Somewhere In The Night
By Pauline
I
know that other people have written great stories around The Phantom episodes,
and I won’t pretend to even try and match their skills. This is a sort of WHN to the un-aired
version, where Nelson shoots Lee in his cabin.
I have had this story on the back burner for a while, but did not have a
plot until now. As always thank you to
Diane for her beta and to Cris for her advice.
Rachel
Burrows sat behind the reception desk of the Maple Inn hotel. The historic Victorian style, three storey
clapboard mansion had been sympathetically restored, with an extension added to
one side, and had been in her family for three generations. The hotel sat in 3 acres of landscaped
woodland on a corner plot which fronted the ocean.
Tomorrow
the hotel was the venue for a wedding reception, and most of the rooms were
occupied by wedding guests. Lucy Matlock had been Rachel’s best friend since
she was small; they had gone to school and college together. Lucy was marrying Nick Adams, an ex
marine. The only man Rachel had ever
been interested in, Lee Crane, had made it clear that he was not
interested. She had made a complete fool
of herself the last time they had met. Her crush on him had turned into
obsession. All she had wanted was for
him to love her the same way she loved him.
But instead, she had ended up hurting him. After the way she had behaved, he would
probably never want to speak to her again.
She could hear the bar tender clearing away in
the bar. The last of the guests had
retired for the night, and soon the night porter would be taking over from
her. It had been a busy day and she was
looking forward to going to bed. Tomorrow
would be even busier, with Rachel being a bridesmaid. She was glad that Lucy had a wedding planner
looking after the arrangements for the reception, although the hotel would be
doing the catering.
The
rush was set to continue into next month with guests booked for the fall
foliage and then in October, the Halloween festivities the town was planning;
her parents had their own plans for the hotel.
Rachel had already ordered their supply of pumpkins, both for eating and
for decoration. She would probably end
up carving the pumpkin lanterns, and then had her own costume to find.
She
sighed and rubbed her eyes as she looked towards the door in anticipation of
the arrival of the night porter. They
were expecting a late arrival, one of the guests who because of work had not
been able to get away. The booking was
in the name of Lee Gerard, but Rachel could not recall anyone by that name from
their school days. Lucy had told her
that she would know him when she saw him.
Anyway, there was someone on duty all night should any of the guests
require anything, or there was an emergency.
Her musing was interrupted by the barman bring her the keys.
“Good
night, Rachel,” he smiled, handing her the keys to the
bar.
“Good
night, Don,” Accepting the keys she
hung them on the hook under the reception desk; only members of staff knew that
they were kept there, and there was no money in the bar till at night. Leaving the reception desk, she did a last
check of the foyer, making sure that all the tables had been cleared and that
the area was tidy. She was hoping for a
glimpse of the mysterious guest; she was intrigued to know who he was.
Picking
up a discarded newspaper, Rachel made her way back to the desk as a waft of
cool night air announced the arrival of Bill Henderson, the night porter.
“Evening, Bill,” she smiled.
“Evening,
Rachel,” he made his way to the desk, and unpacked the flask of coffee he
always brought with him.
“We
are expecting a late guest, his name is Lee Gerard. I don’t know what time he will get here. He is one of the wedding guests.” She
informed him, handing him the newspaper.
“He’s in room 50.”
“Okay,
I’ll take care of him. Goodnight,
Rachel.”
“Goodnight,
Bill,” Rachel headed for her room on the private third floor. She had a busy day ahead of her tomorrow.
*****
Lee
Crane was exhausted, both mentally and physically as he sat in the back of a
cab on his way to the Maple Inn. He
hadn’t been sure that he was going to make it back in time for the
wedding. He’d spent the entire return
voyage in sickbay, and didn’t remember much about it. He’d lost a lot of blood, and combined with
the shock had meant that it had been a close call. Even after they had at last made it back to
port, he had not been able to escape from Seaview’s C.M.O. He was still recovering from not only the
wound itself, but from the fact that Nelson had shot him. He’d been in Nelson’s cabin; Nelson had stood
there with that look on his face, a gun pointed at him. Lee had yelled at him, demanding that Nelson
tell him what had happened, Lee still
couldn’t believed that he had pulled the trigger. He gave himself a mental shake as the cab
pulled away, leaving him standing outside the entrance to the Maple Inn. Jamieson had only released him for the weekend
to attend the wedding. Chip was picking
him up in FS 1 first thing Monday to fly him back to the
Entering
the hotel lobby, Lee was relieved to find that Rachel was not on the desk. “I
have a reservation,” he told the man behind the desk as he dropped his duffel
on the floor.
“Evening,
Sir – you must be Lee Gerard, we have been expecting you,” the man smiled.
“You’re in room 50. If you’ll just
register, I’ll show you the way.”
Lee
nodded, accepting the card; he filled in the details, and signed the register. He had asked Lucy to book his room under an
alias so that Rachel would not know that he was coming. With everything else, he couldn’t cope with
her chasing after him.
“Thank
you,” the man took the key card from the pigeon hole behind the desk. “If you’ll just follow me.
You’re room is in the new extension at the end.”
Lee
winced as he bent to picked up the duffel and followed the man. His only other luggage was the garment bag
with his dress blues for the wedding tomorrow.
*****
Rachel
sipped her champagne and let her gaze wonder around the room. She couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy as
she watched the bride and groom dancing.
Lucy looked beautiful in her flowing white gown and a diamante tiara in
her hair, and with Nick in a tux, they made a lovely couple. Rachel had resigned herself to staying
single; there would be no white wedding for her. She really didn’t like weddings. It was no fun when you didn’t have a partner
to dance with. As soon as Lucy and Nick
left for their honeymoon, she would change out of her bridesmaid dress and take
over at the reception desk to let her mother enjoy herself for a change. When you owned and ran a business like The
Maple Inn, there was not a lot of time for a social life. After the disastrous charity auction when
she had won the weekend with Lee Crane, she had come home and buried herself in
work. She had been so embarrassed and
ashamed and she wondered if Lee had figured out what she had done. Neither had she seen Lee’s mother since, she
could not face her.
