Disclaimer: see Chapter 1
Author's Notes: I hope you enjoyed the story. Please, send me your comments, I'll read them attentively.
Thanks a lot to all and every people who sent me reviews. I don't want to name anyone, so I won't forget someone, but it's great to have positive feedback!
A sincere thanks to Elena and Didine, from Freelang.com, for their help with the Russian dialog.
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October 25th
1033 ZULU
George Washington University Hospital
Washington
Harm looked at Mac with pleading eyes, unsure about what his brother had just said.
"Sergei, eto Mac. Ja zdes' s tvoim bratom. [Sergei, it's me, Mac. I'm here with your brother,]" she answered, bending over to be closer to him.
"Mac? S moim bratom? [Mac? My brother?]" Sergei tried to sit straight in his bed, but Harm stopped his movement. The machines started beeping faster, as the patient was fidgeting.
"Sergei, pozhalusta, ne dvigaisia. Ty v bol'nitse. Tebe nuzhno otdokhnut', tak chto Harm i ja nenadolgo ostavim tebia odnoho. [Sergei, please, don't move. You are at the hospital. You need some rest, so Harm and I will leave you alone for a moment,]" said Mac, on a soft tone. She got up from her chair and gently motioned for Harm to leave the room with her.
Harm put his right hand on his brother's arm and squeezed it lightly, the other hand still clutching Mac's. He rose reluctantly and stepped aside, "I'm not leaving you alone, little brother. I'll be back soon, I swear," he murmured before he followed Mac in the hall.
Once in the hall, Harm hurriedly asked Mac, "What did he say?"
She took a deep breath and answered carefully, seeming to search for the right words. "It looks like he suffers the same thing as you did, when you crashed, two years ago. He doesn't remember us. But I'm sure it's only temporary," she added quickly, when she saw the pain in Harm's eyes. "His doctor should be coming soon, so we'll have more information at that time."
"That crash changed so many things in my life, I hope this accident won't screw his up," Harm whispered.
"You mean breaking up with Renée was a mistake?" Mac was staring at the beige wall, her voice almost inaudible.
"No, no, it's just that... I've been so close to... I mean, you almost got... Well, every time I crashed, my whole life went to hell." His heart was racing, as he remembered the accidents and the terrible consequences. He closed his eyes, trying to fight the pain that invaded his whole body suddenly.
"Listen, I have to go home before Chloe wakes up, but I'll be back as soon as possible," Mac promised, trying to hold back a yawn.
"You don't have to do that, Mac. I can stay here by myself. You should go to bed, and when I have any news, I'll call you."
Mac placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, "He's going to be okay, believe me." Then she walked towards the elevators. A second before the doors closed, Harm mouthed silently in her direction, "Thanks," and he saw her smiling and briefly closing her eyes, showing she perfectly understood what he had said.
1728 ZULU
George Washington University Hospital
Washington
Harm was lost in his thoughts when he heard a slight knock on the door. "Enter," he said dryly, annoyed with all the going and coming of nurses and doctors. Finally, he looked at the visitor and rose from his chair to welcome her, "Mom!"
"I guessed you would be hungry, so I brought your favorite lunch, veggie salad with extra tomatoes, only a little bit of feta cheese, light Italian dressing and a diet cola, right?" Trish said, handing him a brown paper bag. "Oh, and Mac stopped by your apartment and took some clothes for you, she thought you might need new ones..."
"Thank you." He took the duffel bag she handed him and put it beside his chair. Then he looked at his brother and asked his mother, uncertain, "Would you like to stay with us?"
"That's why I'm here, son," she answered good-naturedly.
They both stepped over to the chairs next to the bed, and as Harm took his lunch from the bag, his mother looked attentively at Sergei. "He's like your father when I met him," she said, seemingly lost in her memories. "But your father's hair was darker." After a few moments, she continued, "Your father was a fighter, you're a fighter, I'm sure he's a fighter, too. He has Rabb's blood in his veins, remember."
Harm faced his mother. "Everybody keeps telling me so, but I'm afraid it's not that easy."
