Chapter Three

Captain Crane sent the flying sub to pick up Mendez and the two other rebel leaders. He assigned Lieutenant Maxwell as escort and Admiral Nelson's translator since he had proven his excellent command of Spanish. Sharkey would oversee setting up Nelson's porch for the peace talks. Lee was happy his part was complete; all he was required to do was run Seaview. He checked with the galley on the preparations for tonight's dinner to ensure nothing would go wrong there.

Lee's next visit was Sick Bay. It had been eight hours since he'd left the boat and he was sure there would be good news waiting for him. Jamie came out of his office upon seeing the captain.

"Everything nice and quiet here, skipper."

"Good, good," Lee answered absentmindedly already making his way towards Chip's bunk.

Jamie smiled and followed him.

"My star patient has been behaving himself by not giving us any more scares. The blood work is normal and so is his temperature. He's reacting to pain stimuli and showing some response to sound. I was just going to try weaning him off the ventilator when you arrived. If there are no problems, I'll remove it. Why don't you go get a cup of coffee or inspect something? Come back in a half hour."

The doctor gently shoved the young captain towards the exit.

"I'll stay," Lee said, starting to dig his heels in.

"No, you won't, Captain. It won't be easy seeing someone struggling to breathe if Chip is not ready. Go do something useful and let me do my job without having to worry about you, too."

Lee reluctantly left. He would do a quick tour of engineering, grab a sandwich and coffee to eat while visiting with Chip, figuring Jamie would leave him alone if he ate.

On Lee's return to Sick Bay, he was overjoyed at the sight of Chip free of the ventilator. He took up his customary position and started to update his XO. For an hour he talked, filling Chip in on everything that he had happened, all the time looking for a sign that what he was saying was being understood. He had started to discuss how Cookie was going all out for the admiral's dinner when a crewmember appeared at the door.

"Sir, Admiral Nelson would like to see you in his cabin."

"Thanks, Smith. On my way." Rising up from his perch, he squeezed Chip's hand and bent over to whisper into his ear, "Remember, I never forget a promise." He wasn't sure but it felt like Chip lightly squeezed back.

Dinner was a bit strained with mostly Crane and the doctor talking, attempting to keep the conversation on neutral topics. Admiral Nelson was in the middle of a story when Dr. Jamison was called to Sick Bay. Jamie stopped by Lee's chair telling him to sit tight; he would let him know what was happening as soon as he could. Lee continued to check his watch with increasing frequency, waiting for Jamie's message. Was the doctor's absence due to Chip or had another man been injured? The group was finishing dessert when a smiling Frank appeared to summon the admiral and captain. Leaving Mr. Maxwell to entertain the visitors, the two officers hurried off and upon arrival were greeted by a happy Dr. Jamison.

"He's coming out of it. I can't make out much of what he's been trying to say. It seems he's concerned about Seaview's position."

"The boat's position, why would he want to know that?" questioned Admiral Nelson.

"I don't know, but he's asked a couple times about it, at least that's what it sounds like. He keeps saying something about the bearings."

Lee kept repeating the words in his head when it finally hit him. He attempted to choke back his laughter but failed, causing both Jamison and Nelson to look at him strangely.

"Sorry Jamie, but I think what Chip was asking is "Did the Bears win?" I kept whispering to him I would get him Super Bowl tickets if Chicago made it to the playoffs."

Before either officers could comment, a choking sound from the bed attracted all three's attention.

"Chip!"

Lee beat the admiral and doctor to Chip's side. His friend looked at Lee through half open eyes. Chip tried to say something again but it was difficult to understand. As the captain put an arm around Chip to help him sit up, Jamison poured a glass of water and passed it to Lee.

"Here buddy, take a couple of sips. I know your throat hurts, but this will make it easier to talk."

After a couple of sips Chip looked around, becoming more aware of the surroundings.

"B-boat okay?" he managed in a strained voice.

"Everything and everyone is fine now. You really had us worried. I finally got you broken in and wasn't looking forward to browbeating another executive officer," teased Lee as he gently lowered Chip back against the pillows.

"W-what h-happened, f-f- foggy."

