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Author's note: This story takes place after the events shown on the episode 'Blow Up'.

Patty Morrell

I never really trusted you, Mr. Morton. Never knew what you were thinking. The words haunted Chip Morton. Nelson hadn't been responsible for his actions, he had just been responding to a gas-induced paranoia; but that knowledge didn't lessen the hurt and sense of betrayal Chip was feeling. And Lee hadn't helped matters much by overriding Chip's concerns and siding with the Admiral. 

Crane had been unwilling to defy Nelson when he had ordered a dive, even after being warned of the danger, and they had almost paid for that inaction with their lives. As it was, one man was lost before they were able to get Seaview back on an even keel. The weakened bulkhead had been temporarily repaired and they were heading for home. Yet Morton couldn't shake the feeling of resentment and weariness that was building up inside him. He had tried to talk to the Skipper about Nelson's strange behaviour but his concerns were ignored. After the Seaview had resumed course back to homeport, Crane spent most of his time in SickBay, worrying over the Admiral's continued ill health. Nelson felt responsible for the cancellation of the exercise and guilty over the death of the crewman and the Captain was concerned that this was hindering Nelson's recovery. 

Three days had passed since the aborted fox and hounds exercise, and the crew was looking forward to returning to Santa Barbara. The past week had been a great strain on the crew. Having to cover for Crane's continued absence had forced Morton to pull double shifts and it had taken its toll on the beleaguered Exec. 

Then came the message from the Institute. There was a report that the humpback whales were starting to die off and Seaview was requested to investigate. The plan was to plant sensors in the breeding grounds to try and determine the cause. 

Chip spent several hours in the control room, plotting where to plant the sensors so they could keep an eye on the situation. As he chose a spot, he would mark it on the chart. Then, as they came up on the site, divers would take the sensor and secure it to the bed of the ocean floor. He would then have Sparks relay the data back to the Institute for analysis. 

The last sensor readings had shown a steady rise in temperature that had Chip perplexed. There were no signs of thermal vents, nothing to explain the temperature fluctuations. The Doctor wouldn't let him confer with the Admiral so he spent a great deal of time on the radio with the biologists at the Institute. 

Crane finally returned to the Control Room, but his mind was still on the ailing Admiral and only gave Chip's charts a cursory glance. 

"This can't be right, Chip. You must have placed one of the sensors over a thermal vent to get these kinds of readings." Lee pointed to a spot on the chart. "I think they should go here." As Lee studied the chart, he unconsciously rubbed his ring against the palm of his hand. 

Chip bridled at the implied criticism. 

"Excuse me, Captain, but I double checked the settings myself. They are placed correctly. And there were no signs of any vents." 

Lee didn't hear the testiness in Chip's voice. 

"Well, I don't agree, Chip. At least one of the sensors has to be positioned wrong. They're going to have to all be redone. Why don't you lead the diving party this time? You can make sure they're set right this time."  

Chip stiffened and he retreated behind a bland mask, hiding his discomfit at the careless tone of his Skipper. 

"Sure, Skipper, whatever you say." 

Lee had been studying the charts, only half-listening to the Exec, but the exchange had not been lost on the men. Chip ignored the sidelong looks that the crew was exchanging amongst themselves. 

Without another word, Chip strode from the control room, morosely stripping off his tie.  

Kowalski and Patterson were waiting for him in the missile room. As Chip neared the hatch, he overheard them talking. He paused momentarily and what he heard made his mouth tighten. 

"I don't know why this wasn't done right in the first place." Pat commented as he adjusted his vest. 

"The Skipper says it's wrong, so it's wrong. I'm sure it wasn't the Exec's fault, Pat. But somebody sure must have goofed somewhere!" 

"All, right you two knuckleheads, quit jawing and get ready. The Exec will be here any second now and you know how he hates to be kept waiting." Sharkey stood by with the air tanks as the two men finished donning their wetsuits. 

Then, as Patterson and Kowalski noticed the Exec in the hatchway, they stiffened and quickly busied themselves with checking over each other's gear.  

Morton gave them a cool, emotionless look which had the men wishing the deck would open up and swallow them, before he changed into a wetsuit and donned his air tanks. Silently he gestured for the others to enter the escape hatch. Sharkey checked over Chip's gear, and then gave him a private look that only served to increase Chip's depression. 

The three men exited the sub and swam to where Chip had placed the first sensor. As Morton had suspected, there were no signs of a thermal vent anywhere in the immediate area. They recovered the sensor and moved it to where the Captain had insisted it should be. Returning to the sub, they moved onto the second emplacement site. Again, there were no vents but they recovered the second sensor and placed it in the 'proper' position anyway. 

As they were nearing the site for the third sensor, Morton scanned the area. There were no vents evident and he was confident that his calculations had been correct. Then Chip felt an almost subliminal tremor. The water started to roil as an undersea earthquake shook the area. Motioning Pat and Ski to keep back, he approached the area cautiously. He was just about to secure the sensor to his belt when there was another minor quake. This time a vent opened up and gas billowed out, engulfing Chip and dislodging his mask. Blinded by the gas, Chip dropped the sensor and desperately tried to keep his mouthpiece in place. Choking on the noxious fumes, he started to black out and sink to the sea floor. His last coherent thought was Lee! Help me, Lee! 

Kowalski and Patterson frantically swam to Morton's aid. Precious seconds were lost trying to locate him in the thick vapour, but they finally found him and grabbed his arms, towing his limp body back to the sub. Morton was vaguely aware of their efforts, and allowed them to guide him back to the safety of the boat. 

