Title: Outbreak of Fear
Chapter: 4
Universe: Land of the Giants
Rating: PG, Adventure
Archive: Let me know where, please
Spoilers: don't think so
Feedback: craved so badly
Disclaimer: no money earned, but a lot of fun had, all IA's and the wonderful actors that breathed life
into them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dan and Steve stood frozen at the base of the staircase, watching the dark shape of the Doctor's cat pace steadily towards them. Steve was the first to move, pushing Dan towards a glass cabinet standing against the wall under a large, ornate mirror. The two men ran flat out, ducking under the lip of the cabinet on their stomach's, sliding on the polished wood floor, until they landed up against the skirting board. Steve twisted round to see the cat's head at floor level, peering under the wooden lip, trying to see what had scuttled under there. Steve scooted backwards until he came up against Dan flattened against the wall.

" Are you okay ?" Steve panted, keeping a wary eye on the cat as it paced around the glass case, trying to find a way to get under it.

" Fine...can it reach us here ?" Dan gasped, trying to ease the ache in his side. The cat bent down again, hearing their voices and perplexed that they were coming from under the bureau. Suddenly a paw shot out and reached for the two men, making them shrink back as it swept back and forth, searching, the claws outstretched and flexing. The paw was retracted and the cat meowed in frustration. It paced back to the other side, making Dan and Steve scrabble to put as much space between them and it. The illumination from the porch light gave the scene a lurid colour, making the shadow of the cat leap and warp. At one point the cat disappeared when it leapt onto the top of the cabinet, making it shudder. The men cowering below winced when the small lamp on the top crashed to the parquet floor, shooting shards of porcelain everywhere. Dan and Steve crouched behind one of the legs to avoid being hit by the flying glass and pottery pieces. The cat decided that retreat was in order and jumped down as a light went on, upstairs, shining down on the staircase. A voice called down making the cat pause, torn between the desire to flee and the lure of a possible feed from its Giant owner. Steve and Dan heard the Doctor coming down the stairs. When he saw the cat the Doctor muttered and cursed the animal, picking it up and giving it a sound telling off for breaking the light and getting him out of bed. Steve and Dan could see Tiron's slippers as he stepped over the mess, going to a hall cupboard and retrieving a brush and dustpan. The cat tried to rub round his legs as he swept, which made Tiron pick it up and open the front door, throwing the cat outside where it stood, hissing and spitting at it's undignified exit. Shutting the door, Tiron turned to complete the clean up. Dan crawled out from under the cabinet and stood in plain sight, waving to attract the Doctors attention. Tiron glanced up, seeing something in his peripheral vision and nearly fell over in surprise.

" Oh my gawd, you gave me a shock....what are you doing back here ?"

" Doctor Tiron, I need your help, some friends of mine have been exposed to a gas and are gravely ill...could you look at them ?" Dan explained, gesturing to Steve to stay out of sight for the time being.

" I could, where are they...what sort of gas was it ?" Tiron asked.

" We don't know, it was a tank stored in a barn on the farm we're currently staying at...they're really sick," Dan answered, looking up at Tiron hopefully.

" Okay, well I'd better clear up this mess then we can take a look at your friends....you said "we"...are there more of you ?"

Steve stepped out from behind the bureau leg, " Yes Doctor Tiron, my names Steve, Dan told us of your kindness to him, and Jubel, we hoped you would be able to help our friends as well."

" I'll do my best....can I lift you both up to the table top, it would make it easier to talk there."

" Certainly, just one thing....your cat ?" Steve asked, worried the feline would be back.

" Oh you mean Rastus....he'll have to stay out tonight, I'll put the catch on the catdoor. Now, where are your friends ?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Half an hour later, Steve and Dan watched as Tiron inspected Mark and Valerie, laid out on his examining table in the surgery. The Doctor used a magnifying glass to closely examine their skin tone and eye colour. Mark had moved restlessly during the procedure, but Valerie hardly stirred. Doctor Tiron clucked to himself, as each new symptom presented itself to his gaze.

" How long have they been like this ?" he asked.

" The best part of twelve hours," Steve replied.

Tiron tut-tutted some more, then turned and got a book from the shelf above his desk, bringing it back to the table. He leafed through the tome, looking for any reference to the symptoms displayed by Mark and Val. After a while he went and got another book, this one a lot slimmer and relatively new looking. Again he flipped through the index then leafed ahead several chapters before stabbing his finger down on a particular page and letting go a huff of satisfaction.

" This is it," he pointed to the page, indicating for Steve and Dan to read what was written.

