Chapter 11
Chip barely waited for FS 1 to lift off before unbuckling his harness and crouching next to Lee, who laid motionless on the pull down bunk. Was it only two hours ago they had found him curled in a fetal position, eyes staring at nothing, cold and still? Had drugs or worse, an attempt at brainwashing gone too far, caused the condition? Looking at Lee's body, covered in dirt and grime, the bruises evident around the chest and the hands, the bile rose in Chip's throat. He would not speculate. All he wanted now was to get Lee the help he needed. Chip's hand trembled as he checked again for a pulse, afraid that this time, there would be nothing. When he felt the faint but steady beats under his fingertips, he wanted to shout with joy. Lee was alive! A rapid glance over the near naked body showed no blood, no apparent major injury except for the bruised and swollen hands. Chip took solace watching Lee's chest move up and down. He was alive, that was all that mattered. Once aboard Seaview, Jamie would discover what was wrong and fix it, just like always.
Chip started as a hand was placed on his shoulder; he had almost forgotten that anyone else was there.
"Sir, if you could move away for a minute? I need to check out the skipper."
It wasn't the first time the XO blessed the genius of Jamison's idea of training Kowalski to perform some simple medical procedures. He was no substitute for a corpsman, but two months into Lee's command, the doctor had realized the wisdom of having someone around to keep an eye on the captain during his excursions away from Seaview. Jamie had seen how fast Ski had become Lee's go-to man and the rest, as they say, was history.
"Mr. Morton, I'm not seeing any signs of head injuries, eyes are equal and responsive. I'm sure both hands have broken bones, looks like some bruised if not cracked ribs, but he's breathing okay. His catatonic state could be drug-induced, or..." Ski's voice drifted off, afraid to think about what the skipper had gone through.
Chip took a towel from the locker and dampened it with the bottle water. He continued wiping Lee's face, pressing it to the forehead and after rewetting it, to the back of the neck. This was a repeat of the same process he'd done with gauze pads on the frantic trip back to Spangdahlem Air Force Base. Sitting in the backseat with Lee's head on his lap, Chip had hoped the water soaked pads Ski kept passing him from the front seat would help bring Lee around. He had talked nonstop the entire time, letting his friend know he was safe, trying to reach any part of Lee's shutdown brain.
Gordon, staying behind to look for clues, had called ahead to the airbase. Barely stopping at the gate, a Jeep arrived to escort them to the hangar where the flying sub was waiting. There was a brief argument with the base physician over Lee's not going directly to the hospital. Morton emphatically pointed out that Commander Crane hated hospitals and it would take the combined skills of Dr. Jamieson, his corpsmen, and a four-star admiral to keep Lee in Sick Bay once he came to. He also wisely noted that Dr. Jamieson knew the commander's medical history inside and out, having kept him from dying on a few occasions. The skipper would need his friends and shipmates around him while he recovered from the ordeal that he had endured, not a bunch of well-meaning strangers. While Seaview's XO argued with thephysician, Ski, Pat and the Jeep's driver loaded Lee's motionless body aboard the vessel, presenting the good doctor with a fait accompli.
He put down the damp cloth, knowing he had to contact the boat. He was not the only one crazed with worry.
"FS1 to Seaview, come in please. FS1 to Seaview."
"Seaview to FS 1, we are receiving you."
"Sparks, get me the admiral."
"I'm right here, Mr. Morton, report."
"We're coming home, sir. We have the captain. We should be docking in three hours." Chip could hear the cheers over the speakers. It did not take long to spread good news.
"Chip, what's Lee's condition?"
"Some broken bones, bruises, and he's unconscious, comatose. Tell Jamie pulse faint but steady, breathing slow but without difficulty."
With his standard hearty voice, Nelson responded. "Will do. Well done, men, well done." In a softer tone he added, "Thanks for bring him home, Chip."
"My pleasure, sir. I never intended to do anything else. FS1 out."
