========================================================================== INNOCENCE LOST Michelle Vincenti ========================================================================== Timeline: SeaQuest DSV Author's E-Mail: MVINCENT@DREW.EDU ========================================================================== AUTHOR'S NOTES: With both "Innocence Lost" and "Hope Regained", I intended to emphasize the seriousness of the disease of anorexia. It is a dangerous and life-threatening disease. Contrary to popular belief, not every anorexic suffers from the belief that they are fat and must lose weight to be liked. Some do it because they are lonely and others simply to gain a sense of control over their lives. An anorexic will not always have all of the symptoms, such as a loss of energy. In fact, one day their energy may be through the roof, so to speak, and another, they may be slow and even appear to be lazy. Anorexia, as is true with other eating disorders, is a disease much like alcoholism. It is never cured. There is always a chance for relapse. Lucas "recovered" from this disease much quicker than most people, mostly to keep the story not only within a decent time framing, but also to keep it short. The sad fact is, the number of people suffering from this traumatic disease is increasing by the day. If you suspect, or even know for a fact, that someone you care about is suffering from any eating disorder, please try to get them help. The one thing that a person suffering from a disease like this needs is a friend. Please, for the sake of not only our generation, but for the generations to follow, help eliminate the spread of a disease that exists not only in body, but in the mind as well. Archivist's Note: I copied this notes from second work 'Hope regained'. --Andy ========================================================================== Innocence Lost by Michelle Vincenti April 4, 1997 Lucas' quarters Lucas is lying facedown on his bed, sobbing. He finally looks up and sighs. He's done crying - for now. He composes himself and heads to the bathroom. He splashes some water on his face to disguise the fact that he's been crying. SEA DECK Darwin and Lucas are playing catch when a wave of exhaustion suddenly hits Lucas. He misses the ball that Darwin "tosses" back to him. He sits on the side of the pool, gasping for breath. DARWIN Lucas tired? LUCAS (breathless) Yeah, Darwin. Just give me a minute. DARWIN Lucas sick? LUCAS (suddenly angry) No! I'm not sick! Chief Miguel Ortiz enters the Sea Deck in time to hear Lucas yelling at Darwin, but the words are indistinguishable from where he's standing. ORTIZ Hey, buddy! Calm down there! What'd Darwin do to you? Lucas whirls around and stares at Ortiz. LUCAS (turning on Ortiz) Why the hell don't you mind your own business?! ORTIZ (offended) Okay, okay. Sorry I asked. He leaves and Lucas turns back to Darwin, who's watching him intently. LUCAS What're you looking at? DARWIN Lucas mad at Miguel? LUCAS (sulking) Yeah. DARWIN Why? LUCAS (angrily) Why can't you mind your own business, either? Lucas stalks out, obviously pissed. HALLWAY Lucas is walking down the hallway back to his room, reeling in anger at both Darwin and Ortiz. Commander Jonathan Ford is walking towrds him. FORD Hey, Lucas. Lucas just mumbles something under his breath and keeps walking FORD (confused) What did you say? LUCAS (snapping at him) Nothing. Why would I ever say anything? Ford stops and looks at Lucas. He rushes to catch up with him and grabs him by the arm, turning Lucas toface him. FORD Hey, hey. What's this about? (beat) What's all of this sudden hostility? Are you all right, Lucas? LUCAS (breaking free) Why doesn't everyone just leave me alone! He runs off down the hall and into his room. He slams the door shut, purposely locking it so no one can get in. He collapses on the bed and starts crying. After about a minute of this, he gets up and wipes the tears from his eyes. LUCAS (talking to himself) Lucas, you've got to stop this. No one feels sorry for you, so why should you feel sorry for yourself? Damn it, why should you care if no one else does? He gets up and sits in front of the computer. He logs on, hoping that one of his friends is online so he can talk to them. He starts searching for all the people he know until he finally finds one - "Scully97". Most of this scene is played off of the computer screen. SCULLY97 (on screen) Hey, Lucas. Long time no e-mail. ::grins:: FRANKENSTEIN Yeah, I've been busy. SCULLY97 I can tell. :) E-mails getting few and far between and when you do answer, they're really, really short. FRANKENSTEIN Yeah, it's like I said. I've been busy. SCULLY97 So, what've you been up to? Considering that I haven't heard from you in almost two weeks, you've probably had a lot going