A Question of Trust

Chapter 11

By Kiddo

In Loving Memory Of Jonathan Brandis

Disclaimer:

I don't have any rights to the TV show "seaQuest." I also don't own the different characters like Bridger, Lucas, or Darwin. I'm not making any money with this story; I'm just writing for my own pleasure.

A spezial „Thank You" goes to Jackie for beta-reading and to wolenczak2004, Lynnp, dolphinology, KatKnits00, TeacherTam, Swasti, Nerene, kokomocalifornia and sweet me for their reviews.

wolenczak 2004: Thanks! Yeah, you just have to wait.

Lynnp: Thanks! Read and you will see what will happen next.

dolphinology: Thanks, being so young makes him more vulnerable.

KatKnits00: Thanks! Isn't it kind of horrible to hear that someone is living away from his parents with only 14? But maybe with parents like the Wolenczaks this isn't such a bad thing…

TeacherTam. Thanks!

Swasti: There was a line in the last chapter that should explain a little bit why Oliver should shoot Lucas. I write it down here again: "We don't have much time left, and if we don't get it now, then it won't matter to us anymore. We need the password now!" And as we know, Lucas didn't give the password away, so Major got angry or frustrated and we know what happend next…

Nerene: Thanks! What can I say besides that I love to write cliffhangers? It's good that you still remember that Ford, Krieg, Ortiz and a few others are still free.

kokomocalifornia: Thanks! You sum it up really good, it goes from bad to worse. Here's the update for your sanity…

sweet me: Thanks! You will read what will happen to Lucas.

At nearly the same moment, all hell broke loose. Gunshots could be heard outside in the corridor, as well as the voice of Commander Ford shouting orders.

But Captain Bridger heard nothing. His full attention was focused on Lucas. The bullet's momentum had thrown the boy back. There was an increasing amount of blood pooling around him.

Nathan was kneeling next to him, trying to put enough pressure on the wound in Lucas' stomach to make the bleeding slow or even stop.

Lucas was still conscious, but he grew paler with every passing second. The strange thing was that he didn't feel any pain; he was just really cold, and he could feel the wetness of the blood. He told himself that he must be in shock and that was why he couldn't feel the pain. But he also felt like it was becoming harder and harder to stay awake. He needed to tell Bridger the password before he slipped into unconsciousness, or worse, before he died. "Capatain..." his voice was very weak.

Bridger leaned down close to Lucas' face. "Shhh, Lucas, everything will be okay. You have to save your strength. Don't try to talk..."

"No... there's something I need to tell you..."

The captain could hear it in his voice that the boy was very serious and that it was important to him. He leaned even closer. The boy's voice was growing softer with each word. Bridger's worry increased as the others fought the terrorists.

Dr. Westphalen rushed to Lucas' side. One look told her that the teenager was in big trouble. The woman knelt down across from Bridger and nodded to the captain as a sign that she would keep the pressure on the wound for him.

Nathan immediately lay Lucas' head in his lap so that it would be more comfortable for the young man. He stroked a strands of hair out of the teenager's face and leaned as close to him as possible. "What is it Lucas, what do you need to tell me?"

Lucas tried to concentrate on what he wanted to say. "The password..." He made a short brake to breath. "...it is Thegospelacco..." The teenager wasn't able to tell the captain the rest of the password as he finally lost his fight to stay awake and slipped into unconsciousness.

Kristin undertstood what the boy had just said, even though it was only a whisper. She looked desperately at the captain. "Nathan, we need the whole password to operate on him. The electronic instruments in Medbay are connected with the computer system, and that means I can only operate on him when the computer system is working! We need the password!"

Nathan nodded. "I know the rest of the password." Lucas had chosen a password that the captain knew. It was the book that the boy had left on the floor of the lab that Bridger had also read.

Commander Ford came over to them quickly. "We were able to overpower the terrorists. A few of our crew members are arresting them now." Only then did he realize that both adults were bent over Lucas. "Oh my god!"

The captain moved carefully from Lucas' head to his side. Gently but quickly, he lifted the boy in his arms. Jonathan Ford helped him to stand up without losing his balance. Dr. Westphalen was still putting pressure on the wound in the teenager's stomach and gave the commander orders. "Have Krieg and Dr. Miller come to Medbay - they both have medical training, and they need to assist me with the operation. And ask the others if any of them have no problems with blood and because I need a fourth person. And the computer has to be activated again. Call us when you're ready - the captain will give you the password through the PAL. I just hope the voice-recognition will work through the PAL."

