What's Meant To be Will be 8
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL 2237
Harm rushed toward the front desk, his heart pounding. Without taking a breath he asked "I got a call about Sarah MacKenzie, she was brought into emergency."
"Ahhh yes she's in room 216 the doctor will be rig..."
Before she could finish her sentence Harm was sprinting off in the direction of Mac's room. She had to be okay, she just had to. They had so much they needed to sort out.
When he got there, he saw the Admiral sitting in the chair beside her bed and Bud and Harriet holding each other in the corner.
"My god Sarah. is. is she okay?"
The 3 people in the room gasped at the sound of his voice, Bud and Harriet brushed past him leaving him to face the Admiral.
"Why didn't anyone call me?"
"Because she told us she didn't want you to know about."
The Admiral saw harm staring at her stomach as she lye motionless on the bed before them.
"She didn't want you to know about her and the baby." He said quietly
"She's pregnant?" He had to ask it was obvious but this whole scenario was too surreal he had to make sure.
"Yes." The Admiral said simply
"But who. when. I."
"I think she should be the one to tell you this Harm."
"Dammit, she can't tell me, she may never be able to tell me. I need to be there for her, and besides where is the father."
"He's here."
"Oh" He couldn't believe that she could move on from them so quickly, why shouldn't she though? It had been 6 months, and he was. correction had been with Renee.
"Harm."The Admiral said again quietly
"You know I really shouldn't be here after all she didn't want me to know, I should respect her wishes. Besides I don't think I can face her husband, boyfriend, or whatever the hell he is."
"Harm calm down."
"I am calm, could you call me if there is any change?"
"I think you should stay."
"I can't, I. I just can't"
"You can't be there for her right now?"
"No I'll come and see her later if she asks for me, but otherwise I think it's best if I leave now."
Harm heads toward the door, struggling to keep all his emotions intact.
"If you won't stay for her then stay for your child."
He froze at the statement. Turning around slowly he looked into the Admirals eyes.
"What did you say?"
"Stay for your child."
"My.. My child?"
"That's right Harm, the baby's yours. Why do you think she asked for a transfer? She couldn't watch you with Renee and your child while she was alone."
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"Because you'd already made your decision."
"I would have changed it, I would have dropped everything to be with her. Didn't she realise that?'
"I don't know, I tried to get her to tell you but she had made up her mind."
And with that the Admiral, Bud and Harriet walked out, leaving Harm alone with Mac, god he hoped they could work this out, they deserved so much better than the hand life had dealt them, and he would do all he could to help them through this.
*********************
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL 8 Hours Later
Harm had been sitting in the chair at her bedside for hours, but still no sign of improvement. The Admiral had come by early that morning to check on Mac and try to get Harm to go home and get some sleep. He wouldn't have a bar of it.
There was a steady stream of visitors, up until lunchtime, the word had spread that she was back in town and had had an accident. Sturgis, Tiner, Gunny, Bud, Harriet and even Singer had been into see how she was. The Admiral came back soon after lunch.
"You haven't moved since I was here last." The admiral said smiling down at the unshaven Commander in front of him.
"I can't sir, I promised myself I would never leave her again, and I haven't once not kept a promise I have made her."
"Harm I don't think going to get a coffee or something to eat classifies as leaving her."
"It does to me sir, and besides I'm not hungry."
"What about coffee?" AJ said handing him a steaming cup of coffee.
"Thankyou sir." He said simply
Knowing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Harm at this point in time, AJ left the room. He hadn't ever seen Harm like this, the event's of the past 24 hours had visibly shaken Harm to the core, and even though he hadn't said in so many word, something else had happened the evening of Mac's accident, he just wasn't sure what. yet. He knew the Admiral had wanted to talk to him, about things, but he wasn't ready. He just couldn't sit there and tell his superior officer that he had just found out that his girlfriend's child wasn't actually his and that he had stayed with her to be honorable, only to leave the woman he loved and as he found out of late, his child alone, causing her to leave everything she knew and start fresh. How could things have gone so horribly wrong?
Bought back to reality by the distant call or his rank.
"Commander. Commander."
"Uh. oh Harriet, sorry I was out of it."
"That's okay, how is she?"
"No change, she's been unconscious for 11 hours and the doctors keep telling me it's just a matter of time."
"I know it's hard but at least she's still alive."
