0600 Local
Queen's Hospital
London, England
Mac awoke with a throbbing headache, but even the aching couldn't drive the memory of the night before from her mind. She remembered the grenade exploding, seeing debris flying around her, and the brief conversation she had had with Harm. Harm, she thought suddenly, where is Harm?
She quickly opened her eyes, only to shut them again as the light seemed to increase the throbbing in her head, but she forced them open again. She lay a hospital bed, and as she looked around she saw Harm lying in the bed next to her. His right arm was bandaged and a sling elevated his left leg, bandaged and wrapped in brace. He was looking at her.
"Good morning," he said smiling. He pushed himself up on his elbow.
Mac smiled back at him, "Good morning, yourself, sailor."
"You look much better than you did last night," Harm said.
"Thanks, but my head still feels like it's in a vice," Mac told him, then she asked, "What happened to you?"
Harm's eyes darkened and he explained what had happened after the grenade had gone off. Mac listened quietly, occasionally gasping in astonishment, or fear, and when Harm had finished, she looked at him sadly.
"Oh, Harm. I'm so sorry."
"For a while there I thought you were dead," he said, "Now, I can relate to how you felt in May."
"Hey, you were missing for almost an hour, I was out for less than ten minutes."
"Okay, I got a taste of it, at least," he smiled back at her.
They both lay silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Then something occurred to Harm. "We're going to have to call the Admiral at some point."
Mac nodded, but stopped as soon as her head began to throb again.
"I already did," came Webb's voice from the doorway.
Harm looked over to him, "What are you doing here so early?"
Webb smiled ruefully, "I've been here since we got here at two a.m. And, in case you're wondering, the Admiral had my ass for this."
"That's not surprising," Mac said, "After all, this turned out to be another one of your CIA gigs."
Webb shook his head. "No, your original mission had nothing to do the CIA."
Mac lay silent, but then she gasped, "Lynn! Is she alright?"
Webb took a deep breath. "She's still unconscious," he paused, "She, um, lost a lot of blood, and they don't if she's going to make it." Another pause. Webb looked down to where he was rubbing his knuckles; they were already white with tension.
When he raised his eyes back to theirs he looked grief stricken. "If you'll excuse me," he said and strode quickly out of the room.
Harm looked over at Mac. "Wow."
Mac nodded. "I wonder who she is to him."
Webb didn't return, and they rested together for the rest of the day. They did call Admiral Chegwidden at 0800, 1400 eastern, though.
"Admiral, Commander Rabb on line two, sir," Tiner said over the speakerphone.
AJ didn't stop to thank Tiner, he picked up the phone, "Rabb?"
"Yes, sir."
"It's good to hear your voice, son," AJ said relieved, "How are you?"
"I've been worse, sir," Harm said.
"How bad are you hurt?"
"One of the shots grazed my left arm, and the other went right through my thigh, sir."
"And Mac?"
"Concussion and a couple of cuts and bruises, sir."
AJ looked heavenward. When he had spoken with Webb earlier in the day both Harm and Mac had been unconscious- well, resting at least. "Didn't I tell you to keep this one simple?"
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." Harm smiled; he knew this was the Admiral's way of saying he was glad that they were okay.
"When are you coming home?" AJ asked.
"We'll be home in time for Christmas, sir," Harm told him, "Mac and I should be cleared to fly tomorrow."
AJ nodded. "Put Mac on."
"Aye, aye, sir." Harm handed the phone to Mac, who was seated on his bed.
"Hello, sir," she said.
"How are you, Mac?"
"I'm better, sir. I'll be in top form in a few days."
"You take it easy," AJ warned, even though he liked at Mac's drive. "That's an order."
"I will, sir."
"You and Rabb come home safe."
"We will, sir," Mac replied smiling at Harm.
"And your aid? How is she?" AJ queried.
Mac's smile faded. "The doctors don't know if she'll make it or not," she said sadly, "She came through surgery, but she hasn't woken up yet."
"God speed to her," AJ said, "Get some rest, Colonel, and make sure Rabb does the same."
"Yes, sir," Mac said, "Goodbye, sir." And she hung up the phone.
Harm patted Mac's leg, and Mac in turn took his hand. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, feeling the scratches left there by the flying debris.
"You know, we're luckier than most," she said.
Harm nodded, "I know."
