Title -
Author - ME - Wiggle34
Rating - PG
Disclaimer - I do not own Sea Patrol or its characters, only those I make up that are not part of the show.
A/N – Set end of season 5 and after :)
Request for Transfer
Name: Commander Mike James Flynn
Position: CO of HMAS Hammersley
Reason: Due to events that have surrounds myself and Hammersley over the last year I feel it is best to be posted to another vessel. Please find attached the recommendation from my councillor regarding me.
Commander Mike Flynn
Fleet Command sit there reading through the letter from Mike's councillor.
Approved is then stamped over his transfer.
"Commander White speaking." Maxine says as she answers her phone with Jim and Madeline in her office.
"Ok I understand what is his new position?"
"Ok and what is happening to her CO and who is taking over Hammersley?"
"OK when will all this take effect."
"That is only in four days Sir." Maxine says shocked.
"I understand Sir. Yes I will make sure he knows. Will her replacement be in to see me before then?"
"That is good thank you Sir." Maxine then hangs up the phone.
"I hope you've got this terrorist thing nearly wrapped up Ms Cruise."
"Hard to say Commander White."
"Well in four days you will have to brief a new CO on what is going on."
"What do you mean brief a new CO?" she asks back.
"Commander Flynn is being transferred on medical grounds. And before you say anything I cannot over ride this. Doctors' orders sorry." Maxine says before Madeline can sink her teeth in some more. Jim sits there thinking to himself.
"So where do you need to be taken Captain Roth?"
"Well I want to know more about where Mike and his crew meet up with these sailors that they found with Radiation poisoning." The three talk some more as Hammersley is guiding its way back into port with its decreased passengers on board.
Cairns
Naval Port
"Just the woman I wanted to see." Jim says when he sees Kate as he is walking on Hammersley
"Rubbish, I bet you're here for some terrorist related reason." She says joking to him her voice light and a smile on her face as she walks towards him.
"I need to talk to you" He says to her his tone of voice serious, as he moves away from her and starts to put his bags down.
Well now I am curious" She says as she loses her joking mood to him
"What is it she asks him worried about what might be coming next from him. He moves closer up to her after placing his bags, down and removes the cup from her hand and places it up behind her head.
"Kate when I was younger, my grandmother said to me once, one day you will find the woman that you are willing to change your life for." Jim pauses and reaches into his pocket to get something out "She gave me this" He says as he starts to unwrap the item in his hand that is wrapped in "before she died. It's her engagement ring I want to give it to you. Kate is surprised and shocked by him.
"I know this may seem a little bit out of the blue." He says and all she can say back is yea
"I love you with all my heart I want to marry you."
"I ar.. I wasn't expecting this." She responds back with her mind and heart saying so many different things all at once, yes no Mike.
"I know what I won't Kate and it's you." He says as he passes her the ring before saying "Think about it."
"I will… think about it." She says shock sounding before he pulls her in for a kiss.
"Jim I will think about it." She says half smiling with her hand on the side of his face caressing it. She walks away feeling all sorts of emotions.
Damn not the response I was hoping for damn Flynn really does have a hold on her. Jim thinks to himself after asking Kate. No you had to do it cause if she doesn't know where you want to take this she will be back with Mike before you have a chance again. He's going to be off this boat in a few days and going by the fact she didn't say anything she doesn't know yet. Nope tonight if we are in port I will show her what she means to me surely then she will say yes to the proposal. He thinks to himself as he puts his stuff away on Hammersley.
Hammersley
CO Cabin
Mike is on the phone to Maxine.
"I can check with my XO and ask her about it and see if they could of possible dumb it over board." Mike says
"That would be good also Mike while we are on the phone your transfer request has been approved your being shifted to HMAS Melbourne, she is due to dock in Cairns in three days for a stock up you will be taking over as CO once she docks."
"Who's taking over Hammersley then?"
"Lieutenant Commander Nick Watt, he's on his way to Cairns as we speak also Mike it would have been nice for you to inform me of this more so the issues that have been brought to my attention. But we can talk more later about it, get back to me once you've heard from Kate."