Jamie gestured Lee aside needing to do a check on his patient. Taking Chip's wrist to check his pulse, the doctors spoke in a soothing tone.

"Don't worry; you've been pretty sick so it will take a while for things to clear up." Looking at Nelson and Crane, he jerked his head towards the door.

"Why don't you two get some rest? I need to examine Chip and then I'm sure he'll want to sleep. Tomorrow he'll be up for a longer visit."

The admiral was all set to argue until he saw Chip's eyes already shutting. Steering a protesting Lee out of Sick Bay he informed the doctor they both would return first thing in the morning but after the exam, he expected Will to give them an update.

"Come along, Lee. We have a dinner to finish up and see our visitors safely to their beds. And hit the rack ourselves. It's been a long day."

Lee impatiently kept glancing over to where the privacy screen surrounded Chip's bunk. John was finishing giving Chip his bath and helping him get dressed so they waited in Jamie's office. Pouring out coffee for all three Dr. Jamison sat down facing the two men and started to give an update on Chip's condition. All vitals were normal. He still was having difficulty forming some of his words and John had to help him with breakfast due to having trouble grasping a spoon or his cup.

"Chip seems to be having trouble forming his words when he speaks. Aren't you bothered about his stuttering, Jamie?"

"Skipper, he's just came out of the coma so I'm not really overly concerned. There was a weakness in his grip and a few other neurological problems but again, let's hold off until I re-examine him. I'll compare the results, looking for any improvements."

"So there is some neurological damage," Nelson sadly commented.

"It's going to be a wait-and-see situation until we can tell if the condition is permanent. Although Chip's having a little trouble speaking, he does recognize objects when I showed him pictures. That's a good sign. More sophisticated tests will have to be administered, I'm sure they'll indicate a need for therapy."

"How do we handle things?"

"Just treat him as you always do, Lee. Keep things normal and try to stop him from getting frustrated. This morning he took a couple shaky steps. Until Chip's steadier on his feet he has company when he walks. He needs to regain his strength."

"Does he remember what happened to him?"

"I had to fill in the blanks for him, Harry. He was clear up to leaving the boat to pick up the medical team, but nothing after. It will be important to see how much of what I told him he remembers now."

Seeing John wheel away the screens, they went over to Chip who was now sitting up in a chair dressed in PJs and a bright yellow robe.

"Well Mr. Morton, are you ready to stop lollygagging around and get back to work?" Lee kidded his friend.

"Yes s-sir, c-captain s-sir," Chip smiled and tossed off a sloppy salute. "W-won't be much h-help with the…" His grin faded as he searched for the word.

The skipper jumped in, seeing his friend faltering. "Mr. O'Brien has been enjoying his role as acting X0 but between the two of us, he needs work on those icy stares you do so well. Maybe you can give him some private lessons."

Chip shook his head, "Trade s-s-secret."

"Well Chip, I'll leave Lee here to bother you. I have a meeting to mediate. And Captain, try and stay out of Dr. Jamison's way." The admiral affectionately patted the blond haired officer's shoulder and left for the control room.

Lee caught Chip up on what had transpired while he was ill. Much to the doctor's satisfaction Chip and Lee managed a brief walk around Sick Bay with Chip showing a steadier gait.

The peace talks were progressing much more rapidly than anyone had expected. President Alomar was adamant that his grandson succeed him as president and be kept safe for the next six days until he reached his 21st birthday. Tiring quickly due to his ill health, he conceded all other problems could be settled between the other participants of the peace talks.

Once again, Seaview provided the answer. Escobar and Mendez would remain onboard until radio broadcasts were made announcing the cease-fire. When it was safe, Mendez would accompany the ruler and successor to take up his role in the new government.

Later that evening Dr. Jamison, Admiral Nelson, and Captain Crane all met to discussed Mr. Morton's condition. The doctor felt Chip was stable enough to withstand a trip back to a stateside hospital in the flying sub. As a medical doctor, Dr. Conrad could safely accompany Chip in case of complication. He also needed to chart Chip's progress since he was, in fact, the first human guinea pig for the antitoxin. At the last minute, Lee decided Frank should also be aboard the craft. Knowing how much Chip disliked hospitals, Frank, being a friendly face, would accompany Chip as he underwent the battery of tests and assist in any rehab. All three officers felt the sooner Chip started his rehab the better chance for a complete recovery.

