Chapter 10 – End of summer
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Elizabeth is so pleased with their recent alliances with the last two planets they've negociated with for food that she's decided Louise will join tomorrow's mission to the next planet they've sampled out from the Ancient database. Food is not a priority right now as they've replenished their stocks for the time being but it wouldn't hurt to find new allies and varied supplies, for that matter.
Katie and Louise have been spending more time together these last few days on making lists of plants that might be useful to the expedition. Louise finds it exhilarating to work with a true botanist, especially one who is so patient in teaching her the basics, not caring about Louise's ashamed statement that everything green she touches in a garden tends to be found dead in the following days. She's hoped that with time her co-worker will join the off-world missions but all she's gotten from her to this day is a trip to the mainland to oversee the Athosians' new crops and share her expertise with them.
"Thanks but no thanks," Katie has told her when offered yet again to join her on tomorrow's mission though the place seems secure enough from what intelligence John's team has gathered from a reconnaissance foray two days ago. "It's not I wouldn't like to spend time with you and have a change of scenery but I'm not ready yet. Besides," she's added, wincing, "I really don't want to have to spend the day with Mr I'm so smug I look like I have a broom stuck in my arse! He's all yours!"
Louise laughs out loud. "I don't really look forward to being on the same mission as Dr Kavanagh myself, FYI." She sighs and gets somber all of a sudden. It's true the guy is a consistent ass and she would have appreciated to be left out of that mission for once but Elizabeth seems to have taken for granted her recurring part in those missions. She knows she needs to ask for an interview with her boss and tell her she can't be everywhere at the same time.
Juggling with all the different aspects of her position is becoming a hassle. Truth be told, she's a bit responsible for it too. She doesn't know how to simply say no, thus putting in too many hours and has even recently burned herself because she was not paying enough attention to her task at hand, her mind being on the next task and the next one as well. Rodney has joked he'll give her a lesson in "subcontracting", as he puts it and she knows he's not far from the truth. She needs to learn to train her team in doing more so she can have more time outside the kitchen. Had she known at the time they hired her what complex task was awaiting her, she wonders if she'd been so enthusiastic about taking the job.
"Anyway," Katie is saying, "I don't understand why they're sending you this time. Rodney told me they're going there in the hope of finding a ZPM or at least Ancient technology, which explains Kavanagh wanted to tag along."
"Yeah, well. If you ask me, the biggest mystery is why he wants to tag along in the first place. He's afraid of going to the mainland, for Pete's sake! I guess all of Rodney's recent achievements have sparked his jealousy. As for why Dr Weir has ordered me to go along, I guess it's because she's aware we shouldn't put all our eggs in the same basket, that's all. Anyway, I'll keep away from Dr Kavanagh as much as I can and if I'm lucky, I might even find some of those plants you've asked for," Louise concludes with a wink and a smile.
The next morning, she doesn't feel that confident anymore. She's gearing up with Teyla who for once is looking sour. She surmises it's got to do with the addition of a new yet thankfully not permanent member to the expedition's flagship team. "Anything the matter?" she asks while Teyla is making her double-check her gear.
The Athosian leader gives her a terse smile. "Not really, Ms Léger. The recon mission was successful enough that you needn't worry beforehand."
"This is not what I meant, Teyla..." she chides her.
Teyla gracefully nods her acknowledgement. "We're all a little bit on edge, I guess." She sighs then adds: "Dr Kavanagh is not the easiest person to work with."
Louise snorts. "Yeah, you can say that!"
"Have you had any problem with him? I didn't even know you knew him..." Teyla is surprised. Louise usually keeps to herself. They've tried to lure her to the mess hall and sit with them countless times but have only succeeded so far when no one else is around.
Louise's facial expression turns sour too. "Oh, yeah! I have!" She sees Teyla is waiting for the other shoe to drop so she decides to come clean about it though she's tried to keep it quiet up until now, fearing John – and Dr Weir – might overreact. She rolls her eyes. "No big deal. I'm a big girl. I know how to take care of myself." She goes on as she sees Teyla won't budge until she's given her more. "OK. It's really nothing. We might have had a brush in..."
