Fic!
Because I'm apparently addicted not only to AUs, but also to writing Beckett/Cadman in them, a humble little offering to this new community. :)
Title: Pleasant Company
Author: La
Rating: G-PG
Pairing: Beckett/Cadman
Summary: Carson Beckett hates missing his mid-day meal
Author's Note: Ack! I almost forgot to thank mizz_magenta for the beta! So a big big thanks to her, and all remaining errors are mine and mine alone (probably because I don't always listen to her as I should).
Dr. Carson Beckett glanced into the small area that served as his waiting room and sighed. He still had five more children to see, not to mention Mr. Siler’s minor injuries and Mrs. Wells and her baby, and it was already several hours past the time he usually ate his mid-day meal. Even as he noted the lateness of the day, the door opened and Rodney McKay stepped hurriedly into the room, looking worried.
Well, he’d start with the easiest problems. Mrs. Wells worried constantly about her child, who, quite frankly, was one of the healthiest babies Carson had ever known. And while he was glad to see that the new mother took her child’s health seriously, she did constitute a demand on his time that he sometimes resented.
Thankfully, the woman was also determined to have two opinions on everything, so he knew she’d be visiting Janet Frasier as well. He called the woman into his office, assured her that all was well, and sent her on her way with only vague misgivings. He consoled himself with the thought that as wary as he was of Miss Frasier’s medical opinion, with such a healthy baby as young Marcy Wells had, there was little harm the midwife could do.
Dealing with the children in short order - they’d been in a schoolyard fight, and he’d sent them all home with a foul tasting tonic to drink - he made quick work of the usual injuries Mr. Siler received during the course of his day doing minor handywork for the townsfolk. Carson sank into the comfortable chair he kept behind his desk and tried to brace himself for the next patient. He was feeling grouchy, having missed his usual dinner at Vala’s café as well as his afternoon walk through town, and he really didn’t want to deal with the complaints of one Rodney McKay.
But still, he was a doctor, so taking a deep breath to calm himself he opened the door to his office and called McKay in.
“What seems to be the trouble?”
“It’s about time! Do you have any idea what’s happened to me?”
“Actually, no, Mr. McKay, I really don’t. Why don’t you tell me?” Carson gestured to the other chair in the office, but McKay remained standing, clearly agitated.
“Lemons!” he exclaimed. “I know Vala put lemons in my food today! You know how allergic I am to them.”
Carson did know, but he doubted that McKay was suffering right now. After the man’s first complaint, Carson had spoken to Vala. She assured him that she had never served McKay lemons, nor would she, and Carson believed her. Despite her outrageous nature, she really did want to make a place for herself in this town, and poisoning one of the well-established citizens at her café was not part of her plan.
Still, it was always best to placate McKay, so Carson did a cursory examination. When McKay refused to leave without some kind of cure (and for all he disdained Carson’s medical knowledge in public, when it came to his own health McKay was extremely vigilant), Carson obliged him with a small dose of ipecac.
“That should bring back up anything left in you,” he assured the other man. McKay grimaced at the thought, but nevertheless clutched the bottle protectively to his chest.
“Is this enough?” McKay asked, and at Carson’s weary nod he added, almost as an afterthought, “Thanks.” As he opened the office door to let himself out, he muttered to himself, “I don’t know why I keep going back to that woman’s place…”
Carson smiled wearily to himself as he stood up to close the door McKay had left open. However, to his surprise, he found another person waiting in the anteroom.
His weary smiled transformed into one of genuine happiness as he observed the woman sitting on one of the crude wooden chairs lining the walls.
“Miss Cadman! What brings you here? Not ill, I hope?”
Laura Cadman shook her head, smiling. “Right as rain, Doctor. I just noticed that you weren’t at the café for dinner, and thought you could maybe use something to eat.” She held up a cloth wrapped bundle.
His bad mood disappeared entirely. “That was thoughtful of you,” he said, opening his office door wide and gesturing for her to enter. “I didn’t get a chance to eat this afternoon, and I missed both the food and the usual company.”
Miss Cadman’s smile was at the same time self conscious and pleased, and inwardly Carson was delighted. Although they never arranged it, or even admitted the thought, since they had first happened to share a table at Vala’s a month ago, it had become habit for both to meet at the café each afternoon to share a meal. Afterwards, they often walked slowly through the town to their respective places of business.
