[For Rodney]

[t_emmagen]

Carson had explained to Teyla the dangers of the first few weeks of pregnancy; yet there were some that she found herself unwilling to wait before she told them of it. Her team, John and Rodney. John knew, and Rodney

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[scientificsnark]

Rodney's frustration at the bad weather had yet to abate, but fortunately he had copied a significant amount of information to his laptop, and really, any excuse to lie on his orthopaedic bed working instead of sitting outside he'd take. So that was what he was doing now - stretched out with his laptop propped on his knees, fingers tapping away on the keyboard even as he heard the knock on his door.

"Come in," he murmured absently, eyes still trained on the screen. He'd been keeping everyone updated, for the most part, Teyla included, but that wasn't saying much. He hadn't found out a great deal, and Carson was handling most what he had found out.

Together, they'd get somewhere. Eventually. He hoped.

[t_emmagen]

"You look engrossed in your work," she smiled as she stepped inside out of the wet. It was good to see him distracted and involved like this. Teyla had not realised just how much he had been at loose ends before more work fell on him. "Busy suits you, strangely enough."

For all that he would complain of it and moan of it, it was familiar. A complaining that they all knew and appreciated.

"Anything new?"

[scientificsnark]

"Not...really," said Rodney without looking up, and reached for the bowl of miscellaneous food sitting beside him on the bed. There weren't any mangoes or oranges in it. He peeled a banana one-handed and took a big bite, muttering through it. "I haven't had a chance to be this busy for ages and somehow, I'm thinking this is going to be a one-of-a-kind incident, so I'm taking advantage of it." Most of the sentence came out slightly muffled.

He looked up after he had finished the banana, surprisingly fast. "What's up? Did Carson find something?"

[t_emmagen]

Luckily for Teyla she had spent most of two years learning to decipher what Rodney said through whatever he had in his mouth at the time. Sometimes food, sometimes tools, sometimes simply something to write with. "It likely is. I would hope that Wraith devices will not make a habit of appearing."

"Do you mind if I sit?" She found that this news was easier to give if she was sitting, setting herself lightly on the edge of his bed before he answered. "He did find something, yes."

[scientificsnark]

"What is it?" Rodney sat up a little. He gestured to the end of the bed impatiently. "Yes, yes, go ahead. What did he find out? Was it about the Hybrids? I've barely even deciphered any of the files about them, I can't believe he's found anything of substance yet. There was something about cloning technology there, too, was it about that? Or..."

[t_emmagen]

"I'm pregnant," she cut him off, before he could go any further. Teyla knew that once Rodney really started in on something, he would likely not hear anything anyone said to him until he took another breath.

[scientificsnark]

"...What?"

Rodney stared at her.

"You're - what?"

A pause.

"It's not Carson's, is it?"

[t_emmagen]

"Rodney," she said his name sharply, as she looked at him, part bewildered and part amused, shaking her head in disbelief. "No. Of course not. It is Dave's. Though I am not sure why you would think that Carson and I..."

[scientificsnark]

"Dave? Who's Dave?" Rodney just couldn't keep up anymore, apparently. First, Teyla liked had liked girls, then her girlfriend had disappeared, now she was pregnant with some guy named Dave's kid? What? No, seriously, what?

"Well, Carson's been going through a pretty tough time lately, and you're friends, so I thought...but I guess not," he concluded, and set his laptop aside. A sign of great interest, from Rodney McKay.

He found his eyes unwillingly drawn to Teyla's stomach. "So, uh...how long...?"

[t_emmagen]

"Dave? Davor? He spent a great deal of time here in New Atlantis. He vanished a little more than a month ago."

Of course Rodney would not have noticed. Teyla's chest heaved with a sigh, her eyebrow raising further still. "Not all friends comfort each other in that way, Rodney. Unless there is something you are not telling me?"

"Two months, no more," she knew the day, likely to the moment, "not very long at all."

[scientificsnark]

Rodney frowned at Teyla, and elected to ignore most of what she'd said. He knew he wasn't the most observant of people when it came to his friends' personal lives, and as for the comfort thing...Yeah. Not going there.

"Well, uh...I guess congratulations are in order," he said uncomfortably. He really wasn't good with this kind of thing. "Do the others know?"

[t_emmagen]

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Rodney was in fact not the best with these things, and Teyla had been fairly sure of what to expect. As it was, he was meeting, if not surpassing her expectations. "John does, and Carson. Now you. That is all, for now."

[scientificsnark]

"Oh," said Rodney. He felt a bit put out that Teyla hadn't told him first, but why should she? As she knew, probably better than anyone, he wasn't exactly the best candidate for a confidant.

"This Dave guy disappeared?" he remembered her saying. "Oh, man. That sucks, Teyla, I'm sorry." He considered patting her shoulder or something but decided against it. Pregnant women were supposed to be fragile, weren't they? Never mind the fact the word 'fragile' could never be applied to Teyla. "Well...I hope Sheppard and Carson have told you we'll all do everything we can to help. Because I'm sure they will. Me, too."

[t_emmagen]

"Thank you Rodney," Teyla felt as if she were repeating herself with the thanks, even though it was appropriate. "I am sure that you will all be very helpful. I cannot think of three better men to help raise a child as you."

Between them all, the child would either be very well balanced, or very maladjusted. It was her belief that their efforts would mitigate each other.

[scientificsnark]

"Well, that's, uh....I mean...it's nothing...I'm sure I...we all...yes," Rodney concluded, and cleared his throat.

Rodney McKay? Embarrassed? Never.

[t_emmagen]

Teyla smiled at his reaction, her hand touching his briefly, "should I let you get back to work?"