A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading and sending messages. Fanfiction continues to have problems with notifications. Enjoy this new chapter!
Out There
Chapter 7
The sun set in an orange blaze as the research ship settled in for its last night on the open ocean before returning to Hilo and a week-long holiday. The wind picked up as it usually did after sunset but the breeze barely moved the ship. Well away from shipping lanes and in relative safety of the whale marine sanctuary, the researchers and crew were happy with the few days of work and looking forward to their last multi-day holiday for the next three months.
The life of the floating community had been one of extensive learning and fantastic experiences with the prospect of much more ahead.
The inflatable boats had worked perfectly; the davit cranes lifted each inflatable into the ocean and the researchers had been able to learn how to operate the small boats as well as several remote vehicles.
The massive whales had arrived for their winter season and created spectacular viewing for those on the inflatable boats and the ship.
For his work, Gil Grissom's muscles were stiff, his hands sore, the back of his neck red from sun exposure. While he was officially lab manager, he knew Sara could take care of the physical facility while he worked with the researchers on deck.
Sara, with less morning sickness, inventoried the lab equipment and supplies, matched names with research projects, and watched all the activities on deck from behind a wall of windows. Every day the sky was clear blue with occasional fine-weather clouds and from the lab she could see for miles. On the second day, she saw the first group of humpback whales and, even from a distance, was amazed at their size and effortlessness behavior. The same day, as she opened cabinets, she realized the lab was set up in the former fine dining room that provided a stunning 180 degree view—impeded now by several work tables and storage containers.
By the third day, Sara, always furiously independent, became aware that she was being—for lack of a better word—pampered.
The bed in their cabin had fresh linens and the towels replaced every day; a basket of fruit appeared. When she asked one of the housekeeping crew, the young man smiled and casually waved a dismissing hand, responding in a language she did not understand.
Puzzled, she decided it was a welcoming gesture from the housekeeping crew.
On her first day working in the lab, Mark Hudson showed up with a fruit smoothie, declining to explain how he had managed a smoothie in the middle of the afternoon. Crackers and a bottle of ginger ale appeared on the small desk in the lab; she thought Mark had left it until she saw him later; he'd been on one of the small boats all day. The next day, he brought another smoothie and later, a plate of lemon cookies showed up.
She felt she was eating all day without effort and avoiding the overwhelming smells of cooked foods in the dining room.
It was the fourth day when she found a fresh cucumber sandwich, covered on a small plate that made her realize someone was purposefully providing special food for her. Grissom denied knowledge.
"Not me," he insisted. "I've encouraged you to eat anything I could find but know nothing about ginger ale or cucumber sandwiches—not sure I know what that is."
"Must be someone in the kitchen," said Sara. Narrowing her eyes, she gave Grissom an inquisitive look. "Have you told anyone about twins?"
The look on his face was his answer.
"Who?"
Sheepishly, he grinned, saying, "Well—you know—everyone wanted to know." His hands came together, fingertips touching nervously.
Sara laughed. "Dear Gil—you are really excited?" She came into his arms, hugging him. "This is so—so unexpected—I—sometimes I'm thrilled and sometimes I'm—I'm scared to death."
Grissom slid his arms around her. "We were meant for this, Sara."
Two days before Christmas, they returned to the physician's office and were taken to a consultation room almost immediately. A file was on the table; Sara read her name on the file.
"I could open it—just a glance," she said just as a quiet knock announced the arrival of Dr. Ling, who entered the room clapping her hands together and smiling.
"You are great—the test results are good!" She sat across from Sara and Grissom, flipping open the chart. "I've printed it for you—this blood test is a miracle. Done early and parents know the results of four of the most likely problems—yours are negative. And we know gender—do you want…"
Grissom and Sara interrupted her with a definite "Yes!" spoken at the same time.
The physician smiled, saying, "At times like these, I love my job." She slid the file toward them. "You are having a boy and a girl."
After another extended and informative hour, Sara and Grissom left with more information, additional health forms, questions answered, and more questions forming.
