Chapter Four Man-Beast
Everyone was waiting patiently. They had another twenty minutes before the diving bell is back up.
Doctor Jamieson had received a call from sickbay. "Sir this is Doctor Avery. I was asked to check the video feed, I am afraid to say this sir, the captain is out cold. He had changed into some horrible creature inside the bell, when he looked at his reflection in the port hole. He went crazy before passing out to fall over the chair, I can't see him any further, Doctor Jamieson."
"Thank you Doctor Avery. Please be sure to have the decompression chamber made ready." While looking at a very worried Admiral Nelson and Commander Morton.
"Doc, do you think Lee had the time to inject himself before the changes?" Nelson asked with a serious tone with his question.
"We will know for sure for when the diving bell is back up." Doctor Jamieson replied while pacing and forth, along with the entire group.
/
Twenty minutes later...
Kowalski reported to break everyone's reverie. Announced to Admiral Nelson the bell is coming up now, while Chief Sharkey and CPO Ron Hanson moved the diving bell into place.
A few moments later...
Admiral Nelson ordered Master Of Arms to be ready. While Doctors Jamieson, Sterling and tech Stoner were ready with the gurney and vaccine syringe.
"All right Chip open up the hatch." He ordered with caution.
"Yes, sir." Chip goes to pull open the hatch to the diving bell. Lee Crane didn't come out. It was at this point Chip with his weapon went inside to check out the scene. Lee Crane was himself on the floor out cold. "He's out cold everyone, Doc, we need to get him out of here quickly and get him into the decompression unit to be checked out." He says while letting them get inside the bell, while Admiral Nelson was looking on with worry on his face.
"Possible concussion, along with a few cuts and brusing. We need to get him quickly Doctor Sterling." Stoner and Sterling along with Sharkey were able to place the Captain onto the gurney before moving out.
Doctor Jamieson gave orders for everyone to stay out of sickbay for the time being, until he knows the full story on Captain Lee Crane's health.
Admiral Nelson didn't like the fact. He was being ordered to stay out of sick bay. "I will have just one Master Of Arms stay outside just in case I need him, otherwise that's it." They leave though the corridors to finally make it to the decompassion unit big enough to house at least seven personnel inside.
Doctor Anthony Sterling was able to set the PSI to the proper amount to account for how far the Captain had gone down into the trench.
Tech Stoner and Doctor Jamieson were able to check the vitals on the captain inside. Having to set up a portable MRI/CAT SCAN it would show he had just a very mild concussion, while placing a light bandage onto his forehead.
However he did have a large cut on his right leg calf. He was able to place a bandage around it to have the bleeding stop posing no issues, as with the left shoulder have a bruise from falling over the chair.
"Stoner, I need for you to take several tubes of blood right now. Have Doctor Stering do a full blood work up, what I am looking for is whether or not his blood stream is clear from using the vaccine, or anything else for that matter." Doc ordered.
"Yes, Sir right away." It would take the tech a few minutes for him to draw the blood, finding the correct vein in his left arm having to pull up the Captain's sleeve.
After that he knocked on the door to have one of the corpsman to open up. Taking a minute to lower the atmosphere inside before coming out to be closed again, leaving Doc alone with the Captain at the moment.
Stoner walked over to the main lab section to speak with Doctor Anthony Sterling.
"Doctor Sterling. Doc Jamieson wants you to do a full work up on the Captain's blood, including on whether the vaccine actually is still in his blood stream."
He hands him the four tubes of Crane's blood. "Very well, I will get right on it."
"I will be going back into the decompression chamber to see if Doctor Jamieson needs any further assitances." He leaves the lab, leaving Doctor Sterling to beging his work with the blood under the microscope and computer terminal software.
/
Six Hours later...
Doctor Jamieson had a report to be made, as with Doctor Sterling. He came into the unit exhausted as with everyone else.
"Well!, Anthony what is the verdict?" Doc says with great convication.
"Everything is free and clear. His blood is clean as a whistle, the vaccine worked." Doctor Sterling reported with his information.
"Excellent now. Captain Crane is going to be fine, along with the fact. He's starting to come around finally, the decompression is helping a great deal. However he's going to have to stay here for another eight hours, before I send him to his quarters to rest until we get back to Santa Barbara, California. Anthony, please stay here for thirty minutes. I have to go see Admiral Nelson, no doubt he's in his cabin stewing."
"Good luck with that Will, I don't envy you with talking with him for when it comes to the subject of Lee Crane."
Doctor Jamieson called for a corpsman to have the unit opened to have him leave to go see Admiral Nelson.
/
Admiral Harriman Nelson was half asleep in his bunk reading a book. He's been reading the same lines for the past twenty minutes, before he realize, he wasn't able to concentrate no longer.
It was at this moment.
When he heard someone knocking at his cabin door.
He tells who ever it is to come in, while getting off his bunk to turn up the lights fully. Before going to sit down onto his seat behind his desk.
"I have a full report for you, Harriman on Lee Crane. He's going to be fine. He suffered with a very light head concussion, he had a cut that had to be closed on his right calf, along with a few brusies for which won't poise any problems."
"What about this blood work Doc." He asked with wiping away his bangs from his face.
"His blood work is clear. The vaccine worked for the most part, he was very lucky, he's going to be staying another eight hours in the decompression chamber. You wll be able to see him at that time, when he's released to his quarters, until we get back to Santa Barbara."
"And after that Doctor Jamieson, will he be all right?"
"Lee is going to be on medical leave for two weeks. Other wise he should be ready for the next test of the Worm Hole Effect Module."
"Damn it Doctor!; This should of never happened in the first place, I found out from ONI earlier that the valve inside the diving bell was purposely changed to destroy the testing, it's why the second dive has been cancelled until further noticed."
"That's too bad Harriman, all for the sake of greed to screw up the dive and almost killing a man over it." He says teresly.
"It's why I wasn't in favor or this dive, until everything was actually checked out. It was why I have been so angry over this in the first place."
"It's my report Harriman. I need to go back to check in, before heading to bed, Lee was starting to come out of it, when I came here to speak with you."
Twenty minutes later...
Captain Lee Crane woke to the faces of Doctor Anthony Sterling and Doctor Jamieson telling him to take it slow. Having to be inside the decompression chamber, along with the fact he will be staying for another seven hours more.
"One thing for sure Doc, I am feeling hungry all of a sudden." Lee Crane said to the both of them looking on with amusement on their faces.
"Leave it to the Captain to always be hungry." They both chuckled. "I will have Cookie bring up some food and drink, it's going to have to be light for now, until I release you to your quarters."
"Good enough Doc."
/
Seven hours later after waking once more from a normal sleep.
Lee Crane was brought to his cabin by two corspman. For where he was settled in his room. Along with Cookie bringing in a tray full of food to the Captain's delight. And with Admiral Nelson following in to settle down on his seat next to his bunk.
"One thing for sure Lee. Your a very lucky man once again to survive the elements."
"I agree Admiral. I do know three people is going to be happy, I made back alive in one piece. And that be my wife, Chief Sharkey and Julieanna."
"Why?" Nelson asked.
"When I was going down in the diving bell. it's all I talked about was about my wife, Sharkey and his wife's issues,. I have a feeling I just settled the both of their problems with my rambling suggestions."
Admiral Nelson chuckled. "I need to get out of here to let you rest. I will talk with you again when we are back to Santa Barbara, California."
"Thanks Admiral and the crew for saving my life once again."
"No problem Lad, good night."Getting up from his desk to leave his cabin along with himself needing the rest after such a stressful mission.
THE END