"Keep the faith, son. I know you are not very religious, but we should pray and ask your father to give him the strength to recover quickly."
They sat silently at Sergei's bedside for over an hour, holding each other's hand, before Trish excused herself and left to return to Mac's apartment.
October 26th
1420 ZULU
George Washington University Hospital
Washington
Harm had spent another night watching by his brother. The personnel had authorized him to use the showers in the locker room, but even though Mac had taken his razor, he didn't bother to shave. The warm water was not of any help for him to feel better. Despite his short period of being conscious, Sergei was still out of it. He hadn't said a word since Mac had left, the day before. Harm had again accommodated himself on the spot that had by now become his usual place to sit in, next to his brother's bed, when someone knocked at the door.
"Keeter, Terry, Kate, Skates, what are you all doing here?" he asked, surprised to see the four visitors as the first one opened the door.
Teresa Coulter talked first. "Well, I received a call earlier this morning. A military building collapsed in Boston last night. They need me to identify some of the victims."
"On my part, Admiral Boone pulled some strings to bring me here last week, but the Seahawk is deployed to the Arabian Sea tomorrow and they need their best RIO. I can't miss the casting off," continued Skates.
"It's been very nice to see you again, Harm. I just hope someone will finally understand what they mean with what they say about those gold wings and dress whites... Anyway, if you come to Naples, call me. I was reassigned to the Mediterranean Head Quarters six months ago," Kate carried on.
"And my boss called me an hour ago to fly a plane to..." Keeter added, "Well, Harm, you know the company, some classified place. All I can tell you is that I have some chances to meet our dear friend Maria Carmena..."
"Maria Elena Carmelita Moreno Gutierrez." Harm corrected, smiling despite himself. "It's been so great to see you all again. Thank you so much." He shook Keeter's hand vigorously and tightly hugged the three women that were dear to him, each in her personal way.
Harm stared at the door a few minutes after the departure of his friends, then he addressed his brother, "I never realized before how much my friends care for me. Sergei, you have a family here, too, you know, and I'll never give up on you, believe me."
He sat down on his chair and continued his watch.
October 27th
1147 ZULU
George Washington University Hospital
Washington
Harm was still asleep when Mac entered the room.
"Good morning sailor," she said in a soft voice when he opened his eyes, lightly brushing her hand against the back of his shoulder as she walked by. "I brought you some coffee and bagels for breakfast. How is he?"
"The doctors say that the last CT scan showed no signs of permanent damage to his brain, and his abdominal injury is getting better. But he's still unconscious and he didn't say a word since Saturday morning when you left."
"And how are you doing?" Mac asked, insisting on the use of the pronoun, concerned because of his untidy looks.
"Given the circumstances, fine I guess," he answered. He felt exhausted and terribly empty seeing his brother so helpless, but he wouldn't admit it to anyone, even Mac. When he finished speaking, the machines surrounding Sergei started beeping faster, so they both hurriedly approached the bed. The Russian opened his eyes and looked around himself, as if he were trying to identify the room.
"Harm?" His voice was very hoarse, but the intonation indicated that he recognized him.
After a look in Harm's lost eyes, Mac decided to continue the conversation. "Dobrahye ootrah, Sergei. Kahk dyela?" [Good morning, Sergei. How are you?]
Sergei looked at her face, lowered his glance to her hands on his arm, and continued, " Nou chto, Mac, moi brat nakonetz poprosil tebia vyjti za nevo zamuzh?"
She sighed heavily and waited a few seconds before she answered, "Net, eshcho net. Mne nuzhno itti. Poka. [I have to go, see you later.]" She turned to Harm, who looked puzzled, and spoke very fast, "He's okay now, his memory seems back. I gotta go. I'm supposed to be in court in 37 minutes for the Romano case, remember? It wasn't only an excuse for Friday night, this guy should really spend his life in Leavenworth."
Harm stopped Mac on her way to the door, holding her arm, "What did he ask you?"
"Nothing important," was the only thing she responded as she got out of his grip, looking straight ahead. She exited the door, leaving the two brothers alone.
