Chapter 10: deserted island + new news = new worries
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six," Dutchy counted back. "Come on slackers. Five, four, three, two and the last one. Good," he praised the sailors who were doing push-ups.
The Hammersley had found an uninhabited island where the crew was allowed to go on shore. For the past week they had performed several training exercises from camping out in the bush, to combat training and physical exercises.
Most sailors were worn out but happy to get off the ship for more than a few hours. Mike had promised that after today's session they would have a beach party plus barbecue before they had to go back to Cairns to resupply the ship.
"OK. Everyone, listen up. The last thing we're going to do today is an endurance test. The CO and I have set up two lines and you'll have to run between them. Male sailors will do twenty lapses female sailors fifteen," Dutchy said as he showed them the improvised running field.
"Can't we have a five minute break?" RO asked, heaving for breath.
"Don't be a wimp," Dutchy laughed. "To make you happy the CO and I will join you," Dutchy added.
A few wolf whistles were heard as a compliment for their offer. Everyone lined up to get ready for the start.
"Some people are so lucky," RO complained while he looked at the Hammersley which was floating not far away.
"I guess you're talking about the good doctor and the X," 2Dads said laughingly. "Even if she was here on the beach she wouldn't have to do anything other than to hold the stopwatch. No way the CO is going to let a pregnant woman run," he added.
RO sighed and shook his head. Dutchy sounded the start signal and everyone started running. RO was still looking at the Hammersley and grunted: "I was talking about Doctor Howard."
"Come on RO," the CO yelled. "Start moving!"
Kate walked into the wardroom and forced a smile on her face when she saw Doctor Howard. She still couldn't get what the man was doing in the navy. He was a great doctor but for that you didn't need to be in the navy.
"Ah, Lieutenant McGregor," Doctor Howard greeted her.
In the past six weeks she had tried to explain to him he could call her Kate but to no avail. The man would smile, nod, and then call her by her rank again. Why or what was going on with him she couldn't figure out.
What Kate did know was that he had never wanted to be at a patrol boat in the first place. He only was a temporarily replacement for Swain until there was a Petty Officer available and he did nothing to conceal his dislike of being stuck on the Hammersley.
If Howard could, he would complain about the situation every day. The wardroom was not well enough equipped, he could do nothing more than band aid care. The fact that they had a critically ill patient on board wasn't good enough for him. He obviously missed the rush of a hospital. The fact that Kate was now fourteen weeks pregnant wasn't much of a challenge for him either.
"I'm still waiting for Doctor Sheppard to come online," Doctor Howard said.
He was working behind a laptop in a corner of the wardroom and only quickly looked around when Kate entered.
Kate didn't mind waiting for a bit. She had all the time in the world and since every other sailor was down at the beach there was nobody to come in with questions or demands.
"She'll come online. I'll bet she's caught up with another patient," Kate said, relaxed. There was no reason to get irritated. She was glad enough Navcom had arranged for a midwife to supervise her pregnancy from a distance.
"I wished she would hurry up. I've got more things to do," Doctor Howard muttered underneath his breath.
He kept staring at the screen as if it was going to help. Kate tried to hold back a chuckle at the scene in front of her. To not burst out in laughter she looked around to occupy her mind. On Doctor Howard's desk were a few folders on which he had been working. One of them was hers and the other was Regina Simpson's.
Remembering a conversation she had with Bird about Regina a few days ago Kate picked up the file curiously. Bird had told her that Regina had been murmuring a lot of strange things when she was brought on board six weeks ago. In the beginning they didn't make much sense but later on the words had become more clear.
Whatever Regina had said was still a mystery but Bird had told her she had written it all down in Regina's file. Kate wanted to have a look at it to see if she could make sense out of it but her movements were detected by Doctor Howard who then quickly walked over and grabbed the file from her hands.
"Patient confidentiality," he snarled.
Kate shrugged. She had read the file a few times when she was babysitting Regina. She had even contributed to it. She couldn't argue with Doctor Howard about the confidentiality but she couldn't help but feel a bit hypocritical about it.
Her musings were disturbed by an incoming Skype call. Kate was asked to sit next to Doctor Howard while she was asked all kinds of medical questions. Howard took her blood pressure and, with the instructions of the midwife, found the uterus. He described everything he could feel so the midwife could determine what was going on.
"It sounds and looks good as far as I can tell," Doctor Sheppard said with a smile. "Now, did you get a Doppler's device the last time you were in Cairns?" she asked.
"A what?" Kate asked, not knowing what the doctor meant.
"I did," Doctor Howard answered as if he was criticised and to prove it he showed her the small ultrasound device.
"Good!" Doctor Sheppard said pleased. "It's very simple to use. Turn it on and place it on the lower abdomen. You should hear the heartbeat of the baby," she instructed.
Kate lay down on the table again while Doctor Howard tried to find the heartbeat of her little baby. When he finally did she started to smile. It was the first time she had ever heard it but it sounded so wonderful. It made it all real.
"I see the mother-to-be enjoyed that little experience. I think we can safely say everything is going to plan and we don't need to see each other for another three weeks. If there are any questions don't hesitate to contact me," Doctor Sheppard said before she said her goodbye and signed off.
