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

Chapter 11

"Radek, you don't have to do this," Elizabeth sighed, hands on her hips as she watched Zelenka moving around his lab. He was moving as quick as he could, which at eight months pregnant, wasn't really very quick at all.

"Yes. I do. Rodney is not here, won't be back for two days. Miko is sick, Kelso is sick, everyone sick, but me!" A nasty bug had gotten through both Beckett's screening and the Atlantis lock down protocols, probably because it wasn't at all deadly, just an unpleasant bug to have. The closest equivalent was chicken pox, with the added bonus of extreme nausea. Half the city was down with it, and half of those who weren't were already off world and couldn't be recalled in time. How Radek had managed to escape the infection, he didn't know, but he was very glad of it. If ever the Wraith wanted to attack, this would have been a very good time.

"So this can wait, Radek, please!" Elizabeth was pleading with him both as a lover, and as a boss. Radek was hampered enough by the child now to be a liability off-world.

"No, Elizabeth, it cannot." he snapped, then closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax. Elizabeth could see his stomach jump, and couldn't help the thought that Marina was telling her bearer off for being stubborn – Rodney's half was showing through. One of Radek's hands was working at his back, the pain there never quite going away these last few weeks.

Radek opened his eyes, looking much calmer and walking to Elizabeth, taking her hands. "It is simple mission. The storms on this planet make it difficult to visit. If someone does not go now to check the power source they found, we may not be able to for months, or years. No one else can do this." he moved his hands to her face and leaned in to kiss her gently. "I will be careful, I promise." He kissed her again, quickly, keenly aware they were in the very public lab, though it was empty save for them. As soon as they heard Elizabeth was coming to talk to Radek about the mission, they had cleared out, not wanting to get in the way of anything.

Elizabeth curled her hands around Radek's, holding them tightly. This was Dr. Zelenka – the man who had planned the cold and ruthless oblideration of Atlantis and her database. The man who had once told Elizabeth without fear or sentiment that in a war there were casualties. He was right, and she hated it. They had found signs of a very, very powerful energy source, the kind that it was felt could only come from a ZPM or something just as good. As leader of the expedition, she was torn about sending Radek. He was unfortunately correct, he was the only qualified, even remotely capable person who could do this right now, and they did have a severe time limit. Ten hours was the outside estimate before the planet's atmosphere rendered the jumpers useless. On the other hand, Radek's pregnancy and difficulty moving made him a liability in case anything did go wrong.

As his lover, Elizabeth had the easier decision – she didn't want him going, period. But she knew he was right. This was too good to pass up the chance, and Radek was the only person in the city right now who could do it. And another ZPM meant real time contact with earth, better defenses for the city, and too many other things to pass up the chance.

Seeing Elizabeth's silent resignation, Radek took her hands in his and lay them on his stomach, letting her feel Marina. "/I'll be back for our breakfast, Elizabeth/" he said softly. "/I love you./"

"Unscheduled off world activation! Lt. Cadman's ICD. She says they have a medical emergency, they need a full team in the bay. Dr. Zelenka's been severely injured."

Being held captive by Kolya. Having a dozen wraith ships bearing down on Atlantis. The idea that she might never see Earth again after she stepped through the circle of blue and white and into another galaxy. None of these had scared Elizabeth as much as those words did. She found herself running up the stairs to the jumper bay, struggling against a pair of Marines who were keeping her away from Zelenka and out of the doctors way.

"Clear!" The electronic thump of the paddles echoed even in the small space. "Clear!" Beckett said again when no pulse came. "We have a pulse," They concentrated then on getting Zelenka onto a gurney and wheeling him up to the infirmary.

Elizabeth followed quickly, knowing the Marines were behind her and she forced herself to stop at the infirmary door, watching them transfer Zelenka's still unmoving body onto one of the beds and began to hook him up to a dozen machines.

"Elizabeth?" Beckett stood beside the woman, taking her elbow gently.

"What happened?" Elizabeth couldn't tear her eyes from Radek's body, laid out on the white sheet, his stomach terrifyingly still.

"As far as we can tell, there was an explosion. Whatever the power source was, they didn't get to it in time, the place was booby trapped. Zelenka disarmed several of them, but he couldn't get out of the way in time when a secondary trap blew nearby. He banged his head right good, and he's got a few burns – they're being treated now. The head is the worst of it, and I'll be honest, it's worrying."

"Marina?" Elizabeth heard herself ask, her voice sound hollow.

"The lass is fine where she is. Radek's body is alive and well but for the burns, but he's not waking up any time soon I fear."

Elizabeth felt her knees go out from under her and Carson caught her, setting her in a nearby chair. "I shouldn't have let him go. Not even a ZPM is worth this," she whispered, letting her mask of leadership slip, revealing to Carson the pain of a woman in fear of losing her lover.

"You did right, Elizabeth. He was dead set on going, and it was a huge chance, if it was a ZPM." He brushed her hair back from her face, doing his best to comfort his friend. "There was no way we could have known this would happen. You can't blame yourself, Elizabeth."

"Watch me," she challenged. She did blame herself, and would continue doing so until Radek awoke.

"When John gets back, I'll have him knock some sense into ye, lass. Or better – Ronon."

Elizabeth said nothing, only standing and taking a few steps closer to Radek. They soon finished bandaging his burns and she was allowed by his side. Sitting, she took his hand in two of hers, leaning down to brush a kiss against his forehead. "/I'm here, love./" she murmured, eyes fixed on his still face. She saw his glasses on the far table, one lens cracked, the other missing entirely. One hand drifted to his stomach and she felt the familiar movement. "Hello there, little one," She caressed the bulging bit of skin, as if trying to soothe Marina as much as herself and Zelenka.