Crawling
By the time they all had gotten down to the infirmary, the amount of people that surrounded Teyla had doubled from 15 to close to 30. All ranging from mild cold-like symptoms to fevers strong enough to drop the infected marines to their knees. She had done as Castiel requested, but even with the medications and rest she had found herself much worse than she had been in the hours prior. When she had walked back into the infirmary, there were others like her, and the on-duty nurses and doctors were struggling to get everything figured out and situated.
None of them wished to call Doctor Beckett, or Forrest from their day off, so Teyla had taken it upon herself to make that call. She had watched them walk into the chaos, and calmly start to work. She had to admit, her first thought when they walked in was how John's bet against Evan had played out. She had yet to hear of the results. Yet, she could not help but smile as the pair quickly began to work. She watched how Forrest worked in complete silence with Castiel, but also Carson all the same time. A few words spoken between them every now and then, but for the most part they did not need to.
"So when did you start to feel sick Teyla?" Carson was standing next to her bed, able to see how now the fever had taken a stronger hold. Castiel had told him of her results that morning, and it was easy enough to see she was getting worse.
"Sometime last night, I was not really able to sleep well. I woke up early this morning feeling feverish and came down here." She explained, watching as he looked at the tablet in his hands. His attire was as it normally would be, a white lab coat now covering his shoulders and a radio in his ear.
"Well, it does seem to be a flu-like virus now, and by the looks, it is spreading quickly." He explained with a soft smile. "This really should not be life-threatening, just keep resting and let me know if you get worse."
"Thank you, Carson." She felt horrible, her body now joining her head in aching. But she knew if anything, she was in the most capable hands.
Leaving her to rest, Carson turned and walked along the now filling beds, able to see Forrest heading towards him with a tablet in her hands. He could already see it, that she was tried. Her long week and a half looked like it would be turning into two, and with no noticeable end in sight. Sure, they could probably get everyone settled in here and be able to leave, but with the way things worked in this galaxy, it was never that simple.
Castiel jogged past him, heading towards the door as another person walked inside, adding to the ever-growing number of people inside. "You okay love?" He stopped as he stood in front of her, watching as he eyes went from the tablet to his.
"I think I have tracked down our patient zero." She said with a light smile ignoring his question she turned with a motion to follow. It did not take much to convince him to follow after.
"Staff Sargent Jacob Thomas. He seems to be the worse off." She explained as she led him deeper into the infirmary. "Apparently, he came in last night before we even got home with the start of his symptoms." He followed her around the corner, to a bed set apart from the others. Carson slightly frustrated that he had not been told about this the evening prior.
"He is probably what the others have to look forward to." She stopped, standing at the foot of the bed as the blonde marine puked into a bucket that had been provided. Carson quick to notice nothing but bile was coming up as he glanced down to Forrest. "Other than the obvious, how are you feeling Jacob." Her tone gentle as she walked over to where he sat on the edge of the bed, holding the bucket between his knees as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I've been better." The kid whipping his mouth with the sleeve of his scrubs.
"Well, hopefully, this won't take too long to run its course." She said with a reassuring smile, glancing over at Carson.
"Have you eaten anything different Staff Sargent?" Carson taking over, as he looked at the tablet in his hands.
"No Sir, nothing other than what they normally cook here." He said, as Forrest took the bucket from his hands and set it down on the floor next to the bed. Both doctors watching as the young man leaned back down onto the medical bed.
"When exactly did you start to feel off?"
"Probably around six last night. Just not really right but figured I would sleep it off. I started puking around five this morning." Carson nodding as he listened while reading the results on the tablet.
"He has a temp of 102?" He looked to Forrest who nodded,
"As of 15 minutes ago he did." Carson moved to the other side of the bed, walking to the monitors closer to the head of the bed,
"You sure? He is reading at 103.4" Forrest tipped her head, walking to look at the monitor at his side.
"I took the reading myself, that was what he was at." She said as she took the tablet from his hands, looking over her own notes again. Before she could say anything, the temp monitor ticked up to 103.7. They were quiet for a moment, before Forrest spoke. "You don't think their temps are rising that fast do you?"
"Aye, they might be, and if they are this could be a wee bit of a problem."
"What all can we start him on? We need to keep his fever down." She said, spinning around to head for a medicine cabinet.
"There should be Tylenol in there, I would give him a bit more than a normal dose." He called after her, as he began to walk away from the marine's bed.
He walked around the corner, towards the front of the infirmary. Watching as Evan Lorne walked in with a young scientist in his arms, setting down on a medical bed that Castiel had pushed over to them. Carson able to recognize the young girl as one of the newest members of the botany department. Castiel quickly whisking her away deeper into the infirmary to get her settled. The dragon had pretty much taken over getting anyone that came in situated, allowing the other nurses and doctors to focus on getting readings and medications set up. He was stronger and able to move the beds around on his own.
"Doc, people everywhere are getting sick. I found Sierra there puking over a balcony on the West Pier." He explained as he stood next to Carson.
