Organism Ch. 02

Jess placed her hand against the glass as well, lining it up with his palm while staring up at him with a look of deep longing. The moment was interrupted by the sound of an automatic door opening and shutting. She jumped away and hid her crimson face, the biggest smile on her lips imaginable at that moment.

"Hey, Brooke," he greeted in a chipper tone. "Just checking in?"

She didn't respond. There was a forlorn look in her eyes.

"Brooke? Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah," she assured, quickly shaking it off. "I'm fine." Brooke glared at the tray of sandwiches sitting in his room. "Hold on. Where did that come from?"

"Since you seemed busy with the Captain, I fed him," Jess explained in a noticeably snarky tone. "Or does that go against protocol too?"

The nurse rolled her eyes dismissively. "Fine. Whatever. Just let me know first next time."

"Why?" Jess challenged bitingly.

Brooke's eyes narrowed at her dangerously, and she put her hands on her hips. "It's important I monitor his calorie intake so I can check for dietary deviations and changes in metabolic function."

"But he's not even sick," she insisted in exasperation. "You don't have to be a nurse to clearly see he's just fine. When are you going to let this go?"

"I already said, I'm not arguing with you," Brooke responded before pointing back to the door. "Now go find someone else to bother. I need a minute with him alone."

Jess shook her head, refusing to budge. "No. You can't keep me from visiting him. That's where I draw the line."

She physically had to breathe in and out just to keep herself from yelling. "I'm not saying you can't still visit him. I just need to talk with my patient one on one."

"Just give her a minute, Jess," Jacob requested in a far more amicable tone. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

She turned around and frowned at him worriedly. "But..."

"We'll talk later," he assured, before adding with a subtle wink. "I definitely wanna pick up where we left off from earlier."

Jess clutched at her chest, that doe-eyed look forming on her face again as she nodded enthusiastically. Brooke gave her a squirrely gaze as she practically skipped out of the medbay.

"So what was that all about?"

He shook his head assuredly. "Nothing important. I've just been humoring her a little is all."

"Let me guess, more thesis talk?" she asked while approaching the glass.

"Something like that," he admitted.

"So seriously, how have you been feeling? Does your head still hurt?"

"Minor throbbing. But it's getting better."

She nodded approvingly. "Well, good. That's...good."

There was an awkward silence.

"I really do think I'm fine, Brooke."

She sighed in frustration. "I'm sure you are. All the same..."

"I know. I know," he assured with a smile. "Quarantine is standard procedure for this sort of thing. I just know you have a tendency to worry needlessly."

Brooke looked away, a light blush forming on her cheeks. "At least you're still the same sweetheart I remember."

He chuckled at her. "Well yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Her smile faded. "No reason..."

Jacob gave her a curious look.

"I brought you a change of clothes." She held up a pair of scrub pants and a plain white shirt. "I figured this would be better than a hospital gown."

He nodded. "Much better. Thanks."

Brooke sent the clothes through the small conveyor whereupon Jacob hit a switch on the wall which tinted the glass for some privacy.

"I know this situation isn't ideal, but I'll make it as comfortable for you as I can," she assured while taking a seat at her desk.

"It's really no concern," he assured while changing into his new clothes. "Wouldn't be my first trip into quarantine because of my own carelessness."

She chuckled at that. "Well, for what it's worth, the crew's not happy about this."

"Doesn't surprise me. This is gonna put us behind schedule."

She nodded. "That too. But I think they were more upset I'm making you do this."

He scoffed at that. "Don't let it get to you. You know how these old-school spacers can get. There's that whole culture of crew loyalty to contend with."

"See, that's just it, though. I agree with them. I believe in absolute loyalty to your crew above all else." A familiar gloom began to form over her being. "I thought that's what I was doing..."

"It's just quarantine, Brooke," he assured, slightly confused as to why she sounded so down.

She didn't respond. Once he was dressed, Jacob untinted the glass and leaned against it with his arms over his head, a look of quiet concern on his face.

"Is everything okay? You seem worried about something."

Brooke quickly cleared her throat and straightened up in her chair, nodding assuredly. "Yes. Everything is fine." She spun around in her seat. "Truth be told, I was just concerned you might have..."

Upon turning around and seeing him for the first time since he changed, her words stopped dead in her throat, and she stared at him in stunned bewilderment.

"What is it?"

She furrowed her brow at him curiously, running over every detail of his body. As far back as Brooke had known the doctor, he had never been able to put on any form of muscle in any capacity. Some sort of genetic condition he had. That wasn't to say her best friend was unattractive by any stretch of the imagination. But he'd always been rather skinny for a man his height, almost unhealthily so. The long hours in the lab didn't help matters either.