She
had enjoyed being a bridesmaid, and the pink satin dress was lovely, but... Stop feeling sorry for yourself, she
told herself firmly.
The
champagne glass almost slipped from her hand as, across the room, she caught
site of a tall, dark haired man, walking towards the French doors that led to
the garden. Lee? She shook her head, it couldn’t be; she was
imagining things. It must be one of
Nick’s friends; he must be the mystery late guest, but it was strange that she
had not noticed him before. Then she had
been busy playing chief bridesmaid, and he could have been seated at another
table during the meal. Her curiosity
aroused, she made her way through the crowded room to follow him. She had lost sight of him. He must have gone outside, probably needed
some fresh air. Maybe like her, he was
not a party person.
*****
Lee
stumbled to the door, feeling suddenly light headed and nauseous. Outside, he lent against the wall and wiped a
hand across his face then tugged at his tie.
The memory of what had happened returned and he shivered.
“Lee? It is you.”
Lee
turned to see Rachel approaching; he’d been trying to avoid her all day.
“Hey,
are you okay?” she asked, looking concerned.
“Yes,
I’m fine,” he told her, trying to lever himself away from the support of the
wall.
“You
don’t look it. Here, come and sit down
for a minute,” she took his arm and led him to a seat in the garden.
“I’ll
be all right in a minute,” he insisted as he gratefully almost collapsed into
the seat. Leaning forwards, he dropped his head into his hands. He felt like he was going to pass out. He closed his eyes, and concentrated on
breathing; telling himself that he was not going to embarrass himself by
throwing up. He felt Rachel’s hand on
his arm, but for the moment he couldn’t respond to her concern; it took all his
attention to stay upright. Maybe if he
sat here for a few minutes, the fresh air would help clear his head and he
could make it to his room.
After
a few minutes, he straightened and turned to Rachel. “We should be getting
back.” Although it was the last thing he
wanted, neither did he want to deal with Rachel right now.
“I
don’t think you’re up to it, Lee,” She observed. “I think you need a doctor.”
Lee
shook his head. “I don’t need a doctor.
It’s probably something I ate, I’ll be fine,” he insisted. Hell, he had only just got away from Jamieson
and didn’t need another doctor fussing over him.
“I
hope not, I should hate to think that we had poisoned you.” She smiled. “Maybe
you should lie down.”
“Yes,
maybe you’re right. I think I’ll turn in,” he managed to get to his feet, but
the nausea welled up again, he swallowed hard and looked around. “Is there
another way in?” He didn’t want to have to go back to the reception.
“Yes,
come on – I’ll walk with you. We don’t
want you passing out somewhere on the way.”
He
didn’t argue when she took his arm and lead him back towards the hotel. He felt
too sick to worry about what had gone on between them in the past, He just
wanted to get to his room and collapse into bed. Hopefully after a few hours sleep, he would
feel better.
*****
Rachel
led him down the hall to the elevator, and once inside, he lent against the
interior of the car, grateful that the new extension had an elevator, he couldn’t
have managed the stairs. He couldn’t
stop shaking, but he wasn’t cold; what was wrong with him? He was aware of Rachel’s concerned scrutiny.
“Thanks, I don’t think I would have made it,” he told her with a tight smile.
“It’s
the least I could do,” a smile briefly replaced her concerned expression.
“You’re shaking, are you cold?”
Lee
shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong, I can’t stop shaking.” Just then the elevator stopped and the doors
opened.
Rachel
slipped an arm around his waist as he pushed away from the side and took a step
towards the door. “Can you manage?”
Lee
nodded, digging into his pocket for the key as they approached the room.
*
Sitting
on the bed, he felt a little better, but he couldn’t stop shaking.
“Let
me help you,” Rachel knelt and pulled off his shoes, then helped him off with
his jacket. “Lie down,” she encouraged,
gently pushing him back. “Doc O’Malley
was at the reception. I’ll ring down and ask him to come up,” she reached for
the phone.
Lee
reached out to stop her. “No, I just need to lie down for a while. I’ll be fine,” he protested. He didn’t want to be poked and prodded; he
wanted to be left in peace.
“Please,
Lee. You’re sick, – you need a doctor,”
she insisted, gently pulling her hand free.
Lee
eased himself back against the pillows. Maybe
she was right, Jamie would not be happy if he was sick and didn’t do anything
about it. He decided that seeing
O’Malley was better than facing Jamieson.
He closed his eyes, trying to relax, but his stomach churned and he was
forced to make a dash to the bathroom.
Someone
entered the room while he was in the bathroom, and he returned to find a man he
presumed to be the doctor. The distinguished looking man looked to be in his
fifties, his dark hair grey at the temples.
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the thought of a strange doctor, Lee
dragged himself back to the bed, feeling weak.
Retching had really hurt and he was afraid that he was going to bust his
stitches, now all he wanted was to crash.
“I’m
Doctor O’Malley,” he introduced himself as he followed Lee to the bed. What have you been doing to yourself?” he
asked, smiling.
“I
have to go change,” Rachel interrupted as she pulled open the door.
The
doctor nodded an acknowledgement. “Don’t worry Rachel, I’ll take good care of
him,” he assured her before turning his full attention to Lee. “Now, what’s the problem?”
Lee
eased himself down onto the bed. “It’s nothing really, Doc, I just felt a
little queasy, and I can’t seem to stop shaking.”
“Are
you taking any medication?” the doctor asked as he set his medical bag down on
the side table and opened it.
“Yes,”
Lee admitted reluctantly, pulling the pills Jamieson had given him from his
jacket pocket, he gave them to the doctor.
The
doctor read the label, and then looked back at him. “What condition are you taking these for?”
“I
had an accident; I just got out of the hospital yesterday.” Lee could tell that he wasn’t going to get
anything past this doctor. He just hoped
that the doc would not feel it necessary to ring Jamieson. He had already had a lecture from Jamie
prior to him allowing Lee to attend the wedding.
“I
think I’d better have a proper look at you. Take off your shirt and lie down,”
the doctor instructed, once more going to his medical bag he pulled out a pair
for surgical gloves.
