Deep Blue Blackmail
Chapter 8
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.
A short while later, the captain and doctor stepped into Lucas's cabin. They had only made a brief stop at the Moon Pool to pick up the teenager's things.
Dr. Westphalen went straight to her patient while Bridger put his things away. He put the Pal close enough so that Lucas could reach it from his bed without any problems.
The computer genius was lying in his bed. He had his blanket pulled up to his nose and was shaking.
Kristen looked sympathetically at the boy and put her hand on his forehead. "How are you feeling?"
Lucas shrugged. "I don't know. It's so strange. I really felt okay when I was working on the computer on the bridge, and now it's like I feel worse every minute."
The red-haired woman nodded in understanding. "That's because you were under a lot of stress. The adrenalin rush made it so that you didn't feel how ill you were. And now that the stress is gone, you feel it a lot more." She looked at him reproachfully. "Where on earth did you get the ridiculous idea that you could just go jumping into the cold water! Honestly! Jumping into cold water when you are already sick! How could you do such a stupid thing! I should take you over my knee." She shook her head in disbelief as she took her stethoscope out of her bag. She had to work very hard to keep herself from lecturing him further.
"There wasn't another way. I was the only one who could do anything, and I wanted to help," said Lucas quietly.
Bridger and Westphalen shared a knowing look.
"Pull your shirt up so that I can listen to you breathe." Kristen put her stethoscope in her ears. The teenager did as told and jumped slightly when the stethoscope touched his skin. It was cold.
A moment later, the doctor was finished. She didn't look pleased. "You don't sound good at all. Let me take a look at your throat." She took a small flashlight out of her bag. "You, young man, are officially on sick leave for the entire week, and quite possibly even longer."
The boy's eyes got big. "What?"
Kristen nodded. "You heard me. I'm sorry, Lucas, but you are really very ill! No more visits to the Moon Pool."
When Bridger saw how sad the kid looked, he felt even more pity. "I'll bring you the Vocorder so that you can talk with Darwin from here."
"Thanks," the teenager mumbled.
Dr. Westphalen now took a thermometer out of her bag. "Open your mouth so we can see if you have a fever," she said, although she didn't think that he had one at the moment. He was still shaking, and his skin was also cool to the touch. She believed that the fever would rise again in a few hours, once the effect of the cold water wore off.
A couple of minutes later, the thermometer was beeped, indicating that Lucas could take it out of his mouth.
Just as the doctor had thought, the boy didn't have a fever. She tried to figure out what she should do. She could try to warm him up to help stop the shivering... But by trying to warm him up, she might also make the fever come back.
When she saw that Lucas's teeth were beginning to chatter, she made her decision. "I'll bring you another blanket and a hot-water bottle for your feet." She smiled encouragingly at the computer genius. "We'll leave you alone for now. Just try to sleep a bit."
Lucas nodded. "Okay."
Bridger put his hand reassuringly on the teen's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll feel better soon." Then, he turned towards the door. "See you later."
"Bye." The computer genius snuggled as deeply into his covers as he could and closed his eyes.
In the corridor, the captain looked questioningly at the doctor.
"Let's walk, then we'll speak," said Dr. Westphalen.
When they reached the next corridor, the two stopped. "How bad is it?" He hadn't missed Kristen's worried expression. There was more than what she had told the teen.
The red-haired woman took a deep breath. "I want to be honest with you. I'm really worried. Lucas's breathing didn't sound good. He has bronchitis, and I'm afraid that this could easily turn into pneumonia. After all, his immune system was weak before, and sitting around in wet clothes for hours certainly didn't help."
"Will you let him stay in his cabin, or will you transfer him to med bay?" asked the captain.
"Personally, I would prefer having him in med bay. But since I know how much he hates the place, I'll let him stay in his cabin as long as possible. He feels comfortable there, and that will probably help to speed up his recovery."
Bridger nodded. "Maybe we'll get lucky and it won't turn into pneumonia." He looked hopeful.
Kristen nodded. "Yes, let's hope so. It would be best is if somebody checks on him regularly."
"That goes without saying."
To Be Continued…
Written 2005 / Translated Spring 2006