Mac awoke with a throbbing headache, but even the aching couldn't drive the memory of the night before from her mind. She remembered the grenade exploding, seeing debris flying around her, and the brief conversation she had had with Harm. Harm, she thought suddenly, where is Harm?
She quickly opened her eyes, only to shut them again as the light seemed to increase the throbbing in her head, but she forced them open again. She lay a hospital bed, and as she looked around she saw Harm lying in the bed next to her. His right arm was bandaged and a sling elevated his left leg, bandaged and wrapped in brace. He was looking at her.
"Good morning," he said smiling. He pushed himself up on his elbow.
Mac smiled back at him, "Good morning, yourself, sailor."
"You look much better than you did last night," Harm said.
"Thanks, but my head still feels like it's in a vice," Mac told him, then she asked, "What happened to you?"
Harm's eyes darkened and he explained what had happened after the grenade had gone off. Mac listened quietly, occasionally gasping in astonishment, or fear, and when Harm had finished, she looked at him sadly.
"Oh, Harm. I'm so sorry."
"For a while there I thought you were dead," he said, "Now, I can relate to how you felt in May."
"Hey, you were missing for almost an hour, I was out for less than ten minutes."
"Okay, I got a taste of it, at least," he smiled back at her.
They both lay silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Then something occurred to Harm. "We're going to have to call the Admiral at some point."
Mac nodded, but stopped as soon as her head began to throb again.
"I already did," came Webb's voice from the doorway.
Harm looked over to him, "What are you doing here so early?"
Webb smiled ruefully, "I've been here since we got here at two a.m. And, in case you're wondering, the Admiral had my ass for this."
"That's not surprising," Mac said, "After all, this turned out to be another one of your CIA gigs."
Webb shook his head. "No, your original mission had nothing to do the CIA."
Mac lay silent, but then she gasped, "Lynn! Is she alright?"
Webb took a deep breath. "She's still unconscious," he paused, "She, um, lost a lot of blood, and they don't if she's going to make it." Another pause. Webb looked down to where he was rubbing his knuckles; they were already white with tension.
When he raised his eyes back to theirs he looked grief stricken. "If you'll excuse me," he said and strode quickly out of the room.
Harm looked over at Mac. "Wow."
Mac nodded. "I wonder who she is to him."
Webb didn't return, and they rested together for the rest of the day. They did call Admiral Chegwidden at 0800, 1400 eastern, though.
"Admiral, Commander Rabb on line two, sir," Tiner said over the speakerphone.
AJ didn't stop to thank Tiner, he picked up the phone, "Rabb?"
"Yes, sir."
"It's good to hear your voice, son," AJ said relieved, "How are you?"
"I've been worse, sir," Harm said.
"How bad are you hurt?"
"One of the shots grazed my left arm, and the other went right through my thigh, sir."
"And Mac?"
"Concussion and a couple of cuts and bruises, sir."
AJ looked heavenward. When he had spoken with Webb earlier in the day both Harm and Mac had been unconscious- well, resting at least. "Didn't I tell you to keep this one simple?"
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." Harm smiled; he knew this was the Admiral's way of saying he was glad that they were okay.
"When are you coming home?" AJ asked.
"We'll be home in time for Christmas, sir," Harm told him, "Mac and I should be cleared to fly tomorrow."
AJ nodded. "Put Mac on."
"Aye, aye, sir." Harm handed the phone to Mac, who was seated on his bed.
"Hello, sir," she said.
"How are you, Mac?"
"I'm better, sir. I'll be in top form in a few days."
"You take it easy," AJ warned, even though he liked at Mac's drive. "That's an order."
"I will, sir."
"You and Rabb come home safe."
"We will, sir," Mac replied smiling at Harm.
"And your aid? How is she?" AJ queried.
Mac's smile faded. "The doctors don't know if she'll make it or not," she said sadly, "She came through surgery, but she hasn't woken up yet."
"God speed to her," AJ said, "Get some rest, Colonel, and make sure Rabb does the same."
"Yes, sir," Mac said, "Goodbye, sir." And she hung up the phone.
Harm patted Mac's leg, and Mac in turn took his hand. He ran his thumb over her knuckles, feeling the scratches left there by the flying debris.
"You know, we're luckier than most," she said.
Harm nodded, "I know."