Crew Mates Season One: Episode Two Read online

  Crew Mates Episode Two; Season One

  Ellie Pond

  Contents

  1. Daniel

  2. Naomi

  3. Daniel

  4. Naomi

  1

  Daniel

  Daniel leaned against the red life preserver crate on the wall. “Listen, I don’t want to talk about it… What the heck is that?” Behind Zach, a tiny speck glinted on the waves, the light chop on the water making it flash in and out. It bobbed up and down. His automatic response clicked in. “MOB, Zach.”

  Daniel ripped open the seal on the life preserver box. The crate held dozens of life preservers on one side, and on the other a buoy with a marker can attached to a life ring, along with six sets of protective clothing bundled beneath. Daniel raced to the rail and popped the top of the smoke can and threw it in the water. The buoy can trailed green smoke. It didn’t come close to the insignificant dot on the waves, but it marked a direction to track the man bobbing in the waves. They practiced man overboard exercises continually. Everyone had to know what to do.

  Zach raced to the ship phone on the wall next to the box. Daniel raced back to the box, wiping out the emergency gear for the lifeboat. He tossed a protective suit to Zach. Daniel placed the lightweight orange jumpsuit over his clothes and did a quick check of the jumpsuit emergency inflatable vest and beacon. The alarm sounded. Three long, prolonged blasts. The ship slowed and began its emergency turn. Zach suited up as well.

  “What’s going on?” a small human woman asked at them as they zipped up their orange suits.

  “Man overboard. Please step back.” Zach and Daniel jogged past the larger lifeboats to the nearby smaller rescue boat. A lot of crew members would hang out on this deck while passengers avoided the area with emergency equipment along the wall and the lifeboats blocked the view of the ocean. Guest wanted a better view and a nicer sitting area. Zach climbed on board and released the three safety pins that tethered the boat crane to the ship.

  Daniel got in the boat, but stood next to the entrance.

  “We can’t dispatch without a third.” Daniel called out to Zach. Seven short bursts of the horn shook the ship, followed by one lengthy one. Muster stations. Someone should be there soon.

  Zach nodded. “You have eyes on the target still?” The wind clobbered the side of his head.

  Daniel caught sight of the MOB. A man, he thought, his head above the rough waves. A list of the actions bubbled through his head. If two deckhands showed to the launch first, he’d swap with one and stay on the ship. Otherwise he would go with Zach on the lifeboat.

  Another passenger stepped close. “Please back up. For your safety.” His voice boomed as loud as his heart. Seconds ticked like hours waiting for a third crew member for the lifeboat launch, but only a minute had passed. At last a crew member jogged out of the ship, already in a jumpsuit.

  “Get in, Daniel,” Phin shouted as he jogged up to the rescue boat.

  Zach glanced over his shoulder. Phin was from the bridge and an experience pilot. Zach started to move from the pilot seat.

  “Stay there, McGill, do exactly as I say. Daniel, pull the hatch closed behind him and strap in.” Phin pulled the crane release wire as Daniel pulled the hatch closed. “Do you have eyes on the MOB?” Phin scanned the horizon as the crane pushed the boat away from the ship and they started a slow descent to the water. Other crew members now mustered at the rail as they left. An announcement came over the ship's loudspeaker, but with the wind Daniel didn’t make it out. He continued to keep his focus on the person, MOB in the water, even as he strapped himself into the rear-facing chair. The boat’s speed was deceptive of the compact size. Two utilitarian seats in the cockpit. The back held one rear-facing chair and a standing arm, with a harness and narrow benches on either side with straps.

  Phin strapped himself into the standing harness. That would allow him to move about the rescue boat. He braced himself behind Zach as the boat hit the water. The ship pulled away to the starboard as they hit the oncoming waves. Phin stumbled forward and pulled himself up to Zach, yelling directions into Zach’s ear. “Keep your eyes on the MOB, Patton”

  “Got him two o’clock.” Daniel pointed.

  “Copy.” Phin relayed directions to Zach.

