Leonid

What?

5:32, November 18, 2065

If Jane was sick, then there was no way in hell he was leaving her alone. That was the way it was, as she sat curled against wall on the corner the bed. He was already worried enough to be sick right along with her. She didn't insist she was all right, like she should have, and he didn't ask, since she obviously wasn't. Instead, he sat as close as he dared, at the edge of the mattress, and listened to every deep, controlled breath from either of them.

He couldn't take this much longer. He reached for her, his fingers coming a hairsbreadth from her neck before the chime sounded.

She lifted her head sharply, turning in time to see him leap for the door. Was it her imagination, or had she fallen asleep? She stretched wearily, while Neil confronted the postman.

"This has been in your mail slot since last week," the intruder explained, perhaps piqued by such disrespect to his profession. He handed Neil the letter, and left grumbling under his breath. Neil flipped it over, and again, examining the small, plain envelope for all that it was worth.

"Do I look like you to you?" he asked, returning to the woman's side.

"What?" Not particularly amused, she stared at him in a half-daze.

"Mail," he held out the letter to her, but the explanation didn't make much sense to her.

"I don't get mail," but still he held it out to her, tilting it so the designation showed. She looked from it to him.

"Would you like me to read it to you?" he broke the short silence, and that got her attention.

"No; give it," he smiled and handed it to her, and she tore the cover enough to get the papers out.

"It's from Jake," she announced with the first bit of vigor she felt all day, reading the signature first before the rest. If he hadn't already been paying complete attention, he would have been at that.

"Who's Jake?" he demanded, bristling slightly at the mere mention of a masculine name.

"You know Jake," she replied, and glared right back at him when recognition didn't kick in at first, "Jacob." She was in no way feeling up to a jealousy fit. Sometimes they could be amusing; sometimes not; but definitely not now.

"Oh," the response was meek, and he inched away slightly abashed. When he looked back, she suddenly seemed upset, and he was glad just a bit that the ire wasn't aimed at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah… fine," she examined the letter another few seconds, before refolding it into the envelope, "I gotta go."

"What?" a little more than slight worry, he stared in shock, "No… uh, no?" Watching as she prepared for the outside world, he broke through the daze and formed a more solid protest.

"Jane. You're…" Okay, so he didn't have the exact words for his protest, but he had her attention.

"I'll be okay," she smiled, but not genuinely at all.

"Well… You want me to come along?"

"No," and that hurt, "I'd rather you didn't."

"Don't worry," she added, "It's nothing serious. I'll see you later, okay?"

He nodded, barely comprehending. But she did take the few steps back to him, to ruffle his hair, to reassure really – to reassure them both.

---

7:56, November 18, 2065

If she had been paying attention, Jane might have noticed the man following her onto the rail car. As it was, she only noticed Gray when he sat next to her. She gave him befitting attention, and only stayed for politeness' sake.

"Let's talk," he chirped eventually, and as pleasantly as he could. It still didn't sound much better than a croak. Why, oh why, didn't he swindle someone else into doing this?

"About what?" she asked cautiously; meanwhile wondering which wrong thing that, in his mind, she had been a part of this time.

"Body chemistry," he blurted, after a minute's struggle, through which the woman only stared.

"Body chemistry?" she echoed, and he nodded mutely, "What do you mean?"

"You know," he explained poorly, and not at all, "Don't you?"

"…No?"

He certainly seemed more distressed than she had known him to be in quite some time; so she sat, somewhere between amused and apprehensive, sincerely trying to figure out exactly what he was babbling about… only to fail completely in the end. With the slight pleading prevailing, she gave it a wild guess.

"Captain, really," she replied wearily, casting a furtive glance around the car, "If you're having trouble with your… body chemistry, I suggest you see a physician about it."

"No, it's not…" by the time he looked up, she had disappeared.

He cursed, loudly enough to draw the attention of the nearby passengers. Unaware of this, and of Jane watching him from within the outer crowd, he cradled his head in his hands.

---

8:28, November 18, 2065

The sergeant's room was comforting in a way hers could never be. There was something appealing to it, and his friendship, where she didn't have to worry about overbearing concern.

Ryan, while he was concerned, wasn't the type to push things he knew he shouldn't. He stood by watching her over the back of the chair, ready to be attentive to whatever she needed… provided she asked for it. Still, he frowned a little, and reached over the backing to touch her shoulder gently.

The doorbell chimed, and Ryan smiled softly when Jane looked up to him.

"Bad things happen, I know," he said, ignoring the bell momentarily, "But you're going to be okay with this, right?"

She nodded mutely, and he attended to the door on the other side of the small study that was half of his allotted quarters. The door sounded again before he opened it; and when he did there was Gray, haggard and stern in appearance.

"I lost… you." Ryan looked over his shoulder where the captain's gaze had moved – to where Jane has sneaked up behind him.

"Look, you… just…" Gray sighed, aggravated, "Next time I'm trying to talk to you, would you…?" He finally saw her, as she stared at her feet, to look up only when he faltered, "Are you okay?"

"Why do people keep asking that?" she crossed her arms, and he felt a strong surge of guilt, "If I look that bad, then yes, I guess it is."

"You told her?" the officer inquired skeptically, did she tell you? Is that what all this is about?

"Told me what?"

"No; I really don't think she knows."

"Knows what?"

That was it – Gray was determined to end this now, "Do you know?" he asked her, and she grimaced at him.

"What?" she asked bluntly; but, instead of an answer, Gray started sputtering nonsense again. Lucky for them both, Ryan came to the rescue.

"Jane," he smiled, genuinely happy for her, "Let me be the first to say 'congratulations.'"

She shifted her confused glare to him, "What for?"

"On your pregnancy," Gray finally managed to squeak.

"What…" Jane took a defensive step back, "Are you talking about?"

Ryan shifted his stance, a mix of giddy and nervous, but couldn't stop smirking "We found out in an odd way, but… again, congratulations…"

"Very funny," she managed to chuckle, but the men didn't back up her joke theory immediately… or at all.

"It's been showing up every time you get scanned, they just thought you knew," Ryan explained soberly, since Gray seemed to have lost his voice, "We thought you knew, so… uh…"

"No," Jane asserted, turning to look around the room for anything that might help what she knew, "This can't be for real." Wisps of paranoia floated through her mind, and she pushed them away.

"You do know where-"

"It's not possible," she cut him off, facing them again. Whether she needed to reassure herself or explain it to them, she smiled, "Because we never…"

But her smile faltered, and she inhaled sharply at the sudden recollection.

"Oh F…"