Though Sloane Roslin's size is smaller than other six month old infants his age because of his prematurity, he takes leaps and bounds when it comes to his milestones. His hair a light brown, with enough blond that it is it's own unique color, he rests his head against his mother's chest as she grades papers while sitting on her single bed. Laura brings a pen up to her mouth, holding it between her teeth as she shuffles papers. Sloane reaches up, taking the writing instrument from her and begins investigating it between his small hands, giggling when he discovers that it clicks. "Thank you. Hold that for me." She mumbles to the boy, knowing he has discovered the actions of her red writing utensil.
Maya guides, the now walking, Isis into the tent, lifting the flap for her. She smiles, "This one expects to start an argument any time I pick her up."
"She's independent." Laura grins, glancing over to the walking girl when she waits at the side of the bed for the woman's attention, "One second." She picks her finger up, knowing Isis has been exhibiting signs of jealousy ever since she brought Sloane home a few months prior.
"We were in the middle of the market!" Maya sits on her own bed, watching as her friend attempts to put her papers together, "Everyone was looking at us...It was so embarrassing." She swallows, adjusting her position, leaning back against the metal headboard of the bed. "The only time she wants to be held anymore is when she's afraid."
The older woman manages to clear her area of papers before picking the larger girl onto the bed, "She will grow out of it. I'm sure." She smirks as the girl tries to hold onto her as well, examining the neck of Laura's thick sweater.
"You're such an amazing mother, Laura." Reaching a hand up, she tucks her hair behind her ear, "Isis is crazy about you...more than she is me." Mays's soft voice attempts to hide an element of sadness, "I love her so much and...she likes you more."
Laura shakes her head slowly before glancing to the growing girl with the curled black hair, "Maya, that isn't true."
"The way she looks like you...like she has some connection to you. She never looks at me that way." She swallows, "I know that I've...Would you mind watching her for a little bit?" Maya stands, folding her arms, "Just for ten minutes. I...I want to go for a walk. Clear my head."
"Take as much time as you need." Watching as the young woman steps back through the flap of their tent, she sighs. Laura knows why Isis seems this way with her, because she does have a connection with her.
The incubator had waited in the middle of the Sick Bay, surrounded by translucent curtains. The fledgling newborn's chest rose and fell as if she was struggling to breathe, but was actually perfectly fine with the nasal cannula above her lip. Lines stemmed from her arms and neck, a monitor wrapped around her foot to monitor her vital vitals, as well as one to her chest to do the same. Sherman Cottle looked in on the infant, checking the monitors. He picked his head up, not expecting the woman to walk through, "Madam President."
"Doctor." Laura Roslin offered him a nod. "How is she?" This was the first time the President had been able to see the infant. Only a day old. She didn't move in much, simply staring at the plastic container.
"Her lungs aren't fully developed, but she's determined." Cottle nodded, "Lost one about her size this morning...looked like her." He released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
She glanced over to the man, "Doctor," The woman walked closer to him, her hands folded in front of her, her voice hushed and just above a whisper, "I fear for the safety of this infant. I fear once the cylons receive word of her successful birth, they will immediately attack and attempt to retrieve her. I fear humans who fear her existence doing the same. Who knows what could happen then? Experimentation, general harm...We couldn't possibly know."
He looked to the infant in the incubator, "And how do you suppose I do that?"
Laura shook her head, "I have no idea, Doctor. However, this is highly sensitive information. Neither the Admiral nor her parents must discover the truth."
"I don't like this." Sherman swallowed, looking back up to the woman after a moment, "Find someone to care for her. I'll take care of the rest." He knew she was right. He knew this would be for the best. However, lying to parents that their healthy child whose existence was a miracle in and of itself was dead, it pained him.
"Thank you, Doctor."
"Don't." He looked at her once more before slipping through the curtain, immediately lighting a cigarette.
Laura realized quickly that she was alone, alone with the struggling miracle in the incubator, causing her to form tears in her eyes. She licked her lips as she gingerly opened one of the side panels and reached her hand inside, placing her finger on the palm of the newborn's hand. "Thank you for saving my life."
