Round Robin Story A

ohboy

Project QL Intern
May 27, 2008
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Northern California
I've been watching, and contributing to the Experimental Round Robin for a while, but to be honest, it is very hard to try and keep up with the plot with such short postings. However, I've seen how creative the other ones have been, and I really enjoyed the premise of the thread idea. So, I thought that I would start a traditional one. The only thing that I ask is that the story text be in bold, and that way any commenting text is in original print. Other than that, have fun!

Oh, and for those that read my original introduction when I first joined, I am terrible at introductions, so I'll let someone else start. :help
 
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Sam arrived in his new destination, again wondering, "Who the hell am I, and what am I here for?" He guessed he was pregnant again by the fact that he was lying on a hospital bed with his womb being scanned.

I can't start either but someone's going to have to. :D
 
Remember, posts can be as long as you want, in reason. I don't mind short posts, but they don't have to be contained to the "experimental" expectations.

"Everything looks good. How do you feel, Mrs. Golbez?" the man that Sam assumed was the doctor was asking her.
"Oh boy!" Sam replied in the whisper that he was used to when around other people. "I'm a pregant woman!"
The doctor looked at Sam with confusion. "Is everything alright, Mrs. Golbez?"
 
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Sam hesitated and then looked up, "Err... yes... I'm fine."
"Mrs. Golbez, we've detected two heartbeats. Which means, you're going to have twins", the doctor informed Sam.
"Twins?!... Oh boy"
There was the sucking sound of the chamber door opening and closing. "Don't worry, Sam; you're not due any time soon."
 
"Al." Sam yelled without meaning too?
"Al?" the doctor asked, a look of surprise on his face.
Sam had to think fast. "All is going to be okay?"
The doctor laughed. "Yes, yes it will. Excuse me, but I have to leave for a moment." The doctor stood up and left, giving Sam the time he so wanted with his holographic sidekick.
 
"Al, why have I leaped into another preganat woman?" Sam asks his holographic friend.
"Your name is Matina Golbez. Ziggy says there is a 87.6% chance you are here to stop these babies from being aborted" Al says.
"I'm the mother, that's easy."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Sam. Anthony Golbez, the father of the children, practiacally beats her to have the abortion."
 
"Well, Sam" Al continued. "I have no idea why he wouldn't want children. Maybe he just doesn't like kids?"
"That is still no reason for a man to force a woman into killing her children!" Sam continued. "What year is it?"
"Uh, let me check." Al looked on his handlink. "1959."
"Then before the Women's Rights Movement..." Sam sighed.

One note that I wanted to say is that this is going to hit the topic of abortion, and while I am not positive, I have a feeling that there is going to more discussion about both sides of aborition. I thought that I should say that I personally am not actually stating my own views on abortions in what I say, but am simply trying to capture the mood of the story in my portion of the posts. What I am trying to say is that I am not passing my views off on everyone.
 
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"Hang on, isn't it illegal to kill an unborn child?!" Sam remebered.
The doctor, just outside the room Sam was in, overhearing,"Of course, you wouldn't happen to be getting any ideas now, would you, Mrs. Golbez?" he said after entering the room.
Sam smiled politely,"No, 'course not."
 
The doctor, however, continued. "Mrs. Golbez, I know that your young, but you have to remember that there is a lot of emotional stress involved in getting an aborition. Besides, you're going to have a family to take care of. You should be happy."
Sam tried to smile. "I know, doctor."
"Anyways, I think that we are done here. All your tests indicate that you doing very well."
"Thank you, doctor."
With that, Sam had turned to leave the examination room, and was about to leave the lobby, when a voice called to her.
"Matina! Is something wrong?"
 
Sam turned to see a man with a concerned expression, and wearing a cast on his left arm, rushing toward him. He presumed he was his host’s husband, but before he could react, the man threw his arms around him. Al confirmed the leaper’s suspicion as Sam was hugged.

“Sam, this is Matina’s husband, Anthony Golbez and he’s twenty-nine years old. He and Matina Sadowski got married two weeks after she graduated from Randolph Stoner High School six years ago. Now, not counting the two buns currently in the oven….” He ignored Sam’s reaction to the euphemism, adding, “they already have three kids, all under the age of six.” Al paused at the next bit of information that came across the handlink’s small screen. “Sam, Anthony works as an auto mechanic and…"

Over Anthony Golbez’s shoulder, Sam watched Al closely, mouthing, “And what?”

