Charles was not a man prone to blushing, but damned if that girl didn't make him want to do just that. She didn't understand the meaning of seduce?
Becca watched as Charles tensed up at her last question. His eyes widened slightly and she was sure that his cheeks had pinkened slightly, although that could have been the dim lighting in the tent making shadows.
"Is it such a bad word?"
Charles shook his head. "No," he replied before clearing his throat. "I just didn't expect you to ask about that word." He took a deep breath. "Seduce mean to try and get someone to sleep with you."
Becca's eyes narrowed in confusion. "But you and I sleep together every night."
God if those words didn't throw that image right into his head. He had no trouble imagining her, all smooth against him, her hair soft in his hands, her body pressed against his...he took a deep breath and released it slowly. He focused his mind on medical procedures rather than the woman in front of him.
She was still looking at him with that innocent confusion on her face. It was then that a thought came to Charles, one that he hadn't considered before. Of course none of their previous conversations had ever gone in this direction so it wouldn't have come to him.
"When I say sleep together I mean in the same bed," he said slowly, trying to gauge Becca's reaction. Becca nodded slowly as if she understood. "The people are usually naked as well." Becca sat back as her eyes narrowed again. Charles knew then that his suspicious were confirmed.
Becca wasn't just innocent and curious about the past, she was just plain innocent. It was more dangerous for her to be in this tent when Hawkeye returned than he had thought it would be.
Most of the nurses were married or engaged or, at the very least, had a man waiting for them back home or fighting in the war. There were no nurses that were innocent like this, with no knowledge. Hawkeye praying on them didn't make much of a difference, but Becca...
She would be something new and different for Hawkeye. Although he knew Hawkeye could be honorable when he wanted to be so, Charles also knew that Becca was quite beautiful, so much so that even he had been taken in by that beauty, and she was completely unaware of her attraction.
This wasn't safe for anyone concerned.
"Why would they be naked? That doesn't make any sense."
Charles ran hand over his face. He didn't want to be having this conversation with her. He had to confirm it for sure, he had to hear her say the words.
"Becca," he swallowed, "do you know anything about sex?"
Becca got that look on her face that Charles had come to recognize as her thinking things through, as if she was going through all the files in her mind to find what she was looking for.
"Sex? That is another word I'm unfamiliar with, although I'm sure that I've heard it before..."
Charles wanted to reach out to her and give her a hands-on course in the subject, but held back. He wouldn't destroy their friendship that they had somehow made by giving into his desires.
"Maybe the word intercourse would be more familiar?"
Becca's eyes glowed in recognition. At least now he was getting somewhere. "Yes, I do know that word. I learned about it when I was in Upper Education as a student. We were learning where babies are created and how to do so. It was a science lesson combined with history. We didn't go into how it is done, only that it occurred and DNA was transferred from male to female during the act to create children. It was abolished in 2075 in some parts of the world before being completely illegal in 2083 due to being the cause of overpopulation." Becca looked right into Charles' eyes with a serious look. "What does all that have to do with seduce?"
Although he was a doctor Charles couldn't help feeling extremely uncomfortable with the turn this discussion had taken. He didn't know if it was because of his attraction to Becca that was the cause or the confirmation that she was untouched, and he was sorely tempted to claim her for himself while also protecting her from himself. He couldn't help wanting to be the one to show her what sex was all about rather then explain it.
He took a deep breath. "You have to be naked to have sex."
It took Becca less than a minute to make the connection and when she did Charles watched as her face filled with panic. She jumped up in shock and surprise.
"Are you saying that Hawkeye may wish to try and create a child with me through the primitive act of sex?"
Becca backed away from the side of the room she knew belonged to Hawkeye and BJ as though someone had tried to physically attack her from that empty side of the room. Charles immediately stood and moved towards her. He grabbed her shoulders, stopping her backwards motion before she ripped a hole in the tent, and pulled her into his arms.
In hindsight it was the wrong move. Now every delicious line of her body was pressed up against his and it took all his willpower to keep his arms around her shoulders.
"Hawkeye is not interested in the pro-creation part of sex, just the physical enjoyment," he said softly. "He would have to get you to agree first and, from your reaction, it is unlikely he would succeed in that. You have nothing to fear. It's okay."
Becca couldn't remember being this close to another person before. Some of her friends in the Medical levels had told her that some patients need physical contact to make sense of the world around them. Thinking back, she had seen a lot of that around the camp over the last few days. It made sense that Charles would react in the same way as a means to comfort her.
She was panicking. She had only just learned the connection between what Klinger had said about Hawkeye and what Charles was explaining to her. She had felt fear grip her in a way she hadn't expected before.
She was still single in her time, although she was approaching the age when the World Order officials would match her with someone based on similar interested. It was how everything was done in her time.
They would be paired and, after a year of bonding, they would be allowed to pursue the creation of their only child, if they so chose. If they did decide to do so it would be done in a lab where the egg would be fertilized and gown in a safe location until if was fully developed. Genetic mistakes would be corrected and the child would be born healthy and normal.
Depending on the sex would determine if it got her eyes and hair color or her body shape and facial features. All girls took their mother's shape and facial features and the father's hair and eye color, boys were reversed.
The thought of creating a child in a world where that didn't exist, where any number of factors could affect the outcome terrified her.
Charles was holding her against him, in his own way to comfort her. She had heard about this in psychology courses all were required to take. He was hugging her. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around Charles' waist. It was comforting to be held this way and she wondered why it had been phased out over time. She took a deep breath and inhaled his scent. It was unlike anything she had ever smelt before and she knew it would never compare to anything she smelled again.
She turned her head to rest it against his chest and felt herself calmed by the gentle beat of his heart, although it was beating rather fast for a man just standing there.
She was content.
He was in full-on panic mode right now.
He was hoping just to calm her down, but the minute she had lifted her arms and wrapped them around his middle, returning the hug, had been his undoing. Her head turned and she rested against his chest, right over his heart.
He didn't move, he couldn't move. He didn't want to pull away but at the same time wanted to run as far from this innocent girl as he could.
She had no idea the torment she was causing in him but this simple hug.
After what seemed like hours, Becca finally released her hold on him. As soon as she was out of his arms he wanted to pull her back again.
This physical attraction to her had to end. Luckily, and Charles really couldn't believe he was thinking this, Hawkeye and BJ would be back tomorrow and it wouldn't be just the two of them in this little tent anymore.
"Thank you for calming my fears," Becca said softly. "I had only heard of intercourse as a means to create life. I didn't realize that it could be used only for physical enjoyment or that my agreement was required. I am better now."
Charles nodded, unsure of what else he could say. For a moment the two of them stood there in an awkward silence before Charles finally found his voice.
"Perhaps we should go to sleep now," he was able to get out without his voice sounding strained. "You will be meeting Pierce and Hunnicutt tomorrow upon their return."
Becca smiled and Charles gave a small one back, he couldn't help doing so. "You're right. Goodnight Charles."
"Goodnight Becca."
He waited until she had laid on her bed before he shut off the light and removed his pants, climbing under the thin blanket. It was still hot as hell but he was aware of Becca at all times. He laid in the darkness listening to Becca's even breathing as she slept.
He knew that she was tired and wasn't surprised when she passed out so quickly. He, on the other hand, was wound up tight after their conversation.
His body could still feel Becca's against it and he couldn't help the reaction he had to that feeling. He wanted her, so very badly.
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.
Hawkeye and BJ return next chapter. What is going to happen next? Please read and review!