The Next Edition

Crutchie

Finally we get to the place where the actual musical starts! We're in the Santa Fe prologue now! Enjoy it!

Saturday, September 24th 2005, 6:30 AM

Just as he had wanted to, Crutchie Morris woke up early. Only he did, just as he'd wished. That was at least the case from the point of view he could see it. He couldn't hear if anyone inside the house was awake. Not from the penthouse at least. Jack's and his penthouse in the sky.

This particular morning, the sky looked beautiful. It was early enough for the stars to still be out, and the dawn clouds barely covered them. This would be a beautiful day, Crutchie could tell. That's why it was a perfect day for him to be the first person out on the streets. He was a piece of sunshine (so he'd been told at least), so arriving with the light of the sun could only be a positive thing.

Getting a head start would also be a bonus for him seeing as he could only walk half as fast as the others.

He grabbed hold of the railing to hoist himself into a sitting position. His left leg worked as some support, but that goddamned paralyzed right one was less than helpful. Crutchie couldn't recall a moment in his life where he'd been able to control his right leg. Of course he was used to it. He knew no other life than the one where he only command one leg. Unfortunately, being used to it didn't automatically mean he always could handle it swiftly. When he once again used the railing to pull himself up in a less than steady manner, his grip on the crutch loosened, and it fell out from under his arm.

CLANK!

Jack stirred on the penthouse floor. As Crutchie bent down to grab the crutch again, Jack spoke in a very weary morning voice.

"Hey, where you goin'?"

"Uhm..." Crutchie began, having no idea where he would take the sentence. "Up?"

"The bell ain't even rung," Jack complained. "Why're ya awake?"

"Well, I woke up, I guess," Crutchie sneered.

"Then go back ta sleep," Jack said, pulling his thin blanket over himself.

Crutchie finally got a steady hold of the crutch, and managed to successfully stand up.

"It's 6:30... No use goin' back ta sleep," he said.

Jack made a whiny noise and rolled around a bit in the now tangled blanket. There were a few seconds of silence, then:

"Fine..."

Jack untangled himself and stood up, not as much smoother than Crutchie as one would have expected from a completely able-bodied person.

"Why'dja hafta wake yerself - an' me - up anyway?"

"I wanted ta beat the otha' fellas to the gate," Crutchie admitted. "I wasn't gonna wake you eitha', but I dropped this."

He held up the crutch, but Jack was too busy putting on a belt that he'd gotten out of nowhere to see that.

"I can go beat 'em with ya, if ya want," Jack suggested. He still sounded terribly sleep deprived.

"Sure," Crutchie answered. "Race ya inside!"

The door to the inside of the house was only a staircase down from them, so it wouldn't be a very action-filled race. Crutchie added extra action by giving himself a head start, and hopping down the first couple of steps. On the third step, he stepped an inch too far out on the step. Next second, "Woah!" He was on his butt, sliding down. Jack immediately came rushing to his aid.