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I’m back to being shunned,” Dan said after the radio cut off.
    …
    “What’s going on, Sergeant,” Mallory asked, with no preamble, as Ty came into the command tent.
    “I’m not entirely sure,” Ty said.  “We’ve had some lingering colds crop up over the last couple of months but…”
    Mallory looked up at Ty’s pause.
    After a breath, Ty continued.  “It looks like something came in with the last group.”
    “How bad is it?”  Mallory asked.  “And is it something that we can stop with a quarantine of the group?”
    “I don’t have an answer to either of those questions yet, unfortunately,” Ty said.  “Quarantine might be a good idea to contain whatever it is, but it might be too late, too.  It’s been almost a week, and there’s been a lot of contact already–especially between the kids.  We don’t have to panic yet.   Like I said, I don’t really know how bad it is.”
    Mallory sat back and steepled her fingers.  “How much contact has there been between the camp and Redemption,” she asked.
    “Minimal,” Ty said after thinking for a few seconds, “just due to logistics.”
    Mallory nodded.  “But not none,” she said.
    “No,” Ty shook his head and answered the Major’s next question before she asked.  “Standard procedure is to isolate the sick, and quarantine those who are likely to become ill from the rest of the healthy population.  I’ll find out who has been going back and forth between camp and town and confine them here for the duration.”
    Ty sighed.  “I even have the legal authority to do that.”
    Mallory nodded.
    “Joel is not going to be happy,” Ty said.
    “Why,” Mallory asked.
    “He’s been going back and forth for the last couple of days,” Ty said.
    Mallory kept her face blank and noticed that Ty had done the same.  Both of them had come to the same realization, although Mallory had taken a little longer.  Aurora.
    …
    “I’m what ?” Joel shouted. 
    Mallory had Ty with her to break the news to Joel.  Ty had been right, he wasn’t taking it well.  “We have a medical…situation,” she said.
    “Joel,” Ty said, “we don’t know exactly what they brought in or how it’s transmitted.  We don’t know what the incubation period is, nothing.  Your contact was fairly minimal, considering, but you have been here a lot during the day, so you’re going to need to be included in the quarantine.”
    Joel shook his head.  “I don’t think you understand,” he said.  He looked to have aged ten years in the ten seconds since they told him.  The horror was etched on his face.  “I have a two-month-old baby.”
    “I know,” Mallory said, “and I know taking care of her round-the-clock without you is going to be hard on Rachael, but this is really best for both of them.”
    “NO!”  Joel shouted again.  “You still don’t understand!  I have a two-month-old baby, who hasn’t had any vaccinations, for anything!”
    Joel looked at both Mallory and Ty as it slowly began to dawn on Ty.  “I’ve been back and forth for the last four days,” he said.  “I could have already exposed Aurora to whatever it is.”
    By now the color had drained completely from Ty’s face.  “Joel,” he said.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about that until just now.”
    Ty looked at Mallory, back at Joel, and then at Mallory again.  “I have to go,” Ty said.  “I have to get in touch with Dan.  He needs to know everything that’s going on, and possibly set up an isolation ward in town.  I’m sorry, Joel, I just didn’t think.”
    “But you did,” Mallory said after Ty was gone.  “Because that’s what you do.  The first day I met you, you were thinking about fires, and disease, and medications running out.”
    Mallory shook her head.  “How do you do it?”
    “Not now, Mal,” Joel said.
    “I’m serious, Joel,” Mallory said.  “I can’t say they will be ok, but given how quickly the little girl