Apparently one of the nurses had heard Tom holler something about needing the decontamination squad and thought that he was serious. So, now, as he and Sam struggled into some protective clothing that Sam had moodily described as 'space suits that were made for elephants', mostly because the squad did not have anything their size, they prepared to head back into the ED which most likely smelled worse than a sewer.
This course of action of course followed a long supposed-to-be-hot-but-was-really-freezing shower with a shower gel that smelled like disinfectant. No one was really sure what was going on with the three people left in the building, as the decontamination squad had set up their operation outside and refused to let anyone until they were safely inside their 'spacesuits'.
"Sam." Tom said suddenly, grabbing her shoulder and making her suit crackle like a plastic bag.
"What's up?" She asked with concern.
"If this…Illness…is contagious and you get it I want to promise you one thing." Tom said with something that sounded like genuine sincerity.
"Tom... You don't have to promise to look after me..." Sam said with a smile, expecting him to promise anyway.
"Are you kidding?! I promise to throw you into an isolation unit the first chance I get! I'm not going near anymore exploding arses!"
"Thanks Tom." Sam sad sarcastically before adding, "Luckily for you it's food poisoning."
The ED team entered slowly, casting their gazes about warily for any signs of exploding rear ends pointing their way so they could dive out of the building once more. Luckily for them, no one was around. The filters in the spacesuit headgear did nothing to get rid of the smell, however, and Zoe, Fletch, now without a covering of filth, and the former toilet brush man were all in beds and opposite ends of the ED.
The former toilet brush man's toilet brush had obviously been forced out of his rear by the power of the last explosion, and fletch had been cleaned up by the decontamination squad but was still unconscious. Zoe was the strangest case of all. She was sitting up in her bed giggling like a four year old while throwing bed pans at one of the members of the decontamination squad.
"She's had some kind of... Reaction to the pain relief." One of the other decontamination squad members explained.
Tom and Sam hurried over, concerned for their friend and boss. That concern quickly evaporated however as they both found bedpans launched at their faces.
"Well get them off of her then!" Tom exclaimed, reaching forwards and snatching the pile of a hundred or so before Zoe could grab another.
"NO!" Zoe screeched, jumping off of the bed and lurching forwards, digging her fake nails into his space-suited arm until he dropped them back on her bed.
"Ow!" Tom exclaimed, examining the small cut as Zoe quickly gathered them all up and threw another at Sam.
"Zoe what the hell?!" Sam shouted, attempting to grab the bedpans also and ending with a hole and a cut herself.
"Fun!" Zoe replied, throwing a few of the bedpans in the air as though they were confetti and getting hit on the head before yelling something that sounded like, "Oooowwwwwuuucch!"
"Please don't tell me this damn illness has turned her into a kid. I do NOT want to end up like that." Said the former toilet brush guy from across the room, who was now sitting up and staring at Zoe like she was insane.
"Relax. You're girlfriend is absolutely fine." Tom called back, "She's just having a reaction to the medication we've given her.
"She's not my-" Began toilet brush guy angrily.
"Boyfriend?!" Zoe exclaimed excitedly, "PRINCE CHARMING!"
Before anyone could stop her Zoe quickly got up off of her bed, bedpans apparently forgotten, and ran over her would be one night stand and clambered onto his bed grabbing him around the middle and hugging him. The man's face was a mixture of shock, disgust (she didn't exactly smell wonderful would be the polite way to put the reason why) and repulsion while he squirmed in her grasp.
"Gerrof me!" He yelled as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest.
"Er… Zoe?" Sam called uncertainly.
"Yes Sammy-antha?" Zoe mumbled, making Tom snort with laughter and Sam frown.
"He's not prince charming. In fact he's a long way away from being charming, let alone a prince." Sam said, ignoring Tom.
"OI!" The man yelped in reply.
"Not a prince?" Zoe said and to Sam's surprise she actually looked upset.
"No. Not a prince." Sam confirmed.
The next few seconds involved Zoe hastily letting go of the man and running away at full pelt, straight into the men's toilets once more which unfortunately had not been cleaned. She then proceeded to make a sound which was a cross between a lion roaring and someone shouting 'EEEEEEEEEEEEEWWW' incredibly loudly before running full pelt out of the door and back onto her bed, aiming a bedpan at the former toilet brush man and hitting him squarely in the temple.
"YOU-" He yelled attempting to leap off of his bed but finding Tom placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Not a good idea." He said simply, before a noise behind him made him turn around.
"Ugh…" Fletch mumbled as Sam hurried over to him.
"How do you feel?" She asked while taking his pulse.
"Like I just got knocked out by anaesthetic sniping me in the arse following a bath of... something not very nice." He replied with his eyes closed.
Suddenly his eyes flew open and he stared at Sam with a look of fear.
"Um… Sam…" He began.
"Are you ok?" She asked in a worried tone.
"I don't think what those two had was food poisoning." Fletch replied.
"Why's that?" She asked with a frown, "The symptoms indicated…"
"Because food poisoning is not contagious." Fletch replied before diving towards the men's toilets.
Sam and Tom watched as he dove straight out of then again and into the women's holding his nose before turning to face one and other. Their gaze then somewhat comically turned to the cuts on their arms caused by Zoe's nails and back to each other once again.
"Oh. Great." Was all Tom managed to say before both he and Sam ran full pelt towards the toilets themselves.
…
I'll update again next weekend! :)