Chapter 31
"What the hell happened?" Hudson asked shakily, some of the shock still clinging tightly to his soul.
Kristen had insisted he return to his quarters, even going so far as to escort him there, but in spite of her orders to rest, he'd wracked his memories for hours, trying to understand how he could have missed such a horrific event like the abuse of his only child at the hand of his wife. He'd been no closer to an answer when he'd heard a soft knock at his door.
He'd opened it to find Wendy there, looking at his drawn features anxiously. Now she sat across from him, her slender body curled up in a deep leather chair.
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head slowly. "I've never experienced anything like it. The way the mind stores our memories is exactly how I told Lex. We compartmentalize them, dividing them by time, events and emotions. Like a hallway with dozens of doors. Behind this one is a favourite childhood holiday, behind that one is the first time we fell in love."
Wendy straightened her legs, dropping her feet to the floor as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "From what I saw and felt, Lex shoved all of her negative memories back, locking them away in the hope that someday they would just vanish. But they didn't. They stayed there, growing like a wild animal, trying to find an escape and be set free. I was obviously its release. I was pulling away when this ... door just appeared before me. Every time I turned away from it, it was always waiting for me."
Sitting back, Wendy rubbed her arms against the chill that suddenly besieged her at the memory. "It was alive, pulsing with energy and drawing me in. I couldn't get away from it. The harder I resisted, the more demanding it became. And then it just blew open. There was nothing I could do to stop it."
"Are you alright?" Hudson asked softly, his eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine." Wendy replied with a gentle smile. "A little shaky right now, but I'll survive."
She reached out and laid a gentle hand on his cheek. "What about you?"
Hudson was quiet for a moment, his jaw clenched tightly. "Right now I'm clutching every moral fibre I've got to prevent myself from getting off of this boat and beating my ex-wife to within an inch of her life for what she did."
"That won't take back what happened, Oliver," Wendy sighed.
"No, but it would make me feel a whole lot better!" he snarled. "It's no wonder Lex blamed me; why she hates me now."
"She doesn't hate you, and the only reason she blamed you was because she was looking through the eyes of a child."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. I was insider her, Oliver. I saw what she saw, felt what she felt. There's no animosity in her heart towards you, only fear."
"Is that any better than hatred?"
"She's not afraid OF you, she fears that in your eyes, she's failed you, let you down."
"What?! I was the one who failed her! I was supposed to protect her. I should have seen what was happening, instead of hiding away at sea. I should have gotten her out of there!"
"Oliver, you can spend the rest of your life saying you should have or you could have, but it won't change what happened and won't help either of you now."
Hudson whipped around, fire in his eyes. "So what am I supposed to do?! Pretend like it never happened?! Make no apologies for not being there when she needed me the most? Keep doing what I've always done? Try to ignore the fact that I was a lousy father by sailing off from one ocean to the next, fighting everyone's battles but my own?!"
Undaunted by his anger, Wendy crossed the short distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist, and looking up at him with love bright in her eyes. "Just love her like you always have. This time she'll know."
Hoping she was right, Hudson hugged her close, trying to absorb just an ounce of the courage she possessed.
"It's coming in now, Nathan," Admiral Noyce said gratefully, his attention focused on the data flowing from the SeaQuest's computer to the data bank at U.E.O. HeadQuarters.
"I just hope it was worth the damage it caused." Nathan pursed his lips in disapproval.
The Admiral shook his head gently. "It was an unfortunate happenstance, Nathan, but one that was a long time in coming. In the end it'll do them both a world of good," he replied, in reference to the situation with the Hudsons.
Bridger sighed, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I hope so."
"Tell Mr. Wolenczek that once again I'm impressed with his work and wish them all the best of luck from me. If there's anything I can do to help, don't even hesitate to call me. Anytime. You've got my private number."
Nodding, Bridger hit a key and the screen went blank.
"Once again SeaQuest saves the day," Kristen said as she came to stand beside her husband, smiling up at him. "What do you have to say about that?"
Both of Bridger's brows rose. "I need a drink."
