The apocalypse wasn't particularly good for morale. The people worried about being blown out of the sky by genocidal maniacs, and eked out an existence while the Fleet ran and discovered that on the whole Armageddon was an unpleasant affair. Moodiness descended on the Colonials as the adrenaline from the initial days of the attacks and the incident at Kobol faded from their systems. The tasks needed for survival dominated their days while at night they dreamed of the rolling hills and the blue skies of their destroyed homes. On each ship, tempers frayed and people took their frustrations out on each other when the fuse to tempers burned low.
A Raptor arrived from Colonial One and pulled into Galactica's hangar bay, bringing Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii and Laura 'Airlock' Roslin back home. These days, the President departed and arrived from Galactica so often that standard honors hadn't been rendered since just after the attacks—just another delicate protocol dance in which the two leaders of the Fleet engaged. Laura was more than happy to dispense with the stone-faced honor guard. The crew still snapped to attention when someone announced the President on deck, but once she put them at ease, Laura appreciated the warm greeting of Tyrol's deck gang.
When the raptor hatch opened and Laura took in the scene in front of her, she doubted that anything less than someone yelling at the top of their lungs would get the deck crew's attention. Sergeant Hadrain's MPs looked to be physically holding some knuckledraggers in place, and Laura winced at the sound of Cally screaming at another specialist who looked ready to explode right back. Chief sported what looked like a black eye to which Zak tended. It looked like a scene from a Fleet bar on Picon and wasn't something she expected to see on the Flagship. What in the name of Holy Hera was going on, Laura thought.
"Not again," Sharon muttered as she stepped up to help Laura, who was now pregnant enough to make it a precarious task, down from the Raptor.
"Again?!" Laura asked, shocked that something like this could happen on the Galactica even once. "Fighting on the hangar deck?"
Sharon nodded. "It's the crew rotation program. It was fine until they showed up," Sharon said and gestured toward a group of specialists who had been separated from the rest of the personnel. "They are originally from Prometheus."
Laura felt a headache forming. The people weren't happy and it was manifesting throughout the Fleet. The advanced preparations done by those who remembered the former timeline protected them and kept their bellies full, the diseases medicated, and workers their earned respite. But no one could give them back their homes and families.
"The whole point of the program was to help turn the Fleet into one cohesive unit, not turn us into a partisan mess," Laura sighed. The Fleet being divided with varying loyalties was a dangerous possibility. Deep in thought, she made her way out of the hangar deck. Zak caught her eye and, after a dramatic eye roll, gave her a wide grin and mouthed 'see you later' to her. She gave her son a smile and nod, feeling the familiar warmth spread in her heart every time she saw Zak, Liam, Kara, or Lee.
"It's broken up the monotony, but there's always going to be factions no matter what, although... I guess you could airlock me and that would help with some of that tension back there," Sharon said. The two women had relaxed around each other, and spoke candidly. Neither would claim friendship with the other in any lifetime, but memories of the future made strange bedfellows of them all. Sharon glanced over at the President. "Don't take that as an invitation."
Laura chuckled. "Even if your existence started that fight, it's bigger than you or me or the Admiral. Everyone is frustrated right now," she said. They both knew that the Prometheus crew remained bitter and suspicious over Dagon's suicide. Tigh earned a bit more of their trust and loyalty day by day, but he wasn't an easy man to instantly fall behind. He struggled with transitioning from mean XO to respectable CO. Meanwhile the Fleet struggled with their leaders' caution around revealing details on their destination.
"So you'd airlock me if I was the only problem?"
"One of the nice things about being President, Boomer, is that you can keep some things to yourself. I suppose the Admiral wouldn't approve," Laura said, knowing her husband's capacity for forgiveness was almost boundless. Climbing down the ladder to reach the deck where the CO's quarters were, she paused and winced, rubbing her stomach where the baby had decided to start using her as a punching bag. She managed to climb the rest of the way down, and saw Sharon looking at her with concern and longing. Maybe it was the hormones making her feel maternal, but she put her hand on the Cylon's shoulder. "How are you and the Chief doing?" she asked bluntly.
