After finishing up their meeting, Eric and Nathan sat comfortably together for several minutes discussing boxing of all things. The conversation had come up casually when Nathan was describing a time when he had inadvertently introduced Lucas to boxing; he'd ended up discovering that the kid had a pretty good arm. Eric shared a good chuckle with Nathan as he described the noteworthy punch Lucas had delivered to his chin. Nathan absentmindedly rubbed his chin at the memory.

Eric collected his papers and reached down to file them in his briefcase. "So what made you get into boxing, Captain Bridger?"

Nathan stood up and stretched with a small smirk. "Would you believe to lose weight?"

Eric laughed as he shook his head in amusement, rising to his feet as well.

"I really appreciate…" Nathan began but stopped when he heard a scream. He tossed a look of concern at Eric as he reached for his crutches and started towards the door.

Erin frowned and followed.

Nathan hobbled out the door of Kristin's office and headed towards the main sea deck floor with Eric close behind. His jaw dropped when he saw Kaman on top of Lucas, throwing punches at his face. Nathan limped as fast as he could towards the boys but was relieved when Eric took the initiative to rush ahead and pull Kaman off.

"That's enough!" stated Eric in a firm voice.

Nathan saw the boy take a swing at Eric, but the man was able to expertly dodge it and restrain the teen. It was obvious this wasn't Eric's first time handling an irate teen.

"I said enough!" stated Eric again; giving the boy a firm shake. Kaman stopped struggling and jerked away from Eric, breathing heavily as he stared daggers at Lucas.

By this time, Nathan was able to reach Lucas who had managed to stand to his feet. Nathan saw he had a bloodied lip and was wiping it off with the back of his hand. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Mika walk up behind Lucas with tears in her eyes. Her lip bloodied as well.

"What the hell is going on here?" demanded Nathan, staring at Lucas in particular. He saw Lucas drop his gaze to the floor and shrug. "Kaman?" prompted Nathan when he saw Lucas wasn't going to offer him any information.

"It's nothing!" yelled Kaman, still fuming.

Eric pointed a finger at Kaman. "Hey, this isn't nothing, Kaman. Look at Mika's face! What happened?"

"None of your damned business!" Kaman mumbled, crossing his arms.

"You hit Mika." interjected Lucas, anger and accusation in his voice.

Nathan turned to look at Lucas, who was glaring at Kaman. He could see the brewing anger in his face. Nathan took a few steps towards Lucas, reaching out to look closer at his split lip. Lucas flinched subconsciously, taking a few steps back. Nathan felt his heart pitch as he watched the look of fear flood Lucas' face.

Lucas raised a hand in defense. "Don't," he whispered. "J-just don't."

Nathan knit his brows together in a mixture of concern and confusion at the reaction. He could see that Lucas' eyes were clouded in confusion as well.

"I just wanted to check your lip, Lucas," explained Nathan. He turned to look at Mika. "Are you okay?" She nodded in response but remained quiet. Nathan could see her hands trembling.

"Isn't it obvious that she's not?" snapped Lucas, dropping his hands. Nathan noticed an uncomfortable look on the boy's face as he struggled with his emotions, trying to keep his temper under the adult scrutiny. "He shouldn't be allowed to roam around SeaQuest, Captain. He's no different than his idiot father…he's…he's…" Lucas balled up his fists as he lifted his chin, staring directly at Kaman. "You're a psychopath!"

The words barely left his lips before Kaman flew at Lucas. Nathan gasped as he saw Kaman knock Lucas to the floor in a fit of fury, raining down blows at his head. Lucas covered his head to ward off the attack as Nathan and Eric both sprung into action to pull the boys apart. Nathan saw Mika take a few steps back and raise a hand to her mouth in shock.

"Kaman, stop it!" scolded Eric, pulling him back sternly. "Knock it off! Look, take a deep breath for a minute." He shot Lucas a firm look. "You're not helping the situation, Lucas. C'mon, guys, you're both better than this! Use words not fisticuffs."

Nathan held a firm hand on Lucas' shoulder and was surprised when Lucas shook the hand off in irritation.

"How long are you both going to be fooled by his little game?" snapped Lucas, glowering at them and jabbing a finger in Kaman's direction. "He's just a control freak like Wise. It's all about power and subjugation to them!"

Eric raised his hand to forestall Lucas' tirade. "Chill out, Lucas! You may be surprised to know that Kaman isn't all that different from you." Nathan could see that Eric was gearing up to make a point.

"I'm nothing like him," scoffed Lucas.

"Now, hang on a minute, Lucas. Hear the man out," suggested Nathan, who adjusted his weight on his good leg. Nathan knew Lucas well enough to see that he was losing patience with the situation. He reached out to put a calm hand on his shoulder, but Lucas pulled away.

