"Oh."

Troy did not remember for the most part exactly what had happened that day Titan had poisoned him. Bar faint voices and feeling his body being moved; there was very little between returning to Stingray after being sprayed with the strange liquid and coming round in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask still on his face.

Troy remembered waking up properly and finding out where Marina was though. That had angered him. As it did now.

"So Titan's behind this?!" he exploded again out of his seat.

"Oh Troy, who cares who's behind it!" Atlanta cried, hand still on his arm. "Marina's sick-!"

At the same time Phones was disbelieving, talking over them.

"He couldn't have been! We've heard nothing in weeks from him! Even after the trap earlier."

"No." the commander agreed. Then doubted himself. "Could he?"

Troy realised his mistake.

"There's no way Titan would have been so sneaky?" he suggested. "Phones is right. He's too arrogant. And we know how much he has it in for Marina. If this was him, and he'd thought he'd won? then surely, he'd be gloating about his handy work."

"Like he did with you, you mean Troy?" the commander agreed. "There's been no bargain demands either. No, this doesn't seem Titian's usual style."

"Marina's always been more useful to him alive." Troy added. "Could it be some other enemy?"

"Oh, like an agent? Another sea-race?" Phones said. "Or even Bereznik?"

"How could they have gotten hold of that deep sea poison?" Atlanta frowned, wiping her eyes. "And why only target Marina? They could have easily taken out the whole town."

"Let the doctor speak?" Fisher asked quietly, his head still in his hands. Far too world weary for such a young man. so much so, it shut them all up. Troy even sat back down Sheepishly.

"You sure doc?" the commander asked, pained despite his best efforts. "You're sure we're dealing with the same poison again?"

"No. There are differences. But at the same time, yes. There are too many similarities to rule it out or confirm it." the doc said blandly. There was another groan. Realising he'd contradicted himself, he explained.

"However, while you fell into a coma-like sleep almost immediately, Captain? Marina is reacting to and fighting it, whatever this is. For you? we were sure you only had hours to live. Marina has been ill for a minimum of seven hours already. or at least twelve going from your statements about her behaviour yesterday." he said.

"Nothing we did eased Tempest's breathing. Or boosted the failing heart rate. Marina's vitals are in a state of flux. And our efforts with earth medicine, while not super effective, haven't been in vain."

"We've a few theories, IF it is indeed the same poison Marina has somehow come into contact with." he continued, "Either, it's a weaker dose? Or, being of the undersea races, it is affecting her differently to how it did Captain Tempest."

"That's what I thought-!" Troy said. "Earlier, in the corridor?"

"Shh-!" Atlanta turned back to the doctor. "Does that mean she'll be alright?"

"Yeah, will Marina pull through then?"

"I would say…" the doc said, "Marina is stronger than we thought. but she could very easily succumb."

"I don't like how that's neither a yes or a no." the commander scowled. The doctor didn't take it personally.
(Not.)

"I'm a man of definite myself, Commander. None of the doctors like the lack of clear solutions any more than you do." He spoke. "Right now, all that is for definite is Maria is in a state of limbo. The fact she can't tell us anything hasn't helped. We have been having trouble narrowing down the source of any pain she may be in."

"If it is the same poison, then another matter is how?" The commander sighed.

"That I can only leave to security to work out, if they can." The doctor took another look at his notes. "It certainly wasn't administered the same way."

Troy scratched his shoulder on impulse. The purple pale tint, and the jellyfish sting-like rash of the antidote, both seemed to have stained his skin for a long while afterwards. Even though the wet suit he'd had on when he'd been sprayed. and with several showers afterwards.

"We couldn't match the substance to anything known to medicine or venoms." the doctor was continuing. "But given how little we apparently do know about the ocean, partially the deepest points, that's understandable. But as I said, we are doing all we can for Marina. Any questions?"

They did. Several. Doc answered them as best he could. but in some areas, he knew as much as they did.

"You said Marina was conscious," Phones said. then at the doctors 'in a manner of speaking' nod asked, "Can we see her?"

"Please?" Troy added.

If there was a contest for hopeful group looks, the Stingray crew and control tower team could have won joint first place.

"Of course." The doctor said, "But you understand…It may be distressing?"

There was a very pointed look at Fisher.

Fisher stood firm and sat to attention.
"I want to see her." he said. The commander made to say something. Troy too. But Fisher shook his head and repeated, "I want to see her, commander sir."

"Very well. Follow me," the doctor said walking to the door. "But just two at a time by the bed please?'