Sharon folded her arms as a frown formed on her face. "He now misses the days where the only complicated thing about our relationship was it being completely against regs. He's trying to get over me being a Cylon. The irony of that is about as funny as cranky Centurion," Sharon huffed, and Laura raised an eyebrow. "They can actually get pretty grumpy," Sharon explained with a shrug.
"Give it time," Laura advised and the two women parted ways to head in different directions on the ship.
No, they'd never be friends, but they could be allies, Laura thought. She paused at a junction in the corridor before deciding to attend to another unpleasant confrontation that had been put off for too long. She turned the corner and walked toward the science lab. Two meaner-looking marines guarded the entrance, and they saluted before one moved to open the hatch.
Baltar sat at a microscope, though instead of looking through the machine, his head was thrown back and his lips moved and twitched. Laura decided not to pay any mind to whatever was going on in the man's twisted mind and remained unperturbed at the strange behaviour he exhibited.
"Dr. Baltar," she said, interrupting his episode. Baltar jumped and fumbled after he nearly fell out of his seat. Laura couldn't have known, but there was an invisible Six laughing at the frazzled antics of her scientist.
"If it isn't Pythia's promised leader coming down to grace a humble mortal's presence, Madame President," Baltar said after he pulled himself together. He pushed his glasses up his nose and regarded Laura who remained impassive, as if watching a mildly amusing rodent.
'Careful Gaius, you're not exactly her favorite person,' Six crooned from where she knelt on the floor. 'I'm almost curious to see what would happen if you provoke her enough.'
"Sorry, I'm a little frustrated at being imprisoned. Ummm… what can I do for you?" Baltar backpedaled, deciding that he didn't want to see what Roslin was capable of doing to him when provoked.
Laura snorted. "There are worse prisons than this." She watched Baltar turn red and shuffle some papers around in his workspace while he twitched uncomfortably. She tilted her head to the side, contemplating him. "Why are you cooperating? You helped the Admiral fix the sabotaged computers. Doc Cottle reports that you've genuinely helped in his analysis of the Agathon's baby, confirming it's the same Hera we once knew…" Laura clasped her hands in front of her, projecting an aura of strength and calm. "Why?"
"It's my god-given job to protect Hera. It's your job too."
'How can you say that? She took our child once before!' Six demanded, standing up and stalking away angrily in a swirl of red silk. Baltar ignored her, content in the knowledge that the pregnant Sharon rested safely under house arrest with Karl Agathon.
"You really believe that?" Laura asked, surprised.
"I do. Actually. I really do," Gaius replied, trying not to shift under the glare Six directed at him.
'You're playing with fire, Gaius. She's not on your side,' Six warned, folding her arms.
"You've changed," Laura conceded, not sure if that knowledge pleased her or not. It was hard for her mind to reconcile the memory of the man she'd known as her Vice President and dictator of New Caprica, to the man who'd helped rescue Hera.
"I think you'd agree I was the one who needed to change the most, and I did as civilization was reborn once before. We both know that we both have a role to play in that rebirth again."
'What? Why her?' Six demanded. The elegant Cylon pushed off the wall she leaned on and prawled over to the President. Her red lips formed a scowl and she looked the older woman up and down as if trying to work out a puzzle.
"Why you?" Laura asked.
"Because why not? If a billionaire playboy who made his share of mistakes can find something greater then himself to believe in, couldn't anyone? I don't want to be your enemy, Laura. It didn't work well."
"I'll never allow you to run for office again," she warned.
"No, I don't suppose you would, and I also suppose that's fair. You're meant to lead us, I think. It's all happened before and will all happen again. Cylon detection work, Pythian Prophecies, Commanders and Kobol. But, we're here to break the cycle."
"Alright," Laura nodded.
