A few notes: 1) I know I should've posted this earlier but I only got the idea for it yesterday! 2) This in no way resembles the recently-released movie "Independence Day." I would've chosen another name for the sake of convenience and lack of confusion, but I couldn't think of another one that was more appropriate. The movie moguls can sue me if they like (they'll get about $1.14). 3) This is dedicated to Saint Seah, the BEST proofreader in the world!
by Rhonda Hallstrom
*****
RCMP Benton Fraser beamed at the next person in line. "Greetings, sir," he said to the old man as he filled the man's soup bowl. He barely got a grunt as a reply but pressed on nonetheless. "Good afternoon, madam." The woman turned so sharply, some soup spilled on the Mountie's spotless uniform.
Fraser sighed; it had SEEMED like a good idea at the time....The Consulate was shut down today for obvious reasons, and Ray was holed up at the precinct doing paperwork, "before the screwballs come unglued for the holiday," as he had phrased it.
Fraser thought Ray was exaggerating the situation, as usual, but couldn't begrudge his friend the chance to catch up on his official correspondence. Fraser frowned at the thought as he kept filling soup bowls; Ray really wasn't one to lose any sleep over paperwork. It wasn't like him to worry so adamantly about it. Adamant he had been, too.
*C'mon, Fraser,* Ray laughed that morning, *You've GOTTA have thousands of widows and orphans out there depending on you. I just wanna get this stuff outta my face - I'm tired of lookin' at it.*
It had seemed reasonable at the time but now that Fraser had a chance to think about it, why hadn't Ray simply shoved it in his desk drawer out of sight the way he usually did? Had he run out of room? Fraser sighed and shook his head - what WAS he thinking? There was absolutely no reason for Ray to lie to him. Just because Ray mentioned he was doing something he hated and never did since Fraser had known him-
*STOP that!* Fraser chided himself irritably. He checked the clock; it was approaching 2:00 p.m. Fraser decided to make the point moot once and for all and call Ray at the precinct to invite him to lunch. Fraser's own stomach was growling a bit by now. The manager of the help kitchen offered him lunch, of course, but Fraser didn't want to deprive the needy of THEIR food and had declined.
Excusing himself politely, he found the next working pay phone (which happened to be two and a half blocks down the street). He called Ray's number but he was not prepared for the person that answered the phone.
"Elaine?" Fraser asked, puzzled. He sighed, realizing that Ray must have left for lunch already.
"Oh...hello," Elaine said with a decidedly-emotional tone in her voice.
"Elaine, what's wrong?" As distracted as he was by Ray's odd behavior, Fraser certainly wasn't going to ignore a friend in trouble. As silence reigned, he asked again, "Elaine??"
"Um...have you talked to Ray today?"
"No."
Elaine pursed air out her lips. "Fraser, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you...but don't worry, okay? Ray was...in a little accident-"
"Where is he?" The words snapped out of him quicker than he could think. His stomach, food forgotten, churned at Elaine's words and his hand reached out to grab the side of the phone booth reflexively as he waited for Elaine's answer.
"He's at his place-"
"HIS place? He didn't go to the hospital? How is he? What happened?" Fraser's mind had so many questions, he wasn't sure which question he wanted her to answer first.
"He'll be FINE," Elaine said, trying to reassure him. "He's just a little banged up...."
"Thank you very much, Elaine," Benton Fraser said just before he dropped the phone and broke into a dead run toward Ray's place, Diefenbaker close behind him. Halfway there, he realized he had forgotten to hang the phone up - and he didn't really care.
*****
Arriving at Ray's door, Fraser paused, fist poised, ready to knock. If Ray was in bed, Fraser would startle him, or awaken him, and the LAST thing he wanted to do was disturb him while he was recuperating. On the other hand, he knew that Ray would need his help - and Fraser also needed to see that Ray was going to be all right. So, the bottom line was, should he knock or just walk in? Walking in was rude, to be sure, but these WERE unusual circumstances...of course, if the door was locked, he would have to knock anyway, or maybe climb through a window....
Diefenbaker made a chuffing noise at the Mountie, obviously urging him to get on with it.
"All right, all right," Fraser told the wolf, exasperated. "I just don't want to make Ray any worse than he is right now."
Fraser tried the door; it was unlocked and opened easily. Another unusual event for Ray, who put his six sturdy dead bolts to good use at all times and constantly urged Fraser to do the same. Fraser was REALLY starting to get worried now....
He opened the door a crack and managed to peer in without setting one foot inside. "Ray?" he asked quietly. It was completely dark inside and the blinds were closed. Diefenbaker, having no compunctions about politeness, went on inside. Fraser walked in softly, calling quietly, "Diefenbaker! Get back here! DON'T wake Ray...."
There was a sudden, familiar grunting sound from the bedroom. Fraser, relieved beyond belief, leaned back to close the front door behind him and crossed the room to the bedroom. "Ray?" he asked softly.
