Chapter two
"Jim! Are you all right?!" Gene and Mel rushed to my side.
I glared at Gene and growled. I looked at my left leg, which was covered in blood. "See, what did I tell you?!"
Gene just scratched his head. "Can you get up?"
I stood up, but fell down again. "Owww."
"What hurts?" Mel asked.
"M-my left ankle.I-I think it's-" I stammered before the room started to black out.
Gene shook me. "Jim, hang in there! Mel, go boil some water!!"
I snapped out of it. "Gene, wouldja just stop worryin' about me? You're giving me a headache!!"
Gene shook his head. "First, let's get you upstairs and find out what's wrong." He started to pick me up.
"Don't drop me!" I teased in a mousy voice as he lifted me up. Another tremendous jolt of pain shot through my leg. "OWWWW!"
* * *
Gene gently placed me on my bed and started to look at my ankle. "Ok, Jim. For one thing, your ankle is twice the size of your other one."
I looked and noticed it for the first time.
Gene continued to examine it. "And you need to be seen by a doctor."
I now looked at him. "Aniki! Can't YOU tell me what is wrong??"
"It's not a problem I can fix, Jim."
"THEN TELL ME WHAT IT IS!!!!!"
Gene smiled at me. "You don't like the doctor, do you? You're just like any other little kid."
I glared at him. "I'm NOT a little kid!"
He sternly looked at me. "I know, but you're sure ACTING like one! You need to settle down first before I tell you anything!"
I took a deep breath. Gene looked at my knuckles, which were pure white from gripping the bed. I released them and took another deep breath.
Gene continued. "Thank you. Now, what do you get when you have two ankles on one leg?"
I gave him another look. "Nice sense of humor you got, Starwind. That's what I was trying to tell you!!"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I blanked out. That happens when you pass out, Gene!"
Mel came in with a pot of hot water and a clean dish rag. "Here you go, Gene."
"Thanks, Mel." He pulled back my pants leg, dipped the rag in the water, and started cleaning my leg. "Hope you don't plan on using this rag again."
Mel smiled. "Nah. Oh, and I contacted a physician to come set Jim's ankle."
Gene smiled back. "Thanks."
Mel came over to my side, sat down, and started stroking my hair. "Don't worry, Jim. It's going to be all right."
Now it was my turn to smiled at her in spite of my pain. "Thanks, Mel."
Just then, the door slammed and the noises of an irritated Ctarl- Ctarl sounded in the kitchen.
"Hey, where's everyone?" She walked down the hall, looking in all directions and saw us. "Oh, THERE you are!! Why was there a doctor at the door-MEOW! What happened to Jim?"
Mel stood up. "Oh, the doctor! Aisha, Jim fell down the stairs and broke his ankle."
Aisha shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. That goes to show how vunerable you humans are!"
"Would that include me?"
Aisha spun around. "SUZU!!"
Suzuka took Melfina's place at my side. I turned my head as far as I could. "Hey, Suzuka!"
Just then, Mel and some old dude came into the room.
".Yes, sir, he fell down the stairs right there."
"And how old is this boy?"
"Eleven."
He looked at me and was startled. "Oh, you mean eleven YEARS! I thought you meant."
I propped myself on my elbows and asked "Excuse me sir, but do I look like I contain the intellect, height and physique of a baby to you? Now, I know I'm short, but I'm just a kid!"
He chuckled. "Now that I think of it, you do have the intellect of a genius!" He looked at Aisha and Suzuka. "You two, out."
Aisha looked like she wanted to put up a fight. "WHAT?? Excuse me sir, is that any way to talk to a MMPH!!" Suzuka placed a hand over Aisha's gaping mouth. "We'll make our leave. We'll just be in the way."
The doctor nodded. "Thank you."
After they left, the doctor started his work on my ankle.
* * *
A few hours later, the Doc sat back and wiped his brow. "Whew! That was the hardest ankle I've ever set! What do you drink, boy? And how did you break it so easily?"
"Milk, of course! Oh yeah. And some coffee. How did I break my ankle? I was going so fast down the stairs that I whacked it on something and also landed on it really hard."
"And you're faithful to the milk?"
"Every single day, Doc."
His eyebrows shot up and he looked proudly at Gene and Mel. "You must have some pretty dedicated parents, my boy!"
Spit flew everywhere as Gene started to look like he was choking.
The poor Doc looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?"
Gene regained his composure. "No, Doc, it's just that."
Mel finished for him. "We're not his real parents."
"On top of that," Gene stated "I'm only 20 years old. I'd be pretty young for a father of an eleven year-old, doncha think?"
