#Nancy is the sassmaster

[pimento-playing-hopscotch]

911 Lone Star Rewatch Season 2!!

I watched the season 2 premiere of Lone Star and I had ALL THE THOUGHTS!

It is season 2, and we are at a museum!

How awesome are museums….

More shows should feature scenes at museums.

Anyway-

The “I can’t hear with the masks” is REAL — like I know that was supposed to be oh they’re bitching about masks but I have customers at work wearing a mask and talking in the softest voice; I’m like project. Yell at me. I beg of you. I am standing over a bread slicer and I cannot fucking hear you.

A tank literally breaking free of its exhibit would be a crazy thing to see though—

Okay I know (or assume I should say) this isn’t what they were going for, but the little boy who says “they have rides?” looks like a baby TK.

Amazing Grace in action!

They really did it — with their military tank they did the action movie cliché of it out of control destruction takes out a watermelon cart for no reason. Never change, Lone Star.

You tell em Carlos! Love seeing him in action—

“And if he decides to shoot at us with the cannon?” “Duck”.

Also yay we see Carlos’s partner! He needs some coworkers who don’t suck—

Well, it was nice for him not to crush all the police cars.

Paul’s doing a thing — he figures it out.

Although for reasons to steal a tank — that is a really good reason.

This part is so good; although I am briefly distracted that the captions switched from “solemn music” to “somber music” (do those not mean the same thing?)

Everyone coming to stand beside Owen — (why is this making me think of Mulan during the battle scene)

The 126 would be so bad at social distancing — those fuckers love to hug so much.

TOMMY!!!

TOMMY IS LACING UP!!!

WE MISSED YOU DURING SEASON ONE, TOMMY!!!

(Can you tell I love her so much).

Okay, I might have forgot how fucking cute Tommy and her husband are together.

(And I lowkey feeling killing him off helped her character arc — but damn are they adorable together).

“Oh, so many stir sticks”. Charles Vega you are a PRINCE. 

They really are the cutest couple.

They have no right being this adorable for him to randomly die.

“Hey, doesn’t your mama look like a boss?” “Mama IS the boss!” THE AUDACITY. The gall of making this family so adorable.

They have two minutes of screen time and I ALREADY LOVE THEM!!

And then there’s Tim—

I kind of feel bad for that guy, like they brought him back for HIM to die…

That really could have been the tag line for season 2; we got a second year. So people are just going to start dying. Randomly. When we feel like it.

So you have that to look forward to…

Like I do not miss Michelle, like at all — And Tim, I feel bad I will not miss you.

Cause then we get paramedic TK!

And Tim is whiny!

But Nancy!

We see Nancy sassmaster!

She has LINES!

Paul has a giant ass book!

THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION —

“I remember 2013”.

“Live concerts”.

“Nightclubs”.

“Hugs”. Oh Mateo…

Tommy and Owen!

I know this is just the beginning but their friendship is the cutest thing —

Like I feel like they never really figured out what to do with Michelle and Owen, it was like power trippy and weirdly flirty…

Like they did a lot with those ten episodes in most other aspects of the show but I feel that’s where it fell flat.

“I don’t know who you’ve been talking to—” Enter Judd, who is in AWE of Tommy and her badassery.

Like Tommy — you are Tommy MOTHERFUCKING Vega!! Don’t you forget that!

Judd is seriously the cutest that he’s so proud of her and so stoked to have her there.

Okay has anyone done roller derby? What is it like? Were you terribly injured?

It intrigues me so much and looks fun but I’ve never met anyone in life who has done it and I’m curious…

Also the captions identified the song as “Barracuda” by Heart and then labeled it “intense 80’s rock music”.

The Joan Jett song is captioned as “brash punk rock”.

Oh that is horrifying — my irrational fear of splinters feel much more rational now.

I do love they follow up with this and Marjan does join their roller derby team.

I do agree though that Kitten Crusher does sound like she is crushing kittens not the kitten who crushes.

Tim I’m sorry but you are annoying; you don’t tell YOUR CAPTAIN but you haven’t been in the field!

It’s okay Tommy! You can do it!

And she does! She saved her arm!

The furniture store in my area is running commercials for presidents day — they are so, so lame.

And I’m watching this on Hulu but I had to share that with ya;ll.

TK! Great shirt alert!

I love that TK has a whole speech with so much exposition for us prepared before he adds, “and I forgot”.

I’m chuckling at the idea of my store being arranged where everything orange… is with everything else… that is orange.

(Though I was making cookies this morning at work — SO MANY orange M and Ms. I was like why are there not more colors in this box lol).

Sorry, back to the show — how did these hangs start!

