Chapter 9: Making Lemonade
After a long day and the events of Hamburger Hill, Holly wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. She lay down in the 2nd level of bunk beds in Midway's crew quarters, pulled the curtain closed, and shut her eyes. A few moments later, she heard a voice calling to her.
"Holly… baby, wake up." The soft voice spoke out.
"Huh? Who's there?" Holly asked groggily.
"Honey wake up, it's time for school." The voice beckoned.
"Who are you?" Holly demanded.
"Don't you recognize mama's voice?" The voice responded hurtfully.
"…Mom? Where are you?" Holly asked, bewildered.
"I'm right here." Her mother responded.
Holly could barely make out the motherly figure, her vision was still very hazy from fatigue. She was sitting up in a soft bed with clean linen sheets, as the sun rays danced through the now open window. Her mother sat down on the bed next to her, and Holly felt the bed sink a little bit. Holly couldn't rub the sleep out of her eyes, and could only determine her mother's figure, dressed in a light-blue summer dress. Her eyes traced upward, past her mother's voluminous bosom, to a head of bright, flowing hair that almost seemed like it was on fire.
"Mom? Why did you leave me…? I want to know." Holly pleaded.
"Honey, wake up…" Her mother's voice said, growing more distant.
"Mom? Mom!" Holly shouted, rolling out of bed and hitting the floor.
When Holly opened her eyes again, she was in Midway's crew quarters, looking up at a hole in the ceiling. The deck above her was on fire, the result of an armor piercing bomb whose fragments lay on the floor around her. Her ears rang with the sound of a fire alarm, as smoke lingered in the air.
"Holly! Holly please wake up!" Theresa shouted, running around the corner with a fire extinguisher. The red bottle emitted a cloud of foam which suffocated the fire, as Theresa turned to the brown-haired belle. "Get up, Major! We're under attack!"
Holly, still confused, nodded and ran for the hangar deck as Theresa followed her up the stairs. Warning alarms were blaring, as other crew members ran to their battle stations.
"Same dream again? About your mother?" Theresa asked.
"Same one…" Holly sighed. "I just can't get it out of my head."
"This is Captain Kurosawa, all hands man your battle stations! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!" Kurosawa boomed over the PA system.
Holly and Theresa ran down the corridors, watching hundreds of other sailors ducking in and out of ship bulkheads, some heading for the engine decks while some were headed to the anti-aircraft guns. They soon spotted other bomber witches ahead of them, running for the hangar deck with all their might.
When they reached the hangar, the massive shutters were open as the F-4 Phantoms were wheeled onto the elevators. The witches ran to their bomber racks, and Holly turned just in time to see Denise trying to grab her new AC-119 unit.
"Eilers, you are still under medical orders not to participate in combat!" Holly fumed.
"I can do this, just trust me!" Denise pleaded.
"Denise." Holly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Please. Stay. Here. This is an order."
Denise conceded, her head drooping as the other girls geared up and headed for the elevator. Shannon noticed the verbal exchange and came over to console Denise.
"Don't take it personally. She's just interested in your safety." Shannon encouraged, patting Denise on the shoulder.
"I know, I just wanted to get back in the air. …But it can wait. Go get 'em Fairchild." Denise smiled proudly.
The witches were elevated to the flight deck via the forward portside lift, just in time to hear the 'brrrrrrt' sound of Midway's M167 Vulcan Air Defense System as a nearby Teki fighter went down in flames and crashed into the sea. Midway's 5-inch/54 caliber guns roared, as the radar fire control directed their flak against incoming Teki aircraft. The M167 VADS system on Midway was not indigenous considering they were army assets and had been hastily bolted in to the ship's gun tubs during the 1957 refit. There were four, one at each corner of the ship, complemented by the Talos missile launchers and the original 5-inch/54 caliber dual purpose guns. A Mark 7 Talos surface to air missile whizzed over the witch's heads, taking down a Teki bomber at long range.
