darktrent182 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
darktrent182) wrote2007-04-26 12:48 pm
darktrent182) wrote2007-04-26 12:48 pm
Entry tags:
FIC: Exposed (2/4) [Stargate: Atlantis]
Return to Part One
* * * * *
It wasn't until an hour or so later that Rodney grunted and shifted around in bed, sitting up and glaring at nothing in particular until his eyes refocused. Getting up with another grunt, he made his way over to Radek, kissed him on a temple somewhat gently, scratched his chest, and headed for the bathroom. When he emerged a long shower later that used up the remainder of Radek's hot water, he grabbed his clothes from the floor, got dressed, and folded his arms across his chest, his chin lifting belligerently.
Radek didn't look up from the data he was typing in. "Yes, Rodney?"
"We need to talk to Carson," Rodney announced, planting his feet. Radek wondered if he learned it from Colonel Sheppard.
Radek looked up to spare Rodney a glance. "Rodney, we will be lucky if we are not arrested for hacking into Carson's medical file."
Rodney frowned, waving a hand dismissively. "Carson wouldn't have us arrested. He likes us too much."
Radek stared at him for a long moment before setting the laptop a little further away from him. "Carson did not want anyone but medical staff to know about that."
There was no need to elaborate on what 'that' was. "If he didn't want us hacking into it, he would've used a better password than his mother's birthday." He still managed to sound righteously indignant that the password had been so laughably easy.
"He would not have expected us to hack into it," Radek remarked, folding his arms across his chest, but not relinquishing his seat. "And he probably thought that he was safe from you hacking into it."
"The man has wings, for God's sake!" Rodney exploded, gesturing at the trash can, where the remains of Radek's laptop were sticking out above the rim. "How the hell do you hide that from your friends?!"
"By not telling them," Radek snorted. "I am thinking he did not tell you this for this exact reason."
"What reason?" Rodney demanded.
"That you would blow up at him for not telling you before," Radek replied calmly.
"I am not blowing up!"
Radek looked unimpressed. "Which only proves my point, Rodney."
"Radek, he--"
Radek stood up, mentally bracing himself. "Carson has had these since he was fourteen. He had a long time to learn how to hide them, and the only reason he has revealed them now is because of what happened on the planet, yes? Or else, why would he have let others see them?"
"How do you know about what happened?" Rodney demanded huffily.
Radek snorted. "Carson has three threads alone on the intranet, and I am thinking one of the scientists who has a crush on him is going to try to hack into his medical file."
"Who?" Rodney's chin jutted out. "I'll kill them-- no one's allowed to look at that file!"
Radek raised an eyebrow at him.
"Except us," Rodney corrected himself quickly. "Still! We need to put better security on that subdirectory."
"Already done," Radek replied. "I think it would take some of the better hackers a few hours to get through."
Rodney didn't look impressed. "And what happens if someone on the medical staff needs to see the file? Did you think about that?"
"I have already sent an email to them, telling them the password procedures if they need to make changes." Radek shrugged. "I told them that I heard about Carson, and that I heard a rumor that someone was going to try to hack his file."
"And what happens when they check their logs, and find that we hacked into it?" Rodney gritted out.
"I am not that stupid, Rodney." Radek smiled. "There is no trail leading to us."
Rodney nodded grudgingly. "And any would-be hackers?"
Radek snorted. "I got a notification earlier while you were still asleep. Richards is not as clever as he thinks he is." At Rodney's pleading look, he nodded. "He will have no hot water for the next two weeks. I promise."
"I could kiss you right now." Rodney said with wide, blue eyes.
"Only if you've brushed your teeth."
"Oh, very funny," Rodney sneered. "So, what are we going to do about Carson?"
"What is there to do?" Radek returned. "We cannot tell him that we hacked into his medical records, unless we wish to be shunned and have rabid nurses set on us."
"But we can't just leave it like this!" Rodney protested loudly.
Radek nodded slowly in agreement. "If Carson continues to not have visitors, all of Atlantis will be wondering why that is."
Rodney snorted. "Unless one of the other teams comes back from off-world and has some incredibly embarrassing story they're trying to keep under wraps."
Radek's eyes narrowed as he thought. "Dekuji."
Rodney frowned. "Bless you."
Radek blinked, looked at Rodney, and rolled his eyes while muttering under his breath in Czech.
Rodney was about to ask what that was all about, but yet another very stupid new scientist requested his presence in Lab 2, and would he please hurry in an I'm-such-an-idiot voice that Rodney had no choice but to grab his shoes and head out at a brisk run.
