Lynsey and Lee were getting restless as they waited for Jamie. For the past hour they had sat beside Chip as he slept and had watched him constantly for any small changes.

Lee began to wonder how this was all going to turn out. Right now, Chip should have been on his way back from San Francisco with Lynsey having just had the perfect honeymoon. Instead he was in this hospital bed. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Jamie returned.

Lynsey jumped at the sound of the door opening and turned round to see Jamie standing there.

"Doc" Lee started

"We have got the blood tests back and it shows that Chip is in the early stages of Sepsis" Jamie confirmed.

As the shock set in Lynsey crumpled into the chair beside her as Lee made his way round to her side of Chip's bed. Her tears began to fall on his uniform.

"What happens now?" Lynsey asked through her shaky voice.

"Well let's focus on the positive sign that we caught the sepsis early. I'm going to start him on two antibiotics"

"What about his breathing?" Lee asked a chip wheezed behind him in the bed

"I know that it sounds bad but there isn't a need to intubate him. His oxygen saturation isn't 100% but he is coping with his breathing" Jamie confirmed as he shifted around like he was hiding a secret. Lynsey could see he was uncomfortable.

"What else?" Lynsey asked rather anxiously. Lee noticed there were some medical staff by the door.

"I want to take the precaution and move Chip into the ICU"

The words stung both wife and friend but both understood the need for it right now. They moved aside as Chip was moved from his room to ICU.

Both Lynsey and Lee stayed until Chip settled down into a comfortable slumber. Jamie insisted that they both leave to get some rest.

"I can't leave him now Jamie" Lynsey protested

"Lynsey, you need to rest and so does Chip. I am going to give him a sedative to help him sleep" Jamie replied

"Come on Lynsey the doc's right. We can come back first thing" Lee said

Lynsey didn't want to leave. The last time she did Chip had taken a turn and she wasn't here to help him. She gripped his hand tightly and kissed him on the lips. She said "I love you and I'll be back first thing". She wiped her tears as Lee hugged her tightly as they left.

Morton Residence

Lee had made sure that Lynsey had made it home safely. After he had gone she made herself some tea and sat down at their island in the Kitchen looking out onto the ocean. It had been a frustrating day – Chip had made a good start to the day but then this infection had made him poorly again. She lifted herself from the chair and made her way up to their bedroom. She washed her face and brushed her teeth and changed into her pyjamas. She had felt a chill getting into bed so got one of Chips navy hood tops to wear. She could still smell him as she lay down on her side of the bed. It was so lonely without him. She grabbed his pillow close to her and tried to get some sleep.

Medbay – 11pm

As he stood and watched the young XO sleep, he could see he was in anything but a peaceful sleep. He stepped around the bed and picked up the chart. Although not a doctor himself, he could read the rise and fall of numbers in temperature, blood pressure and fluid intake. There was no doubt that Chip had not had an easy ride of things.

"I didn't know you were here Admiral" Jamie said a little surprised to see him here so late.

"I just dropped by to see him for myself. I should have been here long before this" The admiral replied

"You are a busy man. You can't drop everything every time one of your crew gets sick" Jamie tried to calm him a little. He could see the worry on his face at the condition of his officer.

"How is he doing? I see from his chart it's been a little bit of a rocky road"

"You could say that. Hopefully we can get this under control"

Chip remained asleep throughout the conversation that Jamie and the admiral continued to have. No doubt helped by the sedative Jamie had given him earlier.

"So what's the plan now?"

"Well we will see how things look in the morning but I will continue the antibiotics for the next few days and see how we go"

The Admiral trusted Jamie to do the best by Chip. He nodded in agreement to his plan and placed a hand on Chips shoulder as he left.