Crisis Point

Chapter Five:
In Preparation

"She said that? Brisbane is next?" ET asked, sitting on the edge of Nav's desk, his arms crossed over his chest.

Nav nodded. "Yeah, that's what she said." She looked up at him. "I'm worried about Cassie."

ET frowned at the mention of their three-year-old daughter. "What about her? She's with your mother."

"In Brisbane. Think about it Josh. My mother lives in a nice house in the heart of Brisbane. She's a prime candidate for a Sydney-style attack. What if something happens to Cassie?"

ET grabbed her hand. "Nikki, she'll be fine. Your mother will look after her."

Nav sighed. "That's not enough. There must be something I can do. I'm her mother!"

ET stood up. "I have to go prepare for shore. Don't worry about it Nikki. We'll sort it out during leave." He kissed her head but Nav wasn't done.

"It's not safe on the mainland anymore. I don't want our daughter out there Josh!" Nav demanded.

ET frowned. "I don't know what you want me to do. We can't bring her onto the ship."

"Wanna bet?" Nav said in a voice that simply said 'don't mess me'.

"Nikki, Cassie is only three. It isn't safe for her on here."

"And it's safe for her on the mainland? Personally I think she's safer with her parents."

ET sighed. "Okay, it looks like my point is redundant anyway. Just, I hope you're doing what's best for our daughter." He turned and walked away.

The crew marshalled on the deck waiting for the news Nav had promised them. There were 13 of them in total, a smaller crew than usually manned the patrol boat. It was all they could get, with the navy stretched tight for crew. Their years of strict recruiting had left them severely understaffed and they were paying the price for stupid rules. As they stood on deck they waited for their CO, frowning and wondering why, with the dock of HMAS Cairns stretching out away from them, this couldn't wait until they got back from shore leave in two days.

"Oh come on Nav, I'm starving here." Leading Seaman Xavier 'Sparks' Wallis, their electrical technician, muttered. As if to prove his point his stomach rumbled.

Beside him Bomber rolled her eyes and cast a look at her friend RO. Petty Officer Robert Dixon, now a Warfare Officer, gave her a brief smile. He glanced back up as Nav finally emerged to the deck. She smiled around at the crew then hit them with the news none of them had been expecting.

"I've spoken to the Commander and she has agreed with me that the mainland is no longer safe for anyone, but especially the friends and family of military personnel. So she's decided to take my offer to Canberra. But whether they accept it or not, this is my ship. The Hammersley should be a safe place for not just you, but your loved ones as well. So, I'm opening the ship up to crew's family."

Most of the crew had no idea exactly what that statement meant and simply frowned, but it was RO that got it first. "We're getting family onboard now?"

Nav nodded. "Yes, we are. So, whoever will come, bring them." She glanced around at the crew. "We sail again in two days." At that she left for the bridge once again.

RO grinned in a completely out-of-character way. "Fantastic. In that case, I have a wife to find." He nodded to the others and left. Many moved on with him, Bomber struggling to not giggle as Spider launched into a story about his mother always wanting to go on the Hammersley. Eventually ET and Buffer were the only ones left on the deck.

"What's up mate?" Buffer asked, glancing at ET with a frown. The Chief Petty Officer looked down and out. "This is a great idea."

ET glanced at Buffer. "Yeah, maybe." He shrugged. "So, how many do you think we'll get?"

Buffer shrugged back. "None from me. Who'm I gonna bring? My goldfish?" He gave a small chuckle. "Nah, maybe a dozen? Shouldn't be a problem. Remember that once upon a time this ship used to house 22 people. These days the name board in the main hall looks empty for lack of crew. It'd be nice to meet some family too."

"You don't think they'd just get in the way? I mean, we're talking children here. Children shouldn't be on a patrol boat unless it's one of those old Navy Open Days we used to have."

"I'm getting the hint that you don't like this ET." Buffer smiled. "Is it the children, or one in particular?"

ET gave in. "I don't want Cassie on a navy ship so young. My father was Navy and he had it instilled in my head from a young age that you should be a navy man or just give up living. I'm not going to do that to my daughter. The last thing I want is when Cassie grows up for her to say 'oh yeah, I'm Navy cos dad made me like that'." He sighed. "I thought Nikki got that."

"Mate, she's three. She looks at you right now and doesn't see Navy or sailor or anything, she sees her dad, that's all. The Nav just wants Cassie close. It's human reaction that when things get tough you pull the ones you love closer." Buffer smacked ET in the shoulder. "Now stop being a downer. Three years and she still hasn't met Uncle Buffer… now that's a downer!"

ET laughed. "Yeah, downer, right." He shook his head and smiled at Buffer. "You're right, Cassie's better off where we can keep an eye on her."

"Especially if she's anything like you. Sandy-haired, doe-eyed little demon child." Buffer grinned then motioned to the dock. "I'm heading off. You coming?"

ET nodded slowly. "Yeah, in a second. I'll catch you up." Buffer nodded and left. ET glanced up at the bridge where he could see Nav rifling through a fist full of paperwork. If Buffer and Nav were both right about Cassie – and he knew they were – why did he still suddenly despise the sight of his wife?