Back on the ship, where most of the crew and researchers had found other places to be for the holiday, they were back in their room for a few minutes before Richard Paulson, the head researcher, tapped on the door.
Paulson and Grissom had known each other for several years; each bringing unique skills, knowledge and experiences to this floating research laboratory.
"I'm glad you two decided to stay on the ship—and, Sara, you are feeling better? We should have several quiet days—maybe get out to Volcanoes before everyone returns."
Sara waved him into the cabin, saying she felt much better. "We've just returned from the doctor's office—and I'm going to make an announcement before my dear husband does! In about six months, we are having a girl and a boy!"
She watched as the two men slapped each other's back before Paulson turned to her, "This is great—you've got good results? Now, you'll do all the work while this one," his thumb jerked toward Grissom, "while this one takes all the credit!"
For a while, they talked about Hawaii and volcanoes and ideas for enjoying a few days without most of the young researchers around. Then Paulson said, "Let's look at some of the video—several people got some great action from the inflatables and I'd love to see it."
Thirty minutes later, the three were in front of a screen watching amazing acrobatic performances of a pod of humpback whales as the males fought for the attention of one female. Suddenly, one breached and rolled, the entire under-body caught by the drone camera.
The two men, more interested in how the drone worked than actually watching the whales, had missed several moments of the video when Sara pressed paused.
"Is this what I think it is?" She asked pointing to the screen.
Grissom and Paulson turned their eyes to the screen as she started the video. She said, "I think this is—is this a male?"
Paulson glanced at Grissom; the two men began to laugh when she pointed to a long pink appendage that seemed to wave at the camera.
Sara leaned forward, saying, "That thing is six-seven feet long!"
While Paulson laughed, Grissom said, "That whale is about forty-five feet long—his penis is easily six or seven feet long. He needs it to…" As Sara dissolved into giggles, he continued, "He is—the pod is competing and he is showing off."
Choking back his laughter, Paulson reached over and replayed the video, saying, "It's always surprising—most people don't think about—about the private parts of a whale—or how they have sex—until they see it." His finger pointed to the whale's belly and proceeded to explain anatomy and mating behaviors of humpback whales.
After having a laugh with Sara, they continued watching the incredible performances of whales, dolphins, and seals sharing the same part of the world then watched more video taken from a submersible towed by one of the small boats.
Sara asked questions occasionally about what she was seeing while the men watched the video and talked about the functions of the submersible and how it performed. An astonishing array of marine life played across the screen—from manta rays, sea turtles, schools of fish, seals, an occasional shark—keeping Sara's eyes glued to the screen.
Suddenly, she asked, "What's that?" Quickly, she hit pause and reversed the video. "Right there—what's that?"
On the screen, with low light to identify an inanimate object, Sara pointed at something hanging in the water, submerged fifty or so feet beneath the ocean's surface. Paulson hit a few keys and brought a dark drum into closer view.
Grissom said, "Is it a barrel? Is there an anchor tied to it?"
Paulson managed to brighten and clear up the image as all three stared at the image. He said, "It could be an old ship funnel but why would it be floating? This area should be cleared of any shipping debris."
"And why would it have rusty chains on it?" asked Grissom.
For several minutes, they played the video, reversed and watched again. At most, they had a minute video of the barrel and most of it was dim and blurry.
"Pause it again," said Sara. "There is a mark on it." She pointed to a lighter spot on the dark surface. In the center of the lighter patch was darker triangle design.
Paulson had maxed out the brightness and clarity and enlarging the image made it blurred. As he reversed the image, Sara put her finger on the spot, slowing tracing the area.
"Oh, no," she whispered as her finger finished the outline. She grabbed a pin and drew what she had traced and then added to it.
The fuzzy image in the video drawn on paper became a well-known emblem; a square with a trefoil design and a dark circle in the center. The international symbol of radiation.
A/N: Twins, one of each and a bit of a mystery! Now-take a few minutes and leave a message! Many thanks to readers who have been reading for years! Keep GSR alive and well on fanfiction!