(Shamelessly adapted from an
e-mail that’s been making the rounds.)
Every time Admiral Harriman
Nelson came down the boarding hatch ladder into the giant submarine he’d
designed and built he was always amazed at the good fortune he’d had in his
life. To be honest, it had come with a
great deal of hard work on his part. But
he was still delighted that, after these years, so many of the dreams he’d had
as a young man had actually come true.
All of which had nothing to
do with his current mission. He gave
himself a shake – along with a private smile – and looked across the Control
Room to the pair of khaki-clad legs sticking out from under the navigation
computer.
Seaview was in port, having
just gotten back the previous day from a two-week necessary, but boring for the
crew, charting mission. While Nelson’s
PA, Angie, had sorted through all the mail and reports that had come in while
he was at sea, and had actually handled a good bit of it, just leaving him
detailed notes of what she’d done, there was still a fairly large stack that
needed his attention. He wanted to give
Seaview’s captain, Cdr. Lee Crane, a healthy portion of it; Lee had become
extremely adept at looking at project proposals and giving Nelson feedback on
ways to handle them, as well as pointing out possible glitches to their smooth
completion. But when he walked down the
hall to Lee’s office he’d been told by the secretary that Lee had left for the
day. A little unusual for the workaholic
young man, but Nelson figured that he’d only left his office, not the Institute
grounds all-together. He piled the stack
of folders on Lee’s desk with a note explaining what they were and when he
needed them back, and returned to his office.
An hour later he suddenly remembered that he wanted to point out one of
the folders in particular and had forgotten to do so when he wrote the hasty
note. He called Lee’s cell phone,
assuming that Lee had probably walked down to the boat. Nelson smiled to himself as he dialed. There was no telling what Seaview’s Skipper
was up to on board his beloved ‘Gray Lady.’
But the smile faded when the
only answer was Lee’s voicemail immediately picking up. Lee rarely turned the phone off as the
Institute all too often needed to contact him on a moment’s notice. But he could be somewhere on the boat where
he’d needed to take it off his belt.
Puttering around in the ballast tanks came to mind, and Nelson’s grin
returned. Shaking his head, he told
Angie that he’d be back in a bit and walked down to the dock. With Lee, there was no telling where Nelson
would find him. But he was sure that
Seaview’s XO, Lt. Cdr. Chip Morton, would know, and Nelson knew that Lee’s best
friend was doing some puttering of his own with the boat’s computers.
Nelson remembered only barely
in time to not totally surprise Chip.
He’d done it to Lee one day, while Seaview rested quietly in port. Lee had startled so badly, thinking himself
alone aboard, that he’d banged his head hard enough to require several
stitches. Still standing at the bottom
of the ladder, Nelson cleared his throat loudly before walking across the deck
toward Chip. He saw Chip’s legs jump
slightly, and grinned down at the blond as he crawled out from under the
cabinet.
“Sorry, sir.” Chip gave him a little grin as he quickly
stood up. “Thought that I was alone
except for the anchor watch, and I think they’re all topside at the moment.”
“Actually, I was looking for
Lee. He’s not…” He stopped talking because the instant he’d
spoken Lee’s name a pained, almost worried expression briefly hit Chip’s face. He got himself back under control quickly,
but not before he realized Nelson had seen it.
“What’s wrong?” Nelson asked him gently.
Chip sighed heavily. “Not totally sure anything is,” he admitted.
“Something to do with his
friends’ deaths?” Nelson guessed.
“I think so.”
Several days before Seaview
left on her last cruise, Lee had gotten word that his mother’s next-door
neighbors, the MacDonalds, had been killed in a car accident. The couple had been more than mere neighbors
to Lee in his younger years. After the
death of his grandfather, and with his mother’s more frequent business trips,
the retired commercial fisherman and his kindly wife had become surrogate
grandparents and caregivers from the time Lee was twelve until he’d left for
Annapolis at barely seventeen. With
Seaview’s impending departure, Lee decided that he didn’t have time to attend the
funeral. The MacDonalds had no other
close relatives so it would just be a handful of friends attending, mostly
people that Lee didn’t really know.
However, both Chip and Nelson assured him that things were in order and
that he needed to go. By some miracle
his mother also happened to be home.
