9/10/04
GOD IS LOVE
Chapter 5
As awareness gradually returned, Lee found himself lying in a bed. Monitors and an IV stand surrounded him. He was in the Life Station on the Galactica, in one of the few private rooms. Turning his head slightly, he saw rows of metal bars attached to the sides of the bed. He started to raise a hand to touch the bars, but found wide, black nylon straps restraining his wrists. Another strap crossed his chest, another bisected his thighs, and two more immobilized his ankles. Raising himself up as much as his restraints would allow, he gazed past the foot of the bed. A large observation window made of one-way glass took up most of that far wall. Lee realized uncomfortably that he was probably being watched.
He lay back down with a slight groan. Even that brief expenditure of energy had exhausted him. He head was still pounding and his eyes burned as if there was a lit furnace behind them. He closed his eyes and was just starting to drift off again, when he heard the door to the room open. Forcing his eyes open again, he managed to focus them on the form of Col. Tigh standing just inside the room. An armed security officer stood behind him.
"Gee, all this security, just for me?" Lee asked weakly. "I'm flattered."
Tigh didn't smile. He recognized a brave front when he saw one. He started to move closer, but the security officer stopped him with a warning.
"Be careful, sir. You probably shouldn't get too close to the prisoner."
Seeing Lee flinch slightly at the word 'prisoner', Tigh snapped, "Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all. Please wait outside."
"But sir-."
"That will be all. You are dismissed," the colonel repeated firmly.
"Yes sir," the man said reluctantly, with a crisp salute.
Tigh moved to stand beside the bed and rested his hands on the metal bars. "How do you feel?" he asked.
"Like my head's going to explode." At those words, Lee had a mental flashback of Enoch's head doing just that and he felt a wave of nausea wash over him.
Seeing the younger man's expression change, Tigh said, "I'll let Salik know that you're in pain. Maybe he can give you something. Do you want some water?"
"Yes, please." Lee actually didn't feel terribly thirsty. He supposed the IV in his arm was keeping his body pretty well hydrated, but his mouth and throat were parched.
There was a bottle of water, with a straw, sitting on the table beside the bed and the colonel held it so that Lee could drink from it. Afterward, he fell back, once again exhausted and light-headed. Tigh pulled up a low, rolling stool beside the bed and sat down. His expression was grave. Lee watched him for a moment, wondering why the man was being so solicitous.
"How is Lau-, Pres. Roslin?" Lee asked.
"She's fine. She was a little freaked out, but she's alright now."
Lee felt a stab of guilt for being the cause of her distress and because he hadn't even been able to comfort her afterward.
"... And my father?" he asked hesitantly.
"He's fine."
"Then why do you look like someone died?"
"Someone did die, Lee, the prophet Enoch."
"Oh, yeah..."
Tigh was silent for a moment before he said, "Dr. Salik and Dr. Baltar examined the body. Enoch was a Cylon. But I suppose you already knew that."
"What makes you think that I knew?"
"Well, wasn't that why you killed him?"
"I killed him because, Human or Cylon, he was dangerous and he needed to die," Lee said dispassionately.
"Oh," Tigh said simply, but Lee noted that there was respect in the older man's eyes. "Tell me, do you remember him doing anything strange or suspicious when you were alone with him?"
"No, but I did fall asleep during one of our visits."
The colonel nodded thoughtfully, but said nothing.
"So, what happens now?"
"Well, you're running a high fever. The doctors aren't sure why. They've been doing tests, but until they can determine what's going on... you'll stay here..." Like this, his apologetic look clearly stated.
"You don't trust me, do you?"
Tigh didn't answer, but he looked away uncomfortably.
"It's alright, sir, I understand," Lee said softly. "Right now, I don't trust me either."
The colonel looked up at those words. "Son, I want you to understand something. Your father is standing on the other side of that window right now." He emphasized his words by gesturing to the one-way glass. "He's been standing there for the last 12 or so hours since they brought you here. The only reason he isn't in this room with you, is because Capt. Kelly and I won't allow it. Yes, it's true, we don't trust you. But, make no mistake, your father does."
"Thank you sir," Lee whispered. "Could you please tell my father... that I'm sorry if I've disappointed him?"
