CH 14

Two hours later the doctor walked into her room, "doctor how is he?"

"He is going to make a full recovery."

"Does he remember what happened?"

"Yes, he does, he remembers everything, so there's no memory loss. The new tests show there's no brain injury at all. The bruising and swelling is gone."

"That is great news, thank you, doctor."

"Your welcome."

Later that afternoon Steve walked into Mike's room to see MacGyver there. "Mike, how are you doing?"

"Good, MacGyver told me what happened to her, Jim and me after the ute exploded."

"I've read the reports, you've got a great crew, Mike."

"Yes, I know Steve." They talk for another five minutes before leaving Mike as he was almost asleep.

"I contacted Fleet Command, they're were happy with the news."

"I bet they are, Sir, and knowing the crew they will want to see him for themselves."

"True."

The next morning Jim walked into MacGyver's room. "Hey, you got my text." He kisses her.

"Yes, I did, last night. I've been in to see Mike, it's great news that he's out of his coma."

"Yes it is, have you told your men?"

"Yes, I did they're pleased also."

"After losing one man and seeing what happened to us three, it would have been a big shock."

"Yes, it was alright. So how are you feeling?"

"Good and next month I'll be back on Hammersley."

"That is great, and Mike?"

"That's a different story."

"Meaning?"

"I'll tell you about it one day, but not yet."

"Ok." They talk about what has been happening in the Samaru Islands and other things.

That afternoon the crew show up to to see Mike only to see MacGyver as well. They talked and stayed for half an hour before leaving Mike to get some rest.

After they left, MacGyver turned to him. "Mike, Commander Marshall left these for you to sign." She opened a drawer and got the file out, then passed it to him. When he saw what they were, he turned to her.

"I won't sign them, I hate shore postings."

"So you choose Hammersley and the Navy over Kate and a family."

"I've always loved the patrol boats, you know that."

"Yes I do Mike, and as for shore posting, it does have its advantages."

"Like what?"

"No rules to stop you and Kate for dating in public for one, and those shore leaves you both would be looking for. Trust me Mike, and I know you and Kate love though shore leaves as well."

"I want to stay out at sea while I've still got my sea legs."

"Well, you can do a trial posting when you get out of here."

"Meaning?"

"Ashore posting until your collar bone heals, you never know"

"Your right about that, but I can't drive like this with my arm in a sling."

"I'm sure Commander Marshal well sort out a driver for you."

" You've got it all planned out haven't you."

"There's one more thing, Mike, I hate doing this to you, but if you don't sign the papers and accept your promotion, then I won't."

"What? You've been promoted?"

"CommanderMarshall told me and I told him that I won't accept it until you do."

"You deserve that promotion, you've worked hard for it."

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black Mike. So have you. Take the promotion and the shore posting."

"You think I should?"

"Yes, I do. I know you are going to miss working with the crazy crew but you know that Hammersley will be in great hands and Kate is due for a promotion in a couple of years."

"That's true"

"So, think about it, ok?"

"I will"

A few minutes later Kate walked in smiling at Mike. Mike smiled as soon as she walked in the door.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Picking up her crutches she hobbled back to her room.

Once she was back in bed she called Steve and talked to him for a couple of minutes and filled him in on her conversation with Mike. Later that afternoon Steve went to visit Mike.

"Steve."

"Mike, it's good to see you are awake."

"Thanks, what can I do for you?" Steve looked over and picked up the file with the promotion papers in it, then turned to Mike before sitting down.

"I see that you've got the papers but still haven't signed them."

"Steve, with the promotion is a shore posting. I hate them." Steve snorted.

"MacGyver said you would say that. You know that she been promoted."

"Yeah, she told me and she said she won't accept it until I accepted mine. She's too cunning for her own good."

"Did she tell you that she made history?"

Frowning, "History? No, what do you mean?"

"With her being promoted to Petty Officer at the age of twenty-six, she became the youngest in Australian Navy History by one year."

"I had no idea, she never said a thing about that."

"Perhaps she's got her reasons why she didn't tell you."

"I suppose your right." Steve visited for another 10 minutes before leaving Mike to think.

Two days later MacGyvered walked into Mike's room dressed and carrying her sea bag. "You're getting out of here," Mike said.

"Hammersley left this morning for a three-week patrol and when they return, I'll be back on board."

"They will be happy to see you."

" Are you ok, Mike?"

"Steve came to see me last night."

"Oh, about your promotion?"

"That and what has been happening in Samaru Islands."

"You're not going to take the promotion, are you."

"Not now."

"You want to help to find out what is really going on the islands."

"Yes, I do. I feel like it's unfinished business."

"You can still do that while on your shore posting until you get the all-clear."

"Hammersley's not my boat any more."

"I know that, but you know she's in good hands."

"Yes, she is."

"Look think about the pros and cons and if need be call Kate."

"Thanks, I will."

"I'll drop by in a few days, you take care."

"I will" she gave him a gentle hug.

"Call me if you need anything."

"I will, thanks." Picking up her bags she left Mike's room towards the exit catching a taxi home.

The next day she received a text message from Kate letting her know that Hammersley was returning to Cairns and what time they were due to dock. Macgyver thought it was odd that Hammersley was returning after only being out for over thirty hours. She hopes that none of the crew is ill or hurt. She sent a text back before leaving to go and do some shopping.