"This is the tower. All witches hear this! The Teki have sprung a night attack on us, using terrain masking tactics to evade our radar. Launch immediately and take out those enemy bombers before they can get near us! Your IFF will be updated in flight!" The controller said.
"Where did they all come from…?" Glenda scowled.
"Never mind that! Get to the catapult and launch!" Holly commanded.
The barriers were raised, as Holly and Candice both launched from the forward catapults. The remaining witches were also launched in pairs, as they soared into the murky sky. Muzzle flashes from Alabama's dual-purpose artillery illuminated the sky, joined by tracers from Midway and the escorting ships. A surface to air missile from USS Long Beach flew past, heading towards a flock of enemy bomber craft on the horizon. The missile exploded, taking out one of the lead bombers, but they continued to charge towards Combined Task Force 77. These Teki were about the size of a twin-engined fighter-bomber, as yellow lightning marks streaked across their charcoal black airframes. Each one was equipped with an anti-ship warhead, capable of paralyzing a capital ship or outright sinking a destroyer escort in one hit.
The fleet itself was caught out of position – the support ships had returned from the Philippines islands, and were all lined up on the far-right flank of CTF 77. The three carriers were in the mid-left of the formation, with most of the cruisers on their starboard flank and the Alaska sisters up front, while the battleships and destroyers were just off their bow. The only cruiser to their immediate port side defense was the Canberra, which made her the proverbial lynchpin to their protection. The 'Can-Do Kangaroo' had her work cut out for her, even with the twin-rail Terrier SAM launchers and her rapid-firing 3-inch AA mounts.
A formation of the Teki bombers closed in from the north, while their fighter escorts engaged the F-4 Phantoms. Jane took point on the attack, using her shield to block incoming fire as she readied an AGM-28 'Hound Dog.'
"This is 'Calamity Jane,' I've set my hound dog to proximity fuse detonation, conventional HE warhead. I'll blow a hole in their formation; any cleanup help would be greatly appreciated. Firing point procedure, weapon AGM-28, bearing one zero five degrees, altitude 0.61 kilometers, range 6.4 kilometers, missile away." Jane declared, as the missile ignited and sped towards the Teki.
Moments later, the hound dog contacted the lead enemy formation, destroying the lead bomber and setting the two adjacent bombers on fire.
"Yes! Direct hit!" Jane exclaimed, as the now blazing enemies crashed into the sea.
Candice then swooped in behind an enemy bomber, unleashing a gun barrage with her 30mm ADEN autocannon. Meryl went head-on with the fifth Teki bomber, piercing its nose with her 20mm M24A1 autocannon. A new formation of seven appeared behind the remains of the first five, as Shannon moved in for a strafing barrage. Her XM-197 minigun buzzed, as she cut down three more bombers. Kurosawa contacted them, just as Glenda slotted in to take out another two bombers.
"Attention all Bomber Witches! New enemy formation sighted to the north, same attack vector! Contact does not match anything on our records, but it is of massive volume… Destroy it before they can disrupt our fleet operations." Kurosawa commanded.
"I copy, Captain Kurosawa." Holly said, rallying the other girls as she finished off the last two bombers. "Alright girls, I don't know what this is, but we've got to defend the fleet."
"Copy, major!" The girls responded.
"This is 'Boiling Point,' I'm analyzing the target now." Hailey said, as she ascended to observation altitude. "Contact, bearing one five zero degrees, altitude 0.70 km, range 7 km. Recommend turning on searchlights."
The dark object loomed on the horizon, an ominous presence in the murky night sky. Alabama's powerful searchlights struck its alien 'skin' with light, revealing something akin to a monstrous zeppelin.
"What in John Paul Jones…" Kurosawa scowled. "Teki, front! Super-heavy type! Midway to Alabama and New Jersey, load main guns: Mark 8 Super Heavy shell, and prepare for heavy anti-air assault!"
"What is she doing now…?" Shannon scoffed.
"I think I know, but we should get out of the way. All witches break formation and spread out!" Holly demanded.
