Author's Note : A little bit spoiler about Torchwood (also BBC's series if you don't know)
Stephen shut his eyes closed. His head is pounding. All of his body is hurt. And he's panting heavily. From the fever, he guessed. He groaned as the medic examined his wound, poking mercilessly. He heard somebody shout.
"Hey, don't be too hard on him! His wound is still fresh, you know?"
The medic rolled his eyes. "In case you didn't know, I'm the one who's paramedic here. So if you can gladly shut up, sir, that would really help my job. Or else I have to sedate you."
He opened his eyes and laughed a little, then grimace when it made his wound ached. But the pouting look on Ryan's face was just funny. Ryan turned his head to Stephen's direction and smiled sheepishly, like a deer caught in a daylight. "Hey, you're awake."
"Yeah."
"How do you feel?"
Stephen grit his teeth for a while when the medic doing something with his wound. "Honestly? Like crap. Like I've been pinned by a Troll."
Ryan looked at him with concern. "That bad? Would you like the medic to up the painkiller dose?"
The younger man shook his head a little. "No. I don't want any more medicine than what's necessary. I hate medicine." He paused. "And hospital too. Can you tell them to just treat me here?" Stephen said. His vision beginning to spin and he blink his eyes several times.
"Sorry. No can do. You won't make it if you don't go to the hospital."
"I won't make it either way. I was bitten by a creature from about 300 million years ago. There won't be any antidote for the poison," he said breathlessly.
Ryan put his hand on Stephen's arm that isn't clutching to the sheet and made reassuring gesture. He caressed his arm slowly and smiled. "Cutter would find the antidote, I'm sure of it. Have faith."
Stephen can't help but smiled back. "If you say so. Hey, if, by any chance, I survived-"
"You will."
"Okay. Then, if I got out from the hospital….do you want to have a dinner with me?"
The Captain was stunned for a minute. Never had he thought Stephen was interested in men. Sure, he never saw him with a girl, beside Abby, but he was sure that because he wasn't exactly hanging around the man. He himself was a bisexual, but more inclined to men. He checked Stephen out a couple times since he worked with him, but he didn't believe the man noticed. Still surprised, he forgot Stephen is still waiting for his answer.
Ryan grinned. "Of course. But first you have to get better and we can talk about our….date."
Stephen nodded as the medic pulled him in to the ambulance. Now, Ryan had to kill that giant centipede which had hurt Stephen.
Claudia sighed heavily. She watched the way Ryan caress Stephen's hands (and how Stephen asked him for dinner) and saw the way Nick and Connor look (more like eye-sexing) at each other. Actually, she liked Nick (only a little bit) since the first time she saw him on the bar. The man was a little rugged (with stubbled jaw, tousled hair, and worn out clothes) but the intelligence she saw in his eyes attract her along with his passion on his job. She never thought Nick would be attracted to Connor, of all people. He was married to a WOMAN for god's sake! But now it turns out Nick is a bi.
"Why does the man around me always gay or bi but more inclined to men?"
"Lester isn't." Abby said.
Claudia turned her head to her right side. She didn't realize she said her thought out loud.
When did she stand beside me? I didn't notice…
"Sorry Abby, I know you like Stephen. And here I am, complaining about my own problem. I didn't realize I said what's on my mind out loud."
Abby smiled. "It's okay. I do like him at first. But then Connor said he thought he was gay because he never saw him with girls. And the way he looks at Ryan just gave it away. I knew he likes Ryan, even though maybe he hasn't realized it himself."
Abby's mind traveled back to when he and Connor wait in the cold outside before Nick fired him…
"Has Stephen said anything about me?" Abby asked.
Connor shook his head. "No, nothing."
"Oh," Abby said. Disappointed clear on her face.
"Um…Abby, do you like Stephen?"
The girl smiled sadly. "Yes, I do. But it's just a crush, Connor. Don't worry about it."
"I think Stephen is gay."
Abby's eyes widen."What? Why do you think like that?"
"I never saw him with girls in the university. He always hanging around Professor Cutter. In fact, I rarely saw him with anyone beside Professor. I think he's in relationship with him." Connor said sadly.
The knowing smile on Abby's lips makes Connor nervous. "If you have something to say, just say it."
"Do you like Cutter?"
Connor suddenly fidgeting. He open and closed his mouth several times as if he wants to say something but decided against it. The zookeeper decided to spare him from a more severe nervous attack. "Come on, let's go for a walk. Maybe we'll find a creature on the way."
Connor smiled thankfully and began his walk with Abby.
"Abby? Are you alright?"
Claudia's voice brought her back from her thoughts.
"I'm fine."
Claudia sighed in relieved. She doesn't need any more injured or sick people on this mission. Stephen was enough. "The respond of your earlier comment about Lester : He's bi and he had a boyfriend."
