Trusted Friend

It was a race against time to get back to port. The Skipper was anxious, checked that everything was all right.

Morton assured him they were on course and going top speed.

'We've still got ten hours to go.' Crane stated.

'I've got ten hours left to go. You go get some sleep.'

Crane sighed and muttered that he would stick around for a while.

Morton walked over … right into the Skipper's space and commanded, 'Not on my watch you won't … you go get some sleep.'

With a rueful smile at the concern, Crane conceded, 'Aye, aye, sir.'

They had great rapport as officers and as friends.*

When Kowalski returned Doc relieved him of the Skipper Watch. Kowalski then went to see Mr. Morton for a different duty assignment. Shortly after, Morton arrived in sick bay looking slightly tense, "He's awake?" Doc nodded to the ward where both officers were actually asleep at the moment. Morton looked in incredibly surprised. "How did you get the Admiral to lie down?"

"I didn't. I've been after him for days to relax and sleep but he only managed a couple of hours the other night. One word from the Captain and he lies right down and falls asleep."

In incredulity, "A word from the Captain?"

"Well the Captain spoke to him, pointed to the bunk and the Admiral lay right down. It's probably reaction to the relief that the Captain actually woke up. I'll let him sleep as long as possible."

Morton and the Doctor conferred. Doc explained that Crane seemed lucid but would continue to be drowsy from medication, the deep fatigue from trauma, and need for sleep for healing. He did not have any significant injuries to his head, just some small cuts and bruises, there was no concussion, but he had experienced severe physical, mental, and emotional trauma. As a result, he might not remember all that happened to him. He might be confused. They would need to be patient themselves as he might need to talk about the same things more than once to sort it out or he could refuse to discuss any of it at all. They would see as they went along how to help him with that.

Physically the Doc wanted him to sit up in bed a bit the next time he woke and try to eat a very small amount. He hadn't eaten in days. He needed to eat to gain strength. Doc explained they would strive to get him back to functioning carefully but steadily. If he could tolerate it perhaps get him up in a chair tomorrow and if all went well on his feet briefly tomorrow afternoon. The timing would depend on his condition and tolerance but later slowly adding walking short distances.

Doc was careful to stress that none of it would be comfortable, in fact it would all be very painful, but it was important to get him on the road to restored function. They should determine the best way to get him home to Santa Barbara for recuperation. They decided that the Skipper Watch could stop since Crane was medically fairly stable. He could have visitors as his condition tolerated.

Before Morton left he said, "Let me know when Lee is awake and on his own. I want to talk to him alone."

"I will. By the way his voice is pretty rough, his side of a conversation is pretty faint at the moment."

"I understand. Let me know."

"Aye, aye, sir."

There was relief at the Institute when Sparks relayed the message: CDR Crane condition: Fair.

Nelson woke up later that afternoon and spent a bit longer with the Captain. Lee had a few questions so Nelson helped him get some events sorted out. Lee had toast and coffee nearby but he didn't eat just looked at it with disinterest and shook his head when encouraged to eat.

Lee seemed remarkably well aware of what happened up until their final break but choose not to reveal any recollection beyond that. He admitted he vaguely remembered the sub tipping but diverted the conversation away from his experience of it, asking instead about the technicalities of how Morton did it. Nelson couldn't answer that; with everything else going on he hadn't even thought to find out himself.

Nelson actually hoped Lee didn't remember the horror and severity of the last hours with Whelan and Messer; it was a gruesome thing to experience once let alone relive in memory. Crane gave no indication of knowing he was stabbed. The Admiral wasn't surprised though; he was there himself and didn't even see it happen. Nelson didn't talk about that as the Captain had enough to think about. It was just another bandage amongst many at this point. Crane did ask about the cast on his arm. He didn't remember breaking his arm.

Nelson actually found the conversation very draining as if he were negotiating a minefield. He didn't really know what he should or shouldn't say; afraid he could drastically upset Lee with a chance comment.

After a while Nelson headed off to get in some work. Now that Lee was awake, and he had gotten some sleep himself, he was compelled to make plans. He was busy arranging things the rest of the day.

Later that day Chip Morton arrived back outside sick bay, he took a deep breath and straightened his back bracing himself as for an ordeal, then went in to see the Captain.