Just then, Kurosawa gave the order to fire, as twelve 16-inch rounds from the battleships streaked through the sky at 760 meters a second. The heavy-weight rounds had as much striking power as an 18.1-inch shell, while being lighter, as they penetrated the enemy airship and detonated inside. The airship bulged, as it exploded violently like a supernova in the Asian twilight. However, some of the fragments started moving, as the Teki bombers managed to escape their mothership.
"Wake me up…" Meryl frowned, as the new wave of thirty descended upon the task force.
Danielle managed to splash two more with her custom Bren machine gun, and Theresa scored five more with her Hispano as she chased them towards the fleet. Midway's F-4 Phantoms managed to claim two more kills, and Theresa was about to initiate her special attack, just as a Talos missile from USS Galveston ripped right past her and hit another enemy bomber.
"Hey, watch it! I'm on your side!" Theresa shouted, to no avail as USS Hoel also fired a RIM-66 Tartar missile in her direction. She could hear the warning tone as the missile mistakenly locked on to her instead of the Teki she was chasing.
"Theresa, get out of there!" Holly demanded.
"USS Hoel, disengage! You're firing on allied witches!" Kurosawa roared.
Right before the missile could impact, Theresa opened her dive brakes and engaged her shields, praying with all her might. The RIM-66 lost track of her heat signature and reacquired a Teki adjacent to her, destroying it.
"Susmaryosep…" Theresa cried, disengaging her dive brakes and leveling out.
Midway, Saratoga, and Intrepid managed to gun down ten more bombers, while the combined firepower of Canberra and Newport News took out six more targets. Long Beach attempted to engage but did not have enough time to lock on as they closed in on her. One of the three remaining bombers crashed just one meter off her port bow, while another impacted her on the bow and plunged through the deck plating, destroying her forward SAM launchers. The third bomber struck at midships, just aft of the C1W Westinghouse nuclear reactor. The dreadful blare of Long Beach's alarm sent shock and horror into everyone's head as flames billowed from the nuclear-powered cruiser.
"Midway to Long Beach! Shut down the reactor! NOW!" Kurosawa instructed, as the damage control teams scrambled to react.
"This is Long Beach! Attempting to shut down the reactor now and engage safety countermeasures! We're dead in the water, but please keep your distance! Opening flood valves!" The captain responded, as they proceeded to flood the reactor room.
"Roger… All witches, enemy destroyed. Return to ship…" Kurosawa announced.
Holly flew over to Theresa, firmly grasping her shoulders.
"Theresa, are you alright?" Holly worried.
Theresa made no response, as she continued sobbing.
"Bolstead. Look at me! Are you alright?" Holly reiterated.
"That could've been me…" Theresa wailed, hugging Holly and crying even harder.
Holly gently shushed the skyraider. "I think we've all had a rough night. Let's get you on the deck."
The other girls looked on anxiously, even Denise, who had climbed upstairs to the Midway's deck. Holly helped Theresa land, and they were followed by the other girls. Denise came over to console Theresa, as they docked their units and headed downstairs. The girls tried to go back to bed, but Theresa couldn't sleep as she continued replaying the events in her head. As the sniffling continued, she felt a gentle nudge as Holly appeared with a mug of hot cocoa.
"Hey Terry." Holly smiled worriedly. "I thought you might want a hot drink to help you calm down."
"Thank you major…" Theresa perked up, stepping out of her bunk space to stand in the corridor with Holly. She took a hearty sip of the hot chocolate and smiled gratefully as it warmed her up. "My abuela used to make hot chocolate for me when I was young, very similar to this. Although missing the cinnamon spice – this is almost like a taste of home."
"I'm glad. Hey, listen – what happened out there was not your fault. These surface to air missile systems are still… finnicky. The fire control crew on USS Hoel didn't even know that the missile had lost its initial target, so they were just as surprised. Kurosawa gave them a tough time about it, as usual…" Holly giggled.
"It's just… Up until now I've always been so sure of myself in combat." Theresa interjected. "We had claimed victory after victory, and this was the first time I've looked death in the eye and felt afraid." She shivered, downing the rest of the hot chocolate.
