Chapter 4/? Finding Out
Tyner knocked on Harm's office door. Once he heard "enter" from within, he opened the door and announced that the Admiral wanted to see him and Colonel Mackenzie in his office now.
"Thank you Tyner. We'll be there in a moment."
Harm knocked on Mac's door and waited for a response. I walked over and opened the door for him.
"The Admiral wants to see us in his office, Mac." He lowered his voice. "I have to call you that for appearances' sake."
"I know, Rabb. Let's go." I walked next to the Commander, even though he was leading me.
Tyner told the Admiral we were waiting. He replied to send us in. We walked into the admiral's office and stood at attention.
"At ease Commander, Colonel. Have a seat." We did. "Mac, are you alright?"
"Sir, I'm not alright and I'm not Mac."
"Sir, Mac is still missing. This is her sister, Colonel Shannon Mackenzie." Harm explained for me why he had called and everything that had happened since the call.
"What the." the Admiral sank back in his chair. "How come Mac never mentioned you before?"
"Sir, I haven't seen my sister in over 5 years. She had no idea where I was, and the same for me with her. We didn't have the best of partings, so we didn't keep in touch."
"Harm, how exactly did you find the Colonel?"
"I had Gunny do a search on the web to see if Mac had any other relations besides Matt O'Hara."
"How is Uncle Matt?" I wondered out loud.
Harm and the Admiral exchanged a look.
"He's occupying a 6' by 8' by 9' room with a barred window, a cot fastened to the wall, and bars for a door." The Admiral seemed upset to have to tell me this.
"What?" I gasped. "Uncle Matt's in prison?"
"He stole the Declaration." said Harm.
"My uncle Matt? But he's- He wouldn't- this is a shock to me. I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Shannon. It was a shock to Mac as well." Harm seemed to be trying to cheer me up.
"Sarah hasn't spent the last 4 years telling her daughter all about her famous great uncle only to find out he's in prison for most, if not all of that time!"
Harm and the Admiral exchanged another glance.
"Colonel, why don't you go to Mac's apartment? and Commander, why don't you take the day off to help the Colonel?"
"Aye, sir!" we chorused.
It was getting close to 1200 hours when Harm and I left JAG. H suggested that we go get lunch.
"Do you know any good vegetarian places, Commander?" I asked as we were driving.
"Shannon, when I'm off duty, I'm Harm. And yes, I know them all."
"Good. If I was with Sarah, she would force me to go to a steakhouse or something where they serve meat. Not that I don't eat meat, it's just that I prefer to cook it myself so I know when it's really done."
"That sounds like Mac. If you don't mind me asking, what drove you two apart?"
"I do mind, Harm, but if you want to know, you have to hear my life story."
"Okay. But while we're eating. Since we're already here."
A waitress sat us at a table and gave us menus. I ordered a salad and lemonade, and Harm ordered meatless meatloaf and iced tea.
"So what's the story?" he asked.
"Sarah and I were born 45 minutes apart. She was born at 2335 and I was born at 0020. Which means that aside from being twins, we didn't even have the same birthday. In school, especially grade school, we were often mistaken for the other. It only made us resent the other more. our mom disappeared when we were 15, and Daddy stared drinking more than ever, to drown his sorrows. At 16, Sarah and I had had enough, so we began to drink too. It was the one thing we did together. At 18, Sarah married that jerk, what's his name, can't remember, oh well. Uncle Matt made us come to Red Rock Mesa to dry up, and get on the wagon. He convinced us to go Marines, and we split up at boot camp. I went to Parris Island, and she went to the one in California. We lost contact then and after I got out I had an affair with a gunnery sergeant named Bobby. It lasted for 2 months before he got transferred. I found out I was pregnant and gave birth to Erin Louise 8 months later. We moved to Nevada, and that's the end."
"Wow. So you two resented each other enough to forget about the other for over 5 years?"
"Yes. I hadn't thought of my real family, except Uncle Matt, ever since Erin was born."
Our food arrived and we ate in silence. After we left, Harm drove me to Sarah's apartment.
"Thanks, Harm."
"My number's on speeddial 2 if you need anything. Here's a key to her apartment, 539. Fifth floor, room 39."
I made my way up to the apartment and locked the door. I sank to the floor, put my head on my knees and stayed that way for a while.
