Day 54, night; Selen's room, corridors, Radek's room; Attn: Radek, Rodney, Athosians [F]
Radek's guard paused, as he had before, outside Selen's room. "I'll, uh, just let the two of you go in, you know, just in case..."
Selen nodded, giving the guard a sly smile. "Thank you. We will not be long." As soon as the door closed, he turned to his lover. "It will not take long to pack, but while we are here, I wish to gather some things to aid in your escape." He was determined to get his lover out of the city, one way or another, even if they had no from a Lantean. His people would help. That would have to be enough. He reached out to touch Radek's hair. "We will need to change your appearance. Is it possible I could dye your hair? Or cut it?"
***
The radio call from Rodney was unexpected and welcome, and the man had some ideas on helping Radek to escape from his guarded room that worked better than anything Selen, Radek, or their Athosian collaborators had come up with. Selen was uncertain what had changed Rodney's mind, but he was not one to reject such help.
***
Corporal Nelson Bonebrake, who despite his intimidating surname was only middling tall and not particularly threatening in appearance, at least for a Marine, followed his charges back to Zelenka's room, noting how dejected the two of them looked. He'd overheard snatches of conversation about the Athosian wanting Zelenka to move with him to the Mainland. It was obvious while they'd been in the Athosian's room packing up, they'd talked and come to the obvious conclusion that no one was going to let Zelenka just up and leave. For his part, Nels was all for getting the man off Atlantis, but most people seemed to think they needed Zelenka's big, crazy brain here.
Nels paused outside the door, fighting a yawn. It was getting late. "Okay, so this is goodnight?" he asked hopefully.
The Athosian gave him a sad look. "No. I am removing my belongings this evening and returning to my rooms. Some of my people will be along shortly to help."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." It was heartfelt, even if the thought of the two men bumping uglies gave him the heebie-jeebies. The Athosian glared at him and Nels decided he wouldn't offer to help. "I'll show them in when they get here."
The Athosian nodded. "Come, carus," he said quite gently to Zelenka and took his arm possessively. Man, that was going to be one nasty separation, Nels thought, but probably better for the geek.
Nels took up position in front of the door, succumbing to a jaw-cracking yawn.
***
As soon as the door closed behind them, Selen pulled the things out of his bag-- a dark dye that would last only for a few washes to change the colour of Radek's hair; a homespun tunic, leather trousers, and boots that had belonged originally to Rynon, but that looked to be a decent fit for Radek; and some hair ties and jewelry. "Undress quickly, carus. We will dye your hair while you are naked to avoid staining your clothing."
***
It had been a good half hour before the Athosians arrived, straggling down the hallway in singles and pairs and trios. Nels nodded and waved the first couple guys into the room, yawning. "Sorry. You guys can go on in." The pair had just gone in when the lights in the hallway dimmed, blinked back on, went out, and then came up about halfway. Nels was just reaching toward his earbud to call the Control Center when McKay stepped out of the transporter, face buried in a datapad. "Aha!" the geek exclaimed, glancing up at the lights, and then muttering to himself as he walked down the hall past Nels and the various Athosians as if they weren't there and then paused in front of an access panel. Nels watched in bemusement as the geek knelt down and started to pry it loose.
The Athosians paused for a moment, then seemed to shrug the low lighting off, heading into Radek's room. One emerged a second later carrying a large-ish box.
Nels was distracted by the sound of fingers snapping. "You there!" McKay called. "Come give me a hand with this."
"I'm on guard duty, sir," Nels answered.
McKay rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, and the door you're guarding is right there and the power coupling that's just about to blow and plunge this hallway and the entire infirmary into darkness is right behind this panel. I only need you for a minute."
Nels shrugged and headed over, bending down. "What'd you need, doc?"
"Pull here while I push this up. Okay, go!" Nels pulled, the panel sliding off easily to reveal a bunch of Ancient crystals and other doodads. "Excellent. Just hold that while I... Hm. Not that one..."
Nels watched while McKay hooked his datapad up to various crystals, fascinated despite himself. Behind him, an Athosian of slight stature with dark hair pulled back into a braid emerged from the room, carrying a satchel and a couple of odds and ends, and followed the box-bearer. If Nelson had been looking, it might have occurred to him to wonder when the man had entered the room.