"NO, I'm finished listening," he growled, turning to Mika. "Mika, c'mon, I'll take you to med-bay so they can look at your lip." Mika shook her head and took a few more steps backwards.

Nathan frowned. "Hang on a minute, Lucas. We're not done discussing this."

Lucas glared at him. "Well, I am." Lucas took a few steps back, tossed a look at Mika in the expectation that she would follow him. Mika remained frozen to where she stood. Nathan saw Kaman cross his arms, still reeling in anger.

Lucas tossed his hands up in the air in frustration. "Fine, then stay. Whatever!" He turned to leave the room, an overwhelming surge of anger in his demeanor.

Nathan heaved a weary sigh. Lucas' behaviour was so uncharacteristic of him, and Nathan recognised the boy wasn't himself. It was probably a good decision for him to walk away, but it concerned Nathan that he was so antagonistic. Lucas was usually more diplomatic and eloquent in how he presented himself.

Nathan reached out and grabbed Lucas by the arm. "Lucas," he said, with a clear warning in his voice. "At least tell me where you're going?"

"Leave me the hell alone!" shouted Lucas, attempting to pull away.

Nathan raised a brow but kept a firm grip on his arm. "Mr. Wolenczak." Nathan went to turn him around to face him, and in an instant Lucas dropped to the ground, cowering.

oOoOoOoOseaquestOoOoOoOo

Lucas felt Captain Bridger's hand on his arm, grasping it tightly. More than anything he just wanted to leave the room and have some space. He blinked his eyes feeling his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Everything within him was screaming at him to flee. He felt his breathing increase, and his head was pounding. The room looked like it was spinning around on him. The palms of his hands were wet, and he wiped them on his jeans, anxiously. He tried to cast a look at the captain to back off, but the man didn't seem to understand. Desperation was clinging to his innermost being. He looked up to see the stern look in Captain Bridger's eyes as he said his last name with a warning. The warning lingered in the air. He felt himself being pulled, and his eyes open in alarm as he saw a belt being flung at him. Lucas immediately dropped to the floor, covering his head. He waited for the assault to rain down on him. He tried to force himself to listen for the sound so he would be prepared. All he could hear was the loud palpations of his heart. He forced himself to curl up tighter in anticipation. His head kept screaming at him: Stay alert! Be quiet! Don't move! Images flashed in his mind. He could hear the sounds of the belt repeatedly striking its target. He could feel the pain of the lashes plummeting down upon him. He let out a whimper in hopes it would stop only to inwardly scold himself for not being strong enough to withstand it. He needed to be a man. Men don't cry. He felt his pulse racing and his breathing increased.

"Lucas," came a voice from beside him. He felt himself startle at the closeness of the sound. He put his hands to his ears, trying to block it out. He felt himself gulping for air.

"Breathe slowly, Lucas. Tell me what you see," came the voice again. He could feel someone touching his back gently, but the feeling confused him. What he could see and hear was in juxtaposition to what he felt. He shook his head vehemently trying to clear the pictures in his head.

"He won't stop hitting me. Please make it stop," he whimpered.

"It's not real, Lucas. You're having a panic attack. We've been here before, remember? Take a slow breath. Can you do that for me? You'll be fine."

Lucas felt himself nodding as he blinked back tears. He tried to slow his breathing, but they came too quickly, causing him to feel like he was going to black out. He felt a comforting hand on his head.

"It's okay, kiddo," he heard the captain say softly.

"Slow it down. Take slower breaths," a voice commanded. "Breathe in through your nose and out through your lips."

Lucas did his best to comply and after a few minutes, he felt himself gaining some control. His head began to clear, and the clouded visions disappeared.

"That's right, Lucas. Keep it slow and steady," encouraged the voice he recognised as Eric's. He stole a glance out of the corner of his eye and saw the man stooping beside him, rubbing circles on his back. He felt the perspiration on his brow and the tightness in his muscles as he clung to his knees. His heart was still pounding but his breathing had slowed down. He scrubbed a hand across his face and looked up to see Mika, Kaman and the captain staring at him with varying looks of concern. Their gazes only served to make him feel more confused and embarrassed, not really remembering what had happened to make him feel so terrified. He saw Eric rise to his feet, reaching out a hand to help him up. Lucas obliged and rose to his feet, dropping his gaze to the floor. His heart rate was still up, but he was feeling more in control.

