SGA: Everyone Remember Where We Parked
Hip deep in schoolwork right now, and still don't have a freaking computer, but since I had three minutes, a public terminal, and a timed-out Moonridge story, I figured I'd say hi and give you guys a little something to know I'm thinking of you and can't wait to jump back into fandom when I have a moment to breathe. Miss you guys!
Everyone Remember Where We Parked
T.W. Lewis
(For Leesa Perrie, who asked for trees, vehicles and Rodney-centric gen.)
Miko looked around, fighting back tears. "I... I just don't think this is the right clearing."
"Of course it's the right clearing," Kavanagh snapped, heedless of the fact that he'd said that about the last three spots they'd checked. "Now come help me look!" He inched forward slowly, hands in front of him, like a man feeling his way around his house in the dark.
"B-but look at the grass," said Miko, hugging herself miserably.
"Yes? What? It's grass. Dr. McKay is the one with all the allergies, not me, you moron. Why, do you see something in the grass?" He leaped back, eyes scanning the tall grass frantically. "There aren't any snakes, are there?"
Miko squirmed as Kavanagh went back to his search of the area. "The grass," she managed. "It's not flat. Even if the puddlejumper were here, cloaked, wouldn't it crush the grass?"
Kavanagh stopped, looked at the grass, and turned to glare at her, his face darkening to a frightening shade of tomato red. "What kind of advanced civilization makes invisible spaceships and doesn't invent a way to find them again!?" He brandished the useless scanner wildly, but didn't throw it at her this time, at least. "We've tried everywhere else. There's nowhere else to look." He narrowed his eyes, like the lack of options was somehow her fault. Then his expression cleared. "There. Over there." He shoved past her, aiming for another grassy area through the trees, and her heart lifted before she realized that the grass over there was just as tall and unsquashed as over here. She was cold. And hungry. It was getting dark.
"You'll see," Kavanagh called to her. "I'll have us off this rock in no time, no thanks to you."
***
Sitting in the copilot's seat of the puddlejumper, Teyla turned from the two scientists stumbling around in circles below her to the one sitting beside her, whose cold rage was finally warming to a grim satisfaction. Teyla had seen Rodney pissy, snarky, and just plain cranky, but she had never seen him so quietly furious as he had been over this incident. It was a relief to see that anger finally beginning to abate. "Should we not pick them up, Rodney? The evening rains will begin soon."
"Then they can walk the ten miles to the gate in the rain," said Rodney. "They haven't learned their lesson yet."
"I think you are being too hard on them, Rodney. They are not soldiers. They panicked, yes, but would you rather they had fought and died?" she coaxed him gently. The scientists were wise in matters Teyla could not grasp, solving problems even Dr. Weir had difficulty following. Allowances had to be made for their frailty. And after all, Rodney himself was hardly a fearless warrior.
"If you can't fight, then you run like hell and find someone who can. But Kavanagh lied to save his own ass. And Miko knew he was lying and didn't say anything. If Major Lorne hadn't disobeyed orders and gone back to look, Carson and Parrish really would be dead. You guys taught me that we don't leave our people behind. If those two can't grasp that, then they don't belong on a front-line outpost."
"Rodney, it is an admirable plan, but--"
"Look, I know you're just humoring me, but this is important. What if the next mistake Kavanagh is too proud to own up to involves air filtration for the lower levels? What if the next time Miko helps a superior cover up a lie or a mistake has to do with critical puddlejumper repairs? Atlantis is a big city. Much as it pains me to admit it, I can't run it all by myself, and I don't have time to check everyone's homework."
Teyla stretched like a cat and settled back in her seat. "Very well. How long do you propose to wait?"
"Until Kavanagh admits he doesn't know what he's doing and asks for help, or Miko chews him out and takes over."
Neither of those seemed very likely, Teyla thought privately. Aloud, she asked, "And if they do not?"
"Then they can rot on Midway Station for all I care, or go back to Earth, but they're not staying to screw up my city." Rodney's voice brooked no further argument.
Teyla reached out and rested a hand on his back, and was gratified when he looked at her, startled, and straightened up to sit two inches taller in his chair. Rain began to drum on the jumper roof, and below, the two scientists were soon drenched, water plastering their clothes to their bodies. Kavanagh said something in a withering tone, brandishing the scanner in Miko's face, but this time, Miko did not take a step backward and look at her feet. This time, she advanced on Kavanagh, jabbing a finger at his chest. And Teyla was torn between watching the scene below and watching the proud satisfaction on Rodney's face as Miko finally learned to yell.