Sharkey was waiting anxiously when the three men returned. By the time the water had drained from the escape hatch, Chip had recovered enough to stand on his own. Patterson handed him the sensor he had retrieved and Chip gave it a quick look. As soon as the hatch was opened, Sharkey was there to help him out. Two other crewmen stood by to relieve Patterson and Kowalski of their tanks. 

"Are you okay, Sir?" Sharkey asked as he helped Chip remove his airtanks. "You had me worried there for a moment."  

"I'm fine, Sharkey. The steam just took me by surprise. Here's the sensor. It could have been damaged when the vent blew. Have it taken to the lab and I'll check it out later. I'll be in the Control Room."  

Changing back into his uniform, Morton returned to the Control Room where he found Crane still bent over the table, staring at the charts. Morton went up to the plot table and waited for Crane to notice him. His head had started to pound and his irritation grew as Crane continued to ignore him. Finally Crane glanced up with a start. 

"Oh, you're back, Chip. I told you there was a thermal vent there." 

Chip bit back a retort. "Yes Sir," he said tightly. 

"I think the other sensors are properly in place, Chip, but we'll have to replace that last one. The heat could have damaged the sensor relays and shorted out the circuitry." 

"Whatever you say, Sir." 

"Go to the storage locker and get another sensor, Chip. I'll meet you in the lab to recalibrate it before we set it out."

"Aye, Sir." Chip hid his resentment under a bland mask, but his thoughts were busy. Treat me like a flunky, will you? Well, we'll just see about that, my fine Captain! I've just about had it up to here with your grandstanding, making me look bad in front of the crew! You didn't even have the decency to ask if I had been hurt! You'll see how it feels to be treated like dirt!

Chip left the Control Room but, instead of going to the storage locker, he headed directly for the Lab. His anger was like a living thing and his thoughts became more erratic. The pounding in his head increased until it felt like somebody was beating on a bass drum inside his skull. He paced restlessly, rubbing his hands together, waiting for the Captain to arrive. He had an uncontrollable urge to strike out at Crane and the more he tried to dismiss the compulsion, the stronger the urge became.  

He looked around for something to use as a weapon. His eyes fell upon a bottle of ether that was sitting on one of the shelves. A thought came to him and a wicked glint gleamed in his blue eyes. He grabbed a cloth and soaked it with the ether. Snickering, he hid the rag behind his back, and awaited Lee's arrival with an evil sneer. 

Lee entered the Lab and glanced around, looking for the sensor. Giving Chip a puzzled look he asked, "Chip, where is the sensor? You were supposed to get it from stores."  

Morton quickly masked his features and faced his Captain. "I couldn't find one in stores, Lee, but I think there is one on the shelf over there." He indicated a shelf on the other side of the room.  

"What's it still doing up there? Why didn't you have it ready for me? I ask you to do a simple thing like this and you let me down! What is wrong with you lately?" 

 "With me? What do you mean, with me? You're the one who has been on my back ever since this cruise started! I'm getting pretty tired of being treated like dirt, CAPTAIN!" 

"Since when do I treat you like dirt, Chip?" 

"All the time, Lee! All the time, and I'm getting sick of it!" 

"All right, Chip, just simmer down!" Lee dismissed Chip's anger with a wave of his hand. "We'll discuss this later! Right now, the important thing is to get that sensor in place." Then he turned his back on Morton and walked toward the far wall. 

That was the final insult! Chip couldn't believe that Lee would discount his feelings so easily. As Lee walked over to look for the sensor, Chip slipped up behind him and clapped the rag over his face. Crane struggled desperately, his eyes wide with shock but Morton's manic strength and the gas overcame him and he slumped to the floor unconscious. 

Thump...Thump... Thump. Chip's head was throbbing, as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was lying on his bunk, fully clothed and he gradually realized that the pounding he heard was someone knocking on the cabin door. Clasping his temple, he staggered to the door and opened it. Doctor Jamieson was standing on the other side, hand poised to knock again. 

He looked at Chip's bloodshot eyes with a worried frown, which he quickly masked. 

"Hi, Chip, I just wanted to see how you were feeling." 

"Other than a killer headache, I'm fine." Chip winced, as Doc's voice seemed to reverberate in his skull. 

"Are you sure, Chip? You look like hell. Stop by SickBay and I'll give you something for that. I still want to check you out and make sure there are no side effects from that gas." 

Chip stood nonplussed for a moment. The mention of the gas stirred a vague memory. What was it? He couldn't quite focus on it but it seemed to be important. 

"I'm sure, Doc. I'll be down as soon as I get changed." Chip ushered the Doc out and closed the door gently behind him. 

As he was changing into a clean uniform, he noticed a distinct chemical odor on his hands that disturbed him even more. Hurriedly, he washed his hands in the sink. Where had he smelled that before? The thought niggled in the back of his mind. He had the strangest dream...or was it a dream? 

As he finished dressing, small snatches of the dream returned to Chip and he was beginning to think that perhaps it was not really a dream at all. He could remember being very annoyed at Lee over something... and the smell of the chemical lingered on his hands even after he had washed them. 

He stepped to the door of the cabin, looking about as though trying to fit pieces together in his mind. He could not believe that he had actually gone to sleep in his uniform! There was something else that he was trying to remember, that kept escaping him. 

As he stepped into the corridor, he heard the voice of Chief Sharkey calling to him. The Chief was just leaving Crane's cabin. 