***
"And that... should..." McKay hit a couple of spots on his datapad and the lights came up. "... do it!" He gave Nels a triumphant smile.
Nels couldn't resist returning it. "You're welcome, sir."
"Oh, yes, thank you and all that," McKay said, waving negligently. "Help me get this panel back on and you can go back to your, um, whatever it was you were doing."
Nels pushed the panel back into place and held it as McKay did something to make it stay there, then headed back to the room, opening the door and sticking his head through the doorway. "Everything okay in here?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over the group of people in the room. "Where's Zelenka?"
"He has... already gone to bed," Zelenka's Athosian lover said, pointing to the bedroom. "He took the medications that were left for him."
Nels nodded, glancing through the doorway into the bedroom area, where he could make out a form curled into a miserable ball on the bed, the spray of light brown hair on the pillow and a couple of fingertips peeking from under the blankets the only things uncovered. "Ah. Okay. Well, that might be for the best."
The Athosian nodded and gave Nels a resentful look. "Since his people will not let him come with me, but insist he remain here, not permitted to work, not permitted to leave this room without a warrior to watch over him, not permitted to do anything! And your healers think this will heal his heart?!"
Nels raised his hands. "I don't make the decisions. I'm just following orders." The Athosian snorted in derision and turned away. Nels motioned toward the hallway. "I'll be out here if you need anything."
He stepped out, the door sliding closed behind him.
***
Selen stepped into the bedroom and tapped the form under the bed. "It is safe now, Wullam. Help me to arrange these towels under the blankets..."
Wullam slid out of the bed, finger-combing his hair back into place, and took a wadded-up towel from Selen, the two of them quickly setting to work.
***
Nels nodded as the group of Athosians stepped from the room and headed down the hall. A moment later, Zelenka's Athosian stepped out, his eyes looking slightly red and puffy, and paused in the doorway. The Athosian gazed back in, where Nels could just make out the form still on the bed, and then let out a sigh. He straightened up, resolved, and gave Nels one curt nod before turning and heading down the hallway, the door sliding shut behind them.
"Goodnight, sir," Nels said.
The Athosian did not reply.
Selen nodded, giving the guard a sly smile. "Thank you. We will not be long." As soon as the door closed, he turned to his lover. "It will not take long to pack, but while we are here, I wish to gather some things to aid in your escape." He was determined to get his lover out of the city, one way or another, even if they had no from a Lantean. His people would help. That would have to be enough. He reached out to touch Radek's hair. "We will need to change your appearance. Is it possible I could dye your hair? Or cut it?"
***
The radio call from Rodney was unexpected and welcome, and the man had some ideas on helping Radek to escape from his guarded room that worked better than anything Selen, Radek, or their Athosian collaborators had come up with. Selen was uncertain what had changed Rodney's mind, but he was not one to reject such help.
***
Corporal Nelson Bonebrake, who despite his intimidating surname was only middling tall and not particularly threatening in appearance, at least for a Marine, followed his charges back to Zelenka's room, noting how dejected the two of them looked. He'd overheard snatches of conversation about the Athosian wanting Zelenka to move with him to the Mainland. It was obvious while they'd been in the Athosian's room packing up, they'd talked and come to the obvious conclusion that no one was going to let Zelenka just up and leave. For his part, Nels was all for getting the man off Atlantis, but most people seemed to think they needed Zelenka's big, crazy brain here.
Nels paused outside the door, fighting a yawn. It was getting late. "Okay, so this is goodnight?" he asked hopefully.
The Athosian gave him a sad look. "No. I am removing my belongings this evening and returning to my rooms. Some of my people will be along shortly to help."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." It was heartfelt, even if the thought of the two men bumping uglies gave him the heebie-jeebies. The Athosian glared at him and Nels decided he wouldn't offer to help. "I'll show them in when they get here."
The Athosian nodded. "Come, carus," he said quite gently to Zelenka and took his arm possessively. Man, that was going to be one nasty separation, Nels thought, but probably better for the geek.
Nels took up position in front of the door, succumbing to a jaw-cracking yawn.
