Chapter 11

Janet and Chip had been sitting next to Lee's gurney for a couple of hours. Their backs were getting tired from sitting on the stools so Chip stood up and stretched. "I'm going to check on the control room," Chip whispered to Janet. "I'll be right back."

"Okay Chip," Janet replied as she too stood up. These stools were not very comfortable. She patted Lee's hand. "Come on honey, wake up. They're going to need you to fly FS-1," she pleaded.

Jamie walked over to Lee and took his temperature while Janet stood there watching him.

"His temperature is up to ninety degrees," Jamie told Janet, "he's not out of the woods yet but is making progress." Frank came over to Lee and replaced the cooling compresses around his neck with new warm ones, chest area and groin with warm ones. Janet stood next to the gurney while Jamie listened to his heart. Lee started to move around trying to snuggle deeper into the blankets. He was shivering a little so Jamie got another blanket and covered him. Jamie went back to his desk while Janet walked around Sick Bay a few times to stretch her legs.

Lee opened his eyes and closed them again. He opened them again and blinked a few times. He felt cold. He realized he had no clothes on and there were heat compresses around him. He took his hand out from under the blanket and pulled away the covering around his head. Janet noticed his hand moving and went over to the gurney. "Lee, leave that alone," she told him trying to put it back in place. Jamie heard her and went over to him.

"I don't like it...feels to confining," he said trying to sit up but Jamie gently pushed him down. "Where are my clothes...what's going on...why do I have all theses blankets on," Lee asked tersely.

"Lee, you're suffering from hypothermia. You fell into the ocean when you were returning to Seaview after going to look for the admiral," Jamie told him.

"I remember going to the island and returning to the boat but after that I can't remember anything," he replied rubbing his forehead. "The other men...are they okay...they didn't fall in?" he asked looking around Sick Bay to see if there were any other men in there.

"No just you," Jamie replied as Chip walked into Sick Bay.

"No you're the only one who couldn't get back aboard the boat with no problems," Chip teased. "But I do have some good news. FS-1 is on her way. She should be here in a couple of hours if she doesn't run into bad weather."

"That's great. When can I get out of here," Lee asked struggling to sit up as Jamie held him down.

"Maybe tomorrow," Jamie answered. "I want to make sure you have no after effects from the cold. Lee, if they hadn't gotten you out of the water as quickly as they did, you'd be dead. Your body temperature was down to eighty one degrees. So please just stay here. Even if I let you out, and I said if, I'm not going to clear you to fly FS-1 for two days."

"Jamie, we can't wait that long. The admiral's been out there for almost a week...I...we need to find him," Lee pleaded.

"We have plenty of other people that can fly FS-1," Jamie reminded him.

"Okay," Lee conceded and turned to Chip, "Chip plot a course for FS-1 to scout the islands we haven't checked yet. You take the first shift...stay out for two hours no make it three hours," Lee said urgently.

Chip glared at him. "I'll take care of the details. You just calm down and do what Jamie tells you. And that's an order as acting captain of Seaview."

"Yes sir," Lee sulked. Chip went back to the control room to plot out the flying subs course and schedule for tomorrow's search. He would stop back on the way to his cabin and show Lee the plans he made.

"Jamie, can I at least have some clothes to put on and maybe I can rest in my cabin. I know what will warm me up very quickly," he said looking over at Janet who blushed at Lee's remark.

"Clothes, yes, cabin no. Maybe tomorrow I'll let you return to light duty," Jamie replied with a smirk on his face.

"I'll bring you your pajamas," Janet volunteered as she walked out of the cabin embarrassed at what Lee was implying. Janet went to their cabin and grabbed Lee's pajamas off the hook in the head. When she got back to Sick Bay, Jamie took the pajamas from her.

"How about you go to the wardroom and bring back a warm lemon lime drink for Lee," Jamie told Janet. "His body temperature is still below normal and he could use something sweet to drink. We'll help him get into his pajamas and into a bunk where he'll be more comfortable."

"A warm soda?" Janet asked, "How about some hot chocolate?"

"No caffeine and chocolate has caffeine in it," Jamie told her.

"Okay but he's not going to like it," Janet answered and left for the wardroom to get Lee his warm soda.

When she got there Cookie was cleaning up from the dinner crowd. "Hi Mrs. C, how's the skipper. Does he want something to eat or drink?"

"Better but only something warm and sweet to drink like a warm lemon lime soda."

Cookie walked into the galley, "Here you go," he said handing her the can and a straw.

"Thanks, Cookie. Maybe tomorrow he'll be able to eat." Janet left the wardroom and returned to Sick Bay where Jamie and Frank had helped Lee get into his pajamas and settled in a bunk. She handed him the warm soda with a straw.

He stared at the can and then at Jamie. "A warm soda?" he said disgustingly.

"Drink it up," Jamie ordered.

Janet sat down next to Lee's bunk and watched him drink the soda. He took a couple of sips before handing the drink back to Janet. They felt Seaview shudder and Lee knew the docking doors had been opened up for FS-1 to dock in her berth. He smiled at Janet as Seaview shuddered again when the doors closed. Lee let out a sigh of relief, yawned and laid back in the bunk. "I still feel chilled," he told Janet as he snuggled under the blankets. Janet reached up to the top bunk and took the blanket off and covered Lee with it. "Thanks sweetie," he said as he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Janet had been sitting there for a few minutes watching Lee sleep when Jamie walked over to check Lee's temperature.

"He just fell asleep," Janet told Jamie stifling a yawn.

"He's going to be fine. You can go and get some sleep," Jamie said.

"Yes sir," Janet replied too tired to even argue with him. She put the chair back and walked out of Sick Bay just as Chip was coming in. "He's asleep," she told him. "I'm sorry Chip, I'm just too tired to sit there any longer and I know if Jamie let's him back on duty tomorrow, it could be a long day."

