Andy's Fan-Fiction Archive

FLU SEASON
By
Maxine McBrinn

Timeline: On way to New Pacifica
Author's E-Mail: Kenneth.W.Howard@att.com

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Hope you all had a great Christmas, or any other holiday you celebrate. I thought I'd go ahead and post another "seasonal" story. This is a "slice of life story" and you probably won't have much trouble guessing where I got the inspiration for this one!
Thanks to Vicky for her continued enthusiasm, and extra big thanks to Jayel for beta-reading this for me, and for her good suggestions and most excellent encouragement.
Any comments, good, bad or indifferent, will be appreciated.
Maxine
howard@ drmail.att.com

Flu Season, Part 1
Maxine McBrinn

Voice of Alonzo Solace:
In our second autumn on this new planet, we are hurrying toward the next mountain range, eager to find a sheltered spot to spend the winter. As the days shorten and the nights get cooler, we are reminded that this beautiful planet can also be dangerous and uncomfortable. We have learned a lot about survival, but somehow always seem to discover new tests of our abilities.
Walman woke groggy and sore. "Damn, I must be coming down with something," he growled to himself. His throat hurt and felt raw when he swallowed, and his eyes watered at the light that was streaming into the tent. "At least the stations never dragged a man into waking by shining a bright sun in his eyes." Walman remembered that he and Baines had declared countless mornings to remember to never set up the tent with the cots facing east, and yet a full half of the mornings he woke with the sun in his eyes. "Damn! Shanking sun! Hey, Baines! Now why did we set the tent facing east?"
Baines grunted as he propped himself up on his elbows sleepily. "What? Walman, can't you ever wake up like a normal human? Just my luck to share a tent with a morning person." Baines tried to sink back down into his warm, cosy sleeping bag, but, as on many other mornings, Walman had managed to wake him up. He grumpily crawled off his cot. "Damn, it's cold this morning!"
Walman was already dressed and his thoughts had turned toward coffee. A warm drink might ease the dryness of his throat and would certainly alleviate his unusual stupor. Breakfast smells wafted into the tent but weren't as appealing as usual. Still, breakfast was a good start to any day and he'd no doubt feel better for some food.
As usual, Bess had been one of the first up. She loved fixing breakfast and being there to greet each of her crew mates as they stumbled out of their tent. "Good morning!" she warbled cheerily to Walman.
He smiled wanly at her and walked over to the coffee. John Danziger was already there, pouring down copious amounts of the morning stimulant. Of course, John started every morning with as much of a chemical buzz as he could. He always joked that he too was a morning person, it just took 3 cups of coffee before the morning really started. "Morning Walman" he grumbled. "Hey, you OK? You look tired."
"I'm fine, I just feel like I have a little cold coming on. I guess this is the season for it."
"You still gonna be able to help me with the TransRover this morning? I can round up someone else if you want to take it slow."
"No thanks. Work makes the day go faster, and I really don't feel all that bad."
"Sure. Let me know when you're ready to start. I've gotta get True up and over to her lessons. I swear, I would have loved the opportunity to have a personal tutor, but she fights me and Yale at every turn."
John walked over to his tent and disappeared inside. The usual sounds of a recalcitrant True emerged into the fresh morning air.
"Dad, maybe I should help you today. The vehicles need so much work, and school can always wait."
"Poor True," Walman thought smiling to himself. "She's just going to have to gut up and admit that her dad never buys that argument." Sure enough, shortly later True was out the tent and walking over to Yale, kicking up dust with her toes as she went.
Walman joined a table with Baines, Magus, Cameron and Solace. "Hey, 'Lonz, eating at the single's table? Where's Julia?"
"She's got plans to analyze some vegetation for medicinal value. Bess and Denner must have picked dozens of different plants as we walked yesterday. You know what Julia's like, she thinks eating breakfast will set her behind for the whole day. I'm going to take her a tray after I finish. And just what do you mean, single's table?" The rest of the table laughed companionably at the pilot. Alonzo gulped his breakfast and fixed a tray for Julia. He walked over to the Medtent with Julia's morning meal. The pilot planned to spend the morning acting as her assistant. He and Denner were preparing to go out searching for more samples for Julia once breakfast was done.