Tyner knocked on Harm's office door. Once he heard "enter" from within, he opened the door and announced that the Admiral wanted to see him and Colonel Mackenzie in his office now.
"Thank you Tyner. We'll be there in a moment."
Harm knocked on Mac's door and waited for a response. I walked over and opened the door for him.
"The Admiral wants to see us in his office, Mac." He lowered his voice. "I have to call you that for appearances' sake."
"I know, Rabb. Let's go." I walked next to the Commander, even though he was leading me.
Tyner told the Admiral we were waiting. He replied to send us in. We walked into the admiral's office and stood at attention.
"At ease Commander, Colonel. Have a seat." We did. "Mac, are you alright?"
"Sir, I'm not alright and I'm not Mac."
"Sir, Mac is still missing. This is her sister, Colonel Shannon Mackenzie." Harm explained for me why he had called and everything that had happened since the call.
"What the." the Admiral sank back in his chair. "How come Mac never mentioned you before?"
"Sir, I haven't seen my sister in over 5 years. She had no idea where I was, and the same for me with her. We didn't have the best of partings, so we didn't keep in touch."
"Harm, how exactly did you find the Colonel?"
"I had Gunny do a search on the web to see if Mac had any other relations besides Matt O'Hara."
"How is Uncle Matt?" I wondered out loud.
Harm and the Admiral exchanged a look.
"He's occupying a 6' by 8' by 9' room with a barred window, a cot fastened to the wall, and bars for a door." The Admiral seemed upset to have to tell me this.
"What?" I gasped. "Uncle Matt's in prison?"
"He stole the Declaration." said Harm.
"My uncle Matt? But he's- He wouldn't- this is a shock to me. I'm sorry."
"Don't be, Shannon. It was a shock to Mac as well." Harm seemed to be trying to cheer me up.
"Sarah hasn't spent the last 4 years telling her daughter all about her famous great uncle only to find out he's in prison for most, if not all of that time!"
Harm and the Admiral exchanged another glance.
"Colonel, why don't you go to Mac's apartment? and Commander, why don't you take the day off to help the Colonel?"
"Aye, sir!" we chorused.
It was getting close to 1200 hours when Harm and I left JAG. H suggested that we go get lunch.
"Do you know any good vegetarian places, Commander?" I asked as we were driving.
"Shannon, when I'm off duty, I'm Harm. And yes, I know them all."
"Good. If I was with Sarah, she would force me to go to a steakhouse or something where they serve meat. Not that I don't eat meat, it's just that I prefer to cook it myself so I know when it's really done."
"That sounds like Mac. If you don't mind me asking, what drove you two apart?"
"I do mind, Harm, but if you want to know, you have to hear my life story."
"Okay. But while we're eating. Since we're already here."
A waitress sat us at a table and gave us menus. I ordered a salad and lemonade, and Harm ordered meatless meatloaf and iced tea.
"So what's the story?" he asked.
"Sarah and I were born 45 minutes apart. She was born at 2335 and I was born at 0020. Which means that aside from being twins, we didn't even have the same birthday. In school, especially grade school, we were often mistaken for the other. It only made us resent the other more. our mom disappeared when we were 15, and Daddy stared drinking more than ever, to drown his sorrows. At 16, Sarah and I had had enough, so we began to drink too. It was the one thing we did together. At 18, Sarah married that jerk, what's his name, can't remember, oh well. Uncle Matt made us come to Red Rock Mesa to dry up, and get on the wagon. He convinced us to go Marines, and we split up at boot camp. I went to Parris Island, and she went to the one in California. We lost contact then and after I got out I had an affair with a gunnery sergeant named Bobby. It lasted for 2 months before he got transferred. I found out I was pregnant and gave birth to Erin Louise 8 months later. We moved to Nevada, and that's the end."
"Wow. So you two resented each other enough to forget about the other for over 5 years?"
"Yes. I hadn't thought of my real family, except Uncle Matt, ever since Erin was born."
Our food arrived and we ate in silence. After we left, Harm drove me to Sarah's apartment.
"Thanks, Harm."
"My number's on speeddial 2 if you need anything. Here's a key to her apartment, 539. Fifth floor, room 39."
I made my way up to the apartment and locked the door. I sank to the floor, put my head on my knees and stayed that way for a while.