Maybe by the time he'd get there, whoever requested his presence would have erupted into a giant fireball due to their own stupidity.
It was important to have dreams, after all.
* * * * *
From: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
To: evan.lorne@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Fifth Day, 3 YOE. 09:47:13 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: A Favor.
I am calling in the favor you owe me from the poker game two weeks ago.
Something very embarrassing happened on this past mission, and one of your team will let it accidentally slip. No, I can't tell you why, but this is for Carson, so make it good.
-Z
* * * * *
From: evan.lorne@atlantis.net
To: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Fifth Day, 3 YOE. 11:20:05 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Re: A Favor.
I'll see what I can think up.
I can't wait to hear the explanation.
Major E. Lorne
USAF
* * * * *
From: medical.team@atlantis.net
To: @all staff
Time: Seventh Month, Sixth Day, 3 YOE. 07:10:42 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Carson
Dr. Beckett has voluntarily moved to quarantine. There is no health alert at this time.
Dr. Beckett is not seeing any visitors.
More updates to follow.
- Dr. Leslie Einhardt
"Three Guys in the Mortuary. You kill 'em, we chill 'em."
* * * * *
From: medical.team@atlantis.net
To: @medical
Time: Seventh Month, Tenth Day, 3 YOE. 07:31:58 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Carson
Carson has been released against medical advice, and is barred from doing any work in the medical labs. If anyone finds him there, send him to his quarters.
Spank him, if necessary.
- Dr. Leslie Einhardt
"Three Guys in the Mortuary. You kill 'em, we chill 'em."
* * * * *
From: carson.beckett@atlantis.net
To: rodney.mckay@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Tenth Day, 3 YOE. 08:11:57 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: (none)
Would you meet me in my office at your earliest convenience?
- Dr. C. Beckett
* * * * *
"Hey, Carson," Rodney said when the door opened. He was a bit surprised to find Carson sitting at his desk, his back to the door. This was a bad sign. "Good to, uh, see you. Up and about."
"Ah, Rodney," Carson said mildly. "I've been expecting you. Come in." He turned in his chair to face Rodney, his eyes narrowing. "Sit down." He gestured to the stool with a cracked cushion standing in front of the second desk.
Rodney knew he was toast -- he'd always been a bad liar -- but pure bullshit kept him going. "What did, um, you wanna talk about? Hey, did you hear about what happened to Lorne on his last--"
Carson folded his arms slowly across his chest, and stared.
"Of course you have," Rodney said quickly, smiling nervously. "The rumor mill's been talking about it for days."
"Rodney," Carson began in that same mild voice, "the more you keep talking, the deeper the hole you're digging for yourself is getting."
Rodney snapped his mouth shut. "Sorry."
Carson shook his head slowly. "You're not sorry yet, but you will be when I'm done with you."
Rodney visibly swallowed.
"Y'know what, Rodney? I'm going to tell you a story. Now, I've just been released from the medbay, and I come to my lab to check on one of my experiments, when I find this." Carson held up a sticky note, which was filled with cramped handwriting. "It seems that Dr. Zelenka took it upon himself to increase the security measures regarding my personal medical file."
He set the sticky note down on his desk, and stared at Rodney. "And because I know that Radek wouldn't have any need to look at my medical file without encouragement from you, I wanted to ask you what gave you the bloody right to invade my privacy?" Carson shouted the end of the question, visibly shaking.
"Look, Carson, I'm sorry--"
"Don't you dare apologize to me, not when we both know you don't bloody well mean it." Carson hissed angrily, standing slowly from his chair.
Rodney stood up from the stool, glaring. "Elizabeth said not to worry about your god damned wings when I asked her about them! What the hell was I supposed to think?"
"That they were my bloody business!" Carson slammed a hand down on his desk. "If I had wanted to tell you about them, I would have, but on my terms!"
"You were never going to tell me," Rodney spluttered.
"Oh, really? Did you hack into my psychiatric file as well?" Carson demanded. "Is there no part of my life that's mine anymore?"
"What-- no!" Rodney stared at Carson as if he'd grown a second head. "I did not hack your psych file! Hello, I have enough neuroses on my own without having to read about yours."
"And you think that reading my medical file is any different?" Carson asked incredulously.
"Of course it is!" Rodney protested.
Carson rolled his eyes in sheer annoyance. "How so? Because it's voodoo to you?"
"Carson, you were about to be stoned to death by angry, crackpot villagers," Rodney pointed out sharply. "Don't tell me I didn't have a right to know why nice primitive people decided to commit murder."
"And somehow you thought this would be in my file, so that gave you a right to look?" Carson shook his head, this time more in disbelief.