*****
Rachel
knocked before using her pass key to open the door. “Can I come in?”
“Yes,
Rachel, come in,” the doctor answered.
Lee
was sitting up, just pulling on his shirt, while the doctor was packing his
medical bag.
Entering
the room, she walked towards the bed. “So, what’s the verdict, Doc?”
“He’ll
live,” the doctor declared. “But if he
was my patient, he would still be in the hospital.”
Rachel
frowned, looking from the doctor to Lee and back again. “Why?”
The
doctor exchanged looked with Lee before answering. “I’ll let him tell you
that. I’ve given him something for the
nausea, and for the pain. He’ll be fine
in the morning, but if he’s not, give me a call.”
“Thanks,
Doctor,” Rachel said absently, her attention focus on her handsome captain.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she was almost afraid to ask what was wrong.
“Lee?” He was still the most attractive man she had ever seen, with his dark
curly hair and those expressive honey gold eyes. Now here she was, sitting on the edge of the
bed where he was lying; her feelings for him hadn’t changed. She had never been interested in anyone else,
but she knew that she must keep a tight rein on her emotions.
He
reached out and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, Rachel, I’m okay, really,” he
smiled reassuringly.
Rachel
smiled, forcing down the sudden feelings his touch evoked. “Why don’t I make
you a cup of mint tea? It will help
settle your stomach.”
“Rachel...”
“Just
mint tea, nothing else I promise.”
Getting up, she headed for the door. “Be back in a minute.” She glanced over her shoulder, he really
didn’t look well. After she had made the
tea, she would leave and let him get some sleep. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
“Here,”
She placed the cup on the night stand and backed off a few steps to give him
some space. “Best to let it brew for a
few minutes,” she advised.
“Thanks,
I’m sorry I dragged you away from the reception.”
Rachel
shrugged. “That’s okay; I was about
ready to leave anyway.” She didn’t add
that she wasn’t having much fun on her own. “Well, I’d better go and let you
get some sleep. If you need anything,
just ring reception.” Turning, she
headed for the door. “Good night.”
“Good
Night, Rachel.”
*
Lee
stared at the closed door and frowned.
He couldn’t figure out how he felt about Rachel, she was very
attractive, and she had looked good in that strapless bridesmaid dress. He enjoyed her company, but after the way she
had come onto him the last time they had been together, things had almost
gotten out of hand. He didn’t want to encourage her and he
certainly wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. His mother would definitely like to see them
get together. She had been indirectly
responsible for their last encounter he recalled; it was just as well that she
was not at the reception or she would be playing match maker for sure.
Turning
his attention to the cup she had left beside the bed, he took a cautious sip;
it wasn’t bad. He smiled to himself as
the thought of Chip Morton, and what he would say if he could see him now,
drinking herbal tea. Usually he survived
on coffee, and wouldn’t consider anything else, except a beer maybe. That took his mind back to Jamie, his CMO; at
least the tea tasted better than some of the potions the doctor
prescribed. For all his complaining, Lee
was grateful for everything that Jamieson had done for him since he had become Captain
of the Seaview. Not least for his latest
efforts in patching him up. He was
starting to shake again, and he realised that his problems may not be physical,
but mental. The after effects of his
ordeal were only now beginning to surface.
But why now?
What had triggered this?
Lee
knew that Nelson had hardly left his bedside while he had been in Sickbay. They
had not had much chance to talk, but he knew that neither Nelson nor Chip had
been happy about this weekend. He still
had the stitches, which were due to come out on Monday. He
took another sip of the tea, hoping that it would help settle his stomach. After sickbay food, his stomach had rebelled
against the rich food served at the reception, and he probably should not have
had all three courses. He was a light
eater at the best of times.
*****
Lee
was enjoying the view of the ocean from a table near the window of the
breakfast room. He was feeling better
after a fairly good night, and rather than have breakfast in his room, had
decided to chance the restaurant. It was
quiet at this time, with most of the wedding guests still asleep after the late
finish of the reception the previous night.
Fortunately, his room had been far enough away for the noise not to
disturb him. Looking up from his bowl of
cereal, he saw Rachel walking towards the table with a pot of coffee.
“Good
morning, how are you feeling?” she asked, smiling.
“I’m fine, thank you.” He wondered what she had in mind. Was she just doing her job? Or did she have some other motive.
“More coffee?”
Lee
nodded. “Thanks.”
Rachel
poured the coffee. “Can we talk?”
Lee
gestured to the seat opposite and she sat down.
He waited while she poured herself a cup of coffee and spooned sugar
into the cup; finally she looked up from the cup.
“I
thought I would never see you again.
After the way I behaved last time we met...” her voice trailed off, and
she lowered her gaze. “I am so sorry; you must think I’m some kind of wacko.”
Lee
felt awkward, unsure what to do or say. He was having a hard time trying to
sort out his own feeling. Maybe they did
need to talk, to straighten things out.
He reached across the table and touched her hand. “Rachel?”
“Sorry,”
she smiled sheepishly. “I should go and
let you finish your breakfast in peace.”
“Why
don’t we take a walk along the cliffs later, if you’re free? I need my fix; I get edgy if I’m away from
the sea for too long.” He smiled
jokingly. He didn’t quite understand why, but he felt the need for company.
“I’d
love to.”
*****
Lee
carefully drew in a deep breath of salt-laden air; he was beginning to relax as
they walked along the sand. He realised
that he wanted to stay here for a while.
As much as he wanted to return to Seaview, he couldn’t face Nelson yet. He needed
some time to himself while he struggled to deal with the consequences of the
shooting. Here, where no-one knew who he
was, or what had happened; he could relax and be anonymous. He glanced at Rachel and smiled, not sure how
to broach the subject, or even if he should find another hotel.
“Come
on, there’s something I want to show you,” she grinned, taking hold of his
hand.
The
small clapboard beach bungalow was just yards from the high tide line. “This
belongs to your family?” Lee asked.
“Yes,
I used to spend the holidays down here, I love it,” Rachel beamed
enthusiastically as she unlocked the door and led him inside.
