Friendship

By R. L. Keller

“Skipper, he’ll be fine.” Dr. Will Jamison wasn’t sure that the man he’d just spoken to heard him so he switched tactics slightly to the lecturing voice he frequently used with his CO. “I get to use that phrase, unlike someone we both know, because I only do so when it’s the truth.” There still wasn’t much of a reaction at that very pointed commentary concerning Lee’s overuse of the phrase when it was obvious that he was lying through his teeth, but Will did think that he saw Lee’s lips twitch ever so slightly while continuing to focus on the man lying ever so still in the bed Lee was sitting next to.

With a quick smile covered instantly by a look more firm, Will laid a hand on Lee’s shoulder, gave it a small squeeze, and then a slight pull. “Now scram, Commander,” he ordered. “Go get some fresh air instead of the canned variety we’re usually stuck in.”

The submarine both men served aboard, NIMR’s mostly research vessel, Seaview, had been cruising the Mediterranean for the last couple of weeks while Admiral Nelson and two researchers from the Cousteau Society took water samples and set out sensors to help monitor the sea’s health. They were near Naples, Italy sitting quietly while divers, including Lee, were out collecting samples. A bit bored with the relative inactivity but not allowed to dive because of a head cold he was still recovering from, Chip had left Lt. James with the Conn while he’d gone down to the computer lab to work on a new program he was writing to help make NIMR personnel’s medical files more easily searched. It was something one of Will’s corpsmen had suggested after a recent cruise.* Chip had easily taken on the project; his love of all things ‘computer’ was second only to his devotion to Seaview – and not by much!

The divers, which also included Admiral Nelson, had just come back aboard when Seaview shuddered. Lee, sitting down and starting to remove his wetsuit, had instantly grabbed the edge of the firmly bolted down bench and easily rode out the movement which was quickly controlled by the sub’s superbly competent crew. Lee could hear Lt. James’ voice, while a tone or two higher than normal, calling for Damage Control, all areas. Lee was momentarily sidetracked; Admiral Nelson had been standing in the open talking to Chief Sharkey and both had been abruptly tossed on their backsides. Deciding from the string of oaths Nelson was muttering that the only thing injured was his pride, Lee grabbed the nearest mic and called the Conn.

“Sorry, sir,” James answered after a short pause. “There seems to have been a power surge of some sort. Not sure where because Alert Panel lights apparently took a direct hit. DC crews are checking everything manually.” There was a slight smile in his voice as he added, “with lots of help from the rest of the crew.”

The smile was echoed in Lee’s “Understood. I’ll be up as soon as I change.” When he turned after getting James’ “Aye, sir,” Nelson was also finally smiling, albeit a bit sheepishly at the grin that was on Lee’s face. But he waved Lee off as he and Sharkey helped each other up. Lee quickly finished dressing and headed for the Conn.

He’d barely walked through the aft hatch, glancing around for Chip, when he heard over the intercom, “Doc to the computer lab. The XO’s down.” Lee stopped dead.

“Under control here, Skipper.” Lee barely acknowledged Lt. James before all but running to the lab.

He still didn’t beat Will, already kneeling next to the blond and starting a careful manual exam. DC Specialist Macklin was also on the deck but half under the computer table. “Jamie?” Lee asked softly.

It was Macklin who answered first. “I think Mr. Morton caused the short, sir.” Lee glared at him. “Not intentionally, of course,” the seaman backpedaled instantly. “Some wiring looks tangled and there’s an obvious short in one.”

“With a corresponding burn on his right hand,” Will added, “along with a large knot on the back of his head.” He finally looked at Lee. “Looks like he went down to check the wires and one shorted and sparked. By reflex he tried to jump back and smashed his head on the underside of the desk.”

“Jamie?” Lee once more asked softly.

“I don’t like that he’s still unconscious,” the doctor confirmed. “How far away is the nearest hospital with an MRI machine?” While Nelson kept Seaview’s Sick Bay as up to date as possible there were still gaps in equipment. “I’d like to check him as quickly as possible.”

Lee cringed but his answer was only a couple of seconds in coming. “Naples is less than an hour by FS1.”

Which brought them to their current situation. Nelson had piloted the smaller craft into port. While an ambulance transferred Chip and Will to the already-alerted hospital, Nelson made arrangements for Seaview to dock. Everyone knew how hard it had been for Lee to stay aboard but his first duty was to his boat, no matter the anguish he felt watching his XO, and best friend, loaded onto a litter and transferred to FS1. The Conn was unusually quiet as Seaview followed the little yellow machine into port. Lee had James work on a Shore Leave schedule – no sense making the crew stay aboard. Lee did send the young lieutenant a quick nod as he looked over the sheet and noted that Chris had given Lee the first shift ashore. Nelson had been waiting for him just inside the hospital doors and together they headed upstairs to where Will had taken Chip.

The news was good when they’d tracked Will down. Chip’s MRI was clear. “Although he’s going to have one heck of a headache when he wakes up,” Will told them with a quick grin, trying to lighten both Nelson’s and Lee’s expressions. It worked on the Admiral, who smiled softly.

