~Signals flashbacks~
Lucas ran, and he kept running, not entirely sure where he was running to and still a little unclear on what he was running from. The one person who was always there as a rock to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, or even an understanding ear, was the same person who was causing the anguish in the young boy. The mind numbing pain going through Lucas' heart was like no pain he had ever felt before. Not the numerous times his frail body had been plummeted by the abusive hands of his father; or the crushing defeat whenever he attempted to reach out to his mother as a person who could help get solid ground under his feet, only to discover quick sand.
'This can't be happening,' was the thought that went around and around in his head. The thought that the Captain would... could do this was blowing his mind. Bridger had always been the one to reassure him that he was valuable... important... worth more than just his brains. 'God... what did I do?' he silently asked. The events came rushing back to him as he ran.
~The new vocorder prototype just wasn't panning out the way Lucas had anticipated. The programming kept reversing itself that alone could have been easily dealt with, but all the programming translated itself into Hungarian. "Tim doesn't even know Hungarian!" Lucas cried out loud. He picked up the prototype and was prepared to fling it across his quarters when his door burst open.~
He rounded another corner, only to run directly into Dr. Westphalen. He didn't even pause after knocking her over.
~"Lucas get your sweet butt to the bridge now!" panted an ensign whom Lucas had seen but never conversed with before. Slightly taken aback by the abruptness the young officer had entered caused Lucas to lose his grip on the vocorder. The prototype fell from his hand to a pile of dirty clothes piled in the middle of his floor, rolled off the clothes to come to a rest in a plate of yesterdays dinner. Either petrified dog food or what passed as pot roast, Lucas tended to lean toward the former.~
The calls of the doctor fell on deaf ears, the moon pool was the only place on the ship where he might be able to get a grip on his reeling emotions.
~"Would you care to share with me as to why I am going to the bridge? Or did the crew just need some amusement?" Lucas sneered, as he bent to pick up the vocorder. Grimacing at the food particles now lodged in the circuitry.~
The moon pool would calm him, and Darwin would understand what he was going through he was just sure of it.
~"There's been this... this..." the poor ensign was at a loss for words, how should he know what the hell they needed the kid for, but his commanding officer gave him an order and by-god he would follow through even if he had to hog tie the adolescent and drag him to the bridge. Voicing this to the computer wiz, got a quick reaction. Lucas didn't like to be threatened. He would have gone without the threat, but now he glowered at the young officer. Lucas dropped the vocorder back on the dinner plate, which landed with an audible *plop*, grabbed his flannel shirt and exited his room.~
One more corner and his destination would be there. One more corner and perhaps he could forget the ache in his chest and the hollowness of his heart.
~Muttering things he would like to do to the ensign Lucas quickly made for the entrance to the bridge, only to run into a very upset and very angry Hitchcock.
"Hey Katie!" Lucas greeted her, but was mystified as to why she looked right threw him. "Right, been nice talking to you!" he called after her. Shaking his head he entered the bridge to find the Captain with Tim's head set on.~
The doors *whooshed* open, and there his hope waited.
~The Captain yelled at him...~
There bobbing on the surface was his last friend...
~"...you worthless piece of nothing..."~
Lucas stood in the doorway, not sure if even Darwin could help heal this hole in his soul.
~"...we don't need you now or ever..."~
Slowly Lucas entered the room, and as the doors behind him closed he let out a strangled sob and collapsed on the floor.