Organism Ch. 02

The first one always took her breath away. He'd know when she was about to do it, too, because he'd always smile at her while it happened. Her lip would quiver as emotion mixed with that blissful feeling of being filled by a man she loved more than she ever thought possible, whereupon she'd tense up as everything became tight and everything became beautiful.

And then he'd do it to her again, and again, and again after that. No matter the position, whether he was on top, she was on top, whether he had her down on all fours or she was sitting in his lap while he held her up in his arms, it always ended the exact same way. Emotion would inevitably give way to that burning lust, and her mind would devolve into a state of "oh God, oh fuck, more, more, fucking more!"

Whereupon he'd grunt and flex, and she'd be full all over again, sharing in a moment of silent adoration where there was no movement, no words spoken. Just the man she loved quietly staring into her eyes as he came deep inside her.

Without fail, each and every time, he'd whisper how much he loved her into her ear, she'd get all teary-eyed in spite of herself, only for him to kiss those tears away then kiss her lips again just for good measure. And she loved it. More than anything in this whole galaxy, she loved their little ritual, this quiet moment where nothing else in space existed except for the two of them.

And when all was said and done, her heart was full and her mind clear again. Brooke cuddled up next to this man she adored without end and sighed blissfully against his chest, these feelings in her heart giving way to the bubbly girl he always seemed to turn her into whenever he held her in his arms like this.

"God, I needed that."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead while she got nice and comfy. "Glad I could be of service."

She rolled her eyes at the big lug, smiling in spite of herself as she ran a ringer along his pectoral. Maybe it was just because of how fragile today had left her, but she was feeling especially melty right now, so hopelessly sentimental.

"Seriously, though. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here. Today was..." Brooke shook her head at the awful memory. "...just hideous. And I don't ever want to have to go through something like that again."

He shook his head vehemently. "You won't. I promise."

She sighed in contentment, laying her forehead against his. "I'm just a mess right now, and...God, having you here...I don't know. Right now, I just..." Brooke groaned in frustration. "Fuck, I don't know what it is I'm even trying to say."

Chris smiled in understanding and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I get it. And believe me, I feel the exact same way."

And then he kissed her again, and she was lost once more. What was it about this man that made her feel like an awkward, bumbling teenager? This sort of feeling was something she used to only believe existed in movieland and postcards. A word like soulmate was about as alien to her at one point in time as those horrid ruins down on the planet below.

Yet here she was, hopelessly, brainlessly, madly in love with a man for whom her eyes could see nothing but kids, and a house, and the next sixty-plus years of her life.

Finally, they stopped, and she settled in, content to remain right here for the rest of the night. Try as she might to fall asleep, however, Brooke's mind began to stir once more. Not with worries again, necessarily, just questions. One question, in particular, which she couldn't quite get to go away.

"You know...you still haven't told me about what happened on the Chromwell."

Chris didn't respond. She could feel him turn away from her, prompting Brooke to sit up on his chest and turn his gaze back to her eyes.

"Hey..." She gazed at him with gentle sincerity. "...if you never wanna tell me about it, I'll fully understand. The only reason I ask at all is because I want to know all of you, even the parts you'd rather not think about."

That brought his smile back almost immediately. "We'll get into it," Chris assured. "One day, I promise."

She nodded in understanding and kissed his lips again. Not even a minute later, Mira spoke up over the intercom.

"Captain, I hate to interrupt, but I have an update on the status of Dr. Warren."

They both lurched up at almost the exact same time.

"He's just woken up in quarantine. The rest of the crew is already on their way to see him."

--

Chris and Brooke walked briskly down the corridor towards the medbay after rushing to change back into their clothes. They were both eager to check on the condition of Dr. Warren now that he was awake. Rebecca met them both en route to provide an update.

"How's he doing?" Brooke asked, never once breaking stride.

"He just woke up, so he's still a little groggy," she informed. "But otherwise, he seems to be alright."

Brooke nodded. "We'll know more once I've done my assessment."

"There's something else," Rebecca admitted with a sigh of frustration. "Before you say anything, I just want you to know we tried to stop her."

