Mike's condition remained unchanged. Reluctantly Johnny and Roy left Rampart to return to the station. The drive back was quiet and uneventful. As the squad pulled into the station's garage they saw Hank standing in the doorway of his office, waiting to ask his paramedic's about Mike's condition.

Johnny and Roy exited the squad and gave their captain a blank look.

"Roy, Johnny. Any update on Mike?"

Roy sighed. "Yes and no."

Hank ran his fingers through his dark hair anxiously. "Should we have a discussion in my office?"

"Yeah, I think so."

The three men walked into the office and closed the door quietly behind them. Hank sat behind his desk while Johnny and Roy sat in the two chairs across from his desk. "Okay, tell me what you know."

With a somber tone Roy answered. "Well, they still don't know what Mike has, and he... He needed to be intubated." Roy stared at the floor for a moment as he tried to find the proper words to continue explaining. "When we left Brackett had Mike moved to I.C.U., he's no sure if quarantine will be necessary or not."

Hank leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. "It really is that bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Johnny was just as upset as his colleagues but didn't want to show it. Instead he tried to sound positive. "Don't worry Cap, they'll figure out what got Mike sick and take care of it."

Hank nodded toward the younger paramedic. "I know, I just don't like waiting."

Roy grinned. "I don't think Mike likes the idea of waiting either."

Dr. Brackett was in his office looking over Mike's latest chest x-rays with a grimace. Dixie knocked on the closed door and gently opened it. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." He briefly took his eyes away from the x-ray to look at her.

"Still unsure of the diagnosis?"

"Unfortunately, no." Brackett slipped the x-rays back into their manila folder. "On top of the chronic congestion and building edema, that last coughing fit fractured two of his ribs."

Dixie closed her blue eyes as her heart went out to Mike. "Some guys have all the luck."

"Tell me about it." Brackett rubbed his hands together restlessly. "Has his blood work come back yet?"

"Yes Kel." There was mild hesitation in her voice.

"Dix? Is there something wrong with his blood work?"

"Well, we're not sure." She folded her arms across her chest. "The tests revealed some type of bacterial infection, but no one has been able to identify it."

Those words made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "What do you mean no one's been able to identify it?"

Dixie shook her head. "It's exactly what it sounds like, there's an unknown bacteria in his blood. We've already sent the samples to the C.D.C. for analysis."

Brackett looked down at the opened file sitting on his desk. "I wish I could have more information about the mouse."

"Mouse?" Dixie seemed a little confused.

"Yeah, apparently four days ago the engine had an encounter with a field mouse during a brushfire and Mike cleaned the cab. It was after this he started feeling sick."

"Illnesses caused by rodent's are pretty common, if it was the mouse that made him sick then shouldn't the lab be able to identify the bacteria?"

"Maybe it's a new strain. Or..." Brackett quickly thought back to that eventful time when he and Johnny were infected by that strange monkey virus. "We could be dealing with something new."

Dixie's eyes widened. "Has every other possible infection been ruled out?"

"Initially I would suspect 'Leptospirosis' but the chest congestion doesn't fit. Same with 'Rat-Bite Fever', not to mention the lack of any sign of bites on his body. 'Tularemia' is the mostly likely suspect but without an insect bites or direct contact with the mouse I can't be certain."

Dixie could see in Brackett's eyes the building confusion and concern. "C'mon, let's get some coffee."

At the station Johnny was thumbing through a medical encyclopedia, like he would suddenly find the answer, while Roy was trying to keep his mind preoccupied with restocking the supplies in the squad.

No one really spoke that evening, just quick yes and no questions to substitute as conversations. The day was slow and made waiting all that more unbearable. As their shift came to an end each man left the station with one thing on their minds: Mike.

...to be continued...

Author's Note: Short chapter I know, but a satisfactory (I hope) ending is just around the corner.