#me? projecting my feelings about chronic pain onto Glen? more likely than you think

[whumpapalooza]

FEBUWHUMP DAY 11: Chronic Pain

(Space Interns Masterpost)

They all learned about it in the span of six months. Slipper was the first to notice, in the very first week of the internship.

“Ptahfi,” he said, “you’re limping.”

“I’m alright,” Glen promised. “Just hurts a bit.”

But Slipper, being a good physician, dragged him down back to Med Bay anyway.

It was Blare who noticed, next – in the third month. The pair had been taking the stairs to the dining area when Glen stopped to rub his calf.

“You okay?” Blare asked.

“Yeah – yeah, just sore,” he assured her.

Then, in the fourth month, Brando noticed. “You good, buddy?” he asked.

Glen looked up from stretching his leg. “Huh? Oh – oh, yeah. Fine.”

Finally, mid-mission in the sixth month, Tabby rounded on him. “What’s wrong?” she demanded.

Glen recoiled. “What?”

“You’re favoring one side,” Tabby remarked tartly. “What happened?”

“N-Nothing.”

“Chuck…”

Glen held up his hands. “Nothing, I promise,” he said. “It just hurts sometimes.”

“What does, your leg?” Tabby asked. Glen nodded. “Hurts how?”

“Tabby, I’m okay.”

“Hurts how?”

Glen’s shoulders raised. “Um…it aches?”

Tabby narrowed her eyes. “Does Slipper know?”

“Yes!”

Thankfully, Tabby let it go – they had a mission to complete, after all.

But after the mission, she cornered him outside their cabins. “Were you ever going to mention it?” she asked. “To any of us?”

Glen fiddled with his jacket zipper. “Probably not,” he admitted. “It’s just…y’know, part of my life.”

“So are we.” Tabby stared him down until he met her eyes. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Tabby leaned against the wall. “So, how long has that been going on?” she asked.

“Since I was a teenager,” Glen said. “It was like, one day out of nowhere it just…ached. It comes and goes. But it…” He looked embarrassed suddenly. “It’s always there.”

Tabby’s brow furrowed. “And Slipper doesn’t think it’s…like, anything pressing?”

“No,” Glen confirmed.

Tabby nodded. “Well, thanks be for that, at least.”

“So…” Glen cast a glance Tabby’s way. “Are we good?”

Tabby grinned. “You never have to worry about that, Chuck.” She stood on her toes and ruffled Glen’s hair.