Ghost Writer(33)

“I was never very good at chess.”

He chuckled. It was a pleasant change from the verbal parrying I had been listening to all evening. He turned to lean on a support sideways so he could watch me. I gazed back for a minute or so, wondering what would happen next. It wasn’t what I expected.

“Doc likes you. He was there, in a professional capacity, most of the time I was talking to you. He will treat anything he heard as confidential, of course. I just thought you should know.”

My gaze narrowed to a stare. “So, when he said I had all my marbles, he had a basis for making the judgement.”

“Something like that.”

I looked out over the water. “I suppose he was also there to make sure you said the right things.”

“He didn't tell me what to say, if that's what you mean. He did warn me that I might feel a false sense of intimacy towards you.”

“Because we were thrown together, so to speak, in an adverse situation.”

“Adverse?”

I looked over my shoulder at him and shrugged. “Dire?”

“Try life and death.”

I didn't like to think about that. I pulled Gravell’s jacket about me. The captain leaned toward me, not close enough to touch, but close enough that I felt his body heat.

“I don't think you realize this, but you are a hero. Your grace and resourcefulness under adverse conditions captured the imagination of many of my crew. I doubt your colleagues appreciate what you went through, though they were worried enough. It takes a sailor to understand what you were up against, better still, a squid.”

“A squid?”

“A submariner.”

He took me by the shoulders and turned me around to face him. For a moment we just stood there. Then he backed away. Putting a little distance between us, he continued.

“I gave some thought to your suspicions regarding Captain Tinsdale. He will scuttle the station if he gets the chance. That doesn't mean he would have ever put you in the position of being trapped below decks. As a submarine commander, he knows that he might have to make the decision to leave someone trapped for the safety of his boat. That kind of decision is harder to make than sending men into battle. He wouldn't intentionally put himself in that position.”

Unless Tinsdale was a sociopath, I didn't really believe he'd do that either.

“Wait a sec! What do you mean, if he gets the chance'?”

He grinned.

“I know that you and the research team think I should have done more to help you. I hope that you, at least, understand that my hands were tied by decisions made by my superiors.”

I nodded. I was willing to admit that now. He gave a quick smile and continued.

“The situation has changed. We're off-script. Dr. Leland and Mr. Dawes will be making a case to continue the investigation, calling on resources that they might be kept from contacting out here. In the meantime, I see it as my duty to make sure nothing happens to the station while we wait for a new script to be written.”

Yay Captain Campbell.



The doctor was waiting for me. I was in such a good mood, I gave him a hug. He responded with a troubled grimace.

I laughed.

“Before you give me your lecture on false intimacy, I should tell you that the captain already passed it along. Besides, I already know that my feelings are vulnerable right now. In half an hour, I might remember how close to death I came and start weeping, but right now, I'm feeling good about the fact that the station is safe for a little bit longer. That's all.”

“Hmph, that lecture wasn't meant for you.”

“No?”

“My prescription for you is rest, mild exercise, and not worrying so much.”

He started the routine of gathering temperature, pulse, O2 levels, and blood pressure stats, filling in my chart as he went.

“I hear you're not releasing me,” I said, watching to gauge his reaction.

“I'll release you when you're ready and not a moment before.”

I grinned and nodded. He sighed and smiled back, a little more relaxed.

“I'm moving you to an isolation room. It'll give you some privacy. I want to keep an eye on you. With a history of lung disease in your family, I don't want to take chances. I'm sure that the captain has at least hinted at the other reasons we want to keep you here.”

“Not in so many words.”

Not in any words actually, but the doctor didn’t need to know that I was uninformed.

“The main thing is you're safe here. Tonight, Briseau has stayed to help you settle into your room. Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to anyone else who has business being here. Right now, I'm going to give the captain a reminder not to share his prescription with other patients.”





Chapter Nineteen ~ Boxed In



My new home was small, sterile, and uncomfortable. It was certainly private. I felt like I had been sent to solitary confinement. Sophie did her best to make me comfortable. She brought me extra pillows and blankets and a clamp light I could use for reading. When she left, I tucked up and started reading Minton's journal from the beginning.

This is the most significant mission I have ever taken part in. This is my chance to show that I have the right stuff. This is what I have been working towards my whole life. Best of all, I am surrounded by friends…