  Time ticked in slow motion. Daniel counted the seconds as the waves heaved up and down. He didn’t blink. “Three o’clock now, just beyond the smoke can.”

  “Got him.” Phin had Zach circle wide, making the target between the boat and the ship. The MOB bobbed fifteen feet away now. He went under and in the next wave bobbed up again. Daniel unlatched his harness. The man sank under again and in the next breath Daniel nodded to Phin and jumped in the water, swimming to the spot where the man disappeared under the waves. Daniel released his vest to dive. The vest popped to the surface as he dove. Seawater stung his eyes as he scanned the area. The man gave a wiggle not far beneath him. Daniel kicked down. He shoved the water with force as the man sank below him. He grasped the man’s torso and pulled the string on his safety suit. An emergency bubble vest inflated and rushed them to the surface. Daniel coughed as they broke the surface, the man dead weight in his arms. Daniel clasped the life ring that Phin threw to him. Phin hauled them to the rescue boat with it. Daniel wrapped the man in harness loop that Phin tossed him and steadied him as Phin pulled him on board. Daniel clung to the side of the boat and threw his right leg up the edge of the boat. A wave slammed the boat sideways, and instead of rolling into the boat he slammed to the bottom of the boat near where Phin had laid the man.

  “Go, McGill, but not too fast. They’re not strapped in. I said go, Zach.”

  Zach aimed for the ship, the same time as another rescue boat bounced on the waves towards them. The other boat flanked them as they returned to the ship. Daniel wiped water out of his eyes. Phin had the man’s head tilted back and was clearing his airway.

  “He’s not breathing,” Phin said as started doing compressions on the man’s chest. Daniel dropped to his knees on the other side of the unconscious man from Phin.

  A wave picked the boat up, tossing water on them as they landed hard.

  “Easy, McGill!”

  “Copy,” Zach hollered back.

  Daniel watched Phin do chest compressions as they neared the boat.

  “You ever hook a boat back up to the ship?”

  “Only in the computer training.”

  “Shit. Right. Okay. How’s your CPR?”

  “That, I can do.” Daniel watched Phin’s motions to be sure he remembered correctly. CPR on a dummy and a person would be different.

  Phin didn’t glance at him. He stayed focused on the man on the boat deck. When Zach positioned the boat beside the crane. “You’re up.” Phin stood.

  Daniel took over, singing the song “Staying Alive” in his head to keep the compressions at the right pace like his instructor had taught him. Daniel didn’t watch what Phin did, but a distinctive click echoed. As the boat rose, the man turned his head and coughed out seawater, his chest moving on its own as the water jerked out of him.

  The crane tilted the boat back to the ship rail and bounced in place. Daniel sat back on his feet. The man’s eyes fluttered open. “Thank you,” he muttered through his blue lips and his eyes closed.

  Daniel nodded. “I’m glad you’re okay. You’re going to be okay,” Daniel said, more to himself.

  Daniel gazed up. Two medics held a stretcher and helped the man on to it. Phin snatched a blanket from the medic and covered the man before they whisked him away to the infirmary. Phin, Daniel and Zach stumbled over the railing onto the ship deck to applause from the crowd of passengers. While they were being held back quite a distance
down the deck, they saw and heard everything going on. It was hard to keep secrets from a community of shifters with heightened senses.

  Someone draped a blanket around his shoulder. The water wasn’t cold, but the night wind on the deck sent a chill through him.

  First Officer Luca Laurit stared down at him. Laurit stared down at everyone. He was the tallest, broadest, toughest bear shifter. The rumor was that no other alpha could control him. If he didn’t belong to a dragon pack he would be solo, and no shifter does well solo. Laurit put one hand on his shoulder and the other on Zach’s. “McGill and Patton.” He bounced back and forth between the two. A certain dread landed in Daniel’s gut. Gone was the sense of pride in what he and Zach accomplished. The adrenaline still rushed. “Let’s walk.” As they walked, the crew surrounding them applauded too. Hoots of “good job” and “amazing” followed them into the elevator lobby, until Laurit gave one glimpse behind him and the crew scattered. “Clean the boat up,” he threw over his shoulder.

