I'm Fine
by Wyndewalker
AU: ATF
Feedback E-Mail: wynde@wyndewalker.com
Note: These :: :: mark the beginning and end of a thought.

Friday Afternoon

"Ah-choo!"

Vin leaned around his computer to look at Ezra. That was the fourth sneeze in the past twenty minutes. He watched as yet another tissue joined the already large pile in the wastebasket.

"You okay, Ez?"

"Just fine, Mr. Tanner."

"Ya sure?"

"Yes, Mr. Tanner."

A look to Nathan just got a shrug. The ex-EMT wasn't going to say anything unless the stubborn Southern fool did first. Vin sighed and went back to his report. Barely five minutes went by.

"Ah-choo! Sniff. I'm fine, Mr. Tanner."

"Didn't say nuthin'."

"Your silence speaks quite eloquently for you."

"Huh?" Vin leaned back around his computer, but was waved off by Ezra, who suddenly stood up. Everyone watched as he strode out of the office to the men's room. Only Buck noticed Ezra's right hand was shoved under his left sleeve and seemed to be scratching at something. He didn't pay much attention to it.

Once he was in the relative safety of the bathroom Ezra let loose the fit of coughs that had been attempting to strangle him. The sound echoed off the walls, reverberating in his already pounding head. Hell, his whole body ached. When the coughing eased he realized there had been very little phlegm. So even though his sinuses were clogged he wasn't actually congested. ::Great,:: he thought to himself. ::I have managed to catch a cold in the middle of July. Just wonderful.:: He started to splash some water on his face but the sound of a toilet flushing caused him to jerk up in surprise and pain. The water went all over the front of his shirt.

"Aw hell," he moaned, staring miserably at his soaked front. JD came out of the closed stall. He'd heard the coughing, saw the wet shirt and the way Ezra's eyes were squinted just slightly like they always did when he had a headache and was trying to hide it.

"You okay, Ezra?"

"Just dandy, Mr. Dunne. Just fine, thank you very much." He sighed and raised his eyes to meet JD's concerned gaze in the mirror. "I'm fine, JD. It just doesn't seem to be my day is all."

"If yer sure...?"

"I'm sure."

"Well, all right, but..." JD stopped when he saw that sudden gleam come in to Ezra's eyes. He didn't like being fussed over and would bear it for so long before becoming angry. JD was toeing that invisible line and thought better of it. He quietly left the bathroom.

Ezra tried to dry off as best he could, but quickly came to two conclusions. ::A) Simply blotting his shirt with paper towel was not going to do it; and B) the longer he was in here the more likely one of his associates was to show up and inquire about his health.:: He buttoned his jacket to cover the wet shirt despite the fact that he felt it was about ten degrees too warm in the building, left the bathroom and headed straight to the break room. There he opened the small refrigerator and pulled out one of his bottles of water. He noticed one was missing. ::Vin again,:: he thought. For some reason the tracker had taken a liking to his favorite brand of bottled water and routinely 'borrowed' a bottle.

He'd just taken a sip when the need to sneeze nearly made him spray the counter with water. Instead he managed a half sneeze, strangled cough, and to swallow at the same time. Throwing a disgusted glare at the bottle, as if it was somehow the cause of his problems, he dug into the pocket of his jacket. Out came a packet of Maximum Strength Cold & Sinus Sudafed (tm) and a small bottle of Ibuprofen. He smiled as he thought, ::See, Nathan; I am capable of taking care of myself.:: Two Sudafed caplets were popped from their wrapper and six Ibuprofen shook from their bottle. He took them all at once, praying he didn't sneeze in the middle of swallowing his little medicinal cocktail. The last thing he wanted to do was try and explain that one.

Certain he wasn't about to sneeze or cough or choke, Ezra pulled his jacket closed a little tighter, squared his shoulders and opened the break room door. A wall of sound nearly pushed him back in to the room. A small moan of pain escaped his lips as his headache was doubled. Blasting from the speakers of JD's computer was one of Buck's Jimmy Buffett CDs. Vin and Nathan were arguing with Buck and JD, well mostly Buck, about turning it off. Chris was in a meeting with the Judge in the Judge's office so Buck and JD had decided they needed a little music to break up the afternoon silence. Vin and Nathan disagreed. Josiah simply sat at his desk watching the proceedings with amusement, although even he was beginning to wince as Buck knocked the sound up another notch.

No one paid any attention to Ezra as he stalked in to the room. With a little more force than necessary he ripped the speaker cord from the back of the computer effectively silencing the music and the argument. They all turned to stare at him as he tossed the end of the cord on JD's desk.

Glaring at each one of them in turn, he stated, "If anyone plugs that thing back in I will shoot first the computer and then the person stupid enough to do so."

"What in hell is going on in here?" Their leader demanded quite loudly from the hall doorway. Everyone stared guiltily at him. Except Ezra. Ezra just crossed back to his desk, where he promptly collapsed in to his chair, closing his eyes against another onslaught of pain from his head.

He didn't hear the footsteps approaching him, so was quite surprised when he felt a hand on his forehead. Luckily Nathan had suspected Ezra hadn't heard him and easily dodged the foot that lashed out. One green eye drifted shut while the other continued to glare up at the ex-EMT. "I'm fine, Mr. Jackson."

"You look like shit, Ezra." Chris commented, not in the least bit fazed by the one-eyed glare that shifted to him.