Lee
stood, taking in his surroundings. The
inside was simply decorated in traditional
“When
I can, but I don’t get a lot of time off these days.”
“Is
it for rent?” This would be the perfect
place to stay, away from the main house, and right on the beach.
“Why,
are you thinking about staying?”
“Yes,
just for a week or two,” Lee took a step closer. Rachel, I can’t tell you what
happened, but I need some time before I return to
“Oh,
Lee – of course you can stay, for as long as you need.”
*****
“What
do you mean, you’re not coming back? I
don’t understand Lee. What about your
stitches? Their due out tomorrow,” Chip
asked.
“They
have doctors here, Chip. It’s not a
problem.”
“Yeah,
but Jamie will have a fit when he finds out,” Chip wished that he was having
this conversation face to face, instead of over the phone. He could always tell what Lee was thinking.
“He
can rant all he wants, he’s not my C.O.
Besides, he said a minimum of six weeks, so why shouldn’t I spend them
here?”
“Or
is it that you want to spend some time with Rachel?” Chip teased, in an effort
to defuse the annoyance he could hear in Lee voice, and that last remark about
Jamieson not being his C.O. was not like Lee.
“What
if I do?”
“Okay,
buddy, calm down. If that’s what you
want I’d be the last person to try and stop you,” Chip was becoming more
concern about what was going on with Lee.
Sure it was no big deal; it wouldn’t be the first time that Lee had gone
against Jamie’s orders.
“Sorry,
Chip. Tell Jamie not to worry, I promise
I’ll see a doctor here.”
“And
what am I supposed to tell the Admiral?
“Tell
him I’ll be back in six weeks for a physical.”
Chip
took a deep breath. “Thanks.”
“Don’t
worry, Chip. He won’t blame you.”
“Are
you sure about this Lee? Where can I
contact you?”
“You
can contact me through Rachel’s family.”
“Oh
that’s just great, Lee. Nelson’s going
to love that.”
“I’m
sidelined anyway; if something comes up I’m sure you can handle it.”
So
that’s what this was about, Lee was annoyed that Jamie would not let him return
to duty for six weeks, possibly longer. “Lee, you know that it is going to take time
for your body to heal. Hell you nearly
died. You can’t expect to bounce back after something like that.”
“Don’t
try to analyse me, Chip. Just tell Nelson and
Jamie that I’m okay.”
“Are
you okay?”
“Yes,
Chip, I’m fine.”
“All
right, but don’t be surprised if they send me down there to drag you back.”
“Thanks, Chip. Bye.”
“Bye,
Lee, take care.” Chip hung up the phone
and sighed, he was not looking forward to telling Jamieson that his patient was
disobeying his orders. Lee was supposed
to be in
*****
Dr
Will Jamieson was not happy. “What do you mean, he’s not coming back?” he
glowered at the tall blond standing in front of his desk.
“He
said that he wanted to stay on for a while.”
“But
I haven’t released him. He’s not fully
recovered, he should still be in
“He
said that he would see a doctor there.” Chip offered.
“Huh,
he’ll tell them he’s fine, even if he isn’t.”
Jamieson stopped. Lee Crane had
done some stupid things, but this... “What
else did he say?”
“Just
that he wanted to spend some time with Rachel.”
“After what she did? I find that hard to believe. There has to be more to this.”
“I
know that Lee wasn’t exactly enthusiastic at seeing Rachel the last time, but
maybe he’s changed his mind. They have
known each other a long time,” Chip reasoned.
“We’ll
see what the Admiral has to say about this.”
He headed for the door and wrenched it open. “Are you coming?”
Chip
shrugged and followed him out.
****
Nelson
frowned as Will Jamieson entered his office in answer to his ‘Come’. From the expression on the doctor’s face he
knew that this visit concerned Lee Crane. “Will, what I can do for you?” he
asked, gesturing to a chair.
“It
would seem that the Captain has decided to disregard my orders Again!” Jamieson
grumbled as he dropped into the chair.
Nelson
looked from Jamieson to Morton, who had followed the doctor in and stood behind
him, then back to Jamieson when he got no clue from the blond. “What’s he
done?” As if I didn’t know. Nelson
thought wearily at finding himself once more having to mediate in the ongoing
battle of wills between Crane and the doctor.
Not helped by the fact that he was responsible for Lee’s condition.
“He’s
ignored my instruction to return to
Nelson
turned to address Morton. “Chip?”
“Lee
rang me to say that he was staying on for a few weeks to spend some time with
Rachel. He said that he was okay and
would see a doctor there.”
Nelson
wasn’t happy that Lee had gone against Jamieson’s medical advice, but he was prepared
to cut him some slack. This was his
fault and if Lee needed some space then he it was the least he could do to give
him the time. He could only imagine how
Lee must be feeling and he hoped that Lee would be able to forgive him for
being so weak and giving in to Krueger.
He turned back to Jamieson. “Is his condition serious enough to warrant
his return to
“I
think so, Admiral. He is recovering from
a serious injury and still has stitches.”
“Which
come out on Monday?”
“Yes,
but that doesn’t mean that he’s healed.
He has internal as well as external stitches. Something could still go wrong if he does
something he shouldn’t.”
Again
Nelson addressed Morton. “Chip, you know Lee better than anyone. How did he
sound? Do you think that he is all
right?”
Chip
shook his head. “I don’t know, Admiral.
If Lee really does want to spend time with Rachel, then I would be the
last person to interfere. But something
doesn’t feel right. I’d be a lot happier
if I could speak to him face to face.”
Nelson
nodded thoughtfully. “Lee nearly died.
Something like that focuses the mind on what’s really important. Maybe Lee needs some time to re-evaluate his
life. A steady relationship might be
good for him.”
Chip
snorted. “Seaview is his life; he would never give her up for anything.”
Nelson
rested back and regarded them both. Lee
was in the wrong for disobeying Jamieson’s orders, but this wasn’t the Navy and
Nelson was reluctant to interfere in Lee’s private life; especially after what
had happened. “If we could find and speak
to the doctor who is treating Lee, would that satisfy you?”
