Merry Christmas! I know it's been sparse and sporadic, but I'm here for the next 9 weeks to take us through the next episode. This is a short chapter, but I'm promise it's just to get things started...
Previously: Dangerous things happened (in chapter 108) and people got hurt (in the subsequent chapters). We're okay now, right?
Chapter 118. Protective.
Anna stepped into the gym, careful to be quiet even though she knew that Teyla heard her come in. She was practicing with her bantos, but didn't interrupt herself. Anna slid along the wall to sit on the bench and watch. It beat sitting around feeling weak and useless… which, she decided, she was. She'd melted down at the sight of blood, panicked, and would have begged for her life if she'd had her mind fully in hand at the time. Of course, the only time she'd gone through the 'gate on a real job, it had been to the child-planet. It was a good idea, too. Keep her safe. Nothing too heavy on responsibility.
Ronon was still out with his injury. It explained why Teyla was working alone, why John's team hadn't gone through the 'Gate in the last week or so. It would be another few weeks before Ronon was ready for full duty, according to Carson.
Everyone except Teyla seemed a little bit irritated about it, actually.
Because ignoring it made the problem go away. That seemed to be a common reaction.
When she was done, Teyla turned to her with a tired, but happy, smile. "Good afternoon, Anna. Did you need something from me?"
"No… yes… sort of." Anna kept her eyes on the floor before glancing up half a second to see Teyla's confused look. "I was wondering if the Athosians were in the middle of doing something… Something I could maybe help with?"
Teyla put her bantos away. It wasn't until her gym bag was zipped closed that she answered. "You want to go to the mainland?"
"To help." It would have been nice to help, anyway. That way she'd have a reasonable excuse instead of just… Elizabeth shot Ronon. Elizabeth felt bad enough about it without Anna stating it bluntly. Doctor Beckett threatened to shoot Anna. He also felt bad enough about it that he apologized almost every day.
"I see." Teyla sat down next to Anna, her strong hands gripping the edge of the bench. "It's not quite harvest yet, but there is always work to do." She looked at Anna carefully in such a way that Anna knew Teyla didn't believe her sudden interest in agriculture. She was perceptive that way… unlike Radek, who didn't seem to notice.
That was her goal. The less Radek knew, the better. This was something Anna could work out on her own.
"I will ask them, but I'm sure they'd be happy to have you visit," Teyla said finally. "The sunshine, fresh air, and earth is good for us from time to time."
"I have felt a little claustrophobic lately…" Anna said, and immediately regretted it.
"What is that?" Teyla asked gently. "Claustrophobic."
Anna sighed. Of all the people she could have been talking to, Teyla was pretty low on the list. Anna felt like she had very little in common with Teyla, except for, perhaps, their love for the Athosians. Perhaps a certain Athosian, though they were different ones even then.
"It means trapped, I think. Like you're in a small space and can't leave."
Teyla frowned. "That sounds unpleasant."
"It's not that bad, I just want to be…"
"Somewhere other than Atlantis?" Teyla prodded.
"Just for a little while."
"I see." Teyla stood and walked to her gym bag, stopping to stand over it a few seconds. She looked like she was thinking. Maybe she was also thinking of how different they were, of how they didn't know each other. Finally, Teyla turned back to face her. "Your claustrophic feeling is about what happened with Doctor Weir and Doctor Beckett, isn't it?"
Anna stood, too, eyes down and away from Teyla.
"Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything I can do to help you, but I do think you should talk to someone about the reason you want to go to the mainland before you do." Teyla picked up her bag. "Doctor Heightmeyer, perhaps."
Anna nodded and agreed, "That's a good idea," even though she had no intention of actually visiting her. She could do this. By herself.
Still, she smiled at Teyla, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets. "Thanks, Teyla. When do you think you'll know if I can stay with them?"
"I'm sure you can stay with them whether you'll be helpful or not," Teyla said. "I know that Doctor Brown is going to the mainland late next week to gather samples. Perhaps you can go with her."
Immediately heartened by the fact she could go so soon, Anna picked up her steps to walk next to Teyla. "Maybe you can come for a few days. You look like you need a good bantos partner."
