Chip’s Nightmare
By JSRobertson
Seaview was on her way
to the
The
government asked Seaview to rescue
them up before they ran out of food and gasoline for the generator. But more
importantly they didn’t want to jeopardize all the work the scientists had done
on the experiments they were conducting.
Admiral
Nelson, owner of Seaview and the
Nelson Institute of Marine Research was more than happy to help them out.
It
would take Seaview three days to
reach the
((()))
Arriving
near the area where the base was located, there was no open water and the ice
was too thick for Seaview to try and surface. They would have to use FS-1 to rescue the
scientists and have to fly back to where there was open water and avoid a risky
trek across the ice from the base to where Seaview could surface.
The
admiral had
It
was a tricky job landing FS-1 on the ice under normal conditions, but today
there was a vicious wind that could send the little sub into a ground loop if
she skidded on the ice. With Lee in
control there were no problems. He had
the most experience flying his ‘baby’ and could maneuver it in ways never
thought possible. He landed FS-1 about
fifty yards from the entrance to the base.
They
met the scientists at the entrance and helped them load the first batch of
equipment and experiments. The first two
scientists climbed aboard and buckled in for the thirty minute flight to Seaview.
The take-off was as bumpy as the landing and when Lee turned around to check on
the scientists and saw they were white as ghosts. He chuckled to himself knowing that the take
off wasn’t that bad. Once FS-1 was
unloaded they would return to pick up the rest of the equipment and the other
two scientists.
“FS-1
to Seaview,” Lee called using the throat mike.
“Seaview,
aye,’ Chip Morton, Seaview’s Executive Officer answered.
“Chip,
prepare for berthing,” Lee told him.
“Aye,
Skipper, we’re waiting for you now,” Chip replied.
As
usual Lee berthed FS-1 with no problems.
Two crewmen were waiting to open the hatch once the docking doors were
closed. The admiral, Lee and the two
scientists made their way up the ladder to the observation nose.
The
crewmen helped unload the equipment which was to be put in one of the storage
rooms on “C” deck. The experiments would
be taken directly to the lab so they could be analyzed once all the scientists
were on board. The admiral was looking
forward to helping them out with that project.
“Patterson,
please show Mr. Thompson and Mr. Reynolds to their cabin,” Lee asked him. “Sorry gentlemen but you will need to share a
cabin as we don’t have many extra cabins.”
“That’s
no problem Captain we are used to sharing quarters. The base was not very large either,” Mr.
Thompson replied pleasantly.
Patterson
led them up the spiral staircase to the cabin with their gear.
With
the equipment unloaded and stowed, Lee and the admiral were ready to launch to
pick up the other two scientists, Mr. Hansen and Mr. Jacobs.
((()))
FS-l
left Seaview and headed back to the base. The wind was not an issue this time so Lee
had no trouble landing. They loaded FS-1
up in record time and left the base.
Some items could not be taken and would be left,
there was always a chance the base could be used again. Lee had no trouble
taking off and was back at Seaview in no time. These two scientists handled the ride a lot
better than the other two.
“Mr.
Morton, shock wave approaching,” Kowalski said watching the sonar screen.
“How
soon,” Chip asked quickly pressing the klaxon to sound general quarters.
“About
thirty seconds,” he replied quickly.
Chip keyed the mike, “Attention all hands, prepare for shock wave in twenty
seconds.”
“Lee,
stay buckled in. There is a shock wave
going to hit in about fifteen seconds,” he said to FS-1.
“All
right, Chip,” Lee answered back quickly.
Seaview rocked and
rolled violently as the shock wave hit.
Crewmen were flying back and forth all around the control room. Chip fell against the periscope landing
striking his head and landing on his arm.
The last thing he remembered was the lights going out on the submarine.
((()))
After
the rolling stopped, Lee and the admiral unbuckled themselves from FS-1. Lee was first up the ladder and opened the
hatch to the observation nose seeing crewmen laying everywhere. Most of them were unhurt but some were
rubbing their arms and heads. Lee could
see Stephens, the helmsman, had a small gash on his forehead. The admiral helped the two scientists out of
FS-1 and into the observation nose. As
Lee continued to look around he noticed Kowalski was on the intercom.
“Doc,
get up here on the double, Mr. Morton’s down,” Kowalski yelled.
Lee
and the admiral ran over to where Kowalski was standing and spied Chip lying on
the deck unconscious.
He
had a large gash on the back of his head which was bleeding profusely and it
also looked like his arm was broken.
Lee
bent down to take a closer look at him and knew he was badly injured. He was concerned about Chip but had to find
out what other damage had been done to Seaview and her crew. While Lee focused on taking care of the boat,
the admiral gently placed his handkerchief over Chip’s wound trying to staunch
some of the bleeding until Jamieson arrived.
“Damage
Control, report,” he said into the mic his eyes never leaving his friend’s face
hoping he would wake up.
“Damage
Control, aye,” Sharkey’s familiar voice came on the line.
“What’s
the damage, Chief,” Lee asked quickly.
“Generator
is out. We’ll be on emergency lighting
for about two hours.
“Causality report?”
“One broken leg, broken arm and various cuts and
bruises.”
“Okay. Chief, please send Lt. O’Brien to the control
room.”
“Sorry
sir, O’Brien has the broken arm,” Sharkey said.
“I’ll get Jenkins up there as soon I find him.”
“Get
started on the repairs as soon as you find Jenkins. Also send maintenance to
the control room for clean up.”
