Thanks to Whipper, Sara, Kiddo, KatKnits00, Dani and every one else who
reviewed the last chapter.
As always, I do not own anything, or make money from any thing, or intentionally infringe any copyrights.
Chapter 8.
"Nathan Hale Bridger, your not listening to a word I said are you?" The Captain startled, and looked up at Kristen Westphalen guiltily.
"I'm sorry, Kristen." He replied tiredly, "I'm just thinking about Lucas."
"Have you spoken to him yet?"
He nodded.
"And?" She prompted.
"I don't know, he's good so at hiding his feelings, his kid will be going to collage before I get him to open up properly."
"You can't just give up, even if he doesn't know it, Lucas needs you at the moment."
"I'll go have another try..." Said Bridger, and was a bit disappointed by how much better he felt when Kristen smiled approvingly at him. He felt that he was too old to be doing things just to impress girls.
While he walked towards Lucas's room, he tried out different ways to start the conversation in his head.
"Lucas, when a boy reaches a certain age..."
No, that wasn't going to work, Lucas hated being reminded that he was so much younger than every one else.
"Lucas, men have certain responsibilities when it comes to protection..."
Well, it was a bit late for that speech now. Bridger wished he had taken the opportunity to have that discussion when Lucas went to his "conference on the social phenomenon of post adolescence." He went back to trying opening lines; oblivious to the strange looks he was getting from various crewmembers as he walked along shaking his head and smiling wryly.
"Lucas remember when you dropped that condom..."
Or maybe...
"You know when I told you to keep it in your wallet, did I forget to mention that there are times when you should take it out..."
Perhaps...
"Are you looking forward to next fathers' day?"
No, they both way to casual, he didn't want Lucas to think he was laughing at the whole situation. That would just get the teen on the defensive.
The Captain would have been much happier if he could have just asked "Is Juliana pregnant?" but he know this was one time when his normal straight to the point approach was not going to work.
Bridger wished he understood Lucas better, wished that the teen would open up to him more - Captain Bridger knew that he knew Lucas better than anyone else on the boat, but still it was mostly just surface stuff. What's your favourite music? Have you eaten? How's the project going? What do you think of this new research? Have you had time to do that programme yet? Did you enjoy your last shore leave?
He didn't know much about what went on in the teens head, or how he felt about the world, and what he did know was put together from bits and pieces gleaned from infrequent outbursts. Bridger had no idea what Lucas's opinions on teenage pregnancies were.
When Bridger knocked on the door on Lucas's room he still had no idea what he should say. After a few minutes went by with no answer, the Captain opened the door. There was the usual mess, and a few computers doing things - Bridger could only guess what, but no Lucas.
The Captain decided to check a few of the more obvious places before he asked the comms officer to hale him. He checked the mess hall on the off chance that Lucas might have gone to get a snack. Then the bay the new sub was kept in. Then he went to the science labs, to see if Lucas was working on some research for one of the science staff.
When he finally found Lucas, he heard he before he saw him.
"Hi Darwin."
"Lucas wont to play with Darwin?"
"Not really Darwin."
"Lucas sad."
"Not really Darwin, I just have some things to think about."
"Lucas thinking about baby?" Bridger stepped back behind the bulkhead next to the hatch he had come through, only feeling a little bit guilty for eves dropping.
"Who told you about the baby?" Lucas sounded surprised.
"Ben told Darwin."
"Oh, so what do you think about the baby?"
"Darwin happy."
"Why?"
"Baby play with Darwin. Darwin will teach baby how to swim."
Lucas laughed quietly and smoothed Darwin's head, before becoming more serious again.
"Do you think everything will work out OK?"
"Of course it will, Lucas." Said Krieg from the hatch on the other side of the deck.
"Krieg, has no one ever told you it's rude to eves drop." Lucas said jumping.
"Don't be stupid, rules like that are meant for other people not me." The supply officer said ruffling his friend's hair.
"So you really think every thing will work out OK, Ben?
"Of course it will be great. Together we'll be the best father and the best uncle the world has ever seen."
Lucas couldn't help but smile at the other man confidence when Ben continued.
"I'll teach him how to make a good deal, and you'll teach him how to hack into illegal files, Darwin will teach him how to swim."
"And if it's a girl?"
"We'll teach her all the same things, only difference is she'll be as beautiful as her mother."
