"What a gorgeous ring," Elizabeth grabbed Wash's hand without permission and held it to the sunlight so she could see the sparkle of the white diamonds. "How many carats?" The two women met after lunch for a pre-arranged appointment for a physical, which Alicia decided to keep.
"Two all total," the ring had a large round center diamond flanked by two slightly smaller rounds for a spectacular display set in white gold that glimmered with newness.
"Have you two set a date?"
Alicia shook her head, "I picked the set of rings I wanted. Nathaniel gave them to me last night," and with a shy smile she added, "along with the most romantic proposal this colony's ever seen."
"Let's go in and get your final checkup out of the way and while I'm pretending to work, I want details…..lots of details," Elizabeth led the way in the Infirmary and motioned for Alicia to lie on the bed and turned the bioscreen on.
"Nathaniel told me to go to the falls at sundown and he'd meet me there for a real date. When I arrived, he had tiki torches all over the place and it was beautiful. He even had a table with a white tablecloth complete with a bouquet of my favorite flowers on the table."
"Sounds romantic," Elizabeth commented as she studied the brain for abnormalities.
"It was and we walked through the falls barefoot. The water was cool, but I had never been to the falls at sundown, so before we ate we walked through the water and looked at the sun setting on the cliffs. It was beautiful. We had a wonderful supper with Boylan's best wine and he even produced a pie for desert. Under the torches he gave me this ring and proposed."
Elizabeth finished with the head and worked down Wash's body taking note of elevated proteins in her blood. "I'm getting nosy, did you two have sex last night?" she was still looking at the readings.
"No, we loaded up and came home about midnight, as we both had work today, why was I supposed to?"
"You're pregnant."
"No way," Alicia felt herself go into shock and was glad she was lying down.
"According to the readout, you conceived….not last night, last week."
Alicia moaned, "My kid was conceived in the back of a transport." She heard the doctor laughing quietly.
"Your innocent trip to get supplies for a bed?"
"There's no such thing with two consenting people," Alicia was starting to calm down inside.
"Why do you think Jim and I won't let Mark and Maddy go OTG together."
"That would be a bad idea," Alicia agreed.
"It says on your records you give yourself birth control shots and were due right before the eleventh, what happened?"
"Obviously I forgot and after I was shot, I didn't remember I hadn't."
"Are your missing memories returning at all?"
"Some, but I don't want to talk about it with anyone," Alicia was honest.
"Is it something that you'll have difficulties with, memories you'd like to forget that press in?" Elizabeth wanted to help if she could.
Alicia paused before answering, "I remember enough now to understand why Taylor suspended me. It was frustrating being disciplined without understanding exactly what happened," Elizabeth was easy to talk to, surprisingly, as she didn't know her well and they came to the colony under scrutiny for the husband and extra child.
"You don't think the Commander should have made an example out of you?"
"Honestly, no, but it's done and over and the consequences is I won't be his Lieutenant like I was before he suspended me," their eyes met.
Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't understand your relationship with him. If I'd been put through what he did to you, I wouldn't be making a baby or probably even be civil."
"He's military, like me. A civilian wouldn't accept military discipline or shouldn't have to. Maybe I just didn't know the difference."
"Or maybe you love him and in spite his lapse in judgment you forgave him to a degree."
Alicia listened to the wisdom, "That's probably closer to the truth. No matter what he does, I'll support him in the end."
"Well, congratulations on the baby," Elizabeth smiled and motioned her to get up.
Alicia stood and that was the last thing she remembered.
"Seizure," Elizabeth shouted out and pushed Wash on her side and held her from falling off the bed. It was over fast, but her patient was unconscious. She flipped the biobed reading back on as Nurse Ogawa rushed up.
"She's never had a seizure before," the nurse was reading Alicia's medical history.
"I must have missed something. I'm going to do a complete workup and I want to do it alone and the records will be sealed for now. I don't know what we're dealing with and the fewer who know about this the better."
"I won't say anything," Ogawa promised.
Alicia moaned as she came to. She looked around confused, "What happened?" She saw Nurse Ogawa leave the area.
"What do you remember? And lie still."
Alicia tried to place her last thought, "You told me to get up."
