No Time to Waste
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
A/N: I am NOT a fan of repeating dialog. If I brush over parts of conversations, that's why. Trust me, you aren't missing anything, because you've heard it already.
`
Chapter 5
Family
`
When Matt and Dr. Gordon arrived, they found both of his parents waiting outside of Lizzie's room. Matt stopped in his tracks and turned suspiciously to Dr. Gordon. "How is it both of them are here, right when and where you brought me to look for them?"
"Relax, Matt, I haven't told them anything about this. When could I, when we've been together the whole time? I asked both of them yesterday to be here this morning in the hope that we would have worked your problem out. We did, didn't we?"
Matt looked relieved. "Yes, we did. Thank you. I wasn't looking forward to going though this any more then necessary. Are you too busy to be with us when I tell them?"
"Matt, you really can trust them."
"Yeah, well, it's not just that. I'll probably mess up the part about why I'm not guilty of anything, and I'll need you to say it right."
Dr. Gordon had to chuckle at that. "Very well, Matt. I'll join you."
With that, Matt walked to slowly to his parents. "Mom, Dad. I know you've been worried about me. I'm sorry I didn't come to you earlier, but I'm ready to now. Can we go somewhere to talk? To four of us, I mean. There are parts of it Dr. Gordon can say better than I can."
"Sure, Matt," Jo replied, "there's a waiting room down the hall that's usually empty this time of day."
When the door was closed and they all sat down, Matt started his tale. His parents just sat there as he spoke, struck dumb by both the story and the sincerity of the young man telling it. Finally, when Matt finished, Sam managed to speak. "Matt, while I wish you had come to us earlier, I remember being your age, the fear, unsure of where your place is, doubting everything. Add to that the burden you put on yourself, and I understand why it took so long. But, Matt, always remember that, no matter what, your mother and I love you and believe in you."
Jo jumped in here. "While that doesn't mean we'll always agree with the choices you might make, you can always come to us, with as few questions and "I told you sos" as possible. As for this situation, we agree with Dr. Gordon. We know you love Lizzie. We could never doubt that. As for your feelings for Miranda." Here she paused, not wanting to mess this up. "While every parent wants their children to grow up, no mother likes to admit that her babies are growing up. I'll probably make mistakes, and I ask for your forgiveness in advance. It's so hard for me to believe that you could really be in love, young as you are, but I find that I can't doubt your sincerity in this. All I ask is that you be careful, take things slowly, for my sake."
Matt suddenly got a mischievous grin. "What, not ready for grand kids yet."
Both men started laughing as Jo paled, then got the joke. "Matt, please don't do that to me."
`
As they left the room, Matt asked to have the next watch with Lizzie. "I have a lot of thinking to do about how to tell Miranda so that she might believe me, and I should start spending time with Lizzie." Before anyone else could speak, they heard a panicked scream . . . from Lizzie's room.
"Oh, shit, LIZZIE!" Matt exclaimed as all four broke into a sprint.
~~~~~~~~
As the nurse finished checking on Lizzie's IVs and monitoring equipment, Lizzie slowly awoke.
"Ow. What . . . where . . . gordo, ohmygod, Gordo, where is he, WHERE IS HE?!?" (A/N: That was the scream.)
The nurse turned at the sound of the voice, and tried to calm her down. "Miss, please, you need to calm down, you're still weak."
"NO, I HAVE TO FIND HIM! WHERE IS HE! WHERE IS HE!!!"
`
A voice from her door broke though the noise "ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!"
`
The voice left no room for refusal, and silence suddenly filled the room, save for Lizzie's soft, distraught whimpering. The voice's owner approached her. "You need to calm down. You were hurt bad."
Lizzie's voice was now barely a whisper. "Must find him."
The voice sighed. "If that's what it takes, so be it." With that, the voice's owner placed arms carefully under Lizzie and lifted her into a cradling position. "Bring those" the voice's owner ordered the still shocked nurse, nodding at the two racks of gear and bottles. Afraid of challenging the voice's owner, she complied.
As the strange parade passed the other three, they just stared in awe at the scene unfolding before them.
Reaching Gordo's room, they found him alone. The voice's owner went to the chair next to the bed and sat down, Lizzie in his lap. "Here he is, sis. He's still very much alive. I fact, the thing they were most afraid of isn't a big deal after all."
"Thank you, Matt."
"Now, you listen to me VERY carefully. YOU were hurt badly in that crash. These casts on your arm and leg and the wrapping around your waist are here for a reason. Also, one of your lungs was punctured, collapsed, and is still heeling. Screaming can only make you worse. Please, for yourself, for all of us who love you, and for your future with Gordo, please take it easy, okay?"
"I will. Thank you."
"Come on, I should take you back before the doctors call the cops." With that, Matt carefully stood, again carrying Lizzie in a cradle position. "Lordy, sis, I can't believe how much you weigh."
That got Matt a playful slap on the shoulder, a grin, and a mock "Oh, you!" from his sister.
~~~~~~~~
From the hallway, the adults watched as Matt gently sat Lizzie back on her bed.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes . . . " Jo said, tears of joy shining her cheeks.
"I know," Sam added, his own tears showing, "He's not a baby anymore."
~~~~~~~~
Next Chapter: To tell Miranda. Plus another awakening.
A/N: I ask all of you who are old enough to remember to read my poem "The Final Challenge". It is about the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, written it about a year after it happened.
