TWG Part 10
By Gryffyn copyright 2001
Disclaimer: See part 1
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It was an extremely groggy Lucas that eventually made it back to his own empty quarters. He'd awoken in his dad's bunk barely aware of how he'd gotten there. All he knew was that he was late. Kristen was likely to chew his ear off for this one, it wasn't as if he could use a nightmare as an excuse this time. The teen felt like he'd been relieved of a part of the burden this secret he carried just by talking to his father. Giving himself a mental pat on the back he started to get dressed, Lucas couldn't wait to tell Alexia the great news. In fact he'd just finished putting his jeans on when reality came up and smacked him in the face. Alexia!
"Oh God," he groaned as he collapsed on Tony's bunk. Lucas had forgotten to tell his dad that Alexia didn't have a clue about what Lucas had planned. Better still Alexia had wanted him to keep all this secret, "and I go and blab to dad."
Lucas contacted Nathan on the bridge and asked if he'd had a chance to speak with Alexia yet. Upon hearing that his dad hadn't yet, Lucas quietly released the breath he'd not even been aware he'd been holding. There was still time to talk to her and get her comfortable with the idea of meeting with Nathan. Not that Lucas blamed her for being wary, he would bet too in her shoes, and actually he was not two years before. Hurriedly the boy finishes changing and rushes out of the cabin. Things were going to work out okay he just knew it.
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"You did WHAT?" Alexia screeched at him.
'Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.' Lucas mused to himself. It was obvious that she wasn't ready to meet Nathan, maybe with a little time. Trying to soothe her Lucas responded with "it's okay, my dad, he understands about these things really."
"I can't believe you told him that! I told you those things in confidence, how could you?" Her stomach twisted and turned as this new revelation and its implications dawned on her. 'No, not now, I was so close' was the despairing thought that plagued her mind. Alexia clutched her arms around her middle and unconsciously began to rock back and forth. She wished that she had the courage to face her demons, but it seemed that every time her defenses started to rebuild, they were knocked down again. 'I should have known better than to trust him,' she silently admonished herself, 'but I have to make this work, I have to. It's the only way.'
Alexia suddenly became aware of the crowd of curious onlookers that had gathered when through the air a voice rang out. "Just what in the world is going on here?' Was the demand that came from the formidable Dr. Kristen Westphalen. "Oh, good morning Lucas, I'm glad to see you made it this morning," she spoke, slightly admonishing the lanky youth. The turning to Alexia she spoke, "Dr. Grantvin…Alexia? Are you alright?" Kristen's eyes darted from one teen to another, trying to analyze the situation. With Alexia the one in obvious distress Kristen decided to start with her first.
"I'm fine Dr. Westphalen," Alexia lied, trying awkwardly to pull herself together. Being under the gaze of all these people made her uncomfortable.
Realizing that she wasn't likely to get the girl to open up amongst everyone, she turned to the mob announcing "come on back to work, you lot. We may not be soldiers but we do have a schedule to keep." One if Alexia's scientists waited for a nod of confirmation from her colleague before finally exiting the room. Kristen reached towards Alexia in an effort to guide the pale teen to her office for a chat, only to be shock by Alexia's extreme retreat
"Alexia?" However the question went unanswered. By now the teen had retreated so far into her mind that her eyes seemed to glaze over. All that seemed to make sense to the trembling girl was the replaying scene in her mind. A hand reaching for her, it looked like it was in comfort, but hands that hurt over and over again quickly replaced it. It was the same everywhere, no chance to escape. When the doctor again tried to approach the girl, a strangled cry escape from Alexia's lips right before she raced out the lab's back door and down the hall.
Lucas, who'd been statue still during this, suddenly became animated and launched himself towards the hatch only to be called to a halt by Kristen. "I need to understand what just happened here. What can you tell me?"
"I can't tell you anything doc, I've already said too much," was Lucas' sad response. Then just before he headed out the same door as Alexia, Kristen heard him softly murmur to the empty corridor. "Its my fault, you weren't ready yet and I pushed. I'll try and fix it, I swear."
Letting out one of her infamous sighs, Kristen dug her hands into the pocket of her lab coat and set off to find Nathan. Hopefully he might be able to tell her what was going on with the teenagers that led up to this morning, besides it would be better if he heard about this incident in person. Just as she passes the moonpool, Darwin lifts his head spraying water all over anyone close enough.
"Now don't you start!" The now drenched doctor wagged a finger at the dolphin. She turned around, heading for her quarters instead, needing to change her clothes before traipsing across the ship. Kristen scowled at the technicians that smirked in her direction, she wasn't sure things could get much worse.
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Worse came in the form of SeaQuest being used as target practice for each side of a cival war, who incidentally was accused by both sides of providing weapons to the other. As Kristen's Medbay filled the situation between Lucas and Alexia had to be put on hold for a couple of hours. Fortunately none of the crew had been seriously injured.
Eventually she made her way to Nathan's ready room. As soon as Kristen informed him of the morning's events down on Sea Deck, Nathan asked members of the senior staff to locate the teens. Several minutes later Commander Ford reported that neither Lucas nor Alexia had been seen for some time, and currently weren't answering their PALs. Nathan ordered a security sweep of the ship, hoping that either of them could be found.
Almost an hour later it was reported that music had been reported blaring from Lucas' room, but as of yet there had been no sign of Dr. Grantvin. It puzzled Nathan how Alexia had managed to elude his crew. Another hour passed and still nothing, Kristen and Nathan passed the time attempting to concentrate on a game of chess. Twenty minutes later the captain's PAL went off.
"Captain, Ensign McKormic here, we've found her." A crisp voice filled them in.
"Good work Ensign, where was she?" Kristen watch Nathan with wide eyes.
"That's just it sir, we have no idea," puzzlement laced the disembodied voice.
"What do you mean you don't know? Where did you find her?" The strain was starting to take its toll on the man.
"I found her asleep in her quarters sir." There was a small pause before the man continued, "I swear sir I checked her room myself not twenty minutes ago and it was empty."
The captain rubbed his face and sighed deeply before responding. "Its okay Ensign, I'm sure you did a fine job. Post a guard on her door I want her escorted to the wardroom when she awakes. Bridger out."
"Aye Sir"
Fatigued, the doctor and captain bid each other good night. It wasn't until Kristen reached the door to her quarters that she realized that Nathan had managed to avoid answering her questions about Alexia. There's always tomorrow she told herself.
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The next morning when Alexia opened the door to her room she wasn't surprised to see a crewman guarding her door. She'd been expecting it actually. She knew the trouble she'd caused the previous day, the fact that she hadn't been taken to the brig when they'd immediately found her was a little surprising. Though that wasn't half the shock that she wasn't current being escorted to the brig, but to the wardroom.
The room was empty when they arrived. The crewman held the door open for her to enter and firmly closed it once she was inside. To her dismay there was only the one door, so she wandered around the table. At least she could keep that between her and her predator.
As if on cue the door opened and Captain Nathan Hale Bridger stalked into the room, he immediately noticed her positioning and stopped an equal distance on his side of the table. When the door had closed Alexia steeled her self and placing a piece of paper on the table and back away as far as she could. Nathan looked a little surprised, but only moved forward long enough to get the paper and return to his originating point never breaking eye contact with the girl.
"Captain," Alexia said formally. "I will be catching the supply shuttle when it arrives in two days time, that is a copy of the letter I've already sent to the UEO. I'm resigning from the project."