" This is a book that specialises in the reactions to certain chemicals used in farm applications. It would appear your friends have been exposed to a highly toxic fungal spray. The farm you're staying at, if its the one I'm thinking of, was used as a base for aerial spraying of the orchards around here. They've had to use fungicides to control the black rot that is prevalent in the spring. Those tanks would have been mostly empty, but the residual gas is very corrosive and must have eaten through its container," Tiron concluded, sitting back in his chair, as Dan and Steve read the literature confirming the diagnosis.

" What can we do for them....is it treatable ?" asked Steve.

" We need to get them hooked up to an IV line, to get fluids into their system and flush out the chemicals. Plus they will need to be put into an oxygen tent to boost their lungs ability to flush the gas out of their system," Tiron explained, rubbing his forehead as he tried to think of what they could use for the small scale needed.

" What about their eyes, and skin colour ?" Dan asked, absently rubbing his side where the bandage itched.

" The fluids and oxygen will help to flush the toxin out of their bodies and take the colouring agent with them. Our problem is where do we put them while this is taking place, it'll take at least two days before we'll see an improvement in their condition. I still have a practice to run, I can set it up, but you'll have to monitor them and see to their needs. Have either of you ever inserted or looked after anyone with a catheter ?"

Steve looked blankly up at the Doctor, but Dan nodded his head. " I have, I had to nurse my grandmother through the last few years of her life," he gave Steve a sheepish grin," it was going to be my second career choice, male nurse, if the airforce academy turned me down."

" How did you fit in the Olympics ?" Steve asked, awed that he was still learning about his friends previous life before the academy.

" You do what has to be done, the Olympics were a snap, after my Gran," Dan grinned and shrugged.

" Sorry to break this up but it will be daylight soon. I'll see what I can find in the way of equipment, but I'll have to leave the rest up to you, after I see your coping okay. The other problem is where to put you all. My nurse, Karla will be here in the morning, but she leaves after lunch, then it's just me and the cat."

" Do you have a spare room, or somewhere your nurse doesn't usually use or go into ?" asked Steve.

" I do...a spare room, that is...its at the top of the stairs, Karla would have no reason to go in there during a normal day. That would work, okay then I'll carry you all up there, then bring up the necessary equipment and supplies. It won't be exactly sterile but its the best we can do in the circumstances. Dan, you'll have to scrub and clean yourself as best as possible, I'll get you a bowl, water and soap."

Doctor Tiron hurried off to gather together all they'd need for the remainder of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Betty stood outside the ship, her arms wrapped around her middle, the blanket draped over her shoulders slowly slipping down as she remained like a statue at the bottom of the Windsifter's steps. Her eye's were fixed on the direction she expected to see the missing members of their group to return. She had talked to Steve earlier, just after midnight, when he reported what they were doing for Mark and Valerie. She wished she was there to help, but understood Steve's reluctance to get anyone else involved, or put at risk. It was just pure frustration that wasn't allowing her to sleep when, in fact, she was nearly dead on her feet.

The wind had blown itself out earlier in the evening, leaving piles of debris heaped around the ship and camp. It was on Barry and Fitzhugh list of jobs to do in the morning. Betty wondered how Steve was coping with the medical aspects of the treatment. She smiled to herself, as much as Steve liked to think he was up to any challenge, she had a fairly good idea that Steve would rather face any Giant than have to perform surgery on anyone ever again. He had faced up and performed the appendectomy on Barry, so long ago now, and even been prepared to do the surgery on Dan's leg, but it was because there was simply no-one else prepared to take the responsibility. If there was one thing Steve felt more strongly than anyone, it was his responsibility to the group. Betty was convinced Steve would give his life and freedom for any one of them, despite what anyone else thought of their worthiness. It was exactly that selfless devotion to his "duty" that had kept the group together this long. Steve would never let one of them fall or be abandoned for the good of the group, everyone was of equal importance and deserving of equal consideration. Fitzhugh had pushed the envelope of that code more times than anyone, and Mark had tried to go his own way more than once. But eventually it was Steve's word that set the final benchmark for everyone to follow. It was what kept them all together and gave them a purpose and ideal to maintain. It was also the aspect of his personality that endeared him to her most strongly, that and the deep, hidden love that Betty had nursed for so long. Even before the accident, Betty had wheedled and coerced to get on that flight, just because it would enable her to work closely with the ships Captain. She had never let on that she had held her breath when the Supervisor had named the Captain and Co-pilot to take the Spindrift out. Outwardly she had been the consummate hostess, but inwardly she had felt a giddy sensation take over, as if her heart was expanding and filling her whole chest, ready to burst. All through their early days on the alien planet, she had watched as Steve had found his true calling. Despite their bizarre lifestyle, Steve seemed to flourish and thrive under the constant pressure. It was now hard to imagine him anywhere else. Earth would certainly seem tame if they ever returned there.

