From kwolenczak@hotmail.com Sun Sep 7 02:17:11 1997 Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 18:54:26 PDT From: Kathy Wolenczak Reply-To: seaquest-ff@escapenet.org To: seaQuest-ff@escapenet.org Subject: (SQFF) "Epilogue To Splashdown" Resent-Date: Sun, 22 Jun 1997 20:54:44 -0500 (CDT) Resent-From: seaquest-ff-request@escapenet.org These are seaQuest's characters, I'm not saying they're mine. They are copyright seaQuest, not me. This is what _I_ think happened. This is not canon, my opinions mean little, if any. "Epilogue to Splashdown" Kathleen Brown He couldn^Òt sleep. He was tired, of course, _awfully_ tired, but he still couldn^Òt sleep this night. It had been three days since he last saw anyone he knew, other than the Dagger he shared this hideously tiny life raft with. He found himself blaming the Dagger for his plight *if only he hadn^Òt listened to the commander, if he had only listened to _me_...*, though he knew inside that both Dagwood and the Commander had only been doing their jobs in trying to protect him. Still, he would^Òve rather taken a single gulp of air and been drowned in an instant than endure a slow, painful death of dehydration, starvation, and madness as he knew he would eventually succumb and drink from the sea; Or instead find himself tortured by some weird alien experimentation which, even if somehow he managed to return home, would haunt him every night for the rest of his young life. Sighing, and chastising himself for watching too many reruns of ^ÓThe X-Files^Ô on the Sci-Fi channel, he pushed his hand through his long dark blonde hair and looked at the two stately moons up above. They never ceased to amaze his weary, sun-baked mind, as they were so different from the single tiny moon he used to watch awestruck as a young child. He looked at his watch, wondering what the people at home might be doing, Julianna, Nick, Sandra sitting in her jail cell. That thought made him smile, despite the pain in his red, peeling, sunburned face. This planet was incredibly hot during the day, and the sun baked down like nothing he^Òd ever felt before. Dagwood seemed unaffected, but the GELF didn^Òt have, as Lucas called it, ^ÓThe curse of Slavic blood^Ô in him. It was 2 am, earth time. Only 3 hours until the sunrise here. He would get hungry with the dawn, and wish once more for at least his mother^Òs hated stuffed cabbage meal, if only for the purpose of taming the beast which was forever trying to gnaw its way out of his belly. He looked over at Dagwood, who was soundly asleep only inches away. Lucas wished for a way to stretch out his legs and relax his sore, aching knees. And he also wished for a way he could be as calm and clueless as Dagwood, just so that he wouldn^Òt have the dark pain inside him of knowing all his friends, even his ^Ófather^Ô, were dead. He was alone. The thought terrified him to death. It had sent him to hysterical sobbing one day, frightening Dagwood terribly to the point the Dagger was in a panic as to how to help him. Lucas took care of himself as best he could, and refused to be touched. Dagwood didn^Òt understand why the boy, who he had never seen in such intense pain, didn^Òt just drink the sea water or swim away with Darwin. He had watched over Lucas this far, taking care to take up as little space as possible so the young man could be at least a little comfortable, even going on swims for periods of time long enough to let the young man stretch out, even take a nap lying down. Even despite all this, Dagwood sees how miserable the young man is. It wasn^Òt until now that the GELF knew simply the, as he saw it, soothing rock of the ocean could make a person sick. Lucas is obviously one of those people. Lying with his chin on the side of the raft, and gazing into the bluish water, his stick-thin body convulsing as he tried to lay motionless, only to eventually pour the contents of his stomach into the sea before bursting into tears of shame. Now Lucas seemed only within the confines of his own mind, having imagined conversations with friends now dead, writing his precious, heartfelt, self-proclaimed _awful_ poetry, writing up programs in his head, _anything_ to keep his mind off their utterly hopeless situation. Dagwood wished he could do that. Lucas awoke just as Dagwood was drifting off to sleep. He sighed and looked around, wondering how far they had drifted, and how long it would be before the sun rose. He could all ready feel the tiny cramps beginning as his stomach began to growl softly, and it frightened him. How long would he, 120-something pound Lucas Wolenczak, be able to hold out without food or water? His tongue was swollen inside his mouth, this he noticed