Walman picked at his meal and ended up leaving most of it behind. He just wasn't hungry. No matter, they had lots of food for the meantime, so he didn't need to worry about wasting a precious resource. He found John and they started on the TransRover repairs.
Later that morning, John was surprised to see Walman just sitting staring into space after John had asked him to hand him a wrench. "Hey, Walman! You okay?"
"Actually Danziger, that cold seems to have snuck up on me. Sorry, but I think I better go see Julia. You want me to send Baines or Cameron over to help?"
"Sure, thanks. Just send whoever is available."
Walman walked over to the Medtent after sending Cameron to help John. He announced himself at the flap before entering. Now that Julia and Alonzo were sharing the tent, it seemed only polite.
"Walman, come in. What's the problem?" Julia was surrounded by plants, which had been piled on the desk, the floor and even on her cot. The tent had an acrid, green smell that made Walman want to sneeze. Julia took a better look at the man and saw that he was pale and looked a little disoriented. A slight sheen to his face showed that he was covered by a thin layer of sweat.
"I think I must be coming down with something. I thought it was a cold, but now I'm feeling kind of lightheaded too. I woke up with a sore throat, but that's nothing unusual."
"Well, you don't look so good. Let me check your vitals." Julia reached for her Diaglove and quickly scanned her patient. She frowned at the readout, then looked searchingly back into his face. "You are running a pretty good fever. No wonder you're not feeling up to snuff. I suggest you go to bed now. You probably have influenza, but I want to take a sample before you go to confirm the diagnosis. The 'flu shot we all received before leaving the station should have prevented this." As she talked, Julia efficiently took a blood sample from Walman's arm. "You need to remember to drink plenty of fluids. There, done. Go lie down and I'll be in to check on you in an hour or so."
Walman dragged himself off to bed. Now that he knew he was sick, he felt every twinge and shiver. "I wish we had stimu-vision or the station radio . . . anything to distract me," he thought. He lay on his cot, aware of how hot the tent had become with the sun shining on it, and of how it smelled stale and dusty in the warm air.
Baines came in a hour or so after Walman had gone to bed. He hovered at the door of the tent, obviously uncomfortable. "Julia says you have the 'flu," he said with a slightly accusatory tone. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty lousy. Don't worry, I won't breathe on you."
Baines looked a little embarrassed, "Uh, actually, I've already asked Cameron and Mazatl if I can move in with them until you feel better." He paused, then added with a rush, "I figured you'd rest better without me bothering you."
Walman felt his spirits sink. Baines was the only entertainment he had left, and now he was leaving. Baines looked pretty dismayed at having a sick tent mate, though. "Sure, good idea. No need for you to be exposed to the 'flu."

Julia didn't plan to appear at dinner. She was busy checking on Walman and isolating the virus that had caused his illness, not to mention finishing her work on the plant samples, and she didn't want to take the time to eat.
Alonzo appeared at the tent door just before dinner. He had washed up from his plant gathering expedition, and had finally gotten most of the sap and itch-inducing tiny spines off his hands and arms. His hair was still wet and slicked back from his face. "Ready for dinner, Doc?"
Julia was sitting between a monitor and her microscope, dictating the results from the latest plant sample. "I have so much to do I thought I'd just grab something quick, maybe make a tray."
Alonzo advanced into the tent and gave her a quick hug from behind as she sat, then moved around to where he could see her face clearly. He crouched so that his face was level with hers. "Come on, Julia. You have to eat, and even more importantly, you need to take a break. Come sit down for dinner, 30 minutes is all, and I'll help you finish the rest of these plants after dinner." He gave her his biggest smile, "After all I need to sleep in this bed too." He indicated the cot which was still piled high with plants.
Julia sighed in resignation. She knew he was right. "Well, okay. We do need to clear this tent tonight though. I don't think we could sleep in here with all these plants. I keep sneezing."
Alonzo nodded in agreement then gave her a boost up. As they walked out he said, "I guess we could move them somewhere else for tonight, and you can finish them up tomorrow. It's a good thing you waited to do this 'til we planned to be in camp for a couple of days."
