Anything with /'s inside quotes is being spoken in Czech.

Chapter 6

Radek's vision came slowly into focus as he opened his eyes. His vision never entirely sharpened and for a moment he panicked, then remembered what had happened. The attack, losing his glasses, Kavenaugh taking his radio link. His hands flew to his stomach and he moaned at the pain the motion caused.

There was a bit of a flurry around him and he saw several figures approach. As they got closer, Radek could identify Beckett, Rodney, Sheppard and Weir, with a nervous looking Cadman hanging back. Beckett was reaching towards his face and Radek recognized his glasses. He could see where the wire frames had been bent back into shape, and the lenses were new. "Thank you." the cold metal helped sharpen him a little, eyes and mind both coming into slightly better focus.

"Before you panic, Radek, your baby's fine, they dinnae do her any harm." By now they had all taken to referring to the child as she, though at this early stage they had no way of knowing, apart from Radek's certainty. "Can you tell us what happened, Radek?" Beckett asked, hands slowly checking Radek and the devices, making sure he was alright.

Radek's whole body relaxed, in spite of the pain he felt all over, face flooding with relief that the beating hadn't harmed his unborn child. "I was working on the air cycling station with Kavenaugh. It was taking longer than it should have, a lot of little malfunctions. By the time we left it was very late, maybe two am. On the way back, I heard some soldiers approaching, then Kavenaugh ... he ..." Zelenka reached up, feeling the absence of the link. "He pulled my link off before they got to me, so I couldn't call for help. He said 'get him' and I tried to run, and tripped over him. I do not know if it was deliberate or my own foolishness." As soon as Kavenaugh's name came up, John and Rodney shared a look and John stepped away, Radek could hear him talking quietly on his radio. He shifted his gaze to the apprehensive looking blond, standing behind the others and off to the side. "How did you know?" he asked quietly.

The others had already heard her side, and they parted a little to draw her closer, letting her tell Radek herself. "I overheard some guys talking. Rather, Cindy Cates heard them and gossiped to me. When I realized what they were planning, I remembered hearing you and Kavenaugh arguing about the air cycling station and who was gonna get to do what about fixing it, and I just got a really bad feeling about things. So when you two were way later getting back than you really should have, I decided to go looking, just in case. I took Heller and Jung with me, too."

"The three Marines who attacked you are in the brig right now, they're going back to Earth for a court marshal as soon as the Daedalus can get them there." John said, then his radio chirped. "They just got Kavenaugh in there, too. He must have run as soon as the marines got there, probably thought we wouldn't be able to prove anything. Scanners in that area of the city were down, and we can bet he had something to to with it."

Radek nodded, partly glad of the others – it was warming to know that even if a few marines didn't like what he was, those people he was considering more his friends every day were still there with him. Part of him however wished to simply be left alone, a little embarrassed that he had turned down the protection that would have kept him safe and overall less of a problem. "If it's alright, Colonel, I believe I'll accept that bodyguard now." he smiled a little.

"Already taken care of, Radek. There were over two dozen offers as soon as word of your attack started to go around. Lt. Cadman's in charge, she was going to be doing something like that anyway." John's drawl was oddly soothing to Radek and he nodded. Cadmen fell back, leaving only the senior staff. John and Rodney departed a few moments later after assuring themselves that Radek was fine for now. Beckett ducked away to tend to the few other patients he had.

"Dr. Weir," Radek noticed she lingered, and suspected it would have something to do with the court marshal.

"Dr. Zelenka," She nodded, pulling up a chair. "When you're ready, would you be willing to make an official statement? From what Cadman says, you were balled up pretty tight when they were at you so I understand if you can't name any names, but anything you can give us would be a great help. We already know who it was, but a statement from you will make the case that much stronger."

"Of course, doctor. I am not one for vengeance for myself, what's done is done, but this is no longer only about me."

"I understand." And something told Radek perhaps she did. "When Beckett lets you up and about, we'll set up an appointment. They're going back on the Daedalus, your statement can be sent in a burst through the Stargate when you're ready, so there's no rush."

