Helo was in the CIC trying to do both the XO's Job and the commander's as Apollo was late. The guy was always so punctual… Something must have happened, the XO concluded. He decided to stop thinking about the reason of Lee's lateness and concentrate in this morning's meeting with Sharon.
He visited her every day, sometimes more than once. He wanted her to know that she was not alone, that he wouldn't leave her. This morning, she didn't seem as depressed as she had been since their baby's death. He had felt crushed by Hera's death too but not as much as Sharon, probably because she was the one who had actually carried their daughter for months.
"I dreamed about her," Sharon had told him that morning with a slight smile in her face. "Our baby. She was so beautiful, Helo. Told me she was alright, that someday we'd see each other again and to be happy until that time came."
Maybe that dream was what Sharon needed in order to get better. The idea that maybe little Hera was watching over them from some kind of limbo warmed his heart. He was not much of a believer, but it was in these kind of moments that he wondered if there wasn't a higher power somewhere…
"Sorry, I'm late," Lee apologized when he arrived to the CIC. His voice sounded sad, which was reflected by the expression in his face.
"What happened? You're always so punctual," Helo said.
"Kara's sick. She has pneumonia. I had to take her to the life-station," he murmured, looking at the DRADIS console.
Kara Thrace sick. That was surely not pleasant to witness. "Pneumonia? Did the doc keep her there? In the sickbay, I mean."
"No," Lee replied simply.
"Shouldn't someone, you for example, be there with her? At least to make sure she doesn't pass out without taking the medication," Helo stated.
Apollo gave him a pained look. "She doesn't want me around."
He sighed. One step further, two steps back. That woman really wanted to end up alone. Just when he believed she had definitely had let someone in that think shield of hers, she kicks poor Apollo out of it. He needed to have a little chat with her… "Stubborn as always," he told Lee, who nodded absently.
Helo decided to wait for lunch break to go talk to her. He and Lee continued working.
"Look, could you take care of some of the CAG work for no? At least while she's not feeling well enough to leave the bed," Lee asked him a few hours later. "Just do the briefing, schedules. I can handle the rest of the paperwork."
"Sure," Helo agreed. Since they had adjusted themselves to the crew shortage, the days spent at the CIC had been damn quiet. He stared at Lee. He looked really bad, whatever Starbuck had said to him must had been harsh… "You okay?"
Apollo lifted his head from a report he was reading. "Honestly, not really."
"Your first fight, hum?" he asked.
"I'm hoping it won't be our last… Why can't she understand that I just want her to be okay?" he murmured in a loud voice, so only Helo could hear it.
"She's not used to have people loving her anymore," Helo explained. "The last person who tried to take care of her died a long time ago."
"Zak?" Lee inquired.
Agathon shook his head. "Her dad," he said.
That was the first time Kara's father was mentioned to him. She never talked about him. How did Helo know about it? He knew he was very good friends with her, but did she tell him everything?
"We lived in the same building when we were kids," Helo explained when he noticed how thoughtful Lee seemed. He gave Helo a surprised look. "I was a couple of years older than her, but we used to hang out together. She was like family. My sisters were very…girly. Kara was always a tomboy, the closest thing to a brother that I had. Her father, James, was out of town often, only recently I found it was because he was a concert pianist. The man really adored his daughter, she was his world. He died when she was nine. If you want to know more about the story, ask her."
"She never told me you knew each other for that long," Lee murmured. So that was how he knew so much… That story had intrigued him; he wanted to know more about it. But knowing Helo, the man would not say more than that.
The XO looked at his watch. "Lunch time," he murmured. "I guess I'll be going."
"I'll stay," Lee said. "I'm not hungry right now."
"Okay," he agreed with a nod. "Don't worry about her lunch. I'll drop by and leave her some food."
"Thanks," he said absently.
--
In the second she had hit the bed after returning from the sickbay, Kara had fallen asleep immediately. She always had nightmares or, at the least, very strange dreams when she was running a fever. This time her mother was in all of them telling her what a screw up she was, how she would never be happy and would end up dying alone in a crappy apartment just like she did.
She was woken up by someone banging on the cabin's hatch.
"Frak," Kara murmured. She was freezing. Thankfully, the cough was not as bad as it had been earlier. She assumes due to the meds they had given her in the life-station. She wrapped herself with a blanket and went to open the hatch. She knew she probably looked like crap and idea of someone seeing her like that was just humiliating. She had to suck it up, anyway.
