Condemned

John was casually reclining on a diagnostic bed in the infirmary watching Carson bandage Ronon's calf. Rodney was on the bed behind him having his vitals checked and Teyla, who had kept in character and behaved during the course of her post-mission check-up – thereby finishing early, stood at the foot of John's bed. John was smiling as he heard Rodney protest that there was nothing wrong with him that a shower and a meal couldn't fix.

"If you keep giving Dr. Biro a hard time, Rodney, it's just going to take longer."

Rodney removed the thermometer from his mouth for the umpteenth time. "As if anything in here could adequately diagnose or cure anything Torrell's people might have been infected with."

Carson frowned over at Rodney and Biro shoved the thermometer back into his mouth.

"Well, if I had known there was a party going on up here, I would have brought balloons."

John and Teyla turned toward the door to see Helena wheeling in a large metal container.

John smiled. "Hello, 'Lena. Is there something going on here we should know about?"

Helena ignored his tone and shrugged. "I heard that Mr. Dex was hurt and that you all were up here getting your check ups and figured I save Rodney a 'hypoglycemic' reaction. And because you all got back so late, Carson hasn't been able to eat dinner either, so the more the merrier." She turned to the blonde doctor with Rodney. "I even brought you something, Dr. Biro, if y0u want it."

Biro declined but expressed her gratitude with her usual vehemence as she pumped the blood pressure cup on Rodney's arm until Rodney's face registered alarm.

Helena delivered a tray of food to Rodney's bed in time for Biro to release the cup. Rodney glared at the doctor while testing if his fingers still work before grabbing the fork. "What is it?"

Helena smiled prettily, "Lemon chicken."

Rodney's face blanched. Then he looked at the plate and realized that it wasn't any kind of chicken, then curled a lip back to say. "Oh, ha-ha. Very funny."

Teyla accepted her tray graciously and John shifted up from his reclining position to accept his. Then Helena, another tray in hand, waited for Carson to finish and nod to her.

"Here you are, Mr. Dex." She smiled. "Enjoy."

Ronon smiled slightly. "It's just Ronon, Chief Leiter."

Helena beamed. "Then, it's just Helena, Ronon."

When Helena turned around, she caught John grinning like a schoolboy with a secret and scowled at him. Then she retrieved one more tray and asked Carson if he wanted it in his office or out "with the ruffians".

Carson smiled. "I think I can stomach eatin' out here."

Helena smiled and handed him his tray.

"What, nothing for you, 'Lena?" John asked over a mouth of mashed potatoes.

Helena leaned against the bed across from his and shook her head. "I don't really care for lemon chicken."

Rodney frowned over his plate. "Oh, Ha-ha. Doesn't that ever get old?"

Helena shook her head. "Nope, 'cause one day you'll become complacent, then I just might slip you lemon chicken." She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled broadly.

Rodney suddenly looked concerned. "Oh, that's low. You wouldn't actually use food against me, would you?"

Helena's smile was as revealing as the Mona Lisa.

John smiled. "Relax, Rodney. I'm sure if Helena wanted to poison you, she'd find a better way than feeding you something obvious."

Rodney put his plate down then and leaned back in the diagnostic bed.

Helena chuckled. "Oh, calm down, worry-wart. I would never poison someone's food as a means of killing them. I might drug them into sleeping, then toss them over the West Pier balcony, but never actually use their food directly."

Teyla smiled at Ronon who was eating and watching the exchange. He nodded to Teyla when he saw she was looking at him, but went back to watching.

Teyla then turned back to the others while the good-natured bickering continued until Carson finished eating and threw them all out of the infirmary.