"Is she, what if she doesn't ever come out of unconsciousness? Do you really think this is how she want's to live?"
"Commander you wouldn't."
"NO, Never, I was just saying it's no type of life for her, she's so strong and full of life, have you ever known her to sit and relax and just do nothing?"
"No, I can see your point, she'll be okay Sir."
"I hope so Harriet, I hope so."
"Permission to speak freely sir."
"You don't have to ask Harriet and it's Harm."
"Okay, What took you 2 so long to get together?"
He made a sound that was a very weak excuse for a laugh and replied "If I knew what took us so long, then it wouldn't have taken so long in the first place."
"Good answer Harm but you don't fool anyone."
"Okay Harriet, as you have probably noticed neither of us score high in the communications department, least of all me. When she was ready I wasn't, then she was with Mic, I thought at. at one point we were both ready at the same time and we both knew it, but then we were, well I was too scarred that I might lose her and so I let her walk away when all she wanted me to do was stop her. For two people who claim to understand each other better than anyone else we were both so wrong."
"Something so simple as Love shouldn't be that complicated."
"Your telling me, at the point in which I told you that I thought we were both on the same page she told me that 'I make simple things complicated' and I told her that 'she makes complicated things simple.' So there you go."
"Well sir.. um Harm I think when she comes out of this you should both sit and talk about a lot of things."
"I plan to do that, I don't know how much she's told you but when we got together it was so simple, I think that's what we need, when we are together we can cope with anything."
"Yeah she told me much the same thing, and.. I know much more than you think."
Smiling to herself Harriet walked out of Mac's room, she knew the Commander was starring at her, watching closely as she left the room. It would do him good to think about something else other than Mac's condition.
********************
The next 24 hours passed uneventfully, There was still no change in Mac's condition and Harm was beginning to crack, The staff from Jag were in constantly, to check on him as much as on Mac, Harm had no doubt that the Admiral had put them up to it, and to some extent he was grateful for the company, then again the constant questions about how he was doing were wearing thin, they should be more concerned about Mac than him.
All of a sudden the machines began to beep, terrified Harm ran out into the corridor and yelled for the nurse, his calls went unheard, as the nurses had already come running in his direction. Harm stood frozen to the spot the colour drained from his face causing him to become paisley white, then a disturbing shade of green.
"Sir you'll need to leave."
"No!"
"Sir you need to get out of the way, we'll tell you when everything is back to normal."
"What do you mean back to normal? I want to know what's going on. Mac honey, can you hear me? Please help her maker her better."
"Sir you need to leave or I'll have to call security."
"Alright, alright."
Harm stood outside Mac's room for what seemed like hours, seconds ticked by without acknowledgement and dread flowed throughout every inch of his body, the longer they were in there, the less chance there was of good news. The next thing he knew they were wheeling Mac out of her room and down the hall. As if on auto pilot, Harm went from nurse to nurse looking for answers and each time he would get the same sorrow filled look of sympathy.
Finally the doctor that had wheeled his Sarah away from him burst through the doors, Harm ambushed him before he had a chance to dodge him and demanded answers.
"What's wrong with her, please tell me she and the baby are alright."
"Commander Rabb?"
"Yes, what can you tell me about Mac."
"Colonel MacKenzie has been taken to surgery, the baby suffered some sort of sudden stress and is at great risk. We have taken the Colonel into surgery to alleviate that stress on the baby and if we cant then the baby will need to be delivered."
"But she's only 6 months pregnant."
"I know and it is a great risk to both mother and child to deliver this early but if the pressure causing the baby stress is unable to be alleviated both of them may not survive."
Harm stood silent for a few moments then once all the things the doctor had said were processed he said "Do what you have to do doctor, just make sure they both survive."
"I'll do what I can Commander Rabb."
Once the doctor had disappeared through the doors he had entered through a few minutes earlier. Harm stood there, unable to process any of his thoughts or surroundings. In the last 10 minutes he had heard the monitors go off around him and been told to leave his dying true love and child, he was then told that they may not live and that his child may have to be delivered 3 months premature. Why was this happening to him? Every time he thought things could get no worse, they did.
"Sir, would you like me to call anyone for you?"
"Uhhh yeah, could you call Admiral AJ Chegwidden tell him there has been complications with Colonel MacKenzie."
"Yes Sir."