"Will do Maxine and I didn't say anything as I didn't want you to worry you've had far more important things to be concerned about than me Maxine." He says before they quickly say goodbye and Mike heads to the bridge to contact Kate.
After talking to Kate he sits there thinking in his chair as they cruise back to port.
I finally am getting off Hammersley; wonder how serious she is about Jim and his proposal? Maybe I should ask her first before I tell her about being transferred, at least with Melbourne I can still stay Cairns based considering their patrol area is around this part of Australia providing support for our patrol boats.
A little later Hammersley has arrived back in cairns and Mike and Kate have agreed to have coffee in one of the local malls, Kate not wanting to do it anywhere private as she knows she won't be able to hide things. She knows in public Mike will be more control with what he says to her.
"Is it true?" he asks her after their drinks have been brought to the talk until then neither have spoken to each other.
"Yes but Dutchy shouldn't of said anything before I did"
"Don't you think I had a right to know…as CO of the ship?"
"As CO of the ship of course and I would have told you once I had time to consider it"
"Are you consider it"
"Yes I am seriously thinking about it"
"I see."
The two sit there in silence as they drink their drinks. Mike finishes his drink he looks at Kate. Do I or Don't I tell her.
"I hope Jim and you a happy life together." He says as he gets up. Deciding not to tell Kate he is leaving Hammersley not wanting to put pressure on her and her decision over if she should marry Jim. He walks away and Kate is left sitting there thinking.
What is going on with him? Oh well might go do some window shopping see if it helps me.
She walks around and comes to a bridal shop, as she looks at the dresses in the window she smiles, the ring on her finger her decision having been made thanks to Mike wishing her well and not being the pig headed man he can be at times.
She walks inside and asks to try on the dress she saw in the window, as the dress goes on her feelings start to change.
I love this dress, it looks so beautiful what will Mike think. No it's not Mike I'm marrying its Jim. I can't do this I can't marry Jim. No Kate you can remember you told Mike it was over if you wait around for someone else you will never get what you want. Jim wants you accept it. She thinks to herself.
That night Kate spent the night with Jim, they never talked about the proposal but Jim could feel things weren't as relaxed or enjoyable as they normally were for the two. Jim starts to wonder if Mike has told her about his transfer or if Maxine has. Jim has a restless night sleep, Kate didn't want to spend the night saying she was tired and just wanted to go home and sleep alone, it was another kick in the guys for Jim. He wouldn't express his views to her over it all just in case Mike hadn't said anything and Kate was like this on her own.
Mike was the pub when Dutchy caught up with him, Dutchy informed Mike that Kate broke things off to protect his career, and this left Mike stunned. He even tells him that she thinks it the most important thing in his life.
"Well Dutchy it doesn't really matter she is seriously considering accepting Jims offer and I'm being reassigned. No point dwelling on what could have been, just got to accept and move on with life."
"When did that happen boss?"
"The reassignment came through today I finish up in two days on Hammersley and then I move on to Melbourne."
"So is Kate getting her promotion then?" Dutchy asks.
"Nope you have a new CO coming into take over from me. Look I haven't told Kate she doesn't need me making things more complicated than they are."
"But Boss if she knows this surely she will say no to Jim."
"Dutchy if she says no I want her to say it because that is what she wants not because of me changing posts. Or worse she may say yes thinking I am only transferring now because of Jim asking her she won't understand that this has been in the pipe works for a while now. It's just only come through now."
"Do any of the crew know?"
"No Dutchy and I would prefer it if they didn't know for now. For the reason I just stated before Kate needs to make her choice on her own not with hearing about this news."
"But surely if she knew she would end it with Jim." Mike sits there not sure how to respond.
"I don't know Dutchy they've had a relationship before something I can't compete with."
Hammersley the next day
"Mike do you have time for a quick word in private?" Jim asks as they are leaving port.
"Sure Jim." He says as he leaves Dutchy in charge of the ship and both head off to his cabin.
Mikes Cabin
"What can I do for you Jim?" Mike asks.
"It regarding Kate and me."
"Yes she has told me about the proposal. Has she given you an answer yet?"
Jim stands there semi shocked.
"No not yet."
"Oh, well yesterday she seemed very serious about it all when I spoke to her about it. I wished the both of you a happy life together, and I also hoped she will be happy. Before I left to return to Hammersley."
"Does she know of your transfer?"
"Nope and I won't be telling her yet."
"Can I ask why?" Jim says to Mike the two look at each. Mike decides to be honest with this man, the one who now has Kate heart.
"Because I don't want her to be pushed away or towards you because of my transfer. I want whatever decision she makes to be without this information. If she decides to be with you then I know she is happy with you that she can be with you and around me and know it want affect her, if she refuses then I know she can't handle being around both of us. Knowing Kate she will think I am only transferring because you asked her to marry you. She won't see it any other way and that could be taken wrong by her and she may give you an answer she may later on regret." Surely she has even you an answer already?" He turns it back around to Jim.
"No I thought that maybe you had been whispering in her ear as last night she wasn't herself. I thought that maybe..."
"Jim I may not like you all that much on a personal front but there is no way I would do that, or go that low as to make her change her mind. If she wasn't herself then it was her and had nothing to do with me."
Later on the RHIBS's cruising through the water after the suspect vessel that is carrying the bomb. They board the vessel and find the bomb.
"I'll stay on board and see I can disarm it" Jim says to Kate, he knows her feelings truly lie with someone else. If I die then at least she doesn't have to say no to me. He thinks to himself.
"Harpy bring the RHIB over ASAP, Charge we're heading back to Hammersley." Dutchy says in the back ground as Kate and Jim look at each other.
"If you can't defuse it you give yourself time to get clear, you the boats tender, Jim you promise me
"I promise now get out of here." Kate leaves but she isn't too happy about leaving him on the boat, she knows she wasn't her normal self the night before and she is worried what he must be thinking.
Mike, Kate 2Dad's Charge, Dutchy, RO, Bird are all on the bridge watching the boat out in front of them.
Mike pipes the order to get off, Jim and Swain ignore the order and both crap a box of caesium before throwing it over board, they check the timer and go to jump when the next thing the boat is rocked by not one but two explosions and explodes.
"Charge deploy both RHIBS, we have a body recovery to do." Mike says as he watches Kate trying to get her emotions under control. She loves him; she is going to say yes if she hasn't already Mike thinks to himself as a few tears leave his eyes. At least I can blame that out there and not her for those tears He thinks to himself as he gathers himself back up and pushes it behind him for now.
"Any sign of them yet Charge?" Mike pipes through the radio.
"Sir we've found both of them."
"Status Charge?"
"Sir they both um have injuries." Charge says and everyone who can hear him hears the hitch in his voice.
"Sir, we need to get them back to shore ASAP, we need an ambulance, they've both have faint pulses." Charge yells. Bird is busy wrapping bandages as tight as she can around both their legs and arms. Charge helps her wrap anything and everything they can find on the RHIB to help stop blood flow. Harpy races them towards the nearest wharf hoping like hell they can get both there in time.
Bridge
Hammersley
"Dutchy take the second RHIB and get Kate to land so she can go with Jim." Mike says as he watches Kate silently crying having paid no attention to what is really going on. Dutchy can tell that his CO is struggling with what he is seeing in front of him re their XO. Dutchy guides Kate down to the RHIB as Mike pipes the orders for it.
Mike sits on the bridge overseeing everything as he waits for others to arrive to start the clean-up. Once Dutchy was back with one of the RHIB's he sent a crew out to patrol to make sure no one came into contact with the area and were kept out of the way it was surprising how many people in pleasure boats arrived to see what was going on.
About thirty minutes after Dutchy and his crew starts to patrol the second RHIB returned to Hammersley and Mike got another crew out helping as well. Charge stayed on the RHIB, Bird had gone to the hospital with Jim and Swain.
NAVCOM
CAIRNS
Maxine was busy trying to kept media at bay, inform families and also get recovery crews out to the location. And also the ambulance to the closet wharf to the RHIBS but also the hospital which happened to be the first wharf the RHIBS came to.
