Alternative End To "Bad Water"

By Kiddo

Disclaimer:

I don't have any rights to the TV show "seaQuest DSV" or its characters. Additionally, I am not making any money by writing this.

A "Thank you" goes to Jackie for beta –reading.

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Lucas was standing in front of his wardrobe, searching for a sweater and jogging pants. He for sure wouldn't sleep only in boxers and a t-shirt tonight. He just was too cold for that. After locating the desired clothes, the teenager threw both things on his bed and began looking for a pair of thick woollen socks.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." He looked irritatedly at the door. Who would come visiting him at this time of the night?

Bridger stepped into the cabin. "Hello, Lucas." Nathan sat down on the only chair in the cabin. In doing so, his gaze automatically fell on the boy's laptop computer. "Have you already tested it to see if it's still working?" He pointed at the laptop.

The blond boy shook his head. "No, I don't need to. I already know that it will work. My computer is not normally connected to the seaQuest's network. I always just set up a link to it when I need it. And besides, my laptop doesn't need to be plugged into the ship's power. I have a battery in it that I only need to replace every two years."

The captain nodded in understanding. "Wow, that's really practical."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, it is." He went over to his bed, laid the socks on it, and sat down on his covers.

"That's not actually why I came to talk to you," said Bridger. "I wanted to know if you are really alright."

The computer genius nodded. "Since I'm back on the seaQuest, and I know that Darwin is okay, I'm good."

"Good to hear. I really was worried about you four. We all were. It's not easy to ignore that an important part of your crew is sitting in a rubber dinghy with a hurricane all over them, while you have to take care of something else."

The teenager nodded. "I can imagine that. It wasn't easy for us either. You know, I already thought that you had forgotten about us, even though I also knew that that would never be the case."

Bridger shook his head emphatically. "We would never forget you. We couldn't do that."

"Yeah, I actually knew that. It was just so frustrating, sitting in this rubber dinghy and waiting for help."

"Well, after all that's happened, I'm really glad that you are all here again and well." For a moment Nathan thought about getting personal and finally decided that the boy needed to hear it. "I was worried about you. I was worried that something could happen to you. You're important to me. You are a part of my life."

For a long moment, Lucas was speechless. He couldn't really remember when anybody had ever said something like that to him before. "Thanks! You also mean a lot to me."

Bridger smiled. The teenager 's reaction had showed him that he had said the right thing. It seemed that the boy hadn't heard such words very often. "Well, I think I'll go now. I wouldn't want Dr. Westphalen to give me a lecture because I kept you awake." He stood up.

Lucas grinned. "Don't worry, I won't say a thing."

Nathan went to the door. "Good night, Lucas."

"Good night, Captain." And with that, he was left alone in his cabin. For a moment, he just sat there, thinking about Bridger's words. Somehow, they gave him a good feeling and showed that he wasn't alone after all.

Ten minutes later, when Lucas was ready for bed, there was another knock on the door. The teenager turned around to the door. "Come in."

Dr. Westphalen stepped into the cabin. She had a blanket in her hands.

The blond boy looked questioningly at her.

"Hello, Lucas. I'm sorry to disturb you this late, but I brought you something." She put the blanket down on the bed. "We have a few extra blankets for emergencies in med bay. I thought that you could maybe use one tonight."

The computer genius smiled. "Thanks, it's really nice of you to think about me."

"That goes without saying." Kristen just couldn't forget the teenager's slightly blue lips, which still weren't back to normal. The boy really had to be cold. "I also brought something else." She unfoled the blanket, and a hot-water bottle appeared. "Voila!"

Lucas was speechless for a moment. He really wasn't used to people caring so much about him. "I can't accept that. You froze as much as any of us. Use it for yourself."

The red-haired doctor shook her head. "Don't worry Lucas, you can take it. I already have a hot-water bottle for myself in my cabin."

The teenager managed a husky "Thanks." This was so different from home. There, nobody had really cared how he was. When he compared that with the crew of the seaQuest, he could say that the crew acted more like his family than his real one did.

Kristen smiled. "Well, I will head to bed now." She walked to the door. "Good night."

"Good night."

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Shortly before 3:00 a.m., Captain Bridger hurried through the corridors of the seaQuest wearing only his pyjamas and bathrobe. Just as he rounded the next corner, he nearly collided with Chief Crocker.

"Wow, what are you doing here?" Manilow studied Bridger's outfit.

"Oh, it's about Darwin."

"Darwin? He's safe in the Moon Pool," said the chief.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, and that's the problem."

Crocker wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "I really don't see the problem there."

"I've just been Pal'd four times in the last hour because of Darwin. Everyone's complaining about him going wild in the Moon Pool and splashing everybody intentionally. And before my Pal goes off again, I thought it best to go and see what is really going on."

The chief only nodded. "I see. Well, have fun with that."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Both set out in opposite directions.

A short time later, the captain reached the Moon Pool. At first glance, everything seemed normal. Darwin was swimming slowly around the pool. But then Nathan saw that the whole floor was covered with water, and that wasn't normally the case.

Bridger stepped to the edge of the pool and called the dolphin to him. Without hesitation, he swam to him. "Hello, Darwin. Is it true that you splashed a few crew members and soaked them on purpose?"

It looked like the dolphin was nodding. "Yes."

The captain looked curiously at the animal. "But why did you do that?"

"Wouldn't let me out."

Bridger shook his head. "I'm sorry, but at the moment we can't let you out in the ocean."

Darwin snorted through his blowhole, shooting a bit of water in the air. It almost looked like he was either trying to show his annoyance or he was making fun of the captain. "Not swim in ocean, swim in seaQuest."

Bridger felt something click in his brain. "Oh, I see." He thought about what the dolphin wanted. He was actually only being kept in the Moon Pool for his own protection. But, it looked like the dolphin didn't like that at all. And he couldn't keep his animal friend here against his will. Plus, he already had a good idea of why Darwin didn't want to stay here. "Okay, I will let you out of the Moon Pool."

Nathan went to the other side of the room and pushed a button. Without delay, the doors of the Moon Pool opened. Darwin immediately swam to the opening and left Bridger alone.

The captain shook his head once more, amused, and then made his way back to his own cabin. After all, he already knew where the dolphin was heading, so he didn't need to worry.

Nathan yawned. This had really been a long and exhausting day. It was good that some days were just plain boring.

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In Mammal Engineering, the youngest crew member had snuggled comfortably into his bed and was deeply asleep.

In front of the window of the aqua tube, a silver-grey dolphin was swimming, watching over the blond boy as he slept. And if somebody had looked into the cabin a few hours later, he would have found the same picture.

The End

Written November, December 2004/ Translated April 2006