Note from Sawyer:

I'm a firefighter. It's an amazing career, but it's not always a good one when you're a husband and a father. I'm sitting here in my office at home today feeling ready to implode. I'm tired. It was a rough night. We responded to a very severe house fire, and it was brutal getting out some children. Praise God we did rescue them, and I think they will survive. It was a senseless fire that could have been prevented. People make mistakes. I get that. But mistakes can cost lives…even the lives of your children. A little too much alcohol mixed with smoking can be a disaster. For this family, it could have cost them the lives of their three precious children. Anyways, I'm not writing this story about that. This story is about my son.

My wife called me earlier to say my 13 year old son snuck out of the house with some friends. We have a newborn. My wife is tired too. It's not an excuse. It's reality. I have been on a four day shift at the fire station. Did I mention I am tired? I found my son and he's waiting in his room for me to talk with him about his little misconduct. I've been sitting here in my office for four hours trying to think and pray. Trying to figure out what a good father should say and do. My son is a good lad, a smart kid and a nice kid. I like him. I mean we all love our kids, but I really like my son too. He's a really good kid. But he seriously messed up and did something very dangerous. I probably should get some sleep before I speak with him. I still smell smoke on my hair. I probably should take a shower too. But I feel numb. One of my son's friends is in the hospital tonight because of their reckless escapades. THAT could have been my son. Scares me to death. I'm not feeling like a good dad right now.

Writing is my therapy so I just spent the last several hours writing a SeaQuest story and Lucas' became my son's scapegoat. I won't make any apologies for that. I probably shouldn't share this story with anyone because I'm positive society in general will think I'm some strange abusive monster. I'm not. I'm just a dad who is human, trying to figure out how to explain to a young boy how recklessness can steal your life from you. I'd like to offer some similar choices to my son as Bridger did in this story, but I won't, at least not the same ones as Bridger. This story allowed me to cry…think…pray. I know in my heart the type of man I want my son to be. I know he isn't perfect. I know I'm not perfect. I nearly had a child die in my arms tonight. Then to receive a call that my son was involved in a reckless accident that could have taken his life…it sucked the air out of my lungs. I love my son.

Anyways read this story with a grain of salt. Don't judge me and think I'm some kind of creep. I'm not.

I'm just a dad. A tired dad, trying to figure out this challenging thing called parenting.

Wish me luck as I have a man to man, heart to heart, dad to son talk with my son.

All the best,

Sawyer.

Part 1

Captain Nathan Bridger stirred as he heard his vid-link ringing far in the distance pulling him from the border of slumber. His eyes fluttered and he groaned as he raised his head up onto his elbow. He blinked a few times in the darkness as he checked the time on his phone. Good grief, who would be calling at this time of morning, thought Nathan. He rubbed his face as he reached for the communication device sitting on the side table. Nathan tapped the link and was surprised to see the face of a police officer staring back at him. Nathan furrowed his brow in concern wondering why he was being contacted. He moaned to himself thinking that one of his crew had gotten into some trouble while on shore leave, but he couldn't think of anyone in his foggy consciousness that was currently on leave.

"May I help you, officer?"

"Good Morning, sir," It had been a good morning, grumbled Nathan to himself. "Do you know a Lucas," The officer glanced at the licence in his hand, stumbling over the last name. "Woolenzack?" Nathan would have cringed at the pronunciation had he not been so shocked to be asked. What is Lucas doing off SeaQuest, thought Nathan, feeling confused.

"Yes, officer, I do. My name is Captain Nathan Bridger, and he's my ward on the UEO vessel SeaQuest." Nathan sat up more, flicking on the light above his head. Suddenly he felt wide awake.

"I just pulled him over for the reckless operation of a sub-surface vehicle, sir."

Nathan couldn't keep the shock from his face. "Is he alright?"

The officer waved his hand and offered a smile. "He's fine, sir." The camera panned towards Lucas, and Nathan was relieved to see that the boy appeared safe and sound, just looking very awkward. Lucas' mouth opened and closed a few times when he saw the captain's stunned face.

"I'm fine, Captain," said Lucas; his face looked pale.

The camera panned back to the officer. "I need to ask your permission to do a breathalyzer, Captain Bridger. He smells of alcohol. If he blows over, you will need to pick him up at the station. His licence says he's 14, is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct. He has that licence as a favour to the UEO because of the nature of the testing we do on SeaQuest."

The officer nodded. "I see. Well, as long as he doesn't blow over, he should be able to keep it. However, drinking while underage will need to be addressed, Captain."

Nathan sighed. "I understand. You have my permission to do the test. I can wait on the link while you access him." The officer nodded and set the link down. Nathan could hear the officer giving Lucas instructions to do the test and Lucas respectfully complying. Nathan's heart was racing as he waited. He didn't know what to think at this point. He was completely caught off guard by Lucas being off SeaQuest. He felt immediately smacked with guilt. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd even seen Lucas in the past week. He searched his head for the last time and groaned as the familiar memories flooded his mind. It had been several days ago when they had argued about Biff Pickering coming for a visit to SeaQuest. Nathan had been so busy with business on the bridge that day that he had brushed the kid aside gruffly. Lucas had stormed off the bridge in a huff, and Nathan had completely forgotten about the incident until now.

