Author’s
note: The story below is an extensive rewrite of the first story I ever
submitted to a zine( Silent Running 3) back in 1998. My grateful thanks, as
always, to Lill whose patient advice ensured that I
rewrote the rewrite!
Teething
Troubles
By
S.James
Lieutenant-Commander
Christopher-Chip-Morton turned restlessly on to his back and thrust his hands
beneath his blond hair his long fingers linked together cushioning his head.
Staring tiredly into the darkness of his private cabin he allowed a frustrated
sigh to escape as he pondered the reasons for his wakefulness when his whole
body longed for the peaceful oblivion of a good night’s sleep.
It had
been a long hellish day and the reason he couldn’t sleep was because he had yet
to come to terms with what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. It had
started out so normally. After a five day cruise to check out some new systems Seaview had docked in
With a
heavy sigh Chip fought to control the wave of emotion that threatened to
overwhelm him as he allowed his mind to replay the subsequent events of that
afternoon: the unexpected call from Admiral Nelson, the order to take the call
in the privacy of his cabin, the unbelievable shock that John Phillips had been
killed and the expectation that he would break this upsetting news to the crew.
Looking back Chip realized that he had gone on to autopilot for the rest of the
day. Although he had choked once or twice on his words when he relayed the news
to the crew he had managed to fulfil all his duties in his usual calm and
efficient manner while burying his own feelings beneath a mask of rigid
control. No wonder he couldn’t sleep! Alone with his thoughts he was finding it
impossible to close his exhausted mind to the reality of John’s death. It had
been so sudden, so unexpected and so unfair! John had been so proud of Seaview; he had been enjoying the new
challenge in his career and he’d been too young to die.
Pulling
his right hand out from beneath his head Chip wiped angrily at the moisture
that seeped out from beneath his closed eyelids before rolling on to his
stomach and punching vigorously at his pillows. Then, suddenly aware that he
wasn’t going to find solace in sleep, he rolled on to his left side and threw
his long legs over the side of his bunk. Pulling himself into a sitting
position he rested his elbows on his pyjama clad knees and rubbed at his face
with his hands, feeling the dampness on his cheeks and the roughness of his
unshaven chin. Glancing at the luminous hands of his watch he saw that he’d
been tossing and turning now for more than three hours. It was obvious that he
needed something to take his mind of John’s death; something like work.
Deciding
that it wouldn’t do any harm to check that the boat was ready to sail whenever
the Admiral arrived back Chip stood up, stretched his arms above his head and
padded on bare feet to the head. Turning the shower on full and, shedding his
pyjama bottoms, he stepped under the heavy spray lifting his face to the
refreshing feel of the hot water. As he continued his shower he allowed his
tired mind to dwell on another pressing problem: who was going to command Seaview on her forthcoming mission?
Right now he was in command but he had the sense to know that it was only
temporary and he suspected that whatever was going on behind the scenes was
extremely serious and that the Admiral may well want someone more qualified in
charge. That didn’t exactly bother him. Sure, he knew he had the knowledge to
command but he didn’t have the experience and he didn’t relish the idea of
gaining it at this point in time. He knew that the Navy was full of very
competent captains who would give anything for such a prestigious appointment
but he also knew that the Admiral wouldn’t appoint just anyone. It had to be
someone special, someone who would have a feel for the uniqueness of the boat
and her exceptional, hand-picked crew. As he stepped from the shower and
reached for a towel Chip realized that it was unlikely an appropriate candidate
could be appointed at short notice and that, in reality, they were probably
looking at a temporary appointment in which case the responsibility could fall
to him. Rubbing his blond hair dry he reflected that he‘d better get himself
sorted out as he reached for his razor. The Admiral wasn’t going to be too
pleased with him if he was too tired to do his job properly. Soon as he was
shaved and dressed, he’d take a tour of the boat, update the log, and catch an
early breakfast. Maybe then he would be able to snatch a few hours sleep!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
By the
time the Admiral called again Chip was beginning to feel more than a little
frustrated. The boat was ready to sail and he’d managed to snatch a few hours’
sleep but he had no idea when they were due to leave and the crew were getting
edgy. Refused permission to go ashore, they had too much time to reflect on the
loss of their Skipper while speculating on who had killed him and why. As Chip didn’t really know anymore than they did he
couldn’t answer their inevitable questions and he had begun to share the sense
of unease that was permeating the entire boat.
