A/N: Okay, I know that it has been a long time, but hey, I'm only human.
I sort of had a writers block, and was sort of just being lazy. I just
recently received a couple of reviews and decided it was time to get off of
my duff and do some typing. So here you go, let me know what you think,
please! I was very insecure about this chapter.
Little Secrets
Chapter 15:
Little Secrets, Revealed
Ben's Pal went off again as he came out of the closet. He wasn't excepting what he heard though. As he went to answer the call, he was interrupted by the voice on the other end.
"Ben, get down here!" It was Kristin. "Ben! He woke up!" She was laughing with delight.
Ben looked up at the Cuban, they shared the same expression. The both ran for the door, Ben slipping through first. They raced the whole way to med bay. Passing many as they entered the room, others had heard the Doc's call to been and wanted to see their favorite teen too.
Miguel stopped at the door, letting Ben go in first, alone. He reached out and quietly closed the door as Ben stepped inside.
Lucas looked out through his half lidded eyes. "Hey Ben."
Ben couldn't hold back the tears that streaked down his face, or the smile that was plastered from ear to ear. He guessed he didn't need the pans after all. "Hey Luke, how you feeling?" Ben took the chair next to the bed, carefully grabbing the teen's hand.
"Better if everyone would quite asking me that." He coughed slightly.
Ben looked concerned, but was just glad to have his friend back. "Need a drink?"
Lucas just shook his head. He began to feel a little awkward. Ben knew, he knew! He saw the burns, he looked down at the white bandages covering the burns. He had seen him shoot his own father. How could he just sit there and still pretend to care?
"Luke, look." Lucas winced, excepting his friend to say how much he hated him, but never did. "I know that we need to talk, but I think it can wait until after you regain some strength. Okay?"
Lucas was confused. Ben wasn't angry, he wasn't shouting or saying how he was going to score big off of what he knew. "Ben?" He just didn't know how to voice his concerns.
Ben looked up, "Yes?"
His voice broke, "Why don't you hate me?" He just wanted the truth.
Tears began to streak down the older man's face again. "Oh Luke! I could never hate you. Why didn't you tell me! I would never let anything happen to you! NEVER!"
Lucas was lost. Ben wasn't going to ask his father for money, but somehow he knew. He should have trusted him more. He always felt that he wouldn't, but could never be sure. "Ben..." He began to cry. I was actually going to get better!
Ben gently hugged the teen, well the best he could with hurting or disturbing the many cords and wires. The tears brought the teen into a coughing fit. He just couldn't stop coughing. Ben quickly turned from relieved to concerned again. Then the brunette noticed the blood spilling down the corner of the youth's mouth. He was coughing up blood. He quickly jammed the nurse alert button down, grabbing a rag and dabbing at the blood, the whole time trying to help stop the coughing with soothing words.
Kristin ran in with two other nurses on her heels. "Sorry Ben, but out. NOW!" Ben stood quickly and left. The last thing he saw was Kristin checking machines as he pulled the door shut behind him. He turned to see many expectant eyes on him, they all said the same unspoken thing. How is he?
Ben shook his head an softly mumbled, "He's okay. The Doc... just..." He looked up. He couldn't, he headed for his room at a fast walk. Miguel following.
"Hey Ben wait up."
"What Miguel?" Ben turned and asked sadly.
"What happened, is he okay?"
"Yea, he went into a coughing fit and..." He just couldn't do this anymore. The pain in his heart was unbearable. "I need to be alone Miguel."
Miguel read the pain in his eyes and heard the quiver in his voice. "Okay Ben, but you know that I'm here if you need someone!"
Miguel turned and headed back to med-bay. Ben turned and went past his room, not sure where he was going.
He stopped outside Lucas's room, slowly turning the hand and entering the surprisingly cleaner room. He shut the door as he entered, he really did want to be alone. He slowly looked around the room, at the computer, the small desk, the dresser and then the closet. His eyes went back to the desk, something wasn't right about it. He stood and went over to it. He looked at it, what was it that was bothering him, then it clicked. The wooden box. It was the box Lucas always kept hidden in his closet. He knew he shouldn't, but couldn't resist as he slowly reached out and opened the old box. It was about size of a shoe box, maybe a little smaller. It had things carved all over it, like equations and different names. He knew what was inside, but wanted to see.
Sure enough, he opened it all the way. letting the lid rest against the wall. Inside was a collection of disks, numbered, all with L. S. on them. He pulled out the small disk from his pocket. He had carried it with him since he had gotten it. He set it gently inside the box and taking the one marked number one out. He flipped it over, looking for any sort of clue as to the mysteries withheld in it.
He went over to the teen's computer and put it in the drive. He clicked the appropriate files until the screen came to life. At first he didn't understand what he was seeing, but it slowly dawned on him. Before him was Luke's father. He sat on a chair in Lucas's room. He had seen it once a long time ago when he dropped him off for shore leave. The room was so small and so empty. He couldn't make out the words the Doctor was slurring so bad. He hollered for Lucas and in the teen ran. He only looked to be about fourteen. This was a old disk. Lawrence stood and struck his son across the face, it made Ben flinch just to watch as the teen was launched onto the bed. He was horrified, but he felt like he couldn't move. He felt paralyzed. He just sat and watched as father approached son. He couldn't understand what was happening as Lawrence began ripping his son's clothes off. NO he wanted to scream at the screen, but just sat there watching, slowly understanding the full extent of what Lucas was hiding.
He felt like he was going to be sick. How? Why? NO! He couldn't think about it, he quickly broke out of his trance and clicked the program off, ejecting the disk and returning it to where he had gotten in from. It couldn't be, not all of these disks held the same things, did they? He slowly picked up the box and headed for his room. As much as he didn't want to know, the need to know outweighed it. He closed and locked his door, slowly sitting in front of his computer and putting in disk two.
