Little Boy Lost



Log Title: Little Boy Lost

Characters: Lifeline, Spike, Susan Witwicky

Location: Seattle

Date: 1979

TP: Flashback

Summary: 

A just-out-of high school Lifeline is hoping to forget his family woes with a Saturday night out with some friends. However, his pre-GI Joe DNA cause him to come to the aid of boy who was separated from his mother. It's a chance encounter, so don't expect the two to ever meet one another again after this encounter.

Downtown Seattle: 1979
It's a Saturday night - in Seattle. The city's bustling. Downtown is busy. The Witwicky family is visiting on vacation. And Spike, ever the inquisitive 9-year-old wanted to look at something REAL quick, but when he turned his head, his mom is gone! And maybe in indictment of the 'me' generation, no one seems to care that a wide-eyed 9-year-old with a Flash Gordon shirt is near a parking lot, utterly lost and slightly terrified. His eyes widen the size of saucers as he looks around feverishly "Mom?! Mom??!! Mom???!!!"

Amazingly...30 years from now, Spike will be with kid, have a VERY different childhood than he has now, and would be drinking coffee with a doctor by the name of Edwin...

Edwin pulls into a nearby parking space, his 1974 AMC Gremlin showing signs of premature age and wear as it coughs and sputters a few times even after the engine's been shut off. Ed gets out, and sees an unattended kid nearby. This in and of itself isn't a strange thing, except this kid's pretty young, in distress, and parking lots are no place to loiter. "Hey, little guy, let's come over here to the curb. What happened? Where'd your parents go?"

Spike grits his teeth, it's still at the year where you're not supposed to talk to strangers, but the rules still may be lax enough - maybe not talk to "creepy?" strangers?

GAME: Spike PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

Spike approaches Edwin, but skeptically. He nod nods, a few tears falling down his eyes. "I...I don't know! We were just...we were just looking! And then...I saw something that looked kinda cool...I turned around, and she was gone!"

Spike 's nine-year-old bravado and bluster is all but gone as he's in a whole, brand, new big city now - alone. And he may never find his mom again!

Spike mutters and sniffles, "We're from Portland..."

Ed seems nice enough. He hasn't done anything creepy like invade the kid's personal space. He's even gotten him out of parking lot traffic, so that's a plus. "Well, you know what? Everything's going to be OK," he says with a kind smile. "When someone loses something, what do they usually do? If you lose a toy, where do you go to find it again? -- Well, you go to the same place you were when you last saw it, don't you? So let's go have a seat over here on this bench...and I'll bet you that your Mom will be back around really soon. C'mon." He has a seat on a wooden bench.

"So you came here from Portland. This probably seems like a crazy-big city to you," Edwin muses.

Spike looks at Ed and nods slowly. He slowly climbs on the bench and sits. He's still at the age where his feet dangle freely on the bench. Spike nods, looking around, "Yea...this is like...TEN TIMES what Portland is!" Spike cranes his neck, looking desperately for his mom.

Spike pauses and looks at Ed, and for some reason, despite his extremely young age, he seems to be extremely approachable.

In the downtown area, the bench is well lit. People are coming and going as they please. Sure, there are some scary 'punks', but there are also families with kids walking. It may not put Spike at ease, but the environment at least isn't the stuff of nightmares.

Edwin looks like he's barely out of high school, maybe a little younger. He's got the whole tinted glasses/long hair layers thing going, and Spike might even notice that the older boy's got the remnant bruisings of a black eye healing up. "Don't worry, we'll stay right here until she sees you -- and if she takes too long, we can always call the police over on that phone over there. I think you'll like Seattle. I've got a little sister who's just a little bit older than you, she loves her school. The schools here are great, you'll probably make tons of new friends."

Spike shakes his head. "No! We're just on vacation! Mom wanted to take a trip to the city!" Spike looks at Ed's tinted glasses.

GAME: Spike PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

Spike can't help but continue to look, not armed with any subtlety yet. Spike's nose scrunches with concern. "Did you... get into a fight?"

