Something Fishy part 3. A good Days Catch.
The Admirals booming bass could be heard through the soundproof doors of his office by his pa Angie and Chip Morton who were conversing the days news in soft tones as they sorted through requisition forms. Chips rash had finally faded, and with enough washings the squid ink now looked like faded bruised patches.
It was bound to happen, Chip supposed. The never ending cycle of missions, repairs, then another mission even before the repairs and healing were finished. The bright side of being in Santa Barbara was the ability of the crew to visit family. Oddly enough, there were crew who didn't have wives or kids, many might have parents, or sibling. Ones you wouldn't expect to have any desire to interact with little kids. Once they had heard of Lee reading to the kids, many of them asked if they could volunteer to read to the kids, or do field trips.
In two week was "The big one" a full day of exploring Santa Barbara's famed wharf museum of natural history and aquarium. Most of it was coral, sea urchins and tiny seahorses, but it did boast a small nursemaid shark and had a whale hanging above. Half of the crew had signed up for field trip duty, granting one on one supervision to the youngsters. A curious thing, Angie had informed him later, was the statement from the museum director, the quiet sigh of "Yes, I suppose we will still be open by then." He hadn't gone into too much detail beyond they were trimming up some hours to meet the needs of visitors.
As Kowalski had explained, it gave the men a sort of family feeling, with out the wife, a test run at being a parent. Many of the men were father's, and duty had taken away the chance of taking their own children on field trips. Nelson had agreed as long as it didn't interfere with their duties, and that they had all of their shots. For the field trip in two weeks Harry had decided it would be a day off for everyone. The Aquarium was more than happy to arrange the facilities entire use by NIMR personal and their families on that day.
Doc, and Tish had warned all of them though. Daycares were petri dishes for germs. Cooties were another concern. Yes, the kids were all kept clean and every effort was made to prevent infestation. Every kid was checked every other day and they hadn't had a single case in years.
Until today. Admiral Parks was throwing a fit because several of his men had been pulled from duty due to chicken pox, foot and mouth, and now, head lice. What had puzzled Doc was while the chicken pox and foot and mouth had been explained, they couldn't determine the source for the head lice. Luckily,there was no trace of it on the boat, or in NIMR offices. Parks had been mortified when SecNav had pulled him out of the room during a briefing and shown him the lice and eggs in his hair. It had to be the day care centers fault Parks concluded and he was determined to put an end to the visits. He had even gone as far as to suggest taking steps to see that the center was closed.
Distressed, Agatha had spoken to Lee, Chip and Doc about the closure. While it wasn't on base property, the families which used the daycare were all military. With out it, many of the single parents had no one to care for their children. Lee promised he would do what he could to get to the bottom of it all. The daycare center wasn't far from the base, and when it was being opened there had been talk about it being on the base, but that was seen as an insurance liability. The center struggled sometimes to pay the bills, it was difficult as the military didn't want to subsidize it, though expected it to function on the payments by the parents.
Doc created a spread sheet to determine dates and locations of who all was affected. Three of the visiting daycare children had the infestation first, then the several staff members of Parks but there didn't seem to be any connection. His next step had be to contact the nearby doctors offices, but none of them had cases. It was Agatha who suggested contacting local dispensaries to see if they had a rush on the special shampoos.
Maybe what was so distressing was in the time that Lee and Chip had been in contact with Agatha, she'd really blossomed into a delightful young woman and had lost almost all of her introverted behavior.
The actions of Park had ramped up her shyness. Lee had pointed out to her that none of the seaview men had contracted the cooties, and the three children who did present with it were visiting officers children and not regular day care children.
It was a day later that Lee had come to sickbay on his own with the rash on his back. Normally, Lee would have toughed it out. There were children involved in his life and he would never risk their precious lives. It only took a single test before Lee found himself in isolation. Willingly. While they hadn't solved the problem with Admiral Parks, in a way, Doc felt he had solved another.
Admiral Parks though was adamant. Getting cooties once was bad enough. He had, however undergone four treatments and as such, wasn't able to attend his duties. The video conference calls weren't the same as he couldn't sign papers and the others seemed to ignore him. It was all Nelson's men's fault and he wanted all connections with that infernal daycare center to stop at once.
