Chapter 10:
Kristin sat in her window seat drinking her coffee thinking about the night before. The wedding was beautiful and her boy was happy, finally. Lucas had told her after the reception about the discovery of the Seaquest. She pretended it didn't bother her when she noticed how well Lucas had handled the news and besides it was his wedding day, a happy occasion. The dead could wait. As she sat there her mind began to wonder through the past 10 years. A tear fell silently as she recalled one of the hardest days of her life.
"I don't know, doc. He still isn't talking. It's been 2 month," Ben Krieg threw up his arms in exasperation, "You really believe he's okay? I sure as hell don't!"
"Calm down Lieutenant, he'll hear you." Kristin admonished the man before her. She knew ben meant well but the last thing she would allow anyone to do was to cause any more damage to Lucas, "I know you're worried. I am too but, this isn't a physical problem. There's nothing I can give him to just fix it. We have to wait and give him time to heal on his own. He's been through more than we could ever imagine. Physically he is doing much better but well, mentally, and more importantly, emotionally, I just don't know."
"Well, then why do they keep saying he's fine. This obviously isn't fine."
From across the room Captain Katherine Hitchcock watched her ex-husband's pained expression, "Maybe we should try pushing him a little. Maybe try taking him out of the house for a while? Ben, you could maybe take him to the park or a beach. He'd like that."
Robert Bridger stood in the corner or the room. He didn't know the boy. He had never even spoken to him but Noyce had told him what the young man had meant to his father. He sighed before speaking.
"Let me try talking to him."
"No, absolutely not!" Dr. Westphalen stated firmly and coldly," Take it how you want but, to him, your father just cast him aside and left him alone. I seriously doubt you trying to talk to him will help at all. In all honesty that daft idea could make it worse."
"Let him try doc, hell it doesn't get much worse than what we've got now," Ben sighed, "Come on Bobby, I'll show you to his room."
Kristin looked towards Katie, "I don't like this idea."
"You don't like this idea or you don't like Robert? I wouldn't blame you for either."
"Well, both, I suppose. I hate how I'm just expected to accept him and his classified mission. Don't get me wrong it's noble of him to offer to help Lucas but, I don't think he really cares at all to be frank."
Kristin and Katie's attention were turned to Ben's voice calling to them suddenly.
"DOC! KATIE! GET IN HERE NOW!"
Kristin ran in the room almost knocking Ben down as she entered. She didn't see Lucas but, she did notice one Robert Bridger with one very bloody, very broken nose.
"What the hell happened!? Where's Lucas?" Kristin demanded.
Ben Krieg gestured to the bathroom," He ran in there. He's locked the door."
Katie quickly bent down at the door pulling a bobby pin from her hair and picked the lock. As Kristen opened the door the sight before her horrified her. Lucas was sitting against the wall with his eyes closed. He had been pale as long as she had known the boy but he almost looked grey, stark contrast to the deep red cuts going down the lengths of his arms. Kristen felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked down at the boy.
"Damn it Ben, Call an ambulance now!" Katie called back at the door of the bathroom.
Kristin bent down and propped the teen up in her arms tears streaming from her eyes, "Lucas, please, you can't do this to me. I need you. Please open your eyes and look at me."
She watched as the boy's blue eyes flickered open for the first time since his rescue he looked at her like he actually knew who she was.
"I'm sorry, doc."
"Doc? Doc? Hey you alright?"
Kristin blinked as the young man's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up at Lucas and Abbey's concerned faces she realized why they were staring at her. She was crying.
"Are you okay, Kris?" Abbey asked concern laced through the question, "Do you want us to maybe stay a day or two? We don't have to leave today you know."
"Yeah, the mouse can wait," Lucas chimed in.
"No, no, don't be silly," Kristin said standing drying her eyes, "I'm just so happy for the both of you but, I will miss the two of you living here."
Lucas smiled and hugged the doctor, "Well look at it this way, your house will stay a lot cleaner."
"True, but I may have to throw a towel or two on the floor the first couple of days, just to get used to it again." She quipped.
The pair laughed and hugged Kristen good bye as they headed off for the airport. As their car pulled away Kristin noticed the retired Admiral Bill Noyce waving them off at the end of her driveway as he turned and walked up Kristin leaned against her door frame, looking at the man suspiciously.
"Alright Bill, what's so important that I get a house call?"
"Well, doctor, I wanted to be here for you when you got the news."
"About the Seaquest? Lucas already told me it's been found, thank you for your concern but, I am alright. I knew it would turn up one day," Kristen replied nonchalantly trying to hide the fact that she had actually cried most of the early morning hours after finding out. Another funeral wasn't something she wanted to go through.
Noyce shook his head seeing through the woman's act instantly, "Lucas didn't know everything, Kristin. Hell with how he had reacted to the original disappearance we didn't even want to tell him she had been found but, we needed.."
"Of course you needed something from him. His mental state be damned the mighty UEO needed something!" Kristin admonished, "Don't belittle what he went through Bill. He's come a very long way. You of all people shouldn't want to push him."
Bill put up his hands defensively. He hadn't expected the mother bear in Kristin to be provoked by his comment but he knew better than to argue, "What I was trying to say is, we thought it would be best to shield him a little from what we discovered. Kristin, they're alive."
Kristin's eyes welled up with tears, "You're lying. That's not possible. Why would you do that to me?"
"I've spoken to Nathan myself. That's why I was a little off put last night. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner but, I didn't want to upset Lucas. The UEO would like me to ask you if you would do the examinations on them. I understand if you don't want to but, we thought they would be more comfortable with someone they know. We have to keep them confined to the base until we know what's going on. It hit the news this morning that the Seaquest was found but the leak says only bodies were found aboard."
Kristin closed her eyes and regained her composure letting her medical training take over. She felt if she let her emotions rule she would just collapse.
"Is anyone hurt?"she asked with almost a bitter tone to her voice.
"Only Miguel Ortiz, just a flesh wound. He was shot by one of our guys who weren't exactly expecting to see anyone walking around. They all seem to be in good health."
"And Nathan?"
"Hasn't stopped demanding to see you and Lucas, there is one other thing. None of them remember the last ten years Kristin, and they don't seem to have aged at all."
Kristin looked at Bill Noyce confused, how was that possible? Could this all be true? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes deciding that no matter how much she dreaded the idea she had to see this for herself.
"Alright then, Let's go."
"Good," Bill Noyce smiled," Maybe you can calm Captain Krieg down as well. He's been wearing a rut in my carpet since we put him in charge of the group's security. He won't go in the room. I don't think he believes they're alive."
"Well to be honest Bill, I'm not sure I believe you either."