"Nah, I can't see too good. I tripped down some stairs and landed face-down," Edwin chuckles, trying to just laugh it off. "This is why you should get your vision checked every year." Never mind that he's already wearing glasses. "Sorry I wasn't paying very good attention before. I came here to meet up with a friend and get some movie tickets, and I had that on my mind." He smiles at the little boy. "So which do you like more, Star Wars, Star Trek, or Superman?"

A huge grin crosses Spike's face and he takes off his Star Wars backpack. "Star Wars!" He frowns "I don't really get Star Trek. There's too much talking!" A few seconds of silence pass between the two. When Ed said 'we'll sit' - it seemed to put him at far greater ease. He wipes the last of the tears from his eyes and continues to sit with his new friend. His legs swing slightly from the bench as his feet are just a few short inches from being able to touch the sidewalk and he grins at Ed again.

"What do YOU like?""

(Well, how am I supposed to answer *that*,) Edwin ponders, (I'm not about to tell some poor kid I'd rather be watching Cheech & Chong any day of the week.) "I like two kinds of aliens: heroic ones like Superman, and super-scary ones like the ones in 'Alien'," Edwin answers. "But I love all kinds of movies. Star Wars, how are they going to make a 'part two' to Star Wars?? The first movie was the best movie ever made!"

Spike grins even bigger, beaming now. "My dad - he let me watch 'Alien' when we were over at grandma's - they have HBO! It was soooooooo scary! It gave me nightmares!" Spike then stands up on the bench, to sit on his knees, fully facing his new friend, Ed. "Well, remember - Darth Vader - he escaped! So, maybe not ALL of the Empire was defeated?!" His eyes widen in enthusiasm "And maybe Luke can be like a Jedi!"

"I just can't believe we gotta wait ANOTHER year for it to come out!"

Ed chuckles at Spike's enthusiasm. "Oh, absolutely, Luke can be a Jedi. He's got a long way to go, but he's already on his way." This is what he loves best about children and movies: the movie can be completely crappy, and a kid will *still* find it fantastic if it's got characters he or she can relate to.

About this time, a girl maybe 2 or 3 years older than Spike comes roller-skating over, her black hair pulled up in two long, braided pigtails. "Ed, who's this?" she asks, regarding Spike curiously.

"Oh, he's OK, we're just waiting for his Mom, that's all," Edwin says, wanting to spare the boy extra embarrassment.

Stephanie nods. "Oh." She pulls open a tote bag, and offers Spike one of those twirly lollipops...

Spike looks on in absolute terror of ... a girl. Mainly because she's kinda cute...in a totally gross way.

"Aww. Hey, um...this is Stephanie, my little sister," Edwin explains to the wide-eyed boy.

"I had an extra one, you can have it," Stephanie urges Spike with a smile.

Spike takes the twirly lollipop from Stephanie. "Thank you..." his messed-up hair, scrappy, but not malnourished frame probably shows a definite blue collar background, but his manners are pretty impeccable. '

"I'm Spike."

Spike extends his hand for a handshake. Kinda corny, but his dad has hammered this slightly dated token of greeting since before he can remember. Firm handshake son, that's how they know you're a real man!

"Do I still have time to rollerskate?" Stephanie asks Edwin, who had arrived to pick her up.

"Yeah, sure. I don't want to leave Spike here alone," Edwin admits. (Spike, now there's a name you don't hear every day,) he thinks.

"Okay. Nice to meet you, Spike." She shakes Spike's offered hand quizzically. Then -- zoom! Off goes Stephanie, in a twirl of pigtails and rainbow colors.

Edwin can't help himself, he's chuckling. "Someone's taught you well on how to make a good impression," he says with a broad grin.