“Aye, aye sir.”
Jamie
arrived in the control room with Frank, the corpsman. He took one look at Chip and knew he was in
bad shape. They gently placed him on a
stretcher and headed down to sick bay.
Lee wanted to go along but had to stay in the control room until things
were better under control and then Jenkins could relieve him. He sent Stephens with Jamie and Frank to have
them take care of the gash on his head and ordered
Lee
asked Patterson to show the other two scientists to their quarters. They told him if he needed any help to let
them know they would help out where they could.
Lee thanked them for their offer.
((()))
Lee’s
wife, Janet, was in her office when Seaview started to rock violently
back and forth, she was thrown around a bit but not hurt. Once everything quieted down, she knew Jamie
would need help in sick bay so she ran down there to see what she could do.
Sick
bay was crowded with crewmen with bruises, cuts, scrapes and a couple of broken
limbs. Jamie wasn’t there; she knew he
went to the control room to check on Chip after hearing Kowalski on the intercom. John was setting Mr. O’Brien’s arm while
Goddard waited to have his leg set. Janet
jumped in taking care of the men who needed only bandages and ice packs. Most of their injuries were minor and Doc
wouldn’t need to look at them right away, he could check on them later.
By
the time Jamie arrived with Chip, Sick bay was empty except for O’Brien and
Goddard, who would stay there overnight for observation before returning to
their quarters. Janet moved over to the gurney once Chip was transferred from
the stretcher. He didn’t look good and she
was very worried about him; he had a large gash on the back of his head and his
arm was broken. She knew Lee would be
tied up in the control room for quite a while until things were brought under
control and he could break free. The
admiral had followed Chip down to the Sick bay after he had made sure the
scientists were doing all right in their cabins. Spying Janet standing at Chip’s side he gave
her a small smile and patted her arm glad to see she was alright.
Jamie left them standing there as he took Chip away for x-rays and a brain scan
to see how badly he was injured. Moments
later, Lee rushed in finally able to get away to check on his friend and
XO. As he entered he saw Janet and gave
her a quick kiss and a hug, glad to see she was okay.
“How’s he doing,” Lee asked.
“Jamie
took him for some x-rays and scans to get a better idea of what was wrong,”
Janet told him worriedly. “Lee he
doesn’t look good. What happened to
him?”
“Kowalski
said he hit his head on the periscope island when Seaview was rocked by
the shock wave.”
Jamie
came back a few minutes later with Chip.
“His
x-rays are normal but the brain scan shows only a slight concussion.” Jamie
reported the Lee and Janet. “I’m going
to have to put a few stitches in the gash on his head and set his broken arm.
“How
long before he gains consciousness?” Janet inquired as she grabbed his hand.
“His
vitals are good, so hopefully it won’t be too long but I can’t give you a
definite time,” he said quietly.
Lee
and Janet waited while Jamie took care of his injuries. Lee helped place him in a bunk and grabbed a
chair for Janet so she could sit with him.
“Sweetie,
I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he told Janet giving her a kiss.
“I’ll
be here,” she replied returning his kiss still holding Chip’s hand.
“Jamie,
call me if anything changes,” Lee ordered.
“Will
do Skipper, we’ll take good care of him won’t we Janet?” Jamie replied.
Lee
smiled then gently squeezed Chip’s shoulder to let him know he there. He gave Janet a quick hug then headed back to
the control room to help get Seaview fully up and running.
Jamie
wanted to know if there were any other serious injuries besides the broken arm
and leg. John told Jamie that Janet had
taken care of the rest of the minor injuries.
John stitched up Stephens’ gash and sent him back to the crew’s quarters
until tomorrow morning when he could return to duty.
“Thanks
for helping with the other injuries,” Jamie told her patting her shoulder.
“No
problem,” she whispered to him.
((())))
“Chief,
give me a complete damage control report.”
“The
generator is repaired for now but will need to be replaced when we get back to
port. The damage is extensive to frames
thirty-four, thirty-six and thirty-eight but will hold until we get back. We won’t be able to go any faster than one
third and no deeper than two hundred feet,” Sharkey reported.
“Keep
me informed it anything else changes,” he told Chief as he patted him on the
back. “Thanks.”
“No
problem, sir.”
“Kowalski
let me know immediately if you detected any more shock waves.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
It
would take them a little longer to get back to
((()))
Chip
had been unconscious for over five hours and Jamie was getting worried. “There
was no medical reason for him to be unconscious this long. His vitals are good and the concussion didn’t
look to be more than minor, so why wasn’t he awake?” he pondered aloud.
“Maybe
he doesn’t like the sound of our voices,” Janet said worriedly as she held his
hand.
“I
doubt that,” Jamie said. “He just
doesn’t want to wake up. He likes it where
he’s at.”
((()))
Chip
heard her talking as he was dreaming. Where ever he was it was warm and sunny. There was a cruise ship leaving the
harbor. He was sitting on a balcony railing
at a hotel staring away from the water.
He was dressed in a bright blue shirt and gray pants. He noticed that
his shirt matched the blue in the curtain on the balcony. He wasn’t thrilled with the outfit but the
woman he was with picked it out for him.
He wore it to make her happy. She
was in the room getting ready. They were
going out for dinner. She finally came
out of the room onto the balcony. She looked beautiful. He looked at her and smiled. He grabbed her by the waist, drew her close
to him and kissed her long and hard. He’d
never kissed a woman like that before.
