Disclaimer: I do not own Sea Patrol. I merely use the characters for my own enjoyment.
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Mike sat in his cabin, going over some paperwork that had to be finished by the time Hammersley returned to port. It was frustrating him though because he couldn't stop thinking that something wasn't right. He didn't know what it was, but it was there, just this gut feeling. He had called up to the bridge numerous times to check if everything was all right and it was. The ship was running fine and it looked to be a quiet night. However, there was something still niggling in his stomach, making him uneasy. His eyes focused again on the paperwork and he was reading it again but not taking it in. His thoughts were distracted again by a knock at the door.
"Come in."
He turned to see Nav at the door, her face white and looking quite distressed.
The gut feeling that had been niggling at him, seemed to flare into full-blown fear.
"What's happened?"
Nav stood there, her mouth opening and closing before she finally got the words out.
"Sir, we picked up a distress call a few moments ago and it took us time to fully figure out what it was saying and by the time we did, it had dropped out."
Mike had stood, ready to start heading to the bridge, "Go on."
"It was from HMAS Baranduda Sir. We picked up that they had hit some form of trouble and required immediate assistance because they were sinking," Nav finished quietly.
"Have you changed course?" Mike asked, as they walked quickly to the bridge.
Nav shook her head, "No Sir. I thought to check with you first."
Mike nodded his head, walking up the ladder to see the tense faces of those in the bridge staring back at him.
"Right then. Nav set course for the Baranduda and get as there as soon as possible."
Nav nodded her head, "Yes Sir," before shouting the co-ordinates of where the last known position of the ship was.
"RO, get me NavCom," Mike said, walking over to where RO was seated. It wasn't long before Mike had informed NavCom of the situation and had organised a search plan.
The entire ship was tense as they approached the co-ordinates. So far they had seen nothing. Mike had every available sailor with binoculars, scanning the ocean for any sign of life. They were within half an hour of the search zone when a shout arose from on the deck. All eyes were turned to the north-east, where debris was littered everywhere, floating forgotten on the surface. All prayed that they would see some form of life.
"Stop both engines," Mike called.
The ship was stopped.
"Nav, get the XO to lead a RHIB out. I'll be taking the other one. I want you to remain on the ship," Mike said.
"Sir, I don't think…"
"Just do it."
Mike found himself moving slowly through the debris, calling out and looking for survivors with some of the crew. His eyes were continually scanning the water, occasionally catching a glimpse of something that might look like a sailor, only to find it was a spare pair of overalls or a floating life jacket.
After about an hour, and close to the centre of debris, they saw bodies, many of them floating amongst the debris, but still not the entire crew. Mike knew they would have to recover them and radioed through to the XO to meet him at his position to help recover as many as possible.
They moved to the closest body and Mike watched as two sailors lean out to bring it over the side of the RHIB. He watched as shocked faces looked at the body and Mike moved to the front of the RHIB. The instant he saw the body, he let out a cry of anguish. There, lying in front of him was Kate. Her face was white and her lips blue but her eyes remained open, staring straight at Mike. Grief struck deep into his heart, knowing he had lost her forever.
Mike shot up in his rack, narrowly missing the bunk above him, his heart racing a mile a minute. He couldn't believe what he has just seen and it had all felt so real. That's what terrified him the most. He didn't know if the dream was telling him something, that something had happened to Kate or if it was just his imagination running wild. The last he saw, Kate was walking into NavCom, where he dropped her on his way to Hammersley. He crawled out, knowing he wasn't going to get much more sleep and headed up to the bridge. It wasn't long till morning and as soon as it was a reasonable hour, he was putting in a call to NavCom, just to make sure.
Kate stretched out in the bed, having suffered another disturbed sleep. It was always like this when Mike was out at sea. She couldn't sleep and noticed the absence of the extra warmth on her left. She couldn't wait till he returned, glad that they were only out for a short time. She lifted her hand to move the sheets. A small smile caught her face as the sun caught her engagement and wedding band. It had only been 6 months, and not having Mike with her for most of it meant that it only felt like she had been married yesterday. She turned to look at the time and almost shot out. She was meeting Commander Marshall at 9 o'clock and it was 8:15. She raced to get ready.
With five minutes to spare, Kate walked into NavCom. She ended up waiting for half an hour for him. By the time he was ready to talk to her, she wanted to leave.
"Lieutenant McGregor, would you like to come in now?"
Kate stood and followed Marshall into his office and sat down in front of his desk.
"Sir, why did you call me in today? I have the next two weeks off," Kate asked, confused at the meeting.
Marshall let out a sigh. He didn't want to do this to Mike and Kate. The fact that they had hardly anytime together since the wedding upset him even more because this was his fault.
