OK- just some context notes for explanation so no-one yells at me over lack of reality or continuity. This is set before Lucas is found to be a traitor, and I may continue it slightly AU where he doesn't turn traitor at all. Holly is an OC of mine, and this is going to be Lucas/Holly eventually. I want to keep Lucas in character because I like his dark side and tortured soul!

Obviously I don't own Terra Nova or anyone in it, but I do own Holly

"I'm afraid all the beds are full," Elisabeth Shannon said as she led the way through the colony's infirmary. "But as you only need to have that washed and sealed, would you mind sitting here? I can have Dr. Carroll see to it. Alternatively you can wait, but it might be a while..."

Lucas Taylor shook his head whilst pressing the ripped piece of his shirt he had used as a pressure pack harder onto the cut in his arm.

"Its fine, I'd like to be out of here pretty quick so I'll just take your Dr. Carroll." He followed her past the busy emergency department of the infirmary and into a small office, noticing the pictures of her family scattered around it. Obviously she was doing him a favour because he happened to be Taylor's son. Perhaps she wanted to clear the infirmary quicker- who wouldn't want that if they were a doctor? But he suspected that his father's position as her husband's boss and the head of the entire colony had more to do with it. Or maybe she was just a nice person. That wasn't a terribly convincing argument though, seeing as not many existed.

"Let me just take a quick look..."

Lucas perched on the edge of her desk as she leaned over his arm, peeling back the blood soaked piece of his shirt that he had clamped over the deep gash in it. He winced as she pressed it back down.

"Yes, that's pretty simple. Just wait here a second and I will send Dr. Carroll in to you."

He nodded, trying his best to smile. Once she had rounded the corner out of sight he dropped the smile and sighed. This was extraordinarily tiresome. He had often wondered why, when the human body was capable of the marvels it was capable of, why on earth was it so fragile? This Dr. Carroll had better be as quick as Dr. Shannon had promised; he had work to do.

"Lucas Taylor?" said a voice at the office door.

Looking up from his arm he met the eyes of a young woman he had never seen before. Her dark hair was tied back loosely from her face, but a few curls had escaped and hung in a rather unruly fashion against her neck. She wore a white coat like Dr. Shannon had, with jeans and a baby pink collar necked shirt tucked in at the waist. Her ID had flapped a little as she'd walked and it had come to rest flat against her shoulder. Trying to read it from where he sat, Lucas looked at her intently.

"Yes."

"Hey, I'm Dr. Carroll, Dr. Shannon's assistant." She walked forwards to greet him and he noted her last name from her ID tag, with her medical credentials after it.

"Nice to meet you," she said cheerfully, holding out a hand to shake his. He took it. "I met your father yesterday, and he said he had a son. I didn't think we'd meet like this."

Lucas smiled slightly.

"And how many years have you been out of medical school?" he asked calmly, a hint of a condescending tone to his voice. She looked up sharply from her notes.

"Is it really that obvious?"

"No. You're just really that young."

"Do I take that as a compliment or an insult?" she asked, looking a little intimidated.

"It was more of an observation, but take it how you want." He was aware that he was being a little rude, but he really was in a hurry and more so, he wasn't in the mood for members of his father's fan club, even if they were brand new ones.

"I came straight from graduation to Terra Nova," she said, a little colour in her cheeks. "If you'd rather someone more experienced treated you I can go and..."

"No," he said, taking hold of her hand as she went to move away to the door. "It's fine. I was merely intrigued."

She stood for a few seconds, staring at him and then at his hand curled around hers. He let go slowly with a slight smirk. Clearing her throat, Dr. Carroll looked at his notes once more, frowning.

"What's your first name?" Lucas asked softly. He had been in a hurry, but his father was always saying he needed to be more sociable and should get to know newer Terra Novans better.

"You just read my ID," she said, not looking up from his notes. "You tell me."

Lucas widened his smirk.

"Holly," he said slowly. "Been here long?"

