HEADING HOME
Cally could not stop shaking. Not so much due to the adrenaline
that seemed to be all that her body was producing at the moment or
the deaths she had witnessed or seeing the Cylons at close quarters
or having a mountain explode around her or freezing when it mattered
most or feeling the LT's gun resting at the back of her skull or
having his blood all over her but because of the lie.
Crashdown died a hero's death. So say we all.
The medic stirred beside her gritting her teeth and grunting with
the pain. She had been shot in the last assault but was going to
make it. Cally realised that she couldn't remember the woman's name.
"How are you doing?" she asked softly. "Do you want me to get you
something for the pain…"
"No… s'okay. What I took'll kick in soon enough. How are you
doing? You're the one that frack-assed sonofabitch nearly shot."
Beneath the blood and mud her face was very pale. Her lips looked
soft, Cally noticed and the hand that reached out to take hers was
slim and strong.
"S…sorry, I don't even know your name," Cally found herself
giggling. "Stupid, innit. Three days together in that fracking
place and I never…"
"Paramedic officer Ishay. Layne Ishay. And you're Specialist
Cally. You work with the Chief on the raptors."
"S'right," Cally said. The shuddering got worse, deeper. "Cold…"
"You're going into shock. Here." Moving carefully, the injured
woman reached above her to snag another blanket. "Here, come lie
beside me. I could do with some extra body heat myself."
"But I wasn't… he didn't…"
"Scared you half to death though. Scared us all. Even without the
fracking toasters bringing down the hill on top of us. Come on,
Cally. Lie down before you fall down."
A hand closed on her shoulder. "Do as she says, Cally." Chief
squeezed her shoulder. "You look all in."
He didn't look so great himself. The darkness that had been in his
eyes since his break-up with Boomer had got colder, deeper. He was
bleeding from a dozen small wounds and his other hand was still
gripped tightly around the stock of his weapon. Beyond him Mr Vice
President stared into space. He looked as if he was asleep with his
eyes open. If the black had touched the Chief's soul it looked like
it had completely consumed the Vice President's. And she owed her
life to him.
One day he would collect on that debt. She shuddered as his empty
gaze turned on her for a moment, then Ishay's hand was on her arm
again. "Come on, get under the blanket. It'll be hours yet before
we get back to the fleet. Rest."
Chief helped her off the bench and onto the floor. Ishay was more
or less cradled in a nest of blankets and as she lay down beside the
taller woman Cally almost immediately began to feel warmer. Ishay
threw another blanket over them both and snuggled into Cally's
side. Cally was almost afraid to touch the injured woman in case
she caused her any more pain.
"Hey, get closer. I won't bite, I promise."
"I don't want to hurt you… you're injured."
"And you wanting to be a dentist… never known a dentist who didn't
want to cause pain before."
"Perhaps I would have been a first," Cally managed to smile,
surprised that the woman had remembered her off-the-cuff remark.
That seemed so long ago now. Two years in the Fleet would have
guaranteed the four years at college and a tidy sum towards setting
up her first practice. She tried to reckon the date. She would
have been damn close to finishing her tour now if the Cylons hadn't
intervened. God knows if it would ever end now. She realised she
was crying.
"Hey, its okay… it's okay Cally. You're safe now. We're heading
home." Ishay's voice whispered very close to her ear, her hand
gentling up and down Cally's forearm in a way that made her feel
simultaneously very safe, very loved and yet very aware of her own
body. And she was tired and scared and horny all at the same time.
It was all very confusing.
"Just… just hold me, kay," Cally whispered. That she could cope
with. She turned her head so that her face was hidden in Ishay's
shoulder. She felt the woman's fingers tease at her hair for a
moment and then the coolness of lips gently kissing her brow. She
looked up in surprise to see soft brown eyes looking back, eyes that
were warm and alive and full of hope and promise. Mr Vice President
was staring into space again and Chief's eyes were closed, his gun
held across his knees, his knuckles white on the grip. Everyone
else was too busy flying the ship. Cally raised her head, closing
the space between them.
Layne Ishay's lips were indeed as soft as Cally had thought they
would be.
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