Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Written for prfic100 (the theme is #14, Peanut butter). Spoilers for up to 'Future Unknown'.

--

Katie was more embarrassed than anything else.

It hadn't even really been a fight-- just Nadira robbing her favorite jewelry stores and some Cyclobots she brought with her so she wouldn't have to get her hands dirty. The whole thing was almost done with when she, the woman who'd come out of these situations without so much as a scratch more times than she could count, managed to turn just the wrong way. Next thing Katie knew, she was on the ground, her ankle already twice its normal size.

She ignored the dull stab of pain as she propped her leg up on the arm of the couch. There was nothing left to do now but keep it elevated and hope she'd be okay for work tomorrow...

"Katie?" The bag hid half of Trip's face. "Sorry I'm late, but there was a line at the store. I got you a cold compress." Before she could say anything, he placed it on the swelling carefully, avoiding any further pain. "I also found you a spare pillow." Just as quickly, he put it behind her back. "I'm sorry, the others got to dinner before I could save you any leftovers, but there was enough in the kitchen for a peanut butter sandwich," he continued as he placed a plate (she hadn't noticed that, it must've been in his free hand) before her. "Oh, and I stopped by the video rental place and asked them for the sappiest musical they had. It's something called..." Trip glanced at the video jacket. "The Sound of Music."

"Trip." Katie reached over, touching his arm. "It's not that I'm not thankful or anything, but I'm fine. It's just a little sprain-- I'll be back on my feet by morning. I don't want to put you out over something this minor."

"But I don't mind--"

"Don't you have that laser gun thing you're working on? I'm pretty sure you'd rather be working on that than playing nurse."

Trip's face fell... but he didn't move from his spot. "Why do you always do this?"

"Why do I always do what?"

His expression softened a little. "If any of us is hurt, you're always there first to make sure we're okay. But when you're hurting... you just pretend everything's fine."

"I don't--"

"Katie." He didn't say anything else. He didn't have to.

She leaned back against the pillow Trip had provided for her. Okay, she knew that she had a bad habit of keeping the... less pleasant things about her life to herself, but she didn't think that it was as bad as Trip was making it out to be...

Then she remembered her family, the newfound fear of returning to a future that didn't have them, how she nearly betrayed her friends because of that fear... and how it had just all come flooding out of her after being kept down for so long.

"... But if you really want it that way, I'll respect your wishes." She had been so lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that Trip had started talking again. He stood up to leave-- that was, until she grabbed him and forced him back down again.

"What, you're not going to watch it with me?"

She smiled gratefully as Trip smiled back, placed the tape in the VCR, and found a spot near the couch. She felt a little guilty about making him watch a movie that he would most like nod off halfway through the opening credits, but it was... kind of nice, knowing that somebody would do that for her.

It was even nicer knowing that someone was looking out for her, though.