"I am awed by your brilliant and keen observation, Mr. Larabee. Especially since it's wrong. I. Am. Fine." He bit off each word as he spit them out, while feebly trying to push Nathan's hand away.

"Uh-huh. Then you're still going fishing with us."

"Aw hell," Ezra moaned. He'd forgotten that they had planned to troop out to Larabee's ranch for the weekend and go fishing on his lake. All he wanted was to go home and sleep for the next two days. "You see, Mr. Larabee, I do not have an extra set of clothes with me so I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline..."

"Nope."

"Pardon me?"

"Vin, drive Ezra to his house so he can pick up what he needs for the weekend and then head out to my place. We'll meet you there."

"Me? Why do I...oh, all right," the tracker caved in to Larabee's hard stare. "C'mon, Ez."

He grabbed the gambler by the arm, practically lifting him out of his chair. The others watched as Vin dragged the protesting man out of the room. Once they were gone they turned their attention back to Chris and the evil gleam in his eyes.

"So, who wants to tell me why I could hear Jimmy Buffett singing Margaritaville all the way in the Judge's office?"

**********************

An hour and a half later Vin and Ezra finally pulled up in front of Chris' home. Neither man said a word to each other as they exited the doorless jeep, retrieved their respective luggage, and proceeded up to the front porch. Vin pounded on the front door, his lips twitching in a small grin when Ezra winced at the pain that shot through his head. Ezra managed to refrain from commenting. Vin was about to pound again when the door swung open and a soaking wet JD ran past with Buck and a Supersoaker hot on his heels. 

The two men watched their friends in amusement before turning to smile at each other. As if suddenly realizing just whom it was that stood opposite them, the smiles turned to frosty glares. With a grunt, Vin heaved his duffel on to his shoulder and went inside. Ezra followed him, his own duffel in hand. The only thing that kept the door Vin tried to kick shut from slamming in to Ezra's face was the arm he had lifted the moment he saw what Vin was about to do. They found Chris in the living room putting down towels to soak up the water from Buck and JD's little battle.

"There're some days I am so glad I don't have kids. If Adam had ever been like this...About time you two got here. Everyone else has been here for almost an hour. You two have the guest bedroom at the..." 

"No!"

Chris looked at them in surprise when both protested so strongly. "You boys got a problem with sharing a room all of a sudden?"

"With all due respect, Mr. Larabee, but I refuse to spend one night in the same room as Mr. Tanner. As a matter of fact I think it would be best if someone would provide me with return transportation to my dwellings. Better yet, you can tell Mr. Tanner to hand over his company card as I will be more than happy to put my cab fare on it, since I refuse to set foot ever again in that doorless deathtrap he calls a vehicle."

"Chris, would you tell Ezra that he can go to hell before I'll hand him my credit card and I'd rather shoot him than let'm back in my perfectly safe jeep."

"Mr. Larabee, would you be so kind as to tell Mr. Tanner that I will meet him in hell since I'm sure he'll be the first to go with that kind of misguided..."

"Chris, tell Ez that..."

"ENOUGH! I don't want to hear another word out of either of you." Chris couldn't believe he'd just heard that absolutely juvenile argument. It was like riding herd on a pre-school class. "Fine. You two don't want to be near each other or talk to each other, well that's just fine. Vin, you can sleep on the floor in my room, and Ezra gets the guest room."

"Hey, how come he gets to sleep in a bed and I have..." Vin stopped at Chris' dark glare.

"I suggest you girls get yerselves settled before I shoot the both a ya."

"Yes, Chris."

"Yes, Mr. Larabee."

Josiah watched from the kitchen doorway as the two chastised agents headed towards their assigned rooms. He turned to Chris, who still stood in the middle of the living room, his hands on his hips as he looked up at the ceiling. "Wonder what happened on the ride over?"

"I don't know and I really don't care," came the terse reply. 

Josiah chuckled at their leader's exasperation. "Dinner'll be ready in 'bout thirty minutes."

"Thank God I can at least count on you and Nathan to act like the mature adults we're all supposed to be."

"Um," the large man shifted uncomfortably, "I wouldn't count on Nathan at the moment."

Larabee brought his gaze down to the ex-preacher and anthropologist, not sure that he really wanted to hear the answer to the unspoken question.

"While you were dealing with those two, Buck chased JD in through the back door. JD, uh, kind of used Nathan as a shield under the assumption that Buck, um well, wouldn't..."

"Buck soaked Nathan too."

"Yes and he's now in the process of chasing them some where up by the barn shouting things best not repeated."

"Where's my gun? I'm gonna shoot myself. I swear I am."

Josiah laid a comforting arm on Chris' shoulder. "Come, Brother, the Good Lord doesn't expect you to keep them in line all the time, nor on an empty stomach. Have a beer while I gather our wayward lambs."

Thirty minutes later the seven men sat down at the dinner table. Well, most of them were sitting. Buck and JD kept trying to push each off their chairs, while Ezra rested both elbows on the table to better support his head. A glare from Chris finally got Buck and JD to settle down as Josiah began passing around the food. Ezra didn't bother to look up as Josiah filled his plate; he simply pushed it away. Nathan, who sat to his right, pushed it back. This time Ezra turned his head enough to glare at him.

"Glaring isn't gonna make the food go away. Eat it. It'll make you feel better."

