Part Two: After-effects
Elizabeth leaned against the control desk. She watched the Canadian sergeant monitoring the city cloak. He was concentrating, and hadn't contacted Rodney, so she assumed the cloak was still functional.
He suddenly seemed aware of her eyes on him. He looked up, and scanned her face and posture. She held his gaze thoughtfully.
"Perhaps you are needed in the jumper bay?" He spoke evenly and calmly.
She could feel the understanding pinning his words to her. How did he come to be so like Peter? She turned swiftly, heading for the stairs.
She knew the sergeant would simply return to his duty, as Peter had always done.
As she approached the rear of the jumper standing open on one side of the cavernous chamber, she watched the medical technicians working hard, scurrying from bag to bag, and returning inside the vehicle.
When she reached the rear door, she could see Dr Zelenka on the floor of the jumper, with Dr Beckett crouched over him. Teyla was on his other side, holding the engineer's hand. Now she could see what John had meant. The face of the Czech was a bloody mess, despite the obvious measures Carson had taken to clear airways and assess the extent of any injury. She blinked hard, and tried to sense Dr Beckett's mood. He was merely waiting, initial examination over.
Zelenka was beginning to stir, and Beckett touched his face. "Radek? Can you hear me, man? That's it, son, open your eyes."
She wondered at Carson's fatherly tone, coaxing consciousness to his friend, his peer. He had an excellent manner with his patients, she thought for the umpteenth time.
As Dr Zelenka began to mumble and move, Elizabeth's eye was drawn to John and Rodney who were at the front of the jumper. Rodney was hunched over a laptop, with wires trailing around, panels of the jumper flipped open all around him. John was trying to get his attention. It was beginning to look heated.
"Right lad, let's be having you." Beckett was helping Zelenka to sit up, and Elizabeth moved back instinctively, allowing the medic some room. She had to back out of the jumper as Beckett and Teyla steered Zelenka into the open. Beckett was talking softly to Zelenka, who was nodding weakly. Elizabeth resisted the urge to reach out to Radek. He had enough to cope with right now.
Beckett flashed Elizabeth a large grin as they passed her, and reassured her as he helped Zelenka into the chair another technician had brought. "Don't worry, Dr Weir, he seems to be OK for now. Amazingly nothing seems broken, but I'll confirm that in the infirmary. He'll need watched overnight at minimum, and I'll keep you informed." She acknowledged him with thanks, and watched as the medical entourage melted away.
A/N: Thanks for the feedback. Thanks to everyone popping by. Next chapter up later...