Cohabitation
M unhappily marched down to the quarantine area of the medical department at 8:00 pm as instructed, with Tanner following behind donning a medical mask.
"I ask you Tanner, was that ridiculous mask really necessary?" she snapped
"Just a precaution" he answered in a muffled tone
"It is not an airborne illness you know. But if it were I would have half a mind to rip that bloody thing off your face and breathe on you,"
"You wouldn't," he replied with a horrified expression
"You do realize that this is technically your fault, and I could have you suspended pending further investigation for endangering the life of the head of MI6"
"But Ma'am, all due respect, you know how 007 hates going to medical for a checkup after a mission…"
"I know, but it is procedure, and it is your job to see that he does so that things like this DO NOT happen"
"And again I apologize. If I had only known that..." he started to say before he realized that they had reached their destination
"I believe this is where I leave you" she interrupted as she put her hand on the door "Try not to burn the place down while I am gone" she said with a stern look
"Yes Ma'am" was all he had time to say before she disappeared thru the door that was clearly marked QUARANTINE AREA
M made her way down the hall to the nurse's station and waited rather patiently, considering it was M, while the nurse concluded her phone call.
"Ma'am, right on time. Welcome to your new home for the next two weeks" said the nurse as she rose and came around the desk
"Well, I do not know about two weeks…"
"Follow me please"
M did as she was told and followed the nurse down a narrow corridor to a small changing room.
"I have laid out a gown and a robe for you. You will also find a pair of slippers and a bag of toiletries on the counter. Please put your clothing in the hamper in the corner and be sure to pull the draw string closed." she said in a somewhat clinical tone. "When you have changed please ring the buzzer and wait for me to escort you to your assigned area"
"I still fail to see why I cannot just wear my own things?" grumbled M
"The Doctor wants everything to be as sterile as possible, so unless you would like to have your clothes run thru a sterilizer…"
"That was a rhetorical question my dear" said M sarcastically
"Right then, buzz me when you are ready" replied the nurse as she closed the door behind her
M quickly changed into her gown and robe, put on the slippers, placed her own clothing into the hamper in the corner, rang the buzzer and waited. She could not remember the last time she had been so angry at James.
The nurse eventually returned and escorted M down another long hall to a large observation room with one glass wall and a glass security door. After tapping a few numbers on the key pad the door slid open and the nurse motioned for M to enter.
"How exactly am I to have any privacy with this entire wall being made of glass?" she asked as she glared at the nurse
"There is a curtain separating the two beds and there is a lever on the wall that when pulled down will make the glass cloudy." replied the nurse dryly "There is a call button next to each bed, and …"
"Am I to understand that we will both be sharing the bathroom?"
"Yes Ma'am. Meals will be served at 8:00 am, 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm unless otherwise instructed. You will find a menu on the bed side table" replied the nurse as she closed the door
"Fantastic" muttered M as she wondered over to the bed.
As she sat down a familiar voice spoke to her from behind the curtain surrounding the other bed.
"Just coming for a visit or are you planning on keeping me company during my confinement here at the MI6 Hilton?"
"Oh do shut up 007" snapped M angrily "You know that none of this would have happened if you had just gone to medical for a checkup before turning up with a fever at my flat in the middle of the night to give me a report on the most benign of missions"
"I hardly call it a benign mission…"
"You escorted Maria Ivanov back to London from America for a deposition, I hardly call that dangerous…"
"Apparently it was or I…we would not be here now would we?" he said with a grin as he pulled back the curtain "My how cute you look in that Dior creation, could I interest you in a pillow fight later?"
"Just because you managed to catch a childhood illness, does not give you permission to act like a child" she snapped as she pulled her robe closer around her. "As we will be sharing these quarters for the next few days…"
"Weeks…they told me weeks" he interrupted
"Yes, well we shall see about that, as I was saying, since we will be sharing these quarters for…the foreseeable future, you will conduct yourself in a professional manner. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"
"Crystal Ma'am" he replied with a snicker
"What are you laughing at?" she demanded
"I still cannot believe that you have never had the chicken pox" he said shaking his head in disbelief
"Why are you laughing? Neither have you, which is why we are here. Had you gone to medical as you are instructed time and time again…"
"I hate going to medical…"
"I do not care if you don't like it, it is a bloody rule…"
"I prefer to think of it as more of a suggestion," he said with a grin
"Well, thanks to you we have the next few…weeks to discuss what is a rule and what is a suggestion then don't we?" she hissed
"Fabulous, I am stuck in here with the head of the Safety Patrol" mumbled James
"What was that?"
"Nothing Ma'am"
"Good, now that that is settled…"
"Oh by the way, I suggest that you do whatever you intend to do in the next ten minutes" he said with a crooked grin as he looked at the clock above the door
"Oh and why is that?"
"Because it's lights out at 9:00 pm"
"You have got to be kidding" she groaned as she pulled her legs up onto the bed, fluffed the pillows behind her and leaned back against the headboard
"Sorry M, but it is the RULE" he replied with a laugh as he pulled the curtain shut. "And we all know how you feel about rules"
"Oh shut up Bond!"
TO BE CONTINUED...