CHAPTER FIVE:
EQUILIBRIUM
PART ONE: DYING SEA
Thursday January 26th, 2033
seaQuest DSV
Science Deck
Westphalen and Lucas stood in shocked silence at the sample brought to them, and Lucas ran to close off any access that Darwin might have to the outside. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Darwin was swimming lazy circles in the moon pool on sea deck. "Why not Darwin swim outside?" asked the dolphin.
Westphalen answered, "Because you will get extremely sick. Remember the last time you were sick?"
"Darwin prefer not to repeat that!" came the stressed reply.
Lucas rubbed the dolphin's melon, "You aren't the only one."
He watched as Westphalen call the emergency senior staff meeting, while cancelling all dives and EVA trips. She then gathered up the information that she had discovered and Lucas followed her to the wardroom where Captain Robert Eric Bridger was already waiting. "Captain," they greeted, Westphalen said, "You're up late."
"Ben and I switched shifts, he has first right now, and I am due to go off duty for the second," he grinned. "But that is the only change. I wanted to see how the second shift crew is doing. Eventually I'll work myself up to third."
Westphalen nodded, as the older Captain Bridger had periodically done the same. Soon the senior staff, those on duty or still awake, assembled. Krieg was still awake from first shift, and Ford was due to go on duty for third momentarily. As Bridger was on second shift, he was technically still on duty. For all intents and purposes those were the most important three to have in the staff meeting as they could relay the minutes of the meeting on to each of their respective shifts, but the more that could be there the better.
She mentally ticked off her list who showed up. Lieutenant Brody was on the bridge, presumably watching the helm while Captain Bridger was in the meeting, so could not make it. Henderson was there, and so was Dagwood and Fredericks. Of all in the room, this affected Fredericks and her Spectre wing the most. Dagwood, seeing as he had decided to drop his "I'm mentally challenged" act, had been transferred to her wing and was currently being trained to float a Spectre. He was doing extremely well. Fredericks had gone so far as to call him a natural, GELF or no GELF, so this would affect him as much as Fredericks.
Lucas, who had just completed his doctoral thesis and was awarded his Doctorate Degree in Computer Analytical Theory had accompanied her, and sat in the far end of the room. He was pretty much here for how it affected Darwin. Tim O'Niell was just off to the side of Lucas. One more and pretty much the entire senior crew would be here. The door opened and Lieutenant William Shan, the security chief entered. Westphalen waited until he was seated and called the meeting to order.
"You may wonder why I asked Captain Bridger to revoke all dives..." she took a breath. "In my last sample of water taken in the area I found an unknown biological agent in the water that is killing all the sea life. Right now it is contained in this area, but it is spreading."
Fredericks leaned forward, "Unknown? Like how?"
"Unknown meaning just that. I don't know what caused or if it was planted."
The crew looked at each other nervously. Robert voiced the question, "How do we stop it?"
Lucas and Westphalen looked at each other. "That's just it, we don't know yet," answered Westphalen. "Lucas, ah, I mean, Dr. Wolenczak has been of great help but it is not his area of expertise, and I have only just discovered the problem. UEO mandates require that I report the problem and any repercussions immediately to the senior staff on board."
Robert nodded, "And the repercussions would be, for those who have not heard them yet."
"No EVA or dives until further notice. That includes Darwin and Anthony Piccolo. Hopefully Darwin will not go too stir crazy, but I am sure the crew can help keep his mind off the problem until we can come up with a solution. This will, of course, require that we pay much more attention to him..." that met with grins, most looked for an excuse to play with the dolphin, and she had just effectively made that a direct order. "As for the Spectre wing, Lieutenant Fredericks I know that the occasional leak springs in those infernal things, and that you always send the leaky boat back to its berth, but we can't chance the risk of infecting the crew. I'm sorry, but that means no Spectre 'flights' until further notice."
Fredericks looked crest fallen at the news, and so did Dagwood. Then she asked, "What about the Stinger?"
"One Stinger is not enough to keep you occupied, and it, too occasionally gets its rider wet," answered Lucas.
The discussion turned to how they were to keep the Spectre pilots busy with other tasks, and it was decided that they would work half shifts where their secondary skills would be of best use. Ironically, this put a few into Westphalen's science team. One ended up on the bridge, a few in engineering, and one that was more Lucas's line of work. This lonely computer programmer was Fredericks. She hid her glee at the prospect of working with Lucas. Over the months since Oliver Hudson left they had grown very close.
Lucas was also excited, but not in the same way. Yes, they had the same interests, but there was something about her that just plain excited him. Maybe it was the fact that she could tear down Commander Ford in a blink of an eye, and then be all grins on seadeck when splashed by Darwin ten minutes later.
The meeting ended and Fredericks walked over to him, "So are you on duty right now?"
