Chapter 2 Some Things Never Change

Mike stood in the Rhib as they pulled the sailors one by one out of the water cuts and burns mostly but two people were in worse shape then the rest. Swain and Kate were pulled out of the water both unconscious and unresponsive.

Mike carried Kate up onto the deck as he gently placed her down on the floor; he looked over to see Swain still unconscious with Liz looking at him.

"I take it she has a habit of getting into trouble" said Sam as she check her pupils for any reaction.

"Yeah she does" replied Mike brushing the loose hair off her face.

"She'll be fine Mike, if she is anything like she used to be she can get through almost anything" replied Sam.

"what trouble's me the most is every time she gets hurt, she's one step closer to death, we have been so close before, I've been so close to losing her, every time this happens I cant help but feel responsible somehow, I mean what happens if Kate loses her life doing this what am I supposed to say to Alexia, how am I to explain to her why she doesn't have a mum" said Mike as his eyes began to tear.

"Mike I don't think Kate would want you to think like that, she needs you to be strong for her now more than ever, she's a fighter she will make it, it is never your fault its your job" replied Sam. "Look we need to get her below so I can take a proper look I think she has a couple of broken ribs and her arm doesn't look that good" added Sam and with that Buffer and Mike carried her below.

Mike stood beside Kate holding her hand as Sam got to work. Mike could help but feel useless at this point, Kate was pale and getting weaker by the minute as Sam rolled her onto her side to look at her back the towel that laid beneath was soaked in blood but where was it coming from?

"What the hell is that where's that coming from?" asked Mike in a panic.

"I don't know Mike just give me a minute" replied Sam as she cut off Kate's AUSCAM shirt.

"She may not have a minute with the amount of blood she's losing Sam" replied Mike; he wasn't helping the situation by panicking.

"Look Mike calm down go get yourself a brew and leave me and Bomber to sort this out" replied Sam.

"Sam she's is going to need blood, and 2Dads, Buffer and I are matches" said Bomber as she put another bag of fluids up.

"I know look Buffer there's no time to bag your blood so its going straight in as for you and 2Dads I'll bag your blood as we go, if there is any one else on board that is a match see if they can help" replied Sam as she attempted to stop the bleeding with no such luck. "Bomber can you get Neela for me please I can't do this on my own and I need another doctor in here" added Sam as Bomber left to get Neela, Kate flat lined.

"Bomber! Get Neela and Liz in here now!" yelled Sam as she raced around the wardroom what little space they had left was soon about to be taken up.

"Ok I will go on breaths, Neela compressions and Liz I need you to stop the bleeding, this is a real mess" said Sam.

After five minutes, countless compressions and breaths Kate was still in cardiac arrest, the sixth bag of blood had just been injected into Kate as well and another round of adrenaline, so far nothing had work. Mike stood by as he watched Kate slip away from him by every second she was in arrest.

"You can't leave me Kate, don't leave Alexia alone don't leave us" whispered Mike.

"Were cutting it close here if she doesn't respond soon were looking at brain damage here" said Liz as they continued compressions.

"How long has she been down for?" asked Mike.

"Just over seven minutes" replied Neela

"Come on Kate don't give up on us now!" yelled Liz, just mere seconds after Liz yelled Kate came back into sinus.

"That's our girl" added Liz as she placed the oxygen mask on Kate's face.

"She was hell of a fighter Mike" said Neela.

"Yeah she keeps me on my toes" replied Mike as the room was filled by soft laughter.

"I bet she does, hold on she's waking up, this is a first" replied Sam.

"Kate your ok just stay were you are" said Mike as he reassured her.

"My back is killing what happened?" asked Kate.

"The FFV exploded, and you were thrown into the water" replied Mike as he took hold of her hand.

"You have shrapnel stuck in your back, a broken arm and four broken ribs" added Sam as she walked back into the room with another bag of blood.

"I have a habit of getting myself or anyone else for that matter into trouble" replied Kate as Mike placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Well things have to change Kate we can't go through this every time" replied Mike.

"How far away is the medivac?" added Sam.

"Medivac what, who else was injured?" asked as she tried to sit up.

"Swain, he's unconscious and unresponsive don't worry the others are fine if that is what you were going to ask anyway you will be joining him on the medivac you need to be in hospital" replied Mike.

"How long until it gets here?" asked Kate as she held her stomach in pain.

"Um in about twenty minutes, can you give her something for the pain?" replied Mike as Sam injected some pethidine into Kate's drip, immediate relief.

The medivac landed fifteen minutes later ahead of schedule, Mike helped carry Swain up on deck with Buffer following with Kate.

"This is not the way I like leaving the ship" said Kate as she was lifted up into the helicopter.

"Not exactly the way I like seeing you leave Kate, I'll see you back in port" replied Mike stepping into the helicopter, Mike cupped Kate's face placing a soft passionate kiss onto her lips. "Give Alexia a hug and mum as well" added Mike as he stepped out of the helicopter.

Mike watched as the helicopter disappeared out of sight, two valuable sailors aboard, one sailor he loved and the other one of his best mates, Mike never liked seeing a casket come home with one of his sailors inside, so far it had only happened once but so many times he or Hammersley had come close to losing one of their own.

Hammersley continued on with their duty and escorted the three doctors to Bunyan island, hopefully there trip would be full of success instead of complications.