Chapter 2
Monday morning, as promised, Dr. Levin allowed everyone to return back to work. Nathan, however, was a little leery about it. "You're sure they'll be all right?"
Joshua smiled. "Of course, Captain. They're fine...and they're ready. I don't think any of them would agree to any more bed rest. They're physically healthy, and it seems like their mental states are where they should be as well. I honestly have no reason to keep them from anything."
Nathan nodded and gave him a grateful pat on the shoulder. "Thanks, Joshua. I was just worrying needlessly."
"Well, there's no reason for it. Like I said, they're ready."
Nathan gave him a nod, and the two parted ways. But he really didn't feel much better. They might have been ready to go back to work, but he wasn't sure if he was ready. Sure, it was fine now, but what about when a new mission came up? What then? He sighed, feeling defeated. Logically, he knew he was being silly. The odds of having another accident of any kind were slim, certainly. But the worry was there, and he couldn't shake it.
He looked up to see the smiling faces of Lucas and Kristin enter medbay. He waved as he was about to approach them. Unfortunately, as if on cue, his PAL beeped.
"Bridger," Nathan answered.
"Captain?" It was Lieutenant O'Neill. "We have a distress call from a nearby submarine; the Poseidon. They're located about 200 miles just off the coast of California at the moment."
"I've never heard of it," Nathan replied thoughtfully. "UEO?"
"Not exactly, sir. It's an expedition team of scuba divers. Unfortunately, they all appear to be suffering from a case of the bends, their medical officer included. We're the nearest ship. They're asking us to rendezvous," Tim explained. "We should be able to get to them in the next hour or so."
"Tell them to stay where they are; we'll be there," Nathan replied before cutting the link.
"Well, well, our first day back and already, there's excitement," Kristin commented, since she'd overheard the conversation.
Nathan simply nodded. "Staff meeting in twenty minutes...and be sure to tell Joshua for me as well, hm?"
"Of course, Captain. See you then."
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A short time later, the senior staff was gathered around the ward room table. Nathan had just finished explaining the situation to everyone. "So, we'll get a team together to help them immediately. Of course, we'll need a med team." He looked toward Kristin and Joshua.
"I've taken the liberty of organizing a team before I even got here," Kristin told him.
"Good," Nathan said with a nod. "Commander Ford?"
"Yes, sir?" Jonathan sat up proudly, obviously expecting to be on the rescue team.
"I want you to take the bridge while I'm away," Nathan continued.
"Oh…" Jonathan couldn't mask his disappointment, but being the well-trained UEO submariner that he was, he quickly recovered. "Aye, sir," he replied as though it didn't bother him.
"Lieutenant O'Neill, Chief Ortiz? You two will be accompanying us as well," Nathan stated. Then, he looked toward Joshua and Kristin once again. "And our med team…"
"We've already got it under control," Kristin assured him.
"You've mentioned," Nathan said, "but I think I'd like Joshua with us this time around. You can handle things in medbay, can't you?"
Kristin's jaw fell open, almost at a loss of what to say at first. A few seconds later, she found her voice again. "W-what did you say?"
"Doctor, I think it's best if you stay here to establish a plan of action. Once those scuba divers get here, medbay is going to be swamped; I think your abilities would best be served preparing the staff for that," Nathan replied.
Kristin didn't like it, not one bit. She shot Nathan a glare. "Well, perhaps I could see you after the meeting to discuss my plan of action then? It won't take long," she said icily.
Nathan gave her a nod. "I think that can be arranged, Doctor." He then turned to Lucas. "And you'll help the doctor with whatever she needs."
"Yes, Captain," he replied.
"The rest of you will carry on as normal. Any questions?" No one spoke, so Nathan dismissed them. Everyone filed out, save for Kristin.
Once everyone had left, she stood and shut the door. Then, she turned back to Nathan, still glaring, folding her arms over her chest. "What the hell was that?"
"I take it you're not very pleased with my decision?"
"That's an understatement," she said dryly. "Why?"
"I already told you."
"Nathan, I am the chief medical officer. Therefore-"
"You don't think I know that?" Nathan spoke over her.
"Right now, I'm not sure. I'm not saying that Joshua isn't perfectly capable, but-"
"Yes, he is perfectly capable," he agreed. "It seems like your ego's a little bruised."
"My ego? My ego? This has nothing to do with my ego! The point I'm trying to make is this: I'm the chief medical officer; I am the chief physician. Therefore, I should be the first one you call for medical emergencies such as this. Dr. Levin is my assistant…my assistant. He should be the one staying behind!" Kristin shouted, the volume of her voice rising progressively with each word.
"You seem to be forgetting one thing," Nathan shouted back. "I'm the captain. Therefore, when it comes to missions, I'm the one who calls the shots. I have good reasons for making the decision I've made, and I'm staying with it. And last time I checked, I didn't need to justify it to you!"
