Thanks for all the lovely reviews, Hope you enjoy this chapter and another one tomorrow.
PART TWO
So it was that in a rush of secrecy, a priest was arranged, the only witnesses were to be Billy and Lee.
Billy had been only too happy to stand with the President.
Lee Adama, who had quickly been told about the marriage only hours before it was actually due to take place, had agreed too. It would have to be said that he had not agreed without first airing his reservations about the whole thing.
Lee felt, as he watched the two together, that his father would need him in the coming weeks and he would willingly give him any help he could, when the time came and the President...
Lee couldn't even bring himself to say the word let alone deal with it and if he was struggling, how would his father survive?
So the scene was set, Laura was brought over to Galactica from Colonial One, It was not, unfortunately, unusual for Laura to be aboard the battlestar for long periods of time now that her disease had progressed to the final stage. If she were honest, the simple trip had tired her out, and Laura was forced to sit through most of the service, Bill knelt beside her, smiling like a schoolboy. To her surprise, Lee had produced a ring at the right moment. Bill had apparently found it, from somewhere and somehow, it had fit perfectly!
At the end of the intimate little service, Bill had kissed her lightly on the mouth and they had giggled slightly to break the tense atmosphere.
After the general handshaking and patting on the back, the two newly weds were left on their own. Laura's strength was waning and they sat together on Bill's couch, his arm wrapped around her fragile frame, her head resting gently on his shoulder. Later Bill would carry the sleeping form of Laura Roslin-Adama to his bed, tucking her in like a child, placing a kiss on her forehead and grabbing a blanket and pillow before settling himself on the couch.
Their were more nights like this, for which they were both grateful. During the day Laura would remove her wedding ring and get as much work done as her body would allow, at night whether she saw Bill or not she would replace the wedding band on her finger, often swirling it around in wonder as she lay trying to get to sleep.
Laura worked on through the good days and did the best she could on the bad, she was at heart a very organised person and she wanted to leave the Presidency in good shape for the next incumbent. Try as she might she couldn't imagine Baltar lasting long in the job. The man was unhinged and frankly lazy, the workload alone would have him running for the hills, a real fear was that he would be manipulated by the wrong crowd. The idiot was vain and power hungry, it wouldn't take much flattery to turn his head and that could spell danger for Bill!
She really feared for him. The extra time they had spent together since the wedding had been oddly happy, Laura was dying but they had only deepened the friendship that had been forged in battle. It was only companionship Laura kept telling herself, that was all it could ever be now, Bill had married her out of pity not love; she berated herself for her thoughts, that wasn't fair to him, he had been a worthy friend and now husband, not in the normal sense maybe but his unselfish act had brought her quite literally a shoulder to cry on and for that she was truly thankful.
The fear of dying had been replaced by sadness for missed opportunities and fear for the living after her death.
It was to this end that she had spoken to Lee Adama in private a few days ago, she knew he had not been keen on the marriage and she had finally wrangled the reason from Bill days after the ceremony, it was no surprise that he was worried for his father and she couldn't condemn him for that. So was she! They had talked openly about her death and although difficult for both, she had been reassured that Lee understood the impact it would have on his father and was willing to do everything he could to help his parent though what was sure to be a dark time.
Of course the crew of Galactica and Colonial One were not blind to the friendship that had built between their leaders but Lee and Billy were the only ones that had any idea of extent of the relationship.
Bill would be a widower that nobody knew about!
The time came all too quickly for everyone; Laura was rushed into life stations from her ship by Billy during the night, with breathing problems. Bill was quick to appear and stood back in fear, watching Cottle and his nurses rushed round the President trying to stabilise her readings. With a sigh of relief one by one they turned away as their President gained the upper hand for the moment but it was clear from their faces, Laura Roslin would not leave here again, these were her final hours of life.
Being a military leader for so long, you learnt to read faces, Bill picked up the looks of relief as Laura's breathing evened out but the looks quickly turned to dismay as they realised her time drew near.
Doctor Cottle took a deep breath and turned to the young man that had come in clutching the President's hand, "she's comfortable now son."
Billy nodded his head, wide eyed with fear and turned to Adama standing by the door. If he hoped to catch the eye of the Admiral he would have to be disappointed, as the Admiral never took his eyes from the still form laying in the bed. Cottle watched, as the President's aide looked towards the door, he had expected that the Admiral would come down to visit, hearing the news of the President's admission. What Cottle was unprepared for, was the devastated look upon Adama's face. The doctor walked quietly over to the Admiral, and stated gently looking back at the patient on the bed, "She doesn't have long."
If the Doctor was surprised by the small sound that was ripped from the Admiral's throat he didn't make any comment. He looked round the room as nurses checked and rechecked equipment each doing their jobs, Jack lifted his hand and placed it on Bill's arm and spoke to the Admiral.
"Let's go to my office for a minute, Admiral."
The gruff doctor was still forced to apply some gentle pressure to Adama's arm before his eyes broke away from the bed and he turned away and walked in a daze across life stations into the doctor's office all the while being steered by the hand of Jack Cottle.
