Hickory (standard:fantasy, 1462 words)
Author: Alpha43	Added: Apr 10 2005	Views/Reads: 3258/2078	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Hickory, a one time near champion boxer is fighting for his life and not fairing too well right now, trying to outlast a younger and faster opponent, all the while thinking about his critically ill daughter, who is bedridden, hospitalized in intensive car

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you make every effort to be available promptly, things have become 
critical. Even knowing this is coming, it is never easy and it could 
mean so much for Sandra to see you at this time, she desperately wants 
to be with her father. Please hurry! 

Metropolitan Medical Center, room 826. 

Gloria Graham RN” 

“Dale, I think Hickory has much better footwork this round.” 

“You’re right John, he is moving better and not laying on the ropes at
all. He’s suddenly inspired. But time is on Barns side right now. I 
show a draw, 10 to 10, in the first round, 10 to 8 Barns in the 2nd 
round with a knockdown, and 10 to 9 for Barns the other four rounds; 
this is a fairly even round, but that leaves three rounds to make up 
six points. It can be done, but something better happen fast. 

If Miller could only – Oh John! Hickory just landed a beauty to the
solar plexus, this might be...” 

- - - BONG 

“That was Hickory’s best punch all night folks, stay tuned for round 8.”


>>> 

“Great round Hickory, that’s what the crowd came for, good footwork too”
Said the cut man. 

“Has Sandy been over here, it sounds like she’s back about six or eight
rows on the opposite side?” Hickory calmly stated. 

The cut man looked at Bugsy and started to wipe down Hickory’s face,
saying, “You hurt him, you hurt him bad, just...” 

“Bugsy, I asked if you have seen Sandy, now damn it, has she been in the
corner?” 

Bugsy looked at the cut man and held his gaze; “No Hick, I haven’t seen
her, you see her did ya?” 

“No, but I heard her, she yelled about my footwork and then she told me
to watch when Barns dips, he pulls his elbows apart. That’s what earned 
him that solid uppercut and that last powerful gut shot, I hurt him 
bad!” 

“Right, well, ah, just keep moving and maybe he will fade; he hasn’t
gone eight rounds in quite a while. That jab is working” Stuttered a 
confused Bugsy. 

“15 seconds!” warned the timekeeper. 

“What in the hell is she doing here? I can’t believe she is even out of
bed, make her sit down if she gets over here. I thought between rounds 
she might try to....” 

- - - BONG 

“Bugsy, you can’t stop the fight because I think he won that last round,
but something is bad wrong with his mind.” Barked the cut man. 

“Round 8 Ladies and Gentlemen. John, I might be an old sentimentalist,
but I gave that last round to Hickory.” 

“That’s right Dale, Hickory finished strong, Barns was hurt from that
shot to the stomach, ten more seconds might have made this a different 
fight, Hickory was ready to follow up. Barns keeps sticking that jab 
out there because he really doesn’t want a return visit from Hickory’s 
powerful right.” 

“Yes John, he is jabbing and he has made a couple of those quick jabs
good. It appears Hickory is just hanging on, squinting and trying to 
check out the crowd, Miller has plenty to see right in front of him. 
Barns just popped Miller hard in the ear, they’re in a clinch now, and 
it still looks like Hickory is looking out at the crowd. Barns is 
chopping Hickory’s ribs and he’s just stretching to look over Bayou’s 
shoulder, searching the ringside seats.” 

“Hickory just pushed off Barns and now he has a big smile on his face.
Hey, he’s skipping. Folks, Hickory is skipping around the ring out by 
the ropes. Barns is standing in the middle of the ring with his hands 
out to his side, he’s smiling, and watching Hickory skip. Dale, Hickory 
just reversed himself, he skipping clockwise, the crowd is on their 
feet, about half are laughing and the other half are booing, what’s 
going on here?” 

“John, this the strangest thing I have ever seen in the ring, wait,
Hickory is standing on the bottom rope, he’s leaning over the post, 
he’s stretching out over Barns corner, he’s talking to the crowd. I 
can’t believe it, what’s he saying; hold on. Folks, he just swiveled, 
he’s running for the middle of the ring, directly at Barns. Holy Cow! 
he cold-cocked Barns, that left came out of center field and I think 
Barns was still confused. The referee is counting but that’s just for 
show, that round-house left picked Barns right off his feet, I hope 
Bayou is all right.” 

- 8 - 9 - 10 

“Its over folks, a knock-out for Hickory Miller in the eighth round. The
referee is trying to raise Hickory’s arm, but Miller is back hanging 
over the ropes. The crowd is going nuts; they saw it, but they can’t 
believe it, what a fight!” 

“John, this has got to be one of the wildest turn-around’s in boxing
history. Apparently it meant more to Hickory than I imagined, he’s got 
tears streaming down his face, he’s screaming ‘I’m back’ or ‘Come 
back.’ Now he’s yelling ‘Wait, please wait’. Believe me John, were all 
waiting, nobody’s left this arena. Can you believe it? The fight of the 
century! 

Dale, Hickory must not believe it, he’s slid down on his knees, his face
buried in his gloves, I think he’s crying. 

John, this bout must have overwhelmed Hickory, he’s sobbing, he‘s
bawling like a baby. Can you imagine what must be going through Hickory 
Miller’s mind right now?” 


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