Chance

Chance favors the prepared mind. Can the NIH team handle each other when an April Fools day prank-a-thon goes larger than life? Please review!

Disclaimer: We do not own Medical Investigation. Seriously.

Chapter 8: Acting

And oh, did they find out.

After the second day of quarantine, Natalie noticed strange behavior in Stephen. His inability to look at her and keep a straight face at the same time, and his mocking smiles. So, on the third night she snuck out of the room with one of her own blood samples and made her way quickly to the lab. Then and there she found out, no saw, that not only was her blood clean but Miles' was as well.

Not caring what time of night it was, Natalie whipped out her phone and called her friend. Eva didn't sound to happy answering her phone at 2:00 in the morning. Natalie wasted no time, "Get down here now!"

Twenty minutes later both women were standing in Natalie's hospital room talking and fuming. "It's fake, not asbestos at all. I checked." She was pacing and looking down at her hospital gown, mentally pledging to kill both Stephen and Miles. Not without torturing them first.

Eva herself was mad, she had made a truce with the enemy on false lines.

They had to beat them.

"I have and idea," Natalie said merrily, looking at her hospital gown again, but with a different feeling in mind.

Next day.

"Stephen," Eva shouted ripping out of her office and stopping just before she ran into him, "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!"

Even if he didn't know what was going on, Stephen's stomach dropped. This couldn't be good. Did they find out? Was this some ploy to corner him in a room and beat him to death with a respirator? "Sorry for what, Eva?"

Eva looked around frantically looking more then ready to cry. "There was a leak to the press. They know about our quarantine and it's going to be in the news tonight!"

Stephen's stomach did more then just a little dropping this time, it lurched. This was not good. The press was getting ready to give out a fake news story. Not that they knew it was fake, but fake all the same. He would have to tell Natalie the truth about her nonexistent condition before it was too late and somebody else did. Turning to Eva he hesitated, "Don't worry about it." He would have more to fear then the news...Natalie's wrath was a sure thing to come.

Eva nodded and walked down the hall, turning the corner she smiled. He bought it. Now it was up to Natalie's theatric skills to pull through with the next part of the prank.

On the way to Natalie's hospital room Stephen ran into Frank, who looked more worried then usual, near scared. Looking at his friend Stephen fought the urge to ask him what was going on. Shaking his head he continued down the hall.

Natalie saw him coming before he even saw her. Praying that Eva's make-up job was a believable one, she allowed her eyes to droop halfway shut and acted as if her breathing was labored. It was time to get serious.

Stephen entered the room.

Pretending to be dazed, Natalie ignored his slow movements to her bedside. She could tell, though, that they were hesitant and unsure. "Natalie," He started but stopped instantly.

Knowing that he had gotten a good look at her, she had to stop from smiling. She felt his large hand grab hers, "Nat?" Without answering she allowed her arm to go limp, her eyes drooped close even more. His hand moved from her hand to her wrist, checking her pulse. The labored breathing must have changed her heartbeat because he grabbed her hand again, "Natalie, can you hear me?"

She let out a violent cough and moaned, tilting her head to look at him. Tears streamed down her eyes, more from the effect of trying desperately not to laugh, but Stephen jumped to the conclusion that they were tears of pain.

Fear filled his eyes, just like it had in Frank's when she tested her act on him, standing up he pulled out his phone and called someone. Natalie showed little interest in his movements and let her eyes close, her limp arm sliding off the bed. Even if she couldn't see him, she could hear him. "Miles, I need your help now! Something is seriously wrong with Nat. Now, our prank is over with. I don't care if they find out, her life means more to me then laughs. Okay."

It was working.

Meanwhile:

"We believe that the asbestos has infected our staff," Eva said to the fake crowd of reporters, who were all in fact just close friends of hers. But if either Stephen or Miles walked out neither would know the difference. And Miles was out there, acting frantic.

Hoping that her friends had remembered their lines she allowed them to shout various fake questions at her before pointing to one. "Ma'am, could you tell us if this is a hazard to the people of Washington?"

Giving a fake sigh, Eva shrugged, "As far as we know it is only in the building, one of our doctors has fallen ill and we believe that she is the only one."

A few believable questions and answers later, Eva turned away and walked back into the building. Miles followed her. Turning to him she shoved her finger into his chest, "I can't believe you guys! You pulled a prank on us and Natalie actually ends up being sick. You need some mental help! Now I have to play along with the press and make them think this thing will get rid of itself!" She stormed away from him and walked quietly into Natalie's room.

Both Stephen and Frank were in there, she couldn't tell Natalie anything until they were alone. Right now she would have to play along. Giving a sad look she walked over to her friend's bedside. Noting that extremely worried look on Stephen's face and the sad look on Frank's.

Her make-up job had been a good one. Natalie looked ten times paler then usual and the yellow glow on her cheeks and red rimmed eyes made her look even worse. She looked like she was in a deep sleep, giving a small painful moan in various believable moments.

Stephen looked at her and shook his head, "When we started this prank we didn't think she was actually sick. When she told me her symptoms I just thought she was being a hypochondriac, I-I"

Eva shot him a glare and moved closer to Natalie's bed side. "How could you think that that was funny, locking her in this room for three days?" She glared at him before leaving, shooting Miles the same look as they entered the room. Eva would have to wait until later that night when they were gone to talk to Natalie about the rest of the prank. She also had to distribute the fake Newspapers, which were in her locker.

Natalie herself had a hell of a time trying to pretend to be asleep and not laugh at the same time. She did, however, get some relief when she felt someone touching her arm. Opening her eyes halfway, she looked at her visitor. It was Miles and he was hooking her up to a machine. Shoot, they were going to see her vital signs. He looked at her and smiled wearily, "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell froze over then melted again," She croaked.

