A Seaview
Christmas
by Diane Kachmar
Lee Crane stood in the
bow of the submarine Seaview and looked out the great herculite windows into the dark sea. He had wanted to get
his men home for Christmas, but they were
under top secret orders. Crane leaned against the bulkhead. Congress
went home for Christmas, why couldn’t the Pentagon? Nelson would not have taken
the mission if it wasn’t important. He had to remain on station until the
Admiral returned. If he returned.
Lee raised his arm to
look at his watch. Almost midnight, Christmas Eve. No
doubt the party was still at full tilt in crews
quarters aft. Let the men have their fun. If they couldn’t be with their
families, they at least deserved a celebration. Damn Washington and their
secret missions. His crew had worked hard, they should be on shore leave, not
stuck at sea, waiting.
Those serve who also
stand and wait. Lee smiled wryly. Yeah,
but they didn't have to like it. He shook his head. Quit being a Scrooge.
The men would pick up on his mood and Lee did not want to dampen their holiday
spirit. Chip would have found a way to have some fun, but he was with the
Admiral. Risking their lives on Christmas Eve.
The P. A. system clicked
on, chiming the bells. Zero hundred hours. It was now
Christmas Day. Behind him, Lee could hear movement in the control room. Change
of watch. Another six hours would bring the dawn. Maybe they could surface and
watch the sun rise. Perhaps he would hold service on deck for the men Dinner
formation...
Lee shook his head
again. He could not lose himself in planning the next day's activities, not any
more than he could stop worrying about his two best friends. It wasn’t
Christmas with them gone. His eyes moved back to the dark sea beyond the ports
again.
There had been other missions, in fact his first Christmas aboard Seaview
had been spent at sea. Lee shifted his leg and a slight pain ran through his
knee. He needed to get off it or it would seize up again. Crane moved away from
the bulkhead and flopped down into one of the conference table chairs. He
extended his leg, rubbing his knee absently. Had it not acted up, he could have
persuaded Nelson to take him along, but Jamieson wouldn’t budge.
Chip would protect the
Admiral. Morton was a more consistent shot than he was. Crane had never liked
guns and killing, he had seen too much of it in Naval Intelligence. Chip had
told him not to think, only remember they would blow his head off, given the
chance. Morton was right, of course, but Lee still did not like cold steel in
his hand. Fists were more honest, but that style of fighting was long outmoded.
The weapons got more complex each year. Technology.
Where would it all end? Lee rubbed his sore knee again, wishing Chip was there
to bring him out of his gloomy mood. Heck of a way to be on Christmas.
“Skipper?”
Lee turned in the chair.
Nick Peatty
stood behind him, a slip of paper in his hand. “Thought I'd
bring you a little Christmas cheer.”
Lee took the paper from
Sparks’ hand. “From the flying sub?”
Peatty nodded. “From the strength of the signal I’d say they'll be
docking within half an hour.”
Lee pushed out of the
chair. “Well, then, let’s give them a reception they won’t forget.”
Nick grinned. “Aye, aye, sir. We were only waiting for you to give the
word.”
“Consider it given.”
*******
Lee often wondered where
the crew stowed all the things that they dragged out for parties. Garland hung
from every conceivable anchor in the bow , catching
the light and reflecting off the herculite ports. His
lady had never looked lovelier. It was beginning to look like Christmas after
all. The wheel spun on the flying sub hatch, and it raised.
Lee bent down to pull it back as Chip’s blonde head appeared.
Morton glanced up at
him. “Kind of past your bedtime, isn’t it?”
Lee grinned. “You’re
late.”
Chip gestured down into
the flying sub. “I had a slow driver.”
“I heard that.” Nelson's
voice floated up from below, and a parcel was shoved up the ladder.
Chip wrestled the
package out of the hatch. “Here. We decided to pick
up a few things along the way.”
Lee took the brown
wrapped parcel. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”
Morton climbed the rest
of the way out. “Don’t worry, it won't go off.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure
of that, Lee.” Nelson appeared in the hatch way with another parcel that he
held tightly.
Lee rested the first
package on the hatch rail and reached for the one Nelson carried. “Let me – ”
The Admiral shook his
head. “No thanks, this one I want to distribute myself.”
“Would it be 12 years
old by any chance?”
Nelson laughed. “You
know me too well, son.”
Lee picked up his
package and carried it over the table. Nelson and Morton followed him.
“Actually, if there was a liquor store open, I knew Chip would find it.”
“Only one problem, Lee,”
Morton grinned, catlike. “Your Russian is better
than mine.”
Crane faced both of
them. “You didn’t?”
“It was a good cover. We
must have hit every shop in the square. Chip makes a very convincing drunk.”
“Must be all the
practice he’s had.”
Chip laughed. “All we
really did was blend in with the crowd. They were really celebrating. No one
even noticed the exchange.”
“Is the information as
good as they say?”
Nelson unwrapped his package slowly. “No, it’s only a variation of
the old Lenski theorem, and has the same built in
problem, but at least Washington can stop worrying about it.”
“And for that we were on
alert.”
Nelson shrugged. “They
couldn’t know until we checked it out. That’s the way it goes sometimes, son.”
“But why us?”
“Seems somebody got us
the reputation for getting the job done,” Chip replied.
Lee looked over at his
friend, then smiled. “All right, I’ll quit grousing. Better late than never.”
“Amen.”
The P. A. clicked on and
Christmas music began to play over the speakers.
“That's more like it.”
Nelson lifted his bottle of Scotch from the table. “Let's get this show on the
road.”
Lee looked down at his
package as several of the officers and crew gathered around Nelson at the
table.
“Well, go on, open it,”
Chip urged, at his elbow.
Lee untied the string,
and pulled the brown paper back. Inside were several tins of various sizes. Caviar, candy, cheese. All the labels were different. Lee
lifted them out one by one and placed them on the table. “You forgot eggnog.”
Morton laughed. “It
didn't go with the cover.”
It took a while to get
everything opened, but Crane really enjoyed watching the men dig in. They had a
few things in stores but his men hadn't had a treat like this in a long time.
Maybe there was some good to Washington missions after all.
Lee felt a hand on his
shoulder. It was the Admiral.
“How's the knee?”
“Better. Guess I
reinjured it during the drill.”
Nelson smiled. “It’s age
catching up with you.”
“You're a fine one to
talk.”
Nelson raised his glass.
“Rules don't apply to me, remember?”
“How could I forget?”
The Admiral reached into
his pocket. “Here. I know it was hard for you to stay
behind. I saw this when I was in Gorov, and figured
with the holiday and all – ”
Lee took the chocolate
bar. “You can’t get this in the states.”
“I know.” Harry looked
up at him. “Merry Christmas, son.”
Lee broke the bar in
half, and offered half back to Nelson. “Merry Christmas.”
Nelson took it with a
smile, setting down his glass. “She looks good, they must have spent all
evening decorating,” he observed between bites.
Lee nodded, enjoying the
taste of the rich, dark chocolate. Nelson always remembered,
it would be a pleasure to see his face in the morning when they opened their
presents in the wardroom.
A couple of crewmen
started singing. Lee looked around the control room with a growing contentment.
It was Christmas, his friends were home and all was right with the sub.
Tomorrow was soon enough to worry about the rest of the world.
*******
©Diane Kachmar, 2003.
All rights reserv