"Good, what were we doing?" Elizabeth continued her exam.
"Umm, I was having a physical and you told me I was pregnant."
"Your short term memory is intact, but I'm admitting you until I know why you just had a seizure."
"I don't remember, just everything went black all of a sudden," Alicia tried to remember.
"I want you to change into hospital clothes if you're able to stand," Elizabeth pulled the curtains for privacy and got a green hospital gown from a drawer.
Before Alicia could get her shoes off, Nurse Ogawa yelled out, Doctor, we have another seizure.
"What is going on? You stay here until I figure this out," she pushed by the curtain. Alicia stopped undressing and sat down. She was queasy and wanted to throw up so headed to the lavatory where she lost her lunch.
By the time she returned, the place was filling up with people all complaining of having seizures and puking in pans.
Elizabeth took a minute to look around and pulled her radio, "Dr. Shannon to Commander Taylor."
"Taylor here, Doctor."
"Commander, I have an epidemic of some sort. Sick people showing up constantly and we need to find out what is causing this."
"We're on our way," he broke the connection and looked at Jim. They were going over protocol and Nathaniel was explaining what he wanted for paperwork when the call came in. The men took off at a dead run, taking the steps downward three at a time and burst into the Infirmary together. They stopped inside the door taking stock of the situation. "Commander, Jim," Elizabeth rushed up, "I'm trying to find what happened and need Malcolm's help," she rushed to help another person through the door, pushing the men out of the way.
"Taylor to Dr. Wallace."
"Go ahead, Commander," Malcolm sounded distracted.
"Something's going on and the Infirmary is full of sick people. Dr. Shannon is requesting your help."
"I'm on my way."
He and Jim watched two more enter holding onto each other and doubled over. "Looks like a case of food poisoning," Nathaniel observed.
"I've never heard of food poisoning causing seizures," Jim started moving around looking at the people and trying to place them. He saw a diverse group from all sectors. "Commander," his tone got Nathaniel to his side in a hurry. Lying on the bed where Shannon was looking was Wash.
"She said she had an appointment with Elizabeth after lunch and I told her she better make this one or I'd personally escort her here, but why is she still lying down," both men moved to her side. Nathaniel reached out and took her hand, "Wash." He saw her lids open and she and looked at him with glazed eyes.
"Nathaniel, I didn't make it back to work," her voice sounded weak to her.
"Do you have what the others have?"
"If you're referring to a seizure and throwing up, yes," his warm hand on her forehead felt wonderful.
He looked at Jim, "Shannon, how many do you count?"
"About thirty with more arriving," another young man staggered in.
Malcolm rushed through the door, looked around and went looking for Elizabeth. Nathaniel turned back to Alicia, "Wash, we're going to find out what's happening," he kissed her forehead and strode after Jim to hear what the doctor had to say.
"From what I can tell it's an a-typical type of food poisoning. We need to shut the market down now," she ordered.
Nathaniel looked at Jim, "Shannon."
"I'm on it," and he rushed off.
"Malcolm," Elizabeth focused on him, "what would cause the symptoms of food poisoning and seizures?"
He shook his head, "Nothing that I know of."
"We might be dealing with a new pathogen or virus. If it's contagious, we've all been exposed. I don't want anyone healthy to come here unless it's a dire emergency," she looked at the Commander.
He nodded, "I'll take care of it. You two find out what's going on," and moved off to make a call, then turned back. "Doctor, we've had a number of people including your husband leave. The entire colony may be exposed by now."
"I shouldn't have let anyone leave until we know what we're dealing with. Nurse Ogawa," she spotted the busy nurse who came at her name. "I need you to stop what you're doing and take histories of those affected and find out where they were today and everything they ate. Let's see if we can find a pattern."
"Yes, Doctor," she picked the nearest plexpad up and started talking to patients.
"Elizabeth, what do you need me to do?" Nathaniel hated not having an assignment outside of closing the Infirmary off to everyone except emergencies."
"Until we know what we're dealing with, I'm not sure what you can be doing, Commander. Lieutenant Washington had a seizure when she stood up from her physical. If you want to talk to her because I can't let her leave…," she trailed off not having anything for him to do and needing to get back to work.
