PART 9
NEXT MORNING HARM'S APARTMENT
Harm slept uneasily throughout the night. At 0500, he finally gave up the fight and got out of bed. He laid his uniform out and took the phone with him to the bathroom so he could get to it quickly on the off-chance that she'd call.
He stepped under the hot spray of the shower and tried futilely to let it soothe him. //I should've been able to protect her. //He sighed and leaned back against the shower wall. //She doesn't deserve this, she's been through so much in her life as it is.//
Thirty minutes later, the alarm clock going off in the bedroom pulled Harm out of his thoughts. He turned off the water and got out. He dried off and carried the phone into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed as he dialed the familiar number. "Come on, Mac, please pick up."
SAME TIME MAC'S APARTMENT
Mac sighed as her phone began to ring. She knew it was him. She wouldn't expect anything less from him. She considered not answering, but the incessant ringing was making her head pound more than it already was. She picked it up slowly. ".Good morning, Harm."
"Mac, um, hey. I really didn't think that you'd answer."
Mac sighed softly. "If you didn't think I'd answer, they why did you bother calling?"
"Well, I guess, I was just hoping." He shrugged. "How are you holding up?" He asked gently.
"I'm still a little bit sore, but I'm okay."
"Are you sure? I mean, you've been through a lot and no one would think less of you if you weren't."
"Harm, stop it. I'm fine, really I am."
"If you say so, but if you're not, you can talk to me. I'm here for you."
"I'll keep that in mind." She said softly.
"Thank you. I, um, tried to call you last night." He said tentatively.
"Sorry, I must've already been asleep." She lied.
"Oh, well, did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, my shower did me a lot of good. I slept through the night without a problem." She hated lying to him, but she couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't let him know how weak she was.
"Well, that's good." He said softly. //Something about her tone is really off.// "Do you need anything? I could stop by before or after work or I'm sure that I can get a long lunch break and bring you something to eat?"
"Well, that's really thoughtful of you, but I'm planning on going to work today."
"Mac, no. You should really take some time off. The Admiral will understand."
"Take some time off for what, Harm?! So that I can sit here and relive every second of it over and over? What the hell good does that do? I'm perfectly able to do my job, Harm."
"I'm not saying that you're not." He said softly. "But, maybe you should take some time and get some professional help or something."
"I'm not crazy, Harm."
"I didn't say that you were. And I don't think that you are. But, Sarah, you've been through something very traumatic. A therapist may be able to help you heal and get past it."
"Harm, listen to me. I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I'm fine. So, I'll see you at work, okay?"
"Can you at least consider it, please? At least take today off and let your body heal." He pleaded.
Mac sighed softly. "I'll consider it, okay?"
Harm nodded. "Okay, thanks." He said softly. "And if you do stay home and you need anything, even if it's just to talk, call me?"
"I will, Harm, bye." She said softly and hung up. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair before getting up and taking her pain medication.
HARM'S APARTMENT
Harm slowly placed the receiver back onto the cradle. He knew she wasn't okay no matter how many times she claimed to be. He knew her too well to believe that. He went into auto pilot as he got ready and drove to work, his mind on one thing and one thing only, Sarah Mackenzie.
He pulled into his spot and sighed in relief. //Her car isn't here. Maybe she listened and stayed home.// He relaxed slightly and went inside, going straight to his office and getting ready for the day.
However, his relief was short lived. At the last minute, he caught sight of Mac as she made her way through the bullpen and into her office. He sighed softly. "Damn it, Marine, why can't you just listen to me for once?" He muttered.
He shook his head and tried to ignore the urge to run to her side and take her into his arms. She obviously wanted space right now and crowding her would only tick her off and make her push him away even further. He buried his face in his hands. //Of all the people, why her?//
He managed to keep himself busy until lunchtime. He stood, stretching slightly and gathered his confidence before going over to her office and knocking lightly on the door.
Mac sighed softly. She didn't even have to look up to know that it was him. "Enter." She called reluctantly.
Harm opened the door and stepped in tentatively. "Hey, Ninja-girl, you busy?"
She nodded. "I'm playing catch-up from yesterday."
"Ah, well, you want to take a break and go grab a bit to eat with a squid?" He offered a smile.
She looked up. "I'd like to, but I already have plans. Sorry, rain check?"
His breath caught, she really didn't look good. Her eyes seemed so.dead. They had none of the sparkle that he has used to seeing. "Um, yeah okay, sure." He nodded.
"And yes, I'm fine. So you can stop babysitting me."
"I'm not, I'm just..."
"Harm, is that all you wanted to ask?"
"Yeah." He said softly. "Well, no, are you busy for dinner?"
"I'm planning on working later and then going home and taking a bubble bath and heading to bed."
"Well..." He gave her his best 'flyboy' grin. "Care for some company?"
She couldn't help but laugh. "That's very tempting."
He grinned more. "Is it tempting enough? I'll feed you dead animal.give you a nice massage and even sit through a chick flick."
"Harm, another rain check? That definitely sounds wonderful, but I've got a lot of work to do and I'm going to be exhausted so."
He nodded, his smile fading slightly. "Sure, well, do you need anything? Coffee? A snack?"
"Thanks, but I'm fine."
He nodded again. "Well, I'll let you get back to work then. I'll see you later?"
"Sure."
He turned and headed back to his office. //At least she laughed a bit. That's a good sign, right?//
Mac got her purse and cover and headed out to 'lunch' at McMurphy's. She sat down at the bar. "Vodka tonic, please."
