THE NEXT EVENT - by Kolyaaa!
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE TANTRUM
A/N: Your feedback has made me happy. You have gained another day of life for Peggy the Chicken. She is clucking happily at that news. Fail me and she will be on the chopping block. Her life is in your hands - use those hands to type me a lengthy and well thought out message.
A/N: The mongoose problem is getting out of control. I don't really mind the snakes. The lizard seems rather happy in the coffee pot although he never stops running and running and running and his eyes seem a little 'buggy.' Those mongeese, though, are getting on my nerves. One of them has been trying to nest in my hair while I sleep. Another likes to nibble treats from my hands. I've trained another to stand up and to roll over. I hate them. I hate them all.
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Buzzing filled her head, like a swarm of insects hovering over wildflowers during the warm season. The annoying noise slowly receded, resolving itself into the familiar voices of her friends and teammates. One of those voices pierced through them all, sending a sharp spike of pain through her head.
"I will not shut up!" Rodney McKay's distinctive voice shouted in the high-pitched tone he used when he was especially agitated. It sounded like he was - as Colonel Sheppard had explained - having a 'hissy fit.'
"I know..."
"Not here, McKay!" the colonel interrupted with a hiss. "There's sick people here who don't need to hear your little tantrum."
"Tantrum?!" Rodney's voice pitched even higher.
"Gentlemen!" Elizabeth said firmly. "Briefing room. Now."
Both men fell silent, though Teyla could hear some soft grumbling. A tiny smile curled her lips as she pictured them meekly following Dr. Weir like chastised children.
"Teyla? Are you awake, lass?"
Forcing her eyes open, Teyla blinked against the bright lights of the infirmary, then looked up into the concerned blue eyes of Dr. Beckett. Relief flooded his features and he asked with a kind smile, "How are you feeling?"
Teyla moved her arms and legs experimentally. "I am... stiff and my head hurts."
"Aye, that's to be expected." He took her vital signs and examined her carefully, shaking his head in awe. "We were afraid we'd lost you."
Wrinkling her brow in confusion, Teyla searched her memory, but could recall nothing that would explain her present condition. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"No," Teyla said with a frown. "I remember going to the Yedeenorog festival, and meeting Ronon's sister, but things are not clear beyond that."
Beckett sighed. "Well, you apparently took part in the competitions, though I'm afraid you fared badly against Nonor."
"Why do I not remember?"
"You took a good bang on the head, and it's common to have some minor memory loss after something like that." Beckett smiled at her.
"And the rest?" Teyla pressed. "There were further injuries?"
"Your injuries were quite severe. There was little I could…" Beckett paused, shaking his head, and his expression clouded as if he was chastising himself for some wrongdoing, reliving some horrible event that he could do nothing to fix. Then, his face changed to something resembling wonder as he went on, "But Nonor had some salve that literally saved your life. It was remarkable really. I've never seen the like." He lifted his gaze, looking elsewhere, as if seeking out this substance - the researcher in him wanting to know more.
"I must thank her," Teyla said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Later." Beckett patted her arm gently. "You rest now."
Teyla let her eyes drift shut and slipped easily into sleep.
[{O}]
Rodney folded his arms tightly across his chest, scowl firmly in place as he glared across the table at Sheppard.
Leaning forward in her seat, Elizabeth asked, "What happened?"
Rodney opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Sheppard. "Teyla fought in one of the competitions and things got a little rough," the colonel explained.
"Rough?" Rodney exclaimed. "Is that what you call it? Rough is cuts and bruises. That wasn't rough, it was brutal."
"McKay," Sheppard said, sounding tired already.
"Her neck was broken, Colonel," Rodney spat. "That... that Amazon was trying to kill her!"
Wearily Sheppard raised a hand and dropped it. "Nonor didn't hurt Teyla on purpose," he said, willing it to be true.
