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| [[Constitution-Through The Looking Glass]] | | [[Constitution-Through The Looking Glass]] |
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| =====Family Crisis=====
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| ((Runabout))
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| ::Paul felt the transporter effect take hold as the inside of the
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| runabout was replaced with the crisp cool air of the Nebraska
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| climate. Paul turned around where he stood and saw the hospital.
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| It was a tall modern building with a large medical insignia on the
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| side. He walked through the double doors and made his way to the
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| lift. He took it to the Administration Floor and located the office
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| he was looking for. Walking up, he was stopped by a young man.::
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| Secretary: May I help you?
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| Diamond: Yes, I would like to see the Personnel Director.
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| Secretary: I'm sorry but she can't be disturbed. If I may have your
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| name, she will contact you when she is available.
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| Diamond: I'm only in town for a few days, now is the best time for
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| me.
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| Secretary: I'm sorry sir, but like I said…
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| Diamond: Let me make this easy, I'm her son, Dr. Paul Diamond, I'm
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| on leave and came to take her to lunch.
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| Secretary: ::turning white:: Can you prove this? ::Paul handed over
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| his identification card and as the secretary read it, he turned even
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| whiter.:: I'm sorry Lieutenant, I didn't recognize you. You can
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| find your mother on Floor 18, Room 1820.
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|
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| ::With the look on the secretaries face, Paul didn't ask anymore
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| questions. He dropped his things and took off for the lift. Sheila
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| stuck her head out of the bag and started to follow.::
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| Diamond: Sheila, STAY!
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| ::Sheila landed on the desk of the secretary and laid down and
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| waited. Paul entered the lift, gave it the proper floor and room,
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| and waited. It seemed like forever but the lift finally arrived.
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| Paul stepped out as soon as the doors opened and headed for the
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| room. He was soon intercepted by a Nurse that tried to stop him.::
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| Nurse: I'm sorry sir, you are not allowed here, this is only for
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| family.
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| ::Paul pushed past her and headed for room 1820 at the end of the
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| hall. The nurse followed him emphasizing the fact he wasn't suppose
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| be there until a woman stepped out of the room. At first she was
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| surprised, then relieved to see Paul.::
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| Margret: It's ok Maryanne; this is my son. ::hugging Paul:: Paul,
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| what are you doing here? You should be on your ship.
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| Diamond: I have some leave and I decided to visit. What's going on?
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|
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| ::Paul's mother didn't say a word, tears started to roll down her
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| cheeks as she looked into the room. Paul disengaged himself from
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| his mother and walked in. The sight he found was one he would never
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| forget. Tubes and wires going to and from the patients body to
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| various machines told him all he needed to know. This was one time
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| he wished he wasn't a doctor, that way he wouldn't know that this
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| patient had just had a massive coronary. He fell to his knees and
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| took the man's hand into his.
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| Diamond: Dad…
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| ((Time Warp))
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|
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| ::The piece of wood that was held in the small vice had ceased being
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| a branch of ash and was shaping into a fine bow under the hands of
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| Paul. Ever since Paul had left the hospital four days ago he had
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| hidden in the workshop that he had built when he was young making
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| bow's for both his friends and one special bow in particular. Paul
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| had created around six bows of good quality, but his energy went
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| towards the special bow. This one he took his time sanding,
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| notching, and varnishing than the others. He had also made around
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| twenty arrows and a carrying case for it as well. He was almost
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| finished with the finishing touches when he was interrupted.::
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| Charles: There he is, hiding in his little room playing with his
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| sticks. What's the matter can't face the inevitable?
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| Diamond: ::ignoring the remark:: Charles, what brings you here?
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| Where are Janet and my little niece, Samantha?
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| Charles: They are in the house. I was sent to find you for dinner.
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| Diamond: Didn't realize that time had flown like that.
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| ::Paul reached down and removed the bow from the small vise and gave
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| it one last once over. The bow was smooth and strong. Paul had
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| chosen the best branch out of the bunch and transformed it into one of the best bows he had ever made. The crowning point was the crest that
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| he had found from some research that he had engraved above the handle.
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| Paul carefully laid the bow in its case and closed it.::
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| Charles: I don't understand you. You pay more attention to
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| your "sticks" than you do your family.
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| Diamond: ::disgusted:: This is for a fellow crewmate.
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| Charles: Oh yeah, that's right, you're going to run away to your
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| ship instead of helping here.
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| Diamond: ::slamming the lid close:: What are you getting at? You
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| have a problem with my choice of careers?
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| Charles: It just seems that when the way get's tough Paul runs away
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| to his ship. You never want to face trouble, you… ::moves his first
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| two fingers in a running motion:: run away. No wonder your mother
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| is talking of selling the farm.
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| Diamond: WHAT? She wouldn't sell the farm without talking to me.
