Disclaimer: CBS/Paramount own Star Trek and all characters established on the shows. The original characters and story are mine.

Todd got up and went to the Captain's desk, taking her hand in his, "Ezri, we'll do all we can. You know that don't you?"

Ezri smiled at her Chief Medical Officer's attempt to comfort her, "Thank you Todd, I really appreciate the gesture. I just hope the situation isn't such that there is nothing which can be done."

Seeing his Captain was somewhat comforted, Todd went back and took his seat.

Icbeb asked, "So, at this point, all we can do is wait to find out what exactly the situation is, right?"

Dax answered, "That's it, we can only wait. Todd, while we're waiting, I want you to go to sick bay and check the supplies. I know we just got a large new shipment, and I don't really know what, if anything, you might be able to do for Julian, but I would like us to be prepared. The staff on CS12 is preparing as well."

Todd stood up, "At once, Captain. Is there anything else I can do for you while we wait?"

Dax smiled at her CMO, "No Todd, I don't think there is, but thank you for the offer." Todd immediately departed the Ready Room en route to his Sickbay. Dax turned to her First Officer, "Well, Icheb, I think it would be best if we went to the Bridge. I don't know what I can do there, but it will be better than sitting here doing nothing."

Icheb agreed and the two most senior officers on the Lindbergh emerged onto the Bridge. Before the doors to her Ready Room even closed, Dax said, "Report T'Phir, has anything new happened?"

The Vulcan Science Officer answered her immediately, "No sir, there is nothing new to report." Dax took her place in the Captain's chair. She was determined to be as calm as possible while waiting to learn if her husband had already been exposed to some deadly and incurable condition. She managed to project an even, if somewhat restless, demeanor while she waited through what was possibly the longest fifteen minutes of her life.

Several times during the next few minutes, Dax repeatedly got out of the Captain's chair and made a tour of the Bridge. She stopped at every station, looking over the shoulders of her crew members and making them rather irritated. They understood her nervousness, but it was irksome to have the Captain breathing down one's neck while trying to work.

Finally, T'Phir announced, "We're being hailed, it's Doctor Bashir."

Before T'Phir could finish her sentence, Ezri barked, "On screen."

When Dr. Bashir's face appeared on the main viewscreen, Ezri was relieved to see he was still standing and didn't appear to be in any obvious discomfort, "How are you Julian?"

"I'm okay, after surveying all the compartments and storage areas, I have determined none of the pathogens which have been released are fatal." He paused to give Ezri a moment to breathe and realize her husband wasn't in mortal danger. "There were several compartments which, just as in the first one, the containment system was not functioning. This happened in every compartment holding only non lethal pathogens. There are literally hundreds of diseases and other infectious pathogens loose over here. I also took a look at the containment mechanisms in each of the affected areas. None of the alarms, which should have all sounded, were triggered. Looking at the stasis units, all the lights and indicators which should be on if everything is working perfectly were on. The only way to know the area had been breached was by using a tricorder."

Ezri asked, "Are you trying to say…"

"This was deliberate, that is exactly what I'm saying. This was no accident, it was deliberate sabotage."

"Since there is nothing lethal loose, are you going to lift the quarantine?"

Bashir gave Ezri his most comforting smile, "No, I think that would be premature. Considering the sheer number of contagious elements which are loose, I think it would be best to maintain the quarantine. We have no way of knowing how this many contagions are going to react with each other."

Sitting in their quarters, Mary and Naomi were wondering what was going on elsewhere on the ship. Mary asked Naomi, not for the first time, "What's happening? The Captain said we would get an update on the current crises. That was more than half an hour ago, and we still haven't heard."

"I haven't received any secret telepathic communiqués in the five minutes since you last asked me that, so I don't know what's going on either."

Mary threw her head back and laughed, "Secret telepathic communiqués, I like it."

Naomi smiled at her suddenly cheerful roommate, "I'm glad it cheered you up." Her commbadge chirped, "Dr. Franklin to Ensign Wildman."

"Wildman here, what's up Doc?"

"I thought you might want to know the situation."

"You're right, I do. The Captain hasn't updated us."

"She has other things on her mind right now." Naomi could tell by the tone of Todd's voice, he was nervous. With one glance at her roommate, she could tell Mary noticed Todd's tone as well. Todd continued, "I realized I was one of the few people aware of the situation, and probably the only person not on the bridge who is."

Naomi interrupted him, "Where are you then?"

"In Sickbay, I thought maybe we could use the Lindbergh's famous grapevine for informative purposes. Surely you aren't the only one on the ship who's worried by the lack of official information. Anyway, if you and Mary would each contact a few friends and tell them to pass the information on to others, then maybe people's nervousness might be alleviated, slightly."

"I'd love to pass on any information, but you have to pass it on to me first."

"Right, of course, some of the containment fields on CS12 have collapsed and the pathogens are loose. So far, nothing lethal has been released, but I haven't heard the update by Dr. Bashir, if he has even made it yet. The area is under quarantine and to the best of my knowledge the only one in danger is the Captain's husband."

Naomi was momentarily stunned and Mary let out a low whistle. Naomi responded, "No wonder she hasn't made another announcement, she must be worried sick."

"She is, and it's little likely she'll be up to making…"

He was interrupted by the ship wide communication channel opening, "All hands, this is Commander Icheb, we are standing down from red alert, but remain under yellow alert conditions. There has been an incident on CS12, but there is no danger to our crew. Icheb out."

Todd's voice once again issued from Naomi's commbadge, "Well, my brilliant plan has been foiled. I'm glad Icheb made an announcement, much better than leaving the crew completely in the dark. I'll talk to you later Ensign Wildman, Franklin out."

Mary was looking at her roommate but couldn't understand why she was smiling. "Why the big grin?"

"It's nothing really, just sometimes when people call me Ensign Wildman, I have to stop myself from looking around to find my Mom. Growing up on Voyager, that's who my Mom was to everyone, Ensign Wildman. I'm still not fully accustomed to being called Ensign Wildman."