Little Secrets
Chapter 15:
Little Secrets, Revealed
Ben's Pal went off again as he came out of the closet. He wasn't excepting what he heard though. As he went to answer the call, he was interrupted by the voice on the other end.
"Ben, get down here!" It was Kristin. "Ben! He woke up!" She was laughing with delight.
Ben looked up at the Cuban, they shared the same expression. The both ran for the door, Ben slipping through first. They raced the whole way to med bay. Passing many as they entered the room, others had heard the Doc's call to been and wanted to see their favorite teen too.
Miguel stopped at the door, letting Ben go in first, alone. He reached out and quietly closed the door as Ben stepped inside.
Lucas looked out through his half lidded eyes. "Hey Ben."
Ben couldn't hold back the tears that streaked down his face, or the smile that was plastered from ear to ear. He guessed he didn't need the pans after all. "Hey Luke, how you feeling?" Ben took the chair next to the bed, carefully grabbing the teen's hand.
"Better if everyone would quite asking me that." He coughed slightly.
Ben looked concerned, but was just glad to have his friend back. "Need a drink?"
Lucas just shook his head. He began to feel a little awkward. Ben knew, he knew! He saw the burns, he looked down at the white bandages covering the burns. He had seen him shoot his own father. How could he just sit there and still pretend to care?
"Luke, look." Lucas winced, excepting his friend to say how much he hated him, but never did. "I know that we need to talk, but I think it can wait until after you regain some strength. Okay?"
Lucas was confused. Ben wasn't angry, he wasn't shouting or saying how he was going to score big off of what he knew. "Ben?" He just didn't know how to voice his concerns.
Ben looked up, "Yes?"
His voice broke, "Why don't you hate me?" He just wanted the truth.
Tears began to streak down the older man's face again. "Oh Luke! I could never hate you. Why didn't you tell me! I would never let anything happen to you! NEVER!"
Lucas was lost. Ben wasn't going to ask his father for money, but somehow he knew. He should have trusted him more. He always felt that he wouldn't, but could never be sure. "Ben..." He began to cry. I was actually going to get better!
Ben gently hugged the teen, well the best he could with hurting or disturbing the many cords and wires. The tears brought the teen into a coughing fit. He just couldn't stop coughing. Ben quickly turned from relieved to concerned again. Then the brunette noticed the blood spilling down the corner of the youth's mouth. He was coughing up blood. He quickly jammed the nurse alert button down, grabbing a rag and dabbing at the blood, the whole time trying to help stop the coughing with soothing words.
Kristin ran in with two other nurses on her heels. "Sorry Ben, but out. NOW!" Ben stood quickly and left. The last thing he saw was Kristin checking machines as he pulled the door shut behind him. He turned to see many expectant eyes on him, they all said the same unspoken thing. How is he?
Ben shook his head an softly mumbled, "He's okay. The Doc... just..." He looked up. He couldn't, he headed for his room at a fast walk. Miguel following.
"Hey Ben wait up."
"What Miguel?" Ben turned and asked sadly.
"What happened, is he okay?"
"Yea, he went into a coughing fit and..." He just couldn't do this anymore. The pain in his heart was unbearable. "I need to be alone Miguel."
Miguel read the pain in his eyes and heard the quiver in his voice. "Okay Ben, but you know that I'm here if you need someone!"
Miguel turned and headed back to med-bay. Ben turned and went past his room, not sure where he was going.
He stopped outside Lucas's room, slowly turning the hand and entering the surprisingly cleaner room. He shut the door as he entered, he really did want to be alone. He slowly looked around the room, at the computer, the small desk, the dresser and then the closet. His eyes went back to the desk, something wasn't right about it. He stood and went over to it. He looked at it, what was it that was bothering him, then it clicked. The wooden box. It was the box Lucas always kept hidden in his closet. He knew he shouldn't, but couldn't resist as he slowly reached out and opened the old box. It was about size of a shoe box, maybe a little smaller. It had things carved all over it, like equations and different names. He knew what was inside, but wanted to see.
Sure enough, he opened it all the way. letting the lid rest against the wall. Inside was a collection of disks, numbered, all with L. S. on them. He pulled out the small disk from his pocket. He had carried it with him since he had gotten it. He set it gently inside the box and taking the one marked number one out. He flipped it over, looking for any sort of clue as to the mysteries withheld in it.
He went over to the teen's computer and put it in the drive. He clicked the appropriate files until the screen came to life. At first he didn't understand what he was seeing, but it slowly dawned on him. Before him was Luke's father. He sat on a chair in Lucas's room. He had seen it once a long time ago when he dropped him off for shore leave. The room was so small and so empty. He couldn't make out the words the Doctor was slurring so bad. He hollered for Lucas and in the teen ran. He only looked to be about fourteen. This was a old disk. Lawrence stood and struck his son across the face, it made Ben flinch just to watch as the teen was launched onto the bed. He was horrified, but he felt like he couldn't move. He felt paralyzed. He just sat and watched as father approached son. He couldn't understand what was happening as Lawrence began ripping his son's clothes off. NO he wanted to scream at the screen, but just sat there watching, slowly understanding the full extent of what Lucas was hiding.
He felt like he was going to be sick. How? Why? NO! He couldn't think about it, he quickly broke out of his trance and clicked the program off, ejecting the disk and returning it to where he had gotten in from. It couldn't be, not all of these disks held the same things, did they? He slowly picked up the box and headed for his room. As much as he didn't want to know, the need to know outweighed it. He closed and locked his door, slowly sitting in front of his computer and putting in disk two.