"Carson, stop being stupid," Rodney sneered. "You know me. You know that I'll break any law I can to make sure one of my friends is all right, and having to half-drag you back to the gate because your tail-feathers had been ripped out sounded like a damn good reason to me."
Carson glared at him, dangerously calm. "Yes, I know you. And I also thought I could trust my friends to leave well enough alone when it came to my personal files. My wings are my business, Rodney! You haven't had to deal with the things I have, live with them the way I have! Live with everything they mean!"
"Then stop playing the fucking martyr, and tell me instead of hiding!" Rodney snapped back.
"That's not why I do it!" Carson gestured widely in front of him, then winced at the pain the movement caused. "It's not hiding. I don't want to talk about it and that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. How would you feel if a friend, someone you trusted, dug around in your life without your permission and found out things you would rather not share?"
Rodney blinked. "I don't see how they could. Everyone I know knows all the embarrassing things about me anyway."
"I don't mean just embarrassing, Rodney," Carson said, calmer now. The last outburst had deflated him a little, though he was still steaming. "I mean things that could affect your life and how you have to deal with people every day."
He took a deep breath. "I know you have told some people, so don't waste your breath telling me it's not the same, but what if your relationship with Radek went public before you were ready--because a friend somehow thought it was his business to know? What if every day, you had to deal with not only the friends who would understand but the people who would make your life a living hell because they didn't?"
"Carson, I've been a geek for as long as I can remember." Rodney frowned. "Someone, somewhere has always been pummeling me into the ground because I was smarter, or I did something they didn't like. Here in Atlantis, however, I'm the head of the science team, and Radek's too valuable to attack, unless they want to risk having cold showers until they finally cry uncle."
"Yes," Carson countered, "but at least they wouldn't be calling you a mutated freak, thinking you're less than human somehow."
Rodney blinked, allowing Carson to take advantage of the opening.
Carson smiled, sort of sadly. "Aye, you didn't think of that part, did you? My DNA might read human, but I don't carry that evidence on me all the time as you might imagine. You try to picture showing these to your first girlfriend--or boyfriend if you prefer."
Rodney cleared his throat, ducking his head and scratching the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."
Carson breathed in deeply, nodding to himself before reaching out and touching Rodney's shoulder. "Now, you are."
"Carson--" Rodney wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he knew he needed to say something.
Carson shook his head. "It's fine, Rodney. Just... leave it alone."
At a loss for what to do, Rodney closed his mouth and nodded clumsily.
"Now, if you don't mind," Carson said briskly, smiling a little, "I have work to get back to, and you have scientists to terrorize."
Rodney nodded, turning to go. When he got to the doorway, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at Carson. "Carson, are we-- I mean... are we okay?"
Carson blinked, and smiled again, looking wistful around the edges. Nodding, he said, "Aye, we are."
Rodney nodded, more a relieved jerk of his head than anything else, and left, the door closing behind him silently.
* * * * *
From: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
To: carson.beckett@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Twelfth Day, 3 YOE. 15:13:42 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Chess?
Carson,
Perhaps we can play a game of chess tonight? It's been a while, and I miss having a challenge.
-Z
* * * * *
From: carson.beckett@atlantis.net
To: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Twelfth Day, 3 YOE. 18:50:13 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Re: Chess?
My room at 9pm, then?
And do you have anymore of that Staropramen? That was rather good.
- Dr. C. Beckett
* * * * *
"Radek?"
Radek looked up from the board, his eyebrows lifting. "Hmm?"
"You've been staring at the board for nearly three minutes," Carson pointed out gently. "Something wrong?"
Radek shook his head, picking up the bishop he'd been staring at for most of those three minutes, and taking Carson's nearby knight.
When Carson's rook slid over and pounced almost too quickly, Radek barely managed to hide a wince.
"All right, now I know something's up," Carson said in his reassuring-doctor voice. "Come on, Radek."
Radek shook his head. "I'm fine."
Carson gestured at the board as if it were Exhibit A. "I've got you in three moves, Radek. And I nearly won the last two games, as well." He smiled a little. "Now, I know I'm getting better at this, but I'm not that good."
Radek blinked like a deer in the headlights. "I am sorry...I have been a bit distracted. Much going on in the lab."
"Found some new Ancient artifact, then?" Carson seemed to take it at face value.
"No, none that work." Radek wasn't so much trying to play dumb as avoid worrying Carson further.
Carson blinked. "Oh? Then what's happening?" He glanced at the board and looked back up at Radek. "It's your go."
