New Fic: Deja Vu Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Lynne Ishay sat at the desk outside the intensive care unit, doing her daily paper work when the Admiral’s monitors began to go wild. She jumped up sprinting to the isolation area. Jack Cottle heard the commotion as well and came running in behind her. Lynne stood in shock at the scene before her.
Bill had pulled his cardiac leads free as well as dislodged one of his two IV lines. He was thrashing about in bed and it seemed that he had pulled some of his stitches open.
“What the hell are you standing there for? We have to stop this before he does any more damage.” Cottle was by the bedside checking the monitors. “Ishay we need to sedate him. Move!” Lynne ran to the drug cabinet and came back less than a minute later with a light sedative. Cottle injected it in through the only stable IV left. “What the hell caused that? He was fine when I checked him ten minutes ago.”
Jack looked at his medic who was now readjusting the cardiac leads and oxygen.
“By the looks of these readings before the leads were ripped off I would say it was another nightmare. Insert a new IV in his left arm and restart his fluids.”
“Yes, Doctor.” Ishay turned to her left and picked up the IV tray.
Cottle walked to the foot of the bed to make note of the medication and orders in the Admiral’s chart. He pulled out his semi-crushed packet of cigarettes and a lighter. He pulled out a cigarette, put it between his lips, and lit it as he left the isolation area.
---
Laura left the Galactica and returned to Colonial One shortly after Lee had departed for the CIC. She had been trying to avoid the trip all together, but there were several things that required her attention. Tory insisted they had to be done on Colonial One. It seemed people were beginning to talk about her prolonged stays on Galactica. So, here she sat in her second of three meetings about numerous different concerns in the fleet. The first and foremost of which was the second attempt on William Adama’s life. Laura had learned during her meeting that there were rumors throughout the fleet on his condition, one in particular told the story of his slow and painful demise. She knew this had to stop somewhere within the next day or so Lee and her needed to stay united and be honest with the people before the rumors got any worse.
----
Lee was in CIC looking at the latest jump projections with Helo, his acting XO. When Dee announced he had a call from the President. As Lee picked up the wireless he let out a breath. “Secure the line, Dee.” Dee nodded at her husband.
“Madame President.”
“Commander how goes things on the Galactica?”
“Just fine, Ma’am.” Lee turned away from Helo and continued in a hushed voice. “No news is good news. How are you?”
On the other end of the line, Laura removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “Everything is copasetic. I would rather be there.”
“I know.” Lee stood a little straighter and spoke a bit clearer. “What can I do for you Ma’am?”
“I am becoming very concerned about the fleet. I have been in several different meetings over the past few hours and there seems to rumors about your father’s condition. People are beginning to panic. Some are afraid you will declare Marshal Law. We need to reassure them.”
“I understand. What did you have in mind?”
“A press conference, later this afternoon. Say 1600. Here on Colonial One. We need to put up a united front.”
“Absolutely Ma’am. I couldn’t agree more.”
---
Dee was frantically speaking on another line as Lee was talking with the President. She wrote the message with a shaky hand as Cottle gave it to her. She walked down into the pit and handed it to Lee.
Lee turned to his wife, as she handed him the paper, and saw the panicked look on her face. As he continued to listen to Laura’s plans for the press conference he read the note it said: Admiral had another episode, you and Laura better get down here.
“So, I’ll see you at 15:45, Commander.” Laura finished but there was no response on the other end of the line. “Commander? Commander Adama? Lee?”
“Laura, you need to get over here as soon as possible.”
“Oh, Gods, Lee is he?”
“He’s fine now according to what Dee just handed me, but Cottle wants to see us. We can move the press conference over here if necessary.”
Laura snapped her fingers to get Tory’s attention. She picked up a pen and scribbled on a nearby scrap of paper. Cancel the next meeting; get me a shuttle to Galactica! Tory nodded and hurried out of the room. “Lee I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Tory returned moments later with a note of her own. Laura put on her glasses and read it. It was six simple words that turned her life upside down. You have to take this. Sorry. Laura just wanted to talk to Jack. She wanted to be with Bill. She needed to know what was happening. She was the President for Gods sake why couldn’t they cancel this meeting!
“Lee.” Her voice was much smaller than it had been a few minutes ago. “I’ve been told I can’t cancel my next meeting.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him. I’ll see you when you can get here.”
“If anything happens, promise you’ll call.”
“Yes, Ma’am I will.”
“Thank you.”
Laura placed the phone in its cradle and looked up at her aide; if looks could kill Tory would have been out an airlock. “Tory, why can’t I cancel this?”
“It’s the Vice President, It’s been cancelled and rescheduled twice and he is sitting outside.”
Laura covered her face and let out an overwhelming groan of tired frustration.
Tory sat down in front of her boss and put a comforting hand on her arm. “I know you want to be with him. I know you love him. If it were Sam I would want to be over there. Let’s just finish this so I can get you over there to him.”
“Thank you, Tory.”
Tory stood up and cleared the files from the last meeting off of the President’s desk and handed her the new file. “It shouldn’t be too long Ma’am.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’ll move the press conference until tomorrow and issue a blanket statement this evening at my last briefing.