“Come
on, Janet, let’s go have dinner,” he said as he grabbed her hand and left the
balcony.
((()))
“Wake
up Chip, please,” Janet whispered as she rubbed his hand. “Lee needs your help.”
Lee
heard her talking to Chip as he returned to sick bay. He could see she was very upset and near
tears. This was only the second time
Chip had been severely injured since she and Lee had been married. She was a wreck the first time and this time
wasn’t going to be any better.
Chip
wasn’t only Lee’s executive officer but his best friend; they were brothers
except for their names. They could
finish each other sentences and sometimes read each other’s minds. They teased each other about anything and everything.
When Janet married Lee, she also
acquired a brother. He would have dinner
with them, go out with them and would look after her when Lee went on ONI
missions. She knew he would always be
there for her as he was for Lee.
“Hey Sweetie, any change in his condition?”
“No,
Jamie says his injuries aren’t that severe so he’s
concerned that he hasn’t regained consciousness yet. He can’t really explain why he’s not.”
“I’m
sure he’s just taking a break, we’ve been pretty busy getting ready for this
mission. He’ll be back with us in no
time.
How
are you holding up? I know you’re always
so concerned when Chip’s injured, this has really got to be wearing on you.”
“To
quote a certain captain, I’m fine. I’m
just really worried about him. I worry
about you both, you know that don’t you?”
“Yes
Sweetheart I do and we both appreciate that more than you can know. That’s one of the things I love most about
you is how much you care about me and my bro.” Lee said pulling Janet close and
kissing her lightly on the temple.
“I
just wanted to drop in and see how things are going. I’ve got to head back to the control room and
relieve Jenkins; he’s been at for quite a while and is in need of a break. He’s relatively new at all this and it’s got to
be stressing him pretty badly.”
“What
about you? You definitely look as though
you could use a break Lee.”
“I’ll
get my break later. We’re down two
officers so there’s no one else to spell us until Bobby is able to stand
duty.
Everything
is almost back to normal so it’s quieting down.”
“I
worry about you, don’t get run down okay.”
“Yes
ma’am. You get some rest yourself;
you’ve not stood down since this all started either and you won’t do Chip any
good if you go down as well.”
“Aye, aye Skipper,” Janet said giving Lee a left hand salute.
“Relax
a bit Sweetie, I’ll be back in a bit.”
((()))
The
admiral was helping the scientists analyze their experiments so all their work
at the base wouldn’t be in vain. Time
was of the essence since the experiments had to be kept cool and Seaview
was a little too warm for them. They had
them everywhere to keep them cool; they were even using some of Cookie’s
refrigerator space which didn’t make him too happy.
The
admiral wanted to finish analyzing the experiments and then check on Chip. He was
worried about him and Lee. He knew Lee
would still be on duty until he felt everything was under control; with Chip
and O’Brien down he would be on duty for more than twenty four hours by the
time he would be able to sleep. He would
relieve him for at least a couple of hours before hitting the sack himself.
((()))
Grabbing
a quick break, Lee joined Janet, and Jamie in sick bay. Janet has refused to leave Chip alone while
he remained unconscious.
“Sweetie,
Jamie and I are going to dinner. You
need to eat too. If anything happens
while we are gone, Frank will call us in the wardroom,” Lee told his wife.
“No, please let me stay here, I’ll be fine,”
she said anxiously. “I’m afraid he will
wake up and no one will be here.”
“Okay,
if you’re sure,” he conceded. “I’ll have
Cookie send you a tray.”
He
knew once she set her mind to something he wouldn’t be able to change it. She could be so stubborn. Jamie wasn’t too
happy about it but as long as she ate, he was okay with her staying for now. He would order her to their cabin later.
Jamie
and Lee left sick bay and went to the wardroom.
They grabbed some meatloaf, potatoes, and peas off the sideboard. Lee
also grabbed a cup of coffee. The pot was almost empty but he didn’t mind it
would be nice and strong, just the way he liked it. He would need a lot of it to keep going for at
least another two to four hours. Lee saw
Cookie putting out a new pot of coffee and went over to him.
“Cookie,
could you please have a dinner tray sent to Mrs. Crane in sick bay,” Lee
asked. “She won’t leave Mr. Morton’s
side.”
“Yes, sir.
I’ll take it down personally and stay there to make sure she eats it
too,” Cookie said smiling.
“Thanks,”
Lee replied smiling back. He knew if
Cookie stayed she would eat so as not to hurt his feelings and he wouldn’t leave
until she ate every bite. He wondered
how he did that; he could never make her do anything if she didn’t want to.
Just
as they were sitting down to eat the admiral and scientists came in for dinner
too. They sat down with Lee and Jamie.
“How’s
Chip?” the admiral asked with concern.
“No
change. He’s still unconscious and I
don’t know why,” Jamie answered.
“Okay,
keep me informed. Lee, I will take over
for you in about two hours. We are
almost done and I know you have been on duty for quite awhile,” the admiral
stated.
“No
sir, I will be alright,” Lee replied.
“Lee,
that wasn’t a request, that’s an order.
You will hit the sack for a few hours.”
“Yes, sir.
Do you think you could order my wife to do the same,” Lee said grinning.
“No
way,” he said smiling. “She’s your
problem.”