Once the doctor had managed to guide the Admiral to a chair, he walked over to one of his wall cabinets, reached inside and brought out two glasses plus a bottle of ambrosia. Jack walked back to his desk, poured a small amount of liquid into each glass before placing one into Bill's hand and walking round to sit at his desk with the other.
Cottle's eyes narrowed as he watched the stunned Admiral, he sat hunched in the chair opposite him, the man was a picture of misery, he stared, head cast down into the moving liquid within his glass. It was moving the doctor noticed with concern because the Admiral's hands were actually shaking.
The doctor's brain was going into overtime, this was an extreme response, well for the usually calm stoic Admiral of the fleet it was.
It left Jack with little choice but to ask, he'd been surprised, by what he had found when he had examined the President; he had thought, maybe it was just a mistake, but now he was having his doubts, judging from the reaction of Bill Adama, the pieces of this puzzle were coming together but still Jack was hesitant to ask. It wasn't something you could get wrong especially with your commanding officer, even if he was the chief medical officer.
"Bill...Bill," Cottle raised he voice to get the Admirals attention, continuing when he was rewarded by the sight of Bill's eyes meeting his.
"Bill, I have to ask you this, I'm sorry...'' he hesitated a second before clearing his throat and ploughing on, "are you involved with the President?"
The question went unanswered, as Bill Adama simply continued to stare at the doctor as if in a trance.
Cottle sighed, he would have to go for the big guns and the information he had gained already.
"The President," again uncharacteristically struggling, he modified his words and said gently, "Laura was wearing a ring when she was brought in... Bill, a wedding ring."
Bill's eyes widen a fraction at that news. He turned his head away, he was surprised that Laura had been caught with it on, even as ill as she was, as he tried to think it through it all began to click into place as he realise, it was the middle of the night! She'd taken great delight in explaining to him one night as they sat huddled together on his couch, how she put her ring on as soon as the last meeting was finished with for the day and took it just after breakfast the next day. It didn't matter about Billy, of course, he knew all about it. Her aide's greatest fear, she had told Bill giggling, was that she would lose it!
Billy had no wish, apparently, to quote "Have to go through all your personal things'. As Laura told her husband this tale, they had both laughed together - especially as Laura had wickedly taken it to mean her knicker drawer.
Adama's head whipped back round at Cottle's next words.
"Bill, is Laura your wife?"
Bill's voice was a mere whisper as he looked down into his untouched glass again, "How could Laura be my wife?...I'd have to love her, wouldn't I? I'd have to care more for her than anyone else in this world... I'd have to be suffering the torments of the damned, at the prospect of losing her..."
The Admiral of the fleet looked up into the face of his friend with eyes full of tears and anguish. At that moment Cottle had no doubt that was exactly how Bill was feeling, the depths of the hole, Bill Adama was trapped and tormented in were clear to read all over his face.
"How long have you been married?"
Not bothering to deny it any longer, "Just a few weeks, I... I thought... it was supposed to be companionship... I never thought that..." He trailed off.
"Don't lie to yourself, Bill," Cottle said with some of his bluntness returning. "You are not losing a friend, you're losing your wife and no matter how this all started out, at least be honest with yourself, you love her, don't you?"
Adama lent forwards in his chair suddenly, blindly trying to reach forward with the glass of ambrosia to place it on the doctor's desk, it missed and clattered to the floor spilling the contents across its surface. Cottle with years of experience saw the signs instantly and dashed out of his chair to grab the nearest receptacle, shoving it under Adama's head. The Admiral was quick to put the bowl to good use as the doctor moved away to get his friend a glass of water. Once he was sure the Admiral had finished being sick he took the bowl and handed Bill the water and gripped Adama's shoulder briefly in support.
The Admiral sipped his water as the doctor came over and picked up the unbroken glass from the floor and run a cloth across the floor to wipe up the dark liquid.
"Sorry," Bill said in embarrassment.
The doctor waved away the apology.
The load speaker suddenly crackled out, "ADMIRAL ADAMA, REPORT TO CIC, I REPEAT ADMIRAL ADAMA REPORT TO CIC."
Cottle swore under his breath and looked at the pale faced Admiral, "you all right?"
Adama took a deep breath and stood, nodded his head before placing the glass of water onto the desk. As he turned, Cottle prevented him from going with a hand on his arm.
"You could do with a freshen up, why don't you use the sink in here, while I go see to my patients."
Adama stared at the doctor as if waiting for more and then nodded once, curtly and turned towards the small sink in the corner of the room.
Before leaving, Jack spoke softly, "you know if you need someone to...?"
He wasn't allowed to finish as Bill interrupted sharply, "yes, thank you, Doctor."
Leaving the doctor with nothing else he could say, he left quietly and as he got involved with checking notes and patients, he didn't hear or see the Admiral leave.
Cottle: I don't like what you're doing. I think it's unnatural and damned dangerous.
Baltar: Yes, well, given the patient's current condition, I am not sure that I see the downside.
Cottle: Maybe it's just her time.
Baltar: Then for once...perhaps I am the beacon of hope around here.
Baltar prepares the blood to be administered to Roslin.
