BSG Fic : Four Times Lee Adama Almost Died (1/4)
Title : Four Times Lee Adama Almost (But Not Quite) Died
Author : Helen C.
Summary : See title. A series of four unrelated, unashamedly H/C, AU ficlets.
Fandom : BSG
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Ronald D. Moore and Universal Television Studios to name but a few. No money is being made. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN. Many thanks to Mick1997 for beta'ing this! As often happens, I tinkered-all remaining mistakes are mine.
Four Times Lee Adama Almost (But Not Quite) Died
Helen C.
Time #1
The cold water was making his arms and legs numb and heavy, and Lee tried to gather his strength. Now wasn't the time to stop fighting.
He could do this.
He had to do this.
"Lee!"
The sound of his brother's voice, panicked and breathless, spurred him forward. He swam even harder, furiously trying to get nearer. Zak was being dragged away from him by the current and he needed to get to him soon. If he didn't…
He took another staggering breath, gulping down some seawater in the process, and forced his limbs to move. Inch by inch, he was getting nearer. He looked at Zak, saw his pleading face, and used it as fuel to go on.
He couldn't let his brother down.
He couldn't just allow him to drown, a mere few feet from him.
He had to be stronger than the ocean, because if he wasn't… Well, the price to pay for failure would just be too high.
Lee's clothes were sticking to his skin, hampering his movements, and he inwardly cursed himself. He should have gotten rid of his pants before he ran into the water after his brother, but he hadn't taken the time to think.
Their mother had been very clear. You need to look after him, Lee. He's younger than you are, he's your responsibility.
But Lee had been distracted by his friends, and he had started playing with them, and then someone had screamed and he had looked and Zak had been waving, in the water, clearly in trouble.
"Lee!" Zak's voice was strained. How much longer would he manage to keep his head above the water? He wasn't a very good swimmer yet-he wasn't supposed to swim without supervision, but Lee had been busy and Zak always tried not to bother him when he was with his friends.
That was one of the great things about Zak. He knew when Lee didn't want him underfoot and now he was going to die, and Lee just couldn't swim fast enough, and where the frak were the lifeguards anyway?
"Lee!"
He didn't have any breath to spare to reply; he could barely keep going, dizzy with fatigue and pain. No matter how hard he tried, he felt like he was swimming in place.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to keep moving, praying that he was wrong, that Zak wasn't being dragged even farther away from him.
He was not going to let his kid brother die in front of him, not because of his own stupid inattention, and certainly not because he hadn't been able to swim fast enough, or long enough.
He was stronger than that.
He was an Adama, and so was Zak, and if there was one thing their father had taught them, it was that Adamas succeeded, no matter what.
"Lee!"
"Hang on!" he managed to gasp, and he started coughing as seawater invaded his mouth, taking him by surprise. Forcing his uncooperative arms to move, he went on a little bit farther.
Then, he froze as Zak just… disappeared, his hands trying to grab something that wasn't there before vanishing under the water as well, as if someone had grabbed his feet and pulled him down.
"Zak!" Lee stopped, looking ahead frantically, but the spot where his brother had gone under remained empty. "Zak! ZAK!"
*
"I think he's been drugged, Sir," Sykes said.
Gunny Mathias rolled her eyes but didn't reply. The fact that Apollo had been drugged was fairly obvious-a broken syringe a few inches from where he was lying on the floor, and the way he was curled up on himself, hands tied behind his back, shivering and calling his dead brother's name, were dead giveaways as to what had happened. Crouching down next to the Captain, she reached out to take his pulse, grimacing at how cold his skin was under her fingers.
Damn.
She checked for signs of head injury, couldn't see anything obvious, so she undid the first two buttons of the Captain's jacket, hoping it would make him more comfortable, then gestured at Sykes. "Untie his hands, will you?"
He nodded and kneeled next to her, cutting off the bonds, then helped Erin to roll Apollo on his back. He breathed in sharply at the sight of the bruises on the Captain's face and neck. Erin thought she heard him mutter, "Bastards," but she was already busy checking that the captain didn't have any obvious broken bones. She lifted off Apollo's uniform jacket and his tops, frowning at the black bruises forming on his chest. The last thing the man needed were broken ribs. Thankfully, when she prodded the area, she couldn't find anything that gave. Cracked, maybe, but not broken. Good, it was going to make their life a little easier.
She turned to Sykes. "Call Galactica," she ordered. "Tell them we're bringing in a medical emergency. Bring Griggs back with you, and a stretcher."
