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Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War (11/8/2007 11:43:35 PM)
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July 7, 1943
Location: 290 miles south of Osaka
Course: North
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 254
Orders: Proceed to Okayama for refit
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Taiki finds himself looking down at the top of Hibiki’s rangefinder. This is not a common view, but at the moment he and Seaman Shoji are up on the tripod mast above and behind the tower. They are tightening the cable leading back to the rear mast. Not too tight, it is good to leave some slack in the cable, but the constant vibration of the ship from the sea and her own engines tends to loosen things over time.
Taiki enjoys being up above the ship. He is standing on a strut, one arm wrapped around a beam, enjoying the view. Shoji is obviously less comfortable so high above the deck and keeps glancing nervously down.
“Give it a couple more turns and then we’re done up here,” Taiki tells him.
“Hai, Petty Officer,” mutters Shoji. “Good.” He gives the wrench another turn. He does not like heights, and his hands are a little clammy. At least the hand stung by the cone snail back in Rabaul no longer pains him. It did for several weeks.
On the next turn he loses his grip on the wrench. He grabs for it, but then sways on the strut he is standing on and instead grabs the vertical beam with both hands.
“Heads up below!” calls Taiki in alarm. The wrench is heavy. He watches it plummet downward. As it passes the small platform midway up the mast a hand shoots out and snags it. Taiki finds himself looking down at the upturned face of Petty Officer Shun, who is standing on the platform.
Shun says nothing, but with an effortless flip he tosses the wrench upward once again. It reaches the top of its arc right in front of Taiki and he plucks it neatly out of the air and hands it back to Shoji.
“Finish the job,” he says sternly. “And without dropping it on anybody’s head this time.” Shoji, his face pale, nods and does so. The two men climb down to the platform.
“You are dismissed, Shoji,” Taiki says. “Thank you for your assistance.” Shoji nods, glances nervously at Shun, then climbs the rest of the way down. The two petty officers are left on the platform.
“That was a very nice catch, Chief,” Taiki says respectfully. “Thank you.” Shun makes a dismissive gesture.
“Thought that might happen,” he says. “Shoji has two left thumbs.” He pauses. “Saw a man get brained once by a hammer dropped off a crane,” he says. “The man lived, but after the accident he could only make noises that sounded like a sand piper. Couldn’t talk at all.”
“That’s terrible!” says Taiki. Shun shrugs.
“For him it was an improvement,” he says. There is a moment of silence. Taiki waits. He doubts Shun has climbed up here on the off chance that Shoji would drop something. After a moment Shun speaks.
“We will be back in Japan soon,” he says. Taiki does not reply to this perfectly obvious statement. After a moment Shun continues. “You have met my daughter,” he says. Taiki is stunned. Of all the things he expected Shun to mention, this was the last.
“Yes, Chief,” is all he manages to say. Shun nods.
“She and my mother will be visiting me in Okayama before I go on leave and we return home,” Shun says. “I will not be free at all times. My mother has been ill, and may not have the energy to accompany her everywhere.” Taiki listens, unable to fathom where this is going.
“My daughter can not of course go about unaccompanied,” Shun says. “If you would consider being her escort on occasion I would consider it a favor.”
“Me, Chief?” Taiki says. He cannot keep the surprise out of his voice. Shun looks at him.
“You are an intelligent and personable young man,” he says gravely. “And my daughter knows you. Most of all, you have a sense of duty and honor. With you I would feel she was…safe.”
Taiki winces inwardly. Nanami Shun is undoubtedly charming and beautiful, but for many reasons Taiki would rather walk on hot coals than accept this charge. For one thing, he has no illusions about what Shun would do if anything were to happen to his daughter while she was with Taiki. For another, he can only imagine Riku’s reaction to this. Last of all, part of him resents being the “safe” one, the one even someone as protective as Shun can trust his daughter with.
There can, however, be no thought of refusing.
“Of course, Chief Shun,” he says. “As my duties permit I will be happy to be of what assistance I can.”
“Very good,” Shun says. “Thank you.” He gives Taiki a nod and climbs down the mast to the deck. Taiki stands for a moment looking down at the deck of the destroyer without really seeing anything.
“Oh ****,” he finally says.
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