on. FRANKENSTEIN No, not really. I've been busy, but not much is going on. SCULLY97 Lucas, you just contradicted yourself. Something's up, I know it. FRANKENSTEIN Not you, too. What is this, "pick on Lucas" day? SCULLY97 Why, have other people asked you if something's wrong? Lucas doesn't answer, he just stares at the screen. SCULLY97 Lucas? You still there? FRANKENSTEIN Yeah, I'm still here. SCULLY97 ::grins:: Okay, good. I thought for a second there you'd abandoned me. Lucas looks at the screen, a lone tear falling down his cheek. FRANKENSTEIN No, I wouldn't do that. I'm not so cruel as to abandon people that I care about. SCULLY97 Whoa, where's this coming from? FRANKENSTEIN Nowhere. Never mind. SCULLY97 No, something's on your mind. I can tell. FRANKENSTEIN It's nothing, Dana. Why don't you just mind your own business? SCULLY97 Fine. Can we just change the subject? FRANKENSTEIN Fine. SCULLY97 Good. So, are we still on for tomorrow? FRANKENSTEIN Yeah, I guess so. SCULLY97 You guess so? :) We've had this set up for months. I've been dying for you to meet my friend. You'll like her, Lucas. I know you will. FRANKENSTEIN I'm sure I will. SCULLY97 Now what's up, Lucas? You still sound upset. FRANKENSTEIN What makes you say that? SCULLY97 Short, cold responses. It sounds almost like you don't even want to get together tomorrow. FRANKENSTEIN Oh, I do, it's just that I'm kinda preoccupied at the moment. SCULLY97 Why? Something going on over there? Someone else around? FRANKENSTEIN No, I'm alone. SCULLY97 So what's going on? Why are you so preoccupied? FRANKENSTEIN So, what time tomorrow? SCULLY97 ::sigh:: Three? Is that okay for you? FRANKENSTEIN Yeah, I've gotta run. Captain Bridger wants me to do some research for him. SCULLY97 Sure. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye. FRANKENSTEIN Bye. Lucas ends his conversation with "Scully97" and starts browsing around the Internet. Suddenly he gets a "talk request" from someone that he's never talked to before. Wondering how this person knows who he is, he answers. FRANKENSTEIN Yes? Can I help you? SCARLETT Hi :) Yeah, I was just browsing around and got curious as to who was online. I was looking at the profiles of some of the people online and I was kinda intrigued by the fact that you work on _seaQuest_. FRANKENSTEIN Yeah, so? Not to be rude, but what's so intriguing about that? SCARLETT I've been following the history of the _seaQuest_ since construction started on it. FRANKENSTEIN Really? SCARLETT Yeah. So what could a 17-year-old possibly be doing on such a high-tech military ship? I'm assuming you're not enlisted. FRANKENSTEIN How would you be able to assume that? SCARLETT By your age :) I don't think that 17-year-olds are allowed in the Navy... FRANKENSTEIN Okay, you've got me on that. SCARLETT So what do you do, anyway? FRANKENSTEIN Chief Computer Analyst. SCARLETT Cool! That is such a coincidence! :) FRANKENSTEIN Why's that? SCARLETT Because I pretty much do the exact same thing where I'm at. FRANKENSTEIN How old are you...just out of curiosity. SCARLETT I'll be 17 tomorrow :) FRANKENSTEIN And you have the same job I do? Anyway, how do you know so much about the _seaQuest_? SCARLETT I told you. I've followed the history of the _seaQuest_ since its inception, including the background of the crew. For instance, I know that Lieutenant Krieg and Lieutenant Commander Hitchcock were married for a year. I know that Captain Bridger has lost both his wife and his son and was one of the leading designers of the _seaQuest_. FRANKENSTEIN How did you find this out? Other than the designing of the _seaQuest_, the rest of the information is classified! SCARLETT I'm pretty good at getting through to certain systems to do my research. FRANKENSTEIN You're a hacker?! SCARLETT In a sense, yeah. I guess I am. FRANKENSTEIN You're kidding! So am I! SCARLETT That's really weird. Lucas' PAL beeps. He sighs and answers it. LUCAS Yeah? BRIDGER Lucas? Are you busy? LUCAS I'm talking to someone online, actually. BRIDGER Well, I need your help on the bridge. LUCAS (reluctantly) Okay, I'll finish up. I should be there in a minute. Lucas shuts off the PAL nd turns back to the screen. SCARLETT Frankenstein? You still there? FRANKENSTEIN Yeah. I've gotta go. My captain needs me. Another computer "emergency", I guess. SCARLETT ::grins:: I'd like to talk to you again. FRANKENSTEIN What are you doing tomorrow? SCARLETT Well, I'm meeting a friend's friend sometime tomorrow. Blind date. :P He's supposed to be a nice guy from what I heard. FRANKENSTEIN How 'bout two tomorrow? SCARLETT Sure, yeah. I think I'm meeting them at three, anyway. :) I guess I'll see ya then :) FRANKENSTEIN 'Til then... SCARLETT Later :) He hits a few keys and shuts off his computer. He starts to get up from his chair, but