A/N: Mea culpa. When I wrote the dinner scene, at Ellie's apartment back in Chapter 4, where Ellie asks Chuck if he has done any cooking and he responds there really wasn't a place in the dorm for him to cook, I hadn't done enough research. It turns out that Roble Hall, as well as other Stanford dorms, have kitchenettes on the ground floor in the common areas. He still doesn't have a refrigerator in his room. Yet. Will Chuck take advantage of the newly discovered cooking facilities? How should I know? Go ask King Louie. He's in charge of the typewriting monkey army that is running this show.
Disclaimer: I regret that I only have one Chuck to give for my country. I have not yet begun to Chuck. Once more into the Chuck, dear friends. Once more! This is what you write when you don't have any better smart aleck stuff to write in the disclaimer. If my aleck were smarter, I might own Chuck. I don't own Chuck, so you can draw your own conclusions about my aleck. I don't make any money from Chuck, either, which makes sense, given the condition of my aleck. Also, if anyone notices any similarity between the first two lines of this disclaimer and any part of this chapter, it is merely a coincidence. Or my aleck acting up.
Chapter 12 – Try A Little Kindness
October 9
"I've only just met her and I've only known Chuck for a little while, and not all that well, but even I can see that Sarah has more than just a casual interest in your brother," Devon stated matter-of-factly.
Ellie looked over at her boyfriend and smiled. People saw the pretty-boy jock looks and didn't know that there was a keen and observant mind inside the handsome packaging. She knew, of course, from the moment she met him, she knew. Otherwise, they wouldn't be together. She couldn't abide the conceited jerk, self-absorbed, so-called ladies' men that permeated schools, college campuses, and the world in general. Devon had all the outer appearances, but his head and his heart were in an entirely different place. Ellie focused back on him when he continued to talk.
"I can also tell that she either doesn't know or doesn't want to admit to herself how much she cares about him," Devon said.
Such a fine mind inside such a tasty candy coating, Ellie thought. She blushed at that memory. Washing the sheets had been a pain and taken more than one attempt to get clean, but it had been worth it. Totally. Studying anatomy had its uses outside the medical profession. She smiled as she turned her attention back to Devon.
"The next question is, how does Chuck feel about her? The last time you talked to him was the evening just after he had first met Sarah and the other Songbirds." Devon glanced over at Ellie and could tell, from the look in her eye, that she was thinking it over. "Are you planning on grilling Chuck the way you grilled Sarah?" He smiled.
"I did not grill her, Devon." Ellie gave him an indignant look. "I just was asking her pertinent questions to find out what was going on and how she knew Chuck." She frowned as her boyfriend smirked at her. "That's all."
"That's all?" Devon looked at her incredulously, before focusing on his driving. "Ellie. Babe. You were giving her the third degree. All that was missing was the light shining in her eyes and the rubber hose to hit her with." He shook his head slightly, never taking his eyes off of the road.
"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad." Ellie protested. Devon shot her a quick look that said 'Really?'. Her defenses collapsed. "OK, fine. Yeah, I was a little tough on her, but Devon, you've got to understand. Chuck's life is really difficult. Yes, we have our issues with each other, but I see how hard his life is. I didn't use to see it or understand the strain he is under constantly. Every. Single. Day. I was too young and self-centered and jealous. But I'm older now. I see more and understand more. Going through college helped. Coming to medical school has helped, is helping. And you're helping me, too." A small smile on his face. "Chuck is amazing. One of a kind. What he can do leaves me stunned." Devon nodded his understanding. "But he's also cursed. Cursed by the very things that allow him to do all of the amazing stuff." He gave her another look. "OK, maybe 'cursed' is too harsh a word, but he struggles. And if Sarah Walker can help him in his struggles, then I'm going to do everything I can to help her help him. The fact that he's been hanging around her and her friends by himself for over a week tells me that he's ready to be helped, at least on some level, whether he knows it or not." Devon shot her a concerned look when he heard the determination in her voice.
"What are you going to do Ellie?" He asked worriedly.
"I think it's time I invited Chuck over for dinner, again. I might invite Sarah to come along. After all, we are part of the medical team treating her sprained ankle." Devon gave her a 'who are you trying to kid' look. "Don't give me that look. It's only dinner." He just shook his head. "I have but one life to give to my family. And I have not yet begun to scheme." Ellie smirked.
"El, you might want to talk to Chuck first, before having the two of them over for dinner. We still don't know what Chuck really feels about her. He could be hanging out with them just to be friends. Or he could be interested in one of the other girls. One of the freshmen who isn't graduating from school in the spring." Devon said.
Ellie frowned, but nodded. "You're right, Devon. Maybe we need to postpone the Sarah dinner and just start with having Chuck back over. I'll call him when we get back to my apartment. We'll plan it for some time before the game next Thursday."
"Yeah, we don't want to interfere with the UCLA game. What would my old teammates think if I didn't show up for the thrashing they're going to give Stanford?" He grinned.
Ellie gave him a flat look. "Remember where you are, babe. We're not at UCLA anymore. We're Stanford students now." Devon's grin only got bigger. "I'll set the date with Chuck as soon as I can. I need to know how long I've got to get the hot lamp and rubber hose ready." Ellie giggled when Devon twisted his lips to the side and shook his head again. "I'm only teasing. Maybe."
Arriving back at her apartment, they parked and got out. During the walk from the car, Devon asked. "What is Chuck's theme song, anyway?" Ellie told him. "Yeah, I can see that. Makes sense. Maybe Sarah can give him a new theme song," He pondered.
"Maybe Sarah can take away the need for a theme song all together," Ellie said hopefully.
The CATS had arrived back in their suite some time ago. The trip back from the health center had been full of a discussion of Sarah's injury and how they could help her during the next few weeks while she healed. They also spent some time speculating about what information Sarah was learning from Chuck's formidable sister, Ellie. After deciding that further speculation was pointless and agreeing to wait for Sarah to return to find out what was actually discussed, their conversation turned to Ellie's hunk of a boyfriend. None of them missed Ellie's warning, although it was hard to tell how seriously they each took her words. Two of the CATS, at least, were content to leave that particular catch to the older, brunette fisherwoman. After all, there were plenty of other tasty fish in the sea. At that point, Zondra had had a thought that she wanted to pursue and logged on to her computer. She called up her browser and did a bit of typing and searching.
