::

::

The day McKay has an argument with his girlfriend mere minutes before a mission and Rodney, distracted, almost steps on a landmine, John fires Jennifer Keller as Chief Medical Officer for the Atlantis Expedition.

He doesn't actually have the authority to fire her, he knows. Nor does her personal life have any kind of bearing on her competence and her hard-earned experience with and for whatever the Pegasus Galaxy throws at them. But the thought of what would have happened if Ronon had been just that second slower spotting that slight indentation... John's mind goes blank, and when they shuffle into the infirmary a few hours later for their post-mission check-ups, something in him just balks.

No-one takes note of anything out of the ordinary when he gets Dr Azaneh to clear him while Keller is busy fussing over Ronon's arm, skin scraped raw from flinging himself and Rodney to the ground. If he times tomorrow's check-ups to take place while Keller is still examining Mehra's team, it will look time-saving, efficient.

He knows it's only a matter of time before his soldiers catch on, though, before they realize that their CO doesn't trust the CMO anymore, before they stop seeking her out as well. John may not be Woolsey, not Landry, and not whoever is Head of Medicine back at the SGC right now, but that doesn't mean his actions have no pull. It would be sadly easy, marginalizing her.

The trouble is, once the away teams start denying themselves Jennifer's expertise, it's also only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt, and worse, doesn't get the right treatment in time while seriously hurt. And then it would not be because Keller or Rodney are letting their personal lives interfere with the mission, but because John couldn't leave well enough alone.

He doesn't want Rodney's girlfriend on the expedition anymore. He doesn't want to be the reason any of his men get killed.

So when Keller knocks on his door that evening, puts a six-pack on his table and stands in the middle of his room, fidgeting nervously with the sleeves of her uniform, he bites back surprise and venomous words, doesn't say anything. And when she blurts out, "I'm breaking it off. While we all can still act somewhat professionally about it," kisses his cheek and turns to go, he feels chastised, grateful, and ashamed.

"Will you check on my ankle tomorrow?" he asks as she turns to go, and she nods at him tightly. The ghost of a relieved smile on her face, she steps out of John's quarters to go to Rodney's room.

::

::