Chinese Food
By Dimgwrthien
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or affiliates.
It was Sheldon Hawkes' turn to treat the group to lunch. As usual, he brought a bag filled with cartons of Chinese food as well as chopsticks and drinks.
Aiden helped him unload the bag, opening each carton a little to see what was inside. She loved the smell of the foods mixing together in the break room, but something about having to get it every time Hawkes treated them wasn't making it appealing.
"Goin' for some variety, are you?" she asked, opening up one of the last containers. "I don't see any white rice - just fried." She turned to him, careful to keep a straight face. "What's goin' on?"
"Ran out of white rice," he told her, taking the drinks out of the holder and setting the four of them around the small table. He already knew where each person would sit and what they would drink - Danny and he would take Diet Coke, Aiden took Sprite, and Flack took Dr. Pepper.
The door opened and the last two men joined them at the table. Danny started hunting through each container, trying to find something. Flack grabbed the beef and broccoli once Danny tossed it to the side, then grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and started eating. Aiden managed to grab the orange chicken before Danny managed to go through it.
"You don't have to act like a starvin' scavenger," she told him.
Danny didn't bother to glance up as he grabbed the next carton, then slid it across the table. Hawkes grabbed it, saw vegetable lo mein inside, and started eating. Danny finally tossed away the last carton full of sweet and sour pork, then frowned at Hawkes.
"This is why we never let you buy lunch. You never get the orders right."
"This is why we do trust him," Flack told Danny. "He pays for it. We don't."
"We don't even take orders," Hawkes told him, frowning in confusion. "What's so important that I forgot?"
"White rice," Danny told him in a matter-of-fact voice.
Aiden smiled. "White rice? Danny, there's fried rice right there!"
"Fried rice has the peas and eggs. It's tastes completely diff'rent. If you put white rice with somethin', it tastes normal. Fried rice completely changes it."
"Just eat it without rice!" Flack told him, taking another bite of beef. "You don't see us with rice!"
Danny stared at Flack. "I like white rice with it."
"I'm sorry," Flack said sarcastically. "Let's all get into the car and go buy Danny some white rice. Hell, let's cook it for him and serve it to him on gold." He rolled his eyes. "You don't need white rice. Fried rice is almost the same."
Danny, looking mildly offended, took the carton of sweet and sour pork, fished out a piece, and ate it. He dragged out each chew slowly, making a disgusted face.
"That's it," Flack snapped. "I'm leaving the table." He got up, walking across the room to the table furthest away. There was a leftover pizza on it. "And I'm going to take a nice slice of this and eat my beef and broccoli in peace." He reached into the box, taking out a slice and taking a bite from it.
Hawkes got out of his seat. "I'm joining him." He sat next to Flack, taking out another slice of pizza. He picked an onion off it and popped it into his mouth.
Aiden smiled at Danny. "Look, Messer. You're a real party an' all, but I'm afraid I'd rather have pizza." She stood up, crossing over to sit on Flacks' other side and grabbing a slice of pizza after them. There were only two slices left.
"No fair takin' the pizza!" Danny called over. "It's someone else's!"
"That's never stopped you," Aiden told him. "Besides, it's Chad's."
Danny started to get up from where he sat, but Flack told him, "Hey - pizza doesn't have white rice, either."
He looked a bit offended. "Cmon, guys. Pizza has nothing to do with rice. It's not my fault someone" - he stared at Hawkes - "keeps getting Chinese."
"Am I the only person who doesn't mind it?" he asked jokingly as he took another bite.
"Complanin' doesn't get you pizza," Flack told Danny, taking another bite from the pizza.
"I'll take dumpster duty for two weeks if I can have some."
Aiden opened the pizza box. "You're on."