"I don't have duty, Freddie," he grinned. "That's for you military folks. I set my own hours, so long as I get my job done I can do what I want."
Her eyebrow lifted, "Then how about we get my half a shift done so you can keep me busy."
"Love to."
The two walked through the passageways and he thought about his luck. Granted he had missed ten years and the world was practically at war, but Freddie was... well a balm. She was so different from Juliana. He had liked Juliana, maybe even loved her. She could have been his first. He screwed up his face. He still didn't have a 'first'. The irony here was that even though he could see himself with Freddie he was in no rush. Her company was enough.
And maybe the fact that she was into the same things he was. In a sense, she spoke Lucas's language. Technically, he was a tad bit older than she was. He had learned that she was the rather shocking young age, for a full lieutenant, of only twenty-four. Freddie acted and seemed older than that, but he supposed that was due to the life she led. Four years was not that bad a gap. Except, he knew, that he was actually six years younger if one really wanted to get technical.
Freddie was staring back at him while they rode the mag-lev. "What are looking at?" she asked suspiciously.
"You."
"Me, why?"
"Just thinking about how lucky I am," answered Lucas, leaning back.
He was aware that she had shimmied closer. "No sir, I'm the one who's lucky. You are unlike anyone I've ever met. Did you know I have never met a man who has both brains and a little brawn?"
Lucas could only stare, "Brawn? How do you figure that?"
He could hardly believe the look in her eyes. No woman had ever looked at him quite like how she was. Well, and no one had really been that close to him. "It's in all the right places, Lucas. Speaking of all the right places, what are doing after your shift?"
He would have to have been truly blind to see where she was leading. He grinned, one matching hers. "I was thinking of inviting you for lunch. So...Being with you?"
She leaned back, and he noticed that the zipper on her uniform was slightly more undone than usual. He swallowed, knowing exactly what she wanted. "Are you sure you want to take our relationship to that plateau? I don't want to rush you..."
Freddie sat up and looked at his ears that always betrayed him even if the rest of him didn't. "Lucas, who was your first?"
"Uh... I don't exactly.... er... I haven't..." he stuttered and took a breath. "Oh man."
Her expression softened and she put a hand on his leg. "There is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Actually, it looks good on you.... and it's a relief to me."
"Eh?"
"Well, it means you have principles, Lucas. Most guys I knew were not bluffing about it by fifteen, they actually had. And I... well, they weren't exactly boyfriend material, if you know what I mean. They were real assholes," she leaned back and did up her uniform back to where she usually had it. "So, the question is... Are you ready for it? I shouldn't be rushing you. And for your information, no, I'm not upset. I'm glad. You want me for a whole other reason than how fast you can get me to bed. I like you, Lucas. A lot."
"I like you too. And its not like I don't want to. Freddie, quite frankly there are times when I really want to. But..."
Freddie laughed. "Would you not worry about it?" she leaned over and kissed him. "But its nice to know that you find me sexy, anyway."
"Sexy is not enough for you. Hot. Beautiful. Smart. The only woman I've ever met who is into the same things I am," he took a breath. "That's what I like about you. Most girls I've met the minute I open my mouth their eyes glaze over. Sure, there are a lot of woman who are as smart as you, but not all of them are into what we can do. You are as one of a kind as one of a kind gets. You're my type."
While listening Freddie had seemed to shimmy close to him again. The Mag-lev stopping broke the perfect five minutes of his life.
Wednesday February 1st, 2033
6:55 hours
seaQuest DSV
Bridge
Westphalen and Lucas were on the bridge and watched as the preparations for the solution they had discovered were computed, and then confirmed. It was the fastest that Westphalen had ever worked in her life, and she hoped that she was right. Two torpedoes were being altered as they spoke to contain the antigen. Once the torpedoes were fires the antigen would disperse and hopefully cure the area. Lucas was running around, with Fredericks assisting him, setting up the torpedoes.
"Dr. Wolenczak to Bridger. Our preps are done. Fire away."
Captain Bridger smiled then, and just as he was about to say fire, "Captain, we're picking a Delta IV class sub ahead. She came out of nowhere sir. In the position she's in we can't fire," said Brody.
Bridger's brows creased. "Open a channel..."
"Channel open, sir," said Lieutenant O'Niell, then the whole bridge saw Tim go white. "Uh, sir, it's Captain Bridger, ah, I mean, it's Captain Nathan Bridger."
Robert looked at Tim, "Put him on the main screen."
The vidlink opened and Robert stared down his father. "Okay, Dad, why are you here, and why are you preventing me from firing?"
The elder Captain Bridger said, "Because I read over Dr. Westphalen's idea. Unfortunately, and as rarely as this happens, she is very wrong. If you fire those off you'll do more damage."
