A
Nice Bedside Manner
By
Mary Elliott
“I know you didn’t mean for me to fall when you gave
me that little shove. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
“No, I’ve got to check you over; I have my Hippocratic
oath to uphold. You could have done more damage to
your ribs when you hit the floor. Plus there could be some other injuries, you
did land down there pretty hard.”
Lee made a face, but when the fingers began a gentle
exploration of his body, he relaxed. His
messed up ribs were the reason he was here in the first place. This kind of treatment, though, he didn’t
mind at all. Relaxing, he thought back
to how he’d ended up in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel instead of his bunk on Seaview….
*
* * * *
Not
another trip to Sick Bay! Now I’m going
to have to put up with Jamie.
“I’m fine. You should be tending to the crew.”
“So all that blood on you is from somebody else? And is that why you’re holding your left
side?”
“If I tell you no, will you stop poking me?”
“Not a chance, Skipper.”
Lee heaved a huge sigh. “Do your worst, Dr. Frankenstein.”
“You should be so lucky. Sir.”
“You really need to
work on your bedside manner, Doctor.
Ouch!”
“Ooops, sorry.
Must be that bad bedside manner you’re talking about.”
Grinning through the pain, Lee conceded the point to
Dr. Jamieson, and accepted the attention, grunting just a little. Was it only five days ago Seaview had left Santa Barbara for Pearl
Harbor to do a shakedown cruise for some new Navy
equipment? Because of Seaview’s speed
and crash depth limits the Navy requested its use. Everyone aboard was quite
happy at the thought of a layover at Pearl to remove the equipment once the
test run was completed. Even allowing for rotation, everyone was getting a 48
hour shore leave. Oh yes, a bunch of happy crewman until HE came on board, the
reincarnation of Captain Bligh AKA Admiral Starke.
From the moment the boat shoved off, nothing was done
correctly according to that man. The supply of unbroken pencils was running low
and after two days Lee had consumed his private stash of Tylenol. Gritting his
teeth he appeared in Sick Bay much to Jamie’s surprise. The doctor refilled the
bottle suggesting a nice workout in the exercise room might work off some of
the stress. He also offered to instruct Cookie to provide his special hot cocoa
at night.
“No, thanks Jamie, with my luck Starke will smell the
secret ingredient on my breath. That’s all I would need. But I will take you up
on the other idea. Thirty minutes on the heavy bag might relieve the tension.
It couldn’t hurt.”
Famous last words. He still wasn’t sure what went
wrong. Who was he kidding, the way he was hitting the bag, he should have used
heavy padded gloves. An hour later he was back in Sick Bay, this time
accompanied by Kowalski who wanted to make sure the skipper actually got to where
he’d promised. The diagnosis was a badly sprained left wrist and bruised
knuckles. With orders to ice it for the next couple of hours and the use of an
elastic wrap, Lee left for his cabin, muttering under his breath. The only
lucky thing was it was his left not his right wrist, so he could work on the
stack of reports piled high on his desk. It was also a good excuse to stay out
of Captain Bligh’s way, so maybe the minor injury was a blessing in disguise.
*
* * * *
A couple hours later there was a knock on the door.
“Enter.”
Chip walked in carrying a tray loaded down with food.
“Jamie and the admiral are keeping Admiral Starke company
for tonight. I thought you might enjoy a quiet dinner with just me. It might be
easier on your digestion.”
“Thanks Chip, but I’m not hungry.”
“Don’t give me that. You’ve barely eaten anything this
cruise, so dig in. I’ll even be nice and cut up your steak, medium rare just
like you like it. If you’re a good boy, there’s key lime pie for dessert.”
Lee had to admit the Boston strip steak, baked potato
and asparagus with cheese sauce looked appetizing. And he had skipped lunch.
He’s speared the first piece of meat; it was well seasoned and cooked to
perfection. Before he knew it, his pie plate was being scraped and Chip was refilling
the coffee cups.
“Thank you; guess I was hungry after all. I hate to
ask, but how are things? Haven’t heard any bellowing since I’ve been in my
cabin.”
