Chapter 3
Nav entered the ward room. "Hi Charlie." she said and smiled to the boy who was sitting very close to his little brother.
James was curled up and fast asleep.
"Hi Nikki." said Charlie and his whole face lit up in a smile.
"Hi Nikki." repeated Swain and smiled to her too.
"Anyone want to play a card game." asked Nikki and fetched a deck of cards from a shelf.
"Oh yes." said Charlie. Nav ruffled his hair.
"Can you shuffle and deal the cards while I talk to Nikki for a sec?" asked Swain and took her outside the door.
"How are they?" asked Nav in a low voice.
"Charlie is all good, just a bit malnourished, but he will be fine after a few days of rest and plenty of food." said Swain. "Though I am a bit worried about James. He does not respond well to the Plumpinut." said Swain. "We need to go back to port as soon as possible to get him into hospital," he added.
"Okay, you go talk with the CO and I'll keep Charlie occupied." said Nav and went back in to the boys.
"While you two are playing cards I will pop by to bridge for a moment." Swain said and went towards doors.
"And Charlie, Nikki is cheating every time when she is playing." he added and run out before she could answer. Swain went on bridge.
"Sir we will have to return ASAP to hospital. James is not responding well to the Plumpinut." Swain said.
"We can't return Swain. We just get a call from NavCom for weapon smugglers in our patrol area. Only thing what we can do is to transfer them on HMAS Melbourne." Buffer answered.
"Okay, When is the rendezvous?" asked Swain. He looked worried.
"If we head at full speed, we will meet them Melbourne in two hours." said Buffer.
"Okay, that's good. I'll head back to the wardroom and help Nav look out for the boys. She is good with Charlie." said Swain and smiled. On his way out of the bridge, he met Spider, who came balancing three cups of coffee. He gave one to Bomber and one to Buffer.
"Spider Bird will kill you because you steal her biscuits." Bomber said.
"How do you..." Spider started.
"You have it part of it on your DPNU." Bomber said and laughed. Spider made guilty puzzled face and Bomber and Buffer both laughed.
"Bomber set course towards Melbourne." Buffer said and shock his head.
"Right away sir." Bomber said putting the curse and sighed with relief. He again forget her stupid comment from earlier.
But she should really learn to keep her thoughts to herself. The remaining time before the rendezvous with HMAS Melbourne went quickly. James was halfway unconscious when they transferred him across and Charlie was crying because he didn't want to leave Nav and Swain. But the transfer went reasonably well, and afterwards Swain, Nav and Charge joined Buffer, Spider, Bomber and RO on the bridge.
"Great work with the boys, guys." said Buffer to Swain and Nav.
"It was tough to let the boys go, Charlie was so sweet and trustful." said Nav.
"You were great with him Nikki." said Swain.
"And you did all you possibly could with their medical treatment." said Nav.
"You two take a well earned break now. And I'll go off watch too. The rest of you, please keep looking out for anything suspicious and wake the whole crew as soon as you get eyes on the weapon smugglers." said Buffer and left for his cabin. Nav and Swain followed him.
Bomber sighed with relief. Finally out of his way. She made so stupid things last day that she should jump over board. What an idiot? She didn't know what was going on to her. She was really crazy.
"I am getting crazy." Bomber said with sigh. Dutchy came on bridge to take her watch and she went in her cabin determined to hide in her cabin, under her sheets till it wasn't time for getting up.
When she reached her cabin, she found Bird wide awake.
"What's wrong with you? You looks like the cat drank all the milk." said Bird with a sweet smile. "Am I right at guessing it has something to do with a certain handsome CO?" she asked.
Bomber blushed. "Um no, where did you get that idea from?" she asked. Bird lifted her eyebrows sarcastically, which made Bomber blush even more. "He is a married man. What's more, he is a grumpy married man." she said. "I should have my head examined for even thinking about him." she mumbled. Then she went straight into bed and pretended to be asleep.
Bird laughed and lay in her rack.
"I totally understand you you know? He is handsome. You can't denay it." Bird said wanting to trick Bomber on that way.
"Yes I know that. And yes he is handsome but that is all..." Bomber started to explain.
"Aha. I catch you." Bird said and jumped from her rack. "I knew you like him." she added laughing. Bomber take a pillow and throw on Bird.
