Secret Santa Fic for elipsos
Written as part of the A/R Secret Santa Gift Exchange for elipsos
Her wish was for a Post Revelations fic, A/R (naturally) and Cottle as primary characters. Would love to see a good fic that takes each character's POV of the others and their relationships.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:Lots of hugs and kisses to my patient and wonderful beta altitudeandwine. You make me better than I am!
Triangle
by docladyblade
Laura
Laura opened her eyes. Where was Cottle? And Bill? Bill usually arrived, the burnt copy of Searider Falcon tucked under his arm, just as Jack returned to plug in the Diloxin.
Today, the crusty old doctor had ushered her to a bed, inserted the IV needle and disappeared to fetch her poison. He’s been gone a long time. She craned her neck, turning to scan Sickbay for his lumbering form, and spotted Jack, plastic IV bag in hand, deep in conversation with Bill.
She studied the two men, and for the first time, saw them as one. Before, she had always seen them separately. Admiral. Major. Leader. Healer. Bill. Jack. She knew them. Well. I know them well. But she knew very little about them -- together. She had never asked Bill or Jack, how they had met. Had they known each other in the First Cylon War? Did Bill tolerate Jack’s incessant smoking and bad attitude for the same reason he had tolerated Saul’s drinking? And on that subject, did Jack smoke for the same reason Saul drank?
Laura contemplated the pair. Unable to hear their words, she watched their gestures, posture - their body language; her years of teaching and politics had taught her much on that subject. Here are two men. Warriors. Aged and bowed by adversity. Bent but not broken. Dealing daily with wounds old and new. Ones that have not healed and some that will never heal. Friends. Colleagues who share a bond, invisible but stronger than the armored plates of the Galactica.
Laura blinked and sat up a little straighter.
Family. Even closer than blood.
Jack was part of Bill’s family. Another lost soul quietly given a place. Laura smiled. Jack would deny it if I asked. But Bill’s eyes would confirm it.
Cottle reached out and laid a hand on Bill’s shoulder. Bill nodded and drew himself erect. Laura slumped back onto her pillow before either man saw her watching them.
They’re headed this way now.
Bill
When Bill walked into Sickbay, Cottle was holding Laura’s hand.
It was unusual for him to arrive in Sickbay at this time. He usually was there later, crossing the compartment to Laura’s bedside and finding her IV at the ready, waiting for Jack to return with her dose of Diloxin.
Bill paused just inside the hatch and stepped to one side, knowing he would not be noticed if he did so, and if he was, no one would mention it. He could see Jack, seated at Laura’s bedside, steadying himself and smoothly slide the IV needle into the vein on the back of her hand. How can Jack do that so easily? A shiver ghosted down Bill’s hamstrings.
He remained still. Jack loomed large over her small frame. Pretending not to care. We’ve seen so much death, Jack. You even more than I, and for you so much more personal. Not for the first time, Bill saw the deep compassion the gruff doctor had for Laura, and quashed a pang of jealousy. He looked at Laura’s face, saw her small flicker of a smile, and shook off a wave of guilt.
There’s the Doctor-patient relationship -- which is necessarily intimate. You can’t hide anything from someone who handles your guts. But Jack, you’ve always kept that little bit of distance. You never let anyone get close.
Bill tilted his head, and a smile crept across his face.
But not this time. Laura has managed to get past that wall you’ve so carefully built, hasn’t she? You kept her secret, right from the start. From the Quorum. From the Press.
From me.
You love her, Jack.
Laura’s eyes closed and her expression relaxed, unguarded, accepting. Dying. Bill’s heart constricted. You love her, Jack and Laura cares for you. In a way that’s not too much different than the connection I used to feel with Saul.
He sighed.
Cottle stood up and moved across Sickbay. Bill stepped forward to intercept him.
Jack
Cottle checked the IV again, nodded at the Admiral and brushed past the curtain away from the President’s bed. In a moment he crossed Sickbay and leaned against a bulkhead, blowing a stream of smoke from his nose that stung his eyes as it drifted upwards. He turned back to the rear of the compartment, where from his strategically chosen vantage, he could see between the mostly drawn curtains.
Jack heard the deep murmur of the Admiral’s voice reading to Roslin, even though he couldn’t distinguish the words.
Probably another one of those hardboiled mysteries. I don’t know how she stands them. Quite a step down from Searider Falcon. That has always been one of my favorites. He snorted. Without the Admiral’s additions of course.
He took another drag on his cigarette, and cocked his head to the side, watching.
Something’s different between them now. Ever since Roslin disappeared running some harebrained errand aboard that rebel basestar, and Adama pulled that cockamamie stunt - staying behind in a raptor … He scowled. What’s changed?
It’s not that the Old Man’s in love with Roslin. That started after Kobol. Got stronger the last time she was dying. Cottle shuddered. That was nearly a disaster. It became more obvious when we were on that frakking mudball of New Caprica. That red dress was really fine. A corner of his mouth quirked upwards.
But Roslin, she’s been in denial the whole time. Can’t believe she was that frakking oblivious … not with what happened at the Dance, and every day following until I found the frakking cancer was back. After that she put her feet firmly into Pythia’s shoes and didn’t have time for anything so ridiculous as …
Laura reached out and ran a hand down Bill’s arm. Bill caught her hand with his bandaged one. She didn’t pull away, just smiled and leaned back into her pillow. A smile flickered across Bill’s face as he turned back to the book.
Well, young lady …
A smirk that morphed into a smile that segued into a grin lit up Cottle’s face.
I’ll be godsdammed!
He glared at Ishay’s knowing smile as she scurried past him, and schooled his features into calm detachment. But his heart thumped in his ears and he smothered a chuckle by blowing a cloud of blue grey smoke at the overhead.
Laura loves Bill.
Bill loves Laura.
And they both know it.