"He's good to go, Captain," said the Officer, pulling Nathan out of his reverie. "He's definitely been drinking but he's not intoxicated. I'll send the paperwork with him for you to sign."

"Very good, thanks, officer. Sorry to inconvenience you this morning. May I speak with Lucas for a moment?"

"Certainly." The camera panned to Lucas once again who was looking more than a little disconcerted.

"I would like you to report to my quarters as soon as you dock, Mr. Wolenczak." Nathan's voice had a no nonsense tone to it, wrapped in a good dose of don't-mess-with-me-kid-because-your-butt-is-toast. Nathan was fairly sure Lucas knew his goose was cooked.

Lucas' eyes widened in dismay as he slowly licked his lips. "Y-yes, sir," he said.

Nathan gave him a piercing look that shot right through the boy. Lucas shifted uncomfortably where he was standing as he reached out and ended the connection.

Nathan sat staring at the empty communication device, his temper simmering close to a boil. He wasn't sure how long it was going to take Lucas to arrive back at SeaQuest, but he hoped it would be long enough to calm down. Nathan was angry. What would possess the kid to leave the SeaQuest without permission? Where the heck would he have gone? Nathan stood and began pacing as his mind raced. The longer he stewed, the angrier he became. He didn't even bother trying to calm himself down. He wanted to make sure Lucas knew he was furious with him. The kid had been pressing his luck lately on many occasions. Lucas was brilliant and an asset to SeaQuest, but he wasn't indispensable. His cocky, holier-than-thou attitude was not welcome in Nathan's books, and it was going to need to be addressed. It certainly wouldn't hurt the teenager to be knocked down a few pegs. Nathan continued to pace and grumble under his breath for an undeterminable amount of time until he heard a timid knock at the door. He huffed out a groan and opened the door. Lucas' eyes were as large as saucers as he stood in the door way staring back at him. Nathan could smell the beer radiating from the teen and understood why the officer felt the need to test him. Nathan ushered the boy inside the room, motioning him to sit down. Lucas came inside but instead of sitting, he walked to the other side of the room and leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets. Nathan shut the hatch door firmly, forcing himself to take a deep breath. Part of him was ready to tear a strip out of Lucas, and he had to rein in that impulse with all his might. Nathan turned to look at Lucas and the look on the kid's face made his jaw drop. Lucas had the nerve to look annoyed with Nathan.

Nathan gritted his teeth as he spoke. "Where the hell were you?"

"Not that it's any of your damned business, but I went to see Biff Pickering and hang out for the day!" Lucas' voice had an edge to it that Nathan hadn't heard before.

"Knock off the attitude, Mister. Who gave you permission to leave SeaQuest?"

"I did. You're not my boss!" There was a dare in his voice that Nathan could not miss.

"How did you get there?" Nathan knew that Lucas had taken the Stinger. It was the only means of transportation the kid would use as a Launch would be missed much quicker.

Nathan heard something whizz through the air and land on the floor at his feet. He looked down to see two sets of keys. One set belonging to the Stinger and the other—Nathan looked at Lucas incredulously—the other was his own personal set of keys belonging to his motorcycle. Nathan had a hard time keeping the astonishment from his face. Nathan leaned over and picked them up, holding them out in disbelief.

"You took my keys?" Lucas glared at him but remained silent. "You took the keys to my bike?"

"So what?"

Nathan marched across the room and shook a finger in Lucas' face.

"You're 14 years old, Lucas! Have you forgotten that?"

Lucas' face turned red in belligerence. "How can I forget? You remind every two minutes!" Nathan felt his temper reach the boiling point. If Lucas didn't get out of his sight, he was going to lambaste the kid which wouldn't be sensible on any level. Nathan realized he needed some time to cool down before he discussed things any further.

"You need to go to your room right now!" snapped Nathan, grabbing Lucas roughly by the arm and directing him to the hatch door.

In that instant, Nathan saw the colour drain from Lucas' face as he came to the realisation that he had pushed the envelope too far. The boy looked at Nathan in trepidation, and if Nathan hadn't been so angry, he might have realised that he was intimidating the kid.

"W-wait, Captain; I-I'm sorry."

Nathan felt on the verge of completely losing his grip so he didn't allow Lucas' timid words to penetrate his defenses. Instead he opened his door and gave the youth a sharp shove out the door.

"I don't want to hear it, Lucas. Go to your quarters and don't you dare step a foot out of it until I come and speak with you! Got it?" Nathan's voice was much louder and more severe than he intended. Lucas sucked in his lip and nodded silently. Nathan could see tears brimming in his eyes, threatening to fall. He hardened his heart against it, turned on his heel and shut the hatch door in the teenager's face. To say that Nathan was angry was a gross understatement.