"Then why the... Dad, can we talk about this in the wardroom?"
Robert waited with Lucas and Westphalen outside the launch bay doors. The doors opened and Nathan Bridger climbed up the ladder and into the seaQuest. The first thing that Robert noticed about his father was the fact that he was not walking with the cane anymore. He looked better. That was a relief. Nathan moved out of the way, and Manilow Crocker was right behind him, as if as security. Likely that was his purpose. Then a petite blonde woman climbed up the ladder. Crocker helped her over the lip of the hole from the launch. She was not young, but not old either. But she was younger than his Dad. Maybe the same age as Westphalen. She came up to stand behind Nathan. A few gasps met her entrance, and Westphalen said, "Savannah Rossovich."
"Dr. Westphalen," acknowledged the woman, obviously this Rossovich.
Nathan said, "Robert, this is Dr. Rossovich. Marine Geo-Chemist."
And psychic too, realised Robert. They were crawling out of the woodwork, it seemed. Or maybe just coming out of exile as they were more accepted now than they were before. After the introductions, Robert led them to the wardroom.
Lucas walked just behind the two Bridgers. He didn't say anything, but his heart was in his mouth. His friend and the man who was more of a father than his real father was, and it appeared that may not stay too civil. The six people entered the wardroom, three from each ship. It even seemed that they split that way too. Nathan, Crocker and Rossovich stood one side of the table, while he, Dr. Westphalen and Robert were on the other. It was Robert who spoke first, "Okay, we're here. Now, tell me what could happen?"
Dr. Rossovich answered, "The bacterium, if you launch your antigen, will mutate and spread even further. Then it will become even worse. It could even kill the entire ocean."
"I found the same thing," answered Bridger to Robert's unspoken question.
Robert looked at Westphalen who stepped forward, "I checked and double-checked my computations, Nathan. How, if we both started in the same spot, did we end up in two different places?"
"My guess is that in either of our findings that we strayed on one little detail. Or we missed a detail. My suggestion is that we step back and work together. The two different opinions, well, maybe we can check each others work," suggested Lucas. "We could both be wrong."
"We don't have the time!" exclaimed Westphalen. "Lord knows I'd love to. But according to my finding we act now or lose the entire area, and it could spread."
"Our findings suggest that you do have the time. In fact, the sea life is recovering. If you proceed you risk, no you will, destroy this area," said Nathan Bridger quietly. "Let it recover. Sometimes nature does not require our help."
"This is that instance," finished Rossovich for him.
Robert sighed and sat down in the chair in the wardroom. "Well, ladies and gentlemen," he began, thankful that his father was not one of those parents who didn't think their children capable of having brains. "It looks like you are at a stalemate."
The discussion lasted for nearly three hours, without any compromise. Finally, in a fit of pique that eerily reminded Robert of arguments between parents, Westphalen blew up at Nathan, and he right back. Robert felt a tingling of distinct discomfort in the room that was escalating into abject terror. He looked around and saw Lucas.
Lucas was seeing history repeat itself. His parents had argued like Kristin and Nathan were right now. No, not this... he thought. But they continued. He saw Robert stand, the same stricken look on his face. "Perhaps we should call this a day, and a stalemate," Robert attempted.
Nathan broke off, and Westphalen, into glares. "We can't afford to wait," she said.
"Yes, we can."
"If you just look at the data, you would see..."
"I have looked at the data, and I have seen, but..."
"Enough!" yelled Robert.
They broke it off and Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. But he knew that given the very moment that they were alone again, the argument would start up. It would not be about the bacterium in the water, but it would be about something else. Most likely what split them in the first place.
Robert got the same feeling, but he knew that if they ever were to be together again that they would have to be left alone to work it out...or kill each other. Which ever came first. He hoped they worked it out.
"Now," began Robert. "There are procedures to handle this kind of thing. One we are going to have to use." He pressed the com button to call the com officer on the bridge. "Lieutenant O'Niell, get me the Secretary General. With great urgency."
Within five minutes the UEO logo appeared on the vid screen in the wardroom. McGath then appeared on the screen. "Captain, er, Captains Bridger. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"There is an ecological disaster, and two qualified scientists cannot agree on the solution," answered Robert.
Westphalen opened first, "The bacterium has already killed off everything in a fifty mile diameter area, and it could spread. We have come up with a way to neutralize it."
Right then Nathan Bridger cut in, "There is evidence that the area is recovering. If we jump the gun, you could do more damage. Let nature run its course."
McGath's gaze flicked from one scientist to the other. "I see. I will get back to you in two days with our decision."
The vid screen displayed the UEO logo and then went blank. "Two days," said Captain Bridger satisfied.
"More time for this to kill the ocean! Nathan, you really should know better!" snapped Westphalen.
