Pauropods and Pudding-A Young Squint Story by willgirl

Posted 25/01/2008 07:14:30 PM

So I wrote this oneshot back in May and forgot about it until today when I was suddenly inspired to do another one. Which turned into three. Look for three more oneshots from me tonight. In the meantime, read this:

Pauropods and Pudding

Jack Hodgins was a bug man. Even at the tender age of six and a half, which is why he was sitting in a hospital bed with a hairline fracture in his arm and a broken leg.

He had been climbing up a tree, far too high of course but Jack didn’t care. He had been following a row of centipede-like bugs, determined to find out where their home was. He ignored the shouts of Sally, his nanny who as looking at him frantically below.

Inching further and further along the branch, he watched each bug move slowly towards a knothole in the branch.

‘Aha.” He thought to himself. He reached out to touch one of the bugs and his hand slipped, causing him to fall from the tree.

And now he was in a hospital bed all alone. Sally was outside waiting for his parents. He fiddled with the bed sheets and looked around the grey room. He didn’t like it here, in this hospital room all by himself. He had already thrown up twice and his arm and leg where hurting a lot. As he started to feel scared, a nurse came in to check on him.

‘She has a nice smile.’ He thought. While she checked him over, he didn’t say a word.

“Quite the adventurer, aren’t you?” she asked.

He nodded shyly.

“Here,” she said, reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out a pudding cup.

He stretched his hands out and grabbed it. “Thanks.” He said.

“No problem.” The nurse replied. “It’s vanilla. Do you like vanilla?”

“It’s my favourite.” He said, not feeling so scared anymore.

“Well then I hope you enjoy. Here’s a spoon too. Don’t eat it too fast okay?” she said.

He nodded and she made her way out of the room, waving goodbye to him.

As he ripped the lid of the pudding off, he could hear voices getting closer.

“Sally what do you mean, fell out of a tree?” his mother shouted, her shrill voice echoing through the hospital halls. “Why was he up there in the first place?”

He got scared and hoped that he didn’t get Sally in trouble. He wanted to see the bugs and when they started climbing up the tree he just had to see where they were going.

“Well….I…” Sally started.

“Maybe if he had his father…” his mother said.

“Oh don’t give me that, Clara.” His father replied angrily. “I am busy at work, I’m the boss remember? That means I have to work so you can throw parties with your little socialite friends. I don’t have time for the boy.”

Jack turned away and tried to block out the shouting in his mind. They always shouted. And they never played with him.

He grabbed his pudding and dug his spoon in.

‘When I’m big.’ He thought to himself. ‘I’m not going to yell at anyone. I’m not going to be a boss either. I’m going to be an adventurer and look at bugs all day.’

With that thought firmly planted in his mind, he proceeded to eat his pudding.

Posted 25/01/2008 09:55:11 PM

GD215

Awwww, poor Hodgy. He doesn't need his dad's Cantilever group. He has his bugs and pudding. Loved it! Off to read the others.

Posted 26/01/2008 00:41:58 AM

DBAngelfan

awww I like

Posted 26/01/2008 04:28:13 AM

Virpukka

*snif* That was good and somehow sad in the same time.