It's Just An Urban Legend
Title: It's Just An Urban Legend
Author: tigris18
Pairing: Shep/Chris!friendship
Rating: PG
Summary: Weekend OT Prompt: "Voodoo". Shep has been very sick lately, but no one can figure out why.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
A/N: Here is my complete OT prompt fic for this past weekend.
Prompt: 047. Voodoo
Shep was slumped on the sofa in his office, his head back against the cushions. He felt fatigued and his body ached. He was pale in color, and his appetite hadn’t been what it used to be. He wasn’t himself.
Some of his staff had inquired about his health, but he had no answer to give them. He was just as oblivious to what was going on with him as they were.
Chris Wallace, who had noticed his younger friend’s physique change drastically over the last few months, took a special trip to New York to check up on him.
Chris handed Shep a hot cup of tea and sat down next to him. “Have you been to the doctor recently?”
Shep nodded, taking a sip. “Yes. I’ve been to three different doctors over the past two months and none of them can tell me what’s wrong. I’m tired all the time, my whole body hurts and I look like I’m dying - look at my face. I’ve got dark circles under my eyes and my cheeks look almost hollow.”
“And the doctors don’t know what’s causing it?”
“Nope. They’ve offered me various prescriptions and other dietary supplements. But nothing seems to work.” Shep replied, sitting up more.
“Hmm.” Chris’ forehead creased in contemplation.
“I feel miserable.” Shep groaned, drinking down the rest of the tea.
“Well, you’ve clearly lost some weight -.” Chris pointed out, patting Shep’s lower chest and noticing how loose his suit jacket was on him. “You’d think with how much of a pig you are that you could gain all your weight back in no time.”
“That’s another thing - I’m not eating as much. I barely have an appetite. Most of the time, I’m seriously forgetting to eat!” Shep attested.
“You forget to eat?” Chris looked shocked. “Okay, yeah - you’re definitely not yourself.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you - something is seriously wrong with me!” Shep tried to stand up quickly, but had some difficulty.
Chris stood up and caught his arm before Shep could fall backwards. “Alright, I say you need to take a few days off and get some rest.”
“I’ve tried resting - I’ve tried everything, Chris! Nothing works.” Shep argued, holding onto his friend’s grip.
“Okay, then how about I take you home and we’ll figure this out together?” Chris offered with a small smile. Shep sighed, nodding in agreement.
___________
At Shep’s apartment, Chris helped his friend settle down on the couch and fixed him a bowl of soup. “Lorraine sends her best, and your favorite of her soups.” Chris smiled, handing Shep the bowl.
Shep grinned. “Tell your wife she’s an amazing woman.”
“I will be sure to tell her.” Chris walked back to the dining room table to grab a notebook and pen. “Okay, let’s go through this whole dilemma again and rule out the possibilities.”
Chris took the nearest seat next to the couch. “So, the doctors didn’t give any inclination about what might be wrong with you?”
“Nothing. Nada. Zip.”
Chris sighed, removing his tie from under his shirt collar. “It’s not the flu…it’s not cancer…you’re not deathly allergic to anything, right?”
“Nope.” Shep set the half-eaten bowl of soup on the coffee table in front of him. He grabbed the TV remote and turned it on.
“And we can rule out the possibility of you being exposed to anthrax, I’m sure.”
Shep glanced at the TV - the Discovery Channel was covering a story about the history of Louisiana Voodoo. Shep quickly sat up and looked at his friend. “What about Voodoo?”
Chris let out a chuckle. “I think there’s a greater chance of you contracting the Black Plague, Shep.”
Shep gave an encouraging gesture.
“You can’t be serious, Shep. Voodoo?” Chris smirked, shaking his head. “That stuff isn’t real.”
“I don’t know. Down in Mississippi, where I’m from, there was always ‘talk’ about people from southern Louisiana practicing voodoo.” Shep replied.
“But those are just urban legends.”
Shep shrugged. “I’ve always tried to keep an open mind.”
Chris snorted, unable to hide his smile. “That’s not being open-minded, Shep. That’s being irrational.”
“Come on, Chris.” Shep swatted his older friend’s arm. “We’ve ruled out everything else. Voodoo is now the possibility at hand.”
“Well, there’s no evidence to rule it in as a possibility-.”
“Nor is there any evidence to rule it out.” Shep quipped in return.
Chris massaged the bridge of his nose. “Okay, say I actually buy this ‘voodoo’ theory. This would actually suggest that someone is causing your illness.”
“Exactly!” Shep beamed.
Chris threw his hands in the air, clearly growing frustrated. “But who would do something like that? To you, nonetheless.”
“Someone who is pissed at me, obviously. I’ve heard it takes a lot of concentration and emotional energy to conjure a voodoo spell.” Shep replied.
“I’m sure.” Chris chuckled lightly. “Have you broken up with any angry boyfriends lately? Any of them practice voodoo?”
