Stephen turned around and the telepaths were gone. He was startled for a moment, but within a few moments he let it go by. As he looked around his link decided to make itself notice. He activated it still a little phased by the sudden departure of his patient and company.
"Franklin, go."
Susan voice came over the other end, sounding tired beyond belief of her lifestyle. "Stephen, turns out we have a bigger problem. "
"What's going on?" He asked, feeling this day was getting beyond interesting.
"I can't say over the link- just that it's to do with John. Be in my office in twenty."
"Alright, see you there." He replied before lowering his hand away from his mouth. He crossed the med-lab, went into his office and pulled off his lab coat. Why did he choose the one profession that involved numerous changes of clothes? Nightwear to uniform, uniform to lab coat, lab coat to scrubs, scrubs to lab coat, lab coat to uniform...it never ended.
Stephen put his Jacket back on and eyed the door of the side room suspiciously to see if Marcus were asleep. If he were it meant he would be able to avoid sneaking out. He couldn't quite see and leaned forward to get a better view. As he did, he discovered that Marcus was not in bed, Infact he seemed to be wandering around the room. Stephen moved over to the doorframe to see Marcus rummaging through the contents of the room.
"What are you doing?" he intoned, intending to make Marcus jump. He failed however, it seemed that Marcus had retained his ESP like observational skills.
Marcus turned, looking rather irate, then replied, "Looking for a sharp implement to hack the bloody rubix cube apart!" He turned back to looking, disregarding the fact he was not supposed to be on his feet. Marcus began to rummage again and added, "Failing that, a skull to do my Hamlet impression with."
Stephen crossed into the room, not wanting to start a disagreement this moment. He just wanted to be reassured that Marcus wouldn't do anything stupid, like disappearing, while he was gone. "Marcus, do me a favour and get back to bed," He pulled at Marcus arm before stepping towards the door. "I have a meeting to go to."
"Anything interesting?" Marcus asked, yet unmoving. Stephen considered, then didn't reply. No matter what was going on Marcus was staying here. He was not particularly useful in this situation.
"Oh come on Stephen this is me!" He exclaimed, stepping towards Stephen, not liking being kept out of the goings on of the outside world. "Just because I'm here doesn't mean I'm not part of the sewing circle anymore."
Franklin paused for a moment, then considered that the last few events should be kept from him as much as possible. He could just see Marcus going on a half alive rampage of vengeance for the murdered ranger, not to mention the bigger problem Susan had mentioned. "Sheridan has a problem, he wants some input on it."
"Does this problem remain undisclosed?" Marcus asked, feeling it was a fair question.
Stephen paused for a moment, "I can't say."
Marcus slumped slightly in disbelief. What did they think he was going to go and do? Run up to whatever this problem was and hit it until it went away? Granted that was often a good way of dealing with things, but right now he was well aware of what he was capable of right now. Stephen was just over reacting.
"Bloody hell Stephen." He intoned, showing his frustration.
"I have to go." Stephen informed him, dropping the subject.
Marcus lent forward and hung on the doorframe, trying his best to upset Stephen considerably before his departure to the great beyond that was the outside door. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? Get conditioned to the outside world again?"
His face suddenly twisted in pain again and he groaned, leaning against the doorframe. Like a hawk Stephen was on him, feeling that the point as to why Marcus shouldn't be up and around was being made without a lecture. "You still in pain?" He asked, standing next to him.
"No," Marcus began to reply, half doubled over but still spouting sarcasm "...this is my Hamlet."
Stephen took a great deal of Marcus weight (which didn't seem to be all that much) and started to help him back over to the bed.
"Lie down." He instructed, suddenly being a doctor and not Stephen Franklin the one half of a great double act.
As Marcus lay back down he put his hands to his face, and breathed deeply, waiting for Stephen to leave him there knowing now he wouldn't be up again. Was this ever going to go away?
After a few moments he took his hands away and looked up at Stephen who stood over him holding a scanner. "Don't you have a meeting to go to?" Marcus reminded him, hoping somehow that Stephen would get the hint and go.
"I just wanna check you're ok." Stephen assured him, seeing how ill he still was. Maybe he should rethink letting him go in a couple of days.
