A/N: Hey everybody, this is my first Sea Patrol fic, because I'm pretty new to this fandom, but I liked the first three seasons and all the characters (especially Spider) so much that I thought I'd try my hand at a Sea Patrol fic. I don't know if it's any good and if I should continue or not, so I'd really like your opinions about it. The fic was inspired by CO's and Spiders conversation at the end of Ghost Net about Spider's childhood, which will probably also be a little different than on the show.
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Also, I'm not too familiar with how exactly things work in the Australian Navy, so again I hope I didn't mess up there too much *sigh* and I don't know who really rooms with who, so please call it artistic freedom that I made Spider share his cabin with Buffer *sheepish smile*
English also isn't my native language so I hope there aren't too many mistakes...
But now please enjoy the first chapter of the story and I really hope you like it *smiles shyly*
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Warnings: Mentions of Child Abuse, hence the M rating, I'll post other warnings if they come up...
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Summary: When Spider said that he probably didn't have a good life before he was adopted, he wasn't exaggerating. Spider luckily didn't remember too much, but what happens when suddenly someone tries to force Spider to relive and remember those times? Who will be there to catch Spider when he falls?
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Disclaimer: None of the Sea Patrol characters belong to me, I'm just borrowing them for this story and this is for entertainment only, not for money...
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Shadows of his past
Chapter 1
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"Hey Spider, hold up, you've got mail."
Robert "RO" Dixon's voice stopped Billy Webb, known to his friends and crew-mates as Spider from passing by the radio officer's room.
The young Seaman raised an eyebrow and then he poked his head into the small room.
"A letter for me? Who is it from?" he questioned in surprise.
He hadn't expected a letter until next week when his parents would return from their holidays and would tell him about it in a long letter.
So Spider really had no idea who it could be from, since he didn't get many letters anyway.
And somehow an uneasy feeling settled in his gut, even though he really didn't know why.
"Yeah, you got mail, no idea who it's from though," RO answered and then he reached for an inconspicuous white envelope and handed it to Spider, who was looking at it, his eyebrow still raised.
He stared at his name written on it and tried to remember if he had seen the handwriting somewhere before, but he just couldn't remember if he had.
"So, who is it from?" RO questioned, looking at his crew-mate with curiosity.
Not much had been happening on the Hammersley today, so RO was glad for every distraction and it promised to be an interesting distraction.
Spider rarely got mail and when he did, it was mostly from his parents, but RO was pretty sure that this wasn't from Spider's parents, because he would have recognized their handwriting by now.
"No idea," Spider meanwhile answered to RO's question, because there was no sender address written anywhere.
"Then open it," RO urged, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back a little in his chair.
"Nah, not with your noisy person around," Spider said with a teasing grin and then he turned and walked further down the halls towards the cabin he shared with Pete "Buffer" Tomaszewski.
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Buffer was off duty right now and he greeted Spider with a short nod before he returned to the book he had been reading before.
Spider acknowledged him with a short "hey mate" of his own, before he sat down on his bunk, eying the envelope in his hand for a second and then he nearly tore it open, curiosity getting the better of him.
A letter fell out first, but Spider didn't really pay any attention to it.
No, his eyes were completely focused on the stack of photos he now held in his hands.
At first his mind didn't really make a connection to what he was seeing on those pictures, but suddenly his mind supplied him with pictures and memories of his past.
It were only little flashes and nothing was really connected, but what he suddenly saw before his inner eye was more than enough for Spider's stomach to churn.
"I'm gonna be sick," was all he managed to get out before he emptied the contents of his stomach into the trash can he had managed to pull close to him.
"Jeez, Spider," Buffer complained when he heard the younger man retch into the can and he lowered the book he had been reading.
Whatever else he had wanted to say, however, was forgotten when he saw how pale his mate looked.
Buffer rolled out of his bunk and knelt beside the younger man, concern in his eyes, before he asked: "Spider, you okay? Should I get Swain?"
He really wasn't sure what to do, because he had no idea what could be wrong with the young seaman.
One second Spider had been his usual happy self, and the next he looked like death warmed over.
Spider didn't answer him, instead he clutched the trash can closer to his chest, obviously afraid that he might get sick again.
"Spider? Do you want me to get Swain?" Buffer repeated his earlier question, because he wanted the younger man to talk to him.
But once again Spider didn't even react, not even with a shake of his head.
The Petty Officer was about to get up and get Swain just to do something when suddenly his eyes fell on one of the pictures that had landed face up on the ground beside Spider.
Buffer stared at it for a second, not sure he really understood what he was seeing on the photo.