"I should know better? What about you? You discovered a cure in a week! How can you be so sure that your answer is any better?" he retorted.
Lucas and Robert inched towards the door. Crocker and Savannah followed and closed the door behind them. In the quiet of the corridor, Robert said, "Let's give them a little time to sort out their differences."
They nodded in agreement, and Crocker asked, "Hey Bobby, would be all right to see the bridge? See what changes is there?"
Robert thought a moment and said, "Sure."
Crocker headed for the bridge with Lucas right behind him. Savannah went back to the launch to wait. As Lucas followed Crocker, old memories surfaced. He had always remembered Bridger and Westphalen getting along. More than that, they were practically lovers. Then she never came back for the second tour. He wondered about that. "Chief..." began Lucas, and Crocker slowed his pace. "What happened between Kristin and the Captain... do you know anything about it?"
Crocker stopped and sighed. He wiped his brow. "Not a thing. All I know is that... well... they are both stubborn. I guess at one point or the other they both came up against a brick wall. I have no idea what though, and Nathan never talks about it."
Lucas nodded. The two people in his life who had been more parents than his own... and they ended up the same way. Splitsville. He wondered if it was anything to do with him. Probably. Why would it be anything different than before. The only difference was that neither of them put work before Lucas. But it hurt to see them not just argue, but in an outright fight. He walked back to the wardroom where he heard a slamming of the door, and he saw Westphalen stalk off in the direction of seadeck. He peeked in the tiny window to see if Captain Bridger was still in there.
He was, he was holding his head in his hands. Lucas tapped on the door and slipped in. Bridger looked up. If anything he looked like he was getting one hell of a headache. "Are you okay?" asked Lucas.
"Yeah. We fought until we both had a headache," a low humourless chuckle. "But neither of us made any headway on an agreement."
"Will you ever?" Lucas wasn't talking about the area, and he knew that Bridger wasn't either.
"I really don't know, Lucas. I really don't."
Lucas sat down beside him. "I was hoping that you might have."
"Same here. Sometimes I just don't understand, Lucas. I... as far as I know I never did anything wrong, but she pushed me away after awhile," the look on Nathan's face was agony. "Then she said she was leaving, and she couldn't still tell me why. Then I was on seaQuest. I thought she would be, and that I had a chance to work things out. But no... she had transferred herself off seaQuest... and my niece replaced her."
He then noticed the lack. "I knew someone seemed missing... where is Wendy, anyway? Her area is close to this too, I would have expected her to be here. If not to at least greet me when I got here," Bridger turned to Lucas who was chewing his bottom lip.
Lucas knew that Bridger was not going to be thrilled with the answer. He couldn't stand Hudson. "Uh..."
"Lucas, stop hedging."
"Uh, well, ah... she left seaQuest," answered Lucas after a time. "She had decided to live up world. Make a new start." If anything Bridger glare seemed to bore into him. "So did Captain Hudson after the Viscount went down.... they, um, they kinda left together after she told him that she loved him."
The look on Bridger's face reminded Lucas of the first time he had met him. That same look of stunned incredulousness. "This is a joke, right? My niece Wendy Smith and that Oliver Hudson? Together?"
"No, I'm serious," answered Lucas and Bridger recovered, slightly.
At least that took his mind off of Westphalen.
February 3rd, 2033
seaQuest DSV
wardroom
They met again, the same separation. The Calypso (what Nathan had called the Delta IV) crewmembers separated from the seaQuest. McGath was on the vid screen, "We decided to go with Dr. Kristin Westphalen's findings."
The image disappeared and the three from the Calypso looked at each other. "I'll make one more plea to your intelligence: Don't do this," said Bridger, and then he left.
Robert chased his father down and grabbed him by the arm, "Maybe... maybe you are wrong, Dad. Did you ever stop to think about that?"
Nathan looked at his son, and said quietly, "Yes, actually I have. But what if your team is wring as well. All I am asking is a step back to look at the research again. There is something wrong. I can feel it."
Robert dropped his hand and watched his father leave.
The torpedoes launched the next hour.
February 7th, 2033
"Hull breach," called Lonnie Henderson. "Deck 12, Section C. Closing it off."
"What the hell happened?" asked Ford. "Captain to the bridge."
Robert had been in the middle of a pleasant dream when the ship wide call interrupted it. He quickly got dressed in his uniform and headed to the bridge. Seeing Ford, he asked, "What happened?"
"We sprung a leak. No apparent cause," answered Henderson, as she left her station to investigate.