“I don’t get that man, the minute you’re out of range
he becomes human, well almost human. I believe he just wants to see how far he
can push you. Don’t tell anyone, but Nelson had a bit of spat with him. Said to
knock it off, the boat was in great shape. I don’t think Admiral Nelson likes
it when you get so stressed out.”
As he rose from his chair, the XO suggested he should
do the nightly walkabout.
“Lee, I know you haven’t been sleeping much so I’ll
take tonight’s tour of the boat, you get some rest.”
Lee shook his head vehemently. “No, tomorrow we’re testing at near crash
depth. I won’t sleep unless I personally inspect everything. No offense.”
“Why do I even waste my breath? At least do it now so
you can get to bed at a reasonable hour. You need to be in top shape to deal
with Admiral Starke all day tomorrow.”
“And that’s why you’re my executive officer, Mr.
Morton; you make excellent suggestions.”
They parted ways at the door, Chip to his cabin, Lee
to the circuitry room. He spent more time than usual
at each department wanting to ensure trouble-free testing conditions. He made
several suggestions, spotting minute problems such as dust on the top of a
storage locker. In each place crewman jumped to correct every small oversight,
all knowing any failure on their part would reflect on their captain. To a man
no one wanted to give Admiral Starke any more ammunition.
Down in Engineering Petty Officer Burke had been
assigned to keep an eye on the new equipment, especially the pressure gauge.
“Everything all right here, Burke?”
The enlisted man pointed at the instrument bank. “Skipper, the gauge has remained in the
safety zone but it rose a couple times without any reason as far as I could
tell. It might be a faulty instrument. Suggest we replace it. By doing it now,
we still have over 12 hours before the test drive to check out a replacement
part.”
“How long will it take you?”
“At most, 20 minutes, but I’d feel safer with less
water on top of us, just in case.”
“And we can track any buildup as we resume current
depth. I’ll order us up to periscope depth and stay here while you get the
replacement.”
Lee picked up the mic and gave the orders, also
ordering Simpson to report and give Burke assistance in case of trouble. With
only one good hand, if an emergency arose Lee knew he would be at a
disadvantage. True to Burke’s promise, the new gauge was installed without a
hitch while three sets of eyes double and triple checked everything. It was an
easy job but all three men were experienced enough to know how something very
simple could lead to a disaster during the testing of an experimental device.
Lee stayed as the boat slowly descended, keeping an eye on everything. At 500
feet he left, promising to return in an hour. They would hold at1000 feet until
morning.
“The slightest problem, call me.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll compare figures from yesterday’s dive
and check the new readings.”
The captain completed his inspection but his mind was
back on the device. When he returned the sub had been at the ordered depth over
30 minutes with no signs of trouble.
“Simpson, I wanted you to keep an eye on the gauge
while Burke and I inspect the Navy’s brightest new idea. I know the computer
will sound an alarm if pressure reaches the danger area but I want to know if
there are any changes.”
The two men grabbed the manual and spent 90 minutes
going over every bolt and connection and found nothing amiss. Finally
satisfied, Lee left instructions with the relief crewman Kirk to call if even
as little as a two percent increase occurred, even if it was temporary. His
last stop was the control room to bring O’Brien up to date and to request relief
for Kirk in two hours. The two crewmen could alternate staring at the dial.
Maybe he was being a worry wart, but past events had taught him to err on the
side of caution. Too wound up to sleep, Lee stopped by the wardroom for the mug
of cocoa and as luck would have it, the last piece of pie.
“If you’re hungry, I can make you a sandwich,
Skipper.”
“No, thank you, this is fine. How did Mr. Morton miss
this last slice?”
The steward grinned, knowing how the CO and XO teased
each other over their food.
“Cookie saved two pieces, one with your name on it and
one with Mr. Morton’s. He left about a half an hour ago still eyeing your pie.
I gave him some cookies to make him happy.”
“I’ll see that you are put in for hazardous duty pay.
Standing between the XO and pie could be dangerous to your health, Dobson.”
