ways_infirmary | (no subject)

"They don't tend the trees for pies," she smirks. "Though they do sell the apples to help fund the retirement program. Apple wood, particular wood from an apple tree that has mistletoe growing on it, makes the best stakes."

"Not that I'd be eligible for SOF retirement anyway - I'm unofficial. I'm spared all the paperwork they have to do, but then, I also don't have any supporting documentation, either."

The best stakes? His eyebrows go up. "Oh. Wow. Huh. Good to know."

You learn something new every day at Milliways.

"Well, unofficial or not, they better appreciate what you're doing for 'em, 'cause you are just going above and beyond."

He jerks his thumb toward the door.

"How 'bout I get you your tea and books?"

"Only four of my local SOFs even know about me," she murmurs with a slight, wry smile. "And none of their higher-ups."

And that's the way it's going to stay.

"Yes, please. Thank you so much, Tommy."

"Well, still-- I say you should still be eligible for free apples from those orchards."

He gives her a crooked grin.

"Be back in a sec."

From Bar he requests a thermos of tea and borrows a couple of books, including his favorite Mickey Mantle biography, and anything else she might recommend for Sunshine. Subsequently, a romance novel called The Firefighter and the Girl From the Coffee Shop appears.

"What-- no. I ain't giving this to Sunshine! Take this back."

Bar doesn't.

"C'mon, this ain't funny."

Bar thinks it is.

"I can't just leave this here, there's kids around!"

Bar remains adamant in her choice of reading material.

Tommy returns to Sunshine's room, looking as if he wants to stick his head down his jacket collar like a turtle. He hands the thermos over, and sets the stack of books on her bedside table. The cover on the topmost book is hard to ignore.

"Sorry. Bar picked it out and wouldn't take it back."

Sunshine can't help but snicker at the sight of the book, though she moves her arm to brace against her chest as she does.

"What in the world, Tommy?" she says, amused (but only half at the book - the other half of her amusement is for his obvious embarrassment), as she reaches for the offending book.

"The Firefighter and the Girl from the Coffee Shop," she reads with relish, only a little mockingly, before flipping it over. "This is sooo out of my preferred genres... oh gods."

It takes all her willpower not to crack up at the synopsis.

He bites his lip and winces, knowing she shouldn't be laughing.

"I have no idea why Bar gave that to me apart from the fact that somebody out there decided to write a book with two characters with incredibly specific jobs that just happen to be the same as ours. I mean, I don't-- I can't even-- that is just-- I should go burn it."

Rae clutches the book out of his reach, grinning. "Nuh-uh, sorry! It's out of your hands now. Bar feels I should read it, so I'll have to do it."

Tragic, yes.

Terribly amused, Sunshine holds the book up and begins the read the blurb on the back of the book in a very dramatic tone of voice, complete with loving emphasis on words of particular drama (or salaciousness), and commentary. The baker may be injured, but that doesn't mean she has to have developed any shame.

"'When not busy serving customers' it's missing a comma there, 'the girls at the coffee shop have a pastime that they find particularly... stimulating; watching and flirting with the firefighters at the station across the street. Alyssa has had her eye on one particular hottie, Evan London, but to her frustration nothing beyond friendship seems to develop between them - until the night her apartment building goes up in flames!' So friendship blossoms into professional obligation? I think that's a step in the wrong direction, Alyssa. 'Upon rescuing her from certain death, he offers her a place to stay until she gets back on her feet.' Thaaat's not contrived at all, nope. 'Despite the tragedy' - another comma missing there - "Alyssa sees this as an opportunity to secure her hunky firefighter once and for all!'"

To Sunshine's credit, she makes it all the way through without dissolving into laughter. But just barely. There's a reason this isn't a genre she reads much of.

There is more more wincing and cringing as she reads the synopsis, because it just sounds so, so painfully bad. So bad, it's actually hilarious. She might need to be on morphine to get through it (and all its editing errors).

"Jeez, how something like this ever got published, I'll never know. Like, it's probably full of inaccuracies about firefighting and sexual puns about his hose and engine and tools and whatever. Also? Not to spoil it or anything, but I bet the girl set her own apartment on fire just so the guy could come rescue her, 'cause that's way too much of a coincidence. If she got arrested for arson at the end, then maybe it's a story worth reading!"

"Well, she's already shown she's willing to use a genuine tragedy as a means to an end. In all likelihood, this'll be a standard 'Boo hoo, woe is me, thank you so much for taking me in in my time of vulnerability, is there any way I can repay you' story. Oh please." Rae says, flipping through the first pages. "An arson plot might - just might - actually be enough to save it."

"...If the author could conquer their fear of commas." Who edited this?

He waves a hand. "Mmmnaaah, I think we're giving the author too much credit. And I also should've gotten you a red pen to correct all the punctuation mistakes as you go along."

Self-consciously determining a safe spot on Sunshine that isn't bandaged or remotely injured, Tommy reaches over and gives her an encouraging pat on the knee.

"Well, I think I've provided you with enough entertainment for now. I should get going. Hopefully next time I see you, you'll be up and around, yeah?"

"I really hope so," she says, emphatically. "Don't really like being stuck in bed all day with little to do but sit."

Too much time to think, she doesn't say. Rae is pretty sure Tommy would understand.

"Yeah, try not to go stir crazy in here. I know I would. Sitting still is something I ain't very good at, but if worse comes to worst, you could always try to make a break for it when the coast is clear. I won't tell."

He gives her a wink and a crooked smile.

"I'll see ya, sweetie."

With one last pat to her knee, he leaves her to enjoy the romance novel.

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