PUSHED TOO FAR

This is an AU based on the second-season episode entitled, "A Visit To Hades."

            A pale, ashen-faced Will waited in the control room with John Robinson, while outside in front of the ship, Don West beat Smith into revealing the truth about Morbus. Robinson regarded Will sympathetically, but made no move to change the situation.

            Will stood trembling, overwhelmed with guilt. Smith had appealed to him in his hour of need, but Will had callously said, "I'm sorry, Dr. Smith, but you brought it on yourself." The words sounded so harsh and unfeeling as they echoed over and over in his mind. And Smith's agonized screams from outside didn't help. Deep down, Will knew that even if he'd tried to save Smith and stop Don, John wouldn't have let him. John's cold statements of, "Will, I think Don would like to talk to the good doctor alone," and "Let us know when you're through, Don," had made that quite plain. Even now, as Will looked up at the determination in John's eyes, he was more sure than ever that any attempt he might have made to block Smith's beating would have been in vain. And yet, the pain of his guilt remained.

            At last, Don nonchalantly announced, "I'm through, John. He surrenders."

            Fearfully, Will followed his father out the hatch, wondering what manner of injury he would find. He was almost afraid to look. Smith was stretched out upon the ground. His nose was very red and bloody. Both eyes were red from crying, although one had a suspicious shadow of darkening starting around it. And Smith was doubled-up, holding his tummy. He answered their questions about Morbus, but refused to look at any of them.

            After the rescue of Judy, Will dreaded the return to the ship. Smith lay where they had left him.

            "Hi, Dr. Smith," Will tried tentatively.

            Smith favored the new arrivals with a careless glance, and then said only, "I'm glad you're all right, Judy."

            Will dropped his gaze in shame and rejection.

            "Smith," John addressed him, "Will spoke to you."

            This time, Smith didn't even look up. "How exciting."

            "Wait inside, son," John instructed.

            On the way past Smith, Will couldn't resist another look. One of Smith's eyes had indeed developed a dramatic shiner.

            Feeling an overpowering sense of déjà-vu, Will waited once again in the control room, this time alone.

            John and Don stood studying Smith for a moment. Smith forced himself to keep his head turned away from them, toward the ship. He would have liked to have seen what was in their eyes; he feared retribution for his treatment of Will, but his pride wouldn't let him give them the satisfaction of seeing that he was afraid. He concentrated all of his attention on keeping his lower lip from trembling, and waited.

            Finally, John broke the silence. "That was uncalled-for. You broke Will's heart."

            "He abandoned me!" Smith shot back bitterly.

            "For the record, Smith, Will had no choice. If he'd tried to protect you, I would've overruled him anyway. I'd have carried Will into the ship, if necessary, to let Don have his way."

            "Then you are also a monster!"

            John said evenly, "Well, I'm not surprised that you're angry with me, too."

            "How do you expect me to feel?! I begged you not to let him, and you didn't even care!"

            "Look, Smith," Don broke in, "blame me, not them. I'm the one that beat you."

            "And I hate you for doing this to me!"

            John admonished, "Now let's cut out that kind of talk."

            Smith insisted, "You can't do this to me, and then expect things to be like they were!"

            John turned to Don. "I'm not getting through to him."

            "No." Don shook his head. "How do you suppose we might convince him?"

            "More foul threats, Major?! Is that your solution for everything?!" Smith could no longer prevent his lip from quivering with fear, but he still withheld his glance from them.

            John spoke calculatedly, "Smith, I'm warning you, if you get another beating, it'll be from both of us, and if you think you're hurting now, I promise you it will get a lot worse; you're really going to suffer. Now I can see that you're very frightened despite your feigned courage, and I am trying to hold back because of that, and because you're already in pain. But don't tempt me any further."

            Don agreed, "Yeah, Smith, I'm running out of patience, too. After all the times we've encouraged you to be brave, you're certainly picking the wrong time to try it out."

            John went on, "Now I want you to be polite and friendly to Will. Like normal. This isn't his fault. As for us, well, we don't expect friendliness toward us, but we do demand respect."

            There was no reply.

            Don prompted, "Well? What's it gonna be, Smith?"

            Still no response.

            The two men exchanged a look, and then nodded. They bent to drag the prone man to his feet.

            Feeling them take hold of him, Smith's eyes met John's for the first time, and he was visibly terrified. "No...no...no...." Smith's small fragile voice implored him.

            John shook his head. "You pushed it too far, Smith."

            Don added, "So you're finally down off your high-and-mighty, uh, Smith? Too late."

            Smith's eyes turned to Don's, and flowed with tears. "Please...please...."

            Don was unmoved. "This reminds me of this afternoon. You never learn, do you? At least, not in time."

            The inevitability of his next and imminent beating at last sank in on him. Smith let out one horrified, blood-chilling scream, which shook Will, inside the control room, to his foundations. Then Don's fist found Smith's jaw, and John's fist struck his already-tormented tummy.

            Smith spent some time gagging and choking and wailing, and shaking uncontrollably all the while. John and Don watched him do so, and then left him lying there.

            When next they bothered with him, Smith was very quiet and meek.