Chapter 4
seaQuest
Just as Nathan and Kristin were about to enter the mag-lev, however, Nathan's PAL beeped. "Ah, one second," he said to Kristin as he retrieved his PAL from his pocket. "Bridger."
"Captain?" Wendy's voice sounded through the device speaker. "Is Dr. Westphalen still with you?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, she is," Nathan replied with a slight frown. "Something's wrong."
It wasn't a question; Wendy sounded terribly upset. Kristin bit her bottom lip in concern. Did someone get hurt? Was anyone sick? Did the boat receive a medical distress call? She waited with bated breath for the younger doctor's answer.
"It's Darwin. I think he's sick. He was fine one minute, lethargic and acting strangely the next. I could really use some assistance with him, and I was hoping Dr. Westphalen would oblige?"
"Of course I will," Kristin said loud enough so Wendy would hear her. "Uh, where are you exactly?"
"Sea deck," Wendy replied. "Please, hurry."
"We'll be right there," Nathan told her before he cut the link and stuffed the PAL back into his pocket.
•❤•.❀•ǝʌol sᴉ sᴉɥʇ ɟᴉ•❀.•❤•
Upon entering sea deck, Kristin's eyes instantly darted towards the moon pool, but she didn't see anyone. That's strange, she thought, moving to lean against the side of the pool. She nodded her head towards the lab. "Wendy must be in there, I assume, but I don't see Darwin at all."
"Maybe she got him to go into the lab pool?" Nathan asked as a puzzled look flickered across his face His eyes darted back towards the lab. "Wait right here, and I'll go see if she's in there."
Kristin nodded. "Thank you." Though as he turned to leave, she swore she saw a smile.
She shook her head a moment later. No, don't be silly. You know how important Darwin is to him. He wouldn't be smiling at a time like this.
She heaved a sigh. While she welcomed the distraction, she certainly didn't like the thought of Darwin being sick. He was fine when we were playing earlier, and I- A hand rose to her mouth in realization. Oh, no! I hope it wasn't the game that made him sick. Maybe we were too rough on him. Maybe-
Splashing in the moon pool made her turn, interrupting her thoughts. "Darwin!" she cried, moving closer to the pool's edge. "Are you all right?"
The dolphin nodded his head. "Yes, Darwin fine."
"But..." Kristin shook her head. "I thought you were sick?"
"Darwin not sick," the dolphin replied. "Darwin happy." He swam in a circle and did a leap for effect. "See? Darwin happy."
Her eyebrows knitted together with the depth of her confusion. "I can see that, but Wendy called me and said you were sick. Did you tell her you were sick before?"
"Darwin not sick. Darwin happy," he said again. "Darwin party."
"What? What do you mean party?" She placed a gentle hand beneath Darwin's snout and the other on his head, carefully looking him over. Bright eyes, normal skin color, loads of energy. Darwin's right. He's obviously not sick, but why in the world would Wendy have said he was? "What do you mean by party?" she asked again.
"Darwin happy. Darwin party all night."
Kristin sighed as she pushed herself back up. "Well, you party all you want, whatever that means. But I really should go find the captain and figure out how this mix-up happened. Have fun." As soon as she turned, she saw Dagwood. "Oh, hello."
Dagwood turned and looked down the corridor behind him. "Now?"
"Now!" Wendy called, coming in from the lab, Nathan close behind her.
Kristin was just about to ask what they were talking about when she noticed a group of people behind Dagwood...specifically, the rest of the senior staff. She suddenly felt butterflies dancing in her belly when she saw Jonathan, Tim, Lieutenant Brody...and several new faces. They were all smiling, but that didn't stop her from feeling a stab of guilt for hurting them. Oh, dear, I hope-
Before she could finish her thought, they all yelled, "Surprise!"
Miguel wheeled in a cart with a sheet cake on it decorated with an ocean scene and the words 'Welcome Home' written in blue icing while everyone else clapped and cheered.
"My goodness, this is quite the welcome indeed!" Kristin replied as all her guilt suddenly melted away as simple pleasure set in. She was so touched, happy tears sprung to her eyes. She wiped at her eyes and turned to Nathan, who'd moved to stand beside her. "I don't suppose you do this for all your guest scientists?"
"Only the special ones," he said with a wink. "You remember that little thing Wendy and I had to talk about earlier? It's not much, but it's all we could do on short notice."
