Something Fishy part 4
Christmas
Aloha ka manini (Hail to the fish)
It wasn't that Nelson was dragging his feet for the next mission. It was just the seaview still had something wrong in the plumbing. A fair number of the crew had been splattered and now the washing machines and showers were backing up. Bad enough at drydock, at sea the problems could quickly turn fatal. It didn't go over well with SecNav. Ignoring the sign that said out of order he came out of the head swearing and smelling like fish guts.
Harry could see the humor in it, but Jiggs was hard pressed as he clumped to the showers only to find them backed up. By then Nelson had tracked him down and guided him to the emergency wash station where vats of pickle juice and vinegar were waiting.
In a perverse fashion, Nelson really didn't want to leave dock so close to the holidays. As Edith had reminded him, they had very few Christmas together and neither of them were getting younger. Then there was Agatha. While the Sweetly's had given Agatha a remarkable childhood and loving support and he couldn't ever ask her to change her name,this was his first Christmas as a father.
The relationship between them was complicated. She was a grown woman, she had a loving adoptive family and it was a bit late to dote on her. He also wanted to keep her safe, not bringing attention of the outside world on top of her. The best compromise he could do was to take a hands on approach at the preschool daycare center on a daily basis. He didn't interfere with how she ran the the program, but more often he would read to the children, have lunch with them and walk with the children and their teacher around the exercise yard. If her work kept her late, he would bring dinner to her and walk her home.
As Jiggs showered in Nelson's penthouse apartment to get the last of the vinegar and fish smell off of him, Harry found himself looking over the ocean, then his thoughts strayed back to where the children would be taking their daily walk shortly then having lunch. If Jiggs didn't hurry up...
Somewhat irritated, Harry grabbed his cover and keys then left Jiggs to his own devices hurrying to the preschool center. Breathless he arrived just as the children were gathering the toys to place on the shelves. And then Agatha smiled at him. A warm, accepting smile that filled his heart in so many ways.
"So sorry, was tied up with Jiggs..." He explained quietly as the group of children walked around the inner grassy area of the field like little ducklings. This week they were making figure eights. Harry noticed her nose twitch.
"More plumbing problems?" She asked curious watching Harry nod.
"It's a puzzling intermittent issue, we've sent cameras down and flow regulators. Just when we believe it's fixed, it shifts to another section."
*Does it always smell the same? That octopus ink fish smell that only vinegar and pickle juice can take care of?" Agatha watched Harry think for a moment before nodding still puzzling over what she was getting at.
" Don't you see? Different areas of the subs water system would, well, smell different. The only way all of the waste water could smell the same would be if you had something that escaped from your aquarium get into your waste management pipes. More than likely an octopus. Or several of them." She said grinning.
" We would have seen it on the cameras. " Harry said still puzzled.
" Not if it was moving ahead of the cameras. Look, when I was little Pop Sweetly couldn't figure out why the upstairs powder room kept backing up. I didn't think to tell him I'd dropped one if my tea set saucers in by accident which acted like a flap. He'd push the snake through and it would go right through, but everything else got caught up. Maybe that's what is happening."
" I'm not missing any cephalopod octopod mollusk."
" That you know of. It would be simple enough to place stationary cameras in your lab, and pipe junctions wouldn't it?"
Harry found himself placing his arm around her and giving her a hug as the group of them avoided the roped off area where a nest of bees were. Normally Honey Bees were gentle creatures, but these were escaped from the navel research lab. Harry's attention was drawn back to the moment as she slipped her arm easily around his waist and leaned into it. The magic lasted for a few moments until they had to take the children in and run them through washing hands and faces before their snack and nap time while Harry read to them.
It wasn't that Harry had forgotten Jiggs, the time he had spent with his daughter and the children took about an hour out of his day. He found Jiggs pacing in his office with a tumbler of Glenlivet in his hand. Harry could tell by the decanter level that Jiggs had consumed a few.. It wasn't that Jiggs looked angry, it was different. Curious, Harry waited for Jiggs to speak.
"I never figured you would be one to rob the cradle."
