TRWD7

My Journal
By Harriman Nelson
7

Lee hadn’t returned by the time Jiggs and I had finished dessert.
“Excuse me, sir,” O’Brien asked, entering. “I was hoping you might schedule me for shipboard duty for most of the time we’re in Inverness.”
“Shouldn’t you be speaking to the XO about a scheduling issue?” Jiggs asked.
“Already did, sir, but...”
“What’s the problem?” I asked.
“He thinks I might be going crazy, or that I’m developing agoraphobia. You know, needing to be in enclosed spaces. I’m not but, just…well…my great aunt might want me to pop by…”
“You have family in Scotland?” I asked. “I didn’t know that…so, Lad, what’s the problem?”
“Whenever I went with my folks to visit her, well, she insisted that Dad and I wear the O’Brien family kilts. She has an attic full of them and, when there’s anything to celebrate or a family gathering, she insists on the guys donning kilts. It’s not too bad but she insisted we all be ‘True Scots’. You know, without underwear.”
“Oh dear,” Jiggs said, though trying to hide his amusement.
“Yeah. They’re damn scratchy and embarrassing in a breeze. And you can freeze your buns and balls off in cold weather.”
“Are you sure she’d insist on a kilt?” I asked. “After all, you’re American.”
“Oh, she knows that, but she is family. I think it would just be easier to tell her ‘I’m the Officer of the Deck or something while we’re in Inverness and need to remain in uniform and that I’m prevented from leaving the boat.”
“It be your only opportunity to visit an old relation in Scotland for a long time. Great aunt? What is she, seventy? Eighty?”
“I don’t think even my parents know. Nobody at Three Hag’s Castle does.”
“Castle? She has a castle?” Jiggs asked, “She’s some kind of royalty or something?”
“Somebody way back was, and it’s more of a stately home than a castle in the traditional senses. Built and rebuilt over the centuries on top of one ruin after another. Some kept falling down because of battles, and some due to the caverns they were built on top of. But we know warlords and Vikings battled things out on the grounds.”
“We can invite her to lunch or dinner aboard Seaview. That way she could hardly expect you to be out of uniform and you could still visit.”
“I don’t think she’d accept. She’s still angry with my grandfather for shipping himself and family to the states. She might consider the invitation by Yanks an insult to her heritage.”
“That’s a shame, but we’ll extend an invitation anyway, if you’d like. Think about it. But rest assured, I’ll make sure you’re stuck aboard for the duration.”
“Thank you, sir. Oh, by the way, Mr. Morton’s scheduled a few drills during the cruise.”
“What drills?” Lee, obedient Winston at his heels, asked from the doorway.
“I only know he said to expect some, sir.”
“Very well. Dismissed.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Chip?” Lee spoke into the mike, “A moment of your time in my cabin. I’ll be there in a moment.”
“Aye sir.”
“Skipper?” Cookie asked, “I kept your soup nice and hot, dumped the soggy croutons out. You ready for news ones?”
“In a few minutes, thanks, I won’t be long.”
He didn’t have to ask his dog to go along with him.
“I wish I were a fly on the wall right now,” Jiggs said after Lee and his dog had left. “Sounds like Morton’s in trouble.”

“I suddenly remembered I have business to attend to,” I said and rose.
It was an apparent excuse to go intrude on Lee and Chip.
“I’ll go with you,” Jiggs joined me.

