December 22nd 2004

Well I’m still in the infirmary.  I just got the feeling back in my toes from the Wraith stunners, tell you what, shoot me again because the pain in my ankle is killing me!
    McKay has left the infirmary, I heard him yelling this afternoon.  I see what Carson means by “Sound travels” in Atlantis.  If I lie on my right I can hear almost everything coming from the Medical Labs, if I concentrate really hard.  Not that I can.
    My mind can’t help but wander back to the Wraith, they were terrifying.  I mean, I already knew that, but being attacked by one was a completely different kettle of fish.  I wake up at night in a cold sweat when I think how close I was to being lunch for one of those creatures…
    Major Sheppard visited me today, came to ask how I was, I know, I know, state the obvious to how I feel.  My head is still bandaged up, my leg is in the air, my chest is still stinging and it still bleeds when I move, the bruises on my back and sides make it impossible for me to get comfortable.  How do you think I feel?
    Radek was also kind enough to pay me a visit.  He looked really rough, I mean he does anyway, but he looked absolutely shattered.  Apparently McKay had a breakthrough a few nights ago and he’s had Zelenka do all the legwork.  Poor Radek fell asleep on the edge of my bed.  I didn’t have the heart to wake him up.  It was only a matter of time before McKay found him though and we had another yelling match.
    I’ve been making Christmas cards all day.  Carson caught me making his and I had to stuff it under the covers.  He’s the only person I’ve seen actually get into the Christmas spirit around here.  He’s warring a sweet little Christmas Tree shaped pin that flashes yellow and red on his doctors jacket.

                                                                                                        -oOo-

John peered around the door of the infirmary.  Rachel was sat up, a paintbrush in one hand, her hair pulled up into a loose knot, held back by a spare brush.  “Am I interrupting?” he asks cautiously.  Rachel looks up and shakes her head, smiling warmly.  “No, just doing a little painting.” she replies, washing her brush and pushing the little table away.  John sits next to her bed.  She looks a hell of a lot better than she did on Timitus.  “How’re you feeling?” he asks leaning back in the chair.
“I’ve broken my ankle, I have a Wraith mark on my chest and I’m so bruised from the stunners, I can’t actually get comfortable.  A part from that, I’m okay.” Rachel replies a little snappily.  John nods and throws his hands behind his head.  “How is McKay doing?” she asks in a nonchalant voice.  John looks up at her, a small smile forming on his face.  “Oh pretty good.  He keeps getting pissed ‘cause people keep hiding his crutches.”
“You keep hiding his crutches, don’t you?”
“It keeps him out from under my feet.” John says shooting Rachel a cheeky wink.
“You shouldn’t poke a sleeping dragon you know, Major.” she replies, a slight smile playing on her lips.  They laugh loudly as Carson hands Rachel her tablets.

Rachel slides her legs out of the bed and places her swollen foot on the cold floor.  She groans as a shock of pain travels up her leg.  She tenderly puts weight on it and grabs her crutches.  She hobbles along to the door and is just about to leave when Carson rounds the corner.  “Crap!” she mutters and turns around quickly.  She twists her ankle and yells out in pain.  She sinks to the floor and casts the crutches away angrily.  Looking up she sees Carson with his hands on his hips and his eyebrows raised.  “And where do you think you were going?” he asks curtly.
“Look, Carson, I’m going insane in here.  I want to head back to the labs, I could be working!” she protests.
“No, no, you could be resting,” Carson replies, “And you have a visitor.”  Rachel raises her eyebrows and peers around Carson.  A rather dishevelled looking Zelenka is stood behind him.  She sighs and holds her hand out for Carson to help her up.
    Together Radek and Carson help her back to the bed.  “You’re worse than Rodney.” Carson says, dropping Rachel back on the bed.
“Don’t you dare compare me to Rodney McKay.” Rachel says frowning.  She slides her legs back into bed, grimacing slightly as she inches her aching foot back down between the sheets.  
    Radek waits patiently as she gets comfortable, sinking on to the stool beside her bed.  With a sigh she looks up at him.  “So, Radek, how’s things?” she asks as she adjusts her pillow.  Radek shakes his head and takes his glasses off, rubbing his eyes.  “Rodney’s had a breakthrough with the ZPM.” he replies, placing the glasses back on his nose.
“Really?! That’s wonderful!” Rachel replies, actually excited.
“You’re lucky you’re stuck in here, the man’s turned into a dictator.”
“Like he wasn’t before?”
“He’s had the whole science team working night and day on this ‘idea’ he’s had.  I haven’t slept in 38 hours.”
“Oh, Radek.  Do you want me to…hop down there and sort him out for you?” Rachel asks seriously.  Radek laughs and leans on the edge of Rachel’s bed, folding his arms and resting his chin on them.  Rachel grabs a pen and paper off her bedside table and scribbles an angry note to Rodney on it.  She rips it off the pad and goes to hand it to Radek, but he’s fast asleep.  She sighs and smiles, she doesn’t have the heart to wake him up.  
    Carson wanders over and Rachel holds her finger up to her lips and points at Radek.  Carson nods and smiles, retreating to his desk and sitting down.  Rachel silently taps away on her tablet as Radek sleeps on.  
    “RADEK!” comes a loud yell from the hallway.  Radek snaps his head up and curses in Czech.  McKay hobbles through the door, he’s definitely not a pro on crutches.  “Radek, you said you’d be five minutes with that condenser and I find you here?” he yells.  Rachel puts a calm hand on Radek’s shoulder and  frowns deeply at Rodney.  “I have important experiments and that conden-”
“Rodney…” Rachel says in a warning voice.
“What,” McKay snaps, “Sorry.  Miller, hope you’re feeling better, there, can I have Zelenka back now?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry what?”
“No, Radek is going to go to his quarters and sleep.”
“But he has-”
“He’s worked for 38 hours straight.”
“So have I.” Rodney snaps back.  At this Carson looks up.  He frowns and walks over to Rachel’s bed, where Radek is staring bleary eyed at McKay.  “You haven’t slept?” he asks McKay.  McKay looks like a little kid who was caught stealing cookies from the jar.  “Rodney, what did I tell you when you left?  Sleep at regular intervals or the treatment won’t work.” Carson presses.
“Yeah, but then I had a breakthrough and then-”
“Rodney, don’t make me give you a bloody sedative.”
“You wouldn’t.” McKay says with a unsure laugh.  Carson just gives him a look that says it all, he would.  “Okay, okay, I’ll go and get some rest.” McKay replies with an indignant look at Carson.  Radek gives Carson and Rachel a thankful smile and makes for his quarters before McKay can collar him.

The Diary of Dr Rachel Miller P.h.D. (From The Waters of Atlantis) by Sarahannah Lydia Eve Hopwood is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.
Based on a work at stargate.mgm.com.