February 10, 2005

[stubborn_annie]

The phone rings. Harry's not due home for another three or four days- it depends how long it takes to put all three of the most promising girls through the final testing, and there might be another one on the roster depending on how the Council sees it. It's the wrong time of day for a home call from Philippa, so it's either business or the Army

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[there_is_a_me]

The room looks like an ordinary room. Tables, chairs, a nervous looking woman looking uncomfortable out of uniform and a man who has spent his time torn between prowling the room and looking out the window.

He's smoking. All the time. His eyes are fogged, even now, with drugs but he's aware. Very, very aware, by the time Annie is being led inside he's already turning to look at her.

She's the first person he's met in years who isn't a scientist or doctor. And she's going to take him away from them. She's going to take him...Fuck if I know, but Sarge loved her and that's good enough for me.

[stubborn_annie]

She's seen his picture before, but the one Harry showed her was taken years ago in better times. The resemblance between the Spoon in that picture and the man in front of her now is scarcely more than she might see between brothers- if that. Still...

"Harry told me once," says Annie, "that he called you Spoon- is that all right with you? Now, I mean? I'm Annie Wells, we've never met-"

She glances up to the woman a moment, then back to the haggard, smoking man in front of her.

[there_is_a_me]

"Yeh." He says with a nod, "Yes, ma'am. Spoon is fine." He can smell her distress, and it makes him cover his nose again, just for a second humans don't fucking do that, Spoon before he says in a rush, "Sarge told us that the idea of not seeing you again was what scared him. I'm so sorry, ma'am."

Dr. Ferguson swallows, nobody's told Spoon that he's not the last one and she's certain that it isn't her place to do so. Under-secretary Ingram thought it was best taken care of by someone else. "He's got some medications, Mrs. Wells. They're to be tapered off, not just stopped. We've been working at weaning him down, but I was told to contact my superiors as soon as we'd made any progress at all."

[stubborn_annie]

The gesture doesn't seem to faze Annie, or even register as something unusual. She does start to say something, drawing breath with a puzzled expression; then the doctor speaks and she turns her attention away. "All right," she says quietly. "Is there anything else I ought to know?"