CH 216
The day Hammersley were leaving Bird was in the ward room with Swain checking the kits over and filling out paper work to make sure they got every thing on the list.
"How was your leave Swain" bird asked
"It was great, it was good spending it with Sally and our kids, what about you"
"It was great I went to Sydney with two dads then down to Melbourne for a few days" Swain stop what he was doing and look at bird, she turn to him
"you and two dads"
"Yes and it not what you think" she lightly slap his arm
"Well when you said.." bird laugh
"I made a deal with him. I'll go with him when he see his parents and he comes with me to visit mine. Moral support Swain that all"
"Ok how did it go"
"with two dads family it went better than he thought. He talk to them alone since they were entertaining guests when we showed up in our uniforms"
"In your uniforms"
"Yes he hasn't seen them since he left to join the navy"
"Ok I bet they were shock"
"Yes and so was there guests, two of them reconsigned me from the news"
"Ok"
"Two dads and I told them what really happen since the reporters got it wrong. They didn't relies how bad it would have been for every one if I haven't gotten hold of Madeline cell phone"
"you did good bird"
"thanks. We went and saw spider and Terri" Swain smile
"How are they" Bird got her phone out and tap onto the screen then she showed swain the photo of spider, Terri and the twins
"wow spider been working out" Bird laugh
"what so funny"
"It what you said about spider working out"
"bird, I'm talking about the gym, not..." he shook his head at her
"don't worry swain, two dads said the same thing to spider. Spider said to him that he needs to get him self a girl friend and get laid more often" Swain laugh
"good one spider" Bird tap on the screen then the next photo appeared it was the photo of the twins close up
"i wounder who they look like"
"spider and Terri of course" bird said laughing
"Very funny bird"
then he pass the phone back to her just as there was a knock on the door and then it open. Swain and bird turn to see Kate walk in
"Morning ma'am are you alright" Swain asked
"Yes I'm fine thanks. I'm glad you both are here" Kate said as she close the door since she was still in her dress uniform.
"Mike got reports back from the feds about crab creek island. The fed have finish there search and investigation." she pass Bird the report file. Bird open it and show it to swain so he could read what it say
"Oh my... three hundred and fifty three bodies recovered... fifty two boats found and named" Bird said in shock.
Then she look up at Kate "That going to take months it identified the bodies"
"i know"
"It got here that the first boat sail dream disappeared three years go during a bad storm, four people were on board" Swain said
"that when the brothers must of started there turkey hunt" bird said.
Then she look down to read more about the report of the findings plus the map of the island and where the bodies were found.
"I'm please it over" Bird said
"a lot of people will be including the families who those bodies once they been identified" Kate said. Swain close the file and pass it back to Kate
"thanks for showing us it ma'am" Bird said
"Mike ask me to show you both. I'll leave you two to get back to what you were doing"
"We were talking about spider and Terri" Kate smile
"Ok and the laughter I heard before coming in here"
"When Swain saw the one with spider, Terri and the twins, swain said 'Spider been working out' I laugh"
"Sorry working out"
"gym, he buff up, but with what swain said, and seeing the twins..." Bird laugh
"Oh that working out, bird" Kate said shaking her head at her. Then she pick up the file and walk to the door and open it
"Captain ma'am the coffee should be ready by now, want me to make you one and take it to your cabin"
"I'll get it thanks bird" then she walk out the door when she head
"do you know what wrong with the captain bird, looks like she didn't get much sleep" Bird laugh
"Swain, swain, swain do I have to tell you all about the facts of life to you"
"no why did you say that"
"Swain I bet you and sally were... working out quiet a bit before you leave for our patrols" Swain thought about it and look at grinning bird
"Oh you mean, captain and... commander Flynn"
"Rabbit on heat, that why the captain looks tired when ever she returns from her shore leave and I've seen commander Flynn grinning like a cat that got cream look and head held high like a peacock who just got laid"
they heard laughter coming from the other side of the door and relies it was Kate who was laughing.
"Ops" bird said quietly making swain laugh
"you laugh"
"Yes"
"Well it true and I've seen that look on you as well swain"
"Have you"
"Yes when I walk in here you were grinning like you either won the lottery or you and Sally were working out a lot" she walk to the door and open it and turn to swain who look shock at bird
"you men can't help it. I'll be back in few minutes"
"Ok" then she walk out the door grinning.
Couple hours later Hammersley left port for there month patrol. Every one was talking about what they did while on shore leave.
"Bird how did it go with your parents, did two dads be have him self" Dutchy asked Bird turn to Dutchy then she walk off the bridge. Every one turn to two dads.
"what happen" Kate asked
"i thought my parents was bad with me but with bird, it been hell for her. She did warn Ryan and me before we left the hotel. But we didn't relies how bad it was. They treated bird like shit the whole time we were there and I felt like punching her brothers lights out for the way they treated bird the whole time we were there and her sister, she was more interested in the crew. They laugh at her when she told them about the cross of valour and they didn't believe her. Her parents did nothing but sat back and leave them with there arguing. Her father wasn't happy that we showed up. They really up set her, I've never seen bird so up set than I did that day. Bird she the only one in the whole family who got a job. Her sister and brothers been on a benefit since they left school and they still live at home."
"that bad" charge said
"Yes and the smell" he shook his head
"what smell" Swain asked
"there body odder, man they all need a bath, shower some thing and a hair cut. The brothers there hair is long and greasy, look like they haven't shave in days. The sister, she got so much make up on she look like an over painted doll and with the clothes she wears she look like a hooker with bird nest hair like she hasn't brush it in months"
"I'll go and talk to bird" Dutchy said then he walk off the bridge.