By the time Jiggs and I reached the bend in the companionway to the part of Officer’s Country that housed Lee’s cabin, Lee’s door slammed shut behind Chip as he headed in the opposite direction.
“Well,” Jiggs said, after a moment, “aren’t you going to go in to find out what happened?”
“Trying to build up the nerve.”
I knocked on Lee’s door.
There was no answer except for Winston barking.
“Winston, shut up!” Lee yelled.
I didn’t wait for permission and entered.
Lee was splashing water on his face in the head. Winston, recognizing me was running in circles around my legs. Missy, atop Lee’s bunk, simply raised a sleepy eye and yawned.
“You okay, Lee?” I asked as Jiggs gave the dog a pat.
“No. I’m not,” Lee said, emerging, mopping dry his wet face, including some stray curls of hair that had gotten in the way. “I’m an ‘opinionated bastard with delusions of Godhood that the presidency instilled in me’,” he said but without anger, only sorrow. “I’ve ‘forgotten how to be a captain’, did you know that?”
“My God,” Jiggs said, “Morton said that?”
“Verbatim? No. But he got some of what he told me from an old TV show, and he ‘reminded’ me that as Seaview’s XO he had every right to set up drills, but I’d either forgotten about that, or my judgement’s been corrupted by all the power I’d had and am jealous of him for doing the job I haven’t been able to do for a long time.”
“That’s when he slammed out of here?” I asked.
“No,” Lee said as he ran a hand through his hair, “that was when Winston growled at him. Didn’t even give me a chance to apologize for both of us. Chip’s been a damn fine captain all these months. Why should I want him to ask for permission to do what he’s been doing by himself all along? I only wanted to have been informed about the drills before he made them public… I should never have retaken command, Harry. It’s not going to work.”
He sat on the edge of his bunk, and stroked Missy.
“You’re taking this all out of proportion, Lee,” I said, leaning on the edge of his desk, " please, son, don’t do anything hasty."
"I'll continue as captain for this cruise, but I can’t promise anything more.”
“To change the subject,” Jiggs said, “what did you find out about your mother?
“Abernathy said something about me she took offense at. When he wouldn’t apologize she left. Harry? I hope you won’t mind, but I’m having her brought to Seaview via the Flying Sub. I’ve already informed Chip to prep the Flying Sub and to get me a co-pilot…why not ask Emily to come aboard as well? I’d feel better not having Mom as the only woman aboard.”
“She’s hardly a femme fatale,” Jiggs snorted. “Sorry.”
“Well, Emily could have a kindred spirit to talk with, and someone to do things women do together.”
“Might not be a bad idea,” I said, “but she might prefer a commercial flight to Inverness and join us there than come in on the Flying Sub. I’d better call her right away. Now, you go back to the Wardroom and finish your lunch.”
“Aw shucks, Harry, anyone would think you’re my father or something.”
While he and Winston headed to the Wardroom and Jiggs went to the Observation Nose, I used Lee’s videophone to make my call. Emmie was delighted with the invitation, of course, as long as we could book a hotel room in Inverness for a little alone time together. She wasn’t sure if she wanted the Flying Sub to bring her and would get back to me.
After my call, I headed to the nose to join Jiggs.
Lee was in the Control Room, Winston getting a tummy rub from Kowalski at his station, and I checked my watch. It was doubtful he’d taken my suggestion seriously.
“I’m sorry,” Lee was telling Chip, “I was wrong to get upset about you arranging some drills without asking me.”
“No, no, no, Captain. I overstepped my authority without your permission.”
“No, Chip, you were well within your rights. It was my fault to get upset.”
“You’re wrong. It was my fault, forgetting you were in command again.”
“Mr. Morton, if I say it was my fault, it was my fault!”
“Begging your pardon, Skipper, it was not.”
“Chip…”
“Boys,” I interjected, “do you need an arbiter?”
Each looked at each other, then began to laugh and slap each other on their backs.
“I’m supposed to go finish supper,” Lee said. “Care to join me?”
“O’Brien, take the conn,” Chip ordered as Lee summoned Winston to join them as they headed aft.
Despite the public reconciliation, I was still worried. Chip had skippered Seaview for some time now, and had effectively been demoted with Lee’s return. It had to irked his ego. What if his ‘command’ mentality showed itself again without him thinking about it? And what if Lee continued to have doubts about his, Lee’s return to command?
‘Get a hold of yourself Nelson’, I chided myself silently as I neared my front porch, the ‘headlights’ catching the bubbles against the blackness of the deep.
What mysterious denizens of the deep skirted around us that our frail eyes or equipment were blind to? What about the loch we were going to in order to check for rouge scientists attempting to create and refine holographic weapons that could be used against the enemies of mankind. And if nothing man-made was found, what then?
Only time would tell.