"Just get out Zalenka." Rodney spat harshly and expelled the Czech from the lab. Bending over the console to let his head hang and sigh in exasperation, he contemplated the mess he would have to clear up. His 'partner' had been so clumsy that he had managed to spill scalding coffee all over the laptop they had been working on, the one that contained the magnus opus for the week on energy-saving and efficiency throughout the city. Unfortunately coffee and computers get on like a divorcing couple – they spit and spat until they give out and give up. Growling in frustration he slammed his fists down onto the edge of the console and took a few more deep breaths.
"So, the Czech finally ballsed up then?" Came the irritating and incomprehensibly arrogant smugness of Dr Kavanaugh. Rodney felt a slither of cold run through his at the presence of that man in the room and he lifted his head, turned it to look at the new comer and passed him a dark look.
"He's tired. Like everyone else. We're all finally becoming immune to caffeine." He said and looked away. The man sickened him.
"No, he's just crap. I don't know how he got on this expedition in the first place." He said, his rising intonation suggestive of his utter contempt for Zalenka. "Let me do this." He said, giving McKay no room for argument or appeal.
"I'd rather just get it done myself, if that's ok with you Kavanaugh." He tried, not wanting to be near the man, let alone having to work with him for the next week plus.
"I said I'll do it, McKay." He reiterated, with another contemptuous look. Rodney looked away, to make sure his face couldn't be seen and vented a tiny part of his anger and upset at the situation before slowly turning around and approaching the new computer designated for the job.
"Ok, last time, we started here, at the …" He pointed to the diagrams that had come up on the screen, but his hand was waved away by Kavanaugh, and Rodney recoiled it sharply almost through fear of catching something from the other man.
"No, I think we should begin the program from here, a completely new approach is needed…"
###
Two weeks later the replacement was finished. The night before it was submitted to Elizabeth for final review Rodney had stayed up the entire night before hand making changes that Kavaaugh would never know about because he was a sloppy worker when in that position. Rodney couldn't tell him off or point out his mistakes for fear of invoking the cruelty he knew Kavanaugh was fully prepared to inflict upon him.
This situation was nothing new to Rodney. He had been in a state of perpetual fear and subservience to a few ever since his schooling years, he just thought that he would never have to put up with that here. He had always promised himself that he would never allow himself to be used like this, to be terrorised like he was, but whenever he thought about sticking up for himself and telling Kavanaugh where he can shove it, the possible (probable) consequences were too much for him to comprehend. Instead he put up with it, and forced himself to believe that it was better than what would otherwise happen.
"McKay, I know you are angry at me for what happened with the coffee and everything, but working with Kavanaugh? Surely it would have been more efficient to have us both working on the program, we could have done much of it from memory. It would have taken a few days rather than two weeks." Came the voice of Zalenka, who was half-way between annoyance and concern. McKay had always loathed Kavanaugh, but for the past couple of months they seemed to be working together a lot more than usual, even if the greasy one was completely at odds with the Canadian's style of work.
"It's good to have a fresh pair of eyes on the subject." Came the less-than-convincing reply.
"Yeah I'm sure. Don't endanger the expedition just because you hate me." He said, tilting more to the angry side now, fuming that McKay seemed to heed Kavanaugh more than him now. Rodney wheeled behind one of the consoles and popped the crystal tray open, unable to reply. Zalenka took this for a silence of contempt and stormed out, now actually angry, muttering obviously unpleasant things about Rodney in Czech.
The Canadian waited until Zalenka had gone out of the lab before his turned, leaned against the console and slid down in near-defeat.
No! Don't say that! He thought manically to himself. I couldn't hate you if I tried. Things are complicated, Radek… I can't expect you to understand, I can't imagine you would ever let yourself get into this situation… Oh God, what am I doing in this situation? Oh yeah, of course, how could I be allowed to forget, I got reckless. I shouldn't have to be so damn secretive anyway, but the one, ONE time I think it's ok to be a little slack, the worst of them all hits me in the face. Oh fuck, what am I doing?
He screwed his face up in a small venting of frustration, but refused to let himself weep and masterfully willed the tears away. Approaching footsteps told him to clear himself up and get working on those crystals, and as he turned himself around to poke around the draw, he desperately prayed that it wasn't his least favourite person in the whole galaxy.