Deep Blue Blackmail

Chapter 3

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 everybody who reviewed.

Reviews and feedback are always welcome.

Lucas sat on his bed with his back against the wall, his covers pulled over his legs. In front of him lay a pile of papers, which he marked from time to time and on which he made occasional notes in the margins.

A CD of rock music was playing in the background, and Darwin was swimming in the aqua-tube.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Without looking up from the papers, he called out, "Come in!" and highlighted another interesting passage.

Nathan Bridger stepped into the cabin and closed the door behind him. In one hand was a thermos and in the other, a mug with the seaQuest logo on it. "Hello, Lucas."

The computer genius now looked up from his papers and laid them down on the covers. "Hi."

"How are you feeling? Dr. Westphalen told me that you're sick." The captain turned the desk chair around so that it faced the bed, and he sat down.

The teenager made a face. "Oh, she's just overreacting. It's just a little cold." Being sick meant showing weakness, and Lucas didn't want to do that. "Can't you convince her that I'm OK to work?"

Bridger shook his head. The red-haired woman had been right. The boy's voice did sound like he had a sore throat. It also sounded like he couldn't really breathe through his nose, and his eyes were glazed with fever. He must have gotten worse overnight; when he had seen the boy yesterday evening, he had appeared to be fever free. Now he could understand very clearly why the doctor had been so angry. Nathan thought about the fact that if he had sent the teenager to med bay immediately, it wouldn't have gotten so bad so fast - it really would have been only a little cold.

"I'm sorry, Lucas, but a fever should never been taken lightly. The most important thing now is to get well again and rest." He picked up the thermos. "I brought something for you."

The young man was stunned. "Thanks, but you really didn't have to." He wasn't used to such friendly or thoughtful gestures. Nobody had ever brought him tea in bed at home.

"Trust me, it's the least I can do." The captain twisted the cap off the thermos and poured the hot tea in the cup. "Here, drink this before it gets cold."

Lucas took the cup between both hands. "Thanks." He took a small sip.

Bridger put the thermos down next to the bed and pointed at the pile of papers that the blond teen had been going through. "What are you reading?"

"Nothing special. These are just the latest discoveries about seaweed research and other stuff like that."

Nathan took the paper on top and skimmed over it. It sounded really complicated and pompous. This wasn't proper reading material for someone who was sick. "I think I'd better take that with me." He collected all the papers.

"Hey, I wanted to read that!" The full cup of tea in his hands prevented the boy from stopping the captain.

"You need to rest and not to think about anything work-related."

"But reading isn't work for me," Lucas tried to reason.

Bridger shook his head. Stopping the boy from working was as easy as looking after a sack of fleas. "I want you to really rest. Read a regular book, watch a DVD, or do something like that. The second I catch you doing anything work-related, I will confiscate your computer for a week, possibly longer." Nathan knew that if this threat didn't work, then nothing would.

Lucas frowned. "Why do I get the feeling that I've fallen in with a gang of blackmailers and that I'm not on a UEO submarine."

Captain Bridger, who knew from Dr. Westphalen what the teenager was referring to, decided not to reply and only smiled knowledgeably.

To Be Continued…

Written 2005 / Translated Spring 2006