Already bracing for what she was about to see, Brooke rounded the corner and entered the medbay. The crew had formed a semi-circle around the quarantine unit. Jacob was now sitting up in bed, looking slightly disheveled but overall no worse for wear. Sitting next to him was Jess, who was pouring him glasses of water from a pitcher.

"Oh, what the hell?!" Brooke exclaimed angrily before immediately storming off to change into her isolation suit. Chris, meanwhile, approached the glass and smiled at the doctor.

"Look who's back in the land of the living, Captain," Owen declared happily.

"How're you feeling, Doc?" Chris asked sincerely.

He smirked at him, downing the cup of water before offering the glass to Jess for a refill. "Like a million units, Chris. Any other silly questions you wanna throw my way?"

They all laughed at his joke. Just hearing the sound of Jacob's voice again was such a load off their minds. Brooke came storming back in, now wearing her isolation gear and entered the quarantine unit. Whereupon she grabbed Jess roughly by the arm and tugged her out.

"Hey!" Jess shouted indignantly as she was roughly pulled to the door, nearly dropping the pitcher in the process.

The two passed through decontamination, at which point the outer door opened, and Brooke shoved her out. Jess flared angrily, ripped the mask off her face, and spun around.

"What the hell is your problem?!"

"My problem?" she shot back in disbelief. "You're the one who seems determined to contaminate the whole damn ship."

Jess shrugged and turned away from her. "I don't see what the big deal is. He just wanted some water."

"The quarantine unit is off limits without full isolation gear," Brooke insisted sternly.

"I had gloves and a respirator on," she argued.

"Doesn't matter. You're not to go in there again, understood?" Brooke then spun around and addressed the others. "That goes for the rest of you as well. Absolutely no one goes near the doctor until he's been cleared from quarantine."

Jess huffed at her in frustration. "What's the point of keeping him in there a week? His tests came back clear. He's negative for any form of infection."

Having finally had enough, Brooke threw off her helmet and got right in her face. "I am not having this argument with you anymore. Whether you like it or not, I'm the medical officer aboard this ship. He's not clear until I say he's clear."

"If anyone here is qualified to make that call, it's the doctor," she responded bitingly.

"Wh...he's not an MD!"

"Neither are you. He at least has a doctorate in microbiology. You're just a nurse on a power trip."

"Jess, it's alright," Jacob suddenly spoke up.

They all turned and looked at him.

"I appreciate your concern, I really do. But Brooke is absolutely right," he spoke in a calm, defusing voice. "There's no telling what I was exposed to out there. This is standard precautions."

Brooke frowned and turned her gaze away. She still couldn't quite bring herself to look at him.

"So what all do you remember?" Chris asked, changing the subject.

Dr. Warren frowned in thought for a moment, trying to recall. "I remember...the casket opening..."

They all listened intently for him to finish his thought. Finally, he sighed and looked up at them.

"And that's it."

The crew all gave each other puzzled looks.

"So wait, you seriously don't remember what happened?" Samantha spoke in bafflement.

He shook his head. "Not a thing." Jacob turned to Brooke. "But you wouldn't have me in quarantine without reason. What was I exposed to?"

Her heart wrenched, and she shut her eyes tight. This was it. This was the part where she lost her best friend. Brooke opened her mouth to speak...

...when suddenly Chris did it for her.

"Probably nothing."

Brooke gawked at him in disbelief.

"Whatever that container was, it triggered a cave-in," he explained. "A chunk of rock broke off from the ceiling, and you fell down the stairs avoiding it. The fall knocked you unconscious, and your suit was punctured."

Jacob took a moment to let this information process while the crew all swapped frantic looks with each other. Brooke, for the life of her, could not fathom why the Captain was doing this.

"That would explain the headache, then," he observed while rubbing his forehead. "Must have smacked my head pretty good."

Chris nodded. "Fortunately, Brooke was able to minimize the damage."

He smiled upon hearing that. "It would seem I owe you then."

"Captain, can I have a word with you?" the nurse spoke through gritted teeth. "In private?"

They both left, leaving the rest of the crew to stand there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"Something up with them?" Jacob asked.

Rebecca chuckled nervously.

"Oh, just...you know...couple drama."

--

Brooke stormed away with angry purposeful strides all the way to the mess hall with Chris in tow. The moment they passed through the door, she shut it behind her and turned to yell at him.