***
As soon as the door closed behind them, Selen pulled the things out of his bag-- a dark dye that would last only for a few washes to change the colour of Radek's hair; a homespun tunic, leather trousers, and boots that had belonged originally to Rynon, but that looked to be a decent fit for Radek; and some hair ties and jewelry. "Undress quickly, carus. We will dye your hair while you are naked to avoid staining your clothing."
***
It had been a good half hour before the Athosians arrived, straggling down the hallway in singles and pairs and trios. Nels nodded and waved the first couple guys into the room, yawning. "Sorry. You guys can go on in." The pair had just gone in when the lights in the hallway dimmed, blinked back on, went out, and then came up about halfway. Nels was just reaching toward his earbud to call the Control Center when McKay stepped out of the transporter, face buried in a datapad. "Aha!" the geek exclaimed, glancing up at the lights, and then muttering to himself as he walked down the hall past Nels and the various Athosians as if they weren't there and then paused in front of an access panel. Nels watched in bemusement as the geek knelt down and started to pry it loose.
The Athosians paused for a moment, then seemed to shrug the low lighting off, heading into Radek's room. One emerged a second later carrying a large-ish box.
Nels was distracted by the sound of fingers snapping. "You there!" McKay called. "Come give me a hand with this."
"I'm on guard duty, sir," Nels answered.
McKay rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, and the door you're guarding is right there and the power coupling that's just about to blow and plunge this hallway and the entire infirmary into darkness is right behind this panel. I only need you for a minute."
Nels shrugged and headed over, bending down. "What'd you need, doc?"
"Pull here while I push this up. Okay, go!" Nels pulled, the panel sliding off easily to reveal a bunch of Ancient crystals and other doodads. "Excellent. Just hold that while I... Hm. Not that one..."
Nels watched while McKay hooked his datapad up to various crystals, fascinated despite himself. Behind him, an Athosian of slight stature with dark hair pulled back into a braid emerged from the room, carrying a satchel and a couple of odds and ends, and followed the box-bearer. If Nelson had been looking, it might have occurred to him to wonder when the man had entered the room.
***
"And that... should..." McKay hit a couple of spots on his datapad and the lights came up. "... do it!" He gave Nels a triumphant smile.
Nels couldn't resist returning it. "You're welcome, sir."
"Oh, yes, thank you and all that," McKay said, waving negligently. "Help me get this panel back on and you can go back to your, um, whatever it was you were doing."
Nels pushed the panel back into place and held it as McKay did something to make it stay there, then headed back to the room, opening the door and sticking his head through the doorway. "Everything okay in here?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over the group of people in the room. "Where's Zelenka?"
"He has... already gone to bed," Zelenka's Athosian lover said, pointing to the bedroom. "He took the medications that were left for him."
Nels nodded, glancing through the doorway into the bedroom area, where he could make out a form curled into a miserable ball on the bed, the spray of light brown hair on the pillow and a couple of fingertips peeking from under the blankets the only things uncovered. "Ah. Okay. Well, that might be for the best."
The Athosian nodded and gave Nels a resentful look. "Since his people will not let him come with me, but insist he remain here, not permitted to work, not permitted to leave this room without a warrior to watch over him, not permitted to do anything! And your healers think this will heal his heart?!"
Nels raised his hands. "I don't make the decisions. I'm just following orders." The Athosian snorted in derision and turned away. Nels motioned toward the hallway. "I'll be out here if you need anything."
He stepped out, the door sliding closed behind him.
***
Selen stepped into the bedroom and tapped the form under the bed. "It is safe now, Wullam. Help me to arrange these towels under the blankets..."
Wullam slid out of the bed, finger-combing his hair back into place, and took a wadded-up towel from Selen, the two of them quickly setting to work.
***
Nels nodded as the group of Athosians stepped from the room and headed down the hall. A moment later, Zelenka's Athosian stepped out, his eyes looking slightly red and puffy, and paused in the doorway. The Athosian gazed back in, where Nels could just make out the form still on the bed, and then let out a sigh. He straightened up, resolved, and gave Nels one curt nod before turning and heading down the hallway, the door sliding shut behind them.
"Goodnight, sir," Nels said.
The Athosian did not reply.