Insects

If she had to list the number of ways that she thought her life would end, bitten by a giant futuristic beetle would not have made the list. Jessica Parker was scared. She was allergic to insect bites, and the entire ARC was in lock-down because of the hoard of insects pouring through the anomaly.

Jess might have been scared, but Becker was downright terrified. He hid it well, but in truth since he had found out about her allergy, in a small corner of his mind he kept repeating the words "she can't die, she can't die" like a mantra. As the team went through a series of attempts to both save Jess and destroy the bugs, things seemed to get worse. When Emily and Becker were in the car park with Jess she started to hallucinate. She was cold and shaking.

"I'm so cold! I am so so cold…?" Her body was convulsing.

"Jess, you need to drink this, and that's an order." Becker was holding a cold water bottle to her lips in an attempt to hold back her raging fever.

"You're mean…You know that?" She gasped as she took a sip.

"Yes I do know that, I'm very mean. Now drink this."

"I hate you…" Becker gave a grim smile.

"No you don't." The mantra in his head grew louder as he held her close, trying to keep her warm.

"I'm sorry." Her body shuddered with the effort talking caused her. "You're nice. And you've got lovely hair…" She her voice trailed off.

"Jess? Jess?!" Becker felt frantically for a pulse in her wrist. It was weak. "Her pulse is getting weaker." He cried to Emily.

When Connor had rounded them all up, and got them into the panic room, Becker frantically searched for adrenaline shots. There were none. Crouching by Jess, he kept an eye on her as Emily stroked her forehead with a cool cloth.

When Connor's Gamma ray went through the ARC Becker felt frozen for a second. And then, the silence was astonishing. The noise from the burrowing bugs had stopped. The gamma ray had wiped them out.

Standing, Becker raced through the door, ignoring Abby and Connor's warnings that it might not be safe. Dashing through the ARC he made for the doors to get outside. He needed to get Jess an Epi-pen now. After much cursing and pleading for Phillip to lift the lock down, his prayers were answered.

When Becker returned with the adrenaline shot, it seemed like Jess was at death's door. She was barely breathing. Giving Jess the shot, Becker stared unblinkingly at her face, begging any higher power that he could think of to let her live. Come on, please please please please PLEASE. Come on, come on.

"Her pulse is getting stronger!" Abby exclaimed. She was interrupted by a faint cough from Jess. Eyes fluttering open, she realized she was staring straight at Becker. His hazel orbs filled with relief. She gave him a tremulous smile.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate bugs?"