Time
To Heal by
Pauline
WHN to Dead Before
Morning and inspired by the ‘All Wrapped Up’ picture challenge.
Chip watched Lee
carefully exit the car and moving gingerly, make for the front door of the
bungalow. Lee had spent the return
cruise in sickbay, recovering from injuries he’d received on a diplomatic
mission gone bad. Jamieson, Seaview’s
CMO, had only agreed to let Lee out of a hospital bed if
he agreed to stay with Chip instead.
Chip grabbed Lee’s
bag from the back seat. After locking the car, Chip followed Lee and opened the
front door, ushering Lee in first.
“You want to lie
down?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Lee headed for the sliding door that led to the back deck. “I’ve been stuck in sickbay;
I want some fresh air and sun.”
Chip knew that Lee
must be itching to at least see the ocean, even if he couldn’t swim in it. Smiling, Chip took Lee’s bag into the spare
room before heading for the kitchen to make coffee. Chip was preparing two mugs when Captain, one
of Chip’s two cats, came running in, demanding food. “Where’s your sister?” Chip put some kibbles down for the cat and
returned to the coffee machine.
Five minutes later
Chip carried two mugs out onto the deck.
Lee had settled in one of the chairs and was absently stroking Missy,
who was sitting on his lap. “There she is, didn’t take her long,” Chip
observed, putting a mug down beside Lee.
“Thanks.” Lee gave
him a shy smile. “Where is the other one?”
“In
the kitchen, chowing down.” Chip took the other chair. “Are you hungry?” he
asked cautiously, not wanting to appear to nag Lee about eating.
“Maybe
in a little while. For now I only want to sit and enjoy being outside.”
“We can eat out
here if you’d like.” It was good to see
Lee relax; being in sickbay for the duration of the return journey had not
helped Lee’s mood. Although Lee had not
spoken to him about the failed mission, Chip knew Lee was feeling guilty about
being unable to rescue any of his party after he himself had escaped, despite being badly injured. All the hostages had been freed and were
safely back in the States now.
*****
Hardly able to
keep his eyes open, Lee dozed in the chair.
Relaxed in Chip’s company with the gently, soothing sound of the ocean
in the background, it felt good to be outside.
The barbeque Chip had prepared had been delicious after sickbay food and
Lee had to admit that he’d been starving.
Now the thought of moving was too much effort. He opened his eyes to watch Chip disappear
inside, but didn’t question where he was going.
He
wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Chip returned, rousing him from a
light sleep.
“Hey, sleeping
beauty.”
With
an effort, Lee forced his eyes open to find Chip standing over him with two
mugs.
“Here.” Chip
handed him a mug.
“What’s
this?” Lee asked, not detecting the
usual familiar aroma of coffee.
“Drink it and find
out.” Chip returned to his own chair, removing Captain, who protested at being
disturbed.
Lee smiled to
himself in amusement and took a sip. The
chocolate was rich and creamy, with a dusting of cocoa on top. “Umm, it’s good.”
“Thanks.” Chip
stretched out in the chair with the cat on his lap. “Anything special you want
to do tomorrow?”
Lee shrugged.
“Maybe go for a walk on the beach, paddle in the surf. I’ve been lazing around too long.” Jamie had told him to relax and take things
easy, but he hadn’t said that he couldn’t go out.
It was Chip’s turn
to smile. “Yeah, figured you wouldn’t be
able to resist the beach, only do me a favour and
don’t try sun bathing nude, okay?” Chip
teased.
Remembering the
incident that Chip was referring to, Lee blushed, but laughed. “No danger of that.” Chip had turned up at
Lee’s place unexpected and had caught Lee sun bathing nude. He wasn’t sure which of them was more
shocked. “It isn’t something I am in the
habit of doing around company.”
“Glad to hear it.
You might frighten the neighbours.”
The chocolate had
stimulated Lee’s appetite. “Chip, do you have any cookies?”
“What?” Chip regarded him in mock amazement. “You’re
still hungry?” he asked incredulously.
“Hey, give me a break.
