Flashbacks Of A Fool Chp 2
Chapter Two
Laura had become accustomed to the cold. The cold of space. The cold of her body failing as she died. The cold of the perpetually dreary planet she had been living on for the past year.
Consistency did not make it comfortable, however.
When hot pain blossomed from her abdomen, she wasn't sure if her gasp was from the sensation of heat, or the agony of her wound.
Though her eyelids were heavy, she forced them open. A light blinded her, and she quickly let them fall closed again. Why were there always lights shining in her face while she was dying?
She was dying, wasn't she?
Another stab of pain flared out, and she moaned.
"Frak, she doesn't need to be awake for this."
Cigarettes, Laura thought absently. Why would she...? Oh.
"What'd you expect me to do, hit 'er over the frakkin' head?"
"Saul?" she mumbled.
"Do something, Colonel," Cottle retorted.
The sound of hushed cursing drew closer and Laura dared to open her eyes again. The light that had been blinding her a moment ago seemed to be gone. She squinted, trying to understand where the shadows on the ceiling were coming from. When she tried to raise her head to look around, a hand pushed her back down.
"Bite on this," Saul muttered, and he held up what looked like a cylindrical incense container.
When she opened her mouth to ask why, he pushed it between her teeth.
He held her gaze as tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes. She screamed around the little piece of plastic until Cottle announced he had found the bullet.
-
96 days before the Occupation
Baltar's Memorial
"I always thought it would be my funeral people would be attending."
"A rather self-centered thought," Tom chided, though his eyes danced with glee.
He had been in high spirits ever since he had been sworn in, and Laura doubted anything she said could bring him down from his power-induced buzz.
She gave a halfhearted 'hmph' before continuing. "As the one at the top of the political food chain then, I believe I was allowed."
"What's it like, being brought back up that chain?"
A lot like I just frakked Adar behind an unlocked door, she thought sourly, quick, dirty and no time for guilt or shame.
"I reserve comment until I actually do something with my new-found powers of state." Laura figured that was an incredibly more appropriate answer, aside from also being true.
"You have done something, Laura." Tom placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.
She grimaced at the gesture, not bothering to remove her expression of distaste as he pulled back. "I don't count granting you political standing."
He dropped his hands to his side before offering his arm. "I'll ask again after the ceremony, then."
Laura slipped her arm through his, but managed to keep the rest of her body as far away as she could without straining her shoulder. They stepped out of the tent quickly, keeping up the pace as they headed towards the platform that had been erected for the memorial. Neither wanted to be in the cold for longer than they had to. Laura was glad of the weather for the single reason that it would shorten Tom's speech.
After climbing the few steps of the stage, she took her arm from his and hung back as he moved to the podium. The people before him were mostly a mass of disorganized civilians, but a tiny, neat square of military dress grays stood out in the corner. The Admiral had sent some of them, though if the man himself was there, she couldn't spot him.
He had been unhappy with Baltar, but worked with him because the people had elected him. Laura had tried to keep her mind from it, but Bill bowing out to protocol reminded her of the whole Cain debacle. He hadn't carried out her order of assassination, and then had taken it upon himself to talk her down from stealing the election. The thought that Bill could subvert their hard-won democracy by refusing to support Zarek made her want to cry 'hypocrite', or perhaps 'petulant schoolboy'. Her reasons for removing Baltar and Cain hadn't been personal, yet she had never gotten a decent answer as to his dislike of Zarek other than 'terrorist'; however well deserved that was.
That her supposed influence over Bill was very likely one of the reasons Tom wanted her for VP wasn't lost on her. She would be damned, though, if she was going to let the man who had once tried to kill her manipulate her personal relationships for political gain.
She kept her arms pinned close to her chest to try and hold in more heat as she waited out Tom's speech.
It wasn't exactly surprising that the man was a good public speaker, considering the masses he had rallied to his cause in the past, but it always did surprise Laura when she could hear a touch of sincerity in his words. Her own emotions remained diligently apathetic through the prayers and murmured 'so say we all's’ that concluded the ceremony.
Slipping from the stage to leave behind both the revelers and mourners, Laura headed back to Colonial One to join the politicians.
-
The Quorum had been neglected under Baltar. The whole government had been neglected, really, but the people currently aboard the ship were more interested in making quick, new political ties than actually making suggestions to improve the damages.
No one at this gathering was making much of an effort to mourn her successor.
Laura let her eyes drift over the crowd, amused by people's reluctance to approach her. Apparently Zarek hadn't conferred with anyone about making her his VP, and had simply been relying on their desperation to please him in order to get her elected. It had been a little disheartening to see this strategy work, but Laura knew it wouldn't be long before Baltar's conditioning of the Quorum wore off and they were back to cutting deals and not offering up assurances. Zarek was obviously saving his energy for the fights to come.
Swirling the drink in her hand, Laura eyed the sparse offerings on the drinks cart. How much longer would it be before the politicians would be forced to drink the local hooch?
"There you are."
A smile slide onto her face as she turned to face the voice's owner. "Admiral," she said. Her eyes quickly flickered down his body, taking in his dress grays. "Didn't think you were coming."
"My raptor was delayed."
She raised an eyebrow, and his mustache did a rather marvelous job at hiding the conspiratorial curl to his lip.
"I see," she murmured over the rim of her glass. Laura could see Zarek smirking in her direction. Fighting a scowl, she turned her focus back to Bill.
He had caught her line of sight, and was frowning when his eyes returned to her. "Is this what you want?"
"It was my decision." Laura's fingers tightened around her glass. "I'm hardly one to be coerced into anything," she reminded him.
Bill chuckled softly at the display. "I remember."
She relaxed, glad to hear fondness coloring his words.
"Congratulations, Laura."
"Thank you."
-
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