Chapter 11

The elevator door dinged open, loud in the silence of the bullpen. Commander Rabb, not realizing he had stepped into the middle of a situation, walked up to Harriett and asked, "Lieutenant, did you get the research that I asked for?"

All eyes moved to him and Harm finally realized he'd walked into the middle of something. "What is going on?" he asked.

"Lieutenant, get Rabb's research and then report to my office," Admiral Chegwidden said.

"Yes, Sir!" Sam replied, turning to Harriett's desk to get the file he'd put the information in. As Harriett turned back to her desk the others in the bullpen reluctantly went back to work at a stern look from the Admiral, who walked back to his office.

Handing the file to Harm, Sam headed to the Admiral's office. Tapping lightly, he entered when he heard him say, "Come in."

"Admiral you wanted to see me?" Sam inquired, standing at attention in front of AJ's desk.

"So it's 'Admiral' now? What happened to 'Al'?"

"Yeah, Sam, explain about me!" Al said from his seat on the edge of the Admiral's desk.

"Sir, I am so sorry! I mean I don't know what came over me, I never think of you as 'Al'! I mean rarely even as 'AJ'. I was just so stressed I didn't know what I was saying. Please forgive me!"

"Take a breath, Harriett!" AJ advised.

"Cry, Sam!" Al told him.

"I'll forget it this time, but don't let it happen again. All right?" he gently, but sternly, inquired.

"Thank you, Sir! It won't happen again, I promise!"

"Dismissed, Lieutenant."

Sam scurried out of the room as fast as his pregnant body would let him. When he did get back to Harriett's desk, he was pleased to find the surprise that Tiner had promised. The footstool was tucked under the desk and had a soft pillow top. It felt wonderful to slip off his shoes and put his feet up on it.

He received looks from everyone in the bullpen. It seemed that they were all concerned about how Harriett was taking being called into the Admiral's office. Sam tried to reassure them with a small smile. The rest of the morning passed rather slowly. Sam kept trying to find a time and place where he could talk to Al alone, but everyone in the office seemed to be determined not to leave Harriett alone even for a few minutes.

Even the bathroom was not a retreat! Just a minute or two after Sam entered the ladies room and checked to make sure he was alone, Mac came in just as he was about to call out Al's name. Sighing in frustration, Sam washed his hands and left the room. He also tried to find a minute alone in the storeroom, but had no more than entered that area when Gunny came in to offer his help in finding what ever it was Harriett had come in to get.

By lunchtime, Sam was ready to scream! He needed to find out what caused Harriett and the baby to die in less than twenty-four hours!

To be continued…..