"You're okay. It was just a panic attack. I've talked to all of you about Post Traumatic stress, and all three of you may experience something similar; it's completely normal when you've been through traumatic events." Lucas nodded his understanding as he felt a supportive hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see the captain looking at him with worry strewn across his face. Lucas wasn't a stranger to PTSD episodes, and he remembered having them on numerous occasions after Clemens tried to strangle him. He'd just forgotten how intense they felt in the moment. He wiped the sleeve of his arm across his damp forehead as he concentrated on keeping his breathing even.

"Kaman, are you calm enough now?" queried Eric, turning to look at him. Lucas saw Kaman nod and shuffle his feet. His face was white, and the anger had seeped from him. "I think maybe you and I should try to have a little chat about what went down here. Are you up for that?"

Kaman nodded but remained silent.

"Mika, are you alright?" Silence greeted the question but a soft nod was given.

"Lucas, how about you and Captain Bridger take Mika and get some first aid. Captain, may we use Kristin's office to chat?"

The captain nodded. "Of course."

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Lucas stuck his hands in his pockets, following the Captain off the deck and into Med-bay. He sat in the chair solemnly as Mika was led into a room with a medic. He stared at his shoes. He felt his head still pounding, but his pulse had steadied. He was fighting with himself between anger and confusion causing him to be irrational. He hated that feeling. He couldn't stand it when he felt out of control.

"You ok?" asked the captain.

"I'm mad."

"I can understand that. You have every right to be," sympathized Nathan, "None of this is your fault, Lucas." Lucas could see the man's brows were furrowed with fretful worry.

Lucas looked up. "Everything inside me just wants to punch his lights out!"

"Wise's or Kaman's?" asked Nathan, pointedly.

Lucas chewed on his lip as he heard the captain sigh. He turned to see the man set his crutches on the floor. Captain Bridger stared at the floor momentarily and then cleared his throat.

"Lucas, many, many years ago, probably when I wasn't much older than you, I heard an old Cherokee legend. It's stuck with me all these years, and it's often come to mind when I'm filled with rage. Wanna hear it?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

Nathan smiled slightly. "Inside all of us live two wolves. One wolf is evil—full of hate, lies, rage, anger, jealousy and selfishness. The other wolf is good—full of peace, love, truth, sharing, friendship, kindness and generosity. Those wolves are fighting for control." Lucas squint an eye as he listened to the tale.

Captain Bridger continued, "That same fight is going on inside of you," pointing a finger at him. Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but the captain raised his hand to forestall him. "Hear me out on this."

Lucas shut his mouth, thinking about how he was feeling deep inside. Despite the fact that he was confused, he realized he was letting his anger control him above all else. He just didn't want to admit it.

"The evil wolf tells us that no one could possibly understand the anguish we're feeling and resents anyone who tries. That same wolf believes that if those in his life knew his thoughts, they would abandon him for sure; so he builds a wall of stone around his dark world to be sure that he can never be hurt again. That wolf knows for certain that he will never feel better and has given up trying."

Lucas licked his lips and took a deep breath. He blinked his eyes to keep the tears at bay. He felt a familiarity with the words spoken, and it caused him to shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"The good wolf, however, tells us a different story. He's telling us that everyone is fighting a battle of some kind, and has known some type of suffering. He tells us to look past the persona people project to see that everyone has shed tears for the tragedies, sorrows, distress and fears that they keep hidden from the world, but they are there, nonetheless. The good wolf reminds us that we aren't alone during those moments of bleakness, during the ugliest hours, and that we have people who love us unconditionally. He tells us that we are safe to be real and transparent, and that peace comes with authenticity." Lucas felt tears fall down his cheeks, but he didn't bother to wipe them away.

Captain Bridger put a warm hand on his arm. "The good wolf reminds us that our track record for getting through difficult times so far is 100 percent, that there is always room for hope, even if a heart is hardened from trying and failing and trying and failing and failing once more. He says that although depression feels permanent, there is nothing in this world that is constant, that biochemistries evolve and relationships shift and situations change, and not one thing is the same from one moment to the next; and no matter what, there is always the potential to begin again, and for healing to happen." Lucas took a deep breath as he allowed the words to sink in, permeating that part of his soul that was in such agony and despair.

"The question we all need to ask ourselves, Lucas, is which wolf are we going to feed?"

Lucas blinked hard as he looked at his hands, fiddling with his fingers. He allowed tears to fall down his cheeks into his mouth; down his chin and drop onto his shirt. He reached up his hand and wiped them away with the back of his hand.

"I'm so tired, Captain." Lucas heard the catch in his voice. He felt bone tired of feeling like he was fighting a losing battle with himself. He felt a strong arm go around his shoulders, and he melted into it.

"I know you are, kiddo," whispered the captain into his hair.

