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Camile waited until late in the evening so Rush would be alone when she confronted him. Not to mention it gave her a chance to sort out how she felt about what TJ had confided to her about witnessing a hug between him and Dr. Perry while she was using Camile’s body. She did not want to seem hypocritical, she had done the same after all. But the idea of Perry and Rush getting it on while her body hosted the woman’s consciousness did rather bother her.
He was not hard to find. He was still at the work station he had been using all day.
“TJ told me about the scene she walked in on between you and Dr. Perry...”
Rush cut in, “Nothing happened.”
“That's not what it looked like from TJ's perspective.” Camile had thought Rush would at least be honest. But then men were like that.
He sighed. “Lt. Johansen managed to walk in at the next to most embarrassing possible moment. Fine. Aside from a very clumsy kiss and the hug the lieutenant witnessed, nothing happened. I'm just thankful she didn't turn up a couple of minutes earlier, when she could have witnessed me behaving like a Victorian virgin whilst explaining to a very dear friend why I wouldn't sleep with her even though it might be the only chance she'd ever get to have sex. I must have looked a right idiot.”
Glaring at her, he added. “You'll have to take my word for it though. I've no way to prove it.”
“Actually I believe you.” Camile admitted. Rush concealed things, but when confronted directly did not out right lie. And the nature of his explanation was in itself indication of it's truthfulness. How often was a man willing to admit he turned down sex? Which raised a completely different issue. “Why wouldn't you?”
“Don't get me wrong, you're a lovely woman.” The speed with which that reassurance came out would have told Camile that Rush had been in a long term relationship even if she had not read his personnel file. She could not help grinning.
Which got her an answering grin from Rush. He should do it more often, she thought. It was a nice grin.
“But,” He continued, “There was just too bloody much baggage to juggle for what could only have been a fling.”
“Most men wouldn't have worried about that. It wasn't like Dr. Perry was going to be around long enough that you would have had to deal with the fallout.”
“Fallout from Mandy was the least of my concerns.” Rush told her dryly. “For one thing there were far too many people who would have had to agree for anything to have happened. And they weren’t all available.”
“I appreciate your thinking of that.” She had not. And suddenly felt a little guilty about those trips home. “We should probably be more specific on the consent form people volunteering to host consciousnesses while using the stones sign off on.”
Rush pursed his lips. “Yes, because the issues of using the stones aren’t complicated enough already. But even if you hadn’t minded, I know your partner would'na have liked the idea.”
That was true, but... “I didn't realize you'd ever met Sharon.”
“I haven't. But I know how I'd have reacted if I'd have found out some git was shagging Gloria when she wasn't even aware of it.”
Not surprising that Rush was the possessive type. It was a little surprising that a man of his age and background would equate her relationship with Sharon with his own twenty plus year marriage, which looked from his personnel file to have been rather traditional.
Points for tolerance.
“And the other thing?” She asked.
It took a minute for the question to register. “Sorry?”
“You said too many people in the bed was one reason. If you weren't worried about Dr. Perry's reaction what was the other?”
Apparently without thought his right hand protectively circled the ring finger of his left. He had still worn a wedding band as recently their early days on the ship, Camille remembered.
“When I used the interface chair…” He swallowed visibly. “I experienced a version of Gloria’s final illness. I had to watch her slowly waste away again. I know it wasn’t real. That it was just Destiny trying to communicate, but it feels real. Like I’ve just lost her. I couldn’t…”
Camile put her hand on his arm. He glanced at it and then off to the side. “I didn’t realize Mandy felt that way about me. I, well, I’m not sure I’d have been ready to… be with someone else even if I hadn’t just relived losing Gloria. It’s not something I’d even considered.”
“There's no time limit on mourning, Nicholas.” She said it gently. “If you ever want to talk about her, I'd be happy to...”
“I don't need counseling.” Rush snapped. “That psych evaluation I had to endure for the SGC was bad enough.”
And had been totally useless. The shrink even admitted it in her notes. “Hey, we swapped spit. I think that makes us well enough acquainted for maudlin conversations over a drink. Brody's hooch eases any conversation. You tell me about Gloria and I'll complain about how my lover is several billion light years away. We're safe drinking buddies. We know neither of us is going to misunderstand and try anything.”
“Perhaps. Sometime.”
That was far more of an agreement than she expected. She made a mental note to drag him down to Brody's still the next Saturday night they were not in the midst of total crisis. God only knew he needed the release and she had been serious that they could both use someone to commiserate with. They were probably the only people on the ship actually missing significant others.
As she turned to go Rush asked. “Camile? Has this gotten into the ship's rumor mill?”
“Probably. TJ admitted having discussed it with Lisa Park before she came to me.” Camille shrugged. “I'm not going to get too excited about it though. This ship runs on gossip. And it's not like I don't know what gets said about my sex life.”
“Tisn't your reputation I'm worried about.”
She had to chuckle. “Don't be. That kind of talk will probably improve your rep.”
