Author's Note: Thanks to Nevermore for Beta Reading.
Warning: Un-TV-Lucas-like character action/words in this part. Please, please, please R&R!
Chapter 4
By: Jaimi
"Hey Lucas," Shan greeted the teen as he walked into the moon pool, ready to go with the rest of the team on a practice dive.
The others watched as he got the same response as the rest of the senior staff. No response. He was blatantly ignoring everyone that day, and it was fraying on everyone's nerves.
"Lucas, you could at least acknowledge our presence," Kristen stated, tired of his somber, careless mood. He'd barely spoken to her, either.
"Presence acknowledged," he muttered, not looking up.
He didn't need to deal with this right now. He didn't want to get his friends upset with him, but he had other things to deal with. Like his sister's death. She would be 11 years old if she had lived... If Lucas hadn't been so careless. And if his sister had lived, he never would have been punished for the rest of his life.
"Mind your manners, young man," Kristen scolded. She was very fond of the teen, but he was incredibly trying at times.
"You told me to acknowledge you, dammit. Make up your mind or leave me the hell alone," he snapped.
"Lucas!" The Captain had just entered C-Deck and had heard the boy's harsh tone.
"Apologize to the doctor right now. Then you can go to your quarters 'til we return. You and I will have a little talk."
"I don't want to talk."
"You have no choice."
"Try making me."
"Dammit Lucas, what has gotten into you today?"
"None of your damn business," Lucas said, glaring at the Captain.
The Captain took a deep breath, letting it out evenly as he said, "It is my business when it involves you treating this crew so rudely, and you will watch your language Mister."
"Stop telling me what I will and will not do."
"I am your Captain, and you will stop acting like a spoiled child. Your father isn't here shelter you."
That hurt. His father, shelter? Lucas, spoiled? Hardly, but that was a whole other torn seam in Lucas's tattered life. Lucas stared coldly at the man before him. "Fuck you," he spat out.
"Lucas!" Ben and Ford said simultaneously, shocked at their young friend's bold words.
As were the rest of the crew. Bridger was more shocked by the venom in the young man's voice than the actual words. "You don't know anything about me or my 'father.' "
The Captain bristled. He did not take kindly to the boy's rudeness, but he couldn't help but notice the way Lucas said the word father.
"I will not tolerate your language or your rudeness. Mr. Crocker, escort Mr. Wolenczak to his quarters and be sure he stays there 'til I return."
"Aye Sir," the Chief said, still shocked by the exchange. He reached for Lucas' shoulder.
"Don't touch me," Lucas hissed, walking away from the bewildered group, Crocker close behind.
*******************************************************************************
Bridger never came by that day, or night. Apparently the SeaQuest had run into some technical problems and needed the extra hands... that is without Lucas around to fix it. And Bridger refused to let the boy out to help, though he had a feeling he probably wouldn't anyway.
Lucas woke the next morning, physically and emotionally drained. He thought back to the day before and winced. He shouldn't have been so cruel, they didn't deserve it. If only they had just left him alone. Just for that day. He sighed, and rolled over onto his side, not interested in getting up. A few minutes later, there was a knock at his door, and a moment later it opened. He knew who it was.
"You awake?" The Captain's voice asked, not unpleasant, but by no means showing immediate forgiveness for yesterday. He wanted an explanation.
"No, I'm sleeping." He mumbled.
The Captain sighed. Well, that was more than he got yesterday morning when he'd first seen him.
"Well wake up."
Lucas smirked, then turned over to face the older man who pulled up a chair by his bedside.
"Yes, Sir."
The Captain smiled faintly, not willing to give in to the boy's charm just yet.
"Feeling better this morning?"
"I was never sick."
"You know what I mean."
Lucas was quiet, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"What happened yesterday kiddo?" Lucas looked away.
"Nothing."
"That wasn't nothing pal. If you were any other crewmember addressing me like that you'd be in the brig so fast your head would spin."
"Why didn't you?"
"Didn't I what?"
"Send me to the brig? I was rude, obnoxious, patronizing... I deserved being put in there, Sir."
"Well, if you realize that then why did you do it?"
Lucas was quiet again, as he just shrugged.
"Come on pal, out with it. Something was bothering you. Tell me what was up."
Lucas shook his head, "Just a bad day sir, I'm sorry."
Bridger watched the young man's face, a blank mask. He sighed. "I don't believe that was just a bad day Pal, but you apologized... If you don't want to talk, I'll leave it at that. I'm not gonna tell you to go around apologizing to the whole crew, but could you at least drop by and see the doctor. She cares about you Kiddo, and she was just concerned about you yesterday."
Lucas nodded as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
Bridger sighed. He wished the boy would open up. He gently patted his shoulder, "Get up, get dressed and go get something to eat."
"Yessir."
The Captain looked concerned at the boy's lack of sarcasm and wit. But he said nothing, leaving the boy to change.
Lucas was too tired to be clever, so he'd stuck to being cordial, and probably shocking the hell out of the Captain. With a heavy sigh, Lucas pulled on some clean cargos and a basketball jersey over his white t-shirt. Running a brush through his hair he headed to the lab. He didn't feel like eating.
Chapter 5 coming ASAP.
