"Whoops." Harm heard a familiar voice down the corridor.
"Let me just get that for you Lt." Harm heard one of the nurses' reply.
"Thanks. Just put it."
"I'll just put it back on your head sir, it will be safest there."
"Thank you Ensign." Bud replied. "Could you just get the door for me too?"
"Of course sir." The Ensign opened the door and allowed Bud to walk in carrying a large box.
"Commander, Colonel." Bud nodded his hands full.
"Just put it on the table Bud." Harm instructed. Bud placed the box on the table and took off his cover and placed it next to it.
"How are you feeling ma'am?" He inquired.
"Better. Tired, but better."
"Bud, did you manage to find that item I requested?" Bud look confused for a second and then realisation dawned on him.
"Yes sir, it's in the box."
"Good. Mac we've got a little surprise for you." Harm walked over to the box and took out a familiar looking paper bag. "You hungry?"
"Bud, you got me a Beltway burger. You're going to be my hero forever." Mac said pushing herself up and accepting the bag from Harm.
"Hey what about me?" Harm asked.
"Sorry you refer to it as dead cow you can't be my hero if you object to Beltway burgers." Bud smiled at the banter between his two friends.
"Commander, I brought all the files and a few books I thought we might need. I also had Tiner put up some details about similar cases."
"Good thinking. I managed to requisition a desk and chairs. Mac, eat your burger and then gets some rest I'll wake you in a couple of hours. The nurse should be by in about an hour to do your obs, but she can do that when you're asleep."
"One hour, 2 minutes and 41 seconds." Mac supplied.
"Even a bump to the head can stop her doing that." Harm chuckled. "Bud lets leave her to eat and get to work."
~
As Mac began to wake she heard Harm and Bud talking in hushed voices. But was reading back the questioning of a witness. One of Sturgis's questions struck her as unusual. She continued to listen as Bud recounted the rest of the witness's testimony, the question was random and there weren't any follow-ups. Bud hadn't followed up with his questioning either, but it still struck her as odd.
"Bud, go back to Sturgis's questioning and start again, just read his questions I don't need to hear the response." Mac said opening her eyes.
"Hey sorry did we wake you?" Harm asked.
"No. Bud can you?" She prompted. "Harm listen to what Sturgis's asks and tell me if anything strikes you as odd. Bud." Bud repeated Sturgis's questioning of the witness.
"Okay, where did that come from?" Harm asked as heard the question that Mac had spotted.
"Bud, get the statement they took from that witness and check out their relationship with Dawkins. Sturgis either knows or strongly suspects something that he's not been forthcoming with."
"How did you notice that?" Harm asked as Bud looked for the statement.
"I woke up at the right time. What did the nurse say about my obs?"
"You're blood pressure jumped slightly, but within acceptable limits, your pulse is steady and your temperature is normal. Do you need anything? Some water perhaps?"
"I'm fine. But unless you figure out what's really going your going to lose your case."
"Tell me the basics of the case and what Dawkins said happened."
"Mac you should be resting."
"Harm I'm fine. I slept, now just tell me what happened."
"Okay." Harm moved to sit by Mac's bed and began to explain the case to her.
~
"Thank you Colonel, we've definitely got a better defence now." Bud said as he collected all the files to take them back to JAG. "Harriet will be here as soon as she drops little AJ off in the morning."
"Thank you Bud." Mac smiled "and thanks for the burger too. I hate hospital food."
"Ma'am theory is it's so bad that people want to get better quickly so they can go out and find food that tastes like food and not ration packs."
"Good point. But at least it's better than Harm's meatless meatloaf."
"Yes ma'am. I hope you feel better soon. Sir." He nodded to Harm and left.
"Thank you for all your help today." He kissed her on the forehead as soon as he was sure Bud was gone.
"It gave me something to do."
"Commander Rabb, I'm afraid I'm going have to ask you leave for a few minutes while the doctor takes a look at the Colonel. Why don't you go and get some food or a drink?" The nurse suggested.
"I'll be back." He said to Mac.
