Who's a Weak Onna?
Chapter 6
Hot and Spicy
Sally was true to her word. She arrived at 7:00 equipped with take out boxes of steamed rice, shrimp curry and the appropriate place settings borrowed from the hospital kitchen.
"I hope this makes you feel a bit more normal," she said, setting out plates, silverware and napkins on the small table between them.
"I know how de-humanizing it can be to be a patient," she admitted. "Try not to take it too personally."
"Hard not to when you're being violated in some fashion every 10 minutes," Wufei said dryly.
She colored slightly. "I know," she said, busying herself with serving the food and pouring them each a glass of sparking cider.
"I'm sorry, no booze," she said as she poured them the juice. "It doesn't mix well with your meds and I'm driving home later."
"It's fine," he said, taking a sip. "I'm not big on alcohol anyway."
"Oh, why not?" she asked him, taking a drink from her own glass.
"It, uh, tends to make me act a little out of character," he said, setting down his glass and picking up the chopsticks that had come with the meal instead of a fork.
"You mean silly," said Sally, taking a small bite of the curry, mixed in with plenty of rice.
"That's one word for it," he said, tasting his.
"A little hot, don't you think?" asked Sally, taking another sip of her drink.
"Yes, but I like it that way," said Wufei, taking a largish bite of his food.
"I'm glad you're hungry," said Sally. "It's a sign you're recovering right on schedule."
"I think I like it better when you talk like my friend instead of like my doctor," said Wufei, taking another bite.
"Okay, I promise, no more 'doctor talk'," said Sally, making an 'X' over her left breast.
"Good," said Wufei, "I've had enough of that the past few days to last me a lifetime."
"I'm sorry to say it'll be a while before it's all over," said Sally, putting down her fork and touching a napkin to her lips. "You've only just begun to go through what is going to be a long process."
"I don't want to think about that right now," he said stubbornly, continuing to eat. "I want to enjoy your company and think about something besides pain and being stuck in this bed and when the next white-coated vampire is coming to drain more blood from me or insert this there or stick me with what where."
He exhaled loudly and took another swallow of his drink.
"I'm sorry," she said again, "I'm not being very good company. Here I should be taking your mind off this whole wretched thing and all I can think about is what's ahead of us."
"Us?" he queried, raising his eyebrow.
She flushed, "You know what I mean. You must know I intend to be here for you until this is all over, both as your friend, and as your doctor, naturally."
"Naturally," he repeated, setting down his nearly empty plate and the chopsticks.
"I would expect nothing less of you, Sally," he said, looking at her in an appraising fashion, "You've always been a very fine and loyal person."
"Thank you," she said, ducking her head self-consciously.
"I don't give compliments lightly," he said, clearing his throat and taking another sip of his drink.
"After five years, I do realize that," said Sally, nodding her head.
"I can't help but think of when I first met you. You seemed so young and so old at the same time. I remember wondering what sort of man you'd become in a few years."
"Well, what do you think?" he asked curiously. He found himself intensely wanting to know what she thought of him.
"I think I'm pleased," she said quietly, looking at her hands in her lap.
"I'm glad you're pleased," he admitted. "I don't think I could bear it if you weren't."
"Why?"
He thought a few moments. "Because you convinced me that I was worthy to keep fighting then and now you're doing it again. I don't know many people who would do that for someone."
"That seems so long ago now," she said, "but I'm honored you think of me that way. I hold you in equal esteem, never doubt that."
"Sally?"
"What?"
He took a long breath and let it out slowly. "It's bad, isn't it?
"You're talking about your leg, aren't you?"
He nodded.
"Will I walk again? I mean normally? Will I be able to be a Preventor? Will I lose my leg?"
The last was barely a whisper.
"Honestly? I can't answer any of that now, it's too soon. I'm sorry Wufei, really sorry."
"It's all right. It was my own foolishness that got me here, not anything you should be apologizing for," he said tiredly.
"Foolishness?"
"I should have done some exploring before I just blasted off on that bike!" he said slamming down his hand on the small table in frustration.
"So stupid! I'm such an idiot!" He curled his face into his good hand and held it there so she couldn't see his expression.
Sally rose and pushing away the table, sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
"Wufei, listen to me," she said calmly, reaching up and pulling his hand from his face.
"Look at me!" she said sternly, reaching out and pulling up his chin. His dark eyes glittered with tears of frustration and self-loathing.
"Everyone makes mistakes. You're no exception. That's all this was, a mistake," she said, looking him intensely.
"You're not stupid or foolish, you're one of the most astute people I've ever known."
"Sally." He breathed the word and his good right hand came up as he lightly brushed her lips with his fingers.
She held her breath and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and use that energy to get well!" she leaned forward because he couldn't and brushed her lips softly against his.
He looked dumbfounded but nodded his head and scooted down in the bed.
"You must be tired," said Sally, noticing the droop of his eyelids as he lay back against the pillow of the bed.
"I am, but I'm still glad you came," he said, yawning widely before he could cover his mouth. "Sorry, bad manners."
"Your manners are as impeccable as those white pants you wear all the time," said Sally, smiling down at him as she reached down and pulled the blanket up to his chest and smoothed it over to the sides of the bed.
"Sally?"
"What?"
"Kiss me goodnight," he asked sleepily. "Please."
She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, like a child.
"No, not like that," he said petulantly. "Like this."
Taking her hand, he pulled her down and kissed her firmly on the mouth, then released her.
"Better." He said, and in a few moments, was soundly asleep.
"Definitely better," thought Sally, tasting the spices from the curry and something that was simply Wufei on her lips as she gathered up the dishes and things to take down to the kitchen, disposing of the empty take-out boxes.
"Much better," she murmured, turning down the lights as she left.