That night Kate arrived at MacGyver's place. They talked about what had happened to the Captain and how Kate took over by relieving the Captain of his command and about the way he was acting.

"It sounds like cancer from what you told me," MacGyver said thoughtfully.

"Cancer, you mean brain tumour?"

"Yeah."

"That would be the end of his career."

"What was left of it and from what you said, it looks like he hasn't got much time left"

"You could be right."

"To change the subject to Mike, did you talk to him?"

"Yes, we talked, he told me about the promotion."

"How did that go?"

"I did tell him that a shore posting does have its advantages."

"That is so true." They talked for over two hours before Kate left to return home.

Three days later Hammersley left port with MacGyver back on board and in a bad mood. When Kate arrived on the boat deck Spider and ET were there.

"X, can you talk to MacGyver? She's in a foul mood this morning."

"Any idea why?"

"Don't know, but it was coming from the galley," ET told her.

"Ok, I'll go and find out what's going on."

"Thanks, X." Spider replied.

Kate went to her cabin, got changed then she walked down and into the galley.

"MacGyver, what the heck is going on here?" She saw that all the food that was in the fridge was now in the bin.

"Morning X, come and see for yourself. I better warn you, it stinks," she walks around and screwed up her face.

"What is that smell?"

"This," she opened the rubbish bag and pulled out a bag with rotten meat in it then put it back in the bin. "It was in a bag that leaked through the whole fridge, I had to get rid of rotten fruit, veggies and milk. Now I'm scrubbing this fridge clean to get rid of the smell so I can restock it with all new fresh fruit and vegetables. The rotten smell got into everything. I gave the Captain a form for fruit and vegetables to replace this lot that I've just gotten rid of. I haven't checked the other fridge unit yet."

"I'll check it for you."

"Thanks, X, some welcome back, huh?"

"Yeah. " Kate walked out of the galley leaving MacGyver to the cleaning.

She checked the other fridge and found that it was empty. Kate went down and onto the wharf to check the order list for the food. Then she went to let MacGyver know.

"What? That can't be right, there should be at least two and a half weeks of fruit and veggies in there since you guys returned early, what about the meat?"

"That too is gone."

"just bloody great. Ok, RO should have a copy of the last lists of everything, get him to make a copy of everything with today's date, sign it, and send it to NAVCOM then call them and tell them I won't let Hammersley leave port until we get everything on the list."

"I'll get onto it, but that will delay our departure."

"I know, but without food onboard would not be good. Do you want me to tell the Captain?"

"Tell the Captain what?" he said as he walked into the galley.

"We're not departing until the fridges and freezers are stocked. Sir, some mongrel took all the food from below deck, and I had to throw out everything from the fridge here." He looked into the bin.

"What a waste of food."

"You would want to chuck it out also, Sir." MacGyver picked up the bin, "Take a sniff, Sir."

He took a sniff and screwed his face up as she put the bin back down. "What's that smell.?"

"Rotten meat, it has contaminated everything in here and as you can see..." she shows him her gloved hands, "I'm scrubbing the fridge out, Sir."

"I had no idea it was that bad."

"Now you know, Sir. X here's going to sort out the food order and contact NAVCOM about it. There was a theft of over three thousand dollars worth of food. Until I'm happy that we've got everything, we're not sailing, Sir. Lieutenant Commander Flynn knows how fussy I am when it comes to cooking and cleanliness the kitchen, Sir."

"Well, I'm Captain now, we will get what you need Leader."

"Yes sir, X make sure that there is coffee and toilet paper on the list, please."

"I'll make sure but there should be…"

MacGyver pointed to the jar of coffee.

"Is that it?"

"Yes, and there are only five tea bags left."

"Ok."

Thanks, X. I better get back to this cleaning, oh I'll need baking soda and white vinegar."

"Why? You've got plenty."

"Have I? I'm using some of it in the fridge to get rid of the smell. At least the smell isn't as bad as it was before." Then she returned to her cleaning.

"Leader shouldn't talk like that to you or me. Why did Lieutenant Commander Flynn let her get away with things like that?"

" Because he knows she's right, Sir, and he knows how fussy she can be when it comes to food. She triple checks everything. If one item on the list is not there she'll tell him and he finds out where the item is."

"Couldn't she handle it with what she's got to use?"

"Yes she should, but last time it was coffee and toilet paper, sir."

"Oh, I see."

"Get to know her, Sir. You will find out what sort of sailor she is."

"Oh, I will, X."

Two hours later the Captain watches as MacGyver checked everything from the new list. When she finished going over everything, she looks up to Kate and shook her head 'no.'

"What's missing? We're already an hour over departure time, Leader."

"It's MacGyver, Sir and from this no washing liquid and handy towels."

"How important is that?" the Captain asked.

"We're going to be away for three weeks and if we're going to wash our clothes, how sir and with the handy towels if for draining and cleaning purposes sir"

"OK, X can you..." just then Buffer, ET and Spider showed up.

"These boxes were just dropped off," Buffer said.

"Let me guess, handy towels and washing liquid?"

"Yeah."

"Let me check," they put them on the ground and MacGyver check then striated up

"Hammersley ready to set sail sir"

"Thank you, MacGyver"

She put the boxes away. "Now I better go and get lunch sorted" as she walked out of the storage room.

"MacGyver, what are we having for lunch"? ET asked.

"Food," she said laughing.