In the meantime, Walman was resting. His fever was still higher than Julia was happy with, but he was otherwise stable. Eden Advance had already planned to spend several days at the present camp. It had running water a couple of hundred feet away and was close to lots of fruit trees. The fruit would be a hedge against the starvation they had come so close to last winter, and collecting it was well worth the time they would spend. Walman had actually chosen a good time to succumb, and would benefit from not having to travel while ill.

For the next couple of days the camp bustled with activity as they harvested, dried and stored the fruit. Bess' experience cooking with real produce was invaluable. She directed the crew members on each aspect of the harvest and divided the crew into collection and preserving teams. She particularly enjoyed being the "boss" for a couple of days. Bess had never before been in a position where she got to tell everyone else what to do. She showed the collection team how to tell when the fruit was ripe, how to take it off the trees without damaging the trees or the fruit, and how to pack it so it wouldn't be damaged in the collecting boxes. The preserving team split the fruit, removed the seeds and then placed the remaining halves on a drying rack. In the arid air, the fruit was dry in a day, and then was packed away for future use.
Julia continued to keep a close eye on Walman, who was recovering at a normal rate for influenza. By the time they had finished collecting and preserving all the available fruit, he was feeling much better and looking forward to the travel. He had never thought he would enjoy the constant moving of their nomadic existence, but a couple of days alone staring at his tent walls had changed that attitude. He could hear all the camp activity and had been longing to join them.
On the morning of their scheduled departure, Julia noticed that her nose was a bit stuffy and her throat felt sore when she swallowed. The daylight seemed a bit too bright. "Strange", she thought, but then dismissed it. The plants she had been analyzing must have triggered some allergies. After all, her 'flu shot should protect her from Walman's influenza. Alonzo was showing no signs of any reaction, but each person would respond differently, and Julia had spent more time with the plants in a closed space than anyone else. The results she had gotten made any allergic reaction worthwhile; she had found several plants with promising pharmaceutical properties.
Walman appeared for breakfast that morning feeling a bit wobbly, but eager to get back to his normal routine. He enjoyed seeing Bess' smiling face and smiled right back at her.
"Morning Walman! How are you feeling?"
"Much better. That porridge looks great. What's this? Did you add some of the fruit y'all were harvesting?"
"Sure did. Hope you like it."
"I will. I haven't really eaten in days, and I am starving!"
"Hey Walman! You still alive? I heard you were dead!"
"Funny, Cameron. I'll tell you though, I'm really glad to have that behind me. The 'flu is no fun, especially in a tent."
"Walman! Over here. It's great to see you again man," Baines waved from a table, and thumped Walman on the back in welcome. Walman joined his erstwhile tent mate at the table, and nodded "hello" to Mazatl, Magus and Denner. It felt great to be there.
The camp was packed quickly and efficiently; rote practice had made every move automatic. In a very short time, the Eden Advance caravan moved toward the west, just as they had done for many months. Walman rode in the TransRover in deference to his recent illness. Julia rode in the DuneRail with Alonzo.
Alonzo took a good look at the doctor in full daylight. "Julia, are you all right? You look a little run down."
"I'm fine Alonzo. I think I'm having a reaction to all those plants I've been working with. It's not uncommon for people to develop an allergy to the pollen of some plants."
"Are you sure you don't have Walman's 'flu?"
"Yes. My symptom's are concentrated in my upper respiratory system, whereas his were in his chest. Besides, my 'flu shot should have protected me from his virus."
"Okay Doc. But you have to promise me you'll look after yourself. You have a tendency to put yourself last."
"Honestly Alonzo! I know how to take care of myself."
Unfortunately, Julia was wrong on several counts. By the noon rest stop it became painfully clear to Julia, Alonzo and everyone else that Julia was more ill than she had thought. She was running a substantial fever and showed every sign of suffering from a 'flu-like illness. By the time they set up camp that night, she was feeling very unwell and was looking forward to lying down in her tent. Thankfully, Walman had continued to improve and suffered more now from guilt at causing Julia to fall sick than from his illness.
As they rolled to a stop, Alonzo turned to Julia. "Stay here and rest. I'll set up the tent and get your bed made. You can move into the tent then and help me set up your medical equipment.
"Alright. Thanks 'Lonzo." She smiled tiredly.
"Hey, its okay. You just have the 'flu. Face it, Doc, its part of the human condition." Alonzo gave her a comforting hug and hopped out of the 'Rail.