Lucas felt his throat burning as he tried to force back tears. "Nothing makes sense, Captain. I know I lied to you. I never meant things to get so out of hand. I know you're mad at me…"

"That's where you're wrong. I'm not mad at you. I was disappointed in you and upset with your actions. Everyone makes mistakes, Lucas!"

"I keep seeing you hitting me." Lucas clenched his jaw tightly and put a hand to his head. He felt the captain tighten his grip on his shoulders. He cast a glance at the captain to see his look of compassion.

"Lucas, that didn't happen on SeaQuest. Wise beat you severely, and he drugged you. I can't even guess what else he did to mess with your head. It's no wonder you're confused. But I have never raised my hand to you, and I never will. Yes, I will discipline you when you need it, but I will never hit you." Lucas looked at the captain's sincere face, feeling more tears cascading down his cheeks. The grief burned in him; sometimes he wanted to run and hide from everything and everyone including himself. He huffed out a bitter sob. He knew that the captain could see the darkness behind his eyes, the weariness in his soul weighing him down like sand bags. He just needed to reach out. Lucas moved his hand and placed it on the captain's.

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Later that night, Nathan sat in his quarters quietly while Lucas slept on his bunk. The kid ended up getting a few stitches in his lip. It was obvious how worn out and confused he was, but their talk had seemed to help somewhat. Eric had managed to have a heart to heart with Kaman. The kid just felt so out of control and abandoned. Eric was right when he said that Lucas and Kaman weren't all that different. Both boys felt a deep sense of abandonment. The trouble was Kaman's was so deeply embedded that it was going to take years of intense therapy to help him work through it. The boy was wounded so deeply that he could hardly be blamed for his actions. He was shrouded in uncertainty and confusion. Mika, Shapra and Kaman were all walking wounded after years of controlling abuse and suppression. They had been physically, emotionally and spiritually manipulated and controlled beyond anything Nathan had ever witnessed before.

Nathan rested his head on his hands as he glanced at Lucas. The teen appeared peaceful as he lay with his blond hair strewn across the pillow. Nathan pondered on how young he looked when he was asleep. He looked much younger than his 15 years. If someone would have told him a year ago that his heart would be stolen by a teenager, he would have scoffed at them. When Bill had tricked him into coming back to SeaQuest, he never imagined that the spunky teenage boy would be the one integral to mending his broken heart. He had nearly become accustom to feeling broken inside. Lucas managed to awaken that part of him that he had thought was long dead. Nathan rose to his feet and limped across the room from his desk to pull the blanket up over Lucas' sleeping form. He gently brushed back wisps of hair on his forehead.

He felt relief that the teenager had fallen asleep in his quarters. They had eaten dinner in the mess hall and retired back to his room. Lucas was quiet but not as closed as before. Nathan felt some relief in that. With time he felt certain the boy would recover, and he planned to be beside him the whole way.

A soft knock stole his attention, and he limped to the door to answer it. He smiled to see Kristin standing outside. He greeted her warmly and invited her inside.

"I'm sorry to disturb you this late, Nathan. I went to check on Lucas but…" Nathan watched as Kristin caught sight of Lucas' sleeping form, looking visibly relieved to see him. "Oh, thank God. I should have known he'd be with you."

Nathan placed a warm hand on her back and invited her to sit down.

"I don't want to wake him," she replied hesitantly.

"I'm not sure anything could. The kid's exhausted. I don't think he's slept much since all this happened, except maybe in med-bay when you sedated him. I should have insisted he sleep here in the first place."

Kristin sat down, crossing her legs underneath her. "How's he coping?"

Nathan sat across from her. "He's confused, but we had a good talk earlier."

Kristin smiled. "We had a good talk as well." Nathan looked up expectantly, hoping she would expand on it, but she remained quiet. Kristin's eyes turned to Lucas and lingered for several minutes.

"What are you thinking?" prompted Nathan, stifling a yawn.

"I'm wondering how his parents can be so heartless. I'm wondering how he's going to handle it when you tell him you have custody of him. I'm wondering why Franklin Wise beat him so mercilessly." Nathan saw her hands trembling.

"There are no easy answers, Kristin."

She nodded. "I realise that." Nathan watched as she leaned forward and reached for his hand. It felt warm and comforting in his. He looked into her eyes, and in that moment, he felt like he had some kind of confirmation. It felt like he had peace in his own mind that he had done the right thing. He felt validation.

"What are you thinking," she echoed.

"I dunno; I guess I feel like I have some kind of purpose. Don't get me wrong, being the captain of SeaQuest is fulfilling and worthwhile. We're doing amazing things for mankind. But," he paused and glanced at the sleeping teenager, "I think life is just made up of so much more. Know what I mean?"

Kristin nodded and squeezed his hand. "Yes, I know exactly what you mean."