*See part zero/one for disclaimer.
Rediscovering Lucas
Part Four
By: Victoria May
Nathan stared at Lucas as he was led off the shuttle by two UEO escorts, who were undoubtedly arranged by Noyce himself, in the interest of keeping the elder Wolenczak happy. That was Bill's policy, when it came to self-important men like Lawrence Wolenczak. Keep 'em happy and as far away from himself as possible. And now, Lucas was threatening to destroy that delicate balance. Nathan almost pitied Bill his task of breaking this news to Lawrence. Almost. Bill didn't have a seething fifteen year old to deal with.
'Bill must be absolutely shaking in terror,' Nathan thought to himself, as his eyes took in the rumpled Lucas. Arms folded across his chest, his sleeves pulled down over his hands-the ends grasped tightly by white fingers which couldn't seem to keep still. The posture screamed of wracked nerves, yet as Nathan carried his gaze up and onto Lucas' face, what he saw there was far from nervous. The boy hadn't spoken, but plenty was being expressed in the narrow, glaring eyes, the tightly set lips, and the rapid breaths. An untamed stallion, ready to bolt.
Lucas drew his arms tighter across his chest as the captain continued to stare at him silently. This was bad. Very bad. How long had he been standing there? Seconds? Minutes? It felt like an eternity under the captain's cool gaze. What was he waiting for? Lucas flicked his eyes over Nathan's shoulder and looked down the passageway. Someone was coming. The sound of footsteps was growing louder with each passing second. The last thing Lucas wanted was an audience to the tongue lashing he knew he was about to receive. A figure turned into the passageway and Lucas let out a sigh of relief. Dr. Westphalen. The woman was the epitome of concern and she didn't let Lucas down now.
"Lucas?" she gasped, surprised to see the boy back on board. "Are you all right?" she asked, taking a step forward. Nathan finally moved, grabbing Kristen's arm and holding her back.
"He's fine," Nathan said grimly, his gaze never wavering from Lucas.
A hot, stabbing sensation erupted in Lucas' chest and he finally raised his face to meet Nathan's eyes. The words began to tumble out, uncensored and angry. "How would you know? You never asked. You don't care about me. All I am is just extra baggage to you. You couldn't even leave your precious SeaQuest to come and get me. Hell, you probably didn't even know I was gone. Well, I'm so sorry you had to get up in the middle of the night and let me on board. But hey, I'm here now. You can go back to bed. Oh, and don't worry about my dad pulling his funding-he's used to this. I'm sure he won't be surprised when he gets the call from Admiral Noyce. I tried to tell him not to bother, but hey, why listen to me, right? I'm just a kid. I don't know anything. Except when it's convenient for you of course. Then everyone's happy I'm around. Cleaning up after everyone else's messes. Must be handy having a genius on board. Especially one who you can order around as you see fit."
"That's enough!" Nathan struggled to control his voice, his growing anger at this child-this belligerent, sassy child who had unknowingly stepped over a very thin line. Lucas paused, looking down at Nathan and then opened his mouth once again.
"Why Captain? Because you say so? Because it's the truth? You can admit it-I know you don't want me here. That the only reason you allowed me to come on board is because Admiral Noyce ordered you to. But that's okay, I understand. I didn't exactly want to come on board either. So we're even. You don't want me here, and I don't want to be here." Lucas stopped his tirade when Nathan finally moved from his spot on deck and approached Lucas.
"Have you been drinking?" Nathan asked, incredulously.
"No!" Lucas shot back, trying to cover his panic. "I can't believe you're accusing me of drinking!"
"I can smell it on your breath Lucas. Don't lie to me," Nathan warned.
"You're calling me a liar?" Lucas shouted. "I can't believe this. First you accuse me of drinking and now you're calling me a liar!"
Nathan stepped back as a gentle hand wrapped around his arm.
"Perhaps it would be better if we talked about this in the morning," Kristen said, growing alarmed at the direction this confrontation was headed. Turning to Lucas, she said sternly, "Lucas, go to bed. We'll discuss this tomorrow." Her hand still gripping Nathan's arm, Kristen waited while Lucas looked at her, and then nodded.
"Fine," he said, as he walked down the steps and past the couple.
"And Lucas," Kristen called after him. "You are not to access the internex or use the vidlink. I mean it-bed, nothing else. Do you understand me?"
Lucas stared at her for a second and then nodded, before turning a corner towards his quarters.
Sighing deeply, Kristen ran her hand up and down Nathan's arm soothingly. Nathan turned and looked at her, stunned.
"He lied to me. Kristen, he stood there, looked me in the eye, and lied to me," Nathan said in a disappointed tone.