Looking at him now, though, Jacob had seemingly gained a bit of muscle on his arms and abdomen. Enough so the shirt he was wearing was almost a size too small for him. What's more, his complexion seemed to have cleared up. Jacob suffered from really bad acne as a child, and it left visible marks on his face as an adult. But those seemed to be gone. This didn't make sense. What happened to that lanky beanpole of a man she remembered?

"Is it just me, or did you get...toner?" she spoke with a hint of wary suspicion in her voice.

Jacob took a moment to inspect himself before shrugging. "I mean, I've been working out again. Why?"

"Well, it's just..." She stared at him in bafflement for a moment longer before finally shaking her head. "...never mind. I think I'm just tired."

There was a long pause.

"Brooke, I can tell something's bothering you. Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

She sighed and smiled at him sadly. "Jacob...I wish I could tell you. God, you have no idea how much I want to talk about it, but..."

"It involves Chris, doesn't it?" he observed.

She nodded glumly before standing up and approaching the glass. "I just don't understand some of the decisions he makes. He's got this ludicrous notion it's his job to protect everyone. Especially me."

"Well, Brooke, think about what the man has been through," he insisted gently. "The Chromwell was a hideously traumatic experience for a lot of people. His best friend died on that ship."

She groaned in frustration. "I know that. I know. I just...sometimes I wish he'd have more faith in me. That's all."

"Have you told him that?"

Brooke shook her head. "Not directly, no."

"We've been over this before," he softly lectured. "What was it I kept harping onto you about from the very beginning?"

She took a deep breath and let out a long, overdramatic sigh. "Open communication is paramount to any relationship." Brooke chuckled and shook her head. "God, I can't believe after all these years, I still have to come to you for dating advice."

"Talk to him," he insisted. "Don't let whatever is going on between you start to fester. Tell that man exactly how you're feeling, and he'll do the same."

"But what if he doesn't?"

Jacob shook his head vehemently. "Brooke, there are a lot of things I could say about the Captain, that he's impulsive, that he makes some questionable decisions, but if there is one thing I can't say about that man, it's that he doesn't adore you."

She was slightly surprised by his words

"You are the barycenter by which our entire galaxy orbits as far as the Captain is concerned."

Brooke placed a hand up against her chest, her face turning almost as red as her hair. "Jacob...where on earth did that come from?"

He smiled somewhat bashfully, turning away and scratching the back of his head. "I'm not sure. Maybe that's just what I would say were I in his position."

She drooped somewhat at his words. "You're way too good to me."

"It's really no big deal. I've always said you can..."

Brooke sighed painfully and shook her head. "No, I mean it. You're way too good to me, Jacob."

He frowned at her in concern.

"I've been thinking a lot lately about how we met," she admitted, her voice low. "Back when I was still dating Scott, I was in such a bad place mentally, and you were there for me. Even now, venting about Chris, you're still here for me."

"Brooke..."

"And there are days I just can't help but wonder why? Why are you still my friend when I've done nothing but take you for granted? I was more than happy to use you to escape my ex, sleep on your couch when I had nowhere else to go, even now I'm just using you for emotional support."

His face contorted into a stern scowl. "Brooke..."

The guilt was eating away at her. "I don't know. There are some days I just feel like a...parasite."

"Elizabeth Brooke Holloway, you stop this right now!"

She gasped in complete shock, taking a step back. That was the first time she'd ever heard him raise his voice like that. It was a little jarring, truth be told.

"You honestly think I became your friend because I have feelings for you? That I let you sleep on my couch on the off chance we might one day share a bed?"

She blinked in bewilderment, still getting over just how upset he sounded. "Well, no. But..."

"But nothing," he cut her off sternly. "I am not entitled to your affection any more than you are entitled to mine. That was a gift I gave to you freely." A somewhat guilty frown formed on his lips. "Maybe it's my fault you feel this way now. Things would have been much simpler if I could have just remained content being friends."

"Jacob, don't put that on yourself."

"I was just content, you know?" he continued undeterred. "When things first started, I was more than happy just being your friend."

Brooke lowered her head solemnly.

"And I miss those days. I really do. Which is why I'm determined to get them back."

"Are you sure?"

He finally smiled again and nodded. "Love is a sacrifice. That's what I was always raised to believe. And even if it's just as your friend, the fact remains I do love and care for you deeply, Brooke."

Hearing that gave her so many mixed feelings. This was killing her. She had to tell him the truth.

"Jacob...there's something you need to know."

He raised a brow at her. "What is it?"

Brooke opened her mouth to speak, but the words simply wouldn't come out. Finally, after wrestling with her thoughts for a moment, she smiled at him.

"I feel the same way about you."

That seemed to make him happy. A shame she couldn't say the same.

"Listen, it's getting late. We should both get some rest," Brooke insisted before turning to leave the room.

"Sleep well, Brooke," he called out to her.

Rather than respond, she simply nodded and left. Soon after exiting the medbay, a wave of nausea hit her. Brooke ran to the bathroom, bent over the toilet, and puked.