Shep smirked, shaking his head. “I’ve never dated a guy who practiced voodoo, Chris. Believe me, I always make sure to ask that on the first date.”
Chris busted out laughing. “You ask guys if they practice voodoo?”
Shep stuck his tongue out, playfully.
Chris cleared his throat. “Okay, so who do think would want to curse you?”
Shep shrugged. “Maybe someone at work?”
“At Fox News?” Chris raised an eyebrow. “I seriously doubt that. I mean, I know we have some interesting personalities at Fox, but no one who I think would actually cause harm to another human being.”
“I don’t know… My political views are different from most of the other pundits there. You don’t think that could be a reason? Like Glenn Beck might go crazy enough to think the ‘liberal media’ has infiltrated Fox News?” Shep argued. “I can totally see Beck practicing voodoo!”
“Nonsense, Shep.” Chris replied. “Even my political views don’t match up with everyone at Fox -.”
“But how many people know that, Chris? You almost never express your personal views.”
“Well, that’s because I am a real journalist and it’s not a part of my job to tell people how I think and feel about the issues.” Chris attested. “But, it is a publically known fact that I am a registered Democrat. Don’t you think, whoever this is, that they would go after me as well?”
“Maybe, I guess so.” Shep sighed. “But then what else could it be…oh, maybe…surely not.”
“What?”
“I’ve come out to a lot of people at work. Surely by now that has spread throughout the entire network.” Shep pointed out.
Chris’ eyebrows furrowed. “True. But who at Fox harbors that much prejudice to do that to you?”
Shep cocked his head to the side. “Do you think Huckabee could? He is a religious conservative, and he has a few anti-gay views to spare.”
Chris paused, but then shook his head. “While Huckabee has a number of anti-gay views - all of which are ridiculous - I just can’t see him having the motivation to do something like that to you. Plus, I doubt Huckabee would practice outside of Christianity.”
“Well, who else is a religious conservative at Fox? Umm….” Shep snapped his fingers rhythmically as if to get his thought process going.
“No one, as far as I know….but…Oh.” Chris looked at Shep, a frown slowly forming on his lips. “Santorum. He’s even crazier than Huckabee is. And he’s basically known for his homophobic views, let’s just say that. He would have the twisted motivation to hurt you.”
“So, you think Santorum is some kind of voodoo priest?” Shep asked. “Well, what are we going to do?”
Chris patted his friend’s arm and pulled the blanket that hung off the back of the couch. He stood up and covered Shep with it. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of things with Santorum. Just get some rest.” He walked over to the kitchen and pulled out his cell phone.
Author: tigris18
Pairing: Shep/Chris!friendship
Rating: PG
Summary: Weekend OT Prompt: "Voodoo". Shep has been very sick lately, but no one can figure out why.
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
A/N: Here is my complete OT prompt fic for this past weekend.
Prompt: 047. Voodoo
Shep was slumped on the sofa in his office, his head back against the cushions. He felt fatigued and his body ached. He was pale in color, and his appetite hadn’t been what it used to be. He wasn’t himself.
Some of his staff had inquired about his health, but he had no answer to give them. He was just as oblivious to what was going on with him as they were.
Chris Wallace, who had noticed his younger friend’s physique change drastically over the last few months, took a special trip to New York to check up on him.
Chris handed Shep a hot cup of tea and sat down next to him. “Have you been to the doctor recently?”
Shep nodded, taking a sip. “Yes. I’ve been to three different doctors over the past two months and none of them can tell me what’s wrong. I’m tired all the time, my whole body hurts and I look like I’m dying - look at my face. I’ve got dark circles under my eyes and my cheeks look almost hollow.”
“And the doctors don’t know what’s causing it?”
“Nope. They’ve offered me various prescriptions and other dietary supplements. But nothing seems to work.” Shep replied, sitting up more.
“Hmm.” Chris’ forehead creased in contemplation.
“I feel miserable.” Shep groaned, drinking down the rest of the tea.
“Well, you’ve clearly lost some weight -.” Chris pointed out, patting Shep’s lower chest and noticing how loose his suit jacket was on him. “You’d think with how much of a pig you are that you could gain all your weight back in no time.”
“That’s another thing - I’m not eating as much. I barely have an appetite. Most of the time, I’m seriously forgetting to eat!” Shep attested.
“You forget to eat?” Chris looked shocked. “Okay, yeah - you’re definitely not yourself.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you - something is seriously wrong with me!” Shep tried to stand up quickly, but had some difficulty.
Chris stood up and caught his arm before Shep could fall backwards. “Alright, I say you need to take a few days off and get some rest.”
“I’ve tried resting - I’ve tried everything, Chris! Nothing works.” Shep argued, holding onto his friend’s grip.
“Okay, then how about I take you home and we’ll figure this out together?” Chris offered with a small smile. Shep sighed, nodding in agreement.
___________
At Shep’s apartment, Chris helped his friend settle down on the couch and fixed him a bowl of soup. “Lorraine sends her best, and your favorite of her soups.” Chris smiled, handing Shep the bowl.
