Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Cowboy Bebop. Anybody
that's *not* from Cowboy Bebop, I created myself with my ingeniousness. And
the poem is mine.
Author's Note: Enjoy! Thanks for reading, by the way! ^.^ Again, I apologize for shortness. It seems to be my style in these fics.. Odd, but true. -_-
*******
Chapter 1: Moonless
*******
It's humid tonight
The air thick with the
Hot anticipation
Of nothing.
The sky is moonless
Stars hidden by thick clouds of
Great, grey smoke
Hanging in the air.
*******
"It all started that one day.."
---
Jet walked down the cold halls of the hospital. The air smelled thickly of blood and tears. Faye and Ed followed quietly behind. When they had received word that Spike hadn't died in the fight with Vicious, they rushed to the hospital; Faye the most anxious. Ed tugged at Faye's arm.
"Is Spike-person ok, Faye-Faye?" Faye sighed.
"I don't know Ed. I just don't know." A nurse led them to Spike's room. Jet and Ed walked in, while Faye stopped and stared at the motionless body from outside the window. Spike was heavily bandaged, and tubes here and there were poking out of his arms. Jet and Ed turned around and stared at her until she also went in. The nurse gave Spike a quick shot before leaving.
"He's still alive, but just barely. Don't wear him out." They all nodded as the nurse left the room. Spike breathed slowly as his eyes slowly flickered open.
He saw Jet, Ed, and Faye, all hovering over him, eager for a move or a word. Spike's body ached. He couldn't feel his arms or his legs. And his chest hurt incredibly. He had a hard time deciding whether it was the bullet that hurt him, or his heart.
They could all easily tell Spike was confused at why he was still alive. Although he couldn't say much, Spike's mind was racing with thoughts. I can't even die right, he thought. I wonder what happened.. Jet answered his thoughts.
"Vicious is dead and Julia.." Jet looked at Faye for help.
"Julia is in a coma. She survived, but barely. Like you." Like me. Spike took a deep breath of relief. He still wanted to know why he hadn't die. He had every intention to..
"You survived by just a centimeter," Jet added. "If the bullet had hit any more to the left or the right, you'd be dead right now."
"Spike-person ok? Ed made card for Spike-person!" Ed grinned gleefully as she held out a blue card that had scribbled messily on it, "Get Well Soon," in red marker. On the inside, Jet and Faye had signed it, and Ed drew a picture of the whole Bebop crew holding hands. Ed searched Spike's face for a response, but found none.
"Spike-person ok? Spike-person like Ed's card?"
"Maybe we should go," Faye said hesitantly. "He looks like he could use a nap.." And she cut herself off when they heard Spike's soft voice from behind them.
"I'm.. 'K.." He whispered, taking a breathe where the "O" should be in "Ok."
"Yay!" Ed ran forward to hug Spike, but Jet held him back.
"C'mon, let's go and leave him alone. C'mon, let's go." Jet pushed Ed - who was still struggling to hug Spike - out the door and winked at Spike.
"BYE BYE MR. SPIKE-PERSON!" Ed screamed down the hall as Jet waved. Faye stood there, staring at Spike. She slowly walked to the doorway, and stopped, not turning around.
"I'm glad you're ok, Spike." At least one of us is, he thought. She shut the door.
He needed a cigarette.
---
Jet took a long gulp from his drink.
"Days went by.. Weeks.. Months even. And although Spike eventually healed and came back to the Bebop, for a while he was.. Different."
"How was he different?" Cougar wondered.
"Just.. Different."
---
"Want anything to eat?"
"I'm not hungry." Jet shook his head and sighed. Now he'd heard everything. He untied the apron and threw it on the counter. Spike was leaning against the wall and looking out a nearby window, a cigarette smoking away between his lips, staring off into space.. Something he often did nowadays. Jet slowly came up to him from behind.
"What's on your mind, kid?"
"What makes you think there's anything on my mind?" He answered effortlessly, without turning around.
"For weeks, all you do is lie around and daydream. You don't eat, you barely sleep, and when you catch bounties, you're like a zombie!'
"..Zombie?"
"Damned right! I see it in your eyes.. You always have that dull look in there, like you're tired of living-" Spike stood up, and stopped leaning against the wall. He took a deep breath but didn't take his cigarette out of his mouth.
