Chapter 12
Rotation day came.
They returned to base and Kate still hadn't heard from Mike about a possible promotion.
On the one hand, she was convinced that it was her turn, but the fact that she hadn't heard anything made her extremely nervous.
When the ship was moored, he turned to her.
"Ah X, a word in my cabin please".
Her heart pounding, she followed him to his cabin.
He sat down and handed her a piece of paper.
"Here are the men who are leaving now and, underneath, you see the replacements. The good thing is that the replacement are no longer rookies. They come from the Darwin patrol boats, our minesweepers and some from the Sydney frigates".
She took the paper and ran her eyes over the list. She was relieved to see that none of the old gang were leaving the ship and on the other hand, she didn't see her name on the list.
"Interesting. It's even nice to see that none of our old crew has to leave".
"Yes, indeed, the two of us with Dutchy and Harpie have an easy task this time to set up a crew with them", he said with a smile.
"Yes, uhm, you mentioned 'the two of us', but have you heard about my promotion?", Kate asked with a heavy heart.
"Ah, no. Unfortunately, I haven't heard about it", he answered coldly, shaking his head.
Kate frowned, "I assume I was on the list of candidates, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course, but the Brass decided huh? Not me", he replied, leaning back against his chair, looking happy to have dropped the hot potato to the Brass.
Kate tried to keep her posture, but couldn't help her shoulders slumping.
"Kate, it's not so bad, huh? You're feeling really at home here and we make a great team. Maybe next year", he said, smiling.
So I've got another year to win you over my cause and keep others at bay!
"Yeah of course", answered Kate, giving a hint of a smile.
ASSHOLE! I can see from your face that my name was never on the list. If I could, I would smash your head against your desk.
You want to keep me here, hoping that one day you'll put me back in your bed. FORGET IT!
"Enjoy your shore leave", he said.
"Yes, of course, same to you, sir", she said as she left his cabin, tears welling up in her eyes.
Kate went on deck to get some fresh air and bumped into Dylan.
"Wow, X, you nearly fell me overboard", he said, stepping aside.
"Sorry Dutchy, I didn't see you", she mumbled.
"Hey Kate, what's up. You look terrible", he whispered.
She sighed and looked at him, "He has just told me there's no promotion for me. I'm still second in command and he seems to like that a lot", she whispered, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
"Oh shit!", he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Kate just winced, knowing she would burst into tears if she said anything more.
"Can I come to your place tonight? So you won't be alone."
She swallowed and croaked, "Thank you, but no. I won't be the best company. So I can only be angry at myself. I just want to be alone to process this".
He frowned and nodded, "Yeah, I understand, but don't do silly things. Don't water the planet, will you. And remember, I'm always here for you", he whispered.
She nodded, "Yes, I know. We'll be in touch".
He looked round quickly and gave her a friendly squeeze on the shoulder.
Once at home she dropped her sea bag next to the washing machine and headed for the bathroom to have a shower, hoping she would feel better afterwards.
But to no avail! She put on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and headed for the kitchen. She opened the freezer to take a meal to heat up in the microwave, but her hand remained in the air. Her appetite had vanished. She slammed the door, opened the fridge and her gaze fell on a bottle of Chardonnay.
That's what I need! Empty it and forget everything for a couple of hours!
She opened the bottle, took a glass, filled it and emptied it.
The effect of the liquid was immediate. She felt better.
She refilled the glass, walked into the living room and sank on the couch. She took a few more sips, stared blankly at her furniture, thinking of her miserable situation and all the missed opportunities. She took another sip and realised that the glass was already empty.
Kate looked at the bottle on the kitchen counter and stood up, but felt dizzy. Emptying two glasses quickly on an empty stomach had its price.
Don't water the planet!
The words he had spoken stuck in her head.
She stopped halfway to the kitchen.
Tempting! Really, it's tasty, but it won't solve my problems. He is right, once again.
She spun round, looking at all the walls.
I need to get out here. Fresh air! Some space! I'll go crazy if I stay here!
She grabbed her keys and smartphone, slipped her feet into a pair of mules in the entrance hall and left. Once outside she took a deep breath and headed for the coast. She made her way to the beach and began walking along the coastline. In the meantime, dusk had fallen. This gave her the opportunity to think about her situation and let her emotions run free. After a while her phone buzzed. She took it out of her back pocket.
"McGregor speaking".
"Hey Kate, are you all right?", asked Dylan.
She took a deep breath, "Yes and no, I should say", she said with a sniff.
"Yes and no, you don't sound fine and I can hear you sniffing".
"Well, my situation hasn't changed for a few hours, so no. But now I'm walking on the beach and I can feel the space, the wind, the sound of the sea and I have been crying. It relaxed me. So I feel better in that respect. Now, I'm thinking about the next steps", she said, wiping her eyes.
