XIII.
Bill and Laura had easily adapted to their new lives as husband and wife. After a whole month, the Fleet was getting used to seeing them together in public. With the help of the Quorum and the press they had avoided a scandal. The Fleet needed both its' leaders, neither Laura nor Bill could be replaced, so they all had done their best to adapt to the new situation: President Roslin and Admiral Adama were now married and they were having a child together.
During the month both of them had noticed the changes in Laura's body. The baby had grown and the baby bump was more evident than ever; she couldn't hide it anymore. At the same time, she was feeling better; the morning sickness had vanished.
That afternoon Bill went with her to sickbay. It was time for her check-up. Just a week ago Cottle had confirmed Laura's feeling; they were going to have a little girl.
Once they arrived at sickbay, Bill received a call. He was needed at the CIC. Laura, who had overheard the conversation, sent Bill off to work. After all, she was only there for some blood test results.
She got into Cottle's office. "Hello, young lady" the doctor greeted her. "Where's your man? I thought he would come."
Laura smiled at him. "Duty has just called."
Cottle nodded and gave her the results while he lighted a cigarette. Everything was alright. Before she could leave, he talked again. "Anything you want to ask? Everything's alright?"
Laura smiled at him. "Yes, everything's fine."
Cottle chuckled and looked at her in the eye. "Are you sure?" Laura was about to talk again but he didn't let her. "Because your gums don't seem to agree..."
She quickly brushed her tongue against her upper teeth. "Oh, frak!" She tasted the unmistakable metallic taste of blood. "Not again..." her voice gave away her frustration.
"Sensitive gums, huh?" he said with a smile, putting off his cigarette. "Don't worry, it's normal. If you wait a couple of minutes in one of the beds I'll bring you something that might help."
Laura did as she was asked. She had noticed how amusing it all was for Cottle. 'He likes to boss the President around...' She sat in one of the beds and waited for the man. When he appeared through the curtains, he caught her in the middle of a big yawn. Yes, she was tired. She could feel his eyes scrutinizing her.
He stood there frozen for a moment before handing her a mouth tray filled with a greenish gel. "Put it in your mouth, bite it and keep it there until I come back." Cottle put the mouth tray in her mouth before she could say a word. "It's just fluoride. And after it you're going to spend here a couple of hours, in the bed." He paused and looked at her, who was ready to protest. "No. There's no discussion. Here I'm the higher authority. It's for your own good, you need some rest." Cottle was about to disappear through the curtains again when he turned to Laura once more. "Young lady, don't swallow it. You'll regret it if you do. It tastes almost as bad as algae tea."
When Cottle came back ten minutes later, he found Laura looking sickened. As he removed the mouth tray, she had to make a great effort to not end up vomiting. He quickly handed her a glass of water, which she took gratefully. "All congratulations. You've just survived your first treatment" he said as she took a sip of water. "I'm putting an IV on you and then you'll rest here for a couple of hours."
Laura took another sip of water. "Arghhh..." She sighed. That horrible taste was still in her mouth. "Talk about the cure being worse than the disease..." she reclined in the bed, exhausted. It had been a long day. 'Something more like a long week, in fact.'
"Stand still" he said as he put Laura the IV and connected it to a saline box. "Now you'll have to stay here for a couple of hours. Well, next time you come for your gums bring a book or some paperwork. It'll help your mind up a bit. It'll also help keep your blood pressure down" he said with amusement, seeing her grimace of disgust.
"Yeah, right" she said settling her hear in the pillow, with her eyes already closed.
"You excuse me. I do have some other patients..."
"Yeah, right" Laura said gesturing a good-bye to him. He closed the curtain after him, giving her some intimacy. "Oh, Gods..." The horrible taste of the fluorine was still in her mouth, making her sick.
She allowed her exhaustion win and let her mind to drift away. Before she even had time to realise it, she was at the Opera House again.
The red carpet was under her feet. The walls had a golden glow. Light was everywhere. She was walking, looking for something, for someone. Her clothes were reflecting the light. She was dressed in a silken suit.