“Very well, I’ll let Commander Adama know when I see him. 1100 then?”
---
Lee handed over the deck and sprinted down sickbay. Dee keeping pace close behind. When they arrived Cottle was talking to Ishay and looked concerned.
“Doctor.”
“About time.” Cottle chided the young man. “Where’s the President?” Cottle inquired puffing on his latest cigarette.
“She’s unfortunately delayed.” Lee and Dee followed the Doctor’s gaze to the isolation area. “What happened? He was up earlier.”
“He had a bit of a panic attack. No doubt induced by a nightmare or memory.”
“He’s remembering.” Dee stated.
“I think he already does remember but doesn’t want to accept it. He was in such a state that we had to sedate him. I’ve had to replace some stitches and we inserted a new IV line but that not my biggest problem.”
“What’s the biggest problem?” Lee asked putting an arm around his wife’s waist.
Cottle took a drag of the cigarette he had been smoking since they arrived. “He has to deal with this Lee. I can’t keep him sedated forever it’s not healthy. He’s in denial, it’s normal but it’s gone on too long.”
“Someone will be with him constantly Doctor. We will help him.”
Cottle stepped closer to the younger Adama. “I have no doubt.”
“Can I sit with him for a while?”
“Be my guest.”
The two made their way inside the isolation area. Dee sat on one side of the bed and took his hand while Lee sat on the other taking the other hand. “We’re here dad. We’ll get through this together. You have people that love you. Don’t give up now we will help you.
“Hang on old man because your family needs you. Lee and I plan on giving you lots of grandchildren.”
Lee looked up at Dee. “We do?” Lee smiled widely knowing fully to whom and why she had just made that statement.
“Yes, we do.”
---
Lee felt as if he wasn’t a very good commanding officer. He had been spending much of his time in sickbay. He came down as soon as Cottle called him and had stayed for three hours before leaving his father in Dee’s capable hands to go back to work.
He was on his way to relieve her so she could finish her watch in CIC and then get some sleep. When he arrived back in sickbay he was pleased to see his father propped up in bed talking with Dee. He entered the room and the talking ceased.
“How are you feeling Dad?”
“Fine.” Was Bill’s short reply. Dee looked at her husband with a helpless look in her eyes.
Lee went over and stood beside her, kissed her on the head and said. “Dee, could you give me some time with Dad. I need to talk to him.”
“Sure.” Dee stood up and gave her father-in-law a kiss on the cheek. “I have the watch. I’ll see you both later.” Dee walked past her husband stopping for short hug, so she was able to whisper in his ear. “He’s been talking a lot about the President, but he still won’t talk about Tigh. He dismisses it every time you bring it up.”
Lee broke the hug and gave her a light kiss on the lips. “I love you too. Thank for doing this for me.” That Lee understood her.
Dee left and Lee sat down next to his father. “I hear you had a rough spot today.”
“So they tell me. How are you doing?”
“Everything’s fine.”
“No one tried to kill you today. Kara didn’t break out of the brig and try to shoot you.” The irritation was evident in Adama’s voice.
“No. Dad, do you want to talk about it?”
“NO! You shouldn’t be here anyway. You have a ship to command and a fleet to protect. I can’t do it anymore.”
Lee’s face became hard. “Don’t you even say that. This isn’t forever Dad this is your command, not mine. We’re all worried about you Dad. “
Adama turned away from his son. He didn’t want to hear this. First it was Laura then Dee, and now his son. “No, need to worry son. I am perfectly fine. I just want to be left alone.”
“Tough. Don’t turn away from me.” Lee moved his chair closer to the bed. “You’re not fine. I’ve never seen you act this way. You scared Laura half to death. She ended up crying in my arms.”
“She deserves it Lee. She tried to tell me Saul Tigh was a cylon.”
“What if she was right? What if he is?” Lee was on very thin ice. He was treading very lightly he didn’t want to send his father into another fit. “She loves you Dad. I know you love her. She didn’t deserve that. She’s afraid for you. She doesn’t want to lose you.”
“She doesn’t love me Lee it’s all an act.”
“It’s no act dad. I know it’s been going on for a while. I know how you really feel about her.”
Adama took a sip from the water glass on his tray. “What are you my shrink?”
“No I’m your son.” Lee demeanor was becoming hard. His father was pushing him away the same way he did with Laura. “And I don’t want to see you push her away. Until this happened I’ve never seen you so happy. You two were so strong. I know it is your strong suit. Mom was special but I understand looking back what went wrong. This…this is different. Don’t let her slip away dad.”
“I know I shouldn’t but every time I close my eyes. I see his face. Lee it can’t be.” Lee watched a few tears escape his father’s eyes.
“I’m having a hard time too dad, we’ll get through this together.”
“I’m already through it Lee, because it didn’t happen. He would never hurt me.”
Lee rolled his eyes. “Dad!”
Bill turned away from his son and didn’t say anything more. Lee sat with him for a while. Obviously, this was going to be a long road.