"I know son, sounds like this is hitting everyone like a bus." He sighed, just what they needed was a flu pandemic. "Start having the mess hall set up for us if you would. I have a feeling everyone is going to have to bed down and wait for this one to run its course." So far, between Forrest and himself they had found no reason to worry too much. Dehydration was more of a concern with this kind of virus than anything else.
"Will do Doc." The Major turned to walk out, before Carson called out,
"If you start to feel ill, sit down and rest don't go trying to push through it. Tell everyone that." Evan turned, nodding his head before heading out of the doors.
"Carson!" he was able to hear her call over the now rather loud infirmary. She was standing by the door to his office, tablet in hand once more. He was quick to get to her, watching as she frowned. "Jacob's fever is not the only one climbing fast. A few of the others are showing temps increasing at a high rate. I started them all on the Tylenol. They are all probably the first to be infected yesterday." She explained as she watched Castiel move around bed to bed.
*How are they all sounding?* Carson caught that she was asking the dragons something, as he spoke. "Well, as long as no one starts to go over 105 we should be good."
*considering the fever most of these people are running, their heart rates are staying steady.* *let me know if anything changes, thank you*
She looked to Carson, "Cas finds it strange, heart rates are staying steady despite the fever." Carson was starting to find the entire outbreak confusing, as he rubbed his head. "Wouldn't the city's quarantine systems have caught this?" She asked as she looked up to him, able to catch that little bit of worry and confusion in his eyes.
"We don't have it set up for something this well, mild. The flu on Earth is generally not lethal, only to those who don't seek any help, the young and old. Most of these people will be fine in a few days. Though the rising body temps are a wee bit concerning." She listened to his explanation, before speaking.
"Well, I would guess then that Loonrian antivirals may not be a bad idea?" He stood for a moment and smiled. "I honestly forgot about that love. If you want to go ahead and start a few of the ones worst off. I am going to go let Elizabeth and the others know. I am sure this is going to run its course over the entire city."
She smiled warmly, "I will get them started, should hopefully get them over this sooner." They were still for a moment, as they just stood to enjoy the close proximity to one another. "I'll see you when you get back."
Carson had started to wonder why there had to be so many damn stairs in a place so advanced. He was up and down the damn things more than anything else, as he walked up and into the control room. Catching the glances of overs as he walked for Elizabeth's office. Able to see that Colonel Sheppard had disappeared, leaving Elizabeth with Mr. Woolsey. He walked inside, holding the tablet Forrest had been using in his hands.
"Hope I am not interrupting anything." He said as Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head.
"Not at all Carson, is everything okay down there?" He could see it, something about how she held herself was off, and not in a good way.
"Well, looks like we have a flu running its course on everyone. Forrest and I have determined it has probably spread through most the population. While I am not worried about anyone kneeling over, it's not going to be a fun few days for everyone."
Elizabeth nodded, "well, better off than I expected."
"No kidding, Forrest is going to start those with the worst symptoms on some Loonrian antivirals. If those prove to be pretty effective we should be able to speed up things. Get everyone over this in a day or two."
Elizabeth smiled, "Good to hear, we have seen that medicine at work before, I doubt it will fail us now."
"How long have you been using Loonrian medicines here in Atlantis?" Woolsey had been quiet on the matter, but of course, him joining in was a question.
"We have been using a few of them since Forrest was able to recreate them. The antivirals and antibiotics were the first she got done for us. Within two weeks of her arrival, we were able to start using them. It says so in our reports." He explained, watching as Woolsey took down notes again, causing him to glance to Elizabeth with a concerned expression, that she hardly offered any assurance to.
"You also left her down there to administer the medications unsupervised?" That question made his blood boil slightly, as Carson's tone changed to a slightly defensive one. "Aye, I did. Why would that be any concern to you?" Elizabeth looked at Carson, watching as Woolsey looked up from his notes to the doctor.
"Well, considering she has no licensing or qualifications by Earth's standards, it is a bit concerning that you leave her unsupervised."
"Forrest is a damn good doctor, be it by our standards or Loonrians. I have seen her work, I know what she can do. I am the one who decided she was safe to work in my infirmary. If you have such a problem with it, come down see for yourself."
Elizabeth was the one taken back by the normally even-tempered doctor. He was not one to take insults, but defending others was hit and miss. She was about to say something, but he continued. "Actually, we will probably be seeing you in the next few hours when this virus starts to run its course on you. You can watch then. I have to get back down there, just radio me if you need anything Elizabeth." His tone calmed slightly as he bid his farewell to her, before turning and somewhat stormed out of her office.
Leaving Elizabeth with a rather impressed expression. "Well, I had been hoping he would be the calmest about those concerns. I now realize he was worse than you and Colonel Sheppard."
Elizabeth sighed, "I don't blame him. Forrest has helped him with quite a few breakthroughs on the gene therapies he has been working on. They are quite good friends." After that outburst from him, however, she had a feeling friends may need to be used in past tense.