"You have fully decorated sheet cakes lying around on short notice?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not exactly," he replied, flashing her a mischievous grin. "But that's my little secret. Let's just say I called in a few favors."
"When the captain told us you were our guest scientist, we knew we had to do something for you. We figure this was the best way," Jonathan said, holding out his arms. "Welcome back, Doc!"
"Thank you, Commander, I'm happy to be back," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "But just when did the captain have time to tell you?"
"While I was waiting for you to finish up in Wendy's office," Nathan replied. "Sorry, I knew you wanted it to be a surprise, but I thought this was a better way to get us all together. Much more fun than a quick reunion on the bridge. This way, you can spend a little time with them, make it meaningful...all that."
"And we always need an excuse to eat cake," Miguel said with a smile, moving towards Kristin.
Kristin laughed. "Well, I'm glad I could help you out with your cake addiction." She pulled him into a hug and then felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Don't forget me, Doc," Tim said.
She turned to face him, giving him a friendly smile. "I could never, Mr. O'Neill," she said, holding out her arms. "Don't be shy now."
"It's good to see you, Doc," he said as he pulled her into a gentle embrace.
"Likewise," she replied before slowly pulling away and turning to the rest of the group. "And the rest of you don't even know me, and you still did this for me?"
A young man spoke up. "Well, if we didn't, the captain here said he was gonna-" Just then, the woman next to him gave his arm a slap. "Ow!"
"What Tony means is any friend of theirs is a friend of ours." She held out her hand towards Kristin. "Lenore Henderson, but you can call me Lonnie."
Kristin shook her hand in greeting. "It's very nice to meet you, Lonnie." She then turned to Tony, who was still holding his arm. "And you too, Tony."
Tony simply nodded. "You betcha, Doc."
"You'll have to excuse Tony," Lonnie continued. "He might not have the best manners, but beneath that rude exterior, he's got a heart of gold."
"Good to know," Kristin said, moving towards Tony and giving his uninjured arm a gentle squeeze. "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Piccolo."
"And it's all true," he told her with a half-smile. "Probably. I've heard a lot about you too."
"Oh?" she said, returning his smile. "Well, then I'll have to say the same thing."
"I think we're gonna get along great, Doc." He held out his hand. "Lay one on me."
Kristin obliged and then turned back to everyone. "Again, I really can't thank you all enough. Now what do you say we cut that cake, hm?"
•❤•.❀•ǝʌol sᴉ sᴉɥʇ ɟᴉ•❀.•❤•
One hour later, the party was still in full swing. Kristin certainly hadn't expected Nathan to organize a welcoming party for her, but she was really glad he did, because that helped her relax even more. Well, mostly anyway. Sure, their dinner conversation still loomed in the back of her mind, but she felt like that was miles away. She could forget about that for now and let her hair down. She truly enjoyed catching up with her old friends and making some new ones. But since the get-together started, there was one person who had been noticeably absent: Lucas. The moment everyone had shouted surprise, Kristin had scanned the crowd for him, but he wasn't there. She'd been meaning to ask Nathan about him, but she hadn't gotten the chance. Every time she tried to get away, someone else started a conversation with her or told a story or memory.
"...and just as the lava was about to destroy the island, a miracle happened in the form of this great woman right here," Jonathan said, motioning towards her.
"Oh, Jonathan, come now," Kristin said, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "I wouldn't call it a miracle... I just did what I thought was right."
"You're too modest, Doctor. Thanks to you, we're all around to talk about it. Though I wasn't there to see it, I heard she was absolutely amazing. She took command of the bridge and..."
As Jonathan continued to talk about the torpedo incident, Kristin happened to look over her shoulder, and standing on the other side of the moon pool in the corner was Lucas. She gave him a wave, but he didn't return it. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down, wearing a rather glum expression. Oh, dear, I wonder what that's about...
Kristin had the nagging feeling that whatever was wrong with him, she was the cause of it. I'd better go talk to him about it, she decided, turning back to the others. "Excuse me for a moment," she said before moving to Lucas' side. "I'd wondered where you'd been hiding."
"Funny, I could say the same about you," he replied icily.
Her heart sank when she saw the stony expression on his face, pain and anger reflected in his eyes. You expected this, she reminded herself for about the millionth time. You knew it wouldn't be easy. "Right," she said. "Well, I guess I deserve that."
