Such Random Thoughts

Chip grunted in pain. He immediately regretted that sound escaping through his gritted teeth. Lee didn't need that grief. He was doing his best. His best to carry him back to the ocean, to Seaview, to home. Chip heard a groan of contrition from his best friend and the resulting repentant gasp "Sorry, Chip."

Dammit. Lee was labouring to get him home and he had made his friend feel guilty for a injury he hadn't caused and was doing his utmost to get him to Doc for. Now Chip felt guilty, guilty for not disarming his adversary without injury, guilty for not being able to walk under his own steam, guilty for putting his commanding officer and best friend to such extremes of effort to get him to safety. He felt guilty and useless.

Chip knew his best friend well. Lee would never stop trying even if it killed him. He was a dedicated officer driven by duty and loyalty. Right now Chip was incredibly grateful to have Lee Crane as his friend. He would do his level best not to cause him any more grief.

Chip resolved to be 'fine' for his friend even if it killed him to not groan.

Once Lee had carried him several klicks they had hidden a couple of hundred metres from the trail for ages, down in the undergrowth not daring to move. Their attackers must have regained consciousness and freed themselves. Kowalski heard them coming a long way off. They were angry, shouting and making a lot of noise.

That noise saved them. Ski heard them even over the Skipper's panting breaths. They high tailed it off the trail and toward the thickest cover in sight. He was bouncing against Lee's back and trying not to shriek in pain. Lee had practically dropped him in his haste to get him hidden. That drop to the ground had almost wrenched a scream from his throat, but he didn't have the luxury of screaming. He shoved his fist into his mouth as his whole body shook with the pain. He was gasping and squinting his eyes trying to calm his breathing and stay still when his body wanted to writhe in agony.

He lay on his side and focussed on Lee's face to distract himself from the agony. The anguished look in Lee's eyes was another kind of torture. He heard Lee's softly murmured, "I'm sorry, Chip. I'm sorry. Oh god I am so sorry." Then Lee had turned his face to the ground and they lay in silence until the sounds of the attackers going by faded into the distance. Chip suddenly realized it was a good thing they were moving slowly. Garber was rushing his men to the cove for the evening tide. It was a very good thing they weren't all going to meet up there.

When Lee eventually stood up he could see that he could hardly move. His muscles must have tightened up while they lay on the ground. Lee turned his face away so he wouldn't see the grimace but he could still tell from the tension in Lee's body and stiff movements. Damn.

Lee had been gone for ages. He couldn't really tell how long. He seemed to keep drifting. Probably that lack of mental focus was from the blood loss. But it still seemed a long time since Lee had disappeared into the darkness leaving him here with Ski. The eastern sky was just a tiny bit brighter now. That meant daylight and the high tide were coming. He lifted his hand and placed the palm on the pocket of Lee's shirt. Lee's shirt with the sleeves ripped off that covered his chest holding the makeshift bandages in place. He felt the transponder through the fabric of the pocket. It was transmitting their location, telling Seaview they were ready for extraction.

Chip let his hand fall limply down. He and Kowalski were here waiting to be picked up but not Lee. Where was Lee? Off risking his life in just his undershirt against the chill of the night. Off doing the grunt work. Off driving himself to do more. Dammit, Lee. Just once couldn't you let yourself be human? Cut yourself some slack? But no, that wouldn't be Lee Crane. Chip sighed.

Chip glanced over at Kowalski. He was keeping watch and not giving in to human frailty either. Ski and Lee were both striving to get him, the lowly Executive Officer of a civilian research submarine, to safety. For what? So they could sail the seas with mad scientists and find monsters and aliens? Hell they couldn't even tell their friends and families what they did. Why was it so important for Lee to get a backpack? To use his own transponder to save his XO?

Chip realized his thoughts were disjointed. He wasn't making sense even to himself. He let his head tip back against the rock behind him and thought about Seaview.

He was worried about Nelson. The Admiral was an emotional man who worried a lot about the men. He would be really worried now about his senior rating. Nelson had handpicked Kowalski as one of Seaview's plankowners. The Admiral would also be especially worried about his Captain. Although seldom acknowledged there was a multifaceted relationship there that superseded casual friendship. Chip knew Nelson would be worried and feeling on his own right now.

It was Chip's responsibility to keep the boat running smoothly. That's what an XO did. Part of keeping Seaview running smoothly was appeasing the Admiral. Defusing the mercurial temper and when that didn't work soaking up the vitriol himself if he could. Keeping the spleen from others. Chip knew the Admiral would be stoking himself up with worry. He hoped Sharkey was up for that. Sharkey was a great guy and one of the Admiral's great friends but Chip was pretty sure that right now neither of them was having a good night. He couldn't do anything about that at the moment. He closed his eyes and drifted.

He heard soft murmuring voices and opened his eyes. Sharkey was looking at him then turned his head to speak softly to someone behind him. The Chief's profile was silhouetted against the predawn sky. He was the strangest looking angel Chip could imagine and the most welcome. His eyes closed as he thought about Cooney Island accents and angels.

He felt hands lifting him. He gasped as the movement caused the crusted bandages to pull off the wound.

"I'm sorry, sir. Try to relax. Let us do the work. We'll get you to Seaview in a jiffy."

"Okay," He gasped again as the bandages pulled more. He felt the warm gush of fresh blood wash over his side.

The men paused at his groan.

He gritted his teeth. "Carry on, Chief."

"Aye, sir. We'll be as gentle as we can."

He felt the bump of the zodiac against the hull. It jolted him. He bit back the groan, stopped it from accusing the men. They were doing their best. Doing a damn fine job. He was embarrassed that they were doing their best for him. Somehow they lifted him onto a stretcher to carry him to sick bay. Carried to sick bay, dammit. That was Lee's forte. He was usually standing on the bridge watching them do their stretcher bearing not being borne.

It was odd to see the sail from this angle. Looking up. There was the Admiral up on the bridge looking down. He closed his eyes as the early sunlight made him squint.

Next thing he knew the Admiral was beside him on the deck. The Admiral looked ready to blow a gasket. He would be upset that Lee wasn't with them. He wanted to apologize that Lee wasn't here but his mouth didn't want to work. Oh god, he was practically looking up the Admiral's nostrils. Dammit this was humiliating.

He closed his eyes to block out the humiliation but then the motion of the stretcher made him nauseous. He opened them again to fight the nausea. He didn't want to puke on the men. He watched the overhead as he was carried down the passageways. Why did Seaview have so many bends in the passageways? It was disorienting and made him feel sicker. This was crazy he hadn't been seasick since his Youngster Cruise. He focussed on watching the overhead passing by and not throwing up. It would be better once they stopped.

Now he was looking up Doc's nostrils. Damn fine nostrils. He almost giggled; he must be giddy. Oh, it was so good to see up Doc's nose. He breathed a sobering sigh of relief. Doc would fix him up.