Lonnie was shaken. The ship was the most seaworthy vessels that she had ever been on. There was no reason for the ship to suddenly leak like a sieve. Grabbing her tool kit she went to investigate. Reaching the area, she nearly slipped in the water. She dried off the instrumentation and wiped her wet hands on her uniform. Finally she saw the problem. And then she was hit full in the face by a rush of water and swallowed about and half, and choked on the other half. Dagwood rushed to her side and helped her away from the rush of water. He shook his wet hands dry and asked, "Are you okay, Lieutenant?"
"Lonnie... jeez, I still can't get used to you calling me that."
Dagwood grinned and said, "Well, procedures say you head straight to medbay. Guess where you're going, Lonnie."
"Great."
They walked to medbay. Lonnie started to notice that she felt slightly lightheaded and alternately she was hot and cold. After she staggered halfway there, Dagwood caught her up in his arms and carried her. He too, began to notice the same thing. What the hell? he wondered as he leaned on the frame of the door to medbay. "Med...medical emergency..."
Dagwood felt himself slide down the frame and onto the floor. Westphalen was there and checking his vitals, but he could barely hear or understand her. Blackness closed in and that was all he knew.
Westphalen saw the fact that they were wet, and an instinct told her to wear the latex gloves and order a full quarantine. After the two were laid in beds, she continued to check their vitals and take a blood sample from each of them. A few hours later she was cursing her own stubbornness, "Westphalen to Bridger."
"Bridger," came his reply.
"Reinstate the no dive order. Our situation went from bad to worse."
February 8th, 2033
Westphalen sat with her heads in her hands. This was much worse than she could ever imagine. The bacterium had indeed mutated like Nathan said it would. It would now definitely spread and kill the ocean. If they left the area they would also spread it faster, the inert skin of the seaQuest was not as inert as they thought it was and it too was infected with the agent. They could not leave and the UEO had called a full quarantine of the area.
She thanked whatever Gods there were that made Nathan leave when he realised that there was nothing he could do to sway their decision. He would take care of Cynthia and Michael seeing as none of them would ever leave.
And she mourned as well. Her pride not only killed the crew of seaQuest and herself, but Lucas and Robert. Nathan would have to mourn his son all over again, and Lucas as well. A double blow. She hoped that he could forgive her someday. Maybe even understand where she was coming from.
Maybe even forgive other trangressions. Westphalen cried in earnest. She had left him, when all she wanted was to stay. Her fears of being hurt again led her to hurt someone else to had let someone in, and only to be slapped down again. Nathan didn't deserve that. He really didn't. But now it was too late to take back what she had done. And it was definitely too late to try and fix it.
Oh, Nathan, forgive me. Forgive me for breaking your heart more than once. Forgive me for destroying your dreams and now your family. Forgive me for killing your friends and the ocean that gives you life, she slid her head down on her desk and fell asleep.
Outside the quarantine zone, the crew of the Calypso watched the news in shock. "They can't be serious..." breathed Crocker.
"And in today's news the world again mourns the loss of the seaQuest, only this time to a ship wide virus that wiped the entire crew out. No one knows the source of the virus and the UEO has declared a 50 mile area of the South Atlantic Ocean off limits. Next in the weather...."
"Shut this off, Gator," ordered Nathan Bridger quietly.
The view screen shut down. Crocker and Savannah, who were the only three on board at the moment, looked at the forlorn expression on Nathan's face. Just then he seemed to pitch forward on the deck and Crocker just barely managed to catch him before he hit the deck plating. "Oh god, you are forgiven...." Nathan regained his senses and looked up into the faces of Crocker and Savannah. "Take us into the quarantine zone, Gator. They're still alive."
PART TWO: SECOND CHANCES
February 9th, 2033
Lucas watched helplessly and more of the crew got sick as the skin gave way unexpectedly. Ford was practically beside himself watching over Lonnie. While he had thought no one was looking he had punctured a hole in the plastic quarantine tent to hold her hand and beg her to hold on. It had been a touching scene, repeated by Krieg about a half an hour after Ford left.
He shook his head. Man, Lonnie had better make up her mind, and fast, or they would kill each other over her. He worked feverishly to try and find an actual cure to the problem before the UEO would take things into its own hands.
Then they rushed Freddie, who was in convulsions, into med bay and his train of thought was shattered. "Freddie, no..." he said as Westphalen did the same thing that she had been doing to all the patients that was come into med bay.
"Lucas, back off and let me do my work," ordered Kristin in no uncertain tones.
He did, and waited until Kristin gave him the okay. Freddie mumbled in her sleep, incoherent. Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and begged whatever powers that be to spare her. A hand touched his shoulders in comfort. "Lucas, I never realised..." came the quiet voice of Robert Bridger.
"We were keeping it quiet to let ourselves get to know each other before letting other people in. Now..." his voice broke and he lowered his head to her bedside and cried in exhaustion. Captain Bridger's hand rubbed his shoulder, "I think I know how you feel... how my Dad felt..."