As she works away she is able to get several vessels to help but they are hours away, all shipping in and out of Cairns are being delayed due to the explosion now becoming a shipping issue.
RHIBS
CARINS HARBOUR
As Dutchy stands keeping an eye on everything around them he keeps on thinking about Mike and Kate, the Boss and X to him. He could tell Kate was cut up deep about Jim and him being hurt. He remembers seeing her when they thought the Boss had been killed back then she had a ship to run but he could tell she was hurting but this time she allowed her tears to fall. He started to wonder about her feelings towards the Boss; he was starting to wonder if she in fact was leading the boss on and now that she has no promotion and Jim. Mike is nothing to her.
CARINS HOSPITAL
Kate sits and waits in the waiting room for word on Jim, Sally is beside her as well. Both with tears falling down their faces, neither knowing if their loved ones where going to make it or not. Both praying that they will.
HAMMERSLEY
"Mike; Melbourne is arriving back into port this afternoon I need you to take over tonight she not having down time now."
"Maxine do you think that is wise?"
"Mike you have no choice you're taking over twenty four hours before you are meant too. Hammersley will be on stand down tonight and then go back out tomorrow at some stage."
"You will need to organise another XO Max, I doubt Kate will be sailing."
"Well Mike she has no choice all hands will be on deck tomorrow and tonight. Hammersley is only having down time because they been out all day with this."
"Oh so they get some down time and I end up working, great one Max."
"Hey I'm not the one who did a transfer request am I. Just deal with it Mike ok I know this can't be easy for you."
"Easy Max you must be bloody joking, right. Watching that boat explode seeing the state those two men were in and watching my XO falling apart in front of me because she has moved on to someone else is can't be easy bull crap it's heart wrenching OK." He snaps at Max. His frustrations from the last twenty four hours being taken out on his friend.
"Mike."
"No Maxine I've had enough don't go there ok. Once we are docked I will let the crew know they have down time till zero nine hundred tomorrow morning and I will go straight over to Melbourne once I am done. Happy."
"Mike don't be like this."
"Don't Max, I have to go." He says as he hangs up the phone in his cabin. Mike leaves his cabin after a few minutes of trying to get his head around the day's events and also Kate.
He goes up to the Bridge and finds Dutchy on the helm.
"Where's everyone else?" Mike asks him.
"I sent them off to do jobs and put a number of them on lookout for debris and people trying to get closer."
"Ok thanks Dutchy." He says quietly. It normal tone of voice not showing through.
"No problem Boss." He says as he looks at Mike. Hammersley is just sitting there idling in the water watching what is going on around them. For once Mike is pleased there is only Dutchy on the bridge with him. He can just sit and be himself.
"Sir Permission to speak freely?" Dutchy asks.
"Permission granted Dutchy no need to ask." He replies back as he steers out in front of them. Watching the RHIBS moving around.
"It's been an honour serving with you, but I think Kate doesn't deserve you, leading you on like she did before Jim came along. That just isn't right and fear on you."
"As I said last night not much I can do about it, Woman you never know what they are truly thinking. To be honest the only one that I have no real issues with is this girl." He says as he gives Hammersley a light pat on the console in front of him.
"I think you might be right there Boss. She does as she is told and when she doesn't there is always a good reason and one that we can find. Do you know if there are any positions free on Melbourne?"
"Whys that Dutchy?"
"I wouldn't mind staying under your command Boss. Your been the best to work with. We know our place but you allow us to be us."
"Not sure at this stage Dutchy and thank you. But just so you know you guys are getting tonight off and then be back out here tomorrow. I'm moving over tonight and coming straight back out here once we dock later on today."
"You're joking right, they expect you to work right through the night as well as watching what we did today. God does Knocker have no sense of feeling at all. We just lost a crew member." Dutchy says angerly.
"Maxine is just doing as she has too. Melbourne's CO can't stay on so I have no choice. We are only out here so shouldn't be too hard I hope, as long as I can stay awake."