"I get that – we come out of training feeling like we own the world, and nothing can stop us… then at some point on the battlefield we realize how vulnerable we truly are." Holly sighed.
"But, that's what friends are for right?" Theresa brightened up, setting the empty mug down. "Ever since I started training with you and Denise, I've felt stronger than I ever did alone. We were like… the Three Musketeers!" She giggled.
"'One for all and all for one,' huh?" Holly smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, some of us are trying to get some beauty sleep!" Shannon whispered angrily from her bunk.
Holly and Theresa both smiled at each other, still quite giggly, as they crawled into their bunks and drifted asleep.
The next morning…
The girls woke up having very little, if any, sleep and managed to get through breakfast. By the time they reached the bridge, they nearly tripped over each other as they attempted to shake off the drowsiness. Kurosawa walked into the war room to see Meryl, Danielle, and Glenda sleeping peacefully with their heads resting on the table.
"ATTEN-SHUN!" She roared.
The sleepy bomber witches straightened up in a hurry, attempting to keep energy flowing.
"Goodness gracious…" Aiko shook her head. "I can't have you girls flying out there like that, you'll be more of a danger to yourselves than the enemy. That attack last night… That wasn't like the Teki. They're certainly growing bolder, and while we do need to strike back I just cannot send you out there right now. You're not combat capable."
Just then, Denise hopped happily up the stairs, her arm unbandaged and swinging about freely.
"Oh my… Did any of you get to sleep?" Denise asked, her mouth hanging open in shock.
"2nd Lt. Eilers, did you sleep through the entire attack last night?" Aiko tilted her head inquisitively.
"No, but considering I didn't actually fly last night…" Denise answered, glancing at Holly.
"I might've guessed. But your medical documents indicate you're ok to fly starting today, as long as you take it easy." Aiko informed. "That said, I suppose I should let you girls relax the rest of the day. It's probably for the better that you recuperate. In the meantime, we can get repairs underway for USS Long Beach."
"Awesome!" Denise squealed. "In the meantime, we ought to commence Operation Picnic!"
"Operation… what?" Aiko echoed.
"Operation Picnic?!" Danielle perked up, her eyes shining with glee. "There is no bomber witch that can resist the highest form of luncheon!"
"...oh." Aiko realized, seeming disappointed. "As long as it's ok with the head chef, you can use their facilities."
"You can join us if you would like, Captain." Holly suggested.
"I appreciate that, but there's no one to relieve me. I am the relief, as it were." Aiko responded.
"We'll think of something." Holly smiled hopefully.
"I'm sure you will - you're a very creative bunch." Aiko said, cracking the merest fraction of a smile. "Oh, I've also received word your instructor is paying us a visit. Said something about getting a report for SAC and 'checking up' on her girls."
"Instructor Morgan? Here?" Denise wondered.
"As long as command approved it, makes no difference to me. I've got a lengthy battle report for Pearl Harbor's HQ, and she's most likely going to pick up some documents for Strategic Air Command."
"Roger that." Denise saluted, as they exited.
The girls filed out and headed below deck to the ship's kitchen. It was a massive room connected to the mess hall. Even then, the space felt cramped with all the industrial grade refrigerators and equipment. The girls ran up to the front counter, where Head Chef Terry Saxon was inspecting the heated display of soups and breads. He looked up at them, as they began explaining the plan.
"Operation what…?" He echoed.
"Picnic!" Denise exclaimed.
"With your permission Head Chef Saxon," Holly began. "We'd like to put together a basic picnic for our group. We just need materials for some sandwiches, chips, cookies, maybe some lemonade."
"Cookies?" Glenda perked up. "Nobody said anything about cookies!"
"Hold on now, do you have permission for any of this?" Saxon asked.
"Captain Kurosawa told us to ask you." Holly replied.
