CH 54
The next day Mike and MacGyver walk up onto Hammersley and down to the engine room to check the damage.
"Dear God!" Mike exclaimed, clearly shocked when he saw the damage. "What could have caused damage like this?"
"I don't know," MacGyver went over to the engine, "Leader can you remove this casing for me please?"
He removed the casing and stepped back. Taking her torch she examined the inside.
"What is it?" Mike asked.
Picking up a screwdriver she poked it into the hole then removed it.
"I'll be right back," she walked out of the engine room while Mike watched with curiosity. When she returns, she has a piece of tissue paper and she begins wiping the stuff from the screwdriver onto the paper.
"Did you find anything?"
"Yeah, look at this..." she shows him the tissue paper.
"Oil and grease," he says.
"Here," she folds the tissue in half and then unfolds it. "Look closer."
He took a closer look and now could see little black bits in it, looking at MacGyver.
"When this engine had its oil and grease changed, someone put dirty oil and grease back in the engine. There's your cause, the engines slowly ceased up and caught fire. Hammersley's going to be in dry dock and will have to have the engine stripped down, cleaned and the damaged parts replaced before being put back together," MacGyver tells him.
"That's going to cost not to mention the strain on the other boats."
"I know that Sir, but someone screwed up and I know Charge would want to know who."
"Agreed, let's head back to NAVCOM."
When they were on the boat deck the three inspectors showed up. MacGyver told them what she found which shocked and surprised them and they thanked her before going down to the engine room themselves. Mike and MacGyver return to NAVCOM.
Three days later Steve and Mike read the investigators report about what had happened on Hammersley.
When Mike showed the report to MacGyver, she nodded her head. "Well, now we know for sure that it was the dirty oil and grease that caused the engine failure. Now the fun begins."
"MacGyver, Charge asked me to check with you to see if you want to help out."
She smiled, "Sure. The sooner that we get the engines clean and put back together the sooner we can get her back out on the water."
"Well then, why don't you head on down. There will be overalls and boots there waiting for you, in Kate's cabin."
"Thanks, Sir. I'll head on down now." She stood up, walked out the door, and went to retrieve her bag and hat, then left the bullpen. Half an hour later she walked down into the engine room where the guys are working.
"Who are you?" one of the guys asked.
"I'm Petty Officer Roth, MacGyver, I've been asked to come here and help get this engine cleaned up. So let's get to it boys."
"Do you know anything about engines, Girly?"
"It's Macgyver Able Seaman, and yes, I do. Now less talk and more action. The faster we can get this done the sooner Hammersley is back out on the water."
"Who asked you to be here?"
"Charge did," she said.
Then she started taking the motor apart, and the others started as well, they pulled the engines apart and started cleaning them. Then they hit a snag with their parts, they couldn't get the dirty oil out. MacGyver walked over and had a look at it. Then she wiped her hands, got her phone out and made a call.
"This is MacGyver. I need to talk to Commander Flynn or Marshall, please … Sir, I need some things… metal buckets…. Ten-litre buckets…. Stainless steel ones… yes and Coke-a-cola, the regular Coke, not the diet, or zero….. Thirty bottles of the two-point-five … to clean the engine parts… that's right sir… ok, and milk…. fifteen litres, dark blue top, thanks, Sir... have delivered to the boat deck… ok thanks, Sir" then she hung up and put her phone back in her pocket
"What do you need a bucket and Coke-a-cola for, are you going to drink it?" the head engineer snickered and the others laughed. "You must be thirsty."
"No... the Coke is going to clean those pieces for us," then she went back to work.
An hour later, Steve and Mike showed up with Jim and several sailors carrying the items MacGyver had asked for. After leaving them on the boat deck, they left and Mike and Steve stayed behind to see what she was up to.
When Commanders Marshall and Flynn saw the fouled engine parts on the boat deck, they were shocked.
"Commander Marshal, Command Flynn, can I help you, Sirs?" one of the Sailors asked.
" Can you let MacGyver know that we brought what she asked for."
"Yes, Sir," returning to the engine room to get MacGyver.
A couple of minutes later all the engineers showed up on the boat deck and Mike and Steve couldn't help but notice MacGyver with grease marks on her face and arms. Jim was shocked at first but then smiled at her.
"Sir, thanks for getting me the items I asked for."
"Care to tell us why you need this stuff?"
"Let me show you."
She picked up a bottle of Coke and opened it and poured some into a bucket, then put the lid back on the bottle then she walked over to the chief petty officer and took the crescent from him.