Sykes nodded smartly and took off without comment. Erin checked the Captain's pulse again, relieved that it wasn't any faster than a few minutes earlier. That was something at least. Still, Apollo's skin was too cold and he hadn't shown any sign that he was aware of what was happening around him. It was impossible to tell what kind of drugs he had been given, or how much, but since whoever was behind the attack had left him here, Erin had to assume that it had been too much.
Lips set in a thin line, she thought about her next course of action. First, get the Captain to sickbay. Then, come back with reinforcements and a team of MPs, start asking questions and find whoever the hell had done this, and then… Well, then, hopefully, she'd get to see the Old Man take them apart with his bare hands-a feat she was reasonably sure he was capable of.
*
"Come on, bro, you gotta admit, it was funny."
Lee tried to ignore his brother, but the damn twerp didn't make it easy.
"I would have loved to see the look on your face…" Zak chuckled.
Lee felt his cheeks heat up. "One day," he said half-heartedly, "Mom is going to walk in on you and we'll see how you like that." Even threatening his brother didn't make him feel better, though. Their mother had been drunk when she had surprised him, and she was a mean drunk-and growing meaner by the year.
"Never gonna happen," Zak stated, smiling confidently. "I know enough to lock the door when I'm… busy."
Lee grimaced. "Not an image I wanted to carry around," he mumbled.
Zak wasn't finished. "Honestly, Lee, ever heard about keys?"
Lee stopped walking and glared at Zak. "Yes, I have. And she wasn't supposed to come home for hours, damn it!" But then, their mother was making herself scarce at work these days. They probably frowned upon their employees drinking a whole bottle through the afternoon. Lee almost hoped she'd get fired, because that might get his father's attention.
Catching his own thoughts, he shook his head. At this point, would anything ever get his father's attention?
Zak totally lost it, the sound of his laughter bringing Lee back to the present. He sighed and resigned himself. He was just going to have to suck it up and wait for his brother to run out of steam. Knowing Zak, it might take a while.
When Zak seemed sufficiently recovered, Lee started trekking again, his brother following a few steps behind him, still snickering. Damn him.
And damn their mother for coming home early. At least Zak hadn't been around to witness that. Their mother was usually careful of how she talked to him when they had an audience, but wasted as she had been, it was possible she wouldn't have noticed.
Ah, well, if the price of this little incident was that Lee never jerked off ever again, well, the world would survive, right?
Right.
It would.
Probably.
Zak fell silent as the slope grew steeper, sometimes cursing under his breath as a tree root hidden under the leaves made him trip.
The whole outing had been his idea-one that Lee had gratefully accepted, since their mother seemed to have a new man in her life, and Lee couldn't stand that frakker. Their mother hadn't tried to protest when they had asked her permission to go. Lee had sensed she was relieved not to have them underfoot for the weekend.
A win-win situation, he told himself, and his inner voice wasn't quite bitter. Not quite.
A weekend of trekking into the mountains, camping, and generally forgetting all about their parents and the upcoming finals at school, seemed like paradise-even if he had to endure Zak's teasing.
It took them the better part of the day to reach their goal, but finally, the mountain road gave way to a clearing-their chosen camping spot, not far from the mountain side. Fifty meters to the left, the sheer headland allowed them to see the city, far below in the distance. The sun was starting to set and the whole city was drowned in yellow and orange.
They both sat down near the edge and enjoyed the breathtaking view in silence, content to enjoy the peace and quiet.
Things at home were growing less and less quiet, these days. The tensions between Lee and their mother made Zak uneasy, and he tried to get between them to defuse the situation too often for Lee's taste. He appreciated his brother's support but he didn't want Zak involved in the ugly little war he was waging against their mother-and against their father as well, truth be told. He was supposed to protect Zak, not the other way around.
"Guess we should go start a fire," Zak said when the light started to dim, and the wind grew colder.
"Guess so." Lee had never felt so reluctant to move, but Zak was right. They needed to set up camp before night fell completely. It would be too dark to search for wood soon.
Lee got to his feet.
Zak followed suit.
They both walked closer to the edge to take in the view one last time, enjoying the way the lights of the city switched on, little by little.
As he was turning back to head to the clearing, a rock under Lee's foot gave way under his weight, and he felt himself slide before he could grab anything solid.
"Lee!"
He slid down, grimacing as the hard rock tore at his clothes and grazed his skin. He managed to catch the tip of a rock before his whole body tumbled into the void, and cursed when the rock cut at his fingers.
"Lee!"
"Zak," he called, heart beating hard and fast in his chest. He barely dared to raise his voice.
