The Iowa Sisters #2 The Red North

Chapter 10

NORFOLK VIRGINIA MAY 1951 "IOWA"

There was a lot of commotion as New Jersey and I arrived off the coast of Virginia. Fletcher approached us. "Eaton's been in a collision with Wisconsin." She said. New Jersey didn't look surprised by this. "Where are they now?" She asked.

"Dockside, we had to tow both of them in. Eaton's suffered a stove in hull and a broken keel but she'll live." Fletcher replied. "And Wisconsin?" I asked. "The engineers and the dockworkers are doing what they can but it doesn't look good. Wisconsin's bow is completely stoven in and she..." We were interrupted by a yowl from Kidd.

Fletcher sighed. "I have to go. You can go in and see for yourself but I'd recommend that you didn't." She said and left. My sister's face was grim and her blue eyes were dark as she watched Fletcher go.

"You knew, the whole time you knew and you didn't tell me?" I asked. "I wasn't sure until we reached Panama. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to frighten you. Besides, Norfolk is nearby and I knew that Wisconsin could be fixed up before we even arrived." She replied.

"Obviously not." I muttered. As we drew closer, New Jersey stopped, her eyes widening. "Oh god, how could I not have seen this?" She whispered. "What?" I asked. "I told her to lay off but she wouldn't listen. Damn it Wisky." She hissed.

"What?" I asked again. "Wisconsin hit the destroyer Eaton yes, but she's also suffered a heart attack." She replied. "Oh god." I whispered. "Come on!" She growled and raced into the harbor. "Don't have to tell me twice." I muttered and raced after her.

Wisconsin was docked when we arrived. She showed no sign that she heard our approach. New Jersey pressed her bow to her side, listening. "By all studies she should've died from this." She muttered.

"Is she?" I asked. "She's still alive, barely. All four engines have been disengaged, I'm not getting any reading from them at all. Half of the boilers are shut down, the men are trying to get them to work but they just won't start. The remaining boilers are barely holding on." She replied.

She winced. "Two boilers just went offline." She said. "How many are left?" I asked. She tipped her head to one side for a moment. "Five." She reported. The stokers, greasers, and trimmers did everything they could to keep the remaining boilers online and try to restart the others.

Another boiler shut down. "Make that four." New Jersey hissed. She turned to me. "There's a large store of herbs near Kentucky. There should be some foxglove in that pile. It's a single stemmed plant with pink leaves, some was just brought over from the Cascade region. The ginseng should be right beside it, get me that as well." She ordered.

I nodded and raced off. Quickly finding the plants that New Jersey had pointed out, I grabbed as many as I could and raced back. "Is this enough?" I asked. She nodded. "Find me a bowl to mix these in." She ordered.

I did and brought it to her. "I didn't mean one that big but it'll have to do." She said. "Fill it with water." She ordered. I did and set it back down on the dock. New Jersey quickly made little cuts in the plants with her teeth and set them down in the bowl, allowing the juice to seep out into the water.

Once that was done, she quickly picked up the bowl. "Now help me give this to her." She ordered. "How are we going to do that?" I asked. Normally, we could just shove it down Wisconsin's throat but since her bow was completely stoven in, we needed to come up with a different way of doing this and fast.

"Showboat." New Jersey whispered. "What?" I asked, thinking she'd lost her mind. "Remember when North Carolina shoved those eggs down Tennessee's funnels?" She asked. "Oh goodness yes." I replied, wrinkling my nose at the memory.