She was taken aback when Erik took her hand and studied the scars. Few ever noticed them as they often hid under a blouse or a set of scrubs or whites. She also wasn't used to being touched, especially so kindly and especially by a man....one that she had recently come to know. As a doctor, she did the touching and studying. As to men, well, after the circumstances of which Benjen was conceived made her smarter, she kept her distance. Still, as he touched the scars, memories of a time in Omega 41, sitting inside an escape pod, hoping someone would rescue her came to mind. So strong were the thoughts that she missed a lot of what Erik was saying. "Uhm... I noticed your scars earlier and... as I'm sure you know... the reason we usually have scars is because our bodies do not have the power to fully regenerate lost tissue without a large consumption of resources and time. The point of our project....... At this point, she took the hand gently back and held it in her own hand, rubbing the scars and dazed. A flashback of an exploding ship with her in the small hold. "Take the escape pod, Doreen, and save yourself" Close to giving birth and her hand and lower forearm badly cut from debris, she barely escaped....but to what. The radiation fields of Omega 41.
That's where you come in... if you think you could help." She jumped and took a quick breath as she came out of the flashback, her left hand over her chest. She then looked at Erik, "Yes, yes, of course I can help."
She stepped towards a window, realizing then what had just happened. She managed a smile which wasn't fooling anyone, "Yes, Erik. Perhaps we both need some rest. I'm sure the children are probably asleep if not exhausted. Then the smile faded. She knew Erik was trying to help and explain and that she had another flashback, one she hadn't had in years. "I.....I'm sorry, Erik. I.....didn't mean to."
![[Image: htPh9n3.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/htPh9n3.jpg)