"Chef?" She's currently making preserves in the kitchen as her team is serving dinner. She usually helps out but tonight, she's even more swamped than usual. The Athosians have returned with crates of fruit from Elisia and she's endeavored to prepare jars for the winter months to come. As much as they'd like to believe the tropical climate of the planet is going to last indefinitely, the meteorologists have discovered in an abandoned lab a series of files suggesting summers here abruptly turn into dire winters.
The Athosians are preparing for it by building sturdier shelters and stacking up warm clothes and blankets as well as food that can be used when they won't be able to leave their homes. Meat and fish are currently being smoked in low-temperature ovens Rodney has helped to design. They're drying fruit as well on wooden shelves, yet the biggest part is to preserve fruit and vegetables that can be used in dishes and as the main source of vitamins during the winter months. From the data they've gathered and the calculus they've made, Atlantis will be able to drift off to warmer climate but the whole mainland will be impacted, probably making it difficult at times to commute between the city and the continent. Thus the preserves.
She looks up and gazes at one of her assistants who is waiting patiently for her to answer though she can see he's tapping his fingers nervously on his thighs."Yes, what is it, Private?" She sometimes calls them by their first names or nicknames though rarely so as John has advised her against it. Yes, she was the one to choose them from a list of applicants and conducted their interviews but all those kids are awfully young. None had any experience with the Stargate program before they were hired and in spite of their enthusiasm for the whole thing, she must be aware they're first and foremost barely out of their teenage years. They've been trained to help in case of an invasion and are very dedicated, looking up to their commander, but here, in the kitchen, John has reminded her, she's in charge. "I don't want you to go soft on them," he's warned her.
"I won't!" she's retorted, hurt. "I've been doing great until now, don't you think?"
"It's not that, sweetie. You manage them well but they need to know who's the boss. I recently overheard a couple of conversations, that's all. They say you're not what they thought you were – that you're much nicer, whatever that means..."
She's thought about it before answering, raking her mind for something that might have changed the perception of things around here. "I think it was easier for them when I didn't interact that much. It might have looked like I was the Snow Queen of the realm of Atlantis. But I guess you're right. I'll be more cautious from now on."
"Chef?" She's spaced out again, she chides herself. It's so easy to do so when she's lulled into a transe by her cooking.
"Yes, what is it, Private?"
"Ma'am, sorry to bother you but there's someone who wants to see you."
Those big moss-green eyes he usually trains on her when she's teaching him a new recipe are avoiding hers right now so she knows something is off. She raises her eyebrows expectantly, the hand that is holding the ladle poised over the steaming pot."Well, actually, he's more like demanded to see you, to be honest... Ma'am." His voice trails off, embarrassed.
"Well, except if we're sustaining an invasion, you can tell whoever is at the door he'll have to wait!" Her tone tells her assistant her decision is final. He retreats towards the door with a respectful "Yes, Ma'am."
He hasn't been gone for a minute when the door wooshes open again and a tall man with a pony tail and a scowl on his face stomps in, only stopping when he's barely a couple of feet from her, invading her private space. She props the ladle on a stand, wipes her hands on a tea towel and turns to him, her hands crossed on her chest to keep her temper at bay. No one has ever had the nerve to enter her realm without being invited to it first. "What?!" she barks.
He sniggers, folding his arms on his chest too. "I demand to be attended to immediately. Who do you think you are to keep me waiting?" he barks back.
Her eyebrows shoot to her hairline. "I don't know... The cook, maybe! You know, the person in charge of feeding you! I advise you strongly against keeping up with your attitude, mister, if you want to find food on your plate on a regular basis!" She's glaring at him now. Who's the jerk anyway?
Private Ridgeway is back. He's shuffling his feet uncomfortably and she has the impression he feels like he's caught between the hammer and the anvil. "Can I be of help, Ma'am?" he asks, standing at attention.