The man left and Lucas tried to get his emotions under control. No such luck. His emotions were running wild from lack of sleep. Westphalen came up to him, "Go to bed. You'll be of no help if you drop from exhaustion."
Knowing her to be right he went to his quarters. He opened the door and was glad that Tony was not there. He stepped in and closed the door and leaned against it. Juliana was lost to him, but at least she was alive and happy. She was married, and had a child. He could at least still talk to her and Wolfman, who had married her. He couldn't think of him as Nick yet. The second girlfriend he thought he had only wanted him for the seaQuest, and was in prison. Freddie was his last chance, and she was different than even Juliana.
Oh, he could admit that Juliana was not his type. She was nice and a great friend but that was all she was. The other was hormones.
But Fredericks, or Jessica Jean Fredericks, as he had learned was his. She had to be the one that was meant for him. All he could think about was her. Even when Juliana and he had almost gone all the way, the reason they didn't was because it was simply not meant to be. When he had closed his eyes at night and thought about the woman he would possibly marry it had never been Juliana, or the other one. That match was always in the mists.
But as soon as he had laid eyes on Freddie he had known. The electric feeling that had been absent with the other two was palpable with Freddie. He laid down in his bed and was unaware of when sleep hit him.
He awoke a few hours later with an idea formed. Bridger. Nathan Bridger. He had been right, and maybe he could help them out in trying to find a cure. He sat up and tried the frequency. Nothing.
Lucas fairly ran to the launch bay. "Wolenczak to Bridger..."
Robert answered, "Yes?"
"I need a Speeder shuttle. One that can go fast and deep without worrying about popping a leak," said Lucas. "Can you clear that for me? I think I have the answer."
"Clearance granted."
"Thank you Captain."
Lucas sat in the pilots chair of the Speeder and sealed it off. Leaving the seaQuest he tried the Calypso and was surprised to find Savannah. "I need to speak with Captain Bridger. It's important."
She shook her head, "He isn't here. Lucas... he went to that trench in the minisub. He said he would be back in an hour but its been at least five. I've tried getting him..."
"Okay, I'm on it."
Lucas piloted the Speeder into the trench. The minisub wouldn't be able to go very deep before it would begin to leak and then it would crush. As the Speeder went deeper, and still no minisub, Lucas began to truly worry. Soon it was past where the minisub would leak, and still no Bridger. The Speeder went deeper and right before crush depth he spotted it on a ledge. His heart leapt to his throat. The sub was dead in the water.
Lucas piloted the Speeder and then sealed the hatches to one another so he could board the minisub. He put on the quarantine suit. He didn't know what he would find in there, and Bridger wasn't answering his calls. He could even be dead.
Lucas boarded the minisub and ran as quickly as he could through the knee deep water. He could feel the chill through the suit, and he knew that even if there wasn't a nasty bug in the water, the cold would have made Bridger hypothermic by now. As it was, when Lucas found him in the pilot's seat, still strapped in, he was unconscious. "Captain..." Lucas shook his shoulder.
He seemed to take a really long time to awaken, "Lu... Lucas... am I dreaming...?"
"Yeah, what possessed you to go this deep?"
Bridger pointed to the gym bag to his left and Lucas retrieved it, and saw the vials. "Algae. I found it on this ledge. It must have a natural immunity... or its the cause of the problem. Either way..."
"It's the cure!" exclaimed Lucas.
Bridger nodded, "Yeah, so it would appear. Can we get out of here? I'm freezing."
Lucas nodded and took the vials into the Speeder and secured them. He came back to find Bridger's head lolling, "Hey, stay with me. I can't carry you."
"Huh," he seemed to giggle as if that was joke and Lucas was aware that he was beginning to get delirious.
He unstrapped Nathan and helped him to his rather shaky feet. Lucas let Bridger lean on him with one arm over his shoulder. Lucas half dragged him into the Speeder and into the cockpit. Strapping him in Lucas checked his temperature. He was shooting up into the 102 range. Not good.
He sealed the Speeder and let the minisub slide off the edge and into the depths below. With one eye on Bridger he began the trek back to seaQuest. Halfway there Bridger seemed to just go limp in the chair. A thin slice of fear struck Lucas. Oh my God, I wasn't fast enough. He just died on me! instantly ran through his mind.
A moment later he could see the laboured breaths Nathan was drawing. He was really ill, and possibly getting worse. Lucas hoped that there wasn't a case of pneumonia to add to it. That would kill him with the shape he was in right now. Stopping the Speeder and checked his pulse and was relieved to see that Nathan still lived, but his temperature was going through the roof and he definitely had a rattle when he breathed. Lucas ran to the back of the sub and grabbed the first aid kit and a blanket. He wrapped the captain in the blanket after taking off the worst layers to ward off any further chills. Lucas put an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and turned on the unit to supply him with the oxygen. Bridger appeared to breathe easier. He took out the thermometer and took his temperature.
