The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday

Sea King

Over the Pacific Ocean

Director Hunt looked over the battered body of Kellie McCaffrey as the Sea King headed for Pearl Harbor. It was a wonder how she survived in the raging waters of the Pacific Ocean for ten days before washing up on Sand Island. He read over the chart Jenny Langdon provided, shaking his head. By all rights, McCaffrey should not be alive, but by the grace of God she was, even if barely.

 The duty Corpsman checked her vital signs once more, before settling back in his seat. He too shook his head in amazement; he knew the odds too well. The people on Midway Island had been cooperative, even more so when Hunt informed them an investigation team would be sent out once the storm cleared.

 A dangerous chance was taken now, transporting a patient by Sea King through the storm rolling outside the steel doors.

Time passed slowly, as the rain poured on. Hunt woke to the pilot informing him of their landing at Naval Hospital Pearl Harbor within minutes. Hunt acknowledged the pilot with a nod. The chopper landed outside the hospital, a medical team awaiting the landing. The chopper landed gently, the storm that followed them in was still out to sea for at least another hour.

 Doctors and nurses rushed the chopper doors, Hunt stepped out first, the Master at Arms and Corpsman eased the litter containing McCaffrey into the custody of the hospital staff.

 Kellie’s eyes rolled open, disoriented, trying to figure out what was going on around her. The nurse noticed, whispering words of comfort into Kellie’s ear. Her eyes slowly closed as she passed through the ER doors, out of Hunt’s sight, out of his custody.

 The Physician overseeing Kellie’s case carefully cuts away her clothing, the nurse next to her bags and logs each article with a date, Kellie’s name, completing the task by signing her name to the log.

 Hunt ordered a rape kit added to the barrage of tests, pictures of her wounds, everything sent to the Pearl Harbor lab for extensive testing. Hunt wanted answers, wanted suspects, he wanted a conviction.

 Two hours later the lab had their evidence, after assuring himself that Kellie was safe and in stable condition, Hunt returned to his office. It was time to do some investigative work, time for answers.

 Kellie slipped into oblivion as her body started the slow process of healing itself.  Her thought process was incoherent, her mind falling into drug induced dreams. Matt’s face flashed through her mind, she tried to reach out to him, call his name, but he couldn’t hear her, he was just beyond the reach of her fingers.