"Oh, really, Captain? And you seem to be forgetting that as the chief medical officer, I can have you dismissed from duty if I feel you're not well enough."
"I'm as healthy as a horse, so good luck in trying…unless you're going to fake medical records," Nathan challenged.
Kristin turned her back to him, obviously at a loss of what to say next. She didn't like arguing with him, but she was itching to get back to work. This mission was the perfect opportunity, so why was Nathan stifling her? She was taking it to heart.
A few minutes later, Nathan sighed and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Look, I promise it's nothing personal. I just really think you'd be better taking care of things here."
"So you're telling me this has nothing to do with what happened last week?" she asked quietly.
He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again before nodding. "My decision stands."
"But, Nathan, I-"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this. I have work to do, and so do you. I suggest we get to it."
Kristin felt her anger rise once again. "You know, not only does the chief physician need to be sure that the captain is healthy enough for duty, but that also includes mental health. I definitely think yours needs reassessing." She stormed off past him toward the door.
"That sounds like a challenge, Doctor," he called after her.
"No, my dear Captain, it's a promise!" she called back as she stomped off down the hall.
"Well, fine!" he shouted.
"Fine!" she called back.
"Fine!"
"Fine!" As she turned the corner, Kristin practically bumped into Ben, since she was in a huff.
"Sorry," he said, "Did I just hear shouting?"
"Oh, shut up, Mr. Krieg, and get to work!" With that, she headed back toward med bay, leaving a confused Ben in her wake.
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Once in med bay, Kristin set off to work, but it was apparent to all of those around her that something was bothering her. She was short with them, and she kept slamming things around.
Lucas had an inkling as to why she was upset. Though he hadn't witnessed the argument, he'd heard about it, and he'd seen the tension between the captain and the doctor firsthand during the staff meeting. It wasn't often the captain denied the doctor the privilege of helping on a mission, and he was just as shocked as she was. Of course, he never expected to be asked to attend this mission. It didn't seem necessary for a teenage science geek and computer genius to be there, obviously. However, he did know he was supposed to help the doctor with anything she needed. The only problem was he wasn't sure what to do exactly. She was standing in front of the supply cabinet at the moment, her arms laden with test tubes, beakers, and the like. He approached her gently.
"Uh, Doc?"
"What is it, Lucas? As you can see, I'm a little busy."
He could tell she was trying not to sound annoyed, but she was having a difficult time keeping herself in check. "Why don't you let me help you?" Lucas took some of the things out of her hands without waiting for an answer. "Where do you want these?"
"Can you bring them into the first examination room, please?" she said, this time sounding gentler.
"Sure thing." He headed in that direction while Kristin followed him.
"Just set them on that table there." She craned her neck towards the far table in the corner.
He arranged the supplies in a neat pile. "Okay, what's next?"
"Lucas, I'm sorry. I…I'm not upset with you," Kristin told him.
"I know, Doc. It's okay."
Kristin shook her head. "No, it isn't. I was terribly rude to you back there. In fact, I've been rude to just about everyone here. It's unacceptable."
"Forget it," the young man said with a shrug. "I already have."
Kristin continued to lay out the supplies that would be needed but didn't speak.
"It's only because he's worried. He doesn't want to say it, but that's why," Lucas finally said.
Kristin nodded knowingly. "But the most infuriating thing is that he won't say it. Maybe that's part of why I'm so angry. The other part is because I'm afraid we're destined to be grounded to this boat the rest of the tour. I don't particularly like the thought of that."
"You and me both," Lucas said with a grin. "He needs to be shown that nothing's going to happen, but how can we show him that if he's not going to give us a chance?"
The doctor suddenly wore a curious smile on her face.
"That smile tells me you have an idea," Lucas said.
"Something like that," she replied. "But it's going to have to wait until after we handle this little matter."
Lucas gave her a questioning look.
She patted his shoulder. "You'll find out in due time, Mr. Wolenczak; you'll find out in due time."
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Hours later, the little matter had been handled, and all the scuba divers were resting as comfortably as they could, considering the pain they were in. However, they were being monitored, and both Kristin and Joshua believed they'd all make a full recovery. They didn't feel they were in danger of having any casualties, which was a relief.
By evening, Kristin felt confident enough to take a break. Besides, she was starving; because of her earlier sour mood, she'd skipped breakfast. And she was so busy during lunch, she'd skipped that, too. She turned to Lucas. "What do you say we go get something to eat, hm? I definitely think you've earned it." She placed an arm around his shoulders, and the two headed out the door, only to be stopped by Nathan.
"Glad to see you're feeling better," Nathan noted by the smile on her face. "Uh, could we talk…privately?" He looked at Lucas. "It will only take a minute."
