Apollo walked into the Life Center and hesitated as he looked around. There were fewer occupied life pods than the last time he was here, and he feared that was not a good sign.
He'd been on his way to his quarters when he decided to detour through the Life Center. He knew the nagging worry that had been at the back of his thoughts for the past several centars wouldn't let him rest, so he finally decided to check in with Dr Salik regarding the condition of those still recovering. Now, as he looked around at the number of empty life pods, he felt suddenly nauseous. It was as if his insides had abruptly turned to lead. He already knew the number of empty pods did not equal the number of personal released that the doctor had reported.
Apollo scanned the room looking for the doctor, then noticed what at first glace looked like an empty life pod set near the monitoring station. Yet this pod basked under the light of a few heat lamps as its monitors beeped softly on low volume.
Curiosity gave way to understanding as Apollo walked over to take a look. Under the lamps a small bundle slept blissfully.
Apollo looked at the sleeping child. The little figure stretched and gave a mighty yawn before relaxing completely, continuing her sleep.
Despite himself, Apollo smiled. This was what they were really fighting for, more than just the sleeping child before him, but the sense of security to sleep so blissfully. He noticed her name on the medical chart attached to the life pod: Artimus. Yet, above the chart, attached to the side of the pod, was a small handwritten card in which someone had christened her with a second name. Hope.
"Our little Hope."
Apollo turned as Rigel walked up next to him and lovingly looked down upon her new daughter.
"Hope?" Apollo asked.
"Yes, Hope." Rigel looked up around her at the pods surrounding them. "The techs said that after a day of so much death, her little cries of life gave them hope." Turning back she looked down at her daughter again. "So they christened her Hope."
Apollo nodded at Rigel "Yes, your timing was very good that day."
"Not my timing. Hope's." Rigel said, then looked away hugging herself as she shivered. "If she hadn't chosen that time to come into the universe, Omega would have been on the bridge when the attack came." Shaking off the fear of what could have been, she reached down and picked up the sleeping baby. Holding her close, she looked Apollo in the eye.
"She's my Hope too. She saved him and me. I just wish..." Rigel looked away uncertainly.
"Yes," Apollo whispered, then he sighed heavily and started to turn away.
"There was nothing anybody could do," she told him, as much to reassure herself as him. "I know Omega's obsessed with guilt for not being at his post. I've told him it wouldn't have done any good if he'd been there, but," she sighed, "it doesn't help."
"I know," Apollo put a hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have done anything either."
Rigel looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and nodded. "I know," she whispered. Then, collecting herself, she continued. "Salik said I could go back on restricted duty next shift. I'll be at my post at 0800."
Apollo smiled at her, seeing how her enforced convalescence had weighed on her at this time of need. "If you're sure you're up to it."
"Yes, oh yes, I am. I think I'll go crazy if I have to stay in here one more centar!" She spoke with feeling. "Beside, after the Caesarian , I felt fine. I tried to get Salik to let me back sooner but, he insisted I wait."
"You should always follow your doctors orders," Apollo reproved, and then smiled at the look Rigel gave him.
"Oh yes, this from the man Salik threatened to keep sedated so he wouldn't leave Life Center the last time he was injured?" She laughed at him. "Oh," she winced "I better not do that again!"
"Rigel..." Apollo began concerned.
"Now, don't you start with me, Apollo!" she admonished, then frowned as she looked around her. "I've already had to fight Salik over this," she continued, as she walked around the small pod, searching. "Apollo, do you see any wraps?"
"Wraps?" Apollo looked around him. "Uh, no actually, I..."
"Here, I'll have to go get some" And in one quick movement she deftly handed the baby over to Apollo.
Sheer reflex allowed him to grab and hold the child. "Rigel, I..." he started to protest at her retreating back.
"I'll be right back," Rigel called over her shoulder, abandoning the Captain with the small child.
"But, I'm not..." Apollo sputtered. Sighing in frustration, Apollo started to put the infant back down but hesitated as he looked at the little bundle he held. He was caught by the brilliant color of her eyes, so blue, like a summer day on Caprica. The baby, now awake, reached out, clutching at his hand. For a moment he lost himself in that gaze. All his troubles were forgotten and his heart-heavy fears lightened in that singular moment where hope still existed.
"Hope," he whispered. Yes, she was appropriately named.
At the sound of approaching steps he looked up.
"Looks like you've fallen under my little Hope's charm too," Rigel said as she walked up to them.
"I guess I did," he said as he handed her the infant, then leaned down and gently kissed the baby's head. "Thank you, Hope, for restoring my hope."