He was
trying to concentrate on a report about the latest upgrading of the boat’s
computers when the intercom buzzed and
“Chip! Is everything okay there?” Nelson
sounded both tired and anxious.
“Everything’s
fine, sir,” Chip reported reassuringly. “We’re ready to sail whenever you give
the order.”
“Good,”
Nelson sounded both relieved and pleased. “Now listen carefully, Chip. This
next mission is vitally important so please double check everything and be
prepared to load some more cargo when I arrive back.”
“What
sort of cargo, sir?”
“I
can’t tell you,” Nelson sounded apologetic, “but trust me, it’s important. I’m
bringing a guest back with me so you better have a guest cabin prepared. Is
that clear?”
“Yes,
sir; perfectly clear. Do you know what time you’re expecting to arrive?”
“About
22.00 hours. We’ll sail as soon as the cargo is aboard.”
“Yes,
sir,” Chip hesitated. “Is that all, sir?”
“No,
Chip,” the Admiral paused before continuing quietly. “The Navy are loaning us
one of their Skippers for this cruise. He should be arriving sometime this
evening, hopefully before I get back. Make sure you give him a proper welcome
aboard.”
“Yes,
sir,” Chip frowned at the telephone convinced that he had detected something in
his superior’s voice that he didn’t quite understand; a sort of teasing tone
that didn’t make sense in the current circumstances. Biting briefly at his
bottom lip he asked almost tentatively, “Er, do we know who the Navy are lending us, sir?”
“Oh,
didn’t I say,” Nelson sounded almost jovial as he replied. “Sorry, Chip; his
name’s Crane…Lee Crane. I believe you might know him from somewhere?”
Lee! Lee
was their temporary Skipper? Chip was so shocked he almost dropped the
receiver. Keeping tight control over his suddenly rising spirits he replied
carefully, “Yes, sir; I believe I do. Is there anything else I need to know?”
“No,
Chip; that’s all for now. I’ll see you soon.”
At the
other end of the line Admiral Harriman Nelson put his own receiver down with a
satisfied smile. It was typical of his very reserved executive officer to try
and disguise his feelings but Nelson had detected a hint of joyful surprise in
the younger man’s voice and he was both glad and relieved. Although he had
tried hard to control his reactions when Nelson had told him about John
Phillip’s’ death the older man had known, even over the telephone, that Chip
Morton had been shocked and upset which was perfectly understandable. Despite
the difference in their ages the two men had got along very well and had made
an excellent command team for Nelson’s beloved Seaview. However, Harriman Nelson suspected that together Lee Crane
and Chip Morton had the potential to make an even better team and, if this
forthcoming mission was a success, he planned to persuade Crane to accept
permanent command of the Seaview. He
was confident that the young officer was the perfect man for the job.
Back in
Santa Barbara Chip Morton went about his duties feeling a lot happier and more
relaxed now that he knew when to expect the Admiral back and, more importantly,
who was going to command this upcoming mission. He still felt enormous sadness
at John’s death but he was thrilled at the thought of seeing Lee Crane again.
Inseparable during their four years at the
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“Mr.
Morton! The Chief said to tell you that the Admiral will be arriving in the
next thirty minutes. And the new Captain has arrived on board, sir!” Joe Gordon
practically spat the last sentence, his voice very stiff and formal. Chip
frowned slightly as he replied, “Thanks, Gordon. Tell the Chief I’m on my way.”