"At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Mr. Jackson. I'm..."

"Fine. Uh-huh. Have you taken anything?"

Heaving a defeated sigh, he fished the packets of Sudafed and Ibuprofen out of his pocket. With his eyes closed he didn't see the startled looks of the others. For Ezra to be taking something, much less admit to it, meant he wasn't feeling well at all. Nathan pressed a hand to his forehead, which Ezra immediately tried to push away.

"Well, he's not running a fever."

"I am in the room you know, and, no, I'm not running a fever. I have a blasted cold and a headache. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me I'm going to retire for the evening."

The other six stared after him as he unsteadily got to his feet and retreated to his room. When the door closed they turned their gazes back to each other. JD was the first to voice their thoughts.

"Wow. It's not even 7 o'clock and he's going to bed already. He must really be sick."

"Nate?"

"He should be all right, Chris. Sleep is probably what he needs right now. I'll check on him later; have him take some more of the Sudafed. Best let him sleep in tomorrow too."

"Like he weren't gonna do that anyway," Vin snorted.

"Knock it off, Vin. Everyone eat," Chris growled digging in to his steak. The others followed and were soon laughing and joking.

Meanwhile Ezra, having changed in to sweat pants and a tee shirt, tossed and turned on the full-sized bed. For some reason he could not get comfortable, which was driving him nuts because he was certain that if he fell asleep he'd feel better in the morning.

************************

Almost two hours later Nathan cracked open the door to stick his head in. The blanketed form of the Southerner didn't move. As he started to close the door a scratchy voice called out.

"What is it, Mr. Jackson?"

"Sorry, Ezra. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. Slumber has not been as forthcoming as I'd hoped."

"This should help. I brought you some more Sudafed and Ibuprofen."

Ezra leveraged himself up on one elbow to take the proffered pills. He glanced down at them then back up at Nathan. "Just two Ibuprofen? That's like putting a band-aid on a gaping chest wound."

"How many have you been taking?"

"Six or eight depending."

"Six or...How many today?" He demanded, grabbing the pills before Ezra could put them in his mouth.

"Mr. Jackson..."

"How many, Ezra?"

"Eight this morning just before I came in, six at lunch, and another six this afternoon. What? Quit glarin' at me, Mr. Jackson."

"Are you trying to kill yourself or are you just plain stupid?" the dark-skinned man growled, looming over the confused conman.

"I don't think I follow you, Mr. Jackson. I have a headache spawned by Hell that has decided to encompass my entire body with it's torture and I have found that two pills don't even make a dent in it, so if..."

"No, Ezra. You've taken more than three times the maximum amount allowed in a day. Taking so many has probably made your head hurt even worse. Hell, you're lucky you didn't overdose, you damn fool. Take the Sudafed and go to sleep."

"But..."

"Don't even start or I'll get Chris in here."

That effectively shut him up. Once Ezra had settled himself back beneath the covers Nathan left. Stalking back into the living room, he threw himself down into the recliner he'd claimed earlier.

Josiah couldn't help but chuckle at Nathan's scowl. They all knew how ornery Ezra could get when sick. "Brother Ezra refusing to take his medicine?"

"I wish," Nathan said, letting his head fall back with a small groan. Now he had a headache. Remembering he still had the two Ibuprofen in his fist he swallowed them dry. "Damn fool."

Vin was the only one to pick up on what Nathan had actually said. "What do ya mean ya wish he refused to take the medicine?"

"He decided the amount in the directions wasn't enough and upped the dosage. Instead of two painkillers he's been taking six or eight at a time. Damn fool nearly overdosed himself."

"What?!" The others were all on their feet in an instant.

"Dammit, Nathan. Shouldn't we be taking him to a hospital or something?"

Nathan just shook his head. "Nah. If that had been necessary it would have happened earlier. At worst he's just made his head hurt more and probably upset his stomach."

"You're sure, Nathan?" Chris asked, slowly sitting back down. He knew the ex-medic and the Southerner rarely saw eye to eye on things, but he doubted Nathan would let him suffer just to be mean.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Already read'im the riot act about it. Not that it's likely to have done any good. I'll just keep an eye on him."

Uncertain, but trusting in Nathan the others settled down and went back to watching TV or reading.

*************************

It was a little after two; everyone was fast asleep. Everyone except Ezra that is. He continued to toss and turn unable to sleep. With an exasperated sigh he threw off the blankets. The room was far too warm, even with the central air-conditioning. Sniffling a bit, he got out of bed and opened the door to his room. It was much cooler in the hallway. A thought occurred to him. If it was cooler in the hallway, it was probably even cooler in the living room. With that in mind he grabbed the blankets and top sheet off his bed and headed to the large couch. There he put the top sheet down so he wouldn't give himself a rug burn from the couch. He also grabbed the three afghans from the various pieces of furniture. Slipping out of his sweatpants and tee shirt, so he was clad only in his black boxers he lay down on the couch. He then piled the two blankets from his bed and the three afghans on top of himself. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he snuggled down beneath the comforting weight of the blankets. Much better. In a few minutes he drifted off to sleep, his lips parted slightly to ease his breathing.

Very Early Saturday Morning

Ezra was awakened by the sound of a heavy thud followed by JD's voice, "Dammit, Buck! Watch where yer going."

"Well, if ya wouldn't stop in the middle of the..."

