"How are you feeling?"
Josh looked up from the bed he sat on. First at Nick leaning against the doorway, then across at Sylvana's still form, before returning his dull gaze to the floor in from of him. "Great, just great."
"Sci's given the order. I'm taking Sylvana back to the New Republic for treatment. You're coming with me."
"Oh. Wonderful."
"It didn't work, did it?"
"What?"
"Trying to drive everyone away. In fact, it probably hurt them more than anything else you might have done."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Too bad. Fixing most of that can wait till we get back. But there's one thing you're doing for me before we leave."
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
"Look at me, Josh". Nick had moved across the room, and was now standing right in front of Josh. Leaning forward, he rested his hand on his friend's injured shoulder. "Now, Paris was a debacle. You and I both know someone who thinks what happened to you there was all her fault. In fact, you helped her believe it. Believe it strongly enough to make her literally sick with guilt. She wasn't to blame. I know that, you should know that, but she doesn't know that. Before we go, you're going to convince her. She won't believe it from me."
Josh's eyes widened slightly. "Ah, I'm not sure I'm . . ."
Nick's grip on Josh's shoulder tightened. "You're going to convince her."
The only sign of the pain he was feeling was a slight tightening around Josh's eyes. "Fine. Whatever you say. I'll talk to her."
"Good. I knew I could count on you." Nick smiled, then let go of Josh's shoulder before walking out of the room. Only after his friend had left the room, did Josh reach up to massage feeling back into the injured joint.
"You could have just asked nicely, you know," he told the empty doorway.
"How are you feeling?"
When Kristy didn't respond, merely hunching a little more closely over her laptop, Josh moved into the room anyway. "Never mind, don't answer that." Josh paused. "Look, about some of the things I said the other day. . ."
"Josh, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Kristy's voice tightened, and the next words were forced out, almost too quiet to hear. She didn't look at him. "I know it's not something you can forgive."
"Yeah, well. That's what I wanted to say. There isn't really anything to forgive."
She shivered and dared a teary glance up at him. "But? The other day, you said . . ."
"I know. I was angry, not thinking straight. There's no way you could have been expected to find a way through that cordon. Hell, I was the target of a citywide manhunt. The amazing thing is that I stayed free long enough for that overgrown lizard to be the one to get me."
Kristy sat more upright now, though she still looked on the edge of tears. "But if I'd only. . ."
Josh held up a hand. "Kristy, 'if only's haunt all of us. You did what you could, and you did your job. If it wasn't enough, it was still all anyone could ask of you."
Kristy was silent as she digested this, her eyes searching Josh's, still trying to gauge his sincerity. Finally a sob escaped her, startling away the smile that Josh had been trying to force onto his face. But she was smiling tentatively through the tears. "You mean, you don't think any of it was my fault?"
Seeing the sudden hope displacing the despair in Kristy's eyes, Josh stamped down hard on an angry impulse to respond harshly. Nick, I hope you know what the hell you're doing. "No, no I don't. Some days, I guess the universe just doesn't like me."
"Oh, god!" she burst out, and lunged toward him. Before he could dodge, she was halfway out of her chair with her arms around his waist, weeping quietly into his side. Muffled words drifted out. ". . .so miserable. . .didn't know how. . .make up. . .you. . .the group."
"Um--" he patted the top of her head awkwardly as she trailed off. "Hey, I, uh, it's okay. Er, these are happy tears, right?"
"Yes. Right." Kristy sniffled and pulled back, bringing herself under control. She swiped halfheartedly at her nose with the back of her hand. "I guess I should go wash my face or something." Something she saw in Josh's face made her smile, and he felt himself smile in answer.
"Yeah, well, I'm meant to be getting ready to ship out, so I have a few things to take care of. Be careful out there, huh?"
Her chuckle answered him. "Thank you." As she left the room ahead of him, the spring was back in her step.
Josh shook his head slowly. Then he smiled again, looking down at the slightly damp spot on his shirt. It looked like he'd achieved at least one good deed today, even if it was fixing a problem of his own making. As another major problem he had caused recently returned to his thoughts, the smile faded.
"How are you feeling?"
"Feeling? I'm fine. What did you want to see me for?"
Sci looked across his desk at his second-in-command, whose eyes seemed to be red from crying. "I'm working out assignments for the next stage of the operation. I wanted to make sure there was nothing you wanted to tell me first."
Kristy looked puzzled. "Not that I know of. Was there something that concerned you?"
