Alright, here goes nothing with the latest segment. Not much movement, just a healthy dose of fluff and setup for some stuff. And please forgive the ugly cutoff. This chapter would've gone on indefinitely otherwise. Much thanks Bookworm and lipamo. And glad you're enjoying Shockey! Those chapters were difficult to write but it's one of my favorite arcs in the fic. :) More to come soon.
"Thanks a lot.", Brody said with a smile as the nurse handed him Carrie's clothes. Once she left he started folding them on the nightstand.
"C'mon Marine. Your turn."
"Okay, okay. Don't get testy."
Joining her back on the bed he rolled his eyes, looked down thoughtfully at his cards.
"Okay, I'll see your Snickers. And raise you two Kit Kats."
"Well, I see your Kit Kats. And I'll raise you, your bag of barbecue chips."
"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"
"Yeah, what else is new?", Carrie smirked, showing her hand as Brody rolled his eyes.
"Fuck me!" he groaned, shaking his head as she moved the heap of vending machine candy to her end of the bed, then swapped the plain chips from her lunch out for his.
"Okay, fine. You get the barbecue chips but I get your grape juice.", he insisted as she scoffed, looked at him incredulously.
"Why do you assume I'll just hand over my grape juice?"
"Not hand over. Trade. What, you don't like apple?"
"Maggie packed the grape in my bag for a reason."
"Your bag?", Brody scoffed. "Your...we swapped everything in the lunches besides the juice and it's the one thing I wanted to give up!", he sputtered, seeing as she'd come away with the preferable lunch using guilt and a seemingly rigged game of poker.
"Why do I feel like when you were growing up you made kids miserable at lunch by doing this. Manipulating everyone at your table out of the food they actually wanted."
"I wasn't nearly as skilled back then.", Carrie snorted. "And you're telling me you never did the same thing? Traded lunch with your classmates?"
"Yeah but we'd do it fairly. Just go around the table and swap out stuff."
"Let me guess, you were one of the popular kids, right?", she asked disapprovingly.
"I never ate lunch by myself if that's what you mean.", Brody said, taking a bite of his sub.
"You know there's nothing wrong with that."
"Wrong with what?"
"Sitting by yourself at lunch. It doesn't make you a fucking loser or anything.", Carrie snapped as he frowned.
"Carrie, I never...wait, don't tell me."
"So I sat alone, big deal! I did it by choice! For the most part anyway.", she shrugged, sipping her juice as he looked on curiously.
"I mostly hung out with boys at recess and when lunchtime rolled around they didn't want a girl sitting at their table. It didn't bother me though. I'd just sit and read instead. It was actually preferable after spending all of recess doing stupid dares on the playground."
"What kinds of dares?", Brody asked curiously.
"One time I had to go to this field behind my middle school, and climb on top of this old wooden swingset that was falling apart and infested with bees."
"Why?"
"One of the bullies had thrown a boy's jacket onto it. I knew I could get it down for him so I did. All the other kids were too chickenshit to even try.", Carrie laughed.
"And even after all that they wouldn't let you sit with them?"
"Nope. My dad said the reason was I intimidated them all too much."
"I'd have let you sit with me.", Brody said as she smiled, rolled her eyes playfully.
"Anyway, it was fine. I read more than anyone in my class because of it."
"So between that and all the dares, you were just setting yourself up to be a brilliant adventurer, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Reaching onto the nightstand she reached for her clothes he'd neatly folded, set there.
"Okay, I've got to get out of this dress already.", she groaned.
Getting to her feet, untying the back of the gown, she glanced over her shoulder, then glared when she saw Brody intently watching her.
"What?", he asked. "It's not as if I've never seen you before. For Christ's sake, what were we almost caught in the middle of not too long ago?"
"Well I was planning on leaving this on for that.", she scoffed, gesturing to the gown. "Either that or I was turning the light off."
"Carrie..."
"Brody, I can barely fit into my fucking yoga pants anymore. Every time I look down it's like I'm...expanding.", she grumbled, pulling the sweats on.
"Well if you weren't starting to even a little at thirteen weeks I think I'd be a little concerned.", he said as she scoffed, rolled her eyes. Rolling his in response Brody sighed, stood and approached before hugging her from behind. His arms coming to settle around her waist.
"Brody..."
"Carrie. You're gorgeous, okay? You were the day we first met, you are now, and you're still going to be when you're eight months along and look like you swallowed a watermelon."
