A/N:
Hey everybody! I'm a new author. I've lately been reading a lot of Sea Quest fics and it got me inspired! This is only chapter one. I'll try to update as often as I can! Please review! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own any of the characters and/or places in this story. It is a work of fiction, and I am making no money off of it.
Warning: This story contains child abuse and later chapters will have subjects with anorexia and other depressing events! You have been warned.
~Rena
Lucas Wolenczak walked calmly onto the Sea Quest. They had been on shore leave for ten days, and Lucas' visit with his father hadn't exactly been pleasant. The welts on his body and clumsily bandaged, probably broken ribs showed for that. He also had quite a bruise on the side of his face. When Bridger had asked what happened, he assured him that he's just taken a tumble down the stairs and that he was fine. He sighed sadly, remembering the conversation.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered softly, walking through the hall towards his room.
"Hey Lucas!" Ben Kreig greeted warmly, smiling at his roommate. His smile faltered though, after getting a good look at the boy. The ugly bruise on his face, along with that fact that he looked to be about ten pounds lighter. He'd never seen anybody that thin, Lucas' skin sunk in visibly around his eyes, his face ashen.
"What happened kid?" He whispered quietly.
Lucas' wanted to let everything go, tell Ben everything and let out all his pain. But he just couldn't...his father would kill him.
"Nothing," he laughed a little, "damn stairs, jumped right out in front of me."
Ben let out an amused grunt, "Moron," he said jokingly.
Lucas laughed again, "Always man." They both laughed again, albeit awkwardly.
Ben looked at him again, taking in his dishelved appearance. Maybe Luke's just tired, he thought to himself. "Yeah, that's it." Lucas' looked at Ben curiously, "Huh?"
Ben shook his head, "Nothing. I'm going to go get food, wanna come?"
"Nah, thanks. I'm good."
"K."
Yup, Lucas thought, just another day at the Sea Quest.
*~*~*~*~*
"Hey Ben?!" Bridger walked into the mess hall, "You seen Lucas?"
"Yeah, he's in his room, probably asleep, poor kid looked dead." Ben, along with the rest of the senior staff sitting with him, looked at their captain.
"All right, thanks."
"Speak of the devil," Tony said with a grin. They all turned to the entrance of the mess as Lucas walked in.
"Hey everybody," he said sleepily.
"Ah Lucas! Just who I'm looking for," Bridger gave Lucas a friendly clap on the back. It didn't seem quite so friendly accompanied by Lucas' scream of pain.
He fell to his knees, losing his vision as white, searing pain smashed through his body. Causing his stomach to lurch painfully as the searing heat ran through his chest and back."
"Lucas! Lucas buddy, what's wrong?!" The Captain's voice was full of concern. Lucas opened his eyes again; there were so many people around him, suffocating. He couldn't take it; he couldn't let anybody see him like this. He jumped up and broke through the crowd, running as fast as his legs would carry him, back into the safety of his room.
It only took a minute for Bridger to catch up with him. He stopped at Lucas' door, cursing when he found it locked.
"Lucas! Lucas what happened?! Let me in damn it!" He banged on the kid's door.
"Nathan," Kristen Westphalen walked up to the captain, slowly taking his hand in her. She looked at him hard, taking in the lines of worry on his face and the concern in his eyes.
"What happened to him Kristen?"
"I don't know, but breaking down his door isn't going to help matters. Really now, he looked frightened enough."
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just so worried about him," Bridger said, "He has to come out."
"He will, just give him time." Dr. Westphalen smiled at him. As they turned around, ready to walk back to the bridge, they heard the faint sound of the door unlocking. Turning slowly, Bridger walked over to the door.
"Good luck," Kristen said, and continued on towards the bridge.
Lucas was standing by his bunk, looking down at that ever so interesting spot on the sheets.
"I was five the first time it happened. We had just discovered my 'gift', my genius," Lucas voice was soft, void of emotion, "My parents had accepted the fact, they had thought of so many ways they could use me for, show me off as I got older. But that night, my parents, they got into this huge fight. It's not like I'd never heard them fight before, but this was different. This was really bad. I stayed in my room, I was crying, and really really scared. Finally, after about an hour or so, I heard a door slam. I remember feeling so relieved. And then dad....he came into my room. I could smell the alcohol as soon as he walked in. I was so young, I had no idea what was happening," his voice wavered a bit now, the captain stood at the open door, listening closely.
