Just a short piece taking place on the Ark pre-show… Thanks to Cami for the beta !

Interlude

When she heard the door being shut behind her, Abby silently rolled her eyes. She had ducked in her office to get a file. In and out, she had told herself, an easy job. The medical bay was swamped with patients and she had been focused on coordinating her team's efforts since that morning. Flu outbreaks weren't unusual but they needed to get a hand on the contagion before it spread to the entire Ark.

"Unless you're here to be brought up to speed about the flu situation, I don't have time." she declared, not bothering to check who had invaded her office without even knocking. She had seen their dear Chief of the guards lurking around Medical all day and had done a splendid job of avoiding him. She wasn't in the mood for the headache that dealing with Marcus Kane always involved. "And if you feel sick, there are plenty of doctors out there who can help you."

"You're my doctor." he pointed out.

"Not anymore." she snapped.

Not since he had arrested her husband and her daughter. Not since…

She squeezed the ring that was dangling from her neck and briefly closed her eyes, making sure to keep her back turned while she rummaged on her slightly disorganized desk for another imaginary file. Anything not to have to face him.

If Kane picked up on the anger in her tone, he didn't let on.

"Is the outbreak serious?" he asked, just as detached as usual. As if human lives weren't at stake. Or maybe he hoped that the flu would eradicate enough people for their oxygen problem to be solved.

"I'm about to place Areo Station in quarantine." she declared. "You can hear all about it at the next Council meeting. If that's all you…"

"Do you remember the hypothetical conversation we didn't have a week ago?" he cut her off, in his you're in trouble voice.

She took a deep breath to keep calm – because she felt a serious urge to hit him every time they were in the same room and, for some reason, their Chancellor objected to that – and finally turned around to face him, hands on her hips, the file she had been looking for crumpled in her fist.

"I don't exactly call you cornering me at lunch a conversation, Kane." she countered.

His face was just as carefully schooled as usual. It didn't betray anything.

He was such a robot sometimes… She didn't know how he could live like that, compartmentalize everything to the point of feeling nothing.

"Harold Grayman." he said.

"He's a nurse." she shrugged. It was unnecessary though. If Kane had his name, he probably knew that.

"He's the one who's been stealing and trading morphine for weeks." he told her. She flicked her braid over her shoulder in annoyance. She had hoped it would turn out to be someone who didn't work in Medical. He folded his arms in front of his chest in what she supposed to be an intimidating pose. "I need to ask this… Did you look the other way?"

She glared at him. "You don't need to ask this."

"Yes, I do." he argued.

"No, you don't. You're just looking for an excuse to arrest me." she scoffed. "Wasn't that what your hypothetical conversation the other day was about?"

"It was a warning." he retorted. "As your friend…"

"We are not friends!" she spat. "We stopped being friends the moment you…" She fell silent, took a deep breath and mirrored his position. Two could play at being intimidating. "What do you want? He stole morphine. You don't need my permission to arrest him."

"I told you last week." he growled, clearly frustrated with her. "Several people have reported that you're too liberal with meds, reports I buried at the bottom of the pile – as a favor to you."

"You don't do anyone favors, Kane. You need a heart to do favors. You don't have one." she snorted bitterly. Hurt flashed on his face but she decided it must have been her imagination. "And anyway… If you think I broke the law, just arrest me. You have no proof."

"I hope so." he scowled. "Because we're going to have to inspect every case that man worked on and if I find irregularities…"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" she interrupted him, glaring harder. "The system is here for a reason. It's not perfect and I certainly wish we could do better – and I've been working on that with the Council for years – but I know why we must stick to it."

"You flirt with the line every day." he accused. "Several people…"

"I will never cross that line without a good reason." she cut him off. "And the day I do, you can finally get a thrill and float me. Now, sorry, but I've got work to do…"

She attempted to leave but he was blocking the door and he didn't move an inch.

"I'm only trying to help you." he said quietly.

It wasn't the first time he had made that claim since the day Jake had been floated. She didn't know if it was out of guilt for his dead best friend or because he felt bad about taking both her husband and her daughter away from her… They used to be friends too, once upon a time, of a sort at least. They had never seen eye to eye in politics and they usually argued more than was healthy for two grown adults but she had never hated him. Before.

"And I told you to stop!" she sneered. "I don't need your help, I don't need your guilt and I certainly don't need your friendship. With friends like you, who needs enemies?"

"I don't feel guilty." he denied, not even addressing the rest. "It was the right thing to do and…"

"Shut up." she growled, lifting her hand only to let it fall. It still hurt so badly. It had been months now but it was still so painful… Sometimes it felt as if it would never stop. And she wasn't sure she wanted it to stop. She wasn't sure the absence of that pain would be any better. As long as she was in pain, Jake was with her. "Just do your job, Kane, and let me do mine."

He gave her a small nod and stepped aside, setting her free – from her own damn office.

She hated that pompous ass.