Author's Notes: Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Enjoy.
Commander Jonathan Ford grimaced as he checked the time again. In all the years he'd worked with Tim O'Neill the man had never been late for a shift on the bridge, he was usually there at the outside five minutes before he was meant to be. Now he had less than two minutes before he was late.
Jonathan was aware Tim had been having a hard time lately especially after what they referred to, well outside his hearing, as 'the Kimura incident'. Jonathan knew it was bad when Tony of all people was picking up on the signs of Tim's depression.
"Commander Ford," the distinctive voice of Oliver Hudson cut through the quiet of the bridge, "I believe Mr O'Neill's shift started about a minute ago. Where is he?"
Jonathan winced, "I'm not sure, sir. I'll go find him."
"No," Hudson stopped him, "I'll find him."
Watching the Captain stalk off the bridge Jonathan closed his eyes, "Tim, you'd better be throwing your guts up."
x
Oliver marched through the corridors of the boat towards Lieutenant O'Neill's quarters. He was aware the others thought he was too hard on the communications officer but Oliver had his reasons.
O'Neill was not settling into the new world the missing Seaquest crew had been thrust into and Oliver knew this. The others had managed to assimilate to their new circumstances, flourishing under new challenges and responsibilities, even Piccolo to his complete surprise. But O'Neill just seemed to become more and more lost each day.
He'd hoped that his prodding would spark some ambition within the lieutenant; he was beginning to think he needed another idea.
"Mr O'Neill," Oliver banged on the door, he waited for a few minutes expecting a profusely apologetic communications officer. When no answer came he tried again. Once again a few minutes passed and there was no answer.
Concerned Oliver opened the door and was instantly hit by the smell of stale sweat. He began to worry.
"Lieutenant," he called finding the light switch and flicking it on.
Oliver grimaced when he saw the younger man lying on his bed unconscious, his face was pale and waxy except for the bright red of his cheeks, his hair plastered to forehead by the same sweat that had soaked the sheets surrounding him.
"Lieutenant," Oliver moved to his side, "Can you hear me?"
The prone man moaned but made no other response.
"Lieutenant," Oliver tried again using his best command voice, "Tim, open your eyes. Look at me."
Slowly O'Neill's eyes opened just a slit, "I can't find him," he moaned, "I can't find him."
Oliver grabbed his PAL and hit the button ordering, "Medical team to Lieutenant O'Neill's room now."
"Tim, the doctor is coming," he soothed the distressed younger man.
O'Neill looked up at him confused, "Captain? How did you get here? Why is it so hot?"
"Just rest, Lieutenant," Oliver told him, "The doctor is coming."
"I can't find Miguel," O'Neill murmured, "I have to find him."
Oliver didn't get a chance to say anything as the medical team arrived and he was pushed back out of the room.
x
"Sir," Jonathan jogged into the infirmary followed by Lucas and Dagwood.
Hudson turned from his spot watching the doctors, "There's no news yet. Doctor Perry told me she will give me some when she has it."
The three men joined the Captain, no one sure what exactly what to say while they waited. After a few minutes Tony and Lonnie arrived, worry on their faces but neither asked anything when Jonathan quickly shook his head letting them know there was no news.
Time seemed to drag as they waited, finally Dr Perry walked over to them.
"Doctor?" Hudson asked before anyone else could.
Dr Perry took a deep breath, "Lieutenant O'Neill is resting comfortably at the moment and I am running some tests to determine exactly what's wrong with him. I will keep you all up to date but right now he needs rest."
There was a general hesitation before Jonathan took the lead, "Doctor, will you let us know when we're allowed to see him."
"Of course," she told him.
Jonathan nodded and motioned the others to leave, "Sir, I'll be on the bridge."
x
Oliver watched O'Neill's friends leave all looking worried waiting until he was sure they were gone.
"Doctor?" he asked recognising that she was holding back.
Perry sighed, "I am concerned, Captain but until I get the test results back I'm not going to speculate."
Oliver grimaced, "Keep me apprised of his condition."
The doctor nodded before she returned to work. Oliver sighed before he headed back to the work he had to do today.
Tim groaned.
He forced his eyes open confused to see the infirmary around him and not his room.
"Welcome back, Lieutenant," Dr Perry smiled down at him.
"What happened?" Tim asked his throat sore and scratchy.
Perry gave him some water before answering, "You had a high fever. You've been in and out of consciousness all day. But it appears your fever has broken finally."
Tim stared at her confused, annoyed when the woman smiled at him amused.
"I want you to rest and if you're good I'll let you go back to your quarters tomorrow," she told him with a smile.
"Yes, ma'am," Tim sighed, feeling the need to sleep again wishing it wasn't quite so warm in here.
Noise at his side made Tim open his eyes again, "Commander?" he asked confused to find Ford sitting at his side.