"You haven't seen the Captain, have you, Sir?" he asked. The Chief had a worried look on his face. "The Admiral has been looking for him and I can't seem to find him anywhere." 

Chip stopped, startled by the Chief's question. Something was still bothering him about Lee and now the Chief seemed to be looking for him. He was quite puzzled by the fact that he could but could not really remember the events following his return to the sub. 

"Mr. O'Brien said that you went down to the lab with the Captain last night." the Chief continued.  

"Have you checked the lab to see if he is still down there?" Chip asked. 

"No, Sir." The Chief answered. 

"Go tell O'Brien that I will be in the Control Room at 0900 hours." Chip suggested. "I'll check the lab for you." Partly because he wanted to see the lab before anyone else entered it. 

Chip turned from the Chief and tried to calmly walk in the direction of the lab. When he got to the door he was surprised to find that the door was locked. Taking keys from a ring on his belt loop he unlocked the door and stepped inside. 

At first the lab looked completely normal but he felt uncomfortable looking about the room. He noticed a white rag lying on the floor near the table and walked over and picked it up. He carefully sniffed it, immediately recognizing the chemical smell on the rag. 

Stepping over to the corner, he picked up a small bottle that was clearly labeled as ether. He walked over to the table to see that some of the items had been knocked over and the table itself seemed to be a bit off-center. On the top shelf of the cabinet was one of the sensors that they had been working with. Why did he seem to know that it was there? 

Where in the hell is Lee? he thought as he placed the sensor on the table. Something about the sensor? They were going to do something with the sensor. There was a quiet knock on the door and Chip walked over and opened the door to find Chief Sharkey standing there. 

"You and the Captain came down here last night to work on the sensor." the Chief said, indicating the sensor on the table. 

"We were going to work on the sensor, " Chip answered, "but we never did get to it." 

Chip looked over the rag lying on the table. What did we do?  

"Why don't you get a party together to search for the Captain. Check the SickBay first." 

The Chief lingered at the door of the lab as though he wanted to say something else but then turned and went down the corridor to SickBay. Chip watched after him for a couple seconds and then turned back to the room. He walked over to the first cabinet and opened the doors, looking inside. He was wondering now if he might be looking for a body but did not dare actually admit to it? 

He moved around the lab looking into the compartments and into anything that would be large enough to contain a body. He was frantically searching his mind for what had happened that was giving him these nagging worries about his dream. As he searched, he was beginning to accept that the dream was not a dream but that something quite terrible had happened between Lee and himself last night. 

Going to the wall, he picked up the microphone and called Sharkey 

The Chief's response was almost immediate. Chip asked the Chief if the search party had been started and if anyone had reported seeing Captain Crane that morning. "No, Sir." was the reply. 

"Keep me informed." Morton ordered. He hung up the mike and stepped out into the corridor, trying to decide what to do next. He could remember some of the lab but he had no memory of what happened after that. Glancing at his watch, he was aware that it was nearly 0900 hours but he was not willing to go to the Control Room until he could determine what had happen to Lee Crane.

Walking down the corridor, Morton rounded the bend only to bump into Admiral Nelson coming from the opposite direction. 

"Sir! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in SickBay!"  

"I'm FINE, Chip." Nelson said testily. "Where's Lee? I heard the Chief ordering a search party for him. What happened?" 

"I'm...I'm not sure, Sir. He...he's seemed to have disappeared." Chip stammered, desperately trying to think of something to sidetrack the Admiral. 

"How could he have disappeared?" Nelson asked incredulously. "When was the last time you saw him?"  

"The last thing I'm sure of is seeing him in the Control Room." 

"What do you mean, the last thing you are SURE of? What's going on, Chip?" 

"I don't know, Sir. I just have this terrible feeling that SOMETHING happened, but I'll be damned if I know what!" 

"Okay, calm down, Chip. Let's take this one step at a time. Where did this happen?" 

"In the lab, Sir, I don't know but I keep getting these images of something happening there. I know it doesn't make any sense...." 

"Images? What kind of images?" 

"Well, I don't know how to explain it exactly, Sir. I just keep getting flashes of Lee and me in the lab. I'm not even sure if it's real or just a bad dream." 

"Well, then let's check out the lab." 

Nelson led the way back to the lab, with Morton on his heels. Entering the room, Nelson looked around and saw the rag lying on the table. Picking it up, he held it to his nose and recoiled with a grunt. 

"What the hell... what do you know about this?" 

Morton closed his eyes in thought for a moment then looked at Nelson. "I...I'm not sure..." He said slowly. "I keep trying...but I just can't remember..." 

"Why can't you remember, Chip? What happened to you? Maybe we should get Doc in here. He may be able to help us." Nelson turned from Chip and, picking up the mike, he called to SickBay. 

"SickBay, this is Nelson. Doctor, please come to the lab at once. We have a little problem." 

"Jamieson here, Sir, I'll be right there." 

Morton watched Nelson hang up the mike, then he sat on the edge of the table, his worried blue eyes fixed on the floor. His head was starting to throb again until it felt like it was in a vice and it was getting more difficult to concentrate. The last thing he wanted was to have Nelson yelling at him, and being unable to answer the questions only increased the tension he was feeling. He stole a peek at Nelson from the corner of his eye. At least the Admiral didn't look like he was going to erupt any time soon. Chip said a silent prayer that hopefully...maybe the Doc would have the answer for what was happening and put an end to this nightmare he seemed to be living. He could feel the weight of Nelson's eyes upon him but he could not bring his own eyes up to meet them. 

