Kate opened her eyes and was almost blinded by the light. She wasn't on the boat anymore and as soon as she moved to see where she did end up at someone came closer picked up her arm from the bed. The surroundings did look familiar and she tried her hardest to find out where she was. It looked very much like the wardroom on the Hammersley, but she hadn't been there for a long time. Could it be she was there?
"Swain?" she said, it wasn't more than a whisper.
"Mike?" she said worriedly, trying to shield her eyes from the light.
"Swain, I don't want him to see me like this," she pleaded.
"She's waking up," a woman said. The woman put her arm back on the bed and checked her other arm. That was when Kate realised it hurt and with that realisation all the memories came back. No Swain, no Hammersley and luckily no Mike to see her like this.
"Robert?" she asked, looking around to see if he was around. "Leah? James?" she stammered, making more sound already.
"Can someone get Dr. Prizeman? Tell him his wife is waking up," Able Seaman Sarah Allard asked one of her junior colleagues.
Sarah had been taking care of Kate Prizeman for an hour in which Dr. Prizeman had talked to their navy cop and of course been with his children. The girl seemed so calm and collected, but everyone was scared the shock would come later. Robert Prizeman wanted to take care of his wife but he was told to be with his children while Sarah took care of Kate.
"My arm hurts," Kate moaned.
Sarah looked at the bandage around her arm but didn't change it. The bleeding had stopped and there was nothing she could do for her right now.
"Mrs Prizeman you've got a bullet in your arm. Your husband will check if he can take it out or not," she informed the woman who had been unconscious ever since she was brought inside the wardroom.
The door opened and Robert walked in. He passed Sarah without even looking at her and went straight to Kate.
"Hey you," he said lovingly. "How are you?" he asked.
Kate wanted to get up but Robert stopped her. "You just tell me while you lay down," he told her.
He was glad she gave up easily today and swallowed before she took a deep breath and said: "My arm hurts."
It sounded mean but the fact that it hurt made him happy, so unknowingly he started smiling.
"That's not funny," Kate muttered.
Robert caressed her face and looked at Sarah for a moment. He wanted her to pay attention as well.
"It means you've got some feeling in your arm. We're worried you wouldn't have feeling left in your arm," he explained. "I want to do a few little tests. They might be a bit uncomfortable," he said before he felt her arm up and down, once in a while squeezing it.
To his surprise Kate didn't react the way he had expected her to. She didn't scream in pain when he pressed the wound.
"Kate, does this hurt?" he asked while he pressed it just a bit harder than necessary.
"No," she answered without realising there was a problem.
"And here?" Robert tried another spot.
"No," Kate answered again.
"Sarah, I think the bullet is blocking the central nerve after all. Can you tell your boss we really should get her into hospital as soon as possible," he instructed her.
She nodded and picked up the phone to call the bridge. She could go there herself, but she didn't want to leave the patient, even if there was a real doctor in the room. It was her wardroom and her responsibility.
Not much later Lieutenant Commander Storms walked in. He looked at Kate McGregor at first, someone he had met occasionally at the base in Sydney. It was strange seeing her here in this state, dressed in shorts and a bikini top, so helpless and vulnerable. He was glad to see she was awake again and responding to what happened around her. Sarah had informed him that they needed to get the bullet out and now he wanted to know how urgent it was.
"Robert," he started, calling the man at his first name after already having done the formal introductions earlier. "I understand the bullet is some sort of a problem," he summarised.
Robert nodded and stood up like lots of doctors do to get some more stature.
"If we have to go back to Sydney we will, but we were on our way to bring medicine to one of our ships out at sea. If we go back they'll lose two days of waiting for us, so I was wondering," he paused before he looked Robert in the eye. "Is it possible for you to take out the bullet here?" he finished, hopeful to get the answer he wanted.
Robert was torn. He had to get the bullet out before they were back in hospital anyway. The blood loss had stopped so that wouldn't be a problem anymore but if they were on their way to Sydney and to a fully functional hospital he would be even happier.
"When would we arrive back in port if we would go and drop off the medicine first?" he asked.
