Disclaimer: Primeval does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.
Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.
A/N Part of the Claudia story verse (AU) Transitions, Transitions Too, Continuum, Trimming the Tree, Missing
6.6-5 – Patient Status Update
…little details…
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The ride from the student health office to the Paris hospital was short. The doctor insisted Connor's blood pressure be monitored for the next twenty-four hours. In the hospital they were greeted by a nurse who ushered Connor into a wheel chair.
"I'm not an invalid," protested the scientist. "Why do I have to sit in a wheel chair?"
"Sssh," hissed Abby, "just go along with it."
Abby then followed her husband and the nurse up to Connor's room. Abby watched as the nurse settled him into the bed and fluffed Connor's pillows. The nurse finally left promising to be right back.
"I wish someone would tell us how serious this is," complained Abby as the door shut behind the nurse.
"It's just for observation, a safety precaution," soothed Connor, "like that time I got shot with the tranquilizer gun."
Abby remembered. She had been shot by a tranquilizer gun and suffered nothing more serious than a brief loss of consciousness, muscle aches and an awful headache. A few months later, Abby had accidently jabbed Connor with one of the new tranquilizer guns. The stronger dosage, a combination of three different drugs, had made Connor very ill and he'd had to go to the hospital then too.
"Oh Connor," sighed Abby as she sat down on the chair next to his bed, "this is all my fault. I wish I'd never given you the stomach flu."
"It's not your fault," said Connor. "It's not anyone's fault."
The nurse came back in then and told Abby visiting hours were ending soon.
"I suppose I should be getting back to the dormitory," said Abby with a small smile. "I'll see you in the morning, yeah."
Connor sighed tiredly and leaned back against the pillows. Shadows were showing beneath his dark eyes.
"Abby, if they're going to make me stay all day tomorrow," asked Connor, "would you bring me laptop?"
"What for?"
"So I can work on the blog reports of creatures and anomalies," answered Connor.
Abby narrowed her eyes.
"Didn't the doctor say you were supposed to rest?" she asked.
Connor squirmed and looked upset.
"I can't just sit here all day," protested Connor. "I'll go out of my mind with boredom."
"You could watch telly," suggested Abby.
Connor sighed dispiritedly. Abby could sympathize.
"The shows are all in French," said the dark haired man. "I'd rather have me laptop."
"You're not supposed to be working when you're ill," reminded Abby.
"There's other things on the laptop," replied Connor. "Fun stuff. Pictures, videos, websites, I wouldn't have to be working."
"What kind of websites?" asked Abby. She knew how Connor would get engrossed in research and he would get so involved that he'd forget to eat, tune out the rest of the world.
"My favorite website is one Jack showed me when I was recuperating after the surgery," answered Connor. "It's got stories, of all my favorite shows, Fanfiction."
"Stories about your favorite show?" asked Abby with a bit of a smirk. She remembered how he'd fussed when BBC had cancelled it. "Tell me about it."
Connor began talking excitedly about the continued adventures of his favorite characters. It wasn't until the nurse interrupted again, that the dark haired scientist stopped talking. Connor sank back down on the pillows.
"Don't worry Connor," whispered Abby as she leaned forward and kissed him goodnight. "I'll bring your laptop tomorrow."
When Abby got back to the dormitory, she opened Connor's laptop and powered it up. She paused for a moment and almost played the hologram proposal still stored on the device, and she almost clicked the link to their wedding video, but then she chose to check out Connor's favorite story website.
"He's already logged in," Abby said with a smile.
She read a couple of stories that he'd marked as being favorites. That night the newlywed fell asleep, in her baggy brown multi-pocketed work pants and two layered tops, hugging a laptop.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
In London, Sarah watched as Jamal carefully knelt. The dark haired man laid the sleeping toddler down on the spare cot. Little Stephanie had fallen asleep in his arms while he read her a bedtime story.
"Nick says Claudia is feeling better," whispered Sarah as Jamal straightened back up. "He wanted to come pick her up tonight, but I told him to wait until the morning, to make sure Claudia is really well."
Jamal looked wistfully at the child. He turned to Sarah and gently traced a finger down the side of her face.
"I'm glad we were able to help," said Jamal. He leaned forward to kiss Sarah's lips lightly. "We should be thinking about having one of our own."
The couple had been talking about whether or not to have children for quite a while now. For the first time, Sarah agreed with Jamal. The archeologist smiled.
"You might be right."
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Stephen nudged Danny. The former copper was dozing. His red hair was sticking up against the cold window glass of the SUV's door.
"Looks like you were wrong," hissed Stephen.
