Chapter 3


The wheels squeaked on the old rusted thing. Shannon pushed it out of the hallway, and into the commissary, by a long wooden handle. It sloshed water everywhere as she did it and the fourteen year old girl did not seem to care one little bit. She even seemed to go out of her way to slosh the water when she stopped it abruptly next to Calvin’s leg. He was busy on his computer, allegedly doing the stations official monthly status reports, and had failed to really pay attention until his leg got wet.

Cal did not bother to give the kid much of a look when he said, “you’re making a mess.”

Shannon grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around. She got right in his face. With a voice that sounded as ‘cute’ as it did ‘hostile,’ Shannon told him, “that’s the point Cal. It’s for messes. It’s called a mop bucket!”

Cal calmly looked down. Then he made eye contact again and replied, “yeah that’s what it’s called, all right.” He spun himself back around and went back to his computer. He did not manage to stay in that position for very long.

This time when Shannon spun him around she put her hands on his arm rests and held him there, “and it’s your turn. I did ops and that’s the biggest room in the building besides this one. You get to do this floor since you’re the one who always gets mud all over everything.”

“Oh come on Shannon,” Cal whined, “everybody comes in this room. You are not laying this one on me.”

The teenager growled in his face, “then get everybody to help you!” She stomped back into the hall and Cal could hear her exaggerated footfalls on the stairs as she climbed back up to the Operations Center.”

When the coast seemed clear, Cal opened one of his desk drawers, flipped open a paper calendar, and then made a big red X on today’s date. He checked out the other big X’s and complained, “oh Jesus, they’re going to have the whole month covered if this keeps up.” Then Cal yelled up the stairs, “you’re not old enough for this yet, young lady!” He was not really sure that she heard him and, on reflection, figured that was probably for the best anyway.

The screen door opened and it was already shut before Cal looked to see who it was. He was about to waive to Amy but, took a quick peek at his calendar first. Then Cal relaxed and said, “morning Amy.”

Amy dropped her drive thru window breakfast on one of the tables and then plopped down in a chair. She responded to Calvin in a very glum mood and then noted what he was doing, “that time of the month again, is it?”
Cal had gotten back to his reports until he heard that. His head snapped upright, he took a quick peek at Amy, and then right back at his calendar before moaning, “oh not you too!”

Amy was a bit confused if not out right alarmed, “not me what?”

“Huh,” Cal suddenly realized what she was talking about, “oh the reports. Yeah it’s my time of the month all right.”

A very obnoxious sounding noise began to drown out everything else. The sound left Amy with a vision of some giant creature screaming in pain after having been gutted with a harpoon. Amy was just alarmed but, Calvin seemed to be quite annoyed. He yelled at the hall door, “SHANNON! Will you stop that already!”

Amy winced, almost afraid to ask, “what is that?”

“Buffer,” Cal replied so low he was almost inaudible.

One of Amy’s eyes got bigger than the other, “computer buffer?”

“Floor buffer,” Cal said just before giving up on the report. He turned back around in his chair and almost knocked the mop bucket over while doing it. Then he told Amy, “Noodle is upstairs doing her best to drive everyone crazy. Barbara gave her some chores to do and, oh boy, is she doing them.”

Amy slumped and said, “she’s been through a lot lately Cal. Give her a break.”

“She’s been…” Cal acted astounded, “you know I had a German Major, point a firing squad at me. I don’t know if you noticed Amy.
Everybody’s been through the ringer lately.”

Amy rolled her eyes at him, “he was bluffing Cal. Besides that, you’re not fourteen years old.”

“You’re telling me,” Cal replied. “I’m old enough to know I’m mortal.” At that point, Tony came walking in, barely getting his feet off the ground as he did it. He was yawning, wiping his eyes, and had an empty coffee cup in his hand. It was obviously empty because, Cal noticed, Tony seemed oblivious to the fact that he was holding it upside down. Cal mumbled, “speaking of death warmed over.”

