Reckless Abandon
Writer note: I know some of this fic was rushed sounding and it may still be, but the dialogue is better and probably more real to the characters. At least, I like it better! I had mulled over the convo between Silver and Leland a LOT, but it didn't come out the way I wanted it the first time and I was too lazy ((oh yeah, I'm very lazy unless motivated)) to change it until I got some of yall's reviews that said it could of been better. Hope it is now! I am definitely writing another chapter! Thanks for the reviews!
***
"Bartender, set me up a round of drinks."
John Silver glanced at the newly arrived man seating beside him, seeing only a darkened silhouette. He had been alone at the bar for the pass half-hour. He was starting to desire more company than the randomly appearing bartender.
"Yes, sir" the squid-like alien said, setting his many arms to work to fix the customer a drink or two.
"Yeh a spacer?" Silver asked, taking a short swig of his ale.
The man snorted. "Yeah. Just came in from Balonia." The man raised his tired head to look straight at Silver. The old cyborg nearly fell off his stool at the awfully familiar face before him. It was of a young friend of his, but…older, more defined by age. It couldn't be…
"Spacer. Guilty as charged. John Silver." Silver stuck out his mechanical hand. "Old habit." He grinned, now offering his flesh hand. The man excepted.
"Leland Hawkins." The man let go, and set his eyes ahead to the wall behind of the counter. "Actually, I use to be a miner on the planet, Montressor. I lost my job years at go. Took up sailing and never turned back."
*I bet my mechanisms you didn't* Silver thought, clinching his mechanical hand. Out of all the taverns in all the universe, Leland Hawkins happen to walk into this one! He had heard an earful about the infamous older Hawkins. How he never tried to even -be- a father to Jim. The horrendous fights he and Sarah, his young wife, use to display at night in the dining room of the Benbow Inn when they didn't think Jim wasn't listening.
Silver turned abruptly back to his drink, gulping it down and slamming the glass onto the counter. "Bartender!"
"So, what's your story?"
The causal voice relieved Silver of his brooding, though it did not help with his anger. He shifted his body in Leland's direction, but keep his head bent. "My story is nothing special. Been a spacer since I was fourteen. I been many places; done good things and bad things. Like I said, nothing special."
"Same here, I guess" Leland replied, finishing off his mug of ale. "I been many places too. Being a spacer gives you wonderful freedom."
Was he trying to make this harder? Silver resisted the overwhelming urge to wrapped his long fingers ever-so-casually around Leland's neck and squeeze the life from him. He had realized, during the Treasure Planet adventure, how much he truly cared for his young friend, Jimbo. He felt the drive of fatherly protection welling inside him. He knew Jim like Leland never would. He knew and had witnessed the greatness that shone from the boy - the greatness he felt embering deep inside Jim.
"About a year ago, I sailed with a young lad who was put in my charge. He would fight me and I would fight back. He thought he didn't need anybody, because he had gotten along just fine alone. Poor lad hadn't had any direction in life; his father left him when he was just a boy."
Silver caught a slight perk in Leland's movement as he shifted to push an empty mug to signal the bartender. Silver's cyborg eye gleamed. He continued, "He was something special, I could tell. Proved that fact a hundred times over again, but the greatest thing he ever did was put his life on the line to save a whole ship and it's crew. Sailed on a solar board through an raging inferno to save the crew of that ship. Can you just see it! He was made for greatness."
Leland nodded, and with only casual enthusiasm replied, "Hmph…to save a whole crew. Sounds like he is something great." He finished off his mug of ale. "I best be off" Leland said, tossing a few drubloons on the counter. "See you around, Mr. Silver." He stood, tipping his hat, and headed out the tavern.
Silver sat, planted for several moments, contemplated whether to keep well enough alone or confront the man who hadn't a clue. The decision wasn't hard after the thoughts of his first talk with Jim came to mind. He pulled himself from the bar, and scuttled out the door. Leland was many yards from the tavern by now, making his way toward the launch docks.
"Mr. Hawkins!" Silver called. The man stopped to turn. "Mr. Hawkins, may I have a word with yeh?" Silver asked, hobbling up the path to meet Leland.
"What do you need, Mr. Silver?"
Silver glared at Leland through the dim lamplight illuminating on the path, and said casually, almost dangerously,
"What ever happen to your wife and son?"
Leland's gulp in his throat was visible. "How do you know I had a wife and son?"
