HIGH STAKES
By Jules6
Author's Notes:This is just a little fill in story meant to take place at beginning of second season over who gets the top bunk in Lucas's quarters and the crew members trying to work each other out within the start of a new tour of duty.
Some of the crew are there – others only have minor scenes or will be mentioned towards the end of the game. Just for laughs.
The cards are about to dealt and this is how the hand will play out:
The SeaQuest's newest submariner, Tony Piccolo took his time looking out of the hatch doorway, in both directions down the corridor. Surprisingly for the current time of day, the place was fairly quiet. When he had first came aboard the launch, the 'tin can'that he was to call home for a while, had been bustling with people and supplies. Even after this first week, the daily routine was still being worked out and everyone was trying their best to get along.
Ducking back inside and securing it, he looked back towards the back of the quarters he had been assigned by Commander Ford, and narrowed his eyes as he attempted to gauge the expression of the teenager sitting against the aqua tube behind him. The lights of the tube illuminating the room and the water with a soft blue hue.
Up until this point, there had only been sparse conversation between himself and his new room-mate. Neither of them were happy with the current situation and they both wanted it rectified immediately.
"So, are you in or not?" Piccolo challenged with an air of confidence about himself, breaking the silence.
Lucas contemplated the provocative question for a minute, glaring back at his new roommate and trying to look for signs of being conned. He would make damn sure that this 'arrangement' was only temporary. He liked his space and privacy exactly like they had been the entire first your on board with the Captain. He had tried talking to Ford about being designated one of the new cabins with someone else.
Last tour he had been accepting of his smaller quarters, even if they did have huge pipes and bulk heads running overhead. This tour this room was certainly bigger, he couldn't argue that, but he hadn't exactly planned on there being company. Nothing against the new guy, but there were times when you just wanted to be alone. He had not had a chance yet to argue the point with Bridger, as talking to the Captain about his living arrangements was difficult at the moment due to the influx of new people.
Other people had been forced to share their accommodations as well until everyone was onboard, accounted for and SeaQuest was out at open sea under her own power once more. That could be a painful few days or more.
"Maybe, what are the ground rules?" Lucas quizzed with a question of his own. He wasn't totally convinced that this was a good idea. If Bridger found out about what they were planning, they would all be in deep trouble.
"We can discuss the ground rules at the table when everyone is there. Save having to explain it twice. Right now all you have to decide is if you are in or not and who else is going to be there," Piccolo stated, his self-confidence beginning to show.
"It will have to be in one of the science labs at the back of the boat. Bridger hardly ever goes down there and hopefully Doctor Westphalen won't think to look for us there," Lucas expressed, starting to get a little excited about the whole prospect. The choice of venue had been left to him due to his better knowledge of the vessels and the places were regular crew didn't frequent as much.
"Wherever you decide, but it has to be tonight. I have to go on shift early tomorrow so there won't be another chance for weeks," Tony forewarned Lucas.
"Okay, I will go around to the others and tell them about it. You come up with the drinks and food and arrange a table. Remember this has to be kept quiet," Lucas warned.
"I can't wait. By tonight I will be sleeping soundly in my new top bunk," Tony jibed, knowing he would be invoking the desired reaction.
"In your dreams," Lucas shot back as Tony went to the door and get started on their plans.
There was no way Lucas was going to allow the newcomer to take over his room, let alone the top bunk if they were going to be stuck living together for more than the next few days.
Several hours, and with some brilliant side-stepping, Tony and Lucas were finished setting up.
It was nearly 10.00pm, and all the preparations had been made. Tim O'Neill was the last to arrive, poking his head warily around the corner into the lab room, wanting to make sure that the Captain wasn't about.
"Come on in, Tim," Lucas waved casually, gesturing to the last vacant seat at the table. "Did you bring your money with you?"
"Yes, but I really shouldn't be here Lucas, and neither should you. This is payday and I can't afford to just blow it out the window on some card game," Tim said solemnly.
"Oh what, you have some girlfriend to lavish it on that we don't know about, O'Neill," Miguel Ortiz retorted back in fun.
"Hey, I use my money wisely that's all," Tim said in his own defence. The guys knew full well that there was no impending partner in O'Neill's life and were forever reminding him of that fact. But he didn't care. It wasn't as if any of them seated at the table were well off in that department either.
Ortiz: please, the guy was every girl's dream in the looks department and they just melted at his feet when he spoke in Spanish. Miguel's problem was that he never had enough money to spend on the girls. Coming from a poor background, he usually sent most of his pay-check back home.