Nelson folded his arms and leaned against the table beside him, keeping his eyes fixed on the Exec. Morton shifted uneasily but didn't look up. After what seemed like a lifetime, the door opened and Jamieson entered. 

Jamieson looked at Morton and frowned. He could see that Chip was visibly upset, which in itself was highly unusual for a man who normally never showed his feelings. There were lines of strain around his eyes and his jaw was clenched as if in pain. Jamieson turned to Nelson with an inquiring look. 

"What's going on, Sir?" he asked. 

"Mr. Morton here seems to have misplaced our Captain." 

"What do you mean...misplaced? How the hell did he do that?" 

"That's what I would like to know, Doc." Nelson said mildly, still staring at Morton. 

"Well, Chip...?" Nelson was starting to become slightly impatient with Chip's reticence. 

"Give him a moment, Admiral. Actually, I'm glad you called, I just finished the analysis of the gas traces that were on Chip's suit. It's highly toxic and can cause hallucinations, abnormal behaviour and short-term memory loss. I'm not surprised if this is what happened."

Nelson thought about the Doctor's explanation. It was so eerily similar to his own experience he felt an empathy with Morton. "Are you sure this is what happened?" he asked quietly. 

"Well, I need to take a blood sample to verify it, but I'm positive I will find a high level of toxin in his system." 

Chip sat watching, his head bobbing back and forth between the two men until he started to get dizzy on top of the pounding headache. Standing up too quickly, he felt a sense of vertigo and started to reel. Jamieson was beside him quickly, grabbing his arm before he collapsed. 

"CHIP! Here, sit down before you fall down! You idiot...why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"I'm NOT sick, Doc, it's just a headache, that's all." Chip protested, as Jamieson and Nelson pushed him none too gently onto a chair. 

"Well, I'm not surprised, Chip." Jamieson scolded him. "Why the hell didn't you come to SickBay right after you got back from the dive?" 

Nelson gave Jamieson an exasperated look and snorted. "You know Chip, he's as bad as Lee when it comes to admitting that there's anything wrong." Turning to Morton he continued gently. "Chip, speaking of Lee, what happened? What did you do with him? Start at the beginning, from when you went on the last dive." 

"Well, I remember checking out the sensor...it seemed to be okay...then there was an eruption of some kind. I remember losing my mask... I started choking...I couldn't see anything...I remember Pat and Ski swimming over to me...the next thing I knew I was back on Seaview." 

"Then what happened, Chip?" Jamieson prompted gently. 

"Well, I remember going to the Control Room. Lee said something about putting out another sensor to replace the one that got burnt out in the eruption." 

"Can you remember how you felt at that time, Chip?" 

"Not really...just funny...sorta angry I guess." Chip shrugged helplessly and stared at the Doctor. 

"Why were you angry, Chip?" 

"I don't know, Doc. I was just feeling really angry with Lee. He told me to get a sensor from stores and meet him in the lab and for some reason it really bothered me. I remember going to the lab...but then it gets hazy." 

Nelson interjected at this point. "I found this on the table, Doc," he said, holding out the rag. Jamieson took one whiff and reeled back. 

"Whoa! Chip, do you remember this at all?" 

Chip stared miserably at the rag, chewing his bottom lip. "I...I think so...I'm not sure." 

"Take your time, Chip." 

"Well..." Chip closed his eyes and tried to picture the scene in his aching head. "I remember coming into the lab..." He stood up and started walking around the room, trailing his fingers along the table. Nelson and Jamieson watched him carefully as he tried to relive the events of the night before. "I remember...I was really pissed at Lee. I wanted to get back at him for being such a bastard...I wanted to hurt him..." Chip broke off and glanced quickly at Nelson, who was looking slightly shocked at the admission. 

"Go on, Chip," Jamieson said encouragingly, "You remember wanting to hurt Lee...what happened then?" 

Morton continued to look at Nelson nervously for a moment, then cleared his throat. "I was standing here, looking at the sensor. Then I saw the bottle of ether... I picked it up..." His voice took on a monotonous tone as if he was reading from a script. "I picked up the rag... I soaked it with the ether... Lee came in and started in on me again...he said I was incompetent or something like that... I remember he made some snide remark...I can't remember what... then he turned his back on me! I was so angry!" Chip's voice roughened at this point, his eyes fixed at a point in front of himself as he recounted the scene. 

"I remember coming up behind him... holding the cloth over his face..." Chip held his hands up as if he were demonstrating the actions. "He was fighting me... he looked so surprised... then he fell... I remember looking down at him..." Morton shook his head at the painful memory. "I can't remember what happened then. The next thing I remember was waking up in my cabin!" 

"Chip, I want you to relax...sit back and close your eyes..." Jamieson intoned. "You're in the lab...Lee is on the floor...you are looking at him...try to picture what happened next." 

Chip took a deep steadying breath and nodded. "I'll try, Doc" 

Chip straightened up, then tilted his head back, eyes tightly closed and tried to focus his thoughts. There was a tantalizing memory just out of reach. 

He shook his head with frustration. "I'm sorry, it's just not coming to me. There is SOMETHING... but I can't put my finger on it." 

Chip stood abruptly and started pacing around the room. If only I could remember... there was something...what was it? 

Nelson watched him silently for a moment, then said calmly, "Let's look at this logically, Chip. Lee's not here, so you had to have moved him. It must have been late, otherwise someone would have seen you." 

"I guess so...I'm not sure." 