The building was completely silent. She was alone, everything was at its' place. But she kept walking, looking for someone. All of a sudden she heard an unmistakable sound: a child's laughter. Hera. She was what Laura was trying to chase, now she remembered.
She saw Hera, called after her, but the girl kept laughing, walking away from her.
She followed the little girl. She went down the stairs, guided by the sound of her laughter and her tiny feet tapping the carpet.
She wasn't able to reach for Hera. She was faster than Laura, who felt herself growing heavier and clumsier at each step. She watched how the little girl had gotten to the ground floor. She noticed Athena, who was in front of her, watching how her daughter was out of their reach.
The door of the grand auditorium opened and a Six and a man appeared, surrounded by light. The Six approached Hera and carried her in her arms. Then, they disappeared into the auditorium.
Laura brought a hand over her belly and noticed how it had been growing. She was suddenly aware of the weight, of how her skin had stretched under her clothes, of how tight her clothes felt.
When the door Hera had disappeared through closed soundly, the light disappeared; Laura was suddenly surrounded by darkness. A deep pain in her lower-abdomen came with the darkness, so strong it forced her to her knees.
Laura woke up giving a loud cry of pain, covered in cold sweat. It took her a few moments to be fully aware of what had just happened. 'The pain isn't real, I'm fine... It's been just a dream... I... Has there been another scream? I'm sure..." She quickly got up from the bed and stepped out of her cubicle, carrying the saline box, still attached to her through the IV.
"What's going on?" asked Cottle in an authoritative tone, worried by the two simultaneous shouts he heard. He looked from Laura to Athena, who was sitting with Hera in her arms. "You both freaked out at the same time?"
Laura looked at him in the eye for a moment, trying to see if he could help her understand what just happened. It was something serious. 'Has Athena also been there?' Only Athena could give her an answer.
"We need a moment" Laura told the doctor, not giving room for a negative answer. Athena looked at her frightened. "Take this off, get this off me. Please." She felt stupid in the middle of the room, carrying the saline bag.
"Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?" Cottle insisted, getting a glare from Laura as only answer.
Laura walked closer to Athena and Hera. There was no doubt; the two of them had been there, in the Opera House. They needed to know what happened inside the auditorium; what happened to Hera. A Six had also been there, carrying the girl.
Soon Laura was entering the Six's cell followed by Athena and some marines. They needed answers. She needed to know more.
The Six was sitting in her bed, looking almost inoffensive, harmless. She looked at her with her clear blue eyes. "Go outside" Laura ordered the marines. "Thank you, we'll be fine. Shut the door." The men did as she asked for. Then, she took a closer look of the cylon; she didn't look afraid. "I'm sorry about the shackles." The Six looked at them with an absent smile. Laura didn't want to waste more time, so she got straight to the point. "Were you with us? A moment ago, in the lobby of the Opera House?"
The cylon looked at both women standing before her. She was now shocked and afraid. She didn't know what it was about.
"I'll take that as a yes" continued Laura "judging by the look on your face."
"I was there too" added Athena, talking for the first time "and so was Hera."
The Six looked even more startled. "That shouldn't be possible."
"Add it to the list" said Athena, raising her eyebrows and settling her eyes in Laura's belly for a moment. It had grown, now it was obvious. At first, though, most people didn't believe it. When Roslin revealed her pregnancy to the whole fleet during the trial they thought the poor woman had gone nuts. She was too old, she was too single, she was too presidential; she was Roslin. But it was true. They had been proven wrong. They had been shown everything was possible.
Laura noticed how both Athena and the Six were staring at her belly. 'Yes, everything's possible.' She cleared her throat and looked at the two younger women, trying to return to their conversation. "You were trying to reach Hera?" she said looking straight into the Six's eyes.
"I don't know" the Six replied as she stood up "I just knew I had to protect her with my life."
Laura looked at the two other women again. Was it the first time they all had that dream, that vision, together? She just knew she had been having it during the last months, with slight changes; sometimes it started before, in the complete dark, and other times it lasted longer and she got to see the blinding light, the cradle, the blonde woman and the cry of a baby.