"Yes, he did. And he also ran away. Are you really that shocked, or is it something else? Disappointment in yourself for not seeing this coming? Nathan, you know what Admiral Noyce said when he brought Lucas on board. He said Lucas was having discipline problems. Perhaps this is what he meant," Kristen said, striving to find some understanding in the situation.
Nathan shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I think something else is going on. Hopefully Lucas will be more willing to talk in the morning." Grasping Kristen's hand, he looked down at the doctor. "Kristen, what if he won't talk to me? How can I help him if I don't know what's going on?"
Kristen slowly shook her head. "We'll do our best Nathan. Now, I think it's time we both went back to bed. I think we have a busy day ahead of us. Shall I meet you at Lucas' quarters, say at 0800 hours?"
The pair parted and Nathan slowly made his way back to his quarters. Sleep would be a long time coming.
*****
"I want to live with my mom."
Kristen shook her head and struggled to think of a way to explain this to the teen in front of her. "Lucas. Your father has custody of you. You can't just go and live with your mother. She would have to petition the court and there would be a hearing. Your father would have the right to contest the petition. The whole process would take time. And then the judge would still have the final say. He awarded custody to your father once. Why would he change his mind?"
"But my mom wasn't at that hearing. She was at a very important meeting that couldn't be postponed. If the judge had just agreed to reschedule the hearing, she would have gotten custody! Just let me call her. I know she'll agree. Please."
Kristen winced at the begging tone Lucas was taking. It broke her heart, knowing how deeply Lucas wanted someone to love him. To care about him. But allowing Lucas to continue this line of thinking would only serve to hurt him even more.
"Lucas, please. This won't change anything. Your father arranged for you to be on the SeaQuest for your own good. Your mother, has she called you recently? When's the last time you saw her? I'm sorry Lucas, but I think you'll only have your heart broken if you pursue this."
"You don't know her! She loves me, and she'll let me live with her if I ask. She will! Just let me call her and I'll show you." Lucas turned pleading eyes on Kristen and she could feel her own heart melting as the large blue eyes begged her to believe him.
"All right. But you will call from here and Nathan and I want to listen."
Nathan leaned forward and looked at Kristen. "Kristen. I don't think this is a good idea," he said.
"Nor do I Nathan, but I think it will be the only way to put an end to this." Turning away, she dialed Cynthia Holt on the vidlink and waited.
A few seconds later, the vidlink crackled and a woman with a serious expression appeared on the screen. The blond hair and clear blue eyes gave away her identity instantly and Lucas's face broke into a large grin.
"Mom!"
"Lucas? Why are you calling? Did something happen? Is something wrong?" The woman's concern sounded sincere and Kristen found herself believing, just for a second, that perhaps this might just work.
"Everything's fine mom. I just wanted to talk to you. I miss you."
"I miss you too Lucas, but darling, I'm very busy. You know that. I can't afford to be taking time out of my schedule for trivial phone calls. I'll call you later. I promise." Cynthia looked down and was about to disconnect the call when Lucas leaned forward.
"No, wait! Mom! I have to ask you something. This is important."
Seeing the desperate look in her son's eyes, Cynthia sat down and faced the screen again. "Lucas, what is it honey? There is something wrong. Tell me."
"It's just," Lucas cast a quick look back over his shoulder at Nathan and Kristen and then turned back to his mother. "I want to come and live with you. Please mom. I know the only reason you didn't get custody of me is because the judge refused to reschedule the custody hearing. And now dad arranged for me to live on the SeaQuest-not with him. Please mom, I don't like it here. I want to be with you. Don't make me stay here."
"Lucas, darling. You're father said it was best if you went to the SeaQuest. He said that you were having some problems and he thought it would be the best place for you to learn discipline. Besides, aren't you able to work on your project? The one with the fish?"
"Mom, it's a vocorder, and it's finished. It translates Darwin's clicks into language so he can talk to us. And I already have discipline mom. How do you think I got through college?" Lucas looked imploringly at his mother and she almost appeared to shrink away from the screen.
"All right Lucas. I'll see what I can do."
Lucas smiled, truly happy for the first time in weeks. "Thanks mom. I knew you'd come through for me. Just contact Admiral Noyce and the judge. Ask for another hearing. This is going to be so great. You're the best."
Cynthia smiled weakly. "Lucas, could you let me speak to the captain please? I have some things I need to discuss with him-privately," she added.
"Sure mom. I love you."
"I love you too Lucas." Cynthia watched as Lucas walked away and a stern man with gray hair took his place in front of the vidlink.
"Captain," she greeted.
"Miss Holt." Nathan studied the woman in front of him and his stomach twisted. Instead of appearing happy that her son would soon be living with her, this woman looked afraid.