Lucas nearly stopped breathing at what he saw. "Shit."
Nathan's temperature had soared to 104 degrees. Lucas wrapped the blanket even tighter around him, and read the first aid book. He had taken first aid, but this was getting beyond him. Reading the book, Lucas ripped off the blanket. That was what he had been doing wrong. Searching for something to bring down his temperature, Lucas spotted the rubbing alcohol. There was a good litre and he doused Bridger in it.
Lucas was stumped after that. He sat in the pilots seat and pushed the Speeder to full speed. Soon the seaQuest was looming in his view screen. "seaQuest, this is Wolenczak. I found Captain Nathan Bridger," oh for the day that he never had to specify! "Tell Dr. Westphalen to have an emergency medical team standing by. He's bad, really bad. Temperature of 104 and not coherent, and unconscious at the moment."
Two seconds later, "Lucas, this is Westphalen. When you last took his vitals how was he doing?"
"Breathing was laboured, rattle in the lungs. Temperature soared from 102 to 104. He was coherent enough to tell he found the cure, and then he fell unconscious soon after becoming extremely delirious. I have him on oxygen right now, and I doused him with rubbing alcohol," he answered as he delicately docked inside the launch bay. "Docking now. Opening hatch. I'm in."
Immediately Westphalen was in the Speeder and checking over Captain Bridger. A stretcher was brought and he was carefully transferred from the copilots seat to the stretcher. Westphalen continued to check him over, and took his vitals again, "His blood pressure is low, and this fever is way too high for my liking. Get him to med bay."
Lucas followed her, carefully cradling the vials that held the samples of the algae. Bridger was swiftly taken to medbay and transferred to a bed that had been outfitted with a cooling blanket. Westphalen stripped the wet clothing off of Nathan and then dressed him in the white linen bedclothes. The whites were light and loosely fitted on Nathan, and Lucas knew that they were extremely comfortable. Hospital clothes had come a long way in twenty years. No more were the silly gowns that tied up in the back and always seemed to be open used. In their place was linen tunics that had wide necks and slipped over the head to fasten at the sides with flattened velcro with pants, if wanted, that were loose and comfortable.
Once dressed in the dry whites, Westphalen put a cotton sheet on him. He never even stirred. "Start an IV," she ordered an assistant as she injected him with something. "We need to get the fever down."
She took his temperature, and Lucas was relieved to see a small smile light her face, "The good news is that his temperature is down to 102. That's still high for my liking, but its manageable."
The assistant started the IV and Westphalen brought out some ominous looking equipment. "Lucas, I would suggest you standing out in the hall. I'll let you know when you can come in."
Lucas went out in the hall and leaned against the bulkhead. He saw Robert practically running down the passageway to the med bay door. Before the captain could barge in the med bay, Lucas caught his arm. Robert stared at Lucas, but Lucas told him, "The Doctor told me to stay out here until she called me in. I have a feeling you'll get the same answer."
"How is he?" asked Robert. "I heard from Tim what his condition was like on the Speeder."
"We managed to bring his temp down to 102, but she still doesn't like how high that is. He's delirious and doubtful he even knows where he is. In fact, he was unconscious when we brought him in. He never even stirred while they were working on him," said Lucas. "And he's having a really hard time breathing."
"No one else in there is..."
"Yeah, but they weren't knee deep in freezing cold water for at least four hours," Lucas sighed. "Dr. Westphalen suspects a case of pneumonia to complicate matters."
Robert leaned on the opposite bulkhead, "Jesus..."
The two of them waited out there for half an hour and Ben also came down the passageway out of breath. They looked at him and he said, "He may remember me only from the first tour... and I was a true pain in his ass... but I think he was like a father to me then. If he hadn't, when I found that glowing shit, he would have trucked me off to be court martialed. Any other captain would have. But he didn't. He gave me one Hell of an earful, though, and I had to clean out everywhere contaminated by myself."
Robert smiled, "Yeah, that certainly sounds like your were. I made a mess of the garage one weekend. On my March break I had to reorganise it."
The three sat on the deck plating and waited, remembering, and telling stories of the man inside fighting for his life. Finally Westphalen came out with a wearied pose. They all stood as fast and at the same time, but Robert asked first, "How is he?"
"His temp is down to 100, and unfortunately that is as far as we can get it. He's severely dehydrated and we are taking care of that now. He's on oxygen due to the fact that he has quite a bit of fluid in one lung," she took a breath. "And that is only from the complication of having a severe case of pneumonia. To add to all of this, he's like the others. But before he succumbed he brought us a bit of hope..." she brought out the vials. "This algae has a natural resistance to the bacterium in the water. I've had it confirmed. He found us our cure."