Cause did Carlos even know their names before they started doing these? (Like he knew Paul; did he know anyone else??)

Like his back is turned he’s busy at the counter when he comes in, and he’s more introverted anyway — does Carlos participate like out loud in group hangs at this point if TK isn’t in the room??

So many things to think about with this scene, and then—

AND THEN. WE FINALLY MEET HER.

GWYNETH MORGAN IS IN THE BUILDING.

I seriously cannot get over how good this casting is — like even from a physical standpoint.

Like how do people who are not related resemble each other so goddamn much??

Like if you put Ronen next to Rob’s actual sons, and said okay pick which one he’s biologically related to, you would not pick either of them (no offense, Rob’s real sons).

Lisa Edelstein is just so good — she made me want to try and watch House (I’m sorry I couldn’t make it past a few episodes. I understand this was a thing in the early 2000’s; the guy is a narcissistic abusive dick to everyone BUT HE’S RIGHT and they could get away with it then but it’s like if he wasn’t on it it would be compelling)

Sorry, back to this. Owen, if you hadn’t mentioned it, she might not have moved your hand towel.

Another topic for discussion; the lone star timeline, and how it is basically swiss cheese.

Why does Owen throw out the timeline of four months? She has to have been there for so much longer than four months. They establish (in the episode where they show Nancy they put Tim’s name on the ambulance) that it’s January 2021 like when it aired.

And like Owen says they’ve been sleeping together since before July.

And the thing that makes the most sense is that Gwyn came to see TK after he’d been shot, then the shutdown happened and she stayed (this was so a thing; like I remember this so vividly. My brother couldn’t come home for Christmas for 2019 so he came in March and just happened to come that second week of March and ended up staying with my mom for three months. He tried so hard to get me to like cooking. I’m just terrible at it; but I had really good leftovers those months cause he went to culinary school).

But the biggest thing with the lone star timeline. It makes no goddamn sense. It will turn you into Mr. Krabs from that episode of Spongebob where he is so despondent after losing his one millionth dollar he pulls his eyes out of his head and starts skipping rope with them.

Also — we were so robbed of TK introduces Carlos to his mom scene!

There’s a lot of good fic of it out there (@carlos-in-glasses has a particularly good one) but we were still robbed.

The fact that Owen and Gwyn really think TK doesn’t know what they’re doing; you beautiful, ocean-eyed dum-dums.

I just love Tommy so much — Charles is right. Woman is perfect.

Like this is the first episode we have Tommy and she just has so much life and drive and it’s like where were you the last ten episodes Tommy!

I’m sorry I don’t want to keep complaining about Michelle but just… Tommy.

She is just the best.

Do I sound completely stupid if I point out how call-heavy these early episodes are?

Like I swear season four they cap it at like two calls and then there are adventures.

I hate to be that person, but if she was last on the job in 2013, Gilmore Girls would have ended six years before that (@sznofthesticks why am I this person. I annoy myself actually lol).

Owen was almost hit by an arrow!

How could Owen possibly identify where it had come from? Is this a thing? Do people just… know directions?

I’m like the meme of GPS saying go north and I think what am I, a ship captain?

(Or a dumbass. I’m definitely that lol).

Paul’s doing a thing again!

Seriously imagine if Paul and Carlos and Grace all worked together to solve something — that would be amazing!

I love that TK’s reaction to his dad being trouble is “I NEED AN AXE!” Baby boy, I love you so much.

Judd and TK with the hose — the only thing that could make this better…

Is if CARLOS SHOWS UP!

Gone are the days where he has the one scene an episode!

“Maybe don’t make us do your job for you next time” In case anyone was wondering if Brat TK would be making an appearance.

Judd is the best hype man it’s the cutest.

Seriously Tommy and Owen just have such a mutual respect for each other and their friendship is so sweet.

The dreaded zoom freeze!!

But yay! Cancer has gone down!

And Owen is definitely freaking out and pretending he’s not.

TK is so precious, he’s so excited.

Can I just say how unnecessary the pregnancy storyline was?

Or, more specifically, why they actually had her have the baby—

Like she was planning to leave for New York when TK was still there; she could’ve done that if it had been a false alarm pregnancy, or if something had happened because it was a geriatric pregnancy which is very risky which they pointed out;

(I know that’s several episodes away but if she was ready to leave when they were both still there she could’ve done that without having another kid, especially since said kid was not mentioned AT ALL when TK got married)

Oh, Charles Vega. I’ll miss you much more than I will miss Tim.

I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THIS.

JUDD AND GRACE!!!!

The cutest, most awkward cock block.

Tommy’s shirt is so, so very open.

