CAIN AND ABEL

CHAPTER NINE

Robert knew his father well enough to know that he should leave him alone before he went to see him again. Fear filled his heart at the thought that their relationship may be irreparable. He contemplated going in to see Lucas. But he didn’t want to meet him properly before he could sought things out with his father. He didn’t want to go back to the guest quarters either because his own room was located too close to his father’s. So Robert opted to go and sit quietly in the mess.

Robert tried to make sense of what his father had said to him. Robert had a son of his own and he tried to think if Michael had done something like what he had done. But as soon as he came up with that scenario, he instinctively began to think up ways to stop that from happening.

Robert sat in the mess for a very long time. Once his back was aching and his shoulders were tired he decided he really needed to go and talk to his father some more. He understood that his father was angry. Lucas was like a son to him. But the two responses, the one when he and Nathan sat over coffee, and the one he was greeted with when he came onto the SeaQuest were too different from each other. Robert felt that he was missing something, and he had an idea of what it was.

Robert knocked on his father’s door. Inside, Nathan was still awake, thinking about his son as a child. The way Robert had smiled at him when he was just a few months old, knowing exactly who Nathan was. The way Bobby always came sprinting out from the house as Nathan returned home from a tour. His childhood giggle sounded in Nathan’s ears, as well as his deeper laugh, as he quickly became a man. And he thought of Lucas and they way he always wondered how they would get along…

Nathan got up to answer the door, knowing full well that it was Robert. The tears he had shed earlier were gone without a trace, and his anger had disappeared almost completely.

Robert stood looking at his father for a few moments before he spoke, “He replaced me,” Robert said as he stood in the hall.

Nathan looked surprised, and then ushered his son into his room before shutting the door.

“What?” Nathan said as he turned to his son.

“Lucas. He replaced me.”

Nathan looked at him, trying to process the fact that his son thought, and said, exactly the same thing that Lucas had.

“I.. It’s okay,” Robert assured him. “I get it.”

Nathan laughed in shock, “No, you don’t,” he turned away, shaking his head, “You obviously don’t.”

He turned back around, “Lucas could never replace you. You are my son. My only son.”

Robert looked at him disbelieving, but Nathan continued, “Lucas is an incredible, beautiful person. Yes, he did help me through a tough time when I was still grieving for you and your mother. But, Lucas is a different person. I love him differently.” He looked at Robert knowing he realised, like Nathan did, that the last was a very clichéd line. A line used often by parents with more than one child.

“There are two of you.” Nathan said.

Robert looked at him, finally understanding, “Will you ever forgive me?” he asked.

“I already have,” Nathan told him.

***

Lucas was sitting up in the hospital bed reading a book. He had woken up early that morning feeling much better. Tim was right about the colour of his cheeks; he certainly was looking a lot better.

He looked up as Nathan Bridger walked into the room and kissed him on the forehead. Lucas smiled genuinely. The smile didn’t fade at all when Robert walked in behind his father, watching Lucas carefully.

“Hey,” Lucas greeted, friendly but somewhat cautiously.

“Hey,” Robert replied.

Nathan tried to suppress the size of the grin on his face as he stood next to Lucas.

“Lucas,” Nathan sighed happily, “This is my son, Robert,” he gestured towards his son, “Bobby. This is Lucas.”

The two younger men gave a chuckle at the fact that Nathan knew they already knew each other but introduced them anyway.

Robert smiled, getting his first good look at Lucas. The kid looked a lot more attractive when he was smiling. Robert walked closer to the bed and Lucas noticed how much he looked like Nathan.

Robert wanted to avoid the uncomfortable topic, but seeing as it was pretty obvious that all three of them knew what had gone on, he decided to get it over with as soon as possible, “I’m, ah, sorry about what happened.”

Nathan looked surprised. He didn’t expect Robert to bring this up immediately. Lucas looked slightly uncomfortable and then glanced at Nathan. Both of father and son realised straight away that it looked as though Nathan had put Robert up to apologizing.

Nathan went to open his mouth to say that he was leaving, but Lucas spoke first.

“I, I was never upset with you,” Lucas told him, “People have to follow what they believe in.”

Robert stared at Lucas; shocked that someone so young could understand him so well.

Nathan watched them both, not sure why he was not entirely happy about why Lucas had forgiven Robert so easily.

Lucas saw the look on Nathan’s face from the corner of his eye, “But I don’t think this is it,” he added.

Robert looked at him carefully for a few moments, not really sure how to respond to this. Nathan figured that was his cue to leave. This was something these two had to sort out on their own. Nathan spotted Jonathan standing a few meters away.