at he ran it over his teeth. He was still tired. He also needed to relieve himself. He sighed and looked at Dagwood. Fast asleep. With a soft groan he popped both the joints in his knees, lifting himself to the kneeling position, wondering how long he^Òd have to live in such a way, how long it would be until he died or was taken from this place. When Lucas next awoke it was day, and on his forehead lay a small scrap for black cloth, taken from Dagwood^Òs ever-present black and yellow T-shirt. When he reached up to remove it he realized it was wet, and cool with sea water. Looking at Dagwood, he managed a faint smile. Dagwood smiled back, pleased with himself. Softly, Lucas spoke for the first time in three days, startled to find the sound of his own voice foreign to him. ^ÓWhat happened?^Ô Dagwood seemed slightly startled, too, but he spoke freely. ^ÓYou fell asleep. I thought you were....sick.^Ô Lucas nodded softly, dipping the cloth in the icy sea water and wiping it across his face, neck, and throat. He handed it back to Dagwood so he, too, may partake of the refreshing coolness. Lucas leaned back against the hot rubber of the raft, trying to ignore the pounding of the blood in his head, aching for water. He could see that Dagwood was uncomfortable with the silence, and wanted to ease his little suffering, but still was afraid for his own life. The GELF had an incredibly large body mass in comparison to his own, and Lucas is known, on seaQuest, for eating only when it^Òs necessary to keep him from passing out. Lucas intends to change that as soon as he gets home. But there is no home anymore...his friends were gone. Dead. In a watery grave beneath them. Lucas sighed and looks out over the sea with the diamond capped swells. As much as he hated to admit it, both to himself and...whoever may be listening..., in the sea which claimed the lives of his friends, Lucas saw beauty. In Darwin^Òs slender gray shape as he swims, and the silvery water and the sparkly waves, Lucas saw beauty, even through his grief and pain. ^ÓDo you see what I^Òm seeing, Lucas?^Ô Lucas was pulled form his thoughts by Dagwood^Òs puzzled, confused voice. He, too, was staring out over the sea. Lucas looked closer, but saw nothing. ^ÓSee what, Dagwood?^Ô Lucas realized his voice was shaking. Even after what they had been through, he still feared capture, because he didn^Òt know _what_ would capture him. The Dagger made a final inspection, and Lucas realized why he couldn^Òt see it. Not only was Lucas weary and exhausted, but the Dagger^Òs senses were far superior, on account of his genetics. Dagwood pointed out over the sea to a single spot. Still Lucas saw nothing. He sighed as he felt his strength waning, as he remembered it had before he had most recently passed out. ^ÓWhat do you see?^Ô ^ÓTony^Ô. Lucas couldn^Òt believe what it was he was hearing. *_Tony_?* Tony had been with them, he should^Òve died down there with the rest of them....but his gills probably kept him alive. Finally, making out the tan of Tony^Òs skin, Lucas flew into a panic, not knowing what to do. He did the first thing he thought of. He jumped into the sea. He swam as hard and fast as he could, and thank God Darwin kept an easy pace with him. Lucas carefully took Tony under his arm and swam him to the raft, making sure to be extremely gentle with him. As he let Dagwood take Tony up into the raft, an uncontrollable fatigue gripped Lucas, and everything slowly went black. ^ÓLuke. _Luke_, c^Òmon, buddy, snap out of it.^Ô Lucas turned his head and sighed, finding himself wet and shivering, badly. Tony was kneeling over him, an expression of terror and incredible concern on his face. ^ÓLucas, you okay?^Ô Lucas managed only a weak nod, but he didn^Òt know what was going on. *What had happened?* ^ÓYou passed out. And worse, you did it in the water. You almost drowned.^Ô Tony reached out and stroked Lucas forehead, pushing away his long, wet hair. Lucas could feel the hot tears pouring down his cheeks, but he didn^Òt care. He only wanted to sleep or die, nothing else mattered. He closed his eyes, too pained to speak, and he could feel Tony sigh. ^ÓYou just rest, Lucas. It^Òs gonna be okay^Ô. Lucas wondered why of all people _Tony_ was comforting _him_. Lucas had been safe and content in his little life raft while Tony had been God-knows-where being subjected to God-knows-what. But that meant less and less to Lucas as he quietly fell asleep. Tony was scared. He had come looking for Lucas so that he may warn the young man, and had ended up nearly killing himself _and_ his best friend. Lucas lay across the raft, skinny, limp, and practically unconscious. Tony didn^Òt know such damage could occur