Ford immediately ran to do everything the red-haired woman had just commanded. Normally, he wouldn't take orders from a civilian, but this was something of an emergency.

Nathan looked at Kristin as they rushed to Medbay. "I can assist you, I have no problem seeing blood."

The doctor shook her head. "No, you are too close to Lucas."

"That goes for everyone on this damn boat!"

Westphalen shook her head again. "No, you are like a part of his family. I said no, and thats's that!"

Finally, they reached Medbay, and Bridger lay the blond teenager on a bed. Only a second, later his PAL began to pipe up. "Yes?"

The voice of Commander Ford could be heard on the other end. "We're ready, you can give us the password."

Captain Bridger told them that the book title was the password. After he did that, he repeated every single letter. "Thegospelaccordingtolarry. T-H-E-G-O-S-P-E-L-A-C-C-O-R-D-I-N-G-T-O-L-A-R-R-Y."

"Okay, Captain, we got it," said Lt. O'Neill and typed every letter into the computer. When he was ready, he hit Enter, and all the screens on the submarine came to life again. Tim looked questioningly at Ford and Crocker, who were standing next to him. "Didn't Lucas say something about a voice-recognition program?"

The chief nodded. "Yes, he did, but it seems that he was just bluffing. Remind me to never play poker with that boy!"

Four hours later, Lucas was out of surgery. Dr. Westphalen, Lt. Krieg, Dr. Miller, and Dr. Peterson had performed the operation.

Nathan had only left Medbay once, and that had been to change out of the pajamas that were soaked with the teenager's blood and into real clothes.

Captain Bridger was sitting at Lucas' bedside, holding the boy's left hand. The other arm had an IV in it to replace some of the blood he had lost. Meanwhile, Dr. Westpahelen had also taken care of Bridger's and O'Neill's head wounds.

Nathan had decided that Commander Ford and Chief Crocker should interrogate the terrorists while Hitchcock, O'Neill, and Ortiz piloted the seaQuest to UEO headquarters alone. He just wanted to be at Lucas' side - that was his main priority now. And besides that, he didn't think he could ever look Oliver in the eye again. His nephew had been the one to shoot Lucas. If the blond teenager died, then it would be by Oliver's hand.

Dr. Westphalen had it made clear to Bridger that their youngest crew member could still die, even though the operation had been successful. Lucas was still in critical condition.

Nathan stroked the boy's hair out of his face. "Don't be a quitter, kiddo! You have to hold on! You must hold on! Please!" Bridger swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He was still holding Lucas' hand, and it was like he could hold onto the teenager by doing so.

But the older man also hoped the boy could feel that there was somebody there for him, someone that would never leave him. "I've never told you this, Lucas, but you mean so much to me. I don't know how I can desribe it... You're like a son to me! And I wish you really were! I can't tell you how sorry I am about our argument and that I didn't believe you about the Moon Pool. I will never forgive myself! Kiddo you must fight - please don't leave me alone. I need you. I can't go through something like this again; I won't survive. I don't want to lose you. None of us do! The whole boat is sick with worry about you. You mean so much to us, and I don't think you even know it. You've changed the whole tone on the seaQuest. I know what I'm talking about because I have been on many submarines during my career. But none of them felt like a family. Somehow, you were able to change every one of us and bring us together. I think you know that Lt. Krieg thinks of you as his little brother, but the others do too. I feel like you've turned me into the father of the whole crew here. We all try to give you a real home on the seaQuest. Don't leave us alone, Lucas, please don't do that to us!"

Two hour later, Bridger was still sitting at Lucas' bedside, but he had fallen asleep in his chair. Suddenly, he was awakened by a loud squealing. Immediately, Nathan's glance went to the different monitors and machines that the teen was hooked up to. It didn't take him more than a second to see why one of them was giving off the sound. The captain had the feeling that somehow, the ground he was standing on had fallen away from under his feet. Lucas' heart had stopped beating!

To Be Continued …

Written Spring 2003 / Translated Winter 2005