xp_logs | Nathan and Madelyn, Friday night

Following this log, Nathan makes it to the medlab, where Madelyn confirms that yes, he has the flu. She reflects on how strangely nice it is to see something that comparatively simple, and shares a little personal information while she's at it.

"Madelyn?" Nathan called out hoarsely, narrowing his eyes against the bright lights of the medlab as he stepped in. He had convinced Jubilee to go put Bella back in her cage - he doubted Maddie really wanted a parrot in her medlab, and Bella had settled down some by the time they'd reached the basement, as if she had actually realized he was heading in the direction of the medlab.

"Be right with you," came the reply from one of the storage rooms, and Madelyn came out, brushing her hands down the front of her labcoat. "Inventory. Gah. We just had a new batch of supplies delivered and I've been fending off odd looks form the delivery guy who wanted to know why on earth a school needed so many sedatives." She paused, looking at him a bit more carefully. "You look sick."

"I think I am," Nathan confessed with a sigh. "Very... flu-like symptoms, although I wasn't thinking that way until Jubilee pointed it out. I thought Cain was playing practical jokes with the thermostat."

"Because the simple, obvious explanation would never be the first one," said Madelyn wryly. "Let me take a look at you, although I think you're probably right about the flu. I'm surprised Moira hasn't picked up on it, but I guess she's been pretty busy with this blood drive thing, yeah?"

"She's been spending a lot of time with her microscope, too," Nathan said as Madelyn took his arm and drew him along with her. "I think she likes it better than she likes me." He gave her an imploring look. "Please, no refrigerated instruments?" he begged. "I've been freezing cold again since I got back from the field trip..."

"I'm saving those for Le Beau," Madelyn reassured him, directing him to the sit on the edge of the exam table while she went to wash her hands and put on a fresh pair of gloves. She noted the shivering despite the slight flush to his face. "How long have you been feeling under the weather?" she asked, coming back and gently feeling under his jaw for swollen glands. Yep, definitely sick.

Nathan thought about it for a minute. "Yesterday, probably," he said slowly. "I've been a little tired for a couple of days, but that's not unusual for me." He blinked at her as she felt under his jaw. "Bet it's almost a relief to see something like the flu, around here..."

"Strangely enough, yes. Something nice and simple does wonders for the stress levels," Madleyn replied as she continued her examination. Skin overly warm to the touch, a bit of a sniffle starting... She took her thermometer out of her labcoat pocket and stuck it in his ear, frowning a little at the result. Nathan was definitely running a temperature. "Although it might surprise people, but I'm better with the emergency stuff. I was never trained as a GP, you know."

"Forensic pathology, right?" Nathan asked a bit dimly, trying to remember what Moira had told him.

"Yeah, that's right. Did my internship at one of the public hospitals in Philly - the ER mostly - and then got scooped up by the FBI on the word of one of my profs who knew I leaned more in that direction." Madelyn put the earpieces of her stethoscope in her ears and moved around to Nathan's back. "I'm just going to lift your shirt up so I can listen to your lungs, all right?"

"Okay," Nathan said, trying not to flinch as she did so. The stethoscope was cold. "Should use Scully as your nickname when I email you," he said, and coughed as he tried to take a deep breath.

"You wouldn't be the first," Madelyn said with a chuckle, but there was that little frown again as she listened to the various burbles and wheezes that were Nathan's lungs trying to function. "Okay, you've definitely got some kind of respiratory issues. Any problems with the virus?"

He shook his head, then wished he hadn't at the flash of dizziness. "Not coughing up any blood or anything. My chest just aches. Pain's a lot sharper when it's the virus."

Madelyn nodded. Nathan had been managing the virus for a long time now, and at least knew when not to fool around with it. "Well, Mr Dayspring, all things considered, I'd say you have a dose of the flu," she pronounced, pulling his shirt back down. "And it's pretty much straight to bed for you from here. I can give you paracetamol for the fever, but you know the rest of the drill, bedrest and plenty of fluids. I'd give you some anti-biotics, but they don't do squat against a virus and do scary things to your immune system besides if you use them too much."

"Not to worry," Nathan said wearily, managing a faint smile. "Not under the impression there's a magic pill... I'll go back to bed and stop cursing at Cain about the thermostats." He paused, then looked woeful. "I suppose if I've actually got a fever, burying myself in blankets is probably bad..."

"Yes. Definitely bad. You'll overheat yourself and that'll mean the ice baths." Madelyn crossed to the supply drawers and pulled out a bottle of Advil. "Take a couple of these now, they should help with the fever. Want me to let Moira know when she gets back from town?"

"Probably a good idea... I doubt I'll be awake by the time she gets back. I was already drifting in and out before Jubilee came and roused me." He took the bottle from Madelyn, smiling a bit half-heartedly at her. "So I'll go to bed and try not to cough on anyone else... least I can do, I guess."

"I'll tell her," Madelyn promised. "Now, back to bed with you. Want an escort? I'm just about ready to kill for some food that doesn't come out of a box, so I was going to head back upstairs anyway."

"Escort sounds good," Nathan said with a tired chuckle. "Wouldn't want to topple over in the halls and scare the kids."