I’ve been on a diet of sickbay food,” Lee answered, defending himself.
“Besides, a drink is too wet without either cookies or a doughnut.”
“Too wet,
huh?” Chip shook his head, laughing.
“I’ve got to remember that one.”
Removing the cat from his lap, Chip climbed to his feet. “I might have
some cookies.”
*****
Passing the spare
room, Chip popped his head around the door to check on Lee. Morton smiled in
amusement. Lee was asleep with Missy
curled beside him. The tabby lifted her
head to look at Chip, but made no effort to move from Lee’s side. She always
adopted Lee when he came to stay and Lee had never objected to her sharing his
bed. Chip secretly suspected that Lee
enjoyed her company. Not wanting to wake
his friend, Chip quietly continued on his way to the kitchen.
After putting
fresh food down for both cats, Chip set about getting breakfast made for
himself and Lee, starting with coffee. He had just finished whisking the
mixture for cinnamon French toast when Lee wandered in, barefoot and wearing
only pyjama bottoms.
“Morning,
Chip. Can I help with anything?”
“No, I’ve got
everything under control. Help yourself
to coffee.”
“No,
thanks.” Lee grabbed a glass
from the cupboard, walked over to the fridge and poured some juice.
Chip paused from soaking
a slice of bread in the mixture. That was the second time that Lee had
surprised him in the space of twenty-four hours. “Are you sure you’re Lee Crane
and not an imposter?” He joked. Coffee was usually the first thing Lee wanted
in the morning.
Lee laughed. “I guess I’ve gotten used to Jamie’s healthy sickbay
food.”
“Talking
of healthy, go put more on. I do not want Jamie mad at me because you’ve caught a chill.”
Lee rolled his
eyes. “Yes, mother.”
*****
Dressed in white
tennis shorts and polo shirt, Lee was wading barefoot in the surf, a hand
pressed into his injured side to support the freshly healed wound. Breaking waves washed around his ankles,
washing away their footprints in the sand.
The sea breeze ruffled Lee’s dark curls.
In
spite of Lee’s pretence that everything was fine, Chip knew that this enforced
rest was tough on him. Lee was an
outdoor guy and loved to run, swim, scuba or play golf when they were on leave
and he couldn’t do any of those things, he couldn’t even drive his little red
sports car.
Lee was also
missing his boat, his beloved Seaview
was in dry-dock getting a new paint job; not the red that Lee would no doubt
prefer, but a new type of paint they were doing a trial of. It had special polymers that were supposed to
repel light, making the sub more difficult to spot when on the surface. Chip wasn’t sure that was a good idea, they
got into enough trouble without upping the danger of collision to the list of
hazards.
Walking in the
surf beside Lee, Chip squinted against the glare of the sun off the ocean and
waded in a little deeper. The
temperature was already warming up and the water looked inviting, sparkling in
the sunlight.
Lee paused, his
gaze fixed on the ocean. “Water feels great; I’d love to go for a swim.”
“You’ll be back in
the water before you know it.”
“Yeah,”
Lee sighed, “I don’t know why Jamie won’t let me return to light duty, there’s
nothing wrong with my brain. I could do paperwork.”
“Because
he knows you. The
minute his back was turned you’d be doing something you shouldn’t, you can’t
help yourself,” Chip teased.
“I might bust
orders anyway,” Lee grumbled. “I feel so
damn useless.”
“Not on my watch,
you won’t,” Chip told him firmly. “Stop beating yourself up, Lee. Give yourself time to heal. Seaview isn’t going anywhere for a while.”
“That’s not it...I...”
Lee shrugged. “I had a bad feeling about the mission from the start. I’m not a diplomat.” Lee continued walking.
“You think that
someone else could have done any better?”
Lee shook his
head. “No, but maybe this time I should have said no. After all, what did I
achieve? I ended up getting hurt and now
you have to do my job as well as your own.”
“If it will make you feel better, I’ll talk to
Jamie and see what I can do, okay?” It was
better to let Lee feel that he was doing something useful than have Crane take
off, doing goodness knows what and getting himself into trouble.