immediately collapses back into it, holding his head in his hands. LUCAS (talking to himself) Okay, Lucas. You're going to be all right. You're going to be fine. You just need more sleep, that's all. He slowly gets up. When he reaches the door, everything suddenly goes black before his eyes and he can't see anything. He grabs ahold of the doorframe and takes a few deep breaths. His sight returns after a moment and he shakes it off. He unlocks the door, and starts walking toward the bridge. Bridge Lucas walks onto the bridge and approaches Captain Bridger. He grasps the back of the Captain's chair as he talks to Bridger, as if he would collapse if he didn't. LUCAS You called for me, Captain? BRIDGER Yes. We're having a little trouble with this signal and were wondering if you could unscramble it. We can't tell if it's a distress signal or if it's just a regular transmission. O'Neill is working on it now. LUCAS Okay. I'll see what I can do. Lucas starts walking to O'Neill's console when he collapses. Bridger rushes over in time to catch him before he hits the ground. O'NEILL Oh, my God, Lucas! Lieutenant (jg) Tim O'Neill rushes to Lucas' side. Lieutenant Commander Katie Hitchcock looks up from her station and sees Lucas lying on the ground, unconscious. She activates the com link to the MedBay. WESTPHALEN (over com) Yes? HITCHCOCK We need a med unit stat. Lucas just collapsed. WESTPHALEN (over com) I'll be right there. O'Neill and Bridger are trying to revive Lucas, but at the moment, their attempts are futile. Lucas is out cold and isn't reacting to anything. Doctor Kristin Westphalen runs onto the Bridge, worried. WESTPHALEN What happened? BRIDGER I just called him to the bridge to help with a signal that was giving us trouble. He was walking over to O'Neill's console to help him when he suddenly collapsed. (beat) I'm just grateful that I was able to catch him before he hit the ground. Lucas stirs a little, mumbling incoherently. WESTPHALEN I think we ought to bring him to MedBay where I can keep an eye on him. BRIDGER Good idea. I'm going with you. O'NEILL So am I. BRIDGER Commander Ford, you have the comm. FORD Aye, sir. A couple of attendants arrive with a stretcher and gently place an unconscious Lucas onto it. They carry him off the bridge and walk to the MagLev with Westphalen, Bridger and O'Neill following close behind. MagLev Lucas stirs and starts to sit up. LUCAS (disoriented) What's going on? WESTPHALEN (gently pushing him back down to a lying down position) Just relax, Lucas. BRIDGER You just collapsed. (beat) Have you been feeling okay? LUCAS Yeah. I'm fine. I'm actually just a little tired. That's probably why I collapsed. (beat) I probably just need some sleep. O'NEILL You _do_ look kinda tired. WESTPHALEN Well, I want to run some tests on you anyway, just to be sure that everything's okay. LUCAS Oh, you don't need to do that. I'm just tired. WESTPHALEN Are you afraid of something that I'll find out? LUCAS No. I just don't want to waste your time. WESTPHALEN (smiling) You won't be wasting my time. I'll just take a quick blood test and then O'Neill can walk you to your quarters so you can rest. LUCAS (whining) Why does O'Neill have to walk me to my room? I'm perfectly capable of doing that on my own. WESTPHALEN (explaining) Considering you just collapsed, taking blood will only add to the fatigue that you already feel. LUCAS (not really understanding) Oh. MedBay Lucas is lying on a bed in the MedBay, waiting for Westphalen to be finished. WESTPHALEN Lucas, I want to take an EEG as well. (beat) Just to be sure. LUCAS Why? WESTPHALEN To see if your brain waves may be able to give us a clue as to why you collapsed. LUCAS Can I sleep during this test? I'm really tired. WESTPHALEN (smiling) No. Unfortunately, this is one of those tests you have to stay awake for. Westphalen finishes taking blood and puts a bandage on his arm. Lucas begins rubbing his upper arms, trying to warm himself up. LUCAS It's _really_ cold in here. Westphalen, who had turned away, looks at Lucas in alarm. The temperature in the room is slightly above normal. She quickly hides her shock so she won't worry Lucas. WESTPHALEN (calmly) Do you need a blanket? LUCAS Yeah, I could use one. Thanks. Westphalen gives Lucas a blanket and starts to set up the machine. Lucas' quarters An hour later. Lucas is lying in bed, sleeping soundly. MedBay Bridger and Westphalen are discussing Lucas' test results. WESTPHALEN I've noticed a severe lack of vitamins in Lucas' blood. BRIDGER That's not good, right? WESTPHALEN No. Not at all. (beat, with difficulty) How are Lucas' eating habits? BRIDGER I haven't noticed anything wrong. Why? WESTPHALEN I think Lucas might be anorexic. BRIDGER (not really believing her) Why do you say that? WESTPHALEN Well, besides the vitamin