Ellen Tigh sips whatever grain liquor her husband has in stock from a tin cup. She glances to her husband as he reads the newspaper some of the population has been able to squabble together as they visit for the weekend, like they do every weekend, "I meant to tell you, I saw the school teacher going to the medic tent earlier. Looked like she was carrying a baby."
"The woman who works with her in the school has a little girl she takes to class with her." Saul takes a long drag of his cigarette before flicking the ashes on the dirt floor. He has made sure during his time on the planet that he kept notes of various people in the area he stayed. People who were important before.
"I've seen her before. Cute little girl, goes by the name of Isis. I met them a few months ago during Feast Day. This one was different though. I think it was a boy. He was wearing a knit brown hat." She continues, "And Bill hasn't been too shy about going over there anytime he and Lee visit. I bet he has something going on with her, or she's with that roommate of hers."
"Bill and Laura Roslin are friends, Ellen. People are allowed to be friends." He sighs, setting the single piece of paper down, "I don't know why they bother. The weather report alone is a joke. Same picture printed five times, all they needed to do was print one picture and say the weather is shit every day." Saul begins to think about the last talk he had with the Admiral, to keep an eye on Laura for him and to make sure she has everything she needs. The old man probably was seeing the former President on a romantic level. "You think she's with her roommate? You think they're together?"
"I mean, she takes care of her kid all the time. I'd see them when we visited while you were on the Galactica, or I wouldn't see her at all. Never anything in between. Since we've been here, I've seen her with this little boy." She shrugs, "I mean, she wore those big sweaters when we'd come down, everyone does though. She's too old to have a kid, right?"
"You're the woman here, Ellen. How the frak should I know?" Tigh tosses his cigarette onto the dirt ground, stomping out the embers with the toe of his boot. She is right, he knows. The situation does sound odd. "Maybe she adopted one. I mean, there's plenty of kids on Galactica whose parents died during the thing."
"Not that small." Ellen shakes her head slowly, pouring more of the amber liquid into her tin cup, nursing it between her hands, "He's like...only a few months, maybe."
"Bill said to keep an eye on her."
The woman raises an eyebrow. Ellen Tigh is the one to go to for information. Even with the little amount of time she and her husband have spent on New Caprica, she was sure she knew most everyone's story. However, it bothers her greatly that she can't quite figure out the situation with the school teacher, "Maybe you should go and do that."
Saul scowls slightly as he rises from the chair, "I'm not going gossip hunting for my wife, I'm going because my best friend told me to keep an eye on the former President." He starts to walk to the flap of the tent.
"You keep telling yourself that." Ellen smirks, filling her tin cup again as she sits on the bed.
Tigh pulls his jacket tighter, finally zipping it up. He slides his hands into his pockets, feeling the knit navy hat within. He pulls it onto his head, placing his hand back where it was before. He glances around, taking stock of the people around him. He offers a nod to Tyrol when the man waves, concentrating on his prime objective. He walks to the tent where he knew the woman to be staying, tapping gently on the side.
"Who is it?" Laura calls from within, glad they are awake before the intrusion. She sighs when no one offers an answer, lifting her cloth diapered son onto her hip, she trudges to the tent flap, unzipping it, "Colonel Tigh." She smiles ever so slightly, "When did you get down?" She almost forgets her son in her arm until the boy reaches toward her face for her glasses.
Tigh furrows his brow slightly when he sees the infant's hand, "Admiral Adama told me to keep an eye on you. Ellen just reminded me." He rubs his hands together, "You got a heater in there?"
"Oh, um." She looks behind herself, sighing finally and stepping aside, "Come in, Colonel. I apologize."
"Please, ma'am. Call me Saul." He breathes into his hands as he steps past her. He isn't particularly cold, but he's keenly aware of Laura Roslin's sense of humanity. He smirks, glancing around, "Nice setup."
"If you say so." Laura smiles softly, "I shouldn't complain, I've one of the nicer ones and we've only four people occupying it." She returns to her bed, lying the infant down, baby clothes strewn about. She pulls the boy's beige undershirt on slowly.
Tigh notices the infant, as well as the large scar on his chest, "Who's this?" His face brightens up ever so slightly, always a bit of a sucker for children.