Rush grimaced. “My reputation doesn't need that kind of 'improvement'. Well, at least now I know why I've suddenly been getting those looks from Dr. Park.”
“If you're looking for lack of baggage Lisa is definitely the one to consider.” If they got drunk enough she might just tell him that it would do both him and ship's morale a world of good if he did get laid.
“Lack of baggage? Please. The lass has been through half a dozen men since we’ve been on the ship. I'm surprised we've not had brawls over her. And are ye forgetting that Park still works under me? You're the one who made us sit through those interminable lectures about sexual harassment.” The grin faded back in for a minute, but was gone when he added. “Though now that we know about Lt. Johansen's baby I better understand why.”
“There's something else we can bitch about over drinks.” Camille sighed. “I thought I was the only one who had figured out who the father was. TJ certainly isn't saying.”
“Which is very nearly confirmation in and of itself.” Rush pointed out. “If you're interested you can still get pretty good odds on Young in the betting pool. Lt Scott and Dr Simms are the favorites.”
“There's a pool? How did I miss that?” She thought she was on top of all the gossip. “That does it. You're drinking with me Saturday. It'll do both of us good and apparently I need a better source for ship's rumors.”
“Young will think we're plotting something.” That was not an actual objection. Clearly she was wearing Rush down.
“Let him.” She grinned. “He needs to be kept on his toes.”
Nicholas's answering grin really was quite nice. Not her cup of tea, but for the first time she could understand why his late wife had been willing to put up with him.
The next Saturday evening, Camile hunted Rush down again. He was still working in the Control Interface Room. “Ready to get that drink?”
Sighing Rush started shutting down his work station. “If I say no are you just going to nag me until I am?”
“Worse.” Camile told him. “I’ll stand over your shoulder and make you explain to me what you’re doing for the rest of the evening.”
“You have an evil streak, Camile.” Rush headed for the door. “First round’s on you.”
Several of the younger crew members including Chloe, Lt. Scott and Eli were congregated on one side of the room. They had all clearly already had a couple of drinks.
Camile headed to the make shift bar to pick up their drinks while Rush secured them a table on the far side of the room from the party. Lisa Park was getting a drink when Camile got to the bar and had clearly been watching Camile and Rush arrive.
“So, are you and Dr. Rush an item now?” Lisa asked with a smirk.
“Just friends. Camile told her. “He’s not my type. But we have a lot in common. Besides being close to the same age, he misses his wife as much as I do Sharon. It’s nice to have a drink with someone who understands.”
“Doc is married?” Lt. James, who was also waiting for a drink asked in surprise.
“Widowed.” Lisa told her. “Not too long before he joined us on Icarus. Gloria was really nice. When he was my advisor she used to regularly invite all of us advisees to Tea. Real English High Tea with cake and little sandwiches. And insist that we talk about something other than math.”
“I didn’t realize anyone here had met Mrs. Rush.” Camile commented hoping to encourage Dr. Park to say more.
“Oh everybody in the Department at Berkeley knew Gloria.” Park did not need much encouragement to continue. “She used to run social interference for Dr. Rush. They were a cute couple. You could tell he was really into her even though they’d been married for forever and she would still flirt with him. She called him her ‘bit of rough’.”
Lt. James looked shocked. Lisa hastily added. “It’s not what you’re thinking. It’s like a class thing. She was from ‘the gentry’ and he was working class.”
If that. Camile had seen his background check. Dirt poor would have been a better description.
Lisa went on. “In Britain that was apparently still a big deal when they met and people, including her family, didn’t approve.”
“And still they made it work for...” Vanessa trailed off.
“A really long time. They were undergraduates at Oxford together.” Dr. Park said.
Camile winced slightly at Lisa’s idea of ‘a really long time’. She had been an undergraduate at the same time as the Rushs.
“That’s kind of romantic.” Vanessa sighed. “And depressing. Seems like everybody but me gets someone.”
Following Vanessa’s gaze toward the group taking up the center tables, Camile noted that Lt. Scott had his arm around Chloe’s waist.
Park noticed too. “If he’s that fickle you’re better off without him. If you want to drown your sorrow though, have Brody pour you a triple and I’ll make sure you get back to your quarters after.”
Sympathizing Camile suggested, “If you don’t mind spending time with with the boring middle aged crowd, you’re welcome to join Nicholas and I.”
“Better than being a third wheel.” Vanessa collected her drink.
Lisa tagged along with her own drink.
Rush gave her a questioning look when she returned with the two younger women in tow. When Camile nodded at the group of laughing youngsters that made up the others in the room the corner of his mouth quirked up in apparent understanding.
“Have you remembered where you saw that algorithm that you think will improved the water recycling efficiency, Dr. Park?” Rush asked as the women took seats. “If you think it would help, I’ll talk to the Colonel about having you use the communications stones to do a literature search.”
“Oh, no.” Camile interrupted. “This is suppose to be down time. Everybody’s work is off the table. According to Lisa you are perfectly capable of talking about something other than math.”