"Well, Chip, all we have to do is retrace your steps...you pick Lee up...he's heavy...you have him on your shoulder...you leave the lab...you're going down the corridor...which way do you turn?" 

As Nelson spoke, the three men left the lab and headed down the corridor. When they got to the junction, Nelson turned to Chip. "Well...anything?" 

Chip opened his mouth but before he could speak, Sharkey's voice came over the intercom. 

"Missile room to control room, the dive team has the new sensor ready to deploy." 

"Control Room, O'Brien here, stand by until further notice." 

At the words 'missile room' Chip jerked with a muffled oath. "The missile room...I was going to the missile room!" 

The trio dashed down the corridor to the missile room, then Chip stopped dead. "We've already searched this room...where could he be?" He started prowling around, a growing sense of urgency quickening his movements.  

"It was late...only the night crew on...nobody here...I came in...I put Lee down there..." He indicated a spot near the missile tubes. A glint of silver caught his eye and dropping to his knees, Chip looked under the rack. Lying on the floor was a silver oak leaf. 

"This is Lee's...he MUST be here somewhere...somewhere near where nobody would think to look...OH NO! I couldn't have..." Frantically, Chip started opening the torpedo tubes. The first three were empty. Whispering a prayer under his breath, he checked the last one. The door was not latched securely, and with Nelson and Jamieson watching on, he pulled it open. 

The first thing Chip saw was Lee's dark hair. Reaching in, he grabbed Crane by the shoulders and started pulling him out of the tube. Nelson and Jamieson helped ease the limp body to the floor. Jamieson pushed Morton aside and kneeling down, checked Crane over quickly. 

"He's still alive, get me the oxygen." 

Morton grabbed an oxygen cylinder from the rack and brought it over to Jamieson. Doc secured the mask over Crane's face and turned on the valve. After a few whiffs, Crane started to thrash violently.  

"Take it easy, Captain...it's all right. You're safe now." Jamieson said soothingly. Crane gradually relaxed and looked at the three men hovering over him. When he saw Morton, he stiffened and renewed his struggle against the restraining hands that held him. 

"No, keep him away from me!" He pushed away Morton's hands, staring at him wild-eyed. 

"Easy, Lee. It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." Chip tried to calm his friend. The look of betrayal in Lee's eyes was almost more than he could bear.  

Crane gradually eased his struggles and looked at Morton with confusion mirrored in his hazel eyes. 

"What happened? Ooh, my head hurts!" He raised a shaking hand to his temple. 

"It's okay, Lee...everything's going to be okay." Chip looked anxiously at Jamieson. "He IS going to be okay, isn't he?" 

Jamieson nodded, "Yes I think he'll be okay. Let's get him down to SickBay. I want to give him a thorough examination. It's lucky he had his head at the door, otherwise he could have suffocated." At Chip's anguished expression, he quickly said, "Don't worry, Chip. I don't think there's any permanent damage. I just want to make sure. Give me a hand here." 

Jamieson and Chip helped Lee to his feet, and with his arms over their shoulders, half-carried him down to SickBay, with Nelson leading the way. Despite Crane's insistence that he was feeling better, Jamieson insisted on laying him on a gurney. 

"Do you know who you are?" Jamieson asked Crane. 

"Of course I know who I am! I'm Commander Lee Crane, who do you think I am?" 

"Where are you?" 

"What? I'm on Seaview, in SickBay...what the hell's going on?" Lee sat up and stared at the three men that ringed the bed. "How did I get here? Last thing I remember was going to the lab to meet Chip." 

"Can you remember anything else, Captain?" Jamieson was concerned that the ether may have caused some brain damage and was trying to ascertain that there were no lasting harmful effects from the drug. 

"Well...I was in the lab...looking at the sensor...then somebody grabbed me...Chip...Chip? Then it got hard to breathe. The next thing I remember was being in a dark cold place...it felt like a coffin...then somebody was dragging me out... " 

Chip glanced at Lee, shame and guilt written over his normally calm face, then lowered his gaze. He couldn't bring himself to look Lee in the eye. 

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Lee..." he said remorsefully, spreading his hands in supplication. 

"Chip, what the hell happened?" 

Jamieson intervened quickly, "Relax, Captain, it wasn't Chip's fault. He was exposed to some gas when the thermal vent erupted and it distorted his thinking. He couldn't control himself. He didn't mean to do anything..." 

"Do anything? DO ANYTHING? He stuffed me in a torpedo tube!" 

Lee was incensed, glaring at his Exec in disbelief. 

"Lee, I'm sorry...what can I say? I couldn't help it...I was angry..." Chip's voice trailed at Lee's incredulous look and hung his head and finished miserably, "I didn't know what I was doing." 

"Right." Lee replied with some sarcasm. "Well, we'll talk about it later, Chip. Right now I want to check out the control room." 

As Lee started to get up, Jamieson was at his side in a flash, pushing him back down. "You just stay right where you are, Captain. You aren't going anywhere until I finish my examination and not even then. I want you to stay put for at least 24 hours." 

"What? But I feel FINE, Doc, I want to go back to work." 

"Nothing doing, Captain. Here I'm the boss and I say you stay!" Jamieson's voice was unyielding and reluctantly Crane lay back on the table. Morton gave him a small smile and headed for the door. 

"Hold it, mister. And just where do you think YOU'RE going?" 

"I have to get back to the control room..." 

"No way, Mr. Morton. You just lay down there on that bunk. You still have a headache and I want to make sure all that gas has been completely purged from your system before you start gallivanting around again. As for you, Admiral..." this last bit was fired at Nelson, who was trying to make his escape. "You haven't been cleared for duty yet either. You can either take the bunk next to Chip or go back to your cabin." 