"Keep your voices down you two," Nathan admonished, coming out of the room he'd shared with Josiah. "I told you I wanted Ezra to sleep in."

"That boy sleeps like the dead," Buck laughed. "Ain't nothing going to wake him up afore he's ready."

"That is where you are sadly mistaken, Mr. Wilmington."

"Ezra! What are you doing in here?"

Nathan quickly knelt beside the couch to feel his forehead. Naturally Ezra tried to push his hand away. The others noticed how his hand trembled slightly. "I am not fevered, Mr. Jackson. I simply found my room far too warm for my liking."

"So you thought sleeping on the couch under," Buck lifted the top couple of blankets to count the others, "six blankets was gonna be any cooler? Hell, why didn't ya just kick off the blankets in yer room?"

"This was more...comforting," Ezra sighed. Pulling his left hand from beneath the blankets he went to brush back his hair but stopped when Nathan grabbed his arm.

"What's this? What happened to your arm?"

The three men stared at the slightly bloody scratches on his forearm. Four small lumps could be seen underneath the scratches. Ezra shrugged. "Mosquito bites from when I was at Mother's nuptial renewal last weekend. They itched so I scratched them. A little harder than I had intended apparently."

"I better get some antiseptic on that before you go and get yourself an infection." Nathan left to get the first aid kit. Buck slapped JD on the back and grinned at Ezra before heading in to the kitchen.

"Hey, who's up for my famous Colorado Omelets?"

"Depends if yer cookin' or somebody else is," Vin said with a smirk as he came in the back door.

"Well, of course I am, Junior. Who else?"

"Think I'll pass. Maybe Chris has got some oatmeal round here."

"But you hate oatmeal."

"Yep, but least I know it won't kill me." Vin ducked Buck's mock punch and headed in to the living room. "Whatcha lookin at, JD? Oh, hey Ez. Hey, if you weren't gonna sleep in the bedroom why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it had not been my original intention to partake of my slumber on the couch. Is something the matter, Mr. Dunne? You keep staring at my arm. I assure you it's..."

"Fine." Vin finished for him with a grin.

JD shrugged, pushing a hand through his long black bangs, his eyes still troubled. He watched as Nathan dabbed the antiseptic on, holding tightly when Ezra tried to pull away from the burning sensation.

"Where were your mother's nuptial thingies, again?" JD finally asked.

"The Hamptons."

"That's on Long Island, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Dunne, the Hamptons are on Long Island."

"Why the sudden interest, JD?" Vin asked.

"Where's Chris?" He ignored Vin's question, abruptly turning around to begin looking for their leader.

"He'll be here in a minute. Just taking care of the horses. Why?" Vin nearly growled in frustration as the kid continued to ignore him. Chris was nearly bowled over as JD went running out the door to find him.

"Whoa, hold up, JD. Where's the fire at?" Chris took a closer look at JD's almost panic stricken eyes. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Ezra okay?"

"How many times do I have to say I'm fine. Oww, dammit, Nathan, that hurt."

"Okay, Ezra's fine, but what's got you all upset?"

"I need to use your computer."

"Yeah, sure. It's in the office where you set it up."

JD was off and running again before Chris could ask him anything else. Buck just shrugged when Chris looked at him. He had no idea what bee had gotten in JD's bonnet that morning. Curious they all followed him into Chris's seldom-used home office. As far as he was concerned he spent enough time in his office at the ATF building; he didn't need to spend time in one at home. The layer of dust on the computer Buck and JD had gotten him for his birthday two years ago was a clear indication of how much he used it.

Ignoring the dust, JD booted the system all the while muttering, "Please let her be online. Please let her be online."

"Let who be online, kid? You got an online girlfriend or something?" Buck asked, leaning back against the wall.

"Or something. What time is it? Five-thirty? That makes it what? Seven-thirty in New York right? She may not have gone to bed yet."

"What is going on, kid? Who are you talking about and why is it so important you get a hold of her?"

"I think I may know what's wrong with Ezra."

"What?"

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"What's that got ta do with this girl in New York?"

"I didn't think of it until I saw those bug bites. I just hope I'm wrong. Here we go." JD quickly logged into his AOL account, fidgeting nervously until the main screen came up and he could see his buddy list. "Thank God, she's on."

The others read over his shoulder as he typed in an IM.

Bat: Hey, Sammy. You at your desk? Please be there. I really need to talk to you.

A minute passed while he nervously tapped his fingers on the desk. Finally the computer beeped indicating an incoming message.

LadyBlackBird: Hey, good-looking. What's up? Ole Buck being a pain again?

"Hey," Buck sqwuaked indignantly. "What've you been telling yer girlfriend here?"

Bat: Thanks Sam. He's in the room with me reading this.

LadyBlackBird: Oops. Warn a girl next time, why dontcha? What's up? It must be like 5 or so where you are and I know you're not a nightowl like I am.

Bat: Do you remember telling me about that virus outbreak out by you last year? I think you said you're sister had gotten it?

LadyBlackBird: Yeaaah? West Nile, what about it?

Bat: Has there been another outbreak? And what are the symptoms?

"West Nile? What's West Nile, JD?" Nathan asked, clearly confused.

LadyBlackBird: Actually there has. What's going on, JD? Have you been out to the island and not told me?

Bat: No, but my friend Ezra has. He was there last weekend and now he's sick. There's a bunch of mosquito bites on his arm.