Zak's hand appeared in his line of sight. "Don't look down," his brother ordered.
Why did people always say that? Lee wondered. He hadn't even thought about looking down until his brother told him not to.
His fingers were starting to cramp and Lee fumbled around to find something else to hang on to.
"Lee!" Zak's fingers closed around his wrist, let go, fumbled some more before latching at him again.
Zak caught him just as Lee lost his grip with a startled gasp. "Frak, Lee, hang on," Zak yelled as he took a firmer hold of his wrist.
"Trying," Lee said, but he could feel the tension in Zak's arm and hand. He was taller and heavier than Zak. There was no way his brother was going to be able to pull him back to safety.
Fighting the feeling of panic, Lee grabbed a few rocks, ineffectively dislodging some of them.
Then, he felt his wrist slip out of Zak's hold.
He looked up to his brother, who shouted, "Lee!"
Lee screamed as he fell, closing his eyes and waiting for the impact.
*
The nurse assisting Cottle startled when Apollo started to scream, but to her credit, she recovered fast. Good, Cottle thought. Maybe this one would prove competent in the long run.
Their patient didn't have the strength left to struggle much, but his head was rolling from side to side as he called for Zak. He tried to lift an arm and the nurse instinctively reached out to steady him, preventing him from tearing his IV out.
Apollo's heartbeat started to quicken, getting uncomfortably close to the alarm range.
"Prepare the restraints, just in case," Cottle said. "How are these analyses coming?"
As if on cue, a paper materialized in front of his eyes. He took it impatiently, not bothering to see who was bringing it, and swore under his breath when he saw the result. "Okay, prepare the atropine and get ready. We need to pump his stomach."
The nurse obeyed without a word as Cottle gave the results another once over, making sure he hadn't missed anything. Apollo was still shifting around slowly, muttering under his breath, too low to make out the words.
Given what he had been injected with, he must be hallucinating pretty badly.
"Get the commander on the line," Cottle threw over his shoulder, not really caring who did it as long as it was done. "Tell him I have some news for him."
*
The stifling heat was making his skin hurt and Lee shifted around restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position. The sheets clung to his sweaty body, itching. He tried to pull them off but small hands stopped him.
He felt someone slide a straw between his lips and drank gratefully, the water bliss on his parched throat. He managed to open his eyes to half-slits, spotting his brother near his bed.
"Lee?" Zak looked too worried for an eight-year-old, his eyes too big for his face. "Mom and Dad are talking to the doctors. They told me to wait here."
Lee tried to look the other way, but the pain in his neck made him whimper softly.
"Lee?"
The pain faded after a few moments and he managed a tired smile. "I'm fine," he said, hoping it would reassure his brother.
Zak nodded gravely. "Mom and Dad say you're sick but you're going to be all right. Mom's crying. Dad looks angry."
"Dad's here?" Lee asked, fighting a yawn. He felt like he had slept for days, but couldn't manage to get more alert than he was-which wasn't much.
"Yeah, he talked to you." Zak looked at him, looking scared again. "You don't remember?"
Lee almost said no, but then a figment of memory came back to him-his father leaning down over him, pushing the hair back from his forehead, whispering that everything was going to be fine, that his family was here with him, that the doctors were taking good care of him, that he had to rest, that he would be home soon.
"I thought it was a dream," he whispered sleepily. Their father was supposed to be away for another three months, wasn't he? What was he doing here?
"You're sick," Zak threw in, and Lee realized he had asked the question out loud. Weird, he hadn't meant to do that. "So, he came back."
Must be bad, then, Lee thought. He should have felt scared, but he just felt tired, so tired he couldn't even keep his eyes open anymore.
He felt Zak shake his arm. "Lee?" The fear in his brother's voice gave him enough strength to look at him again.
"It's okay," he said. Then, he frowned. When had Zak gotten so big?
"You're going to be fine, bro." Zak was wearing his flight suit and Lee reached out to him, trying to pull him closer.
Be careful, he tried to say. Don't get into flight school. Don't try to prove to Dad or to me that you're a pilot too.
Don't die.
All that came out of his mouth was a groan.
Zak took his hand, squeezed it softly. "You're going to be fine, Lee."
"Don't leave," Lee managed to say, then he allowed himself to drift to sleep.
*
"Zak?"
Bill looked up from the report he was reading, surprised at the sound of his son's voice. He hadn't expected him to wake up for another few hours at best.
"Lee?" he called, putting the report aside.
Lee opened his eyes and looked in his direction, a confused frown settling in. "Zak?"
