"Morgan Vs. The Mystery Crisper"

A five foot seven bearded man in a standard Buy More green polo shirt, slowly made his way through the courtyard of a small apartment complex. He had just come off a double shift with an hour and a half break down at the pier playing video games. Being tried and suddenly not feeling all that well, the Buy More employee pedaled as far as he could from the Burbank's electrical store just making it to what he called his second home. As he made it to the far end of the courtyard he was happy to see a light from the corner bedroom and proceeded to push open the window. He got caught momentary in the wooden blinds creating a loud range of noises before untangling himself safely in the bedroom.

"Hey Buddy."

Morgan Grimes attention left the blinds and spotted his best friend Chuck Bartowski lying on his bed with a comic book in his hands. Morgan saw a slight annoyance on his friends face, and seeing the clock next to the bed that read eleven-thirty four he could understand.

A rumble in his stomach emitted some foul tasting burps. "Dude, I don't feel good."

"Mmm, could it be from something you ate?" Chuck asked with a hint of sarcasm, as he turned the page of his comic.

Morgan plopped down in a chair by the window, his hand rubbing his stomach. "No, I doubt it," he answered after getting comfortable. "The taco van has never gotten me sick before beyond the occasional diarrhea day. And that was yesterday."

The comic-book fell onto Chuck's lap. As he actually looked at his intrusive friend for the first time. "Morgan I am a hundred percent sure that it's from eating that moldy green baby food looking thing from the staff's fridge."

"Well," he thought for a moment, "maybe."

"How many rounds were there? I just saw you doing the final round."

"Six rounds. Six different spoonful's of the mystery." Morgan quickly added to defend his title of being able to eat anything.

"And you wonder why you don't feel good. Morgan, why would you do that to yourself? Are you that desperate for cash?"

Morgan smiled a crooked grin and shook his head at the short comings of his best friend. "Chuck, we work at the Buy More. I'll take money any chance I can get."

"Morgan, I will gladly give you money for you to not eat from the crisper ever again."

The bearded man leaned back into the chair as he propped up his green shoes on the edge of the bed. "It's not just for the money."

Chuck sat higher up on his bed as he placed the comic-book next to him. "Is it to impress Anna?" Morgan gave a smirk as Chuck rolled his eyes. "Eating pure mold is a turn-on for her?"

"Well, how many full grown men do you know who could stomach something like that?"

"Apparently none, because you look like you are going to puke all over my room and I really wish you don't."

"Oh ye of little faith, an iron gut is something you must work towards."

"And that is something you want to be known for." Morgan watched as Chuck shook his head with a laugh, "When you die from eating that crap, I'll make sure to write that on your tombstone: Here lies Morgan Grimes the man that tried to eat anything."

"Laugh all you want, Chuck, but you'll see the reward was well worth it."

"What reward? You said yourself it's not for the money, and sorry Buddy, but Anna is not going to fall madly in love with you because of it. So what could you gain from playing Mystery Crisper?"

"Chuck." The voice of Chuck's older sister, Ellie floated down the hallway.

Before the last syllable was spoken, Morgan did a head dive onto the end of bed and turned into a wet noodle.

"Really Morgan?" disbelief filled Chuck's voice as if he finally understood his friend's motives.

Morgan just let out a groan suddenly unable to answer.

"Chuck," Ellie spoke again as her voice moved closer to the bedroom, "tomorrow before you go to work can you-," she stopped mid-sentence when she saw who was sprawled on the foot of her brother's bed. "Chuck what's wrong with Morgan?" she asked with a non-caring sigh.

"He ate something bad and it's making him sick." Chuck answered dully.

Morgan worked hard on keeping his appearance sick-like as he soon felt the soft hand of Ellie on his back as she went into 'doctor' mode. "What did you eat?" she asked.

"Taco's from the taco van," he managed to say weakly.

"Let's move you to the couch and I'll make you some tea." Ellie suggested.

Morgan nodded his head slowly as he made a grand effort to get up off the bed. Shuffling his feet he moved towards the door with Ellie right behind him. As Morgan walked past Chuck, a huge smile appeared from underneath his thick beard. That caused Chuck to shake his head and just pick up the comic-book and continued reading. As Morgan headed to the couch he couldn't believe that his plan actually worked. Many years he tried to get Ellie to turn all doctor on him. For a love could be forged over a medical relationship. At the very least, that's what always happens in the movies and tonight Morgan was hoping for it.

"Devon," Ellie called out down the hall to her bedroom, "can you come here and take a look at Morgan while I make him some tea?"

"Sure thing, Babe." Morgan's face dropped as the shirtless competitor for Ellie's love came strutting into the living room. "What seems to be the problem?"

From down the hall, Morgan could hear the steady laughter from Chuck.