Apollo walked away with a lighter heart.
He'd been on his way to his quarters when he decided to detour through the Life Center. He knew the nagging worry that had been at the back of his thoughts for the past several centars wouldn't let him rest, so he finally decided to check in with Dr Salik regarding the condition of those still recovering. Now, as he looked around at the number of empty life pods, he felt suddenly nauseous. It was as if his insides had abruptly turned to lead. He already knew the number of empty pods did not equal the number of personal released that the doctor had reported.
Apollo scanned the room looking for the doctor, then noticed what at first glace looked like an empty life pod set near the monitoring station. Yet this pod basked under the light of a few heat lamps as its monitors beeped softly on low volume.
Curiosity gave way to understanding as Apollo walked over to take a look. Under the lamps a small bundle slept blissfully.
Apollo looked at the sleeping child. The little figure stretched and gave a mighty yawn before relaxing completely, continuing her sleep.
Despite himself, Apollo smiled. This was what they were really fighting for, more than just the sleeping child before him, but the sense of security to sleep so blissfully. He noticed her name on the medical chart attached to the life pod: Artimus. Yet, above the chart, attached to the side of the pod, was a small handwritten card in which someone had christened her with a second name. Hope.
"Our little Hope."
Apollo turned as Rigel walked up next to him and lovingly looked down upon her new daughter.
"Hope?" Apollo asked.
"Yes, Hope." Rigel looked up around her at the pods surrounding them. "The techs said that after a day of so much death, her little cries of life gave them hope." Turning back she looked down at her daughter again. "So they christened her Hope."
Apollo nodded at Rigel "Yes, your timing was very good that day."
"Not my timing. Hope's." Rigel said, then looked away hugging herself as she shivered. "If she hadn't chosen that time to come into the universe, Omega would have been on the bridge when the attack came." Shaking off the fear of what could have been, she reached down and picked up the sleeping baby. Holding her close, she looked Apollo in the eye.
"She's my Hope too. She saved him and me. I just wish..." Rigel looked away uncertainly.
"Yes," Apollo whispered, then he sighed heavily and started to turn away.
"There was nothing anybody could do," she told him, as much to reassure herself as him. "I know Omega's obsessed with guilt for not being at his post. I've told him it wouldn't have done any good if he'd been there, but," she sighed, "it doesn't help."
"I know," Apollo put a hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have done anything either."
Rigel looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and nodded. "I know," she whispered. Then, collecting herself, she continued. "Salik said I could go back on restricted duty next shift. I'll be at my post at 0800."
Apollo smiled at her, seeing how her enforced convalescence had weighed on her at this time of need. "If you're sure you're up to it."
"Yes, oh yes, I am. I think I'll go crazy if I have to stay in here one more centar!" She spoke with feeling. "Beside, after the Caesarian , I felt fine. I tried to get Salik to let me back sooner but, he insisted I wait."
"You should always follow your doctors orders," Apollo reproved, and then smiled at the look Rigel gave him.
"Oh yes, this from the man Salik threatened to keep sedated so he wouldn't leave Life Center the last time he was injured?" She laughed at him. "Oh," she winced "I better not do that again!"
"Rigel..." Apollo began concerned.
"Now, don't you start with me, Apollo!" she admonished, then frowned as she looked around her. "I've already had to fight Salik over this," she continued, as she walked around the small pod, searching. "Apollo, do you see any wraps?"
"Wraps?" Apollo looked around him. "Uh, no actually, I..."
"Here, I'll have to go get some" And in one quick movement she deftly handed the baby over to Apollo.
Sheer reflex allowed him to grab and hold the child. "Rigel, I..." he started to protest at her retreating back.
"I'll be right back," Rigel called over her shoulder, abandoning the Captain with the small child.
"But, I'm not..." Apollo sputtered. Sighing in frustration, Apollo started to put the infant back down but hesitated as he looked at the little bundle he held. He was caught by the brilliant color of her eyes, so blue, like a summer day on Caprica. The baby, now awake, reached out, clutching at his hand. For a moment he lost himself in that gaze. All his troubles were forgotten and his heart-heavy fears lightened in that singular moment where hope still existed.
"Hope," he whispered. Yes, she was appropriately named.
At the sound of approaching steps he looked up.
"Looks like you've fallen under my little Hope's charm too," Rigel said as she walked up to them.
"I guess I did," he said as he handed her the infant, then leaned down and gently kissed the baby's head. "Thank you, Hope, for restoring my hope."
Apollo walked away with a lighter heart.