Work Text:
It was a rare rainy evening at The Walter Manor in San Diego. The Spine was in the main library sitting with a book in a large wing-back chair . He wasn’t really reading the book, just sort of turning the pages now and then. He was more trying to concentrate on the dancing flames of the fire in the fireplace. Sometimes he could see music in those flames. But not tonight. There had been news of US airstrikes against Iraq, which could mean that he and his siblings could be called up at any moment. That set him on edge, consuming all of his processor capacity with one simple thought, “No, no…. No!” over and over again. A rumble of distant thunder in the rain seemed to punctuate his thoughts. Suddenly a memory was triggered of a war long ago, the distant rumble of artillery, the mud of the trenches, the screams of dying young men….” He closed his eyes tightly as the tremors started.
He knew if called, they would all have to obey. A debt owed to the military. An electric surge ran down his back as his heat sink fins wanted to react to his stress, but he overrode them. No. No, he was going to sit in this chair and watch the flames of the flickering fire in the grate. He tried to open his eyes but could not. The old memory still had him in its grip and try as he might he could not shake the sights and sounds of that old horror. If he could just…open his…eyes…..
“Spine?”
It was a quiet, shy, little child’s voice piercing the darkness of his thoughts. It took a moment, but the voice brought him out of his fugue. His eyes slowly opened, glowing a dull green. They glowed brighter as he recognized the source.
“Peter?” A young boy, not quite 5 years old, was standing just outside the library doorway. He was in his pajamas and his dark blonde hair was sleep-tousled. In the dim light from the hallway he looked very pale and frightened. He had his teddy bear clutched tightly to his chest.
“Spine…? Are you okay?”
The Spine smiled for the boy’s benefit, even though every system in his body still trembled at full battle alert. “I’m okay Petes, just a...a bad dream. Must have dozed off.” A flash of lightning lit the room. He saw the boy cringe in the garish light. They both looked at the window, waiting. A rolling rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.
“It’s getting closer,” the boy whispered into the teddy bear’s ear. He was obviously very frightened. The Spine leaned forward and held out his arms. Peter rushed over and climbed up into The Spine’s lap. The Spine wrapped his arms around Peter in a gentle hug as he leaned back in the chair.
“It’s a thunderstorm, Peter. It’ll be over soon. They always pass pretty quickly here.”
Peter had only ever experienced one other storm and remembered it as being very loud and frightening and lasting forever. He hadn’t dared leave his room that time, but he didn’t want to be alone for this one. “I’m scared, Spine,” he whispered and began to cry.
The Spine held him close. Another flash lit the sky. The thunder that followed was still distant but it was indeed getting closer. The boy clung tightly to his chest, the bear crushed between them. “It’s okay to cry, Peter. Storms can be scary.” He paused, looking around the room. “I know just the thing!” He held the boy easily in one arm as he stood up. “We can make a fortress to protect us!”
“A…fortess?” the boy sniffled.
“Yeah, a fortress. Like a tree fort but stronger.” He turned the wingback chair he’d been sitting in so its side faced the fire. He pulled over another chair with its other side to the fire. Then he pulled over a third wingback chair and set it with its back to the fire. The chair backs made three solid walls. He took the seat cushions off and threw them on the floor inside the walls. He threw in two more pillows from the chaise lounge, then he took the throw and two more pillows from the sofa and threw them in as well.
“Hmmm… now we just need a roof.” Still carrying Peter on one arm he went across the dimly lit hallway, his optics casting a green glow as he gathered two big blankets from the linen closet there. Returning to the library he said, “I’m going to set you down for a minute, Peter.” He knelt to do so then hugged the boy as another flash of lightning and a much louder rumble of thunder sounded outside. When it stopped, he took a quick minute to arrange the cushions and pillows into a small bed, then threw the heavy blankets over the top of the chair backs making a double-thick roof. “We’ll be safe in here,” The Spine said confidently.
They both crawled into the blanket fort and sat side-by-side facing the fire. Peter, with his teddy bear, was seated on the cushions, nestling against The Spine’s side. The Spine drew the throw over him to keep him warm, then put an arm around his shoulders to hold him close.
The storm blew in, the lightning and the thunder muffled and distant, growing louder, until the storm traveled directly over the manor. One loud boom of thunder set off The Spine’s tremors again. But the boy only hugged him tighter.
“Don’t be scared, Spine,” young Peter whispered. “We’re safe in here.”