Author's Note: Sorry it took so long! I know I said I'd try to get it up last weekend but my life has been crazy...my computers have both crashed...but here it is! And there's one chapter left!
Chapter 10 - An End to Pain
The Next Day…
1400 Zulu
Chegwidden's Office - JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Admiral AJ Chegwidden picked up the phone in his office and dialed Harm's apartment. The phone rang three times before the phone was picked up. He waited, but Harm didn't say anything. "Commander?"
"Sir?" Harm asked quietly.
"Commander, I don't want to see you in here today."
"Excuse me?"
"I want you to report to Georgetown Memorial Hospital and to stay with Colonel MacKenzie."
"Sir?"
"You heard me, Commander. I'm ordering you to go to Georgetown Memorial Hospital and see you partner. Think of it as catching her up on current events."
"Sir," Harm began to argue, "she doesn't even want to see me."
"I talked to her, she WANTS to see you."
"She does?" Harm asked sounding excited.
"Yes, Commander, now do as I say or I'll have you court martialed," Chegwidden threatened.
"Aye, aye, sir," Harm answered before hanging up.
Chegwidden smiled and hung up the phone. At least he didn't have to go over and drag Harm to the hospital. He had work to do and a lunch date later.
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1430 Zulu
Mac's Room - Georgetown Memorial Hospital
Georgetown, Virginia
Harm knocked on Mac's room door, and then peeked his head in to see her looking at him. She was sitting up in her bed smiling. "Hey…" Harm said softly.
"Hey sailor…I've been waiting for you…"
Harm smiled, he had missed her and her smile. Her just being happy. "You've been waiting?"
"Yeah…why did you leave before?" Mac asked watching as he pulled up a chair next to her bed and sat down next to her.
"You blamed me," Harm told her.
"I didn't mean to Harm…" Mac told him her voice suddenly becoming sad and completely sincere. "I knew it wasn't you…that you weren't hurting me…"
"You said…"
"Harm, I was in shock," Mac told him putting emphasis on each word. She placed her hand on top of his. "I'm okay…"
Harm smiled up at her, "that's all that matters."
Mac smiled, "what?"
"All that matters is that you're okay."
Mac smiled more, "you just know all the right things to say don't you?"
"And you're just now realizing this? Didn't I tell you that when we first got partnered together?"
"Yes you did," Mac told him laughing a little.
Harm noticed Mac's wrists, wrapped up in gauze. His smile faded, "how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Harm," she told him hoping his concern would fade.
"He hurt you," Harm said taking her hand into his and examining her wrist.
"And you saved me," Mac told him putting her other hand over his so he'd stop.
Harm pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face, "not quickly enough…he poisoned you and I was WITH you…he kidnapped you from JAG Headquarters…he had you at my apartment…"
"Harm, stop. I'm fine…you figured it out and saved me. I thought that was all that mattered."
"It is," Harm said reminding himself that what she was saying was true. "So…have they been torturing you?"
Mac smiled, "yes they have. Have you come to rescue me?"
Harm laughed, "not yet. Just remember Semper Fi, Marine."
Mac smiled and started to move around. She started to get out of the hospital bed.
"Mac…what are you doing?"
"If I have to stay here then I'm wearing something comfortable."
"Aww but you look so cute in that, Mac," Harm said smiling at her. "Should you really be moving around?"
"Yeah…I bet you're not the only guy who would think I look good in a backless hospital gown. And I'm fine…just tired…"
"You're hooked to an IV Unit, Mac."
"I'll manage."
"Do you even have anything to change into?"
"Harriett brought me some things this morning," Mac said pulling out a bag and pulling her IV stand along into the bathroom.
Harm waited, and a few minutes later Mac walked out in work out type loose comfortable clothing. He noticed the IV tube coming out from the neck of the shirt. "Creatively placed the IV?"
"It's fine," Mac told him sitting back down on her bed.
"Feel better?"
"Yes."
"Good."
The door opened and a nurse walked in with a tray and set it on the hospital table. "Aw a visitor…." the nurse said spotting Harm. "How are you feeling today Colonel?"
"Tired. I want to go home, no offense."
"Looks like you're trying to escape," she said noticing she had changed. "Did you tangle or pinch any of the IV tube?"
"No," Mac said and the nurse inspected anyways.
"You be careful."
"I know."
"And who's this?" she asked looking at Harm.
"Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. Ma'am," Harm offered.
"Military also then."
"Yes, Navy."
"I see…well you keep an eye on her and make sure she eat something, okay?"
"I can do that."
The nurse smiled and then left.
"You sure you don't want to rescue me?" Mac asked giving him her best pleading sad innocent look.
"I would if I could, Mac. Now, you need to eat."
"Have you SEEN hospital food? That's how they keep you in the hospital."
Harm smiled and went over to inspect her food. "Let's see…you've got some red jell-o…some green vegetable looking stuff…some brown stuff…ummm okay I get your point."
Mac smiled, "you can have it if you like."
"No thanks. Want me to go get you some real food?"
"No it's okay I'll starve," Mac told him sarcastically. "You sure you can't rescue me?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"But I like your cooking."
"I can go home and cook you something and bring it back…"
"It's okay…I'll eat the jell-o…I don't want you to go."
"I would come right back, Mac."
"I…I just want you to stay here."
"Okay," Harm said moving to sit on her bed next to her and pulling her into his arms.
Mac rested her head on his chest, "I was so scared…"
"I know…so was I…but it's all over now…you're safe."
"Please don't go."
"I'm not. I've been ordered to stay here today."
