His Conundrum

Maybe this wasn't the Best Idea

Rodney glared at Elizabeth, who was returning his look with a stern expression.

"You are not going back to that planet, Rodney!"

"And if I go on my own? Without permission? You know I can manage it, Elizabeth, it's not that hard to rig up."

She shook her head, pressing her fingers to her temples and shooting him a look that was fit to kill. "Rodney, I cannot afford to lose you both. I need more than Zelenka here running things... If you go, and something happens, then we all suffer."

"Elizabeth, Zelenka is more than competent to do what needs to be done, and besides, it's not like I wouldn't be coming back. I doubt she did anything more than do some lab work on site or something. I really can't imagine her doing anything else." He said, partially trying to convince her, but also himself. Elizabeth shook her head and shot him a look.

"Rodney..."

"How often have I asked you to trust me?" he asked, as she raised her eyebrows.

"The time you destroyed an entire solar system comes to mind..."

"Ah... right. There was that..."

--

The Stargate on Sokra flared to life again and the next group came in, including SG teams 3 and 4, and a very ornery Rodney McKay. Sheppard marched up to them, and after motioning to the SG teams, pointed at Rodney, and crooked his finger in a follow-me motion. Rodney rolled his eyes, but followed him anyhow.

"What are you doing here, and why are you not recovering?" Sheppard hissed once they were off to the side.

"Well Nichols decided to head off with your team, and whatever her plan is, she's going to need some help. And if you don't need her I plan to drag her stubborn rear right back to Atlantis , with or without her cooperation." He said, as Sheppard cast a glance to the side. "Where is Nichols, Sheppard? I thought she'd be here in some make-shift laboratory or something...""

"We don't exactly know."

McKay's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "WHAT?! How do you not know??!" His mind went to about six different bad places. "She's a WOMAN, and she was the only woman on this off world mission team! How did you lose her?"

"She took off on her own before I could pair her with someone! By the time we realized that she had gone off, it was too late for us to go after her. Someone swears they saw her heading towards the main building, but..."

Eureka. Rodney had a glimpse of thought... he remembered there being a room in there that was full of technology, and they had called it the control room... which one could assume meant that it ran the whole damn place and supplied power, air to some places, and more...

"She's going for the control room. She's going to cut the power. " Rodney said, grabbing his weapon and swiftly walking towards the main building. Sheppard was quickly on his heels, a confused look on his face as he walked with Rodney, who was actually tough to keep up with at the moment.

"WAIT. Why do you say that??" Sheppard asked.

Rodney shrugged, then gave a small smirk.

"Because it's what I would do."

--

This was going far easier than she had thought it would.

Kait skulked around the main building, making her way to the control room. Her head was starting to feel like she was floating, and she honestly felt like garbage. So, Carson was right, she supposed... She probably should have stayed in the medical bay. But it would pass, and this would get SG-1 out if she was right, so that would make it worth it.

Rounding the corner, weapon in her hands, she glanced for guards, spotting none. Letting out a breath, she moved into the control room, and locked the door behind her, finally able to relax for a few minutes.