As Spike, Stephanie and Ed talk, a gang of kinds walks past them, talking about Pink Floyd. The trail they leave is rather...skunky - and perhaps indicative of Ed's night ahead. But to Spike, the odor is only repugnant (but he'll get to know it during that first Carly -less year in college - and even a little during his married year). The odor makes Spike's nose scrunch again and he sticks his tongue out briefly as if he just smelled expired milk.

Spike can't help but grin, and even...possibly...slightly crush? On Stephanie. Spike blinks and looks at Ed. "Huh?! Oh! Yeah... my dad."

Spike nurses the lollipop while he waits with Ed. He's still not at the age where he's polite enough to say 'I'm not keeping you, aren't I?' since he's still at that age where kids are pretty much the center of everything.

"Yeah, that's gross," Edwin lies, pretending to dislike the lingering scent from the group of kids. "You don't ever want to be one of *those* kids, trust me. Be your own person, that's what I say. Listen to your Mom and Dad, they sound like great people. If you have a great Mom and Dad, you're a very lucky boy."

Spike grins, "Yeah...they're pretty cool." He then gives Ed a knowing wink "'cept when they ground me!"

Spike opens his Star Wars backpack. It's stuffed with action figures, and even a few books, one is '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' another is a Peanuts collection. He finds his coveted Luke Skywalker action figure and clutches it like a security blanket.

"Wow, you've got quite a stash there," Edwin comments, raising a brow. "So you like to read? Do you have brothers and sisters who read to you?"

Spike shakes his head adamantly. "No...'I' read to my little brother ...when mom's not!" He nods with a hardcore seriousness.

Spike adds "I also play Star Wars with him. He's kinda dorky, he doesn't talk nearly as much as me, but he's super smart for his age!"

Spike suddenly thinks of something and he quickly bites his lower lip, trying to stifle a laugh.

Spike face turns slightly red again as he keeps playing the funny scene. The frightened kid of about 15 minutes ago is replaced now with how Spike typically behaves.

"Oh, so YOU'RE the big brother. See? That's what we have in common, right there," Ed says. "Yeah, little sisters and brothers can be a real pain in the butt."

Spike starts laughing, and then giggling. "Buster...my brother... when he first saw Chewbacca...he that it was Han Solo's DOG!" He giggles again, like it's the funniest joke Ed would ever hear.

"His DOG?? Like, he thought Chewbacca needed a muzzle? Ha!!!" Edwin laughs at this, too. He's just a bigger version of Spike, really. An older and more beaten-up version. But deep inside, he wants to laugh like a kid, too.

Spike is oblivious to Edwin's wounded interior as he giggles along with Ed. He catches his breath. But he giggles again at the visual of Chewbacca in a muzzle.

Ed reverts to silly mode. "Hi, I'm Han Solo, and this is my co-pilot, Benji. -- I mean, Chewie!"

Spike laughs again, uncontrollably "Or...or..or LASSIE!" (it's really not that funny, but heyah, it's another dog comparison!)

Ed realizes this would be way funnier if he was toking, but he's trying hard to stay off the grass at least in those times when he has to chaperone Stephanie around. And this little guy is just TOO funny. "Sounds like someone doesn't get space movies! He might as well think the aliens are Muppets!"

A few people grin as they see Ed and Spike interact. "Wow! What a nice big brother!" some may think while passing.

Spike scoffs, "YEAH! No kidding!"

Spike grins, looking up to Ed. "So...are you like in high school?"

Spike looks around, totally at ease now. He's no longer craning his neck looking for his mom. In fact, mom doesn't need to come around for another hour. He's cool with Ed.

"Yeah, well, I just finished...now I get to figure out what to do next. Maybe some college or something." Ed realizes how this sounds, and he amends it. "College is the best decision," he says quickly.

"What's college?", Spike asks.

"It's the school you go to *after* school. First, you do elementary school, then you go to junior high, and then to high school. When you finish grade 12, you don't *have* to go to any more school, but...by that time, you're almost all grown up, so it's a good idea to do college," Ed explains carefully, hoping to make it sound appealing.

Spike 's jaw noticeably drops as he hears this horrible news. "You mean you have to keep going AFTER high school!?"

