She watched on the monitors as the team returned to the ARC, each one of them battered and bruised and some more than others. She watched them split up and go their separate ways, eyes narrowing as she tracked their movements on multiple cameras.
Abby and Connor, the couple having escaped with only minor scrapes to their arms and faces, retreated to Connor's lab. Jess watched Abby get out the First Aid Box and saw them take turns in taking care of each other.
Matt and Emily reported to the Med Bay, the former leaning heavily on the latter. For both of their sakes, Jess found herself hoping it was just a sprained ankle and nothing more - they all knew from experience what a bad patient Matt made, Emily more than most since the Victorian often found herself in the willing role of nurse maid whenever their team leader got hurt.
Two of the backup team had already been rushed to the Med Bay earlier, their injuries far worse than anyone else's. The doctors and nurses already had their hands full, which meant Matt and Emily might be in for a bit of a wait.
And Becker…
Jess frowned when she saw him retreat the armoury, dried blood caked along the side of his face from a cut on his temple. She watched him dutifully store the EMDs they'd use, and then rolled her eyes when he simply sat down at one of the benches and got to work.
Silly stubborn man that he was.
Checking the readings on the ADD and making sure there was someone in the area to cover in case anything happened, Jess made her way from the hub to the armoury, her heels clicking on the concrete floor as she strode determinedly towards her target.
Scientists and lab technicians who saw her moved out of her way. The soldiers either smirked or inclined their heads in acknowledgement. Becker's Second-in-Command, who stood hovering at the doorway of the armoury, gave her a look of pure relief and quickly made himself scarce.
Getting the First Aid kit from its place attached to the wall beside the door, Jess made her way into the room and Becker looked up.
"Don't," she told him, cutting him off before the protest he was about to give could leave his mouth. "Lift your head up and be quiet."
Becker obeyed, so she chose to ignore the slight sigh that escaped him.
Moving in front of him, she placed herself between his chair and the bench he'd been working at. Opening the First Aid kit, she took out an antiseptic wipe and tore open the packet. Turning back to her patient, she wiped away most of the dried blood and dirt before dabbing gently at the wound itself.
A quick intake of breath was the only acknowledgement he gave of being in pain.
"You should have gone to the med bay," she admonished him, focusing on cleaning the cut rather than watching his expression. She didn't need to look at his eyes to know they were focused on her.
"I was going to later. They have their hands full as it is."
"You could have concussion."
"I don't."
"How do you know?"
"I was checked out on scene."
"By who?"
"The field medic."
"You are the field medic."
"That's why I know I'm fine."
Jess sighed, rolled her eyes and turned to back to the First Aid kit. She took out the Steristrips without comment. It was a familiar argument, one they'd had more than once and no doubt would have again in the not too distant future.
"One day you're going to come back here and bleed to death," she told him as she dabbed the skin with cotton wool to dry it before applying the strips gently.
"I won't," Becker told her, his voice oddly confident for someone being told off.
Her job done, Jess looked down and met his gaze. "And how can you be so sure?"
A small smirk tugged at the edge of his mouth as he put his hands on her hips and tugged her closer. "Because I've got you looking out for me."
Since she couldn't argue with that, Jess could only sigh and shake her head. She let him pull her into his lap, allowing the rare PDA because there was no one else around, and leaned in to kiss him gently.
—
End.