Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.

No Smoking

By Suzie2b

Tully was anxious. He couldn't sit still. He couldn't relax. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer in his chest.

His roommate, Mark Hitchcock, had been watching his friend pace around their quarters like a caged lion all evening and finally asked, "What's the matter with you, Tully?"

He shrugged. "I wish I knew. I feel like I'm all tied up in knots." Tully suddenly started to breathe harder with his breaths coming in gasps.

Hitch was starting to get concerned. He stood up and blocked Tully's path. Tully started to walk around him, but Hitch grabbed his shoulders. "What's going on?" Tully gave him a blank stare. "Do you know who I am?"

The blank stare turned into a scared look. "What's wrong with me?"

"You wait right here. I'm gonna go next door and see if Troy or Moffitt are there."

Less than a minute later, Hitch returned with Moffitt in tow. Tully was gone.

Hitch frowned worriedly. "I was right outside the door. I should've seen him leave."

Moffitt looked at the window. "Was that open before?"

"No, it wasn't."

They both went to the window and looked out at the empty street below. Hitch asked, "Why would he climb out the window?"

Moffitt replied, "You'd better go look for him. I'm going to go find Troy."

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An hour later, Troy and Moffitt caught up with Hitch. Troy said, "No luck, huh?"

Hitch shook his head. "I went to all of the places he would usually go to, but he's disappeared."

Moffitt suggested, "Did you check with Charley?"

"She's out on a mission. Won't be back for another day or two."

"Doesn't Tully have a key to her quarters?"

Hitch nodded. "Yeah, he does."

Troy said, "We'd better go check."

They hurried to the barracks where Charley's quarters were. Troy knocked on the door, not expecting an answer. They heard movement inside. Troy tried the door knob and it turned in his hand. He pushed it open and called quietly, "Tully? Are you in there?"

The room was dark, but they could hear his gasping breaths. Troy reached in and turned on the overhead light and saw the private in a corner across the room. "Tully?"

He had pressed himself as far into the corner as possible and pulled his knees up to his chest. Tully gasped out, "Leave … me … alone."

Troy slowly walked into the room. Tully pushed himself against the wall with his feet. He looked terrified. The sergeant knelt down a few feet from the private. "It's okay, buddy. It's me … Sam Troy. What's going on?"

Tully shook his head. "Go … away."

Troy saw his dilated pupils and shaking hands. He kept his voice low and calm as he said, "I just want to help you, Tully. Tell me what's wrong."

"Don't know."

"Why did you go out the window from your quarters?"

"Someone was … coming … after me. Hadda run. Safe … here."

Moffitt and Hitch were still standing just outside the door. Moffitt whispered, "Hitch, go get a medic and an ambulance."

He nodded and ran off.

Troy said, "Please, let me help you, Tully. Are you in any pain?"

Tully squeezed his eyes shut for a second. "Headache."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Chest … hurts."

Troy inched closer and reached out to him. In a moment of clarity, Tully looked at him. "Sarge?"

"Right here, Tully."

He reached a shaky hand out and took Troy's as tears formed in his eyes. "Help … me."

Troy gently pulled the other man into his arms and held him tight. He could feel Tully's heart pounding and the fever through his shirt as he told Tully that everything would be all right.

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By the time the ambulance got Tully to the hospital he was unconscious. After examining him, Dr. Baker met with Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch. "I don't know how to ask…"

Troy said a little impatiently, "Ask what, doc?"

"Well … to your knowledge has Private Pettigrew ever been known to use any illegal substances?"

"What! Of course not!"

The doctor sighed. "Can you be positive?"

Moffitt was incredulous. "The four of us spend more time together than most families! Of course we're positive!"

Hitch frowned angrily. "Tully and I share quarters! I'd know if he was using drugs!"

Dr. Baker held his hand up to stop the tirade. "All right, I believe you. However, I have every reason to believe that he has been drugged. We're running tests now to try and find out what it is."

Troy sighed. "Is he going to be okay, doc?"

