Outrage
By Gumnut
9 Feb 2006

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm sorry, sir."

McKay stared at the man and vaguely wondered if the size of his cranium had anything to do with the pea-sized lump of grey matter it obviously held.

"Do you have any idea what this means?"

"Sir, I understand-"

" I Do you/I " Damn, now his blood pressure was going up, his heart rate pounding in his ears. "Do you have any idea how many hours I work around the clock to keep this boat with buildings functional?" A pause for the lack of answer he expected. "No. You don't. Because just like everyone else around here, you take me for granted." Another pause, but the man seemed to be denied a vocabulary. "You see this?" He pointed at the light above the man's head. "The only reason you have that is because of me." He pounded a finger into his own chest. "You smell this? You breathe this?" A couple of deep breaths for emphasis. "You get that, because of me." McKay leant over the counter. The Air Force officer was taller than him, but the shorter man didn't seem to notice, looming over him with sheer force of fury. "Now, I don't ask for much, but I would have thought that the bare essentials would be provided even if I sat on my butt and stared at the ceiling all day, which, incidently, sounds like exactly what you've been doing!"

"Sir, I will speak to my superior-"

"Indeed you will. Because I will speak to mine, and mine is the leader of this crackpot expedition! And I don't care if it is 2am in Colorado right now, I want that order dialled in immediately!"

"Sir, even if by some chance Doctor Weir authorises gate access at this time of night, it will still take the Daedelus some time to deliver your supply."

McKay opened his mouth to launch into another tirade, but the words didn't eventuate. Damnit, the young pimple-faced waste of space was actually right. But then the stress got the better of him. "I don't care! I need it and I need it now!"

"Rodney?"

"What!" McKay spun and came face to face with Carson Beckett.

"Are you alright?"

"Alright! Do I look alright!" Carson's eyes widened just slightly.

"Ah, no, and some people were getting concerned." The doctor had obviously been called down by someone, he was still in his surgery scrubs. He looked at the young lieutenant a moment and at the few people staring at them from the corridor before his eyes fixed on Rodney once again. "Don't you think we'd better go somewhere a little more private?"

"No, I think, Lieutenant Vacancy here, should be Filling out. An. Order. Form." This last was shouted over the counter at the young man. When he didn't respond immediately, McKay added at volume, "NOW!"

Beckett held up his hands at what seemed to be an attempt at placation. "Now, Rodney, calm down…"

"Carson, they've run out of coffee!"

Beckett blinked. "They've what?"

"There's no more coffee."

"You've got to be kidding me." His face was pale.

Sour smirk and a gesture in Lieutenant Empty Head's direction. "Be my guest."

xoxoxoxoxox
FIN.