Carson knew that many of the older women in the town found their behavior endearing, and that several of them had already begun discussing wedding festivities. It embarrassed him; especially since he had no intention of making things so serious before he and Miss Cadman had really had a chance to get to know each other properly.
At the same time, however, the assumption that he was already matched kept him from having to deal with the machinations of Mrs. Wittings (who had plans for both of her daughters) and he couldn’t complain about that.
“Well,” Miss Cadman said, bringing his attention back to the present, “it’s a bit late, but both the food and company are here now.”
“That they are,” he agreed. “I hope you have some food in there for yourself as well, as I can’t, in good conscience, eat myself while you simply watch.”
Miss Cadman undid the knot at the top of the bundle and opened it to reveal bread and cheese, a small bottle of wine, and two apples. She picked up the latter. “A new shipment,” she said. “I knew you’d refuse to eat unless I had something, too.”
She handed him one apple and took a bite of the other. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, and then Miss Cadman began to tell him about the goings-on at Vala’s that afternoon, a topic that was guaranteed to provide some amusement. They continued talking once the food was gone, until Miss Cadman happened to glance at the clock. Giving a start, she gasped at the time.
“I told Miss Weir I’d be back fifteen minutes ago!” she said, rising from her seat and gathering the remains of their meal. Carson helped her, then walked her to the door.
“Perhaps I should come with you and explain,” he suggested, but she shook her head.
“No, Doctor, that’s fine. But thanks for the offer.”
They hesitated a moment in the doorway, and Carson was keenly aware of the speculative looks more than one woman gave them while walking by. Finally, Miss Cadman ducked her head and turned to leave, but she paused after only a step. Turning to look back at him, she asked, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
Suddenly their unacknowledged arrangement was no longer unspoken, and Carson felt a little thrill at the thought. He smiled broadly at her, nodding once in agreement, and she continued down the steps and onto the dusty road.
As he watched her go, Carson found himself wondering how well stocked his cotton bandages were, and whether it would be worth a trip to Miss Weir’s Mercantile to acquire some more.
He had a feeling that even if he had an entire chest full of bandages, he’d find it necessary to purchase some more this evening.
Title: Pleasant Company
Author: La
Rating: G-PG
Pairing: Beckett/Cadman
Summary: Carson Beckett hates missing his mid-day meal
Author's Note: Ack! I almost forgot to thank mizz_magenta for the beta! So a big big thanks to her, and all remaining errors are mine and mine alone (probably because I don't always listen to her as I should).
Dr. Carson Beckett glanced into the small area that served as his waiting room and sighed. He still had five more children to see, not to mention Mr. Siler’s minor injuries and Mrs. Wells and her baby, and it was already several hours past the time he usually ate his mid-day meal. Even as he noted the lateness of the day, the door opened and Rodney McKay stepped hurriedly into the room, looking worried.
Well, he’d start with the easiest problems. Mrs. Wells worried constantly about her child, who, quite frankly, was one of the healthiest babies Carson had ever known. And while he was glad to see that the new mother took her child’s health seriously, she did constitute a demand on his time that he sometimes resented.
Thankfully, the woman was also determined to have two opinions on everything, so he knew she’d be visiting Janet Frasier as well. He called the woman into his office, assured her that all was well, and sent her on her way with only vague misgivings. He consoled himself with the thought that as wary as he was of Miss Frasier’s medical opinion, with such a healthy baby as young Marcy Wells had, there was little harm the midwife could do.
Dealing with the children in short order - they’d been in a schoolyard fight, and he’d sent them all home with a foul tasting tonic to drink - he made quick work of the usual injuries Mr. Siler received during the course of his day doing minor handywork for the townsfolk. Carson sank into the comfortable chair he kept behind his desk and tried to brace himself for the next patient. He was feeling grouchy, having missed his usual dinner at Vala’s café as well as his afternoon walk through town, and he really didn’t want to deal with the complaints of one Rodney McKay.
But still, he was a doctor, so taking a deep breath to calm himself he opened the door to his office and called McKay in.
“What seems to be the trouble?”
“It’s about time! Do you have any idea what’s happened to me?”
“Actually, no, Mr. McKay, I really don’t. Why don’t you tell me?” Carson gestured to the other chair in the office, but McKay remained standing, clearly agitated.
