Disclaimer: There's a poem by William Blake called The Tiger that I quote bits of.

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One for Duty

Oh, fuck.

Commander Vaako did indeed look unwell. His eyes were hollows, his hair unkempt. The look on his face, haggard a few days ago, was beyond that now. He looked a little mad. And very dangerous.

But he wasn't looking at Zemma. He was looking at his wife and as Zemma watched his expression softened. The madness, however, remained.

What, is that another Furian trait? We go mad at the drop of a hat? Or is it just this ship?

"MinFerrin, it's only you." Vaako's voice was soft, belying the fear she felt. "I must have left the door unlocked. Careless of me." He walked to the bedside and stroked his wife's face.

He was still thinking of her as Min? Should she use that?

Don't do it. If his mind clears for even a moment, how will you explain?

"W'Rdah said someone was breaking into my rooms." His voice was still rather distant.

Yup, no friends there.

Zemma laid a hand on the Commander's arm. "Trygg," Zemma kept her voice soft but it was her own. He turned slowly to her.

"Trygg, she's got bedsores. We have to move her out of that position. Do you have first aid, so we can clean them? You don't want her to get infected." She was staring into his eyes and hoping her quiet words were getting through.

How in stars could Jaron have let this man on duty? Or did the Commander have his own masks? One for Duty, one for Victory, and one for his Lady? She hoped his mask for Honor wasn't too badly smashed to bits.

How in stars can you even contemplate helping this evil woman?

Just the nature of her beast. But no one deserves this. What if she's awake in there?

Then she'll hate knowing you're helping her.

Zemma smiled. Vaako he didn't return it. He faced his wife again.

"Commander Vaako," Zemma let her voice sound businesslike, the voice she used on the PA. "Are you covered on the bridge?"

He nodded but kept looking at his wife.

Lovely.

Okay, well, it's a new Now. Get on it. Can't have the First Commander cracking up. Wouldn't be good for the myth. Gotta put his broken doll back together.

"Commander!" She tried a whole new voice; it was a spur of the moment mask. She needed his attention and cooperation. Time to play soldier.

"Get a bath started, Commander." Keep it simple. "She can't stay like this and risk infection."

He moved to comply. She'd tapped into his sense of Duty, he was responding to orders. That was good enough for now. Zemma went in search of first aid. She wondered if a jolt of nano-juice would help with the poison as well as the wounds, of if her system was so slowed down that it would be ineffective.

She couldn't find anything resembling what she was hoping for. Probably they just went to the med-lab for every little scrape. Zemma headed for the bar. If Dame Vaako was aware, then this was going to hurt like hell.

Lord Vaako was carrying the Lady towards the bath. She hurried after so he wouldn't accidentally drown her. And faced a whole new problem.

Get soaked, or get naked?

Trygg had laid his wife next to the filled pool and had resumed staring at her. Zemma decided that she wasn't walking home wet and didn't want an audience.

When did you start thinking of him as Trygg?

"Commander Vaako, your wife should go to the med-lab."

For the first time since she thought she was going to die at his hands Zemma saw some animation in Lord Vaako. He turned towards Zemma and shook his head no, and some expression came back to his face.

"She can't. She can't be seen like that."

"Then you need to go and bring back a nano-shot."

Lord Vaako nodded more briskly than he had before. His face was losing that shell-shocked look. For too many days he had been alone with his grief.

Guilt. It's guilt.

Lord Vaako started out of the bath with a more responsive and determined look on his face. Zemma knew from experience that action, almost any action, was solace for a tortured mind.

Like bathing your worst enemy to avoid thinking about…

Shut up.

Zemma looked down on the helpless Lady. "Remember this moment, snake. I don't happen to think your husband is an altogether bad guy. If you wake up from this I hope you learn to value that." She stripped them both down and hauled the woman into the water.

"But I doubt it."