"You're damn right you do!" he snapped. "I can't believe you expect to waltz back into our lives, think we'll embrace you with open arms, and that everything will be all right again." He gripped the side of the moon pool so tightly his knuckles turned white. "It will never be the same again, no matter how hard you try."
Kristin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she tried to gather her scattering thoughts. Though she'd expected some animosity over the situation, she'd expected more of it to come from Nathan, not Lucas. "I'm not expecting it to be," she said quietly. "I... This is awkward for me, too, but-"
"Oh, it's awkward for you?" he asked with a roll of his eyes, the words pouring off his tongue like acid. "Poor baby! That doesn't even compare to what you've done to us, the hell you put us through. You know, the captain wasn't the only one who suffered when you left." He finally looked at her, his eyes glistening with fresh tears. "I thought we were close, Doc. I thought you loved me."
Her eyes darted across the room to see if anyone heard their heated discussion, but no one had seemed to notice them. She then turned back to Lucas. "Of course I loved you, Lucas. I still do, but-"
"Oh, yeah? Well, you've got a funny way of showing it," he said bitterly. "You could have left a note, made a phone call... You could have even sent a letter, but you were too wrapped up in your petty, self-absorbed bullshit!"
Lucas had shouted so loudly, the room instantly grew quiet. Kristin could feel eyes on them as she did her best to not fall apart then and there. She shut her eyes for a second and swallowed hard. "Look, Lucas, I know you're upset, and-"
"Boy, those years of hard training have really paid off, Doc," Lucas said flatly. "And I really didn't come here to listen to your weak excuses. I just came here to see if it was true, to see for myself if you had the audacity to show your face here after everything."
"Well, now you know the answer to that," she replied, her voice cracking as her eyes welled up with fresh tears.
"Yeah, I guess I do. And I'm not going to stay here and witness this blasphemy any longer." He turned to the others. "You all should be ashamed of yourselves. She's absolutely nothing to celebrate. She doesn't care about you; she only cares about herself, and you'll see that soon enough."
Just as he was about to walk out of sea deck, Nathan stepped forward, dismay reflected in his eyes. "You wait just a minute, Lucas. Being angry is one thing, but you will not disrespect the doctor like that."
Lucas' mouth fell open. "Are you serious? I thought you of all people would understand. She left us without saying a thing, without letting us know where she was going, without leaving a forwarding address. Nothing. And you're telling me we should just forgive her? That we should act like it never happened?" He shook his head. "I refuse to be blind. I refuse to pretend. She left us!"
"I don't give a damn." He motioned to Kristin. "This woman stood by you for years. She treated you better than your own mother; the both of us took you in under our roof, not just me. Regardless of what she did, she deserves your respect, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand her and let you treat her this way. Apologize to her right now."
Kristin released a shaky breath. Though Lucas' words had hurt her, so much so that she'd allowed a few tears to fall, she was actually glad someone had the guts to say how they felt. Naturally, this had been the attitude she'd expected Nathan to have. When he didn't, she'd been both relieved and pleasantly surprised, but she started to wish he would be honest with her. If Lucas was this angry, surely, he had to be livid. Maybe some of the others as well. She wiped at her eyes and shook her head. "That's not necessary. He's got every right to be angry..."
Nathan's brow furrowed. "Be that as it may, he shouldn't be talking to you that way." He glared at Lucas. "He'll gladly apologize to you."
"You can't force him into it," she replied before turning to Lucas. "You're free to go."
Lucas opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. He simply turned and stormed off down the corridor.
"Let's get this party back on track!" Tony called. "Come on, people, nothin' to see here!"
Miguel rolled his yes. "Real subtle, Tony."
"Subtle or not, I think we should give the doc some room, huh? How 'bout some tunes?" Tony walked to the wall and turned a knob, a dance song immediately playing over the speakers.
As the others started dancing and talking again, Nathan turned to Kristin. "Are you all right?"
She waved a hand. "I will be."
He placed an arm around her shoulders. "I wish you'd have let him apologize."
"He's not a boy anymore, Nathan," she said with a shake of her head. "You can't order him around like that. Besides, it would have little effect since I'd know it wasn't sincere."