“The circumstances don’t allow for a great many other options.” Rush pointed out. “There’s no weather in space and we don’t get a lot of news as to what how the Rangers are doing.”
“You follow hockey?” Lt. James perked up.
Rush shook his head. “Glasgow football club.”
“I love hockey.” Dr. Park declared. “I used to play with my brothers.”
“Me too.” James said. “I was so peeved when my high school didn’t have a girls team.”
“Same here. I ended up keeping the stats for my brother’s team. It wasn’t as good as playing but at least that way I got to go out for the after game pizza with the team.”
The table broke into two conversation at that point. The two younger women moving quickly from discovering that both missed pizza most in Destiny’s scant menu, to the frustrations of working in male dominated fields, through to the difficulties of ‘that time of the month’ without access to decent tampons.
Camile had been pleasantly chatting with Rush about music. (He shared her fondness of Bach, no surprise, and Elvis Costello which was.) She hastily checked Rush’s reaction to the younger women’s most recent topic.
He grinned cheekily at her concern. “Long time married man, remember? Learned early on to keep the sanitary products well stocked if I didn’t want to end up having to run to the shops in the middle of the night.”
“I was under the impression that most men ran in fear from even the idea of a tampon.” Camile decided to deliberately push for a reaction.
“The wee laddies maybe.” Rush shrugged. “If you’re fortunate enough to get a woman to live with you, the least you can do is learn how her body works.”
“Lucky Mrs. Rush.” Lt. James put in.
“I always thought I was the lucky one.” Rush’s voice went soft.
“Like I said, lucky Mrs Rush.” Vanessa took a long pull of her drink,
Lisa, with more considerably more social awareness than Camile had previously given her credit for, changed the subject before Camile could do so. “You know we could probably manage a field hockey game in the big corridor off the water storage room. It’s as wide as the street we used to play on as kids. Not as good as real hockey, but it would be fun.”
“You think we could find enough people interested?” James was doubtful.
“It’s not like there’s that much else to do.” Park pointed out. “And we only need half a dozen people for a pick up game.
“I already know someone we can recruit. Only... you don’t have anything against fungus do you?” Park asked.
“Fungus? Like mushrooms?” Lt. James looked confused. “I guess not. They’re good on pizza.”
“Dr. Gupta plays hockey?” Rush looked as confused as Camile felt. Although he at least seemed to have some idea who Park was referring to.
“He played field hockey at that prep school he went to. It’s about he only thing he talks about other than fungus.” Lisa said. “C’mon. He’s almost certainly in his lab right now.”
“I wouldn’t have expected those two to hit it off.” Rush watched the two women headed off chatting away.
“I wouldn’t have either.” Camille admitted. “And I probably should have. Lisa will be good for Vanessa. She’s adapted to the changes forced on her here on Destiny with gusto.”
“She’s certainly come into her own on the science team.” Rush agreed. “Then again she was always a better mathematician than most of the rest of the team.
“And I’m not just saying that because she was my student.” Rush added. “She’s learning to stand up for herself rather than defer to older members of the team.”
“You mean older male members of the team?” Camile injected. Rush responded with a tilt of his head acknowledging her point. She went on. “Which is exactly the sort of encouragement Lt. James could use. She needs to be more assertive of her position in the chain of command and it certainly wouldn’t hurt for her to move on from Lt. Scott.
“And everybody could use a friend.” Camile raised her glass in a toast.
Rush clinked his glass against hers. “To friendship then.”
The drinks they took required a moment to recover from. “We really need to find Brody something to mix this with to make it less deadly.” Camile managed to cough out.
“Dr. Inman is working on it.” Rush cleared his throat. “Which neither of us are suppose to know about since it’s not one of the projects on the IOA approved list.”
“Probably past time for us to have a Destiny approved project list.” Camile had been thinking about this for awhile. “I mean we’re the folks on the spot. We should be the ones setting the priorities. What can the IOA really do if we disobey their orders?”
“Refuse us the use of the communication stones.” Rush said dryly. “Which is why you haven’t been in the loop about the side projects. What you don’t know about you don’t have to lie about.”
Camile snorted. “Nicholas, I’m a bureaucrat. You think I don’t know how to obfuscate with the best of them? And I probably know more about those ‘side projects’ than you think I do.”
“Well certainly more than the Colonel thinks you do.” Rush grinned slightly. “Then again, Young thinks he’s keeping some of the work he’s got Eli doing secret from me.”
They shared a look of exasperation at the idea.
After another drink. Rush asked. “So, how did you and Sharon meet?”
Camile paused before taking another drink. “You really interested in that?”
“Gloria did manage to train me in some basic social skills.” He told her. “That was one of her opening questions when she wanted to get to know someone. Besides if we’re going to talk about our significant others it helps to have context.”
“Okay.” As Rush settled back to listen, Camile started. “We didn’t really have a ‘meet cute’. When she came out to her family her Aunt set us up on a blind date. Probably because I was the only other lesbian Auntie knew...”
The End