Let's Go Home
Chapter 5
Summary: The Witnesses finally make it to the doctor's office, but what troubles stand in their way? Will Icabod ever get his vaccinations?
AN: Also, thank you to everyone who wrote reviews! It really cheers me up to read those! :D
And Now, the Continuation…
Abbie carried the clipboard back over to where Icabod was seated stiffly on a blue plastic waiting room chair. She sat down next to him.
"First we have to fill out these forms," Abbie explained as she crossed her legs and balanced the clipboard on her knee. Icabod peered over her shoulder.
She read out loud, "Name…"
"Icabod Crane," he supplied helpfully.
"Date of birth," she continued.
"July 23rd, 1750."
Abbie looked up at him, "You know I can't write that." She looked into the distance for a moment, thinking, then asked in a consciously lower voice, "What year was it, exactly, when you almost died but Katrina put the spell on you?"
"It was the year 1781," Icabod replied, taking her cue and also lowering his voice to avoid any undue attention from the other patients.
"So that would make you 31. You're three years older than me," Abbie told him.
"Give or take a few centuries here and there…"
"Your birthday is now July 23rd, 1982. Got it?" Abbie informed him, filling in the proper boxes.
Icabod looked somewhat displeased at this. He didn't want to start denying this true identity. It felt wrong to be sitting in this room lying about who he was, where he really belonged.
"Don't give me that look, Crane. It's only for the sake of not being hauled away to the crazy house," she said in a somewhat softer tone.
"I tell you what, if the world doesn't come to a screeching halt between now and next July," Abbie smiled, "I will personally throw you a birthday party. Cake, candles, balloons, everything. What do you think?"
Icabod really had no idea where this topic of conversation was going or what balloons were anyway so he just said, "I think you should hurry up and finish those papers." He tapped the clipboard for emphasis.
"Okay…history of illness, we're going to check 'No' for everything…date of last examination, unknown…purpose of visit, uh, expired/unknown vaccinations, please update…" Abbie filled out the rest of the form and handed it to the young receptionist.
Some time later, a nurse came to the front of the waiting area and called out, "Icabod Crane?"
He stood at attention and started over to the nurse.
Suddenly a strange music filled the room. Confused, Icabod looked to Abbie for an explanation only to see her pulling out her smart phone.
"You go ahead, I gotta take this," Abbie told him and answered her phone.
Icabod found himself standing before a serious looking woman clothed in some sort of loose-fitting, brightly colored uniform. Without ceremony she told him in a voice that sounded like she had said these same words a thousand times before, "If you're ready, please follow me right this way."
Although he prided himself on his independent spirit, Icabod did not particularly want to deal with these unfamiliar authorities on his own, especially since he still didn't fully understand why he was there in the first place.
"Ma'am, I need to wait for Miss Mills to accompany me," Icabod said as tactfully as he could, pointing to Abbie who was standing over by the door, talking into her phone. Why did she have to answer it at such an inconvenient time?
"Is she family?" the nurse asked.
"No, we are not familial relations," Icabod replied, wondering why this mattered at all.
"I'm sorry, but we have a very strict policy regarding who is allowed into the examination room. If she isn't your wife, girlfriend, or significant other, then I'm afraid she will have to wait for you out here," the nurse explained impatiently.
"My wife is out of town at the moment," Icabod informed her, deftly using one of Abbie's phrases, "and Miss Mills is certainly not my girlfriend. However, I do believe that she would qualify as a 'significant other'."
Icabod was pleased with himself at navigating this delicate issue, that is, until he saw the nurse's face. She was aghast.
"Are you telling me that you brought your mistress to your doctor's appointment?!" the woman was shocked.
It was Icabod's turn to be shocked. "Excuse me?"
"How could you stand here and tell me that you're cheating on your wife so calmly?! You're even wearing your wedding ring, for goodness sake! How heartless!" she cried, appalled, pointing at Icabod's left hand where he wore the simple band that matched Katrina's.
Icabod was now highly offended. "What right do you have to make such baseless accusations?! I have never been unfaithful to my beloved Katrina!"
"You can't take it back now! Oh, I feel so sorry for Katrina!"
"How dare you slight my honor is such a way?!" Icabod nearly shouted, "Your sheer impertinence astounds me!"
He now had Abbie's full attention, as well as that of everyone else in the establishment. Wide eyed, Abbie ran across the room towards him, her smart phone finally forgotten.
"Sir, please calm down! I cannot have you behave this way!" the nurse continued to admonish him.
He opened his mouth to retort but was cut off when Abbie arrived and grabbed his arm.
Abbie quickly apologized to the nurse, "I'm so sorry!" She yanked on Icabod's arm and pulled him bodily towards the exit, past the mix of horrified and curious faces of the other waiting patients.