"This is Sloane." She shakes his head when the boy grins to the man, "I swear, he flirts with everyone. Sloane, this is Colonel Tigh."
"Sloane." The man pauses, chuckling to himself when the infant giggles, "That's Arelon, isn't it? Um...little raider...or little warrior, right?"
Laura nods, "Exactly."
Saul reaches his hand down, letting the boy hold onto his finger, "I saw the scar...something happen?"
"He was premature...and when he was two weeks old, he went into heart failure. Required open heart surgery. He will have it for the rest of his life, but hopefully it will fade a little more over time." She picks the baby's feet up one at a time, kissing the sole and causing him to laugh again before sliding each sock on.
"Little warrior indeed." He lets the boy continue to hold onto his finger, "He belong to one of the-"
"He's my son." Laura lifts the boy, holding him to her chest as she makes quick work of pulling his soft fleece pants up, but continues to hold him closely for a moment after.
Saul looks between the two, "Well, I'll be damned." He quickly notices similarities between the two, the curvature of his lips and his nose. He also becomes very aware of the crystal blue eyes which did not belong to the woman, but were still familiar to him though he can't recall the reason, "Well...I mean...When did you-" Saul moves his hand, hoping she'd know what information he was trying to retrieve even though he didn't know himself.
"He's six months old. The rest doesn't matter." Her curt replies strike even herself as bizarre, "I apologize, Saul. It's been quite a busy time with getting him situated. There have been a lot of eyes on us any time I leave this place. Even when it's walking next door to work. Maya does most of the shopping for the groceries and securing clothing. Everyone donates things as their children outgrow them for new families. It's a community effort. Same with hot dinners for people who aren't able to obtain burners for their quarters. Quite beautiful, actually." It hurts her that she can't simply go for a walk anymore without the entire community looking to her. Some of them sorry for her, some of them sorry for themselves, some of them even feeling guilty of voting for the man who simply doesn't care about any of them. "I'd just like to take him for a walk one day. Do you know what I mean?"
The man picks up of her feeling and nods, "Sure. I get it myself. I've been trying to lay low when we visit here. I think we've done a pretty good job. I mean, Ellen goes out, but...I walk out there and all eyes go to me. Some haven't forgiven me for the things that happened when I was in charge...and you were in the Brig. I don't blame them for that though." He shrugs, "You get used to it, I guess."
"You may be able to." She sighs, pulling a sweater onto the infant before lifting him again, "Maya is out with Isis for an appointment with Cottle. She was getting a bit of a cough and I don't want her getting Sloane sick. She loves to hug on him and while it's adorable, he has a tougher time fighting off things like that." Laura stands again, her son on her hip once more, "Could I interest you in some tea? We have a burner." She walks toward the crib, ready to put her son inside with a few of his toys.
"No, no. I'm fine. You busy today?"
"I'm..." Laura glances around the room, then to the boy at her hip still, standing next to the infant's sleeping area, "The children have off today. I had a couple of papers to grade...which won't be very long, so no. Why do you ask?"
"There's a trail through the woods that Apollo was telling me about. Said he went for a walk when he came down the last time. No one bothers you and things are marked so you don't get lost." Saul shrugs, "I was thinking that maybe you'd like to go for a walk?" He pauses, motioning to the boy, "With the kid, of course."
She can't help but grin, "That's incredibly adorable, Colonel." A hint of a laugh seeps into her voice.
"Call me-"
"I will, sometimes. I'll make a better effort. However, you are a Colonel. You worked hard to earn that title and you're never going to lose it unless you're promoted. You shouldn't try to get people to call you by your first name when you have a title." Laura watches him for a moment, "Ellen won't mind?"
"Ellen thinks you're with the girl you stay with. Romantic like. Let her think that." Saul chuckles to himself, reaching his hands out and taking the infant from her, "He have a jacket?"
"Oh, how cold is it? I'd rather not take him out if it's frigid." She remembers his actions from before he entered.
"Mild." He smirks, "Mild for here, I should say."
Laura makes a face toward him, knowing he successfully played her. She hums with a nod, "He does have a jacket, but it's warmer when I wrap him to-"
"I'll do it. Uncle Saul can handle that."
