Title: Cabin Fever Part One - Six hours Six hours. Five hours and forty-one minutes plus at least twenty minutes, or more, before and after take-off. Could be longer. Don’t think about that now. Stuck on a small plane with two very excited young men. One either side of me. Fighting over who’ll get the window seat. Did I pack my suncream? ‘Fox, Alex, come on in here please.’ Why is it that the two of them, usually calm, adult men, revert to toddler behavior the moment they’re excited? I can hear them in the hallway outside the bedroom, feet pounding on the floor as they run in. I don’t behave like that. I haven’t exhibited the kind of behaviour I’ll see today since…well, since I was two. It’ll start in the cab to the airport. And continue on and on for hours and hours until we land. When it’ll start again, just in a different time zone. Which won’t make it any less annoying. Time to remind myself again why I’m doing this. Because they deserve something nice in exchange for putting up with me when they could have someone younger, with more hair and a less stressful job. So… ‘Walter?’ Fox is slightly more dominant than Alex most of the time, and Alex allows him to be. So Fox’s is the first face to appear in the bedroom doorway, Alex immediately behind. ‘Sit down.’ Obediently, they both drop onto the bed and look up at me expectantly. ‘Remember we have neighbors. Who are probably asleep right now, okay?’ Two puzzled faces stare back at me, one still holding onto his earlier excitement, one now wary and uneasy. Okay, enough of keeping him waiting for three seconds. Alex can’t bear suspense. He’s always worried something bad will happen. No matter how many good things happen in this house, he’s always waiting for the time it’ll be bad. ‘We’re not driving to the cabin.’ That was the wrong thing to say. I can almost see Alex’s mental shrug. He wasn’t expecting a nice thing, so it’s not a surprise for him when it isn’t. Fox, on the other hand, is managing to pout, produce tears and frown all at once. Quickly, I lift the lid of my case and hand them their surprise. Fox grabs at the folder I hand him and starts rifling through it. Alex is more wary, taking his slowly, despite first checking that my expression is sufficiently reassuring that whatever’s in the cardboard envelope won’t cause him permanent harm. Tickets. First class tickets. Washington to California. Which cost a fortune. But were worth every cent. That’s why I’m doing this. Because of the looks on their faces right now. Well, actually, no. I wouldn’t care if they weren’t excited. I don’t buy them things to make them like me. I’m fairly sure they already do. I buy them… ‘Walter! We’re flying? To California?’ Fox grabbed Walter, joined, moments later by Alex who didn’t understand the fuss over airline tickets but was up for any snuggly stuff. Particularly after the previous day’s events. He had felt dreadful for most of the morning, only slightly better during the afternoon when, as promised, Walter had brushed his hair with the vibrating brush, and forced himself to share in Fox’s mounting excitement in the evening as the hours before their departure ticked by. He had sensed Walter’s mind was elsewhere, and the knowledge left him edgy until bedtime. Walter saw Alex’s confusion and ignored it. He would explain later. Now, he had to work out how to remain dressed long enough to convince Fox and Alex that they needed to hurry up with their packing as the cab would be arriving in around thirty minutes. Or thirty minutes since he had given them each their ticket. Which had been a few minutes earlier. It was hard to keep track of time with a warm hand exploring your chest and a warm tongue invading your ear. ‘Are you packed?’ Walter ground out. Fox giggled and nodded. ‘Yup.’ ‘Alex?’ Walter forced out the word through clenched teeth. ‘Yeah.’ Sighing, Walter lay back and surrendered. ‘Fifteen minutes.’ ‘You’re timing us?’ Fox asked incredulously and a little breathlessly. Walter chuckled. ‘Yeah. Hurry up.’ Fox obliged with a grin. ************* Later… Okay, I was wrong. Alex and Fox didn’t fight over the window seat. Fox’s mind appears to be elsewhere, and he was last up the steps, so got the aisle seat by default. And didn’t say a word. We were both still feeling uncomfortable over the fuss the security staff made about Alex’s prosthesis. Almost for the first time, I used my ID badge in our private lives. I managed to get us some privacy in a tiny room while the two men did everything but take Alex’s arm to pieces. Grudgingly, they had to agree that it was neither a weapon nor a danger to the plane and its passengers. I guess after years of being examined, stared at and questioned about it, Alex is, superficially, quite matter-of-fact about his disability. But I’m not sure whether having us in the room with him made things better or worse. And Alex isn’t likely ever to tell me. I get the feeling that his quietness now