Title: Uninvited Guests
Genre: Drama
Author: Phoenix Fangor
Summary: Destiny drops out of FTL and an incoming wormhole raises a number of questions for her crew.
Pairings: Rush/OC
Rating: T
A big thank you to my beta readers TheSoliloquy and Anne McSommers.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the plot, and Callista.
The room was dark and cool when Callie woke to find herself in a bed, presumably in the med bay, or what passed for the med bay. She felt someone nearby sitting near her, so close she could hear his breathing. Stirring a bit, she tried to sit up and open her eyes. He helped her, gently, but not with his usual touch of concern.
"Callie, do you remember when I gave you this ring?"
"Yes…" she mumbled. She rubbed at her eyes, and tried to assess what had happened to her. She felt woozy, and her muscles ached all over.
"Tell me about it?"
"Now?" she asked.
He brushed some hair from her face and tucked it back behind her ear, and caressing her cheekbone in one fluid motion. She closed her eyes in response, and leaned into his hand. "Please?" he asked.
"I'll try," she smiled at him, her eyes still closed. She rested her head back onto the pillow. "When Destiny ran out of power, she dropped out of FTL. She changed course and began to slingshot towards a suitable planet for inhabitation. But you know all this…" She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"I'd like to hear it from you," he prodded.
"Everyone was going to die and the weight of it pressed on you so much, I thought you would break. I did. You were there for me; sitting there in your quarters, two lonely loners seeking solace in each other's company. And you told me that you loved me, and that you were ashamed it had taken you so long to say it. Then you told me it was going to be alright…"
"Why did I just say that?" Doctor Rush asked, as they sat in his quarters. "We're going to die, Callista. I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do…" He felt his resolve fail, and they sat together, just holding hands.
"Maybe it will be alright…" she said brightly.
"Death isn't pretty, my dear," his voice was morose.
"No, I mean, a ship like Destiny doesn't just miscalculate a trajectory after millions of years of staying intact. She's flying into that sun for a reason... She's going to collect power!"
"Callista… we're running on reserve power to begin with, there's no telling if the shields will hold."
"Should we go do the calculations?" she offered weakly.
"If we're going to die, I'd rather spend the last ten minutes of my life with you."
"Then kiss me."
"And you did. Ten minutes later, everyone was pleasantly surprised to be alive with the ship's batteries relatively recharged."
"So when did I give you the ring?" he asked to no one in particular.
"You didn't. My Doctor Rush did, after I fell asleep at my console that afternoon. He slipped it on my thumb without so much as a word."
Doctor Rush looked ashamed of himself. "I can only imagine that you are quite a gift."
"Everyone touches our lives in different ways. Nicholas and I found support in each other long before the Icarus mission went so awry."
"Do you actually call him Nicholas?"
"No. Not to his face. I'm afraid he'd find it too personal. Despite all his feelings, he still keeps me at arm's length."
"You …" he paused and seemed to look unsure. He began again, his voice lower, "Perhaps you should, if only in private."
"I'll see." She yawned unexpectedly, and Doctor Rush excused himself.
Callista awoke to a bright light being shined in her eyes, and someone else holding her hand, rubbing their thumb over and over her thumb ring.
"Callie? Lass?" Dr. Rush prompted her, his tone was familiar and concerned, and most certainly the man she had grown to love. Lt. Johansen stood on the other side of her, checking her vital signs and IV.
"Doctor Rush, what happened? When did you get here?" she mumbled. She squeezed his hand in an effort to re-affirm his presence. This Doctor Rush wore his hair short, but it was an awkward mixture of salt and pepper and a brownish color, clearly dyed, and he was clean-shaven, but he wore similar clothing, a drab green tee-shirt with white sleeves and a tan vest, with jeans and loafers.
Dr. Rush looked up at Lt. Johansen, and then back to Callista, "Shortly after you collapsed. Lt. Johansen says you fainted. Low blood sugar combined with hemorrhaging from a miscarriage nearly killed you."
"Did you say mis…carriage?" she asked, drawing out the syllables.
"If you and Eli… or anyone else for that matter… why didn't you tell anyone?" She looked at him intently and his eyes asked another question, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Dr. Rush, insecurity does not become you. And Eli? No," she struggled to keep her eyes open. "No one. No. One. That's not something you forget."
"No, it's not." Colonel Young said, walking towards the bed. "But if you were in someone else's body at the time, you wouldn't necessarily know."
Everyone in the room suddenly felt vulnerable at that revelation.
"I've only used the stones once…" she said, her voice was small and quiet.
"Then we know who, and when it happened," Doctor Rush said his voice cold and harsh. His grip was tight and uncomfortable as he stared past her at the wall.
"I'm going to be sick…" she said. Lt. Johansen gave her a bedpan just in time. She jerked her hand from his grip and grasped the container. She composed herself as best as she could, handing the pan to Lt. Johansen.
"How could Telford let this happen?" she asked.
"The most important question is whether it was forced?" Lt. Johansen offered.
"Indeed," Doctor Rush said.
"Agreed," Colonel Young said.
"I just want to go home…" Callista whimpered.
"I'm sorry, my dear. At the moment, our own reality is the best I can do," Doctor Rush said, kissing her hand gently. Callista's eyes fluttered closed.
"She shouldn't move for a few hours," Lt. Johansen warned, gathering her supplies and leaving the room.
"Get some rest, Doctor Young," Colonel Young said, following after Lt. Johansen.
"Thank you, Colonel," Doctor Rush said as the Colonel left.
Doctor Rush placed Callista's hand onto her chest and gently kissed her forehead before taking a seat and dozing off as well.
A few hours later, Doctor Rush helped a shaking Callista up and out of bed; T.J. had already helped her get dressed. Doctors Rush and Young made their way slowly to the gate room.
"You know, this reality's Doctor Rush asked me about the ring…" she said quietly, unsure of how he would take this news.
"Yes, I know. He confronted me about it," he said, trying to allay her fears. "He thinks you are too young for him… for me."
"Then he is the ageist man you used to be," she said with a smile, but her joke fell on deaf ears. Her Doctor Rush was lost in thought and the conversation died until they made it to the gate room.
The Doctor Rush native to this reality said, "We've been able to establish a wormhole back to the planet and reality you both came from. Eli's sent through a KINO, and they've been waiting to speak to you both." He handed the KINO's remote to her Doctor Rush. He tapped on the screen with one hand, his other arm firmly holding a still-shaky Callista.
Callie looked around, and motioned for Eli to help her. As she disengaged from the doctor, he spoke through the KINO.
"Doctor Rush to Sergeant Greer," he said.
"It is good to hear your voice, Sir. Did you find Doctor Young?" Greer asked.
"Yes, indeed. Permission to come through?"
"Permission granted, Sir."
He looked over at Callista, and while he had been communicating through the 'gate, Callista had gotten her pack on, and she was holding his pack for him. He shrugged it on, and waited for Callie to say goodbye.
"Thank you for taking care of her," he said to the Colonel.
"You'd have done the same," Colonel Young said sincerely.
"Callie," T.J. said, "In your pack you'll find a copy of the medical report, in case you need it."
"Thank you, Lieutenant."
Doctors Rush and Young walked through the 'gate to their own reality, and waved at the KINO before shutting down the wormhole.
"Hey! They just stole one of our KINOs…" Eli said, clearly disappointed.