“Don’t tell him but Cookie’s making peanut butter pie
for tomorrow’s dinner. I’m just glad I have early duty.”
Lee felt the tension leave his body as they shared a
laugh over Chip’s sweet tooth. As he undressed and crawled under the covers he
check the time; 3 AM, so much for an early evening.
*
* * * *
By 0700 Lee was in the control room having stopped by
to examine the new equipment again. Mr. Maxwell would be in charge of the
testing along with Riley. It was scheduled to start at 0900. This gave him time
to check on all the stations in the control room before the admirals showed up.
He was on his third cup of coffee by the time Nelson and Starke entered. They
were followed closely by Chip who had just come from checking with Maxwell per
the captain’s orders.
“We’re ready to start the dive when you’re ready,
Admiral Starke. We’re at 1000 feet and all systems are green.”
“Very well, Captain. Dive the boat, make her depth
4500 feet. The test calls for halting the descent every 500 feet for 15
minutes.”
“Aye, aye, sir. Mr. Morton, prepare to dive.”
The first 2000 feet, everything ran as expected. Just
before the depth gauge registered 3000 feet, Mr. Maxwell reported to the
control room.
“Captain, the pressure has jumped suddenly, but we’re
still in the safety zone.”
They stopped at the 3000 mark and waited. Would the needle continue to rise?
Just before Seaview
was scheduled to descend to the next level, Maxwell called again.
“Sir, pressure has dropped and is holding steady.”
Lee picked up the mic while the two admirals shared a
look of relief between themselves. “All
right, we will continue. Sing out if there’s any sign of trouble. Mr. Morton, let’s slow the dive this time to
be safe. Continue the dive.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
At the 3300 mark Mr. Maxwell was on the intercom
again.
“Captain, pressure has really jumped this time and is
not stopping. It’ll be in the red zone in ---”
Whenever he was going to say was lost as Seaview suddenly pitched to one side,
sending men flying and just as quickly tossing them to the other side of the
control room. Lee tried to grab hold of the charting table but with only one
good hand wasn’t agile enough. His head hit the sonar station, dazing him. As blood trickled down his face he vainly
tried to hold onto something but as the boat lurched again he solidly connected
with the corner of the table on the return trip. Gasping for breath and knowing
he’d bruised if not broken some ribs, Lee ordered the sub to surface. Just as
the boat started to roll again he felt an arm reach around his back and a hand
clutched tightly on the table. He looked down and saw the other hand holding
tight to the edge, effectively anchoring him in place.
Four
stripes on the sleeves, Nelson to the rescue, Lee thought in
his disorientated condition.
Seaview
bucked
again, this time a little less violently. A voice only he could hear whispered
a suggestion.
“Disconnect the equipment.”
Lee shook his head trying to clear it but still noting
the Seaview’s continued ascent.
“No, we’re going up without difficulty and are
settling down. Too dangerous until we break surface.”
A grunt, in agreement or not, Lee couldn’t tell, but
he was the captain. It was his decision. By the time they hit the 300 feet mark
the boat had stabilized. The arm that had secured him was removed and the man
stepped away. Still dazed he reached for the mic, snaring it on his second
attempt and ordered a damage control report. Upon hearing all areas watertight
and no major injuries to the crew, Lee’s knees finally started to buckle only
to be grabbed once more by the admiral and led to the periscope steps to sit
down.
“Mr. Morton, check to see if the sea is calm. If so,
then get Chief Sharkey and some men together to help tear out that cursed piece
of junk.”
Chip raised the periscope and saw nothing but quiet
seas and sent Sharkey to assist Riley and Maxwell. Correctly interpreting Lee’s
command he ordered the malfunctioning equipment carefully packed so not to
further damage it. They would need to know what had gone wrong. Stooping down
behind Lee he placed an arm on his friend’s shoulder.
“Time to get you to Sick Bay, Skipper.”
“No, I’m all right here. Make sure the crew is tended
to first. I want a report as soon as possible. Are you injured?”
