SEAVIEW – 10AM
Lee had taken the Admirals advice and placed Seaview at full speed. They were around two hours ahead of schedule. He tried to get on with the daily tasks and duties as well as keeping in close contact with Jamie. After he had completed his control room checks he made his way down to sickbay.
As he arrived Jamie was doing some checks on Chip.
"How are things here Jamie?"
"He is resting comfortably. Temp is sitting at 101 so we are continuing with the fan and ice pack as you can see"
"Is his fever ever going to break?" Lee was starting to become frustrated with the lack of progress.
"That's the thing with fevers – they can be quite a stubborn thing"
As Lee and Jamie were talking Chip starting to cough. They tried to help him sit up and get rid of any residue from his lungs. As Chip leaned forward he grabbed Lee's arm and lay his head on his shoulder. Jamie took out his stethoscope and placed it on Chips back. It sounded like his lungs were flooding. and Jamie felt his time frame of being forced to intubate Chip was becoming shorter.
Chip managed to control his coughing and his breathing which Lee had noticed had become more laboured.
"Lee…"
"Yes Chip"
"Do me …..a..favour?"
"Of course anything you know that"
"Lyns"
"We have told her what to expect when we dock"
"Not …that"
"What?" Lee was confused. Chip wasn't making any sense
"Love of my…..life" He struggled to say.
Lee could feel the meaning behind the words of his XO. He knew what he was asking him to do but Lee was refusing to accept the way Chip was thinking.
"I know she is Chip and you can tell her later when you see her" Lee said affectionately. He was trying his best to inject hope for him to hang onto. No sooner had Lee finished his thoughts of hope when Chips eyes slid shut and his grip around Lees arm slackened. His heavy head fell back and Lee was forced into supporting all of Chips body weight. He could feel his own heartbeat speed up in a panic.
"DOC!" Lee shouted so loudly that Jamie heard the panic in his voice.
Jamie rushed over and placed his ear by Chips mouth.
"He's stopped breathing… FRANK!"
Jamie confirmed what Lee had feared. Lee clung on to him and supported his head back onto the pillow as Jamie scrambled to get the intubation tray. Lee stepped back and strangely felt a calmness descend around him. He looked at Chip lying there with his arm stretching over the edge of the bunk and his left arm across his chest; his wedding band shinning in the dim light.
Jamie came back over and immediately removed the pillow and tilted Chips head back.
"Frank I need some suction"
Lee was snapped out of his daydream with the orders Jamie was now barking at Frank. As he watched Jamie clear Chips airway and place a tube down his throat he thought about what Chip had said. Lynsey was the love of his life and he knew that he was hers. He wasn't about to watch that slip away so soon after them finding one another.
Jamie attached the tube to a ventilator and checked the placement of the tube. He was satisfied with the intubation and walked over to Lee.
"Lee…Lee" Jamie tried to get the Captains attention
"We need to get him to port now" Lee stated
"I agree but with the storm we can't do anything at the moment" Jamie reminded him
"The flying sub"
"What about it?" Jamie asked with a puzzled look
"We could put him on the flying sub and stay submerged until we get near port"
"The flying sub isn't equipped for medical transfer"
"I know but we could rig up something to get him home" Lee reasoned out loud
"Lee.."
"Tell me Jamie…is he going to make it if we don't do something now?" He didn't want to ask the question but deep down he knew he had too. Not just for his own sanity but for the sake of Lynsey and Chip.
Jamie just didn't know. Chip's condition was critical and he had done everything he could to help him.
"I don't know Lee"
"If I can get him to medbay at least Lynsey could be by his side. It's… what he wants. I have to try" Lee had those seem pleading eyes as always but even Jamie couldn't disagree with him now. Jamie knew that Lee would do anything for Chip and vice versa. He nodded and Lee left Sick bay to start the process. Anything was worth a shot at this stage of the game.
Lee ran along to the missile room and found Sharkey there with Kowalski and Patterson.
"Chief"
"Yes Sir"
"Gather Kowalski and Patterson and meet me in my cabin in five minutes"
"Aye aye Sir"
As Lee left Patterson and Ski came over to the Chief as they heard their names being mentioned.
"What's all that about Chief? The Captain seems a bit agitated" Patterson asked
"I don't know so why don't we go find out. Come on…on the double"
Captain Crane's Cabin
Lee reached his cabin and made his way over to his desk drawers. He opened them all until he located the plans for the flying sub. He laid them out of a desk and fetched a pencil from the pot on the corner.
Chief and his crew arrived. Lee was sure they would be wondering why they were all here.
"As you know Mr Morton has been taken ill. His condition has deteriorated and we need to get him to port"
Sharkey noticed the flying sub plans on the Captain's desk.
"Are we taking him on the flying sub?" Chief asked surprised.
"Yes"
"But Sir the Flying Sub isn't equipped for a casualty"
"I Know Chief but we don't have a choice. There is a storm back at home and we can't get a helicopter to us for at least a day - He doesn't have that kind of time to play with."
Chief, Ski and Patterson could now understand the urgency of the Captain.
"So what do you need us to do Sir? " Patterson asked
"I need you to come up with adjustments to help carry Chip plus Doc back to port. They will have medical equipment such as IVs and a ventilator" Another sure sign that the Captain was rattled. He referred to Mr Morton as Chip - a slip in front of the crew that had never happened before.
The three men looked over the plans and began brainstorming ideas.
"I need this as quickly as possible men" Lee said pleading
"We will do our best Captain" Kowalski said.
"I'll be in the control room when you have a plan"
Lee made his way back to speak to Sparks. He asked him to get in touch with the institute so he could inform the Admiral of his plan.