“It
would be a start, but he doesn’t know Lee, doesn’t know how sneaky he can be.”
“Okay,
Chip – take FS 1 and see what you can find out.
I know you don’t like the thought of spying on Lee, but it’s for his own good.”
“He’s
not going to like it if he finds out.”
“Then
you had better make sure that he doesn’t find out.”
“Yes, Sir.”
*****
Arriving
at the Maple Inn, Chip was disturbed that Lee had taken off without telling
anyone where he was going. Chip had managed to book the room that Lee had
vacated and would ask around to see if anyone had seen Lee or Rachel since they
disappeared. Chip fastened the throat
mike and flipped on the power. “FS 1 to Nelson, come in please, over.”
“Nelson
here, go ahead, Chip.”
Admiral,
Sir – I’m sorry to have to report that Lee isn’t here.” Chip could picture
Nelson’s reaction – he wouldn’t be pleased.
“Not
there! Well where is he?” Nelson demanded over the radio.
Chip
grimaced, “I don’t know, Sir. Apparently
he and Miss Burrows left together yesterday, but no-one knows where,” he heard
a muffled curse from Nelson.
“Very
well, Chip – see what you can find out.”
“Yes, Sir – FS 1 out.”
Chip broke the connection. How
was he supposed to find his errant Captain if he didn’t want to be found? Lee was trained to evade detection and was
very good at covering his tracks. But why? What was going on in Lee’s head? He could understand that Lee was upset and
although Lee had a tendency to bottle things up, he’d never known him to run
away from anything.
Chip
had spoken to Lee’s mother, hoping to find him there, but she had told him that
Lee had stopped by to pick up some things and told her that he would be away
for a while. Mrs. Crane had learned a
long time ago not to ask questions, but she was concerned as to why Chip was
ringing her, and why he didn’t know where Lee was. Chip had tried to re-assure her that it was a
break down in communications.
*****
It
was 23.57, but Lee couldn’t sleep. He sleep
was disturbed by bad dreams. He had tried to sort out the conflicting
emotions that he felt. Since he had accepted
Captaincy of Seaview, he and Nelson
had become as close as father and son, which only made it more painful to deal
with. Slipping on his robe he walked through into
the kitchen and sat on the floor beside the sliding glass doors, resting back
against the frame. Gazing out at the
night, he watched the white caps of the waves breaking just yards from the door
and he could hear the sound of the ocean.
“Lee,
what’s wrong?” Rachel padded barefoot across to kneel beside him.
He
sighed and shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep,”
“Tell
me what happened?” Rachel said softly.
He
reached out and put an arm around her, pulling her to him.
Rachel
snuggled close, resting her head on his shoulder. For a few moments they sat in silence.
“Are
you hungry?” Rachel asked. “I could make toast or something.”
Lee
shook his head. “Just keep me company?” he felt the need for the touch of
another human being. He closed his eyes and tried to shut out the
thought whirling around in his head. He
was exhausted and needed sleep, but he knew that the dreams would return to
haunt him. It hurt that Nelson had shot
him, and in the back. But what really
bothered him was that Nelson had not trusted him enough to tell him the truth
about Kruger; hadn’t they been through enough together? He knew that he was running away, it was
something that he had never done before and he despised himself for it. The thought of loosing Seaview and leaving the
people that had become like family was unbearable. Where would he go? He’d never thought about a
life outside of NIMR, Seaview was his life.
He told himself that he just needed time.
“Lee,
talk to me.”
He
turned and smiled, he could not see her face clearly in the dark. “I’m tired,
Rachel.”
“Then
let’s go to bed. I promise I won’t try
to seduce you. I don’t think you’re up
to that either,” she smiled.
He
didn’t have the energy to argue so he let her lead him back to the bedroom. He wanted to crawl into bed and stay there
for a week, he was so tired.
*
She
climbed into bed beside him and pulled him against her, then pulled the quilt
over them both. He took a shaky breath
and closed his eyes, his head lulling into her shoulder. She settled more comfortably against the
headboard and listened to the sound of his breathing while she stroked his
hair. Her vision blurred with tears, it
tore at her heart to see him looking so down.
He looked so vulnerable, totally unlike the confident submarine Captain
that she knew him to be.
After
a few minutes he pulled away and rolled onto his back, raising an arm to cover
his eyes.
“Lee?”
she whispered, pulling his arm away.
“Look at me, tell me what’s wrong.”
He
stared up at the ceiling. “I...can’t talk about it.”
She
knew how close he was to Nelson and Chip, something really bad must have
happened to cause Lee to run, and she realised that was what he was doing. That was why he’d registered under another
name, and why he didn’t want anyone to know where he was. “Lee, I’m sure that things are not as bad as
you think. Why don’t you let me speak to
Chip?
Lee
shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that.”
“There
must be something I can do to help. I
hate to see you like this.”
“I’ll
be okay.”
Rachel
felt a pang of guilt, it was expecting a lot of him to trust her now, after the
way she had behaved the last time she had seen him. “I told you, I love
you. I don’t expect you to reciprocate,
but I’m here if you need me.”
“I’m
okay, you should go back to bed, Rachel.”
*****
Lee
shifted in his sleep and moaned softly, his eyelids fluttered but he didn’t
wake. He looked so vulnerable lying
there and Rachel wondered if he was in pain.
She debated whether she should wake him up. What terrible thing had happened that he
could not talk about? She knew that his
job was dangerous at times and she hated to think of him hurting. She gently touched his face and he mumbled
something, swatting her hand away. There
was something about him that tugged at her heart. She so
wanted to snuggle close and hold him, he was so disarmingly gorgeous, sexy and
yet innocent and unguarded. Under that
tough, professional exterior that he displayed to the world, there was a
gentle, caring and slightly shy man. She
loved watching him, his features softened by sleep, his dark hair mussed. She could image waking up next him every day,
but that was never going to happen; she smiled wistfully.