"Is he gone?" she questioned.
Nathan frowned as he answered. "Yes, he's gone."
Her voice was strained as she began, "Captain please. Explain to my son that I just can't have him live with me right now. I'm right in the middle of a very important merger and I don't have the time to raise a teenager. He knows this. I don't know why he's asking again. We go through this every year."
"Miss Holt. If you didn't want him to live with you, why did you just agree to it? That boy left here believing that you are going to contact whoever necessary to get custody of him. And now you want me to tell him that it isn't going to happen? I'm sorry, but you'll have to do that yourself."
"Captain. I'm due in a meeting in five minutes. If you don't tell him, he's only going to have his heart broken. Please, I'm asking you, just tell him that I love him, but that it won't work out right now. I'm sorry, but I have to go. Tell him I love him." With that, the screen went black. Nathan sat back in his chair, shocked at the rapid turn of events.
Kristen lurched out her chair and began pacing around the room. "That, that. . .. How could she? Nathan, how are we going to tell him? Ooh! If I get my hands on that woman. . .." Nathan grasped Kristen's arms and held on tightly.
"Kristen, I know. But right now, we have to find Lucas and explain this. He's not going to be happy and it's not going to do any good if we start cursing his parentage."
"Poor Lucas," Kristen murmured.
"Poor Lucas? Poor us. We have to tell him."
Kristen looked at Nathan sharply. "You're right. You get the chocolate, I'll get the soda."
"God help us," Nathan replied as he led the way out of the cramped quarters.
*****
Lucas watched as Tim and Miguel looked his way, and then sat at a crowded table across the mess hall. 'Fine, I don't need their company' Lucas thought grimly to himself. Raising his fork, he stabbed at his sausage. His mind drifted away from the mess where, for ten minutes, he had been shunned by everyone he knew, receiving instead angry looks and turned backs. He smiled as he thought about living with his mother in her large penthouse in New York.
"Lucas! You're back. When did the cat drag you in?" Ben asked as he approached the teen.
Lucas looked up and lost his smile. He could feel his face begin to flame as he remembered back to the day before, sneaking away from Ben while his back was turned.
"Uh, hi Ben."
"Uh, hi Ben," Ben repeated, sarcastically. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" he asked as he set his tray down at Lucas' table.
"Um, I'm sorry?"
"You'd better be. I've never seen the captain that angry before. And I don't want to see it again, if you get my drift," Ben said, studying the teenager. "You owe me an explanation," he added as he bit into a bagel.
Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his chair and looked at his plate. Sighing, he set his fork down and looked up at Ben. "I really am sorry Ben. I didn't think you'd get in trouble. I just had to get off the SeaQuest. I get. . . bored," Lucas said, biting back the urge to include 'lonely' in his explanation.
"Hey, are you saying that I'm boring?" Ben teased.
"No," Lucas said, his voice betraying his frustration. "It's just, you know-I'm fifteen. You guys are all, well, old."
"Hey, I bet there are a lot of fifteen year olds who would jump at the chance to hang out with me."
Lucas knew that Ben was only trying to make him feel better, but it wasn't working. "Yeah, but they all get to see kids their own age too."
"Look Lucas. I know it's probably tough for you, being here on the SeaQuest. But you're getting an opportunity that most teenagers will never get. To live and work on a top of the line science vessel like this is a privilege. Take advantage of it. It's not like we never get shore leave. I mean, really Lucas, taking off like you did was pretty childish. If you wanted to get off the ship and see your friends, you should have just asked."
Lucas bit back a smart remark and looked at Ben. "I did ask. But it doesn't matter. I won't be here much longer anyway. I'm going to get off this boat and live with my mom."
Ben looked at Lucas, surprised. "I thought, well, er, I just thought. . .," Ben swallowed not sure how to express exactly what it was that he thought. That Lucas' mother didn't want him-or more precisely was too busy for him?
"You can shut your mouth now Ben. I talked to my mom this morning. She agreed to get custody of me so I don't have to stay here." Seeing the skeptical look on Ben's face, he added, "And if you don't believe me, ask the captain. He was there. He heard her."
Ben resumed eating and finally asked, "So what now? You grounded? Cleaning latrines? KP duty?"
"Grounded and confined to my quarters for a week. No internex and no vidlinks," Lucas answered, frowning. "And no computer," he added.
"Ooh, that's harsh," Ben said. "But, then again, taking off and not letting anyone know where you were was pretty harsh too."
"Point taken Ben," Lucas said, rolling his eyes.
"And don't think you're getting out of that talk we were going to have before you gave me the slip," Ben said, pointing his fork at Lucas.
"Oh joy, I'm counting the seconds," Lucas retorted sarcastically.