"Well, in that case, Doctor, I'll be in my cabin." Nelson smiled at his officers and quickly made his escape.

"But who's going to mind the fort if we're all stuck here, Doc?" Lee protested. 

"Mr. O'Brien is perfectly capable of 'minding the fort' for a little while, as you very well know." 

"Well, I suppose so. I am a little tired." Lee settled back on the gurney and closed his eyes. Opening them, he noticed that Chip was still hovering over him. "Go lie down before you collapse, Chip. You look like hell and I don't feel like getting into a debate with you right now. We shall discuss this later, understand?" 

"Yes, Sir, I understand." Chip lay down on the adjacent bunk with a weary sigh. Jamieson had given him some quick-acting painkiller that soon had his head nodding. His eyes closed and within minutes he was sound asleep. 

Jamieson watched the two men closely until their breathing became deep and regular and they were sound asleep. Then, with a shake of his head at the obstinacy of some patients he dimmed the lights and went back to his office.

It was several hours later before Lee stirred restlessly. His eyes snapped open and for a moment he didn't recognize his surroundings. As his vision adjusted to the dimness, he looked around and saw Chip lying on the bed beside him and the memory of the preceding day came flooding back. With a groan, he sat up and stared silently at his friend. 

Chip's eyes were open and he was staring back at Lee with hostility still evident in his fixed gaze. The two men eyed each other cautiously for a little while, neither one wanting to be the first to speak. 

The silence stretched out until finally Lee spoke. "Well, Chip...you mind telling me just what the hell you thought you were doing?" 

"I told you, Lee..." Chip stiffened as he started to explain. 

"You told me nothing! You said you were mad...mad enough to knock me out and stuff me in a torpedo tube? What the hell did I do to you to deserve that?" 

"Well, you kept changing everything I did. Every time I made a decision, you would countermand it and make me out to look like an idiot!" 

"Like when, for instance?" Lee demanded.

"For instance, when you said there was a vent. When I went out to get the sensor there was no vent. That didn't appear until after the quake. But you acted like it was there all the time and made me look like a fool."

"And for that you stuff me in a torpedo tube?"  

"You said I was incompetent." 

"I said no such thing!" 

"You implied it, Lee. Everyone in the control room heard you!" 

"But you stuffed me in a TORPEDO TUBE!" Lee insisted, exasperation coloring his voice. 

"You redid all the settings, you changed the plots and I had spent HOURS working on them!" Chip complained bitterly. "And you never even looked at them! Just waltzed in and without so much as a 'by your leave'... just up and said they were wrong! You made me look like a total MORON, Lee!"  

"Oh come on, Chip, it wasn't as bad as that!" 

"Yes it was, Lee! It seems like I try so hard then you just disregard everything I do...like it doesn't mean anything...and I'm sick of it! You act like I don't know what I'm doing... You NEVER tell me anything...half the time I don't know what's happening and you treat me like I'm supposed to be some kind of mind reader."  

Lee shook his head at Chip. "I don't understand, Chip, whatever gave you that idea?" 

"Oh for crying out loud, Lee! You do it ALL the time! You go into a huddle with the Admiral and only give me the barest information and I'm supposed to work with that? Half the time I think you don't trust me!" 

"Of course I trust you, Chip, we both trust you." 

Chip snorted at that, "Yeah right," he said sourly. "It shows." 

"What do you mean by that?" Lee was getting more and more confused by Chip's reaction. This was not the Chip he knew. This was a total stranger. The tension had built between the two men, they had both had gotten up and stood facing off in the center of the room. Chip's fists clenched and he glared Lee, hostility evident in every taut muscle. Lee stared back warily. 

Lee shook his head and turned away, still unable to comprehend the reason for Chip's anger. Morton grabbed his arm and jerked him back to face him. 

"Don't you DARE turn your back on me, Lee Crane! You're always doing that... if you don't like what you're hearing, you just tune me out...it makes me CRAZY!"  

"Now calm down, Chip..."  

"And don't tell me to calm down! That's even worse! Sometimes I want to just throttle you when you say that! I'm your Executive Officer... I'm supposed to be your right hand man yet sometimes I swear that Sharkey knows more about what's going on than I do, for all the information you give me!" 

"I tell you what's happening, Chip." Lee protested. 

"You only tell me as much as you think I should know, and sometimes even less. I'm constantly left in the dark about things I SHOULD be aware of, and then I look like an idiot when someone asks me a question and I can't answer them because I DON'T KNOW!" 

Chip was starting to get really worked up by then, his face flushed with pent-up anger and frustration, his blue eyes stabbing at Lee like twin glaciers. 

Lee backed away from his irate friend nervously. Chip rarely lost his temper but when he did, he made Mount St Helen's look tame by comparison. Lee was used to Nelson blowing his stack, that was a regular occurrence, but he found it very unsettling to see Chip like that. Usually the Exec kept his feelings tightly bottled up and although he may snap at people now and then, he rarely exploded. This was a side that Lee seldom glimpsed and his instinct was to try to defuse the storm before Chip totally lost it. A scene flashed through his mind of the last time Chip had gone ballistic. Lee couldn't remember what they had been arguing about but Chip had become so incensed he had slammed his fist against the bulkhead, trying to get his point across, and ended up breaking his finger. 