  “Yes, sir,” came from Phin, and he pivoted towards the boat.

  “Not you, Carter, you follow me too.” Laurit dropped his hands. And all three fell in behind him.

  Daniel glared at Zach, who shrugged his shoulders in reply. Phin sauntered behind them, raising his head to anyone who smiled at them. And was that a wink?

  The nervousness in Daniel vibrated out of him more now than on the rescue boat. There he knew what he faced. Now he had no idea.

  Laurit didn’t stop as he marched the three of them, with Daniel leaving a trail of water all the way to his little office on the side of the bridge. Laurit took most of the space in the room. He sat down on the side of his desk and motioned for them to sit on the two chairs and his desk chair. Phin sat down next to the door on a tiny plastic chair and Zach sat down next to him. Daniel eyed the desk chair. Laurit glared at him. “Carter, take my chair, I don’t want it wet.”

  Phin squeezed behind Daniel, changing places with him. “Close the door, McGill.”

  Once the door was closed Laurit let out a grin that took over his whole face.

  He turned to Phin. “Good job. Leading two untested rescue crewmates. If you had waited for another crew member, I believe we would have had a different outcome.”

  Daniel wanted to say he’d done the training, but Phin shook his head behind Laurit’s back for him to keep his mouth shut. Right, military. Daniel had more of a friendship with his supervisor, Eva.

  “Thank you, sir,” Phin said.

  “McGill, that was some steady piloting.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Zach mimicked Phin.

  Laurit rotated on his desk.

  “Daniel Patton. Courage and level-headedness. I am impressed.”

  A quick knock and the door open as Laurit spoke. “Enter.”

  The captain filled the rest of the space in the office and he hadn’t entered the room all the way. He shimmied into the minuscule office. He squeezed the door shut. His legs brushed up against Daniel’s and his pants began to dry instantly. Daniel didn’t glance at the dragon.

  “Who spotted the MOB?”

  “I did, sir.” Daniel craned his neck to see the captain fully.

  “Outstanding job, Patton. Quick action on all of your parts saved a man’s life. I just touched base with Dr. Cottage. She says he’s in pretty rough shape. But he has a shot because of you. The human fell off of a cruise ship over 24 hours ago. Doesn’t happen often, and neither does this. I am damn proud of all of you. Great teamwork.”

  Phin mouthed, “Thank you, sir.”

  “It was…” Daniel started.

  Phin made universal stop symbol by slicing his hand across his neck, behind the officer’s back.

  Daniel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Thank you, sir.”

  “Right.” He turned to Zach, “You work concierge, McGill?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Next cruise you will be on the bridge. Phin, you’ll be mentoring him. I’ll have advancement papers sent to your room by tomorrow.”

  Zach's eyes widened. “Thank you, sir.”

  “Daniel Patton, you’re with front desk hospitality?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Phin nodded behind Laurit like a proud stage parent.

  “You’ll be working security in my department.”

  “But…”

  Phin’s eyes opened far enough they could pop out.

  Daniel parroted like a robot, “Yes, sir, thank you.” Phin nodded behind Laurit.

  “Now. You two have off until 10 am tomorrow. Outstanding job. Enjoy your night. I want to see the report from you before you leave for the day.”

  “Yes, sir.” Phin nodded.

  Phin stood but couldn’t move out of the office, both Zach and Daniel frozen.

  “Dismissed.” Laurit’s voice echoed in the room.

  Word traveled fast on the ship. Applause surrounded them Zach and Daniel even through the small public section of the boat they trudged through. Crew members applauded. Daniel kept his head down. His hair still dripped in his face, while his pants were partially dry. Zach waved to the crowds of guests who gave him questioning looks as the crew members sent congratulations and slapped Zach’s hand in high fives. They swam upstream to their room. Every few feet a hand slapped his back. As they stomped down the service stairs in the middle of the ship to the second level of the ship, others hooted and whistled louder. Decorum evaporated in the crew areas of the ship, with full on chanting. Their room, as the rooms of almost all the unmated non-officers, lined the halls near the crew’s cafeteria, bar, and game room. Also on this floor was the largest of the ship's laundry rooms, which left the entire floor smelling like dryer sheets. These were also the smallest of the rooms, gigantic by most cruise ship standards but still miniature compared to the passengers’ cabins. Everyone perpetually propped their doors open when they were in their room to make them feel bigger. As the Daniel trudged down the hallway, his adrenaline evaporating, Daniel wanted dry clothes, a beer and his bed.

