Ice Cold Leader

CHAPTER 2The Aftermath

ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER MY FALL, MY PLATOON WAS practicing climbing a caving ladder. We rigged up the ladder to a ship docked in port, jumped in the water, and climbed it. The goal was to get the platoon up the ladder and on board the ship as quickly as possible.

An hour or so into the exercise, as I was treading water waiting for my turn to climb the ladder, I started to feel incredibly sick. The headache and nausea hitting me were like nothing I'd ever experienced. I got up the ladder, and before we went back in the water for another repetition, I told my assistant platoon commander to finish the training. I just needed to sit down for a minute. He gave me an inquisitive look but agreed and went on with the training.

I immediately found a spot to curl up in the fetal position. My head hurt so badly that I literally could not move or speak. I heard my platoon debriefing on the ship about fifteen feet from where I was lying. I heard someone ask where I was. Then, I heard the men gathering up their gear to leave. I was sure I was going to be left there for the night—I was in so much pain I couldn't even yell for someone to help me. Fortunately, one of the men noticed me. The next thing I remember is being in the hospital.

I was able to tell the hospital staff what happened and how I felt. They gave me an IV and some medication to relieve the pain. I stayed in the hospital the rest of the night and vomited the entire time. In the morning, some men from the ...