Robert stood in the doorway to Jordan's room, knowing that she'd sense his
presence eventually. Sure enough, within a few moments Jordan peeked one
eye open and grinned as she focused on his face.
"Hey stranger, haven't seen you in awhile," she said, her voice slightly raspy from disuse.
"Hey Bones," Robert greeted her, and she raised an eyebrow. "Yeah I've been sorta busy, you know; saving people, saving the world, simple stuff like that," he replied as he sat down in a chair next to her bed. Looking keenly at her, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "So how come you're not talking to anyone?" he asked bluntly, and Jordan raised her eyebrows again.
"Right to the heart of the matter, eh?"
"It's a surgeon's job."
"Ha ha," Jordan said sarcastically, although Robert could see the laughter in her eyes.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Why won't you speak to anybody?"
Jordan sighed but gave him a wry smile. "Because ever conversation can be a game of wit," she replied, and Robert gazed at her questioningly. "I don't enter a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent," Jordan explained with a grin.
"Ah - I'm honored, I think," Robert said dryly.
"So what's with the casual wear?" Jordan asked, referring to Robert's turtleneck sweater and jeans. "Hot date tonight?"
"Not exactly, but it is my night off," he said quickly. Clapping his hands together, he gave Jordan a sly smile. "So - let's play a game."
"Excuse me?" Jordan squeaked, not sure that she'd heard correctly.
"Let's play a game."
"Uh - what type of game?"
"How about Truth or Dare?" he suggested, and Jordan eyed him suspiciously.
"Truth or Dare," Jordan repeated cautiously, and Robert nodded. "Oookaay," Jordan agreed slowly.
"Good," Robert replied cheerfully, even though Jordan was still eyeing him cautiously. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth," Jordan replied carefully, as if she was afraid that she was falling into some sort of trap.
"**How** did you put up with your parents?" Robert asked after a pause of thought, and Jordan shrugged.
"Some amount of patience and a large amount of lack of choice I guess," she replied, relaxing her shoulders a little. "Anyway, my 'dad' isn't my real dad," Jordan continued, and Robert tilted his head slightly. "My real dad died before I was born. Truth or dare?" she changed the subject before Robert could say anything.
"Truth."
"How did you know the cure for 'crappy-parent-it is'?"
"I thought I already answered this?" Robert said with a chuckle, and Jordan smirked slightly.
"How did you know the cure for 'crappy-parent-it is'?" she repeated the question, and Robert's eyes fell down to his hands for a brief moment.
"I had a daughter once," he said shortly after a quick pause, looking up at Jordan again with an odd expression on his face. Jordan blinked in surprise but nodded. "Truth or dare?" he offered no more information on the daughter.
"Truth," Jordan responded, and it was Robert's turn to smirk.
"Wimp," he muttered lightly. "How come you're not speaking to anyone?"
"I already answered that," Jordan protested. Robert raised his eyebrows and Jordan sighed. "I have a couple of reasons."
"Give me one."
"If I don't talk to people, then I can't form a relationship, and then they can't let me down.you know?" Jordan said hurriedly in a quiet tone, and Robert nodded.
"How come you'll speak to me then?" he asked, and Jordan shrugged.
"I need some sort of human contact, even though I'm sure any similarities between you and a human being is purely coincidental."
"You know me so well."
"I try. Truth or dare?"
"Uh - dare."
"Ooh, we're being adventurous aren't we?" Jordan taunted slightly, glancing around the room. "Damn, dare's are harder. Okay, I have one. Prank call a staff member," she said in triumph, seeing a quick look of regret pass over Robert's eyes.
"Err-"
"What, are you afraid?"
"Of course not," Robert said gruffly, taking out his cell phone. Pausing, he quickly dialed a number and closed his eyes.
"Hello?" Jordan could hear Kerry's voice, and she bit her lip with a smirk.
"Hello, is yo-"
"Robert?" Kerry's voice asked, and Jordan saw Robert freeze up. "Is that you? I have your number here on my caller ID-" Jordan snatched the phone out of Roberts hands and snapped it shut with a loud laugh.
"Okay, no more prank calls for you," she laughed, and Robert leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Leave it to you," she muttered with a chuckle, and Robert gave a good-hearted laugh.
"Yes well, I haven't made too many prank calls in my life."
"You've made any?" Jordan countered, and Robert gave her a glare that was almost - playful.
"Truth or dare."
"Dare."
"Eat this," Robert said with the same triumph, holding out a graham cracker. Jordan rolled her eyes but took the cracker from him.
"Geez, you're no fun."
"Aww, you're saying this isn't fun?" Robert replied, his tone barely sarcastic. Jordan nibbled at the cracker slowly and shrugged.
"More fun than I've had in awhile," she said, and Robert could hear the slight depression in her tone. "Truth or dare?" she asked him, and he paused for a moment.
"For fear of my reputation, I think I'm going to stick with truth," he said and Jordan laughed. Pausing, she thought of a few questions before choosing one.
"How come you seem to like spending time with me?" she asked, and Robert closed his eyes for a moment.