She pauses, "You don't even know what I was going to say." The woman places her hands to her hips.
"I'll carry him or whatever you want to do with him."
Laura shakes her head, giggling to herself, "I never would have thought you'd be this way around children, Saul." She retrieves the band she was speaking of, taking her son back for a moment, "Take your jacket off." When he does as instructed, "Now, hold him to your chest and we'll wrap the two of you together."
"That doesn't sound too safe." Saul raises an eyebrow, holding the baby as she wraps them with a band like device that actually seems to be working. Almost feeling as if he wasn't wearing anything at all. He lets the woman help put his jacket back on, zippering it around the baby, "Hey, that's not half bad." He smirks when the boy reaches a hand up, touching the stubble of his beard against his jaw.
"Have you any children, Colonel?" She pulls on her own coat, unzipping the tent, and securing it behind them when they walk out. She motions her hand for him to lead the way.
"No." He shakes his head, still keeping a hand on the boy's cloth diapered bottom, "Always wanted some though. Ellen and I tried for years, but it just never worked for us."
Laura walks with him, feeling the boy's hat in her pocket, she pushes it onto his light brunette, slightly more than peach fuzz covered head, "Thankfully, or...I don't know. I think back a lot and I wonder how things would be if I would have had him when I was younger because...I didn't think it would be possible now. Cottle seems to think it's because of the whole hybrid blood thing."
"And?"
"And I can't. I can't even remember what it was like without him. It's bizarre." She shoves her hands into the coat's pockets, "If I would have had him younger, I probably wouldn't have been President. I probably wouldn't have even been on Colonial One when things happened. I wouldn't have been alive. Now, I have a greater appreciation for life."
"Well?" Maya folded her arms, watching as the woman silently sits on her bed, "What did Doctor Cottle say?" She studied her, something was wrong. She could tell that much. It was almost scaring her how silent her friend was being, "Laura, what did the doctor say?" She moved closer to her, crouching in front of her.
Laura swallowed, making eye contact with the woman in front of her.
"Is it the Cancer again? I'll be there for you every step of the way." She was thankful for Isis being asleep in her crib for the night, glad she could give her friend her full and undivided attention, "Come on, you're scaring me." She gently rubs her hand against the other woman's knee for encouragement.
The older woman shook her head slightly, "No..He...He said I'm pregnant." It was almost as if the words tasted foreign in her mouth. As if it was the hardest thing for her to vocalize considering she had never had to say it before.
A grin seeped across Maya's face, but then slowly faded, "Isn't this a good thing?"
"Yes...no...I have no idea." Laura swallowed, "I don't know what it is."
The younger woman stood, gently removing Laura's coat and helping her lie back in her single handcrafted mattress. She removed the other woman's shoes, setting them under the bed before curling up behind her and holding her closely, "No matter what happens, I'm not going anywhere. I will help you as much as you have helped Isis and I." She knew it had been a while since the woman was held. At least since she became pregnant, and even that was questionable.
"How could I have been so foolish?" Roslin whispered, mostly to herself, but placed her hand over Maya's as it rested against her extended lower abdomen.
Maya rested her cheek flat on the woman's back, "You weren't foolish. Your life since the attacks has obviously been set in place for you from the gods. This is just another one of those cards you're being dealt."
She hummed, "Do you think this is a good thing?"
"I think every child has a purpose. We wouldn't be teachers if we didn't think that way. Your child is a miracle, for a few reasons, and you know that." Her voice was reassuring. Maya reminded Laura of her older sister. Always has.
"A little boy." Laura smirked to herself.
"Finally. Maybe it will lighten this place up." Maya mumbled, causing Laura to giggle softly, "I mean, if Isis gives me another one of her looks, I'm going to be completely hopeless. I think she gets that from you."
"Probably." Laura huffed a soft laugh.
Maya smiled with a closed mouth, softly rubbing her hand against Laura's bump, "Everything will be just fine. You'll see."
"We all have a greater appreciation for life. I think you get that when you have to run for it." Saul nods, glancing down his chest, smirking when the boy continues to keep his hand on his jaw, feeling his stubble.
