My Journal

6.5 The Name Game

The freshly baked cookies didn’t taste quite as good as the last batch, but I munched them down in my cabin aboard Seaview anyway. I wasn’t physically hungry, so I could only think that the ‘oral fixation’ Doc had mentioned had some truth to it.

In fact, I’d gained a few pounds just in the past few days we’d been at sea. (We were headed to Boston via the Panama Canal, which we were rapidly approaching.)

“Admiral?” Doc called from just outside my cabin door after a brief knock.

“In,” I hollered, unfortunately spraying some crumbs on top of the charts I was studying. I was sweeping them up with a tissue as he came in and sat down across from me.

“How long are you going to hide in here?” he asked.

“I’m not hiding, I’m working!” I said sourly, tapping my charts.

“The Captain thinks you’re hiding. The crew thinks you’re hiding. And  so do I. Besides, you’ve pretty much decided where the Nymph may have gone down without Miss Bates’ help. Frankly, sir, Morton is acting like a bear with a thorn in his paw. And Crane isn’t helping matters, er, I mean Nelson-Crane…”

“Relax, Will, even Lee will forgive you the omission. “As for Chip,” I sighed, “he does have some contractual rights.”

The vivid scene of what had happened our first day out was still fresh in our minds....

We’d cleared the harbor, and I was enjoying the panoramic vista though the Observation Nose viewports with Edith, who’d insisted on coming along, when Chip, instead of repeating the order by Lee to dive after the ‘all green’, came to attention instead.

“I would prefer it, Captain Nelson-Crane,” he said, “that I be addressed by you as befitting my rank and position aboard this boat, not by my given name. Furthermore, according to the articles of my contract, I may demand this courtesy at any time. I do so now.”

“What is the matter with you?” Lee hissed, grabbing Chip’s arm.

“It is also in my contract,” Chip shook off Lee’s hand, “that neither you, nor anyone else aboard has the right to touch or manhandle any part of my person, unless it is in the line of duty to prevent me from bodily harm, prevent me from inflicting any on others, or if there is a medical situation requiring I be restrained. Or am I mistaken about the articles?”

“Damn it Chip! Will you get over it? How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t know why you didn’t get the voicemails or emails when I was in Boston!”

“Sir, apparently there is something wrong with your hearing as you have not yet answered my question. Would you like me to summon the corpsman for an ear examination?”

“There is nothing wrong with my hearing! Certainly, place me on report for grabbing your arm, Mr. Morton! Oh, I’m sorry, Commander, ‘Mister’s’ not an official title is it, just a naval tradition. Very well, you will henceforth be referred to as Commander, or Commander Morton, or as XO, as befitting your rank and position by all hands.”

“My demand is not inclusive of the vessel’s compliment. My subordinates may still call me Mister Morton, and my ‘friends’ ” he added, looking around at O’Brien at the periscope, and Sparks in the radio shack, “may call me Chip any time they like. But you, sir, may not. I hope I’ve made myself clear.”

I was about to get up and intervene when Lee saw me, and held up a hand in the ‘stop’ position. As much as I wanted to pull out my four star guns, I had no choice but let him handle this without interference.

“Crystal,” Lee told Chip, “now, take her down, ‘Commander’, and come to the pre-arranged heading.”

“Aye, sir.”

While Chip was busy following orders, Lee pulled out the ship’s log from under the plot table and began writing. As soon as Chip reported that the boat was on the correct course and at depth, Lee handed it to him.

“Your demand has been noted. Now sign the damn thing and take the conn,” Lee said coolly and headed aft without even waiting for an affirmative response.

If I were a superstitious man, I would have sworn that even Seaview held her breath during the entire altercation…..

“More fireworks?” I asked Will, returning my attention to my visitor.

“No. Just some rather extreme protocol that would make Captain Bligh proud. Admiral, you have to do something. They were friends. Good friends. We miss the way things used to be. Their animosity is escalating and it’s affecting both the morale and emotional stability of the crew.”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do.”

“Bullshit!”

“Have you forgotten that Lee’s my business partner. ‘Equal’ business partner? I can’t just tell him to cease and desist anymore. And we don’t have a leg to stand on regarding Chip’s contract.”

“You’ve bent the rules before and Lee’s damn well broken them! Just get Lee to apologize to Chip…at least for the duration…”

“Even if Chip could be wrong?”

“If? Voice mails just don’t disappear. Neither do emails. I’m sure Chip checked with IT about any problems before making the  accusations.”

“I know it looks bad for Lee. And Chip may be right. Lee was so involved in everything in Boston. But even you know that Lee is not in the habit of lying, especially in so petty a matter.”

“Not in the habit?” Will said, banging his fist on the desk, “ Admiral, he’s capable of lying through his teeth if the situation demands it. It’s standard operating procedure for ONI operatives isn’t it? I wouldn’t put it past him on a private level if he felt embarrassed by the oversight. Covering his six.”

“You can’t believe that, Will.”

“And I can’t believe that you can so blatantly discount all the evidence! All right, all right, I’ll quit preaching. Now, to change this most unpleasant topic, are you going to leave any cookies for the rest of us? The crew is starting to complain that there aren’t any left for them and Cookie refuses to make any more.”

“I’m sorry, Will. I just can’t seem to stop myself…”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Lee popped in without waiting for my response, then seeing Doc, just as suddenly darted out.

“No, wait, Lee,” I called out and Lee turned and re-entered.

“I was just leaving,” Doc said. “By the way, Captain, the mess specialists report that you’ve been skipping meals. Again.”

“Just haven’t had an appetite. I came by to tell you, Harry, that the press has persuaded the Panama Canal officials that they be allowed to ‘sit’ in while you sign the paperwork and pay the bill for our passage when we get there. ”

“Skipper,” Will interrupted, “about this thing with Chip...”

