ON HIS KNEES

This is an AU based on the third-season episode entitled "The Space Destructors."

            Dr. Smith had just watched John Robinson and Don West run off to try to save young Will, who had been turned into a cyborg by the machine in the cave that prolifically produced cyborgs in Smith's image. He sat on his rock in front of the Jupiter II fidgeting and agonizing. It was all too easy to imagine how Robinson and West would see this particular transgression. And Smith had to reluctantly agree that they would be correct: this was by far the worst offense that he had ever committed. Nothing else had even come close. Even if they could save Will, and somehow get him changed back to normal, they would view Smith's having endangered the boy as the ultimate offense. And if they couldn't save the child, their rage would be unimaginable.

            Smith shuddered hard. Robinson and West had each threatened, numerous times, to beat Smith. If they were ever going to go through with it, now would be the time. In terror and despair, he slid from his rock down onto his knees. As if they stood before him, he clasped his hands in front of him, and whispered, "No...please...no...." Remaining in that position, Smith awaited their return. He briefly considered running, hiding. But if Robinson and West wanted badly enough to find Smith, they would succeed. If all else failed, they could have the Robot track him down. And then they would be twice as angry, that he had dared to run. It would also be impolitic for Smith to be seen as not even concerned enough about Will to wait around to see if the boy were all right. Next, Smith considered appealing to the women for protection. But then he envisioned himself telling Mrs. Robinson what he had caused to happen to her son. From time to time, she had been strict with Smith herself. And this would absolutely be one of those times. He then pictured himself throwing himself upon the mercy of Judy and Penny. The kindhearted girls would want to help Smith...until they, too, learned of what had happened to their brother.

            "I'm doomed," Smith whispered softly to himself. He began sobbing quietly and trembling, and remained thus, as he awaited the return of the men.

            When at last the three arrivals finally came, Smith looked up through blurry tears and saw that dear little Will was restored to normal. Keeping his eyes carefully only on the boy, Smith spread his arms welcomingly and cried, "Will! Thank heavens you're all right!"

            Will ran to him, with no trace of resentment in his face. The two hugged enthusiastically. Smith closed his eyes and babbled, "Oh Will, I'm so sorry! I never meant for anything like that to happen to you! I'm so grateful that you're back to normal!"

            "That's all right, Dr. Smith," the boy assured him, without a hint of rancor. "I know you didn't. And you tried to pull me out of the machine."

            "I did! I did! I tried as hard as I could! And you tried your very best to pull yourself out, too! We both tried! But we were just not strong enough, either of us! I'm so sorry!" Smith knew on some level that he was also, indirectly, talking to the professor and the major, assuring them of how much effort he had made to save Will, but he dared not look at them, and possibly make himself appear manipulative, and just kept his eyes tightly shut, slowly leaking tears. He hugged Will to him, as if holding the boy could somehow keep him safe, like a shield before him.

            As if reading his thoughts, Professor Robinson said tightly, "Will, now you've had your reunion. Go inside the ship and stay there. Tell your mother and sisters to stay in there as well."

            Entirely against his will, Smith's eyes rose to face those of the two men. With utter dread, he noted that their expressions were just as stiff and stern and cold and quietly dangerous as he had expected them to be. He felt as if something had seized hold of his heart, and he clutched the boy spasmodically. He'd never before seen such a frightening sight in his life.

            Major West spoke ominously quietly, "Go on, Will. We need to see Smith alone."

            Will glanced nervously over his shoulder at the two powerful men, and returned his eyes to Smith, anxiety for his friend written in his young features.

            Trembling violently, visibly, Smith let go of Will, and dropped his gaze helplessly to the ground before him.

            Reluctantly, Will retreated obediently into the ship.

            Hopelessly, Smith looked Robinson and West in the eyes. "Oh no!" he sobbed. "What are you going to do to me??? Oh god, this is it, isn't it? You're really going to...!"

            Although Smith couldn't seem to finish his sentence, all three of them there knew what he was trying so hard not to say; all three were on the same wavelength.

            "Can you give us one good reason why we shouldn't?" Robinson demanded sternly.

            "No," Smith admitted softly, which seemed to surprise them a bit. Apparently they'd expected him to try to argue his way out of it. He shook his head miserably. "I know that this was the worst thing I've ever done. By far. I know that I deserve it. But, ...I'm still desperately hoping that you'll...choose not to. Though, I haven't much hope."

            Slightly impressed but still unrelenting, West ordered, "On your feet, Smith."

            The fact that neither man was shouting at him was somehow even more terrifying than if they had been. They presented all of the calm, uncompromising reserve of the executioner. Not daring to cross them even a little bit, Smith put his hands out in front of himself, clearly intending to obey...and nearly fell on his face.

            Eyes widening, and gasping in surprise, Smith muttered, "Oh dear. I think I...can't get up." It was apparent to the two formidable men that, not only was the older man not faking, but that he was as surprised and nonplussed as they.

            "What?" demanded Robinson.

            Still struggling awkwardly, Smith admitted, "I'm...stuck."