Jiggs said at last. There was disappointment in his tone.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"Come off it Harry! I saw the two of you hanging on each other out there. Is that why you created the space for that teacher? Seemed mighty cozy. Of course your not regular military but excuses not to accept missions? "
Jiggs took a final swig of the tumbler setting it down hard on the desk. Crossing his arms over his chest he waited for Harry to deny it. To say anything. To his surprise Harry picked up the decanter and poured himself a shot, then refilled Jiggs tumbler with a shot as well before handing it to him. Harry took a sip letting the warmth fill him for a moment.
"You know perfectly well that Crane and Morton are still recovering, and we haven't discovered the source of the issues with the plumbing. "
"I thought you were above getting a side piece. The whole base is speculating about your May/December relationship. Exactly what do you do with her on your hour lunch break?"
Harry took another sip. "As advised by Dr. Jamieson, I spend my lunch break walking, and, after the walk, I read to the children." There was no way Harry was going to let Jiggs in on the secret he wanted to shout to the whole world. Not today. Plausible deniability. He didn't want his daughter to be a target.
"The little sub that could?" Jiggs scoffed.
" The oceanographers journal. It's quite good for putting them down for their naps."
" All after their little juice box and cookie?"
Harry took another sip. "If the whole base was really paying attention they would see most of the crew have been doing exactly the same thing that I'm doing, especially the crew who have devoted all of their lives to the service with no time for a family. It reminds us why our duty above all else is so important and it makes us better officers"
Here Jiggs snorted. "Are you suggesting your crew needs to be babied?"
Harry sighed. "No, just most of the world leaders."
"I suppose you will say next it will also assist when the men go undercover on ONI missions?"
"It never hurts to know how to change a nappy."
Here Jiggs eyes widen with a mixture of shock and horror. "That's women's work!"
Realizing the conversation was making Jiggs uncomfortable Harry pushed the matter seriously.
"It's a skill Jiggs! If not done properly they fall off at the most inconvenient time leaving a trail of..."
""Your certifiable Harriman Nelson!" Jiggs said finishing his drink, set the tumbler on the desk and stomped out of the office.
A slow smile formed on Harry's lips, mischief twinkling in his blue eyes. Another crises averted. Sighing he went to his intercom and pressed the button. "Angie, can you inform Crewmen Patterson to come to my office? And the crew chief as well."
" Stationary cameras and Herculite waste pipes sir?"
" Only in specific sections. The cameras outside the pipe will catch hopefully what's been causing the plumbing issue." Harriman explained.
"If you believe you know what's causing it... Well beging your pardon sir, that pipe won't hold for long and it might be cheaper to just replace all of the pipes..." Chief Sharkey said pragmatic. He saw Nelson nod.
" Perhaps, but that won't guarantee we or other boats won't have the same problem later on. We'll also need a waterproof mounted camera at the disposal exit. Do that first."
" Aye Sir."
Harry moved to the window gazing at Lee walking with Agatha and the children. They had progressed to triangles and the littlest one, Harriman Evans was wearing Cranes cover as Lee carried him on his shoulders. Movement in the window in the next building caught his attention.
Several Admirals watched as Lee walked with the children. Unexpectedly Lee handed little Harriman to Agatha and sat down on the grass. Harry watched Agatha push Lee flat on the grass and told the children to sit down. Running past Angie Harry told her to get Will with a crash cart onto the field as well as page Chip.
Agatha was remaining calm as she preformed CPR on Lee. Doc and the medical crew arrive before he could and Chip was right behind him. Oh how Harry wanted to sweep Agatha into his arms to comfort her. It would be the right thing to do. Instead he and Chip gathered the children together keeping them calm reassuring them everything was going to be alright.
The arrival of the gaggle of Admirals who had been watching, including Jiggs and Jones prompted Chip to put the men to use, handing Harriman Evans to Jiggs first, followed by sweeping the anxious little ones into the arms of the other Admirals and directing them into the daycare preschool center.
