THE LAST SHIP 7

MISSION RESCUE

Mike was sitting in the surgery waiting room along with Connor when Tom walked up to them. Mike looked up at him and stood up. "Mr. President."

"Come on Mike, Tom will do for now. The nurses told me I could find you here. Where is Julia?"

"She's still in surgery. It's been an hour now."

Tom could see Mike was slightly stressed and gave him a pat on the arm. "She'll be fine. She's a Slattery right?" Tom gave a slight smirk.

"I hope so," Mike replied and sat down followed by Tom. "And I hate hospitals."

"If it wasn't for hospitals Julia wouldn't be in surgery now."

They were seated for a while when the doctor came through the doors leading to surgery and walked up to them. All three of them stood up at once. The doctor turned his focus to Tom first. "Mr. President."

"Doctor."

"I'm Dr. Joshua Hart, neurosurgeon." He turned his focus to Mike. "Admiral Slattery, your daughter's surgery went very well. She's in recovery if you want to see her."

Tom, Mike and Connor walked up to Julia who was still heavily sedated and just waking up from surgery. "Dad, don't steer the ship into the rocks."

Tom gave a frown. "Julia?"

"You're in recovery honey."

"Did you bring me my chicken burrito?"

"What chicken burrito?" Mike asked concerned.

One of the nurse's walked up to her to make sure her IV was secured and everything was fine. She smiled at Mike and Tom. "That's the anesthetics talking. It's normal. Don't worry too much about it. Chances are she won't even remember this.

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Jolene was sitting in the boardroom with the Secretary of defense, Sonya Walters discussing the situation of the human trafficking victims when Tom and Mike entered. "Any news from the USS Chandler?" Tom asked as he entered the boardroom followed by Mike.

"They managed to locate where they are having them taken. They are just waiting on your orders to extract the victims Mr. President," Sonya replied.

"Tell them they have the green light to extract," Tom commanded.

Mike was more interested in Jolene and any news she had to share with him. "How's Julia?"

"She's good. Surgery went well. Hopefully she'll be back on her feet in a few months time."

"Mike a word," Tom said with a stern expression on his face.

Mike cut his conversation with Jolene short for a brief moment and she stood up from the desk she was sitting on. "I'll see you in my office."

"Okay." Mike watched as Jolene and Sonya both left the boardroom. "Yes Mr. President."

"I need you to go to Saudi Arabia again to keep an eye over things there for me."

Mike wasn't very happy about Tom's orders to send him away from his family who now needed him around more than ever. He gave a skew grimace with a slight expression of disbelieve on his face. "Sure. It's not like I have a family who needs me right now."

"It's an order Admiral Slattery. Do you have a problem with following orders?"

"No. Not at all. You know me Tom. Of course I'll go."

"Your flight will leave this evening."

"Good."

**********