…
Zak didn't like Sergeant Hadrian. He found her an unpleasant woman whose icy demeanor rivaled the frozen moons of Leonis. Those who found themselves on the receiving end of her ire regretted many of their life choices. The crew speculated that her greatest goal in life was trying to be meaner than Saul Tigh, but although she left many praying to the gods, Tigh remained the champion.
So when Hadrian marched out of Zak's parents quarters looking as if she had swallowed a bug and was now on the path to war, Zak jumped as far back against the bulkhead as he could. He tried to remind himself that he outranked her, but he didn't like confrontation. He'd never been the fighter Kara and Lee were. He realized she was probably pissed at the deck crews behaving like children, but who could blame the crew of Galactica for acting a little hot under the collar when outsiders decided to speak without thinking. The guards posted outside gave him a quick smile before he entered through the hatch. He spotted his father sitting on the couch and rubbing his temples to stave off whatever headache the unpleasant woman caused.
"Where's Mom?"
"Down here, Zak," Laura called. To Zak's surprise, Laura waved to him from where she lay on the ground with her feet propped up in a chair.
"Uhhh… hi?" Zak said as he moved over to stand over her. "You comfy?" He knew his father would be far more worked up if there was something wrong.
"There's this constant dull ache in my back all day and this is the only position that gives me any relief, and I need some peace after that woman," she explained and then laughed at his baffled expression. "It is what it is." She watched him sit down next to her all the while looking at her as if she'd gone a little crazy.
"You should take it easy," Zak said. The doctor in him knew how dangerous stress could be to a pregnancy.
"We already had a visit from Cottle telling her to take it easy," Bill said pointedly. The angry glare the two of them shot at each other, projected to the world that this was, in fact, a discussion that had been rehashed several times. Bill hated seeing how physically and emotionally exhausted his wife became, but Laura Roslin remained stubborn and obstinate and didn't slow down. At least she had a competent vice president and that wonderful aide who'd learned when to put his foot down and demand she not try and solve all the problems of the Fleet in one day.
Laura folded her arms in defiance. "I put down my reports after his visit. It's not my fault Sarah Porter called and demanded to speak to me after that."
"And then you just had to read the report on fuel consumption Dee delivered."
Zak sensed his parents might be able to go back and forth for a while. "Okay, okay! Just another fun day on the run. Can I get you anything?" Zak interrupted, and Laura smiled at him. The stereotypical middle child, he was the peacekeeper. He listened well and had an almost unnatural amount of patience. His compassionate blue eyes studied his mother, waiting to see what he could do. Zak was always so eager to please.
"Oh, this is just part of life, Zak. Although, these cravings… you'd be my hero if you could find some leola root tea or strawberries!" Laura closed her eyes and hummed in pleasure as she dreamed. "Or spicy Tauron noodles."
Bill's head snapped to look over at her. "You hate spicy food!"
"Tell your daughter that!" Laura said and shrugged surprisingly gracefully considering she still lay on the floor. She pulled the glasses off her face so she could massage the tension from her forehead. "Zak, what happened on the hangar deck?"
"From what I gathered, one of the new guys insulted Dad pretty thoroughly. Of course, the crew objected. When there was a rather suggestive comment made about Boomer, it sent even the Chief off too. I got called in to fix the boo-boos."
"That's what Sharon and Hadrian said," Laura said as she continued to rub her head. A headache was the last additional bit of general uncomfortableness she wanted to deal with.
"The idea to rotate crews, give workers a break, train reserves, well, it's working really well with the civilians. We've seen fewer cases of nervous exhaustion. People are getting the rest they need even if they still like to complain about everything," Zak said. He often went into the civilian part of the Fleet to tend medical needs even though he remained based on Galactica.
"Military crews don't like being separated from their buddies," Bill said as the hatch creaked open once more. They'd had an unending stream of personnel bringing their questions, comments, concerns, and problems to them ever since they got off duty. So when Liam bound inside it was a great relief until they realized his energy level reached higher than Olympus. He bounced over and dropped to kiss his mother on the cheek, more used to her stranger pregnant behavior than Zak since he lived there. This was far tamer than when he'd seen her cry over the extra pillows his father managed to acquire.
