Understaffed

By Donna and Abs

The town of Edan was full. Most of the crew of the Bounty was in town, celebrating their temporary freedom loudly in the bar of the Hotel. Many of them visited the Mercantile, trading for clothing and other things with some interesting souvenirs they had gathered from both their voyages on Earth, and from exploring the Edan coastline. When one of the crew who had just been one of store’s customers went back to his room, complaining he was not feeling well, everyone thought it was just from the drinking and paid him no mind.  After the rather rowdy crew was taken back to their ship, life quietened down in Edan again. That is until the Polish storekeeper, Bogaslav Banas, came down with a high fever, chills and nausea. Little did anyone know that the ill sailor’s condition had gradually worsened, and the man eventually died and was buried at sea. 

Mercy Campbell had begun helping out in the store, especially when there was a lot of business like there had been when the "fleet" came in.  She was worried about Bogy, who was a healthy young man otherwise.  After putting him to bed in his little apartment behind the store, she ran to the clinic and inquired if any of the doctors could take a look at him.  Doc Adams agreed to go, though they were slightly undermanned.  Helm was away in Esperanza, and Giles was in Camelot. 

He didn't like what he found when he checked the young man out. He had seen influenza enough to recognize it immediately. He got Bogy as comfortable as possible, and then told Mercy to clean the store thoroughly with a strong bleach solution, and to keep it closed until it was determined to be safe to open it again. By the time he got back to the clinic, he found a miserable Montoya in the waiting room along with Grace MacDonald, who had come to tell them that her sister Faith was ill. 

Alex Taylor popped his head out the exam room door.  Seeing Doc, he said, "I know!  Take Montoya into Room Two and then help me out.  At least you can't catch it.  Shepherd is up with Gideon, and he's having kittens because we're on half staff!" 

Adams asked if Gideon was sick too, but Alex shook his head. "No, thank goodness, but as soon as we figured out that we had people coming down with the flu, he decided to get him the hell out of town before he got it too.  He would never survive it in his condition right now. Shepherd is taking him out to Connor MacLeod's farm. He should be safe there.”  

"His resistance will be very low," agreed Doc.  Then he swore.  The bone marrow transplant for Gideon had been scheduled for later that week.  Sighing, he said, "All right, Colonel, please follow me." 

Shepherd returned a short time later, a scowl on his face. At least Gideon should be safe from the flu now. He had not been feeling well for over a week now, so he had spent most of his time in bed resting.  Katherine, an experienced mid-wife, had done more than her share of nursing in the past and she was more than capable of setting up an IV for a blood transfusion from the Highlander if it became necessary to keep Gideon’s condition stable.  

Methos was out of town, so on his way back to the clinic, he talked to the town’s assistant mayor, Duncan MacLeod. If they acted now, they might stop the sickness from becoming a world wide epidemic. The pony express riders were dispatched, with orders that there would be no traveling between settlements until they were sure it was safe.  The riders themselves were not to have any contact with anyone outside of the town, just deliver the messages and ride straight back. Of course, that moratorium on travel meant they would have to stay two doctors short.  

Though Methos might return - and possibly Adam Pierson could be used as well.  The nurses they might normally have used - the Bride Ship girls - could not be risked, and there was some worry that Kat's Immortality might not stand up now that she was pregnant, plus she was needed to watch over Gideon.  So Sarah Jo was pretty much alone as a nurse. 

As yet another feverish and coughing man came into the clinic, the Doctors sighed collectively. They all had a feeling none of them would be getting much sleep or rest for quite a while.