Author's Note: Okay, I tried to get this chapter up as fast as I could...but I have to write this annoying paper for my college english class and read this really annoying book for the same class...and I've been majorly thinking about X2...HEHEHEHHEHEHE IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT!
Chapter 9 - The Truth about the Sailor
0115 Zulu
ER Waiting Room - Georgetown Memorial Hospital
Georgetown, Virginia
It had been hours since Mac had been taken to the hospital. Admiral Chedwiggen, Harm, Sturgis, Harriett, Bud, Tiner, and Little AJ were all waiting for news. JAG Headquarters had been pretty much shut down. Harm had told Harriett and Bud to take Little AJ home, but they had insisted on staying even though Harm had promised he'd called when the nurses or doctors actually informed them of anything. The JAG crew had taken over half of the waiting room. They had their jackets and covers all carefully piled on two chairs and were sitting together.
"It's been hours! They can't even say if she's stable?!" Harm said. Sturgis was sitting next to him to make sure Harm didn't bolt to hunt down Hodge.
"It has been some time…" Bud agreed.
"Perhaps they'll tell you, Admiral," Harriett suggested. She was holding Little AJ who was eating chex mix they had gotten out of the vending machine.
Admiral Chedwiggen nodded, "I'll see what I can do." He got up straightening his uniform and walked over to the desk.
A young woman dressed in colorful scrubs smiled up at him. "How can I help you?"
"I'm Admiral Chedwiggen. One of my officers was brought in. We've been waiting for some time and no one's told us anything about her."
"Her name?"
"Lt Colonel Sarah MacKenzie."
"Let me check on her status," the nurse said and disappeared into the ER.
Admiral Chedwiggen waited for the nurse to return. He peered onto her desk and noticed that it didn't seem like she was doing anything productive. She was writing a letter to a girlfriend about some guy that worked at the hospital. Chedwiggen rolled his eyes. Maybe we should have had her taken to Bethesda Naval Hospital… Chedwiggen thought to himself.
The nurse returned with a bright smile. "Good news, Admiral. Lt Colonel MacKenzie is stable."
"Can we see her?"
"I'm afraid not just yet."
"How about talking with her doctor?"
"He said as soon as he finishes his rounds rechecking his patients which will be around the time the transfusion your Lt Colonel MacKenzie is hooked up to will be completed."
"I see. Does she need any more blood? Maybe we could donate some?" the admiral offered.
"I'm not sure…but it wouldn't hurt if you and your friends went down and donated blood. If Lt Colonel MacKenzie doesn't need any then you could be very well saving other patients' lives."
Chedwiggen smiled. "Where can we go?"
"There's a lab in the east wing, room number 114."
"Thank you," Chedwiggen said and turned and walked back to the group from JAG.
"What did she say?" Harriett asked worriedly holding Little AJ still.
"She said that Mac is stable and that we could all help by donating blood in the east wing."
"She lost a lot of blood," Sturgis stated simply.
Harm remembered how much blood was left on his floor when the ambulance left with Mac. The stains might never come out… Harm thought to himself. Mac's blood all over my floor…
"Now, I can't order any of you to donate, but I strongly urge you all to go down and donate blood…if not for Mac, then for the others you might save…" the admiral told the group.
"Sir, maybe someone should stay here while the others are in the east wing?" Harm suggested. He didn't want the doctor to come out and no one to be there.
"Commander, the doctor won't be around for a while and a while more until we're allowed to see her…"
"Yes, Sir."
Admiral Chedwiggen picked up his jacket and cover and headed out of the ER waiting room and headed for room 114 in the east wing. Right behind him was the rest of the JAG group.
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0330 Zulu
ER Waiting Room - Georgetown Memorial Hospital
Georgetown, Virginia
All but Little AJ had donated blood. They were all extremely tired, but were all also too stubborn to go home. Tiner had been sent out for some decent dinner. Little AJ had started to get fidgety and eventually fell asleep in Bud's arms. The covers and jackets had been again neatly stacked on two chairs.
The doors to the ER opened and a young dark haired doctor walked out with a chart. "Admiral Chedw…iggen?" he asked looking at the group in uniform.
The admiral stood up. "Yes?"
"I'm Doctor David Fisher," he said. "Lt Colonel MacKenzie will be fine." He walked over and sat in a chair across from the group. "I assume you are all friends?"
"Yes," Chedwiggen answered. "We all work together at JAG."
"Even the little guy?" he asked with a smile pointing to Little AJ.