“Aye,
sir.” As the crewman turned and exited his cabin, Chip wondered if it was just
his imagination or whether Gordon had really sounded hostile towards their
temporary Skipper. He couldn’t blame the man he supposed as he straightened his
tie and reached into his closet for his jacket and cover. The crew had been
very fond of John and they had been devastated at his death only twenty-four
hours before. It was only natural that they be reserved with his replacement,
wary even. A captain had to earn his crew’s loyalty and respect; only obedience
came with the position. As he made his way to the control room Chip had to
admit that he would probably be feeling a little reserved himself if it wasn’t
for the fact that Lee Crane was their temporary captain. Nevertheless, he hoped
the crew weren’t going to be too hard on Lee; that really wouldn’t be fair.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Wouldn’t be fair, huh? Chip almost laughed out loud as
he recalled the thoughts he’d had only minutes before meeting up with Lee again
in Seaview’s Control Room. There he
was worrying that the crew might be too hard on their new captain and who got
the hostility treatment? He did! And from someone he most certainly never
expected it from. Admittedly, Lee’s arrival on board wasn’t at the best of
times and they’d barely had chance to say “hello” before circumstances dictated
that they focus on their respective jobs but Chip had expected some
acknowledgement of the friendship that existed between them…that he thought existed between them. He had been totally
unprepared for Lee’s strictly formal attitude and the lack of friendliness in
his eyes and his voice. He realized that his friend had come straight from his
own command and was used to the strict formality of the regular Navy but even
so a smile wouldn’t have hurt. Would it? Bemused, Chip shook his blond head and
pulled himself to attention as the Admiral’s car drew up to the gangplank. Much
as he would like to question his friend about his behaviour he knew it would
have to wait. They had important work to do!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pushing
his half-drunk cup of coffee to one side Chip Morton rested his elbows on the
table in front of him and rubbed at his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut as he
tried to ward off the dull pain that threatened to become a full-blown
headache. It was hardly surprising that his head should be aching he reflected
as he stopped rubbing his head and stretched his arms and legs in a bid to
release the tension that seemed to envelop his whole body. This mission had
been high pressure from the moment they left port with a crew who were none too
happy with their new Captain and the added tension of not knowing what their
mission was about. Not that the secrecy was Lee’s fault, he was only following
his own orders, but the crew were only too ready to distrust him.
The
unexpected depth charge attack had left them all in no doubt that whatever they
were up against it was highly dangerous, a fact confirmed by Lee’s announcement
that they were on war alert. War! Like a great many of the crew Chip had never
actually been at war and, although he knew that he was trained for it, it was
still a sobering thought and not something he wanted to dwell on while he was
on duty. He was confident that whatever happened Seaview had a very high chance of making it home again especially
with Lee at the helm. His friend was a natural at commanding a submarine and
developments so far had given him plenty of opportunity to demonstrate his
skills with the boat and with the men some of whom were beginning to exhibit
signs of grudging respect for their new Skipper even if they didn’t seem to
like him much.
Well,
that was to be expected and Lee really hadn’t helped his future prospects with
that stupid stunt he’d pulled when he came aboard. Chip hadn’t been overly
surprised when he found out what had happened. Lee always had been rather
impulsive and unconventional but, even so, Chip wondered why he had felt the
need to upset the crew like that. In the circumstances it was rather
insensitive of him and, to Chip’s mind Lee Crane had never been guilty of such
a trait. Quite the opposite in fact which made his very formal attitude towards
Chip himself all the more puzzling.
Picking up his coffee again and sipping at the lukewarm liquid
Chip tried to think of reasons why Lee was acting so oddly. Admittedly he must
be tired after leaving his own command at a moment’s notice to fly thousands of
miles across country to undertake a highly dangerous mission in charge of a
crew who were still in mourning for their first captain. Was it possible that
his friend hadn’t actually wanted to command Seaview for this mission? It was very doubtful that he had been
given a choice and although permanent command of such a special submarine was a
huge honour Lee was only a substitute. In short, he was being used and when
this mission was over he would, presumably, be going back to his own command.
Maybe that was factor in his strange attitude? He didn’t know this crew but he
had been given the responsibility of getting them to perform to their best in
very exacting circumstances; it wouldn’t do for him to appear “soft” by getting
friendly with them or by exhibiting
signs of familiarity with his executive officer.