((()))
The
admiral came to the control room at 0200 and would stay until 0600. Lee left the control room and went to his
cabin. He could barely keep his eyes
open. He was too tired to go to sick bay
but would have gone if Janet had been in their cabin. Finding himself alone, he knew Janet was
still keeping watch over Chip so he wasn’t alone. If he did go to sick bay, Jamie would see how
tired he was and order him to his cabin anyway so to avoid all the drama he kicked
off his shoes and headed for bed. He laid down on the
bunk and fell asleep right away.
((()))
Jamie
was tired, it had been a long day for him too. He
checked on the other men who were injured just to make sure they were
okay. None of them required any more
treatment. He was impressed at the work
Janet did to help him out; it had really lightened the load during the crisis.
He could barely keep his eyes open and was heading to his cabin to grab some
much needed sleep. John was back on duty
now and would take over watching Chip and the other two men in sick bay. O’Brien could return to duty in the
afternoon. Goddard would be released to
the crew’s quarters until they returned to
Janet
had been sitting with Chip ever since he was brought to sick bay after the
shock wave. She was tired but he’d spent
too many hours at Lee’s side for her to leave him alone. There was no way he was going to be able to
get her out until Chip was out of the woods.
“Come
on Chip, wake up,” she begged. “I’m
tired of sitting here and getting hoarse talking to you. What some people won’t do to get of work.”
She
got no response and let loose a deep sigh.
She finally fell asleep sitting in the chair still holding his hand
around 0200. When John came over to
check on Chip he found her asleep and gently put a blanket around her.
((()))
Janet
was still asleep when Jamie came back on duty at 0600.
“How
long has she been sleeping,” Jamie asked John noticing Janet sound asleep in
the chair still holding Chip’s hand.
“About
four hours. I didn’t have the heart to
wake her, so I covered her with a blanket.”
“Thanks
John. Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll see you later.”
She
didn’t even wake up when Jamie took Chip’s hand out of hers. He checked Chip’s vitals and they had
improved but he was still worried that he was still unconscious.
Lee
came in a few minutes later to check on Chip and his wife. He had already eaten breakfast as he had to
go on duty.
“How’s
he doing, Jamie,” Lee asked softly.
“His
vitals have improved. There is no medical reason why he is still unconscious,”
Jamie said worriedly.
“How
long has she been sleeping?” he smiled looking at his wife.
“John
said about four hours.”
“Do
you want me to move her?” he asked quietly.
“No,
she’s fine. How much sleep did you get?”
Jamie asked seeing the dark circles under his eyes.
“Enough,”
he answered quickly. “I’ll be back later. The admiral needs to be relieved.”
He
left sick bay for the control room. The
admiral was glad to see Lee. He looked
at little better this morning than he did last night when he relieved him. Lee would be on duty until 1200 when O’Brien
would take over until 1800. Jenkins would cover the rest of the shift until
0600. The admiral was looking forward to
getting some sleep.
“I
assume you checked on Chip and Janet already this morning,” the admiral said
with a wry grin.
“Yes, sir.” Lee replied solemnly. “No change on Chip and Janet’s sleeping.”
“I’m
worried about Chip.”
“So
is Jamie.”
‘If
anything changes, please let me know.
I’m going to hit the sack for a few hours.”
“Yes, sir.”
Everybody
in the control room heard the admiral and Lee talking. They were just as worried about the XO.
Cookie
had put a fresh pot of coffee in the observation nose knowing Lee would need
it. He went over, grabbed a cup and
returned to the plotting table. Seaview
would dock early Friday morning if they had smooth sailing again today.
((()))
Jamie
was sitting at his desk when Chip started thrashing around in the bunk. Janet woke up as Jamie came running over.
“What
did I do? She’s Lee’s wife,” he said
quietly.
She
heard what he said but didn’t understand it.
Jamie told her he was probably dreaming.
Jamie
was taking his vitals when Chip started to wake up.
Chip
opened his eyes and saw both Jamie and Janet staring at him. He was in pain but didn’t know why. He felt Janet holding his hand and snatched
it away from her.
“Welcome
back,” Jamie said softly. “It’s about
time you woke up.”
“How
long have I been out?” he asked weakly.
“Man, my head and arm hurts.”
“Not
quite two days. You have ten stitches in
your head from a gash you received when you smashed into the periscope
island. You also broke you arm at the
same time. What do you remember?”
“The
last thing was telling Lee not to leave the flying sub there was a shock wave
coming,” he replied looking a little confused.
“You
will have a little memory loss but it should go away,” Jamie answered.
“Hey,
Chip. I’m so glad you’re awake,” Janet
said softly. “We’ve been very worried
about you.”
Chip
just stared at her. He recognized the voice. It was the same one in his dream. Did he have ‘romantic feelings’ for his best
friend’s wife? He was very
confused. He closed his eyes and went
back to sleep.
“Captain,”
Jamie called over the intercom, “Mr. Morton woke up a few minutes ago.”
“That’s
great news. I will be there as soon as I
can,” Lee answered with relief as did the rest of the control room when they
heard the news.
Double
clicking the mic he called the admiral’s cabin, “Admiral, Chip woke up if you
want to check on him.”
The
admiral was just getting ready to climb into bed. He quickly dressed and went down to sick bay.
“Sorry
admiral,” Jamie said, “he was awake for about five minutes and went back to
sleep. He should be alright but will
still need to rest.”
“No
problem Jamie. Let me know if anything
changes but right now I’m hitting the sack.”
