Medbay – 7pm

Chip had been reading some magazine article when Lee walked into his room. Lynsey wasn't back yet but he expected her shortly. The Captain grabbed a chair and sat his weary body down. He must have looked tired and looked a bit dishevelled in his current state.

"How are things at the office" Chip asked as he observed his Commanding Officer's tired body language

"Just fine" Lee lied. "The Admiral is pushing for a test mission in six weeks"

"That's an incredible turnaround" Chip said choosing not to pursue his concern of Lee's exhausted state.

"I know. Hopefully you will be able to join us" Lee gestured with fingers crossed

"I hope so too. It's driving me crazy in here" Chip said as he tried to stretch his body a little from its restful state.

"Why don't we stretch your legs?" Lee asked

At first Chip wasn't keen but he felt like he needed a little exercise to get the blood moving around. He was becoming an old hand at the procedure for getting out of bed. He managed to get round and up on his feet fairly quickly although he still required a little help. He soon got into his stride as they passed the nurses station and the Doc smiled - he was glad to see him moving around. They made it a little further when Chip began to feel sick. Lee had noticed that Chip had become a little unsteady on his feet and thought he may be getting tired.

"You ok?" Lee asked

"I feel….a little sick...little light-headed" he replied lifting his hand to his head

Lee held onto his XO and helped him turn round to head back to bed. Chip was struggling to walk now but luckily Jamie had noticed his difficulty and fetched a wheelchair. Both he and Lee helped him back into bed just before he threw up all over the floor narrowly missing Lee but not the Doc.

"I am so sorry Jamie" Chip was so embarrassed. He hadn't been sick like that since he was a little boy.

"Don't be silly it's not your fault" Jamie said as he did a quick check and noticed that Chip had a slight fever and his blood pressure had dropped. He checked his drain wound and found it a little red and hot.

"Chip I think you have a small infection in your wound. I'm going to get the nurse to irrigate and dress it"

Chip nodded in agreement. He had felt pain from the drain site earlier in the day but thought, perhaps naively, that it would go away. Jamie left to get a nurse and no doubt change and asked one of the janitors to clean up.

Chip sighed. "That's all I needed – another complication"

Lee patted Chips shoulder sympathetically before helping him get more comfortable in the bed. He plumped up his pillows and got him a glass of ice cold water. Lee had noticed that there were small beads of sweat on the XOs forehead again so he got a face cloth and wiped his forehead as Jamie came back in with the nurse

"My fevers back isn't it?" Chip asked

"Slightly. Its 99 at the moment. Its been higher in days past" Jamie replied "It's nothing to worry about just yet". Jamie tried his best to reassure him and Lee who now stood like an expectant father behind him.

The Captain could see that his XO was deflated by this setback. He was just about to try and cheer him up when Chip said "I'm gonna throw up again". Lee managed to grab the basin for him in time and Chip was sick a few more times within the next half hour, the last coming as Lynsey arrived.

"Oh my god what's wrong?" She was panicked saying the state Chip was in.

"He has got a small infection in the wound but I don't think that is what is causing the vomiting." Jamie stated

"What is?" Lee asked

"The medication?" Lynsey asked

"It's a possibility. I'm going to order a change in his treatment and I think he would be a good idea to put him back on an IV to keep him hydrated and help raise his bp" Jamie said and left to see to it

Lee watched as Chip rolled his eyes. He was clearly frustrated.

"I just got rid of the IV" Chip said rather dejectedly

"I know honey but it will speed up the medication to help stop the infection. I would think Jamie will give you something to stop you being sick" Lynsey said trying to rally his spirits. The mention of this brought on another episode for Chip. He struggled to control the coughing and retching and he threw up.

Lee felt helpless standing by watching his friend suffer. He could only hope that the new course of action Jamie had planned would get him back on the right road to recovery.

Jamie returned as Lynsey was helping Chip clean up. He started the IV and the pinch to the skin made Chip flinch. He attached the IV and started the new medication as well as an anti-sickness drug like Lynsey predicted.

As the night wore on, Chip started to deteriorate. His temperature spiked and the ragged breathing had returned. Jamie was reviewing his chart and nothing jumped out at him except for the rapidness of the deterioration. He made his way back to the XO's room and began a fresh examination.

"Jamie...he is getting worse" Lynsey stated her voice edged with guilt from leaving her husband earlier in the day.

"I know Lynsey" Jamie said acknowledging her worry. He was worried too.

Chip's skin was now clammy and he was somewhat disorientated. He rambled aimless about procedures and rules aboard Seaview. Jamie asked a nurse to hold his arm while he drew some blood. He now had a suspicion of what it may be but required bloods tests to confirm.

"Jamie...what's going on?" Lee asked rather demandingly. He realised as soon as he said it, it sounded more like an order than a question. "I'm sorry Doc..I didn't mean that to come out so harshly"

Jamie nodded as he placed Chips arm back on the bed and brought the blanket up to his chest. "Lynsey..." he began "Chip has developed complications with the pneumonia"

"You think it's septicaemia don't you?" Lynsey said.

Jamie nodded. Lee stepped forward and asked "What's that?" Jamie went on to explain that it can be a complication from the pleural effusion. As Lee listened to Jamie, he had that same look on his face from that night on Seaview. It was serious then and it was serious now.

Lynsey sat by her now sleeping husbands bed as Jamie left to put a rush on the blood work. She wiped his forehead and made sure the nasal cannula was in the optimum position. Lee took a seat round the opposite site of the bed and they waited for Jamie to return.