His
coffee finished, Chip stood up and made his way back to the Control Room. Maybe
when this mission was over and things were back to normal he and Lee might get
a chance to talk and straighten a few things out before his friend had to
return to his duty in the Navy.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Head
down, pen in hand, Seaview’s executive
officer tried hard to concentrate on the paperwork on his desk but despite his
best efforts one thought kept nagging at his mind until, finally, he threw down
his pen and sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as he contemplated the news
that was the prominent topic of discussion throughout the massive submarine.
It was
official, Lee Crane was to be Seaview’s new
Captain! Chip Morton was pleased…for Lee, for the boat and for the crew. The
only one he wasn’t pleased for was himself! Oh, he knew that Lee would make the
perfect Skipper and that given time to adjust the crew would follow him without
question. Already, many of them were singing his praises for his skill in
defeating the forces that sought to prevent them achieving their goal and for
his unquestionable bravery in going out on the ice in what was almost a suicide
mission to rescue Wilson and Malone. It had gone a long way to raising his
credibility in the eyes of the crew.
Chip
had to admit that he’d been as impressed as everyone else. What bothered him was
the formal barrier that had sprung up between him and his so-called best
friend. Despite the fact that they were safely on their way home and Lee had
been given permanent command of Seaview he remained rigidly formal in his attitude
towards his executive officer when on duty and seemed to be avoiding contact
with him the rest of the time. Chip didn’t like it. He wasn’t used to being
treated with so much distant formality especially aboard Seaview and he didn’t know what to do about it.
It was
so ridiculous! Of all the officers in the US Navy that Nelson could have chosen
to replace John, Lee Crane was the only one Chip really knew, the only one he
could call a real friend; or so he had thought! Outside of his family, Lee was
the one person who Chip had always believed he could turn to if he was in
trouble, the only one he could rely on, the only one he could totally trust!
True, they didn’t see each other very often and neither of them were great
letter writers but whenever they had met up it had always been as if they had
never been apart…until now. Chip just couldn’t believe that Lee had changed so
drastically. It crossed his mind that maybe Lee just didn’t want to be seen to
be friendly with his subordinates but surely they could still talk in private?
Or could they? If he was totally honest Chip had to admit that he hadn’t been
trying very hard to be friendly towards Lee and was probably as much to blame
for their current lack of communication as he was. He had considered offering
his congratulations on Lee’s captaincy but he seemed to spend most of his down
time shut away in the Admiral’s cabin which had given Chip the excuse he needed
to avoid making the first overture. He’d probably
only get rebuffed anyway.
With a heartfelt sigh Chip reached again for his pen and tried to
refocus on the paperwork in front of him. Maybe when they got back to
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seaview’s second-in-command
was in the process of packing the few belongings he wanted to take ashore when
there was a sharp knock on his cabin door.
“Come in!” He turned, wondering who it could be when he knew that
most of the crew had gone ashore, and frowned when he saw who it was.
“I think we need to talk,” Lee Crane said quietly as he closed the
door and walked across the floor to stand by the desk his hazel eyes fixed on
his new executive officer. Chip folded his arms across his chest and stared
back, his lips set in a firm line. Lee’s words had sounded almost like an order
and he didn’t quite trust himself to respond without sounding churlish. For nearly a minute the two
young officers stared searchingly at each other as if each was trying to assess
what the other was thinking. It was Lee who finally broke the uncomfortable
silence.
“Look I
realize that you may not want to talk to me right now but I think that if we
are going to work successfully together we need to be honest with each other
about what we’re thinking and feeling and we need to do it now before we go
ashore and try and forget about this mission. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Chip
swallowed and the slight frown between his blue eyes deepened as he considered
Lee’s words. He was surprised at Lee’s
unexpected visit but deep down he acknowledged the sense in the Captain’s
desire to “clear the air” and he recognized that they needed to do it now even
if a part of him wanted to tell his new Skipper to “Clear off and leave him
alone!”
Taking
a deep breath he dropped his arms to his sides and buried his hands in his
trouser pockets. “I guess you’re right,” he acknowledged with a slight nod of
his head while inwardly berating himself for the childish comment that ran
through his mind simultaneously, “You are
the Captain after all!”
