Epidemic Exsilium: Stage Two

[initiates]

Date & Time: June 8th - June 14th
Location: Throughout Exsilium
Characters: Anyone participating in hunting down the sleeper agents; anyone participating in taking care of the ill, or being ill themselves.
Summary: Stage Two of the Super Virus Epidemic strikes; sleeper agents of the United Earth are revealed.
Warnings: Illness, violence, needles. (Those IVs, man!)

Sniffles and coughs aren't unusual during the spring, with people combating allergies even in the far future, and colds being as present as always. But with more and more people falling ill, and none responding to antibiotics, things are starting to get worrying.

The first death is of an infant, on the night of the 7th. It's not the only one: three more are recorded not long after. It's unknown about the state of patients who never presented for medical assistance. Those familiar with viral infections fear the worse, especially as the usually healthy demographic starts arriving, coughing and displaying symptoms of the same sort of illness.

If that's not enough out among the natives, the Initiative has received its own information and insight into the true nature of the virus. "Wasmannian" Agents, spies of the Initiative in the United Earth, have reported back information at great cost to their security in their undercover positions. There is a super virus headed your way. They've been shipping it in to the island since December 3312. These are the manifests. We've deciphered most the code-names. Good luck.

Now the Initiative turns to the Transports for additional manpower to hunt down the United Earth's sleeper agents, pick up the shipments of the virus, and track down its physical origins in order to do something to stop the impending decimation of Exsilium's population.

Things are getting scary. It's a sick, sad world out there. Where are you, in the middle of it all?

Comments

[medicating]

[McCoy isn't taking any chances, so as he comes into Ellie's room, he's wearing a mask and a fresh set of scrubs. She's lucky Jim hauled her in, because she's one of those stubborn types that leave him rolling his eyes and wishing his had a hypospray full of sleep-inducing meds.]

Hey. How're you feeling today?

[reconnaissance]

( Hey, Lenny. Ellie offers him a little wave, which is really more just extending her fingers. ) Uh. I've been better?

( Look, look at all that optimism, good doctor. ) How about you?

( She remembers how worn out and ragged Homer and Lee were, after looking after her and the others when they all went down with fevers for a few days - there's actually genuine concern there, underneath her standard issue sarcasm. ) Us drama queens treating you all right?

( Talking is hard, but it's hard not to talk. )

[medicating]

Yeah, that's the story with most people here. The ones that aren't crawling the walls trying to escape, that is.

[He grabs a few sterile, wrapped supplies from a cabinet in the room before coming over to her.]

I'm starting to think part of the Initiative's screening process was making sure their soldiers were people who could be standing there with a bloody stump and insist they're fine. Now, I'm going to take your temperature, okay?

[He unwraps the metal part and attaches it to a cord that goes to the machine that reads it.]

Here; stick this under your tongue for a minute.

[reconnaissance]

I would, but I forgot my suction cups.

( Enough sass from you, Miss Linton. She can't help a bit of a grin. ) We're just trying to save you the work, that's all. ( A beat. ) You're getting enough sleep, right?

( Being reckless with herself won't stop her bugging her roommates.
Obediently (for once, the horror) she accepts the thermometer and follows his instructions. Attempting to speak around the thing in her mouth: ) Can I still talk?

( Although it sounds a bit more like "cab i stah tahk.")

[medicating]

Sure, sure.

[Which is a complete lie. He's probably had two hours of sleep in the last twenty-four, and it's been in 15 minute increments.]

If you want this to take twice as long. But stay quiet for a minute and you'll be done.

[As the thermometer slowly takes a reading, he checks over her chart.]

[reconnaissance]

( Okay, okay. She can be quiet, even if she's not convinced, especially not about the sleep. She's familiar enough with needing to be awake not to criticise.

Ellie's not exactly been the picture of health since she got to Exsilium, but between eating better and training at least she'd started to gain some muscle back. She feels like this fever is melting it right back off her again, and the weakness in her limbs reminds her of too many difficult things, of the day after Cobbler's Bay.

And when it's been long enough: ) What are the odds I can just deal with this at home?

( She should explain. ) Hospitals make me uncomfortable.

[medicating]

[Once he removes the thermometer and checks her temperature, he sighs, shaking his head.]

They do for a lot of people. But I wouldn't feel right sending you back if you take a turn for the worst. We don't know yet how this virus plays out.

[reconnaissance]

Don't take it personally. It's me, not you.

( Said with a grin, or half of one, even if her brow furrows for a second with the way he's reacting to that thermometer.

She's trying really hard with this whole optimism thing; it's a little more playful than her usual dry sarcasm. This is what she could do at the beginning of the war, rally the troops, or something. Not that she's sure if Leonard even needs rallying, but it's easier if she tells herself she's doing it for someone else. )

What do we know?

[medicating]

I'm a doctor. Over the years I've learned to not take it personally that people don't want to be in my presence longer than they have to.

[He pauses, making some notes on her chart in his messy scrawl. Even if she were to look at it and even if she could decipher that handwriting, she probably wouldn't understand it unless she understood the shorthand medical code he's using.

The pause gives him time to think on what to tell her. Being that she has this infection, he's not too keen to tell her the severity of it.]

Its main focus -- after a few days of varied symptoms -- is the lungs. We can guess what it'll do next but it's not a guarantee, which is why you've got to stay here.

[reconnaissance]

Lungs?

( Huh, okay. Let her think that over. ) So, a bit of cardio and I'll be right as rain, huh? Permission to go for a run?

( Anything to get on her feet again, to be honest, she feels like she's falling apart just sitting here. ) Or are you gonna have to take me out to pasture and shoot me?

( Morbid jokes are perhaps not the best jokes for a hospital, El. )

[medicating]

[He doesn't appreciate the morbid joke, especially since it looks like a few more will be slipping away today.]

I wish I could just tell you to go to the gym and you'll be fine, but sadly it's not an option. Hell, don't teenagers love sitting around doing nothing all day? It's been too damn long since I was one.

[reconnaissance]

You know, actually I always thought that, but when all you have to do is sit around and it's not just a bit of a treat between doing a bunch of other stuff, it gets dull fast.

( Too much talking: a painful rasp, violent cough, and her hand is pressing over her mouth, fingers gripping just a little because of the burn in her lungs. )

That's-- getting pretty dull, too.

( Breathing, why )

[medicating]

[He moves closer, concern etched across the parts of his face the mask doesn't hide.]

Maybe I should let you get your rest. Talking tends to kick off bouts of coughing with this virus, as you can see.

[reconnaissance]

( Yeah, she sure can see that, and she offers a watery smile. No kidding. )

I'll rest this time.

( Conspiratorially, as if he needs to be concerned about her nipping off for a marathon or something while he's not looking. )

[medicating]

Thanks, Ellie. I was hoping I wouldn't have to brow beat you into it.

[And then he moves closer to the bed. Doctors are supposed to show a little distance from their patients, but she's his roommate, damn it, and she's already been through a lot of crap. He briefly touches his fingers to her hand, giving her a nod.]

I'll check in on you later.

[reconnaissance]

( Oh. That's--

That's nice, actually. Ellie nods, certain. He'll be back later, that's good. ) You better, someone needs to see how much healthier I'm gonna be.

( So gung ho, but she settles back against the pillows. ) Thanks, Dr. McCoy.

( Which may be the only time she's called him that instead of something more infuriating. )

[medicating]

[He can be surprisingly kind when he wants to be.

He gives her a smile from behind the mask that stretches it slightly.]

I look forward to it. Now rest.

[And he heads for the door, appreciating her calling him something other than Lenny.]