"There once was a tiger-stripped cat. This cat died a million deaths, was revived, and lived a million lives and was owned by many different people he didn't really care for. This cat wasn't afraid to die."
"Spike.."
"Let me finish, Jet." Jet sighed, but nodded and waved his hand.
"Alright."
"Then, one day this cat became a stray cat, which meant it was free and he met a white, female cat and the two of them spent their days together happily. Well, years past and the white cat grew weak and died of old age. The tiger stripped cat cried a million times, then he died too, except this time, he didn't come back to life. The end." Jet stared at him blankly.
"What's your point Spike?"
"I wasn't supposed to come back to life, Jet. It was supposed to end there." Spike ran his fingers through his hair, and sat down on the couch, holding his head in his hands.
"But it's not the end Spike, and you'll just have to accept that. Life doesn't swing anybody's way."
"I know that. But what I don't know is why didn't I die? Why wasn't I able to end my nightmare..?"
"With Julia, you mean?" Jet added.
"She's not dead." Spike and Jet looked up to see Faye, standing in the doorway. She had a grinned as she held up a large wad of money. "While you two were yapping away, I managed to cash in a bounty." Jet walked over and took half of the money in his hands, pocketing it as he returned to the kitchen.
"HEY! I caught him all by myself-"
"Payback's a bitch Faye, payback's a bitch." Faye grumbled and sat down on the couch next to Spike, who suddenly stood up. Faye blinked.
"You goin' somewhere, cowboy?" He grabbed his coat.
"Yeah." Faye blinked again.
"Where?"
"To find out if I'm still dreaming."
"But what about din-" And before she could finish, she heard the door slam. Jet walked back into the room, and leaned on the couch.
"He's going to see Julia, isn't he?" Jet nodded.
"Obvious, ain't it?"
---
Spike felt cold rain drops hit his shoulders like soft tears of ice. It had just turned 6:30 and the sun had already hit rock bottom. Glowing stars were already out, and there was no moon. Vast, dark clouds spread across the sky as the rain started coming down harder. He waved his hand in the air as a taxi answered his need.
"Where to?"
"The hospital." Spike shook himself off as he got in the car. The driver had the radio tuned in to an oldies station, a Beatles song blasting away on the speakers. The driver sang along.
"Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.."
When did everything get so complicated, Spike wondered.
"..Now I need a place to hide away, oh I believe in yesterday.."
Spike looked out the window. The streets were crowded with busybodies, all trying to get somewhere, without really knowing where they were in the first place. He took out a cigarette. The driver stopped singing and turned off the radio as another song came on.
"No smoking in the car sonny, you want to do that, then you wait till you get out." Spike pocketed the cigarettes, saying nothing.
"My name's Ben."
"Spike." Ben eye Spike with a curious eye.
"Why the long face, Spike?" Spike was silent. For moments, the only sound in the car was the rain, pounding against the window.
"Nightmares." Spike said finally. Ben chuckled.
"I had many of those myself when I was a young lad, such as yourself. You wouldn't believe it, but I was quite a chip off the block, if I do say so myself."
Spike said nothing.
"A good smoke usually got rid of them." Ben nodded. Spike looked up.
"I thought you didn't smoke."
"I don't."
"Why'd you quit?" Ben sighed dreamily.
"You've ever been in love, Spike?"
"Once."
"Then you know what I'm talking about then. Marie, God she was divine. Her eyes were like jewels, and her touch used to drive me crazy. Anyways, once we got married, she picked up a dislike for smokers, and threatened to leave me if I didn't stop. Afraid for me, I daresay."
"..What happened to her?" Ben blinked and grinned.
"Whaddya mean 'what happened to her?' She's at home right now, most likely on the phone with our daughter, talking about her daughter." Well then, I guess there are such things as happy endings, Spike thought..
"Here's your stop sonny!" The car skidded to a stop, and Spike watched the water splash against the window. "Need an umbrella?" Ben held one up from the front seat.
"No thanks." Spike eyed the meter and pulled out a few crumpled bills. He handed them to Ben and opened the door.
"Nice talkin' to ya Spike. Hope you have a nice life!" Ben grinned as Spike shut the door, and he watched the taxi speed off. Spike looked at the hospital with a mixture of feelings all bundled up inside of him. He walked up the stairs as he thought to himself..
