TITLE: Listen To Your Heart
AUTHOR: Clairisant
CLASSIFICATION/RATING: AJ/Other NC 17
SPOILERS: The story starts as a tie in to the Code of Conduct episode and then takes off on it's own.
FEEDBACK: Would love to hear both good and bad feedback but please try to be kind and constructive. Clairisant
Chapter 1
Wednesday, 17 January 2002
1012 EST
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
PO Tiner received the strangest phone call of his career the Wednesday morning after the Admiral slapped that kid at Will Rogers High School on Friday. Some operator informed him that the Admiral had a call from a deaf person. Tiner informed his CO, who was intrigued and curious as to how a call with a deaf person would work.
The operator explained that she would talk to him telling him what the caller said, and then she would type his answers to the caller so she could read them on the screen of her TTY phone.
"Admiral Chegwidden," the operator mispronounced his name, "This is Katherine Kelso and I'm a teacher at Will Rogers High School."
Even as the operator continued to speak, the Admiral interrupted, "If this is about the incident in the parking lot on last Friday, you should speak to the lawyer handling the case. That would be Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie. I am not allowed to talk about the case." There was a pause while the operator typed what he said.
"Thank you, Admiral, I'll call him, can you give me the number?"
"I will have your call transferred to her office."
During the next forty-five minutes, AJ tried very hard to concentrate on the paperwork in front of him, but to no avail. He knew Mac would come to discuss the call as soon as she finished, but the wait was taking its toll on his nerves.
Finally, Tiner announced that Colonel Mackenzie wanted to see him.
"Send her in."
"Take a seat, Mac. What did Mrs. Kelso have to say?"
She was trying very hard to keep an ear-to-ear grin from her face. "Admiral, I just received a very illuminating call about the case."
AJ tented his hands in front of his face. It was a great effort not to grill her like a hostile witness. "Continue, Colonel."
"It seems that one of the teachers at the school witnessed the whole incident."
"And why did this teacher wait until the day before the trial to come forward?"
"From what she told me, her husband did not want her to get involved, but she felt that she needed to. We have an appointment to meet with her, during her lunch hour." Mac paused to gage her CO's reaction.
"How will that work, Colonel? Do we need to call an interpreter?"
"I asked, and Mrs. Kelso said she'd bring one with her."
"Just where was Mrs. Kelso that she saw what happened? The only people I saw around were those reporters."
"She was in her classroom looking out the window." Mac couldn't hold in her triumphant grin any longer, "Admiral, she saw him spit on you!"
"You're sure?"
"Yes, Sir, she was very definite on the phone."
"Wonderful!"
"This will go a long way in helping your case. Until now it was the word of a battle trained SEAL against that of a boy who lost his father in the Gulf War."
AJ looked into Mac's eyes trying to read her meaning. "Colonel, you do believe I was provoked, even if that is not an excuse for what I did, don't you?"
"I do, Sir, but I was merely stating how a civilian jury might view it."
"All right, Colonel, just making sure."
Wednesday, 17 January 2002
1205 EST
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Tiner was waiting for the elevator prepared to leave the building for lunch, when the doors opened and he saw two women talking animatedly with their hands. He couldn't help but stand there and stare open-mouthed. The women stopped talking when they realized the doors had opened. They both smiled at him and the younger blonde woman asked, "Could you direct us to Colonel Mackenzie's office?"
"Oh sure!" Tiner exclaimed. "I can take you there. Follow me."
"Thank you," the blonde replied.
Tiner knocked on the door jam to Mac's office door, "Colonel, these two ladies are looking for you."
"Thank you, Tiner, I am expecting them." She stood and came around her desk to greet them. "Good afternoon ladies, thank you for coming."
The older of the women began to speak with her hands, the blonde immediately began to interpret, "Hello, Colonel, I'm Katherine Kelso, we spoke on the phone. This is my interpreter Misty Austen."
Mac shook hands with both ladies, "I'm please to meet you both. I've set up in the conference room and Admiral Chegwidden will join us there."
Mac wasn't surprised that Tiner was still handing around the bullpen. There was no one nosier that the young Petty Officer. "Tiner, please tell the Admiral that Mrs. Kelso is here and we will be in the conference room."
"Will do, Colonel." He hurried to the Admiral's office.
The women had just taken their seats when the Admiral strode into the room.
"Good day, ladies, Colonel," AJ said, as he sat down.
"Admiral, I would like you to meet Katherine Kelso and her interpreter Misty Austen."
"It is a pleasure to meet you both."
"Okay, then let's get started, I know Mrs. Kelso has to be back for a class. Why don't you tell us what you saw and where you were at the time?" Mac said.
Katherine began to sign her story and Misty to translate for her, "I was in my classroom, which is on the second floor. My students were finishing a test before heading to the assembly. I was looking out the window when Admiral Chegwidden pulled up, and got out of his vehicle. His uniform made him stand out, and got my attention. That's when I saw James Olefant get out of his car and begin to talk to the Admiral. They argued, James spat on him and the Admiral slapped him."
"How did you know they were arguing from that distance, Mrs. Kelso?" Mac asked.
She smiled, and signed, "You mean other than the spitting and slapping?" Katherine paused when Mac and her interpreter laughed, although she noticed the handsome Admiral did not. In fact he looked like his thoughts were far away.
AJ had been watching her face through the explanation, Katherine was not beautiful, in fact she was on the plain side, until she started to sign, then her face lit up with an animated glow. She looked to be in her early thirties, with auburn hair and hazel eyes. Katherine was very petite, standing barely above five feet tall.
Brought back by the silence, AJ realized all three women were watching him for some reaction to something he had obviously missed. "Please, go on Mrs. Kelso," he said hoping that would be enough to get the attention off of him.
Once again her face lit up as she began to sign, "They both seemed very agitated. They were arguing about a parking space at first, and then honor." It was at that point, Katherine turned and looked directly at AJ, she looked sad. "Admiral Chegwidden, I am sorry to tell you that James lied to you."
To be continued…..
