Aftershock
Commander Sturgis Turner stood in the doorway of his friend's stateroom, silently watching his other two friends. Neither one was crying, but Sarah MacKenzie was holding Harmon Rabb Jr's hand. He noticed a closeness between the two, even more than usual, and he didn't want to speak, for fear of destroying it.
"Has anyone called Harriet or AJ?" He finally asked.
Mac looked up at him, not letting go of Harm's hand. "The Admiral was notified. They're sending a way for us to get home."
In a hotel in Michigan, Bobbie Latham stood waiting for one of her people to catch up to her. She wanted to be in Washington, just in case anything happened. She still couldn't believe that he'd done it.
"Bobbie, I'm going on the Watertown." He'd said it, simply, wanting her to know why he wouldn't be home if she tried to call. It was as if she didn't know what had been happening in the papers, what the submarine was going up against.
"In the war on Afghanistan, a Naval…"
Her aide switched the television off. "Bobbie, let's go."
"Wait. Turn that back on, please."
"…is in critical condition today. Names being held pending next of kin."
She closed her eyes. Get a hold of yourself, Bobbie. He's on a sub. Nothing can happen. There was only one man that could tell her the truth, no holds barred.
"There's something I need to do first." She went to a nearby phone and called Admiral Chegwidden. She knew him well enough to know that if she was right, if something had happened to Sturgis, he'd tell her the truth, all of it. Most men in her world wouldn't.
Ten minutes later, she was struggling not to cry. "After this, cancel the next few days."
"What's wrong, Ms. Latham?" One of the newer aides asked.
"I'm needed back in Washington." It wasn't Sturgis. It wasn't Sturgis. But it was Bud. The first thing they ever found in common, besides being friends with Harm, was when they baby-sat AJ. How was he taking the news? The Admiral said that he knew, but how was he taking it?
Admiral Chegwidden drove to the house that Bud had never seen, walked up the steps that Bud couldn't manage anymore, and knocked on the door. Harriet Simms came to the door and noticed his eyes, bloodshot from tears. She hadn't seen him look so bad since Baby Sarah died.
"No. Not Bud too. No." She moved aside so that he could come in and he led her to the couch.
"They're trying to get him stabilized in a hospital. They'll see where it goes from there."
"Are Mac and Harm with him?" She asked, knowing that her friends were out there with her husband.
"No. They're on the Seahawk. I've sent transportation for them to come home and watch AJ. Who do I need to call?"
"My parents are unreachable. Mikey…I know he can't come home, but he needs to know." She paused. "Will you come with me?"
He never could refuse her anything. "Of course."
Bobbie met the Admiral and Harriet at the airport. "Thank you." Harriet said quietly as she reluctantly handed her son to the other woman.
"Let me know if there's anything else I can do." The Admiral nodded as he walked with Harriet on the plane.
"Bye Bye, Mommy. Bye Bye." AJ said as Bobbie held him up to the window. Only a few more hours until the others came home.
Commander Sturgis Turner stood in the doorway of his friend's stateroom, silently watching his other two friends. Neither one was crying, but Sarah MacKenzie was holding Harmon Rabb Jr's hand. He noticed a closeness between the two, even more than usual, and he didn't want to speak, for fear of destroying it.
"Has anyone called Harriet or AJ?" He finally asked.
Mac looked up at him, not letting go of Harm's hand. "The Admiral was notified. They're sending a way for us to get home."
In a hotel in Michigan, Bobbie Latham stood waiting for one of her people to catch up to her. She wanted to be in Washington, just in case anything happened. She still couldn't believe that he'd done it.
"Bobbie, I'm going on the Watertown." He'd said it, simply, wanting her to know why he wouldn't be home if she tried to call. It was as if she didn't know what had been happening in the papers, what the submarine was going up against.
"In the war on Afghanistan, a Naval…"
Her aide switched the television off. "Bobbie, let's go."
"Wait. Turn that back on, please."
"…is in critical condition today. Names being held pending next of kin."
She closed her eyes. Get a hold of yourself, Bobbie. He's on a sub. Nothing can happen. There was only one man that could tell her the truth, no holds barred.
"There's something I need to do first." She went to a nearby phone and called Admiral Chegwidden. She knew him well enough to know that if she was right, if something had happened to Sturgis, he'd tell her the truth, all of it. Most men in her world wouldn't.
Ten minutes later, she was struggling not to cry. "After this, cancel the next few days."
"What's wrong, Ms. Latham?" One of the newer aides asked.
"I'm needed back in Washington." It wasn't Sturgis. It wasn't Sturgis. But it was Bud. The first thing they ever found in common, besides being friends with Harm, was when they baby-sat AJ. How was he taking the news? The Admiral said that he knew, but how was he taking it?
Admiral Chegwidden drove to the house that Bud had never seen, walked up the steps that Bud couldn't manage anymore, and knocked on the door. Harriet Simms came to the door and noticed his eyes, bloodshot from tears. She hadn't seen him look so bad since Baby Sarah died.
"No. Not Bud too. No." She moved aside so that he could come in and he led her to the couch.
"They're trying to get him stabilized in a hospital. They'll see where it goes from there."
"Are Mac and Harm with him?" She asked, knowing that her friends were out there with her husband.
"No. They're on the Seahawk. I've sent transportation for them to come home and watch AJ. Who do I need to call?"
"My parents are unreachable. Mikey…I know he can't come home, but he needs to know." She paused. "Will you come with me?"
He never could refuse her anything. "Of course."
Bobbie met the Admiral and Harriet at the airport. "Thank you." Harriet said quietly as she reluctantly handed her son to the other woman.
"Let me know if there's anything else I can do." The Admiral nodded as he walked with Harriet on the plane.
"Bye Bye, Mommy. Bye Bye." AJ said as Bobbie held him up to the window. Only a few more hours until the others came home.