Bill tried not to panic at Lee's obvious disorientation, but he only moderately succeeded. Cottle had warned him that it was likely to happen, but knowing it was possible and seeing it were two different things. "No, son, it's me," he said, hoping his voice would help bring his son from wherever he was.
As if on cue, Cottle stepped into the cubicle, and Adama thought that once upon a time, he would have been aware that the doctor had been lurking around.
"Captain?" Cottle called, ignoring Bill and focusing on his patient. "Can you hear me?"
His voice was stern, unyielding, and Lee turned his head in his direction. "What?" he mumbled.
"Captain?" Cottle placed a hand on Lee's arm, probably to draw his attention to him, Adama surmised. "Can you tell me your name, rank and posting?"
Lee swallowed a few times before articulating, as if he had to think about each word, "Lee Adama, Captain, CAG, Galactica."
"Good," Cottle said. He gestured at Adama to leave and took out a pen light from his pocket. "I need you to focus on the light, Captain." He shot another look at Adama, more insistently this time. Bill took the hint and left him to work, relieved that his son seemed at least vaguely aware. He needed all his willpower not to pace outside of the room, waiting for Cottle to emerge with news.
Ten minutes went by before Cottle arrived, looking slightly less gruff than usual. "Well, apparently he survived with his brain pretty much intact. Considering that whoever did this to him didn't intend for him to survive, I'd say it's a good night."
Sometimes, Adama wished the doctor was a little less blunt, especially considering that he had just finished reading the Marines' report. The image of his son, beaten and bound, calling out for Zak, was one he could have lived without. "He asked for his brother when he woke up," he said.
Cottle seemed to hear the implied, "Are you sure he's fine?" and took a cigarette out of his pocket, but didn't light it. "Yes, well, he must have been hallucinating pretty badly. But he recognized me, he recognized his surroundings, he remembers his day up to the point where he was attacked, and he knows what year it is. He's still a little out of it, but that's to be expected, considering."
Adama nodded grimly. Lee had been sent to investigate on several threats of sabotage that had made their way to the President's office. Apparently, he had found the men behind them. Thankfully, Saul hadn't hesitated to send the Marines when Lee had failed to report at the assigned time of his check-in.
It had been a close call. If the Marines had arrived even half an hour later…
Bill shook the thought. The Marines had gotten there in time, his son had survived and was still himself. That was all he needed to think about.
"Can I see him?"
Cottle shrugged, eyeing his cigarette, as if trying to decide whether or not he should smoke it or keep it for later. Cigarettes were one of the many things left on short supply in the Fleet. "Don't expect him to be awake."
"I don't care."
Cottle gestured for him to go ahead, then sighed and pocketed the cigarette once more.
*
Lee's head was pounding, and he felt like he had taken the thrashing of his life, but he was mostly coherent again, which was progress. Cottle had assured him that the drugs he had been given hadn't turned his brain to mush, and he was grateful for that small favor.
His neck hurt where they had stuck him with the needle-twice, because he had struggled hard enough to break the first one.
Damn, but he really wanted five minutes alone with the bastards who had done that to him.
"They caught two of the men we think attacked you," his father said by way of greeting when he entered the room.
Lee nodded at him. "Good," he said. He realized he was clenching his fists and forced himself to relax them. It would be another few days before Cottle released him-but then, he promised himself, he would spend some quality time in the gym, pounding the hell out of a punching bag.
"Did you get a good look at them?" his father asked carefully.
Lee nodded, feeling his anger rise another notch. "They didn't try to hide their faces." Since they didn't expect me to walk away from this.
His father's jaw clenched. "Well." He met Lee's gaze. "Seems like they're toast now."
Lee almost smiled. "Yeah." He didn't remember exactly what had happened the night he had been attacked-only a few flashes here and there. The way his father treated him, almost as if he had never seen him before, was telling. He must have been pretty stoned, but he didn't dare ask what he had said (if anything) while drugged, and no one was volunteering any information.
"Did the men tell you who else was in it with them?" he asked.
His father took a seat, shaking his head. "Not yet. They will."
Lee didn't doubt that. He knew the Marines were very efficient when they were annoyed.
"Try to rest," his father said, making no move to go anywhere.
Rest sounded like the best idea ever and Lee felt his eyes starting to drift shut. "Yeah," he said.
He vaguely remembered dreaming about Zak-strange, disconnected memories intermingled with nightmares. For some reason, he even thought he could feel his brother's presence as he sank into oblivion, but that was stupid. Zak was long gone, no matter how much the thought still hurt, even after all this time.
The last thing he was aware of was his father's hand closing on his own and he savored the warmth of the connection.
end
Part Two
Author : Helen C.