Chapter 6
Hot and Spicy
Sally was true to her word. She arrived at 7:00 equipped with take out boxes of steamed rice, shrimp curry and the appropriate place settings borrowed from the hospital kitchen.
"I hope this makes you feel a bit more normal," she said, setting out plates, silverware and napkins on the small table between them.
"I know how de-humanizing it can be to be a patient," she admitted. "Try not to take it too personally."
"Hard not to when you're being violated in some fashion every 10 minutes," Wufei said dryly.
She colored slightly. "I know," she said, busying herself with serving the food and pouring them each a glass of sparking cider.
"I'm sorry, no booze," she said as she poured them the juice. "It doesn't mix well with your meds and I'm driving home later."
"It's fine," he said, taking a sip. "I'm not big on alcohol anyway."
"Oh, why not?" she asked him, taking a drink from her own glass.
"It, uh, tends to make me act a little out of character," he said, setting down his glass and picking up the chopsticks that had come with the meal instead of a fork.
"You mean silly," said Sally, taking a small bite of the curry, mixed in with plenty of rice.
"That's one word for it," he said, tasting his.
"A little hot, don't you think?" asked Sally, taking another sip of her drink.
"Yes, but I like it that way," said Wufei, taking a largish bite of his food.
"I'm glad you're hungry," said Sally. "It's a sign you're recovering right on schedule."
"I think I like it better when you talk like my friend instead of like my doctor," said Wufei, taking another bite.
"Okay, I promise, no more 'doctor talk'," said Sally, making an 'X' over her left breast.
"Good," said Wufei, "I've had enough of that the past few days to last me a lifetime."
"I'm sorry to say it'll be a while before it's all over," said Sally, putting down her fork and touching a napkin to her lips. "You've only just begun to go through what is going to be a long process."
"I don't want to think about that right now," he said stubbornly, continuing to eat. "I want to enjoy your company and think about something besides pain and being stuck in this bed and when the next white-coated vampire is coming to drain more blood from me or insert this there or stick me with what where."
He exhaled loudly and took another swallow of his drink.
"I'm sorry," she said again, "I'm not being very good company. Here I should be taking your mind off this whole wretched thing and all I can think about is what's ahead of us."
"Us?" he queried, raising his eyebrow.
She flushed, "You know what I mean. You must know I intend to be here for you until this is all over, both as your friend, and as your doctor, naturally."
"Naturally," he repeated, setting down his nearly empty plate and the chopsticks.
"I would expect nothing less of you, Sally," he said, looking at her in an appraising fashion, "You've always been a very fine and loyal person."
"Thank you," she said, ducking her head self-consciously.
"I don't give compliments lightly," he said, clearing his throat and taking another sip of his drink.
"After five years, I do realize that," said Sally, nodding her head.
"I can't help but think of when I first met you. You seemed so young and so old at the same time. I remember wondering what sort of man you'd become in a few years."
"Well, what do you think?" he asked curiously. He found himself intensely wanting to know what she thought of him.
"I think I'm pleased," she said quietly, looking at her hands in her lap.
"I'm glad you're pleased," he admitted. "I don't think I could bear it if you weren't."
"Why?"
He thought a few moments. "Because you convinced me that I was worthy to keep fighting then and now you're doing it again. I don't know many people who would do that for someone."
"That seems so long ago now," she said, "but I'm honored you think of me that way. I hold you in equal esteem, never doubt that."
"Sally?"
"What?"
He took a long breath and let it out slowly. "It's bad, isn't it?
"You're talking about your leg, aren't you?"
He nodded.
"Will I walk again? I mean normally? Will I be able to be a Preventor? Will I lose my leg?"
The last was barely a whisper.
"Honestly? I can't answer any of that now, it's too soon. I'm sorry Wufei, really sorry."
"It's all right. It was my own foolishness that got me here, not anything you should be apologizing for," he said tiredly.
"Foolishness?"
"I should have done some exploring before I just blasted off on that bike!" he said slamming down his hand on the small table in frustration.
"So stupid! I'm such an idiot!" He curled his face into his good hand and held it there so she couldn't see his expression.
Sally rose and pushing away the table, sat carefully on the edge of the bed.
"Wufei, listen to me," she said calmly, reaching up and pulling his hand from his face.
"Look at me!" she said sternly, reaching out and pulling up his chin. His dark eyes glittered with tears of frustration and self-loathing.
"Everyone makes mistakes. You're no exception. That's all this was, a mistake," she said, looking him intensely.
"You're not stupid or foolish, you're one of the most astute people I've ever known."
"Sally." He breathed the word and his good right hand came up as he lightly brushed her lips with his fingers.
She held her breath and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and use that energy to get well!" she leaned forward because he couldn't and brushed her lips softly against his.
He looked dumbfounded but nodded his head and scooted down in the bed.
"You must be tired," said Sally, noticing the droop of his eyelids as he lay back against the pillow of the bed.
"I am, but I'm still glad you came," he said, yawning widely before he could cover his mouth. "Sorry, bad manners."
"Your manners are as impeccable as those white pants you wear all the time," said Sally, smiling down at him as she reached down and pulled the blanket up to his chest and smoothed it over to the sides of the bed.
"Sally?"
"What?"
"Kiss me goodnight," he asked sleepily. "Please."
She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, like a child.
"No, not like that," he said petulantly. "Like this."
Taking her hand, he pulled her down and kissed her firmly on the mouth, then released her.
"Better." He said, and in a few moments, was soundly asleep.
"Definitely better," thought Sally, tasting the spices from the curry and something that was simply Wufei on her lips as she gathered up the dishes and things to take down to the kitchen, disposing of the empty take-out boxes.
"Much better," she murmured, turning down the lights as she left.