Lucas: he was barely seventeen years of age. If he had any girlfriends, they certainly didn't know about it. If he did, the Captain and Westphalen would certainly be watching him like a hawk no doubt.
"Don't listen to him, Tim, let's just get this game going," Lucas suggested. There were four of them seated at the table, Tim O'Neill, Miguel Ortiz, Lucas Wolenczak and the new guy Tony Piccolo who the others didn't know too much about yet.
Tony was wearing a green visor perched loosely on his head, looking like a blackjack table dealer, like the staff from a casino. He had a cigar in his mouth and was happily puffing away whilst he shuffled the cards. Sooner or later the sprinkler system would be alerted by the continual wafts of smoke, and they could all expect to be drenched.
"Okay girls, this is how we play," proceeding to tell the small group the rules that he had been taught in prison. You learned hard and fast there and it was a place where you didn't get a second chance very often.
The other players listened carefully to Tony's version of the rules. None of them were experienced card sharks, though they assumed that Piccolo was probably self-taught. All had a basic idea of the game and would just let the cards tell the game.
Only a few lights were left on towards the back of the science lab that they currently occupied.
Piccolo was trying to psych them out by shuffling the cards over and over, until Miguel finally had enough, "Just deal the cards."
Lucas and Tim nodded their heads in agreement. Tony continuing his little charade and passing out the cards.
The first hand was dealt and for the next five minutes, there was nothing but forced silence as they all looked at the cards they had been dealt and tried to put on their best poker faces. Tony looked about the table and couldn't help but laugh at the varied expressions he was seeing.
This was an opportunity not just for Tony to win a bet over a top bunk. But a chance to prove himself to these guys that you couldn't judge a book by its cover. They already knew he was an ex-con and with that came preconceived notions about someone's good and bad traits. Like it or not, that was a part of his past and nothing could change the fact that he had done time. He hoped that by trying to mix in with them from the very beginning socially, and amicably, he would fit in easier.
O'Neill looked like he had a stick up his butt the guy was so tense. In addition to being worried about the cards in his hand, the communications officer kept glancing towards the door, waiting for the Captain or Commander Ford to pounce on their little illegal activity. Not to mention the fact that their resident computer genius was involved. He just knew they would be in for it if Bridger found the teenager in their company, no matter if the game had taken place at the Lucas's invitation.
Miguel Ortiz kept squirming in his seat, giving away the fact that he had nothing of great threat in his hand. He put three down and asked for replacements. When he picked them up and scrutinized his hand, the man tried to appear as though he now had something worth wagering on. But Tony could pick a faker when he seen one, a mile away.
Lucas on the other hand was a little harder to read, Tony had to admit to himself. He would have thought with such blue eyes he would have been immediately able to tell if the teenager had a good hand or not. As it stood now, he could not. The kid's face was a blank. Almost as if he had years and years of practice of hiding his true feelings. But that couldn't be for someone of his age surely. Someone like Lucas couldn't have much of a past to hide….. could he?
"Okay, Luke it's up to you, your call," Tony urged. "Don't forget, you lose and all your pocket money is all mine."
"Hah, I will take you on Piccolo," Lucas declared, betting generously on only the first hand. "Let's see you match that," he added with a cheeky smile.
"Whoa, don't go spending all your piggy bank at once there kid," Tony said, his eyes widening slightly at the size of Lucas's bet. It looks like the kid was trying too hard from the beginning and would lose all his money in the first few hands and have nothing left for later in the night."
"Don't worry about me," Lucas promised in return. "Ortiz, your turn."
"Alright, don't rush me," Ortiz pleaded, the expression on his face quickly turning into a frown as he tried to figure out what to do. He knew he didn't have a good enough hand and suspected that the other players at the table guessed this as well.
It was another five long minutes more before Ortiz even looked like making a decision. Tony and Lucas were getting frustrated at having to wait so long. How hard could it be anyway?
"Come on already, the warranty on this boat will be up before you make your move," Tony asserted, blowing a puff of smoke over the table and causing the others to cough at the acrid smell and the burning sensation to their eyes.
"Do you have to smoke those things," Tim O'Neill voiced bluntly. "They really are not good for your health you know. How did you even get them onboard? They have been outlawed in many UEO places, including military bases and all vessels for some time."
"So sue me. If I am going to live in this world, the least I can do is have a few home comforts while I am stuck aboard this 'underwater hulk' for the next year. Live a little guy, it is a free world out there now," Tony commented.
The game continued on, well into the wee hours, seemingly unnoticed by the Captain and other senior crew members. A few hands had been played out now. Ortiz being lucky and snagging two good hands, Lucas had won three, and Tony had won two himself. Tim on the other hand was still struggling and hadn't even the slightest clue about what he was doing.