Summary : See title. A series of four unrelated, unashamedly H/C, AU ficlets.
Fandom : BSG
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimer : The characters and the universe were created and are owned by Ronald D. Moore and Universal Television Studios to name but a few. No money is being made. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN. Many thanks to Mick1997 for beta'ing this! As often happens, I tinkered-all remaining mistakes are mine.
Four Times Lee Adama Almost (But Not Quite) Died
Helen C.
Time #1
The cold water was making his arms and legs numb and heavy, and Lee tried to gather his strength. Now wasn't the time to stop fighting.
He could do this.
He had to do this.
"Lee!"
The sound of his brother's voice, panicked and breathless, spurred him forward. He swam even harder, furiously trying to get nearer. Zak was being dragged away from him by the current and he needed to get to him soon. If he didn't…
He took another staggering breath, gulping down some seawater in the process, and forced his limbs to move. Inch by inch, he was getting nearer. He looked at Zak, saw his pleading face, and used it as fuel to go on.
He couldn't let his brother down.
He couldn't just allow him to drown, a mere few feet from him.
He had to be stronger than the ocean, because if he wasn't… Well, the price to pay for failure would just be too high.
Lee's clothes were sticking to his skin, hampering his movements, and he inwardly cursed himself. He should have gotten rid of his pants before he ran into the water after his brother, but he hadn't taken the time to think.
Their mother had been very clear. You need to look after him, Lee. He's younger than you are, he's your responsibility.
But Lee had been distracted by his friends, and he had started playing with them, and then someone had screamed and he had looked and Zak had been waving, in the water, clearly in trouble.
"Lee!" Zak's voice was strained. How much longer would he manage to keep his head above the water? He wasn't a very good swimmer yet-he wasn't supposed to swim without supervision, but Lee had been busy and Zak always tried not to bother him when he was with his friends.
That was one of the great things about Zak. He knew when Lee didn't want him underfoot and now he was going to die, and Lee just couldn't swim fast enough, and where the frak were the lifeguards anyway?
"Lee!"
He didn't have any breath to spare to reply; he could barely keep going, dizzy with fatigue and pain. No matter how hard he tried, he felt like he was swimming in place.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to keep moving, praying that he was wrong, that Zak wasn't being dragged even farther away from him.
He was not going to let his kid brother die in front of him, not because of his own stupid inattention, and certainly not because he hadn't been able to swim fast enough, or long enough.
He was stronger than that.
He was an Adama, and so was Zak, and if there was one thing their father had taught them, it was that Adamas succeeded, no matter what.
"Lee!"
"Hang on!" he managed to gasp, and he started coughing as seawater invaded his mouth, taking him by surprise. Forcing his uncooperative arms to move, he went on a little bit farther.
Then, he froze as Zak just… disappeared, his hands trying to grab something that wasn't there before vanishing under the water as well, as if someone had grabbed his feet and pulled him down.
"Zak!" Lee stopped, looking ahead frantically, but the spot where his brother had gone under remained empty. "Zak! ZAK!"
*
"I think he's been drugged, Sir," Sykes said.
Gunny Mathias rolled her eyes but didn't reply. The fact that Apollo had been drugged was fairly obvious-a broken syringe a few inches from where he was lying on the floor, and the way he was curled up on himself, hands tied behind his back, shivering and calling his dead brother's name, were dead giveaways as to what had happened. Crouching down next to the Captain, she reached out to take his pulse, grimacing at how cold his skin was under her fingers.
Damn.
She checked for signs of head injury, couldn't see anything obvious, so she undid the first two buttons of the Captain's jacket, hoping it would make him more comfortable, then gestured at Sykes. "Untie his hands, will you?"
He nodded and kneeled next to her, cutting off the bonds, then helped Erin to roll Apollo on his back. He breathed in sharply at the sight of the bruises on the Captain's face and neck. Erin thought she heard him mutter, "Bastards," but she was already busy checking that the captain didn't have any obvious broken bones. She lifted off Apollo's uniform jacket and his tops, frowning at the black bruises forming on his chest. The last thing the man needed were broken ribs. Thankfully, when she prodded the area, she couldn't find anything that gave. Cracked, maybe, but not broken. Good, it was going to make their life a little easier.
She turned to Sykes. "Call Galactica," she ordered. "Tell them we're bringing in a medical emergency. Bring Griggs back with you, and a stretcher."