Crane was awake resting in a stand Fowler's position. Standing at the entrance from the anteroom and seeing some corpsmen nearby Morton formally greeted him the way he did in front of the men, "Captain Crane."

Crane nodded weakly and greeted him the same way, "Mr. Morton. Please come in." His voice was hoarse and low.

The Doc spoke to the corpsmen in the anteroom. "Let's leave the officers on their own for a bit. Smith, would you stay outside the door in the passageway please. If the Captain or Mr. Morton need anything Mr. Morton will give you a shout."

"Aye, aye, sir." The corpsmen left the ward.

Doc said as he left, "I will leave you as well. There will be a corpsman just outside in the passageway if you need anything."

Morton responded for both, "Thanks, Doc."

Chip approached the bedside, stopped a few feet away looking obviously uncomfortable.

Crane switched to a very informal tone to speak to his friend, "Chip, I keep asking about how you pulled things off and no one will tell me anything."

Even though Crane was speaking informally, Morton continued to address his friend in formal and uncomfortable tones. "The Doc tells me not to say anything to excite you, sir. I just wanted to check on you, and give you my best wishes for a quick recovery."

Crane looking troubled asked, "Chip, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, sir. How are you faring?"

"Chip, what is it?"

Chip took a big sighing breath, "Sir, I'm sorry that my manoeuvre hurt you so much. Doc says your arm is broken because of it … " He didn't say that the Doc also told him Crane nearly died of suffocation during it, but that was a known risk from the start. Why three minutes for the manoeuvre was so crucial.

Crane was weak and fatigued but he rallied his resources for a difficult and draining conversation with his friend.

"Chip, come here. I can't talk that loudly" Morton stepped closer to the bed. "How many men survived the manoeuvre?"

"All of them."

"Casualties?"

"Four injuries, including you, sir."

"Mine don't count. I was already injured."

"But it made yours worse."

"Skip that for a moment."

"But … "

Crane continued in a desperately weak, scratchy, but determined voice, "Please, hear me out, Chip, if you will?"

"Of course, sir."

"You came up with a plan to regain the boat. You pulled it off with no loss of life. That's remarkable." Crane looked absolutely exhausted from this conversational effort.

"But I should have found a different way."

Crane hesitated; he didn't want to think about the chain, the screams. It was too much, his mind shied away, but Chip needed his help. He had to help Chip. Oh, this was hard. "Chip, I'm going to tell you something so you understand … just before you did your manoeuvre … they had decided to end things. At least for me." Crane inhaled very shakily. He braced himself to tell Chip the next bit. Braced and stopped, he couldn't say it.

Morton knew from the Admiral at least some of what had happened but realized Lee was too distraught to tell him. He kept silent but looked appalled.

Crane paused, skipped over the grisly bits, steeled himself. "They … they weren't going to stop … until they got what they wanted … or I was dead." It was brutally hard to continue. Lee paused again, to regain some composure and breath. "The Admiral couldn't talk … I would have been dead soon … and … it was going to be … " Crane's voice stopped; he brought his hand briefly to his face as he paused, inhaled and exhaled, then continued in his weak, rough voice " … the most unimaginably horrific death." The Captain's body was rigid at the recollection. He stopped to gain control of his voice. He immediately bottled that hour up for storage. He wouldn't face it, or deal with it, for a while.

Morton cringed; he knew how close the Captain came to that horrific death even though the Captain didn't. He started to step forward then checked himself. He blinked rapidly but didn't speak, as the Captain was obviously not done.

Crane looked completely spent, but looked up at Morton and continued in a slightly steadier tone, "With all my being, Chip, I thank you for this broken arm."

Morton's whole body was stiff with tension and he attempted to keep his face very still as he fought to maintain composure. Lee, in his faltering account of that abhorrent occurrence and with his gratitude, had brought him to tears.

Crane rallied a bit and said more firmly, "Chip, I am proud of you. You are an extraordinary submarine officer," he held out his hand to Morton, "and I'm glad you're my friend."

Chip was silent for a moment or two, then blinked and nodded. He briefly and carefully clasped Crane's bruised and swollen hand, "As am I. Thank you, Lee."

Chip's body relaxed; he pulled up a chair and sat by his friend.

* Cradle of the Deep