Nathan sighed. "Well, I'm going to make a point to talk to him. You're right, I can't force him to feel something he doesn't, but I don't think it's too much to ask that he be civil to you while you're here."
"I appreciate that, but maybe he's got the right idea."
"What?" Nathan asked, giving her a quizzical look.
She shrugged. "He didn't say anything that wasn't true, so he's right. I probably don't deserve any of this." She raised her voice so everyone could hear her over the music. "Again, I really appreciate all the trouble you went to, but I hope you understand when I say it's been a rather long day, so I'm going to retire to my room for now. Don't stop on my account, though."
As everyone muttered departing words, Nathan said, "But, Kristin..."
"I'm sorry, Nathan, I just need to get away for a while," she replied as she left sea deck and quickly headed for her room.
•❤•.❀•ǝʌol sᴉ sᴉɥʇ ɟᴉ•❀.•❤•
I should have known this would happen, Kristin thought as she closed her door and leaned her back against it. Lucas' attitude had been exactly what she expected from everyone, but when that hadn't happened, she'd pushed the thought from her mind. How could I have been so stupid? she chastised herself, wiping at her eyes. How could I have just let my guard down like that?
Except she knew the answer. It was because she was just starting to enjoy herself, enjoy the company. She started to think that maybe...just maybe things could be like they used to be before. Before she'd gone and mucked it all up, that was. Her past mistakes seemed insignificant as far as everyone else was concerned. Even Nathan was acting as though none of it mattered now. Of course, he still expected an explanation, but she didn't think that would be so hard to give.
I was wrong, dead wrong. Only, I wish...
She turned and glanced towards the door, half-expecting Nathan to have followed her and was somewhat surprised when she heard no tentative knock.
He probably hates me, too. And I did say I wanted to be alone, she reasoned as she moved to sit on the end of her bunk. And that was true...to a point. Unfortunately, there was a small part of her that didn't want to be alone either. She wanted comfort, a shoulder to cry on. That small part of her wished Nathan would burst through that door, pull her into his arms, and tell her everything was going to be all right. You idiot, she thought with a shake of her head. You know what sort of trouble that would cause. You don't really want that, do you?
In the long-run, no. She knew it was her vulnerability talking and nothing more, but that didn't stop her from hoping. She glanced to the door, almost willing it to open, but no one came. A violent sob wracked her small frame. "Oh, Nathan, please..."
Several minutes later, she was able to calm down enough that she could think straight again. "God, would you listen to yourself?" she muttered in disgust. "One moment, you're wishing you were anywhere other than here, afraid to even be under the same roof as him, and the next, you're praying he'd hold you? You're such a fool." She brought her hands to her temples and rubbed gently. And my head is such a mess. I sound like a crazy person.
You said it, her heart told her.
Really? You really think this is the best time to mock me? Kristin thought as a few more pitiful tears slid down her cheeks.
I wasn't mocking you at all, but I wish you'd just listen to me already. You're too damn proud to let anyone else in. You won't even let yourself in.
Kristin frowned. She knew her heart was right, but in the last few years, she'd felt as though she'd lost her courage. Initially, she'd thought she was protecting herself. This justification made it easy to refuse help from anyone. Martin would invite her over for holidays, and Vanessa would ask her to have a girls' night out every so often, but she always refused. She'd told herself she didn't need anyone else, that she was a big girl, that she could stand on her own two feet. The truth was, however, she felt as though there were parasites slowly eating away at her spine. She wasn't even sure if there was anything left to it now. She could practically feel the scratching mandibles of those imaginary creatures slowly nibbling away at her insides, causing an involuntary tremor through her bones.
If you want someone to talk to, why don't you go out there and say something? You know they're all worried about you. You know any of them would listen if you asked.
She pondered on this a moment. She knew full well her heart was right. Though she tried to ignore them, she saw the looks they all were giving her as she walked out of sea deck. She stood, wringing her hands together in deliberation as she glanced towards the door. Maybe I should...
Her heart nearly burst with excitement, pleased Kristin would finally listen to reason. Yes, that's it. Go on!
Kristin's hand was on the handle, and she was just about to give into her heart's desires when something suddenly pulled her back. "Are you mad?" She clicked her tongue. "Going out there would mean disaster...and it would just cause even more problems for Lucas. If Nathan saw how upset I was, surely, he'd reprimand him." She shook her head and took several steps back. "Lucas is angry enough with me as it is. I don't want to add more fuel to the fire."