Shep grinned. “Tell your wife she’s an amazing woman.”
“I will be sure to tell her.” Chris walked back to the dining room table to grab a notebook and pen. “Okay, let’s go through this whole dilemma again and rule out the possibilities.”
Chris took the nearest seat next to the couch. “So, the doctors didn’t give any inclination about what might be wrong with you?”
“Nothing. Nada. Zip.”
Chris sighed, removing his tie from under his shirt collar. “It’s not the flu…it’s not cancer…you’re not deathly allergic to anything, right?”
“Nope.” Shep set the half-eaten bowl of soup on the coffee table in front of him. He grabbed the TV remote and turned it on.
“And we can rule out the possibility of you being exposed to anthrax, I’m sure.”
Shep glanced at the TV - the Discovery Channel was covering a story about the history of Louisiana Voodoo. Shep quickly sat up and looked at his friend. “What about Voodoo?”
Chris let out a chuckle. “I think there’s a greater chance of you contracting the Black Plague, Shep.”
Shep gave an encouraging gesture.
“You can’t be serious, Shep. Voodoo?” Chris smirked, shaking his head. “That stuff isn’t real.”
“I don’t know. Down in Mississippi, where I’m from, there was always ‘talk’ about people from southern Louisiana practicing voodoo.” Shep replied.
“But those are just urban legends.”
Shep shrugged. “I’ve always tried to keep an open mind.”
Chris snorted, unable to hide his smile. “That’s not being open-minded, Shep. That’s being irrational.”
“Come on, Chris.” Shep swatted his older friend’s arm. “We’ve ruled out everything else. Voodoo is now the possibility at hand.”
“Well, there’s no evidence to rule it in as a possibility-.”
“Nor is there any evidence to rule it out.” Shep quipped in return.
Chris massaged the bridge of his nose. “Okay, say I actually buy this ‘voodoo’ theory. This would actually suggest that someone is causing your illness.”
“Exactly!” Shep beamed.
Chris threw his hands in the air, clearly growing frustrated. “But who would do something like that? To you, nonetheless.”
“Someone who is pissed at me, obviously. I’ve heard it takes a lot of concentration and emotional energy to conjure a voodoo spell.” Shep replied.
“I’m sure.” Chris chuckled lightly. “Have you broken up with any angry boyfriends lately? Any of them practice voodoo?”
Shep smirked, shaking his head. “I’ve never dated a guy who practiced voodoo, Chris. Believe me, I always make sure to ask that on the first date.”
Chris busted out laughing. “You ask guys if they practice voodoo?”
Shep stuck his tongue out, playfully.
Chris cleared his throat. “Okay, so who do think would want to curse you?”
Shep shrugged. “Maybe someone at work?”
“At Fox News?” Chris raised an eyebrow. “I seriously doubt that. I mean, I know we have some interesting personalities at Fox, but no one who I think would actually cause harm to another human being.”
“I don’t know… My political views are different from most of the other pundits there. You don’t think that could be a reason? Like Glenn Beck might go crazy enough to think the ‘liberal media’ has infiltrated Fox News?” Shep argued. “I can totally see Beck practicing voodoo!”
“Nonsense, Shep.” Chris replied. “Even my political views don’t match up with everyone at Fox -.”
“But how many people know that, Chris? You almost never express your personal views.”
“Well, that’s because I am a real journalist and it’s not a part of my job to tell people how I think and feel about the issues.” Chris attested. “But, it is a publically known fact that I am a registered Democrat. Don’t you think, whoever this is, that they would go after me as well?”
“Maybe, I guess so.” Shep sighed. “But then what else could it be…oh, maybe…surely not.”
“What?”
“I’ve come out to a lot of people at work. Surely by now that has spread throughout the entire network.” Shep pointed out.
Chris’ eyebrows furrowed. “True. But who at Fox harbors that much prejudice to do that to you?”
Shep cocked his head to the side. “Do you think Huckabee could? He is a religious conservative, and he has a few anti-gay views to spare.”
Chris paused, but then shook his head. “While Huckabee has a number of anti-gay views - all of which are ridiculous - I just can’t see him having the motivation to do something like that to you. Plus, I doubt Huckabee would practice outside of Christianity.”
“Well, who else is a religious conservative at Fox? Umm….” Shep snapped his fingers rhythmically as if to get his thought process going.
“No one, as far as I know….but…Oh.” Chris looked at Shep, a frown slowly forming on his lips. “Santorum. He’s even crazier than Huckabee is. And he’s basically known for his homophobic views, let’s just say that. He would have the twisted motivation to hurt you.”
“So, you think Santorum is some kind of voodoo priest?” Shep asked. “Well, what are we going to do?”
Chris patted his friend’s arm and pulled the blanket that hung off the back of the couch. He stood up and covered Shep with it. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of things with Santorum. Just get some rest.” He walked over to the kitchen and pulled out his cell phone.