"Well, at least he's still well," Julia thought. She felt silly, useless and conspicuous just sitting there in the DuneRail while everyone else was busy setting up camp, but she honestly didn't feel like she had the energy to do anything else.
Alonzo settled Julia in her cot, then he started to set up her medical equipment under her direction. He had helped her so many times that he was able to do most of the work with no assistance. For her part, Julia huddled under the blankets shivering. Her fever had continued to climb and she was wracked with hot and cold spells. Her head pounded and every part of her body seemed to hurt, each with its own peculiar ache. Her eyes were sensitive to even low levels of light, her skin felt badly sunburned and even her hair hurt.
"Yep," she thought to herself, "This feels like the 'flu. But how? That inoculation should have prevented this." She was too tired to unravel the mystery and dozed instead of even attempting it.
Alonzo grabbed a quick dinner that night. He sat between Morgan and Baines, or "the agony twins" as he mentally dubbed them that evening. Both were convinced that if Julia was any kind of a real doctor, she would have stopped this 'flu in its tracks.
"I mean, its not like influenza is some new disease." Morgan continued to dwell on the topic, "And now our only doctor has allowed herself to get infected. What are the rest of us supposed to do while she's sick, just think healthy thoughts?"
"What if we all come down with it?" Baines asked worriedly. "Who's going to look after us?"
"Hey, we'll deal with whatever comes when it comes!" Danziger had run out of patience. "In the meantime, I'm sure there's lots to keep you busy if you need help taking your mind off of the 'flu." He glared at Morgan and Baines from where he sat on the other side of the table.
Alonzo was thankful the implied threat stopped that discussion. He had not trusted himself to say anything, especially since what he really wanted to say would have used his fists rather than words. He finished his meal in silence, then stopped by Danziger on his way back to the tent, "John, thanks. I was about to be much less diplomatic. You saved us having to worry about how to treat a black eye or bloody nose without disturbing Julia."
"Yeah, well, I thought I saw that light in your eye. No problem. We just need to get Julia feeling better before anyone else succumbs."
Continued in Part 2

Flu Season, Part 2
Maxine McBrinn

As Alonzo and Julia shared their cot that evening, he was alarmed at how hot and dry her skin felt. She was uncomfortably warm to touch, but shivered as if she was feeling cold. They both had a disturbed night. Julia tossed and turned, vainly trying to get comfortable, and every time she moved, Alonzo had to compensate by also moving since the cot was narrow and had not been designed for two adults.
Morning found them both tired and not at all rested. Alonzo climbed out of bed with a groan.
"'Lonzo? What are you doing?" Julia woke confused by the change.
"Hush, try to sleep Julia. It's morning. Can I get you something?" he asked gently.
"Yeah. Reach me one of those fever-reducing derm-apps. Would you bring me a hot drink after breakfast? Maybe one of Bess' herbal infusions."
"Here's the derm-app. Do you want something to eat too?"
Julia just twisted her face into a grimace.
He laughed, "Okay, no food. I'll be right back with that drink. Here's some water in the meantime. Try to get some sleep; you didn't get much last night."
"Tell me about it, Flyboy. I can think of more pleasant ways to lose sleep." She smiled wearily up into his face.
He bent down and kissed her, "You and me both, Doc. I'll be back soon." Alonzo gave her a sexy smile and a wink before leaving.
Unfortunately, Baines had awakened with a sore throat and also seemed to be succumbing to the virus. Bess was wandering aimlessly around the camp, not looking so well herself. For the first time in months, she had gotten up too late to make breakfast. Devon and Cameron had to fill in for her, both of them unsure about where everything was and how Bess made the porridge tasty. Breakfast was late and a weak, watery gruel, but most of the group was not very hungry anyway.
Morgan had taken one look at his wife and had retreated into VR. He found a protected spot in a grove of trees, and sat in there playing his drums with a fervor that he hoped would deny reality.
At breakfast that morning, the group decided not to move on until they knew that Julia was well enough to travel. The vote had been unanimous, although several people had voiced their pressing need to move on quickly. No one wanted to be caught by winter on the exposed plain they were traveling across.
"Since we seem to be at the edge of an epidemic, I guess we should plan to camp here until a majority of us feel well enough to move on." Devon began, "What do you think?"
