Chapter 5 Fevers and facades
"Well?" Hollie asked a while later.
"A traveling flu." Sarah announced pulling a thermal blanket up over Devon's body.
"Traveling flu?" The gold clad young lady asked.
"Yeah, it has to do with the departure, climate, and a few other things. Usually people get it say going from New York in January, a snow storm to Hawaii, and ninety degrees."
"But the climate is pretty much controlled."
"Still it's not exactly the base." Sarah told Hollie who nodded thinking about that.
"Should we tell the others?"
"Actually I think it would be best to check everyone for early symptoms. If we can head them off we might be able to prevent a nasty situation we can't' afford."
"Ok, should I call them both down at once?" Hollie asked and Kim thought about that, then she nodded.
"'Yeah, I'll just get ready."
"Right." Hollie nodded and hit a button on her communicator.
***
The bridge was still but for a few constantly flashing lights on the computer modules. Heath was reading a book, some sort of science fiction. Ryan was recording all the day's data for the ship's log. True it was barely even noon but so much had already happened.
He'd been going over and over the events of the training mission and knew that something had been really off with everyone. Devon was the one going off, Hollie helping defend him and Sarah worried about the loner. He wondered now if it was true, did all teams become even closer in this situation. He'd spoken with both Andros and his team and Leo and the galactic rangers and both were closer than most families. Maybe that was why he was starting to think that Hollie was right, he had become so far removed from the actual day to day ranger affairs that he'd forgotten what things could be like.
Right now all he was sure about was he needed to buckle down and stop going off on these tangents of musings. He didn't have to work too hard at that because just then his morpher went off.
"Ryan this is Hollie." Came the familiar voice and he was on alert, she never willingly called to him.
"What's going on?" He asked motioning to the blue clad range across the room to come closer.
"Sarah would like to see you and Heath down here as soon as you're free."
"Is everything alright?" heath asked and there was a moment's pause before the gold ranger replied.
"She'll explain when you get here."
"We're on our way." Ryan said and they were teleporting to the medical bay.
Sarah was checking Hollie who sat one eye on Devon, incase there were any more outbursts.
"Well, you're good to go." Sarah told her at last as she tossed the tongue depressor into the contaminated waste receptacle in a corner.
"Good, but what about…" Hollie began but Ryan was cutting her of even before his teleportation beam faded.
"Ok, so what's going on?"
"Why don't you each have a seat on a bed, I need to check you guys out." Sarah, in full nurse mode instructed her friends.
"For?" Ryan asked moving as she bid but wanting to know the true situation.
"Devon has contracted a traveling flu." Hollie informed them as she moved a little closer to the black ranger.
"That's nasty." Heath said making a distasteful face.
"Yes and…" Sarah moved to the red ranger first even as Hollie was grabbing a bucket for Devon as the young man began to heave. She got it in place and was holding her breath as he revisited his breakfast.
***
"Any dizziness?" Sarah asked calmly.
"No." Ryan replied and Sarah used a penlight to peer into his eyes.
"Irritability?" She was examining his ears.
"No more than usual." Ryan shrugged.
"Ok now stick out your tongue." She ordered and inserted a tongue depressor. She instructed.
***
"Hey you ok Hollie?" She didn't have time to look up as she took the bucket from Heath.
"Hmm?" she was thrusting the canister beneath Devon's head. "Yeah,"
"You look a little green." He said as if just seeing a new type of shark. Gees didn't anything rattle him?
"I'll live." She mumbled as vile rose in her own throat, she really hated the stench of vomit.
***
"Well, you're good too." Sarah told Ryan who nodded and she added. "Still I want everyone to get plenty of rest and fluids. If you start feeling ill you find me."
"Right." He said hopping down from the examination bed.
"Here I have it." Sarah said taking the bucket from Hollie who smiled happily.
"Good." With that Hollie fled the small exam area and found her own trash can.