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
A/N: I am NOT a fan of repeating dialog. If I brush over parts of conversations, that's why. Trust me, you aren't missing anything, because you've heard it already.
`
Chapter 5
Family
`
When Matt and Dr. Gordon arrived, they found both of his parents waiting outside of Lizzie's room. Matt stopped in his tracks and turned suspiciously to Dr. Gordon. "How is it both of them are here, right when and where you brought me to look for them?"
"Relax, Matt, I haven't told them anything about this. When could I, when we've been together the whole time? I asked both of them yesterday to be here this morning in the hope that we would have worked your problem out. We did, didn't we?"
Matt looked relieved. "Yes, we did. Thank you. I wasn't looking forward to going though this any more then necessary. Are you too busy to be with us when I tell them?"
"Matt, you really can trust them."
"Yeah, well, it's not just that. I'll probably mess up the part about why I'm not guilty of anything, and I'll need you to say it right."
Dr. Gordon had to chuckle at that. "Very well, Matt. I'll join you."
With that, Matt walked to slowly to his parents. "Mom, Dad. I know you've been worried about me. I'm sorry I didn't come to you earlier, but I'm ready to now. Can we go somewhere to talk? To four of us, I mean. There are parts of it Dr. Gordon can say better than I can."
"Sure, Matt," Jo replied, "there's a waiting room down the hall that's usually empty this time of day."
When the door was closed and they all sat down, Matt started his tale. His parents just sat there as he spoke, struck dumb by both the story and the sincerity of the young man telling it. Finally, when Matt finished, Sam managed to speak. "Matt, while I wish you had come to us earlier, I remember being your age, the fear, unsure of where your place is, doubting everything. Add to that the burden you put on yourself, and I understand why it took so long. But, Matt, always remember that, no matter what, your mother and I love you and believe in you."
Jo jumped in here. "While that doesn't mean we'll always agree with the choices you might make, you can always come to us, with as few questions and "I told you sos" as possible. As for this situation, we agree with Dr. Gordon. We know you love Lizzie. We could never doubt that. As for your feelings for Miranda." Here she paused, not wanting to mess this up. "While every parent wants their children to grow up, no mother likes to admit that her babies are growing up. I'll probably make mistakes, and I ask for your forgiveness in advance. It's so hard for me to believe that you could really be in love, young as you are, but I find that I can't doubt your sincerity in this. All I ask is that you be careful, take things slowly, for my sake."
Matt suddenly got a mischievous grin. "What, not ready for grand kids yet."
Both men started laughing as Jo paled, then got the joke. "Matt, please don't do that to me."
`
As they left the room, Matt asked to have the next watch with Lizzie. "I have a lot of thinking to do about how to tell Miranda so that she might believe me, and I should start spending time with Lizzie." Before anyone else could speak, they heard a panicked scream . . . from Lizzie's room.
"Oh, shit, LIZZIE!" Matt exclaimed as all four broke into a sprint.
~~~~~~~~
As the nurse finished checking on Lizzie's IVs and monitoring equipment, Lizzie slowly awoke.
"Ow. What . . . where . . . gordo, ohmygod, Gordo, where is he, WHERE IS HE?!?" (A/N: That was the scream.)
The nurse turned at the sound of the voice, and tried to calm her down. "Miss, please, you need to calm down, you're still weak."
"NO, I HAVE TO FIND HIM! WHERE IS HE! WHERE IS HE!!!"
`
A voice from her door broke though the noise "ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!"
`
The voice left no room for refusal, and silence suddenly filled the room, save for Lizzie's soft, distraught whimpering. The voice's owner approached her. "You need to calm down. You were hurt bad."
Lizzie's voice was now barely a whisper. "Must find him."
The voice sighed. "If that's what it takes, so be it." With that, the voice's owner placed arms carefully under Lizzie and lifted her into a cradling position. "Bring those" the voice's owner ordered the still shocked nurse, nodding at the two racks of gear and bottles. Afraid of challenging the voice's owner, she complied.
As the strange parade passed the other three, they just stared in awe at the scene unfolding before them.
Reaching Gordo's room, they found him alone. The voice's owner went to the chair next to the bed and sat down, Lizzie in his lap. "Here he is, sis. He's still very much alive. I fact, the thing they were most afraid of isn't a big deal after all."
"Thank you, Matt."
"Now, you listen to me VERY carefully. YOU were hurt badly in that crash. These casts on your arm and leg and the wrapping around your waist are here for a reason. Also, one of your lungs was punctured, collapsed, and is still heeling. Screaming can only make you worse. Please, for yourself, for all of us who love you, and for your future with Gordo, please take it easy, okay?"
"I will. Thank you."
"Come on, I should take you back before the doctors call the cops." With that, Matt carefully stood, again carrying Lizzie in a cradle position. "Lordy, sis, I can't believe how much you weigh."
That got Matt a playful slap on the shoulder, a grin, and a mock "Oh, you!" from his sister.
~~~~~~~~
From the hallway, the adults watched as Matt gently sat Lizzie back on her bed.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes . . . " Jo said, tears of joy shining her cheeks.
"I know," Sam added, his own tears showing, "He's not a baby anymore."
~~~~~~~~
Next Chapter: To tell Miranda. Plus another awakening.
A/N: I ask all of you who are old enough to remember to read my poem "The Final Challenge". It is about the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, written it about a year after it happened.