“Yes
sir,” Jamie replied
After
the admiral left Janet sat there just staring at Chip wondering why he took his
hand out of hers so abruptly. Maybe she
was just tired.
((()))
Lee
got off duty and went to see Chip. When
he got there Janet wasn’t there and Chip was asleep.
“Where’s
Janet,” he asked concerned, “is she okay?”
“I
sent her to your cabin. She’s exhausted
and I told her not to come back for at least eight hours or longer.” Jamie
answered. “You look like you could use
more sleep so you can come back in four hours or more too.”
Lee
was about to protest but knew he was right. He was exhausted and needed to
sleep. He reluctantly left sick bay
after patting Chip on the shoulder.
Janet
was already in their bunk by the time he got there and was sound asleep. He climbed in with her, pulled her close and
fell fast asleep too.
((()))
Chip
woke up a little while later and was glad no one was there. He needed to be alone to figure out what his
dream meant. Did he really want to be
with his best friend’s wife? Maybe his sub-conscious
was telling him what his true feelings were for Janet. Whatever was going on, he would have stay
away from her until he figured it out.
((()))
Lee
and Janet slept through the night. Lee
woke up at 0500 and got ready to go on duty.
He gave Janet a kiss but she never even stirred so he left her sleeping. After getting some breakfast, he went to see
Chip but he was still asleep. Jamie was
there and said he had a restless night.
They
would be arriving in
Janet
woke up and saw that Lee was already gone so she knew he would be in the
control room getting ready to dock Seaview. She felt better this morning after a good
night’s sleep. She got ready and went to
check on Chip to see if he wanted her to bring him breakfast.
“Good
morning, Jamie,” Janet greeted him softly.
“How’s Chip this morning?”
“He’s
still sleeping. John said he had a
restless night and kept talking in his sleep.” Jamie said quietly. “He couldn’t figure out what he was saying.”
“Will
he have to go to
“Yes,
at least for rest of today and tonight.
I don’t know what to do about the weekend. I don’t want him to be alone.”
“He
will stay with Lee and me of course,” Janet reassured Jamie.
“I
was hoping you’d say that,” Jamie said with relief. “I want someone to be with him and he isn’t
going to be able to do much with the broken arm for a few days.”
“You
two are talking about me like I’m not here,” Chip said nastily. “Maybe I don’t want to stay with you and
Lee.”
Jamie
and Janet were shocked at what he said and how he said it. Chip wasn’t a nasty person but don’t mess
with him, Seaview or his family if you wanted to see him mad. He had a look that could freeze hell.
“Well
Chip,” Jamie explained, “Your only other choice is
Under
normal circumstances, Chip would have no problems going to Lee and Janet’s
house, but he didn’t want to be around Janet any more than he had too until he
figured out his feelings for her.
“I
guess I will go to their house,” he relented.
“Chip
would you like me to get you some breakfast?
I haven’t eaten so I thought we could have breakfast together.”
“No,
I’ll get something later. You go and eat
in the wardroom,” he said tersely.
“Okay,
if that’s what you want,” Janet replied quietly.
Jamie
heard how Chip had responded to Janet and was appalled at the way he talked to
her.
Frank
would stay with Chip while Jamie and Janet went to the wardroom for
breakfast. Jamie could tell Janet was
very hurt by the way Chip was treating her.
Jamie was a little worried about Chip.
He only had a slight concussion so he couldn’t understand the change in
his demeanor.
((()))
Seaview docked and was
securely in her pen. The repairs to her
hull and generator would start later on today.
She would go to the underground base where she could be dry docked to fix her hull.
The
scientists, their experiments and equipment were unloaded and they left NIMR
after shaking hands and thanking the admiral and Lee for all their help.
((()))
Janet
met Lee in the control room. They
wouldn’t leave the boat until Chip was taken to
“Lee,
Chip will be staying with us for the weekend,” Janet told her husband as they
waited in the control room for the rest of the crew to leave. “Jamie doesn’t want him to be alone.” She didn’t mention to him how Chip had
treated her earlier.
“No
problem. I was going to suggest he stay
with us anyway,” he replied giving her a kiss and a hug as no one was around. He hoped to ‘get lucky’ when they got home
tonight.
Janet
grabbed their gear, as Lee grabbed Chip’s and brought it topside. They would take it to the car before checking
in at the office and stopping to visit Chip.
((()))
After
putting all the gear in the car, Janet went to the office and Lee headed over
to sick bay knowing Chip would be settled in by now.
“I
heard you’re going to be staying with us,” Lee said with a grin.
“Really
didn’t have a choice,” Chip said tersely.
“Hey,
what’s the matter with you? I thought
you liked us.” Lee said taken aback at
his tone.
“Sorry,
Lee. I’m just a little tired and
annoyed that I can’t do much with this arm,” Chip sighed.
“No
problem. I’ll check in on you later,” he
replied patting him on the shoulder.
Lee
left to go to his office at the institute. On the walk over he was thinking about the
tone of Chip’s voice and was worried about him.
He would talk to Jamie about it later.
((()))
Lee dreaded going to his office and wasn’t
surprised at all the work piled up on his desk.
He knew Chip’s office wasn’t going to be much better. He would do most
of Chip’s work since he wouldn’t be able to do too much with his arm in a sling. Janet was already there sorting out her desk
and the mail. She would do whatever she
could to help Lee with Chip’s work.
((()))
Before
going to lunch, Lee and Janet went to check on Chip to see how he was
doing.