            "What do you mean, you're stuck?" demanded West.

            "I...don't...seem to be able to get up. I've...been in this position for the entire time that you gentlemen have been gone, and I can't...feel...my legs at all from the knees down."

            Robinson and West exchanged slightly annoyed, baffled expressions, and then moved to help Smith to his feet, one on each side of him. As they moved close, bent, and took hold of him, Smith couldn't avoid letting out a slight gasp of fear at their intimidating nearness, at their unflinching touch, and at their obvious strength when they raised him, but to his credit, he managed not to scream in fright as they lifted him easily. But his legs scarcely held him, due to numbness as well as to terror, and he tilted heavily into Robinson, and murmured, "Ow!"

            To their credit, neither man said the obvious cruel retort, to the effect of, "You think that hurts, just wait...." But peculiarly, Smith was inwardly certain that both men were thinking it, just as he was, but had dismissed it. Also amazing to Smith was the fact that, as he leaned heavily into Robinson, the man held him, supported him, and made no protest, nor move to push him away from him.

            Still, sensing that this was his last chance to beg them, Smith raised his teary gaze to Robinson, and murmured, "I'm so afraid of you!! Please have mercy on me!!!"

            Robinson looked back at him, unsurprised. He'd clearly been expecting such a plea, and would have been shocked if it had not been offered. But just as clearly and expectedly, he remained unmoved by it.

            Whereupon, Smith shifted his eyes to West, and pleaded, "Have pity!! I'm so terribly frightened of you!!!"

            West looked equally satisfied at the appeal. He and Robinson exchanged a look that Smith intercepted as seeming to say, "The formalities have been satisfied. Let's go."

            Despite having clearly read their silent exchange, Smith was still caught off guard when Robinson buried his fist into Smith's stomach. The breath whooshed audibly out of the older man and his eyes strained against their sockets as he bent double, clutching at his middle. Unable to even catch his breath, he was shocked anew as West punched him in the nose. Smith went down hard on his back, stunned for a moment, barely even aware that blood fountained from his abused nose, and still breathless enough as to be unable to scream. But a brief moment later, Smith finally managed to inhale violently, and whereupon emitted a wail of pain and horror. He gazed up at the two men standing over him with clear shock at the level of agony that had been dealt. They, in turn, watched him dispassionately from directly above him, hands on their hips. Then, Smith began to cry in earnest and in anguish, rolled onto his side, and desperately clutched his abused midsection.

            Weeping in horror and misery, Smith was scarcely aware of the movements of the two men, and therefore was startled anew when Robinson bent down right beside him and reached for his face. Mewling piteously, Smith tried to squirm away from the powerful man.

            But Robinson reassured him, "Shh, shh, shh; I'm not hurting you. Relax. I'm just trying to see if your nose is broken. Now, I'll be gentle. Hold still."

            Smith forced himself to trust and to remain still, even as his mind screamed for him to wrench his abused face away from the probing hand. He whined as Robinson gently felt his nose.

            "It's not broken," Robinson told him almost tenderly.

            "Ohh god, I never envisioned anything hurting this bad even in my wildest nightmares!" Smith whimpered.

            From directly beside and above him, West startled him all over again at his nearness when he asked, "You mean you've never been hit like this before in your life?"

            "Never!" Smith whispered. Cradling his middle as tightly as he could, he cried, "I feel as if something has been wrenched apart inside, ruptured!"

            West squatted down easily by him. "You'll be all right, believe me."

            Their more gentle approach suddenly registered on Smith, and he dared to hope aloud, "Is it over? Are you finished hurting me??"

            "Yes, we're all through," Robinson told him almost affectionately. Turning slightly sterner, he added, "But we have to warn you what'll happen to you if you ever again do anything even remotely this bad."

            Smith moaned in anticipation.

            West took over, "Today we hit you once each. Next time, it'll be twice each."

            Smith shivered and groaned.

            Robinson added, "And the time after that, it'll be three times each."

            "Oh no, no, no!!!" Smith murmured in anguish. He tried to open his eyes to see them, but he could barely make them out, through his tears.

            "Now," said Robinson, "we'll tell you what's next."

            Smith stiffened in renewed fright.

            "We're going to go inside and tell the others what we've done, so they won't be startled when they see you. Then, we'll come back out here and help you inside. I doubt if you'd be able to make it on your own."

            In agreement, Smith sniffled, "I still can't really feel my lower legs. And the rest of me, I wish I couldn't feel."

            Both men responded with slight smiles at that.

            Robinson said, "I'll carry you. Don can go along and operate the elevator for us, and open your cabin door. We'll get you into bed."

            "Thank you." Then Smith requested humbly, "May I ask one other favor of you?"

            "You may ask," West answered conditionally, but without hostility.

            "Would you please help me get out of these dusty, dirty clothes and into my nightie? I can't ask women or children to help with anything like that; it wouldn't be proper."

            Both readily agreed that it was indeed a reasonable request, and that it would only be proper to ask it of them, and not of the others. They consented.