"Because you remind me of her," he breathed quietly, and Jordan looked at him curiously. "My daughter," he clarified as he opened his eyes, and for a brief instant Jordan thought she saw a glimpse of pain - but then it was gone again behind the cold expression she was used to seeing. "And you're probably the most interesting person in this hospital."
"Doesn't say much for the people in this hospital."
"My point exactly."
"Hey, I think I should take offense to that," Jordan joked.
"Truth or dare," Robert continued, and Jordan sighed slightly.
"Truth."
"Tell me another reason why you won't talk to anybody."
"Wow, you're creative."
"I try. Answer?"
"I don't want them to miss me when I'm gone," Jordan replied flatly, and Robert leaned forward.
"What do you mean?" he asked, and Jordan looked at him oddly.
"Are you a psychiatrist in disguise?" she asked, half suspicious, half joking.
"Nope, pure surgeon and friend," he said, and Jordan paused at the last word.
"If people actually like me, then they'll miss me when I die, and I don't want that to happen," she continued.
"You expect to die soon?" Robert inquired, and she snorted.
"I expect to die sooner than I'd like to," she replied shortly, her face taking on a bitter expression. "Truth or dare," she nearly snapped the words, and Robert sighed.
"Truth."
"What was the most painful experience of your life?"
"When my wife left me and my daughter died," he replied emotionlessly, and Jordan's hard expression faded slightly. "Truth or dare?" he wouldn't allow her to find out more than she already had, and he wanted to stay honest with her.
"Dare."
"Eat all of these," Robert handed her the packet of crackers, and she stared at him.
"You can be so boring," she said as she accepted the crackers, and he shrugged. Jordan sighed and leaned back against the pillow, holding the crackers in her hand. "I'm tired," she said, and Robert took note of the late time on her clock.
"Alright, I think that's enough truth or dare for tonight," he said, inching forward in his chair. "Start eating those, I want to hear from Frankie and Dr. Ross that you've been eating so much they had to take you off of the IV," he said in a commanding tone, and Jordan nodded after a pause. "Good. I'll see you later Miss Crackers."
"Bye Mr. I-Can't-Make-A-Prank-Phone-Call," Jordan replied, lifting a cracker to her mouth. As Robert walked out of the doorway, he saw a bewildered Frankie watching them.
"Hello Frankie," he greeted her in his usual gruff manner, and Frankie turned her confused eyes towards him.
"She's eating."
"Yes, I see that."
"She's eating food!"
"I would certainly hope so."
"How did you do it?" Frankie asked, and Robert smiled cryptically for a moment.
"However different she may act at times, she's still a thirteen year old girl," he said with a smiling wink. "Sometimes you've got to play by their rules."
"Hey stranger, haven't seen you in awhile," she said, her voice slightly raspy from disuse.
"Hey Bones," Robert greeted her, and she raised an eyebrow. "Yeah I've been sorta busy, you know; saving people, saving the world, simple stuff like that," he replied as he sat down in a chair next to her bed. Looking keenly at her, he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "So how come you're not talking to anyone?" he asked bluntly, and Jordan raised her eyebrows again.
"Right to the heart of the matter, eh?"
"It's a surgeon's job."
"Ha ha," Jordan said sarcastically, although Robert could see the laughter in her eyes.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Why won't you speak to anybody?"
Jordan sighed but gave him a wry smile. "Because ever conversation can be a game of wit," she replied, and Robert gazed at her questioningly. "I don't enter a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent," Jordan explained with a grin.
"Ah - I'm honored, I think," Robert said dryly.
"So what's with the casual wear?" Jordan asked, referring to Robert's turtleneck sweater and jeans. "Hot date tonight?"
"Not exactly, but it is my night off," he said quickly. Clapping his hands together, he gave Jordan a sly smile. "So - let's play a game."
"Excuse me?" Jordan squeaked, not sure that she'd heard correctly.
"Let's play a game."
"Uh - what type of game?"
"How about Truth or Dare?" he suggested, and Jordan eyed him suspiciously.
"Truth or Dare," Jordan repeated cautiously, and Robert nodded. "Oookaay," Jordan agreed slowly.
"Good," Robert replied cheerfully, even though Jordan was still eyeing him cautiously. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth," Jordan replied carefully, as if she was afraid that she was falling into some sort of trap.
"**How** did you put up with your parents?" Robert asked after a pause of thought, and Jordan shrugged.
"Some amount of patience and a large amount of lack of choice I guess," she replied, relaxing her shoulders a little. "Anyway, my 'dad' isn't my real dad," Jordan continued, and Robert tilted his head slightly. "My real dad died before I was born. Truth or dare?" she changed the subject before Robert could say anything.
"Truth."
"How did you know the cure for 'crappy-parent-it is'?"
"I thought I already answered this?" Robert said with a chuckle, and Jordan smirked slightly.
"How did you know the cure for 'crappy-parent-it is'?" she repeated the question, and Robert's eyes fell down to his hands for a brief moment.
"I had a daughter once," he said shortly after a quick pause, looking up at Jordan again with an odd expression on his face. Jordan blinked in surprise but nodded. "Truth or dare?" he offered no more information on the daughter.