"I'm fine." Marcus lied, not caring about the truth, just wanting some peace and for Stephen to stop being so serious around him. He felt his stomach twinge and groaned again. He looked up to see that Stephen was again reaching for a drug to inject him with. Marcus hated being pumped full of drugs.
"Yeah, you look it." He retorted, loading up an injector before pushing against Marcus arm.
"Hey, I thought I was the sarcastic one." Marcus replied, knowing what was about to hit his bloodstream any moment. It still seemed to be taking it's time, he could still feel his guts twisting. He shouldn't think about that. He needed something else to focus on, anything...
"Whether ' tis nobler in the mind, to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?"
Stephen smiled listening to Marcus' reaction to the pain. It could have been worse he supposed, he could have started singing. "Do us both a favour- cut out the theatrics and get some sleep." He remarked, reasonably satisfied Marcus would be alright for a couple of hours.
"To die- to sleep." Marcus announced rather loudly as Stephen went for the door, before his voice died down. "To sleep! Perchance to dream."
Franklin smiled again before leaving, murmuring more to himself than Marcus.
"Ay there's the rub."
In Susan's' mind this meeting was only going on in the back of her head. Her attention wavered in and out only becoming engaged when someone raised their voice. Why did the universe do this to her? Why couldn't her replacement have been faced with the past day and the beginning of tomorrow and their hecticness? Her attention wavered back in as John went to argue this case again...
"Now I am supposed to lead this alliance and for my money that means I should be out there where I can be seen, where I can do some good."
"It's not the way things are done." Delenn insisted, more concerned for Johns well being than the idealism of her eccentric husband.
"Well then maybe it's time some of those things were done differently." John began again, starting back on his idealism. "If some of our so called leaders walked the same streets as the same people who voted them in, lived in the same buildings and ate the same food instead of hiding behind glass and steel and bodyguards maybe we'd get better leadership and a little more concern for the future."
Stephen stepped in to offer his two cents to the conversation, If he was going to be called away from work he may as well make the best of his opinion. "John that's a commendable idea but its dangerous."
"Is it?" John questioned, hating the fact that nobody seemed to be on his side. What was the point in being President if what you said meant nothing to people anyway? "Our new friend just said "All the security in the world can't stop a lone gunman dedicated to exchange his life for the target. And he is right, so you may as well live instead of being a prisoner."
Silence fell over the room, as if John had asked for a volunteer to go and make nice with the Zarg. Quietly John hoped for some back up from somewhere. Anyway in his favour right now would give him a little more validation and reassurance that his ideals weren't entirely crazy. Then, from the back of the room, the word seem to fall out of Susan's mouth, slowly, and almost unintentionally.
"John's right."
All eyes turned to her, noting that this was her first comment on the proceedings. She wondered if she would have been better off keeping her mouth shut.
"Susan?" Sheridan invited her to continue her support of his half cocked idea of staying out in the public, where he was likely to follow in a long line of Martyrs such as JFK and John Lennon.
Susan took a deep breath and began to explain herself very slowly aware all eyes were still on her. Sheridan was intrigued, Delenn looked worried, G'Kar looked Stoic, and Garibaldi looked ready to challenge anything she had to say that would compromise Sheridan safety.
"John wants people to see him- to establish that the alliance is not built on hypocrisy. If he starts hiding now he'll never get out into the public again."
Michael was already onto the flaws in her thinking. His choice of word were of that to a friend who was being mistaken, but his voice carried the edge of someone threatened by the danger to his friend.
"In-case you missed the point Susan, someone's out to kill him."
Susan decided she'd had enough of this and wasn't standing to have anyone speak to her patronisingly, let alone have John letting his position be undermined because everyone was worried that he couldn't take care of himself without the inner circle there to help him.
"In-case YOU missed the point Michael...," Ivanova began coldly, using the same Patronising personal approach as he had done to her.
"...I'm still in charge of this station for the next twelve hours! That means I have final authority of what goes on!"
Londo shrunk back slightly, well aware with three wives as to how upset a woman scorned can truly be.
Susan's voice lost its antagonism and pace for a moment.
