Dr. Will McKenzie pursed his lips as he watched Nash leave with an anxious Alfaro in tow. Kowalski had gone back to the control room where he was on watch, but Will hadn't thought Nash ready to go back to duty. He had called on Alfaro, who was one of Nash's bunkmates to escort him to crew quarters.

Nash was beginning to exhibit the classic signs of paranoid schizophrenia. He was about the age that such signs began to arise, but if he were diagnosed, it would mean the end of his days on the submarine. Yes, it could be controlled with medication, but on a sub – even one as roomy as Seaview – medication could easily be lost or forgotten, and if he forgot it, even for one day, that forgetfulness could have serious consequences. In addition, the cramped quarters would tend to heighten the feelings of paranoia, even if he were taking his medication regularly. It would be safer for all concerned if he were off the boat. Not the recommendation Will wanted to give, but he knew he would have to talk to Mr. Morton about relieving the man of duty.

Sad… Nash had a sick wife, and a widowed sister to support, and Will knew his sister, Sharon, quite well. She would take this hard. But even if he couldn't work on the submarine, there was a good chance that Nash could still remain employed by the Institute… If they could just keep him under control on this cruise, long enough for the boat to return to port successfully, then it would simply be a matter of convincing Admiral Nelson that Nash could function on medication, as long as he wasn't shut up in the confined space aboard the boat. Sharon would look out for him, make sure he took his medication before he went in to work. They always needed good radar operators at the Institute, and Nash was the best. It could work out well for him…

Sharon could be expected to look after Mary, Nash's very ill wife as well. Her cancer treatments wore her out, and she hardly ever got out of bed anymore. Will had spoken to her oncologist and knew that her prospects weren't good. For Nash to develop schizophrenia on top of Mary's cancer and the loss of Sharon's husband in an accident… Some people were given huge crosses to bear… Will hoped that Nash wouldn't collapse under his.

Chief Sharkey looked in, saw Will, and entered Sick Bay, his eyes sweeping the room. "How is he, Doc?" He frowned when he realized that Nash wasn't here. "Where is he?"

"He's not well, chief, and I sent him back to crew's quarters with Alfaro." Will gave the chief a steady gaze. He wouldn't be satisfied with just that simple reply. Francis Sharkey was the nosiest man on the boat – with good reason it was true, but still… Will smiled at the thought and decided it wouldn't hurt to let the COB know that Nash probably wouldn't be able to return to duty. "He is exhibiting symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. I will be asking Mr. Morton to relieve him of duty."

Chief Sharkey scrubbed an eye with his hand; a little tell that told Will the man didn't like that news. "Not good, Doc." He heaved a heavy sigh. "Nash isn't going to take that well…"

That was true… Nash would not be best pleased. He'd always been regarded as a good man, highly trustworthy. That sort of man wouldn't take being relieved of duty well at all. But with his new paranoid tendencies, Nash might even turn violent. And if he thought the order had come from Captain Crane… "It has to be done, COB. He's a danger to himself and others if he's allowed to continue on duty. And he's especially resentful of Captain Crane…"

Sharkey shook his head. "Man, you've got that right, Doc. And no one can figure out why." He shivered at the thought. "If he thinks this order comes from Captain Crane, that could just make things worse."

Will pondered the thought, weighing what Nash had told him, wondering how much of it was true, and how much of it was just the weird meanderings of a sick mind. "He seems to think the skipper wants to dismiss him from the boat."

Sharkey frowned at that. "Then relieving him of duty will just prove to him he's right."

Will targeted the concerned COB with a sharp glare. "Do you want that man on duty when he snaps, COB? Do you want him someplace where he can do a huge amount of damage when he can no longer control himself?" He paced closer to the chief to make his point. "Kowalski told me he jumped at Mr. Morton in the control room, but Nash himself told me he doesn't have anything against our XO… He just couldn't control himself. What if it had been Lee? What do you think Nash would have done then?"

Sharkey raised his hands in a placating gesture, backing off a little. "I know, I know, Doc. I just…" He sighed. "He's a powder keg waiting for a spark, and God only knows what will set him off. I wish I knew what the best thing to do was…" He shook his head. "I'll have to get the keys to all the arms lockers on the boat, and have a word with the Master at Arms. We don't want Nash getting a hold of a gun. I'm afraid of what he'd do with it."

Will could empathize. He, too, worried about what an armed Steven Nash would do. Knowing exactly what to do didn't really answer the question of how to accomplish it without causing bigger headaches. "On the whole, I'd say the news was best coming from Mr. Morton, rather than Captain Crane. But it wouldn't hurt for you to go along, COB. And maybe I should, too." He could give Nash something that might settle him down. And if he could get him on medication that would control his schizophrenia before the cruise was over, things might get back to a semblance of order.

Sharkey shrugged. "If too many of us are hanging around, Doc, that could set him off, too." He paced toward the door. "Maybe you should stay out of it. No need for him to have a grudge against you, too."

Will pondered that, but dismissed it, although he knew Sharkey was probably right about the number of men who took the news to Nash. "I doubt he'd develop any sort of grudge towards me, COB. He'd likely just lay everything at the skipper's door." Which wouldn't be good either. But short of having the man hauled off to the brig, preventing some kind of trouble was almost impossible. They'd just have to do their best to minimize it as much as possible. He turned away from Sharkey, contemplating his medicine cabinet. He didn't carry the medications that were generally prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia… But he had one or two tranquilizers that might at least ease the symptoms some, and make Steven Nash a safer prospect until they reached home… "Perhaps if Mr. Morton ordered him to visit me daily… I might have one or two drugs that would ease his symptoms, or at least calm him down…"

Sharkey nodded thoughtfully. "Not a bad idea, Doc. If you do have something, and if he follows orders…"

The if hung in the air between them, unsettling them both. Nash likely wouldn't follow any orders he felt were prejudiced against him…