The Storm

Jack and the others started to laugh then Jack said ‘Oh Billy have you got a crush on our doctor’.
‘Well sir you could call it that but I think it’s because every doctor we have had on these trips have always been ugly old men, now I’d better get back the skipper might need me’.
They were all lying around the dining room trying to get some sleep but try as they would. Sleep would not come it was about five o’clock in the morning when the door was flung open the wind was howling into the room then the Captain and Billy came in they had a job to shut the door again.
The Captain walked over to the serving counter and said to Adrian ‘Have you any coffee on the stove Adrian’.
The chef just nodded then said ‘Go sit down skipper and I’ll bring a couple of cups over you must be done in’.
The Captain turned around and he saw that every one there had come to life.
He said ‘Hello everybody I am so sorry about your holiday but I can't control the weather Now you must listen to me Billy here said. That he has spotted an island ahead of us and I know that I could not see it but after sailing with Billy for a number of years I can trust what he says because Billy has very good eyesight.
So now it comes to this, and what I am about to say please ladies don’t be afraid it’s only a precaution we are going to bring a life jacket light these we will fit to your life jackets including me. What I need now is a couple of men to join me and Billy. To go to the life saving locker and bring some back here because Billy and I can't carry all in this storm you see with myself there are seventeen people on board and to carry that many in this storm will take more than the two of us. But Billy and I have rigged up a rope along the deck which we can pull ourselves along.
The two men that come with us will wear these two belts you can see the belts have a hook in the centre that will be hooked onto the rope rig that way you won't be washed over the side have I any takers for the job’.
Jack and Bill stood up with about three more men.
The Captain just picked the two men nearest to him it was George and Richard.
The Captain said thank you every one now ladies don’t forget it’s just a precaution.
The four men went through the door and they started to struggle to close the door behind them.
Jack and Bill rushed over and took hold of the door and they got it shut they were just at the open door for a couple of seconds but they were soaked to the skin.
When they returned to the table June said ‘I think you two should go see Adrian and ask him if there was any way to dry you off.
This they did and Adrian said ‘Come into the kitchen and I will fix you up’.
When they went into the kitchen Adrian took them to a big oven and said ‘The ovens are on gas so if you strip off I’ll bung your gear into the oven and in no time they will be bone dry’.
When they got back to the table they found a pot of boiling hot coffee waiting for them.
They were sitting drinking the coffee when the Captain and the three men came back and the same thing happened again.
When they had deposited the life jacket lights on the floor the Captain said ‘Now listen everyone, Molly here will demonstrate how to fix the lights to the jackets so please watch how Molly does it thank you’.