"Ordered?"
"Yep."
Mac smiled, "good."
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Chapter 10 - An End to Pain
The Next Day…
1400 Zulu
Chegwidden's Office - JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Admiral AJ Chegwidden picked up the phone in his office and dialed Harm's apartment. The phone rang three times before the phone was picked up. He waited, but Harm didn't say anything. "Commander?"
"Sir?" Harm asked quietly.
"Commander, I don't want to see you in here today."
"Excuse me?"
"I want you to report to Georgetown Memorial Hospital and to stay with Colonel MacKenzie."
"Sir?"
"You heard me, Commander. I'm ordering you to go to Georgetown Memorial Hospital and see you partner. Think of it as catching her up on current events."
"Sir," Harm began to argue, "she doesn't even want to see me."
"I talked to her, she WANTS to see you."
"She does?" Harm asked sounding excited.
"Yes, Commander, now do as I say or I'll have you court martialed," Chegwidden threatened.
"Aye, aye, sir," Harm answered before hanging up.
Chegwidden smiled and hung up the phone. At least he didn't have to go over and drag Harm to the hospital. He had work to do and a lunch date later.
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1430 Zulu
Mac's Room - Georgetown Memorial Hospital
Georgetown, Virginia
Harm knocked on Mac's room door, and then peeked his head in to see her looking at him. She was sitting up in her bed smiling. "Hey…" Harm said softly.
"Hey sailor…I've been waiting for you…"
Harm smiled, he had missed her and her smile. Her just being happy. "You've been waiting?"
"Yeah…why did you leave before?" Mac asked watching as he pulled up a chair next to her bed and sat down next to her.
"You blamed me," Harm told her.
"I didn't mean to Harm…" Mac told him her voice suddenly becoming sad and completely sincere. "I knew it wasn't you…that you weren't hurting me…"
"You said…"
"Harm, I was in shock," Mac told him putting emphasis on each word. She placed her hand on top of his. "I'm okay…"
Harm smiled up at her, "that's all that matters."
Mac smiled, "what?"
"All that matters is that you're okay."
Mac smiled more, "you just know all the right things to say don't you?"
"And you're just now realizing this? Didn't I tell you that when we first got partnered together?"
"Yes you did," Mac told him laughing a little.
Harm noticed Mac's wrists, wrapped up in gauze. His smile faded, "how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Harm," she told him hoping his concern would fade.
"He hurt you," Harm said taking her hand into his and examining her wrist.
"And you saved me," Mac told him putting her other hand over his so he'd stop.
Harm pushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face, "not quickly enough…he poisoned you and I was WITH you…he kidnapped you from JAG Headquarters…he had you at my apartment…"
"Harm, stop. I'm fine…you figured it out and saved me. I thought that was all that mattered."
"It is," Harm said reminding himself that what she was saying was true. "So…have they been torturing you?"
Mac smiled, "yes they have. Have you come to rescue me?"
Harm laughed, "not yet. Just remember Semper Fi, Marine."
Mac smiled and started to move around. She started to get out of the hospital bed.
"Mac…what are you doing?"
"If I have to stay here then I'm wearing something comfortable."
"Aww but you look so cute in that, Mac," Harm said smiling at her. "Should you really be moving around?"
"Yeah…I bet you're not the only guy who would think I look good in a backless hospital gown. And I'm fine…just tired…"
"You're hooked to an IV Unit, Mac."
"I'll manage."
"Do you even have anything to change into?"
"Harriett brought me some things this morning," Mac said pulling out a bag and pulling her IV stand along into the bathroom.
Harm waited, and a few minutes later Mac walked out in work out type loose comfortable clothing. He noticed the IV tube coming out from the neck of the shirt. "Creatively placed the IV?"
"It's fine," Mac told him sitting back down on her bed.
"Feel better?"
"Yes."
"Good."
The door opened and a nurse walked in with a tray and set it on the hospital table. "Aw a visitor…." the nurse said spotting Harm. "How are you feeling today Colonel?"
"Tired. I want to go home, no offense."
"Looks like you're trying to escape," she said noticing she had changed. "Did you tangle or pinch any of the IV tube?"
"No," Mac said and the nurse inspected anyways.
"You be careful."
"I know."
"And who's this?" she asked looking at Harm.
"Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. Ma'am," Harm offered.
"Military also then."
"Yes, Navy."
"I see…well you keep an eye on her and make sure she eat something, okay?"
"I can do that."
The nurse smiled and then left.
"You sure you don't want to rescue me?" Mac asked giving him her best pleading sad innocent look.
"I would if I could, Mac. Now, you need to eat."
"Have you SEEN hospital food? That's how they keep you in the hospital."
Harm smiled and went over to inspect her food. "Let's see…you've got some red jell-o…some green vegetable looking stuff…some brown stuff…ummm okay I get your point."
Mac smiled, "you can have it if you like."
"No thanks. Want me to go get you some real food?"
"No it's okay I'll starve," Mac told him sarcastically. "You sure you can't rescue me?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"But I like your cooking."
"I can go home and cook you something and bring it back…"
"It's okay…I'll eat the jell-o…I don't want you to go."
"I would come right back, Mac."
"I…I just want you to stay here."
"Okay," Harm said moving to sit on her bed next to her and pulling her into his arms.
Mac rested her head on his chest, "I was so scared…"
"I know…so was I…but it's all over now…you're safe."
"Please don't go."
"I'm not. I've been ordered to stay here today."
"Ordered?"
"Yep."
Mac smiled, "good."
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