“Damn it!!”
Several heads turned to where Alisa sat, they waited for any indication something would explode before turning back to their own work.
“Stupid, stupid damn…” the tirade was cut off as Radek appeared in front of the teenager.
“Is something wrong?” he asked her blandly, “You are disturbing everyone.”
“I’m sorry,” Alisa replied sarcastically, “I’ll go out on the balcony and get stumped there.”
Radek frowned at her, “I assume there is something wrong.”
Alisa sighed, she rubbed the back of her neck absently, “I can’t get this, Radek. I just can’t…” she trailed off frustrated, “I don’t understand it and I just can’t get it.”
Radek shook his head and motioned her to move, leading her out of the lab and to a balcony so they could get some fresh air. He was becoming quite worried about the young woman over the past few days.
“Alisa, you need to take a break,” Radek told her.
Alisa waved her hand at him, “I’m fine though I could do with some lunch.”
“No,” he stopped her right there, “I want you to stay away from the labs for the next few days; you are not allowed to do anything even remotely connected to work.”
“What?” Alisa snapped, “Radek…”
“If,” he cut off her protest, “I catch you disobeying then I take this to the next level.”
“My Dad?” Alisa glared at him, her arms folded across her chest.
Radek shook his head, “Carson, who will then put you on medical leave for the next month.”
Alisa stared at him in shock, “That’s blackmail.”
He patted her on the shoulder and walked away, “I believe that’s the word.”
Rodney sighed in relief as he stepped out of the city and onto the balcony. If he hadn’t been claustrophobic before hand then it was pretty sure now since he’d been trapped underground. He was still astonished at the complete replica of the city he called home they’d found on the planet.
“Dad!!”
Rodney sighed as the annoyed voice of his daughter intruded his moments of solitude.
“Yes, Lissa?” he turned to look at her.
His daughter was marching towards him, her face like thunder, “Radek banned me from the lab.”
Rodney sighed, “He mentioned something before I left for the mission.”
“Dad!!” she cried again.
Rodney rolled his eyes, “Alisa, you are exhausting yourself. Both Radek and I agree that you need a break and you’re taking one.”
“But…”
“Normal students take time off,” Rodney reminded her, “There are things called weekends, remember?”
Alisa folded her arms a smirk appearing on her face, “Taught to me by who?”
“You have no choice in this matter,” Rodney ignored her jibe, “I don’t want you to burn out by the time you’re eighteen.”
“Fine, maybe I can get Ronan to teach me how to shoot,” she muttered as she headed back inside, “Or use a sword.”
Rodney groaned and hit his radio, “Ronan…”
*********************************************
“You know most normal people enjoy getting time off,” Laura Cadman noted as she sat with Alisa on the beach.
Alisa looked over to her friend, “Are you calling me abnormal?”
“Who am I to judge?” Laura laughed, she smiled leaning back and letting the sun warm her face.
They sat in silence for a while. It had been Laura’s idea for their trip to the mainland; Alisa being banned from working had her driving everyone crazy.
“Laura,” Alisa spoke up after a few minutes, her voice quiet, “Dad seems to think I’m going to burn out.”
Laura turned to her young friend and smiled, “I think he’s just worried because there is no real social structure here for you.”
“I have friends,” Alisa protested.
Laura smiled amused, “I know but all your friends are scientists who are pretty obsessive about their work and military who are…pretty obsessive about their work.”
Alisa let out a slight laugh, “Well, it’s not like I can commute.”
“That’s not what I was going to suggest,” Laura told her.
Suspicion covered the teenager’s face, “What are you suggesting?”
Laura shifted so she was looking directly at her young friend, “You have friends back on Earth, right? Maybe you should go spend a little time with them, get back to normality.”
Alisa shook her had, “Atlantis is my home.”
“Everyone needs a vacation,” Laura reminded her.
“I can’t,” Alisa sighed, “Kirsty just asks stupid questions.”