"Is that your way of getting me out of your hair," he smiled.
She smiled back and shook her head once then nodded, "If we find something, you'll be first to know."
"Malcolm," Elizabeth joined him at a biobed where he was studying tissue samples, "what have you found so far?"
"The tissues are depleted of minerals to a dangerous level. Everyone needs to be tested and given a booster ASAP."
Nurse Ogawa hurried to them, "Doctor, I've talked to six people and have found what I believe to be a commonality. They all ate lunch at the market and had the fresh fruit that was brought in this morning. They all had rambutan fruit."
"Quickly ask everyone else if they've had that particular fruit," Elizabeth instructed.
"I almost had a slice and got called back to the office," Malcolm was glad he didn't get a chance at the pale yellow delicacy. "I'll get some and see what's in it that could cause the problem," he hurried out leaving Elizabeth to test and prepare vaccinations of replacement minerals.
Her last patient was Wash who was still lying down, with the Commander perched on a stool holding her hand, "Sorry, I forgot about you two," Elizabeth flicked the bioscreen on again and looked at the readings, then zoomed in on the uterus. "Did you tell the Commander?"
"No, I didn't think this was the place."
"What's going on, Doctor?" Nathaniel demanded.
"I have bad news, Wash," she glanced at the Commander.
"It's okay to tell him," Alicia gave permission.
"The Lieutenant was pregnant, about a week along…."
"Damn," Nathaniel muttered and stared in disbelief at his fiancé.
"Was?" Alicia's hand automatically went to her stomach.
"You're severely depleted in minerals and I'm afraid the fetus didn't survive. I'll give you something to accelerate cleaning you out for your health."
"Oh," she didn't know how to feel as she was still absorbing the bombshell dropped on her earlier, but a sense of loss that the little life was snuffed out before it had a chance to begin made her depressed. "Can you tell me if it was a girl or boy?" she felt Nathaniel's hand squeeze hers in a warm gesture of support, but she didn't want to meet his eyes so looked at the doctor instead.
Elizabeth zoned in on the microscopic mass and took a reading, "It would have been a girl," she spoke softly.
Malcolm pushed through the curtain, "Lieutenant, I didn't know you were one of the indisposed," without waiting for a response; he directed his next statement to Elizabeth, "The fruit contains protoctists we've never seen before. I've sent a team of scientist to where the fruit was obtained to check the entire area, but we've eaten this fruit for years with no problems. Something must have changed for the fruit or tree to be infected."
"And the protoctists live off minerals in the body?" Elizabeth guessed.
"I'm working right now to see what all they consume in the human host besides minerals," Malcolm turned to leave.
"Malcolm," Nathaniel spoke softly, but got his attention better than any shout, "you find a cure and fast."
"I'll do my best, Commander," with that promise, he rushed out.
Elizabeth continued, "Commander, all we can do right now is monitor the people infected and adjust their mineral balance. Whatever this is, it works very fast. It couldn't have been more than an hour from the time of consumption to severe anemia. Everyone will have to stay here and be monitored constantly until we can find a way to kill the bacteria," she took more readings from Wash's bioscanner. "They are multiplying in increasing increments. It won't be long and people will start dying."
"We've already had our first causality," Nathaniel reminded her.
"You two haven't kissed have you?" Elizabeth didn't know how the pathogen transmitted.
"Just on her forehead," Nathaniel admitted.
"Well don't," on that note she left them alone.
For the first time since Nathaniel learned of his child, he was alone with her. They locked gazes and she spoke first.
"I just found out before you came in," she wore a worried expression, as they never talked about adding children.
"All children are welcome in this colony, even ours. We'll try again," he smiled tenderly down at her and watched her face relax at his words. "You've been through too much lately. Didn't you think I'd want our baby?"
"Sometimes I don't know how you're going to take unexpected news. I figured you might be upset I forgot to take my last shot and blame me for getting pregnant," she was truthful, letting him know his capricious attitude left her uncertain and insecure in their relationship in difficult situations.
"I'm hopefully done taking anything out on you. I love you, Wash. Getting pregnant; even out of wedlock is not going to anger me. I'm trying to be good, but it's hard after having had you. I want a lot more," he spoke softly so his words didn't carry beyond the curtain.