Nelson told him to spend a few days with her, and they’d pick him up by
FS1 when he got back to
But Lee being Lee, he’d left
the instant the services were over and sailed with his boat. Nelson and Chip both scolded him for not
staying longer; taking a little time for himself that he so rarely did. But Lee just shrugged it off. He’d been a bit quieter than usual the whole
trip, but not so much that he caused his friends to worry about him. Now, from the expression Chip allowed to once
more appear, Nelson wasn’t so sure.
“He was leaving the Admin
building at the same time I headed down here,” Chip continued. “Said he had a headache…” Chip looked at Nelson and they both cringed a
bit. It was Lee’s most noticeable
symptom of stress. “I tried to get him
to go see Jamie.” That caused quick
grins for both men – Lee had to practically be dead before he’d willingly subject
himself to the CMO’s ministrations. “But
he just shrugged it off, said that he was going to take a walk on the beach and
he’d be fine by morning.” Chip
hesitated. “Sometimes it’s best not to
push him, you know?”
Nelson nodded. “Hopefully he’ll finally take the time to
grieve.” Chip nodded, but the worried
expression this time didn’t leave his face.
“Chip?” Nelson prodded ever so gently.
Lee wasn’t the only one that it wasn’t wise to push. He thought for a second that this was one of
those times. Chip looked down at the
deck for several seconds before finally looking up.
“He had a small package under
his arm. Apparently came in this
morning’s mail – had stamps on it. I
caught just a glimpse of the return address before he walked away – a law firm
in
“Something that the
MacDonalds may have left him in their will?”
“That was my guess. And it brought everything, all the memories,
back.” He sent Nelson a small grin. “Figured that I’d show up at his place about
dinnertime with a six-pack of beer.”
Nelson grinned as well. It was so typical of the two long-time
friends to support each other – no matter what was happening. But he suddenly pointed an eyebrow at his
Exec. “Didn’t I hear something about you
having a hot date tonight?” He chuckled
openly as Chip’s fair complexion turned several shades of crimson. Chip started to open his mouth, but Nelson
raised a hand. “I know that you think
it’s your place to protect your captain, but you need your down time as well.” He sent the blond a fond smile. “You go enjoy your evening. If he did go for a walk, where would he most
likely go?”
Chip hesitated only a
second. He really had been looking
forward to dinner with Monika. And while
Nelson could seem blustery and gruff to the outside world, Chip knew that he and
Lee shared a bond that was, while different from his and Lee’s, just as
strong. “He sometimes goes out to the
headland.” Nelson nodded that he knew
the spot Chip was referring to. “But
mostly he just heads north from his house.”
Nelson sent a glance toward
the computer. “You about done here?”
Chip’s expression turned
sheepish. “Another hour or so,” he
admitted.
Nelson looked at his
watch. “See that you don’t keep your
lady waiting,” he warned. But the
grumble in his voice was overshadowed by the smile on his face. It spread when Chip’s face, starting to
return to his normal color, once more turned red. He nodded, and Nelson left.
Once back outside the boat,
Nelson pondered his options. He’d easily
understood Chip’s concern, and also his intent at showing up later at
Lee’s. Always a very private man, Lee
could internalize problems to his own detriment. Chip had developed, over the years, the
ability to, if only figuratively, kick Lee in the tail until he knocked his
friend out of his funk. At least, Nelson
thought that it was only figuratively.
He grinned as he recalled the occasional threat of a sledge hammer being
mentioned. While Chip was right in his
comment about Lee not taking well to being pushed too far, sometimes he needed
to be reminded that he didn’t have to bear all burdens, no matter what they
were, by himself.
Nelson slowly walked toward
the Admin building. Waiting in his
office were several hours of work just to figure out what he wanted to work on
first. He sighed heavily. He could easily admit to being just as much
of a workaholic – if not worse – than his boat’s captain. That thought caused a small grin. Perhaps a nice walk on the beach was exactly
what he needed as well. He started to
walk a bit faster, heading for his office, to pick up a few things and to let
Angie know that he’d be leaving for the day.
Almost immediately he stopped dead.
He knew himself far too well for that – one foot back inside and he’d
end up stuck there until who knew when.
He’d told Chip that he would make sure Lee was… what? he muttered to himself. Okay?
Of course he’ll be okay. He’s
not an emotional idiot, you old fool. Nelson
let another smile appear. No, he’s
not. He’ll be just fine, as always. But, and the smile spread, we all need
our friends from time to time. Lee, you’ve
become a very special friend over the years.