Her heart sighed its frustration. You know, if you'd just give into reason, you'd-
"Be quiet!" Kristin cried, pinching the bridge of her nose as irritation overwhelmed her. She also became her own worst enemy over the past few years; she was in constant battle with herself. It was as though part of her was the big bad wolf and the other was the meek little piggy. She hadn't seen the wolf for ages, though. The last time was just after she'd left Nathan. But she'd managed to vanquish it, to force it back to its hiding place. Only now, she felt an uncomfortable shiver make its way up her spine at the thought.
It's been so long, hasn't it, little pig?
Every hair on the back of Kristin's neck stood on end at the sound of scuffling paws across the floor, the soft click-clack of claws. A cold sweat washed over her as her heart began racing. She hesitantly lifted her eyes towards the sound, and her mouth dropped open, a low moan escaping her throat, when she saw the red eyes, the shiny teeth.
Miss me? it asked.
Once upon a time, there was a little piggy and the big bad wolf who lived inside her, she thought. She felt the familiar scrape of claws at her legs and backed away. And if she didn't work to keep the wolf at bay, surely, she'd be eaten.
Little pig, little pig, let me in, the wolf sing-songed, the sickly sweet voice causing another shudder to crash over Kristin. Just give in. Let yourself be happy for once. It's been so long...
She squeezed her eyes shut. Giving in sounded so tempting. Maybe I should let you take the lead for a while... She was tired of fighting, and that scritch-scratching inside her was becoming more persistent. Scratch, nibble, scratch, nibble.
Little pig, little pig, let me in.
She leaned her head against the door, enjoying the coolness of the smooth metal against her feverish brow. It was a welcome distraction, and she hoped it would help clear her head.
Little pig-
"Give it a rest for five minutes, please!" A hand rose to her temple, trying to soothe the headache that was starting right behind her eyes. She then took a deep breath and laid her head against the door again, hoping to escape the big bad wolf's clutches for just a moment.
You can't hide from me. Everywhere you go, I go with you.
"No, I'm done. I'm not leaving this room. I can handle this alone. I...I need to handle this by myself," Kristin told it, grimacing at the way her shaky voice betrayed her.
All right, fine. I'll let you have it your way, little pig...for the time being, it said with a suspicious sneer. But just what do you intend to do now?
That was a very good question. She couldn't very well stay locked in her room forever. Perhaps she was cleared for the night, but she was going to have to face them all again come tomorrow. Their sympathetic looks would tear at her heartstrings and only make her feel even more guilty. Then again, maybe they'd take a hint from Lucas. Perhaps those looks of sympathy would be swapped for looks of disdain. Though she felt she deserved nothing less, she wasn't sure she was strong enough to handle that right now. Clearly, she was broken up over just one person telling her how they really felt. If they all went after her, she'd lock her door and never come out.
"I wish I could just go away," she said with a sigh, looking wistfully at her bags. "Maybe I could..." She imagined herself getting on a launch and never looking back again. But she quickly shook the thought from her mind. Too many people were counting on her. Barring illness or death, there really was no reason she couldn't stay. Since she was very much alive and well, for the most part, it didn't look like she was going to get out of this. Damn.
For several minutes, she wasn't sure what to do next. She just stood there, still half-hoping Nathan would come in and hold her, trying to come up with a reason to leave, and Lucas' angry words coming back to her all at the same time. You're absolutely nothing to celebrate. You're absolutely nothing to celebrate. You're absolutely nothing to celebrate. You're absolutely...
It repeated over and over again like a bad mantra. And he's absolutely right, she thought as her eyes welled up with fresh tears, guilt settling in like a lead weight upon her shoulders. I should be ashamed of myself. I am ashamed.
She moved to sit on her bunk again, a soft cry escaping her throat followed by another...and another still. Though wallowing in self-pity wasn't normally her style, she felt she had nowhere else to turn. No matter how willing the others might be to help her, she couldn't possibly ask. She didn't deserve it. She deserved everything she was getting and then some. If they were smart, they'd all run from her. Lucas was right; she obviously cared for no one else but herself.
