Chapter Two

SeaQuest DSV, the next day…

"They were apparently on their way to some sort of conference," Captain Bridger explained, sadly. "Their plane was struck by lightening and went down."

Bridger, his senior crew, and Dr. Kristen Westphalen—the SeaQuest's chief physician and head of the science department—were in the Ward Room discussing the situation at hand.

"Sir?" Lt. Commander Katherine Hitchcock, SeaQuest's chief engineer, asked. "Didn't Lucas tell us his parents, um, disliked each other?"

"I believe the phrase he used," Lt. Ben Krieg, the boat's supply and morale officer, said with a smirk, "was 'they wished each other would go straight to Hell'."

"So, why were they flying together?" Lt. Tim O'Neill, the boat's linguistics/sound expert, asked.

Bridger shrugged.

"They were to both speak at this conference," he said, simply, "and despite how unhappily they were still married."

"Have you told him yet, Sir?" Commander Ford asked him, curiously.

Bridger shook his head. "No," he said, sighing. "Not yet. He's still sulking in his room."

"Bright side," Ben spoke up. "At least this will take his mind off of being grounded…"

They all gave him a scathing look.

"It was just a thought…" He wisely closed his mouth then.

Bridger rolled his eyes, and then glanced at Kristen.

"What do you think?" he asked, curiously. "How do you think I should handle this?"

If he was the teenager's surrogate father on board, there was no doubt that the strong-willed doctor was assuredly his surrogate mother.

"He has to be told, there's no doubt about that," the ever practical doctor concluded, seriously. "But I just don't know, Nathan…"

She sighed.

"Lucas already has so many 'issues' with his parents," she went on, shrugging. "I just don't know how he's going to react."

"But what happens afterwards, Sir?" Chief Miguel Ortiz, the boat's sonar expert, asked curiously.

"Afterwards, Lieutenant?" Bridger asked, uncertain what the younger man meant.

"Will Lucas be allowed to stay on SeaQuest?" Miguel clarified. "Or will they put him in…uh…foster care or something?"

Bridger sighed. Truthfully, he hadn't thought beyond the point of telling the boy.

"Can't he just apply for emancipation?" Katie inquired. "I mean, he is sixteen."

"I would strongly not recommend that," Kristen said, firmly. "Despite his obvious brilliance, Lucas is still not as mature as he lets people believe—he isn't ready for that kind of responsibility yet. He still needs guidance and discipline in his life."

They all looked to him, for his opinion on the subject.

"I suppose…" he answered, hesitantly yet truthfully. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

They all nodded, falling silent—each lost in his or her own thoughts once more.

Bridger sighed, again.

"I guess," he said, breaking the silence. "It's time."

He stood up and they all nodded, offering their support silently.

He nodded back, and then turned to exit the Ward Room.

Heading to the crew's quarters, he got to Lucas' door and knocked.

"Lucas, it's the Captain," he called into the room. "We, uh, need to talk…"

…TBC…