"...One moment." Saxon said, as he turned to consult the sous chef. He came back a minute later with a smile on his face. "Well, good news ladies. Smoked ham and Swiss sandwiches happen to be on the menu today, so we can give you a couple. We also made a fresh batch of Idaho potato chips, and we can bake some hot cookies. Unfortunately, you may have to squeeze the lemons if you want lemonade."
"We can do that!" Holly grinned.
"Hold on now, this is a navy kitchen. We cook for 4,104 officers and men a day and if you're coming in here, you'd better have an apron, a hairnet, and gloves." Saxon ordered.
The girls each picked up an apron, a white mesh hairnet, and latex food-prep gloves as they entered the steaming and bustling kitchen room. Navy staff were at each station, chopping vegetables and stirring pots, while others washed dishes in boiling hot water. Saxon led the girls to an available kitchen space, where there was a metal bin full of lemons, a lever press juicer, and a 5-gallon insulated drink cooler with a spout. A few pounds of sugar were under the counter, and the sink was not far away.
"Do you girls have a recipe?" Saxon asked.
"Ummmmmm…" Denise fidgeted nervously.
"I'll take that as a no. Don't worry, everyone in this kitchen started out like this – even me. Except it used to be peeling potatoes instead of juicing lemons…" Saxon chuckled. "You're going to need about four quarts worth of lemon juice, four quarts worth of dissolved sugar water, and fill the remaining four gallons or so with filtered tap water. We have a water purification plant on the ship, so there's plenty."
"Four, four, and four. Got it." Theresa smiled.
"These lemons are much bigger than the ones in England…" Danielle wondered, picking up a large, ripened lemon.
"These are Californian lemons, quite possible the cream of the crop. We get a shipment of these now and then, and I'm glad you girls are putting them to use. We can't be wasting good food on a ship." Saxon noted. "Now I'm going to return to my duties. If you absolutely need help, find the sous chef, Linda Kowalszki."
"Thank you, Chef Saxon!" The girls cheered as he returned to the soup display.
"Now, I guess you put the lemon… here?" Denise said, placing the oblong fruit in the juicer.
"Denise, stop! You have to cut it in half first!" Addison laughed.
"…I knew that." The gunship witch blushed, removing the lemon and handing it to the Texan.
"Back in father's estate, our chefs knew how to make the best grilled tilapia with lemons zest." Shannon said dreamily, inhaling the lemony scent.
"Shannon, you're going to help too. We're all doing some work today." Holly reprimanded.
"…of course! I knew that." Shannon said nervously as she hopped over to the counter.
"Hold on now, let's get a bit of organization going here." Holly interjected. "Denise, Addison, and Glenda can cut the lemons into halves. Meryl, you're in charge of the lever press and juicing them into the measured basin. Theresa, you'll make sure the juice is measured, and set it aside for the final mixing. Hailey, you're in charge of boiling up the water and making sure the sugar is properly dissolved."
"Why, cause my callsign is 'boiling point'?" Hailey frowned disapprovingly.
The girls were silent for a moment.
"…I'm just kidding major." Hailey smiled. "Learn to laugh once in a while."
"I didn't even think about it like that, but… anyways." Holly continued, giggling a little. "Danielle and Shannon will fill the cooler with water and ice – not more than four gallons. Candice and Jane…"
"Looking out of my lonely room, day after day…" Jane sang, swaying her head back and forth.
Holly stopped, noticing that Jane had her headphones in again while Candice was happily exploring the kitchen. "Well, I guess you two can taste test or something…"
"Hey, don't squeeze so hard Meryl! You're getting lemon juice everywhere!" Shannon complained.
"Oh, my bad. I don't really do delicate jobs, but I have the strength for a machine press." Meryl chuckled.
Hailey began bringing four quarts to a boil, as she started mixing in the sugar. Unfortunately, she poured too fast and there was a white cloud of sugar all around her. "Help! I can't see!" Hailey coughed.
Holly came over and turned on the exhaust fan above the stove, as the sugar cloud was sucked through the vent. "Hailey, slow down a bit huh?" Holly patted her on the shoulder.
