Participants:
| Scene Title | Toys for Tots |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Brennan and Melissa hit Toys R Us to get toys for the sick kids at the Den |
| Date | March 5, 2010 |
Toys R Us
Melissa watched after four sick kids while Megan showered and napped, then she called Brennan. He's a family man, he knows what kids would want to play with, right? And her…well, Mel's an only child! What does she know about little boys or kids nowadays? And now they've arrived at Toys R Us, and she's frowning a little. "I just have no idea what to get them. I mean, stuffed animals? Puzzles? I dunno. Oh, wait. Wouldn't stuffed animals like, hold germs or something?" she asks, glancing to Brennan curiously.
"Okay, so, see, if there's one that that I know, better than being a doctor, I know toy shopping" Brennan pushes over a cart to Melissa, taking for himself. "So, how many kids do we have and ages? Megan just said you all needed toys and given how my last interaction with your friends, well, Toys seems like I might be open minded enough to provide" Sarcasm again.
Melissa thinks for a moment. "There are two younger ones, twins. About…three, four? Then a boy around six, and a girl who's almost ten. So…four," she says, taking the cart. "But what do you mean about my friends?" she asks, head tilting.
"You know what I mean by friends. The ones you house sit for" He points out. There's a gesture towards electronics in the Toys'r'us. "DS's for the older ones and a couple games, best thing when you're stuck in bed and sick. Megan say what she thinks it is?" Pink one, black one, a third for good measure in case there ends up being more. "Go crazy on the game, get about 8 of them. Should be enough all around" Cases and stylus's for them find their way in."
Melissa shakes her head. "No, you said the last interaction with my friends. And DSs…those are the video game things, yeah? And Megan knows I'm toy shopping. Told her I was going to. And there's four now, but she said there were a few more. I hope eight will be enough," she says, heading towards the electronics. Once there she studies each color as if picking the wrong one would end the world.
Eight? Well. That's two portable DVD players picked up. Getting a TV would be pointless, portable items better. He skips over to the next aisle to grab up a handful of Disney movies and other children's ones. "Dr. Chesterfield. Can't seem to comprehend when I ask what does she want me to do, that I'm serious about what does she want me to do. calls me close minded and bids me farewell" There's a cant of his head to the side as he grabs a movie for his own kids and tosses it in.
'I think I’m pretty open minded. Am I open minded? Oooh Beauty and the beast. Classic"
"I don't know any Chesterfield," Melissa says as she finally decides on the DSs, putting them in her cart. Then she begins to get cases for them all, and takes the same care with those as she did with the systems themselves. "And yeah, Beauty and the Beast is cool. Oh, and see if you can find Transformers? Don't little boys all love Transformers?"
"Even little girls love transformers. They had these motorbikes in the last one that were girls. Marlena was all over there" Scan, scan, scan and there it is, Both are picked up. "Three year olds, sick three year olds. Chesterfields one of the ferry. I think, I'm not sure, I've never met her and Kaylee brought me to her" Another couple movies make it. "They're sick with normal flu or are we talking.. the evolved version?"
"We think it's the evolved version," Melissa says with a sad look. "And yeah, haven't met Chesterfield." She looks back to him, voice dropping a bit. "I'm doing what I can to keep them comfortable. Can't do much about the sickness itself, or spend too much time around them since, well, I can't be much good if I'm stuck in bed. But I can make their aches go away for a little bit."
"You let me know what you need. Best I don't go around, last I need is to bring it back to my family. We'll see enough of it at the Suresh Center" Onwards it seems, away from the electronics and towards lego, barbies, things that are playable in bed. Battleship will make it's way there, teddy bears.
"Now that the kids are there I wear gloves and a mask anytime I'm there, and keep some sanitizer nearby. But I think I'm good…for now. Got some children's flu meds, crackers, soup and juice, Kleenexes, vitamins, and lots of stuff to kill germs on tables and stuff."
"That may or may not be enough. better than nothing. Let Megan deal with any body fluids, let her go in the room and deal with them. A sneeze can travel a good distance. Same for a cough. I'm pretty sure you can help take care of them and not be in the same room. See if you can get some non-evolved individuals to help." He offers, grabbing this, that, in the end all this stuff will likely travel with the kids when they get better or they'll be circulated to other houses and kids there.
Melissa nods. "I am. I feel kinda bad, and I have to touch them to do any real help, but…Yeah, I can't afford to get sick. I'm being as careful as I can, though." She grabs a few things that catch her eye. Crayons and coloring books are good, right?
They're always good. Three year olds love color books, and coloring, over everything. Cat's little meeting filtering through his mind and eventually pushed to the back again. "Don't feel bad, Congratulations, that's what you're supposed to do, be support for those who need it. If you get sick, it just puts you in the same pot that they are in. Just.. watch over them and help them. Do the best that you can do"
Melissa stops, her head tilting. "I'm not going to get sick, but if I can keep them from aching so much…Doc…I gave myself a nose bleed and headache earlier," she whispers to him. "And I wasn't hurting anyone."
"Ability strain. Take some Advil, and don't do it so long. Short bursts instead of longer ones. If it's not something you're used to doing, you need to start small." He offers the advice, not expecting her to take it. "Onwards fellow toy hunter. Lets find some stuffed animals and stuff. Then I think we're doing pretty good on this front and I can drop you off back on the island before I head home"
Melissa sighs and shakes her head. "That's not it, Doc. I did something I'd never done before. It was the exact opposite of what I've been doing. And it was a short burst," she mumbles, though she heads towards the registers to pay.
"Well, it'll take time. Keep at it and.. try not to .. overdo it. We have painkillers too. Maybe use it to augment the painkillers, when they start wearing off, that way they don't need so much a push for you to take the pain away?" He points out. "Come on, up to the register with us."
Melissa nods. "I just don't want to completely dope up a bunch of kids, and medicine takes time, you know?" Melissa says. When they reach the register she starts loading up the counter for the cashier to ring up.
"Not in the right doses. It's about finding the balance Melissa. It'll take time, and you'll help these kids and they'll help you." Brennan reaches over and squeezes her shoulder then lets go so he can get his wallet out in anticipation of the bill. "Besides, you'll have to learn how to take away the pain of loosing at battleship to the kids. That, that hurts. Worse than stab would" He gives Melissa a wink.
Melissa smiles faintly. "I don't think I can do anything with my own pain. Just others. Pity. Be handier than morphine."
'Was a joke Melissa, I was making a joke. I'm starting to think there's very little humor in the whole thing" Whole thing being the ferryman. He starts grabbing bags, heading out the door. "Lets go make some kids happy"