A Journey's End
Chapter Eight: The Return Part One
Pilots Sleeping Quarters
Battlestar Galactica
Kara Thrace's eyes widened in shock and concern when Lee Adama began to fall, consciousness deserting him for some reason, quickly she darted in and caught him. Immediately she grunted as she felt Lee's full dead weight against her, in her awkward position it was too much and she lost her footing and ended up flat on her back on the deck, with Lee across her. The impact knocked with wind from her lungs and for a moment she lay there gasping, struggling to regain her breath.
As she got her breath back she awkwardly started to move Lee off of her, rolling him over onto his side then onto his back. It was incredibly difficult to move him, her angle was awkward and Lee was heavy, heavier than he should be. That realisation gave her pause, Lee shouldn't be that heavy, he felt like he had gained quite a bit more weight yet he didn't look like he had, he looked just the same.
No that was wrong; as she managed to turn Lee over onto his back and free herself she felt a difference in him. His body which had been compact and muscular like a gymnast for as long as she'd known him, felt strange. Lee's muscles felt hard, very, very hard, impossibly hard, implying immense strength, and as she looked at his bare arms and the way his shirt clung to him she noticed an increase in the definition that had always been there, though not a particularly big increase, indeed it was quite easy to miss. For a moment Kara wondered why Lee felt and subtly looked different, and then she remembered what they had just been talking about, especially Lee telling her about the billions of tiny machines inside his body. They've done this to him, Kara thought, the nanites. This must have been what he meant when he said he could feel he was changing. Frak what are those things doing to him altogether.
Noticing how pale Lee was and the fact that he seemed to be sweating Kara shook herself out of the thoughts of how he looked and felt different, and the reason as to why. Instead she reached out a grabbed his shoulders, subtly noticing that his shoulder muscles were almost steel like in hardness, and tried to rouse him from his current state.
"Lee, wake up," she said shaking him. "Lee." Lee did not respond, and Kara noticed that he was hot, dangerously hot almost like he was running a fever. Leaping to her feet she dove across the distance to the bulkhead mounted phone and picked it up off it stand. Quickly she tapped in the code for the medical bay. "Medical emergency senior pilots bunking," she said into the phone then hung up, before picking up a small bowl and moving across the passageway to the closest washroom.
A few moments later she returned with a bowl filled with cold water and a flannel to find Lee still sprawled on the floor where she'd left him, and looking worse than before if that was at all possible. Her keen hearing clearly picked up the sound of laboured breathing, breathing that bordered on Lee hyperventilating.
"Hang on, Lee," she said dropping gently to her knees beside him and put the bowl of water down beside her. "Helps coming, your going to be alright."
Even as she spoke she gently wet the flannel and wrung out excess water before gently wiping the damp cloth over Lee's face and neck to try and cool him down. The heat coming off Lee was tremendous and his skin was dry almost as soon as she finished wiping the flannel over him. Kara scowled when it seemed to have no effect on the dangerous amount of heat Lee was giving off. Think I'm going to need to wipe water over a greater area of his body, she thought.
"Sorry, Lee. I have to take off your shirt," she said, grinning despite the situation. If Lee had been conscious and seen her about to do this he would be major embarrassed. He might have afterwards had her stuck doing paperwork as punishment but the fun and thrill of see Lee Adama topless would have been worth it.
Still grinning slightly Kara carefully took Lee's top off leaving him naked from the waste up, as he eyes fell on his bare torso she whistled appreciatively. If she hadn't known that it was the nanites doing something to him she would have assumed Lee had been hitting the weights more in the gym. Every muscle on his torso was more sharply defined and toned than she had ever seen them, Lee's abs normally almost invisible beneath a layer of body fat were clearly defined and chiselled. Almost instantly Lee seemed to be sporting a physique that any guy Kara knew would die for. It certainly made him even more appealing to her than he had already been.
Mentally Kara slapped herself to get her mind back out of gutter it had started to descend into. She could fantasise about being together with Lee Adama later, right now she had to focus on her task of trying to cool him down. Carefully she started wiping the damp flannel over him trying to dissipate the immense heat coming off him.
How long she continued wiping Lee down for she didn't know, but abruptly she heard running footsteps and stopped what she was doing. She looked over at the door just in time to see a medical team lead by Doctor Salik herself come racing into the room. Despite the situation Kara was still not used to seeing Pauline Salik instead of Jack Cottle – Galactica's original CMO had died last year of heart failure, Doctor Salik – who'd been on one of the civilian ships – had taken his place.