"One more word and I will kill you Bird." Bomber said
Bird laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not saying a single word." she said. "But I can totally see you and Buffer as taking over for Nav and ET as the new hot couple on the boat." she added and threw the pillow back at Bomber.
Bomber jumped from bed but Bird run out from cabin before Bomber could get her. Bomber went towards a door pissed wanting to somehow revenge Bird. But her revenge didn't take a long. Bird turned to see was Bomber chasing her and not looking in front of herself she hit into Dutchy. Bomber saw it and laughed and returned into her cabin.
"Oh I am so sorry." said Bird and blushed as she looked up at Dutchy.
"No worries, I have experienced worse, Chicken Legs." he said with a broad smile. Then he continued to walk towards the galley to get a brew. Up on the bridge, Spider was at the helm. He was looking bored out on the horizon, where there was no sign of the weapon smugglers. The only ship they had seen was a prawn trawler, who had responded to RO's radio messages and were out on a legit mission.
In the morning, new inputs from NavCom arrived. Smugglers were on one close island. Hammersley start to sail towards that island.
Bomber went into galley to take a brew and when she looked into Bird she start to laugh.
"Did I miss something?" asked Leon, gap boy, youngest member on ship with his 17 years.
"Lot of things mate." said Bomber who was keeping young sailor as her little brother.
Leon looked confused. Then he shook his head. "Girls." he murmured to himself and left the galley. He went up to the bridge. "Dutchy, could I please join the boarding party?" he asked with his voice full of hope.
"Nope, sorry, Lee, this is way too dangerous. You stay here on the ship with the CO and the Nav." said Dutchy.
"Please. I know to use a gun. Please Dutchy." Leon said and then looked into Swain, in guy who always was on his side.
"I don't know. Bomber you are his commanding officer. What do you think?" Swain asked and looked into young woman who came up on bridge.
"He can go but he just will stay on RHIB." Bomber said. Leon smiled happy and went down into boarding room. When boarding party was ready, they went on island. They start to search island, when Leon spotted someone on beach and start to check it against his orders. Then he just stop.
"Dutchy do you copy?" he asked over radio.
"Yes go ahead." Dutchy said.
"I think I stood on land mine. I heard a click." Leon said. Dutchy looked for a moment into Spider and then run on beach. After he check it he returned on safe area besides RHIBs.
"Sir it is CR-38." Dutchy said and shock his head.
"A bounding mine? That's an anti-personnel mine. Don't move, Leon. Whatever you do, just don't move." said Buffer over the radio.
"Wilco," answered Leon, looking awfully pale.
"Bomber." said Dutchy in an ice-cold voice. "This is what happens when you override my authority. I am in charge of the boarding parties, don't ever question my judgement like that again." said Dutchy in a low, quick voice.
"Sorry Dutchy." said Bomber. "I didn't know he would disobey orders, though." she added.
"He is your pet, so of course he doesn't follow orders." mumbled Dutchy.
"Okay, let's focus on saving Leon. We will just have to let the smugglers be for the time being." Dutchy said into the radio.
"Charge, Spider and Dave, you guys are with me. The rest of you wait here." ordered Dutchy.
"This is stupid. That thing can't be demined." Spider said and looked into Bomber. "I saw it couple in Afghanistan two years ago. There is not a way to you get alive from it." he added. Bomber didn't answer anything and looked into Buffer who was looking into Leon.
"You two are staying here, on safe distance." Dutchy said. "You know rules. Only one person can step close to mine." Dutchy added.
They nodded.
Dutchy wad checking how to get him safe for almost an hour but without succession. Then he went on consulting with CO.
"We can't help him." Swain said after they change a radio channel to Leon can't hear them.
"What are you suggesting Swain? To leave him there to stand, till he doesn't get tired and just fell and that thing goes up?" Dutchy said almost yelling.
"No of course not. But we can't risk more lives." Swain said.
"We can't even leave him there." Bomber said.
"You have done a lot today so stay away for a while will you?" Dutchy said harshly. Bomber just nodded.
"It is not her fault Dutchy." Leon said over radio. "Next time when you want to someone doesn't hear a talk just switch radio off." he added with smile. "I am sorry guys." he added and put his leg of mine and it exploded.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: new chapter from me for this story. I hope you liked it. It is bit sad one. Please read and review, I would like to know your thoughts and predictions.
Thanks for reading