Obediently the children lined up and Chip did a head count then had the children was there hands as he set up the juice boxes and cookies. All the children were still clinging, though none of them cried. It was little Harriman who asked Jiggs "Unka ee kay?" Unsure Jiggs looked at Harriman puzzled. "Unkaee?" The child nodded then pointed to the wall to a set of photographs of the crew with names under them. Above it was "Our family" "Unka Ee." Harriman pointed to the photo of Lee.
"I don't know." Jiggs told him honestly. Little Harriman nodded then snuggled against his shoulder.
Chip had one of the children pick a book to read from and pulled by his warm steady voice the children were soon fast asleep snuggled next to some of the adults who had stayed to look around the children's room. It was evident while the center was devoted to the care of the children, the books and displays, even the tanks that held different types of fish and sea life.
There was even a periodic table with the kits to make the elements in a corner, and next to that on the wall, children's drawings of the the toys were closer to realistic than the normal soft children's toys. A paper Christmas tree was pinned to the cork board with handprints, both adult in green ink and the children's in blue, red and yellow. Except for the children's toys it looked more like a classroom from Annapolis than a preschool.
Admiral Johnson walked around the room with Jiggs and asked Chip softly as he slid the book onto the shelf "Just what are the children being taught here?"
Chip shrugged. " Science, biology, math, finger painting, shapes, letters. Some of them have picked up calculus. "
" But they're children."
" They're sponges. They haven't been told they are too young to learn some things."
The men looked to the door. Frank entered, escorting Agatha into the room.
Jiggs went to her, "How is Captain Crane?"
It was enough of a push for her to step into Jiggs leaning on him before she dissolved into tears.
Frank spoke softly.
"The Captain coded on them three times before the admiral and Doc were able to get him stabilized for transport. It was a bee sting..." Frank turned to Admiral Johnson. " I know for a fact that Doc sent a notice to your office last week about the bee nest that R&D said escaped from the lab and you told him maintenance would get on it that day. What chance would one of the children have against those modified bees? Or Miss Sweetly? Did you actually file the request with maintenance or toss it in the trash after telling Doc you would take care of it because they were your R&D project?"
It was a hard, yet fair question that Chip knew was fueled by emotions. He, and Lee had also been aware of the report and had received assurances the bees had been taken care of. It was the only reason why they were out on the field on such a beautiful day, and still well away from the bees nest was to have been removed.
Johnson was about to yell at the young corpsmen but a glare from Jiggs silenced him.
"That's a very good question young man." Jiggs stiffly patted Agatha's shoulder then handed her off to Chip."One that we're going to investigate right now."
Frank shook his head. " Admiral Nelson already has a crew in gear disposing of all of the bees."
It was like a sucker punch to his chest. Admiral Johnson was scruffed by Jiggs and frog marched out of the room with harsh whispers he was not going to wake a single child, and it was idiots like him that were a danger to crews everywhere.
Admiral Jones watched quietly as Chip comforted Agatha.
"He's a fighter Agatha.." she shook her head.
"Doc said Lee is all out of fight."
Chip had no idea why Jones remained so long at the day care center, well after most of the parents had picked up the children. Though when Jones did walk around it was to pause at the tree and the portraits.
Finally the last child was picked up. Chip and Agatha had already set the room for the next days lessons and we're about to lock up when the phone rang. It was Doc letting Chip know they had placed Lee in a chemical coma to allow his body to rest and his liver to process the toxin. He also noted the Admiral was being admitted for overnight observation and was resting comfortably. The running of NIMR was in his hands.
"Understood." It was clear Jones knew this was going to happen by his expression. While the man may have been a brilliant ONI director, he would be a bad partner at gin rummy. Chip turned to Agatha. "They have Lee on an appropriate treatment. The Admiral is staying tonight. Let's get you home, ok?" She nodded. They bid Jones goodnight, then Chip walked Agatha to her quarters making sure she was safely in before heading to the NIMR office taking the private elevator down to the sub where he inspected the newly installed hurculite pipes.