"It'd been too long for both of us," she agreed.
"I want you so bad, this forced celibacy sucks," he made a face and she laughed.
On the day they returned with the abalone, he dropped her off at her home and took the wood to the carpenter along with the shells and Wash's design for a bed. He also ordered a vanity with the same wood and the other half of the shell to be set with a mirror and included drawers as a surprise gift. He checked in to the Command Center and found Jim had everything under control and went home to shower. Hustling back to her house, he invited her to walk to the market for supper. Together, hand in hand, they strolled across the colony as the sun sank into red and orange on a clear night. This was their first outing as a couple and was curious how the colonist would receive them. Civilians and military alike took note, but they were left alone like the other courting couples, an unspoken rule in a confined space.
They found a table on the edge of the market and talked quietly as they ate, "You know I can't spend the night," he groused softly.
"I'm not sure I could accommodate you, literally, I'm so sore."
He smiled, "I found a new home and didn't want to leave, even when I was beyond doing anything," he made a veiled reference to their one night together.
"You performed amazingly," she smiled at the memories.
He walked her the long way around the circle home, where he kissed her on her doorstep and whispered he didn't dare come in.
The next day after their return home, he took her to Colony Financial where in the back room gems were on display, glistening like stars on the black velvet fabric. He watched her carefully pick up various stones and discard them. She kept going back to the white Tolkowski diamonds until she picked a large one carat and set it aside. He helped her choose two smaller for a set and the banker smiled broadly as he added the amount, "Fifty three hundred terra's," he announced.
"Take it out of my account," Nathaniel instructed and asked for the bands to be fetched. They chose white gold and he paid another twelve hundred terras for the three bands.
He took her to supper at the market and every night was the same; he invited her out in a public venue, telling her he had no self-control behind closed doors anymore so for the sake of appearances until they were married, he would keep his distance.
He played with her ring as he reflected on her choice, which was perfect. She was in pain from the forced abortion, he could tell. Her eyes were closed and he saw the hint of a tear at an outer corner. He went back to reminiscing about the ring he was playing with.
That afternoon he stealthy snuck back into the bank and bought the three carat matching round with six one carat rounds, three on each side for a choker necklace, his wedding gift to her with matching earrings. "Twenty thousand terra's," the banker was in awe as Nathaniel told him to transfer to the general fund for colony repairs.
"It's not like I'm buying a house with my money," he joked, then grew serious, "Did Wash have enough to pay for that house?"
The banker pulled her records up because the Commander had the right to check on anyone's finances at any time. "She did, I remember and she bought some furniture, drawing her amount way down and then the medical bill came in and she ran short so I gave her a signature loan of three thousand terra's that she'll have paid back in no time.
"Go ahead and pay it off from my account, but don't tell her. If she makes a payment, just put it in my account."
"Yes, Commander," the banker made a notation, "all done."
"How you holding up financially?" he tried to take her mind off losing the baby.
"If I can stay out of here, I'll do just fine," she noticed he was playing with her engagement ring.
"Why don't you let me help with the bills," he stated.
"Not until we're married, it's not right for my bills to become ours yet."
"I don't want to wait long for us to be married."
"I'm not in any shape for a honeymoon right now," she smiled up into his blue eyes.
"We have the most brilliant minds here working on this. I expect a breakthrough any minute now," he was confident in his people.
"Why are you here and not getting in the way?" she teased.
"I'm slowly learning my talents are rather limited in the scientific and medical fields, and I really want to kiss you."
"You heard the doctor," she gently reminded him. "I need to use the lavatory again." He helped her sit up where she stopped him with a hand on his bicep, "This is where I had my seizure, when I stood up too fast." Like handling delicate porcelain, he assisted her to the tiny room in the back of the clinic and waited for her to step out.
Nurse Ogawa intercepted them on the way back to the bed, "I need to ask a few questions, Lieutenant."
Alicia looked around for a chair, "I'd rather sit in a chair for this." She sat before answering the few questions the nurse had for her, conscious Nathaniel was hovering protectively.
"I need to scan you now," the nurse needed her back on the bed.
