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“I’m well aware of that,” Dr. Pascal said. “I did many of those surgeries back-to-back. Did you really need to wake me up from a deep sleep to remind me?”
The captain grinned, suggesting the dressing-down was more for effect than anything else. Possibly even a captain’s joke, just to see how Dr. Pascal would respond. “I woke you up because there is a helicopter approaching the ship, requesting an emergency landing, and the pilot is insisting that you would explain everything.”
“Explain what, exactly?” Dr. Pascal stammered.
“Who they are, and why I should let them land on my ship.”
Dr. Pascal had that sudden feeling of being half-asleep and not following along quick enough.
The captain pointed out the window. “That speck on the horizon is a helicopter,” she said. “It’s heading our way. The pilot is calling us on a short-range, high-frequency band, asking us to remain in radiosilence regarding their presence and requesting an emergency landing. Apparently, they have a passenger who needs medical help.”
“Okay,” Dr. Pascal said. “And…how am I involved in this?”
“The pilot used your name, said you would explain. And for that reason and that reason only, I’m honoring their request and having our helipad cleared.”
The possibility that she was having a vivid dream rushed in. “How should I know who they are and what they want?”
The captain pointed to the high-frequency radio. “How about you get on the radio and ask them?”
Elena moved to the comms panel and took the handheld transmitter from the radio operator. A switch was flipped, and she held the microphone an inch from her mouth. “Approaching helicopter, this is Dr. Elena Pascal of the hospital shipAkeso. Please state your intentions.”
A jovial voice came over the line. “Hoping to land before we run out of fuel, stretch our legs, and grab a sandwich from the commissary.”
The voice was instantly recognizable to her. A wave of relief appeared on her face.
“Are you alone?”
“Traveling with an old friend and a new one. Would like you to take a look at our passenger.”
“Is he or she ill?”
“Not exactly,” the friendly voice insisted. “I’ll have to explain when we arrive.”
Elena turned toward the captain.
“Friends of yours?” the captain guessed. “From NUMA days?”
“Men of the highest character,” Elena insisted. “I’ve seen them both risk their lives to save others on multiple occasions.”
“Why the need for radio silence?”
“I couldn’t say,” she admitted. “But I ask you to honor the request. They wouldn’t make it without a good reason. And if it turns out you don’t like that reason, then you can contact headquarters to your heart’s content. But you can’t undo it if you make the call now.”
“First, do no harm,” the captain said.
“That’s kind of our thing,” Elena replied.
“So it is,” the captain replied. “Tell them to land. We can hardly say no if they’re running out of gas.”
Elena sent the message and then waited.
“You’d better go meet them,” the captain said. “While you’re at it, I’d appreciate you pretending I rule this ship like Captain Bligh. Tell them you’re on your last strike before solitary confinement in the brig. If they’re truly friends of yours, that ought to count for something.”
Chapter 26
Dr. Pascal rushed to the helipad, which had been built on the forward end of the ship with its edges cantilevered over the bow. By the time she climbed the ladder up onto the flight deck, the helicopter had touched down.
After being cleared by a crewman, she approached the craft cautiously. The craft was an AgustaWestland AW109, a modern design with retractable wheels and a four-blade rotor. During her residency, Elena had flown in one setup as an air ambulance, but the helicopter in front of her bore the logo of an Indian construction company.