“Where is he?” Lee all but demanded.

Will sent Nelson a shrug. “Second door on the left,” he pointed down a corridor. The two older men shared a look as Lee hurried in the indicated direction.

“How long?” Nelson asked.

“Not much longer,” Will told him. He frowned. “Chip’s head is nearly as hard as his CO’s,” came out in an almost growl.

It had the effect he’d intended – Nelson snorted softly, nodded, and left. Now it was time to work on the other worry-wort. Will gave Lee about twenty minutes, quietly keeping watch on both younger men, before he decided that it was time to kick Lee out as well.

At first Lee merely ignored the doctor. But as Will’s commentary got a bit more pointed he finally stood. He still hesitated but at Will’s firm, “Out,” he finally gave a quick nod and left. It took Will a couple minutes to realize that Lee had left without picking up his jacket and cover – a sure sign that Lee’s mind was still very focused on his injured friend. A quick glance out the window showed a bright, sunny afternoon and Will knew only too well that Lee wouldn’t go very far. He smiled, shrugged, and moved the chair back to where it had been, against the wall. He draped the jacket over the chair back and placed the cover on the seat. Even if Lee wasn’t back by the time Chip woke up, the blond would see the cover and know that his ‘brother-in-all-ways-except-blood’ wasn’t far away.

Lee stood for a bit just outside the hospital doors, his eyes automatically going to the ocean at the bottom of the hill from where he stood. Almost without thought his feet took him that direction, and eventually to some steps cut into the high rock walls surrounding a tiny cove. A narrow gap lead out to the open sea, topped by an equally narrow bridge. Briefly Lee wondered what original purpose the stairs had served – there was nothing else at the bottom and the small opening to the sea seemed too narrow for anything larger than a small rowboat. At some point metal rods had been drilled into every few steps and a chain handrail strung between them so Lee knew that people were meant to come down to this isolated spot. He was just happy that he was the only one there at the moment. Right now he needed to be alone.

A small grin briefly touched his lips as he thought about Jamie’s comments as a prelude to kicking Lee out of the hospital room. He was sure that the doctor knew Lee needed time to get his emotions back under control from the immediate scare he’d suffered at Chip’s injury. It was so very rare to get anything past the oft-put-upon doctor. But Jamie would also know that Lee wouldn’t have left on his own.

Lee stood quietly on the bottom of the carved steps, hands at his side, staring into the depths of the small cove. But it wasn’t water that he was seeing. He tried to push away the memory of Chip lying unconscious on the deck. Doc so quickly asking for the evacuation had badly frightened Lee; there was so little Seaview’s CMO couldn’t handle on his own.

Now Lee forced himself to concentrate on other memories; good images from the two men’s years of friendship. It started with being assigned as roommates at Annapolis and a smile once more appeared. Yes, he had entered early with an age waiver because of his grades and his years in the Sea Scouts program. But he’d also been very self-reliant, and not at all prepared for an instant big brother. There had been not a new sparks before a truce was agreed upon. Mostly, and another smile appeared. Chip was the oldest of four, the others all girls, and he’d instantly ‘adopted’ Lee as just another younger sibling.

A flood of quick images filled Lee’s mind and he closed his eyes, cherishing the memories both happy and sad, silly and serious, terrific and terrible; those things you only shared with your closest friends. His soft grin spread.

But it instantly died at the memory of Chip lying face down on the deck with Jamie leaning over him. His eyes popped open, unable to accept that image, and he once more stared unseeing into the depths of the small cove.

So lost in thought was he that when his pocket vibrated he startled so badly that he nearly lost his balance and landed in the water. As he windmilled his arms to get himself back to a stable position his pocket vibrated again and he realized that it was his cell phone. He shook his head as he reached for it; he had absolutely no memory of grabbing it when he left the boat earlier. It was partway through the third vibration before he could answer it. “Crane,” he got out almost normally, although even he could hear the lack of his usual firm command voice.

Apparently so could his caller. “You okay, Skipper?” came in Jamie’s soft tone. “Doesn’t usually take you that long to answer your phone.”

Lee shook his head as he almost chuckled at himself but instantly got back in control. “Chip!” he demanded.

It was the doctor’s turn to chuckle. “Awake, alert, and despite what I suspect is a killer headache, hungry and already whining to get out of here. He’s demanding pizza – something about Naples having the best in the world.” Lee chuckled and Will paused. “You don’t think…ah…”

“That this was all a ploy to get pizza?” Lee finished for him. “Nah,” Lee finally broke the short silence as each pondered that possibility. “He’d never endanger Seaview by intentionally causing a problem.” There was another short pause. “And I’d never let him live it down if he had.” They both laughed.

“Well, at the moment I would appreciate your help sitting on him until I’m a little more comfortable turning him loose.”

“Be back in a few, Jamie. I’m not far.”

“Didn’t imagine you were,” was said with obvious humor before the line went dead.

A long sigh escaped before Lee headed back up the stone staircase, starting to plan the harassment of his best friend for causing the short in the wiring and knocking himself out cold.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* See ‘Code’ by R. L. Keller