“Commander Morton,” Lee corrected, sighing.

“When are you two going to sit down and sort this thing out? Come to some sort of understanding? At least a truce.”

“You think I haven’t tried? He doesn’t want to discuss it!”

“He doesn’t want to discuss it because he knows he’s right and you’re wrong!”

“I know I contacted him! I just can’t prove it!”

“Lee,” I finally said, “it doesn’t matter any longer who’s right and who’s wrong. Put your pride aside and just apologize to him. For the sake of the crew. They don’t like seeing you two at odds with each other. Neither do I.”

“You want me to lie? And what about his pride? Have you asked him to apologize to me?”

“No, but…”

“Captain,” Will said, “all you need to do is to tell him that you may be mistaken about things. Would that be so hard?”

“I’m not mistaken!”

“You were under a lot of pressure in Boston and ‘Operation Eavesdrop’…the mind can play tricks…”

“You think I had some kind of mental breakdown?” Lee asked, incredulous.

“I didn’t say that, but you may just think you did certain things when you didn’t.”

“And maybe the calls and emails just got  lost in cyberspace. It does happen, you know. Ask Sparks if you don’t believe me.”

 “Captain Nelson-Crane,” Morton’s voice interrupted over the PA. “Please report to the radio shack at once. It’s the White House.”

Lee groaned and sat on the edge of the desk, flipping on the intercom.

“Couldn’t you have told him I was sick or something? You know I don’t want to talk to him again.”

“Again?” I asked, “What’s this all about? Lee?”

He remained silent.

“All right, if you won’t tell me, Chip?” I spoke into the intercom, “Why doesn’t Lee want to speak with the President?”

“The captain hasn’t confided in me, sir.”

“Pipe the call down here.”

“Sorry, sir. It’s on the Pantster frequency. Only way to send and receive is through the primary signal up here.”

“Very well. The captain will be down shortly,” I said and clicked the intercom off. “Well, Lee, get your butt off my desk and go see what he wants. But first…Will? Would you give us a moment?”

“Lee, please,” I said after Doc left. “Please tell me what’s wrong, son.”

 “My mother wrote him,” Lee said after a little hesitation. “She complained that our friendship and then my becoming your son was a conflict of interest ‘detrimental to the continued safety and security of this country’, and that the president, as my Commander in Chief at times, should order me to at least revoke my adoption as a Nelson. That  we can no longer be able to separate our personal lives from our professional. We’re a security risk. That if I don’t lose the name, that if we remain close, my commission in the Naval Reserve should be revoked. Or that I at least be removed as captain of the Seaview. The president’s been considering it.”

“Oh my dear boy,” I embraced him. “I had no idea...why didn’t you tell me? And Lee, you’ll always be my son, with or without the name.”

“If I have to choose,” he said quietly. “I rather choose to be ‘Mr’. Lee Nelson-Crane over ‘Captain’ Crane any day.”

“Relinquishing command would rip your heart out! Seaview was primarily designed as a research vessel. Nobody will care if I remove her from the Navy register. Then you can still skipper Seaview without any interference from Washington.”

“But I care, Harry,” Lee gently touched my shoulder, “I won’t let you do that to her....”

“I’m going with you. Tell the President where he can go…”

By the time we got the radio shack, I felt sick. Lee nodded to Sparks who made the connection but Lee ignored the headphones. “Captain Nelson-Crane,” the President’s voice came over the airwaves, “After due deliberation, I’m afraid I have to agree with my advisors. In spite of my own personal feelings, and lack of evidence that your relationship with Nelson has been anything but professional while on   duty with the Navy, the general consensus, even by the SecNav is that it could possibly interfere in the future.  There’ve already been arguments in naval circles that you two are far too close. That either of you might forget your duty over concern for the other. So I’m asking you again. Will you go back to just Crane?”

“You know damn well that the Admiral and I have always chosen to do our duty over any personal feelings.”

“As I said, it’s a future concern. A ‘what if’ matter. We want you to quit the Nelson name as a proactive measure. That…”

“That I’ll simply say, ‘hey Harry, it’s been fun while it’s lasted’ or ‘ I don’t want to be you son any longer?’”

“That’s about it.”

“Very well, you give me no choice. I hereby resign my commission in the Naval Reserve.”

“No, Lee!” I almost shouted, grabbing his shoulders. But he totally ignored me.

“You won’t have to worry about national security anymore Mr. President,” he continued, “because I won’t be in command anymore. But my name is still going to be Nelson-Crane.”

“The captain spoke in haste, Mr. President,” I said quickly, “he’s not thinking clearly. Sir, we’re on an important civilian mission and Lee will still be in command due that status. After we’ve completed it, after you’ve had time to reconsider that if we managed to do our duty so far, why the hell would we fail to do so in the future? Can you truly believe it of us? After you’ve had time to study our Navy record, after you’ve quit listening to an angry woman’s hysteria, and all the ‘what if’s, after you’ve had  time to pull  your finger out of your ass, if you’re of the same mind regarding our relationship, I’ll remove Seaview from Reserve status and you won’t have to be concerned at all anymore.”

I flipped the switch connecting us to the White House off myself.

Lee was furious. “We can’t do that to Seaview, Harry! Chip can take command…Seaview….she…”

“Seaview  wouldn’t mind being a garbage scow if only you’re in command.”

Now, one does not normally hang up on the President of the United States, so I was in as much deep doo doo with him now as Lee was. But damn it, I felt better for it.

“Well,” I said later over coffee with Lee in the Wardroom, “we sure showed the Pres.”