Spike looks on in comedic, exaggerated disbelief. "I'd be like... 22!!"

"No, you don't *have* to go. Right now, you *have* to go, or else your parents get in trouble," Ed says. "Actually, you'll be about 18 when you don't have to go anymore. But think about it. Because...what to you want to be when you grow up?"

Spike thinks and says "I wanna fix things...like my dad..." He then thinks "But I also like writing."

Spike looks at Ed. "Like stories and stuff? That's kinda fun."

"Oh, see, if you like writing, you should go to college," Edwin says, and he can't help but grin a little because he's pretty sure this will earn him a stinkface from the kid.

Spike slowly, slowly makes said stink face. "Guess I'll fix cars then."

Spike grins and points to Ed, joking, "So...what do YOU want to be when YOU grow up?!"

Spike laughs "It's a joke because you're already grown-up!"

This gets Ed laughing pretty hard. "That's the most hilarious joke I've heard all year. You could be a comedian!" he exclaims. "Actually, right now, me and my friend are looking to become ambulance drivers."

Spike 's eyes widen in surprise and wonder. "REALLY?!" "That'd be AWESOME!"

Spike quickly shifts career paths since Ed planted a seed. "THAT's what I want to do, so I can help others!

Spike adds "Like Superman or Spider-Man!"

"Right?? You get to blast through traffic in a big van, and be a hero every day!" Edwin smiles. "Well, see...even for that -- college. College is important."

Spike rolls his eyes and sighs HARD. "Gah...You need college for EVERYTHING!"

Spike thinks this Ed is just absolutely TOO cool.

"Oh! Wanna see a magic trick?!"

"A magic trick? Sure, let's see," Edwin prompts.

Spike takes a dime out of his jeans. It's gotta be a dime. He puts the dime in his left palm, and places both palms face up. then, he clinches both hands and rubs his hands together and makes two fists. "Guess which one it's in..."

"

Ed's brow furrows in mock concentration, then he points to Spike's left hand, looking uncertain. "Ummmm...that one?"

Spike opens his left hand...nothing.

Spike moves his right wrist, in a very subtle gesture to get Ed to point to it.

Ed hesitates for a dramatic moment, then points to Spike's right hand.

Spike, with a severe look of concentration, opens his right hand to reveal...nothing! All of his fingers are spread apart...except for his middle and index finger in his right hand are suspiciously close together, and probably hiding the dime. But Ed doesn't know this. And as a result - Spike just blew...Ed's...mind.

"That. Was. AMAZING," Edwin says, giving Spike a round of applause for the effort.

Spike grins. "Thanks!"

Spike continues to hang. But as 9-year-old Spike, emotions are pretty much worn on his sleeve. And that grin suddenly melts to a look of utter crushing disappointment (much like if Ed were to see an ex-gf in the arms of someone else) - he looks on with saddened eyes as he sees a kid...with his parents... carrying a brand-new Atari 2600 and two games: Warlords and Kaboom.

"Ohhh, I see what you see there. You like that new Atari, don't you," Ed says.

Spike blinks, wow, is this guy a mind-reader. He nods, sighing, "Yeah...mom said it's too expensive."

Spike looks on sadly as ANOTHER kid walks away with his dream.

"Don't feel too bad, I mean...for us poor guys, there's always the arcade, right?" Ed smiles sympathetically. "The arcade is to video games as the library is to books. It's the people's house of games."

Spike gives a stern look at Ed, "And don't give me the 'If you ask Santa' stuff - I already know about THAT." He grins, "Yeah, I guess, AND the graphics at the arcade are WAY better!"

"Oh no, I understand completely. My Dad isn't poor, but he doesn't buy me anything, ever. So I know what you mean. If you get nothing, you get nothing, dude." Edwin smiles.

Out of the crowd, a brown/reddish-haired women looks around feverishly. She looks panic-stricken...and harried - the harried look that only comes with having a rambunctious, albeit well--meaning son like Spike - and another son on top of that.