"I agree," Yale said.
"Pity that we haven't found a better spot than this, but I can't see us moving on with so many feeling ill. I just wish we were better supplied with water here. Still, there's that creek we passed an hour back. That's close enough, I guess," Danziger worried.
"I don't see how we can travel right now." Alonzo agreed. "Well, I need to take Julia this hot drink. I'll let her know we are staying here for a couple of days."
Over the course of the day, Bess, Baines, Denner and Magus all developed full 'flu symptoms. One by one, they stumbled into the Medtent seeking relief from their symptoms. Julia grew more and more alarmed at the thought of an epidemic when she was not feeling well enough to treat her patients as she would like. Only Alonzo's insistence kept her in her cot, but even so she tried to direct the medical care of the others from her sickbed. Under her orders, all those that were ill were gathered into the Medtent. Alonzo found himself surrounded by bloodshot watering eyes, wheezes, and sniffs from each of the cots that had been placed in the tent. He was immensely relieved when Yale volunteered to help him look after their sick crew mates. Yale's extensive memory included reams of medical information, which combined with the instructions Julia was firing at him from her cot, gave the cyborg the confidence to deal with the patients. Julia was reassured by Yale's calm and deliberate approach and by his knowledge and good sense, and allowed herself to relax.
Walman envisioned himself having to look after 14 ill people by himself, some sort of cosmic justice for getting sick in the first place. He found himself anxiously examining all those who were still well for signs of illness. He was thankful that his paranoia was not yet justified, but by the next morning only Alonzo, Yale, Uly and himself were still among the well.
Devon had awakened in the middle of the night to find herself soaked. She had developed a moderate fever and felt bad enough that she wasn't able to get back to sleep. She crept out of the tent, taking care not to wake Uly in the cot next to hers, and found Yale awake in the Medtent.
"Yale, can I talk to you?" she whispered from the door of the Medtent, careful not to wake those who were sleeping.
"Devon, of course!" Yale was surprised to see her walking around the camp at that hour. He joined her outside and it was immediately clear that she too had contracted the 'flu.
"Yale, I don't feel too well. I guess it got me too."
"It looks that way. Devon, is Uly still alright?"
"As far as I know. He was sleeping soundly when I left our tent. Why?"
"If he is well, you may just want to stay in your tent and let him care for you. It will make him feel that you trust him to be responsible, and would let you have a bit more privacy."
"That would be nice, I have to admit. The Medtent looks like a madhouse. But don't you think it would be better for me to get the same treatment as everyone else?"
"Devon, Alonzo and I are already overloaded with patients. Knowing that you were being cared for would be a load off our shoulders, and it would be good for Uly." Yale also knew that Devon would be uncomfortable being dependent in front of the others, and that she would be much more comfortable in her own tent. "I could stop by and check on you every few hours."
She sighed and nodded her head. "Okay, I'll talk to Uly. You're right, it would be good for him." She smiled and hugged Yale, "Thanks." Devon walked back to her tent to wake up Uly and talk it over with him.
As she entered the tent, Uly was sitting up in his cot rubbing his eyes. "Mom? Where were you?" he asked.
"Outside talking with Yale." Devon sat on the edge of her cot. "Uly, I have a question for you. I want you to think this over carefully before you answer, okay Champ?"
"Sure Mom"
"Uly, I have the 'flu too. Yale suggested that you and I could stay here in our tent if you felt like you could help me, get me drinks and stuff like that. What do you think?"
Uly crawled out of his bed and into Devon's lap. "I'd like that Mom. Do you need anything right now?" He hugged her around the waist.
Devon returned his hug. "Yeah, Champ. Could you reach me the clean sheets? I want to replace these ones, they're all wet."

As the roll of sick crew members increased, Alonzo, Yale, Walman were forced to set up a second "sick room." They rearranged the tents so that family members could be in the same tent. Julia, Baines, Denner, Magus and Cameron were in the original Medtent where Alonzo was able to care for them with Julia's advice. Yale worked alone in the second tent where True, Bess, Morgan, Mazatl, and an abashed Danziger were lying on cots. Walman "floated", relieving the other two for brief naps, food and rests. Zero had been ordered to guard the camp. The construction robot was not designed for surveillance, but they were too short handed to spare a person for the duty.