“Don’t I look all in one piece?”
“Yeah, I guess you do, and so does your twin.” Turning
to the man still standing on the other side of him he started to offer his
thanks.
“Admiral Starke?”
“Who did you expect, Captain Bligh?” the older man
responded gruffly. “My compliments, Captain Crane. Now stop being a stubborn
ass and get yourself tended to. You’re not irreplaceable, you know, despite
what Harry says.”
“Starke being nice to me? I must be hurt worse than I think,” Lee
mumbled as he was led out of the control room.
Starke’s brow furrowed. “Did he say something just then, Harry?”
“I didn’t hear a thing, Jiggs.”
*
* * * *
Lee tried to find a comfortable position on the bunk.
He had reasonably argued for his reprieve from Sick Bay pointing out how busy
they were and that he would successfully escape anyway. With the promise to do
nothing but relax in his cabin, Jamie reluctantly released him. Luckily he had
only a mild concussion and no broken ribs.
Lee knew someone would stop by every couple hours to check on him but it
was better than being cooped up in Sick Bay.
He still was in shock by Starke’s earlier words and
action. Maybe he had misjudged him, only time would tell. The important thing
was no serious injuries amongst the crew and Seaview was undamaged. The geniuses could figure out what had gone
wrong, it was no longer his worry. They should reach Pearl Harbor in
approximately 30 hours.
The admiral visited later that night to see how Lee
was doing. They discussed plans for the maintenance that was due on Seaview, to be followed by a short
shakedown cruise before loading the cargo for a two-week supply run to Sea Lab
Six. The crew would still have their liberty while the equipment was loaded
aboard and the maintenance work done.
Before Nelson was able to leave, Jamie showed up.
“I’m glad you’re here, Harry. I need you to back me
up. Captain, besides the concussion, damage ribs, and sprained wrist you are
exhausted. Effective immediately I’m declaring you unfit for duty for the next
two weeks. Chip doesn’t need you hanging around, getting in the way while he
supervises the maintenance schedule and the supply transfer. Once we reach Pearl, I don’t want to see you
near the boat. You are on vacation. Do I make myself clear?”
Lee grimaced. “Come on Jamie, I just need a couple
days and I’ll be fine.”
Nelson waved a dismissive hand. “Sorry Lee, I totally
agree with Will. It will be close to two weeks before we make the supply run
anyway so I’m sure if you behave yourself, Will may knock a day or two off your
sentence. Come on, how bad can a vacation in Hawaii be?”
Lee knew when he was out gunned. Besides, he had to
admit he was feeling pretty banged up. Maybe a week or so laying on the beach
would recharge his batteries. It was just too bad he couldn’t get any diving in.
He suddenly smiled, remembering something else he could do to pass the time
while at Pearl. Vacation time was looking up.
* * ** *
Three days later at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Lee laid
on his bed trying not to sound too upset. He wanted to go on enjoying his
vacation.
After ensuring there was no further injury to the rib
cage, the delicate fingers expertly palpitated his abdomen, checking for signs
of internal injury. Then the hands moved further down the body.
“Oh, there seems to be some swelling occurring.
I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“Uhhhhh…oh
no, positively not hurting me. Oh god, you’re right, I do need medical
attention, lots of it. Why don’t you crawl back in bed so you can concentrate on what you are doing?
You’re certainly the one doctor who knows
how to keep me in bed. Mmmm… I
believe my mouth needs some of your special care, too.”
Teddi* slipped off her robe and climbed in next
to Lee. She softly brushed her lips over his, signifying more to come.
“I promise I’ll be gentle. I’ve always been told
I have a nice bedside manner.”
“And me with a whole week to check that claim
out. I have to warn you, I can be very demanding.”
Lee smiled as he
settled back to receive some TLC, better known as Teddi’s Loving Caresses.
******************************************************************
Dr. Theodora ‘Teddi’ Baer first appeared in The
Captain’s Teddy Bear.
I wonder what TRICARE
will say about the doctor’s billing. Maybe if she coded it as a physical
therapy session?