deficiency, there _is_ something else that definitely leads me to this conclusion. BRIDGER (prompting) Which would be...? WESTPHALEN His temperature is normal and room temperature is above normal, but he says that he's cold. That's one of the signs that a person is anorexic. BRIDGER (adamantly denying it) No, Lucas can't be anorexic. He's too smart to turn to something like that. WESTPHALEN Intelligent or not, anorexia can affect anyone. BRIDGER (still denying it) But not Lucas. (beat, coldly) I suggest you check your data again, Doctor. There is no way that Lucas can be anorexic. Bridger turns on his heel and stalks out of the MedBay. WESTPHALEN (sighing) Ah, Nathan. You're blinded by your love for the dear boy. Nothing that he does is wrong in your eyes. Lucas' quarters Later that day. Lucas is still lying in bed, asleep. O'Neill looks into his room, Ortiz standing right behind him. ORTIZ Lucas still asleep? O'NEILL Yeah. (beat) I'm a little worried. He's been sleeping for almost ten hours. ORTIZ I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. He's probably just really tired. O'NEILL I hope you're right. I hope that's all it is. O'Neill's quarters Fifteen minutes later. O'Neill is in his room, kneeling on the floor in front of a crucifix. He has a Bible open in front of him, but he's not reading it. O'NEILL (praying fervently) Oh, God. Lucas is one of my closest friends. I just hope that there really isn't anything seriously wrong with him. God, I know that You're merciful and that You guide our lives with a gentle hand, but I have one humble request. Please, whatever is wrong with Lucas, please help him. We all care about him too much to see him hurt. O'Neill hadn't realized what page in his Bible he had opened to, but now he looks down at it, trying to understand why he opened to this particular page. It's Psalms 26, the Prayer of an Innocent Man. He starts reading it. O'NEILL (reading) Do me justice, O Lord! for I have walked in integrity and in the Lord I trust without wavering. Search me, O Lord, and try me; test my soul and my heart For your kindness is before my eyes, and I walk in your truth. I stay not with worthless men, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and with the wicked I will not stay. I wash my hands in innocence, and I go around your altar, O Lord, Giving voice to my thanks, and recounting all your wondrous deeds. O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, the tenting-place of your glory. Gather not my soul with those of sinners, nor with men of blood my life. On their hands are crimes, and their right hands are full of bribes. But I walk in integrity; redeem me and have pity on me My foot stands on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless the Lord. O'Neill stops and thinks for a few moments. He looks back down at the page, sadly. Suddenly a look of recognition comes across his face, as if he somehow understands what's wrong with Lucas. O'NEILL Dear God, the words I have just spoken, I have spoken on behalf of Lucas because he's unable to now. He is walking in a time of darkness, on which only You can bring the light of Your salvation. As he walks through the darkness of this illness enveloping him, I ask You to guide him and be with him. He needs the strength hat only You can give. O'Neill crosses himself and gets up. He closes his Bible and begins to put it on the shelf, reverently, when a sinking feeling creeps into his heart. O'NEILL (whispering) Lucas. He puts down the Bible and runs out of the room toward Lucas' quarters. Lucas' quarters. O'Neill opens the door and finds Lucas sobbing hysterically. O'Neill sits on the bed and puts a hand on Lucas' arm. O'NEILL (gently) Lucas...what's wrong? LUCAS I don't know. I was sleeping and all of a sudden, some sort of strange feeling came over me. O'NEILL How do you mean strange? LUCAS I don't know. I just felt odd all of a sudden. O'Neill looks at Lucas for a moment. O'NEILL Lucas...do you believe in God? LUCAS I'm not really sure. For a while I did, but then things started going wrong and I think I just sort of gave up on it altogether. O'NEILL Well, being Catholic, I _do_ believe in God. Not as strongly as I used to, but I still do. I turn to God in times of trouble and in thanksgiving for things that have gone right. (beat) Lucas, tonight I prayed for you. I've seen how you're hurting and how it's affecting your life. I believe that the feeling that you had was God telling you that my prayer had been answered. LUCAS You did that for me? Why? O'NEILL Because you're my friend and because I care. LUCAS (unhappily) No one cares. I'm all alone in this world. O'NEILL No, you're not. You'll never be alone. Not as long as anyone on this boat is around. (beat) Lucas, we all care about you. We'd never abandon you