Physician and Physicist by AndromedaMarine
2135 ZULU
Carson smiled as he read Jennifer's excited message. "It's about bloody time, Rodney," he muttered happily as he typed out his reply. The Scottish doctor hit send and leaned back in his chair, stretching the tight muscles of his back. He'd been trying to subtly convince Rodney to make a move for almost three years now. Carson had never met someone so stubborn.
The doctor pulled up the medical staff scheduling, and quickly gave Jennifer three days off, hoping that Rodney would do the same for himself and utilize the time well.
Being 2135 hours, sleep called to him, and he fell into the unconscious world thinking of how gorgeous Laura Cadman looked in his clothes.
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6 April 2010 0630 ZULU
The alarm clock beside Jennifer's bed began to beep loudly in her ear. Slapping the snooze button viciously, Jennifer stared at her ceiling as the previous night trickled back to her. Rodney. God, she had never felt happier. This was better than the day she and Carson graduated from med school together. This was better than finding out about the Stargate Program! Suddenly energized, she threw back the covers and then remembered she had an hour before she would see Rodney. She rolled out of bed and padded to her laptop. She pressed the power button and practically skipped into the bathroom.
She emerged fifteen minutes later refreshed, her hair stringy and wet from the shower. The computer fully booted and faster than her old computer on Earth, Jennifer opened her inbox.
A new email from Rodney waited at the top of her message list. Too excited to dress before reading it, she sat down and opened it wearing nothing but a towel.
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To: Jennifer (blondesprefergentlemen)
From: Rodney (smartguysfinishlast)
Subject: Breakfast Date
Timestamp: 6 April 2010 0500 ZULU
Dear Jennifer,
I will come by your quarters at 0715.
Already I miss talking to you.
Yours,
Rodney.
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Jennifer's heart skipped a beat. He already missed her! Then she realized he would be at her door in twenty minutes. That was just barely enough time to make herself presentable. Unbidden, the delicious thought crossed her mind that she could open the door in her towel...and effectively give Rodney a heart attack. She shook her head. Bad idea. She'd need a damn good explanation for Woolsey that wouldn't get her transferred back to Earth for killing the Department Head of Science and Research.
Another fifteen minutes later she was fully dressed and ready. She brushed her damp hair into a half-ponytail, letting her bangs softly frame her face.
The coiled feeling of excitement in her stomach flared when the doorbell went off.
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0715 ZULU
Rodney smoothed his blue department shirt and tried to rein in his nervousness. He waved his hand over the sensor. His first "real" date since Katie Brown – but at least this time he knew he really, really liked the woman.
He wasn't as prepared as he thought when the door slid open.
"Jennifer..." he began, trailing off as his eyes traveled up and down her body. Finally he met her gaze and held it. "You look beautiful."
She blushed. "Thanks." But she wouldn't admit that she sort of forgot to breathe when she saw him in that tight-fitting shirt of his. The blue really made his eyes more gorgeous than ever. But she wouldn't tell him about his effect on her. Not yet.
It struck Rodney that he should probably be the gentleman she thought he was. He held out his arm. "Can we take the scenic route?"
Intrigued and delighted that she could touch him without checking for injuries, Jennifer eagerly hooked her arm through his. "Atlantis has a scenic route to the commissary?"
"Well it's not so much a scenic route as a stop at a secluded balcony to watch the sun rise." He turned to face her. "Is that okay?" he asked worriedly.
Jennifer beamed at him. "Anything's okay if it's with you."
Amazed that she genuinely wanted to be with him, Rodney confidently set the pace down the hall. A few minutes later he steered them into an unfamiliar corridor. Jennifer trusted Rodney, so she didn't ask him where they were going. The physicist navigated into a narrow corridor that Jennifer had completely missed.
Moments later they emerged into the hazy early morning light of Atlantica. They had a direct view of the horizon, with distant spires from two piers framing it.
"Wait for it..." Rodney breathed.
The sun broke over the distant horizon of shimmering water, immediately showering physician and physicist with beautiful light.
"Gorgeous, isn't it?"
Jennifer turned to see him looking out over the water. His gaze suddenly shifted to her.
"Sunrises aren't like this on Earth."
The physician smiled warmly. "They certainly aren't."
