Youthful Mistakes

This is the first in series of young Luke fics centered around his early teen years and his relationships with the people around him. I guess you could call this first scene an example of Luke-torture, although there's a lot more to this story. I just happened to have a really, really bad headache yesterday when I started writing it, and well. . .see for yourself.


Youthful Mistakes.

"Hey, I think he?s starting to wake up."

"Luke? Luke, can you hear me?"

"Come on, Wormie, wake up."

The voices tumbled over one another as Luke slowly regained awareness. He could feel hard ground beneath his back, and there was an incessant throbbing in his head and a slight stinging sensation across various parts of his body. Tentatively he opened his eyes and then quickly shut them again as the glare from two suns overhead relentlessly washed over him.

"Luke, open your eyes and look at me."

Obeying the command of the familiar voice, Luke blinked his eyes open once more. Someone had thankfully blocked out the glare, and he tried to focus on the two faces that danced in front of him.

"There we go. He?s coming around."

Luke painfully managed to focus in on the rightmost of the two faces and recognized it. "Biggs?" He winced as the sound of his own voice echoed through his throbbing skull, even though it was barely a croaked whisper.

"Right here, buddy," the older boy replied. "How do you feel?"

Dumbly, Luke glanced over at the other face that hovered over his field of vision, trying to word his answer in the quickest and most painless manner. He recognized the second face, even though the name was escaping him at the moment. He wasn?t even sure how he?d gotten himself in this position. He couldn?t remember what he had done to batter himself so badly, but he was clearly aware of the pain now. He shut his eyes and pressed the heels of his hands against them. "Hurts," was the only thing that escaped his lips.

"Is it your head?"

Luke tried to nod, but pain exploded in the back of his neck. "Yes," he whimpered, silently cursing his weakness. He was thirteen years old after all. Too old to be acting like such a baby.

"Does anything else hurt?" Biggs? voice pressed.

Luke wasn?t aware of anything else really hurting, although his skin felt like it had been scraped against sandpaper in several places. It stung like hell, but it didn?t hurt.

"Luke?" Biggs? voice continued, insistent. "Can you move your legs and stuff?"

Groggily, Luke concentrated on wiggling his toes. He could feel them brush against the inside of his boots, and he could also feel tiny bits of sand in there as well. How had he gotten sand in his boots? That was pretty hard to do. Unless, of course, he?d managed to tear them somehow in doing whatever it was that had gotten him into this mess. He still couldn?t remember. His head pounded again.

"Luke, answer me."

His mind had been drifting, he realized. He braced himself to speak, knowing the effects it would have on his aching skull. "Yeah, I can move."

"Do you think he?ll be okay?" the second voice asked.

Luke was still trying to place a name to person number two when the world suddenly lurched and his stomach did a sickening roll. Knowing what was about to happen, he fought the urge to lie still and rolled weakly onto his left side only seconds before his stomach emptied itself onto the sand. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain that this action set off in his head before rolling back onto his back, panting and weak.

"Ugh, gross!" Fixer cried. "You could have warned me, Wormie!"

Fixer, that?s who it was. The name finally attached itself to the person who was frantically scrambling to his other side to kneel beside Biggs.

"Uh-oh," he said dropping to his knees again. "He?s blacking out again."

Indeed, Luke felt the world around him start to waver and fade. He was aware of a slight shiver that went through his body as his grip on awareness began to slip.

"No you don?t."

He barely he

 

Very good. What did he do run into a canyon wall.

 

yeah, what did he do? is there more?

 

I also want to know, what did he do? Post soon.

 

Nice start! I am wondering too, what did he do?

 

ohhh Knight Mara, I like. But I don't think he ran into a canyon wall though. If he did he'd be jelly on the side, not an almost lifeless lump in the sand.

oh well can't wait for more!

 

Ohh I like. *laugh* If he ran into a cannyon wall he would be taking after Obi-Wan in the USJS thread.

 

Jelly....lifeless lump....What's the diffrence.

 

i still want more...

 

Wow! Okay, I'll post more.



Luke rubbed his closed eyes, saving him from having to open them and refocus once more. He had to try to get himself as close to normal working order as soon as possible.

"How are you feeling, kid?" Fixer?s unusually concerned voice asked.

Keeping his eyes closed, he lied, "Getting better."

He heard Fixer?s relieved sigh. "You had us a little worried, there, Wormie."