"I'm not exactly looking forward to that.", she muttered as he held her closer, kissed the side of her head.
"What about to having a full service cabin boy at your disposal?", he asked, pushing her hair aside to kiss her neck.
"Tempting...", she sighed. "But still not enough incentive." Nodding, Brody rested his chin on top of her head.
"Okay what if I stop going for runs, start living off of cheesy bread. I can gain a bunch of weight, have one of those sympathy pregnancies. How does that sound?"
"It sounds like you're more of a dork than I thought.", she snorted, turning around as he arched a brow at her.
"You're sweet though."
Reaching to hold his face she smiled.
"Well I did finish your Milk Duds when you had your back turned before.", Brody shrugged, earning another hit on the arm.
"Okay, you need to cut that out!", he exclaimed.
"Do I?", Carrie smirked. Rolling her eyes she went to move, but felt something buzz against her leg and looked down, frowned, then looked back up at him.
"So is your phone happy to see me? Or.."
"Carrie.", Rolling his eyes, Brody stepped back, took his phone out of his pocket. Frowned to see he'd gotten a text from an unfamiliar number.
"What the...who?"
"Let me see.", Carrie asked. When he didn't relinquish the phone she glared at him.
"What? Are you sexting someone?"
"What?! No!", Brody exclaimed.
"Jesus, I was kidding. Who's the message from?"
"If I knew the number I'd fucking tell you.", he sighed. Opening the message he read it, went wide eyed.
"Motherfucking..."
"What?! Brody what is-"
Taking the phone when he handed it to her she read the message equally quickly, gasped.
"Oh my God. Shit. H...holy shit!", she laughed, eyes welling up as she ran back to the bed, started throwing the playing cards and snacks into her purse.
"Carrie-"
"We have to go!"
"Carrie, wait!"
"What do you mean, wait! I've been waiting for four goddamn months!" Carrie snapped. Taking Brody by the arm she was ready to drag him out of the room but he didn't budge.
"Brody!"
When he nodded to what she was, or rather wasn't wearing, looking down Carrie bit her lip. "Oh."
"Yeah. I may have seen you before but I doubt the nurse's station's ready to.", Brody said before smirking. "Not that you don't...you know."
"Shut up.", Carrie snorted, putting on her tee and sweatshirt before running out of the room. Brody had to jog to keep up with her as she made her way to the elevator.
"Carrie, for Christ's sake, slow down!"
"What?!", she asked, looking at him. "You run every day, Brody!"
"Not in a fucking hospital I don't!", he exclaimed only to hear footsteps behind him.
"Hey, what the fuck you two? Learn to turn around next time.", Quinn snapped.
"How long have you been following us?"
"Since I saw you tearing out of your goddamn room. What, you were too worked up to see me?", he asked as they all reluctantly slowed to a stop.
"Did you get Mira's message?"
"Of course. Why do you think I was trying to track you down."
After all three of them reached the elevator, Carrie called it and when the doors didn't open immediately she swore. Anxiously ran a hand through her hair.
"Easy, we'll get up there to see him soon.", Brody assured, rubbing her shoulders as she leaned into this touch.
"I don't even remember the last time I visited him."
"Carrie, don't beat yourself up. I haven't been by in a month and a half.", Quinn said guiltily.
"Jesus, Quinn. You have an excuse.", Brody interjected. "I mean after everything with J.J broke open-"
"I should've taken the bullet that night. For that reason I should've been here every fucking day."
"Well he didn't get shot protecting your child.", Carrie said, shuddering at the memory as the elevator opened.
"Fuck. Finally."
Once inside she was still just as anxious, and would've been pacing if the space had been bigger.
"Love, try and-"
"But-"
"Carrie, please. Remember what fucking landed you in here in the first place.", Brody reminded as she rolled her eyes, crossed her arms.
"Hey-"
"I know, Brody. I know.", she said curtly before the doors opened. Before anyone could move a muscle she was out the door, halfway down the hall.
"Carrie. For Christ's sake..."
"Once she sees him, sees he's doing better it'll help her. A lot.", Quinn said.
"I just hope he is doing better. The man just woke up from a fucking coma, Quinn. Who knows what state he'll even be in?"
"The District of Columbia.", he deadpanned, getting a snort, eyeroll.
"Just trying to lighten the mood.", he shrugged, brushing past Brody down the hall.