by Kristan L. Cannon
Summary: Response to my own challenge on the Robert Bridger Archive: How would Lucas react after Bridger's death. And yes, this is a deathfic, I will freely admit that. Ladies, get your tissues. Oh, and it's emotionally ELF.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Shoot me now for starting another one....
Sometimes you're going to feel a shock
Got it coming, yeah, you think you're laughing
Then it hits you like a ton of rock
"Lieutenant Wolenczak to the wardroom," came Henderson's voice through the all call system.
Lucas Wolenczak looked up from the vocorder. Perfect. That was all that could sum up the entire morning. First, his new bunkmate was a moody SOB and now he couldn't even find Darwin to gripe to.
He sighed, giving up the hunt for the dolphin for later. He walked from the moon pool and caught the mag lev to the wardroom. Getting out of the wardroom, he caught sight of the new exec, now that Ford had a ship of his own, who looked at him, then walked away. Lucas sighed and then knocked on the door. Captain Oliver Hudson's voice called, "Come in."
Lucas walked in and saluted. Hudson saluted back and then he motioned to the chair, "Sit down Lieutenant."
"Sir, you called me here," he said hoping to pull Hudson from whatever depths his mind had dove into.
Better to get the reprimand over with.
"Lieutenant... Lucas..." Hudson sighed.
Uh oh... he's using my first name, Lucas thought. That's not the usual beginning. What the Hell is this about?
Finally Hudson started again, finding the safety in just repeating what the book suggested on how to tell someone this... "Lieutenant, it is my unfortunate duty to inform you..." he realized how very cold that sounded, and that who he talking about deserved a bit better. "Jesus."
Lucas was a smart young man. He could see the devastation in those blue eyes. "Who was it this time?" he asked quietly, knowing what was coming.
There could be only one reason why this would come on a day when Darwin was nowhere to be found.
"Captain Bridger passed away this morning," finished Captain Hudson finally.
Lucas slammed the hatch to his quarters as sank down against it until he sat on the floor. It can't be! he screamed mentally. But he knew that it was. He moved to the aquatube and hit every code known that would bring Darwin.
Nothing.
A knock on the hatch brought him back from the stupor he had fallen into and he walked shakily over to it and pulled it open. Lieutenant Commander Lonnie Henderson stood there, her eyes red from crying, and right behind her a somber Ensign Anthony Piccolo. "Hey man, we heard. It's all over the boat," said Tony quietly.
Lonnie hugged him, and then began to sniffle. Lucas backed into his quarters and they followed him in. Tony sat on Lucas's bed, and Lonnie in a chair, her tears freshly falling again. Lucas could only stand there in numbness. It really had not set in for him yet. That would come later.
There was really nothing to be said, but the silence soon made Tony uncomfortable, "Hey, the Captain is holding a memorial on the bridge... he said that it only seemed right. For an entire twenty four hours, three whole watches, no one is to sit in the command chair."
Lucas blinked, "Why?"
Shrugging, Lonnie answered, "Something about an old sailor legend that says that the dead always go where their heart was for about twenty-four hours after their death. I think it would creep out Captain Hudson too much if Bridger was really there."
Lucas looked at the aquatube. "He loved the seaQuest... but his heart would not have been there..."
You were living in the mean times...
Getting leave had been the easy part. Getting to the island was not as it was in the middle of hurricane season. But somehow Lucas managed.
Do you remember when
He walked up to the boarded up windows, obviously done in preparation of the hurricane that would hit the area soon, even if the eye didn't come near here the winds from it would still be incredible. Lucas walked back down the stairs and then he followed a nearly overgrown path, one not used for many years but only there by memory.
And then the corner ran
Pushing his way he finally reached the other side of the island an hour later. Here, the ruins were much more modest, and very square. If it was over twelve feet by twelve feet, he would have been very surprised. He leaned against the piling. He knew about that sailor legend. Crocker had told it to him years ago when they had found the King George. There was also another part of it.
Such a close up view
If in that right place, one could actually speak to the deceased right before they went to their final rest. Lucas grinned. Maybe he would finally meet Carol and see what aspect, other than the fact that she could have passed for a blonde supermodel in her day, that Bridger had fallen in love with.
of another you
For a moment he closed his eyes and listened to the ambient noise of the island and the sea.
As if on cue, everything silenced as if holding a collective breath, and Lucas opened his eyes. A woman stood there, her head cocked to one side as if in contemplation. Lucas knew this woman even he had never met her personally. He had heard about her every day on the first tour before Westphalen had become the new subject that Captain Bridger spoke about, but he would still talk about her.
Lucas held his breath as if his breathing would frighten away this apparition. The woman was not tall, and if her shadow told him anything she would have been shorter than him. She looked up at him with blue eyes that were full of sadness, and yet full of hope. Lucas let out one breath, then another, and then he asked, "Mrs. Bridger?"
She nodded, "Yes."
"Um, where is the Captain?"
"Resting," she answered. "Who are you to be asking? Who are you who knows of this place?"
"What it with the dead that they suddenly start speaking in riddles," groused Lucas. "I'm Lucas Wolenczak, and I heard about you from the Captain. We were friends. We were more than friends. He was the father I never had."
Do you remember when
You were so convinced
You knew everything
He closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall, and when he opened them she was gone. Lucas wiped his eyes. Just as well. And it showed him what he knew. Evidently this wasn't where Bridger's heart had been after all. He got up to leave and then saw him looking over the ruins to the small square. Nathan looked over to Lucas, "How well you knew me, son. You were all I could have hoped for and more. My legacy."
Such a close up view
With that the shadow of the former captain of the seaQuest faded once and for all and Lucas sank to his knees knowing that Bridger had said his final good bye.
Like another you.