The surprised look on Abby's face almost made her laugh. "Really? I thought he's married."
"Really. He WAS married. But now he's divorced and in relationship with a military man named Becker. I heard he's trying to put his boyfriend in the team."
She chuckles and continued, "You have no idea how nervous he was every time his boyfriend come to the ARC. And the blushing! I never thought Lester can be as red as a tomatoes." Abby laughed with her when she starts with her own imagination.
It was then Lester started to eyed her suspiciously and walk to her direction.
"Oops. You don't hear anything from me, okay? Don't say a word to anyone."
Abby nodded. "Good. Incoming, Lester at twelve o'clock!"
The younger women straightened her posture and turn her head to Lester's direction.
"Hello girls. What are both of you possibly talking about?" Lester said.
Both of them just smiled to Lester while said, "Nothing."
Lester raised his eyebrows in suspicion but he knew he won't get any more answer from the mad women in front of him.
Nick came up with a solution so Stephen won't have to die and leave him with a dozen of stupid people sign up to be his new assistant. They have to collect the venom from Arthropleura so they can create an anti-venom. Because the doctor had said unless they can get a sample of venom from the creature that bit him to synthesise an antidote, his chances of survival are none.
But when they get back to the tunnel, the creature was nowhere to be found. At first, Nick was worried that the creature had gone back to the anomaly. Connor then check the information in his computer and point out that the creature is a burrower and so they had to search for a tunnel. They began the search and Connor found the tunnel.
Nick glance to Connor direction. The young man has offered to help him to get the venom. To be honest, Nick doesn't want him to come with him and Ryan. Connor was clumsy and he's worried the younger man would do something stupid and hurt himself. But the look on his face convinced Nick that his student won't take no for an answer. He would follow him anyway if Nick refused.
Now, Connor is talking with Abby, saying that she can have his prized possession, his Star Trek collection, if he died. Nick clenched his hands. He felt something stirring inside him. One of it is jealousy, he noticed. The other was fear, he thinks. He was confused as to why he felt such a strong feeling towards the younger man. He knew Abby and Connor was just friends and what Connor said was just a joke but he can't dismiss the feelings he felt (and as why he felt jealousy, not towards Connor, but towards Abby). He shook his head. Focus, Nick! Focus! You've got a job to do!
"Come on. Let's go!" Nick said.
Ryan got into the tunnel and Nick and Connor followed him. They manage to found the creature and let the creature bit Nick. Connor gasped in surprise when the creature bit Nick's hand. He knew the Arthropleura didn't actually bit Nick's hand but the pad under it, but he's still worried. He sighed in relieved when the creature back up, but tensed up again when Ryan's gun thrown away.
Oh, we're so dead!
But he didn't want to give up yet. He found a metal stool and hit the giant centipede with it. Nick's eyes widened at Connor's act. Fear crept in his spine. When Arthropleura grab angrily at the stool, the end of his body almost collided with Connor if Nick hadn't pushed him out of the way. Instead, Nick's back got hit and he was sure it would bruise and hurt a lot. The centipede collides with an electrical circuit box and receives a heavy electric shock to its head. And it falls to its death.
"Professor! Are you alright?" Connor asked worriedly.
"Yes, I'm fine. You okay?" Nick won't tell anyone about his injury, especially not Connor. He didn't want the younger man to be worried or felt guilty that he got hurt for rescuing him.
"U-um… I'm fine."
Nick wasn't convinced because the way Connor held his right arm indicated that it was hurt.
"Connor, let me see."
Connor gave up and shed his jacket. Then, he pulled his shirt sleeve and revealed a bruise as big as an orange. "I just collided with a pipe. I'm okay professor."
Nick sighed in relief. "Go to the paramedic and get yourself treated. Get some ice on it." He said while pointing to the bruise.
The younger man nodded. Three of them get out of the tunnel and give the venom to the hospital. Nick and Ryan were in the hospital room, waiting for Stephen to wake up. Confusion was clear on Nick's eyes.
What's he doing here?
And then it hit him. The look on Ryan's eyes, heavy with concern. Oh.
Before Nick could ask anything, Stephen is finally awake. Confuse as why both of his friends are in his room. Then he remembered about the centipede. He tried to sit up and grimace when it made his body hurts. Ryan quickly helped him.
"Thank you." Stephen flashed him a smile. Ryan smiled back.
The sound of Nick clearing his throat in amusement brought both of the men's attention back to him. Both of them blushed slightly. "How are you feeling?"
"I felt weak. And I had a headache and all of my body is bloody hurt."
Nick chuckles. "If you can swear, then you're fine. You remember anything about what you said to me in the tunnel?"
His assistant's brow furrowed as if tried to remember something. "No. I think I don't remember anything from the time I was poisoned. Did I said something weird?"
Nick sighed, "No. Just forget it. I'm going to check on the anomaly. You rest well here and get back to work as soon as you can, okay? I need your help with the research the dean want me to do."