"And then he came up to my bed, I was supposed to be asleep, but I hadn't been able to through al the screaming. He saw that I was awake, and he got mad. He started yelling at me, and he told me that the fighting was my fault. That my mom didn't want a kid, that she was tired of dealing with me. She took it out on my dad, while he, on the other hand, took it out on me."
Lucas heard Bridger's sharp intake of breath. He swallowed hard, not allowing tears to fall. He continued with his story, stony-faced.
"I...I remember him yelling, calling me worthless, telling me my existence was pointless. I couldn't get out of bed for a week after that night.
"As I got older, the beatings got worse, and for such stupid stuff, he'd beat for the dumbest goddamn things! He always had me working on his little projects. By the age of ten I was the best computer hacker that anyone could find. I knew computers better than I knew myself, I still do. One time, when I was working on one of them, it failed. He was asking me to do the impossible. He...he got so mad...and he took off his belt, and made me take off my shirt. He beat me for hours, as if it were a whip. I don't know how I lived...the pain...."
Lucas stopped for a minute, turning to meet the captains teary eyes. Lucas himself hadn't cried, and wasn't planning on it. He knew what crying led to; his father didn't like crying. So he kept going, staring at his commander.
"After fourteen years, he stationed me here on the Sea Quest. My mother didn't even say goodbye, she'd been at work, I knew from experience that her work was more important than me. My father had given me a 'good beating' the night before. He said it was to help my discipline. That considering what he did to me now, it was going to be much worse when a military captain had to deal with me. And he told me that if I ever told anyone, he'd kill me.
And I knew.....I knew he was serious. Lucas closed his eyes against the pain, yelling at himself for wanting to cry.
Nathan had tears running down his face, hearing what had happened to this kid, the amazing, wonderful child, had been through, hurt him more than anything ever could.
"And now, a year later and home from a ten-day shore leave. My dad hadn't seen me in a whole year; he had some catching up to do."
Bridger watched as Lucas opened his eyes, not even realizing he'd closed them. He was surprised to see that there was nothing in them. Facade securely in place, his guards up.
"Lucas...I.." The captain was abruptly cut off.
"I'm used to it by now sir, it's not that big of a deal. I can take care of myself, I may be young, sir, but I'm not stupid. I told you so that you could tell the rest of the staff. Then no questions will be asked."
"How...how can you stand there and tell me it's not a big deal?! You've known this.....you've lived like this for so long, and never told anybody!"
Lucas sighed, annoyed, "Please captain, please leave..." he whispered.
"I will do no such thing!" His voice softened as Lucas flinched, "You are an awesome kid Lucas. You're the smartest, most mature fifteen-year-old I have ever me. And nobody, especially you, deserves to live like that. Nobody. And I'll be damned if I ever let those monsters come near you again. I love you like you were my own son Luke, how could you have kept this secret for so long?"
"Please sir, please..." Lucas was breaking, and Bridger knew that.
"It's okay kid, you're safe here, it's okay to let your guard down."
"No..." Lucas breathed, "Crying leads to pain, so much pain...everywhere." A lone tear fell down his ashen cheek, dropping softly onto the floor. "It hurts captain, my heart.......it hurts so much!" He finally broke, sinking to the ground and curling into a sobbing ball of misery. Nathan quickly broke out of his reverie and was down beside him in mere seconds, "Lucas! Lucas it's okay, it's okay...shh..." he wrapped his arms around the boy in a tight hug, not willing to let the boy drown in his pain alone.
"No!" Lucas yelped, "I'm sorry I'm crying! Please...please don't hurt me..."
"Shh Lucas, I'm not going to hurt you, I'd never, ever hurt you." Bridger held the boy, allowing him to cry into his shoulder. Listening, pained, to the sobs that tore from the boys throat, tearing a his very soul. He was so fragile, so damn fragile, he couldn't take anymore. He looked down at the boy in his arms, the blonde hair shaking as his body trembled, racked with the harsh sobs. "It's okay Luke, you're okay here. I'll protect you, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Bridger said anything he could to help the child, to ease his pain. Lucas held onto his like as if he was a lifeline, his only ray of hope in his world of pain."