Jaimi Copyright@2001
Warning: Un-TV-Lucas-like character action/words in this part. Please, please, please R&R!
Chapter 4
By: Jaimi
"Hey Lucas," Shan greeted the teen as he walked into the moon pool, ready to go with the rest of the team on a practice dive.
The others watched as he got the same response as the rest of the senior staff. No response. He was blatantly ignoring everyone that day, and it was fraying on everyone's nerves.
"Lucas, you could at least acknowledge our presence," Kristen stated, tired of his somber, careless mood. He'd barely spoken to her, either.
"Presence acknowledged," he muttered, not looking up.
He didn't need to deal with this right now. He didn't want to get his friends upset with him, but he had other things to deal with. Like his sister's death. She would be 11 years old if she had lived... If Lucas hadn't been so careless. And if his sister had lived, he never would have been punished for the rest of his life.
"Mind your manners, young man," Kristen scolded. She was very fond of the teen, but he was incredibly trying at times.
"You told me to acknowledge you, dammit. Make up your mind or leave me the hell alone," he snapped.
"Lucas!" The Captain had just entered C-Deck and had heard the boy's harsh tone.
"Apologize to the doctor right now. Then you can go to your quarters 'til we return. You and I will have a little talk."
"I don't want to talk."
"You have no choice."
"Try making me."
"Dammit Lucas, what has gotten into you today?"
"None of your damn business," Lucas said, glaring at the Captain.
The Captain took a deep breath, letting it out evenly as he said, "It is my business when it involves you treating this crew so rudely, and you will watch your language Mister."
"Stop telling me what I will and will not do."
"I am your Captain, and you will stop acting like a spoiled child. Your father isn't here shelter you."
That hurt. His father, shelter? Lucas, spoiled? Hardly, but that was a whole other torn seam in Lucas's tattered life. Lucas stared coldly at the man before him. "Fuck you," he spat out.
"Lucas!" Ben and Ford said simultaneously, shocked at their young friend's bold words.
As were the rest of the crew. Bridger was more shocked by the venom in the young man's voice than the actual words. "You don't know anything about me or my 'father.' "
The Captain bristled. He did not take kindly to the boy's rudeness, but he couldn't help but notice the way Lucas said the word father.
"I will not tolerate your language or your rudeness. Mr. Crocker, escort Mr. Wolenczak to his quarters and be sure he stays there 'til I return."
"Aye Sir," the Chief said, still shocked by the exchange. He reached for Lucas' shoulder.
"Don't touch me," Lucas hissed, walking away from the bewildered group, Crocker close behind.
*******************************************************************************
Bridger never came by that day, or night. Apparently the SeaQuest had run into some technical problems and needed the extra hands... that is without Lucas around to fix it. And Bridger refused to let the boy out to help, though he had a feeling he probably wouldn't anyway.
Lucas woke the next morning, physically and emotionally drained. He thought back to the day before and winced. He shouldn't have been so cruel, they didn't deserve it. If only they had just left him alone. Just for that day. He sighed, and rolled over onto his side, not interested in getting up. A few minutes later, there was a knock at his door, and a moment later it opened. He knew who it was.
"You awake?" The Captain's voice asked, not unpleasant, but by no means showing immediate forgiveness for yesterday. He wanted an explanation.
"No, I'm sleeping." He mumbled.
The Captain sighed. Well, that was more than he got yesterday morning when he'd first seen him.
"Well wake up."
Lucas smirked, then turned over to face the older man who pulled up a chair by his bedside.
"Yes, Sir."
The Captain smiled faintly, not willing to give in to the boy's charm just yet.
"Feeling better this morning?"
"I was never sick."
"You know what I mean."
Lucas was quiet, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"What happened yesterday kiddo?" Lucas looked away.
"Nothing."
"That wasn't nothing pal. If you were any other crewmember addressing me like that you'd be in the brig so fast your head would spin."
"Why didn't you?"
"Didn't I what?"
"Send me to the brig? I was rude, obnoxious, patronizing... I deserved being put in there, Sir."
"Well, if you realize that then why did you do it?"
Lucas was quiet again, as he just shrugged.
"Come on pal, out with it. Something was bothering you. Tell me what was up."
Lucas shook his head, "Just a bad day sir, I'm sorry."
Bridger watched the young man's face, a blank mask. He sighed. "I don't believe that was just a bad day Pal, but you apologized... If you don't want to talk, I'll leave it at that. I'm not gonna tell you to go around apologizing to the whole crew, but could you at least drop by and see the doctor. She cares about you Kiddo, and she was just concerned about you yesterday."
Lucas nodded as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
Bridger sighed. He wished the boy would open up. He gently patted his shoulder, "Get up, get dressed and go get something to eat."
"Yessir."
The Captain looked concerned at the boy's lack of sarcasm and wit. But he said nothing, leaving the boy to change.
Lucas was too tired to be clever, so he'd stuck to being cordial, and probably shocking the hell out of the Captain. With a heavy sigh, Lucas pulled on some clean cargos and a basketball jersey over his white t-shirt. Running a brush through his hair he headed to the lab. He didn't feel like eating.
Chapter 5 coming ASAP.
Jaimi Copyright@2001