NEVER THOUGHT IT COULD BE YOU II
What can I say here? Why shouldn't I be able to do the same plot idea over and over? :)
Disclaimer: I do not own SeaQuest or it's characters. I'm just borrowing them for fun.
Bridger curiously watched the hospital staff in the small hospital run around like crazy as he made his way into the large wardroom.
"Hey," he called out to the petit blonde young women in the white over coat.
Dr Julie Carrison turned around abruptly and sighed with her entire body, "Nathan, sorry I was going to call.."
Nathan shook his head as he walked over, "No, no, it's fine. I figured when you hadn't arrived at lunch that something must have happened."
"I'm helping out the medical staff," she told him, "There was a raid and several pirates trashed the domestic areas of the colony."
"How can you help?" Bridger asked her.
She shrugged, "However much I can. Most of these people are in pain and terrible distress. It helps to just try to support them."
Nathan nodded looking around, "Well I feel like I should help too."
Dr Carrison looked at him warily and sighed, "Well you should probably just stay out here and look after the people with general sprains and bruises."
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To be with the more seriously injured patients."
"Well, I can deal with that," Bridger commented.
She looked at him warily, "I'm not sure you understand," he looked at her enquiry, "It's quite distressing."
"It's alright," he told her, "I can handle it."
"We have this young boy lying in his own blood in the next room in agony,” she told him, “The bastards who were stealing the livelihoods of innocent people broke every bone in both his hands and crushed the bones in his legs in several places after he programmed the docking bay doors to stay closed and wouldn’t tell them where the men they were looking for were hidden."
She watched his reaction, "They're trying to set his bones. He's in terrible pain. You don't want to have to see that."
Nathan skipped over several important pieces of information, "The leaders of this colony hid while pirates tortured a young boy?" he asked, shocked, "How old was the boy?"
"Nineteen," she answered slowly.
Nathan shook his head, "That's terrible. I still feel like I should do something."
Dr Carrison contemplated several ways of stopping him from going into the room before she spoke, "He is an officer. He was doing his job."
"Who?"
She looked at him pointedly, "The boy."
"What kind of officer is that qualified at that age..." he trailed off as nausea churned up.
He could think of one.
He swallowed harshly before continuing, his face pale and his voice shaking, "The only one I know isn't lying in a makeshift hospital with broken bones..."
His head spun painfully and he almost cried out in anguish when she didn't answer him. His heart thumped so hard it ached. He felt a sickness and dizziness inside him so intense he thought he'd pass out. He didnt even feel Carrison try to stop him as he flew into the next room.
The writhing child on the bloody mattress near the center of the next room was hard to miss. Bridger felt a split second of genuine relief as he saw the boy's face. He was much too pale and young to be Lucas. But as the boy's eyes flashed open while he lay panting and crying, he felt gut wrenching pain tear through him, and choked on his own cry of sorrow, throwing his hand over his mouth.
He felt Carrison's hand on his arm and he closed his eyes and let tears fall down his face, trying to will think through the unbelievable pain he felt.
She took his arm gently and tried to lead him out of the room but he resisted. They both jumped suddenly as Lucas screamed while someone touched his leg. Bridger burst into tears and doubled over, "Oh God," he cried.
Carrison immediately let go of him and rushed over to the doctors around the young officer on the cart, "Wait, stop! Stop for a second," Bridger could hear her say as she ran over.
The ex-Captain looked at the ground, unable to think of anything but the sickness and horror inside him. He kept focused on the ground as he made his way over to Lucas.
Once he was able to look up at the boy on the cart, he realised Lucas was looking right at him. With sudden protective feelings rising up in him, and relief that Lucas wanted to see him, he felt the numbing horror dissipate some, but the pain stayed.
"Captain!" Lucas gasped.
Bridger grabbed his upper arm tight, "Lucas! Oh God.."
Lucas choked out a sob as pain racked through him and tears rolled down his checks. He arched his back slightly and looked at Bridger.
"Wh..what are you doing here?" he forced out.
Bridger looked up at the doctors near him, "Looking after you."
The Doctor took a hold of Lucas' left leg to start setting it again and Lucas twisted his head to the side as he cried out in agony.
"That's enough!" Bridger yelled, "He doesnt have to be conscious for this."
"Well, it's a good idea.." the doctor started to explain.
"No it isn't! He's already been tortured!"
Bridger looked away as the head doctor and two others started at him. He casually brought his other hand up and wiped at his eyes to dignify himself.
The doctors were still just standing there, so he turned his attention back to Lucas and stroked his hair gently. Lucas gasped out, still in pain.
"It's alright," he soothed. He turned his wrath back to the doctors again, "What are you standing around for? Get him something for the pain!"
"He's already had something," the doctor insisted trying to appear in control.
"What? Panadol?" Bridger snapped sarcastically, "Get him some morphine!" When they just stood there he glared, "Now!"
One of the doctors ran of quicker than the others and the two left, including the one who had spoken to Bridger moved off slowly.
"Julie," Bridger called, looking around, while he continued to stroke Lucas' head. She came around to stand near him.
"Where is the SeaQuest?"
"I think they just arrived," she told him.
"Would you get them down here please? They're the only people I trust with him now."
She nodded and left them.
Still gripping Lucas' upper arm he looked back down at him. Lucas was no longer crying as heavily and had resorted to whimpering softly and struggling with the pain. He moved his hand around to keep stroking Lucas' hair back so that he'd made his way all the way across Lucas' head and back again.
"You're the most precious thing to me right now," he told him.
"That's because you haven't found your son," Lucas told him through sobs.
Bridger stopped stroking his head and squeezed his arm tighter, looking up at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears in his eyes. Eventually he looked back and put his forehead down on Lucas'.
He put his hand against his hair again, "I didnt realise how much he meant to me for a long time either. I guess I screwed up with both of you."
He kissed Lucas' forehead, "I'll always love you."