Lee woke him a few hours later, yelling something, and Chip was up and into his cabin before he was fully awake. Lee was sprawled on the floor near his bunk one leg wrapped in the sheet. Chip hurried across the cabin and half fell to his knees next to his friend. He very gently rolled Lee over and carefully eased him into a sitting position, so he was leaning back against the base of the bunk.

"What happened?" Chip looked up at the Admiral in the open door, tying the belt of his bathrobe around his waist as he walked into the cabin. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know, it looks like he must have fallen getting out of his bunk."

"My God, what happened to you?" Nelson had turned the main cabin light on now and had a good view of Lee's torso.

"I'm fine," came from Lee in a tone of resignation, "go back to bed."

"You're not fine, look at yourself." Nelson had come into the cabin and was headed over toward the intercom on the desk. "I'll call Sickbay have the corpsman come up and take a look at you."

"I'm fine, Admiral, please go back to bed." Lee was attempting to lever himself to his feet, using Chip and the edge of his bunk. Chip put his hand under Lee's elbow and provided the needed upward lift and Lee was standing, albeit a bit unsteadily. "I got tangled in the sheet is all, please go back to bed, I don't need this right now." The last cryptic comment was made as Lee more or less shook Chip's steadying hand off and walked into the head, closing the door ungently.

Nelson stood looking after him and then cast Chip what seemed to be a questioning look. Chip realized Nelson was looking to him for guidance on how to handle Lee. Chip guessed that while the Admiral and Lee had become quite close since his friend had taken command of the Seaview, the Admiral had no experience with Lee at his most difficult. This was shaping up to be a very difficult Lee.

Chip sighed slightly, he wasn't sure he had any better idea than the Admiral what to do here, "I'll make sure he gets back to bed."

"What's wrong with him, aside from the obvious?"

"I don't know, something must have happened on San Lucca but he hasn't said what." Chip realized the truth of what he was saying even as he said it. Something had happened on that mission to severely shake Lee, something more than having the bejesus beat out of him.

Nelson hesitated and rubbed his hand back through his hair, standing it all on end, his attention focused on the closed door to the head where they could both hear the shower running. "I think he may be more likely to talk to you than me." Nelson said with a thoughtful tone to his voice and then with more certainty, "get him to talk to you Chip he can't keep on like this."

"Yes, sir." Chip had no idea how he was supposed to make Lee do anything he didn't want to do, but agreeing with Nelson seemed the only course. He was certainly going to do his best to get Lee to talk but he'd been trying ever since Lee came back on board with a notable lack of success. He doubted orders from Nelson would help the process.

Nelson must have read some of the uncertainty in his face for he continued, "Don't promise more than you can deliver, Mr. Morton, there are limits to even your prowess."

"Yes, sir," Chip turned to remake Lee's bunk.

"Good night." Nelson said and closed the door softly as he left. Chip had the bunk made up and was sitting in Lee's desk chair when his buddy came out of the head still toweling his hair.

"What are you doing here?"

"Admiral's orders, I'm to get you to bed and get you to talk, not necessarily in that order."

"Go away," Lee threw the towel into the corner of his cabin and turned down his bunk. "Shut out the light on your way out." So saying Lee climbed into the bunk cautiously and turned his back to Chip. Chip got up and turned off the overhead light before returning to his chair.

"Go away."

"No, go to sleep."

Lee made no more comment and Chip wasn't sure if Lee went to sleep or not, but he did with his arms folded on Lee's desk, pillowing his head. Lee calling out woke him and he half knocked the chair over, hurrying to get up and get to the bunk. Lee was again thrashing with whatever haunted his sleep. Chip grabbed his upper arms and held him down on the bunk, using his superior weight to keep Lee down while he tried to wake him.

"Lee, Lee it's okay," he tried to keep his voice low, knowing that Lee wouldn't want the Admiral seeing him this distressed. It took Lee almost a minute to wake and when he did he lay in the bed breathing hard, staring up at Chip.

Chip loosed his hold on his friend and smoothed his hair back off his forehead. He didn't know what made him take this liberty with Lee. He'd looked so lost and vulnerable, lying there sweaty and out of breath that Chip felt compelled to offer a small act of affection. He was pleased when Lee smiled at him, apparently unoffended by the gesture.

