Chapter 3

Dinner was a quiet, but tense affair. The children had been reprimanded for leaving the camp without permission and Penny had gone to bed, not feeling well enough to eat. Judy wasn't speaking with Don, who scowled into his food the entire time. Dr. Smith ate heartily as he enjoyed the Major's sour mood. Before dinner was over, however, he discovered that the sourness of the evening was contagious.

"Oh, dear. Perhaps I ate a tad too much today. I believe I will… Oh my… excuse me…"

Smith ran from the table and barely made it to the lavatory before emptying his stomach. Much to Don's chagrin, Judy was soon behind Dr. Smith, making sure he was all right.

She felt his forehead. "Dr. Smith, you're burning up."

"Oh, the pain," Dr. Smith weakly replied.

"Let me help you to your room."

After she settled Dr. Smith into his cabin, she returned to the galley and gave Don a defiant gaze.

Throwing his napkin on the table, Don excused himself and made his way into the auxiliary control room to occupy his mind with something other than Judy's ire.

Maureen asked, "And how is Dr. Smith?"

"He's really sick, Mom. He vomited his entire dinner and has a fever."

"It couldn't have been anything he ate. He must have contracted a virus," Maureen ventured.

"Wait," Judy acknowledged, "He ate that fruit we picked today."

"Without testing it?" Maureen asked.

Will blurted out, "But I ate it too, and I'm okay."

"You what?" John exclaimed, "Will, you know that's against the rules. What has gotten into you?"

Will looked decidedly uncomfortable. "But it was really good. It couldn't have been…" His face scrunched as the first pangs hit him. "Excuse me…" he mumbled.

"Not yet, Will. We don't make up these rules just for fun. There is a reason for them."

"Yes, sir. I really need to go now." Will never made it to the lavatory. He spewed the contents of his stomach in front of the lavatory door.

"I feel awful," Will complained.

Maureen felt his forehead and announced, "Oh, John, he has a fever too."

"Let's get him to bed." John picked him up and carried him into his room.

Judy called from across the room, "I'll clean it up, Mother. You go ahead and look after Will." She gathered the supplies and knelt down to clean up the mess. Don was soon beside her.

"Let me help you," he offered.

Her anger was still simmering, but she managed to emit a stiff, "Thank you."

They worked in silence side by side until they heard Penny call out. "Mom… Mom?"

Don glanced her way and said, "Go ahead. I'll finish this up." He completed the job and made his way outside to get a breath of fresh air, which he desperately needed.

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Don found a quiet, private niche among the nearby rocks, and sat comfortably with his legs extended. It wasn't long before he heard delicate footfalls and his heart warmed at the thought of their owner.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder and a soft voice murmured, "Thanks for the help tonight."

His hand covered hers and he replied, "No problem. How's Penny?"

"She has a high fever just like Will and Dr. Smith. Mom is with her."

He took her hand and led her around in front of him. He bent his leg to support her back as she settled comfortably in his embrace and leaned her head against his chest.

They sat in silence for several moments before Don spoke. "Judy, I'm sorry for whatever I did today."

She gave him a wry smile, "For whatever?"

"Okay, your mom told me. I'm 'condescending', but I'm trying to protect you."

"You mean over-protect me."

"I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Her attitude softened as she tried to explain herself. "Alright, maybe I over-reacted, but… I get lumped in with Will and Penny so often by my parents, and you do it too! I wonder if anyone ever sees me as an adult."

He chuckled quietly. "Believe me, I do."

"Then why do you treat me like a child?"

"I don't mean to… it's complicated."

"Explain it to me."

He sighed. "We're almost always with your parents."

"So?"

"So I feel like I have to be, I don't know, careful. Sometimes I need to, uh, rein myself in, you know?"

"No, I don't know."

"I have to tell myself, 'Down, boy. She's John and Maureen's daughter for Pete's sake. Take it easy.' Now do you know what I mean?"

She giggled. "Yes, I think I do, but I wish you wouldn't do that."

"Do what?"

"Think of me as their daughter. I'm more than that, you know."

He leaned his lips close to hers and whispered, "Believe me, I know."

Their lips met and they softly pressed them together, slowly increasing the pressure. Their tongues touched, and they continued until they were simply breathing together giving each other the resuscitation they both needed. When they finally finished, he caressed the back of her head and lightly brushed his lips against hers.

"Mmm… down, boy," he mumbled to himself.

A giggle started in her belly and welled up in her throat, but turned into a hacking cough by the time it left her mouth. She hunched over as the coughing spasms overtook her. Concerned, Don rubbed her back until they stopped.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She cleared her throat and was about to answer when she heard her father call her name.

Sighing, she whispered, "I guess it's time to go back."

He stood and held onto her hand to help her up, and they headed towards the ship. Dizziness suddenly hit her and she stumbled into him as they entered the clearing.

"Judy, what's wrong?"

"I guess I just got up too fast."

John was anxiously waiting for them at the ramp. "Judy, do you know if Penny ate any of that fruit?"

"I don't think so, Dad, but when Dr. Smith looked at her leg, I think some of the juice of the fruit dripped on her."

John took her chin in his hand and peered at her intently. "What is that on your face?" Don turned and took a better look himself, he hadn't noticed it earlier as they had been sitting in the dark.

"It looks like a rash of some kind," Don observed.

"Penny, Will and Dr. Smith all have the same kind of rash on their hands," John added.

A shiver swept through Judy as she mentioned, "Dr. Smith did…" Her head swayed as she became dizzy again.

"He did what?" Don anxiously asked.

"He…" She slumped against him before she could finish, and he caught her in his arms.

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A worried Maureen helped settle Judy into the room she shared with Penny. She motioned for the men to leave as she tended to her daughter.

His brow furrowed, Don stared at the closed door and asked. "What's going on here, John?"

"I don't know. I thought it had something to do with the fruit, but Penny didn't eat it, and now Judy. When Maureen comes out, we'll put our heads together. I'm going to check on Will."

"I'll peek in on Smith."

The three healthy members of the crew reunited after a short time to compare notes on the patients.

"Dr. Smith and Will have the fever, vomiting and rash. Penny and Judy have the fever and rash, but no vomiting," John summarized.

Don reminded them, "Judy has the coughing too."

"That might not be related. It could just be a respiratory infection. Regardless, we have to get a hold of that fruit and have it tested. We'll go out in the morning and bring some back. Why don't you both get some sleep. I'll stay up to check on our patients," John suggested.

"How about if I take the first shift? I won't be able to sleep anyway," Don offered.

Grateful to be able to spend time alone with his wife, John accepted. "I'll relieve you in a few hours."

When John returned later, he found Don in a chair next to Judy's bed, asleep and holding her hand.

He nudged him and called, "Don?"

"Huh?"

"I'm here. You can get some rest. How have they been?"

Don rubbed his face and sat up. He felt like a sixteen pound bowling ball was pressing against his chest. He guessed that it was from sleeping in such an awkward position. "Not good. None of them have woken up. Penny was talking a lot in her sleep. She seems to have the highest fever. I put some cold compresses on her forehead, but I'm not sure it helped much. Judy is still coughing a lot." Don coughed himself as he stood up and held onto the bed as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Don? Are you all right?" John asked.

Don shook his head to clear it and replied, "Sympathy pains. I'll see you in the morning."