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| Charles: Why? You're never home to have a say, let alone help run
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| the farm. It was I that suggested it since it has always fallen to
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| your sister and I to help around here and not you.
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| Diamond: YOU have no say in the matter, you are not a Diamond,
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| you only married into the family. This farm and all its land go to
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| the oldest male DIAMOND, not "son-in-law", and that is me. I have
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| MORE say in this than you.
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| Charles: ::Laughs:: You? You will leave at the first chance you
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| get. How do you expect your mother to run a farm this size and
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| continue to work at the hospital?
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| Diamond: You'd be surprised at what she is capable of doing.
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| Besides, my father ISN'T dead yet, he's only laid up for a few weeks.
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| Charles: Even so, he won't be able to handle a farm this size
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| anymore.
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| ::Paul knew his brother in law was right, but he didn't have to
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| believe it. There had to be a way to keep the farm in the family,
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| there had to be.::
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| Diamond: One thing I've learned in Star Fleet is that there is more
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| than one option and this isn't any different. ::looking at Charles::
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| And YOU will not have any say in this, this is for my IMMEDIATE
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| family to discuss, tonight.
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|
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| ::The two men stared at each other waiting for the other to make a
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| move. Who knows how long it would have lasted, no one will because
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| Paul's sister, Janet, walked in.::
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| Janet: There you two are, dinner is on the table.
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| Charles: ::staring at Paul:: We were just coming, you go ahead and
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| make sure Sammy is ready.
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| Janet: She's is already in there with Mom and…
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| Charles: ::turning on her:: DON'T TALK BACK, DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD.
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| :: Janet cringed from him, but before he could do anything, Charles
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| stormed out of the room.::
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| Diamond: ::walking to his sister:: What was THAT about?
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| Janet: Ignore him, he'll calm down.
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| Diamond: How long has he been like that?
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| Janet: Ever since he lost his contract with Star Fleet for cutting
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| corners. He's been in a bad mood ever since because no one will
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| hire him anymore.
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| Diamond: ::moving Janet's face towards him and looking in her eyes::
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| Has he hit you or Samantha?
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| ::Janet pulled her face from his hand and walked away.::
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| Janet: Come on, dinners getting cold.
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| ::Paul let the subject drop but vowed to keep an eye on Charles. He
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| followed his sister into the house they, and his father, and his
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| father's fathers grew up in. The family was sitting around the
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| table with his father sitting at the head, exactly where he had
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| always been. He thought back four days ago and the words from his
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| mother.::
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| ((Flashback))
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| Diamond: Dad…
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| Margret: He's resting comfortably.
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| Diamond: ::turning to his mother:: What happened?
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| Margret: He was plowing the backfield when he had a heart attack.
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| Fortunately your sister stopped by for a visit and found him in
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| time. ::starting to cry:: I've been telling him he had to slow down.
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| Diamond: ::moving to his mother and hugged her:: Mom, you're not to
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| blame, he's stubborn, no matter what you'd tell him, he would always
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| do it his way.
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| Margret: ::looking at her son:: Sounds like his son, don't you think?
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| Diamond: ::smiling, he looked back at his father:: What does the
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| cardiologist say?
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| Margret: No permanent damage, he'll come home in a few days as long
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| as he progresses like he expects.
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| Diamond: So, he's going to…
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| Margret: Live? Of course, he's stubborn remember? He just refuses
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| to die. ::smiles:: But there will have to be changes, diet, work
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| load, things like that.
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|
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| ::Paul looked at his sleeping father and was relieved.::
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| ((Present))
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| ::That same feeling he had in the hospital room flooded Paul as he
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| looked at his father sitting in his chair as if nothing had
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| happened. His father tried to hide the fact he was sick, but Paul
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| could tell, he could see the signs.::
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| Daniel: Are you going to sit down with us son or stand there all
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| night?
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| ::Paul smiled and took his place. Dinner went off without an
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| argument. Charles was even civil; the signs of his anger had
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| evaporated. The conversations were of happy days gone by, and those
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| ahead. This was why Paul had come home, to relax with family.
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| After what he had been through since arriving on the Constitution,
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| he needed to recharge not only his body, but his soul as well.
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| Dinner was finished and the family retired to the living room where
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| they all sat with their coffee and tea.::
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| Diamond: That was a wonderful dinner mother.
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| Margret: Thank you, it was a special occasion, I had everyone home
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| at the same time.
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| Daniel: They're home for only one reason.
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| Margret: Daniel, don't be cynical.
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| Daniel: You know why we're all here as well as I do, so don't tell
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| me not to be cynical.
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| Janet: Daddy, calm down, you don't need to be upset.
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| Daniel: Don't tell me what to do young lady, ::turning to Paul:: or
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| you either young man. I don't care if you ARE a famous doctor, I'll
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| do what I want when I want.