"You really believe it will all work out, just like that?"
"Of course with his fathers brains and his mothers good looks, the kid has it made!"
Lucas smiled and shook his head. It was hard to be sad around Ben for long - he earned every penny of his pay as the boats moral officer.
"How about we go check out what's in the mess today?" Ben asked.
Lucas made a face, but followed behind Ben, calling goodbye to Darwin over his shoulder.
Nathan let out a breath he'd forgotten he'd been holding. So it was true, Lucas was going to be a father. It hurt a bit that Lucas had told Krieg before him, but the Captain pushed that thought aside as silly. What mattered was Lucas not himself. As he made his way back to his quarters Bridger thought about how much he would miss Lucas when he left, and there was no doubt in the Captains mind that Lucas would leave to be with Juliana and the baby.
Reaching his cabin and sitting on the chair by his desk Nathan wondered how the UEO would react to their resident boy genius leaving, and thought that maybe it would be a good idea to smooth the way a bit with the brass when he went to those meetings.
When he was sitting there thinking about the meetings, a thought struck the Captain, and scared him so much he jumped up from the seat, causing his knee to bang into the side of the desk. As he hopped around in a small circle holding his knee Bridger cursed under his breath. That was when Kristen Westphalen arrived.
The doctor couldn't help but laugh when she saw the state of the Captain.
"It's not funny." Bridger said trying to regain some of his dignity.
"Oh, Nathan it is funny." Kristen replied biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud again.
"I think I broke something." He scowled.
"Sit down so I can have a look, and tell me what happened." She said slipping in doctor mode.
He explained what he had over heard, and finished saying "and then I jumped when I realised who it was who was going to end up explaining all of this to Juliana's parents."
"Why do you assume it's going to be you?"
"Because eventually they are going to get fed up talking to Laurence Wolenczak's answer phone. And "
"Do you think her parents know yet?"
Nathan shook his head.
"Do you think you should tell them?"
Nathan nodded.
To be continued...
I know I said that this one was going to be about the shore leave, but when I started to write the story it decided it wanted to go a different way. The shore leave thing is going to happen soon, but I won't say when in case I change my mind again :o)
By the way, I still like getting reviews, so if you feel inclined, you're more than welcome to post one :o)
As always, I do not own anything, or make money from any thing, or intentionally infringe any copyrights.
Chapter 8.
"Nathan Hale Bridger, your not listening to a word I said are you?" The Captain startled, and looked up at Kristen Westphalen guiltily.
"I'm sorry, Kristen." He replied tiredly, "I'm just thinking about Lucas."
"Have you spoken to him yet?"
He nodded.
"And?" She prompted.
"I don't know, he's good so at hiding his feelings, his kid will be going to collage before I get him to open up properly."
"You can't just give up, even if he doesn't know it, Lucas needs you at the moment."
"I'll go have another try..." Said Bridger, and was a bit disappointed by how much better he felt when Kristen smiled approvingly at him. He felt that he was too old to be doing things just to impress girls.
While he walked towards Lucas's room, he tried out different ways to start the conversation in his head.
"Lucas, when a boy reaches a certain age..."
No, that wasn't going to work, Lucas hated being reminded that he was so much younger than every one else.
"Lucas, men have certain responsibilities when it comes to protection..."
Well, it was a bit late for that speech now. Bridger wished he had taken the opportunity to have that discussion when Lucas went to his "conference on the social phenomenon of post adolescence." He went back to trying opening lines; oblivious to the strange looks he was getting from various crewmembers as he walked along shaking his head and smiling wryly.
"Lucas remember when you dropped that condom..."
Or maybe...
"You know when I told you to keep it in your wallet, did I forget to mention that there are times when you should take it out..."
Perhaps...
"Are you looking forward to next fathers' day?"
No, they both way to casual, he didn't want Lucas to think he was laughing at the whole situation. That would just get the teen on the defensive.
The Captain would have been much happier if he could have just asked "Is Juliana pregnant?" but he know this was one time when his normal straight to the point approach was not going to work.
Bridger wished he understood Lucas better, wished that the teen would open up to him more - Captain Bridger knew that he knew Lucas better than anyone else on the boat, but still it was mostly just surface stuff. What's your favourite music? Have you eaten? How's the project going? What do you think of this new research? Have you had time to do that programme yet? Did you enjoy your last shore leave?