Zondra pushed back from her laptop and looked at her friends. "I thought I recognized his name."
"Whose name? What did you find out, Z?" Amy asked.
"Turns out that our deep dish proto-doctor is, or was, UCLA's star quarterback last year. He was their quarterback for the last four years, in fact." Zondra announced.
"So, he got them a win last year. So what?" Carina shrugged. "We beat them the three previous years, his record against us was 1-3, so he's a loser. Who cares?"
Zondra grinned at Amy, who grinned back. Then she winked, before turning to Carina with a knowing smile. "Apparently, you care, Red." Carina scowled at her. "You care that your flirting game got shot down by a woman who has more game than you. Otherwise, you would never be talking that way about such a good-looking guy. Possession is nine-tenths of the law. And Ellie Bartowski has possession of Subject A, one Devon Woodcomb, six feet plus of hunk-o-licious maleness." Carina's scowl deepened. "If you're smarter than you're acting right now, you'll steer clear of him. And her."
"I'm not worried about her. I can handle her." Carina bragged. Her friends couldn't believe what they were hearing. "And if I can't, I'll sic our kung-fu princess on her. Let's see how she deals with that?" She concluded smugly.
Zondra shook her head. "So, your big plan to win over Mr. Woodcomb is to have Sarah beat up his current girlfriend? The same Sarah who is in serious like with said girlfriend's brother? Who is even now talking with said girlfriend about said brother? The same brother who defends those he cares about like an absolute beast? That guy? That sister? And that friend?" Zondra shook her head incredulously. "You've lost your marbles, Red. Completely lost your marbles."
"Sarah would stick up for me. We've all been her friends for four years. Protected her. She'd do it, if I asked her to." Carina pouted.
"Oh, Carina. Give it a rest," Amy sighed. "Do you really think Sarah would beat up Ellie? For you? How do you think Devon would feel about that? How do you think Chuck would feel about that? Do you really think that Sarah would risk pushing Chuck away just so you can add another name to your list of conquests?"
"Yeah, risk losing the chance to be with a super-guy? Have a super-marriage? Make super-babies?" Zondra jumped in. Carina glared at her. "Don't forget, Red, Sarah's a virgin. She pushes guys away better than a bulldozer. She's not pushing Chuck away, when she's pushed guys away before without a second thought. You know how she's been acting, is still acting. She likes him. A lot. A lot a lot. Chuck seems like a great guy. That's why we're following him. Spying on him. To find out if he's as great a guy as he seems to be. Chuck could be the guy for Sarah. The forever guy. And you want to mess that up just so you can get one more random guy, round up your conquest tally? Prevent her from finally getting some sky rockets in flight, afternoon delight? I don't think I've ever heard something so selfish in my entire life. And I've known you for four years, so that's saying something." Zondra frowned and shook her head.
Carina was angry. "Now wait a minute," she spluttered. "You're being really mean. I was only kidding about siccing Sarah on Ellie."
"It sure didn't sound like you were kidding, Carina," Amy said.
"Nope, it didn't," Zondra agreed.
"Nope, it didn't," said Sarah from the doorway. All three of her friends jumped at the sound of her voice and turned to her with guilty looks on their faces. The noises of an entire dorm full of people coming and going to dinner had masked her approach, even with the crutches.
"H- How … How long have you been standing there, Blondie?" Carina stammered, surprising her friends. That was a first for her.
"Long enough to tell you that I'm not going to be fighting Ellie, now or in the future." Carina blushed and looked down, embarrassed. "Long enough to tell you that I'm more likely to shove one of these crutches down your throat and the other where the sun doesn't shine than I am to try and help you break up her and Devon." Carina looked up sharply and started to open her mouth. Sarah held up her hand, before continuing. "I love you, Carina. I love all of you. You're the best friends I've ever had. You've been there for me ever since we first met. Yes, you've protected me, too. Helped me survive these four years at Stanford. Been there for my successes and my failures. We've had fun in the good times and held each other's hair when we've had too much fun or when there were bad times. We're sisters for life." Carina's eyes were glassy, as were Zondra's and Amy's. Sarah paused for a beat. What about the rest of what they were talking about? What did she feel for Chuck? Did she like him? How much? What about the future? PT school? She sighed. Focusing on her friends, she continued. "I like Chuck. I do. How much? I don't know. I do know that I like having him around. He's sweet and caring and funny and not at all bad to look at. He's my friend. Beyond that, I don't know. I can't think about that. Super-marriage and super-babies? Good grief. A bit much, isn't it? My future is too uncertain right now. I've got to finish out this year. I've got to graduate. I don't even know where, or if, I'm going to get into PT school. Will that run-in with Bryce Larkin hurt my chances? Here at Stanford? At the other schools I've applied to? Who knows? Where will I be next year? Again, who knows?" Sarah shook her head, frowning. "I do know that I need to eat some food. First, I need a shower. Badly." The CATS breathed a sigh of relief that Sarah hadn't mentioned anything about the spying.
Sarah pulled out some clean clothes before sitting on her bed to try and undress after carefully unwrapping her ankle. Chastened, her friends silently helped her where they could. Once she deposited her dirty clothes in her hamper, she slipped on her robe and shower sandals and hobbled over for her shower kit, towel, and wash cloth, then turned to her friends.
"Could one of you carry my plastic step-stool into the shower for me? I'm going to try and shower while I sit on it. See if that works."
"Sure, Sarah. We can help you." Zondra said getting nods from the other two CATS. Sarah hobbled out toward the bathroom down the hall, while her friends followed along after locking their room.
Sarah wanted to do as much on her own as she could. She reasoned that she would need to be able to do so when she was out around campus without her friends to help her. After putting her shower kit and towel on the bench at the shower entrance, she took her step-stool from a contrite Carina and placed it on the floor in the middle of the shower stall. Sarah turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature to her liking, then removed her robe and hung it on the hook over the bench where her shower kit was located. She retrieved what she needed from her shower kit. Grabbed her wash cloth, and hobbled into the shower, carefully bending down to place her shower items on the shower floor near the step-stool. For the last part, Sarah needed help from her friends. She handed over her crutches to Amy, while Zondra held her arm to steady her as she attempted to squat down enough to sit on the step-stool. Success! She smiled up at Zondra when the other girl moved to close the shower curtain.
"Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate it. This sprained ankle is a real pain."