when you need us. Westphalen gently knocks on Lucas' door. WESTPHALEN Lucas? Can I come in? LUCAS Yeah, sure. Westphalen enters the room, followed by Bridger. WESTPHALEN I have the results of the blood tests that I took. O'Neill puts a hand on Lucas' shoulder as a gesture of support. Bridger is still standing in the doorway, refusing to enter the room. Westphalen pulls up a chair and sits down, facing Lucas. LUCAS Well? WESTPHALEN (sighs) It isn't good, Lucas. (beat) I found severe vitamin deficiencies in your blood. Lucas sits there on the bed, barely comprehending what Westphalen's saying. LUCASM (confused) So what does that mean? WESTPHALEN Lucas, I have reason to believe that you may be anorexic. LUCAS (vehement) No. There's no way that I can be. My eating habits are fine. (beat) Besides, that's a woman's disease. WESTPHALEN No, it isn't. There _are_ men who also suffer from it. (beat) Lucas, when was the last time you ate? Lucas looks down at the ground, unable to look anyone in the eye. His face is still somewhat visible and he appears to be embarrassed. He mumbles something very softly. WESTPHALEN What did you just say, Lucas? LUCAS (still looking at the ground) Last night. Westphalen sighs. This was not what she was hoping to hear. WESTPHALEN Lucas, it's nearly dinnertime and you're telling me that you haven't eaten since last night? (beat) And you're still denying that you're anorexic? O'NEILL (his hand still on Lucas' shoulder) Lucas, we're all here to help. We don't want to see you sick like this. WESTPHALEN Lucas, do you understand what this means? LUCAS (pointedly) I'm not stupid. WESTPHALEN I'm not saying that you are. I just want to be sure that you understand the consequences of what you're doing. (beat) People _do_ die from eating disorders, whether society wants to believe it or not. It is unfortunate that there is a steady incline in the number of people who are succumbing to these diseases. (beat) We don't want you to become one of the casualties. Bridger is still standing in the doorway, silent. He still can't accept that the boy he loves so much could be suffering as much as he is. The emotion becomes too much for him and he turns away and walks away towards his quarters, tears starting to form in his eyes. No one notices that he has left. LUCAS (softly) I don't want to become a casualty. WESTPHALEN Good, We don't want you to, either. (beat) I understand you have shore leave tomorrow. LUCAS Yeah, I'm supposed to be meeting my friend Dana and a friend of hers. (beat, smiling a little) Someone she wants to set me up with. WESTPHALEN Well, I don't want you to go by yourself. (beat, looking at O'Neill) Would you mind if Tim went along with you, just to make sure that you're okay? LUCAS (exploding, the anger comes out of nowhere) I'm not a child! I don't need someone watching over me 24 hours a day! I can take care of myself. WESTPHALEN Lucas, simply because of the fact that you are anorexic, and that you are, hopefully, in the early stages of recovery, I don't think that you're quite ready to be completely independent just yet. (beat, firmly) It's either Tim goes with you, or I do. LUCAS (hastily) How's two sound for you, Tim? O'NEILL Sounds fine to me. I should be able to get shore leave since I haven't taken any in a while. WESTPHALEN Good. Then it's settled. (beat) Lucas, I want you to go to the mess and eat something. Tim, will you make sure that he does eat and doesn't just push the food around on his plate? O'NEILL Yeah, sure. (looks at his watch) I was supposed to meet Miguel and Jon for dinner about five minutes ago, but I don't think they'll mind. Crew Mess Ten minutes later. Lucas, O'Neill, Ortiz and Ford are sitting at a table, eating something that might be classified as food. Ford and O'Neill are chatting animatedly while Lucas is dazedly staring at his plate. Ortiz notices this. ORTIZ Hey, Lucas. You okay? Lucas doesn't answer. ORTIZ (waving a hand in front of his face) Earth to Lucas Wolenczak. Come in, Lucas. LUCAS (coming out of the daze) Huh? What? ORTIZ You looked spaced out there for a minute. (beat) You okay? You haven't even touched your dinner. O'Neill hears what Ortiz has just said to Lucas and looks at the plate. O'NEILL C'mon Lucas. You have to eat something. (beat, reluctantly) I hate to have to say this, but either you eat at least a little bit or I'll tell Captain Bridger to revoke your shore leave. LUCAS (angrily) What is this? Why is everyone suddenly turning on me? (beat, slams his hands on the table and gets up) What's with the ultimatims all of a sudden?! Ortiz puts a hand on Lucas' arm, but Lucas just pulls his arm away in disgust. LUCAS (continuing, livid) I can't believe you people! One minute you say that you care about how I'm feeling and the next you turn around and start