Chapter 14
While Jamie waited for Lee to bring Harry to Sick Bay, he checked on Chip and then Janet. He went over to Chip's bunk and found him awake.
"How are you feeling?" Jamie asked as he took his vitals.
Ignoring Jamie's question, Chip asked, "When can I get out of here?" Jamie stuck a thermometer in his mouth before Chip could ask any more questions.
"I'm going to keep you here until we get back to Santa Barbara. You still have a fever, your blood pressure is low as are your liver enzymes, you still have a rash and you still need to have an IV for the antibiotics. One of the more unpleasant side effects of STSS is shedding of skin especially on your palms and soles of your feet. You've been ill for almost a week and that usually happens one to two weeks after the onset of the illness."
Jamie removed the thermometer. "You still have a temp of one hundred and one degrees. It's down but for an adult that's not good."
Chip sighed deeply, "I have to admit I'm really not feeling that great. How's Janet…where's the admiral…isn't Lee bringing him back?"
"I'm going to check on her next and he should be here shortly," Jamie answered as Chip settle back in the bunk and closed his eyes.
Jamie walked over to Janet's bunk and noticed she was awake. "How you doing?" he asked.
"Tired…throat hurts…cold," Janet whispered.
Jamie took her temperature, "Damn," he murmured as it had risen to one hundred and two degrees.
"Everything okay, Jamie?" Janet asked when she heard Jamie's comment.
Lee had entered Sick Bay with Harry and sat him down on the gurney to wait for Jamie when Lee noticed he was with Janet. Patterson had followed Lee and Harry with the boxes of antibiotics. Lee directed him to put it on the chair and return to the control room. Frank returned to Sick Bay after dispensing the last of the antibiotics to Sharkey, Ski and Riley. He saw Harry sitting on the gurney waiting for Jamie. He took his temperature and vitals and recorded them on the chart he started for him. When Jamie finished with Janet, he would have all the information he needed.
Lee walked over to her bunk, "Jamie, is there a problem?" he wondered seeing Janet was a little upset.
"No, I don't think so but your fever is up to one hundred and two so I'm going to start an IV with a stronger antibiotic and run some blood tests just to make sure there is nothing wrong," Jamie answered and went over to the gurney where Harry was waiting. He looked over the information Frank had written down and wasn't happy.
While Jamie looked over Harry, Lee stooped down next to Janet's bunk and asked, "Sweetie, how are you feeling?"
"Like shit," Janet replied softly. Lee knew his wife really must be sick as she didn't normally swear.
"I'm sorry," Lee answered as he uncovered her hand that was buried under all the blankets, gave it a squeeze and put it back under the blankets. "Jamie will be right back he's looking at the admiral right now."
"He's sick too?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, so is the Chief, Ski and Riley," Lee said. "You all handled the sensors."
Looking confused Janet replied, "What about the sensors…is that where the infection started?"
"Yes," Lee said and explained to her how she and the other divers along with Chip and Patterson got sick. He also told her his suspicion as to who did it and why.
"That wasn't very nice," Janet responded sleepily as the snuggled in her blankets. "I'm cold."
Lee took a blanket off the top bunk and gently draped it over her. "Sweetie, I'll be right back, I want to check on the admiral," Lee told her and walk over to the gurney.
Jamie saw him approaching and waited until he was next to Harry before he told them how sick Harry was. "His temperature is one hundred and one and I'm sure his throat culture will be positive," Jamie stated and continued, "Admiral do you have any cuts or open sores?"
"No, none," Harry replied realizing why Jamie was asking.
"Good. I'm going to send you to your cabin with some antibiotics," Jamie told him and went over to the cabinet and discovered there was none available.
"Lee, were you able to get some antibiotics from the laboratory?" Jamie asked worriedly not seeing the boxes on the chair.
"Yes, Doc," Lee said, "There are two boxes on the chair. If you need more I'm sure Dr. Worth will let me take some more."
Jamie walked over to the chair, "Thanks Skipper. This should be enough provided no more men get sick." He opened one of the boxes, removed some pills from another box and gave them to Harry with a cup of water.
"Frank will see you to your cabin and make sure you're settled," Jamie told Harry as he downed the pills.
"I can go myself," Harry replied and stood up a little too quickly and would have fallen over if Lee hadn't caught him.
"I guess I better have Frank make sure I get there," Harry said softly realizing he was sicker than he thought.
Smirking, Jamie answered, "That's why you never argue with your doctor."
Frank helped Harry to his cabin, made sure he was comfortable and told him he would return in a couple of hours to check on him.
"Thanks," Harry said and pulled up his blanket, turned on his side and fell asleep.
While Frank was helping Harry, Jamie took Janet's hand out from under all the blankets and started the IV and took a few tubes of blood.
"Lee, we have to remove some of these blankets. I can barely examine her…she might be too warm…that could be why her temperature went up. You unwrap her while I do her blood work."
Lee slowly removed all of the blankets but Janet started shivering so he put one back loosely over her.
Lee walked back to Jamie's lab and waited while he processed the blood samples. "Everything looks normal on most of the tests but there's one that will take a little longer," he told Lee breathing a sigh of relief for now. "Thanks again for getting the medications."
Patting Jamie on the arm he replied, "Any time Doc." He took one more look at his sleeping wife.