It was almost 4.00am on the clock and everyone was beginning to show signs of frustration and tiredness. The table was covered with bits of food and spillages from their non-alcoholic drinks, signalling that everyone had settled in rather well and had been enjoying the night.
Lucas looked over at Piccolo and decided now was time to pull out all the stops and win this game once and for all and call it a night. This hand would determine the 'top bunk'.
Tony had agreed to this hand being the decider, but once again teased Lucas that he would be sleeping and looking up from the bottom bunk bed.
When it came to Lucas's turn to bet, he chose a different style of approaching this hand. Placing his cards down on the table and deliberately rubbing at his temples, as if signalling that he was in pain with a headache. He kept his eyes focused downwards, towards the table and waited to see what sympathy he could invoke from his fellow crew members.
"Lucas are you alright?" Tim queried concerned. After having this little secret rendezvous in the first place, all they needed now was for Lucas to get sick or hurt or something, and all involved would really feel the wrath of Captain Bridger.
"Yeah, I just have this headache here," he whispered, keeping his voice low and troubled. "I didn't have it when I came in here, but it's beginning to make itself known something bad now."
"Maybe we should call it a night then," Ortiz suggested, feeling a little like O'Neill and not wanting to face Bridger and tell him that Lucas wasn't feeling the best and they had not done anything about it.
"We can just play out this hand," Lucas offered, not wanting to push the point too much. "I'm fine really," he added, hoping his little winces of discomfort would work to his advantage.
Ortiz had already placed his bet and it was now O'Neill's turn. Tim wasn't so concerned as if he had the money or not, his conscience was getting the better of him and he was experiencing a massive attack of guilt and regret of being involved in the late night activities.
"Guys, I really don't know that I should be doing this," he tried to reason.
Tony rolled his eyes dramatically at the nervous man, "Tim, it's okay really, just go ahead and make your bet."
"I don't know, we really shouldn't be….," Tim tried to argue.
"Oh, for the love of …, I got a note from your mother, okay!" Tony said finally, sending Ortiz into snickers of laughter. Lucas also wore a grin but was try to suppress it as much as possible and carry on his 'lost puppy dog' act.
Tim finally conceded that his hand wasn't worth anything and folded his hand, much to the disgust of Tony who was hoping that somebody would at least put up a fight against Lucas. Ortiz had bet but Tony knew that he didn't have anything worth being concerned about. He had a rather good hand himself, but was still a little in the dark as to how good Lucas's hand might be.
Lucas was still mostly looking down, occasioning reaching up with his hand up and rubbing at his temples. Briefly he would glance up and give everyone at the table a wan smile, furrowing his brow as if his headache was gaining momentum.
"Nothing for it, okay Luke, let's see what you have got," Tony called, wanting to end the curiosity.
"Sorry, but I have only got a pair," Lucas replied as he reached up to massage his temples again.
"Boy, Luke that's too bad," Tony jibed in amusement, thinking he had the teenager beat plain and simple.
Just as Tony was about to lay his cards on the table, the door to the science lab swung open. Now standing in the doorway was a surprised looking Captain Bridger, a very military looking imposing figure of Commander Ford, and an annoyed and shocked Doctor Westphalen.
The guys at the table looked at each other from one to the other, nervously praying that one of them would suggest a way out of their imminent executions.
And just when they thought Lucas was about to come to their rescue, the trio were gravely mistaken as the teenager got up from the table and approached Captain Bridger.
"Captain," Lucas said, reaching up and rubbing his temples, giving his groans a little more empathy to them. Pleased to see them. "I just came back here to see what they were doing. Tony said he was going to teach me something…..," he explained, being able to sense the murderous gazes he was receiving, without looking back.
"Are you alright Lucas?" Bridger questioned, putting aside for a moment the fact that the teenager appeared to be gambling and had been noticeably missing for the last six hours.
"I got this really awful headache," Lucas conceded, in truth now one was truly starting to form, as he tried to figure out how to save his hide. Hopefully his little ploy was working. Surely the Captain couldn't punish him if he was in pain and feigning illness.
"I bet you have, being in this smoke filled environment, forced to breathe the foul air from those horrid things," Kristen Westphalen stated, glaring at Tony as the offender.
"Forced!," Tony accused, not loud enough to be heard by the Captain or the doctor. 'Forced'….. he was going to be doing some forcing of his own, like his fist on the teenager's jaw. He had to give it to the kid though, the whole plan was working beautifully. The Captain hadn't even mentioned their little wayward activities.