“How
about we get you lunch,” Lee asked.
“Today’s Friday so they will have turkey sandwiches for lunch with
potato salad. I know that is one of your favorite lunches.”
“Sure
whatever you want to do is fine with me,” Chip replied reluctantly.
Lee
went to the cafeteria and brought them back lunch and drinks for the three of
them.
While
Lee was gone, Chip didn’t make eye contact with Janet at all. She knew something was wrong but didn’t know
what she had done to make him mad at her.
They
ate lunch in total silence. Chip didn’t
even ask Lee what repairs were needed on Seaview after the shock
wave. Lee knew there was something
definitely wrong with Chip if he didn’t want to know what the damage was
done. Besides that he didn’t finish his
lunch. He also noticed Janet didn’t finish hers either.
What’s
up with the two of them? he thought.
((()))
“Sweetie,
is everything okay? You’re awfully
quiet,” Lee asked grabbing her hand as they walked back to the office after
lunch.
“Yes,
just a little tired,” she lied.
When
they got back, Lee went to his office and Janet went to hers. She sorted the mail and would bring Chip his
mail that had accumulated while he was gone.
After
a couple of hours of sorting, she walked back to
“I
can help you go through all this if you want,” Janet offered.
“No,
just leave it here. I’ll let you know
when I’m finished,” he told her curtly.
“Yes
sir,” she replied as she left his room and went back to the office very
upset.
Janet’s
phone rang a couple of hours later.
“You
can come and pick up the mail,” Chip said crossly.
When
she went back to pick up the mail instead of telling her what to do with it he
put notes on the mail. He had never done
that before. She took the mail back to
her office and started to work on it.
Hopefully she would understand all of his notes as she really didn’t
want to talk to him right now.
((()))
After
spending about four hours going through his mail and reports that needed to be
done, Lee decided to take a break and check on Chip. He stopped at Janet’s office and they went to
sick bay. Janet really didn’t want to go back there but she didn’t want to tell
Lee she was having a problem with Chip.
It was close to dinner time and he was hungry and knew Chip would be too
after not finishing his lunch. One thing
about Chip, no matter what happened to him, he was still hungry.
“Hey
Chip how about I get a pizza for dinner.
Jamie won’t mind,” Lee suggested.
“Not
hungry. You and Janet go out. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You’re
not hungry, what’s up bro,” Lee asked.
“You’ve been quite grouchy since we got here.”
“Nothing’s
wrong just not hungry and pissed at not being able to do anything,” Chip said
grumpily.
“Do
you want me to go to your house and pack up some clothes for you to have at our
house,” Janet volunteered.
“No
I will tell Lee what to bring. He knows
where everything is.”
”Okay.”
Chip
proceeded to tell Lee what he wanted him to pick up totaling ignoring Janet.
Lee and Janet went home for dinner instead of going out. Since there was no food in the house, they
found a can of soup, heated it up but neither one of them ate very much. They went to bed early and Lee did ‘get lucky’
that night. Lee fell asleep right away
but Janet laid there wondering what was up with Chip.
((()))
Lee went to
“Lee here’s a list of Chip’s medications
and instructions on what he can and can’t do,” Jamie explained to Lee.
“Hey, I’m not a child and I can take
care of myself,” Chip told them irritably.
“I know you,” Jamie responded, “and you
won’t follow any of these instructions if I didn’t tell someone else what was
going on.”
“Okay, you’re right,” he conceded.
Lee and Chip walked to Lee’s car. Lee could see Chip was not happy about having
his arm in the sling. He wasn’t used to
being incapacitated. Lee didn’t have a
chance to talk to Jamie about Chip’s attitude.
((()))
While Lee went to pick up Chip, Janet
went to the grocery store. After being
gone a couple of weeks, they needed everything.
Their refrigerator and freezer were empty. She bought items she knew Chip liked too
since he would be staying with them for a couple of days. She wanted to make sure he felt at home.
She was unloading the car when Lee and
Chip arrived. Lee gave her a kiss and
grabbed a couple of bags. Chip walked in
the house, sat on the couch and put on the TV. After helping Janet with rest of the
groceries, Lee went back to the car to get Chip’s belongings and brought them
upstairs to his room.
After putting everything away, Janet
went over to Chip.
“If you need anything, please let me
know.”
“Thanks, I’ll be fine,” he snapped without
looking at her.
Lee was coming down the stairs and heard
the exchange between them. He wasn’t
very happy about the way his ‘brother’ was treating his wife. He would talk to him about it later.
((()))
The annual Army/Navy football game was
on that afternoon and Lee had invited the admiral to come over and watch
it. It was a tradition for them to watch
the game at one of their houses. This
year it was Lee’s turn to host the game.
Janet made sub sandwiches for lunch
because she knew they were Chip’s favorite.
She also had his favorite chips and dip. He couldn’t have any beer
because of the medication he was taking so she made him some iced tea. He ignored her the whole time they were
eating lunch and watching the game.
As much as Janet liked football, she
left them alone to watch the game. It
was a beautiful afternoon so she went outside on the deck to read. She had only one problem being on Seaview
not a lot of fresh air. She didn’t get
too far into her book, she kept thinking about Chip and why was he mad at
her. What did she do?
She knew the game was close as it got
quiet all of a sudden. Then on the last
play of the game Navy must have pulled it out because she heard them cheer. She
got up from her chair and watched them through the window slapping each other
on the back. She enjoyed watching the
three of them relax and enjoy themselves.
