Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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The hall lights were dimmed when Reid stepped off the elevator at Walter Reed. The bustling activity seen during the day had quelled and only the nurses and aides could be seen. He approached the nurses' desk to find Connie sitting behind it writing diligently in a chart. He stopped for a moment wishing it was anyone but Connie sitting there. He didn't want to remind her of his behavior towards her when she had given him the back rub. But, he told himself, it appeared that Connie was the one that was there so he better suck it up. He cleared his throat as he neared the desk and Connie looked up from her work.

"Oh, Dr. Reid, hello," she said.

"Uh…hi Connie," he gave a little wave.

"What are you doing here at this time of night?" she asked.

"I just got in from Indiana. We had a case there," he explained. The flight had seemed endless although his logical mind told him it was one of their shorter journeys. "I was wondering how Dr. Kimura is doing? Is it too late to see her?"

"Visiting hours have been over for a while." It looked like she wasn't about to do him any favors.

"Yeah, I figured as much, I just thought that maybe…"

"We'd break the rules and let you see her," a deep voice said from behind him.

Reid turned to see a man a couple of inches taller than himself and built like a linebacker. He had a full head of curly grey hair and a scowl on his face. Reid swallowed at the size and the bearing of the man who oozed authority.

"General Mattingly," Connie said, rising from her chair in his presence.

"Sit Connie," the general made a gesture with his hand and turned his attention to Reid. "Dr. Reid, I presume," the general grinned at his turn of the old quote by Stanley.

"Yes sir," Reid replied. "I'm sorry for coming so late. As I explained to Connie, our plane just got in and I was concerned about Li…Dr. Kimura."

The general appeared to be eyeing Reid like a father scrutinizing his daughter's date. "It's good to finally meet you," he stuck out his hand, "Mitch Mattingly, I've heard a lot about you from General Whitworth. Lee and I are old golfing buddies. He was impressed with your work on the anthrax case. So, apparently, was Linda, who described you as, 'In every way a good soldier,' and she's not easily impressed."

Reid's face went pink as he shook the general's hand, "Uh…thank you sir, it's good to meet you too."

"So, you're wondering if you'd be able to see Linda. Normally," he whispered, "I'm not one for stepping on the nurses' toes in these matters since technically they run the place." He winked at Connie. "But in this instance I think you may be just what the doctor ordered, the doctor being me, of course. She's still awake. I just left her. Connie would you like to take Dr. Reid to Linda's room?"

"Yes General, of course." She stood. "Come with me Dr. Reid."

Reid followed Connie to the ante room he'd been in before. "I'll go in and open the curtains so she can see that you're here." Connie began to gather her isolation equipment.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go in," Reid said before the nurse had donned her gown.

"Go in," Connie echoed. "She doesn't want there to be any possibility that you'll be exposed.

"You all go in," Reid replied. "Just suit me up like one of you and I'll be fine. I promise not to break any precautions." Connie still looked unsure. "Remember what General Mattingly said," Reid prodded which seemed to tip the scales in his favor.

"Okay," she said, "I'll get you some scrubs."

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Linda sat on her bed, the pink bunny in her hands as she ran her fingers over the soft ears when the door opened and another gowned and masked figure entered the room. How she wished she could see people's faces. She wanted to see them smile, scowl, whatever, just some emotion. From now on she would know how her patients felt, like lepers that nobody wanted to touch, if there was a from now on, that is, she thought as she surveyed the person covered from head to toe, the only thing visible being the eyes. She looked into the brown orbs as they looked at her. Her eyes grew wide, "Spencer," she whispered.

"Hi," he said from beneath the mask that covered his mouth, nose and chin. He gave one of his little waves that she somehow found totally endearing. "We just got back from Indiana and I took a chance that they'd let me in to see you." He advanced further into the room.

Linda didn't move from her perch on the bed. "Spencer, stop, you know I don't want you in here. I don't want you to possibly be exposed to what I have, especially now that I've started bleeding. It could be the beginning of the hemorrhaging."

"Or it could just be that time of the month." Reid said, relieved that the mask and head covering he wore covered most of his face and there was less chance of her seeing him go pink at the topic of discussion.

"No, it's not. It's too early. Spencer, you have to go…please."

Instead of leaving Reid advanced still further into the room. "How are you feeling, other than the bleeding?" he asked.

"My back is aching, likely from this mattress. None of my patients has ever told me they were so uncomfortable."

"Yeah," Reid agreed. "I remember." He sat beside her on the bed and put his arms around her. "I told them I wouldn't break any precautions so there's no chance of a kiss."

Linda touched her fingers to her lips and touched the outside of his mask. "That'll have to do. How was the case?" she asked.

He told her about the case and how all the victims reminded him of her.

"At least I'm glad you weren't in any danger this time," she said as a grimace crossed her face.

"What's wrong?" Reid asked. She could see the concern in his eyes.

"Nothing, just a little cramp," she said as brightly as she could, hoping it wasn't the development of stomach pain, another symptom of Ebola.

"Do you want me to call for Connie?" he asked.

"No, it's passed now," she smiled in an attempt to hide her fear. "I'm surprised Connie let you in. She's a stickler for protocol."

"Well, I don't think she would have but General Mattingly happened by and…"

Linda suddenly grabbed her abdomen and let out a wail of pain.

"Linda, what is it?" Reid asked.

"I don't know," she looked up at him, tears filling her eyes. "Something's wrong!"