It takes them way too long to realize what they walked in on.

But also, Tommy and Grace’s friendship.

Why would you go to a bridge with a million bats??

I need an answer to this — why are we past it already!

Ahh Rob and Lisa have such good chemistry together I can’t—

Also, real talk. Like I know they have to try because he’s technically the star of the show, but I don’t see them ever landing a successful Owen relationship.

No one beats this (again, just my opinion).

But  no Owen relationship we’ve seen have they been as connected and just…

(wow. I am so good at coming up with words. Good thing writing isn’t my main hobby/source of joy. Oh wait…)

TK WITH THE SUCKER!!! ICONIC.

“Who else knows?”

“Everybody”. And off he skips.

“Well, he’s a wise ass”. Yes Gwyn, yes he is. And there are two really good reasons why.

This girl with the bandanna is so cute!

She is massaging the kale and podcasting it up while there is a LITERAL inferno outside.

I do remember the next one though, and am happy no fate befalls cute bandanna girl…

Thank you for reading my unhinged thoughts! There was a lot I forgot in this episode- it's so good-

And TOMMY. She is HERE. YAYYYYYYY

[chicgeekgirl89]

The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly

Fandom: 911 Lone Star

Characters: Carlos Reyes, T.K. Strand, Tommy Vega, Nancy Gillian

Summary: When Carlos is struck down with a nasty bout of the stomach flu he needs rescuing from the best paramedic trio in town.

A/N: I have a Bachelor's degree in Emergency!, a Master's Degree in Royal Pains, and an MD in Grey's Anatomy so I can assure you that everything in this fic represents a very real, accurate depiction of how the stomach flu would hit a perfectly healthy young police officer. I took no liberties. This is science.

Massive thanks as always to @bluenet13​ for beta-ing!

For the @badthingshappenbingo​ prompt “Stomach Flu”

Read on AO3

Carlos was really trying to listen to this woman complain about her neighbors and their noise level, he truly was. He took every call seriously, even completely ridiculous ones like this, but today he was struggling. His stomach gurgled unpleasantly and he had to suppress a burp as the woman told him for the third time about how loud her neighbors were being.

“Ma’am, they are allowed to mow their lawn during daylight hours,” he said.

“Seven am?! Seven am is considered daylight hours?!” the woman cried. “I am trying to do my morning meditations and all I hear is lawnmowers and power tools!”

“Well then I would try headphones,” Carlos said, voice a little snappier than usual. 

Mitchell looked at him with raised eyebrows, clearly amused by the lack of his typical diplomacy. 

The woman glared at him. “I want your badge numbers.”

Carlos and Mitchell both gave them over willingly but it was another ten minutes of listening to her rant before they were finally able to escape and head back to the station. “You all right Reyes?” Mitchell asked as they got back into the cruiser. “You look a little green.”

“I’m fine,” Carlos said, even as his stomach lurched unpleasantly while he pulled the cruiser into traffic.

“You were a little snippy back there. Trouble in paradise?”

“T.K. and I are fine,” Carlos said. “That woman was in the wrong, there was no point in standing there and continuing the conversation.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Who are you and what have you done with Carlos ‘Calm and Patient’ Reyes?”

“Maybe he’s on vacation today,” Carlos told her.

“Mhmm…” she continued to look at him suspiciously, but didn’t say anymore.

His stomach had not improved by the time they got back to the precinct. In fact it seemed to be getting worse. Everything was bubbling and gurgling and cramping and making him extremely uncomfortable, but he set his jaw and sat at his desk to file the paperwork from their morning on patrol.

“Reyes, Mitchell,” their captain walked over and stood by their desks. “I’ve been on the phone for half an hour with a Mrs. Donnelly. Care to explain?”

Mitchell shook her head and rolled her eyes. “She called in a noise complaint. Lawnmowers.”

Carlos would have added to the conversation but he was growing oddly hot and his mouth had filled with coppery tasting saliva. 

“She said you were,” the captain held up a piece of paper and read directly from it, “disrespectful, unhelpful, and bigoted.”

Mitchell snorted. “Okay. Was she describing us or herself? Because I’m pretty sure she ticks all those boxes.”

The captain turned and looked at Carlos. “Reyes? Anything to say?”

Carlos opened his mouth and then closed it again, swallowing hard. “Carlos are you okay?” Mitchell asked with a concerned frown.

Carlos’s stomach squeezed and he knew there was no hope for it. “Excuse me,” he said, then turned and threw up directly into the garbage can beside his desk.

“Whoa!” their captain said. “Reyes what the hell?”