"Watch it mister. You don't want to get on my bad side. Don't forget, I am the supply officer and I know how much you've been looking forward to upgrading your hard drive."
Lucas held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay."
Ben laughed and then snapped to attention. "Captain. Doctor," he said to the approaching couple.
"At ease Lieutenant." Nathan and Kristen looked at Ben, and then at Lucas. "Mind if we join you? We have something we need to discuss with you Lucas." Ben started to rise, until Nathan said, "Please stay Lieutenant."
Kristen slid into the chair next to Lucas' and turned to face him. "Lucas. About your mother. I'm afraid she isn't going to be able to take you after all."
Lucas looked at Kristen in confusion. "Of course she is. She said she would do whatever it takes to get custody. You heard her; you were there."
Nathan broke and tried to explain, "Lucas. After you left your quarters, your mother, well, she told us she wouldn't be able to take you. She wanted you to know that she loves you, no matter what, but that she has to focus on a merger at the moment. I'm very sorry."
Lucas could feel his eyes start to tear, and he blinked rapidly. "That's not true! I heard her! She said she would see what she could do. Why are you lying to me?"
"Lucas, please. Calm down. We're not lying. I'm so sorry Lucas, but it's true," Kristen said gently, putting her arm around his shoulders.
"This is because you don't want to lose the money, isn't it? You're afraid that if I go to live with my mom, my dad will stop funding for the SeaQuest. The only reason I'm here in the first place is because he's paying for me to stay here. And if I leave, you lose the money. That's rich. My dad didn't want me around and shipped me off to live on some boat miles under the ocean. Now that I'm here, the only reason you want me to stay is to keep the money. Why can't you just be happy for me and let me go live with my mom?"
"Lucas. That's enough," Nathan said through gritted teeth as he became aware of the attention they were drawing from the other tables.
Lucas caught Nathan's eye and looked around. "What, now I'm embarrassing you? Fine. I'll just go back to my quarters and wait for my mom to call." Lucas stood and began to walk away, pausing and turning. "I can't wait until my mom gets me off this boat," he said over his shoulder, finally turning away again and walking out.
"What was that about?" Tim asked, approaching from his table. He set his tray down next to Ben and pulled out the chair.
Kristen sighed. "Well, you heard most of it. His wants to go and live with his mother, and that. . . that, woman, promised him that she would try and get custody of him. Then, as soon as Lucas leaves the room, she tells Nathan that she can't take Lucas and wanted us to break the news to him. I am so angry. How can anyone be that cruel? Of course Lucas doesn't believe us. He heard her promise to try."
Nathan shook his head and looked at the others. "When Lucas figures out that his mother really isn't trying to get him off the SeaQuest, you can bet it won't be pretty. I want all of you to keep an eye on him and report any odd behavior or signs of depression. Ben, Tim. He may be acting like a jerk right now, but he considers you friends. He's going to try and push you away. Don't let him. He's going to need every one of us now."
Ben nodded and Tim replied, "Yes sir."
"Well, I've got a boat to run." Turning to Kristen, Nathan said, "I'll see you later. Lunch?"
"Of course Nathan. I guess I'm off too. I think I'll ask Lucas to help me in the lab today. I want him to know that he does have a place here," Kristen said as she stood and gathered her things.
Tim watched the captain and the doctor leave and leaned his head on his hand. "Poor kid. I feel awful, ignoring him like that. I just wasn't sure how to act, you know? Show him how relieved I am that he's okay, or tell him what I really think about him taking off?"
"Don't worry about it Tim. Lucas needs to know that there are people on the SeaQuest who care about what happens to him, and that we're not just going to ignore it when he does something stupid. Just make sure he knows that you're mad because you were worried, but that you still want to be his friend. He probably thinks we all hate him. We have to show him otherwise. And Tim, keep an eye on him. You work pretty closely with him when he's on the bridge."
"Of course, I told Captain Bridger I would," Tim said, wondering why Ben was repeating the request.
"Tim, there's more going on here than just this. Keep this between us-promise you won't tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you," Ben said.
Tim crossed himself and looked at Ben. "I put it on the cross; I won't tell a soul."
"I think Lucas came on board high on something a couple weeks ago."
"What! Does the captain know?" Tim asked.
"Sh! Yes, the captain knows. That's what I was going to talk to Lucas about when he took off. So just keep an eye on him and if he's acting, well, strange, let me know. I'll deal with it. Got it?"
"Right. Got it. This is just getting too weird. I'm going to my quarters to, ah, think about all of this," Tim said, pushing back his chair.
"Tim?"
"Yeah?"
"Say a prayer for me too, will ya? I think I'm going to need it."