Harm returned to his brother's bedside, wondering if he could indeed have a conversation with him. "Sergei, do you hear me?"
"I hear you, brother. Tell me what happened, please." Sergei's voice was weak and his Russian accent was stronger than ever.
Relieved and exhausted, Harm fell back in his chair. "You had an accident on your way to Mac's apartment last Friday. You lost consciousness and when you woke up the first time, two days ago, you couldn't recognize neither me nor Mac." Harm tried to keep his voice steady, but the emotion of having his brother back was too strong. He had to swallow a few times before he could continue. "The doctor should come soon, and we'll know when you can be discharged."
"So I missed your birthday party," Sergei whispered, regrets audible in his voice. "I'm so sorry, Harm."
"Don't be, please. I'm very happy to have you back," Harm said, hugging his brother softly.
October 29th
1452 ZULU
George Washington University Hospital
Washington
As Sergei's life was not in danger anymore, Harm had accepted to take his breakfast at the hospital cafeteria and took the time to shave neatly. But he never left his brother for too long, worried he might need some help to communicate with the doctors and nurses.
"Harm, do I really need to stay here for a couple of days?" Sergei asked his brother for the third time that morning.
"The doctors think so. But at least today you'll leave the ICU for your own bedroom. A single bedroom, so there'll be nobody snoring in the other bed," Harm answered, smiling.
"Except you!" Sergei teased.
"What?" Harm feigned shock. "Nobody ever told me that."
"Ask Mac, I am sure she noticed."
"Don't start with that, little brother, please." Harm's voice became sad. "You don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing between Mac and me. I was not even sure we were still friends until she organized this party." She had hurt him the other day the way she left, but that was just another feeling he had put at the back of his mind, with all the others things he resented Mac for.
"Mac, please, come in!" Lost in his thoughts, Harm started when he heard his brother welcoming the visitor.
"So, when are you going to leave the hospital?" Mac asked.
"Friday afternoon. I can't wait to eat something good. I think the food in the prison in Chechnya was better. I hope my brother still has his couch, so I won't have to sleep on the floor. Not that I really care, but..."
"Don't worry, Sergei, my couch will always be there for you," Harm said with a smile.
"Harm, may I speak with you for a moment?" Mac was looking at her feet, and then she led him in the hall. "It's about Clay..."
"I don't think I'm the best person for this," Harm answered dryly.
"I have nobody else whom I could confide in," began Mac. "He's desperate and I don't know what to do. He told me he's been dating someone in the company before we left for Paraguay, but when we came back, she only showed up once at the hospital to see him, and he has had no news from her since then. He keeps telling me he's okay, but he's hurt, I can see it."
"Any chance I know her?" Harm asked, unsure what to think of Mac's confession.
"She was the one in charge of the Angel Shark investigation, last year. Catherine Gale, I think."
"Catherine Gale was dating Webb??" Harm exclaimed in disbelief. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise you anything," he said.
"Thank you," she answered sincerely, "I have to go, things are really crazy at JAG without you. At least, the Romano case came to a verdict yesterday: 15 years in Leavenworth." She popped her head in the room and added, on a playful tone, "See you soon, Sergei!"
"I hope so, Mac!" Sergei responded in kind. When she was gone, he questioned his brother. "Now, tell me, Harm, how can you believe she is not in love with you? It's written in her eyes."
"Because she told me so when we were in Paraguay," Harm said in defeated voice.
"I'm not really good at female psychology, but is it possible she said that to avoid being hurt once again?" Sergei asked.
"I never meant to hurt her, even though I probably did too often," he whispered. "I thought I'd lost her to another man, but now I realized I simply lost her. Period."
"I'm not sure of that," Sergei ventured. "I was still under the effects of the drugs, but I remember asking her if you finally proposed to her."
"You did what???" Harm choked out.
"I saw a ring at her hand and I thought you eventually asked her to marry you. It was probably just her Marine Corps ring, but I noticed the disappointment in her eyes when she said 'no'. Actually, she said 'not yet'. She is still in love with you, brother."