"What?" asked Danny, he blinked his eyes and sat up straight to look where Stephen was pointing. "I'm never wrong."
"That's Matt," said Stephen. Another figure joined the man outside of Cutter's office window. "And based on the curves, I do believe that's Emily."
Danny frowned. He'd really thought that Helen's book had been nothing but a pack of lies, but there were two people, and a crowbar. Danny quickly opened the vehicle's door and shouted.
"Oi! Don't you break that glass!"
The sound of shattering glass was almost immediately followed by the sound of an alarm.
"Oh crikey! Now you've done it," called Danny. "Get over here you two, quickly now!"
In front of Cutter's office, Matt and Emily exchanged a panicked look. Getting caught wasn't part of their plan.
"I guess we should do what he says," said Matt.
"Yes," nodded Emily. In the distance a siren wailed. "And run."
By the time Matt and Emily reached the SUV, Stephen had the engine running. The time crossed couple climbed in the back seat.
"Go, go, go," urged Danny. As Stephen peeled out of the campus parking lot, the former copper turned to the pair in the back seat. "Do you want to explain yourselves?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Becker woke with a start. He rubbed the back of his neck. He'd fallen asleep in the hospital visitor's chair. A voice spoke.
"Some guard you are," teased Jess. "Do you know you snore?"
Becker's lips curled up in a smile at the sound of Jess's voice. She sounded tired, but better than before. The former soldier straightened his neck and lifted his head to look across the room at the beautiful field coordinator.
"Do not," objected Becker. He stood up and stretched. Through the slotted blinds, daylight was beginning to peek through into the hospital room.
"Oh yes you do," stated Jess.
Becker crossed the room to stand before her. He'd been really worried yesterday.
"How are you feeling?" asked Becker.
"Fine," declared Jess, "but I'm hungry.
-x-x-x-x-x-x
Abby woke alone on the bottom bunk in the dormitory at the Paris School of Science and Technology. The blonde shivered. The cold hard metal casing of the computer was pressed against her chest. She pushed it away from her body and sat up. Abby rubbed the red mark left by the machine on her collar bone. Sunlight was starting to stream through the windows.
"Connor," said Abby.
She shook her head. Abby hadn't really expected an answer. She knew her husband was at the hospital, but something had awakened her. She shivered again.
"Something's wrong," said Abby.
Abby stood up. She hurried to slip on her shoes. She grabbed Connor's messenger bag and headed towards the hospital. Upon arriving, the blonde waved at the front desk nurse and hurried on down the hallway. Abby was in the elevator before she realized the nurse was trying to catch her.
"Later," waved Abby as the doors shut. She didn't hear what the nurse said.
The elevator dinged, doors swished open, and Abby stepped out onto the black and white floor tiles. The hallway smelled of disinfectant, but Abby paid no mind. She hurried down to Connor's room. The door was open and a person was stripping the sheets off the bed. Connor was nowhere to be seen. For a moment Abby's heart stopped.
"Connor," called Abby.
The person stripping the sheets looked up at Abby quizzically and then returned to the task at hand. There was a sound behind her as the elevator dinged and opened again. Abby turned and saw the nurse again. Abby stared as the woman approached. Abby swallowed and then asked a question that she wasn't sure she wanted answered.
"Where's Connor?"
"Mr. Temple has been moved," explained the nurse, "to the isolation unit, fifth floor."
Abby didn't wait for the next elevator. She raced up the stairs. The door to the room the nurse had indicated was open. Inside, Abby could see the still form of her husband sprawled across the bed. Beside him stood another figure.
"Get away from him," hissed Abby.
The blonde haired doctor looked up from his patient and stared at Abby in surprise. His lips curled back in a frown.
"I say," said the physician, his Cornwall accent readily apparent, "you should get back. Your husband is contagious. He's got some new strain of intestinal flu."
"Who are you?" demanded Abby. She glared ferociously at the man standing between her and Connor. On the bed, Connor moved slightly.
"Lester sent me," explained the doctor, "the minister didn't want an international incident, I'm supposed to ensure a quarantine is kept. You need to leave."
"No," said Abby. Her chin jutted out determinedly. "I'm staying with Connor."
On the bed, Connor blinked his eyes and moved. Abby's blue eyes lit up with happiness as she watched Connor. He sat up easily and rolled his shoulders in a familiar move.
"Abby," protested Connor, "you'll catch my germs."
The only thing Abby could say to that was to repeat what Connor had told her on the train just days before.
"Don't mind sharing germs with you," responded Abby with a cheeky grin. "You know, part of that better or worse, in sickness and in health stuff we promised each other. Besides, I've already had it once."
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