Chip stalked him like a hungry tiger. Lee could see the anger and resentment had built up until Chip could no longer keep them in. Lee watched as the emotions crossing his friend's face took on a life of their own and Chip appeared to have no more control over them than he would over a tidal wave. All his emotions were raw, on the surface and spilling out like lava from a volcano. 

Morton glared at Crane then shook his head, as if trying to regain some semblance of control.

"You don't get it, do you Lee?" He asked bitterly. 

"Get what? I really don't understand..." 

"That's right, you never understand." Chip shot back, his voice shaking. 

"Chip, what the hell are you talking about?" 

"RESPECT, Lee. I'm talking about respect...and trust!" 

"But I trust you, Chip, you know that, I keep telling you." 

"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it," Chip retorted. "But the Admiral doesn't and that's just as bad." 

"What do you mean, the Admiral doesn't? Of course he does!"

"Like hell he does, Lee. You weren't there! You didn't hear what he said to me. He does NOT trust me. He said so himself." 

"What? When?" Lee was flabbergasted by Chip's bald statement. 

"In the control room, after the bulkhead blew and we sank, he demanded to know who was responsible for 'the blunder'! He acted like it was MY fault. I tried to explain how we had all tried to warn him about the danger of diving with that weakened bulkhead... he said we were plotting against him!' He said he didn't trust me, just because he didn't know what I was thinking ... " Chip's voice trailed off and he stared at Lee with silent anguish before he taking a deep breath and continuing. " And you didn't help by going along with him." 

Lee gasped at Chip's accusation. "That's not fair, Chip." He protested hotly. He was controlling his own temper with difficulty. It was almost incomprehensible that Chip could hold him personally responsible for Nelson's actions. "How was I supposed to know that things had gotten so bad? I wasn't even in the Control Room! " 

"No, but I was, and I tried to tell you, but just like the Admiral, you never listened to me!" Chip said bitterly. "Why else do you think we were all so pissed off? How do you think it made me feel when the men wanted to do something about Nelson before someone else got hurt, or worse? I knew how they felt, hell I felt the same way, but as the Exec I couldn't condone anything that even remotely hinted at mutiny. And when we tried to talk to you, we were just blown off, like our opinion didn't count." 

"Well, pardon me, Chip, but I had more important things on my mind at the time." Lee shot back. "Do you think I always have the answers? The only man that might have had them was totally irrational! By then there were too many things happening at once. My first priority was to trying to save the sub...I didn't have time for your hurt feelings." 

"Hurt feelings?" Chip responded incredulously. "I can live with the insults, Lee. What I find hard to accept is you not backing me up when I need you." 

"Wait a minute, just who are you angry at, me or Nelson?"

"You...him...both! I don't know! I'm just so pissed off right now I don't know if I'm coming or going! I'm mad at the Admiral dumping on me like he did and you for allowing him to endanger everyone! Do you have ANY idea how it felt to have someone you've always looked up to says he doesn't trust you? I always felt that there was a good rapport between the Admiral and me, but apparently I was deluding myself. I don't know where I stand with him. Hell, I don't even know if we can work together anymore." 

Lee shook his head emphatically. "You've got it all wrong, Chip. Nelson couldn't have meant it, he was under the influence of the gas from the EBA, remember? " 

"No, Lee, I saw the look in his eyes... he meant every word." 

Lee didn't want to believe that Nelson could say such a hurtful thing. Chip could be hard to read at times but that was no reason not to trust him. But when he looked into Chip's tortured eyes, he realized that just maybe he had been wrong about everything. He had been so wrapped up in worrying about getting the sub to the surface, he hadn't taken the time to really listen to what Chip and the others had been trying to tell him. 

"Oh god, Chip, I'm sorry... I didn't realize..." 

"Of course you didn't Lee... you didn't take the time to really look around, did you? You had Nelson on this pedestal, and you believed that he could do no wrong. And we almost paid the price for that, didn't we?" 

Lee shook his head in disbelief. How could he have been so dense? Had he allowed his friendship with Nelson to blind him to his faults? Lee thought back over all the events that had transpired since the missile leak... Nelson's strange response upon discovering the EBA on the plotting table...his irrational insistence on diving the sub even after both Chip and Lee had tried to convince him of the danger... Nelson's belief that they were at war... they were all red flags that should have set off alarms in Lee's mind but he had ignored them. He had allowed military protocol to override his judgement. And as much as Chip's words stung, Lee had to admit he was right. As it was they had lost some men, which would not have happened if Lee had taken the blinders off his eyes and seen what was really happening. He sank down on the gurney with a weary sigh and gazed up at Chip, remorse plain in his hazel eyes. 

"You're right, Chip. I should have listened to you. I should have had more faith in what you were saying. I'm sorry... I know that sounds so lame but I don't know what else to say." He gazed earnestly into Chip's sapphire eyes. Chip stared back at him in silence, indecision evident by the narrowing of his blue eyes then sank down on the bunk and stared morosely at the floor. 

"I don't know what's gotten into me, Lee. I know it wasn't your fault, but I just can't think straight right now." 

"Well, the Doc said that you got hit hard by that gas from the vent. I suppose..." Lee said doubtfully, "if I had been in your place that getting dumped on by me combined with the hell you've been through lately might be enough to make me just a little crazy. But I don't think I would have gone so far as to stuff YOU into a torpedo tube!" 

"Enough with the torpedo tube, already!'Chip snapped exasperatedly. "I said I was sorry about that!" 

"So, I suppose you haven't told Nelson how you feel?" 