--tbc
Rediscovering Lucas
Part Four
By: Victoria May
Nathan stared at Lucas as he was led off the shuttle by two UEO escorts, who were undoubtedly arranged by Noyce himself, in the interest of keeping the elder Wolenczak happy. That was Bill's policy, when it came to self-important men like Lawrence Wolenczak. Keep 'em happy and as far away from himself as possible. And now, Lucas was threatening to destroy that delicate balance. Nathan almost pitied Bill his task of breaking this news to Lawrence. Almost. Bill didn't have a seething fifteen year old to deal with.
'Bill must be absolutely shaking in terror,' Nathan thought to himself, as his eyes took in the rumpled Lucas. Arms folded across his chest, his sleeves pulled down over his hands-the ends grasped tightly by white fingers which couldn't seem to keep still. The posture screamed of wracked nerves, yet as Nathan carried his gaze up and onto Lucas' face, what he saw there was far from nervous. The boy hadn't spoken, but plenty was being expressed in the narrow, glaring eyes, the tightly set lips, and the rapid breaths. An untamed stallion, ready to bolt.
Lucas drew his arms tighter across his chest as the captain continued to stare at him silently. This was bad. Very bad. How long had he been standing there? Seconds? Minutes? It felt like an eternity under the captain's cool gaze. What was he waiting for? Lucas flicked his eyes over Nathan's shoulder and looked down the passageway. Someone was coming. The sound of footsteps was growing louder with each passing second. The last thing Lucas wanted was an audience to the tongue lashing he knew he was about to receive. A figure turned into the passageway and Lucas let out a sigh of relief. Dr. Westphalen. The woman was the epitome of concern and she didn't let Lucas down now.
"Lucas?" she gasped, surprised to see the boy back on board. "Are you all right?" she asked, taking a step forward. Nathan finally moved, grabbing Kristen's arm and holding her back.
"He's fine," Nathan said grimly, his gaze never wavering from Lucas.
A hot, stabbing sensation erupted in Lucas' chest and he finally raised his face to meet Nathan's eyes. The words began to tumble out, uncensored and angry. "How would you know? You never asked. You don't care about me. All I am is just extra baggage to you. You couldn't even leave your precious SeaQuest to come and get me. Hell, you probably didn't even know I was gone. Well, I'm so sorry you had to get up in the middle of the night and let me on board. But hey, I'm here now. You can go back to bed. Oh, and don't worry about my dad pulling his funding-he's used to this. I'm sure he won't be surprised when he gets the call from Admiral Noyce. I tried to tell him not to bother, but hey, why listen to me, right? I'm just a kid. I don't know anything. Except when it's convenient for you of course. Then everyone's happy I'm around. Cleaning up after everyone else's messes. Must be handy having a genius on board. Especially one who you can order around as you see fit."
"That's enough!" Nathan struggled to control his voice, his growing anger at this child-this belligerent, sassy child who had unknowingly stepped over a very thin line. Lucas paused, looking down at Nathan and then opened his mouth once again.
"Why Captain? Because you say so? Because it's the truth? You can admit it-I know you don't want me here. That the only reason you allowed me to come on board is because Admiral Noyce ordered you to. But that's okay, I understand. I didn't exactly want to come on board either. So we're even. You don't want me here, and I don't want to be here." Lucas stopped his tirade when Nathan finally moved from his spot on deck and approached Lucas.
"Have you been drinking?" Nathan asked, incredulously.
"No!" Lucas shot back, trying to cover his panic. "I can't believe you're accusing me of drinking!"
"I can smell it on your breath Lucas. Don't lie to me," Nathan warned.
"You're calling me a liar?" Lucas shouted. "I can't believe this. First you accuse me of drinking and now you're calling me a liar!"
Nathan stepped back as a gentle hand wrapped around his arm.
"Perhaps it would be better if we talked about this in the morning," Kristen said, growing alarmed at the direction this confrontation was headed. Turning to Lucas, she said sternly, "Lucas, go to bed. We'll discuss this tomorrow." Her hand still gripping Nathan's arm, Kristen waited while Lucas looked at her, and then nodded.
"Fine," he said, as he walked down the steps and past the couple.
"And Lucas," Kristen called after him. "You are not to access the internex or use the vidlink. I mean it-bed, nothing else. Do you understand me?"
Lucas stared at her for a second and then nodded, before turning a corner towards his quarters.
Sighing deeply, Kristen ran her hand up and down Nathan's arm soothingly. Nathan turned and looked at her, stunned.
"He lied to me. Kristen, he stood there, looked me in the eye, and lied to me," Nathan said in a disappointed tone.
