Title: No particular place to go (An inside story)

Author: Rising Sun
E-mail: jag@lucianstuff.every1.net

Rated: G

Summary: Using the human body as the backdrop, the story is literally
that - the story from the inside of what happens to Mac as she avoids
hitting a child and her vehicle flips.

Disclaimer: JAG characters portrayed belong to JAG, CBS and
Paramount Television. No copyright infringement intended. All other
characters depicted are purely fictional and any similarities to actual
people are purely coincidental.

Authors Note: This one REALLY stretches the imagination. Can you keep
up?

Feedback: If you want.

Story Written 2001

============================

THURSDAY
2200
NEARING MACs APARTMENT

All Mac could think about was that with one day to go her holidays would
start. Amen and hallelujah!

As she day dreamed about holidays and Harmon Rabb Jr. she never saw
the ball but she saw the child dart out after it. Mac pulled hard on the
steering wheel and the vehicle flipped. Mac was knocked cold.

THURSDAY
2200
NOT OF THIS WORLD

As Brain relaxed in the spacious chamber of the skull she marveled at
how automatic driving could be. Mind you there were times when all
facilities had to be completely focused to the matter of hand and eye
coordination not to mention listening to the radio and having the correct
foot on the correct pedal when hand and eye needed it. There were
times, however when everything just hummed and the vehicle virtually
drove itself. This was just such a time and Brain relished these calm
moments. Now she could mission plan on getting Harm.

Suddenly (isn't that always the way it happens?) there came a call for a
"RED ALERT!" from Eyes.

"Panic/panic. Panic/panic. Panic/panic." The heart rate jumped from
seventy beats per minute to one hundred and forty bpm. With every beat
Heart sent out the message, "Panic/panic. Panic/panic. Panic/panic." As
Blood passed through the chambers she became infected with the
message and carried it to all corners: "Panic/panic. Panic/panic.
Panic/panic."

The nervous system carried the message even faster and the
representative of the network finally arrived in the Brain to find out why the
alarm. What she found sent another surge of adrenaline through the
system with the message "Panic/panic. Panic/panic. Panic/panic."

Brain had taken a look and there ... in the middle of the highway was a
child! Still on the high of the adrenaline all systems went into overdrive.
They hauled the car to the extreme left and faced a utility pole. They
hauled hard to the right and the vehicle flipped. Once, twice, thrice and
stopped upside down.

"Status report!" Brain barked. "As she clamored out of the debris."

The information soon began to flow. Brain read the report. "Well here is
the obvious, we have sustained a head injury."

"No kidding" Nerves snapped.

Brain ignored the sarcasm "Add to that numerous cuts, bruises both
internal and external, a compound fracture in the right leg, multiple breaks
in the left arm, cracked ribs with a couple of those ribs applying pressure
to the left lung and internal bleeding."

Nerves observed. "We are in a bad way, Now what."

"Well there is no spinal injury just yet." Brain observed. "Can you hear the
Outsiders trying to get us out? If there is to be spinal injury the good
Samaritans out there will cause it."

What Brain and Nerves did not realize that soon there would be a crisis to
deal with that would refocus their concern from spinal injuries to life and
death. The first indication of the situation soon arrived.

"Why is the circulation of blood slowing down?" Brain asked.

Blood supplied the answer: "There is a tear in the artery leading to Heart.
With every beat that pumps me through some of me stays behind in the
tear and the passage is getting narrow."

The Standing Operation Procedure was automatic: adrenaline.
Adrenaline groaned, "For most of the passing days and weeks I get
ignored then suddenly BOOM! Adrenaline we need you! So, Brain where
do I go now"

Brain gave her the necessary instructions and off she went, "Panic/panic.
Panic/panic. Panic/panic." With every beat of the Heart, Adrenaline
headed for the clot, "Panic/panic. Panic/panic. Panic/panic."

She soon returned and shook her head. "No can do. This clot is stubborn
and will not melt." Adrenaline reported.

