CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
The Can – USS Halibut, North Pacific
My suit was gone, but I didn’t remember taking it off. I pressed my hands down against something soft and resilient – my left hand hurt like hell. I tried to roll over, but was restrained by something. Then I floated away again.
I felt something cool against my forehead, and a nagging, persistent voice calling my name. Maybe if I opened an eye the noise would go away. I worked at it for a while. A thousand minutes later I managed to pull my right eyelid apart. The noise stopped, but the bright light was pretty startling, and I snapped my lid shut. The noise droned on again. It was becoming irritating, so I forced both eyes open to take on my tormentor, but what I saw was the Skipper (without his cigar), Ski, Ham, and a stranger.