"He's Lt Colonel MacKenzie's godson."
"Ah, well you'll all be relieved to know that she IS stable. She's going to be fine. The sedative and paralyzing agents that were in her system have been flushed out. The cuts on the inside of her arms at her wrists will heal, there'll be a slight scar, but other than that she's going to be fine."
"How long does she have to stay?" Harm spoke up.
"For a few days…we want to monitor her nutrient intake, make sure she's hydrated, and monitor her blood level. I would also suggest that she not leave the hospital until however has been harming her is found and arrested."
"The police and Navy are investigating," Chedwiggen told him.
"You can see her, but only for a brief time."
"Can someone stay with her?" Sturgis asked knowing Harm would want to know and to volunteer.
"Of course. She'll be moved out of the ER after you all see her. The room she'll be moved to will be a private room and whoever stays will be able to sleep comfortably in the extra bed."
"Thank you, Doctor," Chedwiggen said knowing that he had arranged it especially because of the circumstances. "Is she conscious?"
"She's been in and out of it for the last half an hour." He looked around at the weary group, "ready to see her now?"
"I think so," the admiral answered picking up his jacket and cover.
The doctor led the group to Mac's room in the ER. Mac was in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed, covered with a hospital blanket. She was pale, which her dark hair only made the fact that she was so pale stand out. She had both of her lower arms wrapped in gauze and an IV unit hooked up. Hooked to monitors, that kept track of her heart and breathing rhythms.
Everyone just stood around not saying a word. Little AJ woke up, and wanted down. Harriett let him down. AJ immediately ran over to Mac's bed trying to climb up. "Auntie Mac! Auntie Mac!" Little AJ shouted trying to climb up as Harriett and Bud went over and told him he couldn't do that.
Mac's eyes opened just a bit, "hey…AJ…" she said extremely weakly.
Everyone was surprised and Harm stepped back farther towards the door.
Harriett smiled and held Little AJ so he could see Mac. "Auntie Mac!" he squealed.
"Hey…"
"How are you feeling?" Harriett asked kindly.
"Feeling? I'm not really feeling much…"
"The doctor says you'll be fine," Sturgis said.
Mac looked around. "Who's been holding down headquarters?"
"Gunny and Commander Manetti," Tiner admitted.
"I figured since everyone was going to be distracted anyways…that we might as well be distracted together in the waiting room…" the admiral told her. "The police and the Navy are looking for who did this to you…"
"Harm…" she responded weakly.
Admiral Chedwiggen looked back, but he didn't see Harm. He had obviously stepped out. "No…I'll explain as soon as they move you…"
"You're staying, Sir?" Sturgis questioned.
"Yes."
Sturgis nodded and then walked over to Mac. "Feel better…we'll come back to visit tomorrow…night."
"Night," Mac echoed. Her eyelids were blinking tiredly.
Sturgis exited the room to search for Harm.
"We better go too, Ma'am," Harriett said.
"Night, night Auntie Mac," Little AJ said blowing her a kiss.
"Night Ma'am."
"Goodnight Ma'am," Bud said and he and his family left leaving only Tiner and the admiral with Mac.
"Sir?" Tiner questioned not knowing what the admiral had planned.
"You're dismissed, Tiner," Chedwiggen told him.
"Yes, Sir." Tiner walked over to Mac's bedside. "Night Colonel, see you tomorrow…"
Tiner left.
"You don't have to stay, Sir…" Mac managed to get out.
"Well, I think Commander Rabb would have liked to stay, but for the fact you don't know everything that's happened." Chedwiggen hated to see Mac so sick, let alone the fact she thought that her best friend and partner did it to her. "Mac, Harm didn't do any of this…"
"I heard him…"
"That was a tape…or something…we're not quite sure yet…"
"Then how can you be sure?"
"Because he was either at JAG all night looking through files for clues to find you or with Bud and Harriett while you were gone. Do you remember Chief Coreman Hodge? From the Watertown?"
"I don't know…everything's so fuzzy…"
"He tried to kill you and Harm."
"Sir, a lot of people have tried to kill us."
Chedwiggen smiled, "it was when you and Harm were fighting and I sent you both there to get over it. You ended up being on that sub for quite some time…"
"I was the only female aboard…"
"Right."
"Ah."
"You remember?"
"I think so…"
"He's the one that's been doing all of this…"
Mac closed her eyes, "I…I…I asked him why he had done this…"
"You were in shock, he understands…"
Mac opened her eyes. "Will he come tomorrow?"