"That's the general idea, Sarah." Zondra chuckled.
Sarah gave her a flat look that she couldn't see on the other side of the curtain. "You know what I mean. Having a sprained ankle makes everything else that much more awkward and difficult to do."
"We got you, Blondie." Carina ventured tentatively, waiting for Sarah to snap at her.
"Thanks, Red." Sarah started to wash herself, beginning with her hair. It was awkward trying to wash while sitting on the low step-stool, but not as bad as it could have been. After a few minutes, she spoke again. "So, tell me all about how you're following and spying on Chuck. I assume you've roped the rest of the Songbirds into helping you, right?" Three sighs. So, she was going to ask about it, after all. There was no anger in her voice, but the CATS knew that didn't mean a thing. Sarah was good at masking her inner feelings. Usually.
"Yeah, we did ask the other girls to help us, Sarah," Amy replied. Sarah heard the hesitation in her voice.
"Why didn't you include me? I could have helped," Sarah pouted.
"Well, a couple of reasons." Zondra began. "First, we didn't think you would agree to us following him. Tell us to back off."
"And second?" Sarah prompted.
"And second … well … ah … second … we … ah …" Zondra sputtered into silence.
"And second, we thought that you liked him a lot and would be mad at us for butting into your love life," Carina interrupted.
Behind the curtain, Sarah laughed. "Like that's ever stopped you guys from butting in before."
"This time is different, Sarah. And you know it," Amy said softly.
"It is not different." Sarah attempted to defend herself. "Sure, I like Chuck, but not any more or any less than other guys I've liked since we've been here at school."
"Who are you trying to kid? This time is too different. You don't like Chuck like you've liked other guys up here at school. You like him more. Or differently or … well, I don't know what." Amy lamely finished.
"You didn't kick him to the curb within five minutes of meeting him. Not even in the next five minutes. Or in any of the minutes since you've met him," Carina snarked. "Face it, Blondie, you like him. More than like him. You're on your way to the Big Letters Four."
"What are you talking about, Red?" Sarah grumbled.
"What I'm talking about is L. O. V. E. You've bought a ticket on the Love Train and it'll be pulling into the station some time real soon." Carina gloated.
"'The Love Train pulling into the station' Is that some sort of porn sex reference?" Sarah growled. It echoed in the otherwise empty shower area. Carina cackled. It echoed, too.
"No, you idiot. OK, sometimes I forget you're younger than us." Sarah could hear the tease in Carina's voice and frowned, even though they couldn't see her. "I'll translate it, so you can understand me in your juvenile mind. Here goes … Chuck and Sarah sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G. First comes Nerd, then comes Charah. Then comes cyborgs in a baby carriage." Sarah could hear her friends trying, and failing, to hold in their laughter. In spite of her anger at Carina, she had to admit it was clever and barked out a laugh that echoed around the shower area, again.
"Bite me, Carina. That's some shit right there." Sarah laughed. "Clever, but still some shit." Sarah tried to sober. "Thanks. After the day I had I needed a laugh. Even a shitty laugh like that." She calmed further and resumed her washing. After a few more minutes she finished her shower. "Could one of you give me my towel and turn off the shower? I'm afraid I'll slip if I try and get up on one leg."
Her friends turned instantly serious. Carina pulled back the curtain and with the benefit of her height and longer arms was able to turn the shower off with only getting her arm partially wet. Zondra gave Sarah her towel. She proceeded to pat her hair mostly dry before toweling off the rest of her as best she could. Amy traded her robe for her towel and she shrugged into it. Carina and Zondra helped her climb to her feet before giving her crutches to her. They retrieved her shower stuff from the floor, put it back in her shower kit, and picked up her step-stool. Carrying her stuff and with her hobbling at their sides, the four friends returned to their suite. Once inside the room, Sarah sat on her bed and continued to pat her long blonde hair dry. Finally satisfied, she took off her robe and got dressed in the clothes she'd laid out prior to getting in the shower. It took a while and some help from her friends. After she finished dressing, she leaned on her crutches to blow out her hair and put on some light makeup. Satisfied, she turned to her friends.
"What was it you said before, Carina? Charah? What's that?"
Carina sighed and shook her head in faux-exasperation. "Charah. Chuck and Sarah. Mash the names together and you get Charah."
Sarah made a face and slowly shook her head, before giving her friends a look. "Wonderful." Then she changed the subject. "Thanks for helping. It looks like I'm going to need your help for the next few weeks, if that's OK." Sarah looked down, embarrassed.
"Hey, don't worry about it and don't be embarrassed." Zondra insisted. "You had an accident. If you had been in a car wreck or something else and needed our help, we'd be there to help you. We're here to help you now with your sprained ankle. That's what friends do for each other. That's what sisters do for each other." Zondra gave Sarah's bicep a squeeze.
Sarah gave them a small smile. "I don't like being like this and I don't like causing difficulties for you guys."
"Then don't." Carina said. "Quit bitching at us about spying on Chuck and help us spy on Chuck."
Sarah snorted. "That's not what I was talking about, Carina."
"I know, but it's what I'm talking about. You like him. More than a little." Sarah started to protest, but Carina held up her hand. "Doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. Doesn't matter whether you want to admit it or not. Doesn't matter if we're all wrong and you don't like him in that way. Nor does it matter that you don't know what your future holds at the moment. If there's even a small chance that you could grow to like Chuck more than a little. Or move beyond liking him to something more. If there's even a small chance that you get accepted to PT school here at Stanford and decide to go here. Then … then you owe it to yourself to find out more about Chuckles." Carina paused and looked at Sarah. Not seeing dismissal or protest, she continued. "We've been at this since last Wednesday. We worked it out Tuesday evening and started following him last Wednesday."
"So that's where you guys disappeared to, from the library." Sarah realized.
Carina nodded. "Yup. We got all the other girls together and worked out a schedule to follow Chuck from class to class until he went off to the baseball practice he goes to before coming over to our practice. We've got his whole schedule for a solid six consecutive class days. We were planning on meeting with the girls after dinner tonight to double check our notes. Do you wanna come along?"
