A/N: Watched Hot Zone again the other day and that same bit of dialogue stuck out, this time accompanied by a rabid bunny. Let's face it, Rodney McKay is not known for his compliments, and I always wondered why he referred to her as 'the lovely and talented Dumais'.

Theicemenace and Dellruby did a quick read-through for me; any mistakes are entirely my own.

~Lady Pandora

Time Is Precious

Rodney was shaky, so exhausted he could barely function, but his mind refused to let go of the events from earlier that day. So much devastation from those tiny microscopic entities, and irreplaceable lives lost because of them. His mind drifted back to Radek's shocked look and his realization that she was dead. Regret tugged at him, along with a sense that something he could never recover had been lost. It was wildly inappropriate for him to even contemplate pursuing a relationship with one of his staff, but on some level he'd yearned to break free of the restraints, to see what might happen. And now his chance was gone, lost forever, her body lying in the morgue along with the other victims of this tragedy.

He would be the first to admit that he had no finesse, no talent for flirting and social interactions, but in his own clumsy way he'd tried, even making a point of complimenting her when talking to Weir earlier that evening. The expression on her face told him that she was baffled and possibly annoyed by his remark, but there was also a hint, just a small quirk of her mouth, that seemed to say she was also a little flattered.

He'd been contemplating how to press the advantage when Radek had pointed out that two members of the team were still unaccounted for, and while he knew what happened wasn't the Czech's fault he still felt a burst of anger towards the man. If only he hadn't said anything. But they were already infected at that point, and he'd have lost not only those now gone but also a close friend he relied on. And although no one knew about his yearning for her, he wondered at Radek's comforting gesture as he stood staring down at her body, once vivid and full of life and now a shell without a soul.

The chime startled him, and he moved towards the door, automatically maneuvering through the darkened space to wave a hand over the sensor. The door slid open to reveal his second in command, holding a couple bottles of what he'd bet were brew from the still he wasn't supposed to know about.

"May I come in?" The soft Eastern European voice spoke hesitantly, as if unsure of his welcome, but his expression was one of compassion.

Stepping aside, he allowed the other man entrance, flipping on the lights to illuminate the space. Walking back to the sofa, he resumed his seat, slumping down as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. A moment later a cup was thrust into his hands, and he automatically raised it to his lips and took a drink, coughing as the liquid burned his throat.

"The hell?" Glaring at Radek, perched on the desk chair as he drank from his own mug, he asked snarkily, "What'd you make this out of? Turpentine and rubbing alcohol?"

Radek quietly chuckled at his remark, shaking his head as he raised his mug. "Drink, my friend. Let us mourn those we lost and remember how they touched our lives."

His clear blue eyes seemed to be gazing into Rodney's soul, and he quickly took another drink in self-defense, wincing as the fiery liquid flowed inside him. The mug had been emptied and refilled twice before Rodney worked up the courage to speak.

"I-I was going to ask her to dinner. After we got back. And now I'll never know…" His voice trailed off as he stared across the room, seeing her as she walked down the corridor towards her lab, sat in the mess hall eating a meal and laughing with those at her table, and the smile on her face just yesterday when he refilled her coffee along with his own.

"I never really worked with her, but I'd heard she had a thing for you," Radek said quietly. "And would have said yes had you actually asked her out last week instead of turning it into a lecture."

Silence descended as they contemplated the day's events. Finally Radek sighed, filling both mugs with the last of the alcohol before raising his to make a toast. "Čas jsou peníze." Rodney's confusion must have shown on his face, because he added, "Time is precious."

The two men lifted their mugs, draining them one last time. "And now, my friend, is time for you to get some rest."

Blinking at the two Radeks standing in front of him, Rodney shook his head, dropping the mug as his hands came up to hold it steady. The room spun, and he felt as if one more move would cause his head to simply roll off his neck and onto the carpet.

A soft chuckle accompanied a pair of hands easing him up off the sofa. "Over to the bed with you."

Closing his eyes helped somewhat, so he let the hands guide him wherever they chose to, which ended up being his bed. Lying back with a soft sigh, Rodney watched through half-closed lids as the smaller man lifted each of his feet to remove the shoes, then tucked a blanket over him.

"Spi dobře, můj příteli."

A/N: Spi dobře, můj příteli - Sleep well, my friend. (Courtesy of Google translate. Please message me if it's incorrect so I can fix it.)