is a reaction to his treatment by the two airport staff. I know they were only doing their job. And I know they have to be careful. But they could have been a little more sensitive. In fact, they could hardly have been less sensitive. And now I’m going to have to deal with the consequences. Thanks a bunch guys. Alex dozed, the constant background noise of the plane and his lack of sleep the previous night taking their toll. He leaned sideways, his head resting on Walter’s shoulder, sliding slowly down as he drifted deeper into sleep until Walter lifted him slightly, tucked the arm-rest away and allowed Alex to rest his head on Walter’s lap. He curled into a tight ball and slept. Unable to do much without risking waking Alex, Walter dozed too. ‘Excuse me sir…’ Walter groaned inwardly. Here it comes. They’ve seen Alex’s arm and their imaginations go into overdrive. Alex forced a smile onto his face, made sure Walter and Fox were following him and walked across the crowded concourse. I have the letter. Fox has a copy of it. Alex carries it in his hand luggage. Just in case. In case of moments like this. It explains that Alex’s prosthesis is just that. Not a weapon, not a hollow tube stuffed with illegal drugs. Just a means of making his day-to-day life a little easier. ‘Good morning. Would you like to follow us please?’ This is one of those times I hope Alex keeps his temper. Upset the security staff and we could miss our flights. Or worse. ‘Sir, I can’t help noticing you have…’ ‘A prosthesis. A false limb.’ Alex said helpfully. ‘Yeah. Would you mind taking it off?’ ‘Now?’ Alex asked, his voice taking on a slight edge. I intervened. Maybe I shouldn’t have. But I did. ‘Er, guys, can we take this somewhere a little less crowded?’ They look at my ID, look at Alex, then look at Fox and me. And decide, thankfully, to be nice. ‘Sure. In here.’ Alex is forced to stand in his t-shirt, while they do everything but drill holes in his arm. It’s already been through the x-ray scanner and now they’re wondering what else to do. Looking at my watch, I realise they’re gonna be calling our flight pretty soon. ‘You in a hurry sir?’ ‘Our flight is due to check in around nine.’ They both look at the wall clock. ‘Don’t worry. There’s a flight every two hours. If you miss this one…’ Great. They’re not in any hurry. Thankfully Alex is calm. Worryingly calm, but calm nevertheless. I don’t have time to worry about that now. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to worry about it later. After a couple of minutes whispering, they decide Alex’s prosthesis is probably harmless. ‘Thank you sir. Have a good flight.’ Alex doesn’t reply, but pulls his t-shirt off and straps his harness on. The two men decide that would be a good point at which to leave us. Walter jerked awake as Alex was gripped by a nightmare. Deeply asleep, on a crowded plane, there was a limit to what Walter could do to wake him quietly. So he held Alex tightly, gripping his arms, feeling the hard plastic prosthetic digging into his own soft flesh. Alex began to move around and, without a word from Walter, Fox lifted his legs across Walter’s, taking a grip on his calves. Between them, they hoped, they could prevent him either injuring himself or causing too much disturbance to the other passengers. After a few more minutes, Alex was shaking so hard, his own movement woke him suddenly and he struggled momentarily until he realised where he was. And that Walter and Fox were holding him. ‘Sorry.’ He mumbled sleepily. ‘It’s okay Alex. You’re safe. Fox, see if you can get a drink of water for Alex please.’ Walter stroked Alex’s damp forehead then smiled gratefully at Fox as he got up. ‘It’s not my fault.’ Alex said sadly. ‘I know Alex.’ Walter said, his eyes following Alex’s down to his prosthesis. ‘They were only doing their job. I’m sure they didn’t mean to embarrass you.’ ‘They should try it.’ Alex said bitterly. ‘Yes.’ Walter said, nodding. ‘I often think people who stare or make rude remarks should try living as the person they’re being mean to.’ Alex smiled slightly. ‘Are we nearly there?’ Walter looked at his watch. ‘About an hour. Sit up and have a drink. Thanks Fox.’ Walter took the cup from Fox and handed it to Alex. ‘Your hair’s all mussed up. Fox, hand me down my bag please.’ Jealously, knowing what Walter was looking for, Fox groused: ‘My hair’s messy too.’ Walter nodded understandingly. ‘It is. It’s the air conditioning.’ The cabin steward made a coffee run and did a double-take as he wheeled the trolley past the three men. The youngest was leaning back having his hair brushed by the oldest one and the other one was complaining that his hair needed similar attention. Revising his assumption that he had seen everything someone could do on board an aircraft, the steward didn’t bother interrupting them. Go to Part Two Home Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index Return to the other fic index