telling me how to live my life. (beat) You don't see me telling you how to live yours. Of course, I know how to mind my own business. FORD (calmly) Lucas, no on is trying to tell you how to live your life. We're all just concerned for you well being. (beat) We only want what's best for you. LUCAS (huffily) What's best for me? Hmph. Yeah, as if you know. What I need right now is just for everyone to stay off my case! He storms out of the mess, leaving behind a dumbfounded Ford, Ortiz and O'Neill. Lucas' quarters He storms into his room, muttering under his breath. He slams the door. LUCAS (angrily) Who the hell do they think they are? (beat, disgusted) Trying to tell me how to live my life. What do they know? Lucas gets on the vidlink and tries to put a call through to his father. A young woman answers. She's sitting there filing her nails as if she can't be bothered to do any work. SECRETARY (bored) Can I help you? LUCAS Yes, I'd like to speak with Dr. Wolenczak. SECRETARY He's very busy. LUCAS I realize that. But I'm his son. SECRETARY I'm sure you are. (beat, putting down the nail file) Do you have any idea how many people call here asking to speak with Dr. Wolenczak? If I put through every person that called to talk to him, he'd be a lot busier than he is already and that would mean that I'd have to stay here later than I normally do. LUCAS (sarcastic) What a pity. (beat) Look, I need to speak with my father. It's extremely important. SECRETARY Look, kid. Don't you listen? I told you that Dr. Wolenczak is very busy. He can't talk now. I'll leave him a message that you called. With that, the secretary hangs up on him. Lucas sits back in his chair, disgusted. LUCAS Great. Even my own father won't talk to me. I swear, there's some sort of conspiracy against me. He gets up from the chair, locks his door, then walks over to the bed and collapses onto it, sighing. LUCAS What to do when everyone abandons you? Hmmm... Lucas' quarters The next day. 09:00 hours. Lucas wakes up and clutches at his stomach. LUCAS Damn you! If I'm going to have control over at least one thing in my life... Sea Deck Three hours later. Lucas still hasn't eaten for two days. He's playing with Darwin. He tosses the ball to Darwin and just as he releases the ball, he collpases onto the ground. Darwin swims back with the ball, but doesn't see Lucas. DARWIN Lucas? Bridger walks into the Sea Deck from a side door and doesn't see Lucas lying on the ground. BRIDGER (crouching next to the pool) Hey, buddy. What are you up to? DARWIN Lucas leave? BRIDGER What do you mean "Lucas leave"? DARWIN Darwin and Lucas play. Lucas throw ball to Darwin. Darwin get ball. Darwin bring ball back. Lucas gone. Bridger starts to look really scared. Lucas would never just leave Darwin alone like that. Something had to be wrong. BRIDGER (panicked) Darwin, where did you last see Lucas? DARWIN On side of pool. Darwin show Bridger. Bridger runs around to the side of the pool, following Darwin, where he finds Lucas sitting by the side of the moon pool, his head in his lap. BRIDGER Lucas, are you okay? LUCAS Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired. BRIDGER Are you sure? LUCAS Yeah. I haven't gotten much sleep lately. BRIDGER Why don't you go back to your quarters and rest. (beat, smiling) We don't exactly want your blind date thinking badly of you because you fell asleep on her. LUCAS (smiling weakly) Yeah. I guess not. He gets up, somewhat shakily, and walks towards his quarters. Bridger looks after him, smiling. BRIDGER (thinking) I don't see what Kristin was saying. Lucas, an anorexic? No way. He just seems tired, that's all. Lucas' quarters An hour later. Lucas wakes up and looks to be a lot better. He gets out of bed and "wanders" into the mess, still kinda sleepy. He's still trying to shake the sleepiness out of his system. Mess hall Hitchcock, Ford, Ortiz and O'Neill are sitting at a table. Hitchcock spots Lucas and motions for him to join them. Ford looks a little unsure, especially after the previous day's incident. Ortiz and O'Neill simply smile, glad to see Lucas in better spirits. LUCAS (smiling, upbeat) Hey everyone. HITCHCOCK (smiling) Hi, Lucas. How are you feeling? LUCAS A lot better than yesterday. I swear, I think that I just needed to sleep. (beat, looking mostly at Ford) Guys, I'm sorry if I blew up at you yesterday. That was probably more of the exhaustion talking than me. O'NEILL No problem, Lucas. We understand. (beat, looking pointedly at Ford) Right? FORD (uncomfortably) Yeah. Don't worry about it. HITCHCOCK So, Lucas. I hear you've got shore leave coming up today. What have you got planned? LUCAS (blushing) Well, my friend Dana wants to set me up with a friend of hers... He trails off, blushing, when he sees Ortiz raise his eyebrows. ORTIZ (teasing) Is Lucas planning on "getting some" today? Lucas just blushes even redder. O'NEILL (laughing) C'mon Miguel, he hasn't even met her yet. ORTIZ Okay fine. I'll lay off. (beat) But I want to know what she's like. (beat, grinning) And especially if she has a cute older sister. Hitchcock is observing this whole thing, shaking her head and trying not to laugh. Lucas' quarters Lucas is standing in front of a mirror, humming. He's getting ready to go ashore to meet his friend -- and possibly the love of his life. O'Neill knocks on his door. LUCAS Come in. O'NEILL Hi. Um, did you forget that I'm supposed to be going with you? LUCAS (groans) Oh, yeah. O'NEILL Look, Lucas, I know how much this means to you. I'll go with you until you meet up with your friends. Then just let me know when and where to meet you. I'll let you be with your friends and I'll go off somewhere. I remember what it was like to be that age. (beat) I can understand how much harder this must be on you than it would have been on any other teenager - not interacting with your peers the way that everyone else did, always being one or two steps ahead of them all. Lucas looks at O'Neill somewhat skeptically. O'NEILL Seriously, I understand. If I didn't, I'd probably be treating you like some sort of warden. But I'm not. I'm treating you like a friend. I trust you, Lucas. Don't...just don't break that trust. LUCAS Thanks, Tim. They hug, awkwardly. O'NEILL So, you about ready to go? LUCAS Yeah. Just give me a minute. O'NEILL (rolling his eyes) You look beautiful. Now let's go! LUCAS Wait, just one second. He reaches into a drawer, pulls something out and slips it into his pocket. O'NEILL (warningly) Lucas... LUCAS (grinning) Hey, you never know. Cafe - near the shore Lucas spots Dana sitting at a table by herself. LUCAS There's Dana. (beat) But she's alone. I could've sworn... O'Neill shrugs. O'NEILL I don't know. They walk over to the table. LUCAS Hey, Dana. Dana gets up, smiling, and hugs Lucas. DANA Hey, Lucas. Long time no see. (beat) Michaela just called me. She's running a little late. She'll be here soon. (beat, eyeing O'Neill, interested) So, who's your friend? O'Neill blushes. O'NEILL (stammering) I, uh, was just leaving. (beat, quickly) Bye. He leaves, quickly, trying to avoid further embarrassment on his part. LUCAS (laughing) That _was_ Tim. Bridger wanted him to make sure that I got here okay. DANA You look fine to me. They sit at the table, joking around, throwing around a few "remember whens", when a petite girl with auburn hair approaches the table. MICHAELA (smiling) Hi, Dana. DANA (getting up to hug her) Michaela, hi. LUCAS (softly) Oh my... Lucas gets up, trying to keep his jaw from dropping open. She was much prettier than he'd imagined. From Dana's description of her, he'd expected pretty, not beautiful, and Michaela was certainly beautiful. She had auburn hair which fell to her shoulders in soft wves, pushed off her face by a pair of hairpins adorned with dolphins. Her eyes were a deep brown which sparkled when she smiled. Lucas' breath caught in his throat when he saw her. DANA Michaela, this is Lucas. Lucas, this is Michaela. Michaela smiles and holds out her hand to Lucas. He takes it and shakes it, smiling. MICHAELA It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucas. (beat) Dana has told me so much about you. LUCAS Likewise, and I think Dana talks too much. DANA (knowing it's a joke, but acting offended) Hey! Watch it, you! She playfully hits Lucas in the arm and he reacts in mock pain. Michaela just giggles at all of this. They all sit down and start chatting. DANA So what took you so long? MICHAELA Would you believe that I got stood up? I made a date to talk to this guy online and he never showed. (beat) I waited a good forty-five minutes before I decided to just give up. I hadn't even started to get ready yet. DANA (joking) Hey Lucas, you're good with computers. Maybe one of those computers you've got on the _seaQuest_ can help us figure out who this guy is, so I can give him a piece of my mind. MICHAELA You work on the _seaQuest_? LUCAS Yeah, why? MICHAELA That's where this guy is from. I think that he said that he's the Chief Computer Analyst. (beat) His handle is "Frankenstein". LUCAS But I'm... (beat, realizing something) You wouldn't by any chance be "Scarlett", would you? MICHAELA Yeah. (beat, suspicious) How'd you know? LUCAS (grinning) Because I'm... MICHAELA (understanding) Frankenstein?! LUCAS Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. I guess I kinda got caught up in getting ready to come here that I forgot all about meeting you online. MICHAELA Well, I feel better now. Knowing that you had a good reason for standing me up. (beat, giggling) You were standing me up to come and meet me. Lucas and Michaela smile