*****
Chip
tailed Rachel from the shopping mall, making sure that she didn’t spot him
following. With all the coming and
going, he hoped that she would not notice him pull into the guest parking lot
at the side of the
He
followed on foot, watching her take the groceries from the trunk and down to
the beach bungalow hidden away at the edge of the property.
So this was where Lee was holed
up. He waited until Rachel went inside
before circling the bungalow, looking for a way in. He couldn’t take the change of going in the
front door; if Lee knew he was here, he’d bolt.
The
back door was open and he entered through the utility room. He could hear voices, yes that was definitely
Lee, but he couldn’t make out what he was saying. Pursuing the voices to the kitchen, he
stopped outside the partly open door. Lee
was sitting at the table watching Rachel as she packed the groceries away.
Chip
fought the urge to confront his friend, Lee would not be happy if he knew that
Chip was here checking on him.
Reluctantly, he quietly retraced his steps to the kitchen and left the
same way that he’d entered. . He looked around for somewhere he could watch
without being seen. He would wait and
watch to see what happened.
*****
Lee
stood on the beach listening to the sound of the waves. The ocean always called to him and he could
never resist its pull for long. He
wasn’t sure what lay ahead for him now. Why couldn’t he put what had happened
behind him and move on? Shoving his
hands into his jeans pockets to moved closer to the water to walk on the wet
sand, letting the cool ocean waves wash around his feet. Rachel calling him broke into his reverie and
he turned to see her running down the beach towards him.
“Lee,
Doc O’Malley can see you this afternoon,” she smiled.
He
forced a smile. “Thanks, Rachel,” he took her hand and they started back
towards the bungalow. Getting the stitches removed would be one more
step towards his recovery, but he knew that it was going to be some time before
he would be back to full fitness, both physically and mentally. He hadn’t expected the shooting to affect him
so intensely. He’d thought that he was
going to die and then he’d felt the cold touch of Krueger, and a new nightmare
began.
“What
do you want for lunch?” Rachel asked they entered the bungalow.
He
shrugged. “I’m not very hungry.”
Rachel
paused on her way to the kitchen and looked at him with concern in her
eyes. “You have to eat, Lee.”
Lee
took a deep breath, resisting the urge to yell at her, she was only trying to
help. “I’m fine Rachel, honest. But I wouldn’t say no to a cup of coffee.” He
smiled.
Rachel
shook her at him. “You’d live on coffee,” she chastised jokingly.
Jamie lectured him on his
consumption of coffee. Lee pulled out a chair
and sank into it. He knew that he had to
come to terms with what had happened before he could face returning to
captaining Seaview, but he wasn’t sure that he could. Every time he closed his eyes to sleep the
memory returned to haunt his dreams.
“Lee?” Rachel placed a mug of coffee down in front
of him and sat down next to him.
Lee
couldn’t look at her, afraid that he would not be able to maintain his
composure. He picked up the mug with a
shaking hand and took a sip of the hot liquid.
“Lee,
let me call Chip. You need to talk to
someone, and if you can’t tell me, then...”
Lee
shook his head determinedly. “NO!” Lee
swore silently; was he going crazy? “I’m
sorry,” he apologised quietly. Why the
hell couldn’t he get past what had happened?
He was Captain of the Seaview for heaven’s sake. He needed to get off his butt and face
whatever was eating at him.
*****
Chip
had called Nelson and told him that he had found Lee, although he had not
spoken to him. He’d watched Lee on the
beach that morning. He knew that Lee was
in the habit of walking on the beach when something was bothering him. He also knew that Seaview was an important
part of Lee’s life, and he hoped that would be enough to persuade Lee to return to
He’d
had to be careful following Rachel when she and Lee had left the bungalow, if
Lee noticed that they were being followed; there was no telling what he might
do. Chip had managed to find a place to
park just down the street from the doctor’s house where he could keep watch. At least Lee seemed to be keeping his promise
to see a doctor, but he still wished that he could be present to hear what the
doctor had to say. He couldn’t help
wondering what story Lee had told the doctor about how he came to be injured
and how much had he told Rachel? Of
course Rachel knew that some of Seaview’s missions were dangerous, but she
didn’t know that Lee was an ONI operative.
Chip’s
mind went back to the moment when Lee had been brought aboard unconscious. He’d been rushed to sickbay and Chip had been
forced to remain at the con, when all he had wanted to do was follow his friend
to sickbay. It felt like an eternity
waiting for news on Lee’s condition.
Even after Jamieson had finished operating, Lee’s life still hung in the
balance for twenty four hours. Chip and
Nelson had taken it in turns to sit with Lee for the three days it had taken
for him to regain consciousness. It was
a miracle that there had not been any infection to set back his recovery.
Lee
and Rachel leaving focused Chip’s mind back on the present. He waited until they returned to Rachel’s car
before starting the engine of his rental and heading back to the
*****
Chip
had eaten dinner in his room. He hadn’t
wanted to risk discovery by using the restaurant; he hoped that Lee was
eating. His three days on a drip in
Sickbay had not helped.
Under
cover of darkness, Chip left his room and headed out to check on the
bungalow. He waited for his eyes to
adjust to the darkness before making his way along the cliff path to the steps
that gave access to the beach. From the
cliff he could see the lights from the town and the illuminations on the pier.
Reaching
the beach he caught sight of a lone figure standing looking out to sea. There was no mistaking the form of Lee Crane,
his dark curls being tussled by the sea breeze.
As Chip moved closer, Lee looked so alone that he wanted to go comfort
him, but he wasn’t sure that Lee would accept that from him right now.
Moving
into the shadow of the rocks, Chip watched his friend. He didn’t need the bowed head and slumped
shoulders to tell him that Lee was troubled.
He knew that Lee’s being out here was a sign that he was anxious. Back in
Lee
suddenly turned and started walking back towards the bungalow. Chip remained where
he was, watching him. When Lee seemed to
stumble and fall Chip did not hesitate, he took off at a run towards where Lee
was sitting clutching his left foot.
“Lee,
what’s wrong?” Chip asked, dropping to his knees beside him and ignoring the
way that Lee flinched away from him.