"Okay, that's reassuring. Shall I come and see you? It's dark, no one will see us".
"That's kind of you, but I'll manage. I need a bit more time to think, you see", she said, looking at the silvery sheen of the waves.
"Well, maybe I can lighten your mood. There's a chance I might have something that could change everything", he said.
"Oh? What?".
"Just give me some shore leave to investigate and I'll let you know. For the time being, don't worry too much about it".
"Hmm, all right. You are piquing my curiosity".
"I know, but just be patient for a little while. And don't forget that you can always call me, even at night".
"Yes darling I know".
"Okay honey, I'll leave you now", he said and ended the call.
Kate smiled and put her phone back in her pocket. She moved away from the sea to an area of dry sand and lay down with her hands folded behind her head. She looked up at the starry sky.
It's magnificent! There's the Southern Cross. What would he have? What could I do? The merchant navy? Cruise ships? Pleasure boat tours? What are my skills?
The next patrol started. Mike was enthusiastic, not only about being at sea, but also about having Kate by his side. He tried to share his enthusiasm with her, but in vain. Kate ignored him. Her enthusiasm was hard to find. She behaved like a professional and tried to be normal. Unfortunately, it didn't work. She was grumpy and her tolerance was low.
RO entered the galley where Bomber was helping Bird cooking supper .
"Hey", he greeted her.
"Hey, are you looking for something to nibble?", she asked, putting down her knife.
"Gosh, dunno, maybe I wanted to escape the icy environment. Have you noticed that the X is not herself these days? She looked rather grumpy", he asked, leaning against the counter.
"Wow! If you can already see it, then we need to move up the severity a notch", she said in surprise.
He looked surprised in turn, "Did I say something weird?"
"No Rob, you didn't say anything weird, only you're the last one to notice. Look Rob, what you said was even an understatement. She can't stand anything. Everyone is turning cautiously around her, afraid she's going to bite someone's head off", Bomber said, cleaning her hands.
"Do you know the reason?"
She leaned against the counter next to him and raised her eyebrows, "The missed promotion, I suppose. How many years has she been XO on this tub? We know she's more than capable of running her own ship".
"Hmm, doesn't it take a long time to get promoted and have your own ship?"
"Yes, but the X is better than most officers. Look at Nikki, she has got her own ship and to be quite honest with you, the X is the best.
"Politics? Resentment?", he suggested.
"The second, I think. Knocker can't stand her. And the CO sees her as a passtime rather than a partner", Bomber grumbled.
"Really? Those two are in a relationship?", asked RO surprised.
"Yeah, of course, hadn't you noticed that? The whole ship knows!"
"Uh, never seen anything. Well, well".
Bomber rolled her eyes, "I should have known. Anyway, she feels like shit now and we're all suffering because of it".
He nodded, "Yeah".
"Uh Becca, do you fancy a drink when we're back ashore?", he asked, unsure.
She widened her eyes, "Huh Rob, are you really asking me to have a date with me?"
"Is this a date? Uhm, maybe we could get something to eat too? "
"Yes, it's definitely a date! And yes, I would like to have a drink and something to eat. Something decent, huh, not a kebab!", she said, smiling.
"A kebab? Jagh! The meat on those sticks grows back overnight".
She closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose, "Eww! Stop it Rob, I'm not listening anymore".
"All right, that was pretty clear. I know a good French restaurant, you'll like it", he said.
She nodded, "Yes, that's a much better idea, thanks Rob".
Later that night Dutchy noticed Kate sitting in the officers' mess with a file in front of her. He looked around and poked his head inside, "Hey, ray of sunlight".
Irritated she looked up, "What does that mean?", she snapped.
He leaned against the door, "Because that's not what you've been the last few days".
"Ooh, comments again? I'm acting normal", she snapped again.
"That's what you think that, but the fact is you bite everyone's head off. Even RO noticed".
She looked down and her shoulders slumped. When she looked up again, he saw tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I've done my best to be normal. But, I'm so fed up. I want to scream it out, but I can't", she whispered.
"I understand that. Just make sure the CO doesn't notice. It would only make things worse", he said gently.
She swallowed and wiped her eyes, "Yes, I know. I'll do my best".
He nodded, winked at her and left the room.
Kate sighed and leaned against the back of the seat, her eyes closed.
"Problems X?", asked Mike passing by and noticing.
She straightened her back, "No sir, just tired", she answered with a forced smile.
Yes, you! You are my biggest problem!
"Go to your bunk, that file, whatever it is, can wait until tomorrow", he said.
She nodded, "Yes, sir" and closed the file.
She got up and headed for her cabin, hoping that sleep would relax her mind.
To be continued