Spike 's grin grows large as Ed said 'dude' to him!

Susan looks around, then spots Spike. "SPIKE!!!"

Edwin plays it cool, as Spike's mother comes by. He's not the local ax murderer. "See, look! What did I tell you?" he says to Spike, waving Susan over.

As cool as Ed is, it's nothing compared to mom. He bolts up, "MOM!" He darts toward Susan.

Susan then scoops Spike up and hugs him tightly. "Ohmygod! Ohmygod! I was so worried!" She places her palms on Spike's cheeks "Don't evereverevereverever do that again!"

This happy reunion gives Ed a warm feeling inside, something he typically doesn't ever feel. It makes him wish his own mother was still around, that's for sure.

Spike takes Susan's shaking hand and leads her over to Ed. "Hyeha! This is my new friend 'Ed'! We've been hangin' out waitin' for you!" And true to the times, Susan's expression is the exact opposite of a scowl, but a relieved look that SOME adult had the patience and time to tend to a very worried 9-year-old. She gives an exhausted, but appreciative look at Ed and extends her hand. "Oh...thank you. Thank you SO MUCH!"

Susan looks on at Ed - she definitely has that 'academic' look about her. "I've been...in a state of panic for the past half-hour!"

Spike looks up at Ed and grins widely.

Edwin smiles graciously, shaking Susan's hand. "Absolutely no trouble at all, ma'am. He's definitely got the gift of gab." And since he realizes that 'strangers' and 'candy' has a weird connotation, he adds, "My sister gave him the lollipop."

Susan brushes some stray hairs from her face. "I'm Susan..." She looks at the lollipop and waves a hand. "Oh...I know you're cool!"

Susan looks at Spike. "Ok...we are SUPER late now, but before we head back to the hotel, I think I need to buy a leash for you!" Spike looks at his mom and giggles, "No you don't, I'm not a DOG!" He giggles some more, 'cause that's funny.

(Wish any member of my family were even remotely like these people,) Edwin thinks sadly as the reunited mom & son move to depart. "Enjoy your stay," he says, a feeling of dread washing over him as he realizes he's probably going to get beaten for being late coming home.

Susan mutters at Spike, "Go get your backpack, sweetheart." And just out of earshot of Spike, Susan mutters to Ed, shaking her head "I'm SO sorry, he wasn't that much trouble, was he?!"

"No, not at all, ma'am," Edwin insists.

Before Spike leaves with mom, he turns around, looking at Eddie like he would with any of his classmate peers. "Now...if you're in Portland, I WANT you to come over to OUR house for dinner. I mean it!"

Susan smiles at her son and takes his hand, "OK, we've kept Ed for far too long... say goodbye." She gives Ed and appreciative look and mouths "Thank you SO much..."

Edwin smiles politely. "It's a deal," he tells Spike. Susan just gets a beamed smile of appreciation. Things like this don't just happen for him very often. Right now he's in such a transitional phase in his life...he isn't sure what he's good for, if anything. Knowing he made a positive difference in one family's life gives him a good feeling he can't even describe.

Spike gives an exaggerated wave to Ed before he leaves. Spike's mom takes his hand as they leave. They do depart, but Ed does hear the following conversation "Mom... I've decided...I want to go to college and drive ambulances for a living!"

Susan gives an easygoing smile to Spike, but holds onto his son's t-shirt TIGHT. "Is that a fact?!"

"Hahaha, oh man. That's so funny," Edwin laughs to himself. "Way to give your mom a fit, little dude."

Spike and Susan depart, with the assumption that Ed will never see Spike nor Susan again.

Ed also goes on his way, but he's left with a good feeling for a change. It's one of many factors that play into his ultimate decision to get his EMT-B license. Helping people may be his calling in life. Maybe he needs to listen to that call.