"Ah, yes." Radek idly moved one of the knights, realizing belatedly it was a stupid move that would allow Carson to take the game.
Carson frowned down at the board before looking up at Radek. "Are you sure you want to do that, son?"
Radek laughed. "Son? I'm older than you." Only by a few years, but it amused him anyway. He reached for his beer. "Perhaps this was a bad idea. I do enjoy your company, but... my mind is not here." That he could admit, but only because Carson had noticed.
"Aye, I can see that," Carson remarked dryly. "So, what has you so distracted?"
Radek thought quickly. Rodney. He could blame it on Rodney, since half if it was Rodney's fault anyway. "Rodney."
"You're not fighting with him again, are you?" Carson frowned. "I swear, you two are worse than an old married couple."
"Ne, not fighting, just... life, issues. The usual." Radek chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully.
Carson shot him another dry look before nodding firmly. "Fighting." He grinned, reaching for his own beer and taking a swallow. "What is it this time? Who stole the sheets in the middle of the night?"
Radek nearly choked--a fine time he had picked to take another drink. "I see Rodney has been to you with that issue before. No, that is not the problem." Fortunately, he was good at thinking on his feet. "My laptop has... ceased to work properly, you might say? Not surprising, as it is in pieces. I have had to use his, leads to tension."
"In pieces?" Carson blinked, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Ano." Radek shrugged. He couldn't tell Carson the full story, not after the fight Carson and Rodney had before over the records. "There was... disagreement. It failed to perform as Rodney expected."
Carson frowned. "Why was Rodney on your laptop in the first place?"
"We were in my room, he did not want to return for computer...." Radek was watching himself carefully, not wanting to slip up, and as a result, his English was slipping. "He uses mine, it breaks. Under force."
Carson blinked a few times. "Radek, are you all right?"
"Ano," Radek blinked back. "Why?"
"You're usually bit more coherent than this." Carson smiled, but it was obvious that he was getting concerned.
Radek nodded, still frazzled but calming. He could deal with that, especially since it didn't involve talking about the records. "Sorry... when I am stressed, it is sometimes harder to think in English."
Carson frowned again. "I didn't mean to pry or anything..."
"No, is quite all right." Radek half-smiled. "I knew Rodney was trouble when we became involved, loose as it as been. How are you?"
Carson smiled a bit self-consciously. "Well, other than having my staff looking at me like they all want to spank me, and everyone else asking how I am, I'm doing all right." He took a swig of his beer. "Oh, and the next time that Rodney wants to start sticking his nose where he oughtn't, swat him across the backside with a newspaper."
Radek frowned. "Ah, yes. The...incident."
"It was damn near murder, is what it was." Carson snorted, taking another drink from his beer.
Radek's eyes went wide with surprise until he realized Carson meant the actual attack, not Rodney's poking around. "What happened?"
Carson started to shake his head before he gusted a sigh, putting his beer down. "We were there to trade medical supplies and knowledge for food, right? Well, one of the younger women ended up going into labor, and I decided to pitch in, show them what I meant by some of the stuff I told them. Just as the baby's head was crowning, one of the midwives ended up touching my back, trying to get my attention. She must have..." He paused for a moment before glancing up at Radek and then down at the chess board again. "Felt them under the bandages."
Radek was silent, waiting for Carson to continue.
Carson's mouth twisted, and he paused to take another swig of beer. "After the baby's born -- a wee baby boy, with a good set of lungs--" Carson smiled reminiscently. "The women whisked him off to clean him up and such, and the eldest midwife catches me. And she asks me straight off if I'm one of their god's messengers."
Carson shook his head. " 'No,' I say, 'I'm human, just like you.' And she tells me that their messengers should never hide their wings, because it's deceptive. 'Oh, well, that's a good policy to have.' That sort of thing, try to change the subject."
"But..." Carson paused, his lips pursing. "She keeps insisting, y'see, and I don't want to be rude or anything." He shook his head slowly, his gaze focusing on one of the chess pieces on the board. "They're... not really much to look at, really, y'see."
"Ah," Radek said, frowning a little.
Carson looked up and his mouth quirked into a bitter smile. "Then again, you've seen the pictures, haven't you?"
When Radek opened his mouth to protest, Carson shook his head and waved it off tiredly. "Sorry. Rodney was being a right bastard, and you got dragged along, I'm sure."
Radek debated whether or not to disabuse Carson of the misconception -- he was certainly capable of getting into trouble on his own, if you asked his parents -- but he hadn't heard from Rodney or anyone else who'd gone on the mission what had happened, and he didn't want to pass up this opportunity. "I'm sorry, Carson."
