The adventures of the young engineer and Prinz Eugen Volume 2.

Christmas

"How is my rigging doing?" Prinz Eugen asked the young engineer when she entered their dock. "It is all in working order as it was yesterday." He commented. "Do you know where everyone is?" She asked while sitting down on the sofa and dangling her legs over one of the armrests. "They are all off celebrating Christmas I suppose." The young engineer mumbled an explanation while rolling down the sleeves of his comfy looking sweater. "Are you not freezing?" He asked her. "I mean the docks are supposed to be heated but what counts for heating in this place is barely enough to keep the inside temperature a bit higher than that outside." He explained his concern. "Don't worry about it. I have plenty of inner warmth to keep me going through the coldest of temperatures." She chuckled upon hearing the concern of her subordinate. "May I ask why most of the personnel are gone for said Christmas?" The cruiser asked the young engineer. "You don't know what Christmas is?" He asked her surprised in return. "I know what it is just not why people are leaving their places for it. The ones I have seen and witnessed have been mostly celebrated by my crew on board. They were singing, drinking, decorated trees and talked about a child being born in a feeding trough. It is not even a fun celebration anyways. All of you here always seem so gloomy and sad about it. Many of my crew always cried at some point during that celebration." Prinz Eugen recalled her past experiences. "That is because they had to stay on duty." The young engineer enlightened her. "Normally Christmas is a celebration you go and see your family and loved ones. You spent time with them and enjoy their company." He added. "The people you saw all were sad because they could not be together with the people that are important to them." He explained. "So you mean they were all gloomy because they were forced to spend their time alone or with some comrades and strangers." Prinz Eugen explained the reason to herself.

"Does that mean you are currently having the same issue because you are here?" She asked. The young engineer looked the cruiser in the eyes before letting his shoulders slump. "I am. When I got my leave denied because you wanted to conduct some exercises I had to tell my godfather and siblings that I couldn't come and celebrate Christmas with them." He confirmed. Prinz Eugen righted herself on the sofa. "I am sorry for that." She said in a honest tone, the young engineer did not hear often. "It is alright." He accepted her apology. "Are you at least able to celebrate the Holiday with your sister?" He asked her in return. "To be honest, we never really celebrated because we never understood the meaning of the celebration. Therefore since we have become conscious we never did." She explained. "Now that is tragic." The young engineer stated while starting to scratch his chin. "Well, we could go and get some stuff at the sailors store further up in the northern harbor. With a bit of luck we can steal a christmas tree out the food hall of the canteen and with that we could arrange for a christmas celebration in the Shipgirls dorm." He explained his proposed plan of action. "I am sure your sister and all the destroyers and submarines will be more than happy to celebrate as well." He added. "Let's do that in the mess hall altogether. That way the rest of the personnel on base can join in as well." Prinz Eugen altered the young engineers idea. "That is a great idea." He agreed with excitement. "I am done here. After I cleaned up I will go ahead and get some foods and decorations from the store. Could you meanwhile make sure with the canteen staff that everything works out?" He asked Prinz Eugen. "Sure thing." She agreed. With freshly found vigor and enthusiasm the two went out of the dock to get their respective tasks done.

The young engineer and Prinz Eugen found in Hipper, the destroyers and the kitchen staff of the base willing and equally enthusiastic supporters of their ideas to organize a christmas celebration for all those who had to stay in the base. While the quartermaster and the young engineer procured everything they were lacking, it was the kitchen staff and the destroyers who decorated the mess hall and who prepared dinner for everyone on base. Towards the end of the 24th it was therefore arranged that everyone who was off duty had the opportunity to take part in the Christmas celebration, while the Shipgirls and the young engineer went around in pairs handing christmas cake and hot chocolate, coffee or tea out to those on post. "This is your second Christmas you are not able to spend with your family, isn't it?" Prinz Eugen asked the young engineer while they were on their way to one of the watchtowers with warm beverages and food. "It is. Last year we both spent time in the Northern Parliament and this year I was denied my time off." He agreed. "But at least we are here and try to make everyone's Christmas night a bit more pleasant." He smiled. "I never get that about you. Even when things are bad you try to see the good in it." She wondered about the good mood of the young engineer. "Well, feeling bad about a situation seldomly changes it." He answered. "In any case, it seems from what I have learned about you that this is your first properly celebrated Christmas as well. So we might as well make the best out of it." He chuckled. "I suppose so." The cruiser agreed while they walked through the cold winter night.

After the two had supplied everyone on station with food and something to drink, the two parted ways. The young engineer went into the kitchen and helped the staff there, while Prinz Eugen met with the other Shipgirls and personnel off duty in the mess hall where they celebrated Christmas night together. Listening to Christmas songs and playing card and board games while eating and drinking what the kitchen had come up with for the celebration. Only after the mess hall slowly started to clear and most people and Shipgirls headed out to their bunks did the cruiser realize that she had spent the entire night with her sister and others but had completely lost the young engineer out of her sight. Looking around she did not see him. Guessing that he had probably had enough and went to his home, she shrugged and went up to her dorm room.
There she found a present waiting for her. On its sign was her name written in the angular handwriting of the young engineer. Ripping the wrapping paper off it she found in front of herself a coat she had been looking at some time ago as well as a red scarf and a small book.
She did not know what to do. Once more the young engineer's deeds had made her tighten up inside with that feeling of excitement and gratitude she could not really describe. She made up her mind and thought about a way to thank him. While thinking of a way to properly thank the young engineer when he returned from home she realized something else. The young engineer was supposed to be on station and alert. He was not supposed to go home during that time but had to stay on base. A smile crept up on her. She knew the young engineer would be sleeping on the sofa in her dock. She was going to surprise him there and thank him for a nice evening and his present to her. She hurried over to the docks but arriving in hers she did not find her engineer there. Surprised, she thought about where he could be and decided to look where she had last seen him.

Looking for him in the mess hall she was pointed in his direction by one of the cooks. Inside the kitchen she found the young engineer leaning back on a chair between a industrial sink and a preparation surface, sleeping. Seeing her engineer sleeping in such an uncomfortable position made her struggle to contain her laughter of amusement. She was astonished by all of them in what sort of places and positions engineers could sleep if they wanted to. She remembered some of her engineers sleeping between her boilers, not bothered by the sound of her engines or the one that was able to find rest on the shaft covering of Hippers starboard propeller shaft. She decided against waking the tired young man and instead gave him a last smile before returning to her room to rest as well. In her "dreams" she recapitulated the entire day once more and her excitement and happiness made sure she would hold that memory dear to herself.