Thanks for all the feedback. You folks are great. Yes, this is my first
Fic. No, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this. I'm trying to be
prompt posting, as I'm not one for suspense. Tends to be anticlimactic, no?
-Kennedy (aka Kenn, aka Hayduke)
Steve went and placed the weapon in his safe. The gun's serial numbers had been filed off, a violation of California gun ownership laws. For Steve, it was one less gun on the street, a victory no matter how it came about.
When Steve returned to the living room, only his father was awake. Amanda had fallen asleep in a big armchair. CJ was nestled in the crook of her arm, gasping child snores with every breath. Jesse sat straight up on the couch, dead asleep. His head had fallen directly behind onto the couch back, arching his neck at a painful-looking angle. Mark approached Jesse silently with a pillow in hand. Sliding his arm behind Jesse's neck with fatherly skill, he placed the pillow between him and the couch. Jesse settled into the nicer position and drifted back off.
Steve began circling the room, gathering mugs for the dishwasher. He was on his way to the kitchen when the lights went out.
Mark, who had been reaching to turn off the reading lamp near Amanda, was surprised at the sudden dark. His hand dropped from reaching for the lamp and hung momentarily while he regained his composure.
"Dad?" called Steve softly, "Are you ok?"
"Yes Steve I'm fine, you?"
"Fine dad. Just stay where you are, I'll find my way to you."
Mark felt someone stumble, brushing against his side. "Steve?"
"Just a second, dad," called Steve. As the words left his mouth, the lights came back on. Mark turned to see his son at the entryway to the kitchen, arms outstretched as though to feel for hazards. Steve dropped his hands.
"Oh, good. Back to cleanup for me. Then I think I'll have a better look at that black bag," said Steve.
"Good idea son. Go ahead and leave those dishes for me. I'm going to flick on a weather report while the power's ok."
"Um, dad," started Steve, "Did I take the backpack downstairs with me to the safe?"
Mark was busy playing with the remote control in his hand. "Sorry, Steve? The what downstairs?"
"I just thought I'd left it right. Hey, that's up the street!" he exclaimed, jesturing at the footage on the weather news.
"Wow," added Mark, "If that sweeps down the street, we're going to have a pretty terrible mess."
"The good news is that they say it's easing up a bit," replied Steve, now fully engrossed in the report.
"In any case, we're stuck here. Let's check that the guest room is all set for Amanda and CJ."
"What about Jesse?"
"I think he'll be fine where he is. We might have to get him a little more horizontal eventually, though."
"Jeez, yeah. How do you suppose he sleeps like that?" chuckled Steve.
"Son," replied Mark, "I've seen him sleep upright in a hospital elevator between floors. A couch is child's play. Anyway, It'll be easier to keep an eye on him there. He's got that bump, not to mention he choked up a fair bit of mud. He's probably got some mud and water in him still. I'll have to watch his breathing."
"Mark?" came a whisper from across the room. Amanda was awake. "I'm going to put CJ down in the guest room, ok?"
"Of course Amanda. I was just going to make sure everything was ready for you in there."
"I'm sure it's fine, thanks Mark." She replied, hoisting CJ up and carrying him off.
She had only been gone a moment when her scream startled Mark and Steve.
Steve went and placed the weapon in his safe. The gun's serial numbers had been filed off, a violation of California gun ownership laws. For Steve, it was one less gun on the street, a victory no matter how it came about.
When Steve returned to the living room, only his father was awake. Amanda had fallen asleep in a big armchair. CJ was nestled in the crook of her arm, gasping child snores with every breath. Jesse sat straight up on the couch, dead asleep. His head had fallen directly behind onto the couch back, arching his neck at a painful-looking angle. Mark approached Jesse silently with a pillow in hand. Sliding his arm behind Jesse's neck with fatherly skill, he placed the pillow between him and the couch. Jesse settled into the nicer position and drifted back off.
Steve began circling the room, gathering mugs for the dishwasher. He was on his way to the kitchen when the lights went out.
Mark, who had been reaching to turn off the reading lamp near Amanda, was surprised at the sudden dark. His hand dropped from reaching for the lamp and hung momentarily while he regained his composure.
"Dad?" called Steve softly, "Are you ok?"
"Yes Steve I'm fine, you?"
"Fine dad. Just stay where you are, I'll find my way to you."
Mark felt someone stumble, brushing against his side. "Steve?"
"Just a second, dad," called Steve. As the words left his mouth, the lights came back on. Mark turned to see his son at the entryway to the kitchen, arms outstretched as though to feel for hazards. Steve dropped his hands.
"Oh, good. Back to cleanup for me. Then I think I'll have a better look at that black bag," said Steve.
"Good idea son. Go ahead and leave those dishes for me. I'm going to flick on a weather report while the power's ok."
"Um, dad," started Steve, "Did I take the backpack downstairs with me to the safe?"
Mark was busy playing with the remote control in his hand. "Sorry, Steve? The what downstairs?"
"I just thought I'd left it right. Hey, that's up the street!" he exclaimed, jesturing at the footage on the weather news.
"Wow," added Mark, "If that sweeps down the street, we're going to have a pretty terrible mess."
"The good news is that they say it's easing up a bit," replied Steve, now fully engrossed in the report.
"In any case, we're stuck here. Let's check that the guest room is all set for Amanda and CJ."
"What about Jesse?"
"I think he'll be fine where he is. We might have to get him a little more horizontal eventually, though."
"Jeez, yeah. How do you suppose he sleeps like that?" chuckled Steve.
"Son," replied Mark, "I've seen him sleep upright in a hospital elevator between floors. A couch is child's play. Anyway, It'll be easier to keep an eye on him there. He's got that bump, not to mention he choked up a fair bit of mud. He's probably got some mud and water in him still. I'll have to watch his breathing."
"Mark?" came a whisper from across the room. Amanda was awake. "I'm going to put CJ down in the guest room, ok?"
"Of course Amanda. I was just going to make sure everything was ready for you in there."
"I'm sure it's fine, thanks Mark." She replied, hoisting CJ up and carrying him off.
She had only been gone a moment when her scream startled Mark and Steve.