All of a sudden, creaking sounds from the bedroom ensued and Fraser knew that Ray was getting up. Alarmed, he walked to the bedroom and opened the door a crack. "Ray?" he asked. "I just heard...."
Detective Ray Vecchio's familiar voice sounded from inside. "Hey, Benny...c'mon in."
"You shouldn't be getting up," Fraser said, opening the door all the way. "Lie back down and rest; what happened?"
Ignoring Fraser's recommendations as usual, Ray sat on the edge of the bed, wondering if he was going to be able to remain vertical. "I'm okay, Benny - relax," he managed. He was slurring his words a bit but thought he'd managed to communicate fairly well, despite the raging headache.
Fraser approached and turned on the lamp next to the bed. He reasoned that the bulb of the lamp had a lower wattage and was less likely to make Ray uncomfortable with its brightness. He just HAD to see how badly injured his friend was. Fraser looked at the detective and tried not to wince. Ray looked terrible. He had a gauze square bandage on the left side of his forehead, obviously a concussion (deduced by the degree of pain and incoherency Ray was exhibiting), an injured right knee (deduced from the way Ray was sitting), and he looked as weak as a newborn.
Fraser sighed again, this time in exasperation. He came forward and lifted Ray's covers. "In," he commanded softly. As Ray hesitated, Fraser came forward as if to lift Ray's legs himself so that Ray could recline.
"Okay, okay," Ray said, raising protesting hands. Carefully, he swung his legs back up on the bed and Fraser tucked the covers over him. "Just wanted to stretch my legs...and get some water," he muttered.
"Your knee is injured, Ray," Fraser pointed out. "It needs rest, not 'stretching'. *I* will get you some water."
As Fraser headed for the kitchen, Ray groaned. This was Benny at his 'mother-hen' best - and worst. Then he remembered what was IN the kitchen...."Benny, wait!" Ray called, but the yelling hurt his head.
"Be right back, Ray," Fraser called back.
Ray lay there, trying to not to notice the throbbing in his head and knee, hoping Fraser was too distracted to notice....*Yeah, in a pig's eye,* he thought. Fraser was the most observant person he'd ever met - and it wasn't likely that he'd miss something THAT big sitting on the kitchen counter. *Damn,* he thought. He had wanted to give Fraser a PLEASANT surprise, not this. *Damn cat, anyway....*
Fraser came back with a glass of water and a puzzled expression. "Ray, were you expecting someone?"
"Huh?" Ray sat up to take the water. That wasn't quite the question he was expecting.
"You are obviously making a dinner for someone, Ray," Fraser said. "It looks wonderful - but shouldn't I give that person a call to tell - well, I am presuming it is a HER - to tell her what happened? And what DID happen?"
"Car wreck," Ray said briefly, hoping to avoid the other matter.
"Ah," Benny said, obviously still not understanding but too nice to press the issue. "And your dinner guest-?"
"Well, um....That's an Independence Day dinner, Benny...."
"There's certainly enough food there for....Independence Day? But, Ray, today is the first of July. Aren't you a little early?"
"No - because I wasn't talking about the U.S. Independence Day. I was talking about-"
"Canada Day???" Fraser asked, astounded. He hadn't even realized Ray knew any of the Canadian holidays. "So are you saying that-"
"Yeah, Benny," Ray said softly. "Hell, I know you get homesick once in a while - I thought, well, maybe you should get a chance to celebrate YOUR holiday, and *I* get a chance to have a gourmet feast twice in one week. So, yeah, the dinner was for you. I wanted to surprise you." As Fraser looked at him, Ray grinned. "Well, not like this-" he said, gesturing at the bandage on his head. "Wouldja believe I got it all set up and realized I'd forgotten dessert...? I guess it IS true car accidents only happen a mile away from your house - damn CAT ran right in front of me! And I was in a hurry 'cause I knew you wouldn't buy that paperwork excuse for long...."
Fraser continued to look at Ray, his eyes moist. "Ray, I...I don't know what to say...." He knew, of course, that the 'two feasts in one week' excuse was just as false as the paperwork excuse; the real reason was that his friend had a heart of gold and Fraser felt more love right now than....He closed his eyes briefly, marveling at the luck he possessed to find such a friend - then remembered that that selfsame friend needed him right now. Seeing that Ray had drunk the water he had given him, he took back the glass and gently made Ray lie down and tucked him in again. "The dinner, as wonderful as it looks, can wait," he said. "YOU are what's important; get some rest. I'll be right here."
"You don't have to-"
"Yes, I do, Ray," Fraser insisted. "You have a concussion! I am going to have to wake you every once in a while to make sure you're all right. But for now...would you like a cold cloth?"
"Nah, but really, Benny, I'm-"
"Then, go to sleep," Fraser said. "I'll be right here." As Ray's eyes began to close out of sheer exhaustion and pain, Fraser watched, not taking his eyes off him for a second until he was asleep. *I promise I'll be right here,* Fraser thought.
*****
THE END