And you’re not the only one who needs to be reminded to spend time with
those special to you. He called
Angie on his cell, told her brusquely – before she could sidetrack him as she’d
started to when she heard his voice – that he was out of the office for the
rest of the day and didn’t want to be disturbed. Well, he amended, for anything short of a
Presidential command. Even Lee would
accept that excuse. He disconnected
quickly with another grin, and drove to Lee’s house.
Lee’s car was in the
carport. He didn’t answer the knock on
his door, however, so Nelson walked around to the back and down the short path
to the beach. It was a glorious day. The sun was shining, a soft breeze was
blowing, and Nelson took the time to stand for a bit at the water’s edge,
embracing the sights, sounds, and smells, before ambling north. A workday, the beach was fairly quiet. There were only a few of Lee’s neighbors on
the beach. A young couple out jogging
passed him. One woman was watching her
toddler play in the sand, and Nelson waved a hand as she smiled at him.
When Nelson had first
envisioned his complex and started to buy up land, this stretch of beach had
been among his purchases. The developers
were just beginning to move into the area, and Nelson could already see what
they were going to do with it – destroy its beauty with forty-nine different
hotel chains and condos. He couldn’t
save all of it. A few miles further
north that’s exactly what had happened.
But NIMR controlled this part, allowing only large lots with long-term
leases, not ownership, keeping the population density at a comfortable level
for everyone. Lee had fallen in love
with the area immediately, and Nelson had arranged for him to have a lot as
close to the Institute end of the area as possible.
Nelson hadn’t walked all that
far before he spotted a familiar form sitting in the sand, his back against a
driftwood log thrown well away from the tide line by a long gone winter
storm. He grinned as he noted that Lee,
unlike himself, had taken the time to change out of his uniform. Dressed in an old pair of jeans,
He smiled as Lee pointed a
puzzled eyebrow at him. “Chip send you?”
Lee guessed. It wasn’t an accusation –
in fact, Lee sounded almost embarrassed.
Nelson’s grin spread. “Actually, I sent myself,” he admitted. “Oh, Chip was prepared to show up with a
six-pack later on.” Lee’s embarrassment
grew. “I convinced him that he’s not the
only one around who’s willing to listen when you need to talk something out.”
Lee ducked his head and once
more stared out to sea. Nelson remained
quiet as well, controlling his expression.
Lee was such a private man, always interested in those around him, but
uncomfortable talking about himself. He
would open up to his very close friends, but even then it had to be on his
terms. And truth be told, Nelson was
enjoying the chance to relax, with no phones and no one demanding his
attention. He totally understood why Lee
would often spend time here on the beach by himself. He wished he’d do it more himself, but
acknowledged how unlikely that was to happen any time soon. However, for this moment in time, it felt
great!
It took Lee nearly five
minutes to get himself under enough control to even think straight. After his exchange with Chip earlier he’d
expected the blond to show up at some point.
He hadn’t been at all prepared for Nelson to do so and it hit him hard,
especially considering what was causing his lack of emotional control at the
moment anyway. Slowly he allowed the
comfort the older man’s presence gave him to overcome his lack of
composure.
Reaching down to his side, he
handed Nelson a small brass box. Nelson
held it tenderly but didn’t open it. “That
used to sit on Cap’n Mac’s writing desk,” Lee told him, his voice still not
totally under control. Nelson nodded
that he understood who Lee meant – his childhood neighbor. “Sometimes, when he walked past the desk,
he’d run his hand over the top of the box.
He never opened it – at least, not in my presence.” Again he was silent for a few minutes, just
watching the waves roll gently onto the beach.
Nelson was tempted to open
the box but refrained. There was a story
here – something that was strongly affecting Lee. Nelson would give him all the time he needed
to express his feelings in whatever way he was comfortable.
“I didn’t see much of the
MacDonalds once I left for
That did surprise Nelson just
a bit, as he’d not realized Lee had done that.
But he only sent Lee another smile of encouragement and support. The visits were actually a very ‘Lee’ thing
to do. There weren’t many people he’d
allowed to get close to him over the years, but he held those that had in very
high regard.