Kristin, you don't mean that, her heart cut in. You don't-
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she cried through tears. "You don't know anything about me! Just stay out of it! Don't say another word, or I'll-"
A knock at the door made her jump. Oh, sure, now he shows up, she thought, somewhat annoyed it had taken him so long. She stood and cleared her throat. "Um, just a minute," she called, wiping at her eyes and hoping he didn't hear the argument she was having with herself. She swallowed hard before opening the door. As soon as she opened it, her heart sank, seeing it wasn't Nathan after all. "Oh, Wendy, hello."
"Sorry, it's just you left in such a hurry, I didn't get a chance to give you this." She held out a PAL unit. "You remember how to use it, right? It's already been programmed." She motioned to the buttons. "I marked the channels for you."
Kristin took it from her, relieved she hadn't asked to come inside. "Thank you, I appreciate it. And, yes, I remember how to use it."
Wendy nodded. "I figured as much," she said before reaching out and placing a gentle hand on Kristin's arm. "Are you okay? What happened back there-"
"I'm fine, really," she quickly assured her. "I have a daughter myself, and she's said far worse things to me. Lucas... I'm sure he'll get over it. This is all new to him...to us. He just needs time to adjust." Liar! She bit her bottom lip. I wonder if telepaths know when you're lying. Ugh, I'm sure that she does. Think brick wall, brick wall! Maybe she won't suspect...
Wendy stared at her for several seconds. Kristin was sure she was trying to decide if she was lying, trying to assess if she really was fine. And truth told, she was inches away from crying again. If Wendy pushed the issue, it wouldn't take much to wear her down, the lump in her throat quickly growing from the size of a pebble to a boulder.
"All right," the younger woman said after a moment. "As long as you're sure."
"I am," Kristin choked out, hoping Wendy didn't hear the strain in her voice. "Really."
"Well, I'll leave you be, but if you change your mind..." She motioned to the PAL. "I'm on line two."
Kristin gave a nod. "Got it, thank you."
"Anytime," Wendy replied before turning to walk away.
As soon as she shut the door, Kristin leaned back against it and let out a shaky breath. That was close, she thought, only she suspected Wendy knew she'd been lying. At least she had the common sense to know I need to be alone.
Only that's not what you wanted after all, is it, little pig?
Kristin sighed; she knew it had been too easy before. The wolf had simply been waiting for her to weaken, to get to the point where she couldn't fight anymore. She felt its hot breath christen her ear, causing another shudder to snake through her. She refused to grace it with an answer.
Let me in, little pig. Don't be afraid. This is what you want, what you need.
Kristin squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the invisible claws draw a line down her face, under her chin, hot pain coursing through her. "N-no," she choked out. "P-please, stop. I said to go away."
But I know you don't really mean that. You wouldn't be thinking what you are now if you did.
She shook her head. "N-no, I can't..."
Shh, don't be like that now. I thought we had an understanding. You're tired of fighting, you said it yourself. Just give into me, little pig. You'll like it. Its leathery tongue licked at her cheek, leaving a trail of wetness behind.
Kristin tried to wipe it away when she realized the wetness on her cheek was from her own tears. "Please, just stop. I'd told you I'm not ready."
Ready or not, here I come, the wolf said, a sinister laugh sounding in her ears. You won't stop me. Kristin felt another slimy lick. Mmm, and you taste so good.
She instinctively backed away, scrambling towards the corner of the room.
Ah, ah, ah, no matter where you go, you can't hide from me. Besides, you're talking nonsense. You know you're not strong enough for this. You're unstable. You're not thinking straight. You don't even have the sense to know the difference between what you want and what you need. A paw pushed her hair off her face, claws brushing against her skin, causing her to flinch. You've got nothing to lose. Just let me in. You belong to me, little pig. If you'd just accept that, it will be far easier on you.
Kristin shook her head, her breath coming in short pants, frowning at the way her body was trembling. No matter how much the wolf huffed and puffed, the little piggy was hanging on for dear life, and she wasn't about to let go just yet. She tried to ignore the scraping jaws of those parasites gnawing away inside her, tried to ignore the glinting teeth of the wolf smiling down at her. Stay strong, Kristin, she told herself. You can do this. Only she heard that small, contrary voice in the back of her mind. You're spineless! You should throw in the towel now. It's over.
Little pig, little pig, let me in.
Kristin's eyes snapped open. "No!" she screamed. "Get out of my head!"
