sorry it me took so long, but finally here it is :-)

***Chapter 11

"I don't know, 2Dads. I'm not a diver. But you could be right, that doesn't look like it should."
RO and 2Dads lent over the desk in the junior's mess, inspecting some tables and curves they had printed out. There had in fact been a diving computer with the equipment in the storage room and now the two sailors were looking at the data of the last dives the scientist laying currently in Hammersley's wardroom had made.
"You see, there? That's the last dive. She submerged really fast and didn't made any safety stops on the way back up. All the other dives, there's at least a stop at 3 meters. Robert, she's an experienced diver, you can see that. But that last dive went not as planned, I'm sure. I wonder whether she was shot and went down because of that?"
Robert wanted to answer when Charge came into the room, looking curious. "What are you looking at?"
"Charge, you know how to dive. Have a look at that tables, will you?" The communicator handed him over some of the papers. The engineer sat down and had a closer look. Then he shook his head. "You'd better ask Swain. He would know. I think that there's something odd with that last dive. No safety stop as performed at the others. That what you meant?"
Both sailors nodded their confirmation.
"We think that Sara was shot and went down because of that." 2Dads told him. "I'm going to have a look at her BC. Maybe they hit it as well." He stood up and left for the storage room, RO and Charge at his heels.

"See that Swain?" 2Dads held up Sara's BC. "There's a hole in it and we found the bullet stuck inside, it pierced the bladder. And look at the data of the last dive she made. She came up way to fast, no safety stop whatsoever." He gave the coxswain one of the printouts. Chris Blake looked at it for a minute, than asked RO: "Could you get me Dr. Frasier on the line again, please?" He flipped absent-mindedly through the other printouts visibly distracted by something that had come to his mind looking at the data. Robert nodded and went to make the call.
"So they shot her when she was in the water? They wanted to kill her and get rid of the evidence?" Buffer wanted to know. All senior officers were assembled at the ship's office, listening to what 2Dads, Charge and RO had found out.
"Obviously." Charge stated. "It's kind of clever. Judging by the data she sure had more weight with her than we found. She went down pretty fast, see here." he pointed on the printout. "That way they wanted to make sure no one is ever going to find out what they did."
What a horrible way to die. Kate shuddered. She was sitting on the bench, her left food rested on a chair. The ankle still was swollen but she had insisted on being part of the meeting. Interrupting her thoughts, Mike Flynn asked: "What's the other thing you found out? You said something about GPS data? I was under the impression that GPS tracking doesn't work under water?"
"Ah, that's the cool stuff, Sir." Charge was the first to answer. "You see, you're right. There's no way picking up a satellite signal under water with an ordinary diving computer. But – that little thing here's a special one. It remembers where it went down and where it came up again." He flipped the diving computer in his hand. "Pretty fancy. We can tell exactly where our young lady was when she was shot. And where she dived before. She's a clever girl, Sir. Using her own diving equipment she made sure they don't notice her keeping track of every dive spot they were."
2Dads took over. "We marked the spots on the map, Sir. With satellite information from NAVCOM it should be easy to find out which boat they were on."
"Well done all of you. I'm going to inform Commander Marshall. He would like to hear that news, I'm sure. Dismissed."
Mike stood up and left to see whether Robert could get him NAVCOM on the line. Kate looked at 2Dads, who still stood at the door, not sure what to say to her.
"You know, you could grab me a cup of tea, sailor. And as for the cold pack incident, when we're back in port I want you to help the nav techs fixing all the circuits and fuses that burnt out. You're going to have a look at every circuit on the ship. Is that clear?"
The young sailor made a face. That meant no shore leave at all. He saw Kate raising an eyebrow and pulled himself together. There could be worse things to do. "Sure ma'am. I'll do that. What kind of tea do you want? Herbal or fruit?" he asked quickly changing the subject before the X could come up with something else to do.

