Helena paced the length of the Med Lab, Victor calmly watching her.

"I don't understand it; the blood tests, the brain scans, everything reads normal. There's nothing physically wrong with him, Victor."

"At least we've ruled out all the known diseases."

She looked at him, "Yes, but....."

"But it doesn't explain his behavior, nor the fever, rapid heartbeat or pain in his head." Victor sighed and squeezed his hands together, "Helena, we have to consider.....other possibilities."

Helena shook her head, "No, Victor, it can't be a mental breakdown. There's been no traumatic event, nothing out of the ordinary, what would have brought it on?"

Victor walked over to her, and put his hands on her arms, "He's been under extraordinary pressure for quite a long while now, Helena. The responsibility of Alpha, 300 some-odd lives, trying to find a new home; all of that lies squarely on his shoulders. It might be getting to him."

She looked deeply into the dark grey eyes staring at her, "You don't really believe that, do you?"

Victor shrugged as he moved away, "He's a human being, Helena, not superman."

"No, he's not superman, he's John Koenig, and I think we both know he's not likely to crack-up despite the pressures of commanding this moonbase."

"No, it isn't likely. But Helena, as a physician, you know it's possible."

She glared at him, "Victor, do you know what you're saying?"

He nodded and looked down, his voice soft, "I'm saying that my prize-student, commander, and very dear friend might be having some sort of mental lapse, yes."

The anger in her voice was not masked in the least, "I can't accept that. I won't. Everything I know of him testifies against that."

His voice remained calm, "Then find another plausible explanation." She stared at him, tears filling her eyes, he continued, "You can't, can you?"

She turned away, "No."

Victor walked behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I'm sorry, Helena. I know how difficult this is for you, but we have to think of John...."

She turned to face him, anger once again lighting her finely structured face, "I am thinking of John. And I'm telling you I can't accept this."

"You were there, Helena, you saw him. How do you explain his irrational reaction to you?"

"That could be simple transference..."

"Oh, yes, from this woman he's talking to in his mind. That's just perfect isn't it...."

She could hear the stress in Bergman's voice, and remembered that for as much as she was hurting over John, so was Victor. Her features softened as she took his hands in her own.

"The last thing he'd want is for us to fight about this... about him."

Victor nodded, "Right you are." Bergman looked over at the sedated figure on the bed, "But what do we do?"

"You're a physicist, Victor; when you rule out the possible and probable...."

He smiled slightly, "You must consider the remaining quotients no matter how impossible or improbable." His smile faded, "That's all well and good when considering the universe, but how does that apply to John?"

"We've looked at all the physical possibilities, and eliminated them. Let's run some psychological tests next, and see what can be eliminated there."

"And then?"

"Then if those tests are also negative, we'll have to consider that he actually has heard a woman from a planet named Bintoss in his mind." Victor looked at her skeptically, so she continued, "I know, it sounds impossible, but Victor, how many things have happened to us since leaving Earth's orbit? Things that we never thought possible until they happened?"

She presented a cogent case, and Professor Bergman knew it.

"Point well taken."

"Let's get to work then....."

Helena headed toward some lab equipment, and Victor stepped closer to the figure on the bed.

"You knew what you were doing when you chose that one, didn't you?" Victor smiled at his protégé, "You keep fighting it, John, and don't you dare give in." His smile disappeared and his dark eyes filled with tears, his voice growing tight with emotion, "Don't you dare give in."