"I said to bird that they need hosing down and a hair cut. I cheer her up a little and she agree"
"What the house like" RO asked
"Mess, the lawns haven't been mowed in a month and in side there was stuff every where. We had to move thing off the couch before we could sit down. We were in there for about five minutes before bird walk out the door, Ryan and I followed her out side. She said to them... I'm a shame to call you my family, all of you discuss me you are all lazy pigs and slobs. This is the first time I brought friends down here to meet you and this is how you treat them and me. Now they know why I don't like talking to them and our friends about you cause I'm a shame of you all... Bird yelled at her brothers and sister. I've never heard bird swear till that day, Even Ryan was shock, he told me he never seen or heard bird talk or act that way before"
"sounds like bird is not like the rest of her family" Swain said
"no she not, we met an elderly couple from next door, they knew bird since she was a baby. They told Ryan and me stories about bird what she was like growing up and the thing she did when she was little, but I'll wait till bird is back. Cause I don't want to get into trouble with her"
"good idea two dads" Kate said
Dutchy look for bird in her cabin, the ward room and the galley, there was no sign of her so he went to check the back of the ship where he saw her looking out over the ocean. He walk over to her and he heard her sniffle so he put his arm around her
"Want to talk about it" he said. Bird turn and lay her head on his chest then he put is other arm around her back rubbing it up and down till she pulled back
"I don't like talking about my family"
"Are you a shame, embarrass by them"
"Yes...i gather two dads told every one"
"some of the details about what happen. He said that your family treated you like crap and odder was bad"
"Yes there body odder was bad and the house it was a mess, like they don't care about the house or them selves. But that shouldn't surprise me, they always been slobs since I was little. I keep my room tired and clean. Wash my own clothes every thing till the day I walk out of the house for the last time and never look back till the other day"
"I think you should tell the crew this bird. You know we will support you"
"I know but I don't like talking about them"
"you can't keep things in side of you, it would eat you alive. Two dads knows what happen that day, rest of us don't."
"I guest your right Dutchy" Bird move to hug him which he did in return.
"Come on let's head back to the bridge"
"Yeah" they walk back to the bridge while talking about other things.
When they walk up to the bridge two dads walk over to bird and gave her a hug "Are you ok"
"I will be" then she look around to every one who on the bridge
"sorry about before. I didn't want to talk about my family"
"Two dads told us a few things about them" Kate said
"Dutchy told me"
"Bird you can trust us... them, we are family... the clean kind" two dads said making bird grin
"That true" then she turn and look out to sea then back to every one.
"there are a lot of things you don't know about me, my family, my up bringing... I didn't have a great up bringing"
She look around the bridge then she told them about what her life was like when she was younger, her brothers and sister. Bird spent the next two hours share every thing to the crew about her up bringing, the advices and wisdom that the Wilson's, her great grand father, and other elderly couples that she mow lawns and weed gardens for gave to her over the years right up till she left home and went to the navy academy for her training.
By the time she finish. Kate was out of her captain seat and hug bird who was crying
"X you have the bridge...come on bird" Kate said as they walk to the steps and down them leaving a shock crew behind.
"wow I thought my father was bad with me but bird, my god she been through hell with her family" RO said
"what she shared with all of us took guts" swain said
"So true" charge said
"You know, we should teach her family a lesson"
"Two dads" they all said at the same time
"Hear me out, remember what I said, that they need hosing down and a hair cut and bird agree. You can ask buck, he would said it true with what I said and that bird agree" they all look at two dads
"Two dads are you thinking what I think your thinking" charge said
"Why not cause next time we have two week shore leave bird going to ask couple of crew members to go down to Melbourne with her, she goes to the arms force retirement rest home on our next two week shore leave to talk about what it like being on Hammersley what the crew are like, what it like being in the navy. I was thinking, why don't we all surprise bird down there and teach her family a lesson while we are there"
"You went down there last time with her, what happen at the retirement home" Swain asked
Two dads grin as he tells them about what happen and who showed up while Kate and bird walk down to the junior mess where they talk about for about ten minutes alone.
"Feeling better" Kate asked
"Yes thanks, it feels like a big weight been lifted off my shoulders"
"It good talking about it"
"Yes it is"
"dose Ryan know about what you shared"
"Yes, he said I should share it with the crew, but I wasn't ready at the time"
"and now"
"Now a good time since both Ryan and two dads seen and heard what happen"
"Ok I head back to the bridge"
"I better get dinner on" they both stood up and walk out of the junior mess and went there separate ways. When Kate was walking up onto the bridge she could hear laughter. She heard two dads say
"One women asked commander Flynn if he was playing match maker with the Hammersley crew members, commander said no ma'am" They laugh
"Two dads" every one stop laughing
"Yes ma'am"
"were you telling the crew about what we said down in Melbourne"
"Yes ma'am" then she look around to the grinning crew, she shook her head at them then back to two dads.
"What did you tell them"
"about some of the adventures we all had and about the other crew members. That the... breeding feds story ma'am" Every one try not to laugh
"Breeding fed story" she frond
"Yes ma'am the one where commander said to buffer... we drop to feds the other day, now I counted six more what are they doing, buffer said breeding sir" the crew laugh then Kate grin as she remember the story
"Ah that story"
"Yes ma'am and about buffer temporary replacement got his revenge on spider and ET, red hair prank and the boat that called for a may day...red velvet" Kate laugh
"Yes I remember"
"did the residents thought of those stories ma'am" swain asked
"they laugh" Kate said
"One guy yelled out Hammersley done it again after bird and told them about what happen that day of the dirty bomb" Two dads said
"where bird" Charge asked
"She getting dinner sorted" Kate said as the XO stood up and let Kate sit down
"Captain has the ship" He said.