"More than a little," Biggs countered. "Are you sure you?re okay?"

Luke nodded, trying to work out some of the stiffness in his neck. He imagined his brain sloshing about inside his skull as he did so, as that was about how his head felt. It wasn?t, however, pounding quite as badly, which was a marked improvement. Feeling a slightly stronger grip on things, he ventured to ask, "What happened?"

"You did a nose dive off the bike, that?s what happened," Fixer replied.

That opened Luke?s eyes as he brought his head up to study Biggs. "What bike?"

He saw the worry in Biggs? face as the older boy answered, "The brand new speederbike I got for my birthday. Don?t you remember?"

Luke only had a vague idea of what a speederbike was. From what he could recall, they were fast, dangerous, and illegal for anyone under sixteen. They also were highly unstable in Tatooine?s climate due to sand intrusion. He certainly didn?t remember Biggs getting one or why he would even want one when he?d just recently started fixing up that old Skyhopperin his garage. And just when had his birthday been? He couldn't remember it at all. Swallowing down his growing uneasiness at his lack of memory, he responded honestly by shaking his head.

Luke watched as his own apprehensions were mirrored in his friend?s face. "Luke, I got that bike two days ago. You don?t remember?"

Again, Luke could only shake his head in response. He was beginning to panic, which didn?t help his aching head any. It was one thing to try to hide a headache from his family, but he?d also managed to knock at least the last two days out of his brain, and that scared him.

Apparently, it scared Biggs as well. "That?s it. We?re getting you to a medic." He turned to Fixer. "Let?s get him up." They each struggled to get the kid?s arms over each of their shoulders before slowly easing into a standing position. Luke managed to get his feet under him to support himself, but he was weak and shaky. Not to mention terrified.

"We are in so much trouble," Fixer murmured softly as they slowly walked Luke away from where he?d fallen.

With dismay, Luke suddenly noticed he crowd of kids that was clustered around them. Luke hadn?t even been aware that there were others, and he shuddered as Biggs attempted to dismiss them. "Okay, guys. Show?s over."

There was a collective grumble as kids started to back away from them, but they didn?t leave entirely. They just continued to watch as Luke allowed himself to be helped to a waiting speeder. He couldn?t really blame them, for even he would?ve been drawn to a spectacle like this. Although he still wasn?t sure what exactly had happened.

"Biggs, what happened, exactly?" Luke whispered as they propped him against the side of the speeder.

Biggs grimaced. "It was my fault. I lost control for a minute in the turn, and I managed to knock you off in the process of trying to get it back again."

Luke merely nodded in understanding, a sudden throbbing in his head keeping him from speaking.

"Luke, I?m really sorry. I-I was so scared when you didn?t get up after you fell." Luke could hear the sincere concern in his voice and wanted to reassure him that he was fine.

"Biggs, it?s okay," he said quietly.

"No, Luke. I?m getting rid of that thing," Biggs insisted. "Look, I almost got you killed back there."

Luke?s head had begun to ache fiercely again, and he really didn?t feel like arguing. But Biggs was his best friend, and he felt strangely guilty for worrying him like this. "Biggs, don?t be crazy. I?m far from dead. I just banged my head that?

 

Just a note: I always wondered how Luke knew what the switches on a speederbike did in ROTJ. So this is my explanation.

 

Knight Mara, you have captured my attention. This story is well written and highly interesting. Can't wait for more.

 

more! i want more!

BTW--where did you get the nickname: "Wormie"? did i miss something?

 

Vergere, his nickname is never explained as it only appears in the ANH novelization and radio drama, but I'm currently working on another story that incorporates how it might have originated.

Too many stories, so little time.

 

Yeah, Luke knows how to pilot speeder bikes, if anyone remembers shadows of the Empire, You may remember the scene where he takes out a whole bunch of swoopers in beggars canyon.

He also made comment that he flew one alot when he was a teenager, and that he wasn't too bad at it. . . . but then in my opinion Luke can fly anything!

 

THATS where that happened! i couldn't remember what book it was in when Luke got mixed up w/a bunch of swoopers on Tatooine. thanks Maramijade.

thanks to KnightMara too, i have yet to read the OT novelizations...

 

Great story. Waiting for more.

 

I'd forgotten that, maramijade. But then again, I was one of those who was not overly impressed by Shadows. Oh well.

