Ghost Carrier: They Died to Fight Another Day (2 page)

Katie listened transfixed.

“Water is starting to fill where I am. I’m trying to walk through a foot, maybe two, of water. All of a sudden we hear this deep rumble that becomes an ear-splitting roar. Something has exploded. I feel the ship careen downward like on a roller coaster. I’m falling through the air through this passage way. I’m surrounded by other falling men. I land with a jolt against other men at a closed hatch. Men keep falling, piling on top of me. My body, my ribs, I can feel them all breaking and still more guys are piling on top of me. I can’t breathe. I know at this moment I’m going to die. I know it.

Then, an explosion topside rips a hole in the deck above. I see light for an instant and then with a sound like a freight train, water floods through the hole, pouring on top of us, filling the passageway. It’s all arms, legs, open-mouth muffled screams. I look to my left. In the dim light, I see this guy who has managed to pull a rosary out of his pocket. He holds it tight, eyes closed. Then I see his hand release it. He’s gone. I grab for the rosary and miss. It tumbles away in the water.

I see another guy near me. I feel I know him, that he is a buddy. I don’t know how I know this guy, but I do. I know him. He struggles to get his arms and hands free in this crush of men and rushing water. I’m watching him. He’s giving it every last bit of strength he’s got…”

Frank’s eyes welled with tears and his voice cracked, “Finally he gets a hand free and reaches out to me, to my hand flailing there in the water. He grabs my hand. Latches on tight. I can feel him squeezing. I understand. He looks me in the eye. He doesn’t want to die alone.”

Frank grows quiet. His words linger in the air.

“And then there’s nothing. Nothing. The vision ends. Every night it’s the same exact thing.”

Chapter 2

DR. GARRET’S OFFICE

“You say you’ve been having this same dream for three weeks?”

“No, Dr. Garret,” Frank protested to the salt and pepper haired physician, “it’s not a dream. I’m awake and experiencing it.”

“What do you mean awake?”

“I know it sounds stupid, but I can feel the bed, feel Kate next to me. I just can’t move or open my damn eyes till it’s over. Like someone is holding me down and keeping my eyes shut. Almost like I’m paralyzed.”

“Hmmm.”

Frank frowned at the doctor. He knew this appointment was a big mistake.

“I can prescribe a strong sedative you can take right before bed that will knock you out so you can get some rest, but I’d also like to perform some additional tests.”

“Anything, Doctor. I just want this all to end.”

“I also want to refer you to a specialist,” Garret said as he reached for a script to jot down the practitioner’s name and address.

“A specialist? What kinda specialist?” Frank asked warily.

“Someone who can go deeper into the possible root cause for these drea…visions.”

“You mean a shrink?”

“The science of psychology has helped millions of people restore their mental wellbeing, Mr. Rusk.”

“Mental wellbeing? Jesus. So you think I’m off my rocker? No way. Nooo way.”

“Look, Mr. Rusk, I don’t know what our tests will determine. Hopefully nothing. But if there is nothing neurological that’s causing this sleep depravation, we have to pursue psychological analysis. And under the law it’s my responsibility as a physician to see to it that all avenues of care are pursued.”

“Like committing me to a mental hospital.”

“I’ve never had to recommend that in thirty years of practice.”

“Well, Doc, there’s a first time for everything.”

FRANK AND KATE’S HOUSE TWO WEEKS LATER

Frank kept moving his pasta Bolognese around the plate. He wasn’t hungry.

“A shrink, can you believe that? I have to see a shrink.”

“Frank, there’s nothing wrong with it if it helps you. Besides aren’t you glad the medical tests came back negative. You don’t have a brain tumor. Let’s be thankful for that.”

Frank nodded in begrudging agreement.

Katie stared at him for an awkward moment.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“No, what is it, Katie? Something’s on your mind. Spill it.”

“It’s just that…your birthday. You never told me why you jumped up from the table that day like a crazy-”

Frank dropped his fork on his plate and barked, “You too?”

Katie shifted her gaze away.

“Well, if you must know, your husband, better known as
Mr. Loony Tunes,
saw my Dad’s face in the candle flames on that cake. There, you happy now?” Frank threw his napkin onto the table and folded his arms in silent challenge.

“Oh but, Frank, that could be a sign, a good sign. That’s what Theresa says.”

“Who? What, on that show you watch?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, what does
Theresa
say about seeing your father’s face screaming in terror as he’s looking at you from a cake?”

DR. PARVEEN’S OFFICE

Frank found the address on Lamme Road and then saw the big “Kettering” sign. He had arrived. Katie wanted to come, but Frank insisted he would do this on his own. He wasn’t going to back out. He wanted to prove to her that he really would give this a shot. Just the same, he was nervous as hell having never been to a shrink before. His appointment was with a Dr. Parveen.

The wait was short in the subdued office reception area. Everything seemed low key, including the low lighting and soft-spoken receptionist. Smooth jazz drifted down from the round ceiling panel speakers.

A short Indian man in a dark gray suit entered the waiting area.

“Mr. Rusk?”

“Yes?”

“I’m Dr. Parveen. Won’t you come in?”

An Indian psychologist was not what Frank had expected. Then again he had no idea what he expected with a name like Parveen. He followed the man into the dimly lit office.

“Please make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink? Some water perhaps?”