"Tell me." He hoped that, having permitted the physical liberty, Lee might now tell him what had happened on the island. But Lee shook his head no and awkwardly turned away from him toward the bulkhead.

Chip sat for a moment and then, without thinking too much about what he was doing, lay down on the side of the bunk and draped his arm across Lee. "Go to sleep, buddy, I'll keep watch here."

He thought he felt Lee nod his head and after a few minutes he felt his friend's body relax and decided Lee might have fallen asleep. When he woke and glanced up at the big clock on Lee's wall it was 0630 and his friend was still asleep next to him, a successful Lee intervention. Chip closed his eyes and remained still, listening to Lee breathing softly beside him, feeling the warmth of his body all along his arm where it lay over Lee's chest.

He'd known Lee Crane for…he thought and added up the years from that day Lee had walked into his room at the Academy to this morning in his bunk, over ten years. He'd been his friend for a short time, his brother for a longer time and since Lee had come to Seaview something more than a brother but less than Chip realized he now wanted."

Chip had learned a lot about himself in the years since he'd been a midshipman and Lee Crane's roommate. One of the things he'd learned was that he could appreciate a beautiful man as much as a beautiful woman. It was a part of his character he'd always suspected but as a youth and a midshipman had not made any effort to explore. Later, as a grown man, he'd allowed himself to be more adventuresome and had enjoyed the experience.

It was only when Lee Crane took command of Seaview that he realized the complexity of his feelings for his old friend. He understood that beyond the friendship and feelings of brotherhood there was another deeper feeling that he'd never permitted himself to consider during their years as roommates. Now lying next to Lee with his arm across his chest, feeling his heart beat through his hand he let his mind dwell on might have beens and might be's.

He knew Lee wasn't gay; he'd been on enough double dates and seen him with enough women to know Lee liked women. Liked them a lot and in a very heterosexual way. He wondered though if Lee might also feel for him some of the desire he felt for Lee? Lying there idly thinking, a luxury he seldom indulged in while at sea, he wondered if maybe he loved Lee more than he'd ever loved any woman? He wondered if there was anything he could ever do about it? Was there any way to find out Lee's feelings on this without ruining the most important relationship in his life?

He felt a hitch in Lee's breathing and knew he was waking, coming back to a world where he suspected there was quite a bit of pain, both physical and for some reason spiritual. Chip laid very still feigning sleep, wondering what Lee would do.

He felt Lee's hand on his arm and then the wonder of him leaning back against his body. He felt the warmth of Lee's naked upper torso against him. He concentrated on keeping his breathing slow and steady as Lee shifted, he felt so warm and close. Too warm, Chip suddenly realized and knew his breathing had changed at that realization.

"I know you're awake so move and let me get up." Lee spoke softly without the anger that had tinged so much of his conversation the previous day.

"I'm very comfortable, I don't want to move." Chip settled a little more deeply into the bunk and tightened his hold on Lee slightly, careful not to cause any pain. "You feel awful warm, is your fever back?"

"A little I think, at any rate I need a drink, so move."

"I don't think so, I'm very good here," Chip shifted so his forehead rested between Lee's shoulder blades as he snuggled in closer to his body. When Lee made no comment or move to dislodge him he smiled to himself. He might make a convert of Lee yet, but it would take some very careful courting.

The two of them lay almost spooned together for another twenty minutes as Lee fell asleep again and Chip relaxed and enjoyed the closeness. Eventually he looked up at the clock and realized he needed to get up and get on with his day, especially if he didn't want the Admiral to come looking for them.

After a brief hesitation he raised his head slightly and placed a soft kiss on Lee's shoulder and then climbed out of the bunk, knowing he would wake Lee with his movement. He stood barefoot on the deck while he watched Lee slowly roll over and look up at him with half closed eyes. Chip thought he'd probably at least given Lee something to think about besides what had happened on the island and that could only be to the good.

"You need help getting up?"

"No, I'll go slow and it'll be okay."

"I'll come back in twenty minutes and get you for breakfast."

"You get any sleep?"

"Yeah, actually I did," Chip smiled, "and I know you did too so that's good. Twenty minutes get moving."

