Futura Memoratia

Chapter 6 amicus (friend)

Emily worried there might be repercussions from the confrontation over the shield, but a week passed and Neumann and Graden became daily fixtures in her lab, even bringing in experts from other departments when necessary.  She didn’t see McKay that week, except in passing; he seemed always to be on a mission.  She could understand his frustration.  She’d want to keep the damn shield for herself too, if their situations were reversed, but she’d felt a duty toward the greater good—the shield was valuable, could save lives, and Weir needed the truth, even if that meant pissing off her immediate supervisor.  But then, why did she feel a little guilty about it?  Like she wanted to apologize?  Maybe she could have handled it better.  Whatever was going on in McKay’s head, she was just glad he wasn’t petty enough to put her work on hold.    

She overheard Graden commenting to Neumann that he was enjoying the break from McKay, which Emily found amusing.  For now, she was feeding them only the devices she knew were reasonably safe and watching their work habits carefully.  She wanted to be completely confident that they would follow her safety protocols when it came time to open the cabinets and study the more dangerous devices.                   

Radek stopped by frequently, updating her on their progress with the software.  Though she didn’t understand everything he said, it was very kind of him to do.  They began to chat in Czech, sometimes eating meals together.    

One night she was working late on translations after everyone else had left for the day.  She was absorbed in deciphering a puzzling passage and didn’t hear someone come in.  So when Rodney cleared his throat from across the room, waving a tissue at her, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Oh, sorry!  Sorry, sorry.” He put out his hands as if to reduce her anxiety.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry.”  She stood and smiled a greeting.  “I get focused and people sneak up on me all the time.”

“I’ve had a terrible day,” he said quietly.  “Maybe I should just come back tomorrow.”  He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned tiredly, as if he might go.

“No!  I mean, wait—I’d be glad to listen.”  She hastily pulled out a stool for him and grabbed something behind her, laying it out on the bench as a small, hopefully appealing, gesture of good will.  “I have a turkey sandwich and a bag of chips I’d be glad to share with you.”  

She smiled at him winningly, hoping the social niceties would compel him to stay.  He seemed different.  She was curious to see if this was a more vulnerable side of him and she had a feeling he wouldn’t pass up food, based on some comments she’d overheard.  Her heart was thumping in her chest as she watched indecision play over his features.  He seemed to be considering her offer.  She decided she’d better up the stakes.  She shot him a dubious look, demanding, “You can’t leave until you tell me why you’re waving around a tissue.”

He looked at his hand like he’d forgotten the tissue was there.  “Oh, this.  White flag.  Universal symbol of peace.”  He shrugged and rolled his eyes.  He looked really tired.  “I could really eat.  I haven’t eaten much today.”  He approached warily and slumped onto the proffered stool.  He eyed her, then looked down, and focused on the sandwich.  “Look, I’m sorry about the other day.  I’m afraid I haven’t been very nice to you since you got here.”

She was shocked.  That wasn’t what she expected from him.  She searched his expression and he seemed reluctantly sincere.  She felt her stomach flutter and grit her teeth—she wasn’t going to go all doe-eyed again.  She also wasn’t willing to let him off the hook entirely.  

She sank back onto her own stool, saying quietly, “Well, I’m not going to say it’s ok, but I do understand.  This is a stressful place to be and you, well, I’m well aware that you carry a heavy burden.”