Reminder:
"This is spoken English."
"This is spoken Czech."
This is a thought.

Last time: Radek has some sort of sickness (since chapter 30 or so). Anna's been working hard on her homework. I think we all deserve a break.


Chapter 34. Day Off.

Anna glanced up to the sound of the door to Radek's room sliding open. He looked worse than yesterday… He shuffled out into the main room, dressed in his usual khaki-and-blues like he was just going to go into the lab today.

Anna squinted at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm late." Radek made for the door at a pace that might shame a snail, but not much else.

Anna beat him to the door without much of a problem. "You're still sick. You should be in bed."

Radek gave her a quick glare for that, but she couldn't take him seriously with his foggy, red eyes. His voice sounded scratchy and he squinted toward the light.

"Come on." She took his hand.

"It's just a cold." Radek nevertheless didn't fight her about it too hard.

"That's not what Doctor Beckett said." Anna led him to the couch.

He seemed grateful to sit even though he looked toward the door. "He actually said he didn't know what it was. Some new Pegasus galaxy illness that didn't seem too serious."

Anna sighed and went toward the kitchenette. It wasn't much, just a sink, a thing like a stove next to it, and a recessed box in the wall that kept food cold. "What Doctor Beckett said was that you would be feeling better in a few days. So you should give it a few days."

Anna filled the tea kettle with water, remembering Doctor Beckett's admonition about the tea. She set it to heat, knowing she'd have a few minutes to wait. She stood behind the couch. "There's no reason to go to work when you're sick, is there?"

He'd taken to staring blankly out the window as if concentrating on breathing was enough for him right now. He wheezed quietly for a few seconds. "There's no reason not to," he said finally.

"If you take the time to rest, you'll be back to work and at a hundred percent in no time."

He didn't object, so Anna made the tea. Peppermint, or, rather, something like it, apparently grew in jungles on the mainland. The Athosians sang its praises as a curative for many common ailments and it was delicious as tea anyway. At least, it was in Anna's opinion. She brought him a steaming mug and sat on the couch next to him.

"I think it's best if…" She took a breath and started again. "You deserve a few days off."

Radek looked at her askance, inhaling the tea vapors.

Maybe because they both knew that Doctor McKay most definitely wouldn't take it that way. He wouldn't say Radek deserved anything. Of course, he probably wouldn't say that about anyone.

"I don't care what Doctor McKay says," Anna added quietly.

Radek leaned back on the couch. Anna assumed he meant to get comfortable and spend the day recovering. Anna suspected that Doctor McKay's treatment of him during the whole fiasco with Cadman had something to do with Radek's coming down so suddenly ill. Anna didn't imagine it was like him to get so sick.

On the other hand, it wasn't as though anyone on Atlantis gave their own health first priority.

Except Doctor McKay, perhaps. But he took it a little too far.

"I'm sure Doctor McKay wouldn't want to catch whatever it is that you have," Anna offered.

Radek gave half a laugh in response, but didn't say anything.

Anna wandered over to the desk where she'd been working on her sociology homework. It was something about world justice systems. Anna never thought she'd find something about other Earth cultures so mind-numbingly dull. She was in another galaxy. Still couldn't quite believe it.

"I need to go see Elizabeth," Anna said finally. "Help with a paper I'm writing."

Radek nodded, slurping the tea. "That's fine."

"You promise me you won't go to the lab?" Anna asked as she gathered her things. He didn't answer for a few seconds, so she turned to make sure he hadn't made a quick dash for the door.

He hadn't. He was just sitting there, smiling almost thoughtfully at her. "Yeah, I promise."

Anna pursed her lips, unsure what else to say. "Okay. Well. See you." She hurried to the door, hoping to get some time in practicing with Teyla and Ronon since they'd come back from their mission last night.

"See you," Radek answered. "And thank you for the tea."

Anna smiled as she opened the door. "You're welcome."

#

"This is very nice, Anna," Elizabeth said as she scrolled through her paper.

Anna couldn't help but smile. "Thank you. I worked very hard on it."

"I can tell." Elizabeth continued scrolling and then looked up with a smile. "Very good. Your English has improved immensely."

"Speaking more English helps," Anna said.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, there is a lot of English around here. I hope it hasn't been too difficult for you."

"I speak Czech with Radek. In the early mornings and evenings." It was still difficult whenever she had to talk to Doctor McKay. Elizabeth, Jennifer, and Doctor Collins were much more patient and slow to speak. She had a hard time understanding Doctor Beckett sometimes, too, but at least he could translate himself for her. Besides, Anna imagined the same was true for some English-speakers trying to decipher their native words through her accent.

Elizabeth smiled, too. "That's good. Speaking of Radek, how is he? I heard he was sick."

"He is," Anna said. "Doctor Beckett says he'll feel better in a few days."

"I'm glad it's not serious," Elizabeth offered.

