Major Wooing (or How to Woo a Major in Ten Easy Steps)
Chapter 3
Summary: Boys Scouts come prepared and Rodney discovers certain words can make you blush.
2. Clean up your act
If he recalled this part of the article correctly, it vaguely mentioned personal hygiene and went into detail about having a clean apartment or room. Rodney always took pride in keeping himself and his clothes neat and clean, (when they weren't out on missions and being chased by whoever got offended that day.) And he always kept his lab immaculate and organized. But his quarters were a pigsty, so he spent what he considered to be a reasonable amount of time cleaning and organizing that space. It was hard to believe that the Major might be spending any time there, but it was part of the rules and Rodney was on a mission, so all bases had to be covered.
And with that in mind, he headed to the infirmary for a few supplies.
"Second drawer down," the accented voice announced halfway through Rodney's search.
With a start, Rodney stood up and attempted to appear as though he hadn't been pilfering through the medical supplies. "What? What's in the second drawer down?"
"The prophylactics." Dr. Carson Beckett, Chief Medical Officer, replied, doing his best to keep a straight face.
Hoping he wasn't blushing, Rodney did what he knew best, he rolled his eyes and snarked at his friend, "As well intended as that might be, I was looking for lotion for my hands. They've been getting pretty dried out lately and it hurts." He'd already found the condoms and had stuffed them into the inside pocket of his jacket for safe keeping.
Concern immediately crossed Carson's face as he stepped forward to lift and examine Rodney's hand and then pulled his head down to examine his face.
"Hey!" Rodney protested at the rough treatment, wondering if Carson knew he was lying straight through his teeth or if he simply enjoyed giving Rodney this much grief.
Carson let go. "You don't look dehydrated. Have you experienced any dizziness, nausea, or cramps?"
"No!" Rodney responded, desperately wishing for a quick escape. "I just want some lotion!"
"It might help if you drink more water instead of all that coffee but I'll fix you up with something." The doctor reached into the first drawer on the left and brought out a tube of lotion. "If it doesn't help after a few days, you need to let me know."
"Sure, sure." Rodney muttered, already heading for the door.
"Rodney?"
He stopped and turned around. "Yes?"
Carson looked hesitant for a moment then pushed on. "Is everything all right? You've been a wee bit distracted lately."
That was true, there had been little opportunity to spend time with anyone, and a flicker of guilt shot through the scientist. "Ah… Just working on a personal project, Carson."
"I see." Carson paused, as if hoping for more information but as the silence stretched, he sighed. "Well, perhaps we can share a bit of breakfast tomorrow?"
"Breakfast sounds good." Rodney nodded and sighed with relief when he finally made it out of the infirmary.
Rodney started back to his quarters. He knew Carson meant well and he had been neglecting his friendship with the Doctor lately. He would have to make certain to schedule breakfast together a few times a week on his palm pilot.
As he continued to his quarters with the newly acquired supplies, he pondered whether liberating the kitchen of a few treats would be as difficult.
---tbc
