Kids of HMAS Hammersley

Disclaimer: Sea Patrol's still not mine.

A/N: Rating's gone up to K+ for some "bad words".


The Favour

Next afternoon

Nikki Caetano was standing in front of the school, waiting for her daughter to come out of the building and thinking, How am I gonna explain to Josy that I haven't looked up Sally's phone number?

(It had been a really busy day at NAVCOM Headquarters in Cairns, therefore Nikki just hadn't found the time to look it up- but how to explain that to a six-year-old?)


She was interrupted in her thoughts by a blonde woman walking up to her and asking, "Excuse me, have we met before?"

The first answer coming to Nikki's mind was, No, sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone else. The second one she said aloud: "Maybe, but I'm afraid I don't remember you..."

"My name is Sally Blake," the blonde woman introduced herself, and suddenly Nikki knew who she was: "You have a daughter named Chloe who attends this school, doesn't she?"

When Sally nodded, Nikki went on: "And your husband was in the Navy?" Sally nodded again, this time looking like she was ready to cry.

"I'm sorry," Nikki apologized before extending her hand and introducing herself as, "Lieutenant Nikki Caetano, former navigator of HMAS Hammersley."

They shook hands and Sally's face lit up: "I know I had seen you before! But what are you doing here, if I may ask?"

"The same as you, picking my daughter up from school."

"Oh, you have a daughter, too? How old is she?"

Nikki smiled. "Six, yesterday was her first day at school."

Sally seemed to think. "Chloe told me she met a Year One girl whose father is... well..."

"He died before Josy was born." Nikki's smile had disappeared and her tone made it clear that she didn't want to talk about this topic.

"My condolences, Lieutenant," Sally said into the silence.

"Thank you. And please, call me Nikki, we're not on a Navy ship."

"Fine, but only if you call me Sally."

"Okay Sally." Nikki checked her watch. "What the heck are the kids doing in there? The bell rang like twenty minutes ago!"


Meanwhile, inside the school building

"Chloe!"

I turned around and saw Josy wrestling her way through the crowd. "Who's that?", Liza asked me, confused. Before I could reply, Josy was already standing in front of us.

"I'm Josy!" she said. "And this is Ben, he's in my class." 'This' was the red-haired boy who was standing next to Josy and looking even smaller than her.

"Uhm, I'm Liza... How did you meet Chloe?" Liza asked.

"Well, she was squatting on the ground watching a spider and I nearly fell over her," I explained. Liza shuddered: "Spiders, yuck!"

"I like spiders," Josy announced, making Liza shudder again: "I don't."

They'd probably have discussed about spiders for a very long time if it hadn't been for little Ben stating, "I think we should move, we're standing in the doorway."

So we left the building and had walked about five steps when we heard someone calling, "Liza! Chloe! Wait!"

A few seconds later, Jenny and Katie arrived. "Hey, have you seen our little brother?" one of them asked.

"I'm here, stupid!" Ben sounded insulted, and I couldn't blame him. He was small, yes, but his red hair was quite striking.

"Sorry, we..." one of the twins started, "...just wanted to make sure you're okay," her sister finished. Ben nodded. "I'm fine. Look, this is Josy from my class."

"Hi Josy," Jenny and Katie said together, and then we all walked off towards the gate.


Just like yesterday, Josy's Mum was standing there waiting for her daughter. And right next to her, there was my mother. What's she doing here?, I wondered (Usually I walked home from school with my friends).

"Hey Mum," I said when we arrived at the gate. "Don't you have to be at work?"

Mum grinned. "Am I not allowed to leave a little earlier and pick you up from school?"

"Well, yes, of course, but..." I stuttered. "Uh, by the way... this is Josy and this is Jenny's and Katie's little brother Ben."

"Hello, nice to meet you," the two first-year students said politely. "Nice to meet you, too," Mum replied. "Josy, you look exactly like your mother!"

Josy grinned and mum quickly corrected herself: "Well, except for your missing teeth."


Again, it was Ben who reminded us that we were blocking the way. We walked through the gate and then Josy's Mum asked: "Sally? Could you do me a favour?"

"I hope so," Mum replied. "What kind of favour?"

"Well, a colleague of mine is ill, that's why I'll have to work longer on Friday and I don't want Josy to be alone all afternoon," Josy's Mum explained. "I would've asked my mother, but she's got a doctor's appointment..."

"You want me to babysit Josy?" Mum asked. "Sure, no problem!"

Josy's Mum let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much, Sally. If you ever need a babysitter for Chloe..."

"Hey, I'm ten years old, I don't need a babysitter!" I protested. If anyone wanted to say anything about that, they decided to do without it because it suddenly started raining really hard and everyone ran away looking for some roof or tree to stand underneath.


A/N: Yeah Chloe, we know you're a big girl :) Please keep reviewing (Does that word exist? Anyway, next chapter will be set on Friday).