***
Ryan had known what she'd been doing and then seen that pallid way she'd looked as she'd fled and had known what was going to happen, that's why he was off the table and holding her about the waist as she heaved as well.
***
When she'd finished Sarah checked out Hollie again and then told her to go rest, that she'd had enough for that morning.
"I am a ranger, I'm not sick and…"
"you will be if you don't rest."
"No I…"
"I'll see to it she gets some sleep."
"Ryan I…"
'I can walk."
"Pig headed little fool." He muttered as e carried her from the room.
"Ryan put me down, I'm fine and…" She protested.
"If you don't want Sarah to know about the nightmares you'll just have to play along with this." He hissed into her ear and her eyes widened.
"Your not…"
"What I am is going to help give you the ability to pull this off." He assured her in a more calm tone.
"Why?" She asked as they stepped onto the lift.
"I told you about having my own nightmares and Hollie, I'd not subject you to yours anymore than you would me." He shrugged still holding her. It never even occurred to him to put her down.
"Ok." She agreed, relaxing only then. It felt odd, she realized as the lift ascended, it was odd to be held in a pair of strong arms. She really was not a touchy kind of girl. True she didn't flinch but usually she just fell crowded. Now though she just felt an odd safety that made little sense.
"Your room?" She asked when she realized just which door he'd come too.
"shush." He murmured and padded the door open.
"But Ryan everyone will think…" She began and he shook his head saying instead.
"they'll think your with me and that I'll make sure you sleep."
"But…" it was true; she knew it was but what could she do in here? It was not a place she'd actually wanted to come but now…
Setting her down Ryan didn't even know why he'd brought her here; maybe to be sure everything was really ok.
***
"Look," Ryan ran an agitated hand through his blond curls. "You don't have to sleep but she could call in to look in on you. the comp will tell her what ever your doing so you might as well lay down and relax."
"But if I fall asleep…" She didn't even want to think about that, she just didn't want to…
"I'll wake you up." He assured her quietly and she looked up at him, here green eyes probing his a moment more before she nodded.
"Ok,"
"Good," he then proceeded to pull down the blankets so she could indeed lie down.
"Ryan, it's your bed…" She began to protest but he shook his head.
"I'm not under orders to sleep." He reminded her.
"But you'll be…" She felt so silly but what to do?
"Right here doing my work." He said in exasperation. Did she have to argue with every word he said?
"Ok." She nodded finally and he sighed in relief as he watched her crawl beneath the covers.
***
Ryan had been pouring over the readout of the simulated fight that morning when he heard her breathing even out. Glancing up he saw she'd nodded off alright and he was on his feet.
Although he understood the need for rest he also understood the face that dreams could be more painful than any illness.
"Hollie?" He was sitting down on the edge of the bunk.
"No…" She whimpered and began to toss around but restrained as if she were being held in place sort of even as she fought.
"Sarah?" He called again; he needed to wake her up. "Come on Holl, time to wake up." He was shaking her lightly.
***
She couldn't move and she knew it was happening again, she was losing them, and she couldn't move but then there was an odd feeling of warmth and she felt the dream fading away, as if it were a television image not a memory.
***
Ryan noticed that as soon as his hand touched her shoulder she stilled. Unbidden the memory of how his little sister had once said only when she was in Carter's arms could she truly rest.
He removed his hand and nothing happened at first and then she began to sob, and beg for someone to let her go that they were dying. When his hand was back on her shoulder she once more stilled.
Sitting there the realization that he could keep her resting told Ryan he couldn't go back to work, she needed sleep.
Without a word he shifted her slightly and lay down beside her, keeping his hand brushing hers so she'd rest. Ryan just didn't expect to go under as well, work flying from his mind as the sandman dusted his thick golden lashes.
TBC
***
Ahh, the revisions are finished for now. Wonder what will happen next? How do you think Hollie will react to finidng Ryansleep9ing with her? PLZ let me know if you like it or if tis' meant for the trash heap.