Charlie saw his life flash before his eyes.... -- Starbase Rugby: Medlabs

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Date Posted: 11:56:31 02/03/03 Mon
Author: Charlie
Subject: Charlie saw his life flash before his eyes....
In reply to: Random Medteam 68 's message, "Cyphon's hovercart was slid in to place next to Charlie's..." on 20:21:54 02/02/03 Sun

* All words with *indicate they are being said in spanish.*

He could see the light, a brillant white light that poured over everything. Felt warm and soothing sensations lap over his bloodied, broken body. The wounds didn't even hurt anymore. Then images of the past began to flood his mind.

He was at his fifth birthday party, there was his brother Juan, and his Tia Caroline. His cousins Marcus, Dino, and Carman. His mother and Father, and his abula, looking so alive, so warm, so wonderful. Her gray hair, and pink shawl, it was just as he remembered her, just like she had always been. They were giving him presents and singing songs. Then his grandmother took him in her arms and said to him softly.

"*Well, my dear little peppermint," she said messing up his hair. "*You're liking your party?"

"*Yes, Grandma. I like it a lot." Charlie replied. Then his Grandmother nodded and pulled out a gift. It was small hand carved space ship. As a girl, Charlie had been told many times, she was the oldest of all her sisters. Since her father had not had a son, Charlie's grandmother became one to him. When she was his age she learned how to widdle and carve wood. She had grown up in a very hard life. Her father died when she was still a teenager, and her mother could only earn a small living for the family. Charlie's grandmother had gone out and made a living for herself, and the rest of the family. She put food on the table, and made sure her sisters went to school. Then when her mother passed away she worked even harder, went to night school, and eventually was able to put her sisters though college. And they in turn helped the rest of the family. She married when she was older, and had only Charlie's Father.

"*Oh, Grandma, this is wonderful." Charlie told her, and gave her a hug.

"*Your father wanted to go into space, too, Charlie. We use to make up all sorts of adventures about it. And next year I'm going to start teaching you how to carve wood just like this." she told him and Charlie had been extatic. Though his mother and Father were not quite as happy with the idea of their son playing with knives.

Suddenly he jumped forward to when he was ten. Again it was at a party, his Cousin's Carman's Highschool graduation. Again he saw his Grandmother looking older then before, but still as kind as ever.

"*Grandma!" Charlie ran over to her, and gave her a hug. Then he pulled out his new space toy, a plastic replica of Luke Skywalker's X-wing. His grandmother examined the peice, and asked.

"*So are you going to carve one like it? Make a twin?"

Charlie snorted and said "*No. The wooden ships are not as cool. I'm gonna go and get a tie figher."

His Grandmother didn't look upset, but there was a slight sadness in her face.

The image faded and was replaced by several more. Charlie at 15, Charlie at 17, and Charlie at 20. Each one made him look older, and he watched at how old his Grandmother got. She seemed to be getting sadder and Sadder. He acted ruder to her too. At 15 he told her he didn't play with toys, and didn't carve, that it was a waste of time. At 17 he didn't talk to her at all, and thought she was an old hag. Then at 20 he started to hang around with the wrong crowd. It was then that he had met a girl that reminded him of his Grandmother. Her name was Martey (short for Maria Teresa) and they were very much in love.Charlie introduced Martey to his grandmother, who told him that she thought that Martey was the best thing that could happen to him.

Then troubles arose; when Charlie and Martey had gone out on a date he had had a fight with a gangbanger who was making passes at Martey. He'd managed to beat the punk and send him back to his crew. Only in doing so he had acted like the Punk himself, and that had pissed off Martey. He'd said things like, "Ya, alright b*tch, you tryin' to mess with my woman, my girl. That ain't gonna happen man. It ain't gonna happen."

Martey had not liked being called "His" woman, and that led to several fights between them, and eventually causing them to break up. Days later Charlie found out that Martey had joined up with a crew that was heading to Cybertron. He'd chosen not to sign up, and went on his way living around from friend to friend on the streets of Sanfransisco.

Images raced around fast after that. The jumping he'd gotten from the fight with the banger that had gone after Martey; the subsequent scar on his face from the cut. He saw himself laying half dead in the hospital, things weren't as clear then either. Then he saw something he didn't know about. His grandmother came into the room one night, and took his hand.

She said, while tears rolled silently down her cheeks, "*Lord, spare my boy, he's a good,brave, man. He's always tried to do right by those he loves."

Then she said to him,"*I've always been proud of you, Charlie, you're better then all this. I know that you'll make it, that you'll do me proud my little peppermint. Take my strenght, and use it for yourself. Go and find her."

Charlie watched as she stayed there all night, then left early in the morning. He woke up the next day, Doctors had said it was a mircale. His grandmother had died within a week or so of her visit.

Suddenly he saw what he had been doing for the past two years. Following leads as to where Martey was, rumor had it she was working on some moon base known as Volocity. Then he saw the fight, the character named Iago, and his subsequent beating.

All of this, it suddenly dawned on him, made him a survivor. Something that, along with Space, his Grandmother had given him. He had to live, if not for his own sake, then for her's and Martey's. He had to find her, to ask for her forgiveness, to win her back and make her see he had changed for the better. That was what he was going to do. Fight and survive like his Grandmother. There were times she could have given up, but she didn't, and he was going to follow in her footsteps. He was going to fight and make it.

Pain came back to him, sensations as well, and he felt his eyes wenched open, only to see Dr. Antony peering into them with a light.

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Replies:

"You're an idiot." -- Dr. Edward Antony, 09:09:22 02/06/03 Thu
- Charlie had to chuckle.... -- Charlie, 16:01:00 02/06/03 Thu