They remained on the balcony for another five minutes, neither sure if they should close that one foot of distance between them.
"Are we going to get breakfast or stand here all day?" Jennifer asked lightly.
Rodney started, having enjoyed the non-awkward silence between them. "Oh, yes, yes of course." He proffered his arm again and felt a trickle of fire slide down his spine when she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and pull herself only slightly against him.
Jennifer smiled widely to herself, glad that her dreams were finally coming true.
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0730 ZULU
When they entered the commissary Jennifer expected Rodney to discreetly pull away, since she could not remember ever having seen him voluntarily touch someone in public. But he didn't. Secretly thrilled, Jennifer happily stayed with her arm through his.
They retrieved trays and loaded up with bacon, eggs, and hash browns, plus a coffee for each. We even like the same foods, the physician mused.
Out of the corners of their eyes, Rodney and Jennifer respectively saw John and Carson.
John was still feeling the after-effects of the pain meds, and unceremoniously sat down next to Rodney, who was across from Jennifer. Carson groaned to himself. Didn't John have any sense of decency when it came to intruding? Apparently not.
Rodney felt the beginnings of lividness rise from the pit of his stomach. "Sheppard," he hissed. "Why the hell are you here?"
"Wonder if I could ask the same thing," he began, and somehow he managed to miss the evil look the physicist was giving him.
Jennifer, with tight lips, said, "John, if you would please find your own table, Rodney and I are trying to eat breakfast."
"With each other?" the colonel asked again, still failing to put together the puzzle. Before anyone could say anything else, Carson appeared by John's elbow.
"Colonel, if you would come with me," he said, tugging on the flyboy's arm. "I have some things to ask you."
John obediently stood up, gave Rodney and Jennifer a strange look, and followed the Scot away.
Rodney breathed a sigh of relief. "I swear he doesn't know the definition of tact." He took a sip of the coffee and broke off a piece of bacon. "You'd think he grew up with a pack of hillbillies."
Jennifer chuckled. "I have to put a note in John's file not to use that particular pain med next time. He hasn't been entirely lucid since last week's mission."
"He hasn't been lucid since that stint with the Ancients in that time-distortion field. Six months he spent with a bunch of meditating aliens who had no idea how to defend themselves." Rodney snorted at the memory.
Jennifer changed the subject. "As I recall, you were affected by an Ascension-machine and invented a new math. Besides not working, did that go anywhere?"
Rodney shifted at the mention of his near-death experience. "Well, I did write a five-hundred plus page book about Dr. Weir."
"Really?"
He nodded. "She was amazing. Brilliant. And then...nothing. Replicator. It's my fault."
"Actually, I was the one who convinced you to reactivate them against John's wishes."
"Well, this line of conversation has successfully become depressing," he quipped, stabbing his fork through a cluster of scrambled eggs. "So tell me, Jennifer, how did you first come to read Douglas Adams' masterpiece?"
Jennifer smiled. "My dad gave it to me as a birthday gift one year. He knew I loved science and technology...and thought I would get a kick out of Adams' ridiculous inventions. I did."
Rodney launched into his enthusiastic reply. The rest of their breakfast went on like this until 0845, when Jennifer happened to see her watch and realize she was fifteen minutes late for her shift. She hurriedly explained this to Rodney, who offered to walk her to the infirmary.
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0850 ZULU
Jennifer rushed into the infirmary, closely trailed by the physicist. Nearly breathless, she found her scrubs and started to put them on. Carson caught her wrist and stopped her from continuing.
"I've given you the next three days off, love. You and Rodney can do whatever you like." He'd said it only quiet enough for Jennifer to hear.
"Really? But Carson, I'm the CMO."
"Yes, and I am your second, and can pull rank whenever I feel like it. Now go have fun."
Giving in, Jennifer shrugged out of the scrubs and rejoined Rodney. "Apparently I have the next three days off. What do you say, oh Department Head of Science and Research? Do you mind if this date lasts for three days?"
Sending Carson a silent "thank you," Rodney replied, "I most certainly do not. What shall we do first?"
Jennifer pretended to think. "Well, I've always wanted to see Atlantica from space."
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A/N: Chapter seven will be a continuation of their date. The next set of emails will be in chapter eight.