Dinner ….
Meg ate lunch at the consulate, which was good, since Fraser had all of her duties as well as his own to catch up on. After her turkey sandwich and small, green salad, the lady Mountie laid down for a nap. There wasn't much else to do, nothing on television, there wasn't a radio, and she couldn't very well read. That left napping as Meg's newest hobby.
"I'm going to weigh a ton when this is all over." She grumbled to herself as she lay face down on the bed, a fleece throw pulled around her. Before she realized it, Meg had fallen asleep. She drifted off into a peaceful, dream filled sleep.
"Meg, are you hungry?" Came Fraser's voice just as she reached out to touch him in her dreams.
"What?" She said, trying to figure out why it was so dark.
"It's dinner time as well as time for your eye drops." Fraser opened the door. Meg's heart sank when she heard eye drops. She hated having anyone or anything around her eyes. The last time Meg had had an eye exam she'd had to take a small dose of Valium to relax enough for the doctor to look at her. She wasn't proud of it. The lady Mountie liked to be in control of the situation around her and being pinned into a chair with someone dropping cold, goopey eye drops that burnt into her eyes wasn't her idea of control. Sometimes Meg found it difficult to put on her eye make-up because she hated having anything near her face.
"I'll be quick about it." Ben stepped forward, drops ready. Meg took a deep breath, steeling herself for the cold, burning liquid. She tilted her head against the post at the foot of the bed and opened her eyes. Before she had time to squirm, Ben had dropped a single drop in each eye. Meg loved his split second method. The drops made her shudder and shake her head as they settled. They found their way into her sinuses and down the back of her throat. Meg almost gagged. Fraser pressed a glass of water into her hands. She took a sip before pulling her eye patches back over her eyes.
"Ick, thank you, Fraser. Those drops are nasty." Meg shook and shivered as she sat on the bed.
"Are you ready for supper?" The Mountie said, wishing Meg could come downstairs so they could eat together.
"Yes, what is it?" Meg's mouth watered.
"Beef stew." At the sight of Meg's wrinkled nose, Ben offered, "I could find something else."
"No, I shouldn't be picky, beggars can't be choosers. Thank you Fraser." Meg schooled her features.
"You don't like carrots, do you?" He squatted down to her level, his elbows on his knees and his undershirt's sleeves pulled up near his elbows.
"No, I don't. I guess I should, maybe this wouldn't have happened." Meg joked morosely. If only she could have seen Ben flinch.
"I've brought your tray." Ben stood up and retrieved the tray from the dresser top. He'd set up a TV tray earlier for her.
"Have you eaten already, Fraser?" The lady Mountie asked, secretly hoping that he'd brought his dinner up to eat with her.
"Yes, Dief and I ate earlier." Ben answered, seeing a hint of disappointment cross Meg's face. "I believe Turnbull left some chocolate cake with white frosting and sprinkles." He wasn't an expert on women, but the Mountie knew that the vast majority of them enjoyed sweets, especially chocolate.
"That sounds good." Meg said, her features neutral. She loved chocolate, but hated the gym.
"Shall I bring you a slice?" Ben asked as he edged toward the door.
"A small one, thank you." Meg flashed a perfunctory smile. A few minutes later the Mountie had returned with a fair sized slice of chocolate cake on a dessert plate. It smelled heavenly.
"You picked all the carrots out didn't you, Fraser?" Meg had started on the beef stew with a large yeast roll and a glass of iced tea.
"Yes, you said you didn't like them." Ben answered innocently.
"You didn't have to." Meg said flatly.
"My apologies, I simply assumed …." His voice trailed off.
"Fraser, you don't have to cater to me like this. I won't go into convulsions if I eat a slice of carrot." Meg fussed.
"Would you like me to bring you another dish of beef stew with carrots?" Now Ben was confused, did she or didn't she want carrots, and why was she fussing anyway? He was just trying to be considerate.
"No, Fraser, I'm not talking about the beef stew or the carrots. I'm talking about you catering to me like a servant out of a Dickens novel." Meg sighed. "I'm not expressing myself very well." She thought to herself. It was frustrating not being able to get up and get things for herself, the way she preferred them. If she could do it for herself then it wouldn't bother anyone, it'd be done and over with.
"I'll see you in the morning, Fraser." Meg said grumpily. It was a concentrated effort on her part not to snap at him. She knew that he didn't deserve to be treated like that, Fraser was going out on a limb for her.
"What about your last dose of eye drops for the day?" Ben wondered, still puzzled by her behavior.
"I had forgotten." She frowned, setting aside the beef stew and finding her way to the chocolate cake.
"I'll be out of the consulate taking Diefenbaker for a walk, is there anything you need before I leave?" Ben asked, his tone neutral.
"No, Fraser, thank you." The lady Mountie answered, wishing she hadn't even said anything.
Without saying anything Fraser walked out of the Princess Margaret Suite, closing the door behind him.
TYKTYKTYK
Fraser took Dief for a long walk around the block, several blocks actually. He hadn't spent much time with his old, furry friend and he needed to suss a few things out in his mind.
"Quit worrying, she'll be fine alone. You leave me alone all the time, and I'm not house broken." Dief seemed to say as he dragged along a stick he'd picked up along the side walk.
