Disclaimer: see chapter one

AN: I feel really bad right now because I've been neglecting this story for a while now. Anyway, I finally got this chapter typed up, so I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Eleven- Medical Mutiny

"We have found a solution to the CO2 issue, Orbita." Houston confirmed. "We'd like you to dismantle the spare G-Diffuser and remove the filter fan."

"Remove filter fan, roger that, Houston." Jeff's numb fingers closed around the screwdriver in the emergency box, and he disassembled the G-Diffuser. He handed the remnants of the G-Diffuser to Jack. "What next?"

"Strip the wiring coating from the spare circuit boards."

Nick grabbed the pliers, and clumsily pulled the coating off the wires. "Um, Houston, what happens if we need these circuit boards?"

"They'll still work. The coating is just for your protection. Attach the coating to the carbon filter."

"Wiring is attached, Houston."

"OK, Nick, we need you to go back into the Command Module and dismantle the carbon filter. You'll need the screwdriver and torch."

"OK, but it will take a few moments to open the airlock between the LLC and the CM."

"That's fine. Just don't take too long. Jack, Jeff, we need you to prepare another piece of equipment. You need the spare plastic moon specimen bags and the duck tape."

"Got them. What do we do?"

"Hold the bag vertically. You need to rip the bag in a straight line along the seams on opposite sides."

Jack muttered a curse as his shaking hands ripped the bag in an arc. "I need another bag, Jeff."

Jeff handed the last bag to Jack, noticing his trembling hands. "You OK to do this?"

"I'm fine." Jack dismissed. "The cold's getting to me, that's all." Luckily, he successfully managed to rip the bag in a straight line. "Houston, I've ripped the bag."

Nick hoisted himself back through the tunnel, as though he was made of lead, and sealed the airlock. "I've got the carbon filter."

"Excellent. Now, thread the wiring into one open end of the bag and seal with the tape. Then do the same with the carbon filter."

With a satisfying rip, Jeff wound the tape over the joint, again and again until he was happy with the seal. "Scissors. I need scissors to cut the tape."

Nick rummaged frantically in the box. "We have none. The scissors aren't in the box."

"Alright." Jeff gritted his teeth, trying to keep his temper in check and racking his fogged up brain for a solution.

Jack pushed Jeff aside and tore into the tape like a lion would tear into a piece of raw flesh. He bit through the tape, and stuck it down on the bag. "Let's do the filter and turn it on."

Once Jack had fixed the bag to the filter, Jeff turned it on. "Let's hope this works."

Scott's blue eyes blinked in the dark. There was no point in trying to get some sleep; he had too many emotions running through him which he had to work out of his system.

Ever so quietly, so he wouldn't wake John, Scott got dressed, grabbed his keys and helmet off the desk and crept silently out of the room, down to the shed.

He winced as his bike choked into life, and glanced apprehensively at the house. Thankfully, the house was silent, and Scott rode off, letting the inky blackness swallow him up.

"Good, you're not dead yet."

Ben was woken as something sharp poked him in the eye. He blinked rapidly, and shifted the lump of clothes that had been thrown and landed on his head.

"Come on! Get dressed, grab your keys and let's go!"

"Go where?" Ben shook his jeans and wriggled into them.

Tony, the back-up pilot who had been told to pick Ben up, stared incredulously at him. "The simulator base. Where else would we go?"

"Why are we going there? More importantly, why am I going there? I'm supposedly sick with chicken pox."

"Have you seen the news casts recently?" Tony asked rhetorically. "Orbita's in trouble and NASA need your help. Jeff, Jack and Nick, they need your help."

Gene pulled the flight surgeon to one side. "You wanted to tell me something."

"Yes. None of the men onboard Orbita are getting much sleep-"

"Could you sleep if you were up there?"

"They are dehydrated," the flight surgeon continued as though Gene hadn't spoken. "Their kidneys aren't functioning to optimum performance and Jack has spiked a fever."

"Well, they have to ration their water, so the dehydration can't be helped."

Just then, a call came in. "Houston, this is Orbita. Come in Houston."

Gene lunged for his microphone set. "Go ahead, Orbita."

"CO2 levels are returning back to normal. Have you got anything else for us? Stokes wants to know if you have re-entry procedures, because the Earth is getting bigger and bigger every time we look out the windows."

"We haven't quite got them yet, but someone is working very hard on them. The doc wants you to get some more sleep-"

"Yeah, like that's going to happen any time soon." Jack replied sarcastically.

