| Subject: ...For Meritorious Service, Chapter 24c, part two |
Author:
TxJAG_b
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 10:42:42 02/22/08 Fri
In reply to:
TxJAG_b
's message, "...For Meritorious Service" on 09:04:26 05/08/07 Tue
{part two 24c - disclaimers and contents notes can be found in 24c part one}
Time Unknown
Persian Gulf
“We’ve got more company coming, Hammer.”
“Where?”
“Eight o’clock low, moving up toward us…”
“I see him…”
Harm watched as a Kuwaiti Air Force A-4KU Skyhawk streaked into his line of sight.
The aviator/lawyer turned his head to his left to get a good look at the Kuwaiti pilot. Harm was stunned into silence. Looking back at him from an F-4 Phantom was a swarthy version of his father.
Was this an omen? Maybe Mac’s dream was a warning. Maybe Dad was trying to do the same!
Then he saw the pilot mouth the words … ‘not yet’
“Hey Hammer!” It was his Radar Intercept Officer, more euphemistically known as the ‘Guy in Back’
Harm felt as if a fogbank in his mind had suddenly lifted. “Huh?!”
“He’s giving you the thumbs up sign, Hammer….”
Harm looked at the pilot again. This time it wasn’t his father he saw staring back at him from a Phantom fighter jet, but a mustachioed puzzled Kuwaiti pilot in a Skyhawk.
Harm slowly gave him a thumbs-up signal.
The man smiled warmly, then reconnected his oxygen mask and lowered his visor before breaking off to the left and picking up speed.
“Wow, there he goes!” commented Jeff. “He pushed that thing into overdrive, didn’t he, Hammer?”
There was no response from the Commander. Jeff wondered what was going on with this legal eagle.
“Hammer?”
“Yeah?” Harm said distractedly
“Hammer, what’s up with you?” Jeff wondered for a moment if Harm might be suffering from oxygen deprivation. “Hey, are you all right?”
Harm chuckled nervously trying to assure Jeff everything was okay. “Yeah, sure. He just startled me, Pitcher, that’s all…”
“Supergirl to Hammer; fun’s over, big guy. Time to head for the barn and get some breakfast. I heard we’re having pancakes this morning and I’m buying…”
“You’re on Supergirl; take the lead.”
“Roger Wilco, Hammer.”
*~*
Their movement to the initial rally point, a three sided hill which was adjacent to their objective, Hill 520, was uneventful. As they bounced along, Mac fought hard not to wince. Those pains in the small of her back, which had bothered her when she and Harm were looking at Lieutenant Lukens Cobra gunship, had returned.
As she tried to cope with the flash of pain, she tried to mentally recall what might have caused this. It could be that her parachute landing had aggravated whatever injury she had suffered in the Chaco Boreal when she and Clay had tried to rescue Gunny. That was one possibility. Or when she and Harm crashed after they had destroyed that semi-truck full of Stinger missiles. It could also be that she landed hard on her side, but she honestly didn’t remember coming down so hard that it would hurt like this.
Whatever it was, this truck’s rough ride wasn’t helping it.
The light Colonel glanced over at Sergeant Williams. If he had noticed her discomfort, he didn’t say anything about it.
(C’mon Marine, suck it up!) she told herself. It wouldn’t look good for her to wimp out now.
Sergeant Williams drove up the slope of the hill and stopped just before he reached the crest. The Dodge pick-up with Lieutenant Ebbits and Casey did the same. The Recon soldiers dismounted from their vehicles and crawled to the crest of the hill.
Ebbits, Mac, and Wilbane pulled out their binoculars and Kayce set up her rifle while O’Grady set up his spotter gear. All five scanned the reverse side of their hill and then swept back and forth, checking out the base of the next waypoint, Hill 515.
“So far, so good, right sir?” Rudy said grinning.
Carlson wasn’t ready to celebrate yet. “When we get to Hill 522, I’ll be happy, Master Guns, and not until then.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Colonel, have Calapango and Mickens scout down our reverse slope and over to that wadi halfway between here and our IRP.”
“Aye, aye, Lieutenant.” she turned to the two Marine scouts. “You heard the Lieutenant. Radio when you get to the wadi.”