"Do you care to explain yourself Mr O'Neill and Mr Ortiz," a stern Commander Ford demanded from them, standing with his arms folded across his chest, signalling he was in no mood for games.
"Commander, it seems that these three fellows don't have enough around here to do. I suggest you look at your duty roster and remedy that situation immediately," Captain Bridger interjected, trying to hide the smile on his face at the stunned faces of the three crew members.
"Oh, I think I can come up with some very worthwhile activities, Captain," Ford guaranteed, looking at the three for any signs of non-compliance.
"There is work for you, Mr Piccolo in the galley, helping cook for the next three weeks. Mr O'Neill, I believe Doctor Westphalen has some rather long calculations that she could use your undivided assistance on, and Mr Ortiz, the laundry is short one man this week, or should I say, was short."
"You can all start by cleaning up this mess in here," the Captain ordered, giving Lucas a concerned look, as the teenager put his hand to his temple again for the third time within a few minutes.
"Come on Lucas, let's find you a nice cup of hot chocolate and some aspirin for that headache. Then you can curl up in a nice warm bed for the night," Kristin said, taking the teenager's arm and beginning to lead him out of the room. He didn't even attempt to resist, throwing his best smile and cheeky grin back towards his condemned friends.
"Wait a minute Captain, we don't even know who won the bet," Tony exclaimed loudly, not knowing how the kid came off looking so squeaky clean.
"A bet, did you say a bet, Seaman?" Bridger dared, waiting for the new crew member to admit involving Lucas in gambling.
"Yeah Captain, to decide if Luke or I get the top bunk in his room. That's what the whole game was about in the first place," Tony answered, trying to explain part of their behaviour tonight.
"Okay Mr Piccolo, humour me, take a look at the cards and tell me who won the bet," Bridger asked, not really wanting to be a part of this decision.
Bridger hadn't even had a chance to talk to Lucas yet since Tony arrival, and knew that this was an issue between them about their living quarters. He would have sooner like for Lucas to have his own quarters still or even move into the Captain's new quarters now they had grown closer. But had not had the time to talk to Lucas just yet.
"See Luke, four threes, I win. I know Ortiz didn't have anything and Tim already folded out of the game. You said you only had a pair, so that leaves me with the top bunk!" Piccolo said triumphantly.
"Oh, well then," Lucas smiled smugly, walking over to the cards, and adding a grimace, not wanting to give the Captain, Ford or the Doctor, any idea that he had some sort of miraculous recovery or anything. "It looks like you got me beat. I have a pair of Queens."
Tony grinned from ear to ear as the kid started displaying his cards openly on the table. It might not have ended well this night, but he won the top bunk fair and square. He was about to claim victory when the teenager spoke ominously again.
"And look, a second pair of Queens," Lucas said simply, unable to hide the smile on his face as he watched Tony's face fall to the floor. "Four Queens. Two pair."
Tim and Miguel were in awe of Lucas. How did he do that? When it came to brains, there was just no beating this kid. They should have known better to try and go against him in a battle of wits in the first place.
"Good one Tony, the kid only has an I.Q. higher than all of this crew put together. And you decide to challenge him to a game of wits. Real clever Piccolo," Ortiz grouched in a huff, with O'Neill nodding his head vehemently in agreement.
Commander Ford couldn't help but laugh silently at the annoyed faces of Tim and Miguel.
"Come on Lucas, let's see to that headache," Bridger said as they headed towards he door.
"Can I stay in your quarters too, just until I get to move into my own cabin again?" Lucas asked hopefully, adding a few extra winces of pain for effect, lowering his head and looking most contrite.
"Lucas"
"Yeah?"
"Don't push your luck," Bridger said in mock sternness. From now on, I suggest keeping some kind of electronic tracker on you, especially when we go to places like San Francisco after this tour.
Out in the corridor, the Captain spoke again, "You are grounded, young man."
The teenager looked back at the man, "Do have any idea how silly that sounds? Where am I going to go? I am already grounded for the entire tour."
"I don't know why Kristin asked me to teach her poker, she should have come to you, Lucas."
THE END
I did change the ending to this slightly from the original – but not much.
I like the character Tony. I was annoyed that Ben was replaced as I liked him too (his leaving to be addressed in upcoming very long story called Africa) – I try not to write them together with Lucas – but I will be writing an upcoming story with them both together.
I was never a fan of Doctor Smith in Season 2, and just always have Westphalen as the Doctor on SeaQuest in any of my stories.
There will be a story following this one in time frame – but not directly related to what is happening in this plot – Quake.
JULES6