John Danziger lay feverishly shivering on his cot. "I can't believe I'm feeling so bad" he thought to himself. He looked over at his daughter. True was on the cot next to him. She hardly ever even had a cold and had been robust since babyhood. It was a shock to both Danzigers to find themselves among the sick. John also felt guilty for not being able to help the others. He had denied being ill until it was pointed out by Yale that he was not helping anyone by insisting that he was well. He would just make himself more sick in the long run. John had reluctantly conceded the point. He was surprised how pleasant it was to lie down and admit to not being well. That pleasure had faded as the 'flu advanced, and now there was no way he felt up to standing, let alone looking after anyone else.
By the next morning, Yale, Alonzo and Walman were beginning to wish they would get the 'flu themselves. Fetching and carrying for 10 irritable people was tiring them out, as was being on almost constant alert. Walman had not yet completely recovered from his bout of sickness, but he was still among the able bodied in comparison to everyone else.
Julia looked up at Alonzo as he brought an extra blanket to Magus in the cot next to her. She beckoned him over and waved her hand to show that she wanted him to sit. Alonzo sat on the edge of her cot and took her hand. "Alonzo, I need you to set up a pot of hot drinks for all of us with sore throats. Bess and I found a spice last summer that would make a good infusion. It's astringent and would feel really soothing. Go ask Bess where the lemon-nut is. She'll know."
Alonzo looked sternly down at her. "Julia, please just rest. Fine. I'll go ask her. But I wish you'd let yourself relax. Do you trust me to put the drink together?"
Julia looked at him through narrowed eyes. Alonzo had early managed to get himself off KP permanently by disastrously ruining any food he cooked. One dinner shortly after the crash, he had actually managed to burn pasta, a feat she had before that thought impossible. The fact that all the best cooks were ill disposed meant that even Alonzo had been roped into cooking. For breakfast that morning, he had presented the camp, both sick and well, with the lumpiest porridge they had ever had. Worse, he had managed to scorch the bottom of it then had stirred it well so that the entire pot of food tasted burnt. "Actually, why don't you let Yale give it a try." There was a weak chorus of laughs from the other cots in the tent.
Alonzo looked embarrassed but grinned and agreed, "Good idea. Who knows what I could do with a pot of boiling water. I hear Bess wants soup for dinner. I wonder if we can get Walman to try his hand at that?"
"I'll beg and twist his arm, if need be," Magus vowed. "Send him in here Alonzo, but don't tell him why. I don't want him to think up an excuse before he gets here."
"Magus, you're scary when you start plotting, but, hey, if it saves me from having to eat my own cooking, you're on. I'll look for him first, then talk to Yale about this lemon-nut drink."
He walked over to the second tent, noticing how empty the camp seemed. At this time of night there would normally be 15 people all doing chores to prepare for the evening, fixing dinner, collecting firewood, lighting a fire, and securing equipment for the evening. Tonight the camp was deserted, with empty tents flapping in the slight breeze. Only the three tents with patients in them sounded lived in. A soft murmur of coughs and voices floated up from them.
As Alonzo entered the second tent, he heard Morgan's querulous voice, "Yale, I need a hot drink. My throat is really sore. And could I have another blanket? This tent is freezing." Morgan was already huddled under a small hill of blankets.
"Morgan, honey, you know Yale said that we are already using all the blankets. Do you want to borrow one of mine?" Bess reached across the aisle to hold Morgan's hand.
"Uh, that's okay sweetie. I guess I'll be alright."
Yale's eyes met Alonzo's over the cots. Danziger's voice boomed across the tent just then, "For God's sake Martin. Would you just keep quiet? Some of us are trying to sleep here."
Yale motioned to Alonzo to meet him outside to talk. Alonzo thought how lucky he was to have mostly calm patients in his tent. Somehow, most of the characters in the group had ended up under Yale's care. Julia was the most obstreperous of his patients, and she was nothing compared to Morgan or Danziger in full cry.
"Yale, Julia wants you to make a hot drink for the patients out of water and some spice she said Bess knows about, something called lemon-nut. I offered to make it, but the whole tent voted me down."
