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iii-a: don't waste the time that flies so fast
When Radek's fever finally breaks, Evan isn't sure he's ever felt more relieved. He'd been so sure that they were going to lose him.
But they hadn't, and now they need to get him back on his feet. He'd been sick for so long that he'll need physical and vocational therapy to get back to where he was before. If he hadn't watched helplessly as it was happening, Evan's not sure he could believe that someone could change so radically and still be the same person. Radek looked... small, so small and fragile, and Evan was determined to change that.
As soon as he got the okay, he started adding Radek's favorites to his meal trays; little Czech cakes called kolač (sent in a care package by his sister), those tiny peach-colored fruits from MXV-512, soft cubes of his favorite cheese -- anything extra he thought Radek would enjoy, because he needed the calories, and because it made Evan breathe easier when he saw Radek eating.
His latest ploy had been to show up in the infirmary at mid-afternoon with a thermos of hot chocolate and a baggie of marshmallows. He used his mother's recipe, the one with cinnamon and vanilla and cloves. He had to use powdered milk, but he thought it was an okay substitute -- the richness of the chocolate and the vanilla covered the odd taste of the milk nicely.
McKay had agreed that the changes were minor impediments to the taste -- Evan had to fight him off the first couple of times he'd made it, until Sheppard had pointed out to him the faster Radek got better, the faster he'd be back to work. McKay had backed off then, and had even donated a couple of chocolate bars to the cause. He'd threatened Evan with months of cold showers if he ever breathed a word of it to Radek, but Evan wasn't fooled. Everyone liked Radek, and even if he didn't want to admit it, McKay had visited as much as Evan when it looked like Radek might not make it.
"I do not understand how you can be here every afternoon -- do you not have better things to do with your time, Evan?"
"Nope. Nothing more important than getting you fattened up again." Evan waggled his eyebrows. "Got to get you back into fighting form, so you can take on McKay -- he's terrorizing the rest of the scientists, and you seem to be the only one who can handle him."
Radek only snorts and bends to his cup, but Evan can see the pleased smile he's trying to hide, and he's grateful all over again that Radek is still here to hide it from him....
"I--" "I'm just--" Evan stopped, and gestured for Radek to continue.
"I wanted to thank you. Your visits are the best part of my day."
Evan blushed a bit at that. He still wasn't sure why Radek put up with him, why he'd let him get away with all the starts and stops, but Evan was going to make the most of this second chance.
"I'm just glad you're still here, Radek. I've been so stupid, and--"
"Přestávat. What has happened has happened, but I am willing to let it all go, and to move forward. That is -- if you are as well?"
"I am." Evan stood, leaning over the bed to press a soft kiss to the top of Radek's head. "I want to -- no more excuses."
Evan pulled Radek in close, wrapping his arms around him as he repeated, "No more excuses."