“Lemons!” he exclaimed. “I know Vala put lemons in my food today! You know how allergic I am to them.”
Carson did know, but he doubted that McKay was suffering right now. After the man’s first complaint, Carson had spoken to Vala. She assured him that she had never served McKay lemons, nor would she, and Carson believed her. Despite her outrageous nature, she really did want to make a place for herself in this town, and poisoning one of the well-established citizens at her café was not part of her plan.
Still, it was always best to placate McKay, so Carson did a cursory examination. When McKay refused to leave without some kind of cure (and for all he disdained Carson’s medical knowledge in public, when it came to his own health McKay was extremely vigilant), Carson obliged him with a small dose of ipecac.
“That should bring back up anything left in you,” he assured the other man. McKay grimaced at the thought, but nevertheless clutched the bottle protectively to his chest.
“Is this enough?” McKay asked, and at Carson’s weary nod he added, almost as an afterthought, “Thanks.” As he opened the office door to let himself out, he muttered to himself, “I don’t know why I keep going back to that woman’s place…”
Carson smiled wearily to himself as he stood up to close the door McKay had left open. However, to his surprise, he found another person waiting in the anteroom.
His weary smiled transformed into one of genuine happiness as he observed the woman sitting on one of the crude wooden chairs lining the walls.
“Miss Cadman! What brings you here? Not ill, I hope?”
Laura Cadman shook her head, smiling. “Right as rain, Doctor. I just noticed that you weren’t at the café for dinner, and thought you could maybe use something to eat.” She held up a cloth wrapped bundle.
His bad mood disappeared entirely. “That was thoughtful of you,” he said, opening his office door wide and gesturing for her to enter. “I didn’t get a chance to eat this afternoon, and I missed both the food and the usual company.”
Miss Cadman’s smile was at the same time self conscious and pleased, and inwardly Carson was delighted. Although they never arranged it, or even admitted the thought, since they had first happened to share a table at Vala’s a month ago, it had become habit for both to meet at the café each afternoon to share a meal. Afterwards, they often walked slowly through the town to their respective places of business.
Carson knew that many of the older women in the town found their behavior endearing, and that several of them had already begun discussing wedding festivities. It embarrassed him; especially since he had no intention of making things so serious before he and Miss Cadman had really had a chance to get to know each other properly.
At the same time, however, the assumption that he was already matched kept him from having to deal with the machinations of Mrs. Wittings (who had plans for both of her daughters) and he couldn’t complain about that.
“Well,” Miss Cadman said, bringing his attention back to the present, “it’s a bit late, but both the food and company are here now.”
“That they are,” he agreed. “I hope you have some food in there for yourself as well, as I can’t, in good conscience, eat myself while you simply watch.”
Miss Cadman undid the knot at the top of the bundle and opened it to reveal bread and cheese, a small bottle of wine, and two apples. She picked up the latter. “A new shipment,” she said. “I knew you’d refuse to eat unless I had something, too.”
She handed him one apple and took a bite of the other. They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, and then Miss Cadman began to tell him about the goings-on at Vala’s that afternoon, a topic that was guaranteed to provide some amusement. They continued talking once the food was gone, until Miss Cadman happened to glance at the clock. Giving a start, she gasped at the time.
“I told Miss Weir I’d be back fifteen minutes ago!” she said, rising from her seat and gathering the remains of their meal. Carson helped her, then walked her to the door.
“Perhaps I should come with you and explain,” he suggested, but she shook her head.
“No, Doctor, that’s fine. But thanks for the offer.”
They hesitated a moment in the doorway, and Carson was keenly aware of the speculative looks more than one woman gave them while walking by. Finally, Miss Cadman ducked her head and turned to leave, but she paused after only a step. Turning to look back at him, she asked, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
Suddenly their unacknowledged arrangement was no longer unspoken, and Carson felt a little thrill at the thought. He smiled broadly at her, nodding once in agreement, and she continued down the steps and onto the dusty road.
As he watched her go, Carson found himself wondering how well stocked his cotton bandages were, and whether it would be worth a trip to Miss Weir’s Mercantile to acquire some more.
He had a feeling that even if he had an entire chest full of bandages, he’d find it necessary to purchase some more this evening.