Part 2 Battlestar Galactica Finding Humanity: Saving Grace

Chapter 9

IX

Cottle had given Kara a sedative to let her sleep. Like the President, he was extremely worried about the young lady. Before leaving Galactica, he had informed Admiral Adama that Kara had suffered some kind of trauma, and without checking with Laura, the Admiral arrived with him on Colonial One.

Laura had kept by her bed as Kara slept, holding her wife's hand gently, not wanting to disturb her. The worry was etched all over her face, the female Marine that had assisted her showing concern for her President.

"Madam President", Lieutenant Shriver said softly, "is there anything I can get you? Coffee? Some water."

Laura looked up at the woman, who was younger than Starbuck. She gave the young lady a reassuring smile. "Yes, thank you, Lieutenant, perhaps an ice water, if you can wrangle one up."

The Lieutenant nodded. "I'll have it here before you know it, ma'am." She disappeared into the kitchen.

As Laura sat there pensively, the door to the bedroom opened, and in came Doctor Cottle and Admiral Adama.

Laura was not happy.

"Doctor, I didn't say to invite anyone to come with you!" Her voice was quiet, but very hard. "This isn't a social call!"

"I'm sorry, Madam President", the doctor said, for once his feathers a little ruffled. "I thought he would want to know. You sounded half out of your mind, so I thought..."

Laura threw her hands up in exasperation. "If I had wanted the Admiral here, I would have asked for him." She was about to say more, but turned away, breathing heavily, her right hand over her mouth.

Bill walked up gently behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Laura, what happened? It's not like you to snap at the Doc for trying to help."

Both men were behind the President, and saw her shoulders start to rack with sobs. She slowly turned around, the two men seeing her face as bereft and as brittle as they could ever remember.

"Doctor Cottle", Laura said, bringing her Presidential face back on. "I apologize for my outburst. Is Kara going to be asleep for a while?"

"Quite a while, Madam President", he said softly, still stinging from the rebuke a few moments earlier.

"OK", Laura said simply. Lieutenant Shriver was still at the door. "Lieutenant", the President said, turning to her, "can you advise your partner to continue guarding the front door to our quarters. Advise him no one is to be admitted until my authorization, then I ask you to stay in here with Kara for a little while? I need to talk to the doctor and the Admiral in the living room."

The Marine looked quickly at Adama, who nodded. "Yes, Madam President."

In a few moments the front door was shut, as was the bedroom door, the three people taking a seat, the Admiral and Doctor on a sofa, Laura on a stuffed chair.

"Again, I apologize, Doctor Cottle, but...what happened was very traumatic. I think I know what happened, but I'm not the expert."

"Medically", Cottle observed, "she's fine, but she was definitely in a state of shock. I'm no psychologist, but I've seen Post-Traumatic Stress a few times in my day, and it looked like that's what she was suffering. Can you tell me what set her off?"

Laura went quiet, wondering what Kara would think of her telling the two men. But Laura also now knew that her wife had suffered mental trauma when in captivity. She raged at herself for moving so quickly with Kara-she should have known better. But people in love sometimes simply get so wrapped up in each other, they can overlook certain things. Laura had done that.