"No problem. I'll stay with him a while," Chip replied even though he was exhausted but didn't want to leave him alone and knew Janet must have also been extremely tired if she didn't want to stay with Lee. He knew she would never leave him if he wasn't going to be all right.

Janet went to their cabin, quickly changed and climbed into their bunk. She fell asleep and dreamt they found the admiral.

Chip stayed for a few minutes before Jamie kicked him out after he fell asleep in the chair. Jamie left Frank to mind Sick Bay as he too was tired.

((()))

Janet and Chip were in Sick Bay first thing in the morning to see Lee. Jamie had already checked Lee out and found his body temperature back to normal as well as the rest of him. He would let him return to duty but he wouldn't be able to fly or take out the zodiac until tomorrow.

He quickly got out of the bunk and told Chip, "I'll meet both of you in the wardroom in ten minutes. Bring the course you've plotted and the schedule." He gave Janet a quick kiss before he left for their cabin to shower and change into his uniform.

"Yes sir," Chip answered and left for the control room while Janet went to the wardroom.

Janet got some breakfast, cup of coffee and sat down to wait for Lee and Chip. Chip returned with the items Lee requested and sat down across from her after getting breakfast and a cup of coffee. Lee showed up a couple of minutes later, went to the sideboard and grabbed some eggs and coffee. He sat down next to Janet, "Show me what you've got," Lee said taking a big gulp of coffee.

"I've plotted a course to cover the rest of the Aleutian Islands. I checked the weather already but there are still gale force winds and the sleet has turned to rain. It's going to be hard to fly low enough to see the ground."

"Damn," Lee said taking a bite of his eggs and pushed his plate away. "You think you can handle her?" Chip had plenty of experience flying FS-1 but it was going to be tricky flying in the high winds and Lee didn't want to risk losing Chip or the flying sub.

"Yeah, I can," Chip assured him as he finished up his breakfast and coffee.

Janet removed the plates to the dish bin, took their cups and refilled them with coffee and sat back down while Chip continued to show Lee the rest of the schedule and course. "Thanks," they said when Janet handed them the coffee. She smiled back and listened to what they were saying.

"I've assigned Patterson to fly with me on the first run. We'll check out the Near Islands, Buldir Island and the Rat Islands," Chip said as he showed Lee the map. "I know those islands are further west than where we think the admiral's plane went down but I don't want to overlook them just in cause they made it that far. If the weather doesn't get any worse, Sharkey and Riley will take the afternoon run and go over the Andreanof Islands."

"Let's check with Sharkey and see how she handled in the wind before we send anybody out," Lee suggested as he got up from the table, taking some of the papers off the table as Chip grabbed the rest. Janet took the rest of the dishes and put them in the bins and walked out with the two men.

((()))

The men in the control room were happy to see their skipper back on duty. Lee walked over to Kowalski, Marco and Ron, "Thanks men for pulling me out of the ocean."

"No problem, Skipper," they replied as Lee patted each of them on the shoulder.

Lee, Chip and Janet walked over to the plotting table where they put down the papers. Lee picked up the mic, "Chief Sharkey please report to the control room."

Not a second later a reply was heard, "Aye, aye sir."

Lee and Chip continued to look over the papers as they waited for Sharkey. "If Jamie clears you to fly, you and Kowalski will fly over the rest of the Island of the Four Mountains and the Fox Islands tomorrow. That will cover all the islands in the chain. If we don't find him on the islands..." Chip started to say when Lee cut him off.

Running his hand through his hair he said, "They probably went down in the water. So let's plot a course around those islands so we can search the ocean floor for anything metal."

Sharkey had just come into the control room and walked over to the plotting table. "Good to see you Skipper," the chief said.

"Good to see you Chief. Did you have any problems with the flying sub or the winds?" Lee asked.

"She flew like a dream," Sharkey answered, "A little trouble with the winds. We had to submerge when we got close to the islands as the wind was blowing her around quite bit."

Janet was listening to Sharkey talk about the little sub and had a question, "Chief, I heard you say that one of the parts had to be re-worked was it the one that we had a hard time getting?"

Sharkey looked at Chip then Lee before he answered her. He remembered the last time he told her about not getting the part and was afraid of what she would do. Both Lee and Chip nodded to Sharkey, "Yes ma'am. They sent us the wrong part but the men were able to adapt it to what we needed."

"Damn," Janet said under her breath not wanting the rest of the control room to hear her. "Sorry Chief."

Lee, Chip and Sharkey smiled at her response. Chip went on to tell Sharkey the plans for taking the flying sub to look for the admiral.

"You better get ready to go out," Lee told Chip. "It's going to take you awhile to get to those islands at the end. Sparks, please check the weather," he asked.

Chip had already informed Patterson that he would be going out with him. He had his jacket on and handed Chip his as he grabbed the map and course coordinates he plotted. Sparks handed Lee the weather information. "Looks like the winds have died down a little more," Lee commented, "but please be careful and don't take any unnecessary chances. If the weather gets too bad turn back and we'll try later." Lee told Chip as they walked over to the hatch in the deck. "Good luck," Lee told Chip as he patted him on the shoulder. Patterson undid the hatch and waited for Chip to go down before he followed him. Sharkey closed the hatch and turned the wheel securing it. "Prepare to launch the flying sub," Lee told Kowalski.

"Yes, sir," Kowalski replied pressing the button to open the docking doors. "All green, Skipper."

"Launch," Lee told him. He, Janet and Sharkey stood looking out the windows as the flying sub cleared the Seaview and took off. Lee walked to the radio shack, "Sparks I want all calls from FS-1 piped to the observation nose."

"Yes, Skipper," Sparks responded as he waited for Chip to call.