* * * * *
Part Three
* * * * *
It wasn't until an hour or so later that Rodney grunted and shifted around in bed, sitting up and glaring at nothing in particular until his eyes refocused. Getting up with another grunt, he made his way over to Radek, kissed him on a temple somewhat gently, scratched his chest, and headed for the bathroom. When he emerged a long shower later that used up the remainder of Radek's hot water, he grabbed his clothes from the floor, got dressed, and folded his arms across his chest, his chin lifting belligerently.
Radek didn't look up from the data he was typing in. "Yes, Rodney?"
"We need to talk to Carson," Rodney announced, planting his feet. Radek wondered if he learned it from Colonel Sheppard.
Radek looked up to spare Rodney a glance. "Rodney, we will be lucky if we are not arrested for hacking into Carson's medical file."
Rodney frowned, waving a hand dismissively. "Carson wouldn't have us arrested. He likes us too much."
Radek stared at him for a long moment before setting the laptop a little further away from him. "Carson did not want anyone but medical staff to know about that."
There was no need to elaborate on what 'that' was. "If he didn't want us hacking into it, he would've used a better password than his mother's birthday." He still managed to sound righteously indignant that the password had been so laughably easy.
"He would not have expected us to hack into it," Radek remarked, folding his arms across his chest, but not relinquishing his seat. "And he probably thought that he was safe from you hacking into it."
"The man has wings, for God's sake!" Rodney exploded, gesturing at the trash can, where the remains of Radek's laptop were sticking out above the rim. "How the hell do you hide that from your friends?!"
"By not telling them," Radek snorted. "I am thinking he did not tell you this for this exact reason."
"What reason?" Rodney demanded.
"That you would blow up at him for not telling you before," Radek replied calmly.
"I am not blowing up!"
Radek looked unimpressed. "Which only proves my point, Rodney."
"Radek, he--"
Radek stood up, mentally bracing himself. "Carson has had these since he was fourteen. He had a long time to learn how to hide them, and the only reason he has revealed them now is because of what happened on the planet, yes? Or else, why would he have let others see them?"
"How do you know about what happened?" Rodney demanded huffily.
Radek snorted. "Carson has three threads alone on the intranet, and I am thinking one of the scientists who has a crush on him is going to try to hack into his medical file."
"Who?" Rodney's chin jutted out. "I'll kill them-- no one's allowed to look at that file!"
Radek raised an eyebrow at him.
"Except us," Rodney corrected himself quickly. "Still! We need to put better security on that subdirectory."
"Already done," Radek replied. "I think it would take some of the better hackers a few hours to get through."
Rodney didn't look impressed. "And what happens if someone on the medical staff needs to see the file? Did you think about that?"
"I have already sent an email to them, telling them the password procedures if they need to make changes." Radek shrugged. "I told them that I heard about Carson, and that I heard a rumor that someone was going to try to hack his file."
"And what happens when they check their logs, and find that we hacked into it?" Rodney gritted out.
"I am not that stupid, Rodney." Radek smiled. "There is no trail leading to us."
Rodney nodded grudgingly. "And any would-be hackers?"
Radek snorted. "I got a notification earlier while you were still asleep. Richards is not as clever as he thinks he is." At Rodney's pleading look, he nodded. "He will have no hot water for the next two weeks. I promise."
"I could kiss you right now." Rodney said with wide, blue eyes.
"Only if you've brushed your teeth."
"Oh, very funny," Rodney sneered. "So, what are we going to do about Carson?"
"What is there to do?" Radek returned. "We cannot tell him that we hacked into his medical records, unless we wish to be shunned and have rabid nurses set on us."
"But we can't just leave it like this!" Rodney protested loudly.
Radek nodded slowly in agreement. "If Carson continues to not have visitors, all of Atlantis will be wondering why that is."
Rodney snorted. "Unless one of the other teams comes back from off-world and has some incredibly embarrassing story they're trying to keep under wraps."
Radek's eyes narrowed as he thought. "Dekuji."
Rodney frowned. "Bless you."
Radek blinked, looked at Rodney, and rolled his eyes while muttering under his breath in Czech.
Rodney was about to ask what that was all about, but yet another very stupid new scientist requested his presence in Lab 2, and would he please hurry in an I'm-such-an-idiot voice that Rodney had no choice but to grab his shoes and head out at a brisk run.
Maybe by the time he'd get there, whoever requested his presence would have erupted into a giant fireball due to their own stupidity.
It was important to have dreams, after all.