Harry had been patient with Parks up to a point. Parks had been badgering SecNav and Comsubpac regarding the daycare for some time now, way before the seaview crew had begun to visit their. Personally Parks felt the daycare was a massive security disaster waiting to happen. What officer wouldn't give up secrets if they felt their child's life was in danger? It was outrageous that civilians were in charge as well. Parks complaining had fallen on deaf ears until the cooties incident.
It had been Edith who set Harry's mind at ease. In order for Parks to be continually re infected he had to be close to ground zero. He didn't have children. While Parks should have been capable of determining how and when, the man was clueless.
The other reason why Parks had fallen into his tirade was Lee was recovering from a variation of chicken pox which Parks and Jones had blamed on the children. That Harry had to admit was, partially true. Yes, the daycare center did have the yearly outbreak of chicken pox while Lee was there, both Parks and Jones were more upset that with the exposure and outbreak it delayed the sub from being sent out on a mission weeks before she was finished repairs. Lee was still in isolation, preventing Jones from sending him off on an oni mission while the sub was being repaired.
Agatha had felt just awful about Lee being so ill. All the secretaries and most of the female staff had been distressed Lee was ill and had tried to get in a visit. Lee was the favorite male on base of course, but Doc had shooed them away. All except Agatha who'd told Doc she had seen her fair share of bare bums in her line of work. She stood quietly at the observation window watching the rise and fall of his chest. Standing beside her Doc noticed her auburn hair was coming in quite well. She noticed him staring at her.
"Don't tell me I have cooties!" She watched Doc shake his head.
"No, you don't. I was just calculating the probability of a family with brown eyes and brown hair having a relative with auburn hair and blue eyes. No offense..." He admitted. It had been the same question that Harry had asked him years ago when they were discussing how Edith had all of the beauty in the family.
"None taken. The odds are normally one sixteenth of one percent, and only if someone had those genes in the family to begin with. In my case the answer is much simpler. I was selected, not expected. Closed adoption. Maybe it's why I struggled for so many years with not being able to fit in until that awful blind date." Agatha said with a sad smile as she returned her gaze to Lee.
" Even in the worst of times, something good may come about." Doc said gently.
Agatha turned to regard Doc. " How can this be good?"
"He finally has a chance to heal. I have to change his dressings, and while I know you've seen your share of bare butts, and his is rated as being one of the cutest on the base, you'll have to grant him some dignity." Doc saw a twinkle in her eyes.
"I could say fair is fair... " She said crossing her arms over her chest.
Cupping her cheek in his hand Doc replied gently."Lee was frantic with worry, he wasn't..."
"I know. I went from being an only child to having a hundred big brothers. I don't think that will ever change."
It had taken Doc some time to reassure her this was bound to happen and stated Jones was more to blame than her. Comsubpac had come to check up later and found Lee sleeping on a specialized water mattress still in quarantine.
Jiggs Stark eyed the young man who lay with great swatches of a thin cloth covering the rash on his back and hips. His eyes narrowed as Doc came from his office. " How on earth did a full grown man get chicken pox?" Jiggs demanded.
"It's not unheard of, primarily it's a children's illness. If you've never been exposed chicken pox may happen at any time. Captain Crane however has the adult Herpies Varicella Zoster Virus, otherwise known as shingles."
" Isn't Crane a bit young for that?" Jiggs asked.
" Normally, I'd say yes. However in this case,the chronic daily stress was the trigger for shingles with Captain Cranes, not unexpected with his highly stressful life style. He is immune compromised. It would be best if he recovers in isolation. In this state he could catch a sinus infection and fall into organ failure."
" So, you would agree that exposure to the children in the daycare contributed to his current illness?"
Doc knew where the question was leading. " Actually, the compromised immune issues are from the oni missions Lee never seems to be able to heal from before he's sent out on another one. This time, it's caught up with him. If anything, his exposure to the children has boosted his chances of survival. He never would have come forward on his own if not the concerns for the children's safety."
