Deep Blue Blackmail
Chapter 2
By Kiddo
In Loving Memory of Jonathan Brandis
"Don't fix a broken heart. Who really wants to forget?" (Joseph Fiennes)
"I always will remember you by real good moments." ("Real Good Moments" by Christian Wunderlich)
Disclaimer: I don't have any rights to the TV show "seaQuest DSV," and I am not making any money with this fanfiction. Mike Erikson is my own creation.
A big "Thank You" goes to my beta reader Jackie and to every one who reviewed.
Reviews and feedback are always welcome.
A short time later, Dr. Westphalen knocked at Lucas's door. She had her medical bag with her.
"Come in." The teenager's voice sounded very husky.
Kristen stepped into the cabin, and, to her pleasure, the computer genius was indeed lying in bed as instructed. The doctor put her bag down, opened it, and pulled out her stethoscope.
"Pull up your t-shirt up so that I can listen to your lungs." Lucas did as he was told, even though he was still unhappy about the whole thing. After a few moments, she nodded. "Very well, you can pull it down." Then, she took a look at his throat and ears. At last, she pulled a thermometer out.
"Is this really necessary? I don't feel that sick," Lucas tried for the last time. It was a lie, but hey, why admit it? To be honest, he was pretty sure that he did have a fever, and as soon as Dr. Westphalen knew that, she would order him to stay in bed, which he really wasn't keen on doing. He just hated being sick.
The doctor smiled. "My offer still stands. Either you open your mouth, or you will come with me to med bay."
"You're really good at this blackmailing stuff." And with that, he gave in and opened his mouth.
A few seconds later, the thermometer began to beep as a sign that it was ready. Dr. Westphalen looked at the display and nodded. "Just as I thought, 101.4. That means staying in bed for at least the next two days, and possibly longer." She pulled a bottle of pills out of her bag. "You need to take three pills each day. The best way to do this is to take the first with breakfast, the second with lunch, and the third with supper. For the next two days, I will send somebody to bring you something to eat. After that, we'll re-evaluate."
Lucas looked irritatedly at the doctor. "I'm not so sick that I can't go to the mess hall."
Kristen shook her head. "No, you will stay in your cabin and not get out of bed."
"But why not? I'm not that sick. I'll be bored to death." The teenager tried giving her the puppy eyes. "Can I at least visit Darwin? Please?"
Dr. Westphalen wanted to say no at first, but then she gave in. "All right, but only once a day and for a very short time, and you absolutely cannot get wet."
The computer genius nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks, that's great!"
The red-haired woman shook her head. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm going to regret this?"
Lucas could only smile innocently at her.
Quite furious, Dr. Westphalen marched into Captain Bridger's cabin. She thought about knocking first and waiting for an answer but then thought it unnecessary. She was mad, and Bridger would know it.
Nathan Bridger looked up from his paperwork. He looked confusedly at the red-haired woman - what had gotten into her? "Hello Kristen, nice to see you. Can I help you?"
The doctor gave him her famous 'Dr. Westphalen glare.' "Don't play ignorant with me. I'm only gone for a week, and everything is absolutely chaotic."
The captain raised his eyebrows. "Pardon?"
"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about." Anger was sparkling in her eyes. When it came to a patient, she wouldn't take any nonsense.
Nathan felt like a defendant on trial and not like a UEO captain. "I really don't know what you mean."
Kristen folded her arms. "I'm talking about Lucas."
The captain pricked up his ears at that, and he got a worried expression on his face. "What about him?"
"He is sick, and it seems that no one noticed. Anyway, I sent him to bed." Now she sat down on the chair opposite Nathan.
Bridger thought back for a moment. "Lucas said that it was just a cold."
"And you believed him?"
"Of course, why not? He's 16, not a little child."
Dr. Westphalen looked reproachfully at him. "We are talking about Lucas, not about a normal 16-year old. Other rules apply to him. As soon as the boy sees a computer, he totally forgets to eat or sleep. Lucas has to prove himself here all the time, to justify that he has earned his place on the seaQuest, and that means that he won't allow himself a break just because he's sick. You should have insisted that he have a doctor to take a look at him."
The captain groaned. "Yes, you're probably right. I'm sorry."
Kristen nodded. "Good. Do you know how long he's been sick?"
Bridger's forehead wrinkled as he thought. "The first time I noticed it was 4 days ago." Nathan could see that the red-haired woman didn't like his answer at all. She really knew how to make a person feel guilty. "How is he now?"
"He has a fever, and he needs a lot of rest."
The captain nodded thoughtfully. "And what do we do now?" Even as he asked it, he had to wonder about this question. For one thing, he never would have thought to ask this question if it was another crew member. And for another, he would also never have gotten told off by the ship's doctor if it was another crew member.
"A little bit of parental nursing, and he will be fit again in a few days," said Dr. Westphalen.
"But his parents aren't here, and I won't send him back to them for sure." The little bits and pieces that Nathan had heard about Lucas's parents were enough to show him that neither would provide any loving care for their sick child. Even a healthy one seemed to be more than they could handle.
"Then we will have to do it for them." Kristen shrugged. "We actually seem to do it already."
Bridger nodded. "I can't deny it."
Dr. Westphalen smiled. "It's a bit strange with Lucas. As soon as you get to know him, you just have to love him. I can see it with everybody."
The captain nodded thoughtfully at that. He had also observed this about himself. Somehow, the boy had managed to inspire fatherly feelings in him. It seemed to be similar with Kristen. After all, she protected Lucas like a lion would with her cub. He'd seen it most recently when she came storming into his cabin like a tornado and gave him hell because the teenager was sick. But, he knew that she was right about one thing; he should have made sure that the teenager had gone to med bay to get checked out. "I'll visit him later."
The doctor nodded. "That's good. He's already afraid that he will bore himself to death. But with his personality, I really tend to doubt it. Just the opposite, in fact; I think a bit of quiet will be good for him."
To Be Continued…
Written 2005 / Translated Spring 2006