“Aye, aye, Colonel.” the men replied. They crawled over the ridge of the slope and headed down the other side.
“Danvers--”
“Way ahead of you, sir. I’ll keep a lookout for any bandits.”
“Outstanding, Corporal.” He turned back to Mac. “Let’s hope our Baathist friends are still asleep at this hour….”
As they watched Mickens and Calapango make their way to the wadi, Kayce acted as if she was readjusting her sniper scope. “Here ma’am,” she hissed. As she did, she pushed a small bottle of pills toward Mac.
Before the light Colonel could say anything, Kayce continued. “I saw that pained expression and figured the curse is hitting you hard this month. Maybe you forgot your grunt candy when we packed this morning….”
Mac didn’t say anything or look at Kayce, but she did surreptitiously palm the small medicine bottle.
*~*
Harm was climbing down from his cockpit. Man, it felt good to be back in the air again…he tried not to let his ‘vision’ ruin those good feelings. Still it was disturbing. All this time, all these years, he had hoped to see his father one last time. So why was Harmon Rabb, Senior, picking now to make his appearance? Was he running a fever and didn’t realize it?
His reverie was interrupted by his brown jersey wearing Plane Captain. “How did it feel getting back up there, sir?”
“Like heaven, Petty Officer,’” Harm replied jocularly, trying to keep up that cocky image of fighter pilots.
But he really didn’t feel that cocky at the moment.
“Hey Hammer!”
Harm turned to see Nicole and Sandy moving toward him.
“That was some mighty fancy flying there, Commander!” Sandy said in fake southern belle drawl. Nicole snorted.
Harm noted the derisive cough. “What about you, Supergirl? What did you think about my flying?”
“Not bad for a reservist!” She’d give him that much, but in her eyes he was still a black shoe legal weenie. “I’m buyin’ aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are!” Harm wished he had a cigar right now.
Behind them, another pair of Tomcats were being launched. Noise, steam and smoke dominated the deck.
“Hey you guys, I--”
Before Sandy could say another word, she doubled over and heaved her morning coffee onto the deck in front of them.
Harm and Nicole looked aghast as Sandy continued dry heaving.
“Corpsman!!” barked Nicole. Several of the white jersey deck crew ran to toward the island. Another grabbed a bucket and ran towards her.
Harm reached Dust Storm’s side first. “Sandy! Are you all right?!”
Sandy was wiping her mouth. “Boy, that sure tasted better coming up than it did going down,” She said weakly to him.
A junior petty officer wearing a white jersey thrust the bucket under her mouth. “Right in here ma’am!!”
Two other white jerseys were already wiping down the deck.
Nicole was now on the other side of her RIO, she felt Sandy’s forehead. “You’re burning up!” She gave Dust Storm a harsh look. “Were you this sick when we took off this morning?!”
“No ma’am….” Sandy said quietly. Hit me…just as we landed…thought it was something else….”
“Let me take a look at her, Commander!” It was the Chief Medical Officer and an corpsman. He gave her a quick examination. But then he didn’t need to do much to tell that had fallen victim to the influenza that was ravaging the fleet.
“Pardon the interruption, doc,” Sandy gasped, “But I think I’m gonna hurl again….” And with that Sandy heaved into the bucket provided by the petty officer.
The CMO looked at the orderly. “Get her down to isolation immediately!” He ordered. Then he turned to Nicole. “How are you feeling?”
“Never better!” Nicole lied. Truthfully, seeing Sandy ralph like that made her a little queasy, but she’d never let the doc know it.
He nodded, accepting her bravado, for now. Then he looked at Harm. “How about you, Commander?”
“I’m all right!”
“Good! Get those hands washed ASAP! Both of you!!”
“Aye, aye, sir!”
The CMO gave Supergirl knowing look. He knew she wouldn’t report being sick unless she was on her death bed. “Commander, if you feel the least bit queasy later on, report to the infirmary! That’s an order!!”
“Aye sir!”
As the CMO headed after his Hospital Mate and Sandy, Harm and Nicole exchanged worried looks. Just how many others were going to succumb to this bug?
---TBC…
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 