LadyBlackBird: Shit, JD. Ezra...He's the cute undercover guy, right? The one who looks like he stepped off a GQ cover? I'm e-mailing you the symptoms along with the phone number for my doctor here on the island. I doubt any of your guys have seen this before. If he's even showing a couple of these symptoms get him to the hospital now, JD. We nearly lost my sister to this, and she's still has some paralysis from it.

Bat: Thanks, Sammy. I owe you big time for this.

LadyBlackBird: Yeah that's what they all say. Just let me know how he's doing.

Bat: Will do. Thanks again.

LadyBlackBird: Oh for Pete's sake, JD. Download the damn e-mail and get off already.

Bat: I'm going. I'm going.

Bat has signed off.

JD opened the e-mail quickly scanning the contents before reading it out loud. "Symptoms of West Nile Virus include fever, headache, body aches, often with a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. More severe infection may include severe headaches, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, and, rarely, death. It is most commonly spread by mosquito bites."

Stunned silence filled the room as each man took in the implications of one short e-mail message. The sound of Ezra coughing in the living room broke them from their shock. Chris immediately began issuing orders. "JD, print out that e-mail then get on the phone to Denver Memorial and tell them we're coming in. Give'em all the info you got on that virus and your friend's doctor's number. Buck, Vin, you two bring around the trucks. Nathan, Josiah, let's get Ezra ready. He sure ain't gonna be happy bout this."

As the others raced off to do as Chris ordered Nathan, Josiah, and Chris trooped into the living room where Ezra had remained ensconced on the couch. When a shadow fell over him he cracked open one slightly bloodshot green-eye to look up at them. "May I help you gentlemen with something?"

His normally smooth voice had become raspy, almost harsh, from his congestion and coughing. Chris bent down to grab the clothes that had been discarded on the floor. "Time to get dressed, Ezra."

"Now why would I want to do something as abhorrent as rise before noon?" The eye drifted closed in dismissal.

"We're takin' ya to the hospital. So either get dressed or you're goin' in your underwear."

"Pardon me? Hospital? No. I think not. I told you," he had to pause for a moment while he coughed, "I'm fine."

"Uh-huh. Get dressed."

Realizing it was pointless to continue arguing with Chris, Ezra tossed back the blankets, shivering a little as the cool air touched his skin. The T-shirt was easily pulled on, but the sweat pants were a bit more of a challenge. As he leaned over to pull them up his legs Ezra lost his equilibrium almost pitching forward on to the floor. Only Josiah and Nathan's quick movements saved him. Clutching Josiah's arm for support he managed to finish getting dressed. No one said anything as they headed out to the car.

On the ride in to Denver Memorial Ezra quickly fell asleep, his head on Nathan's shoulder. At the emergency room door Josiah ended up carrying him when attempts to rouse him got a slight groan and nothing else. A doctor, a nurse, and a gurney met them at the doors.

"I'm Dr. McKay. I've already contacted New York about the virus so we'll take him right in for testing. From what I've been able to find out it doesn't seem like it's too serious a case if he has managed to contract it but it's better to be cautious. How long has he been exhibiting symptoms?"

"With Ezra that's kind of hard to tell," Nathan said, with a weary shrug. "He don't like people fussing over him when he's sick, assuming he'll even admit to being sick, so he usually does his best to hide it. We first noticed he wasn't feeling good yesterday afternoon. He's been sneezing and coughing, he's had a bad headache since at least yesterday morning, and near as I can tell he hasn't been sleeping too well. He doesn't have a fever, but he was complaining about being too warm in a room that most people would have considered cold. He's also been a little unsteady, his hands shaking, and not always being able to keep his balance."

"All right. We'll do an exam and a full blood work up. See what we find and take it from there. You can all take a seat in the waiting room. It may take a while."

Reluctantly they watched as the gurney disappeared into an exam room. With a nod to the nurse at the desk they went to the waiting room to, well, wait. They each settled into a chair, except Vin. Vin hated hospitals to begin with, more so when he or one of his friends was a patient in one. He chose to pace instead, using up his nervous energy. Luckily at six in the morning the ER was slow and only one other person waited with them, allowing Vin plenty of room.

JD picked up a magazine and started flipping through it, his thoughts on Ezra. He hoped he was wrong about this. He remembered how hard it had been on Sammy when her younger sister came down with it last year. Ezra might not be related to him by blood, but he still looked at him as an older brother. Rather than brush him off the wily undercover agent would take the time to explain to him how he had known a target would react a certain way, or how to tell when someone was lying to him, and other ways of reading people. He couldn't bear to think of what would happen if they lost him.

Buck shook his head at JD's inattention. It was obvious he wasn't looking at the magazine he held cause there was no way he would have knowingly picked Better Home & Garden over GamePro. He knew the kid would be devastated if they lost Ezra. Hell, they all would, especially if they lost him to some damn disease. It's one thing to lose someone in a bust or to something related to the job, but to lose them to an illness, something they had no way of fighting. That was just wrong. Worse yet, how the hell could you get revenge on a virus?

Nathan at least made sure the magazine he picked up was something he would normally read, but like JD he didn't see the pages he was flipping. Instead he saw Ezra's pale face as they wheeled him away. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd come to care about the smart-mouthed Southerner with his big words that seemed calculated to make you feel stupid. Nathan had finally come to realize they were just part of his defenses; yet another way to keep people at a distance. He tossed the magazine down on the table with a disgusted glare. Why did the damn fool have to be so stubborn? Rising to his feet, he didn't look at the others as he announced, "I'm going for some coffee. Anyone want some?"