#
Radek stepped onto the smooth floor of Atlantis, but it mercifully wasn't ice. The warmth enveloped him, as welcome as a good meal. And he would have liked a good meal. Gloves were nice, but it didn't seem to do any good. The scarves, the coats, either.
Coughlin stepped out next to him, blowing into his cupped palms while he spun around to look up at the gate. "Near expected to be breathing fog still." Then Reed stepped into Atlantis, followed by Lorne. They didn't say anything, but seemed equally happy to be back in their relatively tropical home.
"Hot chocolates all around, damnit." Major Lorne chuckled through clenched teeth and stalked off to put his equipment away.
It wouldn't take ten minutes for them to realize that they weren't cold anymore. They didn't want hot chocolate—they were grown men back from recon, for heavens' sake.
"How was it?" Elizabeth called down from her glass bridge above.
"Hoth, ma'am," Lorne answered without looking up as he walked. "It was Hoth."
"Hoth." Elizabeth chuckled. "Alright, well, I look forward to reading about how you handled the AT-ATs."
Reed and Coughlin followed Lorne, but Radek paused to look up at Elizabeth while he took off his gloves. He wondered if he was imagining her slight smile, but didn't wait to find out. It was probably due to slight pride she knew what an AT-AT was and he didn't. He knew enough to recognize they were talking about Star Wars, but that was it. Probably those big metal things on four feet… With engineers like that, the Impérium deserved to lose.
Radek waited long enough for her to make eye contact. She did, eventually, apparently considering. She made an obscured motion with her hands that he took to mean they should have drinks later. He signaled back that would be fine with him before following the rest of the team to put up their gear and clean their guns. After which he would go check on Anna, find her contended enough in her quarters, and he would go back to the lab. He'd have to figure out where wine figured into the picture.
Only shortly after Radek got back these days, at least part of him wished to leave again. Atlantis didn't feel like a secure fortress anymore, not with the decisions being made and the danger lurking some few levels beneath the waves. But perhaps not the ice planet. The people who lived there were lovely and hardy people, but he wouldn't want to live with them.
He'd take the planet with all the children. That was a nice planet. Very safe, children notwithstanding.
"You coming, Radar?" Reed wondered from beyond the door frame.
Radek picked up the pace to drop off his gear. "Sorry. Still thawing." He was getting tired of uncomfortably pretending that it hadn't affected the way he saw Elizabeth; the way he interacted with Carson would likely never be the same.
"Look at it this way: escort detail next week," Coughlin said. "That is a nice planet. Nice weather, nice tea, nice—"
"Women," Reed said.
"Yeah, well, if we were allowed to talk to them. Nice food…"
Radek gave the three of them a sidelong glance while he disassembled his gun and hung up his vest. "Wait, what did you two do to deserve that?"
"Oh, it's purely a cultural thing. The women in the village don't speak to male outsiders," Major Lorne said. "Not… diplomatic. Though, you know, that isn't a bad idea. I can think of a few other people I'd rather be seen and not heard."
"A few scientists, I expect," Radek said. He would also prefer to see Rodney, rather than hear him. Of course, many times he was heard and not seen, which was sometimes even more annoying than being able to see and hear him. At least if he could be seen, it was easier to fantasize punching him in the face.
"Present company naturally excluded," Reed said with a grin.
"You'll love it, Doc."
Coughlin shook his head and said, "Oh, I think that's a little generous." He shot Radek a glance. "You won't hate it. You definitely won't fear for your life."
Radek paused, thinking for a moment he hadn't really ever feared for his life with Lorne and his team. Nothing was sure in life, but he'd definitely come to trust their competence with weapons and reading a situation. His relative helplessness worked in his favor. Like Sheppard seemed more protective of Rodney, Lorne seemed to have the same reaction to Radek.
Plus… it was his job.
Lorne finished putting up his things and turned back to his team. "Maybe hot chocolate isn't appropriate. We deserve some drinks, though. What do you say, Doc?"
"I'm in danger of becoming an alcoholic at this point…" Radek sighed with a smile, even though he knew that wasn't exactly how it worked. "Why not?"
Next: Just listen to me...