Anna nodded, but didn't get to say anything else because, apparently, Elizabeth had other plans.

"Anna, you remember Iskaan, right?"

Anna frowned a little bit as she tried to remember. "The Athosian. He plays panpipes."

Elizabeth nodded happily. "Yes, that's him. He and his father are here for several days to trade with their offworld trading partners. I thought you might like to know. You may want to reconnect with him."

"He probably doesn't remember me," Anna mumbled.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "He asked about you specifically when he and his father landed this morning." Anna didn't know what her response was to that, but she must have made a funny face. Elizabeth laughed. "You don't have to see him if you don't want to. I just thought you'd want to know."

Anna nodded slowly. "Yes. Thank you." She didn't know what else to say. She was suddenly aware of how long it had been since she saw anyone her own age. She couldn't wait to get out of here. "What is my next assignment, please?" she asked.

Elizabeth smiled knowingly. "Take the day off, Anna. You've been working hard. You deserve it."

"Thank you, Elizabeth." She went toward the door, then paused and turned around. "Do you know where he is?"

"He is usually in the Jumper Bay, getting their wares ready."

Anna didn't wait for her to continue. "Thank you!" She ran out of the office, through the Control Room, and stampeded down the stairs. She imagined she irritated a few of the 'gate technicians, but none of them shouted too loudly as she dashed by. She turned corners and flew up the stairs until the huge doors of the Jumper Bay swept open before her.

Just as Elizabeth had said, Iskaan, his father, and half of an offworld team were pulling things off the Puddle Jumper they arrived on from the mainland. Everyone paused what they were doing just long enough to see who came in… only Iskaan stopped for longer.

He smiled, slinging a bag he'd been about to pick up over his shoulder. He walked over to her. "Anna?" he asked. "You got my message."

Anna nodded. "Elizabeth told me you were going to be here for a few days."

"Yes, well, sort of," Iskaan said. "We stay here and visit all the planets we trade with. Sometimes we are only gone for a few hours, but sometimes we are gone for the whole day—or more."

"Is it fun?" It sounded fun to Anna. She couldn't imagine it not being fun… going to other planets. But maybe it was so commonplace to Iskaan, he couldn't think of it as being too interesting.

"I suppose," Iskaan said. "We used to go by ourselves, but now we have to wait for a team to be assigned to us to go. The Genii once used an Athosian IDC to get onto Atlantis, so as a security precaution we no longer go alone." He didn't seem happy with that.

Anna wondered what happened with that. She decided to ask Colonel Sheppard later. "At least," she offered in a small voice, "you get to go offworld."

Iskaan nodded. "That's true. Number your blessings and your difficulties will seem small. That's an old Athosian proverb."

"Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thornbush has roses. That's a proverb from Earth."

Iskaan smiled. "Your planet?"

"Yes."

"You must have been to many planets. Your people are explorers, aren't they?" Iskaan asked.

"Some of them, I suppose. But I've only been to three planets. Earth, this one, and another planet where… It's a long story." Anna couldn't imagine having anything like this conversation back home. Well… perhaps, something like it. On Earth they spoke of countries, like crossing a river was a great accomplishment.

Crossing the vastness of space. That was really something to talk about.

"Really? Only three?" He shook his head in marvel. "Earth must really be something for so many people to stay there all the time."

Anna smiled a little fondly. "It has its problems, but it is a nice planet." Fortunately, Wraith were not one of those problems. Anna imagined that if she didn't live on Atlantis, she might never stay on the same planet for very long here in the Pegasus galaxy.

"Maybe one day I will see it," Iskaan said. "In the meantime, you should come trading with us. You should visit more planets than just three. There is so much to see."

Anna's heart thrilled at the suggestion. Her? Go to more planets? Radek would never agree… But he was sick. She shouldn't bother him. But she couldn't go without permission… without someone's permission…

"I would really like to go," Anna said.

"Really?" Iskaan glanced back toward his father. "Father, can Anna come with us?"

Iskaan's father—Anna forgot his name—shrugged and nodded. "Makes no difference to me."

"But I need to ask if I can go," Anna said. She just hadn't figured out who to ask yet. It needed to be someone who would say yes and most definitely not double check with Radek beforehand. Elizabeth was out.

Colonel Sheppard. He would let her go and take her at her word that Radek said it was alright.

"We will be busy unloading for a bit," Iskaan said. "You should go ask. I'll show you Delbradia's ruins. Arkos has beautiful lakes that glow different colors at night—you have to see them."

"You don't have to convince me," Anna mumbled. She smiled as Iskaan went back to helping his father. "I'll be back soon," she called, then said to herself, "as soon as I figure out how to ask Colonel Sheppard…"


A/N: And, for reference, Iskaan was introduced in Chapter 21 (and this is the only other chapter he's appeared in).


Next time: I know who you are, and I'm not a fan...