Silver raised his mechanical arm, curling his fingers in and out. "The lad I told you about at the bar, the lad I sailed with was Jim Hawkins. Sound familiar, doesn't it?"
Leland's breathing grew slightly rapid at the mention of his son. It wasn't the fact of guilt that ate at him, but the fact that this man might keelhaul him through.
Silver advanced dangerously one step at a time. "I see yeh remember him. I got to know him well. One of the first things we talked about was his pap; how his father wasn't there for him, never gave the poor boy a second thought."
"You don't know the whole story" Leland replied low, but defensively. "What makes this your business? I don't need to give you an explanation."
Silver's eye now gleamed a deep, rich orange that meant trouble. In one quick move, he snatched Leland's arm and wrested it until the man gave. "You needn't have to, Mr. Hawkins. I already know you're a no-good-for-no-one, bastard that threw away his family for his freedom. I may not be the best example, but I've seen your kind and I don't take kindly to them."
"Everything was fine until that boy was born. He became a burden I didn't want to handle. What are you going to do…?" Leland groaned, fighting desperately to keep his composure. "Kill me over a boy?"
"No" Silver growled, shoving the man away. "It's more than an obvious observation you still don't have a care for Jim, or your lovely wife. They were better off without yeh, I say. Even though Jim came from you, he is the man you will never be."
Leland stared intensely at the man before him. His freedom was most important, not the wife and son he abruptly left one early morning years before. He hardly gave them a thought on his journeys through the etherium. He hadn't cared much for them while he was there, why care while he was gone? But, this spacer, this old cyborg, telling him how wonderful and honoring it was to know his son. And also of the pain he caused to his family by abandoning them. He shook his head, and washed his hands of them again. He had made a choice, and it seemed he would stick with that choice still.
With a fluid spin on his heels, he vanished into the darkness. Silver watched, knowing he had struck a nerve but not so hard that it made a difference. Leland would have his freedom, still. The guilt may haunt him, but to no avail, he would not care.
Silver wondered what he thought he'd accomplish by confronting the man. He didn't expect Leland to fall down crying and running off to ask forgiveness. He actually didn't expect anything, not thinking of where the conversation would go. He had spoke his peace. Leland knew now; that was all that mattered. He felt the urge to visit a young friend. And, he would soon enough.
Writer note: I know some of this fic was rushed sounding and it may still be, but the dialogue is better and probably more real to the characters. At least, I like it better! I had mulled over the convo between Silver and Leland a LOT, but it didn't come out the way I wanted it the first time and I was too lazy ((oh yeah, I'm very lazy unless motivated)) to change it until I got some of yall's reviews that said it could of been better. Hope it is now! I am definitely writing another chapter! Thanks for the reviews!
***
"Bartender, set me up a round of drinks."
John Silver glanced at the newly arrived man seating beside him, seeing only a darkened silhouette. He had been alone at the bar for the pass half-hour. He was starting to desire more company than the randomly appearing bartender.
"Yes, sir" the squid-like alien said, setting his many arms to work to fix the customer a drink or two.
"Yeh a spacer?" Silver asked, taking a short swig of his ale.
The man snorted. "Yeah. Just came in from Balonia." The man raised his tired head to look straight at Silver. The old cyborg nearly fell off his stool at the awfully familiar face before him. It was of a young friend of his, but…older, more defined by age. It couldn't be…
"Spacer. Guilty as charged. John Silver." Silver stuck out his mechanical hand. "Old habit." He grinned, now offering his flesh hand. The man excepted.
"Leland Hawkins." The man let go, and set his eyes ahead to the wall behind of the counter. "Actually, I use to be a miner on the planet, Montressor. I lost my job years at go. Took up sailing and never turned back."
*I bet my mechanisms you didn't* Silver thought, clinching his mechanical hand. Out of all the taverns in all the universe, Leland Hawkins happen to walk into this one! He had heard an earful about the infamous older Hawkins. How he never tried to even -be- a father to Jim. The horrendous fights he and Sarah, his young wife, use to display at night in the dining room of the Benbow Inn when they didn't think Jim wasn't listening.
Silver turned abruptly back to his drink, gulping it down and slamming the glass onto the counter. "Bartender!"
"So, what's your story?"
The causal voice relieved Silver of his brooding, though it did not help with his anger. He shifted his body in Leland's direction, but keep his head bent. "My story is nothing special. Been a spacer since I was fourteen. I been many places; done good things and bad things. Like I said, nothing special."
