Okay, I know it's been absolutely ages but I had never intended to publish this in the first place! This was originally a one-shot I did many years ago and it wasn't very good then! Yannik decided she wanted to write a fic around the original, posting it here under my name, but unfortunately she lost interest by chapter 3, so I've been pontificating about whether to carry on or not, and this is my attempt (albeit not a great one!) to do just that. My writing is quite simplistic. I am nowhere near as good as the other authors on this site, especially Caprice and Darcy. You rock girls!

Anyhow, after even more pontificating, here's the next chapter.

Chapter 4

Shortly after Ford had been taken away, Jim began to stir.

Miguel quickly started coughing and moved so that he was blocking the guards' view of Jim.

This time Jim cottoned on and kept quiet.

It took him quite a while before he realized that Ford was missing.

Miguel told him quietly what had happened.

A total sense of relief that he had been left alone swept over Jim, swiftly followed by a feeling of utter remorse. How could he think like that? He wouldn't wish what had been happening to him on his worst enemy, and now, one of his closest friends was going through the same torment!

Some of what he was feeling showed on his face, and Miguel, understanding squeezed his shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself Jim; if anyone's to blame, it's that fat bald bastard!" he exclaimed.

"I should have been stronger; I've let him down."

"Don't talk like that! I don't know how you've stood it for so long. Anyhow, thinking like that is no good for anyone!" he said firmly.

Jim knew that Miguel was talking sense, but he still felt incredibly guilty. He couldn't help it; he'd always been so strong, and now he felt as weak as a kitten.

"So what's the plan? Shall we rush 'em!" he joked, trying to be light-hearted. He was rewarded with a grin, and a shake of the head. "You tough guys, you're all the same!" Miguel answered.

Suddenly, Jim became serious. "I need you to do something for me Migs, promise me you'll do it" he whispered, his tone urgent.

Miguel nodded. "Yeah, what is it?"

Jim took a deep breath, what he was about to say he never thought in his wildest dreams he would ever have to ask this of anyone.

"If I don't make it back, I want you…." he faltered; taking another deep breath he tried again. "I want you to look after my mom, ya know, when she wakes up."

Miguel stared at him open-mouthed. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Jim was always so strong and positive. He felt a shiver go through him.

His first reaction was to deny that anything would happen to Jim, but one look at his face changed his mind. Jim was merely stating a fact. He *knew* his time was running out.

Too overcome to speak, Miguel grasped Jim's hand and nodded quickly.

Jim let out a sigh of relief; "Thanks!" he whispered.

Miguel could see how much effort it had taken Jim to talk, so he insisted on him getting some rest. Jim didn't put up any resistance; he just nodded tiredly, his eyes already closing.

Eventually, Jonathon was returned to the cell. He was dishevelled, but still defiant, shrugging off the soldiers holding him.

He looked quickly down at Jim, and was concerned to see that he was still apparently out of it.

Miguel shook his head imperceptibly, not wanting for their captor to see that Jim was just asleep.

For once the captor didn't seem too bothered, just glancing down at Jim before leaving the cell.

"He's okay" Miguel whispered once he was sure no-one was in earshot. "He woke up a while ago" he added.

Ford sat down, sighing deeply; "I don't know how he's stood it for so long. I just got a taste of it, and that was enough I can tell you! I wish to God they'd find us" he added. He couldn't bear the thought of how much more their captor was going to put Jim through.

"There has to be a way out, there just has to be!" Miguel exclaimed.

Unfortunately it wasn't very long before their captor returned.

"Wake him up!" he barked at the guards.

Two of them grabbed Jim between his arms and yanked him up. He bit back the cry of pain that wanted to come. He was damned if he would give them the satisfaction of knowing they'd hurt him.

He stared defiantly at the man he'd grown to hate in such a short time.

"Ready for some more?" the fat man sneered.

"Sure, why not, I've got nothin' better to do" Jim retorted.

The man's eyes narrowed; and Jim knew this act of bravado was going to cost him.

He still shrugged off the hands holding him up; he was determined to stand on his own two feet.

With a quick backward glance at Jon and Miguel, giving them a quick wink, he stepped out of the cell and strode forward forcing the guards to hurry to catch him, which annoyed the fat bald man even further, earning both of the guards a slap around the head.

Upon reaching the room where he'd been taken before, Jim swallowed hard, mentally preparing himself for whatever lay ahead.

Once tied down to the bed, he was dismayed when he wasn't gagged as before, and realised that the man wanted Jon & Miguel to hear him scream. He would do his hardest, but he knew that sooner or later he would be crying out in agony.

He looked across at the scientist sitting at his controls. He noticed that the man couldn't look him in the eyes which made him feel that he was acting under duress. What hold did the fat guy have over him he wondered?

The first jolt took him by surprise, and he barely managed to stop crying out. The next one had him struggling to breathe, the pain was so intense. Before he had a chance to regulate his shallow breathing the next one shot through at a much higher voltage, and he felt searing pain go completely through him, and he cried out involuntarily.

Again and again, waves of excruciating pain swept through him, and eventually he was unable to stop from screaming. Tears of pain ran down his face in rivulets, and he clenched his fists, his nails digging into the palm of his hands.

Jim didn't know how much more he could take. He was using up all his reserves of strength, but they were becoming depleted and at the back of his mind, although he tried to ignore it, there was a good chance he wasn't going to make it back to SeaQuest.

Eventually, it became all too much and he welcomed the darkness, succumbing to oblivion once more.

When he was returned to the cell, Miguel and Jon gasped when they saw the state of his hands. Even the guards felt uncomfortable at what he was going through.

One of them went and got some fresh water, ointment, cotton wool and bandages so that they could treat his hands.

Once they had cleaned and dressed his hands, both of them sat down by him. Miguel could see that Ford was deeply troubled.

"Sir?" he said hesitantly. When Ford looked up Miguel said quietly "They'll be coming for me next." When Ford started to protest, Miguel shook his head vehemently. "It's okay Sir; I know I don't have the codes, but I want to help, so please don't stop them okay?"

Ford sighed deeply; "You're a good man Chief, but let's hope it doesn't come to that, and that SeaQuest will find us soon".

Where is SeaQuest? All will be revealed eventually, I promise!