"Ah, well. Ah." Sci seemed to be at an entirely uncharacteristic loss for words. "Ah, you haven't seemed to be completely well recently. I was concerned you might be in a somewhat delicate condition."
"A delicate condition?" Kristy paused. "I think there's something I'm not tracking here." The look she gave Sci indicated she had no idea what he was talking about.
"Um. You're probably aware that the Red Home isn't exactly a large place, and most of the team is aboard. We can't not notice that you haven't, ah, been in the greatest of physical health lately." There was still no comprehension in her expression. "Along with the time you've been spending with Lieutenant Coghlan. . ."
"With. . ." Kristy's confusion gave way to a burst of laughter. "You thought I might be. . ." She broke up laughing again.
"I take it from your reaction, that you are, in fact, not in such a condition?"
"Heavens no, Sci. I think I'd have noticed something like that!"
"Indeed. Can you tell me then, what has been bothering you the last few days?"
At that, Kristy sobered a little. "Yes, Major. Stress and guilt. Mostly guilt I think - tying myself up in knots over what happened to Josh in Paris. And then feeling like I might have contributed to what happened to Sylvana this morning. Nick tried to convince me none of it was my fault, but it wasn't until Josh came to talk to me today that I was able to really believe it."
"That's all?"
Kristy nodded firmly. "That's all."
"I take it then, that you have no qualms about participating in the expedition to Baghdad?"
"No, sir."
Sci nodded. "Thank you, Captain. That will be all."
Kristy stood, saluted smartly, then turned and walked out of Sci's commandeered office.
"How are you feeling?"
Sci's level expression provided Nick with a wordless response. "I believe I'm the one asking the questions right now, Lieutenant. And the question I would currently like answered is the status of your relationship with Captain Henscheid."
"That's not a question, Chief."
Sci's reaction was little more than a growl.
"Ah, right then. Then I would say, 'potentially more than friends and colleagues, but certainly not a couple.'" Nick paused, then added, "Yet."
"I see. And the night she spent in your room?"
Nick shrugged. "She needed a shoulder to cry on. I provided it. She slept in my bed. I slept in front of the fire."
Sci arched an eyebrow at the Australian's glib response, but let the statement lie unquestioned. "And you didn't tell me this before, because?"
"You never asked, Chief. Besides, the occasional error in judgment can be good for the soul. Although believing palace gossip is a rare lapse for you, I must say."
"Yes, well, I think the both of us have made more than enough serious errors of judgment for one day, don't you?"
Nick grimaced, but was forced to nod agreement with the Major's somewhat acidic observation.
"You're prepared to leave immediately?"
"Well, my gear never made it out of the speeder. Noreh's moved hers into the Red Home and is now helping Raymond get Sylvana ready to travel. I haven't seen Josh in a while, but I presume he's getting his gear together."
"Good, good." Sci looked slightly less irritated now. He picked up a datacard from his desk, and toyed with it a moment before handing it to Nick. "These are the official orders authorising treatment for Sylvana and Josh."
"Cool."
"They also contain a request for temporary assignment of a specialist to Terra Group. I'd prefer to have you three back as soon as possible, and the easiest way to achieve that is for Sylvana's recovery to take place in Mendellia."
"Not to mention the fact that she'd probably go. . . well, more nuts. . . in a New Republic compound."
"Not to mention that, no. Just get them there and back safely. You'll be able to get rid of your bounty hunter friends along the way."
Nick nodded. "I've also had a few thoughts about the Uglies we ran into over the Atlantic."
"Yes?"
"Well, it is one of the weaker areas in our sensor coverage. Normally we make up the lack with the directional sats, but they've been kind of busy lately. Anyway, I was figuring that the easiest way for those Uglies to have suddenly appeared on the scopes is if they'd come up from under the surface."
"That'd fit, actually. Emily's review of the sensor data said they were climbing when they first appeared."
"So, we've got some sort of carrier out there under the Atlantic. The question is, who and why? How many ships do they have left, and what do they intend to do with them?"
"Indeed. I think you'd better stop and have a chat with Reth and Kirret while you're picking up Star's freighter in Mendellia. Having the Graces and the other well-equipped portions of the MRAF on standby could turn out to be rather important."
"I can do that. Does this mean I'm forgiven for letting you believe palace rumours?"
"I'll think about it. Get out of here."
"Sure, Chief. Good luck in Baghdad." Nick's salute was nowhere near as sharp as Kristy's, and he strolled almost casually on his way.