"I think so."
Mac smiled a little, "thank you Admiral."
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Chapter 9 - The Truth about the Sailor
0115 Zulu
ER Waiting Room - Georgetown Memorial Hospital
Georgetown, Virginia
It had been hours since Mac had been taken to the hospital. Admiral Chedwiggen, Harm, Sturgis, Harriett, Bud, Tiner, and Little AJ were all waiting for news. JAG Headquarters had been pretty much shut down. Harm had told Harriett and Bud to take Little AJ home, but they had insisted on staying even though Harm had promised he'd called when the nurses or doctors actually informed them of anything. The JAG crew had taken over half of the waiting room. They had their jackets and covers all carefully piled on two chairs and were sitting together.
"It's been hours! They can't even say if she's stable?!" Harm said. Sturgis was sitting next to him to make sure Harm didn't bolt to hunt down Hodge.
"It has been some time…" Bud agreed.
"Perhaps they'll tell you, Admiral," Harriett suggested. She was holding Little AJ who was eating chex mix they had gotten out of the vending machine.
Admiral Chedwiggen nodded, "I'll see what I can do." He got up straightening his uniform and walked over to the desk.
A young woman dressed in colorful scrubs smiled up at him. "How can I help you?"
"I'm Admiral Chedwiggen. One of my officers was brought in. We've been waiting for some time and no one's told us anything about her."
"Her name?"
"Lt Colonel Sarah MacKenzie."
"Let me check on her status," the nurse said and disappeared into the ER.
Admiral Chedwiggen waited for the nurse to return. He peered onto her desk and noticed that it didn't seem like she was doing anything productive. She was writing a letter to a girlfriend about some guy that worked at the hospital. Chedwiggen rolled his eyes. Maybe we should have had her taken to Bethesda Naval Hospital… Chedwiggen thought to himself.
The nurse returned with a bright smile. "Good news, Admiral. Lt Colonel MacKenzie is stable."
"Can we see her?"
"I'm afraid not just yet."
"How about talking with her doctor?"
"He said as soon as he finishes his rounds rechecking his patients which will be around the time the transfusion your Lt Colonel MacKenzie is hooked up to will be completed."
"I see. Does she need any more blood? Maybe we could donate some?" the admiral offered.
"I'm not sure…but it wouldn't hurt if you and your friends went down and donated blood. If Lt Colonel MacKenzie doesn't need any then you could be very well saving other patients' lives."
Chedwiggen smiled. "Where can we go?"
"There's a lab in the east wing, room number 114."
"Thank you," Chedwiggen said and turned and walked back to the group from JAG.
"What did she say?" Harriett asked worriedly holding Little AJ still.
"She said that Mac is stable and that we could all help by donating blood in the east wing."
"She lost a lot of blood," Sturgis stated simply.
Harm remembered how much blood was left on his floor when the ambulance left with Mac. The stains might never come out… Harm thought to himself. Mac's blood all over my floor…
"Now, I can't order any of you to donate, but I strongly urge you all to go down and donate blood…if not for Mac, then for the others you might save…" the admiral told the group.
"Sir, maybe someone should stay here while the others are in the east wing?" Harm suggested. He didn't want the doctor to come out and no one to be there.
"Commander, the doctor won't be around for a while and a while more until we're allowed to see her…"
"Yes, Sir."
Admiral Chedwiggen picked up his jacket and cover and headed out of the ER waiting room and headed for room 114 in the east wing. Right behind him was the rest of the JAG group.
************************************************************************************
0330 Zulu
ER Waiting Room - Georgetown Memorial Hospital
Georgetown, Virginia
All but Little AJ had donated blood. They were all extremely tired, but were all also too stubborn to go home. Tiner had been sent out for some decent dinner. Little AJ had started to get fidgety and eventually fell asleep in Bud's arms. The covers and jackets had been again neatly stacked on two chairs.
The doors to the ER opened and a young dark haired doctor walked out with a chart. "Admiral Chedw…iggen?" he asked looking at the group in uniform.
The admiral stood up. "Yes?"
"I'm Doctor David Fisher," he said. "Lt Colonel MacKenzie will be fine." He walked over and sat in a chair across from the group. "I assume you are all friends?"
"Yes," Chedwiggen answered. "We all work together at JAG."
"Even the little guy?" he asked with a smile pointing to Little AJ.
"He's Lt Colonel MacKenzie's godson."