"Yes, he did. And he also ran away. Are you really that shocked, or is it something else? Disappointment in yourself for not seeing this coming? Nathan, you know what Admiral Noyce said when he brought Lucas on board. He said Lucas was having discipline problems. Perhaps this is what he meant," Kristen said, striving to find some understanding in the situation.
Nathan shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I think something else is going on. Hopefully Lucas will be more willing to talk in the morning." Grasping Kristen's hand, he looked down at the doctor. "Kristen, what if he won't talk to me? How can I help him if I don't know what's going on?"
Kristen slowly shook her head. "We'll do our best Nathan. Now, I think it's time we both went back to bed. I think we have a busy day ahead of us. Shall I meet you at Lucas' quarters, say at 0800 hours?"
The pair parted and Nathan slowly made his way back to his quarters. Sleep would be a long time coming.
*****
"I want to live with my mom."
Kristen shook her head and struggled to think of a way to explain this to the teen in front of her. "Lucas. Your father has custody of you. You can't just go and live with your mother. She would have to petition the court and there would be a hearing. Your father would have the right to contest the petition. The whole process would take time. And then the judge would still have the final say. He awarded custody to your father once. Why would he change his mind?"
"But my mom wasn't at that hearing. She was at a very important meeting that couldn't be postponed. If the judge had just agreed to reschedule the hearing, she would have gotten custody! Just let me call her. I know she'll agree. Please."
Kristen winced at the begging tone Lucas was taking. It broke her heart, knowing how deeply Lucas wanted someone to love him. To care about him. But allowing Lucas to continue this line of thinking would only serve to hurt him even more.
"Lucas, please. This won't change anything. Your father arranged for you to be on the SeaQuest for your own good. Your mother, has she called you recently? When's the last time you saw her? I'm sorry Lucas, but I think you'll only have your heart broken if you pursue this."
"You don't know her! She loves me, and she'll let me live with her if I ask. She will! Just let me call her and I'll show you." Lucas turned pleading eyes on Kristen and she could feel her own heart melting as the large blue eyes begged her to believe him.
"All right. But you will call from here and Nathan and I want to listen."
Nathan leaned forward and looked at Kristen. "Kristen. I don't think this is a good idea," he said.
"Nor do I Nathan, but I think it will be the only way to put an end to this." Turning away, she dialed Cynthia Holt on the vidlink and waited.
A few seconds later, the vidlink crackled and a woman with a serious expression appeared on the screen. The blond hair and clear blue eyes gave away her identity instantly and Lucas's face broke into a large grin.
"Mom!"
"Lucas? Why are you calling? Did something happen? Is something wrong?" The woman's concern sounded sincere and Kristen found herself believing, just for a second, that perhaps this might just work.
"Everything's fine mom. I just wanted to talk to you. I miss you."
"I miss you too Lucas, but darling, I'm very busy. You know that. I can't afford to be taking time out of my schedule for trivial phone calls. I'll call you later. I promise." Cynthia looked down and was about to disconnect the call when Lucas leaned forward.
"No, wait! Mom! I have to ask you something. This is important."
Seeing the desperate look in her son's eyes, Cynthia sat down and faced the screen again. "Lucas, what is it honey? There is something wrong. Tell me."
"It's just," Lucas cast a quick look back over his shoulder at Nathan and Kristen and then turned back to his mother. "I want to come and live with you. Please mom. I know the only reason you didn't get custody of me is because the judge refused to reschedule the custody hearing. And now dad arranged for me to live on the SeaQuest-not with him. Please mom, I don't like it here. I want to be with you. Don't make me stay here."
"Lucas, darling. You're father said it was best if you went to the SeaQuest. He said that you were having some problems and he thought it would be the best place for you to learn discipline. Besides, aren't you able to work on your project? The one with the fish?"
"Mom, it's a vocorder, and it's finished. It translates Darwin's clicks into language so he can talk to us. And I already have discipline mom. How do you think I got through college?" Lucas looked imploringly at his mother and she almost appeared to shrink away from the screen.
"All right Lucas. I'll see what I can do."
Lucas smiled, truly happy for the first time in weeks. "Thanks mom. I knew you'd come through for me. Just contact Admiral Noyce and the judge. Ask for another hearing. This is going to be so great. You're the best."
Cynthia smiled weakly. "Lucas, could you let me speak to the captain please? I have some things I need to discuss with him-privately," she added.
"Sure mom. I love you."
"I love you too Lucas." Cynthia watched as Lucas walked away and a stern man with gray hair took his place in front of the vidlink.
"Captain," she greeted.
"Miss Holt." Nathan studied the woman in front of him and his stomach twisted. Instead of appearing happy that her son would soon be living with her, this woman looked afraid.
