Work Text:
This was a terrible idea. Christina's already having the worst day of her life and it's only about to get worse. She's currently laying on the bathroom floor, shaking and asking herself how the hell she's going to do another 24 hours of this.
Her phone dings.
Today 10:22 - Reid Wiseman (to Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen and Victor Glover)
You guys still want to come over this afternoon?
She stares at the message for a minute, tears welling in her eyes.
Three weeks ago
"I'm assuming you guys also have to get a colonoscopy soon?" Reid said, approaching their lunch table. "Well, that's a great conversation to have on our lunch break." Christina said sarcastically.
"Yeah, should be fun…" Victor said with a sigh. Jeremy nodded, "Christina and I have to do it too."
Reid sat down before he said it. "What if we did it together?" Christina laughed because there was no way he was being serious. "I'm serious!" He exclaimed, looking between everyone else. "Is it so crazy to suggest? We all have to do it. We can go through hell together beforehand and then-"
"No. See, you guys cannot see what I'm like when I'm on drugs." Jeremy interjected. Christina felt relieved to know that she wasn't the only person who thought this wasn't a good idea. "Oh, come on, Jeremy, you're no fun!"
Victor's expression was unreadable. "Ike?" Reid asked, looking to him with hope. "I don't know why you're so dead-set on this…but I don't see why not. We do all have to do it. Better to be out all together anyways…" Christina frowned, looking back at Jeremy.
"Fine…but I'm never gonna hear the end of it." Jeremy gave in with a sigh. Christina's heart dropped as her crew all looked at her expectantly.
"I'm not fun when I'm drugged…at all." She warned. That was only one of her concerns. "That's okay," Reid assured her. She wanted nothing more than to say no, but they way they were all looking at her…expecting her to say yes. What would they think if she said no?
"Okay," she gave in. Reid fist bumped the air.
"Tina?" Bobby calls, opening the door slightly. "Oh, babe…" he says sympathetically when he sees her laying on the floor. "I can't do this." She says, a few tears slipping.
He crouches next to her, "You're already doing it." He runs a hand through her hair. She sniffs, "I'm so hungry…"
"Do you want some more chicken broth?" He offers and her frown deepens. "It doesn't help…"
Being deprived from iron supplements and solid food at the same time is not a recipe for success. She knew this beforehand, it still sucks. "What can I do?"
"Call them and tell them I can't do it…" she whines. She knows it's a little dramatic, billions of people have done this and been just fine. She's done harder things. This should be easy.
"Then you would've done all of this for nothing." He counters and she pouts because he's right. She should get through it so she doesn't have to do it again for a good ten years.
"Come on, let's get you off the floor." He says, starting to help her up. She sways on her feet, clutching his arm in one hand and the back of his shirt in the other.
"You're okay," the reassurance isn't enough.
—
Today 11:07 - Reid Wiseman (to Christina Koch)
You don't have to come over
It's okay :)
11:15 - Christina Koch
I'm sorry! I meant to respond earlier…I got…side-tracked
11:15 - Reid Wiseman
That's alright
We have popsicles with your name on it…
11:16 - Christina Koch
I'm not good company right now…
11:17 - Reid Wiseman
None of us are, Tina, that's kind of the point haha
She sighs, he just doesn't understand. On top of the normal ailments that come with prepping for a colonoscopy, she also has to deal with the fact that anytime she moves she's on the verge of passing out.
11:24 - Reid Wiseman
I'm sorry
I just realized that you're trying to say no without saying no
11:25 - Christina Koch
It's not like that!
Okay…it's kind of like that
11:25 - Reid Wiseman
That's okay! I know you weren't totally thrilled about this
11:26 - Christina Koch
Has anyone ever been thrilled to have a colonoscopy?
Wait, I take that back
Clearly, you are
11:28 - Reid Wiseman
I am not excited about having a colonoscopy!
I just thought it would be more enjoyable with company
11:29 - Christina Koch
Whatever helps you sleep at night, Wiseman
She eats another spoonful of chicken broth and tries not to keel over.
—
"Christina…" she groans into her pillow. She has no idea how she made it through the night, but now she feels too weak to get up. "I let you sleep in as much as I could, but we need to leave pretty soon…"
"I don't feel good." She informs him, hoping that maybe it will get her out of this and then she'll be able to have a giant breakfast. It's also true…she feels like shit.
He feels her forehead, "You don't have a fever." She whines, rolling over and wincing as her stomach rolls over too. "I feel like I'm gonna throw up." She stares at the ceiling. "I don't think you will…"
She does eventually get up and make it to the clinic where they're going to the procedure. It takes far more effort than it should. She knows she must look like hell, maybe that will let her crew know that she's not in the mood for jokes.
