Allow Me To Demonstrate

2006.

All Carson Beckett wanted to do was burrow under his blankets and never resurface. If his headset so much as crackled, he would be inclined to throw it across the room followed by a pillow that would hopefully smother the sound. He sent one hand exploring to the other side of his bed, warm flesh meeting cold sheets.

He emerged from his cocoon near the remaining pillow and glanced across. Confirming that Laura was not there to sling his arms around, Carson sighed and shot a look at his watch. He considered reaching out to his night stand to retrieve his headset. He eyed it balefully and tentatively slipped one arm from beneath the covers, gradually inching forward to reach it. Just as his fingers closed over it, the door to his quarters slid open.

“Your shirt is riding up,” noted Laura Cadman from the doorway.

Carson retracted beneath his blankets again, not before gesturing for her to join him. She regarded him coolly for a moment, stepping forward to allow the door to quietly shut. She remarked casually, unzipping her jacket, “I was held up in the mess by Radek.”

Not seeing the importance of this, Dr Beckett nodded vaguely.

“He told me…” Laura began flatly, kicking one shoe across the room, “…to ask what you were doing with the Wraith…” Another shoe skidded off. “...in the labs. It sounded serious.”

Carson rolled his eyes, unsure if she was joking or not. She fixed him with an accusatory stare. She crossed her arms, demanding, “So?”

This was ridiculous and already Carson’s temples were starting to throb indignantly. He sat up and pushed aside the blankets. He said calmly, “Radek likes his tales, lass. You shouldn’t listen to him. I merely explained the flashing that we were working on.”

“Oh?” Laura looked interested. “How?”

Carson groaned when he realised Zelenka’s game. He paused, wondering how much she actually knew about the Wraith visit to the labs. There could be a very possible scenarios, all of which resulting in him blushing. She tapped her foot impatiently, hands falling to her hips. He cleared his throat, “I…ah…demonstrated.”

Laura’s hand froze in their position as she eyed him carefully. Seeing the unavoidable blush creeping up his cheeks, she exclaimed, “What! You dropped your dacks and flashed?”

“Easy, love,” Carson defended. “It was nothing like that.”

She very slowly raised one eyebrow. She asked sweetly, “Then what was it like, Dr Beckett?”

The way her eyes narrowed made him want to hide in the nearest black hole. Carson explained quickly, “I was wearing all my clothes. I just opened the lab coat. That’s all it was, I swear to you lass.”

Laura’s lips pressed to a thin line. She nodded brusquely and turned away. She threw one last look over her shoulder, saying suspiciously, “Huh. Okay. I’m just going to brush my teeth.”

“Brushing your teeth,” repeated Carson sceptically.

She couldn’t be mad. She was just playing. It was just some silly…the doctor bit his lip. Maybe she was mad at him. He cowered into his cocoon of blankets again. He cocked one ear, trying to discern any noises in the bathroom. He couldn’t hear the running of water. Carson glanced around at the various exits. Could he make the door in time or was flying out the window a safer option?

Wait, that was Rodney’s balcony below. No. He would never live down landing outside Rodney’s window in an undignified heap. If the scientist was there, that is.

The bathroom door opened and Lt Cadman stuck her head out. She grinned coyly, lips parting in a way that made Carson feel decidedly hot under the collar. She stepped into view. He blinked, not quite believing what he was seeing. She was wearing a lab coat – was it his, had he not left it at the labs? – and only a lab coat. She held it so that only her legs peeked out from underneath.

“What’s this now?” he asked incredulously.

Laura shook out her unpinned hair so that it flowed over her shoulders. She sauntered forward, running a tongue over her lips. Carson swallowed. Hard. She purred, “I don’t think you understand the concept of flashing, Dr Beckett. Allow me to demonstrate.”

She teasingly pulled the lab coat open, swaying her hips as she continued forward. She smiled wickedly at his agape expression and let the coat slide over her shoulders, dropping around her ankles. Laura asked sweetly, “Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

“I swear to you lass, that I’ll flash only to you ever again,” Carson promised, a smirk stealing onto his lips.

She must have known before she came here. That must be it. He imagined the whispers being exchanged in the mess hall. For the first time in his two years on Atlantis, Beckett thanked the chronic gossiping of Radek Zelenka.