At 0600 hours the following morning Kate starts to stir in her sleep. She keeps calling out for Mike. Megan does her best to calm her down while waiting for the doctor and nurses to come
Ten minutes later Kate wakes up, confused and unsure of where she is. After about five minutes she starts to piece together what happened.
"Everyone shut up and let me think," she snaps to the doctor and nurses who are asking her a number of things at once; the noise just became too much for her.
"Look just give me some space. I have a headache and all your talking and firing questions at me is getting on my nerves." The doctor whispers to the nurse to get her some Panadol, and Kate takes it when it is offered.
"Can I ask you a few simple questions?"
"No, you can do it later. Now please leave my room," she says. She has no idea that Megan is still in the room, she not seen her yet. Kate ignores the throbbing pain in her abdomen and legs as she moves to roll on to her right side, away from the door. She begins to cry once she hears the sound of the door closing, not realising Megan is in the room.
"Honey, why you crying?" Megan asks as she comes around and sits gently on the bed beside Kate.
"Oh, hi Megan. I didn't see you there."
"It's ok, but are you going to answer my question?" she asks as she gentle wipes the tears off Kate's face.
"Someone is going to be very happy when he hears you're awake."
"Yeah right, he is," she says quietly, trying not to cry even more.
"Honey, he's been worried sick about you. He rang me last night and he ended up in tears when he was talking to me." She looks at her
"Really?"
"Yes, really. He's very worried that you're not going to wake up. He was so scared you were going to die and he wouldn't have a chance to fix things."
"I miss him so much." Kate breaks down in tears. Megan moves to lay down beside Kate and comfort her, and this is how Steve finds them two hours later.
The doctor enters demanding they all leave.
"Sir, ma'am. You both need to leave, now."
"Excuse me, Dr Jones?"
"Only immediate family members are allowed in here, and as far as I am aware Ms McGregor's file states she is single and is not married. I do not appreciate being lied to, thank you." The crew are standing outside the room, having heard what the doctor has said.
"Doctor, have you ever worked within the Navy before?"
"No."
"Right, a few words then. If I say she is married then she is. She has a ring on, doesn't she? Now, I would love you to repeat that to her husband and her father-in-law and see what response you get. Oh, and would you like me to get their marriage certificate to prove it to you?" Oops, now if he asks for it I might be in trouble, but I most likely can get one done up for them, just to prove my point because he is really pissing me off now, Marshall thinks to himself.
"I don't really care about that right now. I need you two, and that lot out there, to leave my patient alone." Marshall and the crew can see Kate is not impressed.
"Excuse me, does the patient get a say in this?"
"No, sorry, I'm your doctor and what I say goes." Kate takes a deep breath.
"Where's Mike when I need him?" she mumbles to herself but the room does hear her.
"In the gulf, honey, remember?" Megan says as she moves closer to Kate, placing a reassuring hand on her arm.
"Yes. Please don't remind me of that." Kate's eyes glaze over at the thought of Mike over in the gulf and not here with her.
"Now, Dr Jones," Marshall says in his officer's voice, which the doctor takes as his pissed off voice.
"Don't get pissed off with me, officer. I'm her doctor, what I say goes," he says, looking Marshall up and down as if he is nothing.
"Me, pissed off? You better watch out because if you think I'm bad enough, wait till her husband gets back. Then you'll find out what a truly pissed off officer is, because that is what he will be when he finds out how bloody rude you have been towards her, her family and the crew, who are classed as family. Now if you want to keep your job, you will allow these people to be in here. Understand?" Everyone is standing there trying not to laugh at the look the doctor is being given by Marshall and the look on his face in response. The doctor walks out, saying nothing, and everyone starts to laugh.