Sarah thought for a minute. She was curious about what Chuck's class schedule was like, but she was uncomfortable with spying on him. Ellie had made it clear that Chuck would tell her … them everything, if they just gave him time to get comfortable enough. She kept thinking about what Ellie had said about how lonely Chuck was. How few friends he had. No friends really, besides Morgan. The guys on the sport teams or Boy Scouts didn't really count because they weren't friends outside of those activities. It made her sad and she just wanted to protect him. He didn't deserve what the girls were doing. He deserved their trust and their friendship. He'd earned that much, and more, in the last week. She came to a decision.
"OK, I would like to hear what you've found out, but get all the girls to come up here. Less hobbling for me. OK?" Her friends agreed. "At the meeting we're going to call off the surveillance for now." She held up her hand to forestall any protests. "If you have a week of data about his comings and goings, we know a lot of his schedule. We even know some of what he does on the weekend." Giggles and smiles. "In return for you agreeing to hold off on the spying, I'll share what I learned from Ellie after our meeting with the other girls is over and we're alone here. No one outside of we four is ever going to know what I talked about with Ellie. OK?"
"Sarah … come on … don't make us stop. There could be more to find out, couldn't there?" Amy protested.
"You're probably right, there is probably more we could learn by spying. We could also learn about it by just asking him outright. He could also catch us, if he doesn't know already." Sarah thought about her conversation earlier and suddenly got angry. "He doesn't deserve what we're doing. Sneaking around and spying on him. We're not being fair to him, trust me." Her friends looked doubtful. "OK, fine. Here's the deal. Either promise me you'll stop and really mean it. And actually stop. Or I tell Chuck everything." Her friends gasped.
"You wouldn't!" Carina said. "That'd mean that he might stop coming to our practice."
"Stop eating with us!" Amy worried.
"Stop hanging out with us!" Zondra was alarmed.
"You might never see him again, Sarah." Carina stared at her wide-eyed.
"I would absolutely tell him. Everything." Sarah was getting more animated and worked up. "I mean it. Every word. I would rather have him be free of us than to have him be around us and be the victim of a lie. If that means I never see him again, so be it." Her eyes were starting to get red and glassy. "If we keep acting like we're acting, I don't deserve to have him as my friend and he is better off without me." Sarah found herself suddenly choking back a sob as she finished speaking. She realized what she had just said and blushed crimson. Looking up at her friends through her lashes, she saw them all grinning wildly at her.
"And you said that you only like him a little. As a friend." Carina said, gently, as she smiled warmly at her younger friend. That did it.
Sarah gasped. "NoNoNoNo!" She started sobbing. "OhNoOhNoOhNo!" Sarah tried to deny what her head finally understood her heart to be saying, but couldn't. Not anymore. "Gah! What am I going to do? I like Chuck Bartowski! I really like him! I can't like him like that. I can't. I don't have time for a boyfriend!" She wailed and sobbed harder. None of her friends believed she used the right four-letter word, if she, and they, were being completely honest.
Her friends hugged her and rubbed her back until her sobs dwindled off into sniffles. They looked at each other over the top of her head. Boy, that sure was something. They had never seen Sarah act like that about anything ever. What had started a week ago with pregnant stares and electric handshakes had consumed her like a wildfire. They silently agreed to help Sarah all they could. They would honor her wish to stop spying on Chuck. That meant they had to figure out a way to find out more about him. To get him to talk more about himself. They also knew that they had to include her every step of the way. This was too important to their friend to do otherwise. That and she could kick all their asses to New York and back as soon as her ankle healed. And no one wanted that.
Sarah had taken a few minutes and a cold washcloth to reduce the redness and puffiness around her eyes before she reapplied her makeup. Sitting back on the bed, she rewrapped her ankle in the elastic bandage and tied on a pair of sneakers. Grabbing her crutches again, she looked in the mirror one more time.
"Don't worry about the puffiness and redness around your eyes. Just tell everyone that your ankle hurts like a bitch and you've cried about it. Everyone will understand and no one will give you any crap." Zondra assured her.
"Thanks, Z. I appreciate it." Looking at her friends, she said, "Ready? It's time for the world to see Sarah the Gimp." She gave them a small smile. "Time to go and meet my adoring public." Smiles all around. "I hope." She whispered to herself.
As they made their way to the elevator, Sarah spoke up again. "Remember to let everyone know about the change in venue for tonight's meeting. Best not to do it at the dinner table in case Chuck or Morgan are still there."
"They might be gone already. It's already 6:30pm, Sarah. We're a half hour later than we normally are." Amy commented.
"Did any of you get a call or a text? I know I didn't. From Chuck or any of the girls. So, they might not be there at all or they could still be there. Just wait to send out the text until after dinner is over."
"We got you covered, Sarah, don't worry." Zondra confirmed. "Just act like you've been acting. Friendly and talkative. Whether Chuck is there or not. Keep the rest to yourself. We'll help you figure it out."
"Thanks, guys." Sarah gave them a watery smile.
"OK, now. No more of that. We're all happy and have no worries." Carina ordered. "Well, except for you, Blondie. You've got a sprained ankle and are in pain. You've got the perfect look for it." She grinned when Sarah stuck her tongue out at her. The CATS all laughed, reflecting the somewhat lighter mood.
Sarah had a thought as the friends walked down the dorm hallway. "So, what did you call your spy mission?" Her friends all gave her innocent looks. "OK, those are the worst innocent looks I've ever seen. Any cop sees those faces and you'd be in jail so fast it'd make your head spin. So, cough it up. What did you call it? I know you gave it a name. What was it?" Sarah demanded.
Carina cleared her throat. "Ah … Operation Big Thaw." Sarah snorted.
"Really, Carina? Really? I bet you're the one who came up with that little gem, aren't you?" Sarah shook her head, but couldn't help smiling. Her friends just could not resist giving her shit, even when she wasn't supposed to know about it.
"Yeah, it was me. I mean, what else are you going to call a mission where you're spying on the guy who started to thaw out the Cold Queen of Coronado?" Sarah gave her a flat look. "Operation Big Thaw is a natural." Carina paused. Sarah suddenly got the feeling that she should have left well enough alone. "Although, after seeing Chuckles in the pool in that bathing suit, maybe we should have renamed it Operation Big Mmmph." The last part of what Carina was trying to say was muffled when Sarah dropped one of her crutches and clapped her hand over her friend's mouth. She had been right; she should have left well enough alone.