"Is he gone?" she questioned.
Nathan frowned as he answered. "Yes, he's gone."
Her voice was strained as she began, "Captain please. Explain to my son that I just can't have him live with me right now. I'm right in the middle of a very important merger and I don't have the time to raise a teenager. He knows this. I don't know why he's asking again. We go through this every year."
"Miss Holt. If you didn't want him to live with you, why did you just agree to it? That boy left here believing that you are going to contact whoever necessary to get custody of him. And now you want me to tell him that it isn't going to happen? I'm sorry, but you'll have to do that yourself."
"Captain. I'm due in a meeting in five minutes. If you don't tell him, he's only going to have his heart broken. Please, I'm asking you, just tell him that I love him, but that it won't work out right now. I'm sorry, but I have to go. Tell him I love him." With that, the screen went black. Nathan sat back in his chair, shocked at the rapid turn of events.
Kristen lurched out her chair and began pacing around the room. "That, that. . .. How could she? Nathan, how are we going to tell him? Ooh! If I get my hands on that woman. . .." Nathan grasped Kristen's arms and held on tightly.
"Kristen, I know. But right now, we have to find Lucas and explain this. He's not going to be happy and it's not going to do any good if we start cursing his parentage."
"Poor Lucas," Kristen murmured.
"Poor Lucas? Poor us. We have to tell him."
Kristen looked at Nathan sharply. "You're right. You get the chocolate, I'll get the soda."
"God help us," Nathan replied as he led the way out of the cramped quarters.
*****
Lucas watched as Tim and Miguel looked his way, and then sat at a crowded table across the mess hall. 'Fine, I don't need their company' Lucas thought grimly to himself. Raising his fork, he stabbed at his sausage. His mind drifted away from the mess where, for ten minutes, he had been shunned by everyone he knew, receiving instead angry looks and turned backs. He smiled as he thought about living with his mother in her large penthouse in New York.
"Lucas! You're back. When did the cat drag you in?" Ben asked as he approached the teen.
Lucas looked up and lost his smile. He could feel his face begin to flame as he remembered back to the day before, sneaking away from Ben while his back was turned.
"Uh, hi Ben."
"Uh, hi Ben," Ben repeated, sarcastically. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?" he asked as he set his tray down at Lucas' table.
"Um, I'm sorry?"
"You'd better be. I've never seen the captain that angry before. And I don't want to see it again, if you get my drift," Ben said, studying the teenager. "You owe me an explanation," he added as he bit into a bagel.
Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his chair and looked at his plate. Sighing, he set his fork down and looked up at Ben. "I really am sorry Ben. I didn't think you'd get in trouble. I just had to get off the SeaQuest. I get. . . bored," Lucas said, biting back the urge to include 'lonely' in his explanation.
"Hey, are you saying that I'm boring?" Ben teased.
"No," Lucas said, his voice betraying his frustration. "It's just, you know-I'm fifteen. You guys are all, well, old."
"Hey, I bet there are a lot of fifteen year olds who would jump at the chance to hang out with me."
Lucas knew that Ben was only trying to make him feel better, but it wasn't working. "Yeah, but they all get to see kids their own age too."
"Look Lucas. I know it's probably tough for you, being here on the SeaQuest. But you're getting an opportunity that most teenagers will never get. To live and work on a top of the line science vessel like this is a privilege. Take advantage of it. It's not like we never get shore leave. I mean, really Lucas, taking off like you did was pretty childish. If you wanted to get off the ship and see your friends, you should have just asked."
Lucas bit back a smart remark and looked at Ben. "I did ask. But it doesn't matter. I won't be here much longer anyway. I'm going to get off this boat and live with my mom."
Ben looked at Lucas, surprised. "I thought, well, er, I just thought. . .," Ben swallowed not sure how to express exactly what it was that he thought. That Lucas' mother didn't want him-or more precisely was too busy for him?
"You can shut your mouth now Ben. I talked to my mom this morning. She agreed to get custody of me so I don't have to stay here." Seeing the skeptical look on Ben's face, he added, "And if you don't believe me, ask the captain. He was there. He heard her."
Ben resumed eating and finally asked, "So what now? You grounded? Cleaning latrines? KP duty?"
"Grounded and confined to my quarters for a week. No internex and no vidlinks," Lucas answered, frowning. "And no computer," he added.
"Ooh, that's harsh," Ben said. "But, then again, taking off and not letting anyone know where you were was pretty harsh too."
"Point taken Ben," Lucas said, rolling his eyes.
"And don't think you're getting out of that talk we were going to have before you gave me the slip," Ben said, pointing his fork at Lucas.
"Oh joy, I'm counting the seconds," Lucas retorted sarcastically.