“Good,”
a sudden familiar smile broke out on Lee’s face but Chip remained stony-faced unwilling
to let go of the anger and frustration that had been building up over the past
few days. “Do you really want me to be honest?” his blue eyes narrowed
challengingly as he stared at his long-time friend.
“I do,”
Lee nodded. “Whatever’s on your mind, Chip…just tell me.”
“Okay,”
Chip looked down at the toes of his shoes before lifting his head again and
looking directly at his Captain, blue eyes locking on hazel. “But first off, I
want you to know that I’m really pleased you’ve been given permanent command of
Seaview. The boat needs someone like
you in command. You did a great job out there in very difficult circumstances
and you proved that you’re more than capable of being in command. You impressed
everybody, and I think you’ll find that the crew are more than happy to have
you as their Skipper even if they are still a bit sore at you.”
“Sore
at me?” Lee blinked. “Oh, you’re referring to my arrival on board! I’m sorry if
I upset the men, Chip but I did have my reasons for coming aboard like that.”
“I’m sure you did!” Chip frowned slightly but he kept his mouth
closed and Lee frowned back at him. “I take it you’re one of the people who’s
sore at me?” he said coolly.
Chip merely raised one eyebrow his lips set in straight line. Lee felt a surge of irritation rise up, he
was more than aware of just how stiff necked Chip Morton could be when he put
his mind to it. “Look, Chip,” he said seriously. “I came to talk with you as
your friend, not as your new CO but we’re not going to get anywhere if you hold
out on me! Whatever we talk about here
is private, between us…I’m not going to report you for being unprofessional so
for goodness sake be honest with me…friend to friend,
it’s never stopped you in the past!”
Chip’s
frown turned into a full blown glare and he turned his attention to the deck as
he debated his response to Lee’s challenge. He knew that, strictly speaking,
Lee didn’t have to be having this conversation with him. At the end of the day
Lee was the Captain and he didn’t have to justify his actions to his executive
officer. What Chip thought or felt was of no consequence; as second-in-command
he was paid to follow orders whether he agreed with them or not and he was well
aware of his position. It was all very well Lee telling him to be honest but it
wasn’t that easy. Admitting that he was pleased Lee had got command was one
thing but telling him that he thought he had made mistakes was another and Chip
wasn’t sure that he could do it while they were still in uniform and aboard Seaview. If they were some place else it
would be different, he wouldn’t hesitate to say exactly what he thought but
here… it was hard to go against the ingrained training that taught respect for
the superior rank.
“I know
it goes against the grain,” Lee seemed to read his mind as he cut into his
thoughts, “but I’m not leaving here ‘til you level with me, Chip so if you want
to eat tonight I suggest you say what’s on your mind.”
“Okay,”
Chip looked up, a decisive scowl on his face. Stepping away from his bunk he
moved closer to Lee, who was still sitting on the edge of the desk, and looked
down at him.
“I will
level with you, Lee. I admit that I wasn’t impressed with the way that you came
aboard and the implied criticism of our security procedures but I suspect that
the Admiral has already told you what he thinks about that…” the slight
inclination of Lee’s head and the brief downcast of his eyes told Chip that his
suspicions were correct…” and that’s not the main reason I’m sore at you
anyway,” he paused and when Lee showed no sign of reacting he continued, his
deep voice so low that Lee had to concentrate intently on his words.