"I still have another crutch and I'm not afraid to use it." Sarah threatened. "Do you promise to stop?" Carina nodded, but was smiling behind Sarah's hand. Amy retrieved the fallen crutch and Sarah released Carina's mouth so she could take her crutch back. Now fully armed, Sarah looked at Carina. "Just remember. One more word." She shook one of the crutches at her friend. "And it's 'say hello to my crutch-y friend'. Got it?"
"Oh, Sarah. That was bad." Zondra laughed.
Amy just groaned and rolled her eyes before laughing.
"Pfft. That was weak. Weak effort," Carina razzed.
"I'm hurt and in pain. I'm also very hungry. Do you really want to insult the hungry girl with the crutches?" Sarah asked.
Carina got a faraway look in her eyes. "I always liked that game when I was a kid." She sighed.
Even though she knew she shouldn't be, Sarah was curious about the abrupt change in topic and what Carina was talking about, so she took the leap. Again. "What game was that, Red?"
"Hungry, Hungry Cripple." Carina's eyes danced. "You know the one with the marbles and the … things? You know that one?"
Sarah knew how Charlie Brown felt about Lucy and that damn football. "How about we start a new mission? Right now. Let's call it Shut The Fuck Up, Carina. Now that's a mission I can get behind one hundred percent." Sarah grumped, but before long she joined her closest friends in their unrestrained laughter. When they got in the elevator, you could hear their laughter at every floor as the elevator passed. People, on each floor, stared at the elevator doors wondering what was going on in that car.
Chuck and Morgan were sitting in what had become their 'regular' seats surrounded by a number of the Songbirds. Some of the girls had work to do, and so, had already eaten and left in a rush. The two men were enjoying their evening meal and chatting with the remaining girls around the two adjacent tables. All in all, it was what had become their typical dinner activity. What was not typical were the four empty chairs near where Chuck was sitting. The CATS were missing and no one knew where they were.
Morgan was talking with Alex and trying to finish up his dinner before dashing off to the latest movie viewing assignment. The other remaining Songbirds were busy with their own meals and discussions. Without the CATS sitting nearby engaging him in teasing conversation, Chuck was thinking over the phone call he'd gotten from Ellie, just before he had come down to eat, asking him over to dinner the next Tuesday night. He had no special plans for that evening, but had still hesitated to commit. When Ellie had said she wanted to see him again so they could continue working on rebuilding their relationship, he had relented. His time away from home had dulled some of the hard feelings the two siblings had for each other. It had also shown him how important his family and few friends were to him and his well-being. He knew he needed to repair his relationship with Ellie, get her on his side of things. He figured that having dinner together was an easy way to do that. It didn't hurt that he'd be getting a good meal in the process, either, although he did wonder when Ellie would start pressuring him to cook them a meal. Chuck was smiling to himself at the prospect of getting to sample more of Ellie's good cooking, when he glanced over that the exit to the serving line, for the umpteenth time. Finally, there were the missing CATS. Sarah was with them, too. Sarah on crutches. Sarah on crutches? What!?
The next thing Chuck knew, he was standing in front of an amused Sarah. He had no idea how he'd gotten there. He didn't even care. All he saw was Sarah on crutches, the pain of her injury evident in her eyes despite the amused grin on her face. Chuck was unaware of the stares and whispers behind his back as people marveled at his speed and agility in covering the distance from his table to Sarah's side without coming into contact with any of the intervening people or obstacles. He also paid no attention to the happy grins on the faces of Sarah's three escorts. Mere friends don't teleport across a dining hall to reach an inconvenienced person like Chuck had just done. Well, that answered one of their questions, they all thought.
"What … what happened to you?" Chuck asked Sarah breathlessly. Before she could answer, he continued. "Did you sprain your ankle? How did you do that? You're so light and skilled on your feet. I mean … ah … that … ah … just that you're … um … so athletic and strong … and … well … " Chuck took a breath and blinked. "Maybe I should stop talking now. My shoes don't taste too good all jammed in my mouth." He started to blush. The CATS tried to hold in their chuckles.
Sarah smiled and giggled. Touching his arm, she looked into his eyes. Chuck stared at her hand on his arm and gave her a crooked grin when he fixed his eyes back on her face, when she started speaking. "I'm fine, Chuck. Really. Yeah, I sprained my ankle when I was out running around Lake Lagunita a bit earlier. Stepped on a pinecone that I didn't notice. Dumb pinecone, but it's my own fault. It's not too bad, just a minor sprain. I went to the health center and they fixed me up with the elastic bandage and these cool crutches. The doctor called it a Grade 1 sprain. I gotta do the normal RICE stuff, but I'll be OK, sooner or later." Sarah waved one of her crutches and tried to make light of her injury and the hassle it was causing her.
"That's good. Only a Grade 1. That shouldn't take too long to heal. They hurt a lot, but you should be OK. No long term damage." Chuck thought for a second. "Do you need some help getting to the table? Do you need me to carry your food? Carry you?" Chuck started to move to pick her up in his arms. Sarah squealed and slapped at his arm.
"Chuck Bartowski, don't you dare try and pick me up. You'll embarrass me in front of everyone. Don't you dare!" Sarah was grinning and blushing furiously, pleased at his attempt at chivalry in spite of what she said. "I'm perfectly capable of walking over to our table all by myself." Chuck looked a little crestfallen that his effort was rebuffed. She relented a little. "You can help carry my food, if you want. Would that be OK?"
Chuck nodded and smiled. "Sure, no problem. Just trying to help." He turned to Amy, Carina, and Zondra. "Which of you could use a hand carrying stuff to the table?" All three girls grinned when they loaded Chuck down with Sarah's tray and all of her items. "Gee, thanks." He faux-grumped.
"If you didn't want to help, you shouldn't have offered, Curls." Zondra teased.
"Yeah, I kind of asked for it, didn't I?" Chuck smiled happily, eager to do what he could to help his injured friend. He chortled when Zondra nodded her head vigorously and gave him a wide-eyed stare. Still smiling, he turned and led the way back to their table. People moved out of the way when Chuck smiled and gently pleaded for them to make it easier for Sarah to navigate the dining hall.