Knowing the political situation would necessitate Seaview's presence in Venazil's waters for another week, Admiral Nelson ordered the flying sub to launch early the next morning. Realizing Crane's desire to be with his friend, the admiral suggested Lee fly the craft. Once again, Lee was torn between duty and friendship. He assigned Sharkey and Kowalski to pilot the flying sub knowing they would safely see their X0 home.

The captain did offer his apologies to the visitors with the excuse of ship business to escape another drawn out dinner. He didn't think his presence would be missed now that the three men from the Heywood Foundation would be joining the festivities. Anxious to spend as much time together as possible, Lee chose having dinner with Chip. Cookie, having been advised of Mr. Morton's limitations, served up sandwiches of roast beef and ham along with macaroni salad and chunky applesauce. Lee was a bit concerned but Chip grinned and showed him the silverware Frank had modified. He had wrapped first aid tape around a couple of tongue depressors that sandwiched the handles of the utensil doubling the size allowing Chip an easier surface to grip.

Lee had noticed on an earlier visit Chip's reluctance to talk. The captain wickedly covered the desert plate, hiding the double fudge brownies with peanut butter frosting to force the XO to guess what dessert would be. During dinner there had only been one incident when Chip dropped a spoonful of applesauce on his robe. With difficulty, Lee held himself back from rushing to clean up the spill knowing how much his friend would resent being treated like an invalid. Instead, he launched into the story of the time the chef had made a mistake between chicken Kiev and chicken cordon bleu and the result was a stream of melted butter squirting his uniform jacket when Lee stabbed the chicken, much his dismay and to Chip' s delight.

"I thought you were going to fall off the chair, you were laughing so hard. Our dates were not impressed though."

Chip gave Lee a lopsided grin knowing what Lee was trying to accomplish.

"Thanks, s-s-s sorry I'm not good company."

Lee laid a hand on Chip's arm. "You're great company compared to two days ago. It felt strange not having you interrupt me when I was talking. I was afraid I would never have the chance to tell you to shut up again!" Lee finished in a choked up voice.

Breaking the emotional silence, Chip leaned toward Lee to hug his friend, turning at the last second trying to grab the cover off the dessert plate. Laughing at his friend's tactics Lee revealed the plate with the brownies, enjoying seeing Chip's eyes light up.

"Give m-m-me those brownies, I clean my p-p plate!"

"That's never been a problem for you, Mr. Morton," Lee joked as he placed two of the biggest sweet desserts on Chip's plate. After devouring the first one, Chip leaned back licking his lips.

"Going to m-m-miss Cookie's desserts."

"Don't worry; I'll bring you a care package as soon as Seaview gets back to Santa Barbara."

"That's not w-w-what I mean." Chip's shoulders slumped.

Lee looked puzzled, not sure what have brought on the sudden mood change.

"What's bothering you, Chip?"

"You don't have to p-p-p..." The blonde haired officer slammed his fist down on the table, frustrated he was unable to express his thoughts. Pushing back the chair, he abruptly stood up. Hastily walking away Chip lost his balance and would have fallen if Lee had not reached his side to support him. Giving Chip a moment to recover, Lee guided the trembling man over to his bunk and sat him down. Grabbing the near-by chair and placing it next to the rack Lee sat down facing his friend.

"Talk to me."

Chip pounded on his leg with his fist. Shaking his head back and forth, clearly in turmoil, he moved his lips but was unable to get the words to form.

"Come on pal, take a couple deep breaths and relax. You want me to get Jamie for you?"

Chip adamantly shook his head. They both knew that would mean a sedative and more lost time. Squeezing his eyes shut to prevent the threatening tears to fall; Chip slowly regained control of his fragile emotions.

"C-can't talk right, c-can't w-walk right, h-how can I s-s-stay on Seaview?"

Lee was at Chip's side in an instant, drawing him into a brief hug then pulling slightly away enabling Chip to face him.

