by Commander Lance Hartcort
81209.1100
Awhile after At Least We're Together
-=Altaan Province, Bajor=-
81209.1100
Awhile after At Least We're Together
-=Altaan Province, Bajor=-
Lance stared at the computer screen in front of him. The screen was divided into four parts, each displayed cells of various colors floating around under the microscope. He scratched his five o’clock shadow, and grunted.
This new virus had jumped species which was distressing. But what was curious was that as of yet neither himself or Dr. Adams had shown any signs of the virus, yet the most recent blood samples show virus cells in both of the systems, dead.
So what was allowing Azalea and himself to fight and kill the virus while Fleur had succumbed to it?
Also, what was allowing certain children at the orphanage to avoid the virus. Blood samples from them also showed exposure, but no infection.
“Computer, display the Starfleet medical record for Dr. Lance Hartcort, Dr. Azalea Adams, and civilian Fleur Le Marc.” He ordered.
There was a beep as the records displayed onto three separate screens. Lance glanced at each of them but soon found himself rubbing his eyes in frustration. In true Starfleet fashion the information was well organized, but there was simply a lot of it to digest.
He sighed. “Computer cross reference the current files for any and all identical entries.”
There was a beep. ^There are currently 651 identical entries contained in the three files.^
*Well that’s too many.*
“Computer narrow to only entries that relate to medical entries.”
There was another beep. ^Search narrowed to 126 entries.^
“That’s better. Display entries.”
There was a beep as the cross reference entries were displayed on the fourth screen. Lance grabbed his cold cup of coffee and began to read.
-=One hour and fifteen minutes later =-
Lance sat back and rubbed his eyes.
Nothing. He could see nothing that stood out.
He stood up and began to pace as was his habit when deep in thought. * What is the connection? Why were he and Azalea immune, yet Fleur was not? Why were the other children at the orphanage seemingly unaffected? *
* What is the connection? *
Suddenly he stopped and snapped his fingers before returning to the monitor.
“Computer, display matching entries that appear in the Hartcort and Adams files but do not appear in the Le Marc file.”
There was the familiar beep. ^There is only 1 matching reference.^
“On screen.”
Lance read the information and smiled.
“Bingo!”
Running around the field lab he began to gather various blood samples; it was time to get to work.
-=USS Alchemy=-
Azalea sat in the small Sickbay monitoring the deteriorating condition of Timal as well as monitoring Fleur when Lance busted into the room.
“Dr. Adams. Let me ask you a question.” He was smiling ear to ear as he made his way to the supply cabinet and withdrew a hypo.
Azalea blinked, not sure what was going on. “OK sure.”
He grinned. “Have you ever had the Chicken Pox?”
She blinked again as she tried to focus her mind on the abrupt and unusual question. “Um, yes. As a child.”
Lance laughed. “So did I. He jammed the hypo to his arm drawing blood, and then moved to one of the work stations as Azalea stood and followed him, sensing something was up. Something big; something good.
He snapped the hypo into the scanner. “However our poor patient Fleur never did. She was one of the ‘fortunate’ kids to get the Chicken Pox inoculation as a child instead. Which we all know, gives you a low grade mild form of the disease but not the full blown, busting out in spots, high-end form like what we caught.
“The DNA of this new virus is very similar to the Chicken Pox DNA, in fact its core, un-evolved strands are identical. It’s like the Chicken Pox virus is it’s prehistoric ancestor.”
He walked over to another station picked up another vial. It contained the virus that had been extracted from Fleur's blood. He combined the virus to his blood sample and turned on the monitor. Immediately the white blood cells from his blood attacked and destroyed the virus.
Azalea watched as he once again walked over and grabbed another vial. This one contained the virus extracted from Timal’s blood. He once again added it to his blood sample and once again the white cells found, attacked, and killed the virus.
"Two different strains were just wiped out by white cells that were exposed to the full form of Chicken Pox.” He tapped the screen. “These cells have the antibodies need to attach and destroy the viruses core DNA. So it does not matter what strain you have or how far it mutates, these cells will kill it!
“If you had the vaccine, your white cells never got the full antibodies. It stopped you from getting the full form of the Chicken Pox but you are also still a carrier. Plus, you are susceptible to this new virus.” He concluded. “Human and Bajoran hematology are so similar it was easy for it to jump species.”
Azalea was all smiles until she thought about the children that had not fallen ill. “But wait. Why aren’t all of the children getting sick? Bajorans do not get Chicken Pox.”
Lance held up his finger. “True, but they do get a childhood disease called Mullican Mumps, which by the way never was seen on Bajor until after the first visit of humans. Symptoms are very similar to Chicken Pox.” He produced a PADD from his pocket and handed it to his fellow doctor.
“I researched the records. Not that long ago, just about a year, a wave of the Mullican Mumps rolled though the orphanage. Several of the kids came down with it. Can you guess which ones?”
She read the data that Lance provided. “It was about a week or so after some of the Serendipity crew made a visit here,” she observed with interest.
Lance nodded. “A Commander TC Blane was part of crew that was here. According to records he also received the CP inoculation.”
Azalea nodded, understanding the correlation. “So he was still a carrier of the low-grade form of the virus.”
Lance smiled. “Which, I think, mutates just enough into Mullican Mumps in vulnerable Bajorans.”
She grabbed his arms, suddenly sharing in his excitement. “So when the kids got sick their bodies produced antibodies similar to the ones in our white cells and protects them from infection!”
Lance clapped his hands. “Yes! Granted they are still carriers as their white cells only attack cells that have been mutated by the virus while our attach the virus itself. But like I said earlier our hematology is so similar that I think we can have a cure within hours!”
Suddenly with a move that swiftly graceful he gently grabbed her by the cheeks and planted a passionate kiss on her lips.
“I love my job!” He exclaimed, after he finished the kiss.
Releasing the shocked doctor Adams, he winked and jogged over to the terminal to begin the process of cell replication and modification needed to make a working cure.
Commander Lance Hartcort
Chief Medical Officer
USS Revolution
Currently on Bajor
NRPG: Brilliant, D. Freakin' brilliant.
Chief Medical Officer
USS Revolution
Currently on Bajor
NRPG: Brilliant, D. Freakin' brilliant.