"Like hell!" Rodney's voice rose along with his anger. "She cheated to get the advantage and then kept hitting Teyla after she was down."
Sheppard closed his eyes. "The judges said she won fair and square. Everyone we questioned in the crowd said the same thing."
Rodney gave a contemptuous snort. "Of course they did. They were all cheering her on while she clubbed Teyla. It was a death sport and Nonor cheated to win."
Sheppard commented, "Nonor won all her other bouts, McKay. I don't think she'd need to cheat." He turned to Elizabeth and added, "We went back and checked with the officials for the whole show. It's no 'death sport'."
"But people get killed sometimes," McKay concluded, folding arms over his chest.
"Things get out of hand from time to time if the competitors are well matched," Sheppard admitted. "But rarely does anyone get killed. It's like any sport, I guess. I mean, kids get killed playing baseball sometimes."
"It's not the same," McKay responded. "I mean, ballplayers aren't supposed to use the bats to pound each other to a pulp."
Elizabeth managed to cut her way into the argument. "Rodney, I know you're upset about Teyla," she began. "But perhaps you didn't understand the competition."
"Understand? I know what I saw." Rodney lifted his chin stubbornly.
"What you think you saw," Sheppard corrected. "You arrived late and remembered things that didn't happen," he stated, knowing that McKay wasn't lying. The man couldn't lie to save his life. Understandingly, he stated, "You get worked up when one of your friends gets hurt."
"Well," McKay's eyes softened a little. "Who wouldn't?"
Sheppard turned to Weir and stated, "He probably panicked a bit when he saw that Teyla was injured. And you know how jumpy he gets in the heat of a battle."
"Jumpy?" McKay shot back.
"I seem to remember hearing about you firing blindly on P3M-376."
"That was a … special circumstance and I hardly think…"
"It's not a criticism, Rodney," Sheppard said, with a condescending expression. "It's just that you're not …"
"… A warrior," McKay filled in.
"More or less," Sheppard responded with a shrug.
Throwing Sheppard a disgusted look, Rodney prepared to argue his point further, but Elizabeth intervened.
"Enough!" she declared. "The proof points in one direction."
Incredulously, McKay pointed to himself. "Eyewitness testimony!" he cried.
"And we got a couple dozen people saying it was all fair," Sheppard said unenthusiastically, he eyed his friend with something akin to sympathy. "They know how these competitions work. You have to remember, we're newcomers there. You just saw Teyla being hurt, McKay. Things went too far. Everyone admits that – but no one believes it was done intentionally or maliciously," he tried to explain.
McKay made a huffing sound in response.
Elizabeth closed her eyes as if in pain. This little outing was supposed to be a team-building event, but it appeared that everything had just gone from bad to worse. The team dynamic was in turmoil. "Gentlemen, look, regardless of what actually happened, we cannot assume that Nonor intended to harm Teyla, and she did, in fact, save her life. I think that counts for something."
"Wouldn't have needed saving if she hadn't..." Rodney muttered angrily.
"Rodney," Elizabeth warned. "While Nonor is here, you will accord her the same respect as any other visitor."
"She's your teammate's sister, McKay," Sheppard said. "I think we need to give her the benefit of the doubt."
Tossing a final glare at them, Rodney stomped out of the room. As he left, he heard Elizabeth ask, "What happened to his face?"
"Ronon said he tripped and fell on it," Sheppard replied.
[{O}]
Storming away, Rodney realized that he should have expected this. Any time there was an alien woman involved, Sheppard's common sense went out the window and everyone stopped listening to Rodney. It was like the Chaya situation all over again. Somehow, he was always painted as the bad guy.
Outside the infirmary, Rodney paused to take a few deep breaths, forcing his anger down. Teyla didn't need to be dealing with his problems. Despite what most people thought about him, he could be nice when he wanted.
He just had to 'want to' - that's all.
Once he was calm, Rodney stepped inside the infirmary, relieved when he saw no sign of Ronon or his sister. "Carson?"