  Billy and Rama raced up to them as they rounded the corner.

  “Our heroes.” Billy bowed to them both.

  Rama jumped at Zach and gave him a hug and turned to Daniel and hugged him too.

  “You’re wet.” Rama wiped her arms.

  “That’s what happens when you’re amazing and plunge into the ocean to save a life.” Billy handed Rama a buff from his back pocket. She wiped her hands and twisted it around her wrist.

  “Thanks, guys,” Zach answered for both of them.

  “I’m buying drinks for both of you tonight,” Rama laughed.

  “Get in line. These two are the males of the day!” Billy put his arm around Rama’s shoulder. The two of them followed the guys along.

  Eyes followed them. Two doors down, Collette and Naomi stood in their doorway.

  Collette beamed at Daniel while Naomi’s lips thinned at him.

  “You guys. Wow. That’s amazing. Impressive.”

  “Not really. We are all trained to do it.” Daniel wondered what was eating Naomi. She was full-on scowling at them now.

  “Are we though? We do the computer trainings. And the trainings when we come on board. But do you think you were the best qualified to be out there compared to security, a deckhand, or bridge crew?” Naomi didn’t blink.

  “Phin was with you, right?” Colette put her hand on Naomi’s elbow.

  “We would never have gone without Phin, he’s the one who pulled the safety cable,” Zach answered.

  Daniel watched the rest of them talk. Naomi was right. He wondered the same thing before Phin pushed them away. Then he focused on the task in front of him. Some crew members clicked their way through the recurrent computer trainings, but he didn’t. He took notes every time. It tickled in the back of his head. What if the man had died? A security crew team would have mustered not long after Phin showed up.

  “We’re trained for ship musters and fires. But to dive into the ocean? You might have died.”

>   Zach angled his finger at Naomi, his eyes narrowed. “No you don’t. No one died today. And that’s it, that’s the point. This male is the best. I trust him with my life.” He stomped down the hall.

  “I am didn’t mean…I am glad you’re okay.” Naomi turned back into her room.

  Daniel’s wet clothes lay in a heap on the floor outside their little bathroom. There was no proper shower stall. A little curtain separated the toilet and sink from the shower head. The drain for the shower lay in the middle of the tiny bathroom. The steam sank into his skin, but he shivered anyway.

  Zach pounded on the door. “You okay in there?”

  “Almost done.” He sighed, turned the water off and shook the droplets off himself, before snagging his towel off the hook above the toilet.

  “Wow, that’s quite the shiner you’ve got.”

  Daniel glanced down his body. A bruise ran from his thigh to past his left knee. “Must be from throwing myself back into the boat when the wave crashed down.”

  “Does it hurt?”

  Daniel pushed on it. “Not that much.” Holy mother of… The pain throbbed down his leg.

  “Put some clothes on, hurry up. We’re going to the bar.”

  Daniel sat in the one desk chair in the room and put his clothes on. He didn’t want to go to the bar; he wanted to sleep. But Zach wasn’t going to let that happen.

  He slid into the middle of the booth. With his leg, the last thing he wanted to do was get up and down all night. A crowd formed around their table. Rama and Billy slid in next to him first on the left and Billy’s friend Lucy sat next to him on the other side, with Chad next to her. Zach pulled a chair up next to the booth and more chairs appeared as he held court, answering questions and accepting drinks. His blond hair flapped around as he talked with his hands.

  Naomi followed Colette as she sashayed into the bar. To Daniel, Naomi’s white tank top and short jeans shorts were sexier than Colette’s black silk wrap dress.