"Kate, what I'm about to tell you, I don't want to. But your knowledge of frigates and your experience as an executive officer are needed immediately. The HMAS Baranduda is being sent to the Middle East as there is some Naval assistance required in the Persian Gulf. The government has elected to send a fleet of Frigates to start with and the Baranduda currently does not have an executive officer. So I have been given the pleasure of promoting you to Lieutenant Commander and to give you your new posting aboard the HMAS Baranduda as its Executive Officer," Marshall finished, handing her over the appropriate bits and pieces.
Kate sat their shocked. She had not been expecting this. His words sunk in and she realised the length of time she would be away from Mike. She didn't know how she would tell him this. It would be difficult, she knew that but she had no choice.
"Thankyou Sir," she managed to choke out, "It's an… honour."
Marshall smiled at her, mistaking for the reason of her stumble, "You will be perfectly fine Lieutenant Commander. You will be able to handle it."
Kate nodded her head, not concerned of the job, but more of how Mike would take it.
"Is there anything else Sir?"
He shook his head, "I will give you a briefing closer to your departure date, which will be in about a week or so. But for now, get your affairs in order and I will get in touch with you later."
Kate walked out of NavCom, everything sinking in. She had just been promoted and had just been posted to a frigate that was being sent to the Persian Gulf, for 6 months. She would be away from Mike for 6 months. She let out a sigh, knowing she would have to think of something by tomorrow morning.
As Kate stood on the pier, watching the Hammersley come into port, she couldn't help the feeling of dread weigh down her stomach. She looked up to the bridge and saw Mike standing there, a smile on his face. She gave him a small wave, not knowing what else to do at that point in time.
As the boat came into port, Mike saw a very familiar figure standing on the pier, dressed in white. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he noticed her and went to move out of the enclosed section of the bridge. Nav, sitting off to the right, smiled as she noticed the captain's reaction.
Mike watched as Kate gave him the small wave. It was an acknowledgment of him being there, but she didn't seem all there. It was as though something was wrong with her, but he had no idea what could be. Everything was fine when he left. His face screwed up in confusion as he walked back into the bridge.
Nikki was off the boat first and saw Kate. She walked over to her and instantly noticed her promotion.
"Oh my God!!! You got promoted! Congratulations!" she squealed. She gave Kate a hug, not noticing the stiffness of her friend. "When did you get that?? Why did you get it??"
Kate was quiet, but Nikki quickly got her message, "I'd rather wait to tell Mike first."
Nikki nodded her head, "Fair enough. Will we be seeing you at the pub tonight?"
Kate nodded her head, "Most likely."
Her attention was suddenly turned to behind Nikki, who knew that Mike had just stepped off the boat.
"Kate," he walked straight to her and pulled her into his arms, the nightmare flashing before his eyes. The feeling of her in his arms comforted him and he was thankful that his dream wasn't real.
"I missed you," he whispered to her.
She tightened her arms around him, "God I missed you too. You don't know how horrible it is to sleep in that big bed all alone."
'Although you probably will soon' she thought to herself.
They were in their own little perfect world where no one else existed at that moment… until one of the crew butted in.
"Oi you too. Go get a room!"
Mike pulled back and turned around to see Spider, ET and Buffer standing there.
"Get back to getting this boat done properly," Mike yelled.
They all quickly walked off, mumbling 'yes sirs'.
Mike turned back to Kate and noticed her promotion. He was surprised at that because she had no reason to be promoted. The uneasy feeling from his nightmare returned to his stomach and all of a sudden, he didn't want to ask her.
But… being the good husband, "You got promoted?"
She nodded her head, "Yesterday."
He leant and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, knowing she wouldn't allow for anything more whilst in sight of the crew, "Congratulations."
She smiled at him, but he noticed the smile didn't reach her eyes, "Thanks."
He turned to Nikki, "Nav, make sure the XO gets everything done properly this time."
Nikki nodded her head, "Aye sir," and turned and walked back onto the boat.
Kate raised an eyebrow, "Trouble with you're latest XO Commander Flynn?"
Mike couldn't help but smile, "I seem to have trouble finding the right replacement from my last XO. She was very good I have to say, but she ran off with her CO and now I have to find a new one and none seem to be good enough."
Kate laughed, "Well it appears this officer has impressed you."
Mike leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You have no idea."
She smiled and, quickly checking to see no one was watching, kissed him briefly but passionately. As she pulled away, he let out a small groan.
"Why do you always do that?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
"Because, that way, you don't hang around here for very long," she turned and started to walk off, "I'll see you at home."
