Chapter Thirty-Four
Worst Case Scenario

WEEK 23-PART THREE
NOVEMBER 7TH, 2001

0940 EST
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND

"I have a surprise for you."

Melinda looked up from the chart she was reading. "What?" she asked dryly, eyeing Nathan skeptically over the brim of her glasses.

"I actually did you a favor," he said. "I told Joy to leave you alone."

"That was very chivalrous of you."

Nathan smirked. "Consider it an olive branch," he watched as Melinda scribbled something into the chart and closed it. "You know, uh, if you wanna talk-"

He was interrupted by Melinda's pager beeping. "I do want to talk," she said. "But can it wait?"

"Sure," Nathan nodded. "Have fun delivering a baby."

"I hope I don't have to deliver one," Melinda replied over her shoulder. "Sarah Mackenzie's only 23 weeks."

Melinda met the stretcher as it was being wheeled into the ER. Mac was conscious, but she looked a little woozy and, much to Melinda's discouragement, Mac's two bodyguards were there. She tried to ignore Harm and Mic, opting to deal with them later.

"What happened?" Melinda asked.

"She fainted."

Melinda glared at them. "I asked the paramedic."

"34-year-old female, 23 weeks pregnant-"

"I know that, she's my patient. I want to know why she's being wheeled into the ER right now."

"She lost consciousness, but she regained it by the time we arrived," the paramedic explained. "Her heart rate's elevated and her blood pressure is slightly elevated at 139/89. She started contracting in the ambulance, but they're weak and inconsistent. It's probably false labor."

"Probably?" Melinda raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean, probably? Did you not check?"

The paramedic quickly glanced at Mic and Harm before taking Melinda aside. "Look," he said. "It was kind of hard to get anything done in there. Both of those guys were breathing down my neck the entire time. I could barely get anything done."

Melinda pursed her lips. "I see."

"She probably had an anxiety attack," the paramedic lowered his voice. "I can't blame her. I would have one too if I was around those two any longer than ten minutes."

"Tell me about it," Melinda murmured. She cleared her throat. "Alright, thank you."

Mac was moved to an ER bed, and Melinda had to shoulder between Mic and Harm to get to her. Mac's face was pale and she had a wide-eyed, terrified expression on her face. "Is the baby okay?" she asked. "How's my baby?"

"We're gonna find out soon, I promise," Melinda gave Mac a reassuring smile.

"The paramedic said I'm having contractions. Is that true? I can't have this baby today. It's too early. They're too small-"

"Is she alright?" Mic asked.

"Is she in labor?" Harm asked. The two of them looked at each other. "This is all your fault."

Melinda grabbed the privacy curtain and yanked it around herself and Mac, leaving Harm and Mic on the other side. "There," she said. "That's better."

"I'm sorry. About them," Mac nodded towards the curtains. "They're just a little-"

"Selfish?" Melinda offered. "I would say so."

Mac sighed. "They mean well."

"If they meant well, they wouldn't have stressed you out like I asked. What ever happened to following doctor's orders?"

"I've been stressing myself out plenty," Mac replied. "They didn't need to do much."

"Alright," Melinda pulled the curtain back. "We're gonna take you up to maternity and get you checked out, okay?" Mac nodded. "You're gonna be okay."

"I don't care about me; I just want my baby to be okay."

As Mac was wheeled off, Harm and Mic instantly started to follow. Melinda turned around. "Oh no," she said. "You two can wait here. I'll give you an update when I have everything figured out." Harm and Mic both frowned.

"Check on Bud!" Mac called over her shoulder.

1100 EST
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND

After a very tense hour, Mac and the baby were pronounced by Melinda to both be in stable condition. Once she was settled in a room and bed, Mac's heart rate went down, and her contractions stopped as well. Melinda checked and ensured Mac wasn't dilated, so she could rest easy knowing that her baby didn't choose that day to make their grand entrance.

Mac was fine, but Melinda still wanted to keep her in the hospital overnight to keep an eye on her and make sure she stayed fine.

She had been freaking out earlier, but now Mac was having the time of her life. Her impromptu field trip to the hospital was cause enough for her to spend the day lounging around. She was doing it for the good of her and the baby, and just because she would never pass up an opportunity to be lazy.

Luckily for Mac, she had two men who were willing to wait on her hand and foot.

Mic came into Mac's hospital room, a carton of Ben & Jerry's in one hand and a plastic spoon in the other. "Here," he placed the ice cream carton on the bedside table. "I got your favorite flavor." He sat down on the edge of Mac's bed, grinning.

"I didn't know the hospital had Ben & Jerry's."

"They don't," Mic replied. "I went to the store and got you some."

Mac smiled. "Mic," she said. "You didn't have to do all of that for me."

"Of course I did," he insisted. "I want you to be comfortable, Sarah.",

Then why do you and Harm keep fighting over me? Mac wanted to say, but held her tongue. She didn't want to bite the hand that fed her, literally. The ice cream would be the first thing she'd eaten since breakfast.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you feeling any better?"