* * * * *
From: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
To: evan.lorne@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Fifth Day, 3 YOE. 09:47:13 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: A Favor.
I am calling in the favor you owe me from the poker game two weeks ago.
Something very embarrassing happened on this past mission, and one of your team will let it accidentally slip. No, I can't tell you why, but this is for Carson, so make it good.
-Z
* * * * *
From: evan.lorne@atlantis.net
To: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Fifth Day, 3 YOE. 11:20:05 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Re: A Favor.
I'll see what I can think up.
I can't wait to hear the explanation.
Major E. Lorne
USAF
* * * * *
From: medical.team@atlantis.net
To: @all staff
Time: Seventh Month, Sixth Day, 3 YOE. 07:10:42 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Carson
Dr. Beckett has voluntarily moved to quarantine. There is no health alert at this time.
Dr. Beckett is not seeing any visitors.
More updates to follow.
- Dr. Leslie Einhardt
"Three Guys in the Mortuary. You kill 'em, we chill 'em."
* * * * *
From: medical.team@atlantis.net
To: @medical
Time: Seventh Month, Tenth Day, 3 YOE. 07:31:58 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Carson
Carson has been released against medical advice, and is barred from doing any work in the medical labs. If anyone finds him there, send him to his quarters.
Spank him, if necessary.
- Dr. Leslie Einhardt
"Three Guys in the Mortuary. You kill 'em, we chill 'em."
* * * * *
From: carson.beckett@atlantis.net
To: rodney.mckay@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Tenth Day, 3 YOE. 08:11:57 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: (none)
Would you meet me in my office at your earliest convenience?
- Dr. C. Beckett
* * * * *
"Hey, Carson," Rodney said when the door opened. He was a bit surprised to find Carson sitting at his desk, his back to the door. This was a bad sign. "Good to, uh, see you. Up and about."
"Ah, Rodney," Carson said mildly. "I've been expecting you. Come in." He turned in his chair to face Rodney, his eyes narrowing. "Sit down." He gestured to the stool with a cracked cushion standing in front of the second desk.
Rodney knew he was toast -- he'd always been a bad liar -- but pure bullshit kept him going. "What did, um, you wanna talk about? Hey, did you hear about what happened to Lorne on his last--"
Carson folded his arms slowly across his chest, and stared.
"Of course you have," Rodney said quickly, smiling nervously. "The rumor mill's been talking about it for days."
"Rodney," Carson began in that same mild voice, "the more you keep talking, the deeper the hole you're digging for yourself is getting."
Rodney snapped his mouth shut. "Sorry."
Carson shook his head slowly. "You're not sorry yet, but you will be when I'm done with you."
Rodney visibly swallowed.
"Y'know what, Rodney? I'm going to tell you a story. Now, I've just been released from the medbay, and I come to my lab to check on one of my experiments, when I find this." Carson held up a sticky note, which was filled with cramped handwriting. "It seems that Dr. Zelenka took it upon himself to increase the security measures regarding my personal medical file."
He set the sticky note down on his desk, and stared at Rodney. "And because I know that Radek wouldn't have any need to look at my medical file without encouragement from you, I wanted to ask you what gave you the bloody right to invade my privacy?" Carson shouted the end of the question, visibly shaking.
"Look, Carson, I'm sorry--"
"Don't you dare apologize to me, not when we both know you don't bloody well mean it." Carson hissed angrily, standing slowly from his chair.
Rodney stood up from the stool, glaring. "Elizabeth said not to worry about your god damned wings when I asked her about them! What the hell was I supposed to think?"
"That they were my bloody business!" Carson slammed a hand down on his desk. "If I had wanted to tell you about them, I would have, but on my terms!"
"You were never going to tell me," Rodney spluttered.
"Oh, really? Did you hack into my psychiatric file as well?" Carson demanded. "Is there no part of my life that's mine anymore?"
"What-- no!" Rodney stared at Carson as if he'd grown a second head. "I did not hack your psych file! Hello, I have enough neuroses on my own without having to read about yours."
"And you think that reading my medical file is any different?" Carson asked incredulously.
"Of course it is!" Rodney protested.
Carson rolled his eyes in sheer annoyance. "How so? Because it's voodoo to you?"
"Carson, you were about to be stoned to death by angry, crackpot villagers," Rodney pointed out sharply. "Don't tell me I didn't have a right to know why nice primitive people decided to commit murder."
"And somehow you thought this would be in my file, so that gave you a right to look?" Carson shook his head, this time more in disbelief.
