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Authors: Lorhainne Eckhart
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look at Joe, but he could feel his friend watching him.
When the USS Larsen pulled out of their homeport six months earlier as part of the battle group now stationed in the gulf under Operation Iraqi Freedom, emotions had been high. The thrill of being back on the open sea was the biggest adrenaline rush he had ever experienced. He lived and breathed the Navy. It was a part of him. Among the crew, just about each one of them had it in their blood. Most had left behind wives, children, and families; some had even become new fathers while out at sea. But that was what happened when you chose a life in the military. Your spouse had to look after the home front, and if something happened at home, there wasn’t a damn thing a sailor could do. Many didn’t get the messages until whatever the trouble was had been resolved.
When Eric announced the orders of their extended stay, he’d seen the disappointment in the eyes of his officers. They were ready to go home, to see their families. Johnson, a redheaded, blue-eyed officer, had a young wife pregnant with their first, and she was due to deliver when he was supposed to be home. That was all anyone had heard from him the last few weeks, that he was going to be in the delivery room when his baby was born. When Eric looked into the distress on Johnson’s face, even though the officer had tried to hide it, well, he felt lower than dung, and he apologized to him. He felt guilty and horrible, because when he read the order, he’d been happy beyond words. He had no ties to shore, only a cheap rented apartment in Portsmouth, furnished second-hand. He had no emotional ties, and he never gave a second thought to the shore. No, this was his true home, his lady love, the sea, the only place he truly felt alive.
He sighed and placed the orders back in the folder. Then he dropped it neatly to the side of his desk. An order was an order, and he wasn’t about to coddle his crew. They all needed to suck it up, especially with the new taskforce that had just been created because of the escalating tension and increase in danger in the area. The taskforce was scheduled for dispatch later in the week.
Eric had been hesitant about bringing up the subject of Abby, but he knew there was no way around it. He had to say something to his men. They knew she was here, so all he’d said was that they wouldn’t be moving her, and, for the time being, she would remain in sickbay, off limits to the crew. Of course, he wasn’t surprised by the response and the way they looked at each other as if wondering why she was still here. This included Joe, but Joe, being his right hand, steered the discussion in a different direction. Eric knew all too well that behind closed doors, alone, he’d be hearing from him. Before the meeting, Eric had spoken with Vice Admiral James, who was the commander of the US Navy and Marine Forces in the Gulf. They addressed the fact that the Brits were still very much in the area. In fact, they’d spotted one of the British Class Sheffield Destroyers on the horizon to the north.
The fact was that Eric was stalling, and that was something he didn’t do. He was, though, concerned with how the admiral would react toward Abby and the reason she was remaining on board. When he brought up the matter, he’d met a heart-pounding silence in which he could hear a pen clicking on the other end of the line, but then the admiral had said, “I will leave it to your better judgment.” Eric didn’t know when he’d decided to keep Abby on board. He’d just known, for some reason, and because of what had happened to her, that he wanted her to stay under his protection right now.
Eric didn’t glance up until the door clicked closed behind the last officer. That left him alone with Joe. “Sorry about the extension. I know you miss Mary-Margaret and the kids.”
Joe tightened his mouth and glanced away. “Thanks, Eric. Yeah, I miss them.”
Eric watched his friend struggling with his
When the USS Larsen pulled out of their homeport six months earlier as part of the battle group now stationed in the gulf under Operation Iraqi Freedom, emotions had been high. The thrill of being back on the open sea was the biggest adrenaline rush he had ever experienced. He lived and breathed the Navy. It was a part of him. Among the crew, just about each one of them had it in their blood. Most had left behind wives, children, and families; some had even become new fathers while out at sea. But that was what happened when you chose a life in the military. Your spouse had to look after the home front, and if something happened at home, there wasn’t a damn thing a sailor could do. Many didn’t get the messages until whatever the trouble was had been resolved.
When Eric announced the orders of their extended stay, he’d seen the disappointment in the eyes of his officers. They were ready to go home, to see their families. Johnson, a redheaded, blue-eyed officer, had a young wife pregnant with their first, and she was due to deliver when he was supposed to be home. That was all anyone had heard from him the last few weeks, that he was going to be in the delivery room when his baby was born. When Eric looked into the distress on Johnson’s face, even though the officer had tried to hide it, well, he felt lower than dung, and he apologized to him. He felt guilty and horrible, because when he read the order, he’d been happy beyond words. He had no ties to shore, only a cheap rented apartment in Portsmouth, furnished second-hand. He had no emotional ties, and he never gave a second thought to the shore. No, this was his true home, his lady love, the sea, the only place he truly felt alive.
He sighed and placed the orders back in the folder. Then he dropped it neatly to the side of his desk. An order was an order, and he wasn’t about to coddle his crew. They all needed to suck it up, especially with the new taskforce that had just been created because of the escalating tension and increase in danger in the area. The taskforce was scheduled for dispatch later in the week.
Eric had been hesitant about bringing up the subject of Abby, but he knew there was no way around it. He had to say something to his men. They knew she was here, so all he’d said was that they wouldn’t be moving her, and, for the time being, she would remain in sickbay, off limits to the crew. Of course, he wasn’t surprised by the response and the way they looked at each other as if wondering why she was still here. This included Joe, but Joe, being his right hand, steered the discussion in a different direction. Eric knew all too well that behind closed doors, alone, he’d be hearing from him. Before the meeting, Eric had spoken with Vice Admiral James, who was the commander of the US Navy and Marine Forces in the Gulf. They addressed the fact that the Brits were still very much in the area. In fact, they’d spotted one of the British Class Sheffield Destroyers on the horizon to the north.
The fact was that Eric was stalling, and that was something he didn’t do. He was, though, concerned with how the admiral would react toward Abby and the reason she was remaining on board. When he brought up the matter, he’d met a heart-pounding silence in which he could hear a pen clicking on the other end of the line, but then the admiral had said, “I will leave it to your better judgment.” Eric didn’t know when he’d decided to keep Abby on board. He’d just known, for some reason, and because of what had happened to her, that he wanted her to stay under his protection right now.
Eric didn’t glance up until the door clicked closed behind the last officer. That left him alone with Joe. “Sorry about the extension. I know you miss Mary-Margaret and the kids.”
Joe tightened his mouth and glanced away. “Thanks, Eric. Yeah, I miss them.”
Eric watched his friend struggling with his
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