"Jamie, keep me informed if their conditions change," Lee asked. "I'll be in the control room."
"Yes, Lee," Jamie responded.
Frank returned from Harry's cabin, "Doc, the admiral's sleeping. The rest of the men have their medication so we should have a quiet afternoon."
"Let's hope," Jamie replied as he and Frank stowed the antibiotics they just received in the cabinet.
((()))
Lee entered the control room and walked over to Bobby at the plotting table. "Everything okay?"
"Yes sir but I've been watching the weather and it's getting a little windier out there, we may want to submerge before the men start feeling ill."
"Have we heard anything from Harley or Jerry regarding the engine repair," Lee asked looking at his watch noticing it had been two hours since they left the laboratory.
"No sir. Do you want me have Sparks call them?"
"No, that's okay, I'll take care of it," Lee replied and walked over to the radio shack and asked Sparks to place the call. He tried to raise them on the radio but they didn't respond.
"Try calling Dr. Worth at the lab," Lee asked and returned to the plotting table.
"Aye sir," Sparks answered and got Dr. Worth on the radio. "Skipper, I have Dr. Worth."
"Pipe it over here," Lee said and Sparks nodded his head letting him know the call was there.
"Dr. Worth, I tried to raise my two mechanics on the radio and there's no answer. Is there a problem?"
"No, Captain. I believe they have the engine running judging from the noise I hear outside," Dr. Worth answered. "I'll send one of the technicians to the boat and have them call you."
"Thanks, Dr. Worth, I appreciate it," Lee responded and stowed the mic. "I'm going topside."
"Yes sir," O'Brien answered and watched as Lee went up the ladder to the bridge.
Once on the bridge, Lee could see black smoke billowing from the back of the boat. Smiling he knew his men had gotten the engine running. As much as he would have liked Ivan Zamkor to be stranded at the laboratory, he was glad Dr. Worth wouldn't have to put up with him.
"Skipper," O'Brien called to the bridge. "Harley and Jerry are ready to come back from the lab."
"Order the deck detail to launch a zodiac and have Patterson meet me on deck to pick up the men."
"Aye, aye sir," O'Brien replied and gave the order to the deck detail.
Patterson met Lee on the deck and they boated to the island. Harley and Jerry were waiting for them on the pier. They hopped aboard the zodiac looking forward to getting back to Seaview where they could shower and get something to eat. Lee said good bye to Dr. Worth who had a big smile on his face.
"Harley, is that engine going to make it back to the mainland?" Lee asked. He didn't like Zamkor but he wouldn't want him stranded in the middle of the ocean.
"Yes Skipper, it should make it back," Harley assured him. "But the whole engine should be totally overhauled."
"Thanks men," Lee said as they sat down in the zodiac.
"No problem, Skipper," Jerry answered.
As they left the dock, Ivan Zamkor waved at Lee from the upper deck of his boat.
Lee hightailed it back to Seaview as he wanted to submerge and get out of there before Zamkor left with his boat. When they arrived at the boat, the deck detail helped Lee board and then the rest of the men and tools. Lee scrambled down the ladder to the control room and over to the plotting table.
"Mr. O'Brien prepare to dive," Lee ordered. "Take her down to two hundred feet."
"Aye, sir," O'Brien replied and gave the order to dive.
Phil stood at the dive control panel waiting for the lights to turn green. "All green," Phil reported.
"Dive, dive, dive," O'Brien told maneuvering.
Seaview slowly submerged under the water. Lee waited until they were at depth and gave maneuvering the heading and speed.
"Mr. O'Brien take over the conn. I'll be in the observation nose calling the Canal Authorities making arrangements to go through the canal in two days. Hopefully we can get on the schedule," Lee told O'Brien. "If we can't, it could take a week to get on the schedule."
"Yes, sir," Bobby answered and made sure they were on course and at speed while Lee headed to the nose.
He sat down on the corner of the table looking out the windows. He picked up the mic and asked Sparks to place the call for him. He got the canal authorities on the line and they assured him they would be able to go through the canal when they arrived. Lee thanked them and breathed a sigh of relief as he didn't want to wait any longer than needed to go through the canal. After he finished talking to the canal authorities, he returned to the control room.
"Bobby, I'll be right back. The duty rosters need to be done and Mrs. Crane didn't get a chance to finish them. I'm going to grab them and work on them in the nose."
"Yes sir," Bobby answered and went back to the task he was doing at the plotting table.
Lee ran up the staircase and went to Janet's office where he grabbed the partially finished roster and some reports she was working on. He returned to the nose and sat down facing the control room. He looked over the duty rosters and thought, Janet was right, these are a mess. He made a few changes since he wanted O'Brien with him on the bridge when they went through the canal. He wanted Taper in the control room, he would put Larsen on Taper's watch. When he was finished with them he looked them over. Oh well, he thought, it will eventually get straighten out. He would post the rosters when he went to his cabin for the night.
Lee headed into the control room and stood next to O'Brien, "I'm going to do a walk-around the boat and make sure things are secure and in order so we have no issues when we go through the locks. If you need me, just call," Lee told Bobby. "Also, you're going to be on the bridge with me when we go through the canal."
"Aye, aye sir," Bobby answered with a smile as he had never been on the bridge when they went through the canal.
Lee exited the aft hatch and started with the engine room on his walk-around.