Anyway, here's more for those of you who asked for it. (And remember, you asked for it.. .hehehehe)



"You know, you can always tell them that I beat you up," Fixer suggested in answer to his unspoken question. "That way you won?t get in trouble."

Luke glanced up at him, surprised at this moment of insight coming from someone he?d long suspected as being all brawn and no brain. Fixer was looking back at him, seeking a response. Luke sighed again before replying, "That won?t work. My uncle has a serious thing against me fighting anyone. Remember that wrestling match me and Windy got into?"

Fixer nodded. "Windy got you good that time."

"Yeah, well I got grounded on top of it all," Luke finished.

"So, then just tell him the truth," Fixer argued.

"I?ve been saving up for a landspeeder. If I tell them about this, they?ll never let me drive."

"You?re only thirteen. You can?t drive a speeder anyway."

"I?m almost fourteen," Luke countered. "And it?ll take me a year to save it up as it is."

"So, then what are you so panicked about?" Fixer was clearly confused at Luke?s logic.

Unfortunately, in his state, so was Luke. "Look, it?s not that simple," he struggled to explain. "My uncle doesn?t forget stuff like this."

Fixer just shook his head. "Whatever."

Wincing against the pain that suddenly surged up through the back of his neck and into his skull, Luke said nothing more. All he wanted right now was to get home and curl up in his bed. He hoped fervently that no one would be there to greet him and question him about the cuts and scrapes. He didn?t want to have to answer, and didn?t think he could come up with anything convincing right now that would keep him out of trouble.

Again, a spasm of pain shot up through him, and he gasped involuntarily.

Thinking he?d done something to cause it, Fixer quickly reached a steadying hand out to his shoulder. "Sorry."

Luke couldn?t even utter thanks, let alone dismiss Fixer?s apology as not being his fault. Instead, he held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut, willing an end to the pain. His stomach rolled again, but he fought back the urge to throw up for fear it would make his head worse. He felt the cold beads of sweat spring to his forehead as well as the cold dampness that soon covered his body. His torn tunic clung to his chilled skin and he shivered, signaling the inevitable. Eyes still closed, he leaned over the side and retched.

He was aware of the speeder?s decrease in speed as Fixer slowed down to a stop. "You okay, kid?"

The question sounded distant and murky. He pulled himself back into the speeder and felt his grip on reality begin to waver. His heart was beating at an odd rhythm, his breathing didn?t feel right, and his hand quaked as he brushed it across his forehead. Tears worked their way out from the corners of his eyes as he fought to stay conscious. He couldn?t lose it now. He just couldn?t. Not over a lousy headache. But why did it have to hurt so badly?

"I?m starting to think this is serious," Fixer?s voice interrupted his thoughts. It was clearer this time, a good sign.

Luke worked moisture into a suddenly dry mouth and managed, "I?m okay now."

"Yeah, right, Wormie," Fixer shouted. "It looked like you were going to pass out just now. And I?m thinkin? that Biggs was right. You might have a concussion or something."

Luke risked opening his eyes and focusing them on Fixer. He wasn?t blurry, another good sign. "And just what is a doctor going to do for a concussion?"

Fixer shrugged, "Dunno. Make you stay home and rest, I guess. That?s what my uncle did when he had one."

"Okay, so I?ll do that on my own. I?ll lie and say I?m sick." Luke looked at him imploringly. "Come on, Fix. My aunt and uncle can?t know that I did this . . . however I did this."

"See! You can?t even remember how you got yourself hurt, Wormie!

 

A mere thirty minutes after I post, and it's already on page two.
::self confidence shatters::

 

Please post more!

 

Ohh this is great! It feels like I am the one having all the pain that Luke is having!

I must have more! Good job.

 

Thanks, Wedge. But is that really a good thing? I mean, I don't want to be inflicting pain upon my readers. That would be cruel, now, wouldn't it?

But hey, if you keep readin', I'll keep postin'.

 

well, im reading, but right now youre not posting...

 

Hmm, maybe I said that wrong. Here's a better way of saying it:

I could really feel Luke's pain.

Ohh well, keep writing and I will keep reading!

 

Hey, guys, as Indiana Jones would say, "I'm makin' this up as I go." So I'll post as soon as I'm done with the next installment. But, believe me, your comments are really fueling the writing bug here, so keep 'em coming! I can't tell you how much I love the feedback!