"Thank you, doctor." Radek tried to smile, feeling his own fatigue catching up to him.

"Call me Elizabeth, please, doctor."

"Radek, please, Elizabeth." It was nice to be able to use her first name without the threat of death hanging over their heads.

"Alright, Dr. Weir, time to let the patient sleep, I daresay he could use it."

Radek's injuries weren't really that bad, several bruises, cracked ribs and one broken finger which thankfully didn't effect him much as he could use either hand for anything he did. Everything else was just aches. Still, Beckett kept him for a few days in the infirmary before letting him go. He would have kept him longer but both Radek and Rodney were itching to get the Czech back to work. Kavenaugh had been shipped back with the marines and there was a hole of work to be filled. Radek had been surprised that the Kavenaugh's actions had been fueled more by simple ambition than by prejudice.

It was a few weeks before Radek began to feel safe again. His belt came out another notch and he began to think of making arrangements to get some new clothing. He knew what he had with him wouldn't do when he was very visibly pregnant. His bodyguards were largely those marines he had already begun to think of as friends, so their presence was less of a distraction than he had thought they would be. They all knew how to stay out of the way, and a few even proved handy when he was working alone, able to play assistant. He was later surprised to learn that they were all volunteering the time, aside from their normal duties.

Zelenka was engrossed in his printout, eating with his free hand as he sat in the mess hall. It was about half full right now, groups or two or three clustered around the scattered tables. The light overhead dimmed for a moment, as someone sat across from him. He looked up for a moment, face neutrally cheerful – he was getting used to people joining him for lunch. However, the look on the Marine's craggy face wasn't really a friendly one. Radek's eyes darted around and he noticed a few more faces turned in his direction, not all of them friendly. His eyes flickered over to his current bodyguard, Lt. Eisman, the young man looking nervously aware of the situation. Radek saw two men moving in close to him, looking more than a little menacing. "I don't think he'll be able to do much, doctor," the man sneered, seeing Zelenka's eye movement. "Right now there's more of us than there are of him, or you." His voice was quiet and low and dangerous. Radek shivered and tried not to show his fear. One hand splayed across his abdoman and he straightened a little, not wanting to let this man win by intimidation.

A few of the assembled soldiers stood, moving in to flank the man sitting across from Zelenka. Radek didn't have to look up to know whose side they were on.

"I don't care about some fucking ancient technology or anything to do with it. What you are, doctor," again he spat the word like it tasted foul, "is a freak." He heard a muffled gasp and in the corner of his eye, Lt. Eisman was being wrestled to the ground apparently for trying to call for backup. "The people upstairs think we should let you be. But this isn't exactly don't ask / don't fucking tell. It's pretty obvious to us that you're someone's bitch and brood mare."

Radek's heart was thudding in his chest and he wished he dared try to make a call, somehow. Blue eyes flew around the room, both hands holding his stomach. It seemed all the marines here were in the 'against' column when it came to him.

At first, Radek thought the sharp 'bang' he'd heard was a gunshot, and he wondered vaguely for a second why he didn't feel the blossom of pain. The men around the table eased back, and Radek's eye flitted to his side.

Large hands, coated with the meal already, worked carelessly, conveying food to mouth from the tray he'd dropped beside Radek's. "Thought you could use some company," he said in his calm, conversational voice. Brown eyes flickered up to the menacing forms, which suddenly weren't nearly so threatening. Ronon was used to taking out teams of Wraith by himself, none of the marines wanted to take him on, even in a group of this size.

As soon as the men were gone, Radek felt the city lurch around him rather unnaturally, then blinked away to reveal a starless night sky.

"I must stop waking up in the infirmary," he groaned quietly, lifting his head.

