The standard disclaimer applies. All errors are my own. All comments, criticism and feedback are welcome at: tuktoyaktuk@hotmail.com
by Hsu-Lyn Yap
*click*
*click*
"Oh dear!"
*click*
"Oh....no..."
Ray looked up from the file he was perusing, and frowned. There was a series of clicking sounds coming from the computer at Elaine's desk, and a series of muttered words following them. He would call them oaths were they coming from any other person. However, as it was Fraser behind the computer, by no stretch of imagination could they be considered oaths. He hoped it had nothing to do with the computer. The last time there was a strange noise from the computer, he had gotten a bawling out from Elaine. It was city property, just like everything else in the precinct office. Elaine, however, seemed unnaturally possessive of the equipment issued to her, especially the computer. They had just issued her with a new model, and she treated it like her baby, refusing to allow anyone to lay a finger on it.
If there was something wrong with it this time, he would blame it on the Mountie, Ray decided. In Elaine's eyes, the Mountie could do no wrong, and that was what he was counting on. In any event, Fraser would probably accept the blame anyway. After all, he had been the one working on it the whole evening. Yep! Ray leaned back in his chair in relief. That was settled then. Ray would be in the clear, whatever the outcome.
"Hey, Benny! How are the reports coming along?" he called, as he tossed a balled up wad of paper from one hand to another.
"Hmm...? um...okay..." Fraser's unnaturally disembodied voice drifted across.
Ray frowned and peered over the pile of files on his desk. Fraser was staring intently at the glowing computer screen, one hand stroking his chin thoughtfully, the other, manipulating the mouse which was emitting the clicks Ray had been hearing earlier.
Even to a total computer illiterate like Ray was, he knew that typing reports involved activity on the keyboards and not the mouse. God knows, he had wrestled with the electronic monsters enough to beware of them. When he had first started waging war with the typewriter, his reports had often resembled battlefields, with carpet-bombing of little ink bombs. When they installed the computers....he shuddered just thinking about it. Fortunately, Benny had come along. In return for the help Ray gave him in ferrying him around Chicago, and running a zillion and one other errands besides, he helped Ray type up his reports.
That was what the two of them were doing in the precinct office that evening. It was getting late and most of the officers had gone home, except for the skeleton staff that manned the station every night. Ray was busy catching up on the case files that had landed on his desk during the day. A day wasted helping Benny catch Dief to get him to the vet for his shots.
From the one-sided conversation and reprimands Fraser and been having with the wolf all the way to the vet, Ray gathered that this was the first time that Dief was getting nervous about the shots. Usually, Benny had said, they could resolve it in a fairly reasonable and civilised manner. Ray had laughed. Civilised? They were talking about a *wolf* here! Nowhere in nature's laws did it provide for a wolf to be civilised! Anyway, they had managed to get Dief to the vet, not without sheer brute force on Benny's part, and he had duly received his shots. The great white wolf of the north was now sitting quietly by Fraser's feet looking, and probably feeling, a little sheepish at his juvenile behaviour that afternoon.
The series of clicks continued and Ray was now intrigued.
"Benny, those reports ready yet?"
"Hmm..? Yeah, Ray. I...um... I'll..." his voice trailed off as his brow furrowed with concentration.
"Oh darn!" Ray raised his eyebrows in surprise even as his face split into a huge grin. That was the strongest word he had ever heard pass Fraser's lips. Something must have really irritated him then.
"Hey, Benny. You were saying?" Ray was getting a perverse pleasure out of watching a Benton Fraser who was seemingly unaware out of his surroundings.
"I, um...I'll print them out in a....ah!" there was a self satisfied smile as he sat back for a minute to survey his handiwork on screen. Then, the concentration was back, and Ray's question was forgotten.
"Benny?"
"Hmm....?"
"The moon is made of green cheese."
"Yes, Ray. I'll print them out in a minute."
Ray's grin widened as he crept behind the Mountie, peering over his shoulder at the glowing screen to see what it was that had absorbed all of his attention.
"Minesweeper??!!"
"Oh darn! Ray!" Fraser's hand skewed at the jolt of surprise and the screen erupted into a haphazard pattern of little black dots.
"Oh my God!" Ray was laughing hard. "I thought it was something important! Minesweeper!"
"I just chanced on it while browsing through the computer." Fraser said defensively, as he turned round to face Ray.
"Really?" the eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "And I suppose you 'chanced on it' as well all those other times I asked you to help? No wonder you were so willing this time!" the guilty look on Fraser's face was answer enough.
"Well, it's mind stimulating." Fraser went on the offensive.
"It's mind- *numbing*, Fraser." Ray laughed. "I can't believe it! You, playing Minesweeper! It has to be one of the most boring and mind-dulling games ever invented!"
Fraser did not say anything as he activated the printer, and got up to collect the documents.
"Oh, Ray." He looked over at his friend who was still grinning madly. His voice was measured and matter of fact. "I think I bested your best times."
The grin left Ray's face in a flash as he pulled down the best times scorecard from the menu. There it was, in black and white. Best times for beginners, intermediate and expert levels: Benton Fraser. Ray frowned as the competitive streak rose in him.
Unconsciously, he dropped into the swivel chair and clicked on the smiley icon to start the game.
"Ray, the reports are done." Benny came to stand by him with the sheaf of paper.
"Damn!" Ray frowned in concentration and waved vaguely at his desk. "I'll get to them. Just give me....one....minute."
Fraser hid a grin as he left the papers on the desk as instructed, and paused before seating himself in Ray's chair.
*Click*
*click*
"Damn! Damn! Damn!"
It would be a long minute.
THE END
Hsu-Lyn Yap copyright 1997
tuktoyaktuk@hotmail.com