Chapter 36

****
All too quickly their moment was up as a knock came on the door and they reluctantly pulled apart.

"Come in," Tom called.

Commander Slattery walked in, "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Just finished the captain's inoculation," Rachel told him.

"How is it going with the rest of the crew?" Tom asked.

"Everyone is now vaccinated," Slattery replied his voice filled with pride.

Tom smiled, "Now we can head home, start transmitting on all frequencies and hopefully we'll get an answer."

Slattery nodded, "And doctor, we still need to have that breakfast."

Rachel grinned, "See you tomorrow morning?"

"Count on it."

***
The next morning Rachel and Slattery met in the mess hall and decided on pancakes.

"Can't believe we're actually going home and with a cure," He marveled.

"It's more than I imagined too, my hope we'd go the arctic, the virus would stay contained, I'd find it and we'd head home."

"No one could've known what one maniac was going to do."

"He literally had no remorse, just jealousy over what I discovered and that it wasn't him."

Slattery scowled, "Hopefully he's in a hot climate right now."

They sat silently and Rachel didn't want to waste another minute thinking about a monster.

Slattery looked the same way.

"Hopefully the journey will be quick and distribution of the cure will be too," She told him to break the silence.

"Tom's not the type to be easily stopped."

"I've noticed that with him and all of you, how long have you known each other?"

"Fifteen years, served together for ten, I'm like an uncle to his kids and he's..." A muscle flexed in his jaw as the memories flooded him.

Rachel felt her heart break, "I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault, I may have lost my son, but I have my wife and two daughters to live for."

The rest of their breakfast passed quietly and Rachel decided to do some working out.

***
Just then she caught sight of a tearful Kelly, Rachel rushed to her and embraced her.

"I was having a nightmare, I awoke with Quincy embracing me and I freaked..."

Kelly began to sob and Rachel held her, finally Kelly could talk again.

"He said Ruskov did something didn't he? I couldn't stop myself and things just started pouring out."

"The first step to healing is talking about it."

"He started pacing and saying oh my God over and over again, then quickly left our quarters."

"I think I know where he went, let me handle this."

***
Rachel found Quincy in the gym, thankful it was deserted, and he was going after a punching bag like no tomorrow.

She let him go at and slowly his movements grew less coordinated as he tired himself out.

"I'm supposed to protect my family."

"You are they're with you."

"They were prisoners! That animal violated her over and over again! Ava could've been a victim."

Quincy sank to his knees and sobbed; Rachel sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

He pulled her close and sobbed against her.

"I hope that creep didn't give her diseases, she doesn't need or deserve that."

The blood tests! Rachel realized with a jolt that she'd forgotten all about them with the trials and creating enough cure.

***
Rachel took Quincy back to his quarters and gave him a sedative and soon he was asleep.

Rachel soon got to her lab and began analyzing the results and she blinked, as if sheer will could change what she was seeing.

But there was no changing the results.

Rachel's hand went to her mouth and tears filled her eyes.

***
Rachel found Kelly on the upper deck staring at the ocean.

"I finally analyzed the tests I ran on your blood."

"And?" Kelly asked hesitantly, seeing the look on Rachel's face.

Rachel tried to keep from crying from her sadness.

"You're pregnant."