in such a short period of time. He briefly wondered if Lucas and Dagwood^Òs capture would do them _good_, but Tony seriously doubted it. Having been there....seeing the pain endured by his friends as they came so close to death...the despiration Wendy had as she gave up her life to awaken Tony from his coma, so that he may have a chance for escape and find Lucas, to warn him. But seeing the young man laying there...quiet and innocent and far, far too young to die...he couldn^Òt let him die without a fight. He^Òd have a fighting chance if he was captured. He^Òd be sent home with the others and be given precious water and a short time to recover. They wouldn^Òt hurt a child. Not _this_ child, not this poor young man. Besides, if he was left alone here he^Òd most certainly die alone, here, away from his ^Ñfamily^Ò and friends. But Wendy had insisted Tony warn Lucas of what had happened, tell him what was occurring nearly halfway across the planet, and _insist_ that he keep Lucas safe at all costs. It had been a long and exhausting trip for Tony, and he was dead tired. He couldn^Òt make this important decision now. He looked at Dagwood. The GELF appeared to be lost, worried, too, about poor Lucas. Tony rested his head back, sighing, and before he realized what had happened, he was deeply asleep. When he awoke it was twilight, and Lucas was shivering as he slowly succumbed to shock, both physical and mental. He didn^Òt know immediately what had awoken him, but was reminded as Lucas once again cried out in his sleep. ^ÓCaptain Bridger!! Don^Òt leave me alone here!!!^Ô Tony couldn^Òt tell if it was simply a nightmare or Lucas^Ò true feelings, it fit so perfectly with reality. However, it cemented Tony^Òs decision. He was taking Lucas back. Captain Bridger was there, and as long as he was, Lucas would be able to take whatever those alien bastards had to dish out. Not only that, but it was his gut feeling, and he couldn^Òt disregard a feeling _that_ strong. He reached out and gently stroked back Lucas^Ò long hair. ^ÓI^Òm sorry, Lucas.^Ô Lucas^Ò first sensation as he woke was that of absolute stillness. Nothing. No motion of any kind. He lay on his back in a comfortable bed, not unlike his one on seaQuest. He couldn^Òt open his eyes quite yet, they were far too heavy. But he could feel just fine, feel the soft blanket that lay over him, the cool breeze blowing at his long hair, the coolness of the room he was lying in. He wasn^Òt dressed in the same clothes anymore, he might^Òve been naked. He didn^Òt mind. He was tired of clothes. The strangest sensation he experienced was the fact he wasn^Òt hungry or thirsty anymore. It was a wonderful feeling. Almost as wonderful as the voice of his Captain. *Perhaps it was only a nightmare* Lucas wondered, because through all the relief came a flicker of confusion. ^ÓLucas. I was worried about you.^Ô Nathan was estatic when he learned that Lucas and Dagwood had been found, especially after the news that had come only hours earlier. No more tests. They stopped with Ortiz. After killing the poor young man, they came to their senses. The crew of the seaQuest was just as fragile as they were, if not more so. Nathan still cried inwardly at the fact Wendy had killed herself for nothing, but she did what she had to do, and Nathan respected her for it. If she had not awakened Tony, two young men would^Òve died. One life for two was a tough trade to make, and Nathan never could^Òve asked Wendy to make that sacrifice. He was glad she made the decision on her own. He reached down a stroked Lucas^Ò smooth, cool forehead. Finally, after seemingly an eternity, those inquisitive blue eyes opened, and there came a gentle smile. Nathan smiled back, taking the young man^Òs hand. ^ÓHow long have I been asleep?^Ô Nathan smiled. ^ÓAlmost 2 days^Ô. Lucas reacted in only the most mild shock. He knew it was a long time. ^ÓI was scared, Captain. I thought I was going to die.^Ô Lucas couldn^Òt hide the fear in his voice, and Nathan could tell that as of this moment, Lucas isn^Òt very sure if he still _isn^Òt_ going to die. Nathan could only gently hold Lucas^Ò hand and smile. ^ÓI won^Òt let you die, I love you too much to let that happen^Ô. Lucas^Ò voice was tiny and frightened, not unlike that of a child. ^ÓAre we gonna go home, Captain?^Ô. ^ÓWe^Òre on our way.^Ô Nathan smiled. ^ÓAs soon as I get home, I^Òm going to Secretary General McGath and asking for a vacation^Ô. Nathan agreed with another gentle brush back of Lucas^Ò soft hair. THE END. K.W. Copyright Kathleen Brown, June, 1997 --------------------------------------------------------- Get Your *Web-Based* Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------