Sykes nodded smartly and took off without comment. Erin checked the Captain's pulse again, relieved that it wasn't any faster than a few minutes earlier. That was something at least. Still, Apollo's skin was too cold and he hadn't shown any sign that he was aware of what was happening around him. It was impossible to tell what kind of drugs he had been given, or how much, but since whoever was behind the attack had left him here, Erin had to assume that it had been too much.
Lips set in a thin line, she thought about her next course of action. First, get the Captain to sickbay. Then, come back with reinforcements and a team of MPs, start asking questions and find whoever the hell had done this, and then… Well, then, hopefully, she'd get to see the Old Man take them apart with his bare hands-a feat she was reasonably sure he was capable of.
*
"Come on, bro, you gotta admit, it was funny."
Lee tried to ignore his brother, but the damn twerp didn't make it easy.
"I would have loved to see the look on your face…" Zak chuckled.
Lee felt his cheeks heat up. "One day," he said half-heartedly, "Mom is going to walk in on you and we'll see how you like that." Even threatening his brother didn't make him feel better, though. Their mother had been drunk when she had surprised him, and she was a mean drunk-and growing meaner by the year.
"Never gonna happen," Zak stated, smiling confidently. "I know enough to lock the door when I'm… busy."
Lee grimaced. "Not an image I wanted to carry around," he mumbled.
Zak wasn't finished. "Honestly, Lee, ever heard about keys?"
Lee stopped walking and glared at Zak. "Yes, I have. And she wasn't supposed to come home for hours, damn it!" But then, their mother was making herself scarce at work these days. They probably frowned upon their employees drinking a whole bottle through the afternoon. Lee almost hoped she'd get fired, because that might get his father's attention.
Catching his own thoughts, he shook his head. At this point, would anything ever get his father's attention?
Zak totally lost it, the sound of his laughter bringing Lee back to the present. He sighed and resigned himself. He was just going to have to suck it up and wait for his brother to run out of steam. Knowing Zak, it might take a while.
When Zak seemed sufficiently recovered, Lee started trekking again, his brother following a few steps behind him, still snickering. Damn him.
And damn their mother for coming home early. At least Zak hadn't been around to witness that. Their mother was usually careful of how she talked to him when they had an audience, but wasted as she had been, it was possible she wouldn't have noticed.
Ah, well, if the price of this little incident was that Lee never jerked off ever again, well, the world would survive, right?
Right.
It would.
Probably.
Zak fell silent as the slope grew steeper, sometimes cursing under his breath as a tree root hidden under the leaves made him trip.
The whole outing had been his idea-one that Lee had gratefully accepted, since their mother seemed to have a new man in her life, and Lee couldn't stand that frakker. Their mother hadn't tried to protest when they had asked her permission to go. Lee had sensed she was relieved not to have them underfoot for the weekend.
A win-win situation, he told himself, and his inner voice wasn't quite bitter. Not quite.
A weekend of trekking into the mountains, camping, and generally forgetting all about their parents and the upcoming finals at school, seemed like paradise-even if he had to endure Zak's teasing.
It took them the better part of the day to reach their goal, but finally, the mountain road gave way to a clearing-their chosen camping spot, not far from the mountain side. Fifty meters to the left, the sheer headland allowed them to see the city, far below in the distance. The sun was starting to set and the whole city was drowned in yellow and orange.
They both sat down near the edge and enjoyed the breathtaking view in silence, content to enjoy the peace and quiet.
Things at home were growing less and less quiet, these days. The tensions between Lee and their mother made Zak uneasy, and he tried to get between them to defuse the situation too often for Lee's taste. He appreciated his brother's support but he didn't want Zak involved in the ugly little war he was waging against their mother-and against their father as well, truth be told. He was supposed to protect Zak, not the other way around.
"Guess we should go start a fire," Zak said when the light started to dim, and the wind grew colder.
"Guess so." Lee had never felt so reluctant to move, but Zak was right. They needed to set up camp before night fell completely. It would be too dark to search for wood soon.
Lee got to his feet.
Zak followed suit.
They both walked closer to the edge to take in the view one last time, enjoying the way the lights of the city switched on, little by little.
As he was turning back to head to the clearing, a rock under Lee's foot gave way under his weight, and he felt himself slide before he could grab anything solid.
"Lee!"
He slid down, grimacing as the hard rock tore at his clothes and grazed his skin. He managed to catch the tip of a rock before his whole body tumbled into the void, and cursed when the rock cut at his fingers.
"Lee!"
"Zak," he called, heart beating hard and fast in his chest. He barely dared to raise his voice.
Zak's hand appeared in his line of sight. "Don't look down," his brother ordered.