"So, Uncle Saul, you said?" Laura smirks, moving her hands every few seconds, not entirely knowing what to do with them.
"Yep." It is as if the man wears the title like a badge of honor, he picks his elbow up, letting her take hold of it. "That alright with you?"
"Well, I suppose if Cottle and Bill have already each claimed the title of Grandfather, you can have Uncle Saul." Laura continues to walk, her hands wrapped around the man's jacket laden elbow.
Saul's mind begins to wander slightly as he stays on the path. Why would Bill want to be called Grandfather? Isn't this child his? Laura is closer in age with him, isn't she? Well, probably not because she was able to do this in the first place, but it was probably only about ten or fifteen years. Maybe. He glances down to the baby once more, "Lee." He says out loud, then glances to her, "That's why the eyes are familiar, they're Lee's." The man begins to chuckle when she remains silent, "Are you frakking kidding me right now?"
"I didn't say anything, Saul." She replies softly.
"Didn't need to." He shakes his head, "Boy doesn't even know, does he..." Saul knows the truth. He knows that if Lee knew that he sired a child, especially a sick child, he would at least pretend to care. However, this was Laura Roslin. Her name was notorious when it came to the question of Lee Adama's devotion. "I mean, he was up your ass for a while. Things were bound to happen."
"I don't feel comfortable talking about that with you." Laura shakes her head, "It wasn't some sort of relationship, Colonel. I'd appreciate it if you kept that particular portion of information to yourself. He doesn't need to know just yet."
Saul almost feels angry. A father should be there for their child, "Why not?"
"Soon." She swallows, licking her lips before biting the bottom softly, "Soon, I will."
"Send him a frakking radio message. I don't care how you do it. The boy needs his father." He says honestly, feeling a sense of guilt, "I could probably understand your motives, but Lee is a pretty decent kid. I don't think he'd be too angry or anything like that, but you're the expert on Apollo not me."
Laura nods, "They're supposed to visit again in a couple of months." She absently licks her lips again, "I'll inform him at that time."
Saul glances to her, "I know it's probably been hard for you."
"I've had Doctor Cottle and Maya. She and I are raising Isis and Sloane together. That way they will always have one another and the two of us won't be going through everything alone." That's what she fears the most. That if the cancer should come back, gods forbid, that her son would be alone in the world. Sure, he will have his father in due time, but the relationship may be strained at best when that day comes because of his father's current home life situation, "It works for us."
"At least you have that." He glances to the boy again, the infant still smiling, "I'll be damned if you're not the happiest little thing." Saul catches himself chuckling softly, "Laura, you have Ellen and me too. I don't know Maya very well, but a kid is a kid. We'll help you both. The old Canceron saying, Takes a village to raise a child. Right?"
"I've heard it." Laura nods slowly, taking a deep breath, "We don't cover Canceron in class until next month though." She smiles, falling silent for a few more steps, "Thank you for this. Telling me about this trail...walking with us."
Saul shakes his head, "It's nothing."
"No, Colonel, it is very nice of you." Laura glances up towards the cloudy sky, the trees surrounding them, "Sloane has never...I've never taken him outside for an extended period of time. It's...I don't want the added attention and it's only...hindering him. Never has the sun touched his face for more than two moments and...that's terrible. We're not in a ship anymore. We can breathe decent air. We...we are safe, and all I want to do is keep him inside. Keep him away from everyone...protected. For what? From public opinion?"
He listens to her, knowing she usually isn't particularly open to others with exception of a select few, but the pressures of motherhood must be getting to her. This planet changes people. "Parents protect their kids. That's just how it goes. I mean, you have to do what you think is best. It may not seem like the most sane option or the most feasible to other people, but you are this kid's mother. You do what is best for you both."
"I want my child to have better than what I did and, with the way we are living now, it's absolutely impossible. He will be unable to watch television, unable to have his first vehicle, unable to access the internet or social media at the drop of a hat, unable to make a phone call immediately." She snaps her fingers with her last word as she smiles, letting it fade slowly, "Unable to contact his father if he needs him."