The others just shook their heads no. Once he was gone Vin resumed his pacing, even more agitated than before. ::Damn, damn, and double damn. If Nathan was this worried than Ez must really be bad,:: Vin thought to himself. He had worked hard to gain the trust and friendship of the private and very wary man. At the time he hadn't been sure why he was trying so hard, but then he'd succeeded and finally gotten to know the real Ezra. Well, as much as he'd let him. He'd found someone whose childhood had been just as harsh and loveless as his own. While they were still very different they also had so much in common. Now he was scared for his hard-won friend. His mind kept returning to the list of symptoms JD had read, particularly to paralysis and death. They were both so permanent. People woke up from comas all the time, and you could cure that other stuff. But paralysis and death were so permanent and devastating. The two words chased each other around and around in his thoughts, his pace falling into an unconscious rhythm. Paralysis and death. Paralysis and death. Paralysis and death.

Chris' thoughts followed a path similar to Vin's, only he was more focused on the paralysis. Not that he wished Ezra dead, but he saw it as a far more palatable option than paralysis. Even with partial paralysis there was no way he could continue as an ATF agent. Sure, they could give him a desk job. Not only would it really be a waste of his God-given talents, as Maude so frequently said, but it would be a slap in the face; a daily reminder of what he could no longer do. And knowing Maude she'd probably try to swoop in and takeover running his life for him. Take him off to France or wherever and they'd never hear from him again. Ezra may have been one of the last to join their team and the last one they'd learned to trust, but dammit, he was one of them and they weren't going to give him up without a fight.

Josiah watched the rhythmic clenching and unclenching of Chris' fists, the only indication of his inner turmoil. It was amazing how much Ezra had come to mean to them considering how long and hard he had tried to keep them at bay. Maybe it was because of that. Because he had finally learned how to trust them, the thought of losing him hurt all the more. It was times like this he wished he could do more than just pray for his brothers, but if that was all he could do then he would. ::Lord, I know it's not my place to question what You do, but You've brought us this far together, please don't pull us apart now. It's taken two years for us to learn to trust him, and him us. It just doesn't seem right to take him away now that we have him. Please Lord, just a little more time.::

"You all are waiting for Mr. Standish?" the doctor spoke from the doorway, interrupting their thoughts. Nathan slipped back in to the waiting room behind him.

"How is he? Will he be all right?" Chris spoke for all of them.

"We're still waiting for some results from the blood work, but I can say with almost absolute certainty that he doesn't have West Nile Encephalitis."

There was a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank God," JD muttered, slumping back in to his chair. Buck patted his shoulder comfortingly, also relieved that their favorite conman wasn't deathly ill.

"Well, what do he have? Cause he's been pricklier than a porcupine lately." Vin asked.

"Yes, I can see that comparison. Basically he has Chronic Acute Sinusitis. In layman's terms, severe re-occurring sinus infections. It causes some congestion, but mostly extreme sinus pressure resulting in headaches similar to migraines. On top of that Mr. Standish has also been suffering from insomnia and a good old-fashioned cold. Considering the degree of the illness, I'd say he's been sick for a couple of months. Most of the symptoms start out small and, while discomforting, are usually ignored. We've started him on antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory, and given him something to help him sleep."

"But he was sleeping when we brought him in," Buck frowned.

"Yes, we...uh, had to wake him for the examination."

"You're a brave man, Brother."

"Good thing he didn't have his guns," Nathan commented.

"Yeah, Ez is the shoot first, yell at ya later fer waking him up kind," Vin told the doctor, grinning a little at how pale he'd gone.

"If the peanut gallery is done?" Chris glared at them, then turned back to the doctor. "Keep goin', doc."

"Um, well, due to the nature of his illness his body is in such discomfort that it will only allow for a couple of restless hours of sleep at a time. This in turn runs down his immune system allowing other things such as a cold to attack the body making it even more uncomfortable. It just ends up repeating itself in a vicious cycle. So, once we woke him he wasn't able to return to sleep again. Hence, the need for a sedative. Anyway, barring anything unusual in his blood work-up we'll release him in a couple of hours. He'll need to take his medicine on schedule and should get 2 to 3 days of complete bed rest."

"Aw hell," Chris groaned, glaring at the others when he noticed their smirks. "Oh no, you all are helping. I ain't suffering alone."

The doctor opened his mouth, but closed it without voicing the question. He really didn't want to know. "He's in receiving room 4 if you'd like to see him. Just keep it down. He does need to sleep. And I'll see you gentlemen when we're ready to release him."

Once the doctor left they crowded in to the small curtained off room to wait until they could take their friend home. After several minutes of silence, Buck asked, "So, you wanna tell us about this Sammy girl and how she knew what Ezra looked like? She you're girlfriend or something? Have you been holding out on me, kid?"

