The three of them walked into the emergency room. Lynn and Mac were
allowed to go with Harm into an exam room where the doctor on duty looked
him over. He instructed Harm to remove his uniform jacket and shirt.
Harm's side was already bruising.
"Commander, from look of this bruising I'd say you've broken at least one rib," the doctor told him, "We'll have to send you to x-ray, just to be sure."
Harm nodded. "No, it's just bruised," he said, "I've had broken ribs before."
"How did this happen?" the doctor asked.
"I was pushed into a bar," Harm lied, "We were out having a few, and the guys got a little rowdy and."
The doctor shook his head, "I guess the old adage is true- drunken sailors?"
Harm smirked. He hated that label, but he had to admit that it could often be true.
"A nurse will come by in a minute and take you up," the doctor said and he turned to leave, but he caught sight of Lynn. "Are you alright?"
"Oh," Lynn said, "Um, I'm fine. Just a split lip is all."
The doctor had stepped up to her and took her chin in his hand. Lynn's eyes flickered a little at his touch.
"You don't need stitches," he said finally, "Just keep it clean." And he left.
Mac looked at Lynn for a moment, then at Harm's black and blue side, and winced. "Harm, when have broken your ribs before?" she asked softly.
"My crash," he answered not looking at her. Mac looked at him, her eyes filled with compassion. Harm cleared his throat, and Mac snapped back into Marine mode.
"Lynn, are you okay being involved with this?" Mac asked shaking the images of what Harm must have looked like after his first crash from her head.
Lynn nodded, "Absolutely."
"Are you sure you really want to get involved with this," Harm asked, buttoning his shirt. "It might be dangerous."
"Like the Admiral said, I'm well connected. You might need me," she said calmly, but then she smiled and added eagerly, "Besides, I'd like to try my hand at busting up espionage."
Harm and Mac both smiled ruefully, but they liked Lynn's energy. The nurse came in then and took Harm up to X-ray. Mac and Lynn waited in the ER waiting room for him to return.
"How long have you known Commander Rabb?" Lynn asked.
"Seven years," Mac answered, as she sank into a chair and sighed.
"You must have been through a lot together."
Mac grinned, "Yeah, you could say that. We were partners for five years, and then he went back to flying."
"Flying?"
"Harm is an F-14 pilot," Mac said, but Lynn shook her head. Then, Mac asked, "Have you seen 'Top Gun'?"
"Of course," Lynn smiled.
"Well, those are F-14's," Mac told her, and paused.
Lynn studied her face for a moment. "Why did he leave flying and choose to become a lawyer?"
"He didn't really," Mac answered softly, "He got sick and his eyes were damaged, but he didn't know that. He crashed his tomcat onto a carrier deck."
"Oh, my God."
Mac nodded. "It wasn't easy for him. His RIO died in the crash. But eventually he recovered and decided to move on- to law school and the JAG Corps."
"He sounds like a very strong man," Lynn said.
"He's been through more than most," Mac admitted, "But we all have our trials."
Lynn rose and got them both coffee, which Mac gratefully accepted.
"You said he went back to flying?" Lynn asked.
Mac lowered the Styrofoam cup, and nodded. "He had laser surgery and he went back to flying for a while. He came back to JAG a few months later, found out that JAG was where he belonged."
Lynn just nodded.
"So," Mac said changing the subject, "How did you become an attaché?"
Lynn smiled shyly. "Well, I sort of fell into it. My grandmother brought me here when I was younger and I fell in love with England. I learned all I could about it, studied political science and then I attended a college for attaches.
Mac giggled, and Lynn smiled and continued, "Laugh all you want. I got a job working here almost immediately. I've been working here for a while now, and I love it."
"You're good at it."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"I thought we were past the 'ma'am' thing," Mac teased, and they both smiled.
Harm returned a half an hour later; Mac and Lynn rejoined him in the exam room. He was completely dressed and ready to leave.
"What's the diagnosis?" Mac cheerfully asked.
"Two bruised ribs," he answered.
"Must have been some hit," Mac said and Harm nodded. "Are you clear for duty?"
"Yeah, as long as I keep it wrapped up," he replied, "There isn't a whole lot they can do for broken ribs except let them heal."
"Vicadin?" Mac asked.
"No, I hate that stuff, plus it would knock me flat. Tylenol."
Mac smiled and nodded. Lynn stepped closer to them. "You must be exhausted Commander," she said, "Let's get you back to the hotel where you can rest comfortably."
"Amen to that," Harm said, but then the doctor came back in.
"I need a few minutes to finish up with the Commander," he said, "If you'll please wait a few minutes."
"Not a problem," Mac said, maintaining her position at Harm's side.
"It's just insurance information," the doctor smiled.
After he had completed all the paperwork, Harm turned to Mac and Lynn, "I'll be ready in a second, so why don't you get a cab?"
Mac looked as though she didn't want to leave him.
"Mac, I'm just going to use the head," Harm smiled. Mac smiled back and she and Lynn left. Harm waited until they were out of sight, then he quietly asked the doctor, "Will I be able to dance tomorrow?"