"What happened," Doctor Salik demanded.
"We were talking, then he just collapsed," Kara replied. "He's been fiercely hot for the last few minutes, I've been trying to cool him down but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Doc I think those nanite things the Terrans put in him are responsible."
"So he told you about those did he," Salik replied with a smile. In her relatively brief period of time on the Galactica she had already learned that fleets best pilot and the oldest, only surviving son of the old man were very close friends and told each other most things. Consequently she wasn't surprised that Lee had told Kara about the nanites inside of him.
"I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are to blame," she continued. "There is so much we don't know about the nanite technology, but I doubt the Terrans would have put them in him if it were dangerous in any way. Now please stand back, lieutenant and let us work. If you want something to do then please call the old man, fill him in then tell him we'll stabilise Captain Adama as much as we can before getting him to the medical bay. Ask can he contact one of the Terran warships, if what you suspect is true and Lee's condition is nanite related were going to need there help."
Kara nodded and stood up. She looked down at Lee again for a moment, giving him a worried glance, he looked so helpless, so pale and weak. It was hard reconciling the image before her with the strong man she normally knew him to be. Forcing herself to look away from Lee, she made her way across to the phone and dialled the number for CIC, she was not going to enjoy telling the old man that his only surviving son had just keeled over unconscious and was running a high fever for no apparent reason. No she was not going to like telling William Adama that at all.
CIC
A Few Minutes Later
Commander William Adama stood stock still for a few moments, the phone feeling cold in his hands, Starbuck's words echoing through his mind. Lee had fallen unconscious next to his bunk and was running a high fever. The news filled him with both very personal and very professional concern. Personal because Lee was at the end of the day first and foremost his son and the only family William had left alive. Professional because Lee was the CAG and oversaw all fighter operations on the Galactica. On top of that Starbuck had already let slip that she suspected that the nanites in Lee were responsible for his condition – a suspicion that he could understand and shared.
From the moment that Lee had said about the nanites there had been a suspicion, a fear at the back of his mind that there was a downside to them being a part of Lee. Now it seemed that suspicion was coming true, the nanites had incapacitated him for some reason. Were they killing him? Were they altering Lee somehow? If they were altering him then would Lee still be Lee when he woke up? Assuming he ever did wake up. He'll wake up William, he told himself, Lee's an Adama, a fighter, too stubborn to give into anything. But who will he be, will he be a stranger who happens to look like your son, or will he be the same person that he has always been.
William blinked when he heard that Starbuck was speaking again, he forced himself to pay attention, when all the concerned father in him wanted to do was race down to medical bay to meet Dr Salik's party when they arrived with Lee.
"Doctor Salik is asking can we hail one of the Terran vessels, sir," Starbuck said. "The nanites are their technology after all. If something has gone wrong with them – like it must have done – then we're going to need their help." William also heard the unspoken part of that statement the part that said, 'if we're to save Lee's life'.
"Alright, Starbuck," he replied. "I'll see to it. In the meantime I want you to accompany Doctor Salik to the medical bay. Keep an eye on things until I can get there myself."
"Yes, sir," Starbuck answered. William put the phone down and turned to communications, all the while thinking which Terran warship he should contact, the Avalon or her bigger sister the Charybdis, but then settled on the Avalon, they had more experience with Lee and had saved him before. The truth was he trusted Captain Ramirez more than Captain McDowell, though he hadn't met either face to face yet.
"Communications," he ordered. "Contact the Avalon; I need to speak with her commanding officer regarding an urgent matter."
"Yes, sir," the duty communications officer replied and started the process of hailing the smaller of the two Terran warships, holding station off the Colonial Remnant.
"What's going on, Bill," Colonel Saul Tigh asked, looking up from over the other side of the dradis table where he was still coordinating damage control activities. William started to open his mouth to reply, when communications spoke up.
"Sir the Avalon has responded," the officer said. "Captain Ramirez is on the line for you."
William nodded and picked up the phone. "Captain Ramirez," he said in greeting.
"Hello Commander Adama," Captain Anton Ramirez replied. "I understand you wished to speak to me."
