Spoiler alert: May possibly contain spoilers for season 3.
Authors note: I wrote this based on trailers for Unfinished Business before I saw the fight. I meant to post it before the episode aired, but due to power outages in the Midwest I am just getting to it today. Obviously AU because it is not how Unfinished Business unfolded. I haven't written anything in quite some time, so I am a little rusty, go easy on me!
Finishing Business
"Three fractured ribs, one fractured orbital bone, two fractured fingers, a slight concussion, and a hell of a lot of bruises, which earns you a nights stay in my lovely facility," Cottle reported gesturing around the room.
"Frak that, I am not giving him the satisfaction of knowing he put me in the hospital. I am going to my quarters," Kara replied.
"Come on Kara, your in no shape to go anywhere, stay here let them take care of you," Sam said trying to give her hand an encouraging squeeze.
Kara was in no mood to be coddled by anyone at the moment least of all Sam. She had spent the last two hours having the crap beat out of her by her ex-best friend, all the while simultaneously beating the crap out of him. Making nice was not on her mind right now.
"I don't need anyone to take care of me!" She replied jerking her hand away from Sam's trying to hide the grimace of pain, just that little movement cost her.
"If you want to help me Sam, you can help me to my room, if not just go away."
"There are papers you are going to have to sign if you insist on leaving Captain. You have sustained quite a few injuries, and in my expert opinion you need to stay right where you are," Cottle added.
"Sign them yourself," she spat at him. "Sam are we going?"
"No Kara, you aren't going anywhere, I refuse to help you frak yourself up anymore then you already are, lie down and get some rest, maybe the doc can get you something to help you sleep." He said sitting down in the chair next to the stretcher she was lying on.
"You know what Sam; I don't need your help anymore either. You can go back to whatever ship it was you came from, and stay the frak away from me."
She slowly stood up, her legs were fine a bit weak, but everything from the waist up was screaming with every little movement. She started making her way toward the door, but Sam wasn't done yet, he walked directly into her path, he could tell she was angry, fuming, but he didn't back down. Kara Thrace did not scare him, he only felt sorry for her.
"So is this what our relationship has come to Kara? You either want to frak me or fight with me, so what is it going to be?"
She could feel the color draining from her face, as the words that haunted her very soul came back to her again, only this time from a different man. She was a real screw up that had never been as painfully obvious as it was to her at that moment. When she found her voice it came out in a low whisper. "Get out of my way Sam."
"Fine Kara, have it your way, but I am done with you, do you understand that, finished. So next time you need something, call someone else." He turned away and left without a second glance back.
Suddenly Kara felt more alone in the world then she had ever felt in her life.
She made it to her quarters, just like she said she would, without help from anyone. The room was empty, she was sure everyone one was celebrating the day's events in one form or another. The tournament had been fun; it was a welcome relief and outlet for frustrations, if only she hadn't insisted on that last fight.
The last person she should have tried to take on was Lee. Hadn't she done enough damage already? She pulled the curtain closed tight around her bed as she started to hear people filter in, she had attempted to change clothes, but it hurt to bad, she managed to get her pants off, but the underwear and the sports bra that was still damp from the fight, had to remain.
As she lay there the last few hours started flashing before her eyes. The way Dee had so lovingly sat in his corner during each of his fights, rubbing his shoulders, wiping away the sweat, the blood. It was like she was trying to be the poster child for the perfect wife. What really pissed her off the most was that when she would take the ring, he would get up and leave. He didn't even watch her frakking fight.
She was tired of being ignored not just by Lee, but by half of the fleet. She was still trying to prove herself but they all made her feel like an outsider. No one even cheered for her some even against her. Maybe that was why she called Sam to come over. She wanted someone that would notice her that actually gave a frak about what she did, or someone who just would frak her. It was a moment of weakness she would admit that.
The weakest moment of all was when she goaded Lee into the fight. He didn't want to take the ring with her. He didn't even want to look at her, but as usual she had pressed and pressed until she got what she wanted, and now she was paying the price.
