Various ramblings by the small hobbit

Title: A Lightbulb Moment
Fandom: Life on Mars
Rating: Green Cortina
Word Count: 480 approx
Written for the 'Politics' challenge on 1973flashfic! Title thanks to my beta jinxed100 

Gene marched into Sam’s flat and flicked the light switch.  Nothing happened.

“Bl***y power cuts,” he moaned.

“’S not a power cut – the bulb’s gone,” replied a muffled voice that seemed to emanate from under a blanket.

“So why didn’t you change it then?”

“Couldn’t, it was dark.”

Silence.

“Tyler, if you don’t get out of bed in thirty seconds I am coming over to get you out.”

“What’s the hurry?”

“Rathbone has promised that ponce in the town hall that there will be no intimidation of staff who wish to work despite the strike call and therefore yours truly has to go and intimidate the intimidators.  And I warned you ...”

 With that Gene grabbed the blankets and pulled them off the bed.  For good measure he grabbed Sam’s pyjama trousers and pulled them off too.

“Oy,” Sam protested, “that’s uncalled for.”

“Oops, too dark for me to see what I’m doing.” Gene grinned.  “Now, hurry up and get dressed before the sight of your bare arse makes me forget what I came here for.”

Before long they were standing outside the town hall, where a solitary placard bearing cleaner was standing chatting to the two plods who had been sent to control the crowds. 

“Right then,” Gene had spotted the mayor approaching the town hall.  “I trust there won’t be any violence on this ‘ere picket line.”

“Nah, I’m going off ‘ome in a minute.  It’s too flaming cold to stand around ‘ere all morning.  ‘Is ‘oliness,” the man indicated the mayor, “has seen me ‘ere and that chap from the local paper ‘as taken me picture, so there’s nowt left to do.”  With a cheery wave to Gene the man picked up his placard and wandered off.

---000---

Late in the afternoon, Sam saw Rathbone approaching.  “Ah, Tyler, tell DCI Hunt that Mr Formby phoned me and told me there had been no trouble with the strikers today.  I was pleased to be able to tell him that I took personal responsibility for this matter.”

“I’m sure the Guv will be delighted to know that,” Sam replied.  He returned to CID in time to find Gene about to leave, declaring that it was “beer o’clock.”  Sam declined the invitation to join them at The Railway Arms, saying that there were a couple of files he wanted to read whilst it was quiet.  Once he had done so, he went back to his flat, but wasn’t greatly surprised to hear Gene outside the door about an hour later.  Once more Gene walked into the flat, flicked the light switch and nothing happened.

“Lazy sod.  You could have replaced that bulb by now.”

“I have.  The power’s off.”

“Bl***y Heath.  It’s about time he got those miners sorted.”

“Can’t you forget about politics for now and just come to bed?”

And not to labour a point, Gene did.