He stood there for a few more moments he contemplated sitting down but knew he couldn't sit still, pacing the waiting room was making him feel ill and without his realisation he moved through the doors and down a long corridor, unable to face the reality he had left behind.
JAG HQ Same time.
"Chegwidden here."
"(Good afternoon sir, this is Petty Officer Smith from Bethesda, I'm calling on behalf of Commander Rabb.)"
"Yes?"
"(Sir there has been some complications with Colonel MacKenzie she is in surgery as we speak.)"
Oh God! He thought to himself. "I'm on my way."
AJ hung up the phone and raced out of the office, "Tiner cancel my afternoon commitments and tell anyone who calls I'll get back to them, I may not be in tomorrow either."
"Yes sir, is everything alright?"
"No, it's not I call with news later, I need to get to Bethesda immediately."
There was no need for Tiner to ask questions, at the mention of Bethesda and the look of immense panic and despair on the Admirals face he knew there was something terribly wrong with Colonel MacKenzie.
"Tell Lieutenant Simms and Roberts that they are needed at Bethesda as soon as possible."
Harriet saw the Admiral rush through the bullpen, without a single glace at it's occupants. She saw him waiting at the elevator pacing back and forth waiting for it to open, he glanced back at her and her blood ran cold, there was a single tear slipping down his cheek and utter panic in his eyes, their eyes met and her worst fears were confirmed with the slight nod of his head.
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL 20 minutes later.
In all honesty he had never been this scarred in his life. He was an ex SEAL, he's seen his friends die in combat and looked death in the face. But none of these situations came close to what he was feeling now, Harm and Mac were like children to him, his closest friends. He rushed into the waiting room and looked around frantically, there was no sign of him, without hesitation he headed for the nurses station.
As if anticipating his question Petty Officer Smith saw the Admiral racing toward her. "She's in surgery, her and the baby are under great stress and if it is unable to be alleviated the baby will need to be delivered or they may both die."
The revelations by the young Petty Officer shook him to the core, he opened his mouth to speak again but she beat him to it
"I don't know where the Commander went but after the doctor spoke to him he left and went down that corridor."
"Thankyou I'll go and look for him, if there is any news, page me on this number."
He scribbled down the number and raced down the hallway. He knew exactly where Rabb would be.
To Be Continued.
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL 2237
Harm rushed toward the front desk, his heart pounding. Without taking a breath he asked "I got a call about Sarah MacKenzie, she was brought into emergency."
"Ahhh yes she's in room 216 the doctor will be rig..."
Before she could finish her sentence Harm was sprinting off in the direction of Mac's room. She had to be okay, she just had to. They had so much they needed to sort out.
When he got there, he saw the Admiral sitting in the chair beside her bed and Bud and Harriet holding each other in the corner.
"My god Sarah. is. is she okay?"
The 3 people in the room gasped at the sound of his voice, Bud and Harriet brushed past him leaving him to face the Admiral.
"Why didn't anyone call me?"
"Because she told us she didn't want you to know about."
The Admiral saw harm staring at her stomach as she lye motionless on the bed before them.
"She didn't want you to know about her and the baby." He said quietly
"She's pregnant?" He had to ask it was obvious but this whole scenario was too surreal he had to make sure.
"Yes." The Admiral said simply
"But who. when. I."
"I think she should be the one to tell you this Harm."
"Dammit, she can't tell me, she may never be able to tell me. I need to be there for her, and besides where is the father."
"He's here."
"Oh" He couldn't believe that she could move on from them so quickly, why shouldn't she though? It had been 6 months, and he was. correction had been with Renee.
"Harm."The Admiral said again quietly
"You know I really shouldn't be here after all she didn't want me to know, I should respect her wishes. Besides I don't think I can face her husband, boyfriend, or whatever the hell he is."
"Harm calm down."
"I am calm, could you call me if there is any change?"
"I think you should stay."
"I can't, I. I just can't"
"You can't be there for her right now?"
"No I'll come and see her later if she asks for me, but otherwise I think it's best if I leave now."
Harm heads toward the door, struggling to keep all his emotions intact.
"If you won't stay for her then stay for your child."
He froze at the statement. Turning around slowly he looked into the Admirals eyes.
"What did you say?"
"Stay for your child."
"My.. My child?"
"That's right Harm, the baby's yours. Why do you think she asked for a transfer? She couldn't watch you with Renee and your child while she was alone."
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"Because you'd already made your decision."