“I’m sore at you because of the almost hostile
way you’ve treated me since you came aboard. We haven’t exactly had a fun time
here recently. It was tough…” he swallowed and for a moment his eyes veered off
from Lee’s face to focus somewhere on the bulkhead behind him, “…losing Captain
Phillips, nearly losing the Admiral, not knowing what was going on. I’m not
looking for sympathy,” his eyes came back to Lee’s face, daring him to
commiserate. “I’m just saying how it was here before you arrived. Ideally we
needed time to come to terms with what happened before we got a new Skipper,
before we had to set out on another dangerous
mission but in reality we didn’t get that so you can imagine how pleased I felt
when I found out you were going to be our temporary Captain,” he paused a
slight smile twitching at his lips before he continued,
“Knowing
you were coming, knowing I could trust you, knowing that you would be more than
capable of stepping into an awkward situation and making it work. It was a huge
weight off my mind but then you antagonize the crew
before you’ve even been introduced and then you act like I don’t even exist. I
know that I’m subordinate to you, Lee and I know we can’t be buddies in the
Control Room but do you realize that, until now, you’ve only spoken to me to
give orders.” Chip paused for breath. His gaze moved off again, this time to
look at the deck and when he spoke again, Lee could hear the pained confusion
in his voice even though he sought to hide it. “Maybe I’m being unrealistic Lee
but I didn’t think that having you as my Captain would mean that we had to
totally ignore our friendship…” he hesitated, his eyes meeting Lee’s once more
and when he spoke again his voice was edged with barely contained anger, “…I
always thought that we could make a good team if we got the chance to serve
together but maybe you disagree and that’s your prerogative,” Chip glared at
his friend, “But if you don’t want me as your exec then you have a big problem,
pal because I am not about to give it up! I’ve worked damn hard to help make Seaview the boat Admiral Nelson dreamt
of, I like my job and I’m good at it and I’m not it giving up…not for anyone and
that includes you, Captain Crane!”
His
speech over Chip stepped back, breathing heavily, and sat down on his bunk.
Placing his hands on the mattress either side of his body he let his shoulders
droop, head down, eyes on the deck as he waited for Lee’s response.
“Ouch!” His eyes on his friend’s bent head, Lee Crane
winced as he processed his heartfelt words. He had known that Chip was annoyed with him but he hadn’t
realized just how much he had hurt his friend’s feelings. It wasn’t often Chip
allowed anger to get the better of his carefully controlled emotions but
he had come very close to losing his temper as he told Lee exactly what he
thought of their current unsatisfactory situation.
Lee
shook his own head as he debated what he could say to improve things. He was
shocked that Chip could even think that he didn’t want to work with him. He
realized that although he had made a success of a difficult mission he had
failed miserably when it came to the working relationship between himself and
his best friend. His mission now was to try and put the situation right!
“I’m
sorry, Chip,” he said quietly. “I was just doing the job the way I thought best
and you were a casualty of how I chose to deal
with certain difficulties. Would it help if I tried to explain?”
“It
might,” Chip looked up from his study of the deck to regard Lee with a puzzled
expression. He was mindful of the fact that as his CO Lee didn’t owe him any
explanations but grateful that, as his friend, he appeared keen to put things
right. “You haven’t made much sense since you came aboard so if you think you
can explain, go ahead; it might help.”
“Right,”
Lee frowned and ran his hand through his hair again as he considered how he
could try and explain his behaviour to his friend. After several seconds of
silence during which Chip gazed up at him thoughtfully Lee took a deep breath
and plunged in, “I guess the bottom line is I was
a little in awe of your achievements I suppose. You’re the
exec on the mightiest boat in the world and you were one of the
Admiral’s golden boys. He chose you,
he had the pick of the entire US Navy and he chose you! I have to tell you,
Chip that when Admiral Nelson gave you the post of exec on Seaview I was really
pleased for you. You’ve always worked hard and you deserved this position but…”
He paused; it wasn’t easy to admit one’s faults, even to your best friend.
Taking a deep breath Lee continued, “I was pretty envious too.”
Envious! Chip
raised his fair eyebrows again, this time in disbelief. He hadn’t thought of
that and he couldn’t entirely understand it. “But why?” he asked seriously.
“Lee, you already had your own command. To have become exec on Seaview would’ve meant demotion!”
“Would
it?” Lee asked, a challenging note in his voice, his dark eyes fixed on his
friend’s questioning face. “Chip, you know that Seaview is no ordinary sub. She’s unique. Special. Everybody in the
submarine service would give their right arm for the chance to serve aboard her
but they won’t get it. The Admiral only chooses the best…the elite…people like
you but I admit that I was a little disappointed that he didn’t ask me to join
him. I’ve admired him for so long and Seaview
is such a magnificent vessel.”
“I
know,” Chip chewed subconsciously at his bottom lip. It had never entered his
head that Lee might envy him. He knew there were officers in the Navy who would
do almost anything for the chance to join Seaview.