"To be honest … I just don't know right know. If I knew what the substance is that's in his system, I could treat him. At the moment all we can do is give him IV fluids and oxygen."

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Outside Troy contemplated what they should do. He looked at Hitch. "Were you and Tully together all day?"

"We supervised the work on the jeeps all morning. Then had lunch. After that we went in different directions."

"Did he say anything? What he was going to do or where he was going?"

Hitch thought about it, then he remembered something. "During lunch Tully asked me if I knew anything about that new bar that opened up last week. He could've gone there to check it out."

Moffitt nodded. "That's a good place to start."

They walked into the bar and looked around. Nothing seemed unusual about it. The bartender said, "Good evening, gentlemen. What can I get you?"

Troy pulled out Tully's I.D. and showed the picture to him. "Did you see him today?"

"Yes, he was here this afternoon."

Moffitt asked, "Do you remember what he drank? Or if he ate anything?"

"He ordered a beer and I suggested that he check out the card room in the back. There was a poker game going on."

"Is there a game going on now?"

The bartender replied, "Not now, but maybe later."

Troy asked, "Can we check that room out?"

"Yes, the door is unlocked. But I haven't had a chance to clean yet."

Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch walked through the bar and into the back room. Smoke still hung heavy in the room. The smell was distinct. It wasn't cigarette smoke. It wasn't marijuana. It was a bitter, pungent smell.

They began to look around the room. Checking beer bottles and glasses for anything unusual.

Hitch happened to look at one of the ashtrays that sat on a table. There was something odd about the hand rolled butt that was in it. He picked the ashtray up and took a whiff. "Hey, look at this."

Troy and Moffitt joined him. Moffitt carefully opened the paper and examined the contents. "I have no idea what this is."

"It smells just like the smoke in this room."

"We'd better get this back to Dr. Baker. This may be what we're looking for."

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Dr. Baker had the ashtray's contents tested. "Datura stramonium. Better known as Jimson Weed or Devil's Snare."

Moffitt nodded. "Part of the nightshade family."

"And Private Pettigrew had a very bad reaction to it."

Troy asked, "Will he be all right, doc?"

The doctor nodded. "We're treating him now. By morning he should be feeling much better."

Hitch shook his head. "I can't believe Tully would try something like that."

Troy sighed. "He wouldn't have had to. The smoke in that room was so thick all he had to do was breathe it in."

Moffitt questioned, "I wonder how it got here? As far as I know Jimson Weed isn't native to North Africa."

Dr. Baker said, "It would be worth it to find out who's supplying it. Eventually it will kill someone."

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Midmorning the next day found Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch with Tully. He was still on IV fluids and a bit pale, but overall he looked a lot better.

Moffitt smiled a little. "Do you remember anything, Tully?"

"Not a lot. I remember getting a beer and the barkeep told me there was a poker game going on in the back. I was only there about a half hour I think. The smoke started to make me feel sick, so I left."

"Anything else?"

Tully thought for a second. "I remember feeling really agitated later on. Then I think Hitch left our quarters for something…"

Hitch nodded. "I went to get some help, but when Moffitt and I came back you'd gone out the window."

"Huh … don't remember that. Where'd I go?"

Troy replied, "We found you in Charley's quarters. You said you were safe there."

Tully smiled as he thought about that. Then said, "I remember … at some point … seeing you, sarge. You were right in front of me. I remember reaching for your hand."

Troy nodded. "Yeah, I was there."

"Thanks." Tully asked, "Have they found out where that stuff came from?"

"Not yet, but the MPs are staking out every bar in town. Warnings have been posted to let people know how dangerous this Jimson Weed can be."

Hitch smiled. "When are they letting you out of here?"

Tully sighed. "This afternoon some time … if everything checks out."

"I'll make sure everything's ready so you can rest."

"At least Charley won't be back until tomorrow. She gets to miss this hospital stay, which means less explaining on my part."

A voice came from behind them. "Hi, guys."

They turned to see Charley standing there with hands on her hips and an impish grin on her face.

Tully looked at her with surprise. "You're back early!"

Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch started talking at once, saying how they things to do.