"Yes, captain," William answered. "We need your help, especially for my CAG, something's happened and my doctor suspects that the nanites are responsible."
"I see. If you wait a few moments, commander I will get my chief medical officer on the line," Ramirez responded. "His assistance will probably be required. I'll have to put you on hold until he gets to the bridge."
"That's fine," William said. The signal gave a soft bleep just as he noticed that Saul Tigh was giving him a look that clearly communicated the question of what as up with Lee, and what were nanites.
Inwardly William sighed as he realised that with all the excitement, desperation and terror of the battle with the Cylons and the aftermath he hadn't told his alcoholic, technophobic executive officer anything about the nanites that were now inside of Lee. To be fair he hadn't had much of a chance, and he was a little worried about how Saul would react. He hadn't seen the look in Lee's eyes and didn't have the instinct deep inside that had told William that despite the presence of the tiny little machines, Lee was still Lee. Or had been, whether he would still be the same person next time he saw his son he didn't know. Saul's reaction to the nanites was likely to be extreme and it made him a little weary of telling his old friend about them.
He didn't have long to ponder how to tell Saul about the nanites or how he would react, as with a soft bleep the communications link with the Avalon came back to life. "Commander Adama," a different, deeper voice, a voice that was very warm and compassionate said. "I'm Doctor Virgil Pike, how can I be of assistance?"
"I hope you can help," William answered and began to explain the exact nature of the problem they were facing with Lee.
Medical Bay
A Few Moments Later
Pauline Salik looked worriedly down at Lee Adama as they rushed him into the Galactica's medical facilities. Though his condition had stabilised and he had cooled down a bit in the last few minutes he wasn't improving otherwise, his skin was still deathly pale and he appeared to be in a comatose state. A coma that to her showed signs of being like a diabetic coma but Lee Adama wasn't a diabetic, and their was no history of the condition in the family as far as she knew.
"Get a glucose drip set up," she ordered one of the orderlies as with two others and Kara Thrace they transferred Lee from the stretcher onto the closest bed. Kara took a few steps back and watched as they worked on Lee; one of the med techs came over and inserted the feed for a drip into Lee's right arm, before starting to carefully connect Lee up to a drip that would hopefully reverse whatever was wrong with him.
Kara watched with a sense of complete and total helplessness, the hustle and bustle of the medical techs as they worked to connect Lee up to monitors and attach the drip was completely alien to her. It was so different to the controlled chaos of the hanger deck that she was used to that it barely registered on her consciousness. She wished there was something more she could do to help, but she knew she was out of her depth in this place, and that there was nothing more that she could do. Except pray that Lee recovered quickly from whatever was wrong with him, whatever the nanites in his blood and cells had done or were doing to him.
The sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention and she looked over at the door to the medical bay, just as Commander Adama came through. Turning in place Kara made straight for her commanding officer who was also a bit of a father figure to her. Though it was hidden behind an impassive mask she could see that William Adama was as worried as any father would be for his comatose son, though there was something else there, something that looked like hope.
"Doctor Salik," William called out as Kara came to stand next to him, her posture radiating concern for anyone who could see through the tough, no nonsense Starbuck exterior to the woman underneath. Kara was worried about Lee, that was obvious as was he but thanks to talking with Doctor Pike he had a very good idea what the problem was and what they needed to do to help Lee recover.
"Yes, sir," Salik asked coming over. "Did you speak to the Terrans?"
"I have," William replied. "From the symptoms I described to him the doctor who treated Lee on the Avalon – a Doctor Pike – told me that that Lee's going through a common occurrence for Terrans if they go to long without food."
"Blood sugar collapse," Doctor Salik said knowingly. "I figured that might well be the case, I've just gotten a glucose drip attached so hopefully Lee's condition will start improving. But surely it's too soon for this to have occurred."
"Maybe not," Kara admitted. "Before he collapsed Lee told me that he felt different, that something in him was changing, frak just looking at him you can tell he's changed physically at the very least. Maybe where the nanites have been working inside him they've used much more energy than they should have done in such a period of time."
"Changed how," William demanded.
"Most of his body fat has burned away," Doctor Salik answered. "If you look you can see every single one of his muscles clearly with almost no fat their at all. The old scar on his right forearm has vanished as if it was never there – along with every other scar and mark on his body. In addition he feels different."
