Disclaimer: All rights of the series seaQuest and their characters belong to some very intelligent people from America, who I admire for it and therefore I make no money with this story.
Title: A Dolphin's Mind
Author: YuryJulian
Beta: Anarore
Season: III
Rating: K+
Category: General
A Dolphin's Mind
Impatiently Bridger slid back and forth on his seat. Again he looked at the announcements. It seemed as if they were not advancing at all although they were driving normally. His pulse raced and little pearls of sweat began to form on his forehead. Nervously he ran his hand over it. Hopefully they were there soon. He would feel somewhat better if he was at his side and could watch over him. The call from the Commander had worried him very much. He had known that something like this would happen. Sooner or later it had to come! And who was to blame? It was not the hostile submarine that he blamed, no, he completely alone was at fault.
A further reason why he had to be fast. Jonathan had not wanted to tell to him how bad it was, but he seemed to be seriously anxious. That had been sufficient to Bridger to leave everything as it was and go away. His people had been really surprised why he left them shortly before reaching their goal, but he didn't care about this at the moment. They could go on without him.
But what would happen if a hot trail to Robert arrived just now? He shook his head in order to get this thought away fast. This was concerning people who he surely knew were still alive. Robert was still lost. A sign of life was only and alone Michael and he was nearly five years old. No, he had only to concentrate on what was more urgent. Something he could be honest about and which he would take responsibility for in time.
Finally the sensors indicated his destination. Immediately he asked to come on board. The former Captain of seaQuest hadn't to wait for a long time in order to get permission. As soon as he was inside he didn't take the time to switch off the individual systems, this could be done by the control team of seaQuest. He only switched off the machines and then he hurried off to the docking station.
Captain Hudson received him with a handshake. His face did not show any stirring regarding the events of the last days. How ever could this man always have an expression which demanded respect and permitted not one streak of feeling? Oliver was about to mention something when he was interrupted by Bridger.
"Leave the formalities, they have to wait. Take me to him!" Nathan did not wait but rushed down the few steps and towards the passage, which led to the medical station.
"He is in military hospital six if you don't want to wait for me." said Hudson, because it seemed he would lose his predecessor up to the hospital ward at the speed he went.
Exactly that happened. Two decks further and the two captains lost each other. Bridger almost pushed someone down the stairs by mistake because he did not watch out well enough, and rushed through the corridor until he stood in front of military hospital six. Without thinking a lot, he broke the door open and hurried to the only bed, in which a patient was lying.
He had expected this sight and he was more worried than before. As the torpedo hit the ship and destroyed half a deck, the Ensign was on it and got buried under the rubble. He supposedly had several fractures and also serious internal injuries. Allegedly they were about to bring him to a close convenient UEO hospital by helicopter but then the message of Dr. Perry came that the operation went very well and he would pull through. Unfortunately he hadn't woken up and Commander Ford decided together with the other officers to inform Bridger. He was the one whose name stood in the documents to get informed if something should happen to Lucas.
Nathan had not even known up to this day that his young friend had registered him there. Usually the family or a family member was selected to have this position and not the former captain. But Lucas had selected him.
He got a stool and sat down. While he ran his hand gently through the hair of the young man he hooked his other hand into that of the computer genius. The thin, long fingers felt cold. Gently he rubbed his hand somewhat, so that a little warmth would come back into it. Afterwards he pulled the cover up higher.
"Do you need something? Shall I go and get you something?" asked Hudson who had finally arrived and stopped at the door
"No." Bridger shook his head. "I do not need anything at the moment."
"If he doesn't wake up in the next two days I am going to get him to a hospital ashore. Our physicians can not constantly supervise his values. In this condition he's more of a burden for everyone."
Nathan nodded. Yes, he knew. Anyway he was surprised why Lucas hadn't been shifted ashore immediately when he hadn't woken up and had had a serious injury.
"In case you need something, I am on the bridge. I'll order Henderson to prepare an accommodation for you." said Hudson, then he left Bridger alone. At the moment it was better to leave Bridger, he was just disturbing now.
Thick foggy clouds drew up at the dock and he pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. Actually it was not so cold, but the environment was nevertheless sufficient to let a shiver go through his body. His goal was the only still open tavern at the port. A billard bar.
Orange-yellow light shone outside through the thick panes. He quickend his pace on the damp plastered ground. The surroundings let it look like a port during the early thirties of the twentieth century. As he entered the bar, two men were just leaving it whereby one of them had to support the other quite drunken one.
Inside, the air was impregnated with the smell of thousands of cigarettes and cigars, which were smoked here daily. The low hanging lamps gave just the billard tables enough light. Everything else remained in a darkness.
"What would you like?" asked the man behind the bar. He was fat, had greasy skin, a peaked cap on his head of stubbly short hair, and an unshaved chin. In the corner of his mouth was a toothpick. With his broad hands he dried some glasses.
"Beer." he said and laid down his hat as well as his coat. He noticed only now that he was wearing one of those ocre coloured trenchcoats which were particularly preferred by the snoopers in the old detective films. Fitted perfectly into this time. He sat with one arm on the bar and let his gaze wander. The bar man gave him his beer and took the money immediately. He gave him fifty cent tip. More than generous, if one remained here as long as he did, until the dawn of the next day.
At one of the good dozen billiard tables some men had got together and watched the game between two young men attentively. He had only noticed that the second one was young when he saw his face, because his hair had already turned grey and it maked him older from a further distance. And also the other one was conspicuous particularly because of his hair, since it was too long and fell into his eyes and made his playing more difficult. But he shot the ball into the pocket and won the game.
Laughing, he shook hands with his opponent. His eyes radiated a warmth and a good-naturedness, which was probably rarely found in bars like these. He hugged the man with the grey hair. The two of them did not seem to be simply two men, who had met only to play. It was nearly like a special bond existed between them.
The spectators all took up places at the other tables or the gaming machines. There would not be a further game between these two people. They had noticed that. The blonde man began one with another man, but this did not seem to interest anybody.
He was about to stand up and go to this young man when, out of the blue, the greyhaired man appeared beside him and held him back by the arm. "Don't." he said and at that moment he felt the bond to this man which he had already noticed before.
The foreigner regarded him out of black eyes. His face was white and without any scar or scratch. Not even a hair of a beard was to be seen on this really perfect face.
"Hey, good game. But unfortunately it didn't go well for you." The bar man laughed at the greyhaired man while he gave him a full glass of beer. He didn't take the money from him immediately. Apparently a regular customer, the man thought to himself. Otherwise he could not explain it.
"No, today isn't my day." The barman got as an answer. The voice of this man was somehow strange, but nevertheless familiar. It seemed as if it had no natural sound.
He took the beer and wanted to bring it to his friend, but beforehand he regarded the newcomer with a smile. "You should go now. Come back tomorrow. We have time." Then he went to the table at which the young man with the longer hair was about to win another game.
Why, he didn't know, but he took his coat and hat and put both on before he left the bar. His beer was only half drunk.
to be continued...
written August 2004
translated August 2005
Do you like it? It's the first chapter out of ten and I havn't finished translating the other ones so it'll take some time to second chapter. After the last one of "please come home" I'll do this.