Not by a long shot was this the first time the Observer had given Sam necessary information this soon in a leap that just promised to make the leap that much harder to accomplish. “Since Tony’s the sole breadwinner for their family, they’re already having a tough time making ends meet. The news of this pregnancy, coming just three weeks after the accident and then, two days ago, finding out that his boss had permanently replaced him, was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. They get into another argument about…everything… Saturday afternoon, that’s two days from now. In the original history, when Matina suggested she could get a part-time job until his arm healed and he could find work, all it did was set off Tony’s temper. When he demanded that Matina have an abortion and she refused, he came close to beating her to death…with that cast on his arm.”

Martina’s husband, now holding him by his shoulders, gave the leaper a gentle shake, repeating, “Is anything wrong?"

“Uh…no,” Sam replied. “In fact, everything’s fine." He took a deep breath then, pasting an uncertain smile on his face, blurted, “We’re having twins.”
 
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Anthony led them outside the office before saying anything, which Sam took as a bad sign. When he checked to make sure that no one was earshot, he spoke.

"Matina, we couldn't feed one more child, let alone two. The little money we have saved up won't last very long. Even if I found another job, it couldn't support five children."

Before Sam knew it, they were at the car. Sam had a problem, though. He knew that with Anthony's injury, he couldn't drive, and Sam didn't really know where he was going. He could ask Al, so he would have to think quickly.

"Anthony, I'm feeling a little dizzy from all this news. Could you give me directions home?" Sam said, knowing that it was a weak excuse, but the best he could give under these circumstances.

Anthony gave him a look that made Sam wonder if he could see through the lie. "You need directions?"

"All this stress is giving me a headache, and I'm not feeling very well," Sam pressed.

"Fine, whatever." Anthony said.

"Now Matina, we can't keep the babies," Anthony said, much more calmly than Sam expected. "Think of the family."
 
"Abortion is a bit extreme, don't you think?" Sam started, "Why not put these babies up for adoption rather than kill hem before they're even born?"
"Look around you, Matina!" Anthony had began losing his temper. "Women are having abortions all the time!"
"Women have died after having abortions!" Sam argued.
 
"Matina," Anthony said, almost shouting at this point. "I know you, and I know that once you have those babies, you won't give them up. If you have the abortion, then we can just put this behind us. Turn left at the stopsign."

Sam stopped the car, and turned before responding. He was coming to a residential area. The problem was, he didn't know which house was his, and he didn't know how to ask that question to Anthony, who was already getting mad enough.

"You live on 1056 Rockbiter Road." Sam looked in his rearview mirror to see, Al, who was grinning. That wasn't the first time that Al seemed to be able to read his mind. It also wasn't the first time that Al appeared and listened in on conversations without Sam knowing.

"We need to continue this conversation later." Anthony said as Sam turned on Rockbiter Road. "When we get in the house, I need you to watch the children while I look through the want ads in the newspaper and try to find a job to support you and our three children."
 
Sam stepped out of the car then Anthony followed. The car was parked in fornt of three houses, all looking the same; Sam skimmed the top of all three doors to find the number "1056". Sam walked up to the house with no number on seeing as the other two said, "1054" and "1052".

Sam turned around and looked nervously at Anthony. "Well don't look at me, you've got the keys" sad Anthony.
 
"Oh right, sorry." Sam said as he felt around his purse to get the keys. When he felt metal, he picked it up, and walked to the front door. Luckily there were only three keys: the car ignition key, the car door key, and the other key which would be the house key. After unlocking the door, he was immediately charged by three children, with an older lady standing behind them.

"Children, let your mother breath," the voice said behind him.

AS Sam looked at her, he heard Al's voice behind him. "Sam, that's Mrs. Rico, the neighbor who babysits your kids."

Sam was hesitant at first, but soon spoke. "Thanks Mrs. Rico. How much do I owe you?"

It was obvious on her face that she was confused. "Honey, what makes you want to start payin' me all of the sudden? I told you before, I know how hard it is for you two, and I don't mind watching the children. They're good," Mrs. Rico said as she looked at one pushing another, "most of the time."

If memory serves, cars did use to have two keys, but I could be wrong. Could somebody point that out to me if I am? Oh, and sorry if this seems to be poorly edited, I decided to give "quick reply" a try, which I don't think I'll do again.
 
Anthony gave the children a stern look and soon stopped. The woman in front of Sam smiled, "Any news?"
"Twins. We're having twins." Anthony answered for Sam.
"Twins! Everything is alright, I hope." Mrs Rico made her way over to the door.
 
"I have work to do!" Anthony said, storming past the two of them and heading off down the hall nearby.

"I'm sorry." Sam said. "It's just that he's a little upset right now."

Mrs. Rico was by the door, but it was obvious that she was not exiting just yet. "Matina, you listen to me. Anthony's just stressed that he can't find a job. If you ever have any problems, and need someone to talk to, don't bother to come over for some tea and cookies."