I hope I have a nice life too.
Author's Note: Enjoy! Thanks for reading, by the way! ^.^ Again, I apologize for shortness. It seems to be my style in these fics.. Odd, but true. -_-
*******
Chapter 1: Moonless
*******
It's humid tonight
The air thick with the
Hot anticipation
Of nothing.
The sky is moonless
Stars hidden by thick clouds of
Great, grey smoke
Hanging in the air.
*******
"It all started that one day.."
---
Jet walked down the cold halls of the hospital. The air smelled thickly of blood and tears. Faye and Ed followed quietly behind. When they had received word that Spike hadn't died in the fight with Vicious, they rushed to the hospital; Faye the most anxious. Ed tugged at Faye's arm.
"Is Spike-person ok, Faye-Faye?" Faye sighed.
"I don't know Ed. I just don't know." A nurse led them to Spike's room. Jet and Ed walked in, while Faye stopped and stared at the motionless body from outside the window. Spike was heavily bandaged, and tubes here and there were poking out of his arms. Jet and Ed turned around and stared at her until she also went in. The nurse gave Spike a quick shot before leaving.
"He's still alive, but just barely. Don't wear him out." They all nodded as the nurse left the room. Spike breathed slowly as his eyes slowly flickered open.
He saw Jet, Ed, and Faye, all hovering over him, eager for a move or a word. Spike's body ached. He couldn't feel his arms or his legs. And his chest hurt incredibly. He had a hard time deciding whether it was the bullet that hurt him, or his heart.
They could all easily tell Spike was confused at why he was still alive. Although he couldn't say much, Spike's mind was racing with thoughts. I can't even die right, he thought. I wonder what happened.. Jet answered his thoughts.
"Vicious is dead and Julia.." Jet looked at Faye for help.
"Julia is in a coma. She survived, but barely. Like you." Like me. Spike took a deep breath of relief. He still wanted to know why he hadn't die. He had every intention to..
"You survived by just a centimeter," Jet added. "If the bullet had hit any more to the left or the right, you'd be dead right now."
"Spike-person ok? Ed made card for Spike-person!" Ed grinned gleefully as she held out a blue card that had scribbled messily on it, "Get Well Soon," in red marker. On the inside, Jet and Faye had signed it, and Ed drew a picture of the whole Bebop crew holding hands. Ed searched Spike's face for a response, but found none.
"Spike-person ok? Spike-person like Ed's card?"
"Maybe we should go," Faye said hesitantly. "He looks like he could use a nap.." And she cut herself off when they heard Spike's soft voice from behind them.
"I'm.. 'K.." He whispered, taking a breathe where the "O" should be in "Ok."
"Yay!" Ed ran forward to hug Spike, but Jet held him back.
"C'mon, let's go and leave him alone. C'mon, let's go." Jet pushed Ed - who was still struggling to hug Spike - out the door and winked at Spike.
"BYE BYE MR. SPIKE-PERSON!" Ed screamed down the hall as Jet waved. Faye stood there, staring at Spike. She slowly walked to the doorway, and stopped, not turning around.
"I'm glad you're ok, Spike." At least one of us is, he thought. She shut the door.
He needed a cigarette.
---
Jet took a long gulp from his drink.
"Days went by.. Weeks.. Months even. And although Spike eventually healed and came back to the Bebop, for a while he was.. Different."
"How was he different?" Cougar wondered.
"Just.. Different."
---
"Want anything to eat?"
"I'm not hungry." Jet shook his head and sighed. Now he'd heard everything. He untied the apron and threw it on the counter. Spike was leaning against the wall and looking out a nearby window, a cigarette smoking away between his lips, staring off into space.. Something he often did nowadays. Jet slowly came up to him from behind.
"What's on your mind, kid?"
"What makes you think there's anything on my mind?" He answered effortlessly, without turning around.
"For weeks, all you do is lie around and daydream. You don't eat, you barely sleep, and when you catch bounties, you're like a zombie!'
"..Zombie?"
"Damned right! I see it in your eyes.. You always have that dull look in there, like you're tired of living-" Spike stood up, and stopped leaning against the wall. He took a deep breath but didn't take his cigarette out of his mouth.