Why did people always say that? Lee wondered. He hadn't even thought about looking down until his brother told him not to.
His fingers were starting to cramp and Lee fumbled around to find something else to hang on to.
"Lee!" Zak's fingers closed around his wrist, let go, fumbled some more before latching at him again.
Zak caught him just as Lee lost his grip with a startled gasp. "Frak, Lee, hang on," Zak yelled as he took a firmer hold of his wrist.
"Trying," Lee said, but he could feel the tension in Zak's arm and hand. He was taller and heavier than Zak. There was no way his brother was going to be able to pull him back to safety.
Fighting the feeling of panic, Lee grabbed a few rocks, ineffectively dislodging some of them.
Then, he felt his wrist slip out of Zak's hold.
He looked up to his brother, who shouted, "Lee!"
Lee screamed as he fell, closing his eyes and waiting for the impact.
*
The nurse assisting Cottle startled when Apollo started to scream, but to her credit, she recovered fast. Good, Cottle thought. Maybe this one would prove competent in the long run.
Their patient didn't have the strength left to struggle much, but his head was rolling from side to side as he called for Zak. He tried to lift an arm and the nurse instinctively reached out to steady him, preventing him from tearing his IV out.
Apollo's heartbeat started to quicken, getting uncomfortably close to the alarm range.
"Prepare the restraints, just in case," Cottle said. "How are these analyses coming?"
As if on cue, a paper materialized in front of his eyes. He took it impatiently, not bothering to see who was bringing it, and swore under his breath when he saw the result. "Okay, prepare the atropine and get ready. We need to pump his stomach."
The nurse obeyed without a word as Cottle gave the results another once over, making sure he hadn't missed anything. Apollo was still shifting around slowly, muttering under his breath, too low to make out the words.
Given what he had been injected with, he must be hallucinating pretty badly.
"Get the commander on the line," Cottle threw over his shoulder, not really caring who did it as long as it was done. "Tell him I have some news for him."
*
The stifling heat was making his skin hurt and Lee shifted around restlessly, trying to find a comfortable position. The sheets clung to his sweaty body, itching. He tried to pull them off but small hands stopped him.
He felt someone slide a straw between his lips and drank gratefully, the water bliss on his parched throat. He managed to open his eyes to half-slits, spotting his brother near his bed.
"Lee?" Zak looked too worried for an eight-year-old, his eyes too big for his face. "Mom and Dad are talking to the doctors. They told me to wait here."
Lee tried to look the other way, but the pain in his neck made him whimper softly.
"Lee?"
The pain faded after a few moments and he managed a tired smile. "I'm fine," he said, hoping it would reassure his brother.
Zak nodded gravely. "Mom and Dad say you're sick but you're going to be all right. Mom's crying. Dad looks angry."
"Dad's here?" Lee asked, fighting a yawn. He felt like he had slept for days, but couldn't manage to get more alert than he was-which wasn't much.
"Yeah, he talked to you." Zak looked at him, looking scared again. "You don't remember?"
Lee almost said no, but then a figment of memory came back to him-his father leaning down over him, pushing the hair back from his forehead, whispering that everything was going to be fine, that his family was here with him, that the doctors were taking good care of him, that he had to rest, that he would be home soon.
"I thought it was a dream," he whispered sleepily. Their father was supposed to be away for another three months, wasn't he? What was he doing here?
"You're sick," Zak threw in, and Lee realized he had asked the question out loud. Weird, he hadn't meant to do that. "So, he came back."
Must be bad, then, Lee thought. He should have felt scared, but he just felt tired, so tired he couldn't even keep his eyes open anymore.
He felt Zak shake his arm. "Lee?" The fear in his brother's voice gave him enough strength to look at him again.
"It's okay," he said. Then, he frowned. When had Zak gotten so big?
"You're going to be fine, bro." Zak was wearing his flight suit and Lee reached out to him, trying to pull him closer.
Be careful, he tried to say. Don't get into flight school. Don't try to prove to Dad or to me that you're a pilot too.
Don't die.
All that came out of his mouth was a groan.
Zak took his hand, squeezed it softly. "You're going to be fine, Lee."
"Don't leave," Lee managed to say, then he allowed himself to drift to sleep.
*
"Zak?"
Bill looked up from the report he was reading, surprised at the sound of his son's voice. He hadn't expected him to wake up for another few hours at best.
"Lee?" he called, putting the report aside.
Lee opened his eyes and looked in his direction, a confused frown settling in. "Zak?"