"I would have changed it, I would have dropped everything to be with her. Didn't she realise that?'
"I don't know, I tried to get her to tell you but she had made up her mind."
And with that the Admiral, Bud and Harriet walked out, leaving Harm alone with Mac, god he hoped they could work this out, they deserved so much better than the hand life had dealt them, and he would do all he could to help them through this.
*********************
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL 8 Hours Later
Harm had been sitting in the chair at her bedside for hours, but still no sign of improvement. The Admiral had come by early that morning to check on Mac and try to get Harm to go home and get some sleep. He wouldn't have a bar of it.
There was a steady stream of visitors, up until lunchtime, the word had spread that she was back in town and had had an accident. Sturgis, Tiner, Gunny, Bud, Harriet and even Singer had been into see how she was. The Admiral came back soon after lunch.
"You haven't moved since I was here last." The admiral said smiling down at the unshaven Commander in front of him.
"I can't sir, I promised myself I would never leave her again, and I haven't once not kept a promise I have made her."
"Harm I don't think going to get a coffee or something to eat classifies as leaving her."
"It does to me sir, and besides I'm not hungry."
"What about coffee?" AJ said handing him a steaming cup of coffee.
"Thankyou sir." He said simply
Knowing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Harm at this point in time, AJ left the room. He hadn't ever seen Harm like this, the event's of the past 24 hours had visibly shaken Harm to the core, and even though he hadn't said in so many word, something else had happened the evening of Mac's accident, he just wasn't sure what. yet. He knew the Admiral had wanted to talk to him, about things, but he wasn't ready. He just couldn't sit there and tell his superior officer that he had just found out that his girlfriend's child wasn't actually his and that he had stayed with her to be honorable, only to leave the woman he loved and as he found out of late, his child alone, causing her to leave everything she knew and start fresh. How could things have gone so horribly wrong?
Bought back to reality by the distant call or his rank.
"Commander. Commander."
"Uh. oh Harriet, sorry I was out of it."
"That's okay, how is she?"
"No change, she's been unconscious for 11 hours and the doctors keep telling me it's just a matter of time."
"I know it's hard but at least she's still alive."
"Is she, what if she doesn't ever come out of unconsciousness? Do you really think this is how she want's to live?"
"Commander you wouldn't."
"NO, Never, I was just saying it's no type of life for her, she's so strong and full of life, have you ever known her to sit and relax and just do nothing?"
"No, I can see your point, she'll be okay Sir."
"I hope so Harriet, I hope so."
"Permission to speak freely sir."
"You don't have to ask Harriet and it's Harm."
"Okay, What took you 2 so long to get together?"
He made a sound that was a very weak excuse for a laugh and replied "If I knew what took us so long, then it wouldn't have taken so long in the first place."
"Good answer Harm but you don't fool anyone."
"Okay Harriet, as you have probably noticed neither of us score high in the communications department, least of all me. When she was ready I wasn't, then she was with Mic, I thought at. at one point we were both ready at the same time and we both knew it, but then we were, well I was too scarred that I might lose her and so I let her walk away when all she wanted me to do was stop her. For two people who claim to understand each other better than anyone else we were both so wrong."
"Something so simple as Love shouldn't be that complicated."
"Your telling me, at the point in which I told you that I thought we were both on the same page she told me that 'I make simple things complicated' and I told her that 'she makes complicated things simple.' So there you go."
"Well sir.. um Harm I think when she comes out of this you should both sit and talk about a lot of things."
"I plan to do that, I don't know how much she's told you but when we got together it was so simple, I think that's what we need, when we are together we can cope with anything."
"Yeah she told me much the same thing, and.. I know much more than you think."
Smiling to herself Harriet walked out of Mac's room, she knew the Commander was starring at her, watching closely as she left the room. It would do him good to think about something else other than Mac's condition.
********************
The next 24 hours passed uneventfully, There was still no change in Mac's condition and Harm was beginning to crack, The staff from Jag were in constantly, to check on him as much as on Mac, Harm had no doubt that the Admiral had put them up to it, and to some extent he was grateful for the company, then again the constant questions about how he was doing were wearing thin, they should be more concerned about Mac than him.
All of a sudden the machines began to beep, terrified Harm ran out into the corridor and yelled for the nurse, his calls went unheard, as the nurses had already come running in his direction. Harm stood frozen to the spot the colour drained from his face causing him to become paisley white, then a disturbing shade of green.