"Captain?" the word was breathed, coming from the open door. Ben, Tony, and Kristen looking in worriedly and very confused. They saw the tears running down Bridger's cheeks, they heard the sobs coming from the teenager they'd never seen cry.
Bridger nodded, silently praying for Lucas' heart.
"Lucas, you're hurt, I'm going to let Dr. Westphalen check you over. Okay?"
Lucas only sobbed harder, burying his face further into Nathan's neck.
He looked at the doctor and nodded, watching as she hurried off to get a sedative for the distraught teen. Ben and Tony looked on worriedly, and Bridger just continued to hold his young, shaking, friend.
"Hurts....pain...everywhere.....so much pain..." Lucas' voice held an eerie sadness, breaking all three men's heart. "It's okay, you're all right now."
Lucas didn't even feel the injection when Kristen returned with the sedative. He just drifted off into a dreamless sleep, his pain gone for a short while.
Ben and Tony walked in also, looking at the child, he'd never seemed so small before. Ben gently pushed the blonde bangs away from the sleeping boys face. "I never knew....I never even considered. After all the nightmares..." They all looked at him surprised, Ben continued, "Ever since he came here, he's had these horrible nightmares, they got better that last few months, but every night, he'd wake up so scared." He shook his head, "poor Luke."
Westphalen was crying also, "lets get him to med-bay, and captain, you'd better tell the rest of the staff. They are all very worried." Bridger nodded, and picked up Lucas carefully. The boy weighed little more than paper.
They didn't even feed him! The bastards didn't even feed him! He thought maliciously. He wanted to kill Lawrence and Cynthia Wolenczak. Wanted to hurt them the way they hurt Lucas. But he would no sink to that level, never would he act as they did. But for now, he just wanted to be there for Lucas, he just wanted to keep him safe.
The four of them walked, protectively, through the ship towards med bay.
Ending Note:
Thank you to all that read it! I really am having fun writing it! Please review! It'll make me go faster! ; ) Thank you all! And I know I'm mean to Lucas! What can I say......I love ELF's!
~Rena
Hey everybody! I'm a new author. I've lately been reading a lot of Sea Quest fics and it got me inspired! This is only chapter one. I'll try to update as often as I can! Please review! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own any of the characters and/or places in this story. It is a work of fiction, and I am making no money off of it.
Warning: This story contains child abuse and later chapters will have subjects with anorexia and other depressing events! You have been warned.
~Rena
Lucas Wolenczak walked calmly onto the Sea Quest. They had been on shore leave for ten days, and Lucas' visit with his father hadn't exactly been pleasant. The welts on his body and clumsily bandaged, probably broken ribs showed for that. He also had quite a bruise on the side of his face. When Bridger had asked what happened, he assured him that he's just taken a tumble down the stairs and that he was fine. He sighed sadly, remembering the conversation.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered softly, walking through the hall towards his room.
"Hey Lucas!" Ben Kreig greeted warmly, smiling at his roommate. His smile faltered though, after getting a good look at the boy. The ugly bruise on his face, along with that fact that he looked to be about ten pounds lighter. He'd never seen anybody that thin, Lucas' skin sunk in visibly around his eyes, his face ashen.
"What happened kid?" He whispered quietly.
Lucas' wanted to let everything go, tell Ben everything and let out all his pain. But he just couldn't...his father would kill him.
"Nothing," he laughed a little, "damn stairs, jumped right out in front of me."
Ben let out an amused grunt, "Moron," he said jokingly.
Lucas laughed again, "Always man." They both laughed again, albeit awkwardly.
Ben looked at him again, taking in his dishelved appearance. Maybe Luke's just tired, he thought to himself. "Yeah, that's it." Lucas' looked at Ben curiously, "Huh?"
Ben shook his head, "Nothing. I'm going to go get food, wanna come?"
"Nah, thanks. I'm good."
"K."
Yup, Lucas thought, just another day at the Sea Quest.
*~*~*~*~*
"Hey Ben?!" Bridger walked into the mess hall, "You seen Lucas?"
"Yeah, he's in his room, probably asleep, poor kid looked dead." Ben, along with the rest of the senior staff sitting with him, looked at their captain.
