Chapter Nine
She should have known there would be a catch. Yes, Commander Adama had given her her own room, even if it was half the size of his own and with no private bath. But he had placed her smack in between his room and his son's.
"Trust, my eye." Jessica scowled hanging up the extra pair of sweat pants Dr Salik had provided her with. She glanced at the wall separating her room from Lee's. Jessica could hear him moving about in there. It occured to her that she'd more than likely be able to hear him if he were...entertaining. Her scowl deepened. The thought made her queasy and her chest tightened with jealousy."Ah, shut up." She told herself, trying to put the negative emotion out of her mind but not being able to. It swirled persistently in her chest to settle in her stomach, setting up lodging. "Why should I give a damn? Frak whomever you please, Captain. I just hope to hell you're not a screamer." Jessica stuck her tongue and blew a raspberry out at the wall towards Lee Adama. Jessica again wondered if Lieutenant Thrace had provided Lee with any, entertainment but dismissed the idea. The vibe she got between them was more of a sibling nature than lovers. Jessica had felt the love that Kara Thrace had borne for Zak Adama. It was a powerful thing and the loss of him had nearly destroyed Kara. It reminded Jessica of the love between her parents.
She'd never been in love like that. Never felt that stupifying passion that encompassed every part of her and linked her so thoroughly with another human being that they truly became one entity.Jessica thought she had, once. The memory of that betrayal filled her with a bitterness and shame so strong that she began to shake, the top of the hanger she held began to poke through her skin painfully and she dropped it. Jessica looked around the room for something to shatter so that she could release the rolling fury building inside of her. Finding nothing but the hanger which wasn't as effective as she wanted, Jessica settled for throwing one of her shoes against the wall. A few seconds later there was a knock on the door and Jessica grimaced guiltily, thinking it was one of the Adama men coming to scold her for banging on the walls. Her guilt turned to a nervous jolt when she opened the door to find a very inebriated Gary Morgan staring down at her.
The girl was talking to herself, Lee mused as he got ready for his shift. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and once again wondered what the hell his father was thinking trusting a woman who was apparently 2 cards short of a Pyramid deck. Lee couldn't quite make out what she was saying but when he made out his own name and something about screaming, Lee was tempted, only for an instant, to grab his coffee mug and press it against the wall for a listen. After a soft thud from her side, Lee heard a man's voice. Lee's stomach tightened in irritation. He'd have to have a chat with pretty little psychic chick and remind her that she was aboard the Galactica to work for them, not to frak her way through the fleet. He looked up at his clock on the wall and grumbled. Giving Ms Talbot a lesson in military decorum was going to have to wait until after his shift. Lee was on his way past her door when he heard Jessica scream his name. Lee always prided himself on being a man in control of his emotions. He was not a man driven by gut feelings, hunches or instinct. But hearing the young woman's scream of what could only be panic when he burst into Jessica's room, belatedly remembering he'd left his gun back in his room, Lee saw red. He'd never felt this particular mix of terror and rage, but watching Morgan tearing at Jessica's clothes while she tried to bite and kick him, Lee felt a burst of anger so potent he knew he was going to happily kill the man. Lee leapt on the heavy set Morgan, crushing Jessica beneath them both before dragging Morgan to the floor.
"You frakking son of a bitch!" Lee shouted connecting with Morgan's dazed head repeatedly. "What the frak do you think you're doing? Bastard!" Lee grabbed Morgan by the collar and slammed his head into the floor three, four then five times.
Jessica scrambled to the edge of her bed and covered her face with her hands. She was gonna throw up. Remembering Gary Morgan's alcohol filled breath on her face as he hovered on top of her, Jessica felt the bile rise in her throat. Feeling the tartness of blood in her mouth, Jessica realized she'd bitten her tongue. Shivering more from the ordeal than the fact that the few clothes she had were torn, Jessica between to cry, deep shaking sobs. Then she felt a surge of anger which doubled when she sensed Lee's blinding rage. He's going to kill him. Jessica thought watching Lee pummeling Gary Morgan.
"Do it!" Jessica snapped sniffling. "No, not a good idea." Her conscience insisted. "Who knows what they'll do to you, Lee." Jessica mused out loud. She had to stop him. Morgan was no longer moving. Now, coupled with Lee's rage was Jessica's own fear that Lee would go to prison if he killed Morgan. "Lee..." Jessica hiccuped. He gave no indication that he heard her. "Lee!" Jessica said a bit louder crawling back towards him. "Lee, stop!" She shouted. Her voice seemed to register because Lee's head shot up. His blue eyes were clouded in a haze of hate and Jessica shrank back slightly, startled. Someone rushing into the room made them both start. Commander Adama followed a tall bald man, both with their guns drawn.
"Captain Apollo, what happened here?" The bald man asked.
"Tigh." Jessica said. "You're Colonel Tigh." The bald man turned to her and his eyes widened at her dishevelled state.
"That's right. Care to explain what the hell happened, young lady?"
"This moose attacked me! That's what happened" Jessica stood up and kicked at Gary Morgan's unconscious form for good measure.
"Alright." William pulled Jessica back from Morgan. "Captain Apollo?" He asked. Lee got to his feet, rubbing his bloodied knuckles.
"I came in and Morgan was on top of her, forcing himself on her." Lee seethed.
"You're certain she was...uh...discouraging him?" Tigh asked.
"You bet your ass I was!" Jessica spat insulted.
"And it did not occur to you, Captain to simply draw your gun and restrain, Mr Morgan?" Tigh asked.
"Let's get Morgan to Dr Salik and then we'll have a formal inquiry." William insisted kneeling down by Morgan and feeling for a pulse. "Well he's alive, just barely. Colonel Tigh, if you'll send for the doctor?" Jessica felt a mix of dissapointment and relief. Dissapointment for herself. Relief for Lee.
"Are you alright, Ms Talbot?" William asked. Jessica wrapped her arms around herself when she realized she was half naked and tried to stop shaking. She barely managed a nod.
"I...uh...I need...I don't have anymore clothes." Jessica said, fresh tears springing to her eyes.
"We'll get you some." William assured her softly.
"You're not going to put him in jail. Are you?" Jessica asked directing her question to the Commander but looking at Lee. "He was only helping me." She noticed that Lee had trouble meeting her eyes, choosing instead to stare at the floor.
"Don't worry about that right now. We'll just have Dr Salik look over the both of you and take things from there." William informed her. He left them alone while he went to hunt down a fresh shirt and sweats for her.