Miles nodded sadly and motioned to her arm, "Stephen wanted me to take a sample of your blood."

Another shoot, they wouldn't find anything if they looked at it. Not unless Eva could switch her blood with that of an infected one. Natalie didn't answer and pretended to fall into another tired sleep. She could hear Miles sigh, "I'm so sorry, Nat." He whispered before taking the sample and leaving.

Ten minutes after he left, Eva entered smiling. "It's just me. Shifts over and they're leaving. Unwillingly but I managed to tell them that I would call them if anything happened. Well, most of them are leaving. Stephen's sleeping in his office."

Natalie opened her eyes and smiled as Eva drew the blinds on the windows. "Alright, what I need you to do is switch my blood sample with one of our last patients in the most recent case." Eva nodded. When you do that come back. We need to talk about tomorrow.

Eva laughed before leaving, "You bet we do." She watched as Natalie faked sleep again and quickly shut the door. After a few steps she ran into Stephen. "I thought you were asleep." She was startled more then anything.

"I was," He said lightly. "But I woke up, I think I'm going to go look at her blood sample."

Her eyes grew wide and her heart nearly burst in her chest, "NO!" He looked at her strangely, "I mean, Natalie was just awake and she wants to talk to you."

He looked at her for a minute before nodding and heading for their friend's room. Eva had to stop herself from chuckling, he still had the 'L' on his forehead. Turning around quickly she headed for the lab. She would have to make this quick. Natalie wouldn't like her little surprise visit.

The switch went fairly well, except that Eva tripped over a cord and dropped Natalie's actual blood sample. And, in a hurry she grabbed the blood of a patient who was suffering from small pox and a mild case of herpes. Oops. That would give Stephen a rather nasty shock when he looked at them.

Tearing out of the room before she could get caught, Eva made her way down the hall. Stopping at Natalie's room she squared her shoulders and walked in. Damn it! He was still there. And Natalie looked almost panicked. Which made her pale skin paler and her red eyes redder. Stephen was wearing gloves...and was checking her pulse. Eva figured that Natalie's labored breathing wasn't acting at all. She was nervous!

Natalie gave Stephen a perfect weak smile, "I'm fine," Her voice made her sound anything but it.

He looked at her disbelievingly and finally nodded. Turning to Eva he whispered, "Tell me if anything else happens to her." He left the room.

Natalie waited until he was down the hall before talking, "I know this is all fake but his concern touches me." Both woman started laughing.

"What's your plans for tomorrow?" Eva asked sitting down.

Her companion smirked, "You are about to get a lesson on our dear medical machine here."

Next Day:

Miles held up a newspaper and nearly screamed, "It's all over the news!"

The newspaper was, of course, one of Eva's fake ones. Hiding a triumphant smile, Eva ripped it out of his hands, "It wouldn't have been if you buffoons hadn't of pulled the prank in the first place!"

"She has a point," Frank said looking at the two.

All three were walking down the hall. Stephen had broken away from the group twenty minutes ago to go check the blood samples. They could see his blonde head through the lab window. Walking past his door they all jumped when they all heard a loud thud and, "I can't believe this is happening. Shit!" He had obviously found out what was in the samples.

Eva looked at the two men and shrugged, they didn't have enough time to respond. Stephen came charging out of the door at the speed of light. Muttering something that sounded a lot like, "herpes, small pox? What the hell has that woman been doing?"

Miles looked at Frank who looked as startled as him. Eva just followed the muttering man, knowing very well where he was going. This would be hilarious.

It was, upon walking into the room all four were greeted with a paler, and redder Natalie. In the middle of the night Eva had applied more make-up, giving Natalie a nasty looking rash. It actually looked believable. Stephen instantly put a mask on his face and looked at her.

"Oh my god!" Miles had finally gotten a look at her, "It looks like she got in a fight with poison ivy."

"Worse," Stephen said sadly, "small pox."

Frank, having realized that it was strange that they're latest case had been small pox looked at Eva. Now he knew it was only a prank. Eva gave him a look saying she would kill him if he told them. He nodded reluctantly, "How long do you think she has?"

"I don't know," Stephen said choking.

Eva made her way around to the monitor, Natalie right on cue opened her eyes, gave a painful moan, and went limp again. Eva pressed a few buttons and the machine started beeping. Telling the doctors that Natalie was now coding.

The scene in front of her was hilarious. Stephen and Miles started freaking out, and Frank just glared at Eva. Natalie who was holding her breath started turning red. Which only made Stephen and Miles freak out more. They tired everything in the book even the defibrillator, which Natalie had manipulated the night before, making it seem like it was working, but in all reality it was only making the noise.

Eva watched as, unbeknownst to the other three, Natalie took small breaths. The machine kept signaling that her heart had failed and that her brain activity was gone.

Giving up, Stephen grabbed his face and leaned against her bed grabbing her hand. Miles just looked like he was in a daze. Frank remained glaring at Eva.

A soft noise filled the room; Eva who was shaking realized that Natalie was laughing. Laughing hard. Stephen's jaw dropped and he dropped her hand like it was a snake. Miles just stared. Eva joined in the laughter.

Sitting up, Natalie rubbed at her tear stained eyes turning to Stephen she grinned, "Aww, it looks like you've seen a ghost."

Stephen just shook his head and stormed away.

Girls: 4 Guys: 4

A.N.: Way to go Syd! That was awesome! Woohoo! Alright guys, as Jules, I promise to update SOONER this time! -Jules and Sydney-