"Thanks major, I'm good now." Hailey wiped her eyes with a kerchief and resumed stirring the mixture.
"Shannon don't just throw the ice! You're getting water all over me!" Danielle fumed, as Shannon plopped a chunk of ice into the cooler.
"I just… set it down…" Shannon replied with a puzzled expression.
"No, set it in gently. Like you're setting an egg down." Danielle ordered.
"Sorry I'm not good at this kitchen thing…" Shannon admitted.
"There's no time like the present to learn." Danielle brightened up.
"Ow!" Glenda exclaimed, as she accidentally cut her finger with the knife. "Stupid thing…"
"Glenda, go get a band-aid." Addison said. "If you get lemon juice in that wound you'll be sorry…"
"Not my fault it tried to roll away as I was cutting." Glenda pouted.
"Put one hand on the lemon, and the other on the knife, then slice down the middle at an angle. It's easy, I'll show you." Denise smiled.
Holly observed all these things, being very proud of her girls. Just then Candice walked up to her, happily munching on a cookie. "Whatcha doing major?" Candice asked.
"I should be asking you the same thing. If Saxon notices you are stealing cookies you'll end up in the brig, with all the other bad apples. No matter how cute you might be." Holly challenged.
Candice turned pale, quickly finishing the cookie. "It was a broken one, I swear! He won't miss it… right?"
Holly just laughed, as Sous Chef Kowalszki came up to them.
"We could use some hands with the sandwiches, if you don't mind." Linda smiled hopefully.
"Absolutely ma'am." Holly replied, getting Jane's attention and helping Candice brush the crumbs off her apron.
After a few hours of squeezing lemons and stacking ham on swiss sandwiches, the girls finally had a meal fit for the Round Table. A C-2 Greyhound was landing on Midway's deck, just as the 7th JSF was carrying their picnic lunch up to the conference room attached to the war room. They had set up a red and white gingham checked tablecloth to cover the round table, as the plates and silverware were passed around. Denise left the room momentarily, and soon returned pulling Kurosawa by the hand to join them. Before the captain could protest, a red-haired instructor peered into the room – looking for Kurosawa.
"Captain, I still need to go over the -" Roberta stopped, holding several manila folders as she adjusted her glasses. The girls looked at her curiously, as their instructor smiled back. "My my, what's all this?" She looked around the room.
As Roberta walked over, her hair tie snagged on a low-hanging pipe. The instructor was surprised, as she attempted to pull free, and the tie was yanked out of her hair. The once-bound hair spilled down and over her shoulders, lusciously red and silky. Everyone's jaw dropped, having never seen Roberta with her hair down – she looked like a completely different person.
Suddenly, Holly stood up. "Wait… you look just like the woman in my dreams – are you…" Her voice trembled.
Roberta's eyes widened, as she ran out of the room and up the stairwell with tears in her eyes.
"Wait!" Holly shouted, running after her towards the observation deck. Holly ran as fast as her legs could carry her, pushing past everyone else on the steep staircase. Finally, she barreled through a doorway at the top flight, seeing her instructor standing at the far end of the observation deck.
Roberta held her hands over her heart in fear, her pupils dilated as the wind blew through her long red hair. "Stop! You're scaring me, Major Jones…" She whimpered. "Whatever it is you think I am, you're wrong."
"Instructor Morgan, do you recall ever having a child?" Holly asked.
"…what?" Roberta asked, taken aback. "A child? Me?"
"Answer me!" Holly escalated.
Roberta withdrew further, her back now against the observation wall. "Alright, alright! Yes, I had a daughter – when I was much younger. What is it to you?"
"Do you remember what happened to her?" Holly pressed further, closing distance.
"I… I couldn't take care of her. I wasn't ready to be a mother, so I put her up for adoption. I don't know anything more than that, I swear!" Roberta cried.
Just then, something seemed to click between them. The only audible sound atop the carrier's island was the whistling wind, as Holly silently mouthed a single word. "Mom…?"