Title: Words Left Unsaid
Rating: K
Category: gen, het
Pairings: D/G - relationshippy if you squint, frienshippy if you don't.
Note: Missing scene of sorts from "A Friend In Need" once posted on my LJ, now resurected and edited. I don't own Space Cases, but I do like to play with the characters.
Description: Davenport and Goddard have a lot to discuss. In the meantime, they're just doing the best they can.
Words Left Unsaid
Davenport winced as Rosie bandaged her hands. The former assistant principal had let her guard down and became a little emotional, and of course she'd gotten burned. This time, literally.
"All done!" the Mercurian announced.
Davenport managed a smile. "Thank you, Rosie."
"I'm going to join the others in the lounge. We're having Glop. Would you like me to bring you some?"
"No thank you, dear. I think I'll look over my lesson plans and…" Davenport paused as she reached over for her compupad and realized she was unable to pick it up while wearing the dressings. "On second thought, I think I shall retire to my quarters for some rest."
The Med Lab door whirred opened, and Davenport turned to see Goddard enter with a look of concern on his face. "Thelma said Miss Davenport was hurt. Is everything okay in here?"
T.J. sighed. "Yes, just a foolish accident is all."
Rosie giggled and elaborated, "She tried to hug me."
Goddard chuckled, but one glare from Davenport and his laughter petered out into a cough. "Sorry. Rosie, could you give us a moment?"
The young physician nodded and headed to join the others in the Lounge, leaving the two adults to talk.
"I don't suppose you would be interested to know what occurred here during your absence today," Davenport prompted as Goddard sat next to her.
"Everyone's okay, right? Well, except for…" he gestured to Davenport's hands.
"Thelma downloaded a computer virus that was embedded in a message from the outpost. She went haywire and tried to kill us all. Nearly succeeded, too."
Goddard sighed. "Pezu." Davenport gave him a questioning look and he clarified, "The name of the computer system on the outpost. She didn't seem to like us."
"Well by some miracle, Thelma deleted the virus from her system. In the knick of time, I might add."
"It sounds like you handled the situation."
"We all made it out alive this time, yes. But we were lucky. What about the next time? And the time after that? We have got to be more cautious," she lectured, becoming more emphatic with every word. "Our first priority should be getting everyone home safely. The last time you ventured outside the ship, you nearly came back in pieces!"
"But I'm better now," Goddard insisted, placing a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. "One hundred and ten percent. Promise."
"Thank heavens for that. I don't know how we would manage if things had turned out otherwise."
"Let's hope we never have to find out."
Had it not been for the healing chamber and Rosie's medical prowess, they surely would have found out. While Goddard was unconscious, Davenport paid frequent visits to the Med Lab. She would read to him and talk to him about the crew's progress, keeping everything strictly professional. Davenport didn't dare voice any of her feelings aloud: how scared she really was, how much she missed him. Rosie had said Commander Goddard probably wouldn't even be able to hear her, but T.J. was still unwilling to take any chances. After he woke up, Goddard never acknowledged her visits, not even her daily reports.
Davenport caught sight of the chamber, now positioned off to the side of the room and out of the way. Goddard noticed her staring, so he was not surprised when she finally asked, "Were you aware of your surroundings when you were in the healing chamber?"
He shrugged. "I was able to tune in and out."
"I see." Davenport glanced down at her hands. "Did you tune me out?"
"No."
She looked up at him, obviously surprised. "Really?"
"I appreciated your updates," Seth continued, "and your company. I could have gone without listening to passages from Pride and Prejudice though."
"Pride and Prejudice is classic Earth literature," T.J. countered.
"I never said I didn't like the classics," Goddard clarified. "The Martian Chronicles: that's a book worth reading from cover to cover."
Davenport glared at him. "Very funny, Commander."
"Just something to keep in mind for the next time I'm comatose."
She gaped at him. "Heavens, Commander! Don't think that way!"
He gave an amused chuckle. "Relax. It was a joke."
"Well I didn't find it funny," she huffed. "Your absence took quite a toll on the lot of us. I nearly went insane trying to take care of the students by myself, wondering if and when you would wake up." She took a deep breath to calm herself down before adding, "And I never received so much as a 'thank you.' Not from the students, not even from you."
A tense silence engulfed the room as the two adults looked away from each other. Goddard was the first to speak. "I honestly didn't mean to take you for granted. I'm sorry I never showed my appreciation. I guess I didn't know how. Any gesture I could think of just didn't seem good enough."
"Well, like I said, a simple 'thank you' would have sufficed," Davenport said, her words clipped. "It still would."
"Okay then." Goddard nodded, his next words spoken with sincerity. "Thank you. Really, T.J. Thank you."
Davenport cleared her throat as she stood to leave, claiming she needed some rest after all the commotion. She made it to the door and paused to look over her shoulder. Her demeanor visibly softened as she noticed Goddard staring back, his lips curving into his signature wry smile. While they were discussing things that should have been said earlier, T.J. figured there was no harm in adding, "Welcome back, Seth."