After the game was over Janet went into
the house to find out about dinner.
“Admiral would you like to stay for
dinner. I’m not sure what’s on the menu
but you are more than welcome,” Janet asked him warmly.
“Thanks for the offer, but I made plans
with some friends for dinner,” he replied giving her a kissed good bye and
thanking her for lunch. “See you all on
Monday.”
((()))
After the admiral left the three of them
went out on the deck. Chip finally asked
Lee about the repairs Seaview needed because of the shock wave. Chip didn’t look at Janet the whole time
they were talking. It was close to
dinner and Lee could hear Chip’s stomach growling.
“How about pizza tonight for dinner,” Lee
suggested. “We’ll get your favorite of
spinach, garlic and ricotta cheese.”
“Sounds good to me,” Janet agreed. “Easy clean up for me.”
“Fine whatever you want works for me,”
Chip replied crankily.
Lee ordered the pizza from their
favorite place and told security to let the driver in when he came.
Since it was a nice evening, they
decided to eat the pizza on the deck. Janet brought out plates and drinks for
all of them. Chip was unusually quiet
while they ate. When they were finished
Lee helped Janet clean up.
“I’m tired and have a headache and my
arm is throbbing. I’m going to go to
bed,” Chip told them when they were deciding what to do the rest of the
night. He took some of the acetaminophen
Jamie gave him for the pain and the antibiotic.
When Lee checked on him an hour later he was sound asleep.
((()))
Lee and Janet decided to go for a walk
on the beach. They walked down to the
shore line hand in hand and waded in the water.
It was a little cool but felt good.
“Lee, what have I done to Chip?” she
asked unhappily as they walked. “He can
barely stand to be in the same room as me.
Did he say anything to you?”
“Sweetie, I don’t know. He does seem a little grumpy. You know he’s not used to being taken care
off. I’m sure he will be better by
tomorrow,” he told her giving her a kiss.
“If not, will you ask him for me,” she
said kissing him back.
“Yes, I will,” he told her.
They walked back home, went upstairs to
bed and some evening exercises.
((()))
Chip woke up before Lee and Janet. He managed to take a shower covering his cast
with a plastic bag. He still couldn’t
wash his hair because of the stitches.
Jamie said a couple of more days before he could do that. He went downstairs and made some coffee. He was sitting outside on the deck when Lee
came down. He grabbed a cup of coffee
and joined him outside.
“Looks like it’s going to be a nice
day,” Chip said cheerfully.
“Yes, it does. Too bad someone had to break his arm. Would have been a great day for some golf,”
Lee teased.
“I could beat you with one arm anyway,”
Chip answered back laughing.
Janet came downstairs and heard them
talking. Chip did seem in a better mood
this morning. She grabbed a cup of
coffee and went outside. Chip saw her
and stopped laughing. Lee noticed how
his ‘brother’ stopped laughing when his wife came out. He knew something was wrong and would get to
the bottom of it today.
Janet made them breakfast of bacon,
eggs, and toast. Chip and Lee ate
everything she cooked for them.
“I bought some steaks when I went to the
store, so how about we barbecue this afternoon.
We can have baked potatoes and a salad too,” Janet asked them.
“Sounds good to me,” Lee replied with a
wink.
Chip said nothing totally ignoring her.
((()))
Janet
went in the house and cleaned up the breakfast dishes. She had some chores to do so she left Lee and
Chip alone on the deck. She was very
upset with Chip right now and didn’t want to be around him.
“What
the hell is the matter with you?” Lee angrily asked Chip. “You’ve been rude to Janet since you got
here. What did she do to you?”
“Lee,
she’s done nothing,” Chip sighed deeply.
“I’m afraid I have ‘feelings’ for her that I shouldn’t have.”
“You
better explain what you mean by ‘feelings’ for her,” he replied raising his
eyebrows.
“I
was dreaming when I was unconscious. I
was on a balcony in a hotel someplace warm and sunny. I was with a woman and I was waiting for her
to come out of the room. The woman was
Janet and I kissed her like I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Chip explained
embarrassed at what he just told Lee.
“It
was a dream.” Lee said a little stunned at what Chip told him. He hoped Chip loved Janet as a sister and not
as a lover.
“I
know but Lee I swear my feelings were real,” he continued.
“Maybe
you better talk to Jamie,” Lee suggested.
“Isn’t he coming over today to check you out so you can go to work
tomorrow?”
“Yes,
he should be here by 1100. I will talk
to him...I can’t go on like this...I see the hurt in Janet’s face every time
she comes near me. I’ve been a real
beast to her,” he said miserably.
“You
can say that again. She wanted me to ask
you what she did wrong,” Lee responded seriously.
((()))
Jamie
arrived at 1100 and could tell something was bothering Chip. Lee was outside on the deck while Jamie
examined him. Janet was upstairs doing
chores.
“I’m
going to clear you for light duty that means no running around Seaview
checking on the repairs. Office duty
only for the next week,” Jamie told Chip.
“What
about washing my hair,” Chip asked him, “and how long before my cast is
removed. This thing is driving me nuts.”
“You
can wash you hair tomorrow very carefully.
The cast will be on another six weeks.
I will take an x-ray at the end of this week to see how it is healing.” He could see Chip wasn’t too thrilled with
that answer.
“Jamie,
I need to talk to you about a problem,” Chip said slowly. He explained to Jamie about his dream and
that it involved Janet. He didn’t know
what to do.
