Myshuno Prompt #9: James and Cindy
Prompt: James & Cindy (peasant007)
Characters: James, Cindy, mentions of Alice, Nick
Rating: PG-13 for language (James will be James)
Summary: James and Cindy discuss some big news.
Notes: Canon. May or may not appear in a future chapter. Contains a spoiler, so read at your own risk.
Word Count: 498
James looked up from the newspaper he was reading as Alice and Cindy opened the front door. He listened to them chatter in the foyer as they hung up their coats and hats.
“Thank you again, Cindy. I think I’m going to go lie down for a bit before dinner.”
“If you need anything, holler,” Cindy replied.
James heard the click of her heals as she walked across the tiled floor, and he smiled at her when she joined him in the living room.
“How’d things go at the doctor?” he asked after she leaned over to give him a quick kiss.
“Just fine,” she replied as she sat next to him and picked up a section of the paper he’d discarded.
“Are you planning on elaborating on that?” he asked. “Poor Alice has been sick as a dog for the past week.”
“The doctor confirmed what I suspected, and I need to take her into Portsimouth soon to make an appointment with one of the military doctors there.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” he asked, not bothering to hide the worry in his voice.
“James, think about it. She’s been throwing up, constantly tired, and irritable. What do you think is going on?”
James slowly turned the facts over in his mind. “How long since Nick’s been gone?”
Cindy fought back a smile. “Two months tomorrow.”
James’ jaw dropped. “Holy shit, I’m going to be a grandfather!”
Cindy threw back her head and laughed. “Yes, you are.”
“But I’m not old enough to be a grandfather.”
“James, you’re old enough to have a son who’s off fighting in the war, which means you’re old enough to be a grandfather. On the other hand, I’m nowhere near old enough to be a grandmother.”
“Sure you’re not, doll. I’d suggest that the bottle of peroxide you keep under the sink to hide your grey hair would suggest otherwise.”
“I see my bottle of peroxide, and raise you your well-developed hat collection to hide your receding hairline.”
James chuckled as he put his arm around her. “Face it, doll. We’re not as young as we once were. And we’re the same age, so if one of us is old enough to be a grandparent…”
“…the other is too, I know.”
“Is Alice really okay?”
Cindy nodded.
“Then why take her to see a different doctor in the city?”
“Because as the pregnant wife of a soldier, she’s entitled to free medical care.”
James nodded. “Nick’s going to be beside himself when he finds out.”
“If he’s not kicking himself for not being able to be here with her. I can’t imagine going through that without you there to support me.”
“Well, you and I will just have to do our best to fill that role. It won’t be the same, of course, but we’ll do what we can.”
“James Bradford, behind that gruff exterior is nothing but a big teddy bear.”
“Only where my girls are involved,” he said, squeezing her shoulder.
Characters: James, Cindy, mentions of Alice, Nick
Rating: PG-13 for language (James will be James)
Summary: James and Cindy discuss some big news.
Notes: Canon. May or may not appear in a future chapter. Contains a spoiler, so read at your own risk.
Word Count: 498
James looked up from the newspaper he was reading as Alice and Cindy opened the front door. He listened to them chatter in the foyer as they hung up their coats and hats.
“Thank you again, Cindy. I think I’m going to go lie down for a bit before dinner.”
“If you need anything, holler,” Cindy replied.
James heard the click of her heals as she walked across the tiled floor, and he smiled at her when she joined him in the living room.
“How’d things go at the doctor?” he asked after she leaned over to give him a quick kiss.
“Just fine,” she replied as she sat next to him and picked up a section of the paper he’d discarded.
“Are you planning on elaborating on that?” he asked. “Poor Alice has been sick as a dog for the past week.”
“The doctor confirmed what I suspected, and I need to take her into Portsimouth soon to make an appointment with one of the military doctors there.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” he asked, not bothering to hide the worry in his voice.
“James, think about it. She’s been throwing up, constantly tired, and irritable. What do you think is going on?”
James slowly turned the facts over in his mind. “How long since Nick’s been gone?”
Cindy fought back a smile. “Two months tomorrow.”
James’ jaw dropped. “Holy shit, I’m going to be a grandfather!”
Cindy threw back her head and laughed. “Yes, you are.”
“But I’m not old enough to be a grandfather.”
“James, you’re old enough to have a son who’s off fighting in the war, which means you’re old enough to be a grandfather. On the other hand, I’m nowhere near old enough to be a grandmother.”
“Sure you’re not, doll. I’d suggest that the bottle of peroxide you keep under the sink to hide your grey hair would suggest otherwise.”
“I see my bottle of peroxide, and raise you your well-developed hat collection to hide your receding hairline.”
James chuckled as he put his arm around her. “Face it, doll. We’re not as young as we once were. And we’re the same age, so if one of us is old enough to be a grandparent…”
“…the other is too, I know.”
“Is Alice really okay?”
Cindy nodded.
“Then why take her to see a different doctor in the city?”
“Because as the pregnant wife of a soldier, she’s entitled to free medical care.”
James nodded. “Nick’s going to be beside himself when he finds out.”
“If he’s not kicking himself for not being able to be here with her. I can’t imagine going through that without you there to support me.”
“Well, you and I will just have to do our best to fill that role. It won’t be the same, of course, but we’ll do what we can.”
“James Bradford, behind that gruff exterior is nothing but a big teddy bear.”
“Only where my girls are involved,” he said, squeezing her shoulder.