"Gene!" The flight surgeon cried out. "I've just lost readings for Commander Tracy."

"Uh, Jeff, we appear to be having a bit of technical difficulty. We've just lost your readings from your Medi-Tags."

"That's because I'm not wearing them." Jeff answered smoothly. "I'm fed up with the entire Western World knowing how my kidneys are functioning, when we don't even know how we'll make it back! Gene, listen to me. Give us the procedures in three hours, whatever they are, and we'll practice them until it's time to come in. I don't want any more surprises on this trip."

"Alright Jeff. I'll get them to you as soon as we get them. And just so you know, this is hard on all of us." He lowered the microphone away from his mouth.

"Gene," there was a tug at Gene's shirt sleeve. "I've just lost all three now!"

Gene chortled. "Relax, Doc. Just a bit of medical mutiny on their part. I'm sure they're fine. Let's cut them some slack, OK?"

"Ben, you've exceeded thirteen amps."

Ben cursed. "By how much?"

"Four or five amps."

"Dammit Sid!" Ben snapped. "Is it four, or is it five? Give me a definite answer to work with!"

Sid sighed. "It's five. We're over by five amps."

"Just by five amps?" Ben clarified.

"Five amps."

"Let me think, let me think. There has to be a way around this." Ben pressed the heel of his hand into his forehead, as though that would encourage him to think faster. "They're still attached to the CM, right?"

Sid nodded.

"We could re-route some battery power from the CM to the LLC. Theoretically, there should be enough energy to power the vital computers for the re-entry, right?"

Sid nodded again.

"OK, this is our best bet, let's give it a shot."

"I told you not to go up there!" Scott muttered bitterly, as he stood on the highest rock in the national park, looking up to the moon. "I told you not to go up there, yet you still went! Now look at what's happened!"

He wiped his eyes, and sniffed, blaming it on the wind and the chill factor of the night, not because he had been crying.

"Do you know how this is affecting us? Do you know Grandma has to take prescribed pills just to get some sleep? Do you know Alan has nightmares now? Do you know it takes us up to a whole night just to calm him down? Do you know how much Gordy's swimming has deteriorated because he's worried about you? Do you know Virgil's been spending more and more time holed up in his room, with his head buried in his sketch pad? Do you know that John's packed up his telescope, and stopped looking at the stars? And do you want to know how I feel about this? Do you?" Scott paused, even though Jeff wasn't there to hear this. "I feel helpless. And I hate it. And do you know why I feel like this? Because no matter how hard I try, I can't make things right. Because I'm not you."

There was another silence, as though Scott's admittance was poisoning the air. "I'm not you, and I never will be."

Breathing heavily, Scott turned around and headed out of the park, determined to reach his home before his grandma found out he snuck out.

"Jack, you need to take some Panadol." Jeff held out two tablets like a peace offering.

"I'm not taking them. My judgement will become impaired if I take them."

"Your judgement is already impaired. You've spiked a fever, and your kidneys aren't functioning."

"Your kidneys aren't functioning but I don't see you popping pills." Jack retorted, shivering.

"Mine are functioning a damn lot better than yours are. Try the Panadol." Jeff wheedled.

"Nope. Not doing."

"Take the pain meds! That's an order! Do I have to put them in your mouth myself?" Jeff threatened, pressing the tablets into Jack's hand.

"Jeez, you're a bully." Jack tipped his head back, and swallowed the tablets with difficulty. "Bleach! Yuk!"

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Do you really want an answer?"

"Jack, Nick," Jeff began. "What are your intentions?"

They both stared at Jeff.

"I'd like to go home."

"Wouldn't we all, Jeff, wouldn't we all." Nick answered, just as he activated a link to accept the incoming call from Houston.

"Orbita, this is Houston."

"Yes Houston, we are reading you loud and clear." Jeff responded calmly, cracking a smile for the first time since this nightmare began. "Hey Ben, any flowers blooming in Houston yet?"

"No Jeff, that's a negative. I do not the chicken pox."

Jeff chuckled. "Good to know. Have you got the re-entry procedures?"

"Yes. Yes I have."

After looking left, right and left again at the intersection, Scott put his bike into gear and turned onto the main street. He didn't notice the car speeding behind him, edging closer and closer, until it rammed into the back of his bike, and speeding off again, leaving a still Scott sprawled on the ground.

AN: Just when one problem is solved, another one crops up. Anyway, please review.