Then Kara stopped. What if it is Lee? She thought. Their fight was still fresh and she really wasn't feeling up to round two. But he wouldn't knock, would he? The man lived there, for frak's sake. She resumed walking, considering it probably was not him.
Helo's face met her in the moment the hatch opened. Thank gods, she thought.
"You look terrible," he told her immediately.
"Always a charmer," she said sarcastically, letting him in and closing the hatch behind him. She knew for a fact that he had seen her looking a lot worse in the past.
"I brought you lunch," he stated, as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the table.
Kara groaned. Her appetite was not in its best shape. She could foresee the taste of the food would be similar to the one of paper. "I'm not hungry."
He completely ignored her and put the food in front of her. "Eat," he commanded. She glared at him. "As much as you'd love it to be possible, looks can't kill, Kara," Agathon told her. "Now, eat that food or I won't be leaving."
She stared at the plate and frowned.
"Don't make me force all of that stuff down your throat," he threatened her.
"Did you take the day to torment me?" She murmured, before grabbing a fork and taking a bite.
It took almost fifteen minutes but she ended up eating half the food Helo had brought her and declared she was full.
"So… what really happened this morning between you and Apollo," he asked.
"What did he tell you?" she inquired, curious to hear his version.
"Nothing specific. He just mentioned you didn't want him around. His face told the rest," Helo said. "He looked almost as bad as you do."
Kara sighed, suddenly feeling even more guilty for picking the fight at all. She was afraid of the meaning that he had given to 'not wanting him around'… Did he assume she was kicking him out of her life for good? "Lee was lecturing me for not telling him that I was feeling sick and started getting all bossy about me needing to obey to the doc," she explain. "I snapped and told him to go away because I could take care of myself."
He shook his head in disbelief and gave her a look. "Kara, come on. He was just worried about you."
"I'm fine," she said. That word had come out of her mouth so many times in one single day that was starting to lose its meaning.
"You have pneumonia. You're not fine. I know that, you know that and Apollo knows that," Helo declared. "That is why he was trying to take care of you."
"I don't need him to take care of me," she grumbled stubbornly. Part of her knew she did, but she just didn't want to admit it.
"Right, so, let's say, if you pass out in here because of the fever, you'll be the one who carries you to the sickbay. You have to be a pioneer in that one," Helo told her sarcastically. "The fact is this, Kara: You need to be taken care of, at least for now. You have someone who loves you and is willing to do that but, instead, you send that person away. In relationships people take care of each other. If Lee was the one who was sick, you'd do exactly the same."
He was right. Frakking Helo knew her too well. If Lee was sick she wouldn't leave his side until he was healthy again, she knew it for a fact. Then, it hit her, she screwed up again, jut like her mother had said in her dream. Lee would leave and she would end up alone. "Damn it," she cursed to herself. Why couldn't she do it right for once? He was there, willing to do anything for her? Maybe that was the problem, it was too much for her to handle. Her whole life has been filled with so much crap…
"You didn't screw up," Helo told her.
How does he do that? She wondered. He always knew what was going on in her mind…
"You are used to take care of yourself and now you have someone who also wants to do that. So, you fight it. But you have to stop," Helo continued. "If you love him, stop."
"How?" she finally asked. How would she do it? She fought all her life.
"For starters, let him take care of you now that you're sick. Then, talk to him, tell him things: what bothers you; stuff about your past; good times you guys passed together… The rest will come around," he said.
That seemed pretty simple the way he was putting things. But things always seemed so much easier when said… Lee looked hurt that morning, she was pretty sure he had taken each word out of her mouth like a punch. Would he forgive her?
"How mad is he?" she inquired in a low voice, almost as if she was afraid of the answer.
"I don't think he is mad. He's just sad," Helo explained. "I'm pretty sure he will accept an apology. I'll tell him to come here."
"No!" she said immediately. "Don't tell him. I don't want him to arrive here expecting anything. It will be easier."
Helo sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. He was five minutes late. "Let's put you to bed," he told her. "This ship needs the XO in the CIC, not in the commander's room chatting with his girl."
Kara smiled slightly and got up with his help. Helo was right, she needed to stop fighting Lee. The question was: Would she be able to succeed?
A/N: I had planned to update yesterday but I arrived home pretty late. Anyway, new chapter is here. Keep sending feedback, please, it is so nice to read it. College is about to start and things are getting pretty complicated, so keep me happy by reviewing!