Current Day Seattle
pike and Ed are on another brodate - this time at quasi-upscale restaurant. Spike takes another bite into the sea bass. "Honestly, once you have it this close to shore...you can't have it any other way." He takes another drink of beer (his one and only). "...other than that, everything going OK with you?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Saw Stephanie last weekend, she's doing good. Visited Dad, too. Briefly. We're still on speaking terms, I call that a success," Edwin says, sipping on a pale ale. Spike's gotten him into craft beer, although he's still just a 1-bottle drinker. "How was your Memorial Day?"

Spike shrugs. "All right, not TOO eventful, which is nice." He takes another drink of his beer, he's almost finished with his. He gives a mischievous grin to Ed, almost harkening back to his 9-year-old self. "Don't suppose you'd be interested in helping me take Daniel and his friend Andy on a camping trip in a few weeks?"

Spike adds "I'm SO afraid Daniel's going to sneak off and try to do one of those 'create your own' adventure things. Still, I want them to have SOME exploration time."

A waitress comes by with the check. Spike quickly swoops it up. "I've got it this time..."

"Well, I'd hate to commit to it and then get called on a mission," Edwin admits. "But I can sure help you out when it comes to packing light, setting up the tent and campground, what to do if you become lost -- you name it." He pauses, then says, "Of course, your instinct as a parent is to *want* to supervise them 24/7. But remember back when we grew up, we had a lot of unsupervised time. I remember one time, I found his lost kid in a parking lot and kept him company until his mom came back and found him. The world's a scary place, sure, but as they say, 'not all who wander are lost'..."

"Well, thank you, Spike, I've got next time," Edwin says.

Spike nods. Lost kid. Parking lot. Got it.

Spike grins at Ed's last comment, "Wow...that was very profound."

Spike nods "And yeah, my camping is a little rusty. Daniel hasn't wanted to camp in YEARS."

"So...yeah, any tips you can email me would be immensely appreciated."

"Think so? I used to have it as a bumper sticker on my car, growing up. I think it was in a song by the Dead." Lifeline ponders. "The most important things I can stress have to do with swimming in lakes, and tending to a campfire, naturally, because those are the most dangerous. Let me see what I can find...I might be able to get my hands on a few mosquito nets, too."

Spike gets up and walks with Ed (after tipping his standard 25 percent) to the street. Two responsible adults - with baggage, with some memories blocked out - headed out. He nods.

"Right... both can swim, but I'll definitely be on site for swimming. But yeah, I know they'll have to do their own hiking and get away from dad." He nods at the net offering, "Thanks..."

Spike walks toward his beloved, paint-faded, 200,000-plus mile Toyota Tacoma. He breathes out. Looks like this is the end. "So...thanks for getting away and grabbing some dinner. It was great catching up!"

"Hey, thank you. And anytime, seriously. You know, it's funny...when we first met, I felt like I'd met you before, but you're nothing like the friends I used to have," Edwin admits.

Spike grins, "Yeah, my friends were all my coworkers...perpetual potheads." He then extends a hand for Ed. They've known each other way too much for departing handshakes, but some quasi-dorky habits die hard. "Take it easy - "

"As always...take care of yourself."

Ed shakes Spike's hand, then something about that particular handshake triggers a memory in him that makes him chuckle. "Want to see a magic trick?" he asks.

GAME: Spike FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Immense difficulty.

Spike 's face melts slightly, thinking Ed is doing a Dark Knight imitation which is...TOTALLY out of charter.

"Oh.....kaaaay?" Spike grins "Does it involve a pencil?"

"God, no," Edwin snorts in amusement. "Go home, my friend. We'll talk later. I'll message you about the camping trip a little later."

Spike nods. "Cool..." He waves a hand at Ed and drives out. About an hour later, on the Interstate - alone - and midway through Queens of the Stone Age album, a few pieces fall into place. "Lost...woah, wait, HE was lost once - in a parking lot! And HE did a magic trick to this really cool guy who talked to him for like 4 hours!" He then shakes his head and laughs to himself "No... No...fucking...way."