The plumbing of the seaview came from water reserves and water from the ocean stored in the ballast tanks. that water was used in the head and to flush systems. Using that logic, Lee and the admiral realized most of the issues came from the salt water. Lee had dropped orange and green dye into the water and periodically flush the system while the cameras recorded the debris. They had flushed the first tank and Chip knew Lee was to flush the second ballast tank that afternoon. He didn't know if Sharkey had attended to it. It would only take a moment to check then he was going to head to his bunk for a few hours shut eye.
Entering into the 9th observation area Chip flicked on the light. The sudden illumination of the hurculite pipes matched with movement so quick Chip would have missed it if he had blinked. Rather than green or Orange in the pipe, Chip saw clear water, a blinking eye and sudden jet's of black obscuring further view of the pipes interior. Adrenaline pumped into him as he raced down the corridor skipping two of the access pipe areas and stopping at the 12th.
Chip was in the room with the door closed and the light off watching the clear water simply by the green night vision cameras. Staying as still as possible he sat waiting watching the clear water. He would have totally missed everything if he hadn't seen the large single eye blink as it studied the room. A long tentacle searched the hurculite tubes edges then coiled around drawing something closer to her.
It was evident the creature had been injured. It would explain the missing eye and ragged healing scar on its dome. There had to be thousands of them, wee, curious creatures some weeks old living in a safe environment which provided plenty of food. There was only one reason why she hadn't died after her babies had hatched, though Chip marveled at how she still managed to remain protective of her babies. Chip slowly stood up and walked to the pipe. The navy would have ordered the chemical cleaning of the system, killing the octopus and her brood.
Reaching up slowly he placed his hand on the hurculite pipe. Chip watched her turn her head to look at him. "It's alright old girl, we're not navy." He said gently.
Harry woke to low murmured voices and a soft brush of fingers caress upon his cheek. It took a moment for him to focus on Agatha and Chip, both sitting on chairs beside his bed. "Good morning." He managed. Looking at Chip he asked curious. "Aren't you supposed to be at the institute" He felt Chip grasp his hand, worry on his young face.
" I'm under orders from Angie and Tish not to come in until I have word regarding Lee and you. We also have a clear repair date for the sub to fix the plumbing issue."
" Which is?" Nelson asked as he wondered why Chip was grinning.
" Probably about a year. "
" Replacing the plumbing takes a month, why a year?"
" The Seaview is now Nelson's Nursery for a very rare, newly discovered variety of pacific cephalopod octopod mollusk who's hatched several thousand eggs. From what I could see, the mother had some head trauma. She's still nurturing the babies. It may take a while to design a system to extract them all from the ship but I have a pretty fair idea what might work. Once she knew we weren't going to hurt her babies she came right up to Ski and Pat when they went to check the condition of the ballast tank they were living in. She must have been pulled in while we were taking on ballast water." Chip watched Nelson nod.
" And Lee?" It was said in such a way Chip knew Nelson's heart would break. He watched Agatha move to sit on Harry's bedside. For the life of Harry he didn't know why she was grinning.
"Well, it seems mother Octopus was so friendly she allowed Uncle Ski to milk her venom and Uncle Will was able to use that to counteract the bee venom as an antidote. Uncle Lee is still on the ventilator, but his liver is doing much better. In light of this medical breakthrough, SecNav feels the octopus have earned the right to sanctuary while her babies grow." Agatha explained. She fell silent for a moment before straightening his covers, then asked suddenly.
"Seeing how the Seaview is going to remain in drydock for a while, and Uncle Will said you would be released from here by Christmas eve, I was wondering if you and Aunt Edith would like to join me for the holidays with Pop Sweetly at their cabin... Mum Sweetly is going to be staying with Alice and her new baby for a while...I don't care what those other Admirals make of it, or us spending time together. We've missed too many holidays already. Aunt Edith said as long as you say it's ok, she's in. I'd also like your permission to call you Da Nelson, and to change my name legally to Agatha Nelson Sweetly."
"I'd like that." Harry replied softly.
Leaning forward Agatha kissed Harry's lips before resting her head upon his chest hugging him. " I was so scared I was going to lose you Da. I couldn't bear that thought. I love you."
Harry wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "I love you too." A year, at least to be with his daughter? The rest of the world would have to wait.
The end?