To her surprise, she heard the wolf laugh. Such spunk for one so meek. Don't worry, I'll be back. She heard the soft click of retreating claws on the floor as she heard it sing, "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf? Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Tra la la la."
As Kristin fell back against the wall with a slump, she cried softly and thought, I am, and wondered just when that evil wolf would come back to toy with her head again.
•❤•.❀•ǝʌol sᴉ sᴉɥʇ ɟᴉ•❀.•❤•
Wendy stood in the corridor outside Kristin's door, her thoughts pensive. Something was indeed very wrong with the older woman, she could see that much. But she wasn't one to pry. I should really get back to sea deck, she thought as she turned to go. After taking a few steps, however, she found herself turning back again. Her brow puckered in worry. Maybe I shouldn't leave her? She knew Kristin was lying; she could feel everything she was feeling, and it took everything in her power not to push her way inside and pull Kristin into her arms. Waves of sadness, anxiety, and guilt washed over her, and she had to grab onto the wall to keep from crumbling to the floor. It took her several minutes for her to recover, to put that brick wall up over her mind so she could function again. She took a few deep, cleansing breaths and released them slowly and chewed on her bottom lip in deliberation.
Should I leave her?
Part of her told her no. While she didn't know Kristin Westphalen very well, she knew she wanted to help her. Even before they'd officially met, Wendy decided she liked her. She'd heard so many wonderful things about Kristin; everyone on the boat loved her, though Wendy suspected she wasn't really aware of that.
Especially not after Lucas' outburst, she thought with a heavy sigh.
Wendy knew Lucas loved Kristin; he was just angry. I'll have to make a point to talk to him, she decided. But first... She looked towards Kristin's closed door once again and shook her head. Much as she wanted to help her, she also suspected Kristin didn't want to be pushed into talking. Whatever was going on with her, it was best to wait it out. She'll talk when she's ready, she thought, giving herself a nod. Granted, Kristin might not seek her out, but she could deal with that. As long as she speaks to someone...
She sighed once again. Hang in there, Kristin. You'll get through this, she told her silently before turning and walking away.
•❤•.❀•ǝʌol sᴉ sᴉɥʇ ɟᴉ•❀.•❤•
Back on sea deck, the party was still in full swing; however, Nathan was no longer in the partying mood. He was in the front corner by the moon pool with his hands on his hips, pacing slowly. This is all my fault, he thought. I should have talked to Lucas as soon as I found out Kristin was here. I should have known he'd react like this. He'd been just as upset as I was back then. I just thought...
Well, he thought Lucas had healed, just as he had. Of course, healing doesn't mean he forgot. I haven't.
He scrubbed a hand across his face, feeling a few strands of his beard rasping against his palm. He'd been a fool. He'd expected Lucas to handle the situation with the same maturity he had. Of course, he wanted answers right away, but he knew Kristin needed a little time before she could explain. He'd neglected to let Lucas in on that little plan. Not that he had much time to adjust to the situation himself, but... I should have taken a few minutes to talk to him. If I had, then maybe he wouldn't have confronted her in the middle of the party. And Kristin wouldn't be locked in her quarters right now... He sighed, his features twisting into a grimace. This is all my fault. And now I need to fix it. Only-
A sudden splash of warm, salty water hit him in the face, interrupting his thoughts. "Hey!"
Darwin squeaked and clicked excitedly, swimming around in circles.
"That wasn't very nice," Nathan muttered as he grabbed a towel from the wall and wiped his face. He then moved to switch on the vocoder before turning back to Darwin. "Something you want to tell me?"
"Bridger, Darwin party. Have fun." To emphasize his point, Darwin swam in circles again and did a leap into the air. Nathan watched his glistening body curve into a perfect arch before disappearing into the gently swirling waters of the moon pool. A few moments later, Darwin bobbed back to the surface and let out a joyous, "Party!"
Nathan smiled softly, finding a small bit of peace in Darwin's antics. "I'd like to, but I'm a little too busy for that right now." He gave him an amused look. "That shouldn't stop you from having fun, though."
Darwin swam back to Nathan and rubbed his nose against his hand. "Bridger sad?"
"Not exactly," he replied, petting the dolphin gently, grateful for the simple friendship he had with the dolphin. "More like concerned, frustrated, worried." And angry at myself, he silently added, his lips curving down slightly. "And you remember that me being the captain means I have to take care of the entire crew, right?"