Betty hugged the blanket back around her shoulders, such aimless musing wouldn't help her when she couldn't keep her eye's open during the day because she was exhausted. With one last, longing look into the pre-dawn gloom, Betty turned and climbed the short steps to the Windsifter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valerie decided that staying unconscious had a lot to recommend it. Coming back to awareness proved painful and disturbing. Sound was the first to intrude on the velvety blackness that cushioned her and kept her safe. At first they were indistinguishable noises, murmurs and rustles, nothing distinct or understandable. Then as her brain awoke from its long sleep, the sounds resolved themselves into voices of people she knew, Steve and Dan. The words were still a mystery but at least she was among friends, making her relax . Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Valerie could make out what was being said.

" Pass me the new bag, I'll hook it up before the previous one empties,"

" Mark's about due for another one as well,"

" I'll see to that after I finish with Valerie,"

" Tiron should be back soon, I'd like his opinion on their progress, I'm not happy with Mark's breathing, his pulse is all over the place,"

The mention of Mark's name caused a spurt of adrenaline to course through Valerie's veins causing her to take a sharp breath. Her eyes unwillingly prised themselves open, the light stabbing shards of pain, making Valerie wince. She blinked slowly, getting her eyes used to the diffused brightness, the blurry shapes above her resolved themselves into the concerned features of Steve and Dan, bending over her.

" Valerie, can you hear me.." Steve was asking. Valerie tried to reply but her lips didn't seem to want to co-operate, she licked her lips hesitantly, feeling her tongue rasp over their dry and cracked surface. Steve pressed a soft, wet cloth to her lips, wetting them and easing the dryness. Valerie swallowed and tried again, her voice seeming to come from far away.

" Mark...." she whispered.

" He's right here, we're taking care of him, your both safe," Steve explained, glancing at Dan who grinned back.

" The barn...." Valerie said.

" You and Mark were exposed to a gas from one of the cylinders, you're being treated, we found a friendly Doctor who's monitoring your progress," said Dan.

" How long.." she asked, her eyes darting between Steve and Dan, drinking in their familiar expressions.

" Nearly three days...you've had us really worried," Steve replied, smiling down at her.

Valerie closed her eyes, exhausted already, but this time she slipped into a natural sleep, her hands relaxed on the covers, no longer gripping the blankets as her body was racked with spasms.

Steve and Dan let go sighs of relief. They had both been tending Mark and Valerie day and night, holed up in a cupboard, in the spare room.

Doctor Tiron had equipped them with everything they needed to care for the patients, as well as for their own needs. The door to the spare room had been kept shut, keeping both the Cat and the Nurse out, and allowing the cupboard door to be kept ajar to let in light and air. Once Mark and Valerie had been hooked up to the fluids they had shown a marked improvement, the oxygen tent improvised from a plastic bag and small oxygen tank. Valerie was responding positively, her discoloured skin now nearly back to normal. Her eye's still carried a residual discolouration but not as bad as the first day. The Doctor had assured them that they would make a full recovery, which gave Steve and Dan hope. Now that Valerie had awoken, it only left Mark to worry over. He had been exposed the longest, so his body was taking longer to recover, plus it appeared that he may have developed a lung infection, just to complicate matters. Dan had been closely monitoring his progress, listening to his lungs and charting his temperature and pulse. Doctor Tiron had given them a course of vitamins and antibiotics to boost the flushing of their system, and to allay any possible infections. Valerie appeared to have recovered almost completely, so now Dan concentrated on Mark, keeping a close watch on his vital signs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" That's wonderful news, thank goodness they're on the mend," Betty's happy, relieved voice brought a smile to Steve's face.

" Doctor Tiron says, once Mark regains consciousness, they should be well enough to leave before the end of the week,"

" That's good to hear, how are you and Dan coping ?" Betty asked, her concern washing over Steve like a balm. He hadn't realised how much he relied on Betty to bolster his spirits when things got tough.

" We're fine, we'll be glad of a change of clothes and a bath when we get back, the facilities here are pretty basic,"

" I'll keep an entire cake of soap aside for you," Betty teased.

" We'll sure need it...have you seen anything of Jubel since we left ?"

" Not a sign, mind you we haven't exactly been venturing much further than the trough,"

" How are the others doing ?" Steve asked, rubbing a hand over his face, feeling the three day beard itching and scratching his skin.

" They're grumbling about the short rations, and boredom but otherwise we're all fine," Betty informed him.

" I'll give you a call again tomorrow, by then Mark should at least be awake, Valerie is making a quick recovery now she's up and about,"

" Let's hope Mark has the same...Goodnight Steve," Betty said softly.

" Goodnight Betty, we'll see you all soon, Steve out,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Mark, it's Valerie, open your eyes, come on....time to wake up," Valerie's soft voice washed over Mark as he struggled to get his eyelids to obey his brain. Licking his dry lips, he tried to answer her, but only managed an incoherent moan.