Worried expressions mixed with knowing grins, on the faces of the seated Songbirds, and their friends, greeted the late arriving CATS and a food-laden Chuck when they reached the group's tables. Chuck walked around the table to put Sarah's food down at the place at the head of the table, before moving his plates closer to where he'd placed her things, on the side that matched her sprained ankle. Smiling, he pulled out her chair and indicated that she should come and sit. When she had maneuvered to her chair, Chuck asked her to support herself on the table while he took her crutches. After leaning the crutches against the wall, he stood behind the chair to brace it and took hold of her shoulders as he encouraged her to sit. Using his strength, he gently helped her finally sit down. Her fellow Songbirds could see her face was pink and not just from the exertions of hobbling around and sitting down. There were more than a few smiles and nods of approval from the singers and some of the surrounding tables. No fanfare, just honest assistance, quietly given.
Once Sarah was seated, Chuck pulled her chair closer to his corner of the table, until her injured leg was outside the table leg on that side, before sitting down himself. He smiled at her. "Are you alright? Comfortable? Or as comfortable as you can be, given your ankle hurts?"
"Yes, Chuck. Thanks." Sarah nodded and smiled at him.
"Would you like to elevate your leg?" Chuck asked. "You can put it on my lap. I don't mind. It's not as good as laying down and elevating it, but it won't hurt to elevate it here, either." He offered.
Sarah blushed, but thought the idea was a good one. "Sure. If you really don't mind. It might help it not hurt so much." She didn't want to look at her friends to see their reactions.
"No, I really don't mind." Chuck confirmed. "OK, I'm going to scoot my chair out a bit and turn so I'm lined up with your leg a bit more." He said, as his actions mirrored his words. "Now, I'm going to take hold of your calf and, as gently as possible, raise your leg and slide it on to my lap. You let me know instantly, if it starts hurting more than it is now. OK? Instantly." He looked at her gravely and waited for her to nod. Once she did, he smiled. "Right. Here goes." He grasped her calf in his large warm hands and started to lift her leg. She bit her lip to keep from making noises of any kind, pain or pleasure. And from grinning like a fool. There was that electric feeling, again. "Remember. Let me know if it starts hurting more." Sarah nodded quickly, still biting her lip, her eyes shining. Once her leg was above his lap, he asked her to straighten it out before he lowered it onto it. He moved her leg higher on his lap until enough of his thigh muscle was cushioning her injury. Catching her eye, he asked, "How's that? OK? Doesn't hurt too much?"
Sarah looked at him shyly. "It's OK, Chuck. It still hurts, but not as much. The throbbing I was feeling earlier isn't as bad now." She realized what she had said and blushed. Looking at her friends, she could see their grins, particularly Carina's salacious one.
Chuck pursed his lips and nodded, ignorant of the grins, head shakes, and soft chuckles taking place around him. His focus was squarely and totally on Sarah. "That's great, Sarah. Try to relax and eat something. Let me know if you need anything. I'm sure your roommates would be happy to go get it." He looked at the CATS, who schooled their features before he could see their smiles. "I would go myself, but I'm busy being a footstool at the moment." He shrugged and smiled when Sarah laughed. She caught the smiles on her friends' faces. Sarah gave them a 'don't give me any crap' look. She inclined her head in Chuck's direction to let them know that her look included him, too. The table settled down, but many of the occupants couldn't prevent their amusement from showing in their eyes.
Dinner progressed from there, more or less, normally, given Sarah's injury. All the fuss died down and people returned to their food and more or less normal conversations. It was soon time, so Morgan gathered his trash, kissed Alex, said his goodbyes to the others and headed out to his latest movie assignment, after expressing his sadness to Sarah about her ankle and wishing her a speedy recovery. She smiled her thanks.
Sarah had a hard time reconciling the Morgan she knew with the Morgan Ellie had described to her earlier. Maybe he was growing up. Maybe it was being here at Stanford. Maybe it was Chuck's influence. Or Alex's. Or Alex's dad. Or a combination of all of that, but whatever it was, she was glad she was getting to know him. She was also glad that he was there for Chuck. He had always been there for Chuck. She started to think back over her talk with Ellie, when she realized that Chuck was speaking to her.
"I'm sorry, Chuck. What did you say?" She blinked at him.
Chuck ducked his head, sheepishly. "I was asking if you needed anything."
Sarah smiled at him. "No, thanks. I'm good." Chuck nodded, but stopped when he got another thought.
"Are you all set to RICE your ankle?" He asked. "You've got ibuprofen?" She nodded. "What about an ice bag or cold wrap or something like that? You all set there, too?" Sarah's eyes widened and she looked at her roommates.
"Do we have something to put ice in for my ankle? I've got to ice it all during the day, off and on." Sarah asked.
"We've got small sandwich and snack bags, but nothing big enough to wrap your ankle in." Zondra said, frowning. "Why didn't I think of that. I should've remembered." Amy and Carina both shook their heads.
Chuck waved his hand over the table to get their attention. "Don't worry about it. I can help." All four girls looked at him, expectantly. "I've got gallon-sized zip lock bags. Two or three of those full of ice should do the trick. Do you have a way to get or make ice?"
"Yeah, we've got a couple of mini-fridges that have ice cube trays. We should be OK for ice." Sarah confirmed.
"Maybe, normally, but maybe not enough for a situation like this where you have to ice multiple times during the day. Ice can't freeze that fast, especially in those smaller, lower powered refrigerators." Chuck reasoned.
"You're right." Sarah agreed. "What am I gonna do?"
"Well, you could come over here and get ice from the ice maker. There's the kitchenette on the first floor of the dorm, but how much ice that place has is open for debate." He said.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. This is a problem." Sarah looked at her roommates worriedly. "What am I gonna do?"
Chuck held up his hand, again. "Wait. Wait. Calm down a second." Sarah looked at him. "How big is the freezer section for each of your refrigerators?" He held his hands a short distance apart. "Are they large enough to hold something this big?" The CATS eyed his hands. The rest of the people left at their tables looked on in curiosity.
"Maybe. Why?" Sarah asked.
"Well, I've got an ice gel pack that can be wrapped around your ankle. It's got Velcro so it'll stay on once you wrap it and make the Velcro connection. Takes about an hour to cool completely, give or take a little. That should do the trick, if it can fit inside of one of your fridges."
"My. Aren't you just full of all sorts of surprises, Chuckles?" Carina teased. Sarah shot her frowning stare.
"Why do you have one of those, just laying around, Chuck?" Sarah asked.
"Well, it's not just laying around. Pitchers need to ice their arms after practice or after throwing in a game. We're not playing right now, so I'm not using the ice pack I have. Later this fall, when we start those inter-squad games, I told you about, then I'll need them. But until that time, you're welcome to use mine for your ankle."