"Carson, stop being stupid," Rodney sneered. "You know me. You know that I'll break any law I can to make sure one of my friends is all right, and having to half-drag you back to the gate because your tail-feathers had been ripped out sounded like a damn good reason to me."
Carson glared at him, dangerously calm. "Yes, I know you. And I also thought I could trust my friends to leave well enough alone when it came to my personal files. My wings are my business, Rodney! You haven't had to deal with the things I have, live with them the way I have! Live with everything they mean!"
"Then stop playing the fucking martyr, and tell me instead of hiding!" Rodney snapped back.
"That's not why I do it!" Carson gestured widely in front of him, then winced at the pain the movement caused. "It's not hiding. I don't want to talk about it and that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. How would you feel if a friend, someone you trusted, dug around in your life without your permission and found out things you would rather not share?"
Rodney blinked. "I don't see how they could. Everyone I know knows all the embarrassing things about me anyway."
"I don't mean just embarrassing, Rodney," Carson said, calmer now. The last outburst had deflated him a little, though he was still steaming. "I mean things that could affect your life and how you have to deal with people every day."
He took a deep breath. "I know you have told some people, so don't waste your breath telling me it's not the same, but what if your relationship with Radek went public before you were ready--because a friend somehow thought it was his business to know? What if every day, you had to deal with not only the friends who would understand but the people who would make your life a living hell because they didn't?"
"Carson, I've been a geek for as long as I can remember." Rodney frowned. "Someone, somewhere has always been pummeling me into the ground because I was smarter, or I did something they didn't like. Here in Atlantis, however, I'm the head of the science team, and Radek's too valuable to attack, unless they want to risk having cold showers until they finally cry uncle."
"Yes," Carson countered, "but at least they wouldn't be calling you a mutated freak, thinking you're less than human somehow."
Rodney blinked, allowing Carson to take advantage of the opening.
Carson smiled, sort of sadly. "Aye, you didn't think of that part, did you? My DNA might read human, but I don't carry that evidence on me all the time as you might imagine. You try to picture showing these to your first girlfriend--or boyfriend if you prefer."
Rodney cleared his throat, ducking his head and scratching the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."
Carson breathed in deeply, nodding to himself before reaching out and touching Rodney's shoulder. "Now, you are."
"Carson--" Rodney wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he knew he needed to say something.
Carson shook his head. "It's fine, Rodney. Just... leave it alone."
At a loss for what to do, Rodney closed his mouth and nodded clumsily.
"Now, if you don't mind," Carson said briskly, smiling a little, "I have work to get back to, and you have scientists to terrorize."
Rodney nodded, turning to go. When he got to the doorway, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at Carson. "Carson, are we-- I mean... are we okay?"
Carson blinked, and smiled again, looking wistful around the edges. Nodding, he said, "Aye, we are."
Rodney nodded, more a relieved jerk of his head than anything else, and left, the door closing behind him silently.
* * * * *
From: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
To: carson.beckett@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Twelfth Day, 3 YOE. 15:13:42 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Chess?
Carson,
Perhaps we can play a game of chess tonight? It's been a while, and I miss having a challenge.
-Z
* * * * *
From: carson.beckett@atlantis.net
To: radek.zelenka@atlantis.net
Time: Seventh Month, Twelfth Day, 3 YOE. 18:50:13 Atlantean Standard.
Subject: Re: Chess?
My room at 9pm, then?
And do you have anymore of that Staropramen? That was rather good.
- Dr. C. Beckett
* * * * *
"Radek?"
Radek looked up from the board, his eyebrows lifting. "Hmm?"
"You've been staring at the board for nearly three minutes," Carson pointed out gently. "Something wrong?"
Radek shook his head, picking up the bishop he'd been staring at for most of those three minutes, and taking Carson's nearby knight.
When Carson's rook slid over and pounced almost too quickly, Radek barely managed to hide a wince.
"All right, now I know something's up," Carson said in his reassuring-doctor voice. "Come on, Radek."
Radek shook his head. "I'm fine."
Carson gestured at the board as if it were Exhibit A. "I've got you in three moves, Radek. And I nearly won the last two games, as well." He smiled a little. "Now, I know I'm getting better at this, but I'm not that good."
Radek blinked like a deer in the headlights. "I am sorry...I have been a bit distracted. Much going on in the lab."
"Found some new Ancient artifact, then?" Carson seemed to take it at face value.
"No, none that work." Radek wasn't so much trying to play dumb as avoid worrying Carson further.
Carson blinked. "Oh? Then what's happening?" He glanced at the board and looked back up at Radek. "It's your go."
"Ah, yes." Radek idly moved one of the knights, realizing belatedly it was a stupid move that would allow Carson to take the game.