"Truth," Jordan responded, and it was Robert's turn to smirk.
"Wimp," he muttered lightly. "How come you're not speaking to anyone?"
"I already answered that," Jordan protested. Robert raised his eyebrows and Jordan sighed. "I have a couple of reasons."
"Give me one."
"If I don't talk to people, then I can't form a relationship, and then they can't let me down.you know?" Jordan said hurriedly in a quiet tone, and Robert nodded.
"How come you'll speak to me then?" he asked, and Jordan shrugged.
"I need some sort of human contact, even though I'm sure any similarities between you and a human being is purely coincidental."
"You know me so well."
"I try. Truth or dare?"
"Uh - dare."
"Ooh, we're being adventurous aren't we?" Jordan taunted slightly, glancing around the room. "Damn, dare's are harder. Okay, I have one. Prank call a staff member," she said in triumph, seeing a quick look of regret pass over Robert's eyes.
"Err-"
"What, are you afraid?"
"Of course not," Robert said gruffly, taking out his cell phone. Pausing, he quickly dialed a number and closed his eyes.
"Hello?" Jordan could hear Kerry's voice, and she bit her lip with a smirk.
"Hello, is yo-"
"Robert?" Kerry's voice asked, and Jordan saw Robert freeze up. "Is that you? I have your number here on my caller ID-" Jordan snatched the phone out of Roberts hands and snapped it shut with a loud laugh.
"Okay, no more prank calls for you," she laughed, and Robert leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Leave it to you," she muttered with a chuckle, and Robert gave a good-hearted laugh.
"Yes well, I haven't made too many prank calls in my life."
"You've made any?" Jordan countered, and Robert gave her a glare that was almost - playful.
"Truth or dare."
"Dare."
"Eat this," Robert said with the same triumph, holding out a graham cracker. Jordan rolled her eyes but took the cracker from him.
"Geez, you're no fun."
"Aww, you're saying this isn't fun?" Robert replied, his tone barely sarcastic. Jordan nibbled at the cracker slowly and shrugged.
"More fun than I've had in awhile," she said, and Robert could hear the slight depression in her tone. "Truth or dare?" she asked him, and he paused for a moment.
"For fear of my reputation, I think I'm going to stick with truth," he said and Jordan laughed. Pausing, she thought of a few questions before choosing one.
"How come you seem to like spending time with me?" she asked, and Robert closed his eyes for a moment.
"Because you remind me of her," he breathed quietly, and Jordan looked at him curiously. "My daughter," he clarified as he opened his eyes, and for a brief instant Jordan thought she saw a glimpse of pain - but then it was gone again behind the cold expression she was used to seeing. "And you're probably the most interesting person in this hospital."
"Doesn't say much for the people in this hospital."
"My point exactly."
"Hey, I think I should take offense to that," Jordan joked.
"Truth or dare," Robert continued, and Jordan sighed slightly.
"Truth."
"Tell me another reason why you won't talk to anybody."
"Wow, you're creative."
"I try. Answer?"
"I don't want them to miss me when I'm gone," Jordan replied flatly, and Robert leaned forward.
"What do you mean?" he asked, and Jordan looked at him oddly.
"Are you a psychiatrist in disguise?" she asked, half suspicious, half joking.
"Nope, pure surgeon and friend," he said, and Jordan paused at the last word.
"If people actually like me, then they'll miss me when I die, and I don't want that to happen," she continued.
"You expect to die soon?" Robert inquired, and she snorted.
"I expect to die sooner than I'd like to," she replied shortly, her face taking on a bitter expression. "Truth or dare," she nearly snapped the words, and Robert sighed.
"Truth."
"What was the most painful experience of your life?"
"When my wife left me and my daughter died," he replied emotionlessly, and Jordan's hard expression faded slightly. "Truth or dare?" he wouldn't allow her to find out more than she already had, and he wanted to stay honest with her.
"Dare."
"Eat all of these," Robert handed her the packet of crackers, and she stared at him.
"You can be so boring," she said as she accepted the crackers, and he shrugged. Jordan sighed and leaned back against the pillow, holding the crackers in her hand. "I'm tired," she said, and Robert took note of the late time on her clock.
"Alright, I think that's enough truth or dare for tonight," he said, inching forward in his chair. "Start eating those, I want to hear from Frankie and Dr. Ross that you've been eating so much they had to take you off of the IV," he said in a commanding tone, and Jordan nodded after a pause. "Good. I'll see you later Miss Crackers."
"Bye Mr. I-Can't-Make-A-Prank-Phone-Call," Jordan replied, lifting a cracker to her mouth. As Robert walked out of the doorway, he saw a bewildered Frankie watching them.
"Hello Frankie," he greeted her in his usual gruff manner, and Frankie turned her confused eyes towards him.
"She's eating."
"Yes, I see that."
"She's eating food!"
"I would certainly hope so."
"How did you do it?" Frankie asked, and Robert smiled cryptically for a moment.
"However different she may act at times, she's still a thirteen year old girl," he said with a smiling wink. "Sometimes you've got to play by their rules."