(PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! See chapter one for disclaimers. Thanks to Major
Mackenzie for letting me bend her ear for ideas. If you have any questions
or comments, please e mail me. AND DON'T FORGET TO READ AND REVIEW! )
Feb. 16th
True to my word, I am staying in touch with Mac. We IM each other every day, and she keeps me up to date on all of the case that pass through JAG. I do miss JAG, but I think after almost a month in a wheelchair, I'm starting to accept my fate.
I'm still living with Mom and Frank, and I hate it that they have had to rearrange their life for me; the ramps, the special car they bought for me to go to work in, not to mention the driver that they hired for me.
Did I mention that I have a job now? Well I found a small law firm that hired me. Sure they are uncomfortable with me being in a wheelchair, but once they read my military record, they hired me on the spot. I really like it their, but I still miss JAG.
I was working on a pretty grim case this week. I prosecuted this guy murdered his wife and her lover, and he clamed self defense. The trial was slow, and I was so glad when it was over with. After that, thanks to my wheelchair friendly car, I convinced my driver, Harry, to drive me to the gym and worked out; limited of course.
Feb. 21st
I was on the net, getting info, about the latest case I was working on, when my IM beeped telling me Mac was on line. I smiled, and brought up the messenger board.
HARM: Hey there Sundance.
MAC: Hey Butch, how are you?
HARM: I'm doing okay, how are you?
MAC: Fine. Not much going on here.
HARM: How is Sturgis?
MAC: He came back from an investigation on the Seahawk, yesterday, but has mostly been keeping to himself. He's not really talkative.
HARM: I've been trying to call him, but I can never get a hold of him.
MAC: He blames himself for what happened.
HARM: I know, and I can't make him understand that it wasn't his fault.
MAC: Well if he keeps this up, the Admiral is going to get involved. he is just as worried about Sturgis as I am.
HARM: I have an idea.
MAC: What?
HARM: Ask the Admiral, if he could order Sturgis to take a vacation. If the Admiral orders Sturgis to come over here to see me, then maybe we can talk about what happened. Sturgis is not one to run from his problems, so that's why it would be important for us to talk.
MAC: Brilliant Harm.
HARM: You see? I still have it.
MAC: LOL. I never doubted you for a minute Harm. Hey I got to go, it's getting late. I'll talk to you tomorrow.
HARM: Okay. Sweet dreams Sundance.
MAC: You too Butch.
March 3rd:
Unfortunately the Admiral couldn't spare to give Sturgis time off, so I guess it was up to me to go talk to him. After a long talk with mom and Frank, we made planes for me to head out to Washington. I would stay at a hotel not far from JAG, have a driver escort me around, and thanks to Frank's company jet, my limitations caused no problems to get to Washington.
I was nervous, of course, but I knew what I had to do. If Sturgis wasn't going to come and see me, well then it looks like I'll just have to go and see him.
March 10:
The driver met me at the airport, and off we went. I had him stop at the hotel firs, so I could get cleaned up before we went to JAG. No one knew that I was coming; I just hoped I wasn't coming at a bad time.
It was hot out; not as hot as it would be in California, but still it was hot. Clad in shorts and a button down shirt, I rolled into the bullpen. I made it pretty far towards Mac's office with only a few people stopping to stare. I smiled and said hello, but I was intent on getting to Mac's office.
I was almost there when a man in a lieutenant commanders uniform bumped into me, spilling his coffee all over my legs.
"Watch where you're going!" he snapped, turning to look at me.
I was about to say something, when Harriet walked over to us.
"Commander, it is you!" She said leaning down to give me a hug.
"Hi Harriet," I said laughing.
"Who are you?" the Lieutenant Commander rudely.
Instead of answering though I turned to Harriet, "Harriet do you think you can go grab me a towel, the Lieutenant Commander and I seemed to have had a little accident."
Harriet shot me a worried glance, before going to get me the towel.
"Accident! You call purposely bumping me, an accident!"
I crossed my arms over my chest, and shot him an amused glance. Who in the hell did he think he was talking to? As my luck would have it, Lieutenant Singer chose that exact moment to walk over.
"Excuse me Commander Rice, but I think-"
"Lieutenant, if I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it. Don't you have some papers to file or something?"
Loren opened her mouth to reply, but shut it and walked away. That was an occasion all its own.
When Harriet came back with the towel, she had Mac, Sturgis and Bud on her heels.
"Thanks Harriet," I said mopping up my wet legs. Mac was about to say something, but I held up my hand. I didn't think Mr. Know it all Lieutenant Commander was finished yet.
"What is your business in JAG? What did one of our sailors knock you out of your chair, and you've come to collect?"