"Have you seen Kara's new setup with the Viper simulators? She just showed me!" he gasped and chattered excitedly. Meanwhile the comm rang, and Adama answered and listened to the latest trying-to-survive issue that had cropped up. This one could have been handled by someone else, and he might have responded to Gaeta in clipped tones. Maybe it was because people heard promotions were going to be handed out, many officers were out to prove themselves. He slammed the comm receiver back down, and turned to look at his family.
Liam and Zak were still plopped at their mother's side. Liam now peppered his mother with offers to take care of her, having sensed her mood. It was sweet, but Bill read the subtle tells that meant Laura was desperately holding onto her self control. He noticed she'd let Liam place a hand on her stomach. His grin meant the baby was putting on a kicking show for her brother, but it made Laura wince every so often.
One of the guards buzzed the comm. "Sirs, Lt. Agathon is outside. He requests a word with you both."
Laura sighed loudly. "I'm done for today. I'm done. Everyone has a problem. Everyone wants us to fix it!" The Adama men weren't used to Laura exploding. They eyed her warily as Bill ordered the guard to wait and approached her. "I'm sorry," she mumbled as he knelt down next to her. He smiled gently at her.
"Why don't we go for a walk. I hear Kara has a new training set up," Bill said and grinned at Liam's excited face. Laura looked less impressed until Bill let her know it was in the most remote part of the ship. He knew they couldn't remain in their quarters and hope for rest. "It could use the President and Admiral's seal of approval," he offered and heard a faint exhale of a laugh from Laura as her eyes lit up at the idea.
He took her hand and carefully helped her from the ground. When they exited their quarters, he dismissed the waiting Karl Agathon after he promised to follow up with the lieutenant later.
Laura threaded her hand around Bill's arm as they walked in companionable silence. It was peaceful in a way that only happened when they were together. Each of them resisted the urge to bring up business, knowing they needed a break.
The simulators were located in what would have been the main part of Galactica's museum. Kara had Laura requisition the machines ostensibly for the delight of children who'd visit the museum, but Kara wanted the ability to safely train new pilots should the worst happen. Rooks weren't the best at ensuring their Vipers made it back to the barn in one piece. They also weren't necessarily the best at coming back intact themselves.
"The museum—it looks so sad now," Laura said as they walked past darkened displays that were meant to be alight with children surrounding them. As they walked past a menacing-looking Centurion from the First Cylon war, Laura paused and looked up into its chrome-plated face.
"I hated the ol' girl being taken out of service and turned into a fossil. She was meant to fly among the stars."
"You don't like endings, Bill," she said and they both remembered how he'd avoided the ending of their favorite book, Searider Falcon. Bill hated that there was a last time for everything. No matter how inevitable, he kicked and resisted being the one to turn the page that needed to be turned to let the story end.
"No. It would have been a good new beginning for her, teaching and passing on knowledge. She'd have continued to ensure the future of her people."
"It sounds like you have a higher opinion of education than I once thought, Admiral," she teased and a smile lit up her face. She regarded her husband playfully. "Aren't you supposed to be rather stubborn Ol..." she grimaced, and placed a hand on her stomach.
"Are you okay, Laura?" Bill asked, no longer able to resist.
"I'm fine. It's just a small cramp. The baby is just making life interesting. I guess this is why the Colonies have never had a pregnant president before. It's nice to have a first, though, instead of always counting our lasts. Last surviving copy of this book or that play. Last strawberry..."
"You don't usually do morose," Bill said as they continued to walk toward the simulators. There were some Vipers and Raptors still on display; ships that needed more work than the Chief could spare right now to make them flight worthy.
"You flew this model first, right?" Laura said, stopping at a Raptor.
Bill reached out to touch the hull of the craft as they circled around it. "Yea. Think my CO wanted to take my overly cocky ego down. I was a hot-headed pilot and ready to prove myself. I thought my top marks during training guaranteed me a Viper and I got stuck in a rusty Raptor. It probably saved my life."
