Every Storm

by Lori Wick

  She found out a moment later. With no choice but to stumble out of bed and find the head, she scrambled out of the cabin and just made it. It was hard to lose what little she had inside, but the rocking of the craft was more than she could take.

  Not sure she could stay on her feet for the trip back, Lorri forced herself to leave the officer's head. She ran into Rigg in the passageway.

  "I'm sorry," she mumbled, barely aware of the way his arm kept her from hitting her head when they stumbled with the motion. The boat rocked like a child's hobby horse.

  "Are you sick?"

  "Yes."

  "I think you'd better go right back to bed."

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  Rigg's hand to her arm kept her on her feet, and when she'd lain down, he found a basin and put it by the bed.

  "Don't try to go out into the passage. I've put a container here if you need it."

  "I'll do anything," she said cryptically when he stopped talking and stood looking down at her.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I won't disappear when you're trying to leave." The words were whispered. "I won't go swimming. I'll let you have your bed back. Please just put me off this boat, Lieutenant. Please make the rocking stop."

  Rigg couldn't hold his smile. He thought she would have felt seasickness before and was quite impressed at how well she'd done to this point. He would tell her that, but not now. Now she thought she was going to die from the rolling in her gut, and there was little he could do about that.

  "I'll send Ellis to check on you. He might have a little something that will help you keep things down."

  Rigg braced himself when the boat rocked mightily and reached for Lorri when she rolled toward the edge. As soon as he had his footing, he found a strap and made short work of tying her into the bed. With the strap secure around her waist, he took her hand and guided it over the edge of the thin mattress.

  "Here's the basin. Do you feel it?"

  "Yes"

  "Don't get up. Just reach for it right there."

  "Okay" Lorri agreed, but there was no time. She needed it so swiftly that Rigg held it for her. She finished and apologized in a tortured whisper that he ignored. Such things were never a prob- lem for him..

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  When she lay back, pale and breathing hard, Rigg put one hand on her arm and one out to brace himself on the wall.

  "I'll send Ellis to you," he said.

  "I'm going to die, aren't I?" She sounded beyond miserable. "Such irony. I've made it off the island just to die at sea."

  Rigg fought the smile that threatened to peek through, gave her a little pat, and went in search of Ellis.

  Lorri watched him leave, certain she.had her answer.

  He left without a word. That can only mean one thing: He's too kindhearted to tell me I'm going to die.

  She'd been singing in the head again. Rigg didn't have the heart to send the men to their duties with a harsh word, but as soon as he arrived in the passageway, they scattered.

  Just two hours now. They were limping along, needing more repairs and communications on the fritz again, but they were going to get to Seaford and deliver the woman that had affected every man on the boat.

  It was easy to sit in the middle of the Pacific and forget for whom you were fighting. At times it became personal, and thoughts of home and family were very far away. Lorri Archer had changed all of that. She was worth fighting for. An all-American girl, most would have called her. She sang like a bird, was sweet and*uncomplaining, and had experienced the tortures of this war the way few women had.

  Rigg knew it wasn't easy to sit at home; that was its own form of torture. But Lorri Archer didn't have to imagine any longer what battle looked like. She had become an eyewitness. She had ridden the waves of a PT boat under attack, both from the enemy and

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  miihthe elements. She had tasted the death of a loved one, much the

  M! misame way any of these men might be asked to part with a fellow

  sailor.

  And not a word out of her. Other than feeling as though she needed a bath at an inopportune time, she had been almost invis ible. Not in the physical sense, of course-every man was aware of her-but she made no demands and was thankful for the small

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  act of kindness.

  Rigg's mind ran with all of these thoughts as he waited for her to come from the officer's head. He knew his pride was on the line this day and would have freely admitted to anyone that he planned to deliver the admiral's granddaughter in the best shape he could. Just last night she had spent the night losing what little she held, and today he wanted her strong enough to walk off his boat.

  Rigg was suddenly aware that the singing had stopped. He stood ready, his eyes on the door. Sure enough, she came out a few seconds later.

  "Did I take too long?" were the first words from Lord's mouth.

  "No, but I wanted to make sure you're all right."

  Tm a little tired is all."

  She was more than that, but Rigg didn't comment out loud. She was pale and still painfully thin, her eyes standing out like a frightened doe's.

  "Ellis has made a good breakfast for you. We should be in port in about two hours, and I want you to be at your best."

  "My grandfather will be there?"

  "I'm not sure about that."

  "You didn't get word to him?"

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  "We did send word, and maybe it reached him. But then the storm hit, and we haven't heard back."

  "That's right," Lorri said, speaking her thoughts. "You don't know where he is, do you?"

  Rigg smiled before saying, "Navy admirals don't usually check in with me."

  Lorri smiled as well. She felt hungry and a little lightheaded, but she was close now-closer than she ever hoped to be.

  "Go ahead and eat," Rigg urged her.

  "I need to wash the fatigues I used."

  "Don't worry about that right now."

  Til take care of it after I eat."

  Rigg didn't comment on this, but he planned to let her do no such thing. It was the least of their worries.