"Right," Lucas said with a nod. "Uh, I'll save you a seat, Doc." He quickly headed off towards the mess, leaving the captain and the doctor alone.
"So, Captain, what can I do for you?" Kristin asked, crossing her arms over her chest, but her tone was calm.
"I just wanted to congratulate you on a successful mission," Nathan said. "And…I, uh…wanted to apologize for earlier."
A brow rose. "Oh? I see," she replied quietly.
"I think we both said some things we didn't exactly mean..."
"Well, you might have, but I meant what I said," she replied.
His brow furrowed. "What?"
"Yes, the mission did turn out well, and yes, Joshua handled it. But if you think I am going to sit idly by and be grounded to this submarine every time there's a mission, you have another thing coming."
"What makes you think I would do such a thing?" he asked, crossing his arms.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but something tells me you're still worried about what happened during Hurricane Sheila. I know you'll never admit it, though. However, I do have something that will ease your mind. Then maybe things can get back to normal around here."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure you know what I'm thinking?"
She simply chuckled. "Why don't you join Lucas and me for dinner, and I'll explain my plan to you?" She headed off down the hall, not bothering to check if he was going to follow her or not.
Nathan stood there for a moment, somewhat dumbfounded. A second later, he came to his senses and hurried off after her. "Wait for me."
Once in the mess hall, Kristin was happy to see Lucas, Jonathan, Ben, Katie and Tim sitting around a table. As promised, Lucas had saved a seat for her right next to him. He waved them over when he saw them.
"I'll go get us something," Nathan said, getting in line.
Kristin gave a nod as sat down. "Good evening, everyone," she said cheerily.
The others returned the sentiments, save for Ben, who gave her a questioning look. She simply chuckled and sat between Lucas and him. "By the way, I wanted to apologize for my outburst before, Ben. It was uncalled for."
Ben waved a hand. "Uh, it was no problem." He wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood to leave. "Well, you enjoy your dinner. Excuse me."
"Wait," Kristin said, placing a hand on his arm. "I actually have something I need you to hear." She turned to Jonathan. "You, too, Commander."
By this time, Nathan had returned. He placed a tray in front of Kristin and sat across from her with his own. "So, what's this idea you have?"
"Well, we are heading north, are we not?" she asked.
"Yes…I suppose," Nathan replied. "But-"
"A friend of mine from my research university, Dr. Jeffrey Talbot, happens to be in Alaska at the moment studying North Pacific Right Whales. You know, they are endangered, and he's been begging me to join him for months. He's working with his team to try and preserve the species, helping them breed and whatnot. Well, I never had the time…but it seems I've just had an opening in my schedule. I also thought it would be a rewarding experience for Lucas. And to be sure you won't worry, I thought Commander Ford and Lieutenant Krieg could accompany us. Of course, it won't be for a few days, since we'll need to wait until the scuba divers are returned back to the mainland safe and sound. However, I was hoping I could tell him we'd be there by the end of the week?" She gave Nathan a pleading look.
"Well, I'm not sure Commander Ford and Lieutenant Krieg would be very interested-"
"That sounds like a marvelous idea," Ben said with a nod.
"You…you do?" Nathan asked, frowning.
Jonathan nodded. "I'm in."
"Very cool," Lucas added.
"Then, it's settled," Kristin said with a smile. "I'll give Jeffrey a call as soon as I'm finished. I'm sure-"
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Nathan interrupted. "How long will you be gone?"
Kristin shrugged. "Well, you did say Joshua is quite capable of handling things, didn't you? Of course, we'll only be gone a couple of days, so you don't need to worry. I'd love to stay longer, but I don't want you going into cardiac arrest," she teased gently.
"Please, Cap?" Lucas begged. "Like the doc said, it'd be such a rewarding experience."
After some thought, Nathan nodded. "Very well. But two days only."
There was a chorus of cheers from the group. After that, their meal was accompanied by excited talk about the miniature expedition. Meals were soon finished, and the members started to disperse, some going back to work while others retired to their rooms.
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After a while, the only two left were Kristin and Nathan.
"You know, that was very devious of you, using my words against me," Nathan finally told her.
She batted her eyelashes at him. "I have no idea what you mean."
"Yes, you do," he replied with a sigh. "I know you better than you think."
She patted his hand gently. "You have nothing to worry about. I doubt the whales are carrying weapons," she said with a light laugh. "And the beauty of it is that once you see nothing will happen, you won't be paranoid about letting us go on missions anymore."
"I am not paranoid."
She chuckled and patted his arm gently. "Whatever you say. Goodnight, Captain."
"Goodnight," he called back to her, not wanting to admit the fact he was worried. He only hoped it was unwarranted.