"Yes, DCS, that is exactly what I am afraid of, Sir. What do you recommend?" Swain was at the phone, back at the wardroom again, shrugging his shoulders at Bomber who looked at him expectantly and waited for an answer. "No Sir, still no change. She's stable for the moment it seems. Dr. Frasier, it's going to take us at least an other hour to reach port. Helicopter could be there much faster."
"I would highly recommend not taking that risk. It really sounds like your patient could have DCS and for that it's a risk flying her out. Nearest helicopter needs 40 minutes to pick her up and bring her here. So that's only 20 minutes we gain but at high risk that's certain." Dr. Frasier sounded con cerned. "From what you told me I don't think it's severe. For most of the symptoms you can likely blame the bullet wound. Early oxygen first aid is important with DCS and may reduce symptoms substantially. As far as I understand you already started that?"
Swain nodded. "Yes, Sir, we did. Is there anything else we can do? I'm feeling a bit helpless right now." he admitted.
"You doing great, Petty officer Blake. You did everything you could. Just keep her under constant surveillance and call me back if anything changes." the doctor comforted him. Swain wanted to reply when Bomber called out.
"She's coming round Swain. She just moved her fingers."
"Sir, you got that? Just wait a minute please." Chris took the biologist's hand and held it gently in his own. "Sara, can you hear me?" He got a soft moaning as an answer. Then the young biologist opened her eyes, they glistened with pain. Chris smiled at Bomber and informed Dr. Frasier: "Sir, I think she's coming to. Sara, try squeezing my hand, will you? That's right! Now the other one. Good girl."
"Is that you Swain or am I dreaming?" Sara whispered a bit confused.
Bomber helped her with the oxygen mask and grinned broadly. "No, you're not dreaming. Welcome aboard Hammersley."
The other woman smiled weakly in return. "Thanks, although that's not quite the way I imagined my return, Bomber."
Both Sailors chuckled, relieved that she seemed at least to remember some of what had happened and was aware of her surroundings.
"Sara, try to stay awake for a little longer, will you?" Swain urged when Sara closed her eyes again. He continued his neurological examination, getting as much information as he could. "Is there any pain?", he asked finally.
"My arm...hurts like hell, I'm dizzy...there's that ringing...it's really disturbing." Coughing now, Sara tried to remember. There was something she needed to tell them. What was it? She couldn't concentrate, her whole body was aching. "RO... ." she managed to say in between a coughing fit.
Swain who was about to put the oxygen mask back on her face looked at her in surprise. That was not what he had expected. "He's at the ComCen." he told her. "But you shouldn't talk right now. We're heading back to Cairns full speed to get you to the hospital. I'll tell Robert you've asked for him."
"No, no I need to tell him something." The young woman was all flustered now, trying to get the mask off again to be able to talk. "It's urgent...tell him...it's 775...he has to have a look." A bad coughing fit stopped her.
Swain instantly put the mask back on. "Breeze, slowly in and out, in and out" he instructed her, trying to calm Sara down. "It's ok, I'll tell Robert. Everything is going to be fine. Just try to relax." He waited untill Sara stopped struggling and breathed slowly and steadily again before taking his hand off.
The young biologist had closed her eyes and looked like having fallen asleep again. Swain gave Fleet medical an update on his patient's current condition and wrote down the instructions Dr. Frasier gave him. What was it with RO and Miss River? he wondered while taking notes. Maybe he should ask 2Dads, he seemed to know something.

"Bomber, have a look at her, will you? I have to talk to the CO. I'll be right back."
"Sure, I'll stay here as long as it takes." Bomber seated herself at the chair beside the bed watching her patient sleeping. The woman's breathing sounded more even now, she also had some colour back but still was way too pale in Bomber's opinion.
"Swain? What did Dr. Frasier say? What's DCS? It sounded like bad news?"
She looked at him with concern, clasping her hands to prevent them from shaking. Swain knelt down next to his second medic, taking her hands. He could see the distress she was in. It had been a long day for the young chef.
"Bomber, look at me. She's going to be ok. Everything is alright. Dr. Frasier and I had been thinking of DCS, that's decompression sickness. You know 2Dads had a look at her diving computer. She came up too fast at her last dive, the symptoms match it too so that's why Dr. Frasier recommends not to fly her out. That's why I have to talk to the CO. Just remain seated here, I'll be right back. You see, she was awake and aware of her surroundings, she talked, she could squeeze my hand. It's going to be ok."
Bomber sighed then grinned wearily at him. "Now you're talking to me with your medical voice, you realize that? Just go, I'm not freaking out, I promise."
"That's what I wanted to hear." Swain stood up and patted her shoulder. "It won't take long, I promise."