"Aye, sir," but Lee made no move to get up and continued to look at Chip, expressionlessly. Chip nodded at him and left the cabin, hoping he didn't run into anyone, leaving his captain's cabin at 0700 dressed in nothing but his pajama bottoms.

The day passed in a pleasant haze of work and introspection. Having spent the night as he did with Lee and having allowed himself those few minutes of speculation about their relationship, he now saw Lee in an entirely new way. He'd gone from being his friend and commanding officer to being the man he loved. He knew he'd always loved Lee and he thought in the past few months the love had become more romantic than fraternal. This sudden blossoming in one night to a burning desire for so much more surprised him. He guessed he'd been carrying the seeds of this sexual desire within him for years and that closeness in the bunk had been all it needed to fully bloom. He was in love with Lee Crane and he was so happy it was all he could do not to break into song as he walked about the boat.

He replayed the final few minutes in the cabin over and over in his head. That gentle kiss on Lee's shoulder, the feel of his arm around his friend and most importantly that last long look from Lee as he stood next to the bunk. What had that look meant? Had Lee felt the kiss? What had Lee thought about the two of them lying there almost spooned together like lovers? What had that long look meant?

Chip felt a tightening in his pants and quickly stepped into a storeroom and stood leaning against the closed while he got his thoughts back under control. He was like a lovesick teenager. This wouldn't do at all. Lee was going to need careful wooing if he was even to consider any kind of a relationship with him. He couldn't be wandering around the boat with a hard on for his commanding officer.

At dinnertime Lee was involved in a fire-control drill in the Forward Torpedo Room and Chip ate with the Admiral who immediately asked him how he'd made out with Lee the previous night. Almost smiling at the unintended innuendo Chip assured Nelson that Lee had slept.

"Something's bothering him about what happened on that island. I wish he'd tell us what," Nelson spoke almost to himself as he stirred his coffee.

"Yes, sir, but he won't." Chip grabbed a second slice of pie from the passing steward and poured more coffee to go with it. He marveled at this conversation. He and Nelson had become so much closer since Lee had joined the boat. He never would have had this conversation with the admiral about Captain Phillips. Their relationship had become much more complex than that of three officers serving together. They were friends in a complicated sort of hierarchical way, held together by their shared affection for Lee and their mutual respect.

"Damn ONI for putting him in that place to begin with, they surely don't need to keep calling on Lee now that he's in the Reserves." Nelson had a scowl on his face, stirring his coffee with so much force that it sloshed out into the saucer. Sighing softly he picked the cup up and poured the overflow back. "Can't you get him to tell you what's bothering him?"

"I tried last night, no go."

"Never mind, Chip, you're already in an awkward enough position with your friend as your captain I don't want to make it any more difficult for you." Nelson finished his cup of coffee and leaned back in his chair. "I wonder if it would do any good for me to try and talk to him?"

Chip wasn't sure if Nelson actually wanted him to answer so he kept his silence, letting the other man talk if he wanted to. He knew how much Lee respected Nelson. He thought there was still an element of the hero worship that Chip knew Lee had felt at the Academy. He didn't know if Lee would talk to the Admiral, but he thought if he was willing to talk to anyone, it might be Nelson.

He found he didn't like that thought at all and worked to keep his face neutral. He didn't want Lee telling Nelson things that he wouldn't tell him. His hand tightened on the fork and he carefully put it down next to the half eaten piece of pie he no longer wanted. He didn't want to think of Lee and Nelson sitting together in Lee's cabin, having a quiet talk, Nelson maybe sitting on the edge of Lee's bunk where Chip had sat last night.

"Excuse me, sir, I need to check on the watch before I turn in." Chip wanted to get away from Nelson and think about this sudden new feeling. Had Lee already found a closer friendship with Nelson than the one he shared with Chip? Did he have a deeper relationship with the Admiral than Chip realized? He considered that Lee's fascination with the Admiral might be more than the simple admiration of a younger man for someone as impressive as the Admiral. Chip knew they spent some of their free time together when he didn't see them. He vowed to pay more attention to the two of them in the future. He didn't want to declare his love for Lee only to find the man was already involved with someone else.