No winner had been declared, the fight was stopped before anything could be determined and she had been rushed out of the ring by her over protective husband. She had done her share of damage to Lee, but in the end he outweighed her, and even though she could take the pain, her body could not hold up to the punishment.
It was fun at first, but as they fought, the events that had led up to their rift had caught up with her. She could see the anger, the pain, and the hurt in his eyes, maybe that was why he could barely look at her anymore. She told herself she should take a step down, let him take out his frustrations on her, for a few moments she had, but letting her guard down just for those few seconds had cost her.
She reached her hand up touching her swollen cheek bone, the bone under it was the one Cottle had said was broken. She almost wished she had stayed long enough to get some pain pills from him, the pain was 10 times worse then when she had frakked her knee up on that moon. She reached up to the shelf above her head, she had to bite her lip from crying out from the pain. She felt for two things, a small bottle of alcohol and her side arm. She took a long slow drink from the flask, thanking herself for not finishing it the night before.
She then held the weapon out in her hands. It would be so easy. The pain would be gone, it wasn't the physical pain she wanted gone, she could deal with pain, she had her whole life. It was the pain in her heart she wanted to kill. She had battled with it as well her whole life, but now it seemed to consume her, down to her very bones. She felt the tears role down her cheeks as her hand began to shake. She lowered it to her side as exhaustion set in. Kara Thrace was not a quitter, and she was not ready to give up yet, she was just too tired to think about it anymore.
He sat at his desk the next morning a cup of coffee in one hand and several aspirin in the other. As he swallowed back the pills he let his head drift into his hands, trying to will the pounding to stop. He wasn't sure how long he had sat there until the pounding gradually got worse.
"Major are you in there?" He heard from outside the closed hatch, it was then he realized all the pounding was not coming from his head.
"Yeah, yeah I'm here, come in. Is there something you need?" he asked the unfamiliar looking young man.
"I'm from the medical ward Sir, Doc Cottle wanted you to have these reports. There were several injuries during the tournament, and he thought you should be aware of them," the man answered holding out a file folder.
He reached up without a word to retrieve the file. The young man stood there as he thumbed through the file, stopping at a particular page. After scanning it quickly he looked back at the man. "You are dismissed."
The young man saluted then made his way out the door. He saw several reports of broken hands, bruised ribs, various lacerations, all very minor things. He had paused when he got to the file of Anders, Kara. Just reading her frakking name made his stomach churn.
He read through the list of injuries, hers were by far the most extensive, several broken bones, a concussion. He had never dreamed he had done that much damage. He was sore himself this morning, but besides the headache and a black eye, he was doing okay.
He continued to read the report, it was actually several pages. The doctor had wanted her to stay overnight but she had refused. Cottle said she would not be fit for duty for some time. He stared at the pages for quite some time. He thought maybe he should feel guilt or remorse for practically putting one of his pilots in the hospital, but he just couldn't bring himself to feel much of anything anymore.
He threw the reports back on the desk, and left his office. A conscious decision was never made to go to the senior pilot's quarters, but somehow that was where he ended up.
It was well past 10 am when he arrived, the room was empty, all the bunks were empty except hers. The curtain was still drawn and the lights were out. He stood next to it trying to think of why he was here, and what his intentions were. He couldn't think of any, nor could he bring himself to call out to her. Instead he choose to bang loudly on the metal bed frame.
"Go away" he heard a low growl after several minutes of knocking. He grabbed the curtain and started to pull it back, but found out quickly it was tied shut from the inside.
She had finally gotten back into a deep sleep after all her room mates had left only to be woken up by a knocking above her head. She had told them to go away, but the stupid frakker wasn't listening, just kept knocking away on her bed. Now they were trying to open her curtain. She felt something in her right hand, the only one that wasn't bandaged and splinted. She held it up and saw it was her side arm, loaded and ready to go, she didn't even remember how it had gotten there.
