Another chapter that may be the teeniest bit difficult to stomach, but be not afraid!
Be not afraid...
~*~*~
“Yeah—no, that sounds perfect, but can anda have it sejak tonight?” Lisa plugged her free ear, trying to hear the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Lisa! Damn it, where is she…” A voice floated over from the seterusnya room and she cringed, still trying to hear. One of the prop guys came walking past, and her arm shot out to grab him sejak the sleeve.
“Eddie! Thank God, listen—can anda tell them I’m coming?”
Eddie fixed her with a wary look. “Lisa, David’s head is going to explode. I don’t want to get any on me.”
“This is important, Eddie, please?” She fixed him with her very best winning smile and pleading eyes. “I swear, I’m going to be two minutes.”
“You owe me,” he warned as he started back out. “Two minutes. And only if anda promise to proclaim to all and sundry that Eddie is the Master Propman and all shall bow before me.”
“Absolutely. Ciuman your hand and bow before you, yes, just—two minutes. Yes! I’m still here, what?” Eddie chuckled and walked away. “Yes, orange—right, that sounds just perfect. Can they be delivered to—oh, anda are a lifesaver. Monuments will be built in your honor. Thank anda so much, I really appreciate it.”
Hanging up the phone, she rushed back on set, nearly toppling over David Shore, who was en route to find her and drag her out. Lisa glared at Eddie, who shrugged and mouthed ‘I tried.’
“No proclamations for you,” she said, pointing at him and jogging over to sertai Jennifer and Jesse on the clinic set. Hugh had a rare late call, and hadn’t arrived yet, which had made it possible for Lisa to attempt some last minit arrangements in her new quest to get things back to normal. And, God willing, with the delivery she would receive tonight, tomorrow would get them back on track…
~*~*~
“Psst!” Lisa looked around the corner and waved at Greg. “Is Hugh anywhere around?”
“No, why, what’s up?”
“Oh, good.” Kicking the door open and holding it with her foot, Lisa hauled in a large box and managed to make it almost all the way to the prop meja, jadual without dropping it. Greg leaned over her shoulder to see what it was and furrowed his brow as she opened the bahagian, atas to reveal an entire box full of camouflage colored baseball caps. Lisa picked one out at Rawak and put it on, turning to face him. The words ‘REALLY CRAZY’ were stitched in bright orange across the front. “What do anda think? It’s me, right?”
“Yes. And why?” Greg tried on one.
“Oh—just something to cheer Hugh up. He seemed kind of down the other day…” Greg raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, remember, he’s always saying how peminat-peminat make him nervous, and he wishes that the really crazy ones would wear hats that say—”
“Really crazy,” Greg finished, finally getting it. He laughed. “That is too good.”
“So I thought this would be fun, if we can get them handed out before he gets here,” she said, digging in the box and grabbing another one. “Eddie! Catch!”
“Whoa!” He spun around, trying to save the box in his arms and catch the hat that she sent flying in his direction at the same time. “Ohhhhhh, nice.” Immediately he put down his load and affixed the hat backwards on his head. “Is this what anda were arranging yesterday?”
“Yep!” Lisa called back, handing out hats indiscriminately to cast and crew.
“Totally, totally worth it,” Eddie said, checking himself out in a mirror.
Out of nowhere Lisa suddenly heard an unmistakable laugh, a British laugh, a laugh she could pick out of any crowd in the world, and turned around to see Hugh standing in the doorway gaping at the sea of really crazy fans, each with its own hat. Lisa pulled her own down over her eyes some more—she wanted to see his reaction before he figured out it was her. Hugh set down the cane he was using for that day’s filming and leaned on it, speaking to one of the directors that was standing nearby. Lisa grinning to herself, reaching for the box to throw it under a meja, jadual for anyone that hadn’t been there in the morning yet, when—”
“You!”
She turned and saw Hugh walked toward her, pointing his cane in her direction. She blinked demurely, lifting the lid of her topi, cap just slightly to look up at him. “Me, sir?”
“You evil, horrendous, wicked… sneak!” And Hugh dropped his cane against the meja, jadual and grabbed her, lifting her off her feet into a hug and spinning her around in a bulatan before putting her down. Their audience applauded, and there were a few catcalls and whistles before the casts’ hats were removed for filming and the crew members got to work. Hugh shook his head at his co-star, smiling bemusedly at her before walking away. Lisa frowned a bit at his retreat.
