Sorry about the long wait... I am still writing this, though.
The bridge of the seaQuest was in chaos.
From Elizabeth's experience, Nathan Bridger wasn't a man given to constant fits of temper. When he did lose his cool, though, it was quite a sight to behold. Even the usually unflappable Tony Piccolo was cringing at the captain's tone.
Elizabeth had tried to defend them, to take the blame upon herself, but had quickly given up when the captain would not hear what she had to say. Obviously, the man was not in a listening mood. And it was her fault, really. She had been the one wanted to go out. Being stuck on the SeaQuest had been driving her stir-crazy.
From the looks on the faces of various crew members, she wondered if that sort of thing happened often.
"Let me see if I understand this. You took Elizabeth, who is here for her own protection, off the ship." A few guilty nods were directed at the captain, and all eyes on the bridge were downcast. "Then, you followed up this incredible lapse in judgment, by letting Lucas go off on his own."
The captain glared at all of them for good measure, and it was obvious that more than one was convinced this 'lapse' meant the end of their career.
"And what would you have had them do, Nathan?" Dr. Westphalen's voice cut the tension so suddenly that it made more than one shamed crew member nearly gasp.
The captain, if it was possible, seemed even more stunned than those that he'd been dressing down. "What?"
Sighing impatiently, Kristin Westphalen shook her head as if to ask 'why do I always have to be the voice of reason?' "Really, Nathan. They did a foolish thing, it's true. But what would you have had them do when Lucas decided to pout? Drop everything and go running?"
That stopped him right in his self righteous tracks. Elizabeth wondered, what would he have had them do?
Well, not go out to begin with was the obvious answer. On the other hand, under other circumstances, namely circumstances that didn't involve putting the civilian that they were supposed to be protecting in danger, she supposed that he wouldn't have seen a problem with the crew letting Lucas find his own way home.
Lucas had decided, as Lucas seemed to often do, to take his toys and go home. The crew hadn't made him leave.
Nathan sighed heavily, as he seemed to realize that she was right. He was being unrealistic, if only somewhat so.
However, Elizabeth realized, he did have the right to be annoyed by the fact that they had gone out at all.
Even if his anger was probably just a product of his concern…
Where could Lucas be?