Infirmary

[Tracy Jane]

"You promised me that you'd take it slowly, Jensen," Hermione sighed in despair as she sat down. "I just... I don't see that that last bit was necessary," she told him slowly, holding her head in her hands, unable to get angry at him. She could see that he was hurting almost as much as Kate was.

"The way she's feeling right now, there would have been no talk of sex. Things would have reverted back without having to dredge it up and make her feel like she's being rejected and losing yet another person in her life." Hermione lifted her head again and sighed.

She got to her feet and gripped Jensen's arm comfortingly. "You did your best, Jensen. She's not an easy patient, even less so when you're as emotionally attached as you are." She smiled weakly. "I'm going to give her something for a little while. I hear that quarters are still in tact, so I think getting her back down there would be a good start."

Hermione started to search the remaining drawers for supplies that were still intact. "I'll need someone to stay and watch over her, in case she wakes up. No," she said firmly to Jensen. "You need sleep too. I agree it's a good idea for you two to be together, but you both need rest. We just need a third party to watch. Any suggestions?"

She bit her lip as she found the equipment she wanted and moved back to Jensen, trying desperately to ignore the sobbing that was still coming from behind her. "And, Jensen. I know this is difficult, but I need to tell the General about all this." She winced and sat down. "Usually I would keep this in confidence, but given Kate's history..."

[ShelBel]

"You promised me that you'd take it slowly, Jensen," Hermione sighed in despair as she sat down. "I just... I don't see that that last bit was necessary," she told him slowly, holding her head in her hands, unable to get angry at him. She could see that he was hurting almost as much as Kate was.

"You know what they say about the road to h311 being paved with good intentions," Jensen muttered bitterly. As Hermione found the sedatives, he winced. That he'd managed to push Kate so far over the edge really gnawed at him.

"I've got her," he said grimly, once Hermione had gathered all the needed supplies for the injection. He gathered Kate into his arms and stood. "As for the babysitting duties... the chaplain, maybe. He should be here shortly, Jaime sent him on an errand down to level 10." He inclined his head toward Rowena. "Maybe Cadet Clayton could stick here for a bit and wait for him, and give the Infirmary another inspection sweep and report back to Captain Holland while she's waiting."

He stood and waited for Hermione to lead the way. Kate was slowly relaxing in his arms, her sobs trailing off into hiccups, but she still seemed completely unaware of her surroundings. Swallowing hard, Jensen shifted her in his arms and settled her cheek against his shoulder as they left the Infirmary.

"Blue is going to have our heads," he sighed wearily.

<< to Quarters >>

[Domavatus Vestul Motabilium]

<<From Sublevel 10, Data Center>>

Climbing the stairs a bit more slowly, not wanting a repeat of his run in with the General Finch makes his way up to the Infirmary. Finding the door open and hearing movement inside he calls out as he nears the entrance.

"Dr. Winchester? How does it look in there? Is there any damage...... Oh my, this is...."

As he steps out of the stairwell into the infirmary proper he trails off, looking around at the mess of toppled shelves and broken windows. 'Please let this not be as bad as it looks.' He walks slowly around the room listening, and when he hears movement again heads towards it. Expecting to find Jensen, he jumps when he rounds a corner and finds Rowena Clayton instead.

"Hi there. You're not Dr. Winchester. But then again I'm sure you know that already. Corners and I just aren't agreeing on the way things are supposed to work right now, I keep going around them finding things other than what I expect when I get there. I was supposed to be meeting Dr. Winchester here, but I ran into General Blue on the way and took longer to get here than I expected. Is he here somewhere?"

Finch looks hurriedly around, half expecting to find Jensen hiding behind a desk waiting to ambush him.

[Tracy Jane]

Rowena stood and saluted, trying her hardest not to pull a face at rambling. "Cadet Clayton, Sir. Dr Winchester is in Major Howard's quarters with my... with Doctor Lancaster." She looked up. "I believe they need someone to watch them in case of trouble. Major Howard is in a bad state, Sir, and Doctor Winchester isn't doing much better at the moment. If you could make your way to room 23 on Sublevel 6, I'm sureit would be much appreciated."

[Domavatus Vestul Motabilium]

As Rowena's face twists into the slightest smirk for just a moment Finch realises what a babbling loon he must sound like, and is silently thankful for the young woman's tactfull willingness to seemingly pretend everything is normal. Somewhat flustered by all the saluting and "Sir"ing he waits for her to finish her explanation of where Jensen has gone off to.

