Just Not Good

Old Souls

Chapter 7

The first flight of the cycle after a "jump" in space was usually the longest. The vipers would make exploration patrol of the system, shifts lasting ten to twelve hours each, depending on what they found during the run. This flight might even take longer, for the Galactica noticed strange, unnatural solar activity around the sun and they would have to do some investigation of the disturbance, which included running some quick tests for the sci-geeks onboard the Galactica before they could ever complete their regular patrol. It was obvious this flight was going t be longer than normal. It took the first 20 minutes of the flight for Lee to convince his wing mate that he was cleared for flight, and that only came after Colonel Tigh came onto the com and welcomed him back to duty.

After Starbuck was sure that the he wasn't going to get her tossed into hack for aiding and abetting his escape from sickbay, she began to regale him with her nightmare stint as CAG... nearly six hours of growls and gripes that did not stop except for when she attempted to inhale. He managed to get in a groan or a "well" and even an occasional "but" still those were not enough to slow her down. She did stop long enough to help him with the scientific test. Although they maintained a distance actually two planets from the solar system's sun, the occasional magnetic pulse-like activity actually shut down their vipers twice before they got out of range. The flares and strange movements of the magnificent yellow star were a sight to see.

As soon as they were out of danger, Starbuck's ranting began again and so did his headache. He was almost certain his head would explode before they got back to the Galactica.

Later, Apollo wasn't sure if Starbuck had run out of steam or he was just no longer listening to her, but he seemed to feel a great amount of the pressure ease in the silence then he felt nothing...

They were already on their return arc back to the Galactica, the second patrol had already launched and was making the smaller patrols that made up the rest of the rest of the day's normal runs.

There were several minutes of dead air when Kara notice that Lee was resting his head back on the head rest and his eyes were tightly closed.

"Lee?" she whispered, grateful that she was still on the inner ship com and not the open channel. "LEE! Wake up."

"I am awake," he replied quietly

"Then why have your eyes been closed that last ten minutes?"

"They haven't been," he continued, still keeping his eyes clinched shut.

"You may be right, I've only been keeping watch for ten minutes. The headache is back, isn't it?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Starbuck, really, I am just ...thinking..." he calmly whispered.

"Yeah, right, just thinking. Just thinking on how to give me a frakkin' heart attack."

He let out a small laugh and slowly opened his eyes to a squint. "See, eyes open."

"No...no... that is not open. I have seen open and that is not it. I am calling the Commander. We are ending the patrol now."

"NO! Kara, look... Maybe I overextended myself, this being my first patrol back and all. I promise I am fine. Lets just finish these last couple of hours and then I will call it a day, go back to my room and sleep."

"I don't like this Lee. You're still sick."

"I swear I passed the exams, Starbuck. Really, it's just my body hasn't adjusted from all the sleep that I was getting." He almost sounded like he was winning.

"Okay, okay. Look, we should be back onboard the Galactica in about three hours. We will finish this patrol, and you can rest your eyes between now and then, but so help me if you show any signs of something being wrong I am going to "bring the cat home" all over again. Do you understand me?"

Apollo considered reminding her of his rank, but then it never did Colonel Tigh or any other officer much good. It would more than likely only serve to encourage her tirade, so he agreed.

The next three hours seemed to take forever and every five minutes Kara would ask if he was okay. For Lee's part, he was fine enough to say he was fine. He was awake, granted for the most part with his eyes shut, and he was even responding to the Galactica's check up calls with out missing a beat. If he could only get his head to let up on the pounding, he wouldn't feel like he was lying to himself. By the time they landed, he wasn't feeling tired but he wasn't feeling very good, either.

Commander Adama looked at his assistant with confused and almost frightened eyes.

"I, I, um, I don't know what to say," he whispered. "When, how...uh."

He had never really thought of it but Michael came into his life not long before his youngest had died. He had actually grown very fond of the young man and although he could never replace Zac in his heart, Michael seemed to at least keep that part of him busy so he didn't hurt quite as much.

"Commander, we both knew this day would come. Hell, I have outlived over two thirds of those who came before me."

"Have you been to Life Station? Are you sure?"

"I am sure, and there really is no need for Life Station. There is nothing anyone can do," he assured the commander.

"I don't care, I want you to report there immediately."

"Sir, there is no time. Captain Adama is unaware of what is happening to him."

"You are so sure that his illness and the working of the stone was not some kind of coincidence."

"I would stake my life on it, but right now that is not much of a bet." He laughed half heartedly, adding, "...Yes sir, I am sure."

The Commander reached over his desk, picked up the phone and dialed the numbers that extended to the XO's line. He was fairly sure that his patrol would be back by now and Tigh confirmed it. "Apollo and Starbuck have returned and been debriefed. The Patrol was complete and except for some minor equipment problems caused by the strange phenomenon, "uneventful," to quote Captain Apollo. Other than the fact that the sun is creating some kind of electromagnetic flux and the science officers believe that the solar system will be destroyed in the next hundred years or so, it's a nice little system. It has three habitable planets and one habitable moon on the lee side of the fifth planet."

Will felt unsure about his next words but something in him knew he had to ask. "Paul, how did he uh, look ...act?"

"Tired," he answered, almost a bit too quickly. "I thought this patrol would be a bit much for him so soon after being released from medical leave but then if I have learned anything in my many years under your command, it would be: Choose your battles. I don't know why I bother to argue the point with any Adama, it's always been a losing battle."

"You do it because it's your job, and you are good at it."

It didn't take a psychologist to realize that there was more bothering the commander than the CAG's first day back to work. "Is there a problem? He had clearance from Life Station for duty."

The pause was almost excruciatingly loud.

"No, no, uh at least I don't think so. I will get back with you a little later. I want to go talk to Lee and then I will be up there right afterwards and break you for the night. Thanks."

Paul paused, staring at the now dead phone line. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He felt the same gnawing at his gut while in debriefing with Starbuck and Apollo, and he could feel it now.