JD heaved an exasperated sigh at Buck's teasing. "No, Sammy is not my girlfriend. I met her about six or seven years ago online, just before my mom got sick. We were in one of those TV show specific chat rooms talking about the show as it happened on TV. Anyway, we started talking and found out we had a bunch a things in common. So we started e-mailing each other. It was never really a girlfriend/boyfriend thing, just friends who were helping each other through some bad times. My mom had gotten sick at that point and her family, well in a word, sucks. Just before I came out here I took a trip down to Long Island to meet her. She was just as cool in person as she was online, just a bit shyer. The first hour or so was really awkward, but then we went riding and I don't think she kept quiet for more than five seconds after that. She's the one who really pushed me to come out here. I heard about the team and I'd been thinking about it and thinking about it. Sammy told me that we get only so many chances in life and we have to take them when we can or live with the regrets for the rest of our lives. As for how she knows about you guys and what Ezra looks like, actually she knows what all of you look like, is because I e-mailed her pictures from some of our trips. Oh, and Buck, she said to tell you neon pink really isn't your color."

"Neon pink?" Buck frowned, for a moment puzzled. They could see the instant realization dawned. "You sent her that picture? JD, I'm gonna kill you, boy."

Chris grabbed Buck before he could more than half rise out of his chair. "Kill him later, Buck. We're still in the hospital."

"You are so dead, kid." Buck sat back down grumbling. The others just smirked. There were a few moments of silence while JD went and sat next to Nathan. Then Nathan asked, "So we know she thinks Ezra's cute and pink isn't Buck's color. Any comments about the rest of us?"

JD got that scared-deer-in-the-headlights-look as the others leaned in to hear his response. "You know I don't ask you what Rain thinks of us."

"Yeah, but you all know Rain and what she thinks. Spill, JD."

"Um, well, she's real happy that I have good friends like you guys. She, uh, said that if there'd been a preacher like Josiah in her old church she might not have left after...well, she probably would have stayed and dealt with things better. She thinks Nathan deserves a medal or something for managing to patch me up all the time." That got a few chuckles. Suddenly JD picked up a magazine and tried to act like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Chris and Vin looked at each other eyebrows raised. Buck wouldn't leave it alone though.

"Well, what does she think of Chris and Vin? You said what she thinks of us. What about them?"

"No. Uh-uh. No way, no how. I am not going there. You can't make me." JD was getting that panicked look again. Jumping to his feet, he headed to the door but didn't get very before two large arms wrapped around his waist, lifted and turned him to face the others. Chris and Vin were getting really curious now to know what had been said.

"Spill it, kid."

Heaving a sigh, JD hung his head wishing his face wasn't bright red from embarrassment. They had to strain to hear him. "She said you guys were...gulp...babe-a-licious. Her words, not mine." He tried to salvage some of his dignity.

Josiah and Nathan weren't sure which was funnier: Chris' look of shock; Vin's bright red blush, or Buck's look of outrage.

"Babe-a-licious? How in hell did they rate babe-a-licious and I only got don't look good in pink. You tell your little girlfriend she needs to get her eyes examined, son. Cause I am definitely babe-a-licious." Buck stood there, chest puffed out in indignation, one hand on his hip while the he gestured wildly at Chris and Vin with the other. That finally sent everyone in to fits of laughter. Buck glared at them all for a moment, before grumpily sitting in a chair, arms crossed over his chest, refusing to look at them. They were still chuckling when the doctor came in.

"I'm glad to see you gentlemen in such good spirits," he said from the doorway. They were on their feet in an instant, laughter forgotten. Dr. McKay held up a hand to forestall any questions. "The results came back negative. My earlier diagnosis was correct and he does not have West Nile. I've already sent his prescriptions to the pharmacy to be filled. You should be able to pick them up in about three hours and take him home then. He'll probably still be asleep at that point. We've given him a pretty strong sedative. As I said before at least three days of complete bed rest should see him well on the road to recovery. Any questions?"

"Yeah, just how are we supposed to keep him in bed?" Chris muttered.

"That is not my department," he smiled at them, gave a nod and left.

Three hours later Josiah carried a sleeping Ezra out to Chris' Ram while Nathan read the directions for the various prescriptions. Back at the ranch they met in the living room after putting the still sleeping Ezra to bed.

"I guess we're not going fishing," JD said glumly, looking out at the bright sunny afternoon.

"Nope," Vin confirmed. "Won't be much biting now. Too warm. Could always go riding like we planned."

"Can we?" JD looked from Buck to Chris for approval of the idea.

Chris shrugged. "Don't see why not. Although shouldn't one of us stay here with Ezra?"

"Nah. We should be back long before the sedative they gave him wears off," Nathan reassured him.

"Well, let's go then."

JD let out a whoop of joy and was racing out the door before Chris had finished speaking. The others smiled and followed at a more sedate pace.

Late Saturday Afternoon

Ezra groaned as he slowly roused to consciousness. He had that slightly fuzzy feeling he associated with being sedated. ::Please tell me I am not still in the hospital?:: He thought to himself. After a moment of carefully listening, the only thing he heard was a clock ticking and the faint sound of birds chirping. Cracking open an eye, his gaze fell first on the clock on the nightstand beside his bed. The wooden nightstand. Further observation confirmed his suspicion. He had indeed been returned to the guest bedroom of Chris' ranch. While he would have preferred the comfort of his own down pilla' he was touched that they were concerned enough to bring him to where they could look after him.