"All right, thanks."
"Speak of the devil," Tony said with a grin. They all turned to the entrance of the mess as Lucas walked in.
"Hey everybody," he said sleepily.
"Ah Lucas! Just who I'm looking for," Bridger gave Lucas a friendly clap on the back. It didn't seem quite so friendly accompanied by Lucas' scream of pain.
He fell to his knees, losing his vision as white, searing pain smashed through his body. Causing his stomach to lurch painfully as the searing heat ran through his chest and back."
"Lucas! Lucas buddy, what's wrong?!" The Captain's voice was full of concern. Lucas opened his eyes again; there were so many people around him, suffocating. He couldn't take it; he couldn't let anybody see him like this. He jumped up and broke through the crowd, running as fast as his legs would carry him, back into the safety of his room.
It only took a minute for Bridger to catch up with him. He stopped at Lucas' door, cursing when he found it locked.
"Lucas! Lucas what happened?! Let me in damn it!" He banged on the kid's door.
"Nathan," Kristen Westphalen walked up to the captain, slowly taking his hand in her. She looked at him hard, taking in the lines of worry on his face and the concern in his eyes.
"What happened to him Kristen?"
"I don't know, but breaking down his door isn't going to help matters. Really now, he looked frightened enough."
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just so worried about him," Bridger said, "He has to come out."
"He will, just give him time." Dr. Westphalen smiled at him. As they turned around, ready to walk back to the bridge, they heard the faint sound of the door unlocking. Turning slowly, Bridger walked over to the door.
"Good luck," Kristen said, and continued on towards the bridge.
Lucas was standing by his bunk, looking down at that ever so interesting spot on the sheets.
"I was five the first time it happened. We had just discovered my 'gift', my genius," Lucas voice was soft, void of emotion, "My parents had accepted the fact, they had thought of so many ways they could use me for, show me off as I got older. But that night, my parents, they got into this huge fight. It's not like I'd never heard them fight before, but this was different. This was really bad. I stayed in my room, I was crying, and really really scared. Finally, after about an hour or so, I heard a door slam. I remember feeling so relieved. And then dad....he came into my room. I could smell the alcohol as soon as he walked in. I was so young, I had no idea what was happening," his voice wavered a bit now, the captain stood at the open door, listening closely.
"And then he came up to my bed, I was supposed to be asleep, but I hadn't been able to through al the screaming. He saw that I was awake, and he got mad. He started yelling at me, and he told me that the fighting was my fault. That my mom didn't want a kid, that she was tired of dealing with me. She took it out on my dad, while he, on the other hand, took it out on me."
Lucas heard Bridger's sharp intake of breath. He swallowed hard, not allowing tears to fall. He continued with his story, stony-faced.
"I...I remember him yelling, calling me worthless, telling me my existence was pointless. I couldn't get out of bed for a week after that night.
"As I got older, the beatings got worse, and for such stupid stuff, he'd beat for the dumbest goddamn things! He always had me working on his little projects. By the age of ten I was the best computer hacker that anyone could find. I knew computers better than I knew myself, I still do. One time, when I was working on one of them, it failed. He was asking me to do the impossible. He...he got so mad...and he took off his belt, and made me take off my shirt. He beat me for hours, as if it were a whip. I don't know how I lived...the pain...."
Lucas stopped for a minute, turning to meet the captains teary eyes. Lucas himself hadn't cried, and wasn't planning on it. He knew what crying led to; his father didn't like crying. So he kept going, staring at his commander.
"After fourteen years, he stationed me here on the Sea Quest. My mother didn't even say goodbye, she'd been at work, I knew from experience that her work was more important than me. My father had given me a 'good beating' the night before. He said it was to help my discipline. That considering what he did to me now, it was going to be much worse when a military captain had to deal with me. And he told me that if I ever told anyone, he'd kill me.
And I knew.....I knew he was serious. Lucas closed his eyes against the pain, yelling at himself for wanting to cry.
Nathan had tears running down his face, hearing what had happened to this kid, the amazing, wonderful child, had been through, hurt him more than anything ever could.
"And now, a year later and home from a ten-day shore leave. My dad hadn't seen me in a whole year; he had some catching up to do."