  Seaford Naval Station

  Dean Archer paced the confines of Captain Dunlap's office, thinking he might lose his mind if he had to wait any longer. He didn't let himself think about how close the call had been. Within the hour he'd been scheduled to head back out to sea. He'd been headed home to see Ruth and Max, knowing they needed him close. But then word had come. Lorraine was alive. Josephine was not returning.

  It had never once occurred to him that only one of the girls would come home. In his mind he welcomed or mourned them both. That the pilot had died as well was almost more than his heart could take. What had Lorri been through? What had she survived? Would she ever be the same again?

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  "I'm going for a walk, Captain," Dean said abruptly, desperate to divert his thoughts.

  "Yes, sir."

  Til be in plain sight and not far away."

  "I'll find you, sir."

  Halfway hoping the other man would tell him it would be better to stay, Dean made himself walk out the door.

  Every Stormwas headed to dock in an out-of the-way spot. All the men had come topside and were lined up, ready to speak with Lorri. She moved carefully on the shifting deck, Rigg and Lionel nearby.

  "Thank you, Ellis," she told the cook. "Everything you did- it was so kind. I can't thank you enough."

  "It was nothing, Miss Archer. You just get home and have a good life."

  Lorri smiled at him and moved on. She shook the hand of each man, thanked each one, but took extra time with the men she knew a little better.

  "One last picture?" Click asked, holding his Brownie in place, unaware that Lorri had not noticed how often he used it.

  "Sure," she said with a smile,
and Click made a few of the men laugh with his enthusiasm. He took great delight in lining everyone up, positioning people just so, and making them stand there for at least five takes.

  They were docking by the time he was done, but Lorri didn't hurry. She took time to thank the rest of the crew, with special words for Lionel, Jack, and Hugh, and then turned to accompany Lieutenant Riggs ashore.

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  "Are you all right?" Rigg asked as soon as he could.

  "Just a little shaky all of a sudden."

  "Ellis tells me you didn't eat much."

  "I tried," Lorri said apologetically.

  She was pale, her dark hair accenting that fact, but Rigg decided not to worry about it. Her grandfather wasn't going to care how she looked, and Rigg had only one goal at the moment: to see her safely to that man. Even if the admiral wasn't there, he still knew she would be safer at Seaford than on the boat.

  Lorri was vaguely aware of the eyes that watched them. Rigg walked her onto the dock and then toward a building and an office. He held the door for her to go inside and waited for her to precede him. The sailor inside had heard about the admiral's situation, and he was swift to make a call to his superior. More calls were made, and in moments Captain Dunlap and an aide were running for a jeep, intent on finding the admiral on his walk.

  Lorri sat inside the office and looked out the window. She didn't want to cry but felt tears threatening nonetheless. She had made it. She had made it safely to land where telephones worked and the world didn't rock with every whim of the sea.

  She was trying not to think about all that had brought her here when her grandfather walked past. Lorri came to her feet, swaying a little.

  "Are you all right?" Rigg asked.

  "That was my grandfather," she got out just before her eyes rolled back in her head.

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  I"Go after him!" Rigg barked to the sailor and gathered Lorri

  in his arms to lower her back onto the chair. He thought it might be best if she lay down but wasn't about to put her on the floor. "Miss Archer," Rigg called as he tried to revive her. "Can you

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  anytime soon, not with so many needed repairs. And anyway, right now it was best to occupy his thoughts with those duties- anything to get the reunion scene from his mind.

  Dean sat on the room's one chair and watched his granddaughter sleep on one of the twin beds. On the floor by the bed were her saddle shoes, filthy and worn, but nothing else she wore was hers. This came to Dean slowly, after 30 minutes of studying her face, more tears trickling down his cheeks.

  He would have to get word to Ruth and Maxine, but not just yet. Right now he was still taking it in. Almost seven weeks missing. He had started to give up hope. A small plane going down in these waters would certainly disappear without a trace. That the plane hit land was nothing short of a miracle.

  The sailor had told him where Lieutenant Riggs would be. This was important to the admiral. He had questions for that man. Not right now, but eventually.

  "Grandpa," Lorri suddenly asked. Dean had not seen that her eyes were open. "Do you have any water?"

  "Right here." He went to the small bathroom and filled the glass provided. Their quarters weren't fancy or large, but they were one of several available to officers. Thankfully a room with two beds had been vacant, because Dean had no plans to let Lorri out of his sight.

  Lorri sat up and drained the glass of water. Dean refilled it, and she drank half of it. He then sat down on the opposite bed and stared at her. Lorri looked back.

  "I hope you're really sitting there and I'm not dreaming."

  "I'm here, honey."

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  "Where are we?" She frowned a little, not sure if someone had said.

  "We're at Seaford, a naval base in Australia." IILorri showed a little panic over this.

  I"Grandpa," her voice pleaded, "I wish to go home. I don't think

  III can stay here and teach without Josie. I need to see Mother and..." I"Lorraine," her grandfather cut in, reaching for her hand and I waiting for her to focus on him. "We're going home just as soon I as I can arrange it. You're going back to California, and you're stay ing there."

