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                           EPILOGUE TO SPLASHDOWN
                     Kathy Wolenczak a.k.a. Kathleen Brown
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   Timeline: SeaQuest DSV (Season 2)
   Author's E-Mail: kwolenczak@hotmail.com
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
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.


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"Epilogue to Splashdown"
Kathleen Brown


    He couldn't sleep. He was tired, of course, _awfully_ tired, but he
still couldn't 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't 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've
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 "The X-Files" 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'd ever felt before. Dagwood seemed unaffected,
but the GELF didn't have, as Lucas called it, "The curse of Slavic blood"
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's 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't have the dark pain inside him of knowing all his
friends, even his "father", 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't understand why the boy, who he had never seen in
such intense pain, didn't 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't 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'd 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's 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.
    "What happened?"
Dagwood seemed slightly startled, too, but he spoke freely.
    "You fell asleep. I thought you were....sick."
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's 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's slender gray shape as he
swims, and the silvery water and the sparkly waves, Lucas saw beauty,
even through his grief and pain.
    "Do you see what I'm seeing, Lucas?"
Lucas was pulled form his thoughts by Dagwood's puzzled, confused
voice. He, too, was staring out over the sea. Lucas looked closer, but
saw nothing.
    "See what, Dagwood?" Lucas realized his voice was shaking. Even after
what they had been through, he still feared capture, because he didn't
know _what_ would capture him.
  The Dagger made a final inspection, and Lucas realized why he couldn't
see it. Not only was Lucas weary and exhausted, but the Dagger's 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.
    "What do you see?"
    "Tony". Lucas couldn't believe what it was he was hearing. *_Tony_?*
Tony had been with them, he should've died down there with the rest of
them....but his gills probably kept him alive. Finally, making out the
tan of Tony's 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.

    "Luke. _Luke_, c'mon, buddy, snap out of it."
    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.
    "Lucas, you okay?"
    Lucas managed only a weak nod, but he didn't know what was going on.
*What had happened?*
    "You passed out. And worse, you did it in the water. You almost
drowned." 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't 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.
    "You just rest, Lucas. It's gonna be okay". 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't know such damage could occur in such a short
period of time. He briefly wondered if Lucas and Dagwood's 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't let him die without a fight.
He'd have a fighting chance if he was captured. He'd be sent home with
the others and be given precious water and a short time to recover.
They wouldn't hurt a child. Not _this_ child, not this poor young man.
Besides, if he was left alone here he'd most certainly die alone, here,
away from his 'family' 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't 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't know immediately
what had awoken him, but was reminded as Lucas once again cried out in
his sleep.
    "Captain Bridger!! Don't leave me alone here!!!"
    Tony couldn't tell if it was simply a nightmare or Lucas' true
feelings, it fit so perfectly with reality. However, it cemented Tony's
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't disregard a feeling _that_ strong. He reached out and gently
stroked back Lucas' long hair.
    "I'm sorry, Lucas."

    Lucas' 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't 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't dressed in the same
clothes anymore, he might've been naked. He didn't mind. He was tired
of clothes. The strangest sensation he experienced was the fact he
wasn't 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.
    "Lucas. I was worried about you." 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've died. One life for two
was a tough trade to make, and Nathan never could've asked Wendy to
make that sacrifice. He was glad she made the decision on her own.
  He reached down a stroked Lucas' 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's hand.
    "How long have I been asleep?"
    Nathan smiled. "Almost 2 days". Lucas reacted in only the most mild
shock. He knew it was a long time.
    "I was scared, Captain. I thought I was going to die." Lucas couldn't
hide the fear in his voice, and Nathan could tell that as of this
moment, Lucas isn't very sure if he still _isn't_ going to die. Nathan
could only gently hold Lucas' hand and smile.
    "I won't let you die, I love you too much to let that happen".
    Lucas' voice was tiny and frightened, not unlike that of a child. "Are
we gonna go home, Captain?".
    "We're on our way." Nathan smiled.
    "As soon as I get home, I'm going to Secretary General McGath and
asking for a vacation". Nathan agreed with another gentle brush back of
Lucas' soft hair.

THE END.
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K.W.

Copyright Kathleen Brown, June, 1997