"Listen" Nerves, said, "Heart is slowing down. It is below seventy bpm."

"And slowing further." Blood agreed. "The passage in the artery will close
shut soon."

The three just looked at each other. "The passage is blocked" Blood
announced.

"What now." Nerves tried to keep the panic out of her query.

"Heart will struggle to beat but without me passing through with oxygen..."
Blood left the rest unsaid.

Nerves received a report as Blood was speaking. She gulped "We have
more problems." She announced. "Lungs are beginning to fill up with
fluid. It is as a consequence of the Heart crisis. We may drown in our own
body fluid."

"Heart is also breaking down. Cells are dying and once dead they cannot
be replaced." Blood too was fighting panic. A Heart attack was not a nice
thing.

"We are moving can you feel it?" Nerves said. "I never even noticed that
the Outsiders had pulled us out from the wreck. We must be on our way to
the Hospital."

"They had better move it." Brain mumbled. "I can feel the strain and fear
in Lungs."

"I hope they have some sort of de-clogging medicine at that place." Blood
said. "That passage needs to be opened like yesterday."

======================================================

I think that we have arrived at the Hospital "Nerves observed.

Blood began a commentary "They just injected us with something. I can
feel it moving through me." She paused then smiled "It's working. Hey I
don't know what they used nor do I care but the clot broke down in the
face of it. I can flow again."

"Listen." Nerves said, "The heart rate is increasing."

"We lost about half a million cells though. Those we will never replace."
Blood Reported.

"Well that was that." Nerves heaved a sign of relief. "We need to start
cleaning up this place."

"Indeed." Brain agreed, "Blood!" she commanded. "Collect your spilt self
and go do what comes naturally - flow through veins and unclogged
arties."

"Yes ma'am" Blood smiled only to glad to do as requested.

=================================================

Nerves began to pulse. "What is wrong?" Asked Brain.

"One of the Heart muscles is pumping out of sync with the rest." Nerves
whizzed. "If it continues this way Heart's whole system will unravel."
Brain groaned "This thing of Heart having it's own generator can have its
drawbacks and this is one such time." She took a deep breath and sent
another wave of Adrenaline. This constant use of Adrenaline was getting
monotonous, she thought. Just as before the wave had no effect. The
renegade muscle could not be realigned. Brain knew exactly what was
about to happen.

The room rocked and sent her lurching across the chamber. "Electric
shock ... one." She counted.

"What is going on!" Nerves demanded.

"An electric shock." Brain explained, "We are in Cardiac Arrest and the
Outsiders are trying to shock us back."

Before there could be any comment the room was rocked again. "Electric
shock ... two." She continued to count. "If four minutes pass and the
Outsiders cannot resolve the heart issue then I will begin to die." Brain
stated.

"You think they will shock Mac again?" Nerves asked.

"I do." Brain replied and on queue the body lurched for the third time.

"That muscle was hard but finally Heart took control." Blood had returned.
"Hey did you realize that every time they shocked us Heart stopped dead
in its tracks?"

"That was to give her time to realign all muscles." Brain explained, "the
shock treatment was not the remedy but the assistant to the remedy and
not too soon that four minute mark was coming up fast."

"Well that should be that! After all there is only so much that a body can
take." Nerves sighed. "Marine Colonel or no."

"We have some serious injuries that must now be taken care of." Blood
stated.

"Of course we have to slip her into a coma." Brain stated.

"You think the Titans met?" Nerves whispered.

"Oh without a doubt. Mind Body Heart and Soul have to meet," Brain
replied "and as the clean up unfolds they will decide if we are to emerged
from the coma."

"You are telling me that we could still die? After all that ... we could
still die?" Blood could not believe it.

"Indeed." Brain replied.

"Well we have no particular place to go while the Titans debate the higher
philosophies of life ... I suggest that we had better go start the healing
process." Nerves resigned herself to a clean up campaign.

"Indeed." Brain replied. "Indeed."

====================================

2200 LOCAL
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MD

Six months later Mac opened her eyes.


THE END