“Chip!” It was
little more than a whisper, but carried a mixture of emotions that were echoed
in Lee’s dark eyes.
Chip
smiled and put a hand on Lee’s shoulder. “Hi, buddy.” In the light from the bungalow, Chip could
see blood oozing out between Lee’s fingers where he held his foot. “What happened?”
“I
stepped on something sharp, probably a shell,” Lee replied almost absently as he
stared at Chip. “What are you doing
here?”
“Later,
let’s get you inside and take a look at that foot,” Without giving Lee time to
argue, Chip helped him up and slipped an arm around his waist to help him to
the bungalow.
“Lee?”
Rachel asked, walking into the kitchen, then looked at
Morton. “Chip, how did you get here?”
“Never
mind that now. Do you have a first aid kit?” Chip asked as Lee dropped into a
chair.
“Yes,
of course.”
Chip
found a basin and ran hot water into it.
Placing it on the floor next to Lee he knelt beside it. “Let’s take a look.”
Lee
sat silently almost as if in shock, making no objections while Chip cleaned the
cut on his foot. “Doesn’t look too bad, I don’t think it will need stitches.”
Lee
nodded, his gaze flashed to Rachel as she returned with the first aid kit. “You
set me up.”
Rachel
shook her head. “No, Lee – I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“Don’t
blame her, she didn’t know I was following her,” Chip reached out and took the
kit. “Lee, listen to me, no-one is mad at you.
Except Jamie maybe.” He joked.
“The
Admiral...”
“Is as worried about you as I am. He sent me to look for you.” Chip put the kit on the floor and opened it. He knew that when Lee was in this frame of
mind, it would be hard work trying to reason with him. “Doc will go mad if he
see’s you like this.” Chip turned to
Rachel. “Could you make some coffee?”
Turning
back to Lee he bandaged a dressing in place over the cut and secured it with
tape. “How does that feel?”
“It’s fine, thanks.”
Chip
knew that he had been right to worry; he could see that Lee was on the edge of
exhaustion and he guessed that he had not been sleeping. “Talk to me, buddy.”
Lee
shook his head. “There’s nothing to talk
about.”
Chip
sighed. “Damn it, Lee – stop being so stubborn and talk to me.” He wanted to
shake some sense into his friend, but Lee was fragile with the freshly healed
wounds still causing him pain, although he would not admit to it.
Lee
dropped his head and rubbed his eyes. “Stop fussing and leave me alone.”
Chip
heard the irritation in Lee’s voice, but he wasn’t about to leave Lee alone
yet. He put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, you’re exhausted, you need sleep.”
Lee
looked up at him. “You’re wasting your time, I’m not coming back with you,” he
scowled, shrugging Chip off.
Chip
grinned; he’d expected Lee to argue. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” Chip took
at seat at the table as Rachel put two mugs down in front of them.
“Do
you have somewhere to stay?” she asked.
“Yes,
I took a room at the
“You
can stay here; I think Lee needs you more than he needs me.”
Lee
looked up from his mug and glared at her. “I don’t need a nursemaid.”
“Then
stop acting like child having a tantrum.”
Rachel’s
retort surprised even Chip and he hid a smile.
He saw Lee bite back a retort, he was too much of a gentleman to yell at
her like he would have done if it had been anyone else.
Lee
sighed heavily and got to his feet. “I’m tired, I’m going to bed.”
Chip
smiled sympathetically at Rachel. “He’s stubborn.”
“What
happened? He wouldn’t tell me.” Rachel
put her own mug of coffee on the table and sat down.
“I’m
sorry, Rachel, I can’t tell you, but Lee was seriously injured and he should be
in
Rachel
nodded thoughtfully. “He said he needed to see a doctor yesterday, but he said
it was nothing serious. I thought it was
something to do with his feeling ill the other night.”
Alarms
suddenly went off in Chip’s head at this news. “What happened?”
“He
was feeling ill, he looked terrible and he was shaking, but he said he wasn’t
cold. Then when he got back to the room,
he was sick. I asked doc O’Malley to
take a look at him since he was at the reception.”
“Good,
do you have the doctor’s number? I’ll
give it to Jamieson and he can contact him.”
*****
Lee
felt like he hadn’t slept for more than a few minutes all night. His sleep had been disturbed by more bad
dreams and now he lay awake listening to the sounds of the night. He knew that he was acting like a jerk, but
he couldn’t seem to stop himself. His
world had turned upside down and everything was spiralling out of control.
With
a groan, he sat up and rubbed a hand across his face. He was beginning to realise that he wasn’t
going to solve anything by hiding away here.
Throwing back the covers, he almost stumbled out of bed and gasped in
pain as the movement pulled on his newly healed wound. Pressing a hand to his side, he sat on the
bed. The night was warm and he was
restless. Limping barefoot to the
kitchen, he switched on the light; the clock showed 05.00.
He
put on some coffee then pulled open the refrigerator and surveyed the contents. It was too early for breakfast, but he was
hungry having hardly touched his meal last evening. Taking a carton of milk from the fridge, he
found a bowl and the breakfast cereal.
A few minutes later he sat at the table eating cereal and drinking
coffee.
*
Lee
didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but he woke to find sun shining through
the window and the smell of cooking filled the kitchen, making his mouth
water. He lifted his head from the crook
of his arm and straightened in the chair.
“How
long have you been there?” Chip asked from where he stood in the doorway.
Lee
gave him a sideways glance. “I couldn’t sleep.
Why are you still here?”
“I
see your mood hasn’t improved,” Chip commented as he approached the table and
sat down.
“I’m
sorry,” Lee again felt guilty. He dragged
a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think I’m losing it.”
Chip
reached out and touched Lee’s shoulder. “You’re exhausted. I bet you haven’t
been sleeping? You need to stop beating
yourself up and let us help you.”
“Why
don’t we all have breakfast? Then you
can get ready to fly back with Chip,” Rachel interrupted as she put plates of
food down in front of Lee and Chip.
“I
don’t remember agreeing to that.” Lee suddenly panicked. He wasn’t sure that he
was ready to go back...
