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

[ladyspitfire]

[She's kept abreast of what's been going on. She's seen the people sick outside, the rumors floating around. The clinic starts to get people in for a bad cough. But it's more than that, she's found, and she begins to worry for those around her. Elissa does not see familiar faces on the cots and, for that, she is relieved.

Her trip back to the apartments in uneventful and Zevran's door is closed when she arrives home. She spends some better part of the afternoon writing, Atticus curled at her feet, when she hears the violent coughing fit from her friend's room.

Standing, she goes to his door and knocks.] Zev? Zevran, are you all right?

[bloodyantivan]

Quite alright, my Warden. [Zevran wheezes, trying to keep his voice upbeat. He feels... awful. Like he's been poisoned, but with more mucous.

Maybe if he just goes back to sleep? But now Elissa's heard him coughing. He must regroup. But it's difficult to think clearly.]

[ladyspitfire]

[A good friend believes you and lets you go back to sleep.

A better friend comes in without knocking again. Which is, actually, what she does. If he's wheezing, it's not a good sign, and she needs to tell that silly organ in her chest to stop skipping beats every time she hears him cough.]

Doesn't sound very 'all right' to me.

[bloodyantivan]

[Zevran really should've expected she'd storm in. He's sweating a little, coughing, twisted up in his sheets.]

Ah, please - I am not at my most attractive now, I fear.

[SNIFF. He covers his face with a blanket.]

[ladyspitfire]

[He really should have. As it is, she comes in just as he shoves his face into his blanket, but the sniffling doesn't go unheard, nor does the coughing. Elissa goes right to his bedside.]

Zevran.

[It's firm, a commander's voice to a recruit.]

Let me see.

[bloodyantivan]

Ah, a women in charge. Normally I adore that about you, but this time... Not so much. [Despite that complaint, Zevran does as he's told, and pulls the blanket down. He's wearing a long, loose shirt and boxer briefs. He is sweating a little, his nose running and eyes bleary. Yes, far from his best.]

[ladyspitfire]

[Elissa's calm demeanor falters as she sees how sick he is, from the sweat on his forehead to his exhausted features. She sits on the edge of the bed and reaches a hand out for his forehead.]

You're sick.

[There's some frustration in her tone, directed inwards and not at him. How long has this been going on? How did she not notice?]

[bloodyantivan]

[Zevran allows the hand on his forehead, almost smirking.] Well, yes, but give me a little credit. I have yet to ask you to do anything particularly depraved! I have been the perfect portrait of discreet!

[ladyspitfire]

[He's hot to the touch, and she wipes some of the sweat from his brow, along with a few stray strands of hair.]

So you were purposely keeping this from me?

[bloodyantivan]

...That depends on what the punishment is if my answer is yes.

[Elissa's fingers are cool, and he seeks out that comfort, leaning into it slightly.]

[ladyspitfire]

What punishment, do you suppose, would be suitable?

[For all of her bravado, the worry is ever present.]

You should go to the clinic.

[bloodyantivan]

An ice bath. A light beating, perhaps with a feather?

[Zevran is interrupted by a fit of coughing.]

Are you so eager to be rid of me? I realize I am too sick to be of any use to you, but being away from your side would truly break my heart. [The meant-to-be-feigned melodrama is a little too close to home, when he places his hand over his heart.]

[ladyspitfire]

[She doesn't laugh, exactly, but she huffs, and her smile is still there even if it is too brief.]

We'll see.

[The ice bath doesn't sound like a bad idea, but not too much, and not now. She doesn't think it will help him despite how sweaty and warm he is. Elissa settles her hand over his and leans over to kiss his brow.]

I refuse to let you go at this point. [Which is truer than she would admit.] I won't leave your side.

[bloodyantivan]

[Her lips feel cool and perfect. Zevran sighs.] What a silly girl you are, fussing over a man who won't even love you properly.

Can't we just sleep like this...?

[ladyspitfire]

Who ever said you couldn't?

[And who ever said he didn't do it better than Alistair did?]

People are collapsing all over the place out there, Zevran. It's bad. You can't just lay here and hope it'll go away.

[bloodyantivan]

I said it. Right now, I did.

...And I cannot collapse. I am already lying down.

[Zevran is not really aware that he's being stubborn and petulant. He feels weak, a little frightened, even, and his thoughts are muddled.]

[ladyspitfire]

No, but you can get worse.

[And that is what frightens her.]

[bloodyantivan]

[Zevran has his face covered by one dramatic hand. He smiles from under it.] Can you promise me the clinic is not a front to have me shipped away to Tevinter?

[ladyspitfire]

Yes, I can promise that. The Initiative can't--

[But they could, couldn't they? She doesn't trust them much more than she trusts the United Earth, and that's saying very little. Elissa frowns.]

I'm not going to leave your side for a moment. If anything happens, I will bring you back here.

[bloodyantivan]

There you go fussing over me again, and I am still no more worthy of it.

[Zevran sits up with great effort - the change in position has him rattled, coughing again.]

Very well, I will go.

[ladyspitfire]

So you keep saying, but that isn't true at all.

[She moves so she can put a hand to his back and help him, strength where he may need it. She doesn't push him to move any faster than he's capable. Though she doesn't say it, she considers the possibility of having to carry him on her back. He won't have it, she imagines.]

Thank you. I just don't want this to get any worse for you.

[If something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself for letting you stay here and waste away.]

[bloodyantivan]

[Much to his shame, Zevran leans heavily on Elissa - has to. Standing up is proving to be a bit of a chore. His muscles are simultaneously sore and weak, and he moves quite slowly.]

--It is likely to get worse no matter where I am. But I promise you I will not die.

Just suffer. Suffer and make sad faces at you, for having made me move in this state.

[ladyspitfire]

That is a promise I will hold you to.

[She can feel how much he needs to lean against her. It sparks another round of concern and worry, try as she might to quell it. She already knows that the stairs will not be kind to him, nor the walk to the clinic.]

I'll take whatever faces you'd like to make at me so long as you're still breathing.

[bloodyantivan]

Right. I will make sure to breathe as much as possible.

[Zevran moves like he is old, but he insists on getting dressed properly. Soft, warm clothes: he actually has a propensity for such flowing things, enjoys how he can hide weapons in the folds of the innocuous.

He has a rather violent coughing fit as they leave the housing. A little blood's coming out, he realizes with a flinch.]

[ladyspitfire]

[She likes his newly decided fashion, the softer fabrics and the many places where he can hide his weapons. Elissa hates the tighter clothes women are given to wear, despising how much more difficult it is to hide her knives. Not that it's practical to hide the longswords, but...

As they leave and he begins to have another fit, she stops and turns to him, trying to support him through it. The flecks of red catch her eye.]

Zevran--