Title: Warm Tomato Soup
Fandom: Due South
Characters: Mrs. Kowalski, Benton Fraser
Rating: G
Word Length: 549
Written for the fan_flash works prompt: Interruptions
Summary: Barbara is having a busy day until she is interrupted by a sick Fraser
AN:



Barbara Kowalski was having a busy day. Once she dropped off Stanley's freshly laundered clothes, she had to pick up food for dinner and then she had to meet her friends for their weekly game of poker.

She walked into Stanley's apartment carrying a basket of clothes. She saw Constable Fraser laying on Stanley's couch. His eyes were closed and he was dressed in a frayed sweater and jeans. It was so strange to see him laying on the couch, in her head she thought he slept standing up like a horse, that she dropped her laundry basket.

Constable Fraser opened his eyes.

'Oh, hello, Mrs. Kowalski.'

'Hello. Are you all right?' she asked. She noticed his red cheeks and her instincts told her he was probably sick.

'I'm fine. I seem to be suffering from an increase in body tempature and Ray insisted I take the day off.'

'Ah. You don't like it, do you?'

Constable Fraser sighed. 'Not as such. It is quite trying.'

Barbara picked up her basket and went over the Stanley's favorite chair. She folded clothes and caught the scent of laundry soap.

'I know how you feel. Whenever I have to take time off I feel... Not useless... What's the word?'

'Inefficient.'

Barbara grinned. 'Yes! Exactly!'

As Barbara folded clothes she was stuck by a thought. She sat her laundry aside and stood up.

'Constable Fraser? Would you like a Kowalski home remedy?'

'That sounds wonderful. Please call me Benton, Mrs. Kowalski.'

'All right, Benton. You can call me Barbara.'

Barbara went to Stanley's kitchen and looked in the cupboard above the sink. She smiled when she saw the familiar red can. Opening the can, she dumped tomato soap into a pot and turned on the stove. She put two pieces of toast in the toaster. The smell of soup and toast filled the small kitchen.

After the toast and soup were done she brought them over to Benton. He sat up and took the bowl and toast. As he ate a small smile crossed his face.

'Thank you, kindly. I have to admit I'm a little surprised you made tomato soup. I always thought the customary food was chicken soup.'

'Oh, it is, but Stanley's favourite soup was always tomato.'

'Really? I had no idea.'

Without even thinking about, she leaned down and kissed Benton on the forehead and his eyes went wide.

'Was that part of the Kowalski remedy.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. It was a force of habit.'

'It was all right. It reminded me of my mother. She always used to kiss me on the head.'

Benton sounded so sad talking about his mother that Barbara wanted to make him feel better so she decided to show him the other part of the Kowalski remedy. She turned on the t.v. to a soap opera and sat down next to Benton. Whenever Stanley had been sick she would always let him watch soaps with her, she would of course turn the channel whenever there was a sex scene.

Watching t.v., Barbara decided she was going to spent the day with Benton. Even though it interpreted her busy day, Damien would just have to buy his own groceries, Benton needed some mothering and she was just the mother to do it.