CH 49
That afternoon she was in the kitchen peeling potatoes when she noticed that the others were keeping their distance and she didn't know why. When she finished, she helped one of the chefs with a problem he was having. Then she started helping a couple of the others out when they were making biscuits. She gave them tips on what to do before starting on the broccoli and carrots. When she finished, the head chef made her clean the ovens. She went and got what she needed and cleaned the four that needed to be done in half an hour.
She thought about it and noticed that he was giving her all the worst jobs and then noticed the snickering behind her back from the others. When she finished doing everything she gave them a look before she walked out of the galley, went and had a shower, and went to bed, it was almost eleven 11:00.
Over the next three months, she worked and studied hard. Then one day in the galley, the head chef had an accident. MacGyver raced over to him, "Get back to work," he snarled.
"Shut up," and she grabbed gloves from the first aid box and a sling. She quickly folded the sling and wrapped it tightly around the wound on his arm and then raised it. "Come on, let's get you to the wardroom and get you stitched up. Baker, since you caused the accident you can clean up the bloody mess and the rest of you back to work. No pissing around in the galley like that again!" MacGyver said as she pulled the head chef towards the door. "And let the doctor know we are coming down!" She yelled on their way out.
"MacGyver! You're just a bloody cook!" the head chef said yelling at her as he stopped walking.
"I'm also a bloody medic, now shut up, Sir, and you do as you're told. Now come on."
"No."
"In any medical emergency like this a medic or doctor is in charge and since I'm a medic, I'm in charge. Now move it or you will lose your life, your choice, Sir."
"Alright but I'm going to make a complaint to the CO about this."
"Just shut up and move.''
They worked their way down to the wardroom where the doctor and two nurses were waiting for them. MacGyver told the doctor what happened and what she'd done.
They got the chef onto the bed and they started working on his arm. He looked away when they removed the blood-soaked sling.
MacGyver got cleaned up then returned to watch what was happening. She stepped forward and held onto the chef's hand while pulling a stool close to the gurney. Then she sat down so that he could see her.
"You... get back to the galley."
"You, Sir, have got a lot to learn. Just because you're the head chef doesn't give you the right to order people around. I've been watching you and how you tell the others and me what to do. You need to find a balance and also you should reread the code of conduct book. If Baker is fooling around he needs to do it somewhere else not in the galley. I warned him three times and so did the XO when he walked into the galley two days ago when you out. X saw what Baker was doing and wasn't too impressed. And now, look what happened to you. If it was me, I would have stopped that sort of clowning around in the galley months ago. I suggest you rotate the staff around so the new ones can learn to do other tasks in the galley as well instead of doing the same thing day in day out. If you want help..."
"I don't need your help."
"You need to listen to me, if you want my help in doing up a roster, all you need to do is ask. You are trying to do everything yourself, and one day you are going to crash and burn. Trust me, I've seen it before."
"You have..." he said.
"Yes, I have. And with help, things will work out better for everyone and one more thing that will help release the tension."
"What would that be?"
She smiled, "Music."
"Music... what sort, classical?"
"No, I'm talking about music we all can sing to, even if some of us are flat and out of tune. It will help us relax while cooking and you will find less stress and cooking will be more fun if there's some singing and a little gig here and there. You should try it."
"Did that work for you on your last posting?"
"Oh yeah, when the Captain and the XO walked into the galley they would watch me sing and do a gig while getting lunch on. They thought I was nuts at first but they and the crew got used to me doing it."
"What about the other chefs, did they think you were nuts?"
She smiled, "No, cause I was the only chef, cooking for more than twenty crewmen and women three times a day plus baking in between."
"But what you said before..."
"I was on Darwin and before that ANZAC. My last posting was on Hammersley."
"You were on Hammersley?"
"Yep, for almost four years."
"Wow, I didn't know."
"Now you do."
"I noticed that you're married."
