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The marine in front of him shifts nervously from foot to foot.
“You thought this was important enough to bring to me did you, Harrison?” Evan asks finally, sitting back in his chair.
Lieutenant Harrison, a new, mousy haired kid, nods.
“Yes, sir,” he says, sounding a lot less certain than five minutes ago when he walked into Evan’s office full of some bullshit, petty malice.
Evan raises an eyebrow and Harrison swallows.
Good. Lorne likes them scared. He stands and comes round the desk, posture loose and open.
“’Cause it seems to me, that you didn’t see shit,” Lorne says and Harrilson’s outraged eyes snap to his.
“Sir?” Harrison asks, righteous indignation right there on show.
“Word of advice, Harrison: Colonel Sheppard’s a good guy. He looks after his people, puts himself on the line for them. The guys here? Well, they don’t like people spreading lies about him.”
“But – “
“Shut the hell up, Lieutenant,” Lorne barks and Harrison’s mouth snaps shut. Evan waits a beat and then continues in the same easy tone. “As for Dr. McKay? He’s not an easy guy to get on with, but he’s saved the lives of everyone in this city at least once. People want him around.”
He leans in. Harrison’s eyes flicker to him uneasily.
“So it seems to me we might have a problem here. Either you’re misremembering what you told me, or you’re trying to cause trouble. Now if you’ve misremembered, well, no harm done. If you’re trying to stir up trouble, well,” Evan says, and lets his voice drop – low and dangerous, “that’s going to be a big problem, marine.”
Harrison’s mouth tightens, resentment souring his expression. Evan waits him out.
“Must have been a trick of the light, sir,” the Lieutenant says eventually.
“Must have been,” Evan says evenly. “Are we going to have an issue, here?”
“No, sir,” Harrison says and snaps off a salute, every inch of him radiating attitude.
Evan cusses internally: he’ll be filling out the kid’s transfer papers as soon as they’re done. If Harrilson stays on Atlantis, he’s going to be a world of trouble.
“Good. You’re dismissed, Lieutenant.”
Harrison leaves without another word. After the door has shut, footsteps faded away, Lorne lets his head hang back, and sighs.