Battlestar Galactica, Brig: 19:45
Billy stirred the bitter drug into the tea, thanking the Gods for sending him and the president a devout guard who'd quickly changed his tune when he realized Laura Roslin's role in their journey toward salvation. Not for the first time, he stifled a smile at her ability to be persuasive, even when she was barely lucid.
He picked up the cup and walked with purpose to the hatch of the brig. Roslin was in the same position, muttering and rocking back and forth.
He looked at her and back at the guard, indicating the door of the cell. Venner sighed. He'd already disobeyed orders by skipping out on his watch, finding another marine to cover for him while he made a quick call to the Gemenon Traveler and waited on the flight deck for his priest to deliver the hallucinogenic drug.
Silently, he rose, took a heavy key out of his pocket, and opened the door, motioning Billy inside.
Billy made his way to the president's side, carefully placing the tea on the floor as he sunk down next to her. Her took both of her trembling hands in his and set his face inches from hers, hoping the physical contact and calming words would bring her back to reality long enough for him to help her drink the tea.
"Madam President. Corporal Venner here has helped us get you some chamalla." She didn't acknowledge his words but she stopped muttering, her green eyes searching Billy's for a clearer explanation.
"Come on, you need to drink this. You'll feel better." He dropped her hands and retrieved the tea, holding it up for her to see. He raised the cup to her mouth and she parted her lips, perhaps not fully aware of what was going on but trusting the young man enough to let him pour a bit of the liquid into her mouth.
She coughed a bit and he lowered the cup, using his free hand to rub her back gently. When she calmed, he held the cup up again and helped her take in more of the liquid.
Laura's brain was slowly clearing, although she still felt like she was underwater. A warmth passed over her body and she realized that the pain in her chest and head were slowly subsiding. She struggled to recall where she was and why.
She blinked. Billy. Billy was holding her hand and they were both sitting on the cold floor. Think, she commanded herself. In the brig. I'm in the brig and Billy brought me the chamalla. Sweet boy. Sweet, dutiful Billy.
He smiled his first genuine smile in days as she slowly reached up and clutched the cup, her fingers brushing his. She brought it to her lips once again and savored the awful, bitter taste of the drug. They sat like this silently for several minutes as he helped her finish the rest of the tea.
Once it was empty, he sat the cup back down on the floor of the cell and turned back to the president. Her eyes were clear and, while she was still pale and looked exhausted, she was more herself than she had been in hours. He was momentarily taken aback as she moved jerkily forward and pulled him into an awkward embrace. Her body relaxed as he returned the hug, grateful for human contact and for what this brave young boy had done for her. Again.
Corporal Venner's voice broke the moment. "This is touching but you need to get out of there. Colonel Tigh is on his way down with the Quorum. Something about seeing it for themselves."
Billy groaned as he released himself from Roslin's arms. Fracking Ellen Tigh. He cursed her for what her husband was about to do to the president.
"Ok. We have to get you on your feet. Can you stand?" She nodded weakly and, leaning heavily on him, raised herself off the floor. He put his arm around her waist and led her carefully to the edge of the bed, helping her sit.
She still hadn't spoken and that worried him. Catatonic was better than muttering crazy things about prophecies but not by much. He studied her appearance and reached to tuck her shirt more firmly into her trousers and button her jacket. He ran his hands through her red mane, trying to restore her appearance just enough not to alarm the Quorum. Frak it, he thought, if they could tell that Tigh had been neglecting his powerful prisoner.
"Ok, time's up." Venner moved to the door as Billy patted the president's hand and turned to go. Once he was back on the appropriate side of the bars, the marine locked it and Billy took his place in the chair by the cell.
The President sat frighteningly still as the Quorum trooped in minutes later, led by Tigh and Zarek. As the members whispered amongst themselves, President Roslin swept her hair behind her ear and tried to focus her thoughts.
Billy sat nearby, watching her. Come on, Laura, he said, silently willing her to speak. You can do this.
Tigh was also watching her. He believed Ellen but he'd learned the hard way not to underestimate Laura Roslin. She'd used her delicate femininity to mask her ruthless political intentions before and he had little doubt that, even if she had lost her mind, she was trying to cull sympathy by just sitting there, looking weak and tired from her stay in the brig.
"Alright, the show's over. Let's give her some privacy. Everybody out. Let's go back to the ward room and talk about the business of how we proceed from here."
No, Billy said to himself. No. Come on, Madam President, you didn't get this chance just to waste it. Get it together, Laura.
As if she could hear his unspoken words, the president stood and approached the bars. When she spoke, her voice was calm and measured.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming. I have a statement I'd like to make."
Billy beamed and shot a pointed glare at Tigh. He was about to get what he had coming. No one kept President Laura Roslin down for long.