Chapter 2

"He's dead, Bud."

"Oh! Mr. Webb, Sir?"

"Yes. Knowing how much Sarah has always wanted a child and that Webb will not be around to ever father another, plus the fact that her doctor has said that there's no health risk to either Sarah or the baby to let the pregnancy continue, I need to make some kind of plan for what will happen if she's still not out of the coma when it comes time for the baby to be born."

"Well, Sir, I would normally have said without hesitation that Harriett and I would take the baby for Colonel Mackenzie, but with the twins due soon and Harriett telling me that she didn't want any more children after them…but I could talk to her and see if she'd consider it," offered Bud.

"With four children and caring for Dammit for me, I'm sure that the two of you will have more than enough on your plate."

"I want to apologize for that too, Sir," Bud said, hanging his head.

"Apologize for what Bud?"

"Well…Harriett didn't want the boys cussing so she has them calling Dammit, Dagnabit."

AJ's shout of laughter could be heard at the nurses' station and they were happy that something had finally made the kind Admiral laugh after all this time. "That's fine Bud, as long as the silly dog will respond to it. You can call her anything that you like!" Getting back to the subject at hand though, AJ told Bud, "If it wasn't for my age, I would take the baby and raise it myself. I have always wanted more children, but the court system would not look kindly on me raising her baby."

"Maybe not Sir, but if the two of you were married, there would be no questions as to you raising the child. But that couldn't happen as long as you're her CO."

When Bud had left that day, AJ had considered all the options that he could think of and then placed a call to the SECNAV to tender his retirement. AJ had Bud look into the details of a proxy marriage and that was how one week later he exchanged wedding vows with Harriett Roberts, who was standing in for Sarah. Chaplain Turner officiated and Bud was there as a witness, only the bride in the bed was not aware of what was going on that day.

All that had been four months ago now and still Sarah was in a coma. AJ came everyday to sit by her bedside. He would read, talk, and play music for her, but still there was no change in her condition. There was a change in the child growing within her though, everyday the baby got bigger and more active. AJ would spend time talking to the child too, telling him about his wonderful mother and the plans he had made for when he was born. The ultrasound that had been done two months ago, confirmed that the baby was a boy. AJ had decided to name him Matthew Clayton, and because of the marriage, he would carry Chegwidden as his last name.

These days it was pretty lonely in Sarah's room. Of the JAG staff, only Bud and Harriett ever came by any more, and now that the twins were a few months old those visits had dwindled to a trickle as well. Every so often Chaplain Turner would stop by and sit and talk with AJ for a time. He was keeping them in his prayers, he told AJ and continued to wish them well.

On his rounds that day, the doctor asked AJ if he would stop by his office later in the day. There was something that he wanted to discuss with him, but didn't want to do it in Sarah's room. Some believed that a patient in a coma could hear and know what was going on around them, and since her doctor was one of them, he didn't want to upset her with the topic that he needed to talk to her husband about.

To Be Continued…