“You have an aunt,” Laura reminded her.
Alisa stood up and sighed starting to pace, “Who I’ve never met. Laura,” she tilted her head to one side, “Thank you for being so concerned but I’m okay.”
Rodney winced as he watched Ronan slam John to the ground in the gym.
“Hey,” the Colonel glanced up at the scientist, “You wanting something?”
“Yeah,” Rodney nodded, “I’ve been thinking about how my daughter is going crazy. Any suggestions?”
John grabbed Ronan’s outstretched hand, wincing as the Runner hauled him to his feet.
“She’s already nuts considering who her father is,” Ronan noted.
Rodney frowned at him, “Ha ha.”
“Is this why you persuaded Cadman to take her out of the city?” John asked, amused, “I was wondering why you two were suddenly the best of friends.”
Rodney rolled his eyes, “Cadman is one of the few people I know that can talk to Alisa. It’s the reason I talked to her.”
John and Ronan shared an amused look.
“She needs something more than the work she does,” Ronan was the first one to speak, “Alisa is much younger than anyone here.”
John nodded, “He’s right. Most kids her age, even those who study go places with their friends, or have an after school job. We need to get her something like that.”
“It’s not like she can get a job somewhere that isn’t connected to what she does all day,” Rodney reminded him annoyed, “Besides, I worked in a lab when I was studying.”
“You had other people your own age,” John reminded him, “Maybe that’s the answer to this. She needs to socialise with kids her own age.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?” Rodney asked.
Ronan shrugged, “The Athosians.”
Rodney stared at his team-mate and opened his mouth to say something but Ronan stopped him.
“There are people close to her age,” Ronan reminded him, “And she needs that.”
“Besides,” John laughed, “Alisa can take care of herself, if you’re worried.”
Rodney shook his head, “I always worry about her. It’s called being a parent.”
*********************************************
“Hey,” Rodney greeted his daughter as she stepped out of the Jumper, giving Laura a quick nod, “How was your day?”
Alisa smiled, “It was good, relaxing.”
“And you didn’t want to go,” Rodney teased as they walked through the city.
Alisa rolled her eyes at him.
“I know we forced you to do this,” Rodney continued, “But it was for your own good.”
“Really?” Alisa replied, sarcasm dripping from every word, “And is it also for my own good to go back to Earth?”
“What?” Rodney demanded, “Who said that?”
“Laura suggested it would be a good idea for me to go and spend some time on Earth,” Alisa told him, suspicion filling her eyes, “You’re telling me you didn’t have anything to do with that?”
“Lissa, do you really think I want you to leave?” Rodney demanded.
Alisa sighed and stopped to lean against the wall, “I know you don’t, Dad but this whole stopping me from working…”
Rodney leaned against the wall beside her, “I’m just worried about you.”
The stood side by side in silence for several minutes, watching as groups of soldiers and scientists walked by all caught up in their own worlds.
“What else can I do here, Dad?” Alisa asked finally, “I like to learn and there’s just so much to take in and what if my knowledge is something that can save us…”
“Hey,” Rodney cut her off, pulled her into a tight hug, “You shouldn’t be thinking like that. Saving this place is my job, remember? I want you to learn but I also want you to have some fun. To be a normal teenager.”
Alisa shook her head sadly, “Come on, Dad, we both know I’m not normal. My IQ always set me apart back on Earth and now I’m here. I don’t think I know what normal is, I don’t know how to be that.”
Rodney hugged her again, he pulled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead, “Don’t change who you are, Lissa. As for you overworking yourself then how about a limit to what you work. I know you lose yourself in your studies and that’s good, to a point so just now it’s a five day week.”
“And the weekend?” Alisa asked sceptically.
“I’m sure we’ll find a way to keep you entertained,” Rodney laughed; he held out his hand, “Is it a deal?”
Alisa gave him a half-smile and took his hand, “Deal.”
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