"Tina!" Reid cheers as she walks into the waiting room. She gives him a half smile and sinks into the chair next to him. "You look like hell," Jeremy says, his voice light.
"You're too kind…" she says, her voice thin and strained. Reid looks over her, trying to determine how concerned he should be. "Are you alright?" Victor asks.
She leans her head back and waves a hand around, "Same as you guys."
None of them believe that.
—
"Oh my God, you're a mess!" That voice…it's so familiar. The giggles that follow are a little less familiar, but she still knows them. There are memories there, she just can't place them yet.
What's happening? Where is she? Ow…ow. She hears a deep groan and it takes her a few seconds to realize that she'd made that sound.
"Tina! Welcome to the land of the living." She starts crying before she even realizes what's going on. "Oh dear… if she cries I'm gonna cry."
"Don't cry, Jeremy, you're fine. Go back to listing every single ice cream you've ever had…Christina, what's wrong?" She cries harder. "I'm getting up."
"Do not get up, Reid. Tina…are you with us?" She shakes her head, which is incredibly counterintuitive; she's answering questions, she's clearly conscious.
Jeremy does not seem to understand that. "She's not with us!"
"Open your eyes, Tina." There's something about that voice that makes her feel the need to listen to it. She pries her eyes open and blinks against the harsh light and tears.
"There you go, you're okay." Her lip trembles as she looks around. She feels really dizzy and everything's pretty blurry. "No…" she says shakily.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" She slowly turns her head towards the voice. "Ignore him, please." Someone else says. This is all very confusing. More tears fall.
"I don't feel good…" she says in a voice so small, she's not sure anyone can hear. "I'm sorry. What's wrong?" She doesn't know how to put it in words yet…she's still so lost.
"I don't…" she sobs. "I'm going over there." She closes her eyes. "Reid-"
"I'll be fine…" they hiss, "Christina," the voice is getting closer. She opens her eyes, looking towards it. "Move over, I need to sit down." She blinks at Reid; his words take a minute to sink in.
She shifts to the side, and he pushes the guard rails down, sitting on the bed next to her. "What's wrong, Tina?" He asks her again.
"I'm…I just don't feel well…I probably need to eat." She hiccups, turning her head away from Reid. He gently grabs her hand. "I don't know if that's a good idea yet, but I can ask for you."
"Christina! Ask for ice cream!" Reid bites his lips and glances up at the ceiling like he's trying to hold in a laugh. It's then that she remembers why she's here.
A colonoscopy, of course, how could she forget that hell? And they'd all done it together. That's why Jeremy's so enthusiastic…he's high. They're all high…that's why she's upset. The realization almost makes her laugh, but then it turns into another sob.
"Tina…" Reid frowns. "I'm sorry! I'm okay, I swear…I'll be fine…" she says, crying harder. Reid sighs, "Okay…this is a really awkward angle, but I'm going to give you a hug because you look like you need one."
Christina blinks at him again, he leans over her, draping himself over her as a blanket. "I want a Reid-shaped weighted blanket!" Jeremy protests in jealousy.
Christina expects herself to be overwhelmed by the touch, but Jeremy's right, it's comforting…like a weighted blanket. She stops crying, swallowing the rest of her tears.
"I'm sorry I convinced you to do this." Reid tells her quietly. "It's okay…" she says with a sigh. Reid sits up and Christina can't help but miss the comfort of the close contact.
The door opens and Reid turns. Christina can't see that far yet (her eyes are still tearful,) so she doesn't look over at whoever comes in. "Oh Tina…" her husband says sympathetically. Wait, her husband? She perks up.
"You did it," he tells her, approaching the left side of the bed. She smiles and gives him a weak thumbs up.
—
A few days later
Today 15:38 - Reid Wiseman (to Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen and Victor Glover)
[Picture of Jeremy three hours after surgery with a big lopsided smile, eating ice cream with every imaginable topping]
15:38 - Jeremy Hansen
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT????
15:39 - Reid Wiseman
A magician never reveals his tricks
15:39 - Christina Koch
Ashley sent it to both of us
15:39 - Reid Wiseman
Christina!
15:39 - Jeremy Hansen
Traitor…
Christina laughs at the messages. Her husband looks at her curiously and she turns the phone so he can read them. As he laughs while reading through, she thinks about how well this went, somehow.
In hindsight, it could have gone a lot worse. She knew that her crew loved her a lot, but she didn't know if they loved her enough to avoid making jokes about how weepy she is on anesthesia. And it turns out they did.
Almost…
15:45 - Reid Wiseman
[picture of a teary Christina after surgery in response to Jeremy's last message]
She laughs though, he'd asked her if he could use that in just their group chat and she said yes. No hard feelings…and Reid did seem to be right, they were definitely more bonded after that.