Princess Rescue Inc (118 page)

They
began a play fight, which dissolved into a pillow and tickle fight. She laughed
as the pillows exploded and feathers fell in a blizzard. She coughed again when
a pillow hit her. He felt a momentary concern, feeling like he had hit her too
hard then she swatted him with her own pillow and the fight was back on. He
chuckled, then caught her and tickled her until she kissed him. Momentarily
taken off guard, he moved with the kiss until her eyes and smile grew wicked
and her hands curled into claws to attack his now unprotected sides. He
bellowed a laugh and twisted, but she hung on. He went upright but she sat
astride him and pushed him back down with her weight and muscles trained in
martial arts and war. He hit his head on the headboard and she was instantly
contrite, kissing and cooing at him. He groaned a little to milk the situation
then wrapped his arms around her and pinned her to his chest to kiss her soundly.

The
next morning they cuddled, spooned together. When she didn't wake easily he
caressed her face. He felt heat near her forehead. He checked with his hand,
and then felt a pang of worry. She was running a fever. He got up and
immediately called Doc.

  
<==={}------------>

Deidra
and Zara were both escorted to the medical ward, very ill. Sue diagnosed
influenza after examining each of them. “Damn it, I was afraid of this,” Sue
said shaking her head. “Influenza. Temperature of a hundred and two, headache,
chills, muscle pain, coughing, fatigue... damn!”

“Cross
contamination or local bug?” Charlie asked, seriously worried.

Sue
scowled, face bleak. “Either or both. I'm not sure. We don't have the
facilities to check and be sure, so I'm going to eliminate the threat the best
way we can. Roll up your sleeve Ryans,” she ordered. He blinked at her.

“Sleeve,”
she snarled. She pulled out a blood draw kit. “You’re first.”

He
grunted then sat down and rolled up his sleeve. “Antibodies Doc?” he asked.

“Well
since we got the latest vaccines before we left, hopefully it'll help.
If
her immune system doesn't attack them instead of the damn virus,” she said. She
sighed and looked over to a waiting nurse. “Flu protocols are in effect.
Quarantine. Use antiseptics, gloves, and masks. Tell Dejani that I want those
with the virus isolated and the staff attending to them isolated as well to
prevent cross contamination. Get with stores and make sure they've got what
they need sorted out and a place to work.” She looked over to another group of
nurses staring.

“Move
it people. We've got an epidemic to head off,” she said firmly, eyes flashing.
The nurses scattered. “The good news, such as it is...” she swabbed his arm,
“is that Wanda made antimicrobial wipes and we got started on an immunization
project a week ago,” she said quietly to him as she set the blood draw up.

“And
the bad news?” he asked.

“That
we just started a week ago. I knew something was going to hit since the weather
changed and it's cold and flu season. I wasn't sure which way it would jump
though. Also we've only got so many needles to use,” she grimaced. “We've been
boiling and using the sterilization chamber to recycle them till Max figures
out how to make more, but there are only so many to go around. After a while
though they're going to be painful to use. At least we don't have to worry
about other things,” she said.

He
nodded. “Yeah, glad we got the plastics sorted out,” he said. Which was true.
They now could make raw plastic for the 3D printers. A lot of plastic medical
gear was around them, but needles were stainless steel. He watched as she
attached the tube and then looked away as she released the tourniquet and his
blood began to flow through the tube and into the catch bag.

“Yup.
And those fabricators help a bit,” she sighed. “We're going to have to set up
quarantines. The old, the very young, and the sick are the highest risk
groups.”

“Yeah,
I know,” he muttered. He pulled out his tablet and typed with his free hand. He
started a list and sent e-mails detailing the situation to all the gaijin. His
eyes scanned the next document he brought up. He scowled, not happy about what
he was seeing.

“We're
going to need to inoculate them and anyone exposed as quickly as possible.
Starting with the medical staff,” he said. She looked down at what was on the
tablet.

“Notes?”
she asked.

“Of
course,” he smiled. “How do you think I know so much about different things? I
check the database.”

Sue
snorted. “Cheater.”

“Works
doesn't it?” he asked.

“Okay,
well, Domina Farnsworth has just started on a path to becoming an immunologist.
I helped her isolate the smallpox virus yesterday actually.”

“Well,
that's good news,” Ryans replied with a nod. She looked for Charlie. Charlie
had already taken off with the blood sample.

“It's
easy when you know what you’re looking for.” Sue grimaced. “We cultured it and
she's testing a weakened version to see if it'll work as a vaccine.”

“Ah.
I do hope you've got safety protocol in mind?” he asked.

“Do
you take me for an idiot?” Sue snarled. He shook his head.

“Yeah,
we're doing everything by the book, or as close as we can with what we've got
to work with,” she sighed. “We've got to take some chances. We need a vaccine
for a lot of stuff if we're going to start making a difference here.”

He
grunted, worry was written all over his face though.

“Yeah
I know, we've done that, but not enough. Not in my book anyway,” she growled.
She pulled her own tablet out and frowned.

“How
many?” he asked, now worried.

“Too
damn many already. We're getting reports in from the hospital and clinics in
the capital even as we speak. And it's getting worse every minute. I've got
to...” A nurse bumped a tray to the ground. He jerked, startled. Sue pushed him
down. “Easy.” She glared at the nurse.

The
nurse mumbled an apology as she bent and picked the gear up. She tossed it into
the soiled bin. She bent over at the waist, giving Ryans a perfect waist shot.
He sighed, leaning back, closing his eyes.

“Headache
already?” Sue asked looking down at him. She felt his forehead to check for a
temperature but he seemed fine.

“No,
just trying to stay out of trouble,” he replied, eyes still closed. She snorted
glancing at the clumsy nurse. “Fat chance of that.”