"You lied!"

He raised his hands up defensively. "Now listen, I get you're upset. But just hear me out..."

"You lied to him!" she repeated with severe emphasis. "Chris, what the hell were you thinking?"

"He doesn't remember what happened, and his tests all came back clear," the Captain insisted. "We can keep him under observation for a week, after which I'll report the incident to IFC myself the moment we're back in..."

"You can't hide this from him," she insisted sternly. "Jacob deserves to know what he's been exposed to."

"Brooke, we're not even sure he was exposed to anything," Chris argued vehemently. "Why bring it up if there's every possibility he's totally fine?"

"You told me something was in his suit. I distinctly remember those words coming out of your mouth."

He groaned in frustration. "Okay, yes. I remember that. But I also remember that it was dark. I remember we were all freaking out and not thinking rationally..."

"Oh my God," Brooke muttered to herself in abject disbelief, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"...and furthermore, I distinctly remember you saying that his tests came back completely clean," he finished. "Why freak the man out and potentially subject him along with the rest of us to a lengthier quarantine if there's nothing..."

"Alright, let's just cut the bullshit here, Chris," she jumped back in, now completely fed up with him. "I know why you're really doing this, and it has nothing to do with unnecessary quarantine."

He looked away from her.

"You lied so he wouldn't find out about what I almost did. Just admit it."

"Brooke..."

"Whatever happened to he'll understand?" she insisted. "Did you really believe Jacob would forgive me, or were you lying when you said that too?"

"Look, I wasn't lying. But...why take that chance?"

She gasped at his words, her face slowly forming into a look of betrayal. The nurse shook her head at him in disbelief.

"You're...you're unbelievable!"

"Wait. Brooke, hold on. Wait!" Chris pleaded as she stormed off, shutting the door behind her. "Dammit..."

The Captain kicked the bulkhead in frustration before collapsing back into a nearby seat and running his hands across his face. Why did he do that? He should have just told Jacob the truth. The doctor would have forgiven her. He was certain.

Or rather...he was mostly certain. Try as he might to block out the doubts in the back of his mind, Chris couldn't deny he was worried. What if Jacob held it against her? What if he accused her of not really caring about him? She would have been devastated. No, it was more than that. If he took it personally, Brooke would have to live with the guilt and pain of losing her best friend forever.

That was something he was all too familiar with.

At that moment, Kevin and Samantha both entered the room, bewildered looks on their faces.

"Umm, Captain? What the fuck?" Samantha insisted bluntly.

"Are we really not gonna tell him what happened down there?" Kevin asked.

He took a moment to rub the bridge of his nose and relieve the pressure before standing up and addressing them. "For now, we're not gonna tell him more than necessary. At least until we're dry-docked again."

"He's gonna find out one way or another," Samantha insisted.

"If that happens, you let me handle it. For now, go make sure the others know my decision."

Kevin and Samantha both gave each other worried looks before heading back to the medbay. Chris, meanwhile, left to go sleep this off.

"Mira, let me know if anything comes up. I'll be in my quarters."

"Of course, Captain."

--

Soon after word spread that the Captain had ordered no one to tell Dr. Warren about what happened, the crew began retiring for the night. Everyone left, save for Jess, who wanted to stay and take care of the doctor however she could.

He asked for some food, so she went to the mess hall to break into the rations. When Jess returned, she was carrying a tray loaded down with sandwiches she'd rehydrated and cut into squares, along with a large glass of lemonade.

"Here you go, Doctor." She set the tray down in a small receptacle connected to the glass before hitting a button and sending it over. "I hope this is enough."

Jacob chuckled at the tray in amusement as it passed along the small conveyor. "This is great, Jess. Thank you."

"I still can't believe Nurse Bossypants is making you stay in here," she insisted, a noticeable hint of irritation in her voice. "It's like you're a prisoner."

"Brooke is just doing her job," he assured while taking bites of his food. "I don't hold it against her, and you shouldn't either."

She frowned at that. "It just doesn't seem fair. Especially considering..."

He raised a brow as her voice trailed off. "Considering what?"

Jess sighed and shook her head. "Nothing, Doctor."