"How are you feeling, Tim?" Jonathan smiled relief covering his face.
Tim sighed, "Tired, and a little confused."
Jonathan smiled amused, "Looks like you picked something up that knocked you sideways. Hudson found you unconscious with a high fever this morning."
Tim groaned covering his face with his hands. That was all he needed. More reason for Captain Hudson to hate him.
"We were all worried about you," Jonathan told him, "You were really ill."
Tim shrugged slightly wincing at how sore his muscles were, "I just need some sleep and maybe get them to turn the heat down. I know it's meant to be warm in the infirmary but this is ridiculous."
Jonathan clapped his shoulder, "I'll let you rest."
Without realising it Tim's eyes closed again and he slipped into unconsciousness once more. Noise from his side pulled Tim back from his sleep again. He forced his eyes open and glanced to his side.
"Dagwood?"
The large man jumped, "Did I wake you? I was told not to wake you."
"It's okay," Tim whispered happy to see him.
Dagwood shook his head, "Dr Perry said I wasn't to wake you."
"Don't worry," Tim murmured, "I'll tell her you didn't mean to."
Dagwood smiled, "Do you feel better now?"
"I'm just hot, Dagwood," Tim sighed, "I'm just so hot, so…so…"
x
Dagwood was worried.
He didn't like it when his friends were sick or hurt, but especially Tim. Tim was the first member of the crew to accept him, he was the first one to include him and Dagwood had become an accepted member of the crew because of Tim.
"I'm just hot, Dagwood," Tim sighed, "I'm just so hot, so…so…"
Tim stopped talking and began to shake.
"Tim?" Dagwood called scared before he turned and yelled for help.
The doctor and nurses came rushing over, Dagwood tried to stay but he was pushed back.
"Hey," the nurse with blonde hair and brown eyes took his arm, "You need to let the doctor work."
Dagwood frowned, "But Tim…"
"Is in the best hands," the nurse reminded him, "You can't do anything just now."
The GELF wrapped his arms around himself, watching the doctor and nurses hide his friend from view. Finally the noises stopped and Dr Perry came over to him.
"Is Tim okay?" Dagwood asked fearfully.
Dr Perry squeezed his arm, "For now but I need to talk to everyone together."
x
The room was quiet.
They all watched Dr Perry walk in and take her seat at the table.
"Doctor," Hudson said, "Can you give us an update on the Lieutenant."
Perry took a deep breath, "Earlier Lieutenant O'Neill's fever spiked and he had a seizure" she said stopping them before anyone could speak, "We've managed to lower his temperature for now but I'm concerned. I have done every test I can think of but can't find any virus or bacteria to account for his condition."
They all looked at one another confused before Jonathan spoke up, "What does that mean, doctor?"
"It means," she hesitated for a moment before sighing, "It means I don't know how to help him. So what we need to do is go over his movements for the past few days."
"Why?" Tony asked confused, "What good will that do?"
"Because it might give the doctor an idea how Tim got sick," Lucas explained.
"Precisely," Hudson spoke up, "So let's start with last night. What happened after he left the bridge?"
Lonnie shrugged, "He met us for dinner."
"Who exactly?" Perry asked making notes.
"Me, Tony and Lucas," Lonnie clarified.
Perry nodded, "And there were no signs he was unwell?"
"No," Lonnie and Lucas said in unison.
"He had a headache," Tony said making them all turn to him confused.
Lucas frowned, "Did he? He didn't say anything."
"Tim wouldn't but I saw he kept rubbing the bridge of his nose and left temple," Tony explained before shrugging at the stunned looks he was getting, "Ortiz told me the signs once."
"Was that the first time you noticed him having a headache recently?" Perry asked.
Tony grimaced, "No," he said after a moment's thought, "Come to think of it every time I've seen him the last few days he's had one."
"What are you thinking, Doctor?" Hudson asked watching the doctor tap her pen on the pad.
Perry grimaced, "I don't know, Captain. I think I need to run some more tests."
x
"Doctor," Nurse Turner came over and handed her the latest test results.
Perry took it with a soft nod flipping through the results annoyed to see there was nothing to explain the symptoms O'Neill was exhibiting.
She walked over to where her patient lay, they had an ice blanket covering him and several cold gel packs surrounding his body to try to keep his temperature down. The man began to moan softly, his eyes were squeezed shut tightly before he began to toss crying out in pain.
"He's burning up again," Perry grimaced, "Get more ice packs, we need to make sure he doesn't have another seizure."
The team surrounded the man on the bed trying to bring his temperature down.
"Doctor!" Turner called suddenly.
Perry moved to the nurse who was holding O'Neill's arm, she gasped as she saw three angry fresh burns across his forearm.
"This isn't a virus."