Work Text:
Fargo paced back and forth in the corner of the quarantine room, glancing at the four other people in the room with him.
Dr. Fitz had been admitted to the infirmary early that morning with severe dizziness and nausea. This was quickly traced to exposure to her own biological samples, which had suffered a containment breach during a demonstration two days ago. At the time, the room was immediately scrubbed and all the people present during the demonstration were sent through decontamination and a medical check-up. Apparently, something had been missed.
Dr. Fitz was currently lying semi-conscious on a bed in the corner with Dr. Blake checking on her periodically, while Dr. Stark reviewed the available data with Dr. Fitz’s lab assistant, Kirk Hensen. Luckily, Dr. Fitz was as yet the only one to exhibit more severe symptoms, but as the medical staff were unsure of the possible progression, they were all hoping to find a countermeasure as soon as possible.
Since Dr. Stark usually liked to take charge in solving the science-side of any G.D. crises, he’d ordered a full computer station brought in for him to work on. (Even if it made the quarantine room more cramped to have the large desk squashed in with the medical bed and five progressively more cranky people.) Fargo had tried to be as helpful as possible, but at the moment Dr. Stark was interrogating Hensen about, well, pretty much every step of their research process for the last year.
With nothing else to do, Fargo continued to pace about the room (or what open space was available, at least) in a vain attempt to curb his anxiety and avoid thinking about what would happen next – namely if they would all end up falling unconscious and dying.
X-X-X-X-X-X
Fargo and the others looked up in surprise when the door opened suddenly with a loud hiss and Sybil Hensen – Kirk’s wife – entered the quarantine room. With a crackle of the comm system, one of the med techs outside the room explained that although the initial exposure was airborne, they believed it may have become bloodborne once in their systems. To that end, if any of them knew of anyone who may have come in contact with any potentially infected bodily fluids during the last two days, they should have the individual brought in to be tested.
Dr. Stark sighed, and when Fargo glanced over, he was pinching his nose and looking annoyed. “You’d better test Carter then.”
Almost as one, the rest of the (conscious) room turned to Dr. Blake – who actually appeared even more annoyed than her ex-husband. “For the last time, Nathan, I am not sleeping with Carter.”
“I never said you were.”
Fargo’s eyes widened at the implications of that statement, and he decided to back away as Dr. Blake’s prior annoyance escalated several notches. “What?! And how long has this been going on? You and Carter were at each other’s throats only yesterday over that lab fire.”
“And we spent several hours making up again after.” Fargo wrinkled his nose at the smug leer Dr. Stark cast towards his ex-wife over the top of the computer console. He shared a commiserating glance with the Hensens who looked equally awkward at the drama unfolding in their cramped little room. (He also envied the med tech who’d quickly turned off the comm to withdraw from the brewing argument.) Frankly, Fargo was thrilled to know his idol had some romance in his life as Dr. Stark yelled much less frequently when he was in a good mood. (It was the reason Fargo had been rooting for Dr. Blake to choose Dr. Stark instead of the sheriff – although clearly they’d all had that wrong.) That didn’t mean, however, that he had any desire to know the details of his boss’ sex life.
X-X-X-X-X-X
Twenty minutes later, and the door opened again to admit Sheriff Carter. Even with the earlier warning, Fargo still felt a little shocked at this confirmation of the two men’s relationship, (if it was a relationship and not just friends-with-benefits, or more aptly, enemies-with-benefits), and he could see that he wasn’t the only one. (They’d been exchanging fluids! Eww! He did not need the mental images.) Dr. Blake had taken a deep breath as if she was about to start yelling again, but the sheriff walked right past her to lean against the wall beside Dr. Stark.
“You owe me dinner.”
Dr. Stark gave an exasperated sigh. “I don’t think this counts.”
“Nuh uh. I bet that we’d be outed because of weird science, and this,” he waved at the surrounding quarantine room and the computer screens, “is definitely weird science. Not only that, but you thought I’d be the one who couldn’t keep a secret, but you’re the one who spilled the beans, honeybunch.”
Dr. Stark grimaced. “Don’t ever call me that again.”
Sheriff Carter smiled beatifically.
Dr. Stark’s left eye began twitching.
Dr. Blake started to raise her voice again.
…And Fargo looked around the now very crowded quarantine room and wondered how soon he could get out of there.