They both sat in silence on opposite sides of the glass while he ate his sandwiches.

"Doctor...can I ask you something kinda personal?"

He nodded, taking a sip of his lemonade. "Go ahead."

"Do you like Nurse Holloway?"

Jacob stopped mid-bite and set his food down, giving her a squirrely look. Jess refused to look at him, her face one giant bright blush at that moment.

"In what context?"

She fidgeted nervously in her seat. "In the...you wish she wasn't with the Captain kind of context."

He considered her question for a moment before setting his tray aside and wiping his hands together. "First, let me ask this. Why are you interested?"

Jess smiled bashfully. "Well...I don't know. I just see you, like, together a lot. And you're always looking at her when you think no one notices. I was just...curious."

Again, he just stared quietly at her. Her heart was beating so fast. After a long moment to think, Jacob finally answered.

"Brooke and I have been friends for years. You could say we're best friends even. We've been through a lot together."

"How did you two meet?"

He smiled as a wave of nostalgia washed over him. "We shared a dorm room at the IFC Astronautics Academy. I'd just completed my first dissertation and was looking to join a space crew that would let me do field research, and she had just finished nursing school. We got to know each other during our time there. And after graduation, she insisted we sign on to the same ship together."

Jess frowned somewhat worriedly at that. "Sounds like there was something really special between you."

Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "It's not what you may think." His smile faded somewhat. "Brooke had a lot of trust issues she was working through in those days. Out of respect for her privacy, I won't go into detail, but the last guy she dated before Chris was a horrible person. It left a mark on her."

She nodded in understanding. He didn't need to explain, she could fill in the blanks herself.

"My dorm room became a safe haven for her during the times she was at her lowest. She trusted me because I was...harmless, in her own words."

Jess quirked her head at that. "Harmless?"

He nodded. "I've always been a fairly mild-mannered man, or so I've been told. I don't like causing a disturbance with my presence if I can help it. And I often struggle voicing my opinion around others."

"I've noticed you're a little quiet," she admitted. "But that doesn't make you harmless. Or at least I don't think so."

"Either way, our relationship was pretty much set in stone from the very beginning. I've always been the one she could lean on whenever she needed it."

"I sincerely hope she appreciates that."

He smiled thoughtfully. "I like to believe she does. After all..."

A twisted knot slowly formed in her gut.

"...she's been like a sister to me since we started working together."

Jess did a complete one-eighty and immediately perked up in excitement. "Wait, a sister? That's it?"

He nodded. Jess placed a hand on her chest, breathing a sigh of relief. She felt about a hundred pounds lighter at that moment.

"Just a sister...I'm so glad."

Jacob smirked at that knowingly. "Oh really? Why is that?"

Her body stiffened in realization, and her face turned the deepest shade of red he'd ever seen on a woman.

"Oh, well...umm..." She started running her hands through a strand of her dirty blonde hair. "...I just...worry about you because...umm...she's with the Captain, and I didn't want you to be..." Jess began furiously fanning her face. "...is it, like, hot in here to you?"

He chuckled at her. "It's alright, Jess. I know exactly what you meant." The doctor scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I know all too well what my odds would be with someone like you, anyway."

Her heart somersaulted at that moment, and her eyes grew wide with disbelief over what she was hearing.

"It'd be foolish to think such a charming young woman would ever be interested in a dull researcher like me."

Jess shot up from her seat and pressed herself up against the glass, an incredulous look in her eyes. "No, Doctor. That's not true. That's not true at all. You're brilliant. You're one of the most interesting people I know. You're always so nice to me, and...and..."

His smile grew. "And what?"

Her ears were on fire, and her heart was beating all the way up in her throat at that moment. "And...I don't think it would be foolish at all to say a girl like me would be interested in a man like you."

"Really?" His voice took on a noticeably flirty tone. "Well, I certainly wouldn't hate that."

She gasped in astonishment. This really was happening!

"In fact..." Jacob placed his hand up against the glass of the quarantine unit. "...I'd go so far as to say I'd love more than anything if that were true."

Her heart melted at that moment. As much as she loved seeing him in his glasses, without them, his smile really brought out those big beautiful green eyes. She couldn't look away even if she wanted to.