Author's note: all usual disclaimers apply. Tess needed something to read, so here is the first of two little chapters of fluff.

"Quarantined? All of us?" Detective Constable Winston Nkata said with decided horror.

"Afraid so," the doctor confirmed. His voice, reverberating behind the soft plastic face mask of the silver protective foil suit, made Winston shiver.

The emergency management team had been called in as soon as Lynley had reported their discovery. The bodies of the two stable hands had been taken away, and veterinarians had assessed the horses. They suspected Hendra virus, a rare but deadly Australian horse disease, that may have been imported by three Australian racehorses stabled at the complex. Unfortunately, it could spread to humans with lethal effect.

"But we were only in the stables for a minute," Winston complained.

The doctor shook his head. "You've all been exposed, and we can't risk the general public. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to phone the Health Authority." He crinkled loudly as he walked away.

Winston turned to Stuart Lafferty. "You're a doctor. Can't you do anything?"

"I'm a pathologist, and Dr Smithers is right. We were in contact with those horses. If the autopsies prove they did have the virus, we are at risk, and we are putting others at risk."

Nkata sighed heavily in resignation. "Where are the others?"

"Lynley is on the phone to Hillier, but I don't know where Barbara has gone."

"Probably escaped."

"I'm here." DS Havers walked around the corner and into the room the two men were standing in.

"Have you heard?" Winston asked. "We have to stay cooped up here for six days."

"Terrific. Where are they putting us up?"

"Here. We're not moving apparently. They are bringing in foam mattresses and sleeping bags along with overalls they want us to wear. Apparently, all our clothes have to be burnt. They will feed us on disposable plates with disposable cutlery. Nothing is leaving this hut, and our gaolers are all wearing silver space suits. They are setting up a monitoring team outside in a big tent."

Barbara turned to Lafferty. "Stuart, should we be worried?"

"It's a precaution. Chances of us becoming infected are about 30,000 to one."

"What?" Winston was beginning to become genuinely concerned. "That's a lot more likely than me winning the lottery, and I play that every week."

"And you've never won," Barbara told him. "We're more likely to get something if we think we will."

They all turned when Tommy Lynley walked in. "Ah, I'm glad you'll all here."

"Like we're going anywhere," Winston grumbled.

"I just finished talking with Hillier. He's surprisingly sympathetic. This was the jockeys' change room and none of them has reported ill. They think the virus has come from one of the three Australian horses. They've euthanised it and the two other horses, even though they weren't showing symptoms."

Barbara screwed up her face. "Was that necessary?"

"Apparently so. It seems it is an agonising death."

"Wonderful," Winston said as he turned to stare out of the window. "Do they put us down too if we start sneezing?"

"No. We will be airlifted to an infectious diseases unit in Manchester. Right now they are concerned that quarantining us there would be a greater risk to our health. I suspect they also want to give their teams field-based training."

"So where do we sleep?" Stuart asked. "There's a toilet and some showers and lockers in the room at the end. There's only one other room and in here."

Lynley frowned and looked around the room which was only large enough to hold two mattresses. "How big is the other room?"

"The same size."

"Then Barbara can have that room, and the three of us will have to stay in here."

"Where?" Stuart asked.

"Sir," Barbara interrupted, "we'd fit better if we split into pairs."

"Yes, but I have to respect your position as the only..."

"Don't you dare use my gender to give me special treatment. We are all in this together. Otherwise, you're the DI, and the Lord, you should get the solo room."

"I would never use my position like that."

"But you expect me to?"

"It's not the same."

"Isn't it?"

Stuart raised his hands. "Look, as the only civilian here, why don't I take the solo room and leave The Met in here?"

"I'll stay with you Stuart, and the Sarge and DI can share as senior ranks." For the first time that morning, Winston smiled.

"Yes, good idea," Stuart agreed giving Barbara a cheeky grin.

"What?" she said. "No! Bad idea. I'll stay with Stuart."

"No you won't," Tommy said.

Barbara glared at him. "Why not?"

"Yes, why not?" Stuart asked.

"Because... it's... inappropriate."

Stuart folded his arms. "Why?"

"It just is. I will sleep with Sergeant Havers."

Winston could not contain his laughter, which exploded in a snorting snuffle. "Sorry."

Lynley's ears went red. "Poorly phrased. I apologise Sergeant Havers. I meant I think it is better if we shared."

Winston scrutinised Barbara's reaction. She bit her lip and nodded. Her face was beetroot red. "What if I share with Barbara, and you and Stuart share?"

Lafferty and Lynley turned to stare at him then each other. "No!"

The mattresses and equipment were brought in by two men in the squeaky spacesuits. The team then individually used the changeroom to put on their new outfits which were where little more than thick green forensic suits. Tommy felt decidedly uncomfortable in paper underwear. The last to change, he walked back to find the others looking miserable as they sat on the mattresses in Winston and Stuart's room. Winston's suit was a bit too tight, which hampered his usual movement. Lafferty looked right at home, and Barbara seemed more concerned about interrogating one of the men about food.

"We will be able to provide hot food for breakfast, but tonight we only have sandwiches. We have the same," the man said as if that would somehow make it better.

"Can't you at least bring us a television?" Winston asked after they had placed their orders for sandwiches.

"I'm sorry, but we don't appear to be able to get a signal here," the man said.

"Wonderful," Stuart said, "what about some playing cards or a board game? Oh, and some alcohol. Several bottles."

"I will ask."

"Maybe a computer with an internet connection," Tommy suggested. "We could stream a movie."

Barbara nodded. "That's a good idea, Sir. Can we have a laptop each?"

Tommy turned and raised his eyebrows. "You don't like my choice of movies?"

She grinned at him. "Nah, probably not. Too highbrow. Give me action every time."

Tommy grinned back. "I like action as well."

Winston started to cough so hard that Stuart had to thump him on the back. "Horse flu?"

Winston shook his head. "No... something tickled."

Tommy exchanged a knowing glance with Barbara. They both knew what Winston and Stuart thought about their relationship. Teasing them was fun.

Two bottles of rum and a pack of cards were delivered with their dinner. No computers were available but had been ordered for tomorrow.

"So anyone for strip poker?" Stuart asked as he poured everyone a generous slug of rum into plastic cups.

"Lafferty," Lynley warned. "We are trapped here for nearly a week."

Stuart grinned. "Ah, yes, okay. I take your point. We need to leave something for later in the week. What about Truth or Dare?"

Barbara watched Tommy's reactions carefully. Lafferty knew how to push his buttons but never seemed to realise when he had gone too far. This time, Lynley just laughed. "Really, Stuart?"

"It was what everyone played at slumber parties when I was a kid," Barbara said, instantly regretting it.

"Really, Barbara?" Tommy gave her a cheeky grin.

She shrugged. "It was harmless teenage fun. I didn't get to do the older teenage version, because of... You must have played it at Eton."

"No, never. I've heard of it of course, but never played."

"Not much to it," Barbara said. "Simple rules. You ask another player, "truth or dare?" If the player picks "truth," you ask them a question that they should answer honestly. If they choose "dare," you challenge them to do some kind of act. The thing is that either has to be embarrassing or hilarious, or both."

Winston laughed. "And it gets funnier the more alcohol everyone drinks."

Lynley gave Barbara a knowing glance. "I'm game. It might be fun."

Barbara rolled her eyes. "I think I'm going to regret this."

Stuart looked over and winked. "I doubt that."