Taking a Break From All Your Worries, part 2

[mr_gaeta]

It won't be for very long, they told him. There's going to be an investigation; they've taken Baltar to sickbay to treat his injuries; Ishay pronounced him free of concussions or any loose teeth after the Admiral's punch, even if the whole side of his face keeps throbbing and a decent-sized bruise has flowered over his jaw bone

Comments

[faithful_lt]

Certain types of news spread at the speed of light, if not faster. Hoshi had calculated, somewhat numbly, that he'd heard what had happened within at most half an hour of it occurring.

It's another half-hour after that before he would normally be off shift, plus an additional two to cover the temporary gap in rotation left by Felix's absence; another ten or fifteen minutes after that while he makes his way to Galactica's brig, and several more for him to talk the Marine guard into letting him see Felix.

It's only after the guard finally relents and starts opening the door for him that he realizes that he hasn't spent a single bit of all that time figuring out what to say.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta's head snaps up at the clank and rattle of the outer door. He's on his feet without thinking about it, hands immediately tucked behind his back -- frak, he shouldn't have stood up that fast. He may not be concussed, but he's hurting enough for the room to swim for a beat before it grudgingly resettles into place.

Guess he wouldn't have made Admiral if he couldn't throw a punch like that, he thinks a bit bleakly.

When he sees who it is, he's too stunned for a moment to relax out of parade rest. "Louis?"

[faithful_lt]

The bruise on the side of Gaeta's face stands out darkly against his skin, a sunburst in reverse. Hoshi finds that he's having trouble keeping himself from staring at it.

"... hi," he manages, somewhat awkwardly.

"Heard you were in here, so I thought I'd swing by and keep you company for a bit-- that is, if you don't mind?"

[mr_gaeta]

"No, that's -- "

He shakes his head, quickly. (Too quickly: ow, frak.) "That's fine, I don't mind at all, if you..."

Unclasping his hands, he looks to the Marine standing guard in a silent question.