"Now, Whatever John decides is fine with me. I don't have the time or patience to stand here debating this kind of Crap-"
Everyone stayed silent, almost afraid to move against her. After a few moments she irately yelled again. "Now Someone MAKE A DECISION!"
John nodded his head, somehow glad of the impact Susan had since taking the floor. "We go ahead." He agreed. Delenn went to say something to him, but rethought her words. Enough anger was in the room already without her adding to it. She'd discuss it with John later.
Susan wondered where her sudden bout of anger had come from. It was quickly dissipating into quiet embarrassment of someone who had just thrown a tantrum.
"Good." She mumbled before making for the door before anyone could reply.
With Ivanovas departure, the group began to break up and leave, or move into small Oasis of discussion. John and Delenn left, with Delenn seeming very displeased. Garibaldi and Franklin stood still saying nothing for a moment.
"Was it something I said?" Michael asked, not completely sure he deserved that chewing out.
"Was it something any of us said?" Londo replied, heading for the door. Women were after all difficult at the best of times.
"I dunno." Stephen shook his head, somewhat perplexed before lowering his voice. "Y'know she still hasn't told Marcus she's going." He shared quietly with Garibaldi.
Michael gave a brief look of disbelief. "Interesting." He commented.
"Cutting it a little fine for my liking." Franklin added, folding his arms as he spoke and lowering his voice again. "I'm sure as hell not breaking it to him."
Garibaldi looked back to him, clapped him on the shoulder and moved towards the door. "I'll catch you later." He called back to Stephen who stayed where he was.
"Where you going?" He called out.
"To find out what I did wrong."
Stephen waited for him to move out of earshot before turning to G'kar and asking: "Is there one person on this station without a death wish?"
The Narn merely chuckled in reply.
"Hey Susan, wait up!" A voice shouted at her as she made her way from her office. She turned on her heel to see Michael running to catch up with her. She didn't want to discuss it. She didn't want to talk to Garibaldi, have him stick a mental bandage on her and say "there-there." None the less. He was going to try.
"What was that all about?" He enquired as he caught up with her, knowing that the last snap she'd given him went against a great deal of character.
"Did you come for an apology?" Susan asked dryly, fighting to hear her own voice over the pounding in her head.
"No." Michael replied curtly. "I came to see if you were ok, and to make sure everything was ok between us."
"If you want it to be," Ivanova replied before trying to walk off again. Michael grabbed her by the arm. He wasn't ending her time here like this. In truth he was quite suprised when she didn't belt him for touching her like that
"Don't walk away." He instructed, his voice gaining a certain edge. He moved his hand off her arm and began to take the situation calmly."Are you still angry with me?"
"I shouldn't be," She began very matter-of- factly. "You didn't know what you were doing."
"But you are."
She sighed sadly, torn between her heart and her head. "Yeah, I'm angry at what happened to John, then I'm angry because I got put into the position of command where I made a decision to go and fight, which lead to what happened to Marcus. Isn't causality a bitch?"
Michael went quiet. She hadn't been able to forgive him yet. It wasn't her fault she couldn't. He'd betrayed her trust, but it wasn't his fault either. None the less it hurt him very much, Ivanova could see the hurt in his eyes.
Susan shook her head, trying to dismiss her suspicions about him. "Look, it's my problem and I'll deal with it in time. I just need some space without all of this confusion and politics for a while. I want to get back to the stars."
He eyed her suspiciously, as if trying to discern the truth in her words. "Is that why you're trying to slip out the back door, praying to God that your friends wont notice until you're gone."
"I'm not running Michael." She replied to the accusation.
"Are you sure?" He retorted. He knew a lot about running away from his own problems after all.
She didn't reply. She just though for a moment.
"I know it's not my place," He began, "But make sure what you're doing is for the right reasons. Otherwise you'll end up regretting this, maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life."
Susan looked up and couldn't help but smile at Michael and how cultural surroundings had seeped so far into his brain he couldn't even think of an original speech to give her.
"How many times have you seen Casablanca?"
"Too many, obviously," He replied, glad that she was still reachable. "Just promise me that when you go, it'll be for the right reasons."
Simon was bleeding, he might be dying, but he kept going. He had to stop the assassin, He had to warn them, or Sheridan would die...