[Spamfic][SM][DICed] "Crystal Ontario Crash"
By Henry J. Cobb
$Id: crystal_crash.txt,v 1.3 1998/04/14 15:13:40 hcobb Exp $

I opened my eyes and stared up the ceiling.  This wasn't my room.  How had
I gotten here and why did I hurt so much?

"It's a good thing you were wearing your seat belt, your majesty."

Slowly I turned my head and addressed my closest, most trusted advisor.
"I couldn't help it Luna, you've drilled that into me too much.  What
happened?"

"There was a crash."

"Yeah, I'm starting to remember.  What's the damage?"

"Your left arm and leg was broken, your ribs got bruised and you suffered
a concussion, but you should be fine."

"And Prince Diamond?"

"You were the only survivor of the crash, your majesty."

"Oh."

"I know he meant a great deal to you..."

"No, it's OK, I'll just have to pick up the pieces and move on.  We should
never have let Rubius drive."

"Do you know what he was on?  The coroner is having a bit of trouble with
that."

"I have no idea.  How fares Crystal Ontario in my absence?"

The black cat paged through the newspaper she had been resting on.  "The
stock market is down 10%."

"Only 10%, I guess the people have faith in the institutions I've
established."

"Actually Dwarfman says: ``She's died twice before and it's never hurt
her.  This is probably just a sympathy ploy to bring up her numbers before
next year's parliamentary elections.''"

"I suppose everybody's entitled to their opinion.  How's Renie?"

"We haven't told her.  We wanted to wait until we were sure you would pull
through, but..."

"But what?"

"But she hasn't stopped crying since the crystal appeared before her."

"Luna, go right now and tell her to bring that right back."

"Yes your majesty."

After the cat left, I rested for a while and I guess I dozed off, because
the next thing I knew the door to my hospital room swung open and he was
standing there.

"I sorry your majesty, but he insisted on seeing you."  The nurse
explained.

"It's OK, leave us."

When the door closed I looked back at him.  "Well, if it isn't Prince
Dorkian!"

He looked like I'd slapped him.

"I sorry.  I didn't mean that.  It just slipped out."

"No, you're right Serena, I have been acting like a dork lately.  But,
when I saw that crash over and over on television I felt..."

"I really do need to crack down on freedom of the press, don't I?"

"...I knew that you were the most important thing to me.  I want to come
back, if you'll let me.  I promise to make it better."

"But Darian, how can you do that, when Raye's pregnant?"

"Don't worry, I'll handle it."  He takes my hand, kisses it, places a
single red rose in my palm and then turns and walks off as regally as
always.

	Henry J. Cobb	hcobb@slip.net          http://www.io.com/~hcobb