TBC
NEXT MORNING HARM'S APARTMENT
Harm slept uneasily throughout the night. At 0500, he finally gave up the fight and got out of bed. He laid his uniform out and took the phone with him to the bathroom so he could get to it quickly on the off-chance that she'd call.
He stepped under the hot spray of the shower and tried futilely to let it soothe him. //I should've been able to protect her. //He sighed and leaned back against the shower wall. //She doesn't deserve this, she's been through so much in her life as it is.//
Thirty minutes later, the alarm clock going off in the bedroom pulled Harm out of his thoughts. He turned off the water and got out. He dried off and carried the phone into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed as he dialed the familiar number. "Come on, Mac, please pick up."
SAME TIME MAC'S APARTMENT
Mac sighed as her phone began to ring. She knew it was him. She wouldn't expect anything less from him. She considered not answering, but the incessant ringing was making her head pound more than it already was. She picked it up slowly. ".Good morning, Harm."
"Mac, um, hey. I really didn't think that you'd answer."
Mac sighed softly. "If you didn't think I'd answer, they why did you bother calling?"
"Well, I guess, I was just hoping." He shrugged. "How are you holding up?" He asked gently.
"I'm still a little bit sore, but I'm okay."
"Are you sure? I mean, you've been through a lot and no one would think less of you if you weren't."
"Harm, stop it. I'm fine, really I am."
"If you say so, but if you're not, you can talk to me. I'm here for you."
"I'll keep that in mind." She said softly.
"Thank you. I, um, tried to call you last night." He said tentatively.
"Sorry, I must've already been asleep." She lied.
"Oh, well, did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, my shower did me a lot of good. I slept through the night without a problem." She hated lying to him, but she couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't let him know how weak she was.
"Well, that's good." He said softly. //Something about her tone is really off.// "Do you need anything? I could stop by before or after work or I'm sure that I can get a long lunch break and bring you something to eat?"
"Well, that's really thoughtful of you, but I'm planning on going to work today."
"Mac, no. You should really take some time off. The Admiral will understand."
"Take some time off for what, Harm?! So that I can sit here and relive every second of it over and over? What the hell good does that do? I'm perfectly able to do my job, Harm."
"I'm not saying that you're not." He said softly. "But, maybe you should take some time and get some professional help or something."
"I'm not crazy, Harm."
"I didn't say that you were. And I don't think that you are. But, Sarah, you've been through something very traumatic. A therapist may be able to help you heal and get past it."
"Harm, listen to me. I appreciate your concern, I really do, but I'm fine. So, I'll see you at work, okay?"
"Can you at least consider it, please? At least take today off and let your body heal." He pleaded.
Mac sighed softly. "I'll consider it, okay?"
Harm nodded. "Okay, thanks." He said softly. "And if you do stay home and you need anything, even if it's just to talk, call me?"
"I will, Harm, bye." She said softly and hung up. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair before getting up and taking her pain medication.
HARM'S APARTMENT
Harm slowly placed the receiver back onto the cradle. He knew she wasn't okay no matter how many times she claimed to be. He knew her too well to believe that. He went into auto pilot as he got ready and drove to work, his mind on one thing and one thing only, Sarah Mackenzie.
He pulled into his spot and sighed in relief. //Her car isn't here. Maybe she listened and stayed home.// He relaxed slightly and went inside, going straight to his office and getting ready for the day.
However, his relief was short lived. At the last minute, he caught sight of Mac as she made her way through the bullpen and into her office. He sighed softly. "Damn it, Marine, why can't you just listen to me for once?" He muttered.
He shook his head and tried to ignore the urge to run to her side and take her into his arms. She obviously wanted space right now and crowding her would only tick her off and make her push him away even further. He buried his face in his hands. //Of all the people, why her?//
He managed to keep himself busy until lunchtime. He stood, stretching slightly and gathered his confidence before going over to her office and knocking lightly on the door.
Mac sighed softly. She didn't even have to look up to know that it was him. "Enter." She called reluctantly.
Harm opened the door and stepped in tentatively. "Hey, Ninja-girl, you busy?"
She nodded. "I'm playing catch-up from yesterday."
"Ah, well, you want to take a break and go grab a bit to eat with a squid?" He offered a smile.
She looked up. "I'd like to, but I already have plans. Sorry, rain check?"
His breath caught, she really didn't look good. Her eyes seemed so.dead. They had none of the sparkle that he has used to seeing. "Um, yeah okay, sure." He nodded.
"And yes, I'm fine. So you can stop babysitting me."
"I'm not, I'm just..."
"Harm, is that all you wanted to ask?"
"Yeah." He said softly. "Well, no, are you busy for dinner?"
"I'm planning on working later and then going home and taking a bubble bath and heading to bed."
"Well..." He gave her his best 'flyboy' grin. "Care for some company?"
She couldn't help but laugh. "That's very tempting."
He grinned more. "Is it tempting enough? I'll feed you dead animal.give you a nice massage and even sit through a chick flick."
"Harm, another rain check? That definitely sounds wonderful, but I've got a lot of work to do and I'm going to be exhausted so."
He nodded, his smile fading slightly. "Sure, well, do you need anything? Coffee? A snack?"
"Thanks, but I'm fine."
He nodded again. "Well, I'll let you get back to work then. I'll see you later?"
"Sure."
He turned and headed back to his office. //At least she laughed a bit. That's a good sign, right?//
Mac got her purse and cover and headed out to 'lunch' at McMurphy's. She sat down at the bar. "Vodka tonic, please."
TBC