Chapter 4: Not again, please not again.
Captain Benjamin Krieg sat in his quarters staring at the blank screen. He knew he had to make the call but, he had no idea how. He stood and paced the room. He was angry. He wanted to hit someone. How could he do this? How can he tell her? The captain sat down once more took a deep breath and dove in to his dreaded task. As the screen lit up with the UEO logo he began to panic but, before he could cut the link the screen lit up and before him sat Dr. Kristin Westphalen smiling warmly holding a small box wrapped in golden paper. She began to speak before looking at the screen.
"Well, young man, I was starting to think you had forgotten me on my birthday," Kristin said before looking up at the screen. When she looked at the man staring back at her she was surprised that it wasn't the face of the blonde headed genius she was expecting, " Oh Ben, I'm sorry. Lucas promised to call me tonight so he could see me open my gift from him. I just assumed when the UEO logo came up it was him. What can I do for you? Is something wrong?"
Her Birthday, damn it really kid you had to go and get yourself killed on her birthday.
Ben looked down and took a deep breath he couldn't bring himself to look Kristin in the eyes. How was he going to tell her?
"Ben, is something wrong? Has something happened to Lucas?" Kristin felt her heart begin to race as she tried to keep her emotions in check. As she glared at Benjamin Krieg it was obvious something was very very wrong as she watched the man finally raise his eyes to meet hers the tears in his eyes told her what it was he couldn't say.
"No, oh please Ben no, it's not true. It can't be true," tears began to stream down her face, "How, how did it happen? I thought you signed a damned treaty Ben! How did this happen!?"
Captain Ben Krieg had made notifications before, he had lost good men battle, dozens at least but, this was the one call he never expected to make. He tried to regain his composure enough to answer her questions. She deserved that but, his words were hardly more than a whisper.
"I'm so sorry, Doc. It was just a routine thing. With the treaty I really never thought he was in any danger this time. I'm so sorry."
"Me too Ben, me too. If you'll excuse me there's um, there's something I need to take care of. Thank you for letting me know about it personally," Kristin said mustering her last bit of composure as she cut the link. She fell back in to her chair sobbing, she couldn't believe the bright boy she had taken as her own was gone again. As she looked at nothing in particular trying to recall every detail of the young man she noticed the small box on the floor. Her birthday present, the last present ever to be received from a young man loss in a war she'd never understand. She sat on the floor and silently pulled the black ribbon from around the box and gently unwrapped the gift. As she opened the box a single sob escaped her. It was a beautiful ring. A simple band inlaid with mother of pearl just perfectly suited to her taste. As she lifted the ring from its box something on the inner band caught her eye. There was an inscription. Kristin cried as she read the one word inscribed on her present.
Mom.
Ben laid back in his bed, he was glad he didn't have to be back on the bridge for another 10 hours. He knew he should be in the docking bay as they opened the rescue pod but, he couldn't bring himself to see J.J. that way. He had been told by Dr. Levin that there was almost certainly no one alive in the pod and frankly, it would take him every second he had free to compose himself enough to stand before his crew again in the morning. His mind wandered back to Dr. Westphalen and the tragedy he just dropped in her lap. She had taken it better than he thought she would. Well in front of him at least. He made a mental note to touch base with her in the morning. Eventually somewhere in his thoughts and regret Ben Krieg heard his communications officer calling through his PAL unit.
"Captain, Admiral Hitchcock is on the line for you."
Ben sighed, "Ask her if she's Admiral Hitchcock or if she's just Katie."
"Um, excuse me sir?" the young lieutenant sounded worried. Ben smirked a little. Collins really was just like old Tim.
"Don't worry Collins if she doesn't like it she'll be mad at me not you."
"She says Katie, sir."
"Well, then tell Katie, I'm really not in the mood right now and, I'll call her soon. I just need some time."
"Aye, sir. Um excuse me sir?"
"What is it Collins?"
"The bridge crew and I, well, we wanted to say sorry… about the Lt. Commander sir. We all knew you were close."
"Thank you, all of you. Say, have they opened the pod yet?"
"No sir, didn't they tell you?"
"Tell me what Lieutenant?"
"There's a chance she's alive. They had to stop cutting one of the team saw her shoe move."
"Thank you, I'll be down in the docking bay if anyone needs me." Ben said tossing his PAL onto his desk. He couldn't save Lucas but, if there was a chance he could be there for J.J., he would be there. As Benjamin Krieg exited his room he collided with his second in command, Robert Bridger.
"Ben! Come on you have to come with me now!"
Ben looked at Bobby a little surprised how excited he seemed. Of course it was great that J.J. was alive but this was little much for the younger Bridger.
"Calm down, Bobby, I know already I was just on my way to the docking bay to help out."
Bobby looked stunned, "You know but, how could you know? Only Shan and I know, who told you?"
"Dr. Levin told Lt. Collins. You alright Bobby?"
"We haven't even told him yet! I wanted you to be the first to know."
"I don't think we're talking about the same thing here, Bobby. Let's take this from the top. Lt. Collins told me there's a chance J.J. is alive. That you guys saw her shoe move."
"We saw a shoe move, not her shoe. The shoe we saw was too big to be J.J.'s. We think its Lucas Ben."
Krieg froze. Could it be true? Could Lucas really be alright? The captain was snapped back to reality by his second in command grabbing the front of his shirt by its collar as he pulled him down the hall.
"Come on, Krieg, we don't have time for this."
Opening the emergency pod was daunting. It took a little over an hour to get half way through the thick metal pod enough to actually get a look at the still form inside the pod. Captain Benjamin Krieg felt his hair turning grey as the time passed. They could see Lucas and they could see that he was alive, but his condition aside from that was unknown. Once the pod was completely divided in two the top was carefully lifted off allowing Dr. Levin and his medical staff access to the injured man. Ben waited patiently before Dr. Levin gave them all an update.
"He's got a few broken ribs and that wound on his head will need stitches but, as long as there's not too much damage internally he'll be alright. We need to get him to medbay now."
As they moved the young man on to the gurney Ben noticed his eyes open. Grabbing his friends hand tightly he began to try and reassure him everything would be alright.
"You know kid, you really gotta stop scaring me like this, you're going to make my hair fall out ya know?" Ben smiled trying to keep his composure. He was so elated he felt as though he could jump right out of his skin. Lucas just nodded as he looked up at his friend. He was confused and in a great deal of pain.
"Wh-what happened?" he said softly.
"Not much, you just gave me a couple more grey hairs and probably scared Kristin half out of her wits. Just take it easy Luke, the doc will have you all patched up before ol' Bobby figures out how to get that crap out of his hair."
Ben watched as his friend nodded and fell back in to unconsciousness. A wave of relief hit him all at once and just as quickly as it came it faded away and his stomach twisted in a knot. Kristin. He had to get back to her. He had to tell her Lucas was okay.
"Bobby, stay with Lucas, make sure he's alright. If anything happens, anything at all I want to know right away. I need to go and find Kristin. I told her he's dead!"
Commander watched his CO run off in the direction of his cabin still hollering about a birthday and needing to know if anything happened to Lucas. His old friend certainly had changed in the years since he had disappeared. As he turned towards the med bay he caught a reflection of himself in the aqua tube glass. He smiled as a tear rolled down the cheek of the blue haired man in his reflection