Pushing back the covers, he noted that he was still wearing his t-shirt and sweatpants. In the crook of his elbow was a bit of gauze and tape covering where they had drawn blood. At least he had only been semi-aware for that. He truly abhorred needles. It took him a moment to get to his feet, his balance precarious at best. He had to wonder if it was because of whatever illness currently plagued him or if it was a side effect of the sedative. Neither one really bothered him since now that he was awake other needs were making themselves known.

A few relieved minutes later he emerged from the bathroom. His equilibrium was still a little off so he made his way slowly to the living room, expecting to find at least a couple of his friends gathered there. The room was empty. ::All right. Maybe they did not wish to disturb me and are out back.:: With that in mind he headed out to the back porch. Again no one was there. Nor did he see any movement out by the barn. In fact, the only horse he saw grazing in the paddock was his own Chaucer.

::So much for concern,:: he thought bitterly, leaning against the frame of the backdoor. ::My associates probably did not wish to inconvenience themselves by dropping me off. Perhaps I shall just 'borrow' Mr. Larabee's vehicle and return myself home.:: He turned to head back in the house but a slight wave of dizziness stopped him. ::Maybe I'll just rest here for a moment in the sun. Then I shall appropriate the Ram.::

Thirty minutes passed before they returned to the house. There they found Ezra sitting on the porch, half-asleep in the afternoon sun. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I have surmised from awaking to find myself once again ensconced in Mr. Larabee's guest bed that the good doctor came to the correct conclusion that there is nothing wrong with me."

"If ya mean the doctor thinks ya ain't sick then you're wrong," Buck grinned, sitting on the porch railing.

"Oh, and what pray tell do I have?"

"An acute sinus infection, insomnia, and a cold," Nathan answered. 

"Lovely. Why may I ask did y'all not return me to my own abode after my release from the hospital?"

"Doc says you need complete bed rest for the next few days and that you had to take your medicine on schedule. Figured the best way to make sure ya followed orders for once was ta bring you here," Chris said with a shrug. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited for the objections.

"You can not be serious? I do not need you to play nursemaid to me, Mr. Larabee. I am perfectly...aah-choo...capable of taking care of myself."

"Uh-huh. The doc said you've probably been sick for a couple of months. We're going to make sure you follow orders, cause the last thing I need is you getting even sicker and messing up on the job."

"Heaven forbid I should be unable to work," Ezra groused, his cool façade slipping easily into place. He knew they were more concerned about making sure he didn't put them at risk than about his actual well being. Why did he allow himself to think otherwise?

The instant Chris saw the mask come up he knew what Ezra was thinking. For someone so good at reading people you'd think the conman would know by now how they felt about him. "No, heaven forbid you should get yourself shot. You're part of this family whether or not you like it, Ezra, and if it takes all six of us sittin' on ya to make sure you get better then, dammit, that's what's gonna happen. So stop being such a damn stubborn fool."

"As you wish, Mr. Larabee." Ezra gave him his customary two-finger salute before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. A cool breeze blew over him, making him shiver slightly. He listened to the others clomp past him, Chris still muttering under his breath about stubborn fools and not knowing what was good for them. He was a little surprised when he heard the wicker chair next to him creak as someone settled into it. Opening his eyes, he found Vin watching him thoughtfully. He closed his eyes again.

"Can I help you with something, Mr. Tanner?"

There was a moment of silence making Ezra think Vin wasn't going to say anything. "You know I didn't mean it when I said you could go to hell, right?"

"I am aware that you spoke in anger yesterday, Mr. Tanner."

"Don't mean I shoulda said it. You got a talent for pissin' people off sometimes. 'Specially Chris. Kinda amusing at times. But I still shouldn't a said what I did an' I wanted ta apologize."

Ezra looked at him with a half-smile, "Thank you, Vin. And I apologize for my comments about your vehicle."

"Nah, that's okay. I really should watch my driving when someone else is in the jeep with me. Not everyone's used to driving without doors."

They sat for a few moments in silence when the screen door opened and Ezra suddenly found himself covered by an afghan. He glanced up in surprise at Chris, who sat in the chair on the other side of Vin. 

"Goin' to catch cold." Chris shrugged offhandedly. A minute later Nathan and Josiah came out. Nathan handed Ezra his medicine and Josiah handed him a cup of tea.

"Doc said for you to take that when you wake up." Nathan waited for him to say something. Ezra briefly considered it, but thought about the concern they were showing for him and decided to accede gracefully and took the medicine. The door banged open and JD and Buck came out carrying a card table, a couple of extra chairs and two bags of pretzels.

"All right, boys, time for poker," Buck grinned, pulling a deck of cards from his pocket. "JD, divvy up those pretzels, and no eatin' the winnings." He directed the last part to Vin who just smiled at him innocently.

"You up to a game, Ezra?" Chris asked.

"I'm fine, Mr. Larabee," he said, with a slight smile. For once Chris believed he really was.

"AAA-CHOO!"

"Aw hell," Chris groaned as he realized Ezra hadn't sneezed, but Vin and JD instead.

"I'm fine!" Chorused the two youngest members of the team in unison. Why wasn't he convinced?

Fini

Author's note: This is actually partially based on something that really happened to me. I'm prone to chronic sinus infections. This summer I suffered a particularly bad bout, along with insomnia and a real cold. My parents panicked, what with the whole West Nile virus scare going on (I live on Long Island btw) and the next thing I knew I was at the doctors office having blood taken so they could test it and make sure. All that to find out what I already knew and was already taking medicine for.