"Don't you have to ice after your mid-day practice?" Sarah asked.
"Yeah, for a few minutes. Nothing more. We're not doing anything rigorous enough, yet." Chuck admitted.
"Well, don't you need your wrap then?" She pressed, trying to make sure he wasn't sacrificing something he needed for her benefit.
"Oh, no. There's not enough time for me to come back to my room and get my wrap. I don't have a refrigerator this quarter to cool it down anyway." Sarah couldn't keep the surprise off of her face. She couldn't imagine not having a fridge in her room after all of these years. Chuck shrugged. "There's an ice machine at the baseball field and bags to put it in. If I need to ice after practice, one of the coaches or trainers wraps my arm for me. I'm good. Don't worry. You can use my wrap."
Zondra spoke up. "I've seen those wrap things before. Aren't they shaped for your shoulder? How's that going to work on Sarah's ankle?"
"Some are shaped for shoulders. Others for elbows. Others are for knees or ankles. I've got some of the shoulder ones, but what I'm talking about is one of those general use types that you can wrap around just about anywhere, as long as it fits." He smiled. "Like I said, you're welcome to use it, if you want. I don't mind. I'm happy to help, if I can."
Sarah grinned happily, touched by his generosity. "That'd be great, Chuck. Thanks." Her friends shared a look.
"I can run up and get it after dinner and bring it by your suite." He paused. "Or meet you somewhere and give it to you, if you'd prefer I do it that way." Chuck blushed and stopped.
"That's wonderful, Chuck. Thanks. Really. Thank you. Just bring it by our room. We can look and see if it fits in one of our refrigerators." Sarah leaned over and whispered their wing, floor, and room number in his ear so no one else could hear what she said.
"OK, great. I hope it works out." Chuck smiled, once again, happy to be able to help one of his friends.
"You sound like you know something about sprained ankles, Chuck. Have you ever had one?" Sarah asked between bites of her dinner.
"Yeah, I had one two summers ago, when I was seventeen. Not a bad one or anything. Grade 1 like yours. But bad enough to keep me from playing for a month while it healed. Missed four weeks of baseball." Sarah nodded in sympathy. "That was bad, but it wasn't the worst part. The worst part was having to lay down and elevate my ankle all the time. Couldn't play video games. Couldn't mess around on the computer. Everyone ganged up on me and made me behave. Do what the doctor ordered. It sucked." Chuck pouted and the listening girls couldn't help but giggle at the face he made. "No baseball. No games. No computers. Not fun at all."
"Sounds like it was torture." Sarah teased, but she smiled gently when he looked at her.
"Heh. Yeah, it was torture. All that was missing was I didn't have an itchy rash." Now the girls just laughed. Chuck grinned at them. "Don't laugh. It's pretty bad when all you're thankful for is not having an itchy rash." He pouted, before shaking his head and chuckling.
Sarah smiled at him. "Thank you, Chuck."
"For what?" He asked.
"For making me laugh. And for taking my mind off of my ankle for a few minutes."
"Hey, it's the least I can do. If it takes being the butt of the joke to make you laugh and take your mind off of your troubles for a little while, I'm happy to take that pie in the face." Chuck grinned. He whipped around and pointed a finger at Carina, who had started to rise out of her seat. "Don't get any ideas there, Carina." Carina pouted and flopped back down in her chair. Everyone, including Carina, Chuck, and Sarah, burst out laughing. The CATS looked at each other. Yeah, he sure was fun to have around.
When everyone finished their dinner and their conversations, Chuck and Sarah reversed the process that they used to get her seated, to get her back on her feet and using her crutches. Chuck cleared his and Sarah's trash from the table. While he was busy at the trash receptacles, Sarah's roommates sent out a text message informing the Songbirds of the change of venue for the evening's surveillance review. By the time Chuck rejoined them for the walk back to Roble Hall, they'd stowed their cell phones and were all innocent smiles.
"So, Curls, how'd you sprain your ankle, anyway?" Zondra asked.
"It was in a game. When I came down on my plant foot, it slipped. And twisted. Boom sprained ankle."
"Wow, you could have done something much worse. You were lucky." Zondra said.
"You're right. It didn't feel like it at the time, but you're right. I could have torn something in my leg, knee, or ankle and that would have been really bad. Really bad and really painful. Getting off with only a Grade 1 sprain was lucky."
"Sorry to be the dumb one here. For a change." Carina grinned when the other four just shook their heads at her. "But, what's a 'plant foot'?"
"Your plant foot is the one you stride forward and land on when you throw the baseball. Here, let me show you." Chuck stopped walking and mimed the pitching windup and motion. The girls were impressed with his grace and balance. Sarah couldn't help wondering how good of a dancer he might be. When he finished, he resumed talking. "The foot that I stepped forward on, that foot is called the plant foot. Some people call it the stride foot. Doesn't matter, means the same thing."
"So, how'd your plant foot slip?" Zondra pressed.
"The pitcher's mound hadn't been packed tight enough by the home team. As our game wore on, the dirt on the front of the mound loosened due to both teams' pitchers striding on it constantly. Sooner or later, it was going to slip. It was just my bad luck that it slipped when I was on the mound. Not that I'm wishing it was the other kid. No way." Chuck waved his hands hurriedly in front of his face. "Just bad luck all the way around." He shrugged as the group continued on their walk to their dorm.
Chuck left the CATS at the elevator as he dashed up the stairs toward his room. When he got there, he retrieved his cold wrap and picked up a couple of those gallon zip lock bags, just in case Sarah needed them for ice. He relocked his room and hustled over to the suite where the CATS lived. As he turned the corner on to their hall, he spotted them in the distance coming from the direction of the elevator. He met them at their door and he smiled, holding up the wrap and the backup zip lock bags. When they ushered him into their room, they noticed his eyes were closed.
"Why are your eyes closed, Chuck?" Amy asked.
"I learned the hard way to keep my eyes closed if I ever found myself in a girl's room." He shrugged, still with his eyes closed. "Ellie packs a mean punch." The girls couldn't help laughing at his antics.