"Watch it mister. You don't want to get on my bad side. Don't forget, I am the supply officer and I know how much you've been looking forward to upgrading your hard drive."
Lucas held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay."
Ben laughed and then snapped to attention. "Captain. Doctor," he said to the approaching couple.
"At ease Lieutenant." Nathan and Kristen looked at Ben, and then at Lucas. "Mind if we join you? We have something we need to discuss with you Lucas." Ben started to rise, until Nathan said, "Please stay Lieutenant."
Kristen slid into the chair next to Lucas' and turned to face him. "Lucas. About your mother. I'm afraid she isn't going to be able to take you after all."
Lucas looked at Kristen in confusion. "Of course she is. She said she would do whatever it takes to get custody. You heard her; you were there."
Nathan broke and tried to explain, "Lucas. After you left your quarters, your mother, well, she told us she wouldn't be able to take you. She wanted you to know that she loves you, no matter what, but that she has to focus on a merger at the moment. I'm very sorry."
Lucas could feel his eyes start to tear, and he blinked rapidly. "That's not true! I heard her! She said she would see what she could do. Why are you lying to me?"
"Lucas, please. Calm down. We're not lying. I'm so sorry Lucas, but it's true," Kristen said gently, putting her arm around his shoulders.
"This is because you don't want to lose the money, isn't it? You're afraid that if I go to live with my mom, my dad will stop funding for the SeaQuest. The only reason I'm here in the first place is because he's paying for me to stay here. And if I leave, you lose the money. That's rich. My dad didn't want me around and shipped me off to live on some boat miles under the ocean. Now that I'm here, the only reason you want me to stay is to keep the money. Why can't you just be happy for me and let me go live with my mom?"
"Lucas. That's enough," Nathan said through gritted teeth as he became aware of the attention they were drawing from the other tables.
Lucas caught Nathan's eye and looked around. "What, now I'm embarrassing you? Fine. I'll just go back to my quarters and wait for my mom to call." Lucas stood and began to walk away, pausing and turning. "I can't wait until my mom gets me off this boat," he said over his shoulder, finally turning away again and walking out.
"What was that about?" Tim asked, approaching from his table. He set his tray down next to Ben and pulled out the chair.
Kristen sighed. "Well, you heard most of it. His wants to go and live with his mother, and that. . . that, woman, promised him that she would try and get custody of him. Then, as soon as Lucas leaves the room, she tells Nathan that she can't take Lucas and wanted us to break the news to him. I am so angry. How can anyone be that cruel? Of course Lucas doesn't believe us. He heard her promise to try."
Nathan shook his head and looked at the others. "When Lucas figures out that his mother really isn't trying to get him off the SeaQuest, you can bet it won't be pretty. I want all of you to keep an eye on him and report any odd behavior or signs of depression. Ben, Tim. He may be acting like a jerk right now, but he considers you friends. He's going to try and push you away. Don't let him. He's going to need every one of us now."
Ben nodded and Tim replied, "Yes sir."
"Well, I've got a boat to run." Turning to Kristen, Nathan said, "I'll see you later. Lunch?"
"Of course Nathan. I guess I'm off too. I think I'll ask Lucas to help me in the lab today. I want him to know that he does have a place here," Kristen said as she stood and gathered her things.
Tim watched the captain and the doctor leave and leaned his head on his hand. "Poor kid. I feel awful, ignoring him like that. I just wasn't sure how to act, you know? Show him how relieved I am that he's okay, or tell him what I really think about him taking off?"
"Don't worry about it Tim. Lucas needs to know that there are people on the SeaQuest who care about what happens to him, and that we're not just going to ignore it when he does something stupid. Just make sure he knows that you're mad because you were worried, but that you still want to be his friend. He probably thinks we all hate him. We have to show him otherwise. And Tim, keep an eye on him. You work pretty closely with him when he's on the bridge."
"Of course, I told Captain Bridger I would," Tim said, wondering why Ben was repeating the request.
"Tim, there's more going on here than just this. Keep this between us-promise you won't tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you," Ben said.
Tim crossed himself and looked at Ben. "I put it on the cross; I won't tell a soul."
"I think Lucas came on board high on something a couple weeks ago."
"What! Does the captain know?" Tim asked.
"Sh! Yes, the captain knows. That's what I was going to talk to Lucas about when he took off. So just keep an eye on him and if he's acting, well, strange, let me know. I'll deal with it. Got it?"
"Right. Got it. This is just getting too weird. I'm going to my quarters to, ah, think about all of this," Tim said, pushing back his chair.
"Tim?"
"Yeah?"
"Say a prayer for me too, will ya? I think I'm going to need it."
--tbc