Returning to his place by Lee, Chip sat on the bunk making sure the wrapped damaged hands were protected from any sudden movements of the aircraft. Ski had cleaned and bandagedthe skipper's rubbed raw wrists and ankles. There were also infected cuts on the soles of Lee's feet that required medical attention. Kowalski was afraid to inject any antibiotic, worried about what drugs were already causing havoc with Crane's system. He again checked Lee's carotid pulse, needing the reassurance. Was it possible it had a stronger beat?
"Don't you worry about anything Lee, just rest. Once Jamie gets his hands on you, everything will be fine. It won't be long before we dock. I'm right here; I won't leave your side."
He poured water onto a pad and pressed itto Lee's cracked lips, his anger risingas he saw again the ugly bruise on the cheek and cut above Lee's eye. He placed a hand on Lee's arm and squeezed. There wasn't anything Chip could do but wait and pray Jamie could reach into Lee's mind and release whatever hell he was in.
Time passed, slowly and inexorably. Finally, Patterson made contact with Seaview and said they were minutes from arrival. The large splash into the water came soon after, and then the clanking and thumping that meant they had docked with the giant submarine.
"We're home, Lee. The doc will fix you right up. From what I heard, Nelson's been giving Johnson hell for sending you off on this mission." The final coupling was made, and then Ski was powering down the craft. "Just a little longer, Lee and it's a trip to Sick Bay for you. Looks like you're going to be the first to check out the new accommodations."
Jamie practically jumped down the hatch. He hurried over to Lee and overheard the last remark.
"Who else but Captain Crane to christen the new surgery recovery room. I'm thinking of calling it the Captain's Nest. Are you in much pain, Skipper?" He had not expected a response and did not get one. The doctor placed the stethoscope to Lee's chest and poked around a little before allowing his patient to be removed. The brief exam agreed with Kowalski's initial report.
"Captain, can you hear me? Blink once if you understand me." No response.
With great care, the corpsmen transported their captain to Sick Bay. The admiral's request for a preliminary report was brushed off, Jamie tossing the words "I've got to wait for the test results" before following the men down the corridor.
John and Frank had already placed the skipper on the exam table when Jamison arrived. John got the portable x-ray machine in place while Frank cleaned the skipper's arm, readying it for the anticipated blood draw. The needle and vial was standing by, along with the IV stand and catheter, sadly standard equipment for when Captain Crane returned from a mission.
Chip's eyes followed the action of John and Frank as they gently positioned Crane for the x-ray. They had some difficulty because of Lee's rigid body.
Jamie wasted no time giving orders. "X-rays of head, ribs and both hands for now. Let's put him in a shower and wash off all this filth." He removed the needle and turned away to start testing not only for drugs but signs of infection. It was then he noticed the XO hanging around in the background.
"Take a shower, get some food and rest. I'll call as soon as I know anything or if he starts to come around. Right now, it is wait and see. The one good thing in his unresponsive state, he shouldn't feel the pain while I set his hands or scrub out the infected sores. I can't chance pain meds until I know what, if any, drugs he was given." Chip didn't move. Sighing, the doctor stepped in front of the blonde officer. "You're in the way here, Commander. I repeat: shower, eat, and sleep. Now. I don't want to see you for at least four hours." Seeing Chip's look, Jamie added softly, "I'll call you if there's any change before that, I promise."
"I want to stay with him, Jamie."
"And I want you to leave. Be reasonable, Chip. There's nothing you can do right now. Once he's stable and I've got a handle on what's wrong, you can start up your bedside vigil. Now, go!"
There was no getting around the doctor's command. Chip placed his hand on Lee's shoulder and squeezed. "I'll be back soon, Lee. Doc's kicking me out so he can fix you up."
Finished with the x-rays, John and Frank changed into bathing trunks and lifted the skipper into the emergency shower stall. John removed the bandages on the feet while Frank took care of the hands and wrists, placing each on the thighs for support. A warm cascade of soothing water fell on the trio as Frank set to work to clean off the sweat and grime.
