Buck opened his eyes. Hawk was leaning over him, "Do not try to sit up. How do you feel?"
Buck grimaced, "Like I've just been… Hawk, I don't even have a metaphor for how badly I feel."
"It is just a well. I never understand your metaphors."
Buck smiled and then winced at the pain. Hawk spoke again, "Buck there is something you should know. Wilma is here. She has been infected."
"What?! "
Buck tried to sit up but Hawk put his hands on his shoulders to stop him, "Trust me you do not want to do that. Dr. Goodfellow has just started Wilma's treatment she is likely to be unconscious for some time."
"Yea, OK, he turned his head so that he could see Wilma in the bed next to him. Will she be alright?"
"There is every reason to think she will be."
Buck closed his eyes for a few minutes, taking deep breaths, "I don't understand…how did…how did Wilma get infected?"
"She entered the quarantine area. I do not know why. She was wearing a mask and seemed to have the impression it was enough."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"No, it does not but we are unlikely to learn anything until Wilma can talk to us."
"Yea," He closed his eyes again, "How are you?"
"I am week but much recovered."
"Good…Hawk? Could you get me some water?"
"Of course."
When Hawk moved away Buck tried to sit up, "AAAaaahhhhHH!" he fell back down into his bead shaking.
"I did warn you."
Twelve hours later
Wilma opened her eyes. Buck was sitting beside her, "Don't try to sit up. You gave me quite a scare you know."
She gave him a week smile and answered softly, "Now you know how I usually feel."
"Well, if you wanted to teach me a lesson you were a little extreme."
Wilma looked around without moving her head, "I've been infected?"
"Yes," He took her hand, "but you're going to be OK."
"How did I get infected?"
"You came in here with only a mask on. Don't you remember?"
"I…" Her brow furrowed in concentration. Then her eyes widened in surprise, "No…I…I don't remember" as she spoke she squeezed his hand twice, "I love you," one squeeze.
Buck gave her a small almost imperceptible nod. "Well don't worry it's probably not important," two squeezes, "I love you too," one squeeze.
He leaned forward and kissed her, then put his cheek against hers so that his ear was near her lips.
She spoke softly so that only Buck could hear, "Crichton …told me I…could enter with…mask."
Buck answered her just as softly "How could Crichton make a mistake like that?"
"Should be… impossible."
"Maybe he did it on purpose?"
Wilma tried to shake her head and stopped looking pained, "First law…"
"First law of Robotics, I know. Not much we can do about it until we get out of here."
Buck kissed her cheek and straightened up checking his watch. "You've been awake long enough to have a pain shot. Do you want it?"
"Yes."
Buck gave her the shot and stood stroking her head, "Try to get some rest and don't worry too much about…anything."
"Shouldn't you be resting too?"
"Well, since you took Hawk's bed he and I are sleeping in shifts."
Wilma turned her head enough so that she could see Hawk asleep in the bed next to her, "Sorry, want me to scootch over?"
He smiled, "No, you don't want to move at all for the next several hours. Trust me."
Wilma closed her eyes and Buck sat back down holding her hand.
One day later
Buck and Hawk sat facing each other at the feet of the beds. Buck was teaching Hawk to thumb wrestle, "OK, one, two, three…"
Hawk trapped Buck's thumb under his own, "I win."
"That's cheating! We didn't declare a thumb war yet."
"It is a better strategy to attack without warning."
"That's not how it works. You have to declare a thumb war, otherwise it's cheating."
Hawk looked thoughtful, "Are you saying that it is a matter of honor?"
"No it… well yea I guess it is."
"Very well, but what is the purpose of counting to four?"
"Hawk it's just a game."
Hawk agreed to try things Buck's way and the two of them started their game. Wilma sat propped up on the other end of Buck's bed watching them with amusement. Bucks face was full of boyish delight while Hawk's expression was one of total concentration. They were evenly matched and had been thumb wrestling for a while when Dr. Goodfellow entered the room.
Dr. Goodfellow wasn't wearing any protective gear and Buck looked up at him hopefully. Hawk had not broken his concentration and quickly pinned Buck's thumb, "I win."
Buck smiled rolling his eyes, "Dr. Goodfellow you had better have some good news for us!"
"Oh I do, dear boy, I do, you see, your last blood tests confirm that you are no longer contagious."
"Does this mean we can blow this pop joint?"
"Only if you all promise me, promise me, that you'll rest in your quarters, you are all still week from the virus. Just because you aren't sick doesn't mean you're fully recovered."
Buck stood up, "You can walk us to our quarters yourself and tuck us in Doctor."
"Well, I don't need to…"
Buck threw his arm around Dr. Goodfellow's shoulders and dragged him along. Hawk and Wilma followed. Dr. Goodfellow stuttered, "Oh, well, I, very well."