Mac shrugged. "Yeah. I'm just generally overwhelmed, you know? Even without all the additional...stuff going on right now, I'm still pregnant. That alone is stressful. And terrifying. And completely uncharted territory. For me, at least."

Mic reached out and squeezed Mac's hand. For a moment, Mac felt a glimmer of an old flame. Then she had to remind herself, No, Sarah. This man left you in an airport. Do not fall back in love with him just because he's holding your hand and brought you some ice cream. You're not in middle school. You're vulnerable, and not in the right headspace.

"If you ever need anything Sarah, you can ask me-"

Mic was interrupted by Harm walking in. Under each arm he had pillows. Familiar pillows. Mac knew exactly what pillows they were because they were her pillows. The pillows from her bed. Back in her apartment.

"I got you your pillows, Mac," he announced, holding them up.

Mac wrenched her hand out of Mic's grasp as discreetly as she could manage. "Thank you," she said, looking between Harm and Mic apprehensively. The gestures were nice, but they weren't helping Mac get in the proper headspace.

"I wanted you to be comfortable," Harm fluffed the pillows.

"So do I," Mic added pointedly. Harm stopped fluffing. He looked at Mac, who nodded.

"Mic got me ice cream," she said, holding up the carton.

"You should probably eat that before it melts," Mic whispered.

"I will," Mac hissed.

Harm frowned. "But I got you pillows."

"I know. Thank you."

Unable to help himself, Mic muttered, "She can't eat pillows, mate."

"Don't tell her what to do. You haven't been around for the last five months, remember?"

"You weren't engaged to her."

"I didn't leave her in an airport," Harm took one of the pillows and chucked it at Mic. It hit him square in the chest with a soft thump.

"I'm not the one throwing pillows like a child," Mic picked up the pillow and threw it back at Harm. "And at least I was upfront with her about my feelings and didn't spend years leading her on."

Harm threw the pillow back. "At least I'm the father of her baby."

Mac looked at the two of them. "Hey, those are silk pillowcases. I would appreciate it if you didn't throw them-"

Mic stood up. He threw the pillow back at Harm. "At least I'm not an arrogant ass."

"At least I'm not someone who ditches my fiance in an airport."

"Silk pillow cases," Mac repeated, in case they didn't hear her the first time. "Those pillow cases are made out of silk-"

"At least I'm creative and don't have to repeat the same insult during an argument," Mic scoffed. "And you call yourself a lawyer."

"Just give me the pillow, please-" Mac tried to reach for them.

Harm folded his arms over his chest. "At least I'm a decent lawyer."

"You know what. That's it-"

Mac had finally had enough. She grabbed her other pillow, the one that wasn't being used as a frisbee, buried her head into it, and screamed.

Meanwhile, Mic and Harm were chest-to-chest, with only a pillow to serve as a buffer between them. Both of them were fully prepared to start throwing punches in the middle of the maternity ward. It took them a few moments to realize where the muffled screaming was coming from. They looked up and instantly rushed over to her, competing to see who could get to her first.

"Mac, are you okay?"

"Sarah, if you want him to leave just say so-"

Mac lifted her head from the pillow. "I want you both to leave!" she demanded. "You two have been making my life a living hell for the past two days! I don't need to be stressed right now, and what are you two doing? STRESSING ME OUT."

Harm and Mic could only stare at her. For once, they were the ones who were completely speechless.

"Take your arguments, take your egos, take your grudges, and leave! Get out of my room! Leave. Me. Alone!"

Neither of them moved.

"NOW! That's an order!"

As Mic and Harm hurried out of Mac's room, two nurses were watching with interest from the nearby nurse's station. Mac had made it very easy for them to eavesdrop.

"If she's that loud when she's not in pain, I can't imagine her during labor," one nurse murmured to the other.

The other nurse nodded. "Do you know who she is?"

"One of Melinda's patients. She's also a Marine Lt. Colonel."

"That explains it."

1230 EST
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Both Harm and Mic considered going back into the room to try and reason with Mac, but they were too afraid of what would happen if they did. They even discussed forming a united front and going in there together to give a joint apology. Ultimately though, they decided to give her some space and return to JAG HQ with their tails between their legs.

Harm and Mic may have been at odds with each other on almost every front, but they did have one thing in common: they were scared of Mac. Especially Angry Mac.

Unfortunately for them, a Very Angry Melinda Gardner had a bone to pick with them. A bone she was so eager to pick that she drove all the way from Bethesda to Falls Church during the middle of her shift. Mac wasn't going to be the only one reading Harm and Mic the riot act that day.

The Admiral, Harm, and Mic were all in the Admiral's office. AJ didn't really know what to do with Mic, since he technically hadn't started working there yet, but he decided to take the initiative and brief him on some cases in the event that his position back at JAG was solidified. For all intents and purposes, AJ hoped to God it wouldn't.

It wasn't that he didn't want Brumby working back there; he just didn't want his job to turn into some Shakspearean drama. He had a feeling that this day was just the tip of the iceberg. If it was entirely up to AJ, he'd retire and let his staff sort out their personal issues on their own. Then, he'd move to Italy to be with Francesca so he wouldn't have to hear about his staff's personal issues.