"If you touch that again, I will frakking shoot you." She said trying to cock the gun for effect, but having trouble doing it because of the large bandage on her left hand.
This time the intruder succeeded in ripping the curtain back, "Go ahead, it wouldn't be the first time."
She let the gun fall back to her side. He was the last person she had suspected to be standing by her bed. She turned her face quickly to the wall, she mumbled something about the light hurting her eyes. Why was it that she was faced with all her mistakes almost every single day?
"Well you have really done it this time Captain, the report I just received said you will be off duty for quite some time, you never have been one anyone could count on have you?" He barked, not even trying to hide the malice in every single word.
"What do you want Lee, obviously you didn't come to apologize?"
"Apologize, apologize for what Kara?"
Slowly fighting back the pain, that was even worse then last night she pulled herself up into a sitting position, keeping her blanket drawn up tight around her, hiding her bruised broken body.
"I am not doing this today go away."
"Not doing what, dealing with things, with your lack of judgment, your lack of character, lack of a frakking heart!" he hissed.
She raised her head briefly letting her eyes meet his, absorbing every single bit of his anger, and letting it cut her even deeper to her soul.
"You deserve everything you got." He said his eyes not leaving hers.
"Don't you think I know that? Here," she said handing him the weapon she still clutched in her hand. Almost mechanically he reached out taking it from her. She still held on to it, and leaned forward resting her head on the barrel. "Go ahead, Lee, we both know this is what I deserve, probably what you want."
He quickly jerked the weapon back, disarming the live round. "Gods Kara, you are so stupid, I don't want you dead, I just want you OUT OF MY LIFE." He said his voice raising to a shout.
"That just never seems to happen though does it? You are like a wrecking ball that destroys everything in its path, and I am sick of being the one in the middle of that path. That Kara is what I want, but it looks like I am not going to get that, at least not in this lifetime."
She was weak, she was shattering she could feel it, so close to crumbling. She wanted to die, wanted this all to stop, she could feel herself spinning out of control. "Lee, I'm sorry…" she said quietly.
"It's too late for that. Tomorrow report to my office at 0800 sharp. You may be off vipers, but if you are going to stay on this ship, you are still going to earn your spot." She was no longer looking at him, but at the gun lying by his side. He could tell that gaze that look, he had felt it before, and for a moment it scared him.
"Kara if you even think about using that you are a bigger coward then I thought. Take a bath, you reek, I will see you tomorrow."
He turned to leave, she wanted to stop him, things couldn't stay this way, she rose to her feet, the pain on her left side was so severe it nearly took her breath away and sent her into a coughing fit. Today she did not have the energy to face Lee Adama again, but now she knew there would be a tomorrow.
It took her nearly all day to finally make it to the head, to try to shower. Lee was right, she did reek, and she felt as if her bra was almost crusted to her. She slowly unzipped her sweat shirt, and was surprised to see the dark bruising to her ribs and abdomen. It was no wonder why it hurt to even breathe.
"I see for once you took my advice." She heard from somewhere behind her. It was amazing how he had so conveniently ignored her the last month, now he was popping up everywhere.
She ignored him, and continued to undress, keeping her backside to him. She removed every article of clothing, which was not an easy task with broken fingers and rib, saving the bra for last. She raised her arms above her head to pull it off, and was rewarded by an almost blinding pain in her left side. She gave up after several attempts and decided to shower with it on. She glanced behind her and saw he had entered a shower on the opposite wall and was ignoring her as well.
The warm water felt good, but the pain in her side was getting worse, not better. Soon the whole side of her chest was hurting, with each breath the pain increased. It felt as if no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get enough air. She had a cough since that morning, but now the cough seemed to be consuming her. Something warm and frothy filled her mouth, she put her hand to her lips pulling it back, looking at the bright red staining her fingers. She needed help, there was no denying it now, "Lee…." She managed to moan, before everything went black.