Bill tried not to panic at Lee's obvious disorientation, but he only moderately succeeded. Cottle had warned him that it was likely to happen, but knowing it was possible and seeing it were two different things. "No, son, it's me," he said, hoping his voice would help bring his son from wherever he was.
As if on cue, Cottle stepped into the cubicle, and Adama thought that once upon a time, he would have been aware that the doctor had been lurking around.
"Captain?" Cottle called, ignoring Bill and focusing on his patient. "Can you hear me?"
His voice was stern, unyielding, and Lee turned his head in his direction. "What?" he mumbled.
"Captain?" Cottle placed a hand on Lee's arm, probably to draw his attention to him, Adama surmised. "Can you tell me your name, rank and posting?"
Lee swallowed a few times before articulating, as if he had to think about each word, "Lee Adama, Captain, CAG, Galactica."
"Good," Cottle said. He gestured at Adama to leave and took out a pen light from his pocket. "I need you to focus on the light, Captain." He shot another look at Adama, more insistently this time. Bill took the hint and left him to work, relieved that his son seemed at least vaguely aware. He needed all his willpower not to pace outside of the room, waiting for Cottle to emerge with news.
Ten minutes went by before Cottle arrived, looking slightly less gruff than usual. "Well, apparently he survived with his brain pretty much intact. Considering that whoever did this to him didn't intend for him to survive, I'd say it's a good night."
Sometimes, Adama wished the doctor was a little less blunt, especially considering that he had just finished reading the Marines' report. The image of his son, beaten and bound, calling out for Zak, was one he could have lived without. "He asked for his brother when he woke up," he said.
Cottle seemed to hear the implied, "Are you sure he's fine?" and took a cigarette out of his pocket, but didn't light it. "Yes, well, he must have been hallucinating pretty badly. But he recognized me, he recognized his surroundings, he remembers his day up to the point where he was attacked, and he knows what year it is. He's still a little out of it, but that's to be expected, considering."
Adama nodded grimly. Lee had been sent to investigate on several threats of sabotage that had made their way to the President's office. Apparently, he had found the men behind them. Thankfully, Saul hadn't hesitated to send the Marines when Lee had failed to report at the assigned time of his check-in.
It had been a close call. If the Marines had arrived even half an hour later…
Bill shook the thought. The Marines had gotten there in time, his son had survived and was still himself. That was all he needed to think about.
"Can I see him?"
Cottle shrugged, eyeing his cigarette, as if trying to decide whether or not he should smoke it or keep it for later. Cigarettes were one of the many things left on short supply in the Fleet. "Don't expect him to be awake."
"I don't care."
Cottle gestured for him to go ahead, then sighed and pocketed the cigarette once more.
*
Lee's head was pounding, and he felt like he had taken the thrashing of his life, but he was mostly coherent again, which was progress. Cottle had assured him that the drugs he had been given hadn't turned his brain to mush, and he was grateful for that small favor.
His neck hurt where they had stuck him with the needle-twice, because he had struggled hard enough to break the first one.
Damn, but he really wanted five minutes alone with the bastards who had done that to him.
"They caught two of the men we think attacked you," his father said by way of greeting when he entered the room.
Lee nodded at him. "Good," he said. He realized he was clenching his fists and forced himself to relax them. It would be another few days before Cottle released him-but then, he promised himself, he would spend some quality time in the gym, pounding the hell out of a punching bag.
"Did you get a good look at them?" his father asked carefully.
Lee nodded, feeling his anger rise another notch. "They didn't try to hide their faces." Since they didn't expect me to walk away from this.
His father's jaw clenched. "Well." He met Lee's gaze. "Seems like they're toast now."
Lee almost smiled. "Yeah." He didn't remember exactly what had happened the night he had been attacked-only a few flashes here and there. The way his father treated him, almost as if he had never seen him before, was telling. He must have been pretty stoned, but he didn't dare ask what he had said (if anything) while drugged, and no one was volunteering any information.
"Did the men tell you who else was in it with them?" he asked.
His father took a seat, shaking his head. "Not yet. They will."
Lee didn't doubt that. He knew the Marines were very efficient when they were annoyed.
"Try to rest," his father said, making no move to go anywhere.
Rest sounded like the best idea ever and Lee felt his eyes starting to drift shut. "Yeah," he said.
He vaguely remembered dreaming about Zak-strange, disconnected memories intermingled with nightmares. For some reason, he even thought he could feel his brother's presence as he sank into oblivion, but that was stupid. Zak was long gone, no matter how much the thought still hurt, even after all this time.
The last thing he was aware of was his father's hand closing on his own and he savored the warmth of the connection.
end
Part Two