As soon as he said that, Nick walks out from the hospital room, leaving Stephen alone with Ryan.
"You really don't remember anything?"
Stephen's brow furrowed again. Why does Ryan sound disappointed?
"Uh… No. Sorry. What did I said to you?"
Ryan shook his head and shrugged. "Nothing." Ryan walked to the door. "I'm going to call the doctor, telling them you're awake. Don't forget to sleep. You need a lot of rest." Ryan said while smiled at Stephen. But the younger man knew it wasn't genuine because it didn't reach his eyes. He was left alone in his hospital room, getting more confused by the weird behavior of both of his friends.
What did I said to both of them anyway?
Back in the underground, Cutter and Connor watch the anomaly while they wait for it to close. Connor kept glancing at Nick's direction nervously. Nick can't take it anymore and finally said (without looking at Connor), "Just said what you want to say, Connor."
"Oh. Sorry professor." Connor said while fidgeting in his place.
Nick look at the younger man. Trying to figure out what he wanted to say.
Connor look up at Nick's eyes and said, "A-are you going to throw me out of the team now?"
The professor frown in confusion. "Why is that?"
The fidget Connor had continued. "W-well. Because my stupidity in the tunnel?"
When Nick didn't say anything for a while, Connor's shoulder slumped more. He cursed himself for his stupidity. The professor might not remember the event and might not kick him out (if he's lucky). And here he is giving away himself to his doom.
Slowly, Nick lifted his hand to Connor's hair and tousled it. Connor was so surprised that he only stand there, wide eyes and mouth agape. Nick thought Connor was really cute when he confused or surprised. How he wanted to hug him and place the kiss into Connor's pink lips.
But he held himself. Finally, he figured out why he had such a strong feelings towards the younger man. He likes him. And there are the possibilities that Nick loved him. But he didn't want to go there yet. Especially when he knew the one Connor like is Abby, not him.
"If you didn't hit the centipede with a metal stool, we're all probably already dead in there. The metal stool was what made it collided with the electrical circuit box and act as a conductor that made Arthropleura into a fried centipede."
"B-but-"
Nick cut him. "No buts."
"So, I'm still on the team?"
"Yes."
Connor jumped happily and slap Nick on his back. Nick winced. He knew it would take a long time for his bruise to heal. Unfortunately, Connor saw and eyed Nick worriedly.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. Just had a sore back."
"Is it because of me?"
"No, it's not." Nick assured him.
The look of concern still there (Connor didn't believe him a bit) but he let it go, knowing how stubborn his professor is.
"You know what, professor? I always wanted to be in a crime-busting-gang of sorts. Like the Power Ranger or Kamen Rider."
Nick didn't even know what Power Ranger or Kamen Rider is (what's the meaning of Kamen anyway?). But he kept listening, glad to see the happy look back to his student's face.
"But I think we're more similar to Torchwood. You know, the TV series where Captain Jack Harkness and his team captured and sent the alien back through the rift of space and time. The only difference is that we're sending back ancient creature back to its home. "
When Nick didn't said anything, Connor continued. "I think you're like Captain Jack, who's in charge of the team. I'm more like Tosh, who's team's intelligence. Abby's like Owen, who's good with girls. But Abby's good with men and lizard."He chuckles.
Nick smiled a little when Connor started to compared the member of Torchwood with their team. He know about the Torchwood show, but he never watched them.
"Claudia is more like Gwen, who's always protest at anything. And Lester is like her fiancé, Rhys, who's always suspicious at her." He paused. "But not that Claudia would ever going out with Lester." He added quickly. Connor thought Claudia liked Nick and wouldn't want Nick to misunderstood that she's going out with Lester.
"I'm like Tosh the geek who had a great knowledge." Connor said with pride. Apparently, he likes being a geek. Nick almost laughed at this.
"And… Stephen's like Ianto, Jack personal assistant and coffee boy."
Then he realized about what he had said. "Oh."
"What is it?" Nick asked.
"Uh… Nothing."
Jack was shagging his coffee boy. And it fit Nick and Stephen's situation. Connor thought Nick was in relationship with Stephen and so he would have shagged him.
Seeing Connor's disappointed and sad face, Nick made a mental note to check Torchwood and the coffee boy Ianto.
Connor think of a way to changed the conversation. "Do you think you can give me a cool nickname? Maybe 'Dragon Slayer' or 'Connor The Primeval Intelligence'?
Nick wanted to laugh but he kept his face straight and said, "No." Then he continued. "Go home, Connor. And write a long report for Lester. He looks grumpy today. Long reports will cheer him up."
The younger man laugh, "Isn't he always grumpy?"
Connor turned around and get back to the surface. Leaving Nick alone to watch the anomaly closed, thinking about Helen, but didn't go through the anomaly.