You’re imagining things, Lisa, she told herself sternly. Now get to work.
~*~*~
Lisa knocked on the door shortly before pushing it open. “You got a minute?”
“He doesn’t,” the clinic patient told her rudely, then turned to his wife. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Sorry.” Hugh snarked back. “I’m sure she’s got a medical crisis. And I need lebih time to figure out some leading soalan for your wife.” He limped over to the door, where she was leaning against the frame.
“What’s going on with Cameron?” Lisa asked, resting the side of her head against the jamb.
“She doesn’t want back on my team,” Hugh answered. “And she doesn’t want to jump me.”
Oh, good. Lisa’s brain piped up.
Shut up, you. Lisa’s conscience said, bopping her brain over the head with a rubber mallet.
This mental picture was enough to start Lisa giggling even as her seterusnya line was coming out. “Ok…” She started to leave, and Hugh stuck his head out the door, glaring at her.
“Wha, whoa, wait! anda ask a question… and… anda are so done. Lisa’s done,” he called to the directors, who stopped the cameras. They were used to Lisa’s sudden giggly outbursts sejak now, and knew almost down to the saat how long it would take her to recover. Hugh craned his neck around the corner to see Lisa standing in the hall, her head back against the wall. “You about ready?”
Lisa looked at him. Hugh looked evenly back, and she swallowed hard. “Yeah, sure. Whenever anda are.”
They continued.
“Wha, wha, what?” Hugh berkata when they got back to the same point. “You ask a question. I rule out two possibilities… and you’re satisfied? That means anda don’t want an answer. anda just wanted to know there wasn’t a particular answer.” Lisa raised an eyebrow as he meandered down his merry way through House’s logic. “Either anda were worried that she wanted back on my team, atau anda were worried she wanted back on me.”
Lisa opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off sejak the patient’s husband. “This isn’t a medical crisis, is it?”
As Hugh turned around to snap back at the man, Lisa ducked off to the side and took a few steps down the hallway out of the shot. A minit atau two later the scene was finished, and they took their places to run it again.
“Think anda can manage not to get the giggles this time?” Hugh muttered, heading into the room. Lisa stared after him, trying to tell if he was kidding atau not. One way atau another, she did manage to get through a few lebih takes, and then lunch was called.
“Well that wasn’t too bad,” Lisa said, plopping herself down in a kerusi, tempat duduk at the same meja, jadual as Hugh, who was not eating but studying his script yet again for the seterusnya scenes. “All things considered, I’ve had a much harder time than that getting through scenes before.” Hugh nodded, not looking up. “Oh, so I saved anda a hat… if anda want one.” She went on. “I left it in my trailer… if anda want to come over and get it ever…”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Hugh berkata shortly, glancing up at her for a saat before going back to his lines. Lisa’s eyes dropped to the meja, jadual as she tried to figure out what was happening.
“Hugh, what—”
“I gotta ask Greg something.”
“Hugh!” Finally he stopped and looked at her. Lisa spread her hands on the table. “What the hell is this?”
“What?”
“I—after this morning, your reaction, anda hugged—”
“Just because we’re having issues is no reason to worry everyone else,” Hugh berkata tightly. “We’re getting behind schedule, over budget, they do not need to worry that their actors are feuding.”
“We’re feuding?” Lisa’s voice cracked on the last word and she immediately looked around to make sure no one had heard. “Hugh, that is insane! We’re not—”
“Fine, we’re not feuding. We’re just having a difference of opinions. It’s no big deal, just like anda said. Nothing to worry about it.”
Lisa’s stare was icy. “Well. All I have to say is I cannot believe anda haven’t gotten an Emmy yet, your Berlakon skills being such as can fool even those who think they know anda sejak now. Congratulations.”
Hugh gave a very sarcastic, very short bow to his co-star and made his way over to the directors. Lisa took one bite of her lunch, tasted sawdust, and threw it away.
Thank God you’re not called for a few days now, her conscience berkata helpfully.
Oh, shut up, berkata her brain.
~*~*~