Looking down at her dog tags and seeing her wedding ring, then looking back up to him, "Yeah, we've been married for just over three months."
"Do you miss him?"
"Every day. I was lucky I met up with him on Samaru Island a couple of months ago when the government there needed medical help."
"I bet he was shocked to see you."
"Yes, he was. I was granted a night's shore leave and we spent it together," pulling out a small photo from her pocket and showing it to him. "That's my husband, Jim, on our wedding day." It was the photo of Jim in his uniform and she was still in her wedding dress at the time.
"He's one lucky guy."
"Yes, he is. We first met on Hammersley," she said smiling as she put the photo back in her pocket.
"No way, how did that come about?"
"We were a taxi service for the SAS."
"Was it love at first sight?" the nurses giggle.
"No, but I did challenge him to the MacGyver wall torcher."
"The one that I've seen you doing?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"He lost and then later on, being the gentlemen he is, he asked me out on a date since he lost the challenge. I said yes and that's the start of what happened to us."
"It must have been hard being apart?" one of the nurses asked.
June looked up, "It was, but when we both were in Cairns we would go out to dinner or have dinner at his place or mine and an early night."
"How long have you known him?"
"Jim, from when we first met until we were married, eighteen months. Even though in those eighteen months we spent the whole of... seventy-three days together."
"Wow. How did he know that you were the one?" the doctor asked.
"We both have been through a lot and being there for each other is what made our love even stronger. What made him decide to propose to me as we both we in a hit and run accident the day after his brother's wedding. It was his ex-girlfriend who tried to kill us. We were very lucky. He proposed to me on New Year's Eve and when the New Year rang in I said yes. We both were in hospital beds for two months with broken legs, arms, hairline fractures on the spine and hips, broken ribs, punctured lungs and head wounds."
"Holy! crap You two sure were lucky."
"Thanks, we were very lucky because along with all of our other injuries we both were in comas because of a severe head injury.l"
"I guess that would explain the scars I've seen on you in the gym," one of the nurses said.
"Those would be war wounds and Jim knows every story on how I got them."
"You must be one amazing woman," the doctor said.
"I guess that some days I am."
Then the door opened and someone ran into the room, "sorry, I heard MacGyver was wounded."
"Not me, Cookie's who's wounded, ET."
"What happened?"
"You don't need to know, ET."
"Alright, so long as you're ok."
"I'm fine but Cookie won't be cooking until his arm is healed. Is there anything else, ET?"
"Yeah, I got a text from Charge a few minutes ago."
"How is he and the crew?"
"He says it's a nightmare. There's a temporary Boatswain, Spike, who screwed up a boarding and Swain and Two Dads were wounded. Your replacement, she only knows basic first aid."
"That's just..." she stood up, "Were turning."
"How do you know?" the doctor asked.
"Because I'm a helmsman." Then the phone rings and the nurse goes to answer it.
"Doctor, it's Hammersley."
"I'm almost finished," The doctor said.
MacGyver stood up and let Cookie's hand go and went over and took the phone from the nurse, "X? It's MacGyver, what happened?… how bad?… ok... calm down… listen to me," then she covered the mouthpiece, "ET find out our ETA," then she returned to talk to Kate while ET ran out of the room. When he returned, "one hour," he said softly. Nodding to him MacGyver went on to give Kate instructions on what to do step by step for the next few minutes. "You're doing great, look the doctor's here… ok, sure X." Then she passed the phone to the doctor. "Everything ok with Swain?"
"He was shot in the leg and Two Dad's has a concussion. My concern is the leg wound, from what X tells me the bullet most likely nicked the artery."
Then MacGyver ran out of the room.
"She's got a plan," ET said.
"How do you know?" the nurse said.
"I've seen the look before."
Twenty minutes later, Hammersley stopped as the helicopter hovered above the deck. A medevac medic abseiled down onto the boat deck with a medic bag in hand. When the waiting crew saw who it was they were shocked to see MacGyver as she ran to the hatch. Seconds later she opened the door to the wardroom.
