively she turned the control up as high as it would go. She was used to Atlantis' warmth. Even though the ocean the city floated on was barely over freezing, the sun was hot and the city seemed to absorb the warmth like a sponge.
She heard the subtle hiss of the air handlers as they funneled warmer air into her room. She wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell of an unused heating element getting hot and sighed, resigning herself to the smell if she wanted to warm up. Her eyes settled on her briefcase and she sighed. She knew that she wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon, so she might as well get some work done.
She opened up the laptop and plugged it into the wall, barely remembering to remove the adaptor that Rodney had created to allow Earth based technology to be powered by the Atlantis systems. She heard a knock at the door and made her way over, pulling it open.
Two men stood in the doorway, one of them the young sergeant who had escorted her from the infirmary and, behind him, Walter, a large box in his arms. "Ma'am?"
"Come in," Elizabeth invited, standing aside. The sergeant carried a try over to the desk, sitting it beside her computer while Walter busied himself unpacking the box. "I made some educated guesses on your size and taste preferences, Doctor," he said. "Just enough to get you through tonight. General Landry has given clearance for you and your people to return to your homes as soon as a cover story has been verified."
"I'm sure it's fine," Elizabeth said, the prospect of new toiletries overriding the slight creepiness of someone else picking them out for her. They'd taken quite a bit with them to Atlantis, but after a few months, things did run out and they'd all been reduced to using Doctor Willison's concoctions. Which all worked…in a way.
Elizabeth made a mental note to make arrangements with General Landry to insure that many of the basics of life were included in the supplies to be taken back to Atlantis. Toothpaste, mouthwash and deodorant to be high on the list.
"If there's anything else you need, ma'am, please don't hesitate to ask," Walter said, setting the empty box in the corner of the room. "If the PX doesn't have it, we can go to one of the local stores."
"Thank you," Elizabeth said as both men left the room. Again alone, she made her way over to the bed and rummaged through Walter's offerings, shaking her head slightly at his selection. "I'm sure you mean well, but I'm not a raspberry person," she said, tossing aside the small bottle of body wash.
She sighed and went back over to the desk, sitting down in front of the computer. She opened the files and searched for the one she was looking for. She felt the need to read over her report of the Wraith attack on Atlantis, just to make sure that she had everything down right. The Daedalus was due to arrive in four days and was bringing back the wounded and the dead. Fortunately, none of them had needed immediate care beyond what Carson could deliver in his infirmary so they hadn't had to bring them back with them through the Stargate. And the dead… the dead deserved the stateliness of a full military escort.
Acting on impulse, she opened another file and slowly read the names of the dead. So many names. She reached out and trailed her fingers down the screen, the faces of each one coming to her as she read their name. Doctor Brendan Gaul, so thrilled to discover the satellite. Colonel Marshall Sumner, the hard ass military officer who really did have their safety at heart, even if he had been a cold hearted bastard sometimes.
Peter Grodin, whose quick wit and humor had been a perfect counterpoint to Rodney's enthusiastic attitude. So many. Too many. Too many who'd died because of her. Who'd died following her, following their dream of exploration and discovery.
There was another knock on the door and Elizabeth jumped, her hand automatically going up to swipe at the moisture on her cheek. "Now what?" she groaned, pushing the chair back.
She took a deep breath and pasted a smile on her face as she walked the short distance to the door. Just as she pulled it open someone pushed past her and she stepped back, only her grip on the doorknob keeping her from falling over. "You oom igger an ine," Rodney exclaimed, his words mangled by the mouthful of food he was chewing.
"They're all the same size, McKay," John said, rolling his eyes.
Rod shook his head. "I don't think so," he said, mercifully having swallowed whatever he'd been eating. "I'd have to get a scanner to be sure but I know that this room is bigger than mine." His arms were full of bags and packages and his eyes darted around for a moment before dumping them on her bed.
"Having a little snack?" Elizabeth asked, frowning at the sight of chips, pretzels, candy, jerky and several other items she couldn't easily identify.
"The only thing that kept him from emptying out the vending machine is a lack of pocket change," Carson said, smiling grimly.
"The bald little sergeant said we could get whatever we needed," Rodney said. "And I needed food."
"Like you need a hole in the head," John drawled. "I hope you don't mind us just barging in."
Elizabeth shook her head. "That's fine. I was kind of wondering what I would do to kill the rest of the night anyway." She looked around her room. "I'm a bit lacking in chairs," she said.
"McKay likes to sit on the floor," John said, pulling the chair over from the desk and held it out for her.
"I can't sit on the floor, it's bad for my back," Rodney complained as Elizabeth sat down, smiling her thanks to John. Rodney plopped down on the bed, the movement causing his snacks to scatter a bit.
"Do you want me to tell you just how bad for you that bag of potato crisps is?" Carson said, reaching out to snag one out of the bag.
"What's on the agenda for tomorrow," John asked, pulling up the only other chair that was in the room and sitting in it while Carson joined Rodney sitting on the bed.
"I've got a briefing with General Landry and some other members of the Joint Chiefs," Elizabeth said. "I'm hoping to get permission to increase our staffing."
"Increase?" Carson asked.
Elizabeth shrugged. "Atlantis has proven itself as a viable research and exploration opportunity. I don't see any reason for us to not expand our staffing. Which is why all of you are here," she said. "You're the heads of your departments and I'd appreciate your input in the decision."
"You should have left me behind," John said softly.
"John…"
"Elizabeth, they're going to choose someone else to take Colonel Sumner's place, and I seriously doubt they're going to ask for my input." He grimaced and leaned forward, snagging one of the bags out of Rodney's lap.
