**Eric Dane posted the photo (Its totally his photo, copyright etc!) above as a sneak peak for Season 2, which led to much speculating between myself, Morning Glory2, and Starfoxtwin – this was my take on what might've happened**
Cuts Like a Knife
"Dr Scott to sickbay, I repeat Dr Scott to sickbay" Mike Slattery's voice came over the tannoy, startling Rachel out of her reflections.
It had been a busy day in sickbay, where she and Quincy had spent much of the morning, as they'd produced as much of the vaccine they were able to without more supplies, which a search party had been sent out to procure, along with other essential items. Tom had led the search party, much to Mike Slattery's annoyance, but she knew Tom had been desperate for some shore time and had over-ruled his XO. Rachel's heart sank, somehow she knew it was Tom who was the source of the XO's call, and trouble just seemed to find him without a great deal of help !
Not unlike yourself then? Her conscience prodded
Rachel dashed down the p-way as fast as she could, her heart racing as her overactive imagination conjured up scenario after scenario, all as upsetting as the last.
"Stop it Rachel! You'll be precious little good to anyone panicking!"She chastised herself. Finally she reached sickbay to a scene of utter chaos and raised voices, spurring Rachel into prompt action.
"THAT'S ENOUGH !" Rachel shouted, three male heads whipped round at her shout ""Now that I've got your attention, gentleman, would someone tell me what I've been paged for and why it's necessary to disturb sickbay by bellowing like a herd of wounded buffalo?"
Mike Slattery smiled in relief at the arrival of the petite British Doctor – despite their rocky beginning, he'd come to admire and like Rachel Scott. She'd become one of the Nathan James family and was he, freely admitted, probably one of the few people who could "control" Tom Chandler, other than his now deceased wife. Rios, and Tex, the other two members of the trio currently trying to restrain an obviously injured but resisting Tom Chandler, also heaved a sigh of relief at Rachel's arrival.
"Doctor Scott – as you see the captain managed to get himself injured, only he thinks a knife wound isn't serious" Slattery muttered sarcastically, glaring at his long time friend, who returned the glare with interest.
"The captain is quite able to speak for himself XO and I keep telling you I'm fine!" Tom snarled, clutching his wounded chest, trying not to wince.
Rachel simply rolled her eyes and shook her head – how in the name of god had she managed to fall for such a stubborn fool of a man?
"Everybody out – now please!" Rachel said loudly, causing Rios, Tex, and Mike to hustle out of the sickbay before the resulting explosions. When Tom Chandler and Rachel Scott went at it, the resulting arguments could be heard down several p-ways. Crew scuttlebutt privately speculated the two were secretly sleeping together, but no-one would EVER approach "mom & pop" about it- not if you wanted to see your next birthday anyhow!
"Tom, just sit down and let me at least look at it" Rachel said, trying to keep her voice calm, despite the sudden urge to strangle him – dratted man!
"Why should I ..when I told you I'm fine?" Tom growled back, hating the fact he sounded like a spoilt, whiny child, not to mention the fact when Rachel used that calm tone of voice, it usually meant she was really pissed off.
"Because I asked you to" She replied. He was about to argue back but something in her eyes made Tom pause – and back down, sitting back on the gurney he'd been struggling to get off moments before.
The relieved trio heaved a sigh of relief when the resulting explosion didn't come, and dispersed to their respective posts.
Back in sickbay, Rachel set about examining the wounds, relieved that they weren't as serious as they appeared. The largest, the one at the base of his chest, would certainly need stitching and he certainly wouldn't be bench pressing anything heavier than a bag of sugar for a few weeks, but he'd be fine. The cut above the eye would need little more than steri-strips – hopefully she'd be able to accomplish both before she burst into tears. In the months after Baltimore, Rachel had become closely involved with the captain and his family, having lost her mother at a very young age she understood all too well what such a loss could do to even the closest family. The children, even Jed, had been easy to help, to support through their grieving, and she'd been happy to help them. Tom, though, had been a different matter – Darien had been the centre of his world for so long and his motivation to get through the virus generated crisis he'd found himself swept up in. As she'd listened to him, supported him, even held him through many tearful, dark nights Rachel could no longer kid herself that all she felt was friendship, mutual respect; somewhere along the line, she'd fallen head over heels in love with him. Problem was, Rachel had no idea how Tom felt – the man was so hard to read these days. As she finished suturing him and steri-stripping the face wound, Rachel quickly dressed the wounds, trying not to let the threatening tears fall. Tom noticed her tearful expression, hoping it was concern for him that had generated it; unbeknownst to Rachel, Tom had also begun to realise his feelings for the beautiful doctor had begun to morph into something stronger. She'd been there for him through what he knew had been one of the darkest periods of his life, and had realised his feelings had become love. In fact, it was his reflections over his emotions that had led him to miss the idiot with the knife that had inflicted his current wounds.
"Rachel - what's wrong? Look at me...please" Tom said softly, sitting up gingerly and reaching out to touch her face. Rachel tried hard to hold it together, but eventually she could no longer hold back the tears that had been threatening since she'd seen what she'd feared were life threatening wounds.
"What's wrong?! What's wrong is how you just blindly charge off into situations as if you're some Teflon coated super hero!" She cried "Did it ever occur to you that you're not invincible?!"
"Rachel, honey...I...I'm sorry" Tom replied "I didn't think you'd take it like this"
"No of course not! I'm just the woman who loves you to distraction you silly stupid man!" Rachel shot back, before realising her confession, and clapping a hand over her mouth in shock.
Tom smiled – she loved him! He couldn't help it, he felt like a giddy teenager again. Before Rachel could run out of sickbay, Tom reached out and pulled a tearful Rachel into his arms, kissing her soundly just as she had done to him all those months ago, aboard the Vyerni. The kiss rapidly turned heated, passionate – each revealing the love they'd developed for one another. Tom took advantage of their positions and trailed a series of passionate kisses down her neck, whilst his hands reached under her shirt, caressing the soft skin he found there. Rachel held her breath, enjoying the explorations and wanting him to go much, much further, but knowing sickbay really wasn't the place for it.
"Tom...Tom... this so.. isn't the... place for this" She gasped, trying to get his attention. Tom broke off his erotic explorations, and smiled down at her flustered expression, she looked adorable in her confusion.
"Ok...for now, but Rachel? I love you too, and I DO want to take this further, much further, but I agree, my quarters would be more appropriate" Tom smiled, kissing her again.
"Are you sure Tom?" Rachel asked, praying he wasn't spinning her a line.
"Very much so, I've realised lately just how much I do care for and love you, the chance to tell you just never seemed to come up, and now this" Tom replied, kissing her forehead tenderly. "so how about we take this someplace a little more private, before we really fuel the gossip mill?"
Rachel nodded, not trusting herself to say anymore and helped Tom dress and walked slowly with him back to his quarters, neither of them noticing the tall, blond shadow of Mike Slattery watching their steady progress along the p-way, smiling at their retreating backs.
***Love it? Should it be a one shot or shall I take it further?***