"Commander-" Mac started, but I put up my hand again. I was actually enjoying watching this guy making a fool out of himself.
"Maybe he'll listen to you Colonel. See if you can tell this- this cripple to get out of ops."
I turned to watch my friend's, as they gave the commander hard angry stares. But what I didn't see was the Admiral standing just a few feet away.
"SNAP TO!" He yelled so loud that I even straightened up in my chair. He walked over to us, standing in between the commander and me. I didn't have to see his face to see the look that the Admiral was giving the commander. I knew it all to well.
And in that low, makes you want to crawl into a hole and hide voice, he went on. "Lieutenant Commander, Colonel, Commander Turner, Lieutenant Roberts, Lieutenant Singer, Lieutenant Simms, Commander Rabb, I want to see you all in my office right now." With that he turned and went back to his office.
After about a second of hesitation, we all followed him without another word.
I rolled into his office first and stood off to the side so everyone else could stand at attention in front of him. He kept them that way for a minute watching each one of them. He leaned on the edge of his desk, and took a deep breath, before telling them to stand at ease; all except the Lieutenant Commander.
"I saw what happened. And I have to say Commander Rice that your performance out there was the most outrageous behavior that I have ever seen!"
"Sir may I-" Rice tried, but the Admiral cut him off.
"No you may not! Lieutenant Commander Rice, I am bringing you up on conduct unbecoming charges. You are here by relieved of duty, and I'll have the MP's escort you to the brig, while you await a hearing. Commander Manitti will be representing you. Commander Turner, you and Lieutenant Roberts, will be prosecuting."
"Yes sir," Bud and Sturgis said in unison.
"But sir-" But before he could finish, the Admiral shot him another deadly glare, so he kept his mouth shut.
We all waited in silence until the MP's arrived to escort him to the brig. As soon as the door shut behind him, the Admiral turned to me.
"Harm, what brings you to JAG?"
"Well I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would stop by," I said and smiled, but no one else did.
"Sir if I may be excused, I have court in ten minutes." Singer said. After dismissing her, the Admiral looked at me. I guess it was time to start explaining. But I had to know something first.
"Mac, don't tell me Lieutenant Commander Rice is your partner?"
"He is, or was," she said.
"Seemed kind of arrogant," I observed, making everyone chuckle.
We spent the next half an hour in the Admiral's office getting caught up, but I noticed that Sturgis kept quite most of the time, only speaking when he was spoken to, and keeping his answers short. I knew that we needed some one on one time to talk before I left.
TBC
Feb. 16th
True to my word, I am staying in touch with Mac. We IM each other every day, and she keeps me up to date on all of the case that pass through JAG. I do miss JAG, but I think after almost a month in a wheelchair, I'm starting to accept my fate.
I'm still living with Mom and Frank, and I hate it that they have had to rearrange their life for me; the ramps, the special car they bought for me to go to work in, not to mention the driver that they hired for me.
Did I mention that I have a job now? Well I found a small law firm that hired me. Sure they are uncomfortable with me being in a wheelchair, but once they read my military record, they hired me on the spot. I really like it their, but I still miss JAG.
I was working on a pretty grim case this week. I prosecuted this guy murdered his wife and her lover, and he clamed self defense. The trial was slow, and I was so glad when it was over with. After that, thanks to my wheelchair friendly car, I convinced my driver, Harry, to drive me to the gym and worked out; limited of course.
Feb. 21st
I was on the net, getting info, about the latest case I was working on, when my IM beeped telling me Mac was on line. I smiled, and brought up the messenger board.
HARM: Hey there Sundance.
MAC: Hey Butch, how are you?
HARM: I'm doing okay, how are you?
MAC: Fine. Not much going on here.
HARM: How is Sturgis?
MAC: He came back from an investigation on the Seahawk, yesterday, but has mostly been keeping to himself. He's not really talkative.
HARM: I've been trying to call him, but I can never get a hold of him.
MAC: He blames himself for what happened.
HARM: I know, and I can't make him understand that it wasn't his fault.
MAC: Well if he keeps this up, the Admiral is going to get involved. he is just as worried about Sturgis as I am.
HARM: I have an idea.
MAC: What?
HARM: Ask the Admiral, if he could order Sturgis to take a vacation. If the Admiral orders Sturgis to come over here to see me, then maybe we can talk about what happened. Sturgis is not one to run from his problems, so that's why it would be important for us to talk.
MAC: Brilliant Harm.
HARM: You see? I still have it.
MAC: LOL. I never doubted you for a minute Harm. Hey I got to go, it's getting late. I'll talk to you tomorrow.
HARM: Okay. Sweet dreams Sundance.
MAC: You too Butch.