Carlos spat into the garbage can, the acrid taste of stomach acid burning his throat, mouth, and even up into his nose. “Sorry sir,” he choked out.

Mitchell uncapped a bottle of water and handed it to him. He took a careful sip, swishing it around in his mouth before swallowing tentatively. Somehow he felt worse than before throwing up; slightly cold and shaky, and like he might throw up again. 

“Reyes if you’re sick get out of here and go home,” his captain said. “We don’t need you bringing the whole bull pen down.”

“I’m fine sir,” he said and then blanched, doubling over the garbage can again. 

“No you’re not. Get out of here. And don’t come back until you can keep your lunch down,” his captain ordered.

“Carlos are you okay?” Mitchell asked, genuine concern on her face. “You look terrible.”

“I’ll be fine,” Carlos rasped. “It’s probably just something I ate.”

“Looks more like it ate you,” Mitchell said with a grimace as he got to his feet. “Do you want me to call you an Uber?”

“No,” Carlos shook his head, gripping the desk tightly. “I can make it.”

“Well text me when you get home so I know you’re okay,” she said. 

Thank god he only lived fifteen minutes from the station because the drive was so nauseatingly horrible he wasn’t sure he could have made it much longer. His stomach clenched and tightened at regular intervals and he was breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth like it was his job because he really didn’t want to pull over and be sick on the side of the road.

He pulled into the driveway and got his key out with shaky hands, stumbling in the front door and practically falling into the powder room where he once again violently emptied his stomach into the toilet. God, how could there be anything left after the first two rounds? He’d barely had anything to eat besides coffee and half a bagel.

He groaned as he pushed himself up and flushed the toilet, using the sink for leverage to get all the way onto his feet. He felt like shit. He hadn’t felt this bad in…well he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d felt this bad.

He knew he needed to hydrate before he went upstairs and collapsed into his bed so he slowly and agonizingly made his way to the fridge, searching for a Gatorade, his stomach still sending stabbing pains through his gut at regular intervals.

There were footsteps on the stairs and T.K. appeared, uniform half buttoned. “Carlos? Babe what are you doing here?”

Carlos looked at his watch. It was nearly noon but he’d forgotten that T.K. had a late shift today. “Captain sent me home,” Carlos said, struggling to reach an orange Gatorade tucked in the back.

“He sent you home?” T.K. walked toward him, confusion on his face. “Why? What’s going on?”

Carlos straightened up, wincing as his stomach cramped violently. “He thinks I’m sick.”

“He thinks you’re sick?” T.K. repeated, taking a step closer. “Why does he think you’re sick?”

Carlos grimaced. “Probably because I narrowly missed throwing up on his shoes.”

“You threw up?” T.K. snapped into paramedic mode, automatically pressing the back of his hand to Carlos’ forehead to check for a fever. “Oh baby.”

“It’s fine. Probably something I ate.”

“Do you want me to stay home today and take care of you?”

“God no,” Carlos said quickly. The last thing he wanted was for T.K. to see him puking his guts out repeatedly. “No I’m just going to get in bed and ride it out. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few hours.”

His stomach felt like knives but surely a nap and some electrolytes would take care of that. “Are you sure?” T.K. asked, running a hand down his arm. “I hate to leave you like this.”

“I can take care of myself T.K., even when I’m sick,” Carlos said. “I promise,” he added when T.K. didn’t look convinced.  “I’m just going to go upstairs and sleep it off.”

“Well make sure you hydrate,” T.K. told him. “I’ll call you in a couple hours to check in.” He pecked Carlos on the cheek. “If you need something text me okay? I’ll keep my phone on me.” He said as he walked toward the door, grabbing his overnight bag and shoes. 

“I will. Have a good shift,” Carlos said.

He waited until T.K. had locked the front door to drag himself up the stairs. He fell into the bed and curled himself into the fetal position, begging his stomach to stop its agonizing assault.

The hours passed in alternating blurs of fast and slow. He was hot and then freezing, his body aching, stomach churning relentlessly. Even the Gatorade refused to stay down, sending him staggering to the bathroom to heave up the liquid and then, eventually, nothing.

He tried to read but he was too restless and even the television couldn’t keep his focus as wave after wave of agonizing stomach pain assaulted him. 

He attempted sleep but it was fraught with discomfort; half awake, half dreaming, too hot and then too cold, body tangling uncomfortably in the sheets, never fully sinking into the blissful darkness of true unconsciousness.

He was dragged out of his misery after several hours by the ringing of his phone. “Hello?” he croaked when he finally managed to answer.

“Hey babe, how are you feeling?” T.K.’s voice was slightly distorted, it sounded like he was in the rig. 