He shook his head and stared at the young Seaman sitting on the bed, shaking like a leaf.
"Spider, what the hell is this?" Buffer questioned, somehow angry, but that probably was because he had no idea how to react to this and he hated feeling helpless.
Spider finally looked at him, his eyes were wide and his face was pale, which made him look even younger than he really was.
"That's... that's me," was all he managed to get out, before his eyes rolled back and he fell back on the bed... unconscious.
"Damn!" Buffer cursed and was finally on his feet, prepared to search the whole ship for Swain if it was necessary, but he was also a little reluctant to leave Spider alone.
His problem solved itself when he suddenly saw 2Dads poking his head into the cabin. He had obviously heard Buffer's curse.
"Everything okay in here?" the blonde Leading Seaman wanted to know, his eyebrows raising when he saw the scene in the small room and was about to enter.
But Buffer's words stopped him.
"Go and find Swain and get the CO here asap," he barked, hoping that 2Dads would just listen for once and would not ask any questions that Buffer didn't have an answer to.
2Dads, however, didn't move at first and questioned: "What happened to Spider?"
Buffer growled in frustration.
"Just go and find Swain and the CO and I'll explain later," he urged, because Spider really needed help and Buffer sure as hell didn't want anyone else to see the photos that were strewn across the floor.
Luckily 2Dads listened this time and followed the order, especially when he heard the distress in Buffer's voice.
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Buffer gave a sigh of relief and then he turned his attention back to Spider again.
The young Seaman was still unconscious and all Buffer could do for him right now, was to make him as comfortable as possible until Swain could check him out.
When he had done so, Buffer started to collect all the photographs, because he really didn't want other people to see them unless they really needed to.
Buffer himself could barely look at them, even after everything he had been through, especially after the few words Spider had said before he had fallen unconscious
It made looking at the pictures a thousand times worse than not knowing who was on those photos.
Buffer's eyes once again traveled to the still form on the bed.
Spider was pale and even though he was unconscious, his features were twisted as if in silent agony.
/He never mentioned anything like that/ Buffer mused, wondering what horror's Spider was reliving right now.
Suddenly Buffer spotted a folded piece of paper on the ground and since it hadn't been here before, he assumed that it had come with the photos.
He really didn't want to violate Spider's privacy more than he already had, but he needed some answers to all the questions swirling around in his mind.
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So Buffer bent down and picked up the paper, unfolding it.
He was just about to start reading when suddenly Mike Flynn, the CO and Chris Blake, mostly known as "Swain" entered the cabin, 2Dads hot on their heels.
"Buffer? What's going on here?" the CO questioned, before his eyes fell on Spider's unconscious form.
Of course 2Dads had given him and Swain a short version of what might have happened, but Mike still hadn't expected this scene.
Swain had already rushed to Spider, kneeling down beside him and checking the young man's pulse.
Flynn watched him for a moment, concerned for Spider, but then he noticed 2Dads and RO standing in the hall, curiously looking into the cabin.
"Buffer, close the door," the CO instructed, not wanting the whole ship to see this, since he had no real idea what was going on.
Buffer, who still had the letter in his hand, nodded and without hesitation shut the door, ignoring the frustrated and concerned looks he got from 2Dads and RO.
Then Buffer immediately turned back towards Spider, CO and Swain.
Flynn had his arms crossed in front of his chest and questioned: "What's wrong with Spider?"
Swain just shone a light in the young man's eyes, but Spider barely reacted and only moaned softly.
"He seems to be in shock," Swain answered his Commanding Officer and covered the young man with a blanket to keep him warm.
Mike looked concerned and then turned his attention to Buffer.
"So? What happened?"
"I'm not sure," Buffer admitted.
"Spider was sick all of sudden and then he collapsed, but after looking at those, I can't really blame him," he then explained and handed the photos to his CO.
Flynn looked at them, his eyes wide.
"What the hell is this?" he unconsciously echoed Buffer's earlier words.
Buffer only shrugged a little helplessly.
"As I said, I really don't know. He got the pictures with the mail apparently."
Buffer hesitated for a second, before he added: "... it seems to be Spider in those pictures."
Flynn stiffened and suddenly this all made an awful lot of sense, because he clearly remembered the talk he had had with Spider a few weeks ago.
"I was adopted... the life I had before that probably wasn't so great."
That had been Spider's words, but the CO had never thought that it had been this bad
And he just couldn't tear his eyes away from the small boy in the pictures, bruises littering the small body...
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to be continued if anyone is interested...
Yeah well, I really hope it wasn't too bad... reviews would be most appreciated *shy and insecure smile*