Chapter 10
By KiddoIn Loving Memory of Jonathan Brandis
Disclaimer:
I don't have any rights to the TV show "seaQuest DSV" or "seaQuest 2032" and I am not making any money with this story.
A spezial "Thanks" goes to my beta-reader Jackie and Alexis Rose, KatKnits00 and dolphinology for their reviews.
Feedback or reviews are always very welcome.
"Noooooooo!" Lucas awoke abruptly. His blue eyes were wide open.
Captain Bridger leaned down towards the teenager and spoke with a soft voice in an attempt to calm him. "Everything is okay kiddo. You are safe. It was just a bad dream."
The teenager's eyes looked anxiously around. Where was he? Hadn't he had just been...
Bridger saw the confusion. "Lucas, you are in a hospital. Do you remember what happened?"
For a moment, the blond boy looked silently at Bridger. Then, he nodded. "The car... I didn't see it coming." Then he was silent again.
Bridger nodded. "How are you feeling?"
Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know...tired."
Captain Bridger smiled. "Then go to sleep."
The teenager closed his eyes, but shortly before he fell back to sleep, he remembered something. Without opening his eyes he asked the captain a question with a sleepy voice. "Who was the driver of the car?"
Bridger sighed disappointedly. "It was a hit and run; we have no idea who it was."
"I have to get away from here, Captain. I can't stay here; it's too dangerous. He can find me here..." And with those last words, sleep overtook the boy. He was just too tired.
Bridger jumped up. "Lucas! Lucas - what do you mean? What is too dangerous? Who can find you here? Lucas, Lucas!" But the captain received no answer; the teenager had fallen into a deep sleep.
Nathan sat down in his chair again. A bad feeling was rising in him. What had Lucas meant? What was too dangerous, and who could find him in this place? Bridger had the feeling that he had so often had about Lucas. For one second he thought he knew the teenager, and the next one, he had the feeling that a stranger was standing in front of him. Something was totally wrong here!
The captain had hoped that the visit at Lawrence Wolenczak's party would help him to understand the boy, but it hadn't. In fact, it was just the opposite. Nathan was more confused now than before. The teenager and Dr. Wolenczak had acted like strangers around each other. Lucas' room hadn't looked like a place the teenager liked and felt comfortable in. There was something wrong in the family.
Suddenly Bridger thought back to the car accident they had had with Admiral Noyce. The police hadn't been able to find anything out about who might have tampered with the brakes. But what if the police were searching in the wrong place? They only searched in Noyce and in his backgrounds. But what if the accident hadn't been meant for them but for the teenager?
And there was also the car accident two days ago. That hadn't been an accident at all - the car had directly aimed for Lucas!
Nathan now thought about the boy's words. What had he said exactly? "I have to get away from here, Captain. I can't stay here; it's too dangerous. He can find me here..." Yes, those had been the exact words the teen used. Lucas obviously knew more than him; the genius belived that his life was in danger. And meanwhile the captain was also convinced of that.
Bridger took his orange PAL out of his pocket. "This is Captain Bridger."
The voice of Commander Ford was heared coming from the PAL. "This is Cdr. Ford. What can I do for you, Sir?"
"Make the seaQuest ready. We will be shipping out tomorrow."
The voice of his first officer sounded a bit confused. "I thought we weren't going to ship out until Lucas was well enough."
"I have changed my mind. We will ship out tomorrow," said the captain decisively.
"And what about Lucas?" Jonathan Ford had never heard the captain use this tone of voice before. Something wasn't quite right.
"We will take Lucas with us. After all, we have our MedBay, and Kristin is a very good doctor."
Ford decided that it was better to not ask any more questions. "Okay, Sir. I will take care of everything. Is there anything else?"