"Depends," he answered, "How much do you love her?"
"Commander, from look of this bruising I'd say you've broken at least one rib," the doctor told him, "We'll have to send you to x-ray, just to be sure."
Harm nodded. "No, it's just bruised," he said, "I've had broken ribs before."
"How did this happen?" the doctor asked.
"I was pushed into a bar," Harm lied, "We were out having a few, and the guys got a little rowdy and."
The doctor shook his head, "I guess the old adage is true- drunken sailors?"
Harm smirked. He hated that label, but he had to admit that it could often be true.
"A nurse will come by in a minute and take you up," the doctor said and he turned to leave, but he caught sight of Lynn. "Are you alright?"
"Oh," Lynn said, "Um, I'm fine. Just a split lip is all."
The doctor had stepped up to her and took her chin in his hand. Lynn's eyes flickered a little at his touch.
"You don't need stitches," he said finally, "Just keep it clean." And he left.
Mac looked at Lynn for a moment, then at Harm's black and blue side, and winced. "Harm, when have broken your ribs before?" she asked softly.
"My crash," he answered not looking at her. Mac looked at him, her eyes filled with compassion. Harm cleared his throat, and Mac snapped back into Marine mode.
"Lynn, are you okay being involved with this?" Mac asked shaking the images of what Harm must have looked like after his first crash from her head.
Lynn nodded, "Absolutely."
"Are you sure you really want to get involved with this," Harm asked, buttoning his shirt. "It might be dangerous."
"Like the Admiral said, I'm well connected. You might need me," she said calmly, but then she smiled and added eagerly, "Besides, I'd like to try my hand at busting up espionage."
Harm and Mac both smiled ruefully, but they liked Lynn's energy. The nurse came in then and took Harm up to X-ray. Mac and Lynn waited in the ER waiting room for him to return.
"How long have you known Commander Rabb?" Lynn asked.
"Seven years," Mac answered, as she sank into a chair and sighed.
"You must have been through a lot together."
Mac grinned, "Yeah, you could say that. We were partners for five years, and then he went back to flying."
"Flying?"
"Harm is an F-14 pilot," Mac said, but Lynn shook her head. Then, Mac asked, "Have you seen 'Top Gun'?"
"Of course," Lynn smiled.
"Well, those are F-14's," Mac told her, and paused.
Lynn studied her face for a moment. "Why did he leave flying and choose to become a lawyer?"
"He didn't really," Mac answered softly, "He got sick and his eyes were damaged, but he didn't know that. He crashed his tomcat onto a carrier deck."
"Oh, my God."
Mac nodded. "It wasn't easy for him. His RIO died in the crash. But eventually he recovered and decided to move on- to law school and the JAG Corps."
"He sounds like a very strong man," Lynn said.
"He's been through more than most," Mac admitted, "But we all have our trials."
Lynn rose and got them both coffee, which Mac gratefully accepted.
"You said he went back to flying?" Lynn asked.
Mac lowered the Styrofoam cup, and nodded. "He had laser surgery and he went back to flying for a while. He came back to JAG a few months later, found out that JAG was where he belonged."
Lynn just nodded.
"So," Mac said changing the subject, "How did you become an attaché?"
Lynn smiled shyly. "Well, I sort of fell into it. My grandmother brought me here when I was younger and I fell in love with England. I learned all I could about it, studied political science and then I attended a college for attaches.
Mac giggled, and Lynn smiled and continued, "Laugh all you want. I got a job working here almost immediately. I've been working here for a while now, and I love it."
"You're good at it."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"I thought we were past the 'ma'am' thing," Mac teased, and they both smiled.
Harm returned a half an hour later; Mac and Lynn rejoined him in the exam room. He was completely dressed and ready to leave.
"What's the diagnosis?" Mac cheerfully asked.
"Two bruised ribs," he answered.
"Must have been some hit," Mac said and Harm nodded. "Are you clear for duty?"
"Yeah, as long as I keep it wrapped up," he replied, "There isn't a whole lot they can do for broken ribs except let them heal."
"Vicadin?" Mac asked.
"No, I hate that stuff, plus it would knock me flat. Tylenol."
Mac smiled and nodded. Lynn stepped closer to them. "You must be exhausted Commander," she said, "Let's get you back to the hotel where you can rest comfortably."
"Amen to that," Harm said, but then the doctor came back in.
"I need a few minutes to finish up with the Commander," he said, "If you'll please wait a few minutes."
"Not a problem," Mac said, maintaining her position at Harm's side.
"It's just insurance information," the doctor smiled.
After he had completed all the paperwork, Harm turned to Mac and Lynn, "I'll be ready in a second, so why don't you get a cab?"
Mac looked as though she didn't want to leave him.
"Mac, I'm just going to use the head," Harm smiled. Mac smiled back and she and Lynn left. Harm waited until they were out of sight, then he quietly asked the doctor, "Will I be able to dance tomorrow?"
"Depends," he answered, "How much do you love her?"