“Thanks, Chip. You
don’t need to babysit me 24/7. Why don’t you go for a swim? I’ll stay here and watch your clothes,” Lee offered.
Chip regarded him
suspiciously. “You’re not planning
anything, are you?”
“I
promise.” Lee looked around. “I’ll be
right over there on that rock, waiting for you.
Go on, you deserve to relax and have some fun,” Lee encouraged.
“Okay, thanks.”
The idea of a dip in the ocean sounded good. Chip stripped off his jeans and
T-shirt; luckily he had worn his swim trunks underneath in case the opportunity
presented itself.
Chip watched as Lee
walked up the beach to a convenient rock. He waited until Lee settled himself
before he waded out into the water.
*****
Forced to be a
passenger, Lee sat beside Kowalski; but it was good to feel the wind in his
hair. He’d arranged for the crewman to
drive him out to his lighthouse home on the pretence of picking up any mail and
wanting to give the car a run.
It was Sunday and
Lee wanted to get out of Chip’s hair for a few hours and give him and Lindsey
some time for themselves. Those two did
not get much time together with Chip being at sea so much.
Despite
their difference in their rank, Crane and Kowalski had developed a unique
working relationship. Not only did Lee
regularly select Kowalski to accompany him on dives, but the senior rating had
also learned to pilot FS1 and frequently flew with him as co-pilot.
They had stopped
at Sunny Jim’s diner for lunch. Lee was agreeably stuffed after putting away a steak
sandwich with salad and banana cream pie for dessert. Crane smiled at Kowalski’s reaction at how
much food Lee had managed to consume and he wondered how long it would be
before the dish was included on Cookie’s menu aboard Seaview.
Tomorrow Lee
planned on accepting a long standing invitation to join a friend on his boat. He
hated this forced idleness. But for now
he was looking forward to relaxing at home for a few hours away from his best friend’s
well intended fussing.
Lee knew and
accepted that he was not healed enough to return to full duty and would have to
accept a compromise. But he did not accept the need to be placed on medical
leave. Jamieson had insisted on what amounted to a babysitter before he’d even let
him out of a stay in hospital. Lee felt
fine and thought he was more than capable of looking after himself. Lee rested his head back and closed his eyes,
willing himself to relax. Why was he
getting so wound up? What was so
different from all the other times he’d returned from a mission wounded, beat
up or shot?
By the time that
Kowalski pulled up in front of the lighthouse, Lee had calmed down. Picking up his mail, Lee headed for the den
and settled into the comfy chair.
“Can I get you
anything, Skipper?” Kowalski asked from
the doorway.
“No thanks,
Ski. Why don’t you take off for a couple
of hours, I’ll be fine.”
Kowalski looked
doubtful. “I don’t know, Skipper...”
Lee smiled. “I’m
fine, really. Come back around 18:00,
okay?”
“Okay, thank you, sir.”
Kowalski turned and walked out.
Lee listened until
he heard the front door close - home at last. For a moment he just sat, soaking
up the silence that had descended around him.
Settling deeper into the upholstery, Lee turned his attention to the
mail that was lying in his lap. He
sorted through the assortment of envelopes for anything that looked
interesting. A package had caught his
attention earlier and he recognised his mother’s handwriting. Opening it, he
was surprised to see that she had sent him a copy of a book reproducing the
personal log of the captain of the USS Nautilus,
a distant relative, Lt. William Montgomery Crane. Lieutenant Crane had commanded the Nautilus during the Barbary War, before
being made Commodore. Was it fate that
Lee had also served on a vessel of the same name, under the then, Captain
Nelson? There was no denying that the sea was in Lee’s blood.
His
mother was not usually in the habit of doing anything that reminded her that
her only son was in the service. Lee’s
father, a navy pilot, had died in an accident aboard an aircraft carrier, when
his aircraft crashed on landing. The
resulting fire raged for 4-5 hours before it was extinguished. Lee had been ten years old at the time. That his father died in the line of duty had
guaranteed Lee’s entry into Annapolis; his mother had not been happy with the
idea of her son following his father into the navy. The giving of this gift pleased him all the
more because he knew that she had picked it out especially for him.