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| Margret: Daniel, stop it, they are trying to help.
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| Daniel: I don't care, we are NOT going to sell the farm and that's
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| final.
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| Diamond: Dad, I agree, you shouldn't sell the farm. But you should
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| find someone to help.
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| Charles: See, what did I tell you, pushing his responsibilities off
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| onto someone else.
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| Janet: Charles, that's not fair, he has a responsibility to Star
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| Fleet first.
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| Daniel: And you don't talk about a member of my family like that in
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| my house.
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| Charles: I'm just telling the truth, if no one else can see that.
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| Janet: That's my father you're talking to.
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| Charles: And I am your husband, don't you forget it.
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|
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| ::Charles lifted his hand to strike Janet, but before he could, Paul
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| was on him in a blur before anyone could react. Paul had pulled
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| Charles off the couch where he had sat by his raised arm, grabbed
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| his throat with his free hand and started to squeeze. His anger had
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| risen when his sister was threatened which lent to his strength.
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| Part of him encouraged him to squeeze harder while another told him
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| to let go. Charles was fighting at Paul's hand to get him to
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| release but he was starting to lose conscientiousness.::
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| Margret: PAUL MICHEAL DIAMOND, you release him this instant!
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| ::The voice of his mother penetrated his anger and Paul released his
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| brother in law. Charles fell to the floor wheezing, trying to catch
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| his breath.::
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| Margret: ::walking over to Paul:: Don't you EVER choke someone like
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| that again. "Do No Harm" remember?
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| Diamond: But mom, he was going to hit Janet.
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| Margret: That doesn't give you the right to hurt him like
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| that. ::helping Charles up:: Are you alright?
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| Charles: Yes, thanks.
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| ::No one saw her hand because it moved so fast as Paul's mother
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| slapped Charles across the face. The look on both Paul's and
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| Janet's faces were of shock, where Daniel's was of humor.::
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| Margret: Now, don't you EVER raise your hand to my daughter again,
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| or next time I won't stop Paul. Gather your things and leave my
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| house, you are no longer welcomed in this family. ::turning to
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| Janet:: You and Samantha will stay here until everything is final.
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| I will not have you near him again.
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| Daniel: ::laughs to himself:: I told him not to piss her off.
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|
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| ::Charles rubbed his face, looked at Margret, looked at his wife,
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| and sulked out of the house. Margret moved to the comm. padd and
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| called the authorities to report the incident. They informed her
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| that everything would be handled. Janet left the room as well to
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| put her own daughter to bed which left Paul with his father.::
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| Daniel: That was admirable what you did for your sister, even if
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| your mother won't tell you.
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| Diamond: He made me so angry.
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| Daniel: I know, me too, but I couldn't…
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| Diamond: Dad, don't do that to yourself, you will be able to soon.
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| ::Just then his mother entered the room again and his father shook
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| his head to end the conversation.::
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| Margret: There, everything is taken care of. ::turns to Paul:: Now,
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| about you young man, we have to do something about your anger.
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| Daniel: I know the perfect punishment. ::looks at his wife:: The
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| tickets, you know, to that concert? We can't go now, I have
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| to "rest", and you know what they say, "music calms the savage
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| beast".
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| Margret: You will find any way to get out of going, won't
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| you? ::sighs:: But you're right, you need the rest, and Paul needs
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| to relax, and sunny California would be the best place for that.
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| Diamond: What are you two talking about?
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| Margret: ::moves over to bureau:: I was given two tickets to a Piano
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| Concert in California just before you fathers attack. He can't go
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| now, so I think you should go and represent our family. ::hands the
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| tickets to Paul:: Front row seats and backstage passes to meet the
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| pianist.
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| Diamond: Pianist? ::looking at the tickets he couldn't make out the
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| name of the performer, it looked Scandinavian or something:: Who is
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| it?
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| Margret: I can't pronounce his name well, Weylanndro or something
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| like that. But that doesn't mean he isn't great, he is. The
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| shuttle leaves tomorrow at noon, the concert is tomorrow night, and
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| you have a room at the Walmount.
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| Diamond: But there are two tickets, who is going with me?
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| Margret: I don't care you just go and relax. No arguments.
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|
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| ::Paul knew better to argue with his mother, so he accepted his
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| fate, his punishment, and headed to pack. In the hall he ran into
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| his sister coming from her old room. They just stood there looking
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| at each other, Paul with a look of concern for her, Janet with
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| embarrassment. Soon tears rolled down her cheeks and she rushed
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| into his arms for a hug.::
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| Janet: ::whispering:: Thanks bookworm!
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|
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| ::Janet then ran down the hall into the guest room and locked the
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| door behind her. Paul, not knowing what to do or say, went to his
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| room and went to bed.
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| [[Category:SIMs|D]]
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