“Lee, you’re not doing
any good skulking around here. Go back
with Chip and sort out whatever the problem is,” Rachel told him sternly.
“You
sound like my Mom,” Lee couldn’t keep the smile from his face. It was the first
time in he couldn’t remember how long, that the smile wasn’t forced. “You’re right.
I’m sorry, Rachel.”
She
moved round to stand behind him and bent to give him a hug, “You’re forgiven,” then
kissed his cheek. “Just get better.”
Lee
resisted the urge to tell her that he wasn’t sick.
“Should
I leave you two alone,” Chip teased.
Lee
felt himself blush; it wasn’t the first time that Chip had teased him about
Rachel. He had to admit that after a
shaky start, he had enjoyed seeing her again and it had been him who had made a
complete ass of himself this time.
*****
Rachel stood on the beach, watching Lee walk
away. He’d given her a hug and told her
to take care of herself. Her heart was
breaking, but she fought back the tears.
When he reached FS 1 Lee turned and smiled before stepping through the
hatch and closing it behind him. She
wrapped her arms around herself and continued to watch as the craft slowly
disappeared below the water.
Rachel
felt numb inside, she loved Lee Crane and he had left her again. She wondered if she would ever see him again.
Wiping away a tear, she continued to stand staring out to sea. The beach was empty and silent except for the
wind that whipped through her hair, and sound of the surf. She loved the sea, even though it took him
away.
*****
Dressed
in dark pants and black sweater, Lee Crane walked slowly through the empty control
room, running a hand over control panels.
Seaview was in dock with only the shore based backup crew aboard. He’d wanted to spend some time alone aboard
in order to try and sort out his feelings.
He was still on medical leave and except for his dress blues, his
uniforms were still in his cabin. He
knew that Chip would have packed for him if he’d asked. Anyhow, Seaview was not a navy boat and
no-one was likely to call him on it.
He
found himself hesitating at the bottom of the spiral stairs leading up to
officer’s country, with his hand on the rail.
He hadn’t been in that area of the boat since the shooting. Hesitantly, he put a foot on the first step;
he knew that he was being irrational. Normally
he enjoyed walking the corridors and usually took a turn around the boat each evening
before he turned in. If he couldn’t even
face setting foot in officer’s country, how could he ever hope to return to
duty? Pull yourself together, Crane, he reprimanded himself. With renewed determination, he climbed the
stairs without further hesitation.
*
Lee’s
own cabin was more or less as he had left it.
He took a few minutes to tidy his desk and put the paperwork into his
briefcase. It was nothing that couldn’t
wait until he returned to light duty – if he returned. He could pack the rest of his gear later,
first there was something that he needed to do.
Leaving his cabin he walked down the corridor and turned the corner, a
few more steps took him to Nelson’s cabin.
He knocked and waited, he didn’t expect the Admiral to be here, but didn’t
want to barge in unannounced if he was.
Getting no response, he opened the door and looked around before
entering the cabin. Stepping inside, he
closed the door. He’d spent a lot of
time here with Nelson, discussing mission details or simply talking during a
break between watches.
As
he turned towards the desk a chill ran down his back as he recalled the last
time he’d been in Nelson’s cabin. It had
been after they buried Krueger; Lee had accompanied Nelson to his cabin. Nelson had seemed obsessed about crossing the
16th parallel. Lee had asked
him what was wrong. Then Nelson had
picked up the gun and aimed it at him...
Pulling
his gaze from the desk, Lee stood, head slightly bowed as he contemplated the
deck. Where do I go from here? His mother
would welcome him home with open arms.
She worried about him being on a submarine; she’d already lost her
husband and would be happy to have him doing something sensible and safe. But he was a man of action; he’d go crazy
tied to a desk. He suddenly felt very
tired. The events of the past few days
had taken their toll. Although Jamieson
had insisted that he spent twenty four hours in
He
was about to leave when the door opened and Nelson entered. “Lee.”
“Admiral,
Sir, I’m sorry.” Lee started to apologise.
“I didn’t mean to intrude, I was...”
“That’s
all right Lee. Come and sit down. How
are you feeling?” Nelson asked as he moved to sit at his desk and indicated a
chair.
“I’m
much better, thank you,” Lee sat in the chair rather than taking his usual
place perched on the corner of the desk.
“I’m
glad you’re here, I’ve wanted to talk to you.”
Lee
felt himself tense, expecting a lecture about disobeying Jamieson’s
instructions and pulling a disappearing act.
“We
didn’t have much chance to talk after...” Nelson hesitated. “After
what happened.”
Lee
sat with his hands in his lap, twisting his ring. “I’d rather not talk about
it, Sir. I want to forget the whole
mission even happened.”
“Are
you sure you’re all right, Lee?” Nelson studied him across the desk.
“Yes,
Admiral, I’m a little tired that’s all,” he admitted reluctantly.
“Umm,
you spent the night in
“Yes, Sir.”
“If
you’re that tired, this can wait,” Nelson reached for the phone. “I’ll have
someone drive you home.”
Lee
lowered his gaze. “Actually, I was planning on taking a nap in my cabin.”
“Nonsense,”
Nelson protested. “I’ve got a perfectly good spare room you can use. Unless of course you would feel
more comfortable with someone else?”
Lee
shook his head and smiled shyly. “I’d like that, Admiral, thank you.”
Nelson
pushed to his feet. “Alright then, let’s go.”
“Err,
Admiral, don’t you have work to do? I
don’t want to take you away from your work.”
Nelson
put a hand on Lee’s shoulder, steering him towards the door. “You’re my
priority right now, lad. Seaview needs
her Captain and I need you as a friend.”
Lee
felt himself blush, it was rare for the Admiral to admit his feelings and it
was good to know that the bond between them had survived another trauma that
had almost destroyed them both. “Maybe
we could have that talk over dinner.”
“I
think that can be arranged.”
*The End*
Somewhere in the night
Inside my dreams you burn so
bright
And I’m with you there and
everything’s all right
Somewhere in the night
Before the darkness turns to
light
Let me love you there,
somewhere in the night
Scott Bakula. - Quantum Leap.