“Chip,
while you were unconscious, Janet talked to you the most. She sat there for hours telling you what was
happening on the boat and pleaded with you to wake up. She was the only voice you heard. Your sub-conscious recognized her voice and
put her in the dream. Do you have
‘feelings’ for her?” Jamie asked carefully.
He now realized why Chip was so cold and distant to Janet.
“No,
only as a brother would have for his sister.
I know she loves Lee more than anything.
I was afraid if I spent time with her, I would get ‘feelings’ for
her. So I didn’t want to be near her.”
“Chip
you owe her an explanation,” Jamie told him solemnly. “You know she will understand and forgive
you.”
“I
will talk to her today. Thanks Jamie,”
Chip said breathing a sigh of relief.
((()))
Janet
came downstairs and saw Jamie was there.
“Would
you like to stay for dinner? We’re barbecuing
some steaks. There’s more than enough.”
“Thanks
for the invitation, but I’m meeting some friends. Can I have a rain check?”
“Sure.
You know you are welcome to come over any time you want.”
Lee
came in from the deck when he heard Jamie and Janet talking.
“I’ve
cleared Chip for light duty next week; office duty only.”
“Thanks
Jamie,” Lee said, “See you tomorrow.”
((()))
It
was too early to make dinner, so Chip and Lee were going to watch a football
game.
“I
still have a few more chores to do. I’ll
be down later,” she told Lee.
“Need
help,” he volunteered.
“No
honey, thanks for offering,” she said giving him a kiss which he gladly
returned. Too bad Chip was here because
those chores wouldn’t have gotten done.
She
left them with some snacks and went upstairs.
“Jamie
explained to me what may have happened in my dream. I will talk to Janet later. I’m really sorry Lee, for how I treated
her. You know I would never do
anything to hurt her,” Chip said quietly as they watched the football game.
“I
know that,” Lee replied giving Chip a pat on the back. “Now you have to convince her.”
Janet
came down a little while later to start dinner.
Lee and Chip were still watching football. Chip looked a little more relaxed than he did
before. He was glad he could go back to
work even if it was light duty.
Janet
went out to start the grill. She stood
out there looking at the ocean. It was
very calm today. She actually liked it
better when it was rough. Lee came out
on the deck while she stared at the ocean.
“Sweetheart,
you look like you could use this,” he said handing her a glass of wine.
“Thanks,
honey, I could use the whole bottle.”
“I’ll
barbecue the steaks tonight. Just get
them and the potatoes ready to put on the grill.”
“Thanks
for taking over the barbecuing. I’ll be
right back.”
He could tell she was still upset with Chip
and knew he had better talk to her soon.
She
brought him the potatoes to put on the grill along with the steaks. She had to admit Lee cooked a very good
steak.
Before
she went back in, he grabbed her by the waist, pulled her close and gave her a
kiss and hug which she gladly returned and laid her head on his chest while he
rubbed her back.
Chip
was watching them through the window. He
could see how happy they were. Maybe
someday he would be that happy too.
Janet
went in the kitchen and knew Chip had been watching them. He looked at her and
she could see the eyes of the old Chip not the new and nasty Chip.
“Janet,
I need to talk to you about the way I’ve been treating you,” Chip said
softly. “Can I help you with something
while I talk?”
“Do
you think you can wash the tomatoes for the salad one handed,” she replied
putting them in the sink.
“I
can sure try,” he said grinning. “First
of all I’m very sorry for the way I’ve been treating you. I couldn’t believe how badly I treated you
and you never got mad. While I was
unconscious I had a dream. I was
somewhere warm and sunny. I was with a
woman and that woman was you and I kissed you.”
So
that’s what you meant when you said she’s Lee’s wife, Janet thought
shocked at what he was telling her.
“When
I woke up, I was afraid I had some ‘feelings’ for you that I shouldn’t
have. I love you but as a sister and
wife of my best friend. I thought if I
was mean and rotten those feelings and you would go away. Jamie
explained since you were the only one talking to me, I recognized your voice
and put you in the dream. I never meant to hurt you, please forgive me.” Chip
said guiltily while he washed the tomatoes.
“Chip,
I couldn’t understand why you were so rude and distant. I admit I did talk a lot, but I wanted you to
wake up so badly and I was afraid you wouldn’t. I didn’t want to be mad at you
because you and Lee are so close but I was about to give you a piece of my mind.”
“I
wouldn’t have blamed you if you had slugged me.”
“I
almost did slug you earlier today and yes, I forgive you,” she replied with
tears in her eyes.
She
went over to the sink and gave him a hug which he returned relief in his eyes.
“You
did a nice job on the tomatoes,” she told him as she wiped the tears from her
eyes as she looked at the smashed tomatoes.
“Sorry,
I guess I got carried away. It’s hard to
wash them one handed and confess at the same time.”
They
both laughed as she put them on the salad anyway.
Lee
was watching them through the window and could tell they worked things
out. He breathed a sigh of relief. What would he have done if his wife and ‘brother’
couldn’t stand each other? He didn’t
even want to think about it.
Chip
was setting the table when Lee brought in the steaks and potatoes. The salad was done and put on the table.
Before
sitting down, Janet grabbed a beer for Lee, iced tea for Chip and a glass of
wine for herself.
As
they ate they talked about the next mission for Seaview. Life was back to normal for the three of
them.
The
End.