Lieutenant Commander Storms smiled at this news, with this question there was at least a possibility to finish their task before returning. "We would be back in Sydney around tomorrow evening," he estimated.
Robert thought for a second and it seemed he was calculating in his head if that was still a possibility for him. "I know we're not on our way yet, either to the other ship or back to port, but could we wait a little longer. Let me take out the bullet and see what happens. If she starts bleeding again we do need to go back. If she doesn't lose more blood we would be safe to wait on the return to hospital," he answered.
Robert started preparing to operate on his wife while James and Leah were taken care of by Buffer. He had taken them up to the bridge because he knew from experience that children liked to see what was going on there. His own daughter loved to be up on the bridge as much as she could, but James wasn't as impressed as he had thought he would be. Luckily Leah loved to see all the instruments.
"Mum was the CO of a ship like this," James informed him.
Buffer grinned inwardly. So, Kate McGregor had finally taken command of the Hammersley after all, at least that's what he thought.
"The Hammersley?" he asked to be sure.
Leah's head spun around when she heard the name and tugged him at his uniform. "I was almost born on the Hammersley," she stated proudly.
"No you weren't," James corrected her. "Mum was pregnant with me when she was on the Hammersley, not with you. She wasn't even working on the Hammersley when you came along," he explained.
Leah was about to reply to her brother but before the war between the rival siblings would start Buffer got in between them.
"We don't have to start fighting over something like that," he told them sternly.
James sighed. He had saved them all, but no one had mentioned anything about it yet. They only talked about Leah and how she had been so brave and wonderful in helping stop the bleeding on their mother's arm. To make it worse they were on an old patrol boat which was an exact copy of the Hammersley, on which he had been many times. He probably could even steer this tub if they would let him.
"What's the problem?" Buffer asked him. "Don't you like patrol boats?"
James walked up to the captain's chair to then turn his attention to the radar. It was all clear now, but not too long ago his signal had been seen on that machine.
"I don't have to tell you that we saw you on the radar," Buffer came standing next to him. "By the way, that was very clever of you to use the epirb. It scared off the pirates," he added.
James looked at him, proudly. He was the first one to recognise his part in the whole ordeal.
"It was nothing," he shrugged, claiming he didn't care about it. Buffer copied him and turned around.
"Well, I don't think it was nothing. It was smart thinking and it probably saved all your lives. Would you like to do or see something while we're on the Swinton?" he asked him.
Buffer expected to hear some enthusiasm, but there was nothing and all he wanted to do was stay on the bridge. Maybe he had to do it differently and talk about general things.
"Do you already know what you want to do when you're older?" he asked. James shrugged again but Buffer saw he was thinking.
"I want to join the SAS – maybe," he finally said.
"Just like your father," Buffer stated.
Leah had been listening and would take her chance to get back into the conversation and this was a good spot so she pulled Buffers jacket.
"James' real dad was an SAS captain. This time it's for real," she added, hoping James wouldn't correct her again.
"I knew James' dad," Buffer answered the girl.
"Cool," she said like she had known Jim as well.
James' eyes lit up and he came a bit closer towards Buffer. "Did you really?" he asked.
"Why would I lie about that?" Buffer replied.
James shrugged. "I don't know," he said a bit taken back.
"Don't worry. I really met your father. He was a good man. It was a long time ago, but I might even have some pictures. There must be one with him in it. You know what, I'll look them up for you and if I find one of your dad you can have it," Buffer said.
Buffer was glad he had reached this boy and got him talking. For a minute he had looked so left out but now he was slowly opening up.
"If you want to I can tell you a few stories about your father," he offered just before his name was called out over the intercom.
"I've got to go. James, why don't you take your sister back to the senior sailors mess," he instructed the boy.
"Don't you have to escort us?" James replied. Buffer chuckled.
"You could be a good sailor as well. You know the rules very well. Well, you know your way around a patrol boat so I'll let you go on your own this time," he said, already moving towards the stairs. "Are you coming?" he prodded the children to start moving.