  ILorri nodded, her eyes closing in relief. She had been close to

  Ipanic. This was almost worse than the island or the boat She wished

  Ishe could think a little more clearly, but she found herself ready

  Ito cry again. Never had she wanted to see her mother so much.

  thing to eat?"

  "Oh, food sounds good. Is there some place nearby?"

  "You leave it to me."

  Lorri nodded, feeling safe, and went into the bathroom. She used the commode and then moved to the sink to wash her hands. She ran the water but forgot to get her hands wet.

  Had there been mirrors on the boat? Lorri couldn't remember having seen one. Right now she stood frozen as a stranger looked back at her from the vanity mirror. Who was this person whose cheeks were sunken and pale, whose eyes stood out unnaturally? There was a scar on her forehead. Lorri couldn't remember when she got that. Was it new, or did it happen during the crash?

  "Lorri?" her grandfather called anxiously from outside the Idoor. "Are you all right?"

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  "Yes, I'll be with you in a moment."

  Just remembering she wanted to wash her hands, Lorri made herself look down and get the job done.

  I'm alive,she said to herself, enjoying the cool water and the white sink.Nothing eke matters.Her mother came to mind, but Lorri had no worries on her account. Her mother wouldn't care how she looked as long as she was alive.

  Following Dean as he led her to the mess hall, Lorri could tell that her energy was low. The thought of food, however, was worth the effort of staying awake. They exited the barracks, not seeing anyone else around, and walked a short distance to another building, one full of tables and benches.

  No one was eating, but Dean saw Lorri to a table and then went toward the galley. He wasn't long returning with a tray of food.

  The meal was simple fare, bread and meat with some dessert on the side. Lorri built a sandwich and took sips of the coffee her grandfather had brought her. She was about halfway done when they were joined by another officer.

  "This is Commander Tyler," Dean explained. "He's a doctor. I've asked him to examine you when you're done with your food."

  "I'm all right," Lorri wasted no time in saying, her eyes direct as they met those of the other man.

  Dean looked as if he would argue, but the doctor cut in.

  "I'm just going to take your pulse, listen to your heart, and ask you some questions."

  Lorri nodded, still not thrilled with the idea, but telling herself to be calm.

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  "If you want, we can even cover the questions right here."

  "All right," Lorri agreed. No one was around, and she didn't think he was going to get overly personal.

  "What day did you fly away from Carson Point?"

  "The first of June."

  "And what day did the PT crew find you?"

  Lorri didn't know. Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember.

  "Was it a week ago or a few days?" Dean prompted.

  Could she have been through all she'd been through with the lieutenant and his men in less than a week? Or was it longer?

  "A week, I think," Lorri guessed. "I'm not sure."

  "Okay." The doctor kept his voice casual. She had stopped eating to concentrate, and he didn't want that. "What did you eat on the island?"

  "Leaves and berries."

  The doctor had not been taking notes, but Lorri suddenly realized that he watched her very closely.

  "Why don't you just tell me what this is really about" Lorri said, not liking the way the interview was making her feel.

  "There is no hidden agenda here, Lorri." Her grandfather fielded this one. "You've
been through an ordeal, and I'm concerned about you."

  "What does it matter how long I was on the boat?"

  "I'm trying to figure out how long you went without food," the doctor replied.

  "How did you know I went without food?"

  Dean could have kicked himself for allowing this conversation to go on here and not in the privacy of their room. His mind

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  scrambled to make light of the fact that she was not the same girl he remembered. At least, not yet.

  "Commander Tyler is just guessing that you might not usually be this thin."

  Lorri looked into her grandfather's eyes and smiled at the smile she saw there. She had been through an ordeal, an ordeal so fierce that she had stopped trusting even those who loved her.

  "I'm sorry," she began, but the doctor put his hand up and flashed a smile of his own.

  "The apology should come from me," he said. "I need to let you finish your meal. How can you think clearly on an empty stomach?"

  Lorri went back to eating, and Dean was pleased to see the tension pass. He had not meant to plot against her or go on the attack. He'd seen men come back from battle in great need of care. He was swiftly learning that it was entirely different when it was his own granddaughter. He would stay close but let the doctor finish in his own way, not worrying about the details. Anything Lorri couldn't remember from the last week would surely be covered by Lieutenant Riggs.

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  "I've got a meeting this morning," Dean told Lorri early the next day. "Will you be all right?"

  "I'll be fine. I'll probably lie here for a while and then take a bath."

  "Good. When I get back, we'll eat breakfast and try to find some other clothes for you to wear."

  Lorri agreed, thinking that might be a very good idea. She kept to her bed even after he left, and although she thought about getting up-a bath sounded wonderful-it wasn't long before she fell back to sleep.

  "What day and time did you get to the island?" Dean asked Rigg as soon as he thanked him for rescuing Lorri.

  "Saturday the fourteenth."

  "Just five days ago?" he confirmed quietly, not seeming anywhere near as fierce as all the rumors.

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  "Yes, we got to the island at about eight bells. We needed repairs. We found Miss Archer when we heard her singing."