Flick a Switch-Change a Life |
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| Shivering with just a towel around him, he spoke through blue quivering lips that indicated his internal terror. "Am I going to be all right, doctor?" The doctor just shook his head. "Perhaps we should talk about this privatley," he said. "No, I have to know what's happened to me. Am I going to make it?" The doctor played his role perfectly in our scriptless drama. "Well yes, you're going to make it, but I hope you weren't planning to raise a family." Joe turned white after hearing the statement and was too concerned about his well-being to notice the titters of laughter we could not hold back. |
| After his 'physical', Joe walked the length of the ship in a towel carrying his 'contaminated' clothing. (This of course would be a huge mistake if he was actually contaminated.) The perpetual pinoccle game actually stopped to observe part of this event. Other crew members peeked from berthing areas to observe Joe's walk back to his small shared stateroom. The doctor followed to make sure that he understood the truth and that it was all a staged event designed to teach him a lesson. We didn't see Midshipman Smythe for three days. Apparently, he used the time for introspection and meditation. The young brash man emerged from his cocoon as a regular guy. In the United States, the nuclear industry extends from coast to coast. While working as a consultant I heard two colleagues tell this tale similar to the way I've told it here. They remarked that it changed the life of an acquaintance and a nicer guy you would never meet. |
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