"Miss Mills, did you hear what that woman said to me?" Icabod was fuming.
Abbie opened the door and all but shoved him outside. Once they were on the sidewalk a short distance from the clinic, Abbie halted him.
"Crane! What are you doing?" she demanded. "Are you trying to get yourself arrested?"
"This treatment is completely unacceptable! I will not stand for it!" Icabod was angry and frustrated, to say the least.
Abbie took a deep breath and placed her hands on Icabod's shoulders. "Crane, look at me," she implored, "Please calm down and tell me what happened."
Icabod peeled his angry gaze away from the clinic and looked into Abbie's concerned face. He was upset about his loyalty to Katrina being questioned, and about his apparent inability to keep even the smallest interaction with the modern world from turning so quickly to disaster, and about how inept and irrational he must appear to Abbie's eyes.
He sighed and attempted to explain, "That woman accused me of breaking my vows to Katrina. Cheating, she called it." He paused, uncomfortable, then added, "with you."
Abbie's eyebrows raised. "Huh? With me?" she wasn't sure what to make of this situation, but thankfully her police skills kicked in.
"Well, what did she say before that, Crane?"
"I told her that you were to accompany me and then she demanded that I classify our relationship. Since you do not fall into the categories of familial relation, wife, or 'girlfriend', but are nonetheless a very significant person in my life at the moment, I said that you were my 'significant other'." Icabod recounted the story.
"Oooh," realization dawned on Abbie, "Crane, the term 'significant other' means the same thing as girlfriend!"
"That does not make any sense," Icabod stated. Where was that headless minion of Death when he really needed a distraction, or something to hit?
"You didn't mean to, but you implied the wrong thing. It was a misunderstanding," Abbie said to her partner, who just rolled his eyes and glared at the ground.
"Well, now that I have thoroughly botched our doctor's expedition, what do you say we get out of here, Miss Mills?" Icabod said with a small smile, hopeful that Abbie wouldn't press the issue any further and they could get back to their work in the Archives. He started walking towards Abbie's car.
"No. Crane," Abbie said, exasperated.
He kept walking, expecting her to follow.
"No!" Abbie said forcefully.
Icabod obeyed her command and stopped in his tracks, startled at her outburst.
"If you don't start listening to me, then all of this, this fairytale, us running around Sleepy Hollow fighting monsters, it's all going to be over!"
She definitely had his attention now. In a few steps Icabod was standing before her at parade rest, awaiting orders or further admonishment, whatever he had coming.
Abbie explained, "The CDC took a blood sample from the boy, Thomas, yesterday. They tested his blood and he never had a single modern vaccination of any kind. Crane, when you fell ill they surely took your blood as well. If somebody notices that your blood has the same characteristics as the boy's, that's a huge red flag. They will start connecting the dots and your whole explanation for being here will fall apart."
Abbie looked directly into his blue eyes. "Whether it's by a twist of fate or blind luck, it is very fortunate that you met me after you woke up in that cave, whether you think so or not."
"I know I'm fortunate to have met you, Lieutenant Mills," Icabod said quietly, trying not to interrupt.
"I'm saying this because I want you to realize that, when the feds come to question you, they will not be so understanding. They will lock you away for good. Or deport you and then the English will lock you away."
Icabod was the idealistic revolutionary, through and through, but even so he understood that historically those in power had a terrible track record concerning the treatment of anyone who wasn't easily quantified or controlled.
"Miss Mills, I do strive to listen to you," Icabod said with conviction.
"Good. Thank you," Abbie said. She pushed a few loose strands of hair back behind her ear, relieved that the serious moment had mostly passed.
"I suppose this means I have to go back in there and face that awful nurse again, doesn't it?" Icabod had not forgotten his embarrassment so quickly.
Abbie smiled at him encouragingly, "You know, at times like this, the trick is to just pretend that you're not embarrassed at all. Just act like nothing happened."
"That may be easier said than done…" Icabod muttered. He reluctantly followed Abbie back to the Clinic entrance.
"Then pretty soon you get so good at pretending, you believe it yourself and then you're not embarrassed anymore. Works like a charm."
Icabod looked at his partner. As usual, it was what she didn't say, the questions left unanswered, that revealed more of herself than she intended. When had she been forced to master such a strategy?
Abbie stopped him at the door, saying, "This time around, no matter what anyone else says, you keep your mouth shut and let me do all the talking, okay?"
"Understood."
…..
TBC
AN: I think one more chapter and then this story will be complete. I have a lot more ideas for different stories I want to write.
P.S. In case you're wondering, I used the actors' real birthdays, according to Google. :D
Preview for Chapter 6: How will Icabod react when he finally realizes just what these vaccinations entail? More importantly, will Abbie be there to hold his hand?