Chapter 6: Settling Down.

The hospital room was brightly lit for such a depressing place the captain thought looking down at his University of Wisconsin sweat shirt as he waited for his lieutenant so he could take him home. Well, not home exactly but home for the next couple of months. It had been 3 days since the Seafreedom had docked and Lucas Wolenczak had finally been released by the naval hospital as fit to travel. Ben sat patiently at the end of the bed waiting for his young friend. Dr. Kristin Westphalen had spent that last three days poking and prodding Lucas while giving Ben her look of death for, in her opinion, getting him in to this mess in the first place but the doctor had gone on ahead of the pair after much prodding by Abbey to get the house ready and dinner started. The trio had more or less camped out at the hospital much to Lucas' protesting for the three days, while Robert came back and forth between the hospital and the shipyard. Ben wondered what color Robert's hair was today, the last time he saw him it was orange and if his memory served him that was one of the last colors in the rainbow of hell, as he so lovingly called it.

"Hey Luke, you alright in there?"

"Yeah I'm fine, and don't call me Luke," Lucas said walking out of the bathroom dressed in jeans and a sweater that was just a little too big for his smaller frame.

"Aren't you ever going to buy clothes that fit you?" Ben said putting his arm around the younger man.

"Nah, probably not, if I did then what would Kristin have left to complain about?"

"True, come on. Let's get you home."

"Hey Ben, could we make one quick stop first? I wanted to get something for Abbey."

"Sure, what kind of something, cause I know a guy that could get you a great deal on a ring," Ben quipped flashing a crooked smile reminiscent of the old schemer he had once been. As he watched his young friend stutter slightly he realized he had unknowingly hit the nail on the head, "Really Lucas? Are you sure? I mean she's a nice girl and all but, you did take a pretty good hit to the head."

"I'm sure Ben, and thanks but no thanks, the last time you offered me a good deal on jewelry it turned out to be fish poop. I'd like to just go to a jewelry store please."

"I'm never going to live that down am i? And for your information it was squid poop."

Lucas gave a wry smile," Fish, squid,Dosen't matter, Ben, poop is poop."

"Come on kid lets go find her a ring."

Back at the beach house Kristin was busy cooking while Abbey had been making beds and doing a little laundry. No one had really been
sleeping at the house the past few days to they were mostly trying to get the boarded up feeling out and let some light in. Abbey smiled shaking her head as she walked into the kitchen. They had only been back about an hour and Kristin already had 3 pots going on the stove and looked like she was beginning work on some kind of cake. Robert Bridger was sitting at the kitchen table peeling a large bowl of potatoes with the help of Manilow Crocker.

"Hi Manny, when did you get in that they've already put you to work?," Abbey asked as she gave the older man a hug.

"Hi Abbey, I just got in this morning. Someone one had to come in and show this young pup how to peel potatoes otherwise dinner would never be ready." Crocker laughed motioning to Bobby and he finished peeling the skin off of a potato in one stripe.

"You know someone once told me that peeling potatoes used to be a form of punishment in the army," Robert said as he studied a spud.

"Yup, it sure was, in the navy at least," Crocker winked, "How else did you think I learned to peel 'em like that?"

"Well, then Krieg should be a master at it then," Bobby quipped just as Ben appeared in the door helping to steady Lucas a little as they entered.

"What am I a master of?" Krieg asked as he motioned for Kristin to come and grab a bag from his shoulder trying not to call to much attention to how much he was helping his younger friend.

Kristin grabbed the bag as Lucas and Ben sat at the table joining in the conversation. She couldn't help but notice the younger man looked tired but, decided to take Ben's que in not drawing attention to it. For now anyway.

"Potatoes, Krieg, O'l Crocker here says the academy used peeling the potato as a punishment and we just figured your sparkling personality would of earned you lots of potatoes," Bobby smirked.

"Well for your information, I never had to peel potatoes in the academy. You should know Bobby, I never got caught."

"Good point, Hey you remember that time you tried to sneak into Katie's room and she thought you were a burglar and you were talking in a falsetto for two weeks?"

Ben blushed looking at the young Bridger, "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing really, I just figured since I'm sitting here with orange hair I'd try to make someone else look as stupid as I do. By the way, Lucas, when is this crap going to wear off?"

Crocker started laughing to the point of tears, "Wait, that's from Lucas? I thought you were just trying to make some weird fashion statement. I remember that stuff what did you do take his soap?"

"Shampoo actually," Lucas chimed in," Orange is the last color Bobby, but it's going to last a full week."

"Great, and what happens if I dye it."

"Purple," Lucas replied looking nonchalantly at his friend.

"Purple?" Bridger glared at him.

"Yep, Purple, and then the whole process starts again. The first time I did it to Ben, he kept trying to color his hair, it lasted almost 3 months. Crocker just shaved his."

"You did it to Crocker?"

"Yeah, right after I enlisted," Lucas smiled looking at the older man.

"Borrowed your soap?" Krieg laughed.

"No," Kristin broke in setting the table, " No, if I remember correctly, he gave him a crew cut."

Abbey immediately started to laugh, "You had a crew cut, Luka? Oh My God! Where are the pictures?"

"Burned," Lucas smirked.

"Oh no," Kristin added, "I have a few, I'll show them to you one day, Abbey."

"Great, hey aren't I in enough pain for one day?" Lucas argued jokingly.

"Actually now that you mention that Lucas," Kristin's face turned a little more concerned, " I really think you should get some rest before dinner. Abbey would you mind helping him upstairs hmm?"

"Sure, no problem," Abbey said standing and offering her hand to the blonde," Come on my little patient. Let's go tuck you in."