"I'm glad. I can see you being a bit of a… maverick, I think is the word. You enjoyed flying again when we awoke years ago."
"It's good. It's a rush. Everything is so simple inside a cockpit," he grinned. "Laura, do you trust me?"
"Yes," Laura said, catching the mischief dancing in Bill's eyes. There was an almost boyish excitement, which made him look much younger and took some of his stress away. He took her hand and pulled her over to the simulators.
"Come on, Airlock. Hop in," he said, pulling her over to one of the machines. Laura looked between her excited husband and the simulator.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
"I'll set it to an easy mode. No takeoff or landing. Just an easy glide through the stars. It'll be fun." He looked so happy, and Laura, already intrigued, had a hard time denying her husband anything that brought such joy to him. She let him help her into the seat.
"I guess it's worth seeing you laugh like this," she said. His grin deepened, and Laura couldn't resist. She reached up and pulled his head down for a kiss.
He had to lean over into the cockpit, unable to turn away from the feel of her soft, warm lips pressed against his mouth. His thumb stroked against her cheek as their kiss intensified. He wanted more of her sweetness and warmth. Then he felt her push against his chest, just enough for him to know he had to let her go. He looked at her flushed face as she grinned at him.
"Show me how wonderful flying is," she ordered and raised a challenging eyebrow. Accepting her challenge, Bill proceeded to point out the essential controls to his wife, just the basics of flight. Most of the readouts remained mysteries to her, but there would be nothing Laura needed to worry about in the simulation.
"Ready?" he asked, maneuvering into his own machine and booting up the controls. At Laura's nod, her cockpit came to life and she found herself in space. She had neither the training nor the stomach to go through the takeoff process, so she got to skip straight to being in space. Submerged in the darkness, Laura looked in every direction and saw the twinkling of countless stars. She felt like she could fly in any direction forever. It was like nothing she'd ever seen and the stress of the day melted away in her delight of the new experience. Among the heavens, she could ignore the pain in her back and the pressure and cramps in her stomach. Laura turned and saw another Viper beside her, but without meaning to, she had nudged the controls and her Viper swerved.
"Easy, Laura! That would have been the first crash in safe mode," Bill said, grinning at Laura's loud harumph. He remained delighted that she'd actually gone through with his impulsive idea, but his Laura was a free spirit. He could hear her smile through the comms as he taught her some basic flying.
"Not bad, Airlock," he said as she followed him into the nebula.
"It's a beautiful sight."
"Nothing like the view from the cockpit… almost nothing."
"Alright, Husker, I think it's time to bring this fun to an end. I'd stay, but these cockpits weren't designed for pregnant women," she said and the simulation powered down with Bill helping her out of the simulator a moment later. "That was amazing," she breathed.
"Yes it—"
Without warning, the ship shuddered underneath them and they could hear what sounded like a distant explosion. A split second later, the alert klaxons sounded. Slammed back into their roles as President and Admiral, Bill moved over to a comm unit on the wall. No matter what switched Bill pressed, the unit remained dead. "Comms are down."
Together they moved toward the main hatch of the hangar bay. Bill frowned, but he didn't feel the ship lurch again from any incoming ordinance. His mind ran through the list of possibilities until another alarm sounded in the hangar bay.
"That's a decompression alarm," he said as his eyes widened. He grabbed hold of Laura's wrist. "Come on," he ordered, already pulling her along after him into a jog. They reached the main hatch and he tried to pull it open, but it didn't budge.
"Bill," Laura said, pointing to a display by the door. It indicated the dropping pressure. A memory flashed in her mind of someone explaining to her how the bulkheads automatically sealed when the sensors detected a breach. There was a hole along the hangar deck somewhere, large enough that they were losing pressure and oxygen but small enough that they couldn't detect it, and they were sealed in with it. Bill realized their sobering reality too when he looked at the display. Making a split-second decision to ensure their survival, he pulled Laura toward a Raptor and threw them both inside.
