Thank you everyone for the favs/follows and reviews! I hope I don't disappoint! Here is chapter 2!


"John!" Gordon called out to the Lieutenant as he turned the corner.

John nodded a greeting to him, "you done with your shift?"

"Yup. And they just did the updates for the simulator. Supposed to be a lot crisper. Want to test it out?"

John pretended to give it a thought. "I got some free time," he said with a smile.

They headed over to the simulator and Gordon entered his code.

The room opened, revealing that the simulator was in use, the picture showed a hallway with a few doors, and Ed was lying still on the floor, awkwardly on his side.

"Captain?" John glanced at Gordon, but Gordon was already moving to Ed's side, turning him on his back.

"Ed? Buddy?" Gordon tapped Ed's cheek with sharp pats, "can you hear me?"

Ed groaned and shifted, opening his eyes. He took in his surroundings before his eyes finally fell on the two worried faces before him, finally focusing.

"What...?"

"You're in the simulator," John informed him.

Gordon realized something. "Ed, you left the bridge to update and test the simulator almost 2 hours ago... have you been here since?"

Ed started to sit up, and they helped him to stand. He swayed slightly, but they steadied him.

"Do you need to go to the infirmary?" John asked him.

Ed finally made sense of what was around him. "No," he said, cautiously. "That's not necessary. I think I just need to lie down for a bit." He stumbled a couple of steps, Gordon still holding onto him. Finally he felt steady and he held up his hand. "I'm OK."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I must still be fighting off whatever from the thing that attacked us on 422x."

"Wait what?" John asked. "I've been out of the loop today."

Gordon looked over. "Little kangaroo, peacock, lizard things attacked them. Ed got hit with some sort of poisonous needle. It was very dramatic...Classic earth adventure movie circa 1970s."

John looked between them. "Oh damn. Are you sure you're ok?"

Ed pulled himself out of Gordon's grip. "Yeah. I feel alright now. Well enough to, at least, navigate myself to my room. Could you just inform the bridge that I'm going to take some time to rest?"

Gordon and John nodded as Ed made his way out of the room.

*O*

"Doctor," Kelly entered Claire's domain. "Any update on that needle that was in Ed from the creatures on 422x?"

Claire glanced up from her patient, a female teen of one of the outer systems. One moment," she told Kelly, and turned back to the girl. "Everything looks good, as long as you make sure to keep taking the nectars you'll continue processing this way."

The girl nodded and smiled. "Thank you doctor." She grabbed her bag and headed out.

Claire nodded towards where the girl had gone," Slaturin. When they hit their version of puberty they can decide whether or not to switch their body to the opposite sex. They get two more chances to do so in life."

Kelly followed her glance and smiled. It was amazing to learn about all the different types of beings in the universe.

Then she remembered.

"The needle?"

Claire went to the counter where the needle laid in the dish. "I'm still waiting on results back from two tests. Also there is a report I'm looking for, belonging to a Doctor Tenjin, who has studied thoroughly on the planet and all of the creatures, so we can get a better idea in case we ever find ourselves back."

Claire looked at Kelly. "Is the Captain feeling alright?"

Kelly shrugged and seemed uncomfortable. "I'm not sure. He appeared to be dizzy before going to perform the tests on the simulator. Then a few hours later Gordon comes back to the bridge to tell us that they found him unconscious there. Ed apparently woke up and made it back to his room to rest."

Claire considered the information. "His body could still be dealing with the affects from today... it's fresh enough."

"How long is it still 'fresh' for?" Kelly asked her. "When do we start to worry?"

Claire placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll keep you updated at all times whenever I get an update and we learn more."

Kelly nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

*O*

Ed tossed in his bed. He felt like the room was on fire, but he couldn't bring the temperature down any further in his unit, and it wasn't exactly like he could open a window.

He drank another glass of ice water, pulling the ice in his hands and placing it against his head, behind his neck, and against his lower back.

He pulled himself from the bed and practically crawled to the bathroom, where he pulled his shirt off and pushed himself to lay underneath the shower.

"Cold. Water. On." He commanded, breathing between each word.

The cold water hit his skin, and he felt it wakening him slightly, making him alert enough.

His pajama bottoms clung to his legs and dripped onto the floor, but he didn't care.

"Control." He called out. "Locate Kelly. I need Kelly."

"Locating first Officer Grayson..."

Ed laid down and concentrated on his breathing. He needed to stay awake and alert.

*O*

Kelly was on her way out of the sick bay when the chime alerted her. "Captain Mercer requests your immediate presence at his quarters. It's an emergency."

Kelly glanced at Claire, who turned and grabbed a bag, then followed Kelly out of the room and down the hallway.

When they got to his door, Kelly rang the bell once, for courtesy, but didn't wait long. She opened the door and headed in, Claire behind her.

"Ed? Ed!" She called, when he wasn't in the first quarters.

Bedroom?

No... not there...

"Wait," Kelly said out loud, not really to anyone in particular. Claire came to her side though. "The shower is on..."

Claire hesitated then called, "Captain?"

They paused to no reply. Kelly moves forward, but Claire stayed. Kelly glanced back and then thought about it and shrugged.

"It's nothing I haven't seen," she said, and she went ahead.

She got to the door and found Ed laying on the floor of the shower, pants still on, his eyes open. "Claire?" She called out. "Here, quick. He's wearing pants." She rushed to his side and found the water was cold.

"Shower off." She commanded. She knelt down, Claire making her way on his other side. He looked up at the both of them, not seeming to fully see them though.

"His skin is so hot," Kelly remarked, looking at Claire.

The doctor looked back at her, her lips forming a line.

"Now we can start to worry."


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