The four of them walked to Wilma's quarters and entered. Once they were inside Wilma activated the anti-surveillance device. Hawk stood in front of the door. Buck turned to Dr. Goodfellow, "Have a seat Doctor."
Dr. Goodfellow's eyes darted between the three of them, "What's going on."
Wilma took a seat across from him, "Dr. Goodfellow, did Crichton have any reason to think it was safe for me to enter the quarantine area?"
"Of course not, what are you talking about? Crichton knows everything about EL20 that it's possible to know."
"Did you tell him you wanted Buck to hear my voice?"
"Oh, yes, yes I did, you see, I told Crichton I wanted him to set up communications so that Buck could hear your voice."
Wilma frowned, "Crichton told me to put on a mask if I wanted to see Buck, he said you thought it would help Buck to hear my voice."
"That's impossible, dear girl, quite impossible, you must be confused, you're still week from the virus you aren't remembering properly."
"She's not confused," Buck sat down next to Wilma taking her hand, "Wilma wouldn't have entered the quarantine area without a good reason, not unless she thought it was safe."
Wilma gave Buck a grateful smile. Buck addressed Dr. Goodfellow again, "Is there any way Crichton could have overcome the first law of robotics and sent Wilma in there purposely?"
"My dear boy, his programming would never allow it!"
Hawk spoke from the doorway, "Could not someone have reprogrammed him?"
"It would take someone more skilled than I am to do such a thing. But why would they, why would anyone want her to catch EL20?"
Buck sighed, "We haven't figured that out yet."
Dr. Goodfellow spoke as if to himself, "We did learn quite a bit about the way the virus mutates from the samples we got from Colonel Deering. We were able to duplicate it in the lab… "
Buck leaned forward, "What do you mean duplicate it in the lab?"
"It's very technical, no offense but, I don't think you would understand."
"Give it a try."
Dr. Goodfellow gave it a try. When he finished talking they all starred at him looking shocked. Finally Buck spoke in a low voice, "Dr. Goodfellow you are developing a biological weapon."
Dr. Goodfellow shook his head, "No, no, I'm studying the possible mutations of the virus so that we can develop cures."
"But you're creating stronger versions of the virus, keeping them in you lab."
"They are contained."
"And what would happen," asked Hawk, "If their containment were compromised or if someone were to release the virus into the atmosphere of a planet."
"Well that… no one would do that."
"But if someone did," Buck pressed, "How long would it take for the mutated viruses you've developed to destroy most of the population of a planet."
Dr. Goodfellow suddenly looked defeated, "Not long at all." He said quietly, "It would be a matter of hours. Faster if human carriers were used."
Wilma kept her voice even, "Dr. Goodfellow can you destroy those viruses safely?"
"Yes, but what about the Admiral?"
"The Admiral? What does he have to do with it?"
"He has everything to do with it, dear girl, didn't I say? It was on the Admiral's orders that I was doing this research."
"The Admiral ordered this?"
"You're sure?" Buck asked, "Crichton had nothing to do with it?"
"Crichton? Oh no, he thought it was a waste of his time. I'll show you." Gesturing at Wilma's computer he asked, "May I?"
She nodded and Dr. Goodfellow logged into the computer, "You see this?"
Wilma leaned over him reading the screen. She turned to Buck, "This couldn't have been sent without the Admiral's security code, it's pretty technical for him though."
She turned back to Dr. Goodfellow, "Doctor we'll talk to the admiral, in the meantime you need to destroy those virus."
"You don't think I could keep just one do you? If I were very careful?"
All three of them answered, "No!"
"Oh, very well."
Dr. Goodfellow left the room and Wilma sat back down.
Once he was gone Buck said, "I still think Crichton is behind this. He could have gotten the admiral's security code and faked a message from him. Why else would he let you enter the quarantine area? Dr. Goodfellow said their work with the virus was based on your samples."
Hawk moved further into the room "Dr. Goodfellow also said it would take someone more skilled than he to interfere with Crichton's programming."
Buck looked at Wilma, "Like a member of the computer council?"
She sighed rubbing the bridge of her nose, "But Crichton has never had any contact with a member of the computer council. Dr. Goodfellow was already aboard the searcher when he built Crichton. I don't know. I can't believe the Admiral would do this either but that message was sent with top security, it would require a retinal scan in addition to the Admiral's code, it would be awfully difficult for someone to duplicate that. We need to question him."
"Shall we get him in here?"
Wilma stood "No I think…" she caught herself as if she were dizzy. Buck and Hawk moved quickly to support her.
She gently pulled away from them, "I'm OK"
"Wilma, Hawk and I can…"
"No, I'm OK." She opened a drawer, touched something to reveal a hidden compartment and pulled out an envelope, "I think it's time we told the Admiral why we are here."
