In a lucid moment (Mad Rabbit's story)

I can't really tell you much about Geoff, he tends to be real quiet 'bout his past. He don't mind listenin' to others, but man, it takes some serious arm twisting to find out much of anything from him. Corndog'd probably be the one to talk to though, he knows Ten better 'n most, seein' as how his folks took Geoff in, him bein' an elf n' all.

Okay, I know his dad wasn't too cool on the idea of his boy turning out to be one of 'them pointy-eared freaks", but it wasn't his fault. Shame though, cause I hear his dad was loaded.

That was long before I came to live with Corndog's folks. Come to think of it, I think they took in every stray kid who was willing to pull his own weight. They didn't coddle none of us, but they gave us a home, and a lot more love than most 'o us had. And they saw to it we had an education. Guess that's how mosta' us ended up in the military.

Even when we were kids, Geoff would look out after us. Man, some of the local boys'd try to pick a fight with any of us and Geoff was there, almost like magic. He'd starin 'em down, and I think they knew what he'd do to 'em, cause most of the time they'd stop without a fight.

I was about 12 when the Wilson's took me in. Sheriff found me at the side of the road after some of the local tough's had rolled me for my worldly goods (a blanket, 2 can's of meat (don't ask me what was in em, I had no idea) and m' daddy's watch). They messed me up but good, I got one of 'em, but the sherif told me that's probably why they messed me up like they did.

Well, like I said, I ended up at the Wilsons. Geoff and Davy were so pissed when they found out what'd happened to me. I don't know what they did, but about a week after I got there, they slipped into my room and handed me my watch. They was grinning like fools. They never said nothing, but I knew they'd been hurt.

I never did quite fit in w'mosta the kids. I'd learned at an early age, that if they think you're crazy, they'll leave you alone. But Geoff and Davy weren't ones to be put off.

First family I every really knew, and Davy and Geoff, they were like gods to me. They watched out for all of us, took care of us, taught us what they could 'bout taking care of ourselves. Davy never seemed to mind his folks taking us in. As far as he was concerned, we were his little brothers 'n sisters. He'd tell us stories, and Geoff, he'd listen to our sorrows. Mamma Wilson'd teach us our three R's and Pappa Wilson would see to it we knew our history.

Man we bawled our eyes out when Davy and Geoff left for boot camp. Ma and Pa, they seemed proud of their boys, but I could see Mamma was crying too.

After that, I guess it was my turn to be big brother to the kids. I tried to listen and help, like Davy 'n Geoff, but truth be told, I was a swamp-rat since the day I was born. I made sure the kids were safe, but they preferred to talk to Gina. Probably for the best, I'd hate to think what they'd've turned out like if they listened to my advice. Then, when it was my turn, well, I wanted to do the Wilsons proud. I signed up and eventually we all ended up together again.

The Army, well they knew what they had when I signed up. If the Wilson's only knew... I ended up learning how to kill from a distance, how to break into just about anything, and how to get back out when I was done... (well, okay, they were teachin'' but I'd already learned a fair amount of that living on the Bayou). I never did quite fit in, and I'd say you could count the people who really knew me on one hand... Davy and Geoff, they understood, the recruitin' Sargent, well he had me pegged, TwoBears, well, I was pretty messed up when I met Danny, and I'd say he's the first one who ever got into my head and didn't run screaming... Okay, maybe you could count 'em on one hand, if it was a little bit mutated... Duck knows me, but she got most of that from TwoBears And, truth be told, anything Duck knows, I'll guarantee Tracker and Gypsy know Course, I was the one who'd been through what those fuckers did to her, so maybe we both know.

I got pretty messed up when the commander turned on me. His boys worked me over but good. Corndog, he don't talk about it much, but they crushed his leg, and that was just to piss me off. Left him for dead they did, then hauled my sorry ass into their own little corner of Hell. I tried to hold on to the hope that Geoff'd come, but then they showed me the vids. Geoff'd been arrested fer trying to rescue my sorry ass. But they screwed up a little there 'cause I also learned that Davy was going to make it.

I don't know how long they worked me over, and thankfully, its mostly a blur, but I can remember them askin' what I'd seen and when I didn't tell 'em they'd send a surge down the 'ol. datalink that'd have me sobbin like a baby, then things got worse. I think that's what planned for Duck, but Geoff got her out in time. Don't think he ever forgave himself fer what happened to me, but it wasn't like that. Yeah, my synapses are a bit fried these days, but we're back together, and that's what's really important.


Copyright 1998 - M.T. Decker

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