Bill sealed the Raptor's hatch and began the startup sequence that would bring life support online. He could hear his heartbeat in his chest, and he panted as adrenaline coursed through him, setting his nerves on fire. He struggled with the sluggish systems that had gone unused for decades. Lights blinked to life across the screen. His face clenched in grim determination as he coaxed the old systems back to life.
The hard knot in his stomach untied as Bill watched the flickering display under his fingers show life support come online. He heard the hiss of an old CO2 filter come to life, and he let go of the breath he'd been holding. He'd bought them time. Damage teams and rescue personnel would find him and Laura when they noticed the President and Admiral missing.
Needing to reassure himself, he knelt before where Laura had collapsed in a seat. Her eyes were wide, and her hand curled protectively around her stomach. She looked flushed and was still trying to catch her breath. He laid his hands over hers.
"Are we going to be okay?" she asked.
"If I have anything to say about it."
Laura gave a relieved chuckle and tried to relax her body. "We'll be fine then."
…
They'd been stuck in the raptor for a few hours. Bill worked on getting the raptor's comm system online to contact CIC, but the system had been damaged and he worked to hotwire a replacement. He looked over at Laura who paced the small space, one hand on her back.
"How are you?" he asked, the worry he felt disguised by his calm voice. He refused to cause her any more distress, knowing she was worried about the baby.
"I'm fine. It's just a twinge. How's it going?" she deflected. The pain she felt was stronger than the last and she had to bite down on her lip to keep herself from crying out. Laura managed to suppress any vocalization. Satisfied with her success, she convinced herself that the technique would keep her quiet and allow Bill to focus on getting communications online.
Bill worked at the wires he'd pulled out from different consoles. The basic mechanical training pilots received came in useful for repairing ships, and he muddled through his task. His brows furrowed in focus as he examined the different pieces before him until a barely-suppressed groan caught his attention.
Looking back up at Laura, he noticed the light sheen of sweat on her forehead and the way her jaw was set. He felt an ice-cold dread spread through his body.
"You're in labor aren't you?"
"I'll be fine," she quickly responded. After a moment, and with a steely glint of determination in her eyes, she added, "They should find us soon or you'll get the comms working. I'm fine. It's probably nothing, just..."
Whatever hopeful platitudes she seemed determined to offer ended when her waters broke. Bill looked up to meet her eyes and saw genuine fear there. He jumped to his feet and guided Laura to the floor after she swayed unsteadily on her feet.
She stared at him in horror as she leaned back against the hard metal of the Raptor. "I'm barely seven months along. It's too early…" she gasped.
He watched her fight to get her panic under control as they eased her down onto the floor. She clutched at him, "Oh, gods, Bill. This is not how it's supposed to—" Her words were cut off as she cried out in pain. Bill hated seeing her in pain and remained beside her, letting her hold his hand as the pain gripped her body. Bill felt helpless. His heart screamed at him to help Laura, but his head fumbled for what to do.
"Breathe through it, Laura." Despite his own fear, he refused to let her see anything but calm reassurance from him. She needed him.
"I know. I know," she replied, looking at him and gritting her teeth. "Go. You've gotta get that comm system working."
This entire situation was something from his nightmares. He hated the idea of leaving her side, but she was right. They needed to get her to Cottle as soon as possible, which meant a rescue team needed to find them. He worked as close to Laura as he could and was able to remain within arm's reach. She focused on keeping herself calm and bracing her body against the pain.
The raptor trapped them inside sheltering and damning them at the same time. Its air kept them alive, but it smelled stale and old. Bill marveled at Laura's strength. There were no medications to help her through the pain, but she rarely screamed out. She didn't curse his existence or swear she hated him as his first wife had when she went into labor. There were no threats. Laura wasn't cruel in her pain and fear, even though Bill would have gladly taken anything she did if it would have provided her relief. He could tell she was exhausted, and her auburn hair stuck to her sweat-drenched forehead.