A few minutes later a nurse comes in and Kate asks if she can be discharge and go home. When told she can't, Kate gets a tad demanding, Megan and Marshall have to calm her down. Marshall goes out and informs the nurse that Kate hates hospitals and will be like this the whole time she is here, and not to take it personally, but she would prefer to be at work than laying here. The nurse understands as she is use to dealing with the navy sailors, most hate being in here for any length of time.
At 1200 hours Marshall returns to Navcom and asks one of the Lieutenants to get HMAS Anzac on the line for him.
HMAS Anzac
The crew have just finished a boarding and are busy cleaning up and doing their reports when the sat phone rings.
"HMAS Anzac, Commander Mike Flynn speaking."
"Hi Mike, Steve here. I have some good news for you."
"I'm allowed home now?" he asks and the crew on the bridge erupts into laughter.
"No, sorry. Not yet, Mike."
"Damn."
"Mike, let's get back on track here. I've just got back from the hospital."
"How is she?" The crew are still trying to work out who this 'she' is that Mike keeps getting updates on.
"She is awake and causing hell." Mike just laughs a little.
"Not funny, Mike. She's telling the nurses off and demanding to be discharged so she can go home and get back to work. Oh, and I shouldn't forget, she told them what she thinks of their food as well." Everyone notices how Mike has cheered up. Maybe this phone call has good news about whatever is going on, George thinks to himself.
"Well, sounds like there is nothing wrong with her brain then?"
"No, that is working fine, if not a bit too harsh. But personally, the doctor deserves everything she gives him."
"How long does she have to be there?"
"They want her in for a few more days."
"Can you take in her laptop so I can email her, please?"
"Sure thing, Mike. I'll get that sorted for you both."
"Thank you, Sir."
"And Hammersley?"
"Mike, she is not your responsibility anymore. Leave that to me."
"The crew are like family to me, Sir. They'll be doing it hard, Nikki especially. Can you just make sure they're all doing ok?"
"Ok, fine, I'll do that too. So, what did your last slave die from?" They talk for a few more minutes before they hang up.
Later that afternoon Mike emails Kate, and over the next few weeks they send each other several emails. Megan stays with Kate when is sent home four days later, but Dutchy is still in hospital. When Kate goes for a three week check-up she is not feeling the best, the wound on her leg is sore and red. She tells her doctor but he thinks there is nothing wrong and says she can return back to full work. She thought she would only be returning to desk duty not sea duty, but she won't complain.
When they do email each other, they keep the writing to basic things. Kate tells him about her injuries, how much she hates being stuck in the hospital and what his mum has been up to while staying to help out. She keeps informed on Dutchy and the rest of the crew; how the crew are complaining about their temporary CO and how Dutchy's replacement has caused a few heads to turn. She tells him how Marshall is not impressed with her behaviour. He told Kate that she is getting too much like Flynn, which makes Mike smile when he reads it.
Kate even tells Mike what happened that day, up to what she remembers; the rest comes from Nikki.
Since the accident Mike had emailed Nikki to see how she was doing. He did not want her to feel bad for what happened with Kate and that it does happen. Nikki was concerned that he would be cross but, after everything had been explained, he told Nikki there was nothing else she could do. She did her best.
A couple of times Mike rings to speak to her and his mum, of course. It is never for very long, but hearing her voice makes him wish he was there. He starts to feel even more guilty than he did before, particularly with the way things were left between them.
Once I'm back from the gulf, I'm going to show you how much I love you and missed you, Mike thinks to himself as he looks at a picture of Kate.
The following day, Kate is at the docks while the crew are loading supplies when one of the supply boxes moves and hits Kate in the leg. Due to its weight and force, Kate ends up on the ground in pain. Swain rushes over and notices swelling coming from her leg. Nikki is already ringing for an ambulance and Kate is rushed back to hospital.
Four days before HMAS Anzac is due to arrive in Sydney
Dear Kate
I'm emailing you to let you know we are on our way home now (YAY) and are due to dock in Sydney on Wednesday, around 1100 hours.
I would love it if you could be there.
Love Mike xoxo