at each other. Dana looks at her watch. DANA (quickly) Would you look at the time. I just remembered that I have to run and errand for my mom. (beat) Michaela, I'll talk to you later. Lucas, it was nice seeing you again. I'll talk to you soon. MICHAELA (looking into Lucas' eyes, distraced) 'Bye. LUCAS (looking at Michaela, also distracted) See ya, Dana. Dana just smiles and walks away. When she's at least out of earshot, she turns around and looks at the two of them. They're still gazing at each other. DANA (smiling) I knew they'd like each other. Five minutes later, Lucas and Michaela are just getting up to leave. LUCAS How 'bout a walk on the beach? MICHAELA I'd love that. Lucas holds out his hand and she places her hand into it. They smile at each other and they walk toward the beach. Shoreline Sunset. Lucas and Michaela are sitting on the beach watching the sunset. Lucas has his arms around Michaela and she's leaning against him. LUCAS I never dreamed that a blind date could work out so well. MICHAELA (happily) Mmm. Yeah, it has. She looks up at him and smiles. He returns the smile. As they're looking into each other's eyes, Lucas puts his hand on her cheek. He leans toward her and kisses her softly. He pulls away and looks at her contentedly. Lucas kisses her again and the time, she returns the kiss. When they break away, Michaela settles back into his arms. MICHAELA This sunset is really beautiful, isn't it? LUCAS (still looking at her) Yeah, you are. MICHAELA (turning to look at him, blushing) I was talking about the sunset, Lucas. LUCAS Oh, yeah. That's pretty, too. He pulls her toward him again and starts kissing her. Their kisses start becoming quite passionate. He gently lays her down on the beach, still kissing her. Port 23:00 hours. The _seaQuest_ shuttle is docked at the port and O'Neill is standing there, waiting for Lucas. He walks up, holding Michaela's hand. They are both smiling. O'NEILL Hey, Lucas. LUCAS Hi. (beat) Tim, this is Michaela. Michaela, Tim O'Neill. He's a friend of mine. MICHAELA Oh yeah, the communications officer. O'NEILL (curious) What did you tell her, Lucas? LUCAS (grinning) Nothing. Michaela's researched the _seaQuest_ since its early development and knows pretty much everything about it. O'NEILL Well, I hate to break you two up, but we've got to get back, Lucas. (beat) I'll wait for you in the shuttle. O'Neill climbs into the shuttle. Lucas takes Michaela into his arms. LUCAS I'll come see you on my next shore leave, I promise. MICHAELA (smiling) Okay, sure. They kiss. Lucas pulls away after a moment and looks into her eyes. He holds her close until Lieutenant Ben Krieg sticks his head out of the shuttle. KRIEG (gently) Hey Wolenczak. We've got a curfew. Lucas reluctantly pulls away. LUCAS I'll talk to you tomorrow. MICHAELA Two? LUCAS (smiling) Yeah. He kisses her gently on the cheek and then climbs into the shuttle. Just before he disappears into the shuttle, he blows her a kiss. Shuttle O'Neill is piloting the shuttle. KRIEG So, Lucas. Did you have fun? LUCAS (blushing) You could say that. KRIEG (glancing at him, grinning) Looks like it. LUCAS How can you tell? KRIEG Judging by the mile-wide grin on your face, I'd say you had a lot more fun than you're willing to admit to. Lucas doesn't say anything. He's still smiling. KRIEG Lucas, did you...? Lucas still doesn't say anything. He just grins. KRIEG You did! (beat, teasing) You little devil! Lucas' quarters Two days later. Lucas wakes up, smiling. He gets up and decides to go to the moon pool to see Darwin. Sea Deck Lucas is petting Darwin. DARWIN Lucas feel better? LUCAS Yeah. I'm definitely a lot better. He sits on the side of the moon pool, a strange look on his face. Westphalen enters the Sea Deck and sees Lucas with Darwin. She can only see him from behind, so she doesn't see the look on Lucas' face. WESTPHALEN Lucas. Hello. LUCAS (not turning around) Hi. WESTPHALEN Are you all right? She walks over to him and faces him. She sees the look on his face. WESTPHALEN Lucas? LUCAS (awkwardly) I'm feeling a little tired. I'll see you later. Lucas starts to leave the Sea Deck. Westphalen looks after him, sadly. Just as Lucas reaches the doorway, he reaches for the doorframe and sinks to the ground. WESTPHALEN Lucas! She runs to him and crouches down next to him. WESTPHALEN (into PAL) I need a med unit in the Sea Deck immediately! The med unit arrives a minute later and they bring Lucas to Med Bay Med Bay Lucas is unconscious and attached to several machines. His lifesigns are very weak. Bridger rushes into the room. BRIDGER (breathless) What happened? WESTPHALEN Lucas... (beat, trying not to cry) He's in a coma. TO BE CONTINUED... ========================================================================== copyright 1997 by Michelle Vincenti