Chapter 5

There were some formalities Carter wished had just died with the centuries. In this case the "meeting the CO" in a sit-down one on one. Not that Carter was nervous or anything but with her side still smarting and her head slightly cloudy she wasn't confident in her ability to bite her tongue. She had just come from medical. Again another formality. Every vessel knew to a command must check in with the medical at that command. Carter had to follow procedure like everyone else.

The corpsman acted like concerned sheep when they saw her limp but when they pulled the patch off they went into a frenzy. It was all "move this" and "relax that". Interspersed with rapid fire orders regarding the rest time she would need. Then to finish off went a bag of drugs shoved in her face with more orders on how to use them and what they would do to her if she didn't. If the initial dose they gave her was any indication, Carter had already resolved that further imbibing would be hazardous to her duties. Nonetheless she bravely negotiated the twisting maze of berths as she located the captain.

The skipper was a young up and coming destroyer named Fitzgerald who ran a tight base. Carter had served with her before and knew she'd be getting an earful for showing up today, formalities be damned. "Carter, didn't expect to see you." If that was Fitz's opening shot then Carter was in for it less than she thought but she was still in for it. "You asked for me to come ma'am." Carter's reply was bound to generate a tirade somehow. The submarine braced for it. "Medical called me. They told me of your injury. Carter I'm going to be honest with you." "I'd throw you out of the bay if you weren't." "I don't think you should be doing this job." Carter bristled. "I can handle it." She growled. "I don't doubt your abilities. I know you can do it." Fitz held up a wire to stop her and the sub held her tongue. "Your abilities have never been in doubt. You'll ignore your injury if needed to get the job done and that's what worries me." Carter sighed. She made a good point, loath as she was to admit it. "I know my limits." She said. "As brazen as I can be sometimes not even I would dare disobey a chit from medical." "I hope you're telling the truth." Fitz sighed. "I assume you've been given light duty?" She asked and Carter nodded. "Okay. Let me know if anything changes. You know how I prefer things. Just stick to it Carter and you'll do fine here." "Aye ma'am."

Carter made her way back to her division. It was a long sail back to the Triton and she had to stop several times, pretending to get her bearings as she willed the pain in her side, resurgent as the drugs wore off, to subside. Entering the berthing she was greeted by the watch who she dismissed with a wave of her fin. "Form up!" She roared out. She took a position in the center of the room, watching as her division charged to the towline. "Okay, as of now; Ford is RPOC." The carrier in question straightened proudly. "AROC will be independence." The trimaran grinned. "Master at Arms will be Zumwalt. Now for a yeoman." Carter's eyes traveled the ranks. They fell on a small destroyer who was doing her best to fade into the wall. Carter squinted to see her name. "Traeger, you'll do. Come with me yeoman. The rest of you as you were." Carter turned, heading for the office. She paused only once to see if the destroyer was following. Traeger was. Carter led her into the office and handed her a large pouch. "This is the yeoman's folder." She said. "You will keep this with you at all times. Any and all briefs that must be held as well as medical appointments will be documented." Traeger nodded. "Okay, open it up. There should be a folder labeled medical. Take it out as well as a black pen." Carter instructed. Traeger did so and then looked at Carter expectantly. The submarine pushed down her pride. Procedure was procedure after all. She handed her new yeoman a folded up chit. "Log this." She growled. Traeger's only reaction was to blink once. Then she took the chit, opened it and started writing. "What's your rate Senior Chief?" She asked. Carter leaned over to look at where Traeger was hung up. "Put MMNSC." She said. "You're a nuc?" Traeger sounded surprised. "All subs are nucs." Carter rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant." Traeger said quickly. "Oh I know what you meant. I apologize for my dry sense of humor." Carter chuckled. "Due to our unique power plants, all submarines and carriers are required to have an NEC." "So unlike the rest of us you can't choose your rate? Seems unfair." Traeger said, writing as she spoke. "Life's not fair." Carter replied dryly. "You finished?" "Yes." Traeger closed the folder, put it away and handed the sub her chit back. "Okay, you're dismissed." Traeger turned sharply and raced out of there, vanishing into the head.

She found a place in the very back to hide herself in. Then she bit into a stanchion and muffled her screams. She had wanted this job. The chance to get closer to her lone RDC and learn more about what was bothering her but this was too much! Carter was wounded. No, scratch that. She was very badly hurt. Traeger had seen the patch on her side. The submarine probably had propulsion issues as well. A bent shaft most likely. She'd been given 57 days LLD (limited light duty). Every single day she was supposed to command this division. And the list of medications she had to take... Traeger's wire hurt from copying all them down. She knew what most of them were, being a certified EMT back home in Kuwait. Carter had been given at least 5 different kinds of painkillers to try but from what she'd seen of the sub thus far, Carter would likely not take any of them. Also given were some antibiotics which were supposed to help stave off infection and while Traeger hoped they would be used she doubted Carter would take those either. Simply because those kind of antibiotics tended to make nucboats ill. Carter needed someone to look out for her.

Outside the head, her voice rang out, gathering the division for a drill. Not even a week in and already Carter was violating her chit. Yes, she needed someone. She really, really did. Because Traeger had an awful feeling that Carter might collapse before she accepted help. She gritted her teeth, getting control of her feelings. She needed to rejoin the division before her absence was noticed. Letting go of the stanchion, she gave it a grateful pat before turning away and sailing out.