But alas, that was not possible. AJ was stuck at JAG, sitting across from Harm and Mic, who were acting like two students serving detention. They were getting along, or at least being civil, but AJ knew they wanted more than anything to take off their jackets and beat the snot out of each other, just like they did in Sydney. If they kept bothering Mac like they were, AJ was going to make them do that, so his Chief of Staff would stop having to bear the brunt of their animosity.

"So, the Smith case…" AJ searched for the file while Mic and Harm waited. AJ pretended not to notice the glances they were giving each other.

However, before they could go over the Smith case, there was a commotion outside AJ's office that caught their attention. Suddenly, the door burst open and in walked Melidna Gardner, with Tiner on her heels.

AJ ripped off his glasses. "What's going on?" he barked. What the hell is happening now?

Tiner looked at him helplessly, "Sir, I tried to stop her."

"Who are you?" AJ demanded.

"I'm Dr. Melinda Gardner," Melinda was wearing scrubs, her hair tucked into a floral scrub cap.

"And what the hell are you doing barging into my office?"

Melinda stepped forward, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm here because I want to know what the hell two of your commanders are doing terrorizing one of my patients!"

AJ looked at Brumby and Harm. He made a mental note to deal with them later. Right now, he had the focus on the irate obstetrician in his office.

"That doesn't give you the right come into my office like this-"

"I'm aware it doesn't," Melinda snapped, "but I'm doing it anyway."

AJ was never one to pull rank, but he wasn't quite sure Dr. Gardner knew who she was talking to. He doubted that she would talk to the Judge Advocate General like this if she knew she was talking to the Judge Advocate General. Either she had no clue who she was talking to, or she just didn't care.

"Dr. Gardner, I'm the Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy-"

"I know who you are."

She just didn't scare

AJ stood up. "Then I would appreciate it if you showed me a little respect. Especially in my own office-"

Melinda took a deep breath. "I'm aware, it's very rude of me to come barging into your office while you're...managing Naval law. That's a very respectable job. Good career choice. My career choice is to take care of mothers and their babies. So I hope that, before you have me kicked out by security, that you understand I'm just trying to do my job."

"These...two…" Melinda gestured to Harm and Mic. "Are, to put it frank, making Sarah Mackenzie's life a living hell. They're ignoring her feelings and continuing to disregard her condition even after she's put in the hospital-"

"Is she okay?" AJ asked.

"Yes," Melinda answered. "But it's no thanks to these two."

Harm and Mic didn't say anything, but they looked very offended. Melinda turned to face them. "When Mac came in this morning, she was having contractions, most likely from stress. Thankfully she wasn't dilated any, so she didn't go into labor. But if she continues to be under this level of stress, she will be at a higher and higher risk for preterm labor. Do either of you know how small a baby born at 23 weeks is? Do you?"

Harm and Mic shook their heads. Even AJ shook his head. Tiner didn't know what to do, so he shook his head too.

Melinda held out her hand, palm-side up. "It could fit in the palm of your hand," she said. "Not to mention, it's barely viable. So I don't care what is going with you two. All I care about right now, is the wellbeing of my patient. Right now, that wellbeing is in jeopardy, and you two seem to be the cause of it."

"Can we apologize-" Mic started.

"No, you can't. Unless it's over the phone, because I have a nurse stationed outside of Mac's room and I've given her instructions to call security if either of you show up."

"You can't do that."

"Yes, I absolutely can. I got Mac's permission too, if that will motivate you to stay away. Seeing as neither of you have even taken the time to think about her and are treating the child-which is half hers-like some trophy, I think you two staying away is best." Melinda took another breath. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have a c-section to perform in thirty minutes and it's a twenty-five minute drive back to Bethesda!"

She marched out of the Admiral's office and saved Tiner the trouble of shutting the door by slamming it closed herself.

You could hear a pen drop in the Admiral's office after the door shut. For a few moments, no one said a word. Harm finally cleared his throat.

"Um, what were you saying about the Smith case, sir?" he asked, having trouble meeting his CO's eyes.

AJ sat back down at his desk. "I don't remember, Commander," he said. "But neither of you are going near Colonel Mackenzie, and that's an order."

"Does that apply to me, sir?" Tiner asked.

"No, it didn't." The Admiral replied. "But since you decided to ask, now that rule does apply to you."

"Aye aye, sir. Sorry for asking, sir."

"It's alright Tiner. You're the least of my worries right now," AJ said, looking pointedly at Harm and Mic. "You're dismissed."

"What the hell is the matter with you two?" AJ demanded the minute Tiner left.

Harm and Mic both jumped.

"Mackenzie and Roberts are one of the few officers I trust right now to represent this office in a dignified manner and you two put them in the hospital!"

"I don't think we're at fault for Bud fainting, sir-" Harm started.

"I don't care!" AJ exclaimed. "You two have been so destructive that the copier not working may as well be your fault. For the love of God just…stop ruining things!"

Harm and Mic didn't say as a word as they watched AJ snatch his glasses up and put them back on. He picked up the file he'd found earlier. He cleared his throat. "Now, the Smith case…"