So sorry for the delay! Been having problems with my computer, today! And thanks for all of the reviews! I really appreciate all of the encouragement and advice!

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Part 11

"It's a miracle," the fire chief pronounced, as he caught sight of the way the car was caught up in the trees below them, "If she'd have hit the ground, the impact would have killed her before she knew what had happened…And in this weather...I think the engine must have kept running for some time. Otherwise she would have froze to death by now."

"Sure looks that way," his deputy agreed.

Once the equipment was ready, they sent the first officers over the ledge and down to the forest floor. It took a while to get everyone in the team and the first-aid equipment down, but once they had checked out the position of the car, they knew it would take a while to get the injured woman out.

"Commander Rabb?" the fire chief called and Harm's face appeared from behind the driver's seat.

"We're going to get your friend out, Sir, but we need you out of there," the fire chief told him, "We'll need room to work and we need to make sure the car is secured, properly before we try to move the Colonel."

"I can't stay here?" Harm didn't want to leave Mac.

"I'm afraid not, Sir," he was told, "We need to make sure you're safely out of the way, just in case."

"I'm not leaving until I know this car isn't going anywhere," Harm shook his head.

The fire-chief sent two of his men up into the trees, to examine how the car was sitting. They'd secure chains around the car and the tree, to make sure the medics were safe when they went into the car to work on the Colonel.

"We'll just make sure everything's secure, first," he assured Harm, "then you can come down and wait for her down here. The medics will need to get into where you are."

Harm nodded and turned his attention back to Mac.

"You okay, Marine?"

Mac just groaned, sleepily.

"That's the fire-crew and the medics here, now. We're going to get you out real soon, okay? I just need you to stay awake, Sarah."

With a lot of effort, Mac managed to open her eyes, but it was a battle to keep them open.

The two of them stayed where they were, watching as the EMS crew moved about below them.

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"That's them secured the car, Sir," the officer reported to Cresswell, "They can go in and get the colonel out, now…"

"Good," Cresswell.

But he knew from what little he'd seen of the car that it would not be a simple and straight-forward operation. And who knew just what injuries Mac had?

The rest of the staff sat around on some canvas chairs that somebody had gone home to fetch. There were cups of hot coffee passed around, but it did little to ward off the cold wind that was blowing. Still, nobody was going anywhere until the Colonel was safely in the back of an ambulance.

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After his initial hesitation, Harm knew that the sooner he climbed out of the car, the sooner the medics could get to Mac.

"I've got to move out of the way, now, Marine," he told her, gently, "But I'll be waiting for you down there, okay?"

"Harm," Mac could only manage a whispered protest, "Don't go…"

"I've got to go and clear the way ahead, okay? I know that's usually the Marine Corp's line, but the Navy will have to get the job done, this time! I'll be there, as soon as the medics get you out, I promise."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Ninja-girl…I love you," Harm stroked her cheek, the most intimate gesture he could managed at the moment, "I'll see you down there."

Harm climbed out and let the medics get in and do their job. He slowly picked his way down to the ground, but it was much more difficult going down than up. The fire-crew caught him as he stumbled down the last few meters then helped him over to where another set of medics checked him out.

"I'm fine," he told them, "Just a little tired and cold…"

"We'll just check you over, commander," they told him, draping a warm blanket around his shoulders, "just so we know you're alright and able to take care of your partner…"

"Thanks, guys," Harm thanked them, watching the other medics work on Mac up in the car.

They had to be very careful how they moved Mac, so as not to exacerbate her injuries further, but at the same time, she was in a very awkward position in a car that was facing nose down, in a tree! After much careful maneuvering, they had her secured to a back-board with her back and neck completely immobilized and a warming blanket around her, now that she was going to be lifted out and exposed to the elements.

Harm knew the scariest part for her would be the descent to the ground. Marine or not, Mac was probably feeling very out of control and far from her comfort zone.

"You're okay, Mac," he reassured her, the whole way down, "I'm right here, you're doing fine…Almost there, now, Marine!"

He was the first thing her eyes went to, even in the dim light and in her condition, she could still pick his form out of a crowd.

"Harm?"

"I'm right here…You're going to be okay, now. We're going to get you up to the ambulance…"

Like it or not, they still had the steep slope to hoist Mac's gurney up, before they got her to safety. They wrapped her up securely in some more warming blankets for the journey.

"Can you manage, sir?" One of the medics checked with Harm, "because we can give you help, if you need it. We've got an extra gurney, here…"

"I'll be fine," Harm assured him, "I want to stay with my partner, while they're lifting her up…"

"Okay, if you follow the chief, there, Sir, he can get you geared up…"

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