Fascinated, he
opened the log and began to read. It soon became apparent that the Lieutenant’s
command had not lasted long; the Nautilus
was captured by the British in July 1812.
Reading the entries, written in a precise,
formal English, Lee soon came to realize how much Lieutenant Crane had loved
the navy and his ship. Kindred souls,
they were; maybe, his mother could understand that and accept it, just a bit.
*****
Lee hated having
to ask for help, but Jamie had barred him from driving, so he’d asked Chip to
drop him at the dock in Santa Barbara Harbour.
An ex-navy friend ran a boat charter company there, taking people deep-sea
fishing and running trips around the Channel Islands.
“Hey, Lee, climb
aboard,” Mike Stone greeted him cheerfully.
Five years older than Lee, Mike was 6 foot tall,
and ruggedly handsome with sun bleached hair and a beard that was starting to
grey around the edges.
Lee carefully
negotiated the gap between the dock and the rear deck of the Destiny.
Lee had a standing invitation to join them aboard the boat whenever
he wanted. The two of them went way
back. Mike’s father had worked for Lee’s
uncle at his boat yard and Mike had always dreamed of owning his own boat one
day.
Likewise,
Lee had always known what he wanted.
Although their paths had taken different directions, Mike had known that
Lee Crane was predestined for great things. He’d been a high achiever and he
made an impression on everyone that he came into contact with, including
Admiral Harriman Nelson when he had been an instructor at Annapolis.
Nelson had always
wanted Lee for Seaview, however,
Lee’s career path had been anything but normal and he’d come to the attention
of ONI early in his career while still a young lieutenant. However, Lee wanted
to be a sub commander and it was made clear to him that would not happen if he went
that route. Lee had gone on to become the youngest skipper in the navy. He’d finally achieved his dream of captaining
Seaview; something that it seemed
he’d been destined for from the start.
However, ONI had
not given up, and when Lee became a reservist, they again approached him. As well as SERE training, ONI had also
recommended him for SEAL training. ONI were not the only ones trying to get their hooks into
Lee. Being who and what he was, Lee was
in demand when it came time for him to do his reserve duty and there were those
who would like to see him return to the regular navy.
Mike joked that if
ever Lee got tired of working for Nelson, he would give him a boat to
skipper. However, he knew that day would
never come; Lee had lost his heart to Seaview
and would never give her up.
“Welcome
aboard. Make yourself at home.” Mike
handed him a life jacket. With Lee’s
shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, Mike noticed Lee’s bandaged hand. “Medical leave?”
Lee nodded. “Thanks. Yeah, just got released
from sickbay.” He looked around. “No other passengers this cruise?”
“Nope,
just you, Dan and me this trip. There’s coffee in the galley if
you want it.”
“No thanks,” Lee
sat on the bench seat and watched the two men cast off from the wharf. Mike took the helm and started the
engine. Slowly the boat eased away and
headed for open water.
They were headed
for the Channel Islands. The 65 foot
dive boat had a cruising speed of 10 knots and was powered by two 8V diesel
engines, each generating 550HP. Below
decks there was a galley/lounge and a twenty
open berth bunk area with head and showers.
Although this trip they would not be staying out overnight, the boat was
fully equipped to do so.
Lee had moved to
the bow and the wind and spray was turning his dark hair into a mess of unruly
curls, but he didn’t care, he was enjoying himself. Growing up in Rhode Island, Lee had been
around boats most of his life. He loved
being on, in or under the water and if he couldn’t be aboard Seaview, then this was the next best
thing.
After a morning
spent touring the Northern Islands and Point Conception with its lighthouse
standing high on a bluff overlooking the ocean, Mike headed east to Santa
Barbara Island, where they anchored for lunch. Lee would like to have stopped
to visit the lighthouse, but private visitors were not allowed. So he had to content himself with watching
from the boat.
