My Journal

By Harriman Nelson

26.  Bermuda Breeze

“I don’t see why you think I need that damn test as well!” the still blind Lee was shouting from inside his private room. I was surprised as he’d been rather cooperative with all the neurological tests he’d had all week, at least, for him.

I opened the door gingerly and peered in. He was out of bed, sitting in a comfortable wing back chair, a tropical breeze wafting through the open window. I couldn’t help thinking that it would have ruffled his hair, if he had any. While his scalp had already begun to sprout a little fuzz, except for the small metal implant sealing the hole,  it would be awhile before his mother could run her fingers through his hair. Or, I smirked, Kate. But I did wonder why she hadn’t been to see him as often as I’d expected.

 Despite the breeze, he wasn’t wearing a robe over his hospital gown and his bong legs dangled over the edge of the chair, kicking a little in anger. A trait I’d seen before. I wondered how long Dr. White, the assigned neurologist with him, had before Lee really let him have the full force of his fury.

“Harry? That you?” he called out when I guess he smelled my after shave, “Harry, will you please tell this…this quack, that I don’t need an Extra Sensory Perception test? I’m not a circus freak you know.”

“What’s this all about Dr. White?” I asked. “What has an ESP test have to with his blindness or any lingering swelling of his brain?”

“Admiral, firstly I do not appreciate Captain Nelson-Crane’s continued attitude that I’m a quack! I did resolve the issue regarding the inflammation of the optic nerve.”

“Jamie figured it out before we even got here,” Lee said, “so there. We just didn’t have the equipment aboard Seaview to confirm it.”

“Be that as it may, one of my  scans showed an anomaly that should be examined further. In just about all cases of such a thing, the patient has extraordinary Extra Sensory Perception. And since the captain has had more than a few psychic events, it would behoove us to explore it further. All we have to do…”

“All they want to do is stick more probes in my skull….”

“Captain, as I’ve explained, my recently developed scanner uses electromagnetic radiation….”

“You already nuked my brain. Why do it again?”

“This uses a different wavelength, and is quite harmless…it can  actually reveal  your brainwave activity, color coded, while we question you and you respond…”

“This anomaly you found,” I asked, “does it show any damage to his brain?”

“No. It’s simply a natural occurring phenomenon that happens in a small percentage of the world’s population having ESP.”

“Then there’s no real physical reason to examine Lee further?”

 “I was led to believe from conversations with your crew and with Kate, er, Miss Peabody, that the captain has frequently shown a sixth sense in addition to the recent visions. He’s even been said to have an almost telepathic relationship with inanimate objects, like Seaview. Aren’t you the least bit curious about the Spanish conquistador he saw and of course, Captain Nelson?”

“What has that to do with running tests on me?”
“In a nutshell, my special equipment can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that your episodes aren’t circumstantial. And that your abilities can be tapped to…”

“Soothsaying!” Lee shouted. “You just want a fortune teller to let you know when the stock market is going to crash or something. It doesn’t work like that. These…episodes I have…just ‘happen’. I can’t just order them up!”

“But with my equipment, we can train your mind to tap into them and…”

“Get out! Get out of my si…my hearing! And don’t come back!”

“I’m only trying to help you reach your potential…”

“Out!”

 “Lee, sweetie?” Mrs. Crane, who’d been watching from the doorway, entered the room with some Styrofoam containers, “calm down and just do what he wants. I’d like to know why these things happen to you, even if you don’t.”

“He didn’t say he could figure out why, just that he could manipulate me.”

“I didn’t say that,” White said.

“Well, what you said amounts to the same thing.”

 “Munch on this while I speak to the Doctor, Lee,” she said, handing him one of the fast food containers. “It’s called ‘hoppin john’; nobody’s really sure of its origin, but it’s popular in the south too. Go on, try it.

“Did you know, Doctor, that when he was first with us, he woke up in the middle of the night and went out, to search for a dog that had gone missing. And it wasn’t even his dog. Just a neighbor’s service dog…found it too.”

“Fascinating. Were there other incidents?”

“More than a few actually. It was…scary sometimes. ”

“Captain, please,” White continued, “You would be a great case study and perhaps with your help you could help to unlock why some people have this phenomenon and others don’t. It might also unlock some of your ancestry. After all, there are theories that some of these abilities are from outside the galaxy and…”

“Oh lord,” Lee sighed. “I’m going back to bed. Harry, can you finish this for me?” he held out the food box. “I’m not some kind of alien, Dr. Trust me, I’d know. Scan and probe my brain for blood clots, dyslexia, and dementia, and other things nobody can pronounce, but no way you’re going to turn this whole thing into a freak show. Now, if you don’t need to draw blood, check my eyes again, or scan my brain for leaking, please go away.”

“Perhaps I can change your mind,” a voice said from the doorway.

“Madam Prime Minister!” I exclaimed.

“Captain, I realize Dr. White’s proposal must seem unusual, but it would help science…wouldn’t it, Admiral?”

Lee gave me a warning look. It was uncanny as I’d moved. Ah, yes, the after shave.

“Well, as much as I’ll admit that I do have some scientific curiosity about Lee’s psychic abilities, he’s been through enough. If all we’re doing now is waiting for his optic nerves to heal, it’s time he was released and returned to Seaview.”

“But, think about it, Admiral,” Kate said from the doorway. Her presence startling me, not to mention Lee. “The tests might help your excavations. What if he can see more of what’s hidden out there. Even tap into the minds of the skeletons…I mean…”

“They’re just bones, Kate,” Lee said, reaching out his arm.

“Hi Lee,” she took it.

“Hi. It’s been awhile…”

“Please Admiral,” the Prime Minister said again, “Convince him that these test Doctor White proposes would be of great value. Will you talk to him about it? Will do that much?”

 “I’m sorry Madam Prime Minister, but I can’t in good conscience order him to comply. This is his decision and his alone. I’ll be asking Dr. Jamison to make a final examination tonight or tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, Dr. White, I’ll let him know about your request. But I rather doubt he’ll feel your test is warranted. I certainly don’t. If Will gives the okay, we’ll be taking Lee back to Seaview.”

“Very well,” White shook his head…”what a waste of knowledge,” he muttered as the Prime Minister left, giving Kate an inquiring look which she responded to by blushing.

“Thanks,” Lee told me gratefully after Mrs. Crane, Lee and I were alone.

“It is an interesting idea, though,” I joked as we began to dig in to the take out.