"Open your eyes, you goof." Sarah grinned. "How are you going to be able to tell if your wrap fits in one of our refrigerators?" Chuck sucked on his bottom lip and cautiously opened one eye, looking around furtively. Sarah giggled and smacked his arm. "Quit fooling around. See if it fits and then show me how to use it." She ignored the eye rolls her friends were giving her.
Chuck popped both eyes wide open and wiggled his eyebrows. "Wow! I wasn't struck blind. I didn't drop dead. Ellie lied to me." Sarah just snorted and shook her head. Chuck pouted, but got back to business. "OK, where are the two fridges?" The girls pointed them out to him. He inspected each one. They were decently sized, each appeared just under three feet tall with nice sized freezer sections. Each fridge was capable of holding the cold wrap with it only being folded over once. Satisfied, he turned to Sarah.
"Either one will work just fine. All you have to do is fold it over like I'm doing." He demonstrated what he was talking about. "And put it as far back in the freezer space as you can. It should reach its lowest temperature after about an hour or, maybe, a little more. Here's how you wrap it." Chuck motioned for Sarah to sit in one of the desk chairs. When she was seated, he slowly showed her how to use the wrap, making sure that it wasn't so tight as to impact her circulation. When she was sure she knew what to do, he had her take it off and put it back on herself. After checking the fit, he confirmed that she had done a good job. Sarah took the wrap off and placed it in one of the freezers like Chuck had shown her.
Chuck looked at the girls and blushed. "Sorry, for being so serious about it. I'm not trying to be a know-it-all or anything. Just trying to help out. Sorry if I went all TMI on you."
Carina grinned. "We'd expect nothing less from Professor Dr. Bartowski." Chuck's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'm hardly th—that. Maybe one day, but not now." Chuck rubbed the back of his neck as his face grew redder.
Desperate, to change the topic, Chuck had an idea. "I've got to believe that you get aches and pains from all those dance moves you practice and do in shows. Maybe, you can use some of the money from the donations to buy some more cold packs. Some purpose-made ankle ones or knee ones. That could help."
Sarah saw what he was doing and played along. "You're right, Chuck. That would be a good idea. We do get sore feet, ankles, and knees from some of our dance steps."
Chuck was sliding toward the door. "Something to think about, then." He nodded. "Welp, I should go and let y'all get on with your evening. I've got another night of Terman Library time and need to get to it. See y'all tomorrow." He smiled and waved as he stood in the doorway.
"Thanks for all your help, Chuck." Sarah said sincerely, then she paused. "Do you have a second, before you go?" she asked. Grabbing her crutches, she hobbled up to him by the door.
"Sure. What's up?" Chuck was puzzled.
"I wanted to tell you that when I was at the health center getting my ankle worked on, I met your sister, Ellie, and her boyfriend, Devon." Sarah softly said, looking up at him timidly while leaning on her crutches.
"What? How … how is that possible?" He nervously replied.
"They were on an observation assignment and were following the nurse around who looked at my ankle. It was completely random. The nurse introduced them and I recognized her name from when you told us about her." Sarah tried to shrug, but all she was able to accomplish was wiggling her crutches around a little.
"Did you say anything?" Chuck asked. "Did she say anything?"
"Yeah, I was surprised when I heard her name and I kind of blurted it out that I knew you," she ducked her head apologetically.
"Oh, boy," Chuck blew out a shaky breath. "Was that it? Or did you talk to her?" he gave her a somewhat fearful look.
"Yeaaah, we did kinda talk. Just a little." Sarah admitted. The CATS worked to keep straight faces.
"And?" his eyebrows went up and his eyes widened.
Sarah gave Chuck an abbreviated version of her conversation with Ellie, leaving out any mention of their discussing details about him. When she finished, his eyes showed his relief clearly.
"Well, that's not too bad, I guess," Chuck gave her a crooked smile.
"No, it's not," she shook her head.
"But it will make for an interesting talk, next Tuesday, " he admitted. "Ellie's invited me to have dinner with her and Devon, again. Now, I know why." His grin grew sheepish and he rubbed the back of his neck as it began to redden.
"I'm sorry if I caused any trouble," Sarah apologized.
"There's nothing to apologize for," Chuck gave her a reassuring smile. "She was bound to find out sooner or later about y'all. Ellie makes Sherlock Holmes look like a wuss. It's really hard to keep secrets from her." He shrugged. "I know, I've tried." Well, there were some secrets he could keep from her, but he didn't want to admit that right here, right now. Maybe later.
"I'm glad you're not mad," she was relieved.
"Naw, I'm not mad. Don't worry about it. Dinner will be interesting, that's all," he gave a little chuckle. "Now, I really should get out of here and let y'all get on with your evening," he waved to the room. "See y'all later." The CATS all waved back. And then he was gone.
Sarah hobbled back to her chair. The girls waited a few beats before speaking.
"Notice how he didn't leer around the room?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, he stayed focused on doing what he said he was going to do. See if his wrap fit in our freezers and show us how to use it." Carina observed.
"He really didn't need to do all of that. I mean, it's not rocket science," Zondra said. "But he wasn't condescending about it. He could have just asked if we knew how to use one, but he wasn't an ass, either."
"No, he wasn't an ass. At all. Kind of sweet, actually," Sarah said, not noticing her friends smiles. "He didn't even really get upset about my talking to Ellie."
"My work here is done." Mental mom piped up. "The ball's in your court, baby girl."
A/N2: Chapter title comes from the song by Glen Campbell. The song's lyrics are focused on another type of kindness, but the sentiment is the same as what Chuck does for Sarah in this chapter. And what the CATS do for Sarah, for that matter.
A/N3: As the Stanford TMI Turns – In this week's episode, Lane History Corner and Sloan Mathematics Corner part of the building complex known at the Main Quad. Lane is the northeast corner and Sloan is the northwest corner.
A/N4: This week's chapter took a long while to get going. WillieGarvin traveled the world helping me to find new troops to replenish my one million typewriting monkey army. Their dedication fluctuates along with the banana futures on the commodity exchange. It's a good thing that WillieGarvin's dedication to helping me create something coherent doesn't fluctuate. Thanks for all your globe-trotting monkey finding and wise advice, my friend.
A/N5: Thank you for reading. Please drop me a PM or leave a review. Let me know what you think.
A/N6: If you enjoy Chuck fan fiction here on the fanfic site, go over to Facebook and join the Chuck Fanfiction group that's there. You'll find nice folks who share your interest in our favorite spy couple. You are not alone.