"Yes," Darwin said with a nod. "Bridger protect crew."
"That's right, my friend. Well, there are some people on the boat who need me right now." He gave Darwin one last pat and then stood. "I promise as soon as I take care of things there, I'll set aside some playtime for you. What do you say to that, hm?"
"Darwin say okay."
"Good," Nathan said, clapping his hands together and motioning towards the other side of the pool. "Now, go on, have fun."
Nathan watched as Darwin left, doing more happy leaps and jumps when he got to the other side and clicking excitedly.
"There ya go, Darwin. Show me what you're workin' with," Tony said, prompting Darwin to show off a bit more.
Well, at least he's having fun, Nathan thought, another small smile gracing his face as he gave a nod. As for me, I better see about setting things right. He decided he'd check on Kristin first, since her room was closer, so he turned to walk out of sea deck when he nearly bumped into Wendy. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there."
She waved a dismissive hand. "Not your fault. I was a little distracted myself..."
Nathan didn't miss the worried look on her face. "What's wrong?"
She didn't offer him a reply. Instead, she turned her attention to the party goers. "Looks like things are still going strong in here. At least they haven't let what happened ruin their good time."
He frowned at her change in subject but then decided she was likely upset by what happened. "Only I wish our guest of honor would have stayed. I feel like it's my fault all this happened. I should have spoken with Lucas, and I can't stop worrying about Kristin. I'm going to go check on them, see if I can't repair what's been broken." He nodded his head towards the others. "Can you keep an eye on things in here and make sure it doesn't get too out of hand?"
"You know I will, but..." She bit her bottom lip. "I'm not sure that's the best idea right now."
Nathan's brow furrowed. "Why not?"
"Because I...I just saw Kristin," she replied hesitantly. "I had the same idea you did, but I had another reason, too. Considering she'll need a PAL unit, I figured I'd be nice and bring it to her. That way I could check on her at the same time." She shrugged. "I could tell she'd been crying, but she said she was fine. I don't think she'd take kindly to anyone pushing her to talk."
Nathan shook his head. "But she's been crying; you said it yourself. If I'd have spoken to Lucas, maybe things would have been different. Maybe..." He trailed off, swallowing his frustration and regret. "I need to fix this."
"You're not going to fix it all in one night. Not only that, you can't blame yourself. You certainly didn't cause any of this," she pointed out, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "As for Lucas, perhaps his timing was a little off, but what he said, how he feels... It's been a long time coming. You told me you felt much the same way after she left."
He simply lowered his gaze and nodded. "Maybe, but as much as I want answers, I know Kristin needs time to-"
"Bingo," she said. "Everyone needs time. Kristin needs time to adjust, and so does Lucas. You can't push either of them. In a few days' time, things will be better. You'll see."
He blinked in surprise. "So you don't think I should talk to Lucas either?"
"Not tonight. I think he'll have a cooler head in the morning." She paused and eyed him carefully. "Are you okay?"
"Not really," he admitted. "But maybe you're right. Things will be better tomorrow."
"I'm sure of it. And you know, since I'll have both of them in the lab tomorrow, I thought-"
"That you'd help that along a bit?" he finished for her, giving her a knowing wink.
She gave a tight laugh. "I promise I'll be subtle about it. I just thought... Well, I don't like to see anyone fighting either. I'm sure this isn't what the secretary general intended when he set this all up. He was hoping for a pleasant reunion, closure for everyone, not this."
Nathan's eyebrows knitted together. "Wait a minute, when she'd told me she wanted her stay here to be a surprise, I assumed it had been her idea?"
Wendy's eyes widened, and a hand rose to her mouth as she let out a low gasp. "Oh, um, it was. I mean, of course it was, but the secretary general had a hand in it, too."
Nathan couldn't help but notice how the doctor fidgeted nervously.
"You know, I don't think I tried any of that cake yet," she said as she started towards the refreshments table. "I think I'll go have a slice."
Nathan caught her arm before she even got two steps away. "And you're a terrible liar, Doctor," he told her jokingly. "Bill set this whole thing up, didn't he?"
She nodded. "But you didn't hear it from me."
"Of course not," he replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to make. You'll keep an eye on things here?"
"Of course, Captain. Good luck."
Nathan gave her a warm smile. "It's not me who's going to need it."
