Aimee looked away from her work.  Her one live patient was resting reasonably comfortably.  In the far corner the four bodies of the dead the teams found lay silently covered in white sheets.

“Computer begin Chief Medical Officer’s Log”

The computer beeped in response.

“Chief Medical Officer’s Log, USS Mercy,” She began.  “Stardate… aw hell I haven’t a clue.” She sighed, and walked across the lab.  “Away teams from the Mercy arrived at the outpost earlier today to discover it mostly abandoned. Four oficers were discovered and all but one had expired by the time we arrived.  The lone survivor is in the advanced stages of what appears to be the bubonic plague.  I have isolated the pathogen and discovered that rather the Yersinia pestis bacterium it’s a retrovirus native to this planet.  I believe that the virus mutates and immulates the properties of other microorganisms it encounters. It is my working theory that the original retrovirus encountered a Yersinia pestis from one of our Starfleet teams on the planet.  I have yet to determine if this was purely an accident or if someone was experimenting with the virus and it escaped the lab.”

She pulled back the sheet to one of the bodies to reveal the contorted and pained final expression on the fifth subject.   Aimee delicately brushed a strand of raven hair out of the woman’s face, not knowing exactly why she did. It wasn’t like she was going to be annoyed by it.

“The fifth and final subject is female and appears to be a native to this planet. ”She’s approximately 158 centimeters tall and 70 kilograms. Subject is fair complected with dark hair and is approximately twenty-five Earth years in age. The subject was also approximately twelve weeks pregnant…”

Aimee absently touched her own belly and her heart skipped a beat.  She wasn’t yet showing but, the realization that she too was infected by the disease would also effect her child…

Shaking the uncomfortable thoughts aside she continued, “Fetal tissue shows no signs of infection,  and amniotic fluid has large concentrations of antibodies. The mother has little to no antibodies present in her body in what appears to be an effort to protect the child.  I extracted the amniotic fluid and ran it through the centrifuge to separate the antibodies.  Trial tests in the pathogen appears promising, and I have developed an experimental antiviral.”

Aimee went to some equipment and examined the results.   Entering commands she adjusted some things and filled a hypospray. Holding it she hesitated.  There was only enough of a dosage for one.  It was between her and Jennifer Larkin.

“Trial subject: Jennifer Larkin,  Lieutenant.   Lieutenant Larkin is in advanced stages of the disease.  While I may be a better subject while still in the early stages, the Lieutenant doesn’t have much more time.”

Aimee crossed the lab to the side of her sleeping patient.  She hesitated once more before pressing the hypo into the neck of Larkin.  “Now we wait.”

Several hours later…

“Computer, continue Chief Medical Officer’s Log.” The computer beeped, and Aimee begain speaking, this time her voice was heavy, and tired.  “First trial was unsuccessful.   Lieutenant Larkin’s condition has continued to worsen.”

Aimee stood next to her patient with a medical tricorder in her hand helplessly watching the faint vital signs slip from her grasp.  Even knowing it was futile,  Aimee injected Larkin with another drug, and placed her on life support which would keep her heart beating and breathing.  

Stepping back Aimee cradled her stomach trying to keep the terror at bay.  Who would be the to give her a peaceful sleep before succumbing?   And of the little peanut growing within her.  Somehow that just didn’t seem fair.

“I was able to synthesize a second dose and used it on myself.  Also like the pregnant subject it too has been concentrated in my womb.  I fear there may not be a treatment for me.  I have made some adjustments to the anti-viral learning from Lt. Larkin and am almost ready to test on a third subject.”

There was a long pause and Aimee continued,  “I am considering removing the… removing my child and placing it in stasis so that Dougal might find a suitable serogate.   Perhaps his sister would do it. She’s family,  and I do like her.  There of course is my twin sister, Liv.   That might be the best option,  if she will do it.”

The monitors observing Larkin beeped loudly, and broken from her self-pity she rushed to Larkin’s side.   Glancing at the vitals she injected another drug.  No response.   One by one systems failed despite what Aimee did. Eventually even the life support system could no longer keep up and Larkin’s heart gave out. 

Defeated Aimee pressed a single button and all the machines keeping Larkin “ ”alive” and monitoring her condition switched off.  “In the case of Larkin, Jennifer, Lieutenant,  time of death occurred at 07:38 due to heart failure brought on by advanced stages of an unknown virus.”

Aimee sat heavily on a nearby chair and stared at her former patient. Somewhere in the background her third attempt at combating this disease was completed with a beep.  “Third dose is complete.   I will update this log following the results from a third subject. Pause log.”