The Doc shook his head. "I just assumed." He looked at me again, this time suspiciously. "Where's your father?"
I blinked. "My father's dead. Why do you ask?"
"I'm so sorry to hear that. Who was he?"
"My father was.hey, why do you even wanna know who my father is?"
He continued. "You look strangely familiar. Are you related to a Michael Hawking, by any chance?"
I bolted right up. "Wait a minute. How do you know him?"
The Doc blinked. "You look awfully like an old fellow classmate of mine. He and I studied machines together. Only, I found people a lot easier than machines, and you can actually communicate well with them."
My mouth gaped. "No way!! Michael Hawking is my father!"
He must have noticed I was straining, so he shoved me back down. "Careful, boy! You're not quite used to a cast yet!"
"Gene has a castor and I'm quite used to that!" I joked.
"Let's see about that, Jim." Gene pretended to get his castor.
The Doc started to write something down. "Yeah, quite the engineer, your father was. Always was ahead. He even aided in the making of an experimental ship called the XGP."
I nodded. "He was always busy, but he did teach me a lot."
"What do you do now?"
I leaned back a little more. "I'm partners with Gene in a parts shop." That wasn't entirely the truth, but what else could I say?
The Doc finished writing and handed the piece of paper to Gene. "This is a checklist of what you should do. He is not to put any weight on that foot for about a few months."
My eyes shot wide open. "Ya mean I hafta sit still that long? Can't I use crutches or somethin'?"
"Of course you can use crutches. What I mean is that you can't do too much more in your shop until that ankle of yours is completely healed.
I spread my arms out, threw myself back into bed, and sighed.
Just then, Aisha popped her head in. "Excuse me, but may we come back in now?"
The Doc stood completely up. "I'd better get going. It was nice getting to know you guys, especially Michael Hawking's son."
Gene reached into his pocket and pulled out some money.
The Doc put out his hand and shook his head. "No, it's all right. I knew his father, remember?"
Gene put the whong back into his pocket. "You sure?"
The Doc smiled. "Absolutely. See, his father saved my life once, and this is my way to repay my debt, to his son." Then he turned around. "By the way, boy, what's your name?"
"Jim."
"Jim, huh? I remember you. You've grown up so much. Michael would be very proud of you."
Then he smiled once more, nodded at the others, and left.
"Jim! Are you all right?!" Gene and Mel rushed to my side.
I glared at Gene and growled. I looked at my left leg, which was covered in blood. "See, what did I tell you?!"
Gene just scratched his head. "Can you get up?"
I stood up, but fell down again. "Owww."
"What hurts?" Mel asked.
"M-my left ankle.I-I think it's-" I stammered before the room started to black out.
Gene shook me. "Jim, hang in there! Mel, go boil some water!!"
I snapped out of it. "Gene, wouldja just stop worryin' about me? You're giving me a headache!!"
Gene shook his head. "First, let's get you upstairs and find out what's wrong." He started to pick me up.
"Don't drop me!" I teased in a mousy voice as he lifted me up. Another tremendous jolt of pain shot through my leg. "OWWWW!"
* * *
Gene gently placed me on my bed and started to look at my ankle. "Ok, Jim. For one thing, your ankle is twice the size of your other one."
I looked and noticed it for the first time.
Gene continued to examine it. "And you need to be seen by a doctor."
I now looked at him. "Aniki! Can't YOU tell me what is wrong??"
"It's not a problem I can fix, Jim."
"THEN TELL ME WHAT IT IS!!!!!"
Gene smiled at me. "You don't like the doctor, do you? You're just like any other little kid."
I glared at him. "I'm NOT a little kid!"
He sternly looked at me. "I know, but you're sure ACTING like one! You need to settle down first before I tell you anything!"
I took a deep breath. Gene looked at my knuckles, which were pure white from gripping the bed. I released them and took another deep breath.
Gene continued. "Thank you. Now, what do you get when you have two ankles on one leg?"
I gave him another look. "Nice sense of humor you got, Starwind. That's what I was trying to tell you!!"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I blanked out. That happens when you pass out, Gene!"
Mel came in with a pot of hot water and a clean dish rag. "Here you go, Gene."
"Thanks, Mel." He pulled back my pants leg, dipped the rag in the water, and started cleaning my leg. "Hope you don't plan on using this rag again."
Mel smiled. "Nah. Oh, and I contacted a physician to come set Jim's ankle."
Gene smiled back. "Thanks."
Mel came over to my side, sat down, and started stroking my hair. "Don't worry, Jim. It's going to be all right."