Who wouldn’t? But Lee? Envious of him? Hell, Lee had gotten his first
command almost as soon as Chip had achieved his promotion to
lieutenant-commander. What was there to envy for someone with Lee’s abilities
and ambitions? Chip shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Maybe
you shouldn’t have risen through the ranks so quickly?” he suggested, half
joking, half serious. “If you’d still been an exec when the Admiral was
recruiting he might have given you this job instead of me!”
“I
doubt it,” Lee shook his dark head. “You’re a far better exec than I ever was;
you actually enjoy paperwork for one thing but maybe you have a point. When
Nelson gave you the position of exec I did think that maybe climbing the career
ladder so quickly was actually a disadvantage. I hadn’t enough command
experience to be Seaview’s Captain;
it was obvious that a prestigious boat like this needed someone with more
expertise than I had and it did cross my mind that had I been in a lesser
position I might have had a chance of getting on board!”
“I had
no idea! You never said anything!”
Chip shook his blond head. He felt dazed by Lee’s admissions. His friend had
always been so successful; it was strange to realize that he hadn’t been
completely happy about his own position in the scheme of things.
“I
realize that I’ve surprised you,” Lee said quietly, “but that’s only a small
part of what I was thinking when I came aboard, Chip.”
“It
is?” Chip looked enquiringly at him.
“Yes,”
Lee smiled slightly. “I was envious of you, but I was also wondering how you
would react to me coming on board and taking over and how that might affect our
friendship. You are second-in-command, when John Phillips died you
automatically stepped up to temporary command and then I come in and take over.
You had a right to feel resentful; I know I would have done!”
“Yes,
but I’m not you, am I?” Chip grinned slightly. “I’m perfectly happy
where I am. I don’t want to command; not yet anyway. Beats me how I got this far so
quickly; I’ve never had your ambitious streak.”
“Maybe
not,” Lee grinned back, “but you do have the ability, Chip. You know Helen’s
really proud of you?”
“Is
she?” Chip frowned quizzically at the unexpected reference to his much older
half-sister. “How’d you know?”
“She
told me,” Lee’s grin broadened at the look of confusion on his friend’s face.
“I saw her, you know…Helen and Chris and the kids…about six weeks ago. Didn’t
she tell you?”
Chip
shook his head. “I haven’t spoken to her for a while; it’s been very busy here.
I’ll probably have a few letters waiting for me when I get back to my
apartment,” he continued to frown. “So, how come you saw them?”
“I had
a long weekend before my boat set out on a three month tour. I was going to
visit my mother but she’s gone to
“I’m
sure they were,” Chip smiled back. “And I’m sure Helen made some comment along
the lines of it was nice that someone could
find the time to visit!”
“Well,
she did mention that they hadn’t seen you for a while,” Lee admitted.
“Yea,
it’s not so easy to see them now I’m based out here but like I said I enjoy
this job and I’m not giving it up for anyone not even my family although,” his
voice took on a wistful tone. “I do miss
them a lot.”
“They
miss you too,” Lee acknowledged.” Helen did say that she wished you weren’t
based so far from home but she is immensely proud of you.”
Chip
shrugged, suddenly embarrassed, “She’s biased,” he grinned. “And you’re
changing the subject, Lee. Why didn’t you tell me this before; I could’ve put
your mind at rest days ago…and mine too for that matter!”
Now it
was Lee’s turn to shrug, “I didn’t have a chance; there was so much to focus on
and I had other concerns as well, it wasn’t just about me and you.”
”Huh?”
Chip waited patiently for his friend to explain.
Lee
took a deep breath, his eyes still focussed on his friend’s face. “When I got
my orders to leave my command and fly to
Chip
remained diplomatically silent. He thought, wryly, that he’d not been far wrong
when he had tried to think of reasons to explain Lee’s strange behaviour.
“I guess
I knew that the crew would be suspicious of me,” Lee continued, talking faster
now that he had got into his stride. “Especially as I’m so young; it was a
challenge proving myself on my previous command. I suppose that I wanted to
prove to them straightaway that I was the right man for the job and that I was
in charge. That’s why I came aboard the way I did. I thought it might give them
something else to think about too,” he grinned suddenly. “I think I even wanted
to prove myself to you; to show you that I was worthy of stepping into Captain
Phillips’ shoes.”