End.
Everyone Remember Where We Parked
T.W. Lewis
(For Leesa Perrie, who asked for trees, vehicles and Rodney-centric gen.)
Miko looked around, fighting back tears. "I... I just don't think this is the right clearing."
"Of course it's the right clearing," Kavanagh snapped, heedless of the fact that he'd said that about the last three spots they'd checked. "Now come help me look!" He inched forward slowly, hands in front of him, like a man feeling his way around his house in the dark.
"B-but look at the grass," said Miko, hugging herself miserably.
"Yes? What? It's grass. Dr. McKay is the one with all the allergies, not me, you moron. Why, do you see something in the grass?" He leaped back, eyes scanning the tall grass frantically. "There aren't any snakes, are there?"
Miko squirmed as Kavanagh went back to his search of the area. "The grass," she managed. "It's not flat. Even if the puddlejumper were here, cloaked, wouldn't it crush the grass?"
Kavanagh stopped, looked at the grass, and turned to glare at her, his face darkening to a frightening shade of tomato red. "What kind of advanced civilization makes invisible spaceships and doesn't invent a way to find them again!?" He brandished the useless scanner wildly, but didn't throw it at her this time, at least. "We've tried everywhere else. There's nowhere else to look." He narrowed his eyes, like the lack of options was somehow her fault. Then his expression cleared. "There. Over there." He shoved past her, aiming for another grassy area through the trees, and her heart lifted before she realized that the grass over there was just as tall and unsquashed as over here. She was cold. And hungry. It was getting dark.
"You'll see," Kavanagh called to her. "I'll have us off this rock in no time, no thanks to you."
***
Sitting in the copilot's seat of the puddlejumper, Teyla turned from the two scientists stumbling around in circles below her to the one sitting beside her, whose cold rage was finally warming to a grim satisfaction. Teyla had seen Rodney pissy, snarky, and just plain cranky, but she had never seen him so quietly furious as he had been over this incident. It was a relief to see that anger finally beginning to abate. "Should we not pick them up, Rodney? The evening rains will begin soon."
"Then they can walk the ten miles to the gate in the rain," said Rodney. "They haven't learned their lesson yet."
"I think you are being too hard on them, Rodney. They are not soldiers. They panicked, yes, but would you rather they had fought and died?" she coaxed him gently. The scientists were wise in matters Teyla could not grasp, solving problems even Dr. Weir had difficulty following. Allowances had to be made for their frailty. And after all, Rodney himself was hardly a fearless warrior.
"If you can't fight, then you run like hell and find someone who can. But Kavanagh lied to save his own ass. And Miko knew he was lying and didn't say anything. If Major Lorne hadn't disobeyed orders and gone back to look, Carson and Parrish really would be dead. You guys taught me that we don't leave our people behind. If those two can't grasp that, then they don't belong on a front-line outpost."
"Rodney, it is an admirable plan, but--"
"Look, I know you're just humoring me, but this is important. What if the next mistake Kavanagh is too proud to own up to involves air filtration for the lower levels? What if the next time Miko helps a superior cover up a lie or a mistake has to do with critical puddlejumper repairs? Atlantis is a big city. Much as it pains me to admit it, I can't run it all by myself, and I don't have time to check everyone's homework."
Teyla stretched like a cat and settled back in her seat. "Very well. How long do you propose to wait?"
"Until Kavanagh admits he doesn't know what he's doing and asks for help, or Miko chews him out and takes over."
Neither of those seemed very likely, Teyla thought privately. Aloud, she asked, "And if they do not?"
"Then they can rot on Midway Station for all I care, or go back to Earth, but they're not staying to screw up my city." Rodney's voice brooked no further argument.
Teyla reached out and rested a hand on his back, and was gratified when he looked at her, startled, and straightened up to sit two inches taller in his chair. Rain began to drum on the jumper roof, and below, the two scientists were soon drenched, water plastering their clothes to their bodies. Kavanagh said something in a withering tone, brandishing the scanner in Miko's face, but this time, Miko did not take a step backward and look at her feet. This time, she advanced on Kavanagh, jabbing a finger at his chest. And Teyla was torn between watching the scene below and watching the proud satisfaction on Rodney's face as Miko finally learned to yell.
End.