Carson frowned down at the board before looking up at Radek. "Are you sure you want to do that, son?"
Radek laughed. "Son? I'm older than you." Only by a few years, but it amused him anyway. He reached for his beer. "Perhaps this was a bad idea. I do enjoy your company, but... my mind is not here." That he could admit, but only because Carson had noticed.
"Aye, I can see that," Carson remarked dryly. "So, what has you so distracted?"
Radek thought quickly. Rodney. He could blame it on Rodney, since half if it was Rodney's fault anyway. "Rodney."
"You're not fighting with him again, are you?" Carson frowned. "I swear, you two are worse than an old married couple."
"Ne, not fighting, just... life, issues. The usual." Radek chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully.
Carson shot him another dry look before nodding firmly. "Fighting." He grinned, reaching for his own beer and taking a swallow. "What is it this time? Who stole the sheets in the middle of the night?"
Radek nearly choked--a fine time he had picked to take another drink. "I see Rodney has been to you with that issue before. No, that is not the problem." Fortunately, he was good at thinking on his feet. "My laptop has... ceased to work properly, you might say? Not surprising, as it is in pieces. I have had to use his, leads to tension."
"In pieces?" Carson blinked, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Ano." Radek shrugged. He couldn't tell Carson the full story, not after the fight Carson and Rodney had before over the records. "There was... disagreement. It failed to perform as Rodney expected."
Carson frowned. "Why was Rodney on your laptop in the first place?"
"We were in my room, he did not want to return for computer...." Radek was watching himself carefully, not wanting to slip up, and as a result, his English was slipping. "He uses mine, it breaks. Under force."
Carson blinked a few times. "Radek, are you all right?"
"Ano," Radek blinked back. "Why?"
"You're usually bit more coherent than this." Carson smiled, but it was obvious that he was getting concerned.
Radek nodded, still frazzled but calming. He could deal with that, especially since it didn't involve talking about the records. "Sorry... when I am stressed, it is sometimes harder to think in English."
Carson frowned again. "I didn't mean to pry or anything..."
"No, is quite all right." Radek half-smiled. "I knew Rodney was trouble when we became involved, loose as it as been. How are you?"
Carson smiled a bit self-consciously. "Well, other than having my staff looking at me like they all want to spank me, and everyone else asking how I am, I'm doing all right." He took a swig of his beer. "Oh, and the next time that Rodney wants to start sticking his nose where he oughtn't, swat him across the backside with a newspaper."
Radek frowned. "Ah, yes. The...incident."
"It was damn near murder, is what it was." Carson snorted, taking another drink from his beer.
Radek's eyes went wide with surprise until he realized Carson meant the actual attack, not Rodney's poking around. "What happened?"
Carson started to shake his head before he gusted a sigh, putting his beer down. "We were there to trade medical supplies and knowledge for food, right? Well, one of the younger women ended up going into labor, and I decided to pitch in, show them what I meant by some of the stuff I told them. Just as the baby's head was crowning, one of the midwives ended up touching my back, trying to get my attention. She must have..." He paused for a moment before glancing up at Radek and then down at the chess board again. "Felt them under the bandages."
Radek was silent, waiting for Carson to continue.
Carson's mouth twisted, and he paused to take another swig of beer. "After the baby's born -- a wee baby boy, with a good set of lungs--" Carson smiled reminiscently. "The women whisked him off to clean him up and such, and the eldest midwife catches me. And she asks me straight off if I'm one of their god's messengers."
Carson shook his head. " 'No,' I say, 'I'm human, just like you.' And she tells me that their messengers should never hide their wings, because it's deceptive. 'Oh, well, that's a good policy to have.' That sort of thing, try to change the subject."
"But..." Carson paused, his lips pursing. "She keeps insisting, y'see, and I don't want to be rude or anything." He shook his head slowly, his gaze focusing on one of the chess pieces on the board. "They're... not really much to look at, really, y'see."
"Ah," Radek said, frowning a little.
Carson looked up and his mouth quirked into a bitter smile. "Then again, you've seen the pictures, haven't you?"
When Radek opened his mouth to protest, Carson shook his head and waved it off tiredly. "Sorry. Rodney was being a right bastard, and you got dragged along, I'm sure."
Radek debated whether or not to disabuse Carson of the misconception -- he was certainly capable of getting into trouble on his own, if you asked his parents -- but he hadn't heard from Rodney or anyone else who'd gone on the mission what had happened, and he didn't want to pass up this opportunity. "I'm sorry, Carson."
* * * * *
Part Three