The small wires slipped through his hands, and Bill cursed, knowing that if he didn't broadcast an SOS, Laura would only have him to rely on. Fear and despair rose in him like poison, threatening his control. He hazarded a guess that the damage to Galactica was widespread with damage control spread thin. He looked up from his work and saw Laura watching him so much affection and trust in her look. She smiled weakly, and eased her body over to be closer to him.
For an hour as he frantically worked. He set the system to broadcast an SOS and hoped it would be enough. With nothing left he could do, he turned his full attention to Laura. They were both in a deep panic now. Her labor progressed, each contraction coming closer together and bringing a pain that dominated Laura's entire being. She breathed with closed eyes and tried to distance herself from the pressing fear.
"Laura, I need to examine you," he said, embarrassment having no place between them when her own life and the life of their daughter was on the line. She nodded wordlessly and allowed him to help lay her down against the hard floor of the Raptor before he also eased her clothes out of the way.
She looked into his eyes and saw his worry. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He couldn't be honest with her. He couldn't tell her he was terrified, the reality of losing both of them like a hot coal in his stomach. He wasn't a medic. He took a deep breath. "I think I'm going to be delivering the baby."
"It's… it's too soon," she dropped her head back against the floor. He pulled his uniform top off and slipped the waded material under her head before moving through the Raptor to look through the stores for anything that could help. He'd already discovered there was no first aid kit, but there were some survival blankets. He listened to her moans as another contraction hit and he returned with what supplies he'd found. She reached for his hand and gave it a surprisingly soft squeeze.
"You can do it. I trust you," she whispered.
It seemed to take forever and Bill spent each second trying desperately to remember details from the births of his other children.
"I need to push," Laura suddenly said, the two parents having to rely on instinct and gleaned knowledge in lieu of medical expertise.
"Yes, I'm starting to see her head! Push, Laura!"
"I'm trying! It hurts!" Laura was bleeding heavily. Tears poured down her face, mingling with sweat as she tried to find one last ounce of strength. Bill wanted to yell and scream for a rescue team to find them. He cast deeply worried eyes over Laura and saw how weak she was getting and knew he had to get the baby out as soon as possible. Laura cried through the agony and fought to stay conscious. Not having anything to work with except his bare hands, Bill did all he could to ease the baby from her body. Together, they brought their daughter into the world and Bill moved quickly to cut the cord and wrap the baby in the waiting blanket.
"My baby. I can't hear her. Why isn't she crying?" Laura murmured, her mind a haze of worry and exhaustion. Bill cleaned her small face and realized the baby mewled rather than cried, but she breathed little puffs of air for herself. The sound was so quiet.
He placed the baby across her mother's stomach and breasts. He watched Laura examine her small face. She seemed terrified, knowing the baby had come too soon, and it was clear the bundle was more survival blanket than child, but she lived. Laura tucked the blanket around her and held her small body close.
"She's so tiny. Gotta keep her warm."
"She's okay, Laura. She is beautiful," he said and refused to be ashamed of how freely the tears ran down his face. Laura cradled the child to her while Bill resumed taking care of Laura herself. She was still bleeding and he needed to tend to her. He balled up the other blanket, pressing it between her legs to try to stem the flow of blood.
"What's wrong?"
He pressed the material against her "You're hemorrhaging. I need to try to slow the blood loss."
Lacking medical skills, he stabilized her as best he could. Sore and tired, Laura sighed deeply as fresh tears fell from her eyes when Bill settled next to her to check on mother and child.
"I love you," she breathed.
"Love you too," he said, relieved that his family appeared to have made it through. Gazing into Laura's eyes, he realized he hadn't actually been in a Raptor with her for over sixteen years. She smiled at him before looking down at the softly whimpering child.
"Evelyn Judith Roslin Adama," Laura said, caressing the bundle. "Her name means life."
…
Author's note: thank you to all my wonderful commentators and reviewers. Your words are appreciated.