Lee Adama leaned forward, taking hold of her hand. She had been moving in and out of consciousness for most of the day and he tended to visit when she was asleep. He smiled softly, bringing her hand to his own cheek, a tear escaping his eye, but he tries to keep the sadness from the rest of his face.
Laura left her slumber slowly, feeling the wetness that had fallen to her fingers. She was comforted by his presence, "Captain Apollo." She croaked, a soft smile spread across her face.
"Hey." He sniffled, quickly wiping his cheeks of their wetness. He knew her name for him was a term of endearment more than anything else, his title didn't matter, "You're looking well." Lee offered a smile to her.
"Gods love you for lying." She licked her dry lips, smirking, "No tears. We knew this was coming. It was only a matter of time."
"Doesn't mean I have to accept it." Lee brought her hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles softly, "I'll never accept it, Madam President." He willed himself not to lose his composure, he could feel his face contort ever so slightly.
Laura moans, her face wincing from the pain, the general pain of living, "Listen to me." She reached a hand behind her head, attempting to fix her pillow. When he immediately rose from his chair, fixing it for her, she smiled to him again, "Thank you. Listen to me." Laura cleared her throat as he returned to his seat, "You are a good man, Lee. Don't wear your heart on your sleeve so much. I won't be around here much longer, but I don't like to see you hurt. You deserve better than that. No one should hurt."
Lee shook his head, "Don't talk that way. There is always a chance you'll pull through." He knew it wasn't true. He knew she only had a couple days left, if that, "I believe in things that are important." He swallowed, gazing into her emerald eyes that have since lost the shimmer they once held due to illness, "I believe in you."
Now it was Laura's turn. She looked away, keeping her hand on his face as the wetness increased between her fingers. She licked her lips again though her mouth was growing more sticky and dry as the moments passed. "I believe in you, Captain Apollo...and I believe in the prophecy of the scrolls." Tears flooded her eyes as she returned her gaze to him, "Once I pass, you will find Earth." She smiled through her tears as they slowly escaped her and glided in between her cheek and nose, "You will find Earth, Lee. You will be happy and free from the confinement of these walls. You will meet a beautiful woman and marry her...you'll have children, a bunch, ten or more, at least." She attempted to lighten the situation, her voice cracking, but still she smiled again, her teeth still white which he can't help but notice.
"I don't want any of that if it means you won't be standing on Earth with the rest of us." He watched her, reaching a hand up to wipe a tear away with his thumb, "Besides, I didn't have any walls when we were on Kobol. Too much fresh air can really get to a guy." Lee grinned to her, watching as she laughed softly and stopped herself with a groan, which caused his smile to fade slowly. "Earth means nothing to me if you aren't there too." Lee nodded, watching her a moment before he rose from his seat again, covering her lips with his own, gently as not to injure her.
Saul shakes his head, "You have to do your best. We didn't have any of that stuff on Arelon when I was growing up. We didn't need it. I mean, it was almost wartime. My father was a farmer...though everyone on Arelon is mostly. Tensions were high." He smirks a little, "Sounds terrible, but when there wasn't so much to worry about and ya had to depend on your friends and your family, that's when everything mattered. You know?"
"I do, actually. I've been to Arelon, actually all of the colonies, and...I remember just how different it was from Caprica. All of them were different, but there was always a common thread. A thread that connected them all together. A thread that made them all part of the children of Kobol..." She shakes her head, "They were all familiar and yet vastly different...all at the same time. They all had their own cultures, their own accents, their own fashions. However, the one thing they all had in common...something that has shown through and through while we've been here on this..."
"Shithole." He smiles.
Laura smirks in return, "Has been a sense of security...a sense of community. Everyone is thrilled to be here...almost everyone."
"Almost everyone is right." Saul nods, "You know, I never thought I would say this, but you were a great President. Can't think only about the ways of the colonies anymore. We're ships. We're numbers. You could always give one hell of a speech. You knew your shit. I think that helps." He smirks before he glances down to the boy again, "He's asleep."
Laura picks her head up, seeing her son pout in his sleep before moving his lips again, used to his pacifier being between his lips. She smiles softly, "Fresh air can do that. He's just never had the chance to find out."