"Yes, but you have your eye sight, Meg is defenseless just now." Ben argued, toying with the buckle on his Sam Brown belt.
"I'm short one of my senses too you know." Dief reminded him with one eye roll.
"But you can see, not to mention the three inch canine teeth, speed, agility, keen olfactory senses and a reputation as being at the top of the food chain." Ben reminded him. Dief huffed and trotted up ahead.
"I just can't help feeling responsible, and she feels frustrated and scared. This isn't at all the ideal situation." Ben lamented as he caught up to Dief who was sniffing the scent of a thoroughbred poodle on a fire hydrant.
"Do as I would do, take control, show her who's the alpha male. Make her catch up to you for a change." Dief advised.
"This isn't an episode of Wild Kingdom, there are extenuating circumstances." Fraser argued, sounding a bit unsure.
"Let's go back to the den, I've lost the scent of that poodle." Dief changed the subject. Ben was content to follow the wolf's lead.
Back at the consulate Ben did his usual check of the windows and doors, making certain that they were closed and locked for the night. He then settled down to read until time for Meg's drops. He opened his foot locker to get out his red long johns and found Meg's journal.
"I should return this, perhaps I should tell her that I've taken it by mistake." Ben thought to himself as he held the small tome. Watching the gold leaf glitter in the light, her turned it from one side to the other. A photograph slipped out and hit the floor at the Mountie's boots. Stooping over, he picked it up. His eyes widened when he saw himself. On further examination, Ben saw that it was a picture clipped out of the Chicago Sun-Times from the Bolt case, from the train. It had been neatly trimmed with pinking shears and clear laminate covered both sides. On the back, on a white adhesive label Meg had written 'The Kiss', in her clear but feminine handwriting.
"She hasn't forgotten." Ben smiled, remembering the train, and the thousand other instances he'd wanted to kiss her. Looking at the journal's exterior, he detected other news paper articles that had been pressed between the pages. "She would be furious if she knew I had this." The Mountie thought to himself. From his pallet on the floor Dief whined in warning.
"Don't do it old friend." He seemed to say.
"You're quite right, it wouldn't be right, I'd be spying." Ben laid the journal into the top drawer of his desk and tried his best to forget the little book. When the church bell chimed ten o'clock the Mountie's mind returned to his responsibility upstairs.
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Meg had been listening to the television sitting on a night stand Turnbull had brought up for her the previous day. It was small and rather old, being black and white, but what did that matter to a woman who couldn't hear. So far since supper she'd listened to episodes of Chicago Hope, Early Edition and Law and Order. None of the episodes were as interesting as her every day life. Having subordinates like Fraser kept her life interesting. Meg turned the television off when she heard the church bells outside chime ten. On the tenth chime she heard Fraser knock.
"Come in, Fraser." Meg called, seated at the foot of the bed, waiting. The Mountie walked in, drops in hand.
"Good evening, Meg, how has your evening been?" He smiled when he saw her wearing his t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants.
"Being cooped up makes me long for a good quarterly budget report to sink my teeth into." She joked with an easy smile. Ben was glad to see her mood had improved.
"I can imagine." He agreed, twisting the cap off. Gently he rubbed the bottle between the palms of his hands to warm it before dropping it in Meg's eyes. She pushed off her patches and leaned her head against the bed post. By the time she'd summoned a deep breath she felt the first drop. Most of the first drop slid down her cheek. Gently, Ben wiped the cool liquid from her face with his thumb. His touch lingered, tracing her jaw line with the back of his hand. Meg sat perfectly still, enjoying the soft, caring feel of his rough hand on her skin. Timidly, Meg reached up and laid her hand over his, running her thumb up his palm. For a long moment they stayed like that, not speaking, not ruining the illusive magic between them.
"I should try to get another drop in your eye." Ben finally said, his voice low and deep. He hated to think that he could have done something to prevent Meg's injuries and hadn't. Her eyes were bruised, purple and blue circles against her alabaster skin. Seeing her like this made Ben's throat ache. His worst fear was that she'd never see again, that his mistake would cost Meg her career, that it would take her away from him. Their relationship wasn't ideal, but at least he could see her every day. That meant that there was still hope.
"Alright." Meg let go of Fraser's hand and opened her left eye for him to try again. She felt the fat, wet drop hit her eye and immediately slammed it closed.
"Well, one day down, six weeks of eye drops to go." Meg joked as she fit the protective, plastic back over her eyes.
"It will be over before you can say Jack Robinson." Fraser set the small bottle of drops back on the dresser.
"I hope so, Fraser." Meg sighed, torn between enjoying the touch she'd just shared with Ben and eagerness to know if the surgery was successful.
"Good night, Meg." Ben wished her before turning to leave.
"Good night, Fraser, sleep well." She wished him, getting up and following him to the door.
"Sleep well, Meg." Hearing him say her name was a dream come true. Softly, Ben closed the door and left Meg smiling in the room alone.
"I love you, Ben." Meg whispered to herself as she carefully crossed the room to the bed.
TYKTYKTYK
Author's Note: To Whomever reads this; if you ever have the chance to, watch Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing starring Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof, both formerly of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin off Angel. It's funny, it's thoughtful and expertly acted.
