Usually, the banter between Sam and Callen made Nell smirk, or even smile, but this morning it was just annoying.
"I'm allergic to milk." Callen had been caught off guard.
"Really, since when?"
Nell glanced toward Eric, who rolled his eyes and offered a sideways smirk.
"And I'm, um, gluten-free."
Sam's statement pushed Nell over the edge from annoyed to completely ticked off. She turned off her headset before letting out a frustrated growl. Eric jumped-Nell only used that noise when she was really put-out. Nell bit the inside of her lip, trying not to launch into an ill-timed lecture as someone said,
"I'm not even sure what gluten-free is."
'Gluten is a protein found it wheat, barely, and rye.' Nell breathed deeply as hundreds of memories assaulted her from the unexpected re-activation of her GF (gluten-free) complex. Fights over whose foil was in the toaster (if the foil was wheat and the user was GF...you'd better watch out if you were the one who left the foil in there), tears because someone came 'too close' with 'wheat hands', standing in daunting aisles reading labels...dextrose and maltodextrin are good, maltodextrose, dextrin, modified good starch (or food starch-modified), caramel color were are black-listed unless marked Gluten Free...caramel color=back on the shelf...reading everything (again) in the kitchen, washing hands constantly (CONSTANTLY), relaxing in finally being able to eat a sandwich in peace at school...limited vacation options, few special events, not being able to have friends over for meals, little pizza and no doughnuts...
Abruptly, Nell's anger fell apart into sadness.
Doughnuts.
Lisa said more than once that the first thing she was eating in heaven was real doughnuts.
Nell swallowed hard.
"You okay?" Eric asked.
"I guess. It's just..."
"You hate celiac disease."
Nell nodded.
"Remember what it gave you," Eric reminded gently. His smile turned into a smirk as he asked, "Are waffles on the knife diet?"
Nell giggled. That particular inside joke originated when her father was tasked with packing lunch on their first gluten-free vacation, and forgot one set of utensils. The mistake left him eating with only a knife. Any food that could be consumed with only fingers or a knife was considered on the newly christened 'Knife Diet".
"I dun't know," Nell replied. "But oreos are."
Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder that causes the body to attach itself when someone with the disease eats gluten. (Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barely, and rye.) Symptoms range from stomachaches or headaches to malnutrition and delayed growth. For more information, PM me or go to .org.