Jiggs eyed Doc. " And next time?" He studied the younger man.
" There can't be a next time. I understand Captain Crane is one of the best Oni has, simply because I keep patching him up enough to keep him alive until the next time. The other men didn't. This virus is Captain Crane's body way of saying enough. I'm certain Commander Morton's allergic reaction to squid dye was the same. All of the men on the seaview are the best of the best. To continually abuse and risk their lives beyond this vessels mission is a reckless waste of resources."
Doc could tell Jiggs wasn't happy, but he couldn't argue with what he saw with Lee's current condition. Finally Jiggs harumped before nodding and stalking off to see Harriman. Feeling very giddy weak, Doc found his office chair and pulled it around to sit on. He had bought time for the crew. Sure. The life of a seaman was dangerous from the first moment they came to the sacrifices the crew and NIMR had made an over all difference. Something had to give. Doc made it a policy to keep up with current events. A communications cable was showing signs of being tampered with.
Sure, it could be marine life taking a curious nibble from the cable. A rock slid could have damaged it. Yes, someone could be ease dropping. There were other ways that they could find out the problem. Rather than risking lives to the enemy, send a message out that was incorrect and see who responded. If no one, then ether way a new cable had to be laid. That would be a job for a totally different vessel.
Doc sighed as he prepared Lee's next round of wraps to ease the nerve pain. He tried not to snicker. Keeping Lee in sickbay for a much needed rest and observation had always been a struggle. So much so, the medical team had created "Injury to Lee, the drinking game." Every time Nelson visited, take a shot of Glenlivet. For each stitch Lee got added another shot of whiskey. Broken bones, a double shot of caffeine. Internal injuries? Pick your poison. Lee escaping sickbay? A hit off the helium tank followed by reciting the hypocritical oath. It could only be played if one of the staff would be able to keep Lee in bed for longer than two weeks with out him being in a coma.
Candidly Doc had explained in detail how the shingles attacked the nerves pathways to Lee. Sure, Lee had a high tolerance for pain. All oni ops did. Chip did as well. In no way had Doc exaggerated the level of pain the men would have with the rashes. He just reenforced they had to lay very still during the treatments which for the two of them just happened to be nearly 24/7.
Neither of the men realized Doc could have just spread the ointment on them with a light bandage and let them return to work as he did the first day with Chip. Oh no. He had learned his lesson when Chip was re admitted to sickbay more ill than before. They both were exhausted and they needed rest. The topical clove, honey and vinegar soaks numbed the area blissfully. A very light sedative put the men down for the count.
They came to realize movement caused pain. Here Doc suppressed another snicker. Of COURSE having small snaps super glued to the skin to hold the treatment sheets to the skin with out using tape had been a brilliant idea. Movement would put pressure on the rash, which caused pain. If they were in pain, then he had inferred the rash was getting worse. At no time did he suggest the rash might be highly contagious, and for the good of the men they had to remain in isolation.
For Chip it was a simple "We don't know." Lee, (Doc snickered again) had known shingles were a form of the chicken pox virus, and of course chickenpox was highly contagious. Lee never asked if Shingles were. Then again by that time he had started treatment and slipped the sedative into his IV he was able to tell them it was working because they weren't moving.
The Admiral though. He was old enough, smart enough, wise enough, to understand what Doc was doing. He was well aware the men were overworked, and agreed what ever means necessary to make them better. The goal was to have him healed before the field trip. Lee and the admiral had agreed to that. Maybe the staff might be able to play the drinking game sooner rather than later. At any rate, the staff was keeping track.
That lead to another matter that the Admiral had confided to him late one evening after he gave report on the crew. He'd promised Harry he would look into it quietly, listening to Harry recount why his request was important. It had been early morning that Tish had knocked twice on the Admirals door before entering. Harry could see she was upset, though she was struggling to keep it together. "Yes Tish? What is it? " He asked gently.
"It's the daycare sir, Admiral Parks has pressured the building owners to evict them and broke the lease saying they were presenting a danger to the military. He's given them until the end of the week to move out. There won't be a daycare by the time the field trip was to happen." Tish said wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She'd always had been quite fond of her cousin. She wasn't in a habit of bringing her worries to Nelson but she knew how much the volunteers work meant to the crew.