"Aye lad, that might be a good idea. How're you feeling, Radek?" Beckett asked, checking the man's vitals. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Radek tried to think back, and noticed the unmistakable form of Ronon standing between Radek's bed and the rest of the infirmary. "I was having lunch, reading over some reports. A marine approached me, his name I do not remember but I believe it began with a B. He said he didn't ... he said I was unnatural, a freak." To Radek's shame he felt his eyes itching, and he wanted to cry, remembering the words of hate and venom.

He took a moment, trying to breathe steadily. "Do not blame Lt. Eisman. There were many marines, and when he tried to radio for help, they incapacitated him." Radek's hands were sliding further around his stomach, which was bigger now and harder to protect than when they'd beat him in the corridor.

"He did manage to call, but by the time others got there, Ronon had already seen to the problem. He said you passed out right after, almost banged your head on the way down. You seem to be alright, but I'd like to keep you here for a while, overnight if you'll let me. I don't like the fainting and I want to be dead sure everything's alright."

Radek nodded, finding himself more tired than he would have expected. When Beckett left, Radek noticed the big Satedan still there. "Excuse me, Ronon?" Brown eyes peered out from shaggy dreads as the man turned, approaching Radek's bedside. "Thank you for your help earlier. I apologize for my reaction after, or I would have thanked you then."

"Family is important," Ronon said as if that explained everything.

Radek studied the clear brown eyes, matted hair and determined features and nodded. "Thank you again." Ronon seemed to nod once, then resumed his personally assigned guard duty.

Family. Radek realized he hadn't yet applied the word to himself and his unborn.

After his near-attack, further measures were taken to insure Radek's safety. There was a a collection of Marines who didn't like him, and Ronon had reported the names of each one in the mess hall that day. However, the Czech's general good nature – and ability to reign Rodney in, or at least to take the man's ire so no one else had to, had won him friends he'd never expected to find. Officially, his bodyguard was doubled, and the names very carefully gone through. Unofficially, Zelenka found himself usually with an entourage of three or four marines anywhere he went. Unless he was off world, Ronon seemed to take special interest in keeping an eye on the swelling Doctor.

Since that close call, he never ate alone, often two or three people settling around him as they ate and talked, aside from his bodyguards, who often split themselves between joining him for a meal and more actively guarding him. He was surprised when Dr. Weir began to join them. At first it was her and some of the other command staff. Sometimes it was only her.

"/Have you thought of a name, yet?/" she asked, sipping her coffee. It was early morning, and the pair were mostly alone in the mess hall. Ronon was eating quietly in a far corner, near the door. He was the only person anyone in the city would trust to mind the doctor alone – everyone else needed backup.

"/I don't even know yet if it's a boy or a girl. But ... yes. If it is a girl, Marina, and if it it's a boy, the first name I do not know, but middle name Rodney, because he is a part of the child./"

"/As if he needs the boost to his ego,/" Elizabeth chuckled at that and Radek liked the sound. This wasn't the first breakfast they'd shared, though the mess hall had never been so empty before and there was an intimate feeling to it.

"/My theory is if we get his ego big enough, he can recharge zero point module with it./" He tried for deadpan but his eyes twinkled too much and Elizabeth's laughter was infectious.

"I never figured you for a matchmaker, Rodney," John chuckled, looking up from his book to fix his lover with a curious gaze.

"Oh please! I'm not a matchmaker, I'm just talking about dinner, between friends."

"Mm-hmm. Then why isn't Carson invited? I mean, if this were a real dinner party, wouldn't your best friend be on the guest list?"

"Carson's busy with Cadman," Rodney sulked a little, dropping himself on John's bed, pressing against his side. "Elizabeth and Radek are both single so it's a safe bet they're not doing anything that night."

"Which night?" John didn't put his book down, he loved teasing Rodney like this.

"Whichever night I give Radek off so he can have dinner with us."

"And Elizabeth."

"And Elizabeth. Because they're both our friends, and they both know about us, so it'd be safe, and good and if I tell you how it ends will you put the book down and kiss me?"

"No."

Rodney had been getting 'taking what he wanted' lessons from a certain Air Force Colonel, so John eventually did put the book down.