The incessant beeping of her vital monitors and the smell of antiseptic reminded her how much she hated this place. It was all frakking ridiculous, the fact that she could barely open her eyes, let alone walk on her own. She'd survived a war and a half, led the dwindling population of the human race to some semblance of safety, and had willed herself both mentally and physically to never give up. But she couldn't even open her damned eyes. The beeping of her monitors was driving her insane, and she just wished she could shut it all down. Shut down the pain, shut down the suffering, and shut down her emotions but she couldn't. There were many things Laura Roslin was, but cylon wasn't one of them. She was doomed to feel the pain she believed they so often missed out on. She could feel it all, every breath that forced its ragged way from her lungs, every ache and pain that shot through her degrading body. "Laura, take my hand... If you can hear me, take my hand." A woman's voice asks and she does as she is told, reaching blindly into the space surrounding her. The hand that meets hers is slender and cool, and the instant they make contact the black space beneath her eyelids is flooded with colour. The steady beeping of her monitor is gradually replaced by an alarming sound she knew all too well, and as her surroundings came more into focus, she realized she was standing within the bleak walls of the CIC.
"Bill?" Laura questions, taking her first hesitant step towards the duo, "Bill, what's going on?"
"Madam President, what the frak are you doing off of Colonial One?!" He asks angrily, stomping over to her, "Madam President?!"
"Bill, what's happening?" She looks at him frantically, confusion and worry flashing across her face as she grabs his arm to steady herself.
"We're under attack, dammit!" He exclaims, his voice still carrying the same strength but his touch much softer, "Saul, what's on DRADIS?"
"Three raiders!" The Commanding Officer replies, giving the bearings.
Bill lets out an exasperated "Frak me!" Before momentarily calming himself, "Action stations Saul! Call the godsdamn action stations and launch the frakking vipers!"
"This is the XO." He calls over the comm, his eyes never leaving his friend or the President, "Set action stations and launch alert vipers!"
"Bill? How did you... How did we... How am I here?" She stumbles over her words, her hands trembling as Bill bears the brunt of her weight, "Bill!" The panic in her voice is evident, and that only worries the Commander and his XO more.
"Madam President, I don't know where the frak you came from! Saul, how are the vipers? And call me frakking Colonial One!"
"Dee, call me Colonial frakking One!" Saul grumbles angrily, "Starbuck, what's it look like out there?"
"Starbuck?" Laura asks breathily, still clinging to Bill's arm, "Bill, Starbuck is dead."
"Dammit, you must've been drugged!" He exclaims under his breath, reaching up to push an auburn lock behind her ear, "Dee, Colonial One!"
"Patching you through now, Sir." She replies as Bill carefully leads Laura to the command table.
"Billy, can you tell me how the frak the President ended up on my ship?" He asks the young man, annoyance evident in his tone, "Billy!"
"Billy?" Laura echoes quietly, reaching up to take the phone from Bill's hand which he quickly darts away, "Billy died."
Mere moments later, Bill turns to Laura, his features hardening as he glared at her, "Billy, what the frak are you telling me?" He questions, and the young man's rambling voice can be heard on the other end of the line, "Give her the phone for gods' sake!" Bill exclaims, the tone of his voice causing Laura to jump, "Gods dammit!" He lowers the phone to his chest and glances at Saul, "What's the status?"
"Two outta three." He nods, "Starbuck's on a roll today."
"Colonel, can you..." Laura stumbles over her words, "Can you look at me?" She questions hesitantly.
"Gods." He mumbles under his breath before stepping towards her and Bill, "You look fine, Madam President."
"No, but... You don't." She reaches up and gently cups his cheek with her hand, "You have both of your eyes."
"Of course I have both of my eyes!" He shakes his head in disbelief, Laura's hand falling to her side, "Bill, take the damn woman to Cottle!"
"Got the last mother frakker!" Kara's voice echoes through CIC, "Great job everyone, now get your asses back on that ship!" She remarks with a laugh.
"Okay, Billy," Bill lets out a deep breath, rubbing his temples, "I'm taking her to Cottle's. Get over here as soon as you can- and don't bring her along. I want to see what she can tell us." He adds before hanging up the phone and carefully wrapping an arm around Laura's shoulder, "Let's go."
~oOo~
Out of all the things Laura Roslin had seen in her chamalla induced visions, Billy Keikeya had never been one of them. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, sitting beside her hospital bed and bouncing his leg up and down nervously.
"Hi Billy." She greets sleepily, her eyelids heavy no doubt due to the sedative Cottle had given her.
"Madam President." He replies with a nod of his head, "Do you know how you got here?" Billy asks nervously, still fidgeting with his leg.
"I... Uh..." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, trying her hardest to remember, "I was in... In life station and... The cancer was back and I... I was dying. I was going to be with you again Billy. I was going to see my sisters and my father again."
"With me?" He questions, his ears perking up with interest, "Madam President, I can assure you I'm not leaving your side any time soon."
"Billy," Laura says quietly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, crystal tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, "Billy, you die."
"What?" He exclaims, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline with surprise, "Madam President, I think I should go get Doc Cottle for you."
"Billy," She calls his name quietly as he turns towards the exit of her makeshift room, "could you bring me a phone? I need to speak with the Admiral."
"Of course Madam President." He nods before leaving to find Cottle.
~oOo~
"Well young lady," Cottle greets, a lit cigarette hanging from his lip as usual, "you're healthy as a horse. For the life of me I can't explain this. How in the hell did you get over here?"
"I... I don't know." She props herself up on her elbows, eyeing the doctor curiously, "Could I have been drugged?"
"No." He shakes his head as he glanced down at his files, "No signs of any drugs, not even chamalla."
"Madam President," Billy interrupts them hesitantly, "here's the phone you asked for."
"Thank you." She offers him a weak smile and punches in the Admiral's number, slowly lifting it to her ear as it rang. By the third ring the phone had been picked up on the receiving end, and she spoke first per tradition, "Admiral Adama," she greeted, "I'm calling to apologize for the trouble I caused earlier today." She shakes her head, her hair falling forward as she does so, obscuring her eyes, "I'm not sure-"
"Madam President?" A female voice interrupts, "This is Admiral Helena Cain."
"Admiral Cain?" Laura questions confusedly, "No... That's not... You're..."
"The Admiral of the Colonial Fleet, ma'am." She replies shortly.
"I'm sorry." Laura apologizes quickly, "I must've dialed the wrong number. Stay safe Admiral." She adds, knowing that not even the Gods could save her from the six that would no doubt put a bullet through her skull- again.
"Everything all right there little lady?" Doc Cottle asks gruffly, "You sound a little disoriented."
"I... I'm planning on promoting Bill to an Admiral, I guess it just crossed my mind I haven't yet." She tried weakly, earning her a confused look from both the doctor and her aide, "Could one of you find him for me? I have some questions for him."
"Uh, yes, Madam President, I'll go find him." Billy replies before quickly exiting the infirmary in search of the Commander.