Bridger watched as Lucas opened his eyes, not even realizing he'd closed them. He was surprised to see that there was nothing in them. Facade securely in place, his guards up.
"Lucas...I.." The captain was abruptly cut off.
"I'm used to it by now sir, it's not that big of a deal. I can take care of myself, I may be young, sir, but I'm not stupid. I told you so that you could tell the rest of the staff. Then no questions will be asked."
"How...how can you stand there and tell me it's not a big deal?! You've known this.....you've lived like this for so long, and never told anybody!"
Lucas sighed, annoyed, "Please captain, please leave..." he whispered.
"I will do no such thing!" His voice softened as Lucas flinched, "You are an awesome kid Lucas. You're the smartest, most mature fifteen-year-old I have ever me. And nobody, especially you, deserves to live like that. Nobody. And I'll be damned if I ever let those monsters come near you again. I love you like you were my own son Luke, how could you have kept this secret for so long?"
"Please sir, please..." Lucas was breaking, and Bridger knew that.
"It's okay kid, you're safe here, it's okay to let your guard down."
"No..." Lucas breathed, "Crying leads to pain, so much pain...everywhere." A lone tear fell down his ashen cheek, dropping softly onto the floor. "It hurts captain, my heart.......it hurts so much!" He finally broke, sinking to the ground and curling into a sobbing ball of misery. Nathan quickly broke out of his reverie and was down beside him in mere seconds, "Lucas! Lucas it's okay, it's okay...shh..." he wrapped his arms around the boy in a tight hug, not willing to let the boy drown in his pain alone.
"No!" Lucas yelped, "I'm sorry I'm crying! Please...please don't hurt me..."
"Shh Lucas, I'm not going to hurt you, I'd never, ever hurt you." Bridger held the boy, allowing him to cry into his shoulder. Listening, pained, to the sobs that tore from the boys throat, tearing a his very soul. He was so fragile, so damn fragile, he couldn't take anymore. He looked down at the boy in his arms, the blonde hair shaking as his body trembled, racked with the harsh sobs. "It's okay Luke, you're okay here. I'll protect you, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Bridger said anything he could to help the child, to ease his pain. Lucas held onto his like as if he was a lifeline, his only ray of hope in his world of pain."
"Captain?" the word was breathed, coming from the open door. Ben, Tony, and Kristen looking in worriedly and very confused. They saw the tears running down Bridger's cheeks, they heard the sobs coming from the teenager they'd never seen cry.
Bridger nodded, silently praying for Lucas' heart.
"Lucas, you're hurt, I'm going to let Dr. Westphalen check you over. Okay?"
Lucas only sobbed harder, burying his face further into Nathan's neck.
He looked at the doctor and nodded, watching as she hurried off to get a sedative for the distraught teen. Ben and Tony looked on worriedly, and Bridger just continued to hold his young, shaking, friend.
"Hurts....pain...everywhere.....so much pain..." Lucas' voice held an eerie sadness, breaking all three men's heart. "It's okay, you're all right now."
Lucas didn't even feel the injection when Kristen returned with the sedative. He just drifted off into a dreamless sleep, his pain gone for a short while.
Ben and Tony walked in also, looking at the child, he'd never seemed so small before. Ben gently pushed the blonde bangs away from the sleeping boys face. "I never knew....I never even considered. After all the nightmares..." They all looked at him surprised, Ben continued, "Ever since he came here, he's had these horrible nightmares, they got better that last few months, but every night, he'd wake up so scared." He shook his head, "poor Luke."
Westphalen was crying also, "lets get him to med-bay, and captain, you'd better tell the rest of the staff. They are all very worried." Bridger nodded, and picked up Lucas carefully. The boy weighed little more than paper.
They didn't even feed him! The bastards didn't even feed him! He thought maliciously. He wanted to kill Lawrence and Cynthia Wolenczak. Wanted to hurt them the way they hurt Lucas. But he would no sink to that level, never would he act as they did. But for now, he just wanted to be there for Lucas, he just wanted to keep him safe.
The four of them walked, protectively, through the ship towards med bay.
Ending Note:
Thank you to all that read it! I really am having fun writing it! Please review! It'll make me go faster! ; ) Thank you all! And I know I'm mean to Lucas! What can I say......I love ELF's!
~Rena