Space

Eighth story in the Fantastic Dreams collection.

Buck, Chris and the boys sat down to dinner in front of the TV to watch "Star Trek: Voyager". It was the boys' favorite show after they'd been banned from watching the cowboy one because of the resulting nightmares.

When they'd all finished dinner and dessert, Chris and Buck sat on the couch while the boys sat on the floor to finish watching the show.

"Ensign Dunne, the Captain wishes to see you," said the voice of Ezra Standish. JD opened his eyes and directed a questioning look at Uncle Ezra who now wore a yellow Star Trek uniform. JD was seated at a table with a glass of cola upon it while Ezra stood beside the table.

"Ensign Dunne? Is there a problem?"

"I ain't 'En's' son - Buck's my Da," the little boy answered.

"Very amusing. Now please go and see Captain Larabee before he demotes you to 'Master'," said Ezra sternly.

JD set off to see the Captain - wherever he was. The boy found a door that said Captain Larabee on it and knocked.

"Enter," was the response from inside the room.

JD pressed the button beside the door and walked in once it had opened.

"Ensign Dunne, take a seat," said Chris Larabee, now dressed in a red Star Trek uniform and sitting behind a big metal desk.

"I ain't En's son, I'm Buck's," said JD who didn't understand why they kept calling him En's son.

"Ensign? Is there something the matter? Perhaps you should go to Sick Bay and see Dr. Jackson."

"I ain't sick though, Chris." These words received a glare from Larabee.

"Captain! We're being fired on," said Buck's voice.

"Da?" asked JD, looking around for his father.

"By whom, Commander Wilmington?" Chris frowned. JD had certainly picked a bad time to start acting strangely.

"By Klingons, Captain. Any idea how we might've ruffled their feathers?"

"Ensign Dunne, report to Doctor Jackson in Sick Bay. I don't have time to deal with you right now. The crew's safety is more important," ordered Chris, glaring at JD.

JD left the Captain's office, still unsure of why Chris had called him there. 'Where's Vin?' he wondered as he walked along the corridor looking for Sick Bay.

"JD? What did the Captain say to you?" asked a familiar voice as Vin walked toward the younger boy.

"VIN! I'm so glad to see you," cried JD, noticing that Vin also wore a Star Trek uniform.

"Y'know, you shouldn' take the blame for somethin' that's my fault, JD," said the boy, feeling sorry for his friend who would be punished for his mistake. Vin didn't know that bringing the fluffy animal onboard would cause so much trouble!

"He didn't say much 'cause Da told 'im we're bein' 'tacked by Cling-ons," explained JD.

"Cling-ons?" asked Vin, looking puzzled by the word JD had pronounced incorrectly. Then Vin understood, "You mean Klingons - uh-oh, we better go somewhere safe."

"Chris told me to go and see Uncle Nathan."

"Who?" Vin had no idea who Uncle Nathan was.

"Well 'cept Chris called him Doctor Jackson," explained JD.

"You ain't sick are ya?"

"No, but Chris tolded me to go and see 'im. P'raps he'll pr'tect us from the Cling-ons."

"He's a doctor, not a fighter," argued Vin. What was wrong with JD?

The two boys set off for Sick Bay to see Doctor Jackson. JD felt sure they'd be safer with the man while Vin hoped that Jackson would find out what was wrong with JD - he was acting very strange.

"Come in boys, I thought you both might visit," said a smiling Nathan Jackson as he greeted Vin and JD at the entrance to Sick Bay.

"Can you keep us safe from the Cling-ons that are goin' to 'tack us?" asked JD with hope in his voice.

"Klingons?" panicked Nathan - no-one had mentioned those nasty aliens to him.

"JD!" hissed Vin. It was never a good idea to mention Klingons to Jackson; it only got the man all panicky.

"No-one said it was a secret," said JD, annoyed that Vin had told him off for something he had no way of knowing was wrong.

"This is just great! We're being attacked by Klingons!" shouted Nathan Jackson walking around Sick Bay in alarm.

"We'll fight 'em, though. They're no match for us, right?" said JD confidently.

"Last time we fought Klingons, several crewmen were badly injured," answered Vin sadly. "An' they shot the Captain's leg and it had to be removed."

JD looked scared after hearing this new information. "We gotta make sure they don't hurt anyone!" said JD. He then grabbed hold of Vin's arm and pulled him after him out of Sick Bay.

"How can we protect everyone?" asked Vin, puzzled.

"We steal a shuttle and make the Cling-ons chase us. Then they'll leave the ship alone," replied JD, who didn't know where that idea had suddenly come from. It was as though someone had told him the plan.

"They're sometimes smarter than us, JD. They might not fall for that trick."

The ship jolted violently and both boys fell to the ground. Vin fell against the wall and his eyes closed. JD stood up when the ship was once again still, and rushed over to the older boy.

"Vin?" asked the dark-haired boy as he shook his friend to wake him up. Vin didn't stir and JD was growing worried. Thinking quickly, the boy rushed over to a box on the wall and pressed the blue button. A female voice answered, "Which name please?"

"Doctor Jackson, quick!" responded JD in a shaky voice.

"JD? What's wrong?" asked Nathan a minute later after being told by voice recognition who had called.

"It's Vin. He hit his head on the wall when the ship shook an' now he won't wake up."

"I'll be right there; just don't move him."

A few minutes later, Nathan and several other people in Star Trek uniforms, approached Vin who lay unconscious beside a worried JD.

Nathan put his hand on Vin's wrist to feel for a pulse. The man looked concerned and JD thought the worst.

"He's not dead is he?" asked the boy quietly.

"I'm afraid so and it's too late to revive him, I'm sorry, JD."

JD began to cry loudly...

"JD? What's wrong?" asked Buck Wilmington as he crouched down beside the boy who'd fallen asleep on the den's floor. Buck lifted JD up and looked at his tear-stained face.

"Da?" asked the boy, aware that he was back in the den now. He looked over at Vin and saw the boy's chest rise and fall in rhythm as he slept. JD breathed a sigh of relief. "I had a bad dream that Vin was deaded."

"It's okay, Son - no-one's going to hurt Vin," reassured Buck, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket to dry JD's face. JD had stopped crying as soon as he knew that Vin was okay.

Vin stirred, feeling suddenly uncomfortable lying on the floor. Then the boy sat up.

JD struggled in Buck's arms, so the man put him down then watched as JD ran to Vin and hugged him tightly, perplexing the older boy.

Chris watched quietly from where he sat.

"What was that for?" asked Vin slightly annoyed by the sudden, unexplained action from JD.

"'Cause I love you," answered JD, receiving a strange look from Vin. JD didn't often hug Vin without reason.

"Bedtime for you two," ordered Chris, lifting Vin up to carry him to bed. He felt too tired to stay awake much longer.

"Da? I won't have another bad dream will I?" asked JD, fearful.

"Would you like to sleep in my bed tonight, Little Bit?" asked Buck. "I'll protect you from bad dreams."

"Thanks, Da," said JD as he was lifted and settled into Buck's arms then carried into his Da's room.

JD didn't have any bad dreams and slept peacefully all night.

The End
Next story: The Video Game