“You
didn’t have to prove anything to me,” Chip responded sincerely. “You just
needed to talk to me, Lee. I could’ve helped you.”
He
sounded hurt and Lee smiled apologetically, “I know but I didn’t see it like
that, did I? I wanted to prove my worth to Admiral Nelson. I know it sounds arrogant but I
knew I could be the man he was looking for to replace Phillips and I wanted him
to realize that. I sure didn’t want him to think that I’d depended too much on
your knowledge and expertise.”
“I
see,” Chip nodded thoughtfully. “It certainly makes a lot of sense I suppose
and I’m glad you’ve taken the time to explain. I was beginning to worry about
how we were going to work together if we couldn’t even communicate with each
other.”
“I’m
sorry,” Lee said again, “Although…” he hesitated and eyed his friend with a
challenging gaze. “You could have come and spoken to
me!”
“True,”
Chip nodded again. ”And, believe me, I did think about it but I didn’t know what
I could say. I guess I didn’t feel that I could start questioning how my new CO
chose to do things. It’s your prerogative to decide how you want to run the
boat and it’s my job to support you whether I agree with you or not!”
“True,”
Lee grinned as he ran his hands through his dark hair, “but I certainly hope
that we can work together in harmony, Chip, at least most of the time!”
“I hope
so, too!” Chip grinned back and then frowned quizzically as Lee said, “You know
I guess that was another factor in my strange behaviour.”
“What?”
“I
didn’t want to get too involved,” Lee said simply. “To fool myself into
thinking I belonged here. I didn’t want to start enjoying myself too much. It was going to be bad
enough having to leave the boat now I’d actually spent time aboard without
leaving you and a potentially enjoyable working relationship before it had even
got started properly. It was just easier to freeze you out and I’m sorry I did that.”
“Apology
accepted,” Chip said quietly.
“Thank
you,” Lee eyed him intently. “I do think we could make a really great team
together, don’t you?”
Chip
laughed suddenly; he was so relieved that Lee’s treatment of him hadn’t been
personal and wasn’t going to be permanent. Standing up from his bunk he crossed
the deck and held out a hand to his friend. “I don’t know,” he grinned
mischievously. “I always have thought that we could make a great team if we
ever got to serve together but you’re crazy, Lee,” he laughed again as his
friend grabbed his hand and then pulled him into a rough embrace.
“Is
that any way to address a senior officer?” Lee said teasingly as they stood
back and eyed one another face to face.
“I
guess not,” Chip struggled to contain his laughter at the mock indignation on
his friend’s face, “but if we’re going to work together we have to get one
thing straight from the start.”
“What’s
that?”
“I’m
only subordinate to you on duty,” Chip said warningly, his blue eyes sparkling
playfully. “Off duty, I can say whatever comes to mind and, even give the
orders!”
“I
think I might regret such an agreement,” Lee laughed, “but it sounds fair
enough. You can start by telling me where to go now. I have no idea where to
eat or even where I’m going to sleep.”
“You
can always bunk down at my place if you don’t mind the couch…or the floor!”
Chip offered. “And I could show you the sights if you like,” he grinned
wickedly. “I bet you don’t know the first thing about life in
“And I
suppose you’re an expert?” Lee grinned back.
“I do
have experience,” Chip nodded. “D’you want me to share it with you?” He picked
up his holdall and reached for the door handle.
“I
think I might regret this,” Lee muttered as he stepped out of the cabin into
the passageway.
“You
probably will,” Chip agreed as they headed towards the Control Room en route
for the dockside. “You have been warned!”
They
laughed suddenly and rather loudly at each other and from his cabin further
down the passageway Harriman Nelson smiled to himself. It sounded as if his to
senior officers had sorted out the problems between them and that pleased him
immensely. He was confident that he had a potentially excellent command team in
Lee Crane and Chip Morton and, unless he was very much mistaken, he didn’t
think that they would disappoint him.
The End