Carlos cleared his throat. “Fine. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” T.K. asked. “You sound weird.”

“I was sleeping,” Carlos told him, wincing as pain stabbed at his stomach again.

“Oh good,” T.K. said. “Did you eat something?”

Carlos grew nauseated at even the mention of food. “Not yet.”

“Well try okay? Some crackers or some soup or something?”

“Yeah I will,” Carlos told him. He would not. He didn’t think he could make it down the stairs let alone manage to scrounge up any food. 

Carlos heard the siren turn on. “I have to go. Call or text if you need anything all right? I love you!”

“Love you too,” Carlos mumbled, his eyes already sliding closed.

The next time he woke it was the middle of the night and he felt worse. So much worse. How was that even possible?

His stomach clenched so tightly that he couldn’t breathe. He moaned as he struggled to his feet again, the world spinning around him as he walked unsteadily toward the bathroom, using the furniture to stabilize himself.

He leaned over the toilet bowl stomach cramping and stabbing at him, but nothing came up. Instead he just retched helplessly for god knew how long until the episode passed and he collapsed onto the tile, shaky and sore and freezing. 

He swallowed hard, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes, praying that whatever this was, it would be over soon.

Several Hours Later…

T.K. hung up his phone and sighed, checking his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. It was nearing seven am and he hadn’t heard from his boyfriend in a long time. He was starting to get worried, even as he tried to convince himself he was overreacting. It was early. Carlos was probably still asleep.

“What’s wrong?” Nancy asked.

T.K. looked down at the screen again, as if possibly a call or text had come through in the three seconds since he’d last checked. “Carlos was sick when I left yesterday morning and now he’s not answering. I figured maybe he was asleep but it’s been…a really long time.”

“Do you want to swing by?” Tommy asked. “It’s on our way back to the firehouse if we take the long way around.”

T.K. vacillated with uncertainty. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah dude, we’ll just swing by and make sure he’s okay. Can’t have you worrying about him for the rest of shift,” Nancy said.

T.K. hit the blinker and turned them right. “I’m probably overreacting.”

“Then Carlos will smile and thank you for it like the good, understanding person that he is,” Tommy said with a smile.

The house was quiet when they pulled up. T.K. felt his concern double as he took his key out and strode quickly to the front door. “We’ll wait here,” Tommy said when they reached the stoop. “Call if you need us.”

T.K. left the front door open behind him and strode upstairs. “Carlos?”

There was no answer and T.K. knew, deep in his bones that something was wrong. The bedroom door was open, but the the bed was empty, sheets and blankets mussed in a way that said Carlos had at one point been there, even if he wasn’t anymore.

The smell of vomit and sweat hung in the air. A barely touched bottle of Gatorade and Carlos’ phone sat on the nightstand. “Carlos!” T.K. called again more urgently.

“T.K.?” 

The reply was croaky, weak and T.K. turned in the direction of the master bath. What he found hit him like a punch in the gut. Carlos, in nothing but his boxers, sweating and shivering as he sat on the floor, his back pressed against the bathroom wall. 

T.K. dropped to his knees, hands running over Carlos’ forehead and down his face, fear spiking as the heat of Carlos’ skin seared his own. “Hey baby,” he said softly. “You didn’t answer my calls.”

“T.K. I don’t—I can’t—” Carlos looked panicky beneath his exhaustion and T.K.’s stomach clenched in fear.

“Cap!” he yelled out the door, voice cracking. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re going to help you all right? How long have you been here like this?”

Carlos just shook his head, all his effort apparently going into breathing and remaining conscious.

“T.K.!” Tommy and Nancy appeared in the bathroom doorway, both of them looking concerned. 

“He’s burning up,” T.K. said, panic seeping into his voice.

“Nancy, call it in,” Tommy ordered. “And go get our kits from the rig.”

“Dispatch this is RA Unit 126 responding to a call at 540 Lynwood Avenue,” Nancy said into her radio as she flew out the door.

“Let’s get him on the bed,” Tommy said, getting under one of Carlos’ arms as T.K. scrambled to get under his other side.

Carlos moaned as they walked him out of the bathroom. “I know, I know baby, you’re okay,” T.K. said, voice thick as Carlos shivered violently against him. 

Nancy returned quickly, pulling equipment out of their kits as T.K. and Tommy gently laid Carlos on the bed.

“T.K. check his pulse,” Tommy ordered. “Nancy get a BP.”

Thank god someone else was taking over and telling him what to do because he felt completely shattered right now by the image of his strong, beautiful boyfriend reduced to such a fragile state. “Pulse is rapid,” T.K. said, his own heart rate matching it as Carlos’ eyelids fluttered. 

