xp_logs | Hank & Danielle (Reply)

Last evening, Danielle manages to pry Hank out of his office and into the medlab proper before convincing him that he needed to eat.

"Dr. McCoy?" Danielle asked, knocking on his office door. The door was closed, but the puppet was on guard, protecting the inner sactuary. "You wanted to see me?"

Dr. MacTaggert had warned her that Dr. McCoy hadn't been feeling well, but since he was the one who had seen her before and had requested she come visit the medlab again, she felt he should see her. And if he was well enough to be in his office instead of his room, then he was probably okay.

Hank blinked and looked up. "Of course, Danielle." He smiled at her a little mechanically. He still hadn't slept... he probably should, at some point. "Please do come in.... or, wait, you're here for that quick exam, aren't you?" He looked around his cluttered office tiredly. "We should probably pop into the exam room down the hall."

Taking in his disheveled appearance and bloodshot eyes, Danielle paused. "Yes," she agreed, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course. Just... very tired. Not much sleep. I was... busy." He managed a slightly more genuine looking smile, and shooed her ahead of him to the exam room. "Have you had any abdominal pain? Any twinges or aches?"

"No...did Forge tell you what happened?" Danielle closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying not to remember too much. She did not want to hurt Dr. McCoy than he already was. She could remember and cry later.

"Not really. And there's no need for you to discuss it, if you don't want to." He helped her up on the padded exam table, and felt her stomach gently. No pain, no apparent sensitivity, everything felt normal enough. "On the other hand, if you do want to, I would be happy to listen..."

Quickly Danielle pulled her pants down, twisting so he could see the black bruise on her thigh. "He hit me and I fell," she explained, leaving out the other details, "I hit the corner of a chair."

Hank touched the bruise very lightly. Painful, but not too serious.... "I'll give you some lotion to put on that," he said thoughtfully. "He.... hit you, you say?" Forge was definitely getting some kind of reward for defending her. His own weight in fudge, maybe. "Where? Not a blow to the stomach, I hope."

Quickly she shook her head, "Slapped me, really. On the cheek. I ah..." she blushed both embarassed and pleased, "I tackled him. Punching...screaming...Forge stopped me then took care of Sheldon. I don't really remember the rest."

"Then I'm proud of both of you. Nobody has any right to hurt you, or to try to." He patted her shoulder gently. "And you seem fine... had anything gone wrong, there'd certainly be signs of it by now. It was very unlikely, in any case... at this point, the amniotic fluid around him or her acts as a very efficient shock absorber. The biggest problem with falls, during pregnancy, is actually usually a matter of the mother trying not to fall on her stomach, and thus injuring herself because she falls awkwardly." He patted her stomach gently. "Probably hardly even noticed the bump."

Smiling, Danielle rearranged her clothing properly, "Dr. McCoy? I don't want to overstep, but well...everything ain't okay. I'm fine, and I'm glad you say the baby's fine....but you don't seem fine."

He smiled wearily. "I'm not. I haven't slept since... yesterday, I think. But I've been... well, busy. I assure you, I'll be fine once I've had some sleep and a solid meal." And... well, right now, he didn't feel much like making jokes or flirting... the spectre of Mockery, of Laughter, was still much too real.

"Want me to make you something? I'm not busy," she pushed, unwillng to believe that he could be this reticient just because he hadn't slept. "I think there's some leftover meatloaf from dinner, a sandwich maybe? And some potatos?"

"That would be VERY much appreciated," Hank said sincerely, wondering that his stomach didn't rumble audibly at the mere thought. He hadn't had breakfast. He didn't think he'd had lunch, either.

"Come on," Danielle hopped off the table and grabbed his arm, once again marveling at the softness, then releasing it suddenly, "Sorry, sir. I ah...overreacted."

He smiled wearily, and patted her hand. "It's appreciated," he said sincerely... and it was. Being treated entirely normally was very comforting. "By all means, my dear, take me up to the kitchen and feed me... I am, as I'm sure someone will mention, rather bad about remembering to feed myself when I'm busy. Sooner or later, Lorna or Moira or someone generally comes and pushes food at me until I eat it, and it's always much appreciated when they do."

Tsking slightly, she turned and looked him in the eye, "Food is important." she informed him, "And forgetting to eat is bad. Your body is a temple, ain't it?"

"My body has shag carpeting, I don't think it qualifies as a temple." Hank grinned. "But food is important, yes."

"No one said temples have to be gold and whatever. It can have shag if you want...just not orange shag, that's gross," the thought of orange shag carpeting was almost enough to make Dani not want a snack with Hank, but almost. Food was infinitely more important at the moment.

"Then lead the way, my dear." He smiled at her. "I, for one, could eat a horse."