"That's enough of that," the older man said gruffly. "We don't know what happened to you while you were with Enoch, but we're going to find out. You just hang in there, Son. We'll figure this out." He reached a hand over the bars and gave Lee's shoulder a brief squeeze. "Now, get some sleep."
"Yes sir," Lee whispered, as a single tear slid from the corner of one eye, down his temple to disappear into his hair.
Moments later, Tigh had barely managed to close the door to Lee's room before Adama pounced on him. "How is he?" the commander demanded.
"Toughing it out, just as you'd imagine. He's scared, but he's covering it up well."
"Does he hate me?" Adama whispered.
"No, he understands... I know you would prefer it if he did hate you, so that you could wallow in your guilt. But, like it or not, you did the right thing and he knows it."
Although still unconvinced, the commander nodded and rubbed his tired eyes.
"Will, go back to your room and get some sleep," Tigh urged. "You haven't slept in almost 20 hours. I'll let you know immediately if there's any change in Lee's condition."
"Alright, alright, you win. I'll go."
As Adama was about to head out of Life Station, a young security officer stepped up to him. "Excuse me sir," the young man said, "but we were told to notify you immediately if we found anything unusual in the priest's rooms on The Paradise..."
"Yes, what did you find?"
"Just this... it looks like some kind of a star chart, sir."
The man handed Adama a sheet of paper on which was, indeed, a crude, hand-drawn star chart. Tigh came to stand beside the commander and looked over his arm at the drawing as well.
"Didn't we already investigate this sector?" Tigh asked.
"Yes, but this chart shows more than what we explored... Have a drone sent into this sector. I want to know what's there."
"Yes sir, I'll get right on it," the XO responded.
"Good, I'll be in my quarters."
Arriving back at his quarters moments later, Adama found Laura and Kara already there, waiting for him. They had let themselves into his office and were seated on the couch when he walked in. They both stood as he entered.
"Sir, we went down to the Life Station to see Lee and we were told that we couldn't see him," Kara said immediately. "What's going on? Why can't we see him?"
"No one gets to see him, not even me. He's effectively under arrest. I'm sorry."
"I know that, sir. Laura told me what happened on The Paradise, but that doesn't explain why we can't see him. If he was in the brig, we'd be able to go and visit him."
"Not this time, you wouldn't."
"Why?" she demanded, "because he killed someone who was plotting to take over the fleet? Who wanted you dead? What's so horrible about that? And why does that mean we can't see him?"
Adama sighed heavily. All the exhaustion that he had been putting off for the past few hours seemed to catch up to him all at once. Moving slowly to his desk, he sank down gratefully on the chair.
"Why don't you both have a seat?" he suggested. When they had complied, he continued, "You understand that the information I'm about to share with you cannot be repeated to anyone else?"
"Yeah, yeah," Kara said impatiently. "Laura already swore me to secrecy about the events on The Paradise. You know I can keep a secret, sir... Well, to anyone except you."
Adama smiled slightly at that. "Alright... Salik and Baltar examined Enoch's body. He was a Cylon."
"Oh, frak me!" Kara breathed softly.
Laura's hand came up to cover her mouth, but she said nothing and her expression did not seem terribly surprised.
"Now, considering Lee's recent erratic behavior, we have reason to suspect that Enoch may have... done something to him," Adama went on. "We don't know for sure and we don't know what. And until we have more concrete answers, Lee will remain quarantined."
"Is he alright?" Laura asked quietly. "He was running a fever earlier."
"No, the fever is still quite high and the doctors don't know what's causing it."
The two women glanced at each other for a moment then Kara said, "We want to see him."
"No," Adama said in a tired, but firm voice. "The only person, other than the doctors, who has been to see him, is Col. Tigh and that's the way it's going to remain."
"Tigh?" Kara said indignantly.
"How is he?" Laura asked.
"Saul said that he's scared, but toughing it out... Now, I'm sorry, but neither of you is going to see him."
The two women stood reluctantly and started for the door. Stopping in the doorway, Laura turned back to the commander. "Will you at least let us know if there's any change?"
"Yes, I'll do that."
"Thank you."
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The insistent buzzing of the phone beside his desk awoke Adama some time later. Whether it had been a few hours or a few minutes, he couldn't be sure. It had seemed like he had only just laid his head down. Tossing the covers away, he stumbled to his desk and grabbed the phone.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry to wake you..." The voice was Tigh's and he sounded unusually serious.
