An Unexpected Gift (Mick, PG-13)

[Luxe de Luxe]

aaarrgh!!! No fair Red! How is it possible that something this perfect can be created in two hours!

[redwinter101]

aaarrgh!!! No fair Red! How is it possible that something this perfect can be created in two hours!

Hardly perfect!!! But thanks...

Red

[Phoenix]

aaarrgh!!! No fair Red! How is it possible that something this perfect can be created in two hours!

Ditto.

[redwinter101]

aaarrgh!!! No fair Red! How is it possible that something this perfect can be created in two hours!

Ditto.

[rijane]

Sigh. Mick. Medic Mick. I miss you so.

This was an unexpected direction (in keeping with the theme, I suppose) and it's very well done in general and amazingly so for two-hours.

It started to spread, belly, muscle, throat, spine, thawing, bringing back to life. Back from the dead, that was how it felt to Mick. So cold for so long, he had forgotten the simple power of warmth to make him feel human again. He tucked his hands under his armpits and curled his feet as close underneath him as he could manage. He winced at the scratchy uniform chafing his thigh; finally he had thawed out enough to feel it.

I love this opening. It leads down one path and then suddenly we're in another - like waking from a dream. Perfect

Mick held up his hands, palms out; he knew she wouldn't understand him but he spoke anyway, "It's okay, sweetheart. We're not gonna hurt you.

Such a sweet Mick here. It reminds me of the interviews I've done with World War II veterans and those memories.

Great work

[redwinter101]

Thanks, Ri - the girl isn't the only innocent here. Even in war, this was a sweeter, simpler Mick. (I miss him too.)



Red

[jmc]

Red, I saw your recommendation for the Unexpected Gift challenge fics and I read all of them this weekend. You were so right about how wonderful and varied they all are.

I was reading your story on D-Day itself - so wonderfully appropriate! The setting was just perfect. They were already grateful for the wamth and protection of the barn and then to receive the simple feast and a child's smile. I'm really grateful ML gave us some of Mick's back story and I love what you've done with it.
I don't know how you do this in two hours!
Thank you.


A note about the barn: My grandfather's family emigrated from Aberdeen, Scotland to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan just before WWI. He was in his late teens and left quite a few girlfriends behind. In Canada, he told me one time he and a friend went to a dance in a nearby community. They stayed longer than they planned and were very late coming home. It got pretty cold and they slipped into a farmer's barn. He said the beasts were in their stalls and he and his friend went up into the hayloft and buried themselves in the hay to sleep. It couldn't have been full winter because it gets really frigid there. Your story made me think of this again.

[redwinter101]

jmc, I'm so sorry it's taken me a while to reply. Thank you so much for your lovely comment - both in terms of the story and your wonderful story about your grandfather - he sounds like quite a man and I love that this story brought back memories of him.

Red

[Moonlighter]

Red -- that was lovely! It was so nice to see the kindness of a little girl against the evil of war. Nicely done. (And you did this in 2 hours? Impressive!)

[redwinter101]

Thanks, Moonlighter. Some challenges just bring out an idea (I wish it always happened like that ).

Red

[jen]

Lovely account that shows that even in the midst of horrible circumstances, a bit of kindness warms the heart and lightens the load. And the personalities shine thru with only a few words.

Another keeper.

Nicely done. (Please don't be embarrassed, I'm just sayin ya done good!)

thank you!

[redwinter101]

Thanks for stopping by, jen.

Red

[Moonlighter]

Just passing through for a re-read. Still great. Still loving Red!!

[allegrita]

I love this story. So glad it popped up again. Mick in Belgium... the warmth, the release, the little girl with sun in her cheeks, the food... and the picture. I really love this little story of a respite from the war. Human Mick has so many stories still to tell us. Thank you, Red.

[redwinter101]

Moonlighter.

Thanks, alle. I adore medic Mick; it was lovely to revisist him again recently for "Sext" but I think there's still more there (for me anyway).

Red