“BP is low,” Nancy said.

“And temp is up,” Tommy said, lifting the thermometer to look at the reading. “One hundred and two point seven. Carlos, can you hear me?”

There was no response and T.K. thought he was going to lose his mind with panic.

“No rebound tenderness,” Nancy said, palpating Carlos’ abdomen. He let out a moan as she pressed directly on his stomach but she continued her exam with professional precision. “Belly is soft. I don’t think it’s appendicitis.”

“I think we’re looking at a severe case of dehydration,” Tommy said. “Let’s get some fluids going.”

“I got it,” Nancy said, pulling out bags of saline and potassium. 

“Should we take him in?” T.K. asked.

“Let’s just see how the fluids go first,” Tommy said. “I’m sure Carlos would prefer to avoid the hospital, let’s give him a chance to come back on his own.”

The next few minutes were agonizingly long as Nancy and Tommy started the IV’s and they all waited to see if Carlos would come around. He wasn’t completely unconscious but he wasn’t totally with it either, breath coming out labored and harsh, limbs moving restlessly, eyelids fluttering up and down as his head turned from side to side.

T.K. stroked his fingers through Carlos’ damp, sweaty curls, biting his lip as anxiety and guilt ate away at him. “I thought he was all right by himself,” he said. “If I’d known…”

“T.K. this isn’t anybody’s fault,” Tommy said, reaching to take Carlos’ pulse again. “Sometimes it just happens. Carlos is young and healthy, nobody had any reason to suspect he would go down so hard.”

“Yeah dude, you can’t blame yourself for the violence of the stomach flu,” Nancy said, adjusting the IV’s.

Carlos stirred a little more and blinked a few times, eyes trying to focus. T.K. instantly went on alert. “Carlos, babe? Can you hear me?”

“T.K.?” Carlos shifted, and T.K. put a gentle hand on his shoulder to keep him from dislodging the IV’s. 

“Hey Carlos,” Tommy said, giving him a smile. “How are you feeling?”

Carlos groaned and swallowed hard. “Bad,” he croaked. 

“Well we’ve got some fluids going, that should help. Give it a few more minutes and we’ll see how you feel,” Tommy said. “Can you tell us what happened?”

“I uh, I don’t know,” Carlos said. “My stomach just…I couldn’t stop throwing up. And after a while I couldn’t even get off the floor, everything just hurt and I was so cold. I think maybe I passed out a couple times, I’m not sure.”

T.K.’s heart squeezed at the thought of Carlos alone and suffering on the cold bathroom tile. “Do you remember the last time you ate or drank anything?” he asked.

“Nothing stays down,” Carlos croaked, his voice weak and raspy after so many hours of throwing up. “Makes my stomach hurt.” 

“Baby you should have called me,” T.K. admonished him, tears dangerously close to the surface. 

“T.K.,” Tommy said quietly. “Give him a minute to catch his breath. Save the lecture for later.”

Carlos seemed to grow even more aware of the situation and closed his eyes. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Nancy asked.

“This,” Carlos said, gesturing aimlessly with his hand. “This is…”

“Hey, nothing to be sorry for,” Tommy said reassuringly. “Happens to the best of us. The twins both had a stomach bug last year at the same time and it was a total nightmare.” She gave him a smile and then turned back to her team. “Nancy, why don’t you and I head downstairs and get Carlos some Gatorade? We’ll call the station too and tell them we’ll be a little longer.”

“He uh, he likes the orange ones,” T.K. said.

Tommy put a hand on T.K.’s shoulder and squeezed. “Orange it is.”

They both slipped out of the room leaving Carlos and T.K. alone. “Babe what happened?” T.K. asked, still stroking Carlos’ curls. “When I called before you said you were okay.”

“I didn’t want you to worry,” Carlos said. “It wasn’t so bad and then…it was.”

“I’m so sorry, I should never have left you like this,” T.K. said.

“T.K. I took care of myself just fine before you came along.”

“Yes and using the current situation as evidence it’s a miracle you survived.” T.K. was unable to keep the emotion out of his voice.

“T.K.” Carlos tried to sit up, but T.K. shook his head and pressed him back down into the bed. 

“No, no. Do not try and take care of me. I’m here to take care of you. Just rest okay?”

“Are you going to make me go to the hospital?” Carlos asked.

“We’ll see,” T.K. told him. “You really, really scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” Carlos said. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know.” T.K. bent over and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “This isn’t your fault. It’s nobody’s fault.”

Tommy and Nancy returned, Gatorade in hand. “Any better Carlos?” Tommy asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Carlos said.