"How could I, Lee? He's the Admiral, for god's sake. I just can't walk up to him and say 'excuse me, sir, but I'm just a tad pissed off at you...'" 

"Well, I think you should talk to him about it, Chip. It might help you feel better if you clear the air with him." 

"I don't know... you know how he hates anything remotely resembling criticism. I don't know how he would take it." 

"Well, you'll never know unless you try, Chip. And you can't just keep bottling things up inside like you do. I know that sometimes Nelson and I take you for granted, but maybe you should give us a wake up call once in a while, just to remind us that you are a human being and not a walking sliderule." 

"I'll think about it, Lee. Maybe when we get back to port..." 

"Not a good plan, pal, you go talk to him in the morning...in fact, the sooner the better." 

"You gonna come along as backup, Lee...just in case he decides to have me for breakfast?" 

Lee chuckled at his friend and was about to answer when the door opened and a decidedly rumpled Nelson wandered in. When he saw Lee was awake, he went directly over to him, his relief on seeing that Lee seemed to have recovered plain in his warm smile. His attention was fixed on the Captain and he didn't notice Chip rise quietly from the bunk. 

"How are you feeling, Lee?" He asked anxiously. "I must admit you gave me quite a scare." 

"I'm fine, sir, just a little tired. I think Chip had it worse than I did." 

"Chip? Hmmm, yes, I suppose he did." 

Nelson still hadn't noticed Morton's presence and Chip bridled at the implied snub. 

Lee watched the by-play between the two men and belatedly realized that Chip had a point. Nelson was acting as if Chip was invisible. 

"Sir, I think that Chip has something he wants to say to you, don't you, Chip?"

"Chip? Oh..." Nelson started as he belatedly noticed Chip and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Chip. I didn't mean to ignore you. How are you feeling?" 

"I'm fine Sir." Chip replied stiffly, then looked over at Crane. "Lee, I don't think that now is the time." 

"Well, I think it is." Lee insisted. 

"Time? Time for what?" Nelson looked perplexed. "What the devil are you two talking about?" 

Chip had risen when Nelson entered the room, now he wished he were anywhere else but in front of his superior officer. 

"Well, Chip... did you have something you wanted to say?" 

Nelson leaned against the gurney, hands in his pockets and looked at him expectantly as Morton stared at the floor in silence, chewing nervously on his bottom lip. Then he took a deep breath and stiffened to attention and looked Nelson in the eye. 

"Sir, I understand that you have a problem with me and I feel it might be better if I resign." 

"Problem? What kind of problem?" Nelson was astounded by Chip's matter-of-fact tone. "You can't resign, I need you!" 

"Sir, I feel you don't have complete faith in me and I can't work under these circumstances." 

"What the devil ever gave you that idea, Chip?" 

"Sir, you said yourself you didn't trust me. I can't work for someone who doesn't trust me." 

"Hold on, Chip...when did I say that?" 

"In the control room, sir, after the bulkhead blew and we went down." 

"Oh for god's sake, Chip. I'd never say any such thing... in the control room you say? I don't remember... unless it was while that gas from the EBA was still affecting me. You know I would never say anything like that under normal circumstances." 

"I know about the gas, sir. But there must have been some underlying cause for you to feel that way. Why else would you have said it?" 

"I don't know, Chip. I wasn't myself. I'm sure that the doctor could give you some kind of psychobabble about the effects of that gas. All I know is that I trust you and I need you here...with me and Seaview." 

Nelson stared at Morton, trying to impress his sincerity by the sheer force of his will. Like Lee, he was slowing coming to the realization that not only had he taken Chip for granted, he had sadly misjudged him.  

With the thought came another revelation. Nelson had felt uneasy around his Exec because he couldn't 'read' him; that made him perceive Morton as a threat. He knew that it was irrational and totally unfair to Chip. Morton had always been a closed book to him and probably always would be. But Nelson was getting better at interpreting Chip's moods and right then he saw hurt and mistrust in the tired blue eyes that were fixed on him. Hurt that he, Nelson, had caused. He tried to think of something he could say that would lessen the sense of betrayal that he could see in the sapphire depths. 

"Chip, if you can believe anything, believe this...I trust you, I need you and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you just walk out of here without a fight. You mean too much to me...to us." 

Morton stared at him, unmoving. Crane, who had been standing by quietly, chose to add his voice to Nelson's. 

"He's right, Chip. We do need you. We may not show it, or say it often enough, but both Admiral Nelson and I feel you are a key player on our team." Lee paused, then reached out and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Besides, I need you too, if for nothing else but to keep me from getting lost." 

Crane's remark caught Morton's attention and Lee was rewarded when a wry grin crept across Chip's face.

"I suppose you're right, Lee. Can't have you beaching Seaview, now can we?"

Nelson gave a relieved sigh ... another crisis averted. Then turning to face both his young officers he fixed them with a stern eye. "Now that this has been settled, I think we should all try to get some sleep. I'll see you both in the morning. We have to think of how to write this all up." 

Chip and Lee both groaned at the thought of the reams of paperwork that lay ahead of them. 

Nelson grinned at their identical looks of dismay and with a shake of his head, took his leave. Chip and Lee looked at each other resignedly, then turned back and crawled into their respective beds. 

"Well, I'll certainly sleep better tonight." Chip stated as he fluffed up the pillow before turning over in the bunk. 

Lee smiled at him through the darkness, "No matter what they say about sick bay bunks, it certainly beats a torpedo tube." 

Chip groaned out his reply as he snuggled down in the blanket. "Good night, Lee. Now shut up, please!"