“Ah, excuse me,” Nathan said as he glanced quickly at both of them, and then made his way towards Jonathan.”

Robert watched him leave and then turn back towards Lucas, “This isn’t it?” he asked as non-threatening as he could, “and how do you know?”

“Because it’s institutionalised beliefs,” Lucas responded, philosophically, “Anything that tries to institutionalise morality doesn’t work. It can’t work within the system and not corrupt.”

Robert chuckled, “Is that right?”

Lucas nodded seriously.

“Not that I don’t agree with you, but when did you discover this?”

“It’s something that I’ve come to believe since I’ve seen conflict over Party Operation and Section Seven,” Lucas told him, “The UEO and all its lies is not much better than Macronesia. It’s only the people that make it different, and even then, Macronesians aren’t so bad.”

“But you work for the UEO,” Robert pointed out.

“That’s because it is what best enables me to work for my ideals. Once it no longer does that, I wont be able to stay.”

Robert pondered this, and Lucas smiled broadly as though this is something he’s just figured out and he’s very glad to know. Nathan and Jonathan who were watching walked away.

“I’m so excited to finally meet you,” Lucas told Robert, “It’s so weird, you’re like a legend.”

Robert smiled, “A legend?”

“Well, yeah, I’d heard so much about you, but never seen you. I mean, you’re like Elvis!”

“Elvis?” Robert laughed heartily. Lucas laughed with him, realising what he said.

“Is this about my hair?” Robert joked.

Lucas pulled his lips up into a half smile, “No. But you’re Dad didn’t mention your ability to be incredibly scary.”

Robert’s smile faded, “Lucas, I’m sorry.”

“No, seriously,” Lucas continued, “I could tell you were a good guy when you came in to me. I was relieved for a while.”

“Really?” Robert said, disbelieving, “You seemed pretty scared.”

“Hey! I forgive, you forget,” Lucas said in mock annoyance.

“I think that sounds fair,” Robert laughed.

“I actually meant when you came in,” Lucas said, “You’ve got a powerful presence, Robert. Like your Dad.”

“Thank you, Lucas,” Robert smiled, “Call me Bobby.”

Jonathan and Nathan stood away from the other two, out of sight, but listening in on the conversation.

“Hudson figured out that Lucas already knew that Robert was responsible,” Jonathan mumbled to Nathan.

Nathan turned his head towards him, “Well what’s that got to do with anything?”

“Well,” Jonathan began, strictly, “We did speak to Lucas about what happened. He could have told us then.”

Nathan scoffed, “Oh come on, Jonathan. Lucas was traumatised.”

v“Well, yes but the way Hudson sees it, he withheld information.”

“It was extenuating circumstances,” Nathan defended him in a shocked tone.

“There _always_ seem to be extenuating circumstances for Lucas to break the rules,” Jonathan pointed out.

“Well if Hudson wants to have a go at him he’ll have to come through me,” Nathan said protectively.

“I don’t think Hudson will say anything,” Jonathan told him, “But it will be something he’ll add to the pile.”

Nathan nodded, no longer concerned. That was Hudson.

“You know,” Jonathan commented, changing towards a brighter topic, “Lucas may never have realised how he felt about himself and his career if he hadn’t seen another person’s mistake and been able to comment in hindsight.”

“That’s true,” Nathan agreed, “I guess I’ve been pretty hard on him with signing up. It is unrealistic to expect a teenager to focus fully on their entire future career,” Nathan finally admitted.

Nathan smiled, “Lucas is maturing.”

Jonathan nodded, “He gets on well with your son.”

Nathan gave a chuckle, “I did used to like to think they would,” his mood softened, “They gave me a bit of a scare for a while there.”

Jonathan looked at him sympathetically. Nathan continued, “Although I can see where conflict could arise.”

“Oh, that’s normal between siblings.”

“I just hope they don’t kill each other,” Nathan joked.

“Why because Robert had already hurt Lucas?” Jonathan asked seriously.

Nathan looked thoughtful, “Well they are on opposite sides.”

“They are not Cain and Abel,” Jonathan said. Nathan looked at him, “Jealously won’t tear them apart.”

There was silence for a few moments as Nathan pondered this.

“This is all like a dream,” Nathan said. He looked at Jonathan again, “I might go back in there. I should probably make arrangements the family to have dinner together in the next few months.”

Jonathan chuckled and watched as Nathan walked back towards Lucas’ bed, noticing how much straighter and taller he seemed to walk.

END