Sunday morning - 1978

Log Title: Sunday morning - 1978

Characters: Buster, Spike, Sparkplug, Susan Witwicky

Location: Witwicky home

Date: September 10, 1978

TP: Flashbacks

Summary: Buster and Spike watch cartoons while Susan tries to get Sparkplug to stay in bed and get some rest.

 As logged by Buster - Monday, November 19, 2012, 7:22 PM ---

Witwicky home - 1978

 * An old house still standing from before the Korean War. It looks a little dilapitated, although the attached garage seems well-stocked in terms of tools and repair supplies.


 * Contents:
 * Buster
 * Spike

Downstairs. Spike and Buster are in their PJs, watching Sunday morning cartoons. After Road Runner, there's Davey and Goliath. Spike frowns, envisioning he's going to have to put on a pair of ironed woolish slacks and a pressed shirt. He leers at the TV. "This is a dumb show..."

Susan turns around and looks at her poor, exhausted husband. He's going to have to start in again very early Monday. This is the only day he can sleep. He NEEDS sleep. Christ, if Jesus can't understand that...

Buster nods in automatic agreement with Spike, whatever his opinion. He was enjoying it a minute ago, but now it's 'dumb'.

Spike looks over at his brother. "Star Wars teaches us the exact same thing - but it's far cooler. You know?"

Buster nods quickly, eyes wide

Sparkplug struggles to open his eyes, heavy-lidded with exhaustion.

Susan gently jostles Sparkplug's shoulder and says tiredly "Honey.. I'm making an executive decision, we're not going to church today. We'll try next week." ... which she's said probably since Easter :)

Spike grins and looks over at Buster. "The Seahawks are playing the Steelers today too. Dad said we could all watch the game together if church got out early enough!"

Buster grins excitedly. He's not sure what that means, but if Spike's excited, he's excited!

Susan hears the TV going downstairs. She gets up. She's donning a pair of sweats along with one of Sparkplug's cozy flannel shirts.

Sparkplug shakes his head. "No, no," he mutters stubbornly, slowly wresting himself to a sitting-up position.

Susan gently cups Sparkplug's shoulder and tries to gently press him back down to bed. "Honeyhoneyhoney... shhh - you're exhausted. 'I' am exhausted..."

Spike looks on dismissively as Woody Woodpecker comes on. "I wish mom and dad weren't always forcing us to go to church."

Spike says, "Every kid in my youth group is like 'I'm getting an Atari for Christmas, what are YOUR parents getting you?!""

Sparkplug rasps, "Y'can stay here, if ya want."

Buster nods in agreement. Church bad. Atari good. Right.

Susan lies back down. "Honey... you've worked 70 hours this week! You're going to be going back at 6 a.m. tomorrow, this is your ONLY time to rest!"

Sparkplug says, "I'll nap this afternoon during the game. Won't be the first time." He chuckles at himself, slowly standing, and looking blearily around for clothes.

Susan pulls herself up. Susan, the college educated member of the family vs. the strict blue collar god-fearing Sparkplug. "Please... I don't want you making a mistake on the worksite!" yeah... maybe that'll do

Sparkplug looks back at his wife and grins, on to her attempts at gentle manipulation.

Susan looks on at her husband tiredly "Please?" She adds in a resigned tone, "I will do ANYTHING... to keep you in bed, OK?"

Sparkplug says, "Tell ya what. You stay here, and I'll take the kids. When I get back, you watch the kids, and I'll nap 'til dinner. Deal?" He starts getting dressed.

Susan frowns and gets up out of the cocoon of covers. "No, no... I'm fine. Can't have the churchgoers see Sparkplug going in without his wife."

Sparkplug rasps, "If I was less tired I'd be more inclined to give into that 'anything' promise."

Susan smirks tiredly "Wow... are ARE pious."

Sparkplug chuckles as he buttons up his shirt wrong, realizes his mistake, and re-buttons it.

Susan grins and says teasingly "c'mon - last chance. You and I, sleeping 'til we feel like getting up. Under the sheets. Spike and Buster can fend for themselves for another 2 hours.."

Sparkplug rumbles a laugh as he peers in the mirror and smooths down his short hair. "Very tempting... maybe next weekend."

Spike grins and looks at Buster. "I'd love to get an Atari though, we could play doubles even!'

Buster says, "That would be cool!"

Seattle Memorial Hospital - 1993
Flash forward to 1993. In a coma for 2 months, Spike finally awakes. He's in a hospital bed, tubes are still attached to his neck and arm. His injured eye still has some gauze over it and his right leg is secured with an external fixator. With a loss of motor skills and speech, he's just been trying to focus and do some gestures to his father. He still doesn't 'get' the fact the a. he's a father and b. his son was born 3 weeks ago. The doctor hovers over Spike, but basically ignores him, focusing on Sparkplug. "Well, he made it 2 days with regular 'sleep' patterns, so I think it's safe to say he's out of the danger area of going back into a coma."

Spike tries to focus on his father with his one bleary eye. A fresh wave of morphine has also pretty much made this entire memory nonexistent for at least one of the present Witwickys. Spike squints, trying to pick up what the doctor's saying.

Relief and stress battle across Sparkplug's face. "He - he's going to be OK?" Spike's father stammers hopefully.

The doctor nods. "It'll be a long road to hoe, but I think he'll pull through.

Sparkplug lets out a long, tense sigh. "Thank God." For the last two months, Sparkplug had become an avid churghgoer once more. Whether it helped or not, Spike's father is grateful.