Chapter VI - A Red Dwarf Carol

Laying in his dunk Rimmer was quite content with the warm glow of the heaters before they where shut off. His face went from a warm smile to one of discontent and anguish, hopping out of bed he looked at the heaters and went to turn them on, but as he reached out the top of sleeping hat fell down over his face.

Stopping he looked at what he was wearing, seeing it was a large sleeping gown, with a night cap ending in large soft ball. Putting that aside he moved towards the heaters to see what was wrong with them, finding nothing wrong with them he followed the cables to the outlets. Where he found they had been turned off, but as flicked them back on, the light coming of from them illuminated someone else in the room. Turning around Rimmer caught sight of the figure and jumped back, as they where sat in top dunk above his own.

"Lister what are you doing, I said I wanted no part in this." he said walking over to face him.

He jumped down and stood before Rimmer "Oh I'm not David Lister, I am the ghost of Christmas Past." he said and wiggled his fingers as he made a spooky sound.

"Oh, come of it Lister, I never celebrated Christmas when I was alive, I don't want to do it know."

"Really but about when you where a boy."

"Lister I already told you, I didn't celebrate Christmas."

With a smug smile Lister clicked his finger's and where taken back to Rimmer's child hood home.

The room was decorated up for the holiday, the tree was done up and the family was gathered around it opening gifts. A young boy Rimmer was watching his brothers John, Howard & Frank played with their new toy blasters, as their father watched on proudly, as their mother sat knelt by the tree with Rimmer as he looked at his socks.

"What's this, did you ring up a old holiday photo, and that's what were in?" he asked "Or did you prop my mind and were in a memory."

"Neither this your past." insisted the Ghost.

"So what your trying to Scrooge me, is that it?"

"No, I'm here to make you change your ways, but showing you how much you loved Christmas."

"Love the only thing I loved about Christmas, was for about every year what I mainly got was socks."

"Well at least you never ran out."

"If you must know I wasn't wearing on my feet. But they stopped after mother mixed up mine and daddy dearest over there one week, and he had to go to work in crusty old socks on."

"Look, Rimmer why do you hate Christmas so much."

"Why, I'll tell you why. Heck I'd show you if this was real, then wares the bit were Frank decides to shoot me, and it misses and I end up in the I.C.U. for the week."

As he spoke the word, John came racing past as Frank was shooting at him, as he was aiming down towards John, he moved and set his sight's on Rimmer and fired the shot. Landing right in groin, Rimmer fell over as he caused a chain reaction to have the Christmas tree to fall on him.

"If this was a photo or a memory how did that happen?" asked the Ghost.

"You have me plugged in to the interface, and me saying it triggered my memory to bring it up."

"All right what ever you say Rimmer."

"But answer me this, did you get nothing you wanted on Christmas, ever?"

"No, to get something I wanted in my house at Christmas, It was never about being good or bad, but getting good grades or doing well at work." Rimmer sighed. "And even if I got wanted I wanted, it would be because my mother would get it for with with out father knowing. And of course those two twats would always nick it."

"Why not tell your mum?"

"I tired, but in telling her she knew if she took it back the boys would tell the fat old git who would then take it away, and if I told him he would do nothing in the first place."

"Sorry Rimmer, I can see why you hate Christmas."

"Know listen here me-lad-o, I want you to stop this."

Lister laughed and clicked his fingers and they where gone.