The doctor poked his head around the curtain surrounding Teyla's bed.
"How is she?" Rodney asked quietly.
"She's a bit sore, and she doesn't remember much, but I think she'll be fine." Beckett shook his head in wonder. "Bloody miracle. If it wasn't for that salve..." He left the rest unsaid, his face drawn up in a puzzled expression – still unable to fathom what had happened.
"Do you know what's in it?" Rodney asked.
"Not yet," Beckett replied. "I sent a sample off to the chemists, but it'll take them some time to properly analyze it."
"Can I..." Rodney gestured toward the curtains.
"Aye, but just for a minute," Beckett answered. "She needs her rest."
Rodney stepped behind the curtain and stared down at his sleeping teammate. She looked as beautiful as always—there was no sign of any of the injuries she sustained in the fight. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Rodney wouldn't have believed it ever happened. He shuddered at the memory of Teyla's broken, bloodied body lying in the mud, her neck at the wrong angle and bruises marring her smooth skin. Rodney swallowed hard and turned away.
"Wait a minute, Rodney," Beckett called as he made to leave the infirmary. "I want to look at your neck and that eye."
"What? My eye?"
"Yes," Beckett explained. "You've got quite the shiner going, there. And I'm not even going to ask about how you got that stripe around your neck..."
"Oh, right," Rodney said, hand lifting to touch at his sore face. In all his worry over Teyla, he'd almost forgotten Ronon's punch.
"How'd you do this, then?" Beckett asked as he prodded Rodney's cheek, and then gently probed his neck.
Recalling the explanation Sheppard had given Elizabeth – and the fury that had led Ronon to hit him in the first place – Rodney decided it would be better for his health to keep the truth to himself.
"I, um, I was just clumsy. Tripped."
Beckett eyed him dubiously.
Rodney sighed. "I was in a hurry to get to Teyla and I didn't watch where I was going. Ronon had leant me his necklace and it got caught, nearly choked me."
"You nearly strangled yourself when you tripped?"
"Yeah." McKay tugged his head away. "It's fine." Beckett eyed him a moment, then shrugged.
"You should be more careful, Rodney," Beckett said with a soft chuckle. "And probably shouldn't wear other people's jewelry. Obviously doesn't work for you."
"Yeah, yeah, mock my pain," Rodney grouched.
"Doesn't look like anything's broken, but you'll have a couple of nice bruises for a few days." He handed Rodney a packet of ibuprofen.
"Nothing nice about it," Rodney grumbled as he started for the door.
"Put some ice on your face," Beckett called as he left.
In response, Rodney just grunted, and after casting another look in Teyla's direction, he pressed open the door left the infirmary, with Becket watching him with a curious expression.
Rodney made his way down the corridors, away from the infirmary, his feet clomping ungracefully as he made his way toward his room – just wanting to get away from everyone and everything. He was tired and he was sore and desperate for sleep.
Why did everything have to go to hell all the time? Why didn't people believe him? What was wrong with them? What was wrong with him?
Suddenly, something stepped out of one of the side hallways, moving directly in front of him, blocking his way. Startled, found himself, once again, inches from Nonor's enormous breasts.
He back-stepped, trying to get clear of her, but she pursued until he was pressed with his back against the wall. She stood so close he could feel her breath, her eyes wide and intense as she stared at him. Normally, having a beautiful woman's leather-clad bosom in such close proximity was something he enjoyed, but in this case, it was hampering his ability to breathe.
"You got any sense of personal space?" he asked her incredulously.
"Personal space?" she repeated, looking confused and then irritated about her confusion.
"What do you want?" he gasped, wanting to side-step her and get out of the tight spot, but he surmised she'd counter any move he tried to make.
Nonor frowned delicately. "I don't understand why you won't stop lying about me," she stated petulantly, pushing out her bottom lip. "It was a fair fight, and the greater warrior won."