"But they're going to ask for mine," she said, smiling confidently.
"Just don't take it personally when they ignore you and do whatever they want," he said.
"How many more scientists do you think we'll get?" Rodney asked. "Because you know, if there are too many then I might need an assistant."
"I'm sure you'll manage," John said.
"We have to be careful who we choose," Rodney continued, ignoring John's jab.
"I would imagine that we won't be quite as restricted as we were before now that we have a way to return to earth," Carson said. "It's not quite as much of a one-way posting as it was."
"I'm not just referring to that, I'm talking about making sure that we find scientists that aren't so in awe of who they're working with that it compromises their work."
Elizabeth smothered a grin and John wasn't as successful, snorting loudly. "I'll bear that in mind," she said carefully, internally grateful that egos weren't tangible items. If they were, Rodney would probably require a whole arm of the city to house his.
In truth, the idea of recruiting others scared her. They needed the help, she knew that. In the past year her people had barely explored half of the city and they had no idea how many fantastic finds could be lying abandoned in a room somewhere. Or threats. There was also that horrific possibility. What if there was some other experiment lying in wait, waiting for some hapless person to set it free like the cloud creature.
That's what fascinated and scared her about the city that was now her home. The dual potential of fabulous find and horrific threat, any of which could be lurking right around the corner.
She knew that she could be offering these people the opportunity of a lifetime. The chance to be a true explorer, something that hadn't really been possible since the beginnings of the space race.
And she was also offering them a chance to die.
Exploration was not a cheap practice and, for some, the price was their very lives. She hated that part. Hated to bring more into the city only to send them home again in a black bag.
"We may not be needing to add to or only replace those we've lost," she said, broaching the topic that had been lingering in the back of her mind ever since it'd finally sunk in that not only could they go home, they now had a means of returning to Atlantis as well.
"Doctor Weir?" Carson asked, idly snacking on some of Rodney's treats.
"It's a topic that I've been ignoring a bit, at least until we find out what the Pentagon's stance is but…there may very well be some among us that are ready to come home," she said, studying her companions closely.
"You're looking to rotate people back Earthside?" John asked.
Elizabeth nodded. "Now that it's an option I think it's one everyone should have. No one should feel like they're required to stay. They can come home and consider their tour over."
She looked at her friends, seeking to suss out an indication as to how they felt. She didn't want to lose them. She trusted them more than she did anyone else she could think of.
And she depended on them more than she realized, but she also knew that her dream might not be their dream. They may not want to stay in Atlantis and may be ready to return to Earth. To take back up a life where each day wasn't a challenge and without the constant threat of the Wraith lingering overhead. They may be ready to come back to a place where the food was familiar, something was always on cable and Domino's delivered.
She didn't want to lose them but she couldn't hold them back. She respected them too much. She just didn't want to admit how the scary the future was without them at her side.
"I'll admit I'd like to spend some time with my mum," Carson said. "Check up on things a wee bit."
"I suppose I should call Jennie," Rodney said. "See what she's up to."
Elizabeth turned to John. "I don't really have anyone to call, but there's this bar on the other side of town. The buffalo wings are just…definitely something I've missed."
"And you, Doctor Weir?" Carson asked. "Don't you have someone to call?"
Elizabeth raised her hand, her fingers trailing over the pendant from Simon. "Yeah, I do," she said softly. She wanted to do more than to just call him. She needed to see him, talk to him. She couldn't wait to tell him all about Atlantis and the Pegasus Galaxy.
"Well," John said, breaking the awkward silence. "When you're looking for replacements, I'm going back," he declared. Rodney and Carson looked over at him. "Someone's gotta keep the new boss in line."
"I'm returning as well," Carson said.
Rodney shoved a handful of pretzels into his mouth and chomped, the sound of his chewing seeming to echo off the walls. "Wha?" he asked when he realized that they were all looking at him.
"Do you plan to return to Atlantis?" Elizabeth asked.
"Course I do," he said, struggling to swallow.
"I'm surprised, McKay," John said. "I would have expected you to be eager to stay here. After all, it's safer and the food is better."
Rodney rolled his eyes and glared at John. "You'd be dead within a week if I wasn't there to come up with brilliant plans to save you all," he said.
"Well, now that that's settled," John said, getting out of the chair. "We should get back to our own quarters. Maybe try to get some sleep so that we don't nod off while the guys from the Pentagon are here."
"Yes, we mustn't make a bad impression," Carson agreed, following Rodney's lead. John glared at an unresponsive Rodney and pulled him to his feet, ignoring his protest.
"Fine, fine, I can take a hint," Rodney said, brushing the crumbs off his lap onto her bed.
John shepherded the other two men towards the door while she followed. As soon as they were out in the hall, he turned back, his hand digging into his jacket pocket. "I saved this from McKay's grubby paws," he said, holding out a slightly crushed chocolate bar. "I thought you might want some."
"Thank you," Elizabeth said sincerely, taking the treat from him.
He nodded. "I'll, aah, see you in the morning."
Elizabeth shut the door behind him and stood there for a second, her fingers lightly wrapped around the chocolate bar. She made her way back over to the desk, pushing the chair she'd been sitting in back to its proper place.
Kicking off her shoes she settled down in the chair, her legs folded under her.
Unwrapping the chocolate she carefully broke it into little chunks, popping one of them into her mouth. As the smooth sweetness melted on her tongue she applied herself to her reports, the uncertainly of the future not quite as oppressive as she now knew that she wouldn't be facing it alone.
Fin