"No, the doctor will do it," Alicia didn't want her pregnancy discovered.
"She's busy and I need to see how much medicine to administer, it's your turn."
"Get the doctor, Nurse," Nathaniel ordered.
Without another word, Ogawa went looking for Dr. Shannon.
"I'll take care of Lieutenant Washington myself," Elizabeth assured the nurse and stopped her research long enough to run the scan and administer another injection.
"How do you feel?" Elizabeth asked.
"Drained and sleepy," Alicia was tired and wanted a nap.
"You do need to sleep," she looked at the Commander. "She needs rest after what has happened to her."
"Alright," he wanted to lean over and kiss her, but settled for a pat to her shoulder as he followed the doctor to her workstation. "What do you have so far?"
"I've killed the bacteria three ways and am testing the tissue for the least amount of damage. If the bacteria are killed too fast it causes toxic buildup in the tissues and will make the host very sick so I'm dialing the process back and am ready for my first experimental person." She looked around the room and spotted a strong looking young man, "Dawson, I want you to be the first to undergo treatment," she injected fluid into his arm with Nathaniel looking on. She studied the bioscreen as the bacteria were slowly eaten by the penicillin based drug. "It's working. Malcolm tailored the drug to attack only this bacteria and leave the good bacteria in his body alone." She addressed Dawson, "I'll be back to check on you shortly." She looked around, "Nurse, come stay with Dawson and get me if he has any reaction."
With Nathaniel in tow, she went to Alicia next and carefully injected the penicillin in her arm. Alicia never moved or woke. "This must have taken a lot out of her," Elizabeth commented and looked closer at the uterus readings, "I'm sorry, Commander, that I couldn't save the baby."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Just make sure the mother lives. I'll be back," he left to find Malcolm who was back in his laboratory.
Malcolm looked up when the Commander's shadow was seen on the table he was working at, "Commander, I still don't know how the fruit got infected. I sent a team to the area and they haven't reported in yet."
"Give me your best guess, Malcolm," Nathaniel's raspy tone demanded something.
"I have no best or worse guess, I simply don't know how the fruit got infected," they were disrupted by the returning scientist accompanied by soldiers sent to protect them.
"You're dismissed," Nathaniel spoke to his soldiers and they departed, leaving two scientists carrying several freshly picked fruit.
Malcolm took one and put it under the microscope and started examining every inch of the outer surface. He squinted and stopped the automatic action of the microscope and magnified an area. Clearly visible were puncture marks. He called up all the available insects that punctured and compared the markings. After punching in the parameters, he waited for the computer to scan all available insects they'd collected and categorized in the past seven years.
"Nothing, we're dealing with a new insect," he looked at Jeffery, the lead scientist he sent to the field. "Did you see any new insects?"
Jeffery shook his head, "There were a few buzzing, but all were recognized. Maybe we're dealing with a nocturnal species."
"Go back and set traps. I want to know every insect within a hundred yards of these trees," Malcolm turned back to the Commander. "My next step is to see if I can take this infected fruit and make it safe for consumption by killing the bacteria. My best guess is, the insect feeds on the fruit and leaves behind a residue of bacteria in the fruit and we eat the fruit and it gets deposited into us." Malcolm got a faraway look and the Commander could see he was lost in his work.
"I'll check back later," he left to send more soldiers with the scientist.
Shannon hurried up as the next group of scientists and soldiers left, "The vendors want to know when they can open and start cooking for the evening crowd."
"They can serve anything cooked, just not fresh fruit or vegetables until they've been tested. Malcolm thinks we are dealing with a new species of insect and it might be eating more than one type of fruit."
"I'll tell them," Jim went back to the market.
Nathaniel hated problems not in his realm to fix. It made him feel useless and he debated going back to the busy clinic or Command Center where paperwork waited him. He opted for paperwork for an hour or two to pass the time.
That's where Skye found him an hour later. "Commander, I was hoping for a game of chess."
"Don't you have work to do?"
"That was a polite of saying I have a problem," she persisted.
"Hmm, I suppose I could let you beat me as my mind's not on the game," he moved to the chessboard after stopping for a cup of water. He overlooked the plaza while she set the pieces in place.
"Ready."