All of them tested negatively for the disease, and Tony was allowed to go and sit and wait with his friend.

In the meantime, Oliver Hudson and Jonathon Ford needed to find out how this could have happened.

Captain Bridger had all but disappeared after his first and last communication with seaQuest after his return. They called everyone they could think of to find him, but came up with nothing.

It was Commander Ford who thought of using Darwin.

The Vocorder had been damaged since they had returned, and everyone had found it impossible to fix. Eventually, they stopped trying - especially since Captain Hudson consisdered it to be a worthless endeavor - but Darwin still patrolled the aquatubes and his friends still visited him.

The problem of how to tell him what they needed to was given to Tim O'Neill, who had been as shocked as everyone else when he discovered that his friend was still alive.

He had learned Captain Bridger's hand signals, being interested in every form of communication, and he and Lucas had considered the possibility of a situation just like this one. He knew enough to tell the dolphin 'find Bridger. Find Bridger.'

And then, all they could do was wait.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Lucas woke up slowly and quietly, not to an electric current running through him and the sound of loud video screens.

His body felt heavy and drugged. He felt a moment of panic as he realized that his body was immobilized and he couldn't move. He started to struggle, and his panic only increased as a person in a hazmat suit put out a hand to hold him down.

"Luke, it's me, Tony! Calm down, okay? You're on seaQuest, you're okay!"

His eyes moved frantically. It looked like the seaQuest, but he didn't recognize this room. He tried to speak, but found his voice muffled by an oxygen mask strapped over his face.

Before he could reach for it, Tony leaned forward and removed the mask, as well as the straps that were holding him down.

"Better?"

Lucas nodded, and Tony poured him some water and raised the bed slightly so that he could drink.

"Thanks," he rasped. He started; he knew that he'd spoken, but he couldn't hear his own voice. "Tony? What's wrong? I can't hear what I'm saying. I could hear you!"

"Can you hear me now?"

Lucas watched his lips move through his visor, but shook his head. Tony raised his voice, "What about now?"

He nodded. "Yes, but barely."

He raised his voice closer to the volume it had been when he was almost shouting at Lucas to calm down. "And now? Can you hear this?"

"Yes."

They realized the implications. Tony started to move to the comm on the wall, but Lucas reached out a hand and pulled him back.

"No, please, not yet." He motioned to the straps that had been around his waist and chest, and to Tony's suit. "What's going on?"

Tony sat beside him and made sure that he was still speaking loud enough for Lucas to hear. It wasn't too hard, he wasn't the quietest of people to begin with.

"Your leg was broken and it needs to be kept still for a while. You were moving about too much while you were sleeping, so they had to restrain you so ya didn't do more damage. You're in quarantine because you have a type of TB, it's why I'm dressed like this. Doc says you might be here for a few weeks, they've got to get you on some meds before they can fix you up."

Lucas relaxed slightly. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Wendy. And where's the captain? Is he here? Can you tell him I'm awake?"

Tony felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Why, why, why, hadn't he thought of this?

Of course he expected to see Wendy Smith and Captain Bridger! Captain Bridger had been like a father to him, he would expect him to be waiting for him to wake up. Why didn't he think this through and realize that now he would have to be the one to tell him everything that had happened?

"Lucas..."

He had started too softly, he could see that Lucas was straining to hear. Tony really didn't want to have to shout as he explained things, but he saw no other choice. He cleared his throat, and started again.

"Lucas...how much do you know about our return?"

Lucas closed his eyes for a moment.

"I know it's been ten years for everyone else." He was trying to talk louder, but all he could hear was a murmur of sound. "I heard that the seaQuest was found and we'd all come back. Why? Did something happen to the captain? What happened, where is he? Is he alright?" He was starting to get agitated.

"Luke, calm down, Captain Bridger is fine, it's okay."

He waited as Lucas tried to calm his breathing.

"Captain Bridger..." He had to say it quickly, before Lucas could panic again, but how to tell him?

"When Captain Bridger returned, he found he had a grandson that had been left at the Embassy. The kid was four, so his son must have been alive four years ago. He left the seaQuest to go and find him and look after his grandson."

He watched as the emotions flitted over Lucas' face. While he was glad for the captain, it was obvious that he had expected more from him.

"He wasn't looking for me?"

Tony decided to tell a half truth. "No. Lucas, I'm sorry. We all thought you were dead."

Lucas' eyes widened in shock. "You thought I was dead? No-one was trying to find me?"

"Wendy, Miguel and Jim died on Hyperion, along with seven other crewmembers. We thought you were one of them. I'm sorry Lucas."

Lucas bit his lip, and looked like he was fighting to keep control of himself. "I'm sorry, I'm really tired, do you mind if I sleep now?"

"Lucas..."

"Please Tony!"

"Okay. Send for me if you want me, okay?"

Lucas nodded and turned his face away. Tony thought he could see tears running down his cheeks.