“No, no thank you, Doctor. Look, I’ve never been to one of these places before. How does it work? Do I lay down on a couch or something?”

The doctor smiled.

“Only if you want to. What we do here together is determine if there are incidents in your life, past or present that could be causing this mental anxiety. If we can identify the root causes, there are certain things we can do to address and alleviate the problem. Hopefully we will end the problem altogether through treatment. That is the goal.”

“Well, that sounds fine. I guess everything I tell you stays in this room.”

“Absolutely. You can speak with complete freedom here.”

For the first time since entering the office, Frank relaxed. This little man seemed harmless enough.

“Now the way I like to start is to get right to the heart of the issue. I have gotten the report from Dr. Garret.”

He picked up a clipboard from his desk and glanced down.

“I understand you are seeing visions. Why don’t you start by telling me what you think they are?”

“I don’t know what they are.”

“Oh, I think you do know, Mr. Rusk.”

Frank looked at Parveen oddly and his voice rose, “ No, Doc, I don’t. If I knew what they were, I’d tell you. Anyway aren’t you supposed to tell me?”

“That’s not the way it works.” Parveen responded gently.

Frank rose to his feet, “Can I walk around?”

“Whatever makes you comfortable.”

Frank struggled, “You’re right, Doc. I do know. God, I know it without a doubt in my mind.”

“Go on.”

“I don’t know how and I don’t know why, but I think I’m seeing my Dad’s last moments on earth—the time right before he died. I know it sounds crazy, but I think that’s what I’m seeing.”

“How did your father die?”

“He was a sailor on board an aircraft carrier called
Liscome Bay.”

“
During World War II?”

“Yes. I was born in September ’43. He was already out to sea. He died just before Thanksgiving that year. I never got a chance to know him.”

“What happened?”

“Worst carrier disaster in the Pacific. They were off the coast of some small island in the Central Pacific, and the ship got hit by a Japanese torpedo that went straight into the bomb bay.

“I am sorry.”

“Thanks. Apparently, it was quick. The ship torched up like a dried out Christmas tree. The guys had no chance. It went down in twenty minutes. Close to 650 men died, including my Dad.”

Dr. Parveen nodded sympathetically.

“And now, for some God forsaken reason, I’m reliving his last moments every night when my head hits the pillow. Doc, can you find a way to make this stop? Growing up without him was bad enough. Seeing him die over and over…,” Frank’s voice trailed off as he slumped back into his chair.

Parveen took his pen and held it to his mouth, clicking it a couple of times.

“So it is not an incident in your own life that is causing these sleepless nights, but seeing the death or imagining the death of your father.”

“Oh, I’m not imagining it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m there, I’m seeing it through his eyes. I’m feeling what he was feeling. Every detail. How could I imagine all that?”

“The mind is very complex. We understand only a fraction of its power.”

“And how about my seeing his face in the candle flames of my birthday cake?”

“You saw your father’s face in a cake?”

“In the flames. I know, I know. It sounds nuts. But I saw him.”

“What did he look like?”

“Not like I remember him from my mother’s old pictures.”

“How so?”

“He looked young, but he stared right into my eyes and had the deepest God awful fear I’ve ever seen on a man’s face. Like he was scared shitless. And then he opened his mouth and screamed at me.”

“Screamed? Screamed what?”

“My name.”

Chapter 3

MAKIN ISLAND, CENTRAL PACIFIC 23 NOV 1943

Task Force 52 was just coming off intensive aerial bombardment of the Atoll of Tarawa three days earlier. After brutal fighting, Americans soldiers had successfully captured the Gilbert Islands, and now the battle group was returning to normal cruising maneuvers. At sundown on 23 November, the ships of the now precisely named Task Group 52.13 had maneuvered into night cruising disposition, forming a circular screen around the three escort carriers.

Liscome Bay
was in the middle as guide for the surrounding ships. The battleships
New Mexico
and
Mississippi
, the cruiser
Baltimore
on the left flank, and carriers
Coral Sea
and
Corregidor
on the right flank were in the first circle surrounding
Liscome Bay
. The outer circle was formed by the destroyers
Hoel
,
Franks
,
Hughes
,
Maury,
and
Hull
.

Liscome
had ordered up large quantities of frozen turkey at Pearl and the ship’s mess was busy preparing the Thanksgiving feast to be served in just two days.

At 2230 hours Joe Rusk lay awake in A-1 bunk on crew berth level five, deep within the bowels of the
Liscome.
The coming Thanksgiving holiday had returned his thoughts to home as he held a flashlight illuminating the picture Franny had sent of their new son, little Frankie. He was a tiny thing, but Joe felt an instant connection. He imagined watching him grow up. Teaching him how to play ball. Protecting him and helping him become a man. Joe allowed himself to dream. Even he, a mere Seaman First Class, knew the tone of war with Japan had swung. America was now finally on the offensive in the Pacific, and the strategy seemed to be working. He could feel the end of the war coming as he peered down again at the future. His boy.
His boy.
Joe liked the sound of that as he stowed the picture away on the small aluminum shelf above his bunk. He sighed and turned over to sleep.

0505 Hours

Joe had been up ten minutes. Reveille had sounded twenty minutes earlier. He was just finishing dressing when General Quarters sounded.

“General Quarters. General Quarters. This is not a drill! All hands man your battle stations!”