estirose

This was supposed to be an answer to Lunarwolf2002's challenge, but it didn't quite happen.

Series: Power Rangers SPD
Pairing: Bridge/Kat one-sided
Summary: Bridge has insomnia.

And Throw Away the Key
by Estirose

Bridge sometimes gets insomnia so bad that he can't really sleep for two days.

He doesn't mean to stay up, only does because if he doesn't, peoples' thoughts, memories, and dreams will leak into his mind and overwhelm him, not particularly caring for the entity known as Bridge Carson.

These nights, he takes his psi-blocking medication, crosses his fingers, and works on projects. Like he's working on now. Repairs and modifications to RIC. Boom helped him for a while, but Boom has long since gone to bed. Like Bridge should have gone, but he knows it's worthless. Nothing is going to be solved by staring at his roommate and envying him.

"Cadet Carson." Kat's smooth voice makes him jump and draw up to attention. He feels his heart pound, chagrined a little at not being able to tell if it's because Kat Manx outranks him, or because he's wanted to tell her how he feels. Probably both, since dating Kat Manx would be against regulations, and he gets in enough trouble without Cruger throwing the book at him.

Idly, he wonders if Commander Cruger does have a bath book. And what he'd write in it. Poetry? Reprimands? Alien glyphs?

"Yes, Ma'am?" He covers his nervousness with trained reflex. Sky would be proud, were he to be awake.

"Cadet, aren't you scheduled for day shift?" Kat asks, her head cocking in a manner that makes Bridge unable to breathe.

"Yes... ma'am," Bridge says, trying to be cool like Jack or Sky. "But I've got insomnia, and RIC needed repairs from the last time we took him out, and I figured that since I've got one and the other needs work I might as well take advantage of the time and ma'am...."

Kat smiles. "You should see a doctor about your insomnia, Cadet."

"I have," Bridge protests. "But he says he can't do much about it, and I took my psi-blockers, and I'm willing to go to bed when they kick in, but they take forever, and...."

Kat holds up her hand, still smiling. "I get the picture, Cadet." Bridge mentally tables an impulse to ask if her ears are real, if she's really an alien, or if she went through illegal genetic modification when she was a child. Even he has the sense not to say things sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes.

"Anyway," Bridge says, shifting, "I'm just going to work on RIC." He's proud of himself. No run on, compound sentence for him this time. No acting like a first-year cadet when he's on B-Squad.

"Ah," she replies, studying him. "Cadet, satisfy my curiosity."

Bridge gulps. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Why did you choose to become an SPD officer? Why not a technician?" Kat studies him still. It's not the nicest feeling.

"Well, because I wanted to help. And here was the best place to be myself and live my dreams and be normal and help other people...." He trails off, feeling like he should say something far more profound. But profound is impossible when you have a lithe beauty like the one before him.

"Ah," Kat says, not explaining why she's asked. He probably doesn't want to know anyway. Just another fact in the data collector's brain. Not that he still doesn't want her. Oh, he wants her. He wants her to notice him. Like him. Have cool, beautiful Kat like him. Go out with him.

He tables that thought, reminding himself again that she's his superior.

"I'll send you some data that might help increase RIC's capabilities," she says. "In the meantime, Cadet, go to bed. That's an order."

"Yes, ma'am!" Bridge salutes, then looks back at RIC. He'll have to do the mods some other time.

The chief scientist turns away, seemily satisfied, and walks off. Bridge sighs. She probably won't even remember what he looks like by tomorrow.

Taking one last look at RIC, satisfied that only modifications are left, he heads back to his room. As he walks towards the residental areas, he's reminded of something Boom said, before he went to bed for the night: "Kat ever notice anyone like me? Riiight. Lock me up and throw away the key, because I don't think she's ever going to notice."

As he steps into his room, he knows Boom is right. Kat is never going to notice. No matter what. It's futile to even try. He knows it, Boom knows it, and everybody knows it.

He settles down in his bed and hopes for a dreamless sleep.