Santa Barbara Island was home to a large
colony of seals, and they were used to people. Seals are opportunistic and some
came out to visit the boat, looking for a free meal or a diver to play
with. Watching the seals having fun
around the boat, their sleek bodies gliding through the water with ease, Lee
would liked to have gone diving with them, but Jamie would have a fit if he
found out, so Lee had to content himself with merely watching them.
“Hey! Come and eat!”
Mike called.
“Yeah,
coming.” Lee turned and
headed back to where Mike had set up a foldaway table on the aft deck. It seemed to be all he’d done for the past
few days was eaten and slept. But now that he thought about it, he realised
that he was hungry. Must
be the sea air. It certainly
felt good to be out on the water, even if it wasn’t aboard Seaview; Lee loved being
in or on the ocean. Maybe he would take Mike up on his offer
to skipper a boat, if only when other commitments allowed. He certainly would never give up commanding Seaview.
*****
Dan was an
excellent cook, and everyone enjoyed the fresh halibut steaks, asparagus spears
and garlic bread coming out of the galley.
They had sat around and swapped sea stories for a time, until Mike had
checked the weather channel, realized a storm was coming and it was time to
head back. Returning to the helm, Mike
started back to port, leaving Lee standing on the aft deck. The sea was starting to build, but they would
be back in Santa Barbara in plenty of time before the real storm hit.
As they neared the
coast Mike noticed a boat coming towards them, fast – too fast. “Damn fool,” he
cursed under his breath. Even as he
watched, the two craft closed rapidly. What’s the matter with them? Destiny is lit up and should be easily
visible, even in the deteriorating conditions.
Mike hit the horn,
but the trawler held her course.
Swearing under his breath, Mike yelled a warning. “Hold on!” He spun the wheel, veering away. Destiny
heaved over, but the wash from the trawler caught them broadside and Destiny pitched and rolled – there was
no danger of her capsizing, but it was a rollercoaster ride until the sea
calmed. The other boat sped on,
seemingly oblivious to the trouble it had caused. Mike made a mental note to contact the
harbour police once they’d docked.
“Everyone
okay?” Mike turned to
check on Lee, only he was no longer there.
Shit!
Mike killed the
engine, feeling sick to his stomach. If
Lee had gone overboard there was a danger that he could have been sucked under
the propellers. “Man overboard! Dan, get
up here,” he yelled to his crewman who was in the galley stowing the lunch
things away.
The weather was
closing in, the wind was rising and the sea was getting rough. Telling Dan to take the helm, Mike
desperately scanned the sea, searching for any sign of Lee. “Bring her around slow,” he instructed. Should I
call for help? Just then he spotted
Lee’s yellow life jacket, he was swimming towards the boat. Thank
goodness he’s a strong swimmer.
“Kill the engine,
let her drift.” Mike quickly moved to
the platform at the stern of the boat, ready to help Lee aboard. “Geez, Lee, this was no time to go for a
swim. You scared the crap out of me,”
Mike teased once Lee was back aboard.
“Yeah, sorry,” Lee
gasped, collapsing to his knees with an arm wrapped around his middle.”
“Are you hurt?”
Mike asked, worried, as he kneeled beside Lee.
Lee shook his
head. “Winded...hit the rail...on the way over.”
Mike glanced up as
Dan appeared with a towel and handed it down to Mike. “Is he okay?”
“I think so,
thanks.”
Lee was soaking
wet and shivering, water dripping from his dark hair. Mike placed the towel around his shoulders.
“You’d better go below and get out of those wet clothes. I’m sure I can find something to fit
you.” After I have made a radio call, he thought silently. Taking Lee’s arm, he helped him to his feet.
“Thanks, Mike, but
I can manage.”
Stubborn as usual, some things never change. Mike shook his head as he watched Lee head below.
*****
Mike manoeuvred Destiny back into her berth alongside
the wharf and killed the engine while Dan made fast the ropes fore and
aft. When everything was secured, Mike
went below to check on Lee. After a
quick stop at his own cabin to grab the first aid kit and some dry clothes, he
made for the galley, expecting to find Lee drinking coffee there. However, the galley was empty, so he continued
to the bunk area, where he found a still damp Lee Crane had wrapped himself in
a red plaid blanket.