“A few years after
graduation,” Lee continued, “I was taking some training courses in
“The morning of their funeral
I walked over to the house and looked in the window – I’d spent a lot of time
in that house. For some reason I looked
over to the writing desk and the box was gone.
I though, if it was something so special, maybe they’d wanted it buried
with them. I was really glad that, if
they had to go, that at least they went together. One would have been lost without the
other. I didn’t give the box another
thought. Until this morning.”
Nelson watched as Lee
struggled to get his voice and emotions, both threatening to betray him, back
under control. He reached out a hand and
squeezed Lee’s shoulder. Lee gave him a
quick grin, but it still took him several minutes before he could continue.
“That came this morning,” Lee
finally got out. Nelson held it out and
Lee took it carefully in both hands, rubbing his thumbs along its sides. “There was a note with it – well, two,
actually. One from the lawyer Cap’n Mac
had left it with, and one from Cap’n Mac.”
Again Lee seemed to choke up, but he got himself under control a bit
faster this time. He slowly opened the
top and showed Nelson what was inside – a gold pocket watch, its casing finely
etched. Nelson touched it gently but
didn’t pick it up. Instead, he sent a
querying look at Lee. “Cap’n Mac’s note
was short. ‘One of our most precious
gifts was the time you chose to give to us’.”
Once more he hesitated, just staring at the box. “I’ve been struggling to accept that, the
thing they placed so much value on was my time.”
Carefully, Nelson kept from
shaking his head. Perhaps Lee was too
close to the events to see what Nelson had understood immediately. “We all make choices,” he started carefully,
“about how we structure our lives. How
we spend our time, as it were. That you,
as first a youngster already busy with school, sports, and the Sea Scouts
program among other things, should choose to spend time with them, an older
couple, apparently touched them far more than you realized. As a cadet with very limited time to
yourself, and later as a naval officer with barely more free time and so many
ways and interests of your own to fill it, well, that you should still stay in
contact with them was obviously very special.”
“They were my friends,” Lee
told him, still not quite understanding why they should feel that he’d done
anything out of the ordinary.
Nelson nodded. “And that friendship meant a great deal to
them. So much so that they found a
special way to tell you.”
Lee nodded, staring at the
box in his hands. Nelson had a feeling
that it would still take Lee some time to come to terms with the MacDonald’s
last message. Lee so obviously had seen
nothing special about his continued friendship with them. Just as he found nothing special about so
much of what others around him recognized as the actions of a very
special young man. Again, Nelson had to
refrain from shaking his head. Just
Lee being Lee, he told himself.
Nelson sat quietly, trying to
figure out what to do next. He’s
accomplished what he’d set out to do – discover what was troubling his boat’s
captain – and his friend. Now he wasn’t
totally sure what next step would be best for Lee. Should he leave him here to sort through his
thoughts? Somehow that didn’t sound
right to him, but it was Lee he needed to think about first, not himself.
“They were such special
people,” came softly from Nelson’s right, and once more he had to remind
himself not to shake his head. Lee would
never take credit for doing anything out of the ordinary – and in particular if
he could give the credit to someone else.
“Life isn’t measured by the
number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” Lee gave him a puzzled look, and it was
Nelson’s turn to give his friend a sheepish grin. “Sorry.
Something I was told once, and it just popped into my brain.”
Lee smiled. A genuine smile, Nelson was pleased to
note. “Mrs. Mac would have liked that,”
Lee told him. “She was always saying
little things like that.”
Nelson pointed an eyebrow at
Lee. “Was it her who taught you the
William Feather quotes?” referring to a couple of instances when Lee had used
them – with precision accuracy.*
Lee ducked his head again,
but the smile stayed on his face. “Yes,
sir.”
“Harrumph,” Nelson
growled. But he knew that Lee could
easily see through his faux frown from the way the younger man’s eyes were
sparkling. Because of that, he risked
asking, “You feeling better now?”
Lee didn’t say anything for a
bit, returning his eyes to the box in his hands. “I wish that you had known them,” he finally
told Nelson.
Nelson smiled. “But I can – through your eyes.” It was quite some hours later before either
man returned home.
finis
I believe that the MacDonalds first appeared in my ‘Cobwebs,’ as part of a suggestion from Susan F., and have been mentioned in at least one other of my stories. It’s quite possible that they will show up again. J RLK
* see “Quote-Unquote” by R. L. Keller