"Same here, I guess" Leland replied, finishing off his mug of ale. "I been many places too. Being a spacer gives you wonderful freedom."
Was he trying to make this harder? Silver resisted the overwhelming urge to wrapped his long fingers ever-so-casually around Leland's neck and squeeze the life from him. He had realized, during the Treasure Planet adventure, how much he truly cared for his young friend, Jimbo. He felt the drive of fatherly protection welling inside him. He knew Jim like Leland never would. He knew and had witnessed the greatness that shone from the boy - the greatness he felt embering deep inside Jim.
"About a year ago, I sailed with a young lad who was put in my charge. He would fight me and I would fight back. He thought he didn't need anybody, because he had gotten along just fine alone. Poor lad hadn't had any direction in life; his father left him when he was just a boy."
Silver caught a slight perk in Leland's movement as he shifted to push an empty mug to signal the bartender. Silver's cyborg eye gleamed. He continued, "He was something special, I could tell. Proved that fact a hundred times over again, but the greatest thing he ever did was put his life on the line to save a whole ship and it's crew. Sailed on a solar board through an raging inferno to save the crew of that ship. Can you just see it! He was made for greatness."
Leland nodded, and with only casual enthusiasm replied, "Hmph…to save a whole crew. Sounds like he is something great." He finished off his mug of ale. "I best be off" Leland said, tossing a few drubloons on the counter. "See you around, Mr. Silver." He stood, tipping his hat, and headed out the tavern.
Silver sat, planted for several moments, contemplated whether to keep well enough alone or confront the man who hadn't a clue. The decision wasn't hard after the thoughts of his first talk with Jim came to mind. He pulled himself from the bar, and scuttled out the door. Leland was many yards from the tavern by now, making his way toward the launch docks.
"Mr. Hawkins!" Silver called. The man stopped to turn. "Mr. Hawkins, may I have a word with yeh?" Silver asked, hobbling up the path to meet Leland.
"What do you need, Mr. Silver?"
Silver glared at Leland through the dim lamplight illuminating on the path, and said casually, almost dangerously,
"What ever happen to your wife and son?"
Leland's gulp in his throat was visible. "How do you know I had a wife and son?"
Silver raised his mechanical arm, curling his fingers in and out. "The lad I told you about at the bar, the lad I sailed with was Jim Hawkins. Sound familiar, doesn't it?"
Leland's breathing grew slightly rapid at the mention of his son. It wasn't the fact of guilt that ate at him, but the fact that this man might keelhaul him through.
Silver advanced dangerously one step at a time. "I see yeh remember him. I got to know him well. One of the first things we talked about was his pap; how his father wasn't there for him, never gave the poor boy a second thought."
"You don't know the whole story" Leland replied low, but defensively. "What makes this your business? I don't need to give you an explanation."
Silver's eye now gleamed a deep, rich orange that meant trouble. In one quick move, he snatched Leland's arm and wrested it until the man gave. "You needn't have to, Mr. Hawkins. I already know you're a no-good-for-no-one, bastard that threw away his family for his freedom. I may not be the best example, but I've seen your kind and I don't take kindly to them."
"Everything was fine until that boy was born. He became a burden I didn't want to handle. What are you going to do…?" Leland groaned, fighting desperately to keep his composure. "Kill me over a boy?"
"No" Silver growled, shoving the man away. "It's more than an obvious observation you still don't have a care for Jim, or your lovely wife. They were better off without yeh, I say. Even though Jim came from you, he is the man you will never be."
Leland stared intensely at the man before him. His freedom was most important, not the wife and son he abruptly left one early morning years before. He hardly gave them a thought on his journeys through the etherium. He hadn't cared much for them while he was there, why care while he was gone? But, this spacer, this old cyborg, telling him how wonderful and honoring it was to know his son. And also of the pain he caused to his family by abandoning them. He shook his head, and washed his hands of them again. He had made a choice, and it seemed he would stick with that choice still.
With a fluid spin on his heels, he vanished into the darkness. Silver watched, knowing he had struck a nerve but not so hard that it made a difference. Leland would have his freedom, still. The guilt may haunt him, but to no avail, he would not care.
Silver wondered what he thought he'd accomplish by confronting the man. He didn't expect Leland to fall down crying and running off to ask forgiveness. He actually didn't expect anything, not thinking of where the conversation would go. He had spoke his peace. Leland knew now; that was all that mattered. He felt the urge to visit a young friend. And, he would soon enough.