"How is he?" Adama asked, suddenly feeling numb.
"He's lapsed into a coma. Dr. Salik wants to see you as soon as possible."
"I'm on my way."
Hastily pulling on the same rumpled uniform he had been wearing earlier, Adama took a few minutes to splash cold water on his face and run a hand through his hair. He set off to the Life Station at a fast walk. Entering Salik's small office, he found not only the Galactica's primary physician, but Tigh and Dr. Baltar as well. As the commander entered, Tigh rose from the room's only extra chair, which he had been sitting in, and pushed it towards Adama.
"Why don't you have a seat?" the colonel said softly.
Lowering himself slowly to the chair, the commander watched the grave faces of the other men. Tigh was wearing his best pyramid face, all business, no emotion showing. Salik, a handsome man in his mid-forties, with a shock of prematurely white hair, looked sympathetic. And Baltar looked scared. He was quite pale and was sweating. Why was it that the man always looked like he was afraid of being called out for something?
Focusing his attention on Salik, Adama asked, "You have an update on Lee's condition?"
"Yes, he lapsed into a coma a few hours ago. His fever is still dangerously high. I'm very concerned about this. As you probably know, with prolonged high fevers there is always the chance of permanent brain damage. Earlier we tried immersing him in an ice bath, but it seemed to have only a temporary effect."
"What else?"
Glancing over at Baltar, the doctor moved to a large light box mounted vertically on the wall. A large chart was already hanging there. Switching the light on, the chart was illuminated to show the negative image of the side view of a human skull.
"This is from the MRI scan we took of Capt. Adama's head. I am also very concerned about the headaches and nausea he's been complaining of... As you can see, there is an anomaly here at the left frontal lobe." The doctor pointed out the small, dark mass, about two centimeters in diameter, with the tip of his pen.
"A tumor?" Adama asked, feeling an icy chill slide slowly down his spine.
"It could be, but considering the size of it, I would think that the captain would have been showing symptoms long before now."
"What else could it be?"
Salik looked over at Baltar, who said, "It could be a Cylon implant."
"Is that even possible?" Tigh asked skeptically.
"W-well, I-I certainly wouldn't know first hand," Baltar stammered quickly, "but in-in theory, yes, it is conceivable. The Cylons have obviously developed technology well beyond ours."
"Is there any way to find out for sure?" the colonel asked.
"Yes, we can perform a stereostatic biopsy, make a small opening in the skull, remove a tissue sample and test it to see if it's organic or synthetic," Salik answered.
"If it does prove to be... synthetic, will you be able to safely remove it?" Adama asked.
"Commander, regardless of whether it's a tumor or some kind of Cylon implant, it needs to be removed... it's killing him."
"So, there really isn't much point in taking a sample, is there? You may as well just take the whole thing out now. Can that be done safely?"
"Well, if it is a tumor, yes, I can safely remove it. If it's an implant... I don't know what would happen if I tried to remove it. I don't know what its function is."
"I would imagine to control him, to make him kill his father," Tigh suggested.
No one responded to that statement.
"So, the choices are; that we can leave it in, in which case Lee will die. Or you can try to remove it, in which case, Lee might live, or he might die. Is that correct, Doctor?" Adama asked.
"Yes sir," Salik confirmed sadly. "And, I'm sorry, Commander, this will have to be your decision. Capt. Adama is comatose and unable to make the decision himself. You are his next of kin."
The commander sat for a long moment, rubbing the bridge of his nose, where a splitting headache of his own was rapidly developing. At last, he looked up at the doctor. "It appears that we really don't have much of a choice here at all."
"Well sir, perhaps we could test a tissue sample, as I said earlier, and if it proved to be an implant we could...." Salik let his voice trail off as he realized that he really wasn't sure what he was trying to suggest.
"Exactly," Adama said softly. "No, doctor, thank you anyway, but... Remove it."
"Yes sir. I'll have my technicians begin prepping the captain for surgery right away."
"Thank you."
Adama slumped back heavily in his chair, suddenly feeling very, very old. He was barely aware of Tigh moving to stand behind him and resting his hands on his friend's shoulders.
To be continued...
Author's note: Yes, I know this is a short chapter, but we gotta keep the suspense going, and I certainly don't want Cyndi to explode ; )
