Pearl Ch. 01

Arriving at the clinic at about 0700, we were both greeted by a bit of a surprise. The clinic staff was in the process of assembling in the rear parking lot for morning quarters, and Beth and I were summarily escorted to the front of the assemblage. Instead of the OIC of the clinic at the front ranks to lead Quarters, the Base Commandant was in attendance!

What happened next was almost as embarrassing as the act that had caused this moment. I was presented with the SecNav Commendation Medal, with Valor Device for my 'heroic' stupidity of grabbing a blazing hot door handle bare handed! Of course the citation described my actions in a more glowing and heroic rhetoric, and the assembled group broke protocol long enough to give me a cheer! I felt my face turn blazing red.

Beth seemed to take all of this in stride, and after the ceremony, escorted me back into the clinic to have my injuries examined. From that point on, I was just a passenger. She received high accolades for the fine work that she'd performed on me during my convalescence! If they only knew the entire extent of her treatment! I could now let my hands go free of bindings and bandages; free for 'other' activities...

Allowed one more week of convalescence before I returned to full duty, Beth disposed of her acquired entourage of horny little sailors at the clinic doors, and escorted me back to the car and off the base. Returning to my apartment, she helped me change into 'casuals' as well as herself, and pulled me back out the door. As I was being jerked down the steps to the parking lot, I asked her, "What the hell are we doing now?"

"Celebration, my little hero," she responded, with a little sarcasm thinly veiled in her voice. Looking closely at her, I thought I noticed just a hint of admiration in her eyes, but I'm sure that was just an illusion. She pulled open the passenger door for me just as we reached the car, and bowed with a grand flourish. We were both grinning ear to ear as we prepared to 'do the town!'