"Different," William repeated his mind reeling at Doctor Salik's words even as he started moving to look at Lee himself. As he got closer he immediately noticed the differences in Lee's appearance, especially the fact that Lee was now ripped to the bone, almost all body fat having been burned away by the nanites, something that Dr Pike had told him to expect as if they needed it the nanites would have raided body fat stores for additional energy.
"Muscular density appears to have improved considerably," Dr Salik replied. "But I cannot be sure until I run some scans."
"Keep me appraised, doctor," William ordered.
"I will," Salik answered a moment before a soft groan came from the bed, drawing everyone's attention; Lee's colour had improved though he still looked quite pale. Slowly he moved slightly in the bed again and emitted another soft groan as he shift in his coma-like sleep, trying to get himself comfortable. Then he settled again and didn't move beyond the normal involuntary movements that accompanied breathing.
"I thought he was going to wake up then," Kara said. "Come around with the same speed he fell into this… this coma."
"So did I," Salik admitted before looking at the readings on the monitors. "Heart rate and blood pressure are starting to rise back towards normal, that's remarkably quick." She looked at the drip bag on its stand and blinked when she saw how quickly it was emptying, instead of slowly dispensing into Lee's body the glucose solution was being drawn in at a phenomenal rate, almost like it was being pulled in by a pump, the bag was already a third empty.
"Set up another glucose bag," she ordered one of the med techs. "It's working."
"Yes doctor."
William paid little attention to what Doctor Salik was saying, just by looking at Lee he could tell that his condition was improving constantly. Dr Pike was right, he thought thinking back on what the Terran doctor had told him about what was needed to get Lee back on his feet. The glucose drips were providing what he needed to get his blood sugar level up enough for him to recover.
At that moment an alarm klaxon began to wail throughout the Galactica. William felt like groaning as he made his way over to the phone on the wall. Gods not the Cylons again, he thought picking up the phone and calling combat.
"Combat this is the commander," he said. "Sit-rep."
"Another ship just jumped in, Bill," Saul Tigh responded. "Configuration unknown but power signatures match those of the Terran vessels. Shall we launch the alert fighters?"
William considered for a few moments before responding. The Terrans hadn't said anything about another ship arriving, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. "No," William said. "Hold the alert fighters. I'm on my way up; send a message to the new arrival asking them to state their identity and purpose."
"Yes, sir," Saul responded. William put the phone down and looked over at Doctor Salik.
"I'll let you know the moment Captain Adama regains consciousness, sir," Salik said in answer to the silent question.
William nodded then turned and left the room, silently cursing the turn of events that made his presence required in CIC. He would have much preferred staying in the medical centre until Lee woke up but duty required his presence elsewhere. Kara watched him leave, then turned to look back at Lee for a moment torn between her concern for her friend and her curiosity to know what was happening. Why a third Terran vessel had arrived at this place and time. Eventually curiosity won out and she left the room herself, promising herself to return as soon as found out why the third ship was here.
CIC
A Few Minutes Later
"Report," William Adama ordered as he arrived in the Galactica's command centre. "What's the status of the third Terran ship?"
"There has been a lot of communications chatter between the new ship and the other two Terran ships," Tigh replied. "The new vessel did respond to our request for identification. She has identified herself as the deep space exploration vessel Magellan."
"Did they say why they are here," William asked.
"Apparently they've been looking for us," Tigh answered. "The Magellan has been to what's left on the Twelve Colonies during their exploration mission, they found out about us somehow and have been trying to track us down ever since."
"Commander," communications called out to the stunned William Adama.
"Yes," William replied shaking off his surprise at the revelation that the Magellan had been looking for them. The question was for how long had the Magellan been looking for them.
"We're receiving a hail from the Magellan, sir," communications answered. "Their asking to speak with you, sir, by name."
"Put it on speakers," William ordered.
"Yes, sir." The overhead speakers crackled for a moment as they came to life then the light over the phone on the side of the dradis table came on.
William picked up the phone and spoke into it. "This is Commander Adama," he said. "To whom am I speaking?"
"Sir, I must say it's very good to hear your voice again," a half forgotten voice from the past said over the connection. The voice of a member of the crew who had voluntarily remained on Caprica in the immediate aftermath of the Cylon attack. Hearing his voice again almost made William drop the phone in shock and disbelief.
The voice was the voice of Lieutenant Karl 'Helo' Agathon.