His Scientist – Part 2 - Rumors
By mid afternoon the gossip chain had worked its way around Atlantis and everyone knew that their CO and CSO were in the middle of an argument. Seeing as though no one could get in touch with Rodney, who was closed off in one of the labs, and John, who was sparring with Teyla and Ronon, rumors began to fly around about what the disagreement was about.
Half of the women, who had been reading romance novels the night before, thought that they were having a lovers tiff and sighed every time the issue was brought up. The men under Lt. Colonel Sheppard's command thought that he had finally had enough of Dr. McKay and snapped. Others thought it was the other way around and McKay was the one who got rid of Sheppard over his lack of intelligence. A few though they had been brainwashed by some Ancient technology on the last mission, and a couple even thought the gossip was a rumor to hide the other rumors that were floating around Atlantis, like Teyla having a thing for Ronon who has a thing for Elizabeth who has a thing for Caldwell. Lets just say the pool for pairings and when was getting quite big.
In fact as Kavanaugh and Simpson walked in, swearing could be heard in Czech and Zelenka stood up on the table and pushed up his glasses. Clearing his throat loudly he gained the attention of the room and when everyone was silent he started.
'Ok who had Kavanaugh and Simpson for the middle of the month?"
One person raised their hand and suddenly the noise resumed, items were being exchanged between people and a pool was going around saying how long it would be before they broke up.
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In one of the gyms, a loud slap could be heard which was then followed by a yelp and a growl.
"You are not concentrating."
"I'm a little out of practice." Sheppard drawled.
"Ronon snorted and John cocked his head to the corner where the man was standing.
"What?"
"She's right"
"Right about what?"
"You're not concentrating."
John frowned as he started circling around Teyla again.
"I thought you were supposed to be on my side."
"She has more bite than you do."
Ronon smirked and John attacked Teyla. The sticks hit each other, blow after blow for a good five minutes until one was hit out of Sheppard's hand.
John watched the stick go flying into the corner when his other arm was hit and he was pinned by Teyla again.
"As I said, you are not concentrating Colonel."
John sighed and sat down on the bench, rubbing the arm that had been hit. Teyla then sat down next to him while Ronon remained standing.
"Maybe you should tell us what is the problem." Teyla quietly said as she placed a hand on his back.
John growled out one word "McKay"
"What did he do this time?" Ronon asked.
"He's pissed about the last mission"
Sheppard placed his head in his hands.
"Which part?"
Sheppard's head shot up and glared at the taller man.
"What do you mean which part?" he snarled.
"Colonel, I believe what Ronon meant was, was he angry about the comments made during our mission or the worry you had for Elizabeth and not him?"
"Both, either, I don't know…I would have asked about him if I thought it was serious but usually he exaggerates a lot…and I DID NOT MAKE GOO-GOO EYES AT ELIZABETH" Sheppard yelled at the occupants of the room.
"Goo-goo eyes?" Ronon question at Teyla.
Teyla shrugged. She was as clueless as Ronon in the colloquial terms that the current inhabitants of Atlantis used. For her, it was the same as another language that she was only beginning to get the hang of. She then looked back to Sheppard who had begun running his hand through his hair. So far the only ones that knew of McKay's and Sheppard's relationship were herself, Ronon, Carson, and Zelenka, who according to sources had jumped for joy at the news.
"Have you tried to talk to him?"
Sheppard blinked at her.
"He shut the door in my face"
"Ouch" Ronon said.
"Maybe you should let him cool off and then go talk to him, Colonel"
Sheppard looked incredulously at Teyla.
"Cool off?...COOL OFF!...TEYLA! THIS IS MCKAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT! HE'LL HOLD A GRUDGE TILL THE END OF TIME!"
Teyla glared at Sheppard for using that tone with her, and he shifted closer to Ronon.
"Why don't you just apologize?"
John blinked. Teyla blinked. Then they both looked at Ronon and blinked.
"Ronon…may…have a point"
John just growled.
"If you're just going to sit there and growl, let's go get me some food and you can growl in the mess."
John let out another growl "Fine."
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"No, no, no…this is not good enough. That variable goes there, and this here and that just makes the whole equation wrong."
After that was said papers went flying around, a pen was broken, and the scientist standing in front of McKay was on the brink of tears and was way too frightened to move away from his position.
McKay looked up from his desk and glared at the scientist.
"Well…are you just going to stand there or are you going to fix it?"
The scientists lip started trembling. McKay then raised an eyebrow and looked around.
"Can someone get this idiot out of here!"
Suddenly another scientist came out of nowhere and quickly moved the now shacking scientist out of the lab.
McKay looked up at the roof.
"Why am I surrounded by idiots?"
A snort came from the table next to him. McKay looked over and Zelenka pushed his glasses up onto his nose.
"You are the one that has hired them, yes, hence it is your own fault McKay"
Rodney rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
"Oh yes it's all my fault, it's always my fault, don't you have some project to get back to?"
Zelenka looked up finally.
"You are being more annoying than normal."
Rodney scowled.
"Ahh…this must have to do with Lt. Colonel Sheppard, yes?"
"What makes you think that?"
Rodney narrowed his eyes at Zelenka trying to get him to break and tell him.
"Rumors" Zelenka stated while twisting an object over in his hands.
Rodney sighed and moved himself back over to his computers.
"What has the rumor mill come up with now?"
Zelenka attempted to look innocent. "I do not know."
"Oh yes, like you don't know, you and Cadman are like the proud parents of that phenomenon."
"I have no clue what you are talking about" Zelenka said with a slight smirk on his lips.
"And I'm a monkey's uncle." Rodney muttered under his breath.
"That is nice McKay, but I must continue working on this artifact, you did want something about it at the end of the day."
McKay glared obviously unimpressed at his attempt to change the topic "Uh-huh"
Finally the lab dipped into the solitary noises of lab 1. The tapping on the keyboards, the sipping of coffee, and the quiet curses coming from the two scientists.
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Authors Note: Yes another round of boring lectures brings out another chapter...will have another chapter of To Save a Shattered Soul out soon as well...will be working on that on Thursday...Next chapter we shall see…more yelling at the scientists, more of the Zelenka – McKay duo, Sheppard and his attempts to find ways to apologize to McKay (this includes talking to the romantic novel women), the introduction of one or more than one of the women of Atlantis, and…an unscheduled off world activation. Stay tuned.