It had been about forty minutes since they’d arrived and Carlos was less pale and more alert, but he still didn’t look well. “Are you just saying that so T.K. stops freaking out?” Nancy asked knowingly. “Because T.K. is always going to freak out so you may as well just be honest.”

“Bedside manner Nancy,” Tommy said lightly as she uncapped the Gatorade. “Carlos do you think you can sit up?”

He nodded and T.K. and Nancy helped slide him up against the pillows until he was propped up enough to sip at the Gatorade. He eyed the bottle nervously as Tommy uncapped it. “Just a couple sips,” Tommy said. “If you can’t keep it down we’ll take you to the ER and have them run some more tests. My guess is this is just a particularly violent strain of stomach flu, but I don’t want to leave unless we’re sure you’re on the mend.”

Carlos’ hand shook as he raised the bottle to his lips and he grimaced as he took one small sip and then another, managing a couple tablespoons before the bottle tipped dangerously in his unsteady hand.

T.K. reached out and caught it, removing it gently from Carlos’ fingers and setting it on the nightstand.

“Temp is down to one oh two point one,” Nancy said.

“And your blood pressure is looking better too,” Tommy said. “How’s your stomach?”

“It still hurts,” Carlos said, shifting uncomfortably in the bed.

“But you’re keeping the Gatorade down, so that’s good,” T.K. said, trying to comfort himself as much as his boyfriend.

“I don’t think a hospital trip is necessary unless it would make you feel better to go,” Tommy said.

“No, I’ll be fine,” Carlos said firmly.

“He can’t stay here alone,” T.K. argued.

“Which is why you’re staying with him,” Tommy said smoothly. “Shift’s almost over, you’re already here, there’s no point in dragging you back to the station.”

“Yeah don’t worry about it,” Nancy said. “We all know Cap and I do the heavy lifting on this team anyway. We don’t need your manly self getting in the way. Girl power and all that.”

“Nancy,” Tommy sighed in exasperation.

“I’m just kidding!” Nancy said. “Don’t worry about it Strand, we got you covered.”

“T.K.,” Tommy nodded toward the corner of the room and T.K. left the bed to follow her as Nancy chatted at Carlos and packed up their equipment. “I’m going to leave another bag of saline with you, just in case. If his fever spikes again or his abdominal pain increases…”

“I’ll take him in,” T.K. said immediately.

“And you’ll call me,” Tommy said, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. “And call me tomorrow regardless. Let me know how he’s doing.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you for everything.”

“You’re family T.K., you and Carlos. We do what we need to for family.”

T.K. walked Tommy and Nancy to the door and then spent a few minutes downstairs heating up some plain chicken broth before returning to the bedroom. “Still okay?” he asked as he set the bowl down on the nightstand. 

Carlos nodded. “Beyond embarrassed, but okay.”

“Stop it,” T.K. said as he settled on the edge of the bed next to him. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I’m pretty sure having to be carried to your own bed in your underwear by your boyfriend and his teammates is embarrassment worthy,” Carlos said.

His voice still sounded rough and there were dark shadows under his eyes. Just looking at him made T.K.’s heart hurt. He wanted nothing more than to take away every second of his pain from the last twenty four hours. 

“They’re just glad you’re all right,” T.K. told him, knowing that was one hundred percent the case. His teammates were truly the best and had proved that once again tonight with the way they’d dropped everything to come to Carlos’ aid. “Besides, we’ve seen plenty of bodies in the field. That they got an eyeful of you…they’ve seen a lot worse. Trust me.”

Carlos raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t really make me feel better.”

“Sorry,” T.K. said, rubbing his knee through the sheets. “I think you should try and eat something.”

Carlos grimaced. “My stomach still hurts.”

“But you haven’t thrown up in,” T.K. checked his watch, “thirty seven minutes. I think it’s worth a shot.”

He still looked hesitant. “Hey,” T.K. said. “I’m here now. I’m going to take care of you. What happened earlier won’t happen again, I promise. Just try? Please?”

He picked up the bowl and spoon, offering them to his boyfriend. Carlos reluctantly took hold, hands still not quite steady, so T.K. helped him hold it. He managed about a third of the bowl before handing the bowl back to T.K. “Happy?” he asked tiredly.

“I won’t be happy until you’re better,” T.K. told him. 

Carlos nodded in agreement. “Me neither.”

“How does a bath sound, hm?” T.K. asked. “I’ll put in some essential oils, you can just relax and let some of today go.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Carlos said.

“I want to,” T.K. said. “Let me take care of you, okay? It makes me feel better too.”

“Okay,” Carlos relented. “Yes, a bath sounds good.”

