The other thing turned out to be poor Dr. Marnie Arbinger, struck down with the disease that had taken so many others. When she and Marcus finally found them, Jax had the small blond cradled in his arms, his green eyes glassy and staring. Just from looking at the girl in his arms, Stephanie knew that she was near the end.
"Jax... Jax, you must let her go," she said softly.
"She's still alive," Jax insisted. "She's... she's going to be fine."
Stephanie exchanged a glance with Marcus, who had come with her. They both knew that that wasn't true.
"Come, bring her here. We can make her more comfortable at least."
It was the least they could do for the doctor who had worked so hard for them for such a short while. She might regain consciousness again at some point, and that was not something that she was prepared to take from Jax if it happened.
Once they had gotten Marnie settled, Stephanie went about her business, getting the camp back in order, trying to make sure that the people she could take care of got what they needed. Somewhere in there, Jessica found her and made her take some water and food, but the younger doctor could not make her take a rest.
"I need to keep going," Stephanie said, and then she hesitated.
"If I don't, I'm afraid that I'll drop and not be able to get back up for a month."
"If someone deserves that, it's you," Jessica said with a slight smile and a shake of her head, but she let well enough alone. That was something, at least.
It was some time later when she heard a scream of anguish echoing over the camp. Stephanie had heard many such screams over the course of her career, but this was the first one that was tinged with the roar of a tiger.
"Damn, he lost her," Stephanie muttered, and she took off running for the trailer where they had left Jax and Marnie.
She found the shifter on the ground, kneeling next to the bed. He clutched one of Marnie's still, cold hand in his, and for a short while, Stephanie was afraid that he would refuse to let her go. She had to keep a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from charging the people who came to zip his lover into a body bag, and then they were alone.
"I'm taking her back to Chicago," he said suddenly, standing up. "I can't leave her here, I can't let her rot here, this place killed her..."
"I cannot let you take her from this place," Stephanie said, but she knew it was grief and not reason that she was talking to.
"And I'm telling you that you can't stop me," Jax said, taking a step towards her. It would have been terrifying if Stephanie had had the energy left in her to feel terrified. As it was, she simply stared at him, refusing to get out of his way.
"No, I suppose if you decided in all your testosterone fueled male grief and rage that you had to pick up her poor body and throw it over your shoulder, there would be little I could do."
Jax's growl would have sent demons back to hell, but Stephanie was convinced that she was living in her own private hell right now.
"And you would be responsible for spreading this damn disease wherever you took her," Stephanie continued. " You want to take her home? That means taking her through an international airport, Jax. That means exposing an entire traveling population to germs that might still be very viable. Where are all those people going? You're going to the United States, which, let's be honest doesn't always move as fast as it should when it comes to epidemics. What about the people who are going to major population centers like London or Beijing? The people who are going to small rural homes, where there's no professional medical help for miles? You may very well be dooming them to what is happening here, something that Marnie herself would never abide."
It was a low blow, but Stephanie didn't think that anything else would reach the man in his grief. At the moment, she didn't mind fighting dirty.
When Jax still looked unconvinced, she pulled out one last card, the only one she had still to play.
"I think you know... we have a friend in common."
Jax's head shot up, and then he took a more speculative look at her. Stephanie found herself wondering if he thought that she was too plain by far for a man like Noah, and she told herself that that was not something she should be thinking about right now.
"He's not under anyone’s control," she continued, “but I think I could convince him to see my side of things, don't you?"
It was a calculated bid. She had seen Jax in his tiger form, and it was magnificent, but she thought that Noah would be larger still, even stronger. She had no idea if the threat of Noah would bring Jax in line, but Jax finally nodded. It was not fear that had made him back down, but respect.
"You fight dirty, Doctor," he said, but there was a hint of understanding in his voice that hadn't been there before.
Stephanie smiled slightly, letting some of the relief that she felt dribble through.
"That's me using whatever I have at my disposal to keep the world safe, Jax. I swear to you, Marnie's remains will be taken care of. They will not be handled disrespectfully, and we will use them to learn what we can in order to quell this disease. I swear to you. I may not have known her that well or for that long, but I am familiar with her work. As another female in this profession, I know that this is what she would have wanted."
Jax sighed, standing up.
"I know. I know you are right, and this is the only thing that makes the idea bearable."
"Thank you."
"I need to get out of here," he said. "I can't survive this. I'm not a problem. As soon as I am packed, I’ll be leaving. I can't stand this."
Stephanie was mostly certain he was right. Shifter physiology was different from that of humans, given the quick healing and the sudden transformations. However, even if she wanted to, she couldn't think of a way to stop him.
For a moment, Stephanie simply stood in the quiet trailer, aware of Marnie's body in a way that she hadn't been when Jax was there with her. Something in her mind insisted that Marnie was listening, and she shook her head. She was going crazy. This job, this grief, were all driving her crazy, not to mention the unexpected pregnancy.
"What the hell are we going to do?" she asked softly, and then she left Marnie to rest. She had work to do.