kotor drabbles, atton rand
Title: Where Few Tread
Fandom: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Characters: Jaq (Atton) and Hal
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 500 (five drabbles)
Summary: "I think I've still got some childhood memories you haven't managed to rip out of me yet."
(door)
Gena peeked around the door frame to see Hal holding the baby delicately in his bulky arms. "Your screams are enough to wake the dead, kid," Hal grumbled.
Jaq responded by crying louder. Gena was stopped from rescuing father and son from each other when she heard the notes of a lullaby. Hal's voice was booming and off-key, and he skipped half the words, but it was undoubtedly the song she sang every night to put Jaq to sleep.
"You like that, huh?" Hal grinned at the cooing baby. "If you ever tell your mum I was singing, you're grounded."
(window)
Every doctor he saw passing in and out of the door made his stomach twist further. He leaned against his mother. "Is Dad gonna die?"
"Oh, sweetheart, of course not." She pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. "He'll get better."
"Then why can't I see him?"
"Well..." She took his hand and led him to the door, lifting him so he could see his father through the window; laying very still, his face white. Jaq felt like throwing up.
Hal turned suddenly, looking in Jaq's direction. His hand raised, fingers wiggling. Jaq grinned and waved back.
(walls)
Jaq sat on the lid of the fresher, wincing as rough hands bandaged up his arm.
"You look like one big bruise, kid," Hal said. "Why don't you ever fight back?"
"Dad," Jaq whined, "those jerks are like five times bigger than me."
"Well, don't come crying to me when you get beat up 'cause you can't stand up for yourself."
"I never cry, Dad. And I can too stand up for myself." Jaq pointed to a spider skittering up the wall. "Those creeps are gonna have a present in their lockers tomorrow."
Hal ruffled Jaq's hair. "That's my boy."
(roof)
Hal paused in his hammering when he saw the kid shuffling down the path. "Hey, Jaq," he called down, "come help your old man fix this roof."
Jaq didn't look up. "Homework, Dad."
Always an excuse. "It's supposed to rain tonight."
"I'll sleep in a jacket," Jaq said, starting for the door.
Hal clamped his teeth down on his tongue to keep a string of nasty words from escaping his mouth. "Your mother says we should spend more time together," he said after a moment, his voice strained.
Jaq let his backpack drop to the ground. "Fine," he muttered. "Whatever."
(floor)
He slid to the floor, the thin carpet failing to protect his backside from the cement underneath. Jaq groaned, leaning his head against the bed-frame.
He stared down at his hands, which clutched his lightsaber and the half-empty bottle of booze. "It's not my fault he's dead," he told himself. "Idiot was drunk and attacked me. Always wanted me to defend myself." He laughed harshly.
Pain shot through his face. His right eye was probably blind, or would be by the time he was sober enough to drag himself to a hospital. Jaq raised the bottle. "Here's to you, Dad."
Fandom: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Characters: Jaq (Atton) and Hal
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 500 (five drabbles)
Summary: "I think I've still got some childhood memories you haven't managed to rip out of me yet."
(door)
Gena peeked around the door frame to see Hal holding the baby delicately in his bulky arms. "Your screams are enough to wake the dead, kid," Hal grumbled.
Jaq responded by crying louder. Gena was stopped from rescuing father and son from each other when she heard the notes of a lullaby. Hal's voice was booming and off-key, and he skipped half the words, but it was undoubtedly the song she sang every night to put Jaq to sleep.
"You like that, huh?" Hal grinned at the cooing baby. "If you ever tell your mum I was singing, you're grounded."
(window)
Every doctor he saw passing in and out of the door made his stomach twist further. He leaned against his mother. "Is Dad gonna die?"
"Oh, sweetheart, of course not." She pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. "He'll get better."
"Then why can't I see him?"
"Well..." She took his hand and led him to the door, lifting him so he could see his father through the window; laying very still, his face white. Jaq felt like throwing up.
Hal turned suddenly, looking in Jaq's direction. His hand raised, fingers wiggling. Jaq grinned and waved back.
(walls)
Jaq sat on the lid of the fresher, wincing as rough hands bandaged up his arm.
"You look like one big bruise, kid," Hal said. "Why don't you ever fight back?"
"Dad," Jaq whined, "those jerks are like five times bigger than me."
"Well, don't come crying to me when you get beat up 'cause you can't stand up for yourself."
"I never cry, Dad. And I can too stand up for myself." Jaq pointed to a spider skittering up the wall. "Those creeps are gonna have a present in their lockers tomorrow."
Hal ruffled Jaq's hair. "That's my boy."
(roof)
Hal paused in his hammering when he saw the kid shuffling down the path. "Hey, Jaq," he called down, "come help your old man fix this roof."
Jaq didn't look up. "Homework, Dad."
Always an excuse. "It's supposed to rain tonight."
"I'll sleep in a jacket," Jaq said, starting for the door.
Hal clamped his teeth down on his tongue to keep a string of nasty words from escaping his mouth. "Your mother says we should spend more time together," he said after a moment, his voice strained.
Jaq let his backpack drop to the ground. "Fine," he muttered. "Whatever."
(floor)
He slid to the floor, the thin carpet failing to protect his backside from the cement underneath. Jaq groaned, leaning his head against the bed-frame.
He stared down at his hands, which clutched his lightsaber and the half-empty bottle of booze. "It's not my fault he's dead," he told himself. "Idiot was drunk and attacked me. Always wanted me to defend myself." He laughed harshly.
Pain shot through his face. His right eye was probably blind, or would be by the time he was sober enough to drag himself to a hospital. Jaq raised the bottle. "Here's to you, Dad."