It should have been a simple jog – a brisk run from the quarters she shared with her husband to the mess hall and back. An opportunity for her to maintain some semblance of a physical fitness routine, as well as a chance to decompress after her shift in CIC. It should have been uneventful, just like any other day.
It should have been a lot of things, but it ended up being the worst day of her life.
About halfway between her quarters and the mess hall, she heard heavy breathing and sounds of clothes being removed. She had never been considered a busybody, but how could she resist?
On silent feet she crept in the direction of the clueless lovers, careful to remain out of sight. Pausing briefly, she steeled herself for whatever awaited her around the corner. Gods forbid she give herself away by giggling like a schoolgirl. If her husband found out she was skulking around in the shadows, angling for a glimpse of a couple in such a private moment, she would never live it down..
As she moved too peer around the corner, something caused her heart to stop beating. Immediately, her body was propelled into motion.
"Lee…"
It was no more than a breathy whisper, but to Anastacia Dualla that one word blew her entire world apart. She didn't want to watch, but she couldn't turn away. She wanted to scream, to pull the two lovers – still oblivious to her presence – apart and rip every strand of blonde from the other woman's head. She wanted to claw his eyes out and shove him out of the nearest airlock. How dare he!!!!
How could he?
Instead, she took a step back. Then another. Then another. She turned on her heel and ran as fast – and as far – as she could. She ran like all the demons of hell were chasing her, as if to escape the scene that was burned into her mind. But how does one outrun that which will always be with them?
She ran to the officers' head, stopping only when she caught her reflection in the mirror. Haunted eyes searched her own face and she felt anger. White-hot fury coursed through her veins, seeping out of her eyes as angry tears. It physically hurt, the anger, making her insides boil. She almost didn't make it to the toilet before her last meal came up.
As she emptied the contents of her stomach, she felt a hand rubbing small comforting circles on her back. When she finally came up for air, she found herself gazing into the concerned eyes of her best friend, and completely lost it.
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Felix Gaeta was a man of few words, so when he found the only person in the universe that mattered to him on her knees before the commode, he simply offered as much comfort as he could. But, when she turned to him with anguish swimming in her hazel eyes, he found himself at a loss. All he could do was open his arms and clench his jaw in anger as her face crumpled and she collapsed against him sobbing.
"Lee…"
A/N: This ficlet was written in response to LJ's 15minuteficlets 177th word challange. This is my first attempt at BSG, so please be gentle (but honest) when you R&R.