Bridger shook his head. "No. Bridger out!" Then, Nathan put his PAL back in his pocket. He was aware of the fact that he had been very abrupt to his first officer, but Bridger didn't have time to anwer questions at the moment. And besides, he had the feeling that he didn't really know the answers. The captain only knew that Lucas didn't want to stay in the hospital for some reason. And if Bridger's guess was correct, it was because the life of his youngest crew member was in danger. And if that was the truth, Nathan would do everything in his power to ensure that no one would get near the boy. The seaQuest was the safest place for Lucas. He didn't know a better security team than the one led by Chief Crocker.
Again, the captain took his PAL out. "This is Bridger. Manilow, I need your help."
"What can I do for you, Cap?" asked Crocker.
"I want you to send two members of you security team to the hospital. I want them to stand guard in front of Lucas' door," explained Bridger.
For a moment, Chief Crocker was silent and thought about Nathan's words. He had known Bridger for many years, and he could tell by the captain's voice that this was serious. He didn't need to ask any questions. If his old friend wanted two of his security team to guard Lucas, then there was a good reason for it. "No problem - I send you my three best people." Three were always better than two.
"Thanks. Bridger out."
Around two hours later, Dr. Kristin Westphalen stepped into Lucas' hospital room with a look of outrage on her face.
"Captain Nathan Hale Bridger, who do you think you are?" She took a big breath of air. Her hands were on her hips. "You can't order the seaQuest to ship out tomorrow! Ford has told me all about it. Lucas isn't well enough. We really don't know what state his body really is in. The MedBay isn't equipped for every possible situation. The boy needs his rest and he will get the best in this hospital. And what are Crocker's 'watchdogs' doing outside the door anyway?" The red-haired doctor looked angrily at Nathan.
"Please calm down Kristin or you will wake Lucas up." He pointed to the chair next to him. "Take a seat, please."
Dr. Westphalen sat down and thought about the captain's words. He had said that she should calm down so that she wouldn't wake the teenager up. But that would mean... "Lucas has woken up?"
Captain Bridger nodded and gave the woman a smile. "Two hours ago, he woke for a short time and spoke to me."
"Does the doctor know that? Has he checked him out?"
Bridger nodded again. "Yes. About half an hour ago, he was also awake. The doctor has talked with him and taken a few tests. The doctor said that Lucas is on the way to recovery. Broken arm and torn skin aside, Lucas has been unbelievably lucky." The older man was smiling happily.
Kristin also smiled. "That's good. But it still doesn't explain the way you are acting. Why do you want to ship out tomorrow? I thought you wanted to wait a few days longer."
The captain nodded; he could understand the doctor very well. "I did plan on waiting at first, but at the time, I didn't know what I know now." He looked at the teenager for a few seconds, and then he turned back to Dr. Westphalen. "When Lucas woke up two hours ago, he said this to me: 'I have to get away from here, Captain. I can't stay here; it's too dangerous. He can find me here...' Those were his exact words."
Both adults were silent for a moment. Each lost in their own thoughts.
"But what exactly does this mean, Nathan? What was he trying to tell you?"
"I'm not sure, but I have a guess. Do you remember the accident that Admiral Noyce, Lucas, and I had?"
Kristin nodded. "Yes, because of the cut brakes."
Bridger nodded. "Exactly. The police suspected that the attack was meant for the admiral or me. But I don't think so anymore; I think that the attack was meant for Lucas. And, I think the car that hit Lucas was also no accident. The BMW aimed right towards where Lucas was standing. I think that someone wants to kill Lucas!"
Horrified, Dr. Westphalen put her hand to her mouth. "But... he is just a child. Who would want to kill a child? Lucas wouldn't hurt a fly."
The captain shrugged. "That's the question of all questions, Kristin. And, Lucas is the only one who can give us an answer."
The red-haired woman looked at the teenager who was sleeping so peacfully. Who could raise a hand against this boy? There was no sense in that. Lucas was popular with everyone she knew. Everyone liked him. "That's the reason why three members of Crocker's security team are standing at the door, right?"
Bridger only nodded. Both adults' thoughts were with the teenager.
To Be Continued...
Written December 2003 / Translated Summer 2004