They reached home port in Cairns fifty minutes after Swain had talked to Fleet medical. Mike Flynn hadn't been too happy when his first medic had told him they couldn't evacuate their patient by helicopter. "You got to be kidding. There's never a medevac available when we need one and now there is a helicopter already on its way and I have to call it off?!"

Now he was standing at the docks side by side with Kate and watched as Bomber and Swain filled the paramedics in on Miss River's condition. Kate followed his gaze. "She's going to be alright, Sir. She's a tough girl."
Mike just nodded but didn't say a word. A cab arrived at the berth. "You know, you should go see a doctor yourself." Mike helped his XO with her bag and accompanied her to the waiting cabdriver. "Someone should have a look at that ankle."
"It's sprained, Swain already did what was necessary and now I'm going home, get settled on the sofa and continue with my book. There's no need sitting at the hospital waiting 'till someone finally tells me to do so anyway." The blonde woman climbed into the cab and settled down at the passenger seat. Mike closed the door for her and knocked at the window. Opening it, Kate smiled and told him: "It's ok, honestly. Stop worrying will you?" As he didn't looked convinced at all, she added: "Why don't you drop in later on after your briefing with Marshall? You could bring something to eat?" she proposed. Mike's face lighted up, he nodded. "I'll do that."

"775? That's what she said?" Robert was confused. He wasn't able to make head or tail of it. "What is that supposed to be? She must have said something else."
Bomber shook her head. "Nope. Just 775. It seemed important to her."
"Maybe it's part of her phone number?" A voice behind them suggested. Both turned and saw 2Dads entering the gangway, followed closely by two technicians in blue navy overalls.
"Or the house number?" he grinned seeing RO blushing.
"It's neither her phone number nor the house number." the radio officer answered without hesitation before realizing what side effect that would have.
"So you do know where she lives? That's interesting. How comes? I thought you said you barely know her?" Now 2Dads was all ears. The two technicians stood behind him, not knowing what was going on but visibly enjoying the direction the conversation steered in. That radio officer of HMAS Hammersley had been a pain in the neck at different occasions. So they had no problem at all waiting for the blonde sailor to finish his teasing.
"I do know it's not her phone number because she called me, you remember? And I doubt it would be her house number. There's no reason giving anybody your house number without mentioning the street name, is there? It must be something else." he mumbled and left the ship deep in thought, saluting to the guard without looking up.
Bomber chuckled. "So 2Dads, you want to come with Spider and me? We're going to see if the newly opened bar is as good as everyone keeps telling."
Her crew mate made a face. "Unfortunately I have to stay and show these guys around."
He eyed up her dress, the green top and short cut-off jeans she was wearing and made a mental note to give himself a knock on the head the minute he was alone. Having to let that girl go having fun without him and to stay behind crawling through the innards of the ship the whole day just because he had not paid attention for one moment. That's what the X was up to all along! She must have known. 2Dads knew that his thoughts were silly, once again. But it was just so unfair. He waved down to Bomber, who stood now at the jetty with a broadly grinning Spider waving back at him yelling: "See you tomorrow mate!"
So not fair!
"So where's that problem leader? I don't want to stand here all day!" Now that the show seemed to be over, one of the technicians pressed on, wanting to finish the job and go home to his family. Leo sighed.
"That problem? There is more than one. If you just follow, we best start at the bridge."

hope you enjoyed :-)