"Sir you'll need to leave."
"No!"
"Sir you need to get out of the way, we'll tell you when everything is back to normal."
"What do you mean back to normal? I want to know what's going on. Mac honey, can you hear me? Please help her maker her better."
"Sir you need to leave or I'll have to call security."
"Alright, alright."
Harm stood outside Mac's room for what seemed like hours, seconds ticked by without acknowledgement and dread flowed throughout every inch of his body, the longer they were in there, the less chance there was of good news. The next thing he knew they were wheeling Mac out of her room and down the hall. As if on auto pilot, Harm went from nurse to nurse looking for answers and each time he would get the same sorrow filled look of sympathy.
Finally the doctor that had wheeled his Sarah away from him burst through the doors, Harm ambushed him before he had a chance to dodge him and demanded answers.
"What's wrong with her, please tell me she and the baby are alright."
"Commander Rabb?"
"Yes, what can you tell me about Mac."
"Colonel MacKenzie has been taken to surgery, the baby suffered some sort of sudden stress and is at great risk. We have taken the Colonel into surgery to alleviate that stress on the baby and if we cant then the baby will need to be delivered."
"But she's only 6 months pregnant."
"I know and it is a great risk to both mother and child to deliver this early but if the pressure causing the baby stress is unable to be alleviated both of them may not survive."
Harm stood silent for a few moments then once all the things the doctor had said were processed he said "Do what you have to do doctor, just make sure they both survive."
"I'll do what I can Commander Rabb."
Once the doctor had disappeared through the doors he had entered through a few minutes earlier. Harm stood there, unable to process any of his thoughts or surroundings. In the last 10 minutes he had heard the monitors go off around him and been told to leave his dying true love and child, he was then told that they may not live and that his child may have to be delivered 3 months premature. Why was this happening to him? Every time he thought things could get no worse, they did.
"Sir, would you like me to call anyone for you?"
"Uhhh yeah, could you call Admiral AJ Chegwidden tell him there has been complications with Colonel MacKenzie."
"Yes Sir."
He stood there for a few more moments he contemplated sitting down but knew he couldn't sit still, pacing the waiting room was making him feel ill and without his realisation he moved through the doors and down a long corridor, unable to face the reality he had left behind.
JAG HQ Same time.
"Chegwidden here."
"(Good afternoon sir, this is Petty Officer Smith from Bethesda, I'm calling on behalf of Commander Rabb.)"
"Yes?"
"(Sir there has been some complications with Colonel MacKenzie she is in surgery as we speak.)"
Oh God! He thought to himself. "I'm on my way."
AJ hung up the phone and raced out of the office, "Tiner cancel my afternoon commitments and tell anyone who calls I'll get back to them, I may not be in tomorrow either."
"Yes sir, is everything alright?"
"No, it's not I call with news later, I need to get to Bethesda immediately."
There was no need for Tiner to ask questions, at the mention of Bethesda and the look of immense panic and despair on the Admirals face he knew there was something terribly wrong with Colonel MacKenzie.
"Tell Lieutenant Simms and Roberts that they are needed at Bethesda as soon as possible."
Harriet saw the Admiral rush through the bullpen, without a single glace at it's occupants. She saw him waiting at the elevator pacing back and forth waiting for it to open, he glanced back at her and her blood ran cold, there was a single tear slipping down his cheek and utter panic in his eyes, their eyes met and her worst fears were confirmed with the slight nod of his head.
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL 20 minutes later.
In all honesty he had never been this scarred in his life. He was an ex SEAL, he's seen his friends die in combat and looked death in the face. But none of these situations came close to what he was feeling now, Harm and Mac were like children to him, his closest friends. He rushed into the waiting room and looked around frantically, there was no sign of him, without hesitation he headed for the nurses station.
As if anticipating his question Petty Officer Smith saw the Admiral racing toward her. "She's in surgery, her and the baby are under great stress and if it is unable to be alleviated the baby will need to be delivered or they may both die."
The revelations by the young Petty Officer shook him to the core, he opened his mouth to speak again but she beat him to it
"I don't know where the Commander went but after the doctor spoke to him he left and went down that corridor."
"Thankyou I'll go and look for him, if there is any news, page me on this number."
He scribbled down the number and raced down the hallway. He knew exactly where Rabb would be.
To Be Continued.