"Nice to meet you, but there's no need for calling me Sir every other sentence , most everyone here just calls me Finch or Padre. Dr. Winchester and company have gone up to level 6 you say? I suppose it's back to the stairs again."

[Tracy Jane]

((OCC: There is no way on EARTH Rowena would have been smirking. The face she was trying to pull was total and utter disdain. As for tactful willingness, there was nothing tactful about it; the word doesn't EXIST in Rowena's vocabulary. I think it's more of a case of Kate Howard having a breakdown actually being normal in Rowena's eyes.))

"I would rather adhere to procedure, Sir, and as I am not Catholic, I would rather not refer to you by a title that I eem to be inappropriate and out of place in a military environment," Rowena informed him coldly. "May I also suggest, Lieutenant, that any profession of your denomination would also best be silenced in Major Howard's presence. As... friendly... as she is, I doubt that warmth will be extended to anyone of Catholic faith."

Rowena thrust her notes into his hand. "I assume my mother will be heading to the surface once you arrive, Sir," she told him. "If you would kindly pass these papers on to her."

The cadet rolled her eyes and marched out of the infirmary.

[Domavatus Vestul Motabilium]

'Well that went about as well as the rest of today has gone, glad to see things in the world are being consistent all in all.'

Finch takes the sheaf of papers from her before she decides to throw them at him. Seeing that trying to be friendly has somehow managed to offend Rowena he switches tone smoothly to professional military.

"Very well then Cadet Clayton, and thank you for the warning, though I assure you I would never dream of pushing one denominational preference or another upon someone, it is simply not the way things are done. And since we are sticking to proper procedure I assume when you asked me to deliver these to your mother you meant to say Dr. Lancaster?... Good day to you, I'll be sure these get where they need to go."

Holding up the stack of papers, Finch salutes then turns on his heel and steps back out into the stairwell. Striding two steps at a time up towards level 6 he wonders what caused everyone to leave the infirmary so quickly.

'Ugh more stairs!!! Hopefully i'll be staying wherever I'm going for more than a few minutes, my legs could use a break.'

<<To Quarters, room 23, sublevel 6>>

[ShelBel]

<< from Quarters >>

Jensen opened the door to the Infirmary easily and stepped inside. "One of the back beds in the medical bay will do," he said quietly, stepping aside to let Kate pass him and pick out whatever bed she preferred.

[Tracy Jane]

Kate hovered in the middle of the bay, starting to feel nervous. She knew there was no point, knew that it was already done, but finding out, having it confirmed...

She hopped up onto one of the back beds, there was no need to roll up her sleeve for the tourniquet to be put round her arm and she gritted her teeth in preparation for the cold of the sterilising spray and the puncture of the needle.

Whatever way this turned out, she didn't care. It didn't matter anymore.

[ShelBel]

Jensen gathered what he needed. Kate looked resolute. He pulled on the gloves and assembled the syringe, swabbed at her inner elbow and prepped the site, steadied the needle and paused, looking up at Kate's pale but determined face.

"Ready?" He asked. Without really waiting for an answer- or giving her the opportunity to change her mind- he slid the needle home and watched as her blood slowly filled the body of the syringe.

[Tracy Jane]

Kate sucked in a breath as the needle punctured her skin, then held it until he was finished. As used to these tests as she was, Kate held the cotton on firmly until he taped over it. "So... how long?"

[ShelBel]

Jensen labelled the vial, then took a dropper and got a small sample and dropped it into a waiting solution. "Not very long. A few minutes." He set the test down and stripped off his gloves, puttering around the medical bay- picking up fallen equipment, straightening things up- while they waited.

His watch beeped, and he stopped what he was doing and looked at Kate. Going back to the tray that held the test, he picked up the vial with the solution and her blood sample, and help it up to a card with gradiated shades for the results.

Without saying a word, he handed the card and the vial to Kate.

[Tracy Jane]

Kate closed her eyes as she took them. This was it, this was what all the fuss was about. One tiny little bottle and a card. She opened her eyes and looked at Jensen, trying to read his expression first, but couldn't.

With a sigh, she looked downwards, trying to compare the two. She held them up again to double check and then nodded slowly.

"So now we know."

[ShelBel]

Jensen nodded, and took the items back from Kate, setting them in the tray. "I need to note this," he said softly. "And as soon as the computer systems are back up, it'll go in your records."

He looked at her evenly, his throat tight, unable to say any more.

[Tracy Jane]

Kate forced a smile. "Come on, Bubba. It could have gone either way," she told him gently, slipping off the bed. She wasn't sure what to say, or if she should hug him or anything. She held out her hand to him, shocked at his reaction, not having expected him to...