Robert looked at the vial in her hands and let out a sigh of relief. "How soon can you have that ready?"
"Two, three days barring any unseen complications. Thankfully, because we grounded the Spectre wing, I have a full compliment of science crew," then she smiled wanly. "I know what else you want to know, Captain. You can see him, but he isn't awake. He won't be able to hear you and he won't know you're there."
The three of them entered the med bay and saw him on the central bed. He was so pale that they stopped in shock. Robert walked to his side and took the fragile looking hand. With is other hand he smoothed his father's hair. It had never been out of place in public and someone had given him the dignity of a wash and combing. But still there were errant strands. "Dad, I know what the Doctor and many others don't," he said soft enough that the others couldn't hear. "But I've noticed that they guess, but they don't know."
With that Robert stopped speaking and tried to reach his father's mind.
It was strange, the mists seemed to burn even as they cooled. Is this what my father is feeling? he wondered. Soon he saw a shape in the distance and he moved to it. It was his father. Nathan looked up at him and said, "Every so often I heard someone speaking to me. But it seemed to far off and I couldn't make out the words. Go back, before you end up the same way as me."
"I won't, Dad," reassured Robert. "You're only dreaming. Wendy taught me how to use our mutual gift and we're here with you."
Nathan turned, a mischievous glint in eyes, "Does your crew know you're psychic like us?"
"They know I am, and they knew Wendy was, but they don't exactly know if you are," Robert grinned then hugged his father, lending him some of his strength. "Hang on Dad, Dr. Westphalen confirmed you found the cure."
"Don't worry, I have no intention of dying in a drug induced haze. My intentions are to go out standing."
Robert opened his eyes to look around med bay and found Ben and Lucas looking at him, "Well?"
He grinned, "He has no intention of going out in a drug induced haze, so stop worrying. His words."
The two smiled and looked at him slyly, and Lucas asked, "He's as psychic as you and Wendy are, isn't he?"
"You betcha," confirmed Robert. "If anything more than me. Just not trained. That's why he prefers subs to regular ships. The water acts as a buffer to the rest of the world. That's why the island, more than anything else. The only places of true peace and quiet."
Over the course of three days one of the three sat by his bedside now that they knew that Bridger, if he couldn't hear them physically, could sense their presences and was borrowing some of their strength to keep fighting. In the afternoon on the third day a truly tired Westphalen came in and added a pill to Bridger's IV. The pill dissolved and was soon in the IV drip. Lucas watched as she hovered over the bed, watching for any change in his vitals.
A smile lit her face, and she began to put the green pills, one in each IV, in the crew members saline solutions. "Come on, Lucas, you have work to do. We have to set up a few torpedoes to spread the antigen."
February 14th, 2033
seaQuest DSV
med bay
Kristin Westphalen looked down on the sleeping face of Nathan Bridger. It had been so close, but now that the bacterium was eradicated, he was able to fight the pneumonia better. His fever had broken, and he was asleep. She patted his arm, the one that didn't have the IV, and walked over to her office to fill out her reports for the past while.
She at least had her office back as everyone else had been released and given a clean bill of health, well, almost. All those who ended up here were on medical leave for the next few days, and then only light duty for a few days after to let themselves recover.
Right now Nathan was the only patient. It was then she actually truly noticed what day it was. Valentine's Day. She nearly cried and as if on cue she heard his voice, "Kris?"
She calmed her voice, "Yes, Nathan?"
"I'm sorry."
Whatever response she could have had died in her throat, but his soft, tired, voice continued, "I'm sorry for being such a stubborn jerk. It was a stupid argument."
Kristin walked over to his bed and sat on the side of it where his dark eyes looked up at her and she said, "Yes, it was. I should be the one who's sorry."
He sighed and seemed to relax a bit, "How about we call it even and both be sorry?"
Kristin touched his cheek, noticing that the exertion of just talking was exhausting him again, and he was falling back to sleep. "Let's," she leaned down and kissed his cheek as he closed his eyes and was asleep. "I missed you so much when you and the seaQuest disappeared, and I never gave up hope that you would come back to me. I regretted that day... and even if you feel sorry, I know it was my fault. We are the same. Our work is important to us. I should have been more understanding when you told me that you were working those extra hours. And you were right that the seaQuest was what kept the peace. Right after it disappeared the UEO lost half its strength. Its coming back was a miracle we needed."
Lucas heard every word. He had been coming to see Nathan and had hung back when he saw that Kristin was talking to him. Not arguing or screaming at each other, but talking. He smiled then and whispered so that neither of them heard him, "Happy Valentine's Day, Doc."