"You stupid fool; of course you're staying on Seaview. No other XO would put up with me. The crew would mutiny if you left."

"I'm no good in an em-em … Damn!"

"Emergency," Lee finished for him. "Chip, Jamison explained this to you. He's convinced your condition is temporary. You just need time to recover. Remember that summer cruise aboard the Townsend and she had that accident and you broke your leg? You didn't just get up and run a marathon two days later, did you? But the next year you did a 5K run for the Chicago firefighters charity."

There were a couple of minutes of silence as Chip absorbed Lee's words.

"I would have beat your t-t-time if you hadn't d-d-distracted me."

"I was just pointing out the sights."

"A red hair 38 – 24 – 36 s-s-sight."

Lee chuckled and brought his friend to his feet.

"Come on, you still got one brownie to finish. Jamie will think you're sick or something if you leave it. If you are up to it, we can take a stroll to check out the circuitry room. Sharkey was complaining about a noise. I didn't hear anything, but maybe you can figure it out."

The next day Chip made his way slowly past the control room to the flying sub with Lee by his side to offer a supporting hand but Chip was determined to make it on his own two feet. Some of the crew spoke to him as he passed, wishing him well or promising to take good care of the boat. Chief Sharkey and Kowalski were already doing the pre-flight check as Chip and Lee descended the ladder followed shortly by Frank and Dr. Conrad. After joking about not eating too many hot wings watching the playoff game on Sunday, Lee reluctantly left his friend and climbed back up the ladder and dogged the hatch. He remained in the observation nose until the flying sub was out of sight.

Lee brusquely returned to the control room and gave Mr. O'Brien orders to hold a series of drills over the next several days. He conferred with Lieutenant Maxwell regarding the mysterious noises in the circuitry room, relaying Chip's suggestions. His next stop was in the gallery for a brief talk with Cookie. Lee moved from department to department focusing all his attentions on Seaview and not on his departed friend.

Everything went like clockwork. The news of the truce was broadcast repeatedly from the state held radio station. All fighting finally stopped on the fourth day and President Alomar and his grandson returned to the Presidential Palace. The Prime Minister was placed under arrest when he was caught attempting to cross the border with a substantial sum of money hidden in his luggage. Once Admiral Nelson received word that Alomar was safe he gave Captain Crane orders to plot a course for Santa Barbara.

The best news came from Chip's doctors. Dr. Jamison's hunch had proved correct; there was no permanent damage to any organs. The neurological problems were a result from the antitoxin and were being treated with the same rehab as a stroke victim. A complete recovery was indicated with no lasting effects or restriction for duty.

Lee didn't care what Jamison was relaying to him about Chip's condition. He wouldn't stop worrying about his best friend until he saw and talk to him. Finally, two days after Seaview started her return trip Lee was able to speak with Chip via the web cam.

"Looking good buddy. Frank said you're finally out of the hospital."

"H-h-hated every minute b-b-being cooped up in t-t-that h-h- hospital room even with Frank s-s-sneaking me in extra desserts. He's a real s-s-slave driver when it comes to my r-r-rehab. But at least I can do it at h-h- home."

"It's been kinda lonely here without you, Chip, can't wait till we make port. How about I treat you to ribs at Killer B's the day I get back?"

"G-g-great idea, I can t-t-tuck a napkin in my s-s-shirt so no one will n-n-notice the messy eating. And don't f-f-forget, you promised a c-c-care package of C-c-cookies best desserts."

"Don't worry, mister bottomless pit, Cookie promises to make all your favorites. Everyone misses you, especially O'Brien. He can't wait for you to return to duty. I can't wait for it either, he can't tell me where to go when I get all huffy."

"You are going to be so s-s-spoiled by the t-t-time I return you'll be i-i-impossible to live with. I have to g-g-go, Frank's here for m-m-my work out."

"Behave yourself. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Seeing Chip in his own place lifted Lee's mood considerably. He knew his friend had a lot of hard work ahead of him, but soon Lee would be by his side to help and encourage him. Leaving his cabin Lee made it a point check-in with Cookie about chips desserts. He definitely did not want to face that man's anger by showing up without them.