He didn't know much about what went on in the teens head, or how he felt about the world, and what he did know was put together from bits and pieces gleaned from infrequent outbursts. Bridger had no idea what Lucas's opinions on teenage pregnancies were.
When Bridger knocked on the door on Lucas's room he still had no idea what he should say. After a few minutes went by with no answer, the Captain opened the door. There was the usual mess, and a few computers doing things - Bridger could only guess what, but no Lucas.
The Captain decided to check a few of the more obvious places before he asked the comms officer to hale him. He checked the mess hall on the off chance that Lucas might have gone to get a snack. Then the bay the new sub was kept in. Then he went to the science labs, to see if Lucas was working on some research for one of the science staff.
When he finally found Lucas, he heard he before he saw him.
"Hi Darwin."
"Lucas wont to play with Darwin?"
"Not really Darwin."
"Lucas sad."
"Not really Darwin, I just have some things to think about."
"Lucas thinking about baby?" Bridger stepped back behind the bulkhead next to the hatch he had come through, only feeling a little bit guilty for eves dropping.
"Who told you about the baby?" Lucas sounded surprised.
"Ben told Darwin."
"Oh, so what do you think about the baby?"
"Darwin happy."
"Why?"
"Baby play with Darwin. Darwin will teach baby how to swim."
Lucas laughed quietly and smoothed Darwin's head, before becoming more serious again.
"Do you think everything will work out OK?"
"Of course it will, Lucas." Said Krieg from the hatch on the other side of the deck.
"Krieg, has no one ever told you it's rude to eves drop." Lucas said jumping.
"Don't be stupid, rules like that are meant for other people not me." The supply officer said ruffling his friend's hair.
"So you really think every thing will work out OK, Ben?
"Of course it will be great. Together we'll be the best father and the best uncle the world has ever seen."
Lucas couldn't help but smile at the other man confidence when Ben continued.
"I'll teach him how to make a good deal, and you'll teach him how to hack into illegal files, Darwin will teach him how to swim."
"And if it's a girl?"
"We'll teach her all the same things, only difference is she'll be as beautiful as her mother."
"You really believe it will all work out, just like that?"
"Of course with his fathers brains and his mothers good looks, the kid has it made!"
Lucas smiled and shook his head. It was hard to be sad around Ben for long - he earned every penny of his pay as the boats moral officer.
"How about we go check out what's in the mess today?" Ben asked.
Lucas made a face, but followed behind Ben, calling goodbye to Darwin over his shoulder.
Nathan let out a breath he'd forgotten he'd been holding. So it was true, Lucas was going to be a father. It hurt a bit that Lucas had told Krieg before him, but the Captain pushed that thought aside as silly. What mattered was Lucas not himself. As he made his way back to his quarters Bridger thought about how much he would miss Lucas when he left, and there was no doubt in the Captains mind that Lucas would leave to be with Juliana and the baby.
Reaching his cabin and sitting on the chair by his desk Nathan wondered how the UEO would react to their resident boy genius leaving, and thought that maybe it would be a good idea to smooth the way a bit with the brass when he went to those meetings.
When he was sitting there thinking about the meetings, a thought struck the Captain, and scared him so much he jumped up from the seat, causing his knee to bang into the side of the desk. As he hopped around in a small circle holding his knee Bridger cursed under his breath. That was when Kristen Westphalen arrived.
The doctor couldn't help but laugh when she saw the state of the Captain.
"It's not funny." Bridger said trying to regain some of his dignity.
"Oh, Nathan it is funny." Kristen replied biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing out loud again.
"I think I broke something." He scowled.
"Sit down so I can have a look, and tell me what happened." She said slipping in doctor mode.
He explained what he had over heard, and finished saying "and then I jumped when I realised who it was who was going to end up explaining all of this to Juliana's parents."
"Why do you assume it's going to be you?"
"Because eventually they are going to get fed up talking to Laurence Wolenczak's answer phone. And "
"Do you think her parents know yet?"
Nathan shook his head.
"Do you think you should tell them?"
Nathan nodded.
To be continued...
I know I said that this one was going to be about the shore leave, but when I started to write the story it decided it wanted to go a different way. The shore leave thing is going to happen soon, but I won't say when in case I change my mind again :o)
By the way, I still like getting reviews, so if you feel inclined, you're more than welcome to post one :o)