T.K. leaned forward and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

Carlos spent about half an hour in the bathtub. T.K. used that time to change out of his uniform and do a little bit of cleaning and sanitizing in the bedroom and bathroom. He returned the soup bowl to the kitchen and started the dishwasher, gathering up a few things Carlos might need and then heading back upstairs.

Carlos was standing by his dresser, slowly pulling on a pair of sweatpants, clearly in discomfort. “Whoa,” T.K. set everything down quickly and then moved to stabilize him. “You should have called me.”

“I don’t like feeling helpless,” Carlos said, frustration lacing his tone.

“I know,” T.K. said, gently moving him back toward the bed. “But you’re going to get some sleep now and when you wake up I think you’re going to feel a lot better.”

“What if I feel like this forever?” Carlos asked miserably.

“You won’t,” T.K. smoothed a hand over his forehead. “Your captain called while I was downstairs. Apparently this bug has swept through your whole department. At least twenty people have called out sick and five have been hospitalized. You all got hit with a pretty violent stomach bug. But it seems like a forty-eight hour thing; most of them are on the mend.”

“Oh god,” Carlos said. “I should call him back.”

“I told him you were out of commission,” T.K. told him. “He said to feel better.”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “No he didn’t.”

“Okay,” T.K. said. “Technically he said, ‘Nobody who’s barfed their guts out in the last day is allowed in the office without a doctor’s note.’ But I think the sentiment was the same.”

“That sounds about right.”

He grimaced as he settled under the covers. “Come here,” T.K. said, sliding in next to him and pulling his head into his lap, fingers running gently through his hair. “Close your eyes.”

Carlos did so, body relaxing into T.K.’s touch. “I love you,” T.K. said quietly. “So much.”

“How can you say that after you just cleaned up my vomit?” Carlos asked, eyes still closed.

“Because that’s what love is,” T.K. told him. “Love is being here with you. Through it all. Every day. For every moment. The good, the bad—“

“And the very ugly,” Carlos murmured.

“You’re far too pretty to be ugly,” T.K. assured him. “Even when you’re barfing.”

“Oh god stop,” Carlos moaned. “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts.”

“Go to sleep,” T.K. told him again. “I’ll still be here when you wake up. And I will happily clean up your blood, your sweat, your tears, and your puke every day for the rest of my life if I need to.”

Carlos cracked an eyelid. “I know you’re trying to be sweet, but that’s pretty disgusting.”

T.K. shrugged. “Like I said before, I’ve seen a LOT on calls. You can’t scare me off Carlos Reyes.”

Carlos closed his eyes and snuggled closer into T.K. “Good to know.”

[itslockedcharmstrong]

I LOVE Sassmaster Nancy™️ in The Final Scene, so that game has always held a special place in my heart... but dang it Sea of Darkness was so, so beautiful and I really love it, too.

Looking for all Nancy Drew Computer Games Blogs🔍

And Fans too! Just reblog this post with your favorite Nancy Drew game so that I can make sure I’m following you!

My favorite is Curse of Blackmore Manor by a long shot.

[nancydrewgirlsassmaster]

Meet The Clue Crew! Name: Julie Story behind your Nancy Drew URL: In college, I would call one of my friends a sassmaster and we both liked the games. And Nancy really is a sassmaster - ergo Nancy Drew, Girl Detective became Nancy Drew, Girl Sassmaster. How were you introduced to the games: I was in fourth grade at Best Buy and my mom told me I could get one computer game. I saw Treasure in the Royal Tower and remembered my grandparents had a copy of The Secret of the Old Clock in the attic, so therefore I recognized Nancy Drew, went for it, and never looked back. Favorite game/(s): All the purple ones. (I'm not even joking - TRT, CUR, and CRY are some of my faves.) I also personally really have enjoyed the more recent ones such as SPY and ASH too. And we can't forget GTH - that one was amazing! Favorite food from the games: The ice cream sundae in CAR and any game that features cheeseburgers 🍔 I may be Joe Hardy. Favorite character from the games: Charlotte Thornton. Actually alive - Harper Thornton. Any character that has an amazing back story pretty much. Favorite fandom ships: Francy. And I also really like Joe and Bess. And I've never really looked much farther than that haha. Random facts about me: I work in a zoo, I have a Bookstagram account (which if anyone ever wants to talk books, I'm always available), I love cats, I collect Funkos, my favorite band is Against the Current and favorite solo artist is Dia Frampton. Also I love makeup but am notoriously lazy so I'm always either not dressed up at all or full on glam rock. Bonus question- how much do you love Bucket?: NancyxBucket 5eva (is that how you do it? *feels old*