"There once was a tiger-stripped cat. This cat died a million deaths, was revived, and lived a million lives and was owned by many different people he didn't really care for. This cat wasn't afraid to die."
"Spike.."
"Let me finish, Jet." Jet sighed, but nodded and waved his hand.
"Alright."
"Then, one day this cat became a stray cat, which meant it was free and he met a white, female cat and the two of them spent their days together happily. Well, years past and the white cat grew weak and died of old age. The tiger stripped cat cried a million times, then he died too, except this time, he didn't come back to life. The end." Jet stared at him blankly.
"What's your point Spike?"
"I wasn't supposed to come back to life, Jet. It was supposed to end there." Spike ran his fingers through his hair, and sat down on the couch, holding his head in his hands.
"But it's not the end Spike, and you'll just have to accept that. Life doesn't swing anybody's way."
"I know that. But what I don't know is why didn't I die? Why wasn't I able to end my nightmare..?"
"With Julia, you mean?" Jet added.
"She's not dead." Spike and Jet looked up to see Faye, standing in the doorway. She had a grinned as she held up a large wad of money. "While you two were yapping away, I managed to cash in a bounty." Jet walked over and took half of the money in his hands, pocketing it as he returned to the kitchen.
"HEY! I caught him all by myself-"
"Payback's a bitch Faye, payback's a bitch." Faye grumbled and sat down on the couch next to Spike, who suddenly stood up. Faye blinked.
"You goin' somewhere, cowboy?" He grabbed his coat.
"Yeah." Faye blinked again.
"Where?"
"To find out if I'm still dreaming."
"But what about din-" And before she could finish, she heard the door slam. Jet walked back into the room, and leaned on the couch.
"He's going to see Julia, isn't he?" Jet nodded.
"Obvious, ain't it?"
---
Spike felt cold rain drops hit his shoulders like soft tears of ice. It had just turned 6:30 and the sun had already hit rock bottom. Glowing stars were already out, and there was no moon. Vast, dark clouds spread across the sky as the rain started coming down harder. He waved his hand in the air as a taxi answered his need.
"Where to?"
"The hospital." Spike shook himself off as he got in the car. The driver had the radio tuned in to an oldies station, a Beatles song blasting away on the speakers. The driver sang along.
"Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.."
When did everything get so complicated, Spike wondered.
"..Now I need a place to hide away, oh I believe in yesterday.."
Spike looked out the window. The streets were crowded with busybodies, all trying to get somewhere, without really knowing where they were in the first place. He took out a cigarette. The driver stopped singing and turned off the radio as another song came on.
"No smoking in the car sonny, you want to do that, then you wait till you get out." Spike pocketed the cigarettes, saying nothing.
"My name's Ben."
"Spike." Ben eye Spike with a curious eye.
"Why the long face, Spike?" Spike was silent. For moments, the only sound in the car was the rain, pounding against the window.
"Nightmares." Spike said finally. Ben chuckled.
"I had many of those myself when I was a young lad, such as yourself. You wouldn't believe it, but I was quite a chip off the block, if I do say so myself."
Spike said nothing.
"A good smoke usually got rid of them." Ben nodded. Spike looked up.
"I thought you didn't smoke."
"I don't."
"Why'd you quit?" Ben sighed dreamily.
"You've ever been in love, Spike?"
"Once."
"Then you know what I'm talking about then. Marie, God she was divine. Her eyes were like jewels, and her touch used to drive me crazy. Anyways, once we got married, she picked up a dislike for smokers, and threatened to leave me if I didn't stop. Afraid for me, I daresay."
"..What happened to her?" Ben blinked and grinned.
"Whaddya mean 'what happened to her?' She's at home right now, most likely on the phone with our daughter, talking about her daughter." Well then, I guess there are such things as happy endings, Spike thought..
"Here's your stop sonny!" The car skidded to a stop, and Spike watched the water splash against the window. "Need an umbrella?" Ben held one up from the front seat.
"No thanks." Spike eyed the meter and pulled out a few crumpled bills. He handed them to Ben and opened the door.
"Nice talkin' to ya Spike. Hope you have a nice life!" Ben grinned as Spike shut the door, and he watched the taxi speed off. Spike looked at the hospital with a mixture of feelings all bundled up inside of him. He walked up the stairs as he thought to himself..
I hope I have a nice life too.