"MacGyver!" Kate said with surprise.
"I'm here, now let's get an IV in."
MacGyver worked on Swain.
"He needs blood," she told Kate. "Can you find a crew member to donate? See if anyone is a universal donor, O negative. Or B neg We need to get this going quickly." Kate grabbed the intercom and called for any crew member who was O or B neg." A young Sailor came forward and MacGyver started the direct transfusion. As the transfusion was infusing, she checked the leg wound. "Get me the doctor."
"Here'' Kate put the headset on her.
"Doctor, it's Macgyver, I'll have to open the wound and remove the bullet… he's lost at least three pints… going in as we speak… ok, yes, I know, alright… yes, I know." While talking to the doctor she got everything set up to remove the bullet.
"Ok... here we go," MacGyver talked to the doctor telling him what she was doing step by step until she got the bullet out and clamped the artery.
"I can see the leak, I'm going into stitch it."
Kate is watching as MacGyver put a stitch in the artery then she slowly released the clap. "So far so good, no leakage… yes, I'm doing that now."
Once MacGyver finished with his leg she added fresh frozen plasma that they kept stored on the boat as the Seaman could only safely donate one pint. She started a second IV so that she could use Hartmans' solution as a volume expander.
"Seaman, go to the galley and get some juice and something to eat, and thank you," MacGyver said.
"Are you ok MacGyver?"
"Yes, where's the guy who said he was done with medic training?"
"He did the training but failed the courses, he only knows the basic first aid."
"What about helmsman?"
"None."
"That's just bloody great," she let out her breath,
" Anything I can get for you?"Kate asked her.
"Tea would be nice and I'll go and check on Two Dads... where is he?"
"In his cabin."
"Ok." MacGyver cleaned up while Kate went to make the tea. As soon as MacGyver stepped out of the wardroom, she was met by Charge.
"MacGyver, how is he?"
"It's hard to say if he will have full use of his leg, but at least he is alive. Can one of you stay with him while I'll check on Two Dads?"
"Sure."
"Thanks," as she headed down to Two Dads cabin. Knocking she opened the door and went inside. He was surprised to see who walked in. After she checked him over,"hospital for you. You'll need to have a CT scan."
"Really? Do I have to?"
"Yes, there might be something wrong because your right eye takes longer to respond. So come on, come back to the wardroom with me so I can keep an eye on you."
"Alright."
When she got back to the wardroom with Two Dads Kate was waiting with her cup of tea.
"Thanks, X" as she sat down and took a sip.
"We'll be meeting up with Melbourne in twenty minutes," Kate informed her.
"Thanks. You're going to need a helmsman and a medic until you get back to Cairns."
"You could stay," Two Dads suggested.
"I would love to, but I'm needed back on Melbourne"
"I could talk to the CO and have you stay here for the trip back." Kate said.
"The head cook's in the wardroom with a slashed arm, so I am needed in the galley. And, I've got a test tomorrow that can't be rescheduled. I'm sorry, X. If I stay here, all the work that I have done over the last few weeks, tests, and studies will be all for nothing."
"Is the test important?" Kate asked.
"Very. It's like sitting end of year exams at high school."
"I understand."
Taking another sip of her tea, then she sat up straight. "Blacky!" she said out loud.
"Who?"
"Blacky…Leader Alex Black, Blacky as we call him, he's a medic and a helmsmen, he's on Melbourne. Talk to the Captain about sending him here."
"Is he doing the same course that you're doing?" Kate asked.
"No, he's been on Melbourne for a year and maybe ask if you can have ET, he's still on there. Two Dads needs to go over as well. I'm concerned about his head wound."
"I'm fine," Two Dads interjected.
"No, you're not fine. I know you think you're not, Two Dads."
"Okay, I'll let the Captain know," Kate said.