She rolls her eyes. How many times has she told them she's not military, thus exonerating them from the duty? This time, though, she's grateful he does. "As you were, Rusty. If you're not needed in the mess hall, I'd be grateful you'd take my place for the time being," she tells him, nodding to her current task. He discreetly lifts his hand to his headset and she immediately gets the meaning of it and shakes her head, her jaw set. She really doesn't need John to barge in and make matters worse. Whoever the guy is, she needs to have him respect her for who she is and not be seen as John's favorite. Rusty salutes respectfully and donning an apron, sets to work.
She turns to the intruder. "So?" she says, staring him down, her hands on her hips. "What the hell are you doing in my kitchen?"
He snorts disrespectfully. "It's not your kitchen. You're only an employee here so stop showing off." She glares at him. The nerve of the guy! She tries to remain calm because she knows nothing good will come out of a fight in such a place. Everyone needs everyone else here. She just needs to make him see that. She licks her lips."As a matter of fact, Mr..." She waits for him to finally have the decency to introduce himself.
He puffs himself up. "It's Doctor! Doctor Kavanagh," he adds as if disclosing his full name to her were a disgrace to him.
She can't help snorting. "Well, Doctor," she answers, insisting with mock respect on his title, "you yourself are also an employee here! That makes us equals as I'm sure you can see. Only Dr Weir can order me around, which she doesn't of course because she is well-educated and you obviously are not!" He opens and closes his mouth several times, at a loss for words. Before he can return to his senses and his vicious tongue, she adds: "Now, you have one minute to tell me what you're doing here."
"Or what?" he retorts.
"Or I'll make sure you'll get only leftovers and weak coffee until you understand your mistake. Now, chop chop, mister, I don't have all day."
He breathes in, trying to contain his anger but his disdain is clearly visible. "No need to be so vindictive," he berates her, which makes her assistant snort beside her. She remains cool on the surface, regarding him coldly and lifts an eyebrow.
"Forty-five seconds," she points out.
"Very well," he says, seeing he's not getting anywhere. "I wanted to see you to file a complaint about the recent shift in diet here."
She peers at him impatiently."There's nothing wrong with the food I serve," she informs him.
"I pledge to differ. You have reduced the amount of meat, replacing it with fish, eggs or vegan meals, like tonight, which is scandalous. How are we suppose to feed our grey cells with such a diet?!" He looks indignant and she can't help snorting at the phrase. "What?!" he barks. "What's so funny?"
"You've just quoted Hercule Poirot – more or less," she mocks him. "But I'm sure it was accidental," she adds, chuckling as she sees his non-plussed look. "Anyway," she says, lifting her hand to stop him as she sees him ready for a new fight, "the food served on the City is healthy, nutritious and adapted to each and everyone's special needs. I assure you your little grey cells won't suffer at all from a few vegetarian or fish dishes. Actually, they'll be all the better for it. You've probably been used to being fed a high-calorie diet on a regular basis back on Earth but here, you'll have to do as the Romans do, or as the Lanteans do for that matter! Shall I remind you we're cut off from Earth and thus the life you have wrongly taken for granted? We simply do not have the means to sustain the same diet as on Earth. If you don't like the vegetable crumble and smoked salmon-like fish I've prepared tonight, you still have the option to fast. It won't kill you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," she adds, her tone final as she motions for him to leave the room.
He's fuming but has no other choice but to comply. "Don't you think this is the end of it," he threatens her as he barges out of the room.
She shakes her head in dismay. "Ma'am, do you want me to report him to Major Sheppard?" Private Ridgeway offers.
She winces. "No, Rusty. As a matter of fact, I'd much appreciate you keep quiet about all this for the time being. Major Sheppard and Dr Weir have enough on their hands as it is."
"You should have reported him to Major Sheppard, Ms Léger. This is bullying," Teyla says indignantly after Louise has finished recounting the incident, echoing Rusty's advice.
She shakes her head. "Certainly not. I can take care of myself, Teyla. It's OK. I just need him to keep away from me as much as possible. I might be compassionate but he's used up my patience in one go. I'm not sure I'd be so cool if there were a next time."
TBC