"I see, well my concerns still stand. I feel she should not have been allowed to work so freely in the infirmary. She has access to a lot of sensitive information."
"That she has no use or need for. Forrest and Castiel alike do not wish any harm to anyone here. Like Carson said, go down there and watch them work." She was growing ever aggravated by Woolsey's doubt but understood that it was what the man had been sent here to do. "So, does everyone back home have these same concerns?"
He looked up, leaning back in the chair across from her. "Some do, some don't. Collectively they are all focused on the dragons. Wondering what kind of, military use they could have." It always came back to that, how could something be used in war.
"Malco has said, that those who can fight would fight for me. Not necessarily all of Earth if taken there. But here in Pegasus, I know they have our backs."
"Do you think that could change?"
"You are asking the wrong person. You can ask Malco that tomorrow, that is if you are not sick with what is going around." She commented, watching as he seemed to squirm. "Are you nervous about talking to the clan heads?" She raised an eyebrow, not used to seeing him behave this way.
"Well, most of the the..aliens, I have worked with have been more human. I find them a bit more intimidating than most."
"Well, if you want to make a good first impression, my advice would be to make sure you call everyone present by their first name." He sighed, shaking his head slightly.
"That is a hard habit to break you know?"
"I know, I would start now if I were you."
Carson had done his best to calm himself on his way back to the infirmary, but he still felt the pricks of anger in his mind as he walked into the familiar chaos. Those people had no idea what Forrest could do, they had yet to see her work. Listen to what she knew or understood. Rarely did Carson view others at the same level as himself, but she was that exception. All the people in his command were gifted in their fields, he had handpicked them after all. But Forrest had fallen into his infirmary and proven herself an equal. There were things one knew and the other didn't, they balanced one another out.
He shook his head, a slight feeling of fear creeping up on him. He should not have let his anger get the better of him, he could have just sealed her fate. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose her position here with his staff. He looked up, able to pick out her small frame as it once again hurried towards him. Her braided hair now pulled and wrapped into a tight bun on the top of her head. He had only ever seen her hair like that once before, and it was the day he had opened his eyes to her concerned face in the dimly lit room she had called home. He smiled, thinking of those first few moments of seeing her. She was much different now, able to take care of herself better here than she had been on Loonrian, her hair no longer holding dust constantly, and her clothes always clean.
His smile held, but it was not returned as she quickly walked up to him, taking a hold of his hand to pull him deeper into the infirmary "What is it, love?" He asked, as he quickly matched her stride, following closely.
"We have a new symptom starting to show." She explained as she rounded corners, Carson quickly realizing that she was heading for Jacob. "He said it started half an hour ago, but he didn't think much of it. It's worse now, and a few others are starting to show it." She said as she stopped looking at the young marine on the bed. "Okay, tell Carson what you told me." Something about her tone was off, as she looked down at the tablet in her hands.
"Well, like I said I really didn't think much of it till now." Carson noticed something right off, the young man had what looked like claw marks along one of his arms and was mindlessly itching a spot on his wrist.
"I just feel all itchy over. It was hardly anything half an hour ago but now it feels like things are running under my skin." That was a new one, even for Carson as he glanced up to the monitors.
"His fever has gone up to 104.5, did you give him the medication?" He turned looking down to Forrest who nodded,
"Yes, and he is now on the antivirals, waiting now to see how much they help. We will probably know within half an hour."
Carson looked at the kid on the bed, "Well, Forrest has probably told you this much, but try not to itch at yourself. The last thing we need is for you to cause open wounds." Jacob quickly putting his hands in his lap, with a sigh.
"I'll do my best." He said as Carson nodded his head.
"Few other things I have found, while you were gone." She started as he turned, moving away from the bed to head for his office. "I think it is safe to say, this may not be just an Earth flu virus." She said as she turned to look up to him.
"Other than the newest symptom what makes ya say that?"
"Teyla; whatever this is it is working much slower on her. The fever is not climbing near as fast, and she so far has no other signs." Forrest explained as she took a deep breath. "So it is not from your world, I would say at a minimum it is from Pegasus." He sighed, looking at her for a moment, wondering how anyone could question her ability in this field.
"Well, I guess we have to wait and see how they all respond to the antivirals."
"Yes, we do." She trailed off, able to see a different look in his eyes. "What did Elizabeth and Richard have to say?" It took him off guard a bit, her referring to the man by his first name. But he sighed,
"Elizabeth was a bit relieved that it was something minor, well was when I reported it to her. Mr. Woolsey had his questions as always." There was more to it, she knew he was not saying something as she looked over to where Castiel had rushed past, knowing he was heading to the mess hall to check on those setting it up for others.
"What else did he say, Carson?" How she could catch when he was holding back, he had no idea, but he sighed. "I guess he was a wee bit concerned that I had left you unattended down here. I set that straight."
She rolled her eyes, "Of course he did, well, if he catches this crap I can work to change his mind."
He laughed, "Funny thing is I told him the same thing."