"Oi! What are you doing?" one of the engineers called out.
"Trust me." She walked over to the bucket while taking an oily rag that was sticking out of her pocket and wiped the crescent. "See this crescent? It has years of dirt, grease, oil, sweat and blood on it," then she put it in the bucket with the Coke and set her watch. Now we wait."
"What will this do to it?" Steve asked.
"You will see, Sir."
When her watch beeps she opens a bottle of milk and pours some of it in the bucket. Picking up the bucket, she swishes the Coke and milk around as she walks over to the chief petty officer.
"Take it out and dry it." Doing what she said, he removed it from the bucket, and wiped it off.
"Bloody hell! It looks brand new, but how?" Everyone that was watching was amazed except for Jim, he smiled at her.
"The acid in the Coke dissolves grease and oil and lifts any dirt, then with the milk, it neutralises the acid from the Coke-a-cola so all it needs is a wash with normal water, dried and oil or grease"
"What do you do with the milky water?" Steve asked
"Dispose of it like it's watery oil sir"
"How long does a piece need to be in the Coke?" Mike asked.
"Five minutes."
"Is that all?" the chief petty officer asked.
"That's it. Think about how much time you will be saving."
"Hours, Weeks."
"That's right."
"Well, we'll leave you to it then." Steve said.
"Thanks, Sir." Then she turned to the chief petty officer, "since it's lunchtime, how about we all take a break for lunch."
"Sounds good. All right everyone, you've got half an hour." Then they walk off Hammersley with Steve and Mike following. Turning she smiles at Jim.
"Mike told you."
"Yeah, I was looking forward to a picnic lunch."
"Well since you brought the handy wipes and the blanket and basket, why don't we have it on here?"
"Ok but your overalls..." MacGyver removed her overalls revealing shorts and a sports top under them.
"Better?" she asked him.
"Yes, very much so." Jim got everything set up while MacGyver cleaned up the best she could. They sat on the blanket and they enjoyed feeding each other while talking.
The chief petty officer returned before the others, he stopped on the gangway and was shocked at the sight before him. MacGyver was lying on her back and Jim was lean over kissing her. So he cleared his throat causing them to break apart and turn to the noise.
"I think you two better stop before the others return."
They sat up. "Chief Petty Officer Tom Harker, this is my husband, Captain Jim Roth," she said as they stood up. Tom walked over and shook hands with Jim.
"Yeah, I know about him. Charge told me about you two, it's great to meet you, Sir"
"Likewise," Jim replies while MacGyver puts her overalls back on.
"So enjoy your picnic lunch?"
"Yes we did thanks. Jim can be full of surprises," MacGyver responded.
"Well, he's not the only one." They pack everything up just as some of the engineers return.
"Well back to work, and I'll see you at home tonight," she said giving Jim a kiss.
"Sure my little grease monkey," causing Tom to laugh.
"Grease monkey, eh," she gave him a look letting him know that he was in trouble. He kisses her and leaves with a smile on his face.
"Come on, back to work."
It took a week but finally the engine was back together with some new parts replacing those that were damaged each part re-greased and oiled.
On the bridge, Charge was waiting for the word from MacGyver and Tom in the engine room.
"OK, Charge, fire her up," MacGyver said over the radio. Then they heard the engine start-up and then stop. "Try it again," she said. This time the engine started up and stayed running.
MacGyver nodded while listening and then turning to Tom she gave him a thumbs up.
"Charge. engines are purring once again," they then head up top to the bridge.
"Well now one more test and then she's good to go," MacGyver said.
The next day with some of the crew onboard which included MacGyver, they took Hammersley out for a run. They started off slowly then went to the top of the green. Charge and MacGyver were pleased and as were Hammersley's engineering crew as well. The test run completed, they returned to port. Mike and Steve are there on the dock as MacGyver brought her in. Once docked, MacGyver went down to see them.
"How did the test run go?"
"Great, even at the top of the green. Charge's engines are purring once more, Sir," causing Mike to grin.
"Purring..."
"Yes, Sir."
"Good work."
"Thank you, Sir. Now you can let Hammersley's crew know that she is back in action and ready to set sail, Sir."
" That's good to hear."
"Yes, Sir."
The crew had been called back and the next day Hammersley left port for a three-week patrol. They would be back on the twenty-third and be home for Christmas with their families. Hammersley would be heading out again on the thirtieth for a two-week patrol over New Years.
Macgyver was getting used to the shore posting and getting to spend more time with Jim at night with the exception of when he was away on a mission.