March 3rd:
Unfortunately the Admiral couldn't spare to give Sturgis time off, so I guess it was up to me to go talk to him. After a long talk with mom and Frank, we made planes for me to head out to Washington. I would stay at a hotel not far from JAG, have a driver escort me around, and thanks to Frank's company jet, my limitations caused no problems to get to Washington.
I was nervous, of course, but I knew what I had to do. If Sturgis wasn't going to come and see me, well then it looks like I'll just have to go and see him.
March 10:
The driver met me at the airport, and off we went. I had him stop at the hotel firs, so I could get cleaned up before we went to JAG. No one knew that I was coming; I just hoped I wasn't coming at a bad time.
It was hot out; not as hot as it would be in California, but still it was hot. Clad in shorts and a button down shirt, I rolled into the bullpen. I made it pretty far towards Mac's office with only a few people stopping to stare. I smiled and said hello, but I was intent on getting to Mac's office.
I was almost there when a man in a lieutenant commanders uniform bumped into me, spilling his coffee all over my legs.
"Watch where you're going!" he snapped, turning to look at me.
I was about to say something, when Harriet walked over to us.
"Commander, it is you!" She said leaning down to give me a hug.
"Hi Harriet," I said laughing.
"Who are you?" the Lieutenant Commander rudely.
Instead of answering though I turned to Harriet, "Harriet do you think you can go grab me a towel, the Lieutenant Commander and I seemed to have had a little accident."
Harriet shot me a worried glance, before going to get me the towel.
"Accident! You call purposely bumping me, an accident!"
I crossed my arms over my chest, and shot him an amused glance. Who in the hell did he think he was talking to? As my luck would have it, Lieutenant Singer chose that exact moment to walk over.
"Excuse me Commander Rice, but I think-"
"Lieutenant, if I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it. Don't you have some papers to file or something?"
Loren opened her mouth to reply, but shut it and walked away. That was an occasion all its own.
When Harriet came back with the towel, she had Mac, Sturgis and Bud on her heels.
"Thanks Harriet," I said mopping up my wet legs. Mac was about to say something, but I held up my hand. I didn't think Mr. Know it all Lieutenant Commander was finished yet.
"What is your business in JAG? What did one of our sailors knock you out of your chair, and you've come to collect?"
"Commander-" Mac started, but I put up my hand again. I was actually enjoying watching this guy making a fool out of himself.
"Maybe he'll listen to you Colonel. See if you can tell this- this cripple to get out of ops."
I turned to watch my friend's, as they gave the commander hard angry stares. But what I didn't see was the Admiral standing just a few feet away.
"SNAP TO!" He yelled so loud that I even straightened up in my chair. He walked over to us, standing in between the commander and me. I didn't have to see his face to see the look that the Admiral was giving the commander. I knew it all to well.
And in that low, makes you want to crawl into a hole and hide voice, he went on. "Lieutenant Commander, Colonel, Commander Turner, Lieutenant Roberts, Lieutenant Singer, Lieutenant Simms, Commander Rabb, I want to see you all in my office right now." With that he turned and went back to his office.
After about a second of hesitation, we all followed him without another word.
I rolled into his office first and stood off to the side so everyone else could stand at attention in front of him. He kept them that way for a minute watching each one of them. He leaned on the edge of his desk, and took a deep breath, before telling them to stand at ease; all except the Lieutenant Commander.
"I saw what happened. And I have to say Commander Rice that your performance out there was the most outrageous behavior that I have ever seen!"
"Sir may I-" Rice tried, but the Admiral cut him off.
"No you may not! Lieutenant Commander Rice, I am bringing you up on conduct unbecoming charges. You are here by relieved of duty, and I'll have the MP's escort you to the brig, while you await a hearing. Commander Manitti will be representing you. Commander Turner, you and Lieutenant Roberts, will be prosecuting."
"Yes sir," Bud and Sturgis said in unison.
"But sir-" But before he could finish, the Admiral shot him another deadly glare, so he kept his mouth shut.
We all waited in silence until the MP's arrived to escort him to the brig. As soon as the door shut behind him, the Admiral turned to me.
"Harm, what brings you to JAG?"
"Well I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would stop by," I said and smiled, but no one else did.
"Sir if I may be excused, I have court in ten minutes." Singer said. After dismissing her, the Admiral looked at me. I guess it was time to start explaining. But I had to know something first.
"Mac, don't tell me Lieutenant Commander Rice is your partner?"
"He is, or was," she said.
"Seemed kind of arrogant," I observed, making everyone chuckle.
We spent the next half an hour in the Admiral's office getting caught up, but I noticed that Sturgis kept quite most of the time, only speaking when he was spoken to, and keeping his answers short. I knew that we needed some one on one time to talk before I left.
TBC