Bill woke to a pain that wasn't his own. He knows if it hurts him this much it must be agony for Laura. In a minute the pain has already faded but it sets him on edge all day. He wonders how she is doing. She has been avoiding him since her confession, rescheduling meetings, and sending Billy instead or talking over the phone. She dodges his questions, it's easier over the phone. He knows she can't keep this up forever. She doesn't have forever an intrusive thought has him thinking. He pushes the thought away, he won't think about that now. So when he calls Billy and Billy tries to tell him some excuse about why she can't meet him today, he knows he's lying and he tells him he's coming anyway. However, the pain he felt, and the knowledge that she was in pain did not prepare him to actually see her, lying on the couch, looking more small then he had ever seen her, though not defeated, never defeated. He doesn't ask how she is, the answer he gets won't be truthful instead he carries on the meeting, and tries not to show how much it hurts to see her like this in his expression. His soulmate, who he only found once they were already living on borrowed time. After their initial business is discussed, they lapse into silence. Bill knows now would be the time he should leave, but he can't convince himself to leave her side just yet. Instead her reaches for her hand, not quite knowing how she will react, but he is relived when she lets him take her hand.
"I'm not dying today Bill," Laura finally says.
"Good," he responds running his thumb along her hand.
"Is there any thing I can get you?" Bill asks. Laura means to tell him she's alright but instead,
"I missed you," slips past her lips. She knows it's her own fault for making an effort to avoid him for the past week, but still she admits it. She looks away from him because she can't bear the heartbroken expression on his face, he shouldn't care this much. And maybe she shouldn't care about how much this is hurting him as well. It's her cancer, not his, but something tells her he would take it in a heartbeat, if it were possible. She chides herself for that thought.
"I missed you too," he admits. He slowly brings her hand to his lips and kisses the back of her hand lightly. He lets go letting her hand fall besdie her. "You should get some rest."
"I can't, I have work to do."
"Laura." Bill states, the pleading evident in his voice is almost her undoing. She blinks back tears, she wouldn't be so quick to cry if she wasn't in so much pain.
"I have work to do," she repeats.
"Just for an hour."
"Fine." The fact that she gives in without much of an argument fills him with a renewed sence of fear over how bad her condition really is.
"Goodbye Laura," he says, "get some rest."
"Goodbye Bill," she murmurs.
The days get harder, until there are more bad than good. The meeting they are in should have been long over but Bill finds himself lingering, when he really should leave. He wants to spend all the time he can with her and she doesn't tell him to go. When she looks down at the papers in her hands, he stares at her, memorizing her face. He has no pictures of her so he'll have to rely on his memory. None of this feels real to him. They are on bordered time, even more when it was just the threat of the cylons, and running out of resources looming over their heads. She is his soulmate and he can no longer deny that he might love her, and he is going to lose her. Bill tries not to think about it becuase, if he does... Then he will fall apart, and he still has a duty to the people. He can't afford to fall apart now.
"How are you doing?" he asks.
"Not too bad today." She might be lying to him, but Bill can't tell.
"I should probably get going," Bill said.
"Yeah." Laura agreed with him. However he doesn't get up and she doesn't tell him too. Instead they stay in this quiet moment, together.