Tony finished his yawn and managed to get one eye open, “any coffee?”

Cal pointed to the pot and then quickly got up, ran over, and corrected Tony’s oversight with his mug before he made a mess on the floor. Normally, Cal would have probably let the guy burn his bare feet but, this morning, there was an added incentive not to make any more messes than need be.

It seemed as if Tony did not even notice what Cal had done with his cup. After he poured his coffee he waved at Amy, “morning.”

Amy did not look at him, “good morning Tony. You’re speaking to me?”

Tony just stood there and appeared as if his brain had been presented with a problem for which it was not equipped to handle at this time of the morning, “why wouldn’t I be?”

“Nothing,” Amy replied.

That one word sent hackles up Cal’s spine. It was his ex wife’s favorite word and he knew it always came just before trouble. He cautiously peeked over his shoulder at Amy. She seemed to be peacefully eating her breakfast so Cal let out the breath he was holding in. Then he answered a knock at the screen door when he actually realized that was what it was.

It was kind of shocking that anyone would actually knock at the door in the first place. Cal could never remember anyone doing it before. When he first heard light raps, on the thin wood frame, he had just assumed it meant that the buffer, still going full tilt upstairs, was about to blow up and bring down the building with it. Given their recent luck that only stood to reason.

Cal was actually delighted to see some kid standing there. He stood up from his desk and with astonishment he said, “it’s a guy!”

Tony gave Cal a very strange look and then told him, “you’re very observant Cal.” Then Tony waived to the boy that couldn‘t have been more than sixteen or seventeen, “come on in kid.”

The boy nervously walked in. He had a manila envelop in his hand and he said, “I’m Ricky Shank. This doctor guy, Gold, he told me to drop this off here when I got a chance.”

Why did that name sound familiar? Tony thought about it but, came up empty. It was Amy who said, “you’re the boy that we pulled out of the water last month.”

“Yeah,” the boy respectfully nodded, “I was a merchie on the Roby Celeste. Doctor Gold had me and…”

Tony snapped his finger and pointed at the boy, “you’re Leslie’s friend, right? The one that just got out of the hospital.” Tony got a glimpse of Amy as he said that. Her face had turned quite red and she seemed to be sending a good deal of silent anger in his direction. Tony just shrugged, “what?”

Cal ignored Tony and Amy. He told the boy, “well.. Um, Doctor…” Calvin had to stop himself and then he started laughing. Then he apologized, “sorry about that. I just can’t say that with a straight face. Uh, Kent, that’s what we call him, he’s not here right now. You just want to leave that for him?”

Tony, after getting no more response from Amy, had to ask the boy, “how old are you kid? What? Seventeen maybe?”

“Actually,” the boy looked a little nervous, “I’ll be sixteen on my next birthday.”

Amy stopped eating and looked up at the kid, “they let you work on ships at that age?”

“I was thirteen when I started,” the boy replied. “Roby was actually my second ship. They hired me on as a senior machinist mate.”
Amy was even more shocked, “how does that make you a senior citizen, exactly?”

Cal translated for the girl, “it means he had some experience Amy. Kind of like going from a CGR-1 pay grade to a CGR-2.”
Tony snickered at the thought that just crossed his mind. He yelled upstairs loud enough to be heard over the buffer, “Shannon! We have gainful employment for you!”

Amy snapped at him, “don’t you dare joke about that!”

It worked. The buffer actually stopped. The loud footfalls of Shannon running down the stairs quickly replaced the grating sound of the machine. Then she came sliding in the door and stopped right next to Tony. Shannon then punched him in the arm. Tony complained, “you don’t even know what I did yet.”

“Oh but I just know you’re going to,” Shannon stopped cold when she saw their visitor. She turned to face him and asked, “who are you?”
Amy knew that look she was seeing on Shannon’s face. She nervously mumbled, “Barbara’s not around is she?”