Now it was my turn to smiled at her in spite of my pain. "Thanks, Mel."
Just then, the door slammed and the noises of an irritated Ctarl- Ctarl sounded in the kitchen.
"Hey, where's everyone?" She walked down the hall, looking in all directions and saw us. "Oh, THERE you are!! Why was there a doctor at the door-MEOW! What happened to Jim?"
Mel stood up. "Oh, the doctor! Aisha, Jim fell down the stairs and broke his ankle."
Aisha shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. That goes to show how vunerable you humans are!"
"Would that include me?"
Aisha spun around. "SUZU!!"
Suzuka took Melfina's place at my side. I turned my head as far as I could. "Hey, Suzuka!"
Just then, Mel and some old dude came into the room.
".Yes, sir, he fell down the stairs right there."
"And how old is this boy?"
"Eleven."
He looked at me and was startled. "Oh, you mean eleven YEARS! I thought you meant."
I propped myself on my elbows and asked "Excuse me sir, but do I look like I contain the intellect, height and physique of a baby to you? Now, I know I'm short, but I'm just a kid!"
He chuckled. "Now that I think of it, you do have the intellect of a genius!" He looked at Aisha and Suzuka. "You two, out."
Aisha looked like she wanted to put up a fight. "WHAT?? Excuse me sir, is that any way to talk to a MMPH!!" Suzuka placed a hand over Aisha's gaping mouth. "We'll make our leave. We'll just be in the way."
The doctor nodded. "Thank you."
After they left, the doctor started his work on my ankle.
* * *
A few hours later, the Doc sat back and wiped his brow. "Whew! That was the hardest ankle I've ever set! What do you drink, boy? And how did you break it so easily?"
"Milk, of course! Oh yeah. And some coffee. How did I break my ankle? I was going so fast down the stairs that I whacked it on something and also landed on it really hard."
"And you're faithful to the milk?"
"Every single day, Doc."
His eyebrows shot up and he looked proudly at Gene and Mel. "You must have some pretty dedicated parents, my boy!"
Spit flew everywhere as Gene started to look like he was choking.
The poor Doc looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?"
Gene regained his composure. "No, Doc, it's just that."
Mel finished for him. "We're not his real parents."
"On top of that," Gene stated "I'm only 20 years old. I'd be pretty young for a father of an eleven year-old, doncha think?"
The Doc shook his head. "I just assumed." He looked at me again, this time suspiciously. "Where's your father?"
I blinked. "My father's dead. Why do you ask?"
"I'm so sorry to hear that. Who was he?"
"My father was.hey, why do you even wanna know who my father is?"
He continued. "You look strangely familiar. Are you related to a Michael Hawking, by any chance?"
I bolted right up. "Wait a minute. How do you know him?"
The Doc blinked. "You look awfully like an old fellow classmate of mine. He and I studied machines together. Only, I found people a lot easier than machines, and you can actually communicate well with them."
My mouth gaped. "No way!! Michael Hawking is my father!"
He must have noticed I was straining, so he shoved me back down. "Careful, boy! You're not quite used to a cast yet!"
"Gene has a castor and I'm quite used to that!" I joked.
"Let's see about that, Jim." Gene pretended to get his castor.
The Doc started to write something down. "Yeah, quite the engineer, your father was. Always was ahead. He even aided in the making of an experimental ship called the XGP."
I nodded. "He was always busy, but he did teach me a lot."
"What do you do now?"
I leaned back a little more. "I'm partners with Gene in a parts shop." That wasn't entirely the truth, but what else could I say?
The Doc finished writing and handed the piece of paper to Gene. "This is a checklist of what you should do. He is not to put any weight on that foot for about a few months."
My eyes shot wide open. "Ya mean I hafta sit still that long? Can't I use crutches or somethin'?"
"Of course you can use crutches. What I mean is that you can't do too much more in your shop until that ankle of yours is completely healed.
I spread my arms out, threw myself back into bed, and sighed.
Just then, Aisha popped her head in. "Excuse me, but may we come back in now?"
The Doc stood completely up. "I'd better get going. It was nice getting to know you guys, especially Michael Hawking's son."
Gene reached into his pocket and pulled out some money.
The Doc put out his hand and shook his head. "No, it's all right. I knew his father, remember?"
Gene put the whong back into his pocket. "You sure?"
The Doc smiled. "Absolutely. See, his father saved my life once, and this is my way to repay my debt, to his son." Then he turned around. "By the way, boy, what's your name?"
"Jim."
"Jim, huh? I remember you. You've grown up so much. Michael would be very proud of you."
Then he smiled once more, nodded at the others, and left.