“I
can try can't I?” he mock demanded, rubbing his brow and covering his eyes. He
peeked when the nurse was gone.

Sue
snorted. “Yeah well, you do that. I've got work to do. Back in a bit.”

“Vampire,”
he mock growled.

  <==={}------------>

Doc,
Charlie, Wanda, and Lady Farnsworth worked on a vaccine from antibodies from
the Terrans. Charlie explained that the Terrans most likely introduced this
version of the virus, and were vulnerable to the viruses the natives had in
their bodies. They raced for a cure while isolating the sick in strict
quarantine.

Working
on a hunch Sue checked in on the wounded soldiers. The epidemic was hammering
the military hospital and barracks. Some of the smarter people were wearing
masks and improvised gloves. Infection protocols were filtering through to the
various caretakers. Heralds went from door to door telling people what to do to
treat the ill and providing medicine to ease the fever.

Sue
found that some of the military people had had a weak run with the virus; some
had none at all while others had the full effect. She borrowed Corgi to check
the records. Sure enough those that had a gaijin blood transfusion were getting
a weaker version or no illness. They had to be immune. She borrowed them to
make more vaccine.

Several
older and younger people with compromised immune systems died as the epidemic
spread. Deidra and Zara managed to pull through the first two nights but were
gravely ill.

Reluctantly
Ryans stayed away from Deidra and the clinic. He wanted to be there, wanted to
be by her side but he had to help organize the relief effort. He was torn but
he knew she'd want him to help her people. He checked in on her though, having
Sue set up a tablet and webcam so he could check in on her. Deidra and Zara
slept. The Queen came to visit each of them daily.

The
isolated old retainers began to fall ill, with their compromised immune systems
they began to wrack with terrible coughs and nausea. Fevers overheated the ill
and some passed away in their sleep, bodies just too overwhelmed to cope. Sue
tried to take the deaths in her stride.

The
newly made aspirin, rest, liberal doses of citrus, the native fever reducing
herb, and vaccines were the order of the day. Fortunately aspirin was already
in production and being propagated throughout the realm. Senji and Xena camped
out in the royal communications room for days answering frantic semaphore
questions. Sue put together a FAQ and a treatment method for them to broadcast.
Royal messengers were sent out. Sue made sure each was vaccinated before they
left to try to contain the spread of the virus.

  <==={}------------>

A
week into the epidemic and they were starting to get things under control. Once
treatment methods were released and the most vulnerable or those with the most
contact with others were vaccinated the thing started to run its course. There
were no antivirals to kill the virus; it had to run its course. The Queen's
daily visits to her daughters and the wards, despite Sue's advice to stay away,
had unintended consequences.

She
hid her illness for a time, accidentally infecting her servants. When she
realized the danger she was posing to her people she isolated herself and her
servants in her tower. Sue heard about it and went to help. The Queen was
feverish and delirious but firm and her servants followed her orders. A sick
servant stumbled and accidentally knocked over a lamp, which lit a dust dry
tapestry ablaze. In moments the entire tower was an inferno. Deidra and Zara
sat up in bed and cried out when they saw the night blaze from their window.
Deidra was getting better; she managed to pull her blankets off to get to the
window before Zara. She stared in mute horror at the blaze.

The
natives used a bucket brigade as well as hand pumps built by Max. They could
see arms hanging out the arrow slits, people screamed, begging and pleading for
help. Smoke poured from the tower.

With
only arrow slits on the lower three stories the trapped people who had yet to
succumb to the intense heat and smoke were forced to upper floors to get to
windows for air. Many were sick and just couldn't make it up the stairs. Some
fell back, blocking the way for others. Gently but firmly the Queen urged them
on, ever higher, coughing. No one could get close to the tower, apparently the
people inside were tossing out anything flammable. Of course that left the
floors and roofs and stuff too big to get out the window. “They're doomed!” a
female spectator cried horrified. Her hands were on her face, cringing in
horror.

“The
hell they are!” Ryans bellowed. He turned to the crowd. “Get tarps, bed sheets,
blankets, anything that we can use and get them here now!” he ordered. People
who were not helping with the water turned and rushed off. Answorth came up
first with a tarp.

“All
right folks, you lot come over here,” he ordered. He pointed to a group of men
and women nearby. “Grab a side. Remember that game you did where you tossed
people in the air with a blanket? Well we're going to reverse it.”

Grimly
the group got organized and had the tarps set up. They called up to the people
hanging out the of the tower windows. People hanging out the windows coughed,
looking terrified at the ground and people below. One man climbed out on a
ledge, edging away from the window and clinging to the stone behind his back
with his fingers. They yelled for him to jump but he just kept shaking his head
no. A woman toppled out of a window. The team below managed to catch her.

“She's
not breathing. Doc!” Ryans called. They rolled the girl off the sheet and then
held it up for another catch.

They
tried to use tarps to catch people jumping from windows with mixed results. A
few were injured, breaking arms or legs in the landing. One man landed head
first and snapped his neck and was killed. The Queen remained behind to the last,
succumbing to the smoke.

When
no more people came out of the windows Ryans looked up anxiously. He wasn't
sure if the Queen had made it or not, she might have come out another window.
“Clear this,” he said, waving to the jumble of debris. “Before it spreads,” he
ordered. Grimly men and women of every rank and station got to work on the
piles, pitching the smoldering debris into the moat or stomping on it.

Grimly
Sergio arrived with fire gear and an ax. He batted down the remains of the door
and went in, tossing things out of his way. Max arrived with the engineering
hummer. He jumped out with Scooter and went to the back. Scooter opened the
cabinet built into the side of the truck and pulled out a hose and ran off with
it over one shoulder. Max pulled out a pump and set it on the ground then found
another hose and added it. “Hurry up with that water!” he snarled over his
shoulder.