Dodging Bullets:

Chapter 4

Nathan Bridger twisted, turned and muttered all night. First he was angry, then hurt, then humiliated then the cycle repeated itself.

He was hoping they could talk about that evening at some point; he had enjoyed toying with her. Apparently, he had totally misunderstood or it had been the alcohol motivating her if she already had a 'date' lined up. So the joke was on him, and it wasn't very funny.

Nathan was as angry as he had been when Malcolm was flittering around her like a moth to a flame. I mean really!

"Well, fine. Good riddance. He was lucky he hadn't gotten involved with her and had his feelings seriously hurt-and his pride," he thought. Though, he reflected, that ship could have already sailed.

************************N&K***************************

The next few days were not pleasant for the crew of the seaQuest.

As the old adage went 'if the captain aint' happy, ain't nobody happy' was certainly applicable.

Even Lucas had started to avoid him.

Nathan was short tempered and irritable. It didn't help that when he lay down to rest at night, his mind was filled with images of Kristin in that outfit and the two of them in her cabin. Even his dreams were filled with her. Twice he had awakened in the middle of a dream just when her soft full lips were matching his own—and it definitely did not help him when the evidence of his arousal was still visible upon awakening. Cold showers were not what they were cracked up to be. No, sir!

*****************************N&K******************************

It was Ben, being the keen observer of human nature that he was, who first figured out the source of the captain's aggravation.

Cornering Lucas in the mess, he sat down beside him determined to get some help in putting the brakes on the Cruise of Misery they were all on at the moment.

"Yea, Ben, I have noticed, but I know what both the Cap and the Doc would say, and that is it's not any of our business."

"And when has that ever stopped me—or you—before? Hmm? How much longer do you want this to continue? Between the two of them, it's like working between two armed nuclear warheads."

Lucas shook his hair back from his face, and said, "I know, but what you won't get through your thick head is that this is one area that neither the Cap nor the Doc want anyone messing in. Trust me on this one! You think it's bad now? You get between those two and you're going to set off those two nuclear warheads."

Ben twisted his mouth into wicked grin, "Lucas, sometimes you can use one warhead to take out the other."

"What? Ben that doesn't make sense even on a metaphorical level. Whatever it is that you're planning, count me out!"

"No way. You owe me, and by this time tomorrow, whatever has set the two of them at odds will be evened out, one way or another."

Lucas rolled his blue eyes, "You're gonna get us killed."

Ben slapped Lucas on the back, "Have a little faith, kid."

"Oh, I have faith. Faith you're gonna get us killed!"

***********************N&K****************************

Kristin Wesphalen was miserable. She had hoped that by making Nathan angry that he would burst out and tell her what had happened. Unfortunately, her plan had backfired and now things were much worse.

"He started it," she thought to herself. "Toying with me, so he got what he deserved. Sort of." She rested her elbow on her desk, taking a break from the infernal and eternal paperwork that never seemed to end. She rubbed her eyes, which were burning out of her head, it felt, under the bright lights in her office.

A cuppa was exactly what she needed right now, a pick me up, to get her going again on the final physical reports before the end of their first tour.

Leaving her office, Kristin headed to the mess.

****************************K&N******************************

As soon as the doctor left, Lucas headed to the moon pool where Darwin was swimming lazily, rolling a red ball off the end of his nose.

Spotting Lucas, the dolphin swam up to the side, "Lucas, play."

"I can't play Darwin, but I could use your help."

"Darwin help Lucas."

"Actually, Darwin, I need you to help Captain Bridger and Doctor Kristin."