Harm sat on his chair as the words sank in. 'Mac, the woman I love ever since I saw her for the first time at the Rose Garden, might love me, too? But there's still this 'chain of command' problem. How can I tell her the way I feel without risking to destroy our careers, and mostly our friendship, the most precious thing in my life? I don't know. Please, Mac, help me.'
October 31st
2354 ZULU
North of Union Station
Harm's Apartment
Sergei had finally been discharged from the hospital during the afternoon. Harm invited him to dinner to celebrate his recovery and the little brother ate four plates of mussels with French fries while Harm preferred to order a vegetarian lasagna. They were now in front of the apartment's door, exhausted but happy to be home, finally. When Harm opened the door, the first thing he saw were two kids, a young girl dressed like Joan of Arc and a little pirate saying "Trick or Treat!"
He needed a few seconds before he recognized Chloe who was holding a sword and a shield in front of her, and little AJ who had a toy-parrot on his shoulder and a piece of black cloth on his left eye. When Harm entered his apartment, he saw his friends, all costumed, waiting for him. Next to the door were standing Bud, dressed as Mr Spock with the Vulcan ears and the black suit, and Harriet, a Little Red Riding Hood with her blond hair around her face holding a baby rabbit in her arms, which was Jimmy. At their right were King Arthur and Lady Guinevera that Harm recognized as his mother and his stepfather. Behind the kitchen islet were Sheherazade (Jennifer Coates with her long hair braided with ribbons in an Arabian-fashion dress), Lady Macbeth (a sublime Meredith in full Shakespearean attire), Ricky Martin (a sexy Gunny in leather pants and a black silk shirt), and a suffragette impersonated by Bobbi Latham.
Harm couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a beautiful pregnant princess sitting on his couch, the ghost beside her wrapping a protective arm around her waist. He had called Catherine the day before, asking her to talk with Webb, but he hadn't planned it to happen so soon. With them a baseball player in a white suit with fine blue lines, his cap screwed on his head (Admiral Chegwidden), a frontiersman wearing a fur hat with a raccoon's tail (Admiral Boone) and a pharaoh's mummy with a gold mortuary mask (Sturgis) were talking.
Harm dropped his and Sergei's duffel bags in his bedroom and hung his coat, his brother right behind him. At that moment he saw her. Mac was coming out of the bathroom, dressed in adjusted brown suede pants with a beige shirt and a dark coat, two pistols attached at her loose belt. Her large hat was almost covering her right eye. She was exactly like he remembered the movie, except that she was much more seductive than Robert Redford. "Sundance!" was all he could pronounce, his voice suddenly failing him.
She approached and handed him a big box, the one he'd seen at her apartment the week before. "Happy birthday, Harm," she said on a velvety tone. He was unable to say a word; he could only look around and notice they were alone, as Sergei had joined the others. He sat on his bed and opened the box. It was filled with tissue paper and he finally found two little leather notebooks, one Marine green and one Navy blue. "I know it is useless to discuss our feelings with each other," Mac started, standing right in from of him, "so I decided to write down how I feel about you. You don't have to read it, but if you are ready, there's a second booklet to tell me what you feel yourself."
He lifted his gaze and saw apprehension in her eyes. Quickly, he took her hands in his and rose from the bed. "Sarah, you always know what I really need. Even though I'm frightened at the idea of showing my feelings, I'll fill this booklet in with all the honesty my heart is capable of. And I promise it won't take an eternity. Thank you so much for not giving up on me."
He closed the distance and hugged her tightly, relieved to feel that she returned the embrace. They clung to each other for a few minutes, comforted to feel the presence of the person who meant so much for them. Finally Mac drew back a little and guided him towards the living room, a large smile on her face and her eyes twinkling. "We haven't celebrated your birthday yet, oldie."
"I know, and now I have all the reasons I needed to celebrate," he answered as he winked at her, before they joined the group, who started singing in chorus, "Happy Birthday to you..."
FIN
A/N : I was thinking about writing a sequel to this, but it will depend on your comments, so please tell me if it's worth it. Thanks!