"Thank you Mrs. Rico. I may do that," Sam responded. Him and her said goodbye, and Mrs. Rico left, leaving Sam with three children.

Sam wanted to talk to Anthony, but knew that he couldn't leave three children of five, four, and two, respectivly, alone without them coming in to bother them or interrupt them in some way. As Sam was thinking this, he could hear his familiar friend's voice behind him.

"Sam, I have an update on what happens to Matina."

As he said, this the children all turned to look at the strange new man in their house with the red pants and hat.
 
"Do you know where my mommy is?" the middle child asks Al.
"Err... you're mom..." Sam starts "You see.."
"We're angels who are going to be looking after your mom for a while, while Sam here, is going to look after you're father" Al answered for him. Al then looked down to find a little toddler staring in fasination at his handlink.
 
Al immediately took the cue. "Would you like see what this can do?"

The children say yes to this.

"Then you have to let us talk for a minute. Be good, and don't interrupt, okay." Al instructed, turning to talk to Sam.

"Sam," Al whispered, keeping his voice down low, sure that the oldest two could understand what he was saying, "I found something else out. Shortly after the abortion, Tony feels so bad about what he did, he commits suicide. Without him, you, I mean Matina, and the children can't pay the bills, and become homeless." Al looked at the three children, before finishing. "Sam, the children all have to go to orphanages, and you end up losing them as well. All three of them die in that orphange."

Sam stopped and looked at the three children pushing each other, oblivious to what the future might possibly hold in store for them. The problem was, he had no way he could think of to resolve this.

"Al, run this scenerio. He finds a job, one that can pay for five children. Then what would happen?" Sam asked as Al punched in his handlink.
 
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"That wouldn't change anything, Sam. He still forces Matina into the abortion. I guess it was greed" Al answered.
"How old are they all when they end up in the orphanage?"
"Seven, six and four"
"How did the children die? Was there a fire or something like that?"
"Carbon Monoxide poisoning", Al corrected Sam.

Chat?
 
Sam was aghast. There appeared that there was nothing he could do, and yet he didn't want those children to die.

"Al, what do you think would happen if I had them, and then gave it up for adoption. If we can't afford to take care of two new babies, at least they may go into a good home." Normally, Sam was against adoptions, since it would deprive the mother of the baby, but since he had three other lives that were at stake here, that was the only other thing he could come up with in a pinch.


Sam's Crow said:
Are you talking to me? If so, then sure, I would love to. Just PM (Private Message) me a good time, and I'll see if I can do that.

If that was a general invitation :eek:, then forget I ever said that.
 
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Al was surprised at the outcome, "If you can convince, 'Tony that you are ging to give up those children then that might work actually"
Sam gave a little smile and turned back to the children. He could see they were all aching to see the handlink.
 
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I'm enjoying this. Keep writing! Oh, and why does the name keep switching from Anthony, to Tommy, to Tony? I get the Tony..but Tommy?
 
Ugh. Thanks for catching that, I just edited the Tommy bit. I was a little tired posting that at 10:30, and tried to put Tony. If you see anything else, be sure to point it out.
 
Speaking of which, I should probably post an update to the story.

"Al," Sam began, "could you entertain the children for a while. I need to have a talk with Anthony."

Al sighed, and then turned around to the children. As Sam was walking down the hall to where Anthony left, he could hear the sounds of the handlinks going about, with Al's voice explaining to them more about the "angels". Sam walked along, and peeked in each room, trying to find out which one was theirs. Finally, at the end of the room, he could see a room that resembled a study.

"Tony, can we talk for a minute? I may have an idea about our problem," Sam began, figuring out in his mind how he was going to word his idea.


 
"You're still going on about that?" Anthony started to get a little narked, "We already have a solution!"
"Where are you going to find the money for an abortion, anyway?!" Sam starting becoming more argumentative.
"Getting rid of these babies is a lot cheaper than keeping them"
"We can give them away to someone who will be able to look after them."
"You promised me that with the last two! Once you have those babies, you wouldn't dare give them up!" Anthony finished the conversation by saying,
 
Don't worry Ohboy, if i see anything else i'll be sure to point it out. And i'd like to complement both your writing skills...you're amazing.
 
Sam's Crow is probably the better writer of the two. After all, her descriptions of the background action are much more seamless than mine. Not to mention that she can capture real human emotion better.

"It'll be different this time." Sam pleaded.
Anthony turned around, renewing the conversation. "How?"
"Because, we could afford them. We can't afford twins."
"You'll keep them, just like you always do. An abortion will make sure that you don't have a change of heart."