“Rodney, I have told you about a million times to call me Allison.”
“I am trying to maintain a professional working relationship.”
“This is because of my hair colour isn’t it? Because I’m a blonde?” There was a great deal of mischief in Allison’s eye. “You can’t take me seriously. I should file a complaint!”
“You are an...a...competent scientist.” Rodney stuttered, glaring around him at the not so stifled guffaws of the assemble science team. He drew himself up: “Where are my results, Allison?”
“They should be on your screen now, Rodney.” Allison beamed.
“Oh...oh this is not good.” Rodney mumbled within ten seconds of activating his screen.
“Why not?” Allison asked. “The power is flowing to the generator.”
“Which is very nice. Except for the part where it is not flowing out.” The surrounding scientists braced themselves for a tirade. “Do you have any idea what this means?”
“Yes, Rodney,” Allison replied calmly, “I have helped rig a catastrophic overload before. But two days ago, we couldn’t get the power to the generator, and now we can. One step at a time, Rodney.”
“Oh. Right.” Rodney sat down again, mollified. “One step at a time.”
Allison grinned again as the storm blew itself out and the scientists resumed their work on various simulations and calculations.
“We might get this city flying after all.”
“Rodney?” Zelenka’s voice cut in. “Rodney!”
Rodney McKay sat straight up in bed, his heart pounding, and winced at the sun streaming in through the windows he had been too exhausted to close.
“I’m sorry, Rodney.” Zelenka continued over the comms, “It’s been six hours.”
Mumbling about presumptuous Scots and apologetic Czechs, Rodney stumbled over to the sink and splashed his face with water. He struggled into his jacket and walked out into the hallway where Radek was waiting for him.
“Why didn’t you just knock?”
“You are not the most pleasant person when you wake up.”
“Good point. Is there coffee in the lab?” Zelenka shook his head. “Fabulous. I am going to the commissary. Go tell Simpson she’d better be done. I need those results ten minutes ago.”
“Rodney we have other things that are most pressing at the – ”
“One step at a time, Radek. We might get this city flying again after all.”
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Theme Song! TBC