A Price Worth Paying

Chapter Fifty-two. Deals and Determination.

DEALS AND DETERMINATION.

"Okay, Miss Sang. We need to talk." Sean said the moment she walked back in to the lounge room.

"About what exactly, Sean?" Sang asked. "Apple pie, or how many vegetables we have to eat before Luke will smuggle it out to us?" Sang grinned.

"Uh uh, sweetheart. I'm in serious doctor mode now. I want to know how you're feeling. Your scale of one to ten, will do for starters." Seeing her hesitate, he continued "Don't try to whitewash it either. I can tell."

Sang sighed and dropped down onto the lounge next to him. "Fine. Probably a two as of late today. Okay."

"No. It's not okay. Why didn't you say something. To someone. Anyone!" He exclaimed.

"Because that's all it was. A two is no drama. I'm just aware of a niggle. It didn't occur to me to say something." Sang frowned. "Sean, why are you making such a big deal of this. I know how to handle a headache, and this isn't even that. I really hate that everyone makes a big deal out of absolutely everything."

"Because you had a head trauma just over a week ago, and I'm not convinced you shouldn't have a CT scan. You still display other symptoms you know. You need to tell us when something isn't right, Sang. We care about you. It's what a real family does. That's what your Grammy was trying to tell you that time you had a headache." Sean replied quietly. Staying calm when his Pookie was being so stubborn was not easy, he decided. He was pleased Kota had phoned him earlier.

"Sean, I may not be as rational as I usually am, and I realise I get upset over things that don't normally bother me, but a CT scan is over the top. I won't agree to one of those. Please don't ask me."

"Why not, Sang?" Sean asked gently grabbing her hands and quietly taking her pulse.

Sang sighed. "Okay. Be happy with the short version Sean. Because you don't need all the nitty gritty details."

"I went with Grammy to her work one day. It's a huge research laboratory attached to the college they both worked at. There was an intern who heard me talking to Grammy about some experiment I had thought of. She wanted to make an impression so she interrupted Grammy talking to some other teachers there and basically demanded that she be allowed to use me as a guinea pig for her research. Test my intelligence, study my brain etc. CT scans included. Needless to say, the suggestion didn't go down well with Grammy or any of the others there at the time, OR Grampa when Grammy calmed down enough to tell him. So I'm not having a CT."

Sean sighed. "Okay Pookie. I get it. How about we make a deal. You tell me if you get a headache that hits a six on your scale. You're smart enough to deal with it, I understand that, but I need to feel useful around here too you know." Sean pulled her close and sighed. "If you can do that, I'll lay off the CT idea. Okay?"

"The CT idea is never going to happen Sean so there's no deal to be made here ..." Sang looked at Sean "Did you just growl, Sean? Really! You could wait to hear me out you know. There's no need to start going all bossy, macho alpha on me. It's bad enough everyone else does."

"I'm starting to see why, Pookie. You're having trouble with the English language. Which, considering how many languages you actually do know, is odd."

"Before you so rudely interrupted me, I was going to say okay. If it will make you happy I'll do my very best to remember, but if you're going to be mean..."

Sean interrupted Sang a second time. Except this time with a kiss. Watching her blink when they came up for air he smiled softly. "I'm sorry I interrupted you. Well the first time anyway. I thought you were going to argue with me again, Pookie. I suddenly couldn't take it." He said simply. "Forgive me?"