She cleared her throat, putting his notes down and opening a cupboard to her left.

"No."

One word answers were always slightly amusing, he found, because you knew there was so much more the person wanted to say. Watching people trying to restrain themselves was fun.

"You're a scientist," he said, his amusement present in his voice.

"Evidently."

"Tell me Holly, is Dr. Shannon sure that you are the full ticket?"

She spun around holding a pair of latex gloves and a dressing.

"Tell me, Mr. Taylor. Are you always this rude? Or am I just special?"

He laughed softly.

"I'm sure I have a reputation," he mused. "But you mustn't listen to them. You should make up your own mind."

"Oh I have," she muttered, pulling on the latex gloves one at a time.

Lucas looked down and grinned. She was fun. He knew he had offended her, which meant she was good at what she did. People who were bad at what they did wouldn't get offended when someone pointed it out- they would get insecure instead. There was a distinct difference. She was actually riled, and that meant that she knew she was a good doctor, because she didn't believe for a second that what he was implying was right.

"OK. Let me see this," she said, standing close to him and gesturing for him to hold his arm out. The gash was on his upper arm, and he let go of the makeshift pressure pack he had been holding to it.

"How did you get this?" she asked, frowning with concentration. Lifting the bloodied rag gently, she discarded it and looked back at his arm.

"I was OTG doing some research. A slasher surprised me."

Holly raised her eyebrows.

"I've seen some more of the slashers' work. They seem to be busy here."

Lucas laughed again softly.

"They are the most dangerous of the predators out there. They can run at 45miles per hour, and they have tails that act as giant knives." He winced as she tugged the sleeve of his shirt away from the cut.

"You haven't been OTG yet then," he added.

"What does OTG mean?" she asked, cutting his shirt so she could get at the cut properly.

"Outside the gates."

"Oh, no. I haven't. Not sure I want to after seeing this kind of thing so often in two days." She began to wash the cut, pressing a warm, damp towel to the edges of it very gently. "You're lucky this missed your shoulder," she added, looking at the length of it.

Lucas watched her work for a few minutes in silence, wondering what she was thinking. She was quick and methodical, and confident in what she was doing.

"This might sting a bit," she said, raising a can of some sort of aerosol. He gritted his teeth as she sprayed it. 'Sting a bit' was an understatement, but he made no noise.

"There." She took her gloves off, stepping back. "You're all done. Just don't get it wet for twenty four hours, or you'll need to come back."

He looked up with a sly smile.

"And you wouldn't like that one bit," he said, staring at her intently. She looked up, meeting his gaze with surprise.

"I feel we got off on the wrong foot," she said, folding her arms. "Either that or you really are an aggravating individual."

He laughed, standing up.

"Well. How about we try again?" he said, sounding a little bored. "Outside of your work so it's not so easy for me to insult you."

Holly narrowed her eyes. His arrogance was infuriating- that he was aware of. And it wasn't like he couldn't help it.

"What do you suggest?" she said, smiling pleasantly.

"Well, how about a little walk OTG tomorrow morning?"

"I'm working."

"Afternoon?"

She thought for a few seconds, biting her lip without him seeing.

"I promise I'll be nice," he added. "And I'll keep you safe from the slashers."

She laughed.

"What, so I have to fix your other arm too?"

Lucas blinked. He'd let it go- it was too small a thing to be of any consequence.

"OK," she said suddenly. "Sounds good."

"Well. I'll meet you here at four then. Bring your boots."

Turning, he swung his jacket over his shoulder, put one hand in his pocket and strode out of the office.

"Goodbye Holly Carroll. Oxford taught you well."

With that he was gone, his quiet, irritating laugh still ringing in her ears. Shaking her head, she cleared up the bloodied towels and wiped down the desk with disinfectant.

"Wait," she murmured, stopping in the middle of spraying it. "How did he know..."

She had not told him where she had gotten her medical degree, and it wasn't on her badge.

Please review dear ones