" Don't try to talk, you only need to open those baby blues for me, come on its not that hard, I've shaded the light for you." Valerie's insistence paid off when Mark's dark lashes lifted and blinked up at her, his dilated pupils quickly adjusting to the brighter light.

" There you go, it's easy....don't try to sit up yet, you've been very sick, so don't expect to be jumping out of bed too soon," Valerie rambled on, Mark watching her mouth as she talked, focusing on her lips as the sound flowed over him. Eventually his eyes slowly shut as he relaxed back into the blackness, this time slipping into a healing sleep. Valerie wiped a hand over her eyes, relief and weakness making her overly emotional. She felt Steve's hand on her shoulder giving her a squeeze of encouragement.

" He make a full recovery, just like you did, don't worry," Steve reassured her.

" I know, its just been hard watching him battle that infection, we nearly lost him Steve," Valerie choked. Steve nodded, understanding only too well how she felt. All three of them had fought for Mark's life, the lung infection taking hold on the day Valerie had first opened her eyes, only the medication supplied by the good Doctor had turned the tide and saved Mark's life. Now, another three days on and Mark had finally come out of the coma and appeared to be recovering well. Jubel had been to visit them, bringing Barry with a bag of necessities, allowing the men to finally change their clothes and attend to their burgeoning beards. Valerie had regained her strength with heartening speed, getting out of her makeshift bed on the fifth day. The Doctor had given her a clean bill of health, the all clear to return to their camp. Valerie had opted to help nurse Mark, not surprisingly, and had borne her fair share of the nursing duties, holding Marks hand and talking to him when the fever had him in its grip. Now she felt a huge weight lift off her with Mark's brief period of lucidity, they were going to be alright.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" I'm not an invalid, I can feed myself,"

Steve winced on Valerie's behalf, glad it was her bearing the brunt of Mark's ill-humour. It was now two days since Mark had come out of the coma, his improvement as rapid as his temper was uncertain. Mark did not make for a happy patient, only Valerie seemed to have any success in keeping him pinned to his sick bed until Tiron gave him the all-clear. They were hoping that the Doctor would be home soon and check Mark out, allowing them to return to the Windsifter and the rest of their friends.

" If you don't finish this up you won't get any dessert," Valerie stated, resting the bowl on her lap as she sat on the edge of Mark's bed.

" And what could you possibly offer me for dessert, that would make that stuff palatable ?" Mark grumbled. Valerie only smiled and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

" Me "

Mark visibly gulped, his eyes widening as Valerie straightened up, putting the bowl on the floor beside the bed. His gaze followed her as she sashayed over to where Steve was standing, a hand clamped over his mouth in an attempt to keep the laughter from spilling over.

" Let me know when the bowls empty," Valerie told him, then carried on, walking out past the cupboard door into the spare room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Okay Little Man, you appear to have survived, with no lingering symptoms, you'll still need to have a period of recovery, but I'm happy that you lungs are clear and your body has cleaned itself of the toxin, you and the Little Lady shouldn't expect any further after affects."

" Thank you Tiron, we appreciate all help you've given us," Mark said as he buttoned his shirt. They were all gathered in the Doctors surgery, awaiting the final verdict before Jubel took them back to the Windsifter's camp.

" That goes for all of us, we wouldn't have survived without you," Valerie added, moving to take Marks hand, which he'd held out to her. Their near brush with disaster had shown Mark where his priorities should lay, breaking the deadlock that had almost forced them apart. After they were fully recovered Mark intended to make his relationship with Valerie unbreakable.

Doctor Tiron was putting his stethoscope away, but turned and smiled down at his smallest ever patients.

" Oh no, I have a feeling you are destined to survive despite your apparently overwhelming odds. I have been honoured to be of some help to you, it has given me an opportunity that few in my profession can lay claim to."

Valerie inclined her head in acknowledgment of his gallant speech. Jubel was standing a little way off, waiting for his cue to load them and their gear into the box, then to take them back to the farm.

" Jubel, we're ready to go home now," Steve announced, Jubel jerked at the sound of his name and came forward, lowering the box to the table top. Mark and Valerie got in, followed by Steve and Dan. Before Jubel put the lid on they gave Doctor Tiron one final wave, then Jubel secured the box and lifted it, tucking it under his arm.

" Take care of our small friends, Jubel, I expect I'll see you around," Tiron said, patting Jubel on the back as he passed.

" I'll do that Doc," said Jubel.

Doctor Tiron escorted Jubel to the back door, watching as he slipped down the garden path and around the corner, lifting his hand in a final farewell. Tiron secured the screen door and turned to go upstairs. It had certainly been an interesting week, but one he didn't want to repeat too soon, thank you, his nerves would never stand it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~