As Frank removed the dirt, the full extent of the damage became visible. Both men were aware of the cuts on the captain's feet but hoped not to see signs on the rest of his body. John softly cursed when he saw several black and blue marks on the chest, Frank joining in when the soft scrubbing revealed bruising on Lee's groin, knowing it was from well-placed kicks. They vigorously expressed a desire to find the men who had done thisand pound them into the ground. After taking a calming breath Frank squatted down to attend to the ankles and feet. He used a stronger antibiotic soap along with the hand held shower sprayer to remove the embedded grit. The doctor would still need to clean the wounds, but the power spray helped considerably. They were done in a few minutes. Wrapped in a couple of towels, the skipper was tenderly carried over and placed on the exam table.
Had he been aware of where he was, Lee would have been impressed. The surgery recovery room looked more like a regular hospital room but with more equipment and a small metal cart filled with emergency medications. The upper half of the two outer walls had panels of the same materials as Seaview's windows, for safety and easy viewing. Curtains were available for patient privacy. Two well-hidden cameras could be activated and viewed on a monitor. After numerous complaints of the difficulty of dealing with patients who were connected to IVs and other equipment, not to mention having to lean over or squat down to care for the patients, the CMO finally got his wish of two regulation hospital beds. These beds also made it easier on the injured or sick man trying to sit up or eat. An added benefit was the addition of an isolation ward when needed. This would ensure the least amount of contact with the infected person and still be vigilant to his needs.
With all the craziness encountered in the past, having a safe place for affected crewmembers was an excellent idea. Jamie also mentioned that with the captain being Sick Bay's number one star visitor, it would help to place him in a private room and perhaps keep him from escaping.
An IV was started with a wide range of antibiotics and though Lee did not appear to be badly dehydrated, a saline solution bag along with needed nutrients was hung. Ointment was applied to both wrists and bandaged before the hands were placed in air casts. The x-ray film revealed a clean break of the left wrist and while both hands suffered from broken bones only the right hand had any broken fingers. Luckily, the damage appeared to be less than a day old and should cause no permanent impairment. The feet were debrided and wrapped along with the ankles. Jamie could see whatever Lee had gone through, he had fought strenuously. All four limbs were bruised and the skin rubbed raw from repeatedly pulling against the restraints. He was sickened knowing Lee had been forced to walk on the painful open sores, that action causing a worse infection. A liberal amount of ointment would help relieve the pain and aid the healing process. The final test was the check on the ribs; several were bruised, three were cracked. Jamie completed the last task, inserting the catheter. There was no response from the man on the gurney, who stared with unseeing eyes toward the ceiling.
"We'll move him to the recovery room as soon as I call the admiral. Go ahead and put a hospital gown on him for now. When he's awake and complaining, we'll switch to pajamas but for now it's easier to deal with all the injuries."
Jamie's optimism caught Frank up as well. "I'll put an extra blanket on the bed and make up the second one for Mr. Morton. I'm assuming it's going to be SOP again."
Jamie laughed for the first time in a week. "I was smart to insist on having two regular hospital beds in the recovery room. With the captain and exec being my most frequent visitors, at least I can make sure one or the other gets some sleep."
While the doctor left and reported to Nelson, the corpsmen swiftly dressed the patient and covered him with a blanket. After transferring Lee to the hospital bed, and locking the side rails, he was left alone. Frank and John turned away to clean up the examining room while Jamie waited for Nelson's arrival.
Engrossed in their tasks, none of the three men saw Lee's eyelids flicker.
Warmth, something soothing, feels good, tender hands. Something soft and warm, less pain, must be safe, Decker came back. No, it wasn't him. Blue-eyed man from dream. Telling me I'm safe. He will protect me. Arms surrounding me, best friend, no, no more friends! That's not right. Chip is a friend, my brother, he didn't turn against me. Held me so carefully not to hurt. Said won't leave me. Safe with Chip. We will fight off the enemies. But now tired, so tired, nice and warm, soft oh so soft.
The tumult of thoughts faded away. Lee's eyes lost their empty stare and closed in sleep, his tense posture finally relaxing.