Harry sighed. It wasn't unexpected. Yet again Parks had come down with the cooties and there was no explanation. Something wasn't quite right though. The military didn't own the property that the daycare sat on. A third party forcing a termination of the lease created a host of legal issues...unless there was a separate reason. Rising from his chair Harry began to pace his office allowing Tish to continue with out interruptions. Harry stopped his pacing infront of the map of the base. He nearly missed what Tish said next. "What was that you said?"
"The same leasing company holds their apartment rental and has said because they no longer have jobs they are facing eviction as well. Agatha said all the tenants got the same letter though. It's like the entire block is being emptied. How on earth did they know Agatha lost her job? " She repeated.
Tish was unprepared for the grin on Harry's face as he turned.
" It's going to be alright Tish. Give Agatha a call and see if she can come tomorrow morning for a meeting."
" Don't you have a meeting with Admiral Parks and Jones tomorrow?"
" Let me take care of that Lass." He replied gently.
Harry stood gazing down at the NIMR families milling about the aquarium. It had been ages since he'd explored the displays. Underwriting the wharf as a private citizen was just enough to, as his mother was fond of saying, "upset the apple cart."
He felt Agatha's presence beside him before she spoke a word. "There you are..." She said smiling taking a place beside him.
"I'm thinking we should do this every year." Harry said with a satisfied grin watching Agatha nod.
"The children are having a wonderful time. None of this would have happened if..." Here Agatha flustered. "I'm still not sure why you did it. Did all of it."
Harry knew she was referring to NIMR stepping up and assisting the day care center to be moved to one of NIMR's outer buildings at the base and providing on base housing for Agatha, the daycares new director. The other director had taken the retirement package that Parks office had given her.
"Oh, it was simple deduction. Once Tish informed me Parks had your landlord break the lease, but wasn't looking for new tenants, I realized the daycare, your apartment, and the wharf were all slated for demolition to make way for yet to be proposed expansion of the base. The wharf was the key though. With out it, the project is landlocked. They might build, but it will be much smaller."
" But the bouts of cooties? Six times already for Admiral Parks and the children are all fine... " Agatha asked perplexed.
" Well, your suggestion to check the dispensary was spot on. It seems his adjunct was using the car on his dinner breaks to provide a car pool for his son's baseball team. Apparently several of the team had an outbreak from shared helmets. His son sat in the front seat, so he never had an outbreak at his home but anyone who road in the back picked it up."
" Its not that I'm ungrateful, sir... But.. why the on base housing and the new position..." She finally asked.
Harry placed his hands to rest gently on her shoulders. "Your family. I take care of my own." He was unprepared for her tears, or her stepping up to him clinging to him her head resting on his chest as she cried softly. Wrapping his arms about her he allowed himself to reflect on the moment he thought would never happen in his life time.
"Shhh, it's quite alright daughter." He murmured allowing her time to compose herself. Harry was reluctant to let her go. Digging in his pocket he withdrew a handkerchief and dabbed at her tears. "Deep breath now...alright?" Harry felt her nod. "Good. Shall we rejoin the group? It's about time for Lee to read."
"Would you do it?" Agatha asked wiping the last of her tears away. She watched Nelson nod, emotions playing over his face that settled on a single one. Joy. Lee wouldn't mind. It would be a first for Harriman she supposed. His duties had prevented him from spending significant time at the daycare center, though he did stop in from time to time to see how things were going. She found herself sitting beside him eager to listen to his rumbling voice recount the adventures of the sea below. Looking out over his crew and the children Agatha saw the men enjoying the moment just as much as the children.
Afterwards, the children came up to thank Harry for the field trip. Most said the simple Thank you, some asked if he loved fish as much as they did. It was only near the end of the line that a shy little moppet toddled to Harry and while hugging him asked if he loved his kid as much as Miss Agatha loved them. Harry could only nod, aware that Edith was giving him a peculiar look.
He would explain later. For now, what was important was safe.