She had changed by the time he got home and was sitting comfortably in a pair of jeans and a singlet. She heard him walk in and smiled against the glass of wine she had held to her lips. She knew what was coming.
He walked into the kitchen and almost instantly had pulled the glass of wine out of her hands and pulled her into a very passionate kiss. She relaxed completely against him having missed this contact for weeks.
Eventually, they needed air and pulling away from her Mike finally asked what he'd wanted to know since he'd left Commander Marshall's office. He had asked Marshall about his wife's latest promotion, but all that he had gotten was that it was something he had to ask Kate.
"So your promotion. How did you get that?"
Kate sighed, knowing she would have to tell him sometime.
"I was given a new posting today and needed the promotion to do it."
Mike instantly assumed she was given command of her own patrol boat, "Oh really? What patrol boat?"
Kate shook her head, "It's not a patrol boat."
His face dropped, that must mean she was most likely posted to a frigate, "Where have you been posted to then?"
"I've been posted onto the HMAS Baranduda, as the executive officer. They needed one as soon as possible, and I was available," Kate replied, not wanting to look him in the eyes.
"You're not telling me everything are you? There's more to it," Mike asked in a monotone voice.
Kate nodded, "I'm going to the Middle East. To the Persian Gulf specifically."
Flashes of Mike's nightmare went through his head and he had to repress a shudder.
"Why didn't you say no?"
"I couldn't," she replied, wondering where he was going with it.
"Yes you can. It is possible to say no I don't want to accept it," he replied, his voice sounding more and more dejected.
"There was also a promotion involved. I don't want to be stuck as a Lieutenant my entire life. I do want to move up, to try new things," she said, getting annoyed at how selfish he was being. "Do you expect me to just happily accept that?"
"Yes!" he replied, shocking himself at his own answer.
"So you're the one who is allowed to get promoted and go out every other month to play around on your damn patrol boat, whilst I sit around here missing you and missing being in the action. And when the chance comes along, I'm expected to say no to it?" She turned and stormed out of the room.
He followed, "Kate please, I didn't mean it like that!"
She kept walking and eventually he caught her in the bedroom. He reached out and grabbed her arm, "Kate please!"
She turned around and glared at him, a look he hadn't received since her days on the Hammersley as his XO.
"Of course you did! Why else would you have said it!" she yelled at him.
"Because I don't want to lose you!" he yelled back, losing his temper at how unreasonable she was being.
She stood there in silence, processing what he had just said, "What makes you think you're going to lose me? I'm married to you aren't I?"
He shook his head, "It's not that. It's just… I had this dream and in it I lost you. I don't want that to happen."
Kate smiled and walked up to him, gently cupping her hands around his face, "You're not going to lose me, not now not ever."
He couldn't help but smile in return, even with all the unease weighing down his stomach. He pulled her into his arms into a bear hug and didn't want to let go.
Until the phone rang.
Kate pulled back and answered it, "Hey Nikki… Yeah we'll be there soon… Okay… Okay… Bye."
She turned to look at Mike, "We're wanted at the pub."
"Can't we stay here?" he sounded like a whiny child, "I've been with them for the last two weeks and I don't want to have to share you with them right now."
She smiled and leaned in and kissed him briefly, "Later Mike."
He sighed before walking into the wardrobe to get changed, "Fine, but you better keep your promise."
Kate just laughed, not understanding where the whining was coming from all of a sudden.
Almost as soon as they walked into the pub, Mike and Kate had drinks shoved into their hands by the crew. Nikki beckoned them over to where she was standing. They walked over, unsure of what was going on.
Nikki raised her drink, "Right. Well I want to raise a toast to Kate." The entire crew and Mike, raised their glasses in Kate's direction.
"Well, I would like to congratulate Kate on her latest promotion to Lieutenant Commander, which she hopefully will tell us about!"
Kate took the hint and looked about her friends. She let out a sigh, knowing they should know.
"I got my promotion because of a new posting to the HMAS Baranduda. I'm their new Executive Officer and will be heading to the Persian Gulf in the near future."
The crew stood there shocked at the news they had just heard. A few eyes drifted to Mike who just stood there silently, his head lowered, not wanting anyone to gauge what he was feeling.
Nikki broke the silence, "Wow. Congratulations Kate. That's amazing."
Slowly everyone started to follow Nikki's lead and congratulate Kate.
Mike lay in bed later on, unable to close his eyes in fear that Kate's cold, lifeless face would be there. He looked to the other side of the bed, where she lay asleep. He was afraid he would lose her and he prayed to whoever was listening that whilst she was out on the Baranduda, that she would be all right. He reached over and pulled her into his arms, a small murmur coming from her. He smiled as she snuggled against him and felt a bit of the unease go before drifting off to sleep.