Yale smiled at that, but didn't argue. "Alright, I'll go talk to Bess about this lemon-nut. Who's going to make dinner?"
"Magus is beguiling Walman into it. Gee, there seems to be some conspiracy to keep me out of the kitchen." He gave Yale a big smile.
Walman passed them at that moment. "Magus says I have to make soup for dinner. I'm going to ask Bess what to do." He entered the tent.
Yale and Alonzo grinned at each other and parted.
As Alonzo re-entered the Medtent, Julia began to question him. "Alonzo, how are the others? Is Yale keeping a log on their vital signs? How is he treating the fever? Is he taking tissue samples to confirm that we all have the same disease? Is anyone else ill?" she fretted. "I'm feeling better. I should go check on them." She started to sit up.
Alonzo pushed her gently back onto her bed. "Hey Doc, enough of that! I'm not letting you out of bed. You are sick. The others are doing fine; Yale is very knowledgeable. Besides, you keep hounding the poor man for all the pertinent details. Just let yourself rest. You know that's what you need."
Julia nodded in agreement and closed her eyes with a sigh. "Maybe what they say is true, that doctors make the worst patients."
Alonzo laughed, "Hey, you haven't seen the other tent. Imagine a really grumpy Danziger and Morgan in full-Martin-mode in the same tent. I'm telling you, it's peaceful over here."
Later that night, Yale and Alonzo met again for a brief rest and dinner. They sat at the campfire in companionable and tired silence. Finally Alonzo stirred himself. He put down his empty soup bowl and said, "Hey, Yale?"
"Yes, Alonzo"
"Why haven't you or I gotten sick? Do you have any theory about that?"
"I have a hypothesis for why we are not succumbing to the 'flu. You and I are significantly older than the others, you due to your many years in Cold Sleep. I think that long ago on the stations we already weathered a 'flu similar enough to this one to render us immune, probably before the others were born. Uly may be protected by his Terrian DNA."
"So you think we've already had this 'flu. I guess that's as good a guess as any other. I'll tell you, I'm ready to have a good night's sleep and some decent cooking for a while. I am exhausted."
"Me too. But everyone is recovering. By tomorrow, I predict that most of them will be getting up."
Yale's statement was prophetic. That night was unusually quiet, as almost everyone slept soundly.
Danziger forced himself out of his cot the next morning. Bess had made coffee, he was pleased to see. The big mechanic felt even less awake than on a typical morning, but he enjoyed being up and moving around. The morning was fresh, the day boded to be warm and golden, and True was making noises about getting up. All seemed right with the world.
Alonzo woke to find himself slumped in a chair next to Julia's cot. His neck ached from the unusual sleeping position, and someone seemed to have poured concrete into all of his joints as he slept. None of that mattered, though, because Julia was smiling at him from her bed. She looked much better. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as she said, "Finally decide to wake up, huh fly-boy?"
"Julia! Hey, it's good to see you looking so much better! When did you wake up?" He leaned over and placed his palm on her forehead; she was cool.
"Just a couple of minutes ago. I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you sleep in such a painful position."
"That's okay. I should get up and check on my other patients." He gave her a quick kiss, then stood and stretched.
The other four were all ready to get out of their cots and try out their legs. Everyone was eager to recover their privacy and move back into their own tents. By mid-morning, Alonzo and Julia had the Medtent to themselves again. A quick conference after breakfast had decided that they would stay at this camp for at least one or two more days to let folks recover. A poll the next morning would determine who felt up for travel. People were very eager to move on. There was nothing like being sick to make new vistas appealing. Alonzo, Yale and Walman took to their beds despite the bright morning sun, happy to turn the camp over to the others. It felt like months since they had caught more than a cat-nap.
As they prepared to leave camp two days later, the group clustered around Devon as she asked for their attention. Some were anxiously squinting to the west to see the mountains they were heading toward. They had lost another 5 days to an unexpected delay. Winter was moving in, and those mountains ahead beckoned them. "Everyone, I know that we have a lot to catch up, but I know we will find a protected shelter for the winter soon. We traveled a month later than this last year." Devon smiled at the crew and continued, "Alright, let's move out."
The caravan of three vehicles and a straggle of walkers moved forward.
-The End-

Please send any comments to me at howard@drmail.att.com. Maxine

This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.