"I'm not lying," Rodney argued. "And you know it."
"I won."
"You cheated!"
"I would not cheat."
"You did."
"I fought a good fight."
"You nearly killed her!"
"She didn't die. I saved her."
McKay shook his head. "Oh my God, you really believe that don't you? I always had a thing for blondes but now you're seriously making me rethink my whole outlook on life. Because, I don't think you have an ounce of sense in that giant head of yours. I really don't think you have the capability of understanding me or comprehending anything I've had to say."
Her pretty little mouth was pressed into a deeper frown as she tried to work her way through McKay's discourse. Finally, she came to a conclusion. "You are rude, aren't you," she stated determinedly.
With a sigh, Rodney, grumbled, "Yeah, let me tell you, sister, you're not the first one to tell me that."
Her eyes narrowed at his statement, and she shoved a hand against him, forcing him against the wall as she snapped, "Do not call me 'sister'! Never would we allow such a man into the noble family of Dex!" She sneered. "You dare to compare yourself to my brother?"
McKay held up his hands. "Hold on! Hold on! I'm not sayin' that. Jesus! Calm down, Brunhilde!"
"You steal the honor and glory of others! You are no warrior! And my name is not Brunhilde! It is NONOR!"
"Look, I don't need anyone else's glory," Rodney snapped, lifting up on his toes to look her more in the eye. "The technology I've created, the ideas I have set into motion, have killed hundreds – if not thousands - of Wraith and destroyed entire hive ships!"
"So," she said, cocking her head. "You allow others to fight while you stand behind and do figuring?" Dismissively, she flipped a hand as she stepped back. "A weakling such as you is not worth my notice." And she turned, finally giving McKay some breathing room, and started to walk away.
He glared at her defiantly. "Just because I use my brain instead of my fists..."
Nonor turned her head, flipping her mane of tawny hair, eyes flashing in contempt. "Pathetic creatures like you are beneath the contempt of true warriors – if I were you, I would return to the burrow from which you emerged and stay there." And she stalked away, her beautiful body seeming to shine under the lights of the Ancient hallway.
Rodney said nothing, knowing that it wouldn't make a difference. He probably shouldn't be surprised by her reaction to him. A society that placed so much value upon physical strength and fighting ability was not likely to appreciate someone like him. Nonor had certainly made her opinion clear.
Rodney winced and rubbed his aching jaw. "I'm a warrior...just with this instead." He tapped at his forehead as he spoke, turning to walk in the opposite direction from her.
Ignoring the strange looks he got from a couple of soldiers he passed, he continued to mutter away. "I'm a... a mind warrior. That's it. Brains instead of brawn." Rodney smiled at that. Mind warrior. He thought it was an apt description. Maybe he could get a t-shirt made.
He kept walking, moving his way through the corridors of Atlantis. When he reached his quarters, Rodney pressed open the door, and stood a moment in the dim room, feeling tired beyond words, yet knowing he'd be unable to sleep.
He fell heavily onto his bed, thinking about Teyla – bloody, beaten, and ready to slip into death. He considered the crazy Amazon woman and he wondered if she even realized that she was lying. The more he thought about her, the more he realized that perhaps she believed every word she said – which made her even more dangerous than if she'd simply been a liar.
And he contemplated the reactions of his teammates toward the aggravating woman. They all seemed smitten - completely taken in by her beauty and prowess and promises. I mean, what the hell was she doing, wandering the halls alone? People like her needed an armed guard - maybe even a leash! But no, they wouldn't listen to him - they didn't seem to hear a thing he'd said.
He sighed, wondering what he should do. No answers came to him as he stared up at the ceiling, contemplating the intricate and familiar designs imprinted there.
TBC
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A/N: Damn mongoose is curled up in my lap now. It fills me with loathing.
A/N: See... down there. Just below this message. See that "Submit Review" thing? You see it now? Good. You know what to do.
