Understanding
"Madam President, all due respect, but I don't get paid enough money for this." Laura and Kara, Battlestar Galactica
Summary: Laura Roslin begins to understand Kara Thrace. Written for kelbelle, 655 words.
~*~*~
"Madam President, all due respect, but I don't get paid enough money for this."
"Lieutenant, I know this is somewhat outside of your range of expertise—"
"Somewhat? I'm a fighter pilot, sir, not a medic. Come to think of it, where the hell are the gods-damned medics?" Laura watched the younger woman anxiously pace to the opposite wall and back. The room was buzzing with activity, a large group of civilians gathered in the corner, offering support to the very pregnant young lady who had just hours before gone into heavy labor. Laura had asked Lieutenant Thrace to accompany her on a routine visit to the Geminon Traveler, both unaware of the chaos that awaited them. The Traveler crew had latched on to the pair as soon as they landed, grateful for the arrival of any authority figure.
"They've been called, but they're on rounds with Doctor Cottle and I'm afraid they won't arrive in time. And if that is the case, we are going to need someone to take control, someone who won't buckle under pressure. Someone who will do what needs to be done. I was under the impression that a member of the Colonial Fleet would be up to the task, however, feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken."
Kara stopped pacing and looked Laura straight in the eye, her gaze cold and unflinching. "I think I've proved that I'm more than up to any task you care to give me."
"Indeed," Laura said simply. "That's why I have every faith that you can perform this one."
"Yes, sir, Madam President," said Kara blankly, her face revealing no emotion, before crossing the room to join the throng of people. "Move!" she barked, and damned if they didn't jump ten feet away instantly. Laura watched all this with a grim smile. Kara spoke and people listened, and she couldn't help but respect that.
An hour later, Kara and the new mother were equally sweaty and exhausted. Kara slumped against the wall as the medic, who had arrived in the middle of the delivery, placed the newborn baby girl in her mother's arms. Laura started to cross the room, but was stopped in her tracks by the look on Kara's face.
"Lieutenant," she said. Kara snapped her head up to look at Laura.
"Excuse me, Madam President, just…I need to clean up," Kara said, scrambling to her feet and running for the door. More worried now than ever, Laura followed. She reached the hallway and out of the corner of her eye saw a hatch slam shut. She walked briskly down the hallway and reached for the hatch. She didn't know what she had expected to find, but the sight of Kara Thrace kneeling, huddled on the floor, her arms wrapped around her midsection and her shoulders shaking hit Laura like a ton of bricks. Kara's eyes were dry, but her breathing was ragged and she looked a second away from screaming aloud. Laura well knew the feeling of desperation she saw in the younger woman's eyes. She'd seen them mirrored in her own the day the worlds ended, the day she'd almost simultaneously been diagnosed with terminal cancer and handed the responsibility of thousands of lives. She knew that gut-wrenching terror of losing everything and still being forced to go on, to live as if you weren't one step away from complete and total freefall. Laura looked at Kara and knew that she was desperately close to the edge, although she didn't pretend to know why. Carefully, she kneeled in front of Kara's shaking form and took the pilot's hands in her own.
"I did my job," Kara said, looking plaintively at Laura. "I always do my job, no matter what."
Laura smiled reassuringly, even though her heart felt like breaking. "I believe that." Kara choked out a sob and Laura squeezed her hands, softly saying "It's okay now. It's okay."
end
Posted by Carrie on 05:30 PM