Mike couldn’t help
smiling at the sight of his friend. “Are
you sure you’re okay? I bought the first
aid kit,” he said, laying the kit on the nearest bunk.
Lee nodded. “I’m fine. It’s only my pride that is
bruised.”
“Yeah, sorry, it
wasn’t exactly smooth sailing,” Mike apologised.
Lee shook his
head. “It wasn’t your fault.”
They were
interrupted by footsteps on the wooden stairs.
Chip appeared and stopped at the bottom. “What happened? Do I need to call Jamie?”
Mike stifled a
laugh as Lee groaned. “Lee took a little
spill,” he informed the blond.
“I’m fine,” Lee
stated firmly, glaring at Mike.
Chip shook his
head. “I swear, Lee – you really are not safe to be let out alone,” he teased.
“Maybe we should
let him get dressed,” Mike suggested, taking pity on Lee. He knew that Chip
would not let him live this down. “I’ll
put your wet stuff in the dryer.”
“Thanks, Mike.”
“Come on,
Chip. We can have coffee while we wait,”
Mike picked up Lee’s wet clothes and headed up the steps to the galley.
*****
“Well?” Lee asked
as Jamieson finished his exam and hung the stethoscope around his neck.
“You’ll live,” the
doctor told him, grudgingly. “I’d prefer you stay overnight for observation,
but I know that is not an option.”
Here being the
Institute medical facility, where Chip had insisted that Lee get checked
out. Lee carefully eased himself down from the exam table. “I’m fine, Jamie.” The swim
had not helped his injury, but he was not going to tell Jamie that.
“Don’t worry,
doc. I’ll take him home and tuck him
in,” Chip joked, handing Lee his shirt.
Lee sighed and
shook his head in resignation. There was
no point arguing. He’d been in this situation enough times and understood his
friends were only concerned for his well being.
“I want to see you
back here tomorrow,” Jamieson told him.
Lee looked from
Chip to the doctor and shrugged. “Aye, sir,”
he conceded, knowing that there was no way of avoiding Jamieson’s orders. He may be Chip’s CO, but Chip was tenacious
and would hassle him until he gave up.
“You’re lucky you
didn’t bust that wound open,” Jamieson replied sternly.
Lee bit back a
retort as he finished dressing. It wasn’t Jamie’s fault; he was just doing his
job. Lee was just anxious to get back to
the Seaview. “Can I go now?”
Jamieson
shoved his hands into the pockets of his white coat and regarded his
patient. “Could I stop you?”
“Sorry,
Jamie. I’m just tired of being put out
on the beach. When are you going to let
me return to my job?” What really
bothered him was the thought of Seaview
sailing without him if Jamie didn’t clear him for duty soon.
Jamieson’s
expression softened. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Come on, Lee –
let’s get out of here before he changes his mind.” Chip opened the door and
motioned Lee out ahead of him.
*****
Lee had shown up
bright and early at the Institute hospital.
Now he was perched on the exam table, buttoning his shirt. He’d worn a uniform in the hope that Jamieson
would clear him for duty.
“You decent,
Lee?” Nelson asked, poking his head
around the door.
“Yes, come in,
Admiral,” Lee smiled, in spite of a sudden suspicion that doc had told Nelson
about his mishap the previous day.
“How is he doing,
Will?” Nelson asked as he entered the exam room and closed the door behind him.
Jamieson folded
his arms and regarded Crane. “If it will
keep him out of trouble, I will clear him for light duty.”
Lee smile widened
to a grin as he slid down from the table. “Thanks, Jamie.”
“NOTE, I said light duty,” Jamieson warned. “No
crawling around in air vents or other such activity.”
“Don’t worry, Will
– I’ll see that he follows orders,” Nelson assured him before turning to
Lee. “You heard him; it’s back to duty
for you,” he put a hand on Lee’s shoulder and steered him towards the door.
“Aye, sir,” Lee
replied happily.
End
*Once again I would like to thank by betas,
especially Helen for all her helpful suggestions and comments.