"Ah, well you'll all be relieved to know that she IS stable. She's going to be fine. The sedative and paralyzing agents that were in her system have been flushed out. The cuts on the inside of her arms at her wrists will heal, there'll be a slight scar, but other than that she's going to be fine."
"How long does she have to stay?" Harm spoke up.
"For a few days…we want to monitor her nutrient intake, make sure she's hydrated, and monitor her blood level. I would also suggest that she not leave the hospital until however has been harming her is found and arrested."
"The police and Navy are investigating," Chedwiggen told him.
"You can see her, but only for a brief time."
"Can someone stay with her?" Sturgis asked knowing Harm would want to know and to volunteer.
"Of course. She'll be moved out of the ER after you all see her. The room she'll be moved to will be a private room and whoever stays will be able to sleep comfortably in the extra bed."
"Thank you, Doctor," Chedwiggen said knowing that he had arranged it especially because of the circumstances. "Is she conscious?"
"She's been in and out of it for the last half an hour." He looked around at the weary group, "ready to see her now?"
"I think so," the admiral answered picking up his jacket and cover.
The doctor led the group to Mac's room in the ER. Mac was in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed, covered with a hospital blanket. She was pale, which her dark hair only made the fact that she was so pale stand out. She had both of her lower arms wrapped in gauze and an IV unit hooked up. Hooked to monitors, that kept track of her heart and breathing rhythms.
Everyone just stood around not saying a word. Little AJ woke up, and wanted down. Harriett let him down. AJ immediately ran over to Mac's bed trying to climb up. "Auntie Mac! Auntie Mac!" Little AJ shouted trying to climb up as Harriett and Bud went over and told him he couldn't do that.
Mac's eyes opened just a bit, "hey…AJ…" she said extremely weakly.
Everyone was surprised and Harm stepped back farther towards the door.
Harriett smiled and held Little AJ so he could see Mac. "Auntie Mac!" he squealed.
"Hey…"
"How are you feeling?" Harriett asked kindly.
"Feeling? I'm not really feeling much…"
"The doctor says you'll be fine," Sturgis said.
Mac looked around. "Who's been holding down headquarters?"
"Gunny and Commander Manetti," Tiner admitted.
"I figured since everyone was going to be distracted anyways…that we might as well be distracted together in the waiting room…" the admiral told her. "The police and the Navy are looking for who did this to you…"
"Harm…" she responded weakly.
Admiral Chedwiggen looked back, but he didn't see Harm. He had obviously stepped out. "No…I'll explain as soon as they move you…"
"You're staying, Sir?" Sturgis questioned.
"Yes."
Sturgis nodded and then walked over to Mac. "Feel better…we'll come back to visit tomorrow…night."
"Night," Mac echoed. Her eyelids were blinking tiredly.
Sturgis exited the room to search for Harm.
"We better go too, Ma'am," Harriett said.
"Night, night Auntie Mac," Little AJ said blowing her a kiss.
"Night Ma'am."
"Goodnight Ma'am," Bud said and he and his family left leaving only Tiner and the admiral with Mac.
"Sir?" Tiner questioned not knowing what the admiral had planned.
"You're dismissed, Tiner," Chedwiggen told him.
"Yes, Sir." Tiner walked over to Mac's bedside. "Night Colonel, see you tomorrow…"
Tiner left.
"You don't have to stay, Sir…" Mac managed to get out.
"Well, I think Commander Rabb would have liked to stay, but for the fact you don't know everything that's happened." Chedwiggen hated to see Mac so sick, let alone the fact she thought that her best friend and partner did it to her. "Mac, Harm didn't do any of this…"
"I heard him…"
"That was a tape…or something…we're not quite sure yet…"
"Then how can you be sure?"
"Because he was either at JAG all night looking through files for clues to find you or with Bud and Harriett while you were gone. Do you remember Chief Coreman Hodge? From the Watertown?"
"I don't know…everything's so fuzzy…"
"He tried to kill you and Harm."
"Sir, a lot of people have tried to kill us."
Chedwiggen smiled, "it was when you and Harm were fighting and I sent you both there to get over it. You ended up being on that sub for quite some time…"
"I was the only female aboard…"
"Right."
"Ah."
"You remember?"
"I think so…"
"He's the one that's been doing all of this…"
Mac closed her eyes, "I…I…I asked him why he had done this…"
"You were in shock, he understands…"
Mac opened her eyes. "Will he come tomorrow?"
"I think so."
Mac smiled a little, "thank you Admiral."
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