Two Minutes
Chloe couldn’t believe the words popped out of her mouth so effortlessly. She just offered to cut open Rush’s chest in a moment of panic and take out the tracking device. Granted, it wouldn’t be her - there would be an actual surgeon in her body - but still. The room was tense after she offered, but Young agreed to it.
He told T.J. to invent an O.R. She hurried off and he followed; Camille trailed behind them at a safe but concerned distance. Lt. Scott stood in the doorway; his hands clutching his lowered gun. He was tense and impatient.
“Could you give us a minute?” Chloe asked him quietly.
He widened his eyes in surprise before he managed to grow even tenser. He looked as though he wanted to speak, but eight years of military training taught him how to hold his tongue. Still, he stood there, rooted to the spot.
“Please,” Chloe said, straining to make him understand. “Time is kind of a factor here.”
Matt stayed silent for a moment, his eyes darting quickly back and forth between Chloe and Dr. Rush. Finally, he spoke; his voice was cold like a grave.
“If he’s not in the O.R. in two minutes, I’ll drag him there myself.”
“He’ll be there,” Chloe insisted.
Scott’s eyes linked with hers for another brief moment; there was anger and sorrow behind them, but he knew he’d lost his personal battle. He left. She waited until she heard his footsteps carry him far down the corridor. She waved her hand across the door’s sensor, shutting it.
She turned to Rush and asked, wide-eyed, “Is this okay?”
He braced himself up against the console. There was a look in his eyes that broke her heart: he looked as though he believed he might die.
“It has to be,” he replied after a deafening silence consumed them for a few moments. “There’s just no other choice.”
“I’m sorry I spoke up like that, but it was just my gut instinct, and sometimes I say things without --”
“No,” he said suddenly. He stepped forward so that he was right in front of her. “You did the right thing,” he paused again, as though mulling over how he wanted to say what he was about to say. “I’d rather it be you - or your hands, at least - than anyone else on this ship. Besides, we speculated about this scenario before. It was clever of you to remember it.”
Chloe felt a small sense of pride, even though it wasn’t exactly an opportune time, at his praising of her.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” she said; she smiled as she said it, because it was the only way she could stave off the scared and frustrated tears that were welling up in her eyes.
“Aye.”
“And I just want to say thanks - for everything. And I know you know you’re brave, but I want you to know that I think you’re brave. You probably think I’m crazy for saying it now, but I figured now’s as good a time as any.”
He smiled a small, sad smile as they moved towards the door. They were about to part ways - he to the O.R. and her to the communications room. He reached out his hand to her.
“Goodbye, Chloe.”
“I’m not going to shake your hand,” she said, shaking her head briskly. “Because it’s not goodbye. I’ll see you when you wake up.”
This sentiment provoked another sad smile upon his lips; he hoped she was right.
He told T.J. to invent an O.R. She hurried off and he followed; Camille trailed behind them at a safe but concerned distance. Lt. Scott stood in the doorway; his hands clutching his lowered gun. He was tense and impatient.
“Could you give us a minute?” Chloe asked him quietly.
He widened his eyes in surprise before he managed to grow even tenser. He looked as though he wanted to speak, but eight years of military training taught him how to hold his tongue. Still, he stood there, rooted to the spot.
“Please,” Chloe said, straining to make him understand. “Time is kind of a factor here.”
Matt stayed silent for a moment, his eyes darting quickly back and forth between Chloe and Dr. Rush. Finally, he spoke; his voice was cold like a grave.
“If he’s not in the O.R. in two minutes, I’ll drag him there myself.”
“He’ll be there,” Chloe insisted.
Scott’s eyes linked with hers for another brief moment; there was anger and sorrow behind them, but he knew he’d lost his personal battle. He left. She waited until she heard his footsteps carry him far down the corridor. She waved her hand across the door’s sensor, shutting it.
She turned to Rush and asked, wide-eyed, “Is this okay?”
He braced himself up against the console. There was a look in his eyes that broke her heart: he looked as though he believed he might die.
“It has to be,” he replied after a deafening silence consumed them for a few moments. “There’s just no other choice.”
“I’m sorry I spoke up like that, but it was just my gut instinct, and sometimes I say things without --”
“No,” he said suddenly. He stepped forward so that he was right in front of her. “You did the right thing,” he paused again, as though mulling over how he wanted to say what he was about to say. “I’d rather it be you - or your hands, at least - than anyone else on this ship. Besides, we speculated about this scenario before. It was clever of you to remember it.”
Chloe felt a small sense of pride, even though it wasn’t exactly an opportune time, at his praising of her.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” she said; she smiled as she said it, because it was the only way she could stave off the scared and frustrated tears that were welling up in her eyes.
“Aye.”
“And I just want to say thanks - for everything. And I know you know you’re brave, but I want you to know that I think you’re brave. You probably think I’m crazy for saying it now, but I figured now’s as good a time as any.”
He smiled a small, sad smile as they moved towards the door. They were about to part ways - he to the O.R. and her to the communications room. He reached out his hand to her.
“Goodbye, Chloe.”
“I’m not going to shake your hand,” she said, shaking her head briskly. “Because it’s not goodbye. I’ll see you when you wake up.”
This sentiment provoked another sad smile upon his lips; he hoped she was right.