Kate got dressed again and waited at the door opening to see what Doctor Howard was going to do next. They were the only ones left on the ship but suddenly 2Dads and Bird appeared in the hallway.
"Hello X," Bird chirped.
"We're here to pick up the food for the barbecue," 2Dads explained.
Kate nodded and looked back into the wardroom.
"If you want to go to the beach and have something to eat it's fine with me," she said to Doctor Howard.
"But ma'am, you'll be all alone!" Bird protested when she heard what Kate said.
Kate shrugged. "That's not a problem. I don't want to eat too much red meat anyway and too much sunshine isn't good for me either. I'll look after the ship here just leave me some salad and I'll be fine," she answered.
"Are you sure?" Doctor Howard questioned.
"Yes, really," Kate confirmed.
With a bowl full of different salads in one hand and a portable radio tucked under her arm Kate walked onto the bridge. It was quiet since she was the only one left on board. She didn't mind at all. Since they had to stay on board there was never a time when she could be all on her own without hearing a colleague sneeze or walk past or talk, even if it was in a low voice.
The quietness felt like a blessing. She had told the crew about her pregnancy two weeks ago, after her argument with Mike, and ever since she had been the centre of attention. They all meant well, it was just a bit tiring to get good wishes and questions about how she was feeling all day.
Kate put down the bowl and radio and checked the monitors. There wasn't much to check but it had to be done anyway. When nothing showed up on radar she decided to sit down in the Captain's chair and enjoy the food.
She had never had such a relaxed meal on the Hammersley before and with a satisfactory smile on her face she put the empty bowl down in her lap and closed her eyes. The quietness made it possible for her to remember what the heartbeats of her child had sounded like.
For a few moments she did nothing else but sit back, relax and listen to the few sounds she could hear. Suddenly the radio started to crackle. It was such an unexpected sound that Kate almost jumped out of the chair. In a reflex she let the bowl and fork drop to the floor where it twirled around before it stopped.
"X-Ray 82 this is Charlie 82, come in please," Mike demanded over the radio.
Kate picked up the nearest radio and pressed the button to answer.
"Charlie 82 this is X-Ray 82, are you enjoying yourselves?" she asked.
Kate got up and walked towards the door to see if she could depict Mike on the beach.
"Is everything alright? You won't leave us all on the beach and take Hammersley out for a spin on your own, won't you?" Mike joked.
Kate picked up a set of binoculars and saw Mike on the beach with a radio set in his hands, looking towards the ship.
"Don't give me any ideas Captain," she replied jokingly. "Everything is alright here. Nothing to report. I see you're having a great time down there," she added.
On the beach was a huge campfire and some sailors were dancing although Kate couldn't hear the music at all.
"You're sure you don't want to come down here Kate? I can send someone to take over from you," Mike suggested.
Kate looked around at the beach and shook her head. No way was she going to give up her quiet night. "I'm enjoying the peace and quiet too much. I can cope on my own for a little longer."
"OK. Don't hesitate to ask for anything. Charlie 82 out," Mike said before the silence returned.
Kate looked around the beach one more time and saw how Mike returned to the other sailors and was handed a drink. A little bit away from the rest Bird and Regina were sitting. They seemed to be involved in a deep conversation and for a second Kate wanted to know what it was about but then she shrugged and remembered how nice it was to have some time on her own in which she didn't have to think about anyone else for a change.
Even though she loved the silence Kate decided to turn on the radio to listen to the news. Maybe some more news about Madelaine Cruise or the alleged threat would be revealed. It was highly unlikely since Madelaine had kept her mouth shut in the last two weeks.
"The economy has grown in the last quarter of this year. Analyst are still weary and the stock markets all around the world are only slightly positive," the newsreader told.
Economics. It seemed to be important, but not really the news Kate was waiting for. The news had already started before she had tuned in and she really hoped the subject she wanted to hear about hadn't passed already.
"Five dead bodies were found on the Eliki Islands, about three hundred kilometres north of Cape York. According to the local police they were of Australian nationality, but the bodies were so badly decomposed that further investigation has to be done before that can be confirmed. The men were killed and dumped near a small village. Villagers told the local police there was a sixth person who is now considered to be the prime suspect," the newsreader continued.
Kate didn't want to think about dead, badly decomposed, bodies and was about to turn off the radio when the newsreader continued:
"The suspect, in custody for the bombing two months ago, was attacked while on transport from prison to the police station. The woman was shot and has been brought to hospital for emergency surgery."
Kate picked up the binoculars again to see what Mike was doing. This was news he would want to know for sure but it wasn't that important to bother him with right now. There was nothing they could do anyway.
Mike was sitting down on the beach and was surrounded by sailors. They all seemed to be having great fun so Kate decided to leave it for now. She turned around and looked at the map. The Eliki Islands were easily found but more astonishingly was the fact that there was a possibility that Regina had come from there.
Hadn't the police said the five dead guys were Australian? Wasn't there a sixth person missing? Regina was an Australian citizen so it could be her. What if it was true? Did they have a mass murderer on board?