"You'd better be."
TBC
"Let me just get that for you Lt." Harm heard one of the nurses' reply.
"Thanks. Just put it."
"I'll just put it back on your head sir, it will be safest there."
"Thank you Ensign." Bud replied. "Could you just get the door for me too?"
"Of course sir." The Ensign opened the door and allowed Bud to walk in carrying a large box.
"Commander, Colonel." Bud nodded his hands full.
"Just put it on the table Bud." Harm instructed. Bud placed the box on the table and took off his cover and placed it next to it.
"How are you feeling ma'am?" He inquired.
"Better. Tired, but better."
"Bud, did you manage to find that item I requested?" Bud look confused for a second and then realisation dawned on him.
"Yes sir, it's in the box."
"Good. Mac we've got a little surprise for you." Harm walked over to the box and took out a familiar looking paper bag. "You hungry?"
"Bud, you got me a Beltway burger. You're going to be my hero forever." Mac said pushing herself up and accepting the bag from Harm.
"Hey what about me?" Harm asked.
"Sorry you refer to it as dead cow you can't be my hero if you object to Beltway burgers." Bud smiled at the banter between his two friends.
"Commander, I brought all the files and a few books I thought we might need. I also had Tiner put up some details about similar cases."
"Good thinking. I managed to requisition a desk and chairs. Mac, eat your burger and then gets some rest I'll wake you in a couple of hours. The nurse should be by in about an hour to do your obs, but she can do that when you're asleep."
"One hour, 2 minutes and 41 seconds." Mac supplied.
"Even a bump to the head can stop her doing that." Harm chuckled. "Bud lets leave her to eat and get to work."
~
As Mac began to wake she heard Harm and Bud talking in hushed voices. But was reading back the questioning of a witness. One of Sturgis's questions struck her as unusual. She continued to listen as Bud recounted the rest of the witness's testimony, the question was random and there weren't any follow-ups. Bud hadn't followed up with his questioning either, but it still struck her as odd.
"Bud, go back to Sturgis's questioning and start again, just read his questions I don't need to hear the response." Mac said opening her eyes.
"Hey sorry did we wake you?" Harm asked.
"No. Bud can you?" She prompted. "Harm listen to what Sturgis's asks and tell me if anything strikes you as odd. Bud." Bud repeated Sturgis's questioning of the witness.
"Okay, where did that come from?" Harm asked as heard the question that Mac had spotted.
"Bud, get the statement they took from that witness and check out their relationship with Dawkins. Sturgis either knows or strongly suspects something that he's not been forthcoming with."
"How did you notice that?" Harm asked as Bud looked for the statement.
"I woke up at the right time. What did the nurse say about my obs?"
"You're blood pressure jumped slightly, but within acceptable limits, your pulse is steady and your temperature is normal. Do you need anything? Some water perhaps?"
"I'm fine. But unless you figure out what's really going your going to lose your case."
"Tell me the basics of the case and what Dawkins said happened."
"Mac you should be resting."
"Harm I'm fine. I slept, now just tell me what happened."
"Okay." Harm moved to sit by Mac's bed and began to explain the case to her.
~
"Thank you Colonel, we've definitely got a better defence now." Bud said as he collected all the files to take them back to JAG. "Harriet will be here as soon as she drops little AJ off in the morning."
"Thank you Bud." Mac smiled "and thanks for the burger too. I hate hospital food."
"Ma'am theory is it's so bad that people want to get better quickly so they can go out and find food that tastes like food and not ration packs."
"Good point. But at least it's better than Harm's meatless meatloaf."
"Yes ma'am. I hope you feel better soon. Sir." He nodded to Harm and left.
"Thank you for all your help today." He kissed her on the forehead as soon as he was sure Bud was gone.
"It gave me something to do."
"Commander Rabb, I'm afraid I'm going have to ask you leave for a few minutes while the doctor takes a look at the Colonel. Why don't you go and get some food or a drink?" The nurse suggested.
"I'll be back." He said to Mac.
"You'd better be."
TBC