Chapter 3

Colonel Young looked up and then ran forward as the final members of the away team came through the Gate and it whooshed off behind them, flares of white surrounding the three figures. Rush was slumped between TJ and Greer, his face hidden behind a veil of dark hair.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"He collapsed just as we were about to leave," Greer said, even as the scientist started to stir.

He lifted his head, groaned and pulled his good right arm off TJ's shoulders and ran a shaky, but still elegant hand through his hair, pushing it back out of his dark eyes.

"I'm OK," Rush insisted, stepping forward and pulling away from both TJ and Greer's holds on him. He made it about four steps to reach Young before staggering, pressing both hands to his temples.

Young caught him this time, wrapping both arms around Rush's waist and pressing their shoulders together to take Rush's weight. He wasn't heavy, and so thin. It was too easy to lock his hands together around the man. Rush's head hit his shoulder for a moment, then jerked away.

"Do you mind?" Rush demanded, though his voice wasn't as biting as usual and his attempt to free himself wasn't forcible enough to make an impact on Young's embrace. Greer and TJ were at their side in an instant, Eli hovering not far behind. No one noticed the engines squeal as the Destiny shifted into FTL.

TJ felt his forehead with a cool hand then examined the bandages on Rush's arm. "No bleeding, but he's running a fever. We'd better get him to sick bay right away."

"I do naught need…" Rush protested again, but Young was already moving him bodily. Greer reached out to help, but Young shook his head.

"TJ and I will handle this, Sergeant. Help Scott and the others."

"Sir!" Greer protested, his eyes meeting Young's, glancing at Rush's bowed head, then back at the Colonel. Young understood immediately. Greer's ethics were skewed and more than a little idiosyncratic, but when someone earned his loyalty, it was unwavering.

"I'll let you know," he promised. His tone softened so that only Greer and the barely conscious Rush could hear. "TJ and I will take care of him, I promise."

He got another murmured protest and feeble struggle from the man in his arms, but it was the nod from Greer that he was looking for. Their exchange of glances was a warning, a vow, and shared understanding all at once.

- - -

It was an obvious sign of how ill Rush truly felt when he settled down on the cot without another protest and closed his eyes. If he'd had the strength to argue, he would've.

TJ set about examining him briskly, her lovely face frowning as she reported, "Temp 103, heart rate 110, blood pressure 90/40, respiration 30, pupils equal and reactive…" she paused. "We need to get fluids into him. He really needs IV fluids, but we're short on normal saline and I'll have to jury-rig the IV."

"Do the best you can," Young replied. "What do you think caused it? His wound? Or should we be worried…"

TJ was peering underneath the bandage on Rush's left arm, causing him to groan softly.

"It's a wound infection, a fast one. I don't think anyone else is at risk. But if he's developing sepsis," her usually clear blue eyes were shadowed, "we could lose him. I'm going to have to try to culture the organism and meanwhile hope our antibiotics will work on whatever it is."

"Do the best you can and anything you need, anything, TJ, let me know." Young promised.

TJ's only response was to nod as she laid the back of her hand on Rush's forehead, gently brushing a wing of hair aside to touch his skin.

- - -

A few hours, and an inordinate number of minor nuisances, later, Young entered the medical bay to find TJ leaning over a microscope while Greer tried to force a recalcitrant Rush to drink more water.

"I've had enough," Rush grumbled, trying to push Greer away.

"You need fluids, so shut up and drink," Greer responded. He and Rush continued to argue. Young chuckled lightly to himself and went over to TJ.

"Our patient seems better," he said. She sat up and regarded him wearily.

"I gave him what we had of IV normal saline, plus aspirin and a heavy shot of antibiotics. It seems to have helped a bit, but he's still running a high fever and he's vomited a couple of times. I've been washing him down with wet cloths to cool him a bit, but we don't have an ice-maker, so no ice water bath." She rubbed at the back of her neck. "This bug isn't like anything I've seen before, but it does resemble a bacterium in that it is clearly unicellular and unnucleated."

"If it's a bacteria, the antibiotics should work, shouldn't they?" Young questioned.

TJ shook her head helplessly. "Only if it's sensitive to them and this thing is clearly alien."

A slight ruckus behind them made them both turn to find Rush trying to climb out of bed and Greer threatening to sit on him to make him stay put.

"Easy, easy," Young insisted, going to Greer's assistance and helping to push Rush back down.

"I need to get back to work," Rush grumbled. However, Young could feel the heat radiating off his skin and he looked deathly pale.

"It can wait," Young told him sternly. That only gained him a look of stubborn disdain.

"You're staying put until TJ says otherwise," he ordered. He could be just as obstinate as Rush if he needed to be. Again, it was a sign of how badly Rush felt that he subsided, if with a snort of annoyance.

"Colonel Young to the control room, please," came Eli's voice, high-pitched and uneasy, over the intercom.

Rush immediately tried again to get up. Greer and Young both shoved him back down.

"Make sure he stays put," Young told Greer who grinned sharkishly.

"Don't worry, Sir, he's not going anywhere."

Rush frowned at them both in frustration. Young smiled, nodded at TJ, then hurried out of the room

- - -

TBC