"What the hell happened?" Hudson asked shakily, some of the shock still clinging tightly to his soul.
Kristen had insisted he return to his quarters, even going so far as to escort him there, but in spite of her orders to rest, he'd wracked his memories for hours, trying to understand how he could have missed such a horrific event like the abuse of his only child at the hand of his wife. He'd been no closer to an answer when he'd heard a soft knock at his door.
He'd opened it to find Wendy there, looking at his drawn features anxiously. Now she sat across from him, her slender body curled up in a deep leather chair.
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head slowly. "I've never experienced anything like it. The way the mind stores our memories is exactly how I told Lex. We compartmentalize them, dividing them by time, events and emotions. Like a hallway with dozens of doors. Behind this one is a favourite childhood holiday, behind that one is the first time we fell in love."
Wendy straightened her legs, dropping her feet to the floor as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "From what I saw and felt, Lex shoved all of her negative memories back, locking them away in the hope that someday they would just vanish. But they didn't. They stayed there, growing like a wild animal, trying to find an escape and be set free. I was obviously its release. I was pulling away when this ... door just appeared before me. Every time I turned away from it, it was always waiting for me."
Sitting back, Wendy rubbed her arms against the chill that suddenly besieged her at the memory. "It was alive, pulsing with energy and drawing me in. I couldn't get away from it. The harder I resisted, the more demanding it became. And then it just blew open. There was nothing I could do to stop it."
"Are you alright?" Hudson asked softly, his eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine." Wendy replied with a gentle smile. "A little shaky right now, but I'll survive."
She reached out and laid a gentle hand on his cheek. "What about you?"
Hudson was quiet for a moment, his jaw clenched tightly. "Right now I'm clutching every moral fibre I've got to prevent myself from getting off of this boat and beating my ex-wife to within an inch of her life for what she did."
"That won't take back what happened, Oliver," Wendy sighed.
"No, but it would make me feel a whole lot better!" he snarled. "It's no wonder Lex blamed me; why she hates me now."
"She doesn't hate you, and the only reason she blamed you was because she was looking through the eyes of a child."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. I was insider her, Oliver. I saw what she saw, felt what she felt. There's no animosity in her heart towards you, only fear."
"Is that any better than hatred?"
"She's not afraid OF you, she fears that in your eyes, she's failed you, let you down."
"What?! I was the one who failed her! I was supposed to protect her. I should have seen what was happening, instead of hiding away at sea. I should have gotten her out of there!"
"Oliver, you can spend the rest of your life saying you should have or you could have, but it won't change what happened and won't help either of you now."
Hudson whipped around, fire in his eyes. "So what am I supposed to do?! Pretend like it never happened?! Make no apologies for not being there when she needed me the most? Keep doing what I've always done? Try to ignore the fact that I was a lousy father by sailing off from one ocean to the next, fighting everyone's battles but my own?!"
Undaunted by his anger, Wendy crossed the short distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist, and looking up at him with love bright in her eyes. "Just love her like you always have. This time she'll know."
Hoping she was right, Hudson hugged her close, trying to absorb just an ounce of the courage she possessed.
"It's coming in now, Nathan," Admiral Noyce said gratefully, his attention focused on the data flowing from the SeaQuest's computer to the data bank at U.E.O. HeadQuarters.
"I just hope it was worth the damage it caused." Nathan pursed his lips in disapproval.
The Admiral shook his head gently. "It was an unfortunate happenstance, Nathan, but one that was a long time in coming. In the end it'll do them both a world of good," he replied, in reference to the situation with the Hudsons.
Bridger sighed, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I hope so."
"Tell Mr. Wolenczek that once again I'm impressed with his work and wish them all the best of luck from me. If there's anything I can do to help, don't even hesitate to call me. Anytime. You've got my private number."
Nodding, Bridger hit a key and the screen went blank.
"Once again SeaQuest saves the day," Kristen said as she came to stand beside her husband, smiling up at him. "What do you have to say about that?"
Both of Bridger's brows rose. "I need a drink."