TITLE: Terrible News
AUTHOR: Clairisant
Email: Clairisant@revealed.net
CLASSIFICATION/RATING: Crossover with Quantum Leap/If chapters are other
than G they will be listed at the top of each chapter.
SPOILERS: Family Secrets and The Princess and The Petty Officer
SUMMARY: This story deals with the death of Baby Sarah.
FEEDBACK: Would love to hear both good and bad feedback but please try to
be kind and constructive. Clairisant@revealed.net
Chapter 1
Wednesday, November 15, 2000 0800 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Admiral AJ Chegwidden put down the phone after talking with Mikey Roberts', Bud's younger brother. He rose from his desk as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and walked out of his office.
Petty Officer Tiner jumped to his feet, as usual and called, "Admiral on deck!"
As was the norm, everyone within earshot of this call snapped to attention. The Admiral's usual call of, "As you were," was not forthcoming that morning, though, instead he called out, "Everyone front and center!"
Staff members filed out of their offices, joining those already present. Mac noticed that Bud and Harriett were not among them. She worried that they would be in trouble for being late to work that morning, especially when it seemed that the Admiral had an important announcement to make. It was as she came to attention again once in the bullpen that she saw the look on the Admiral's face. Her heart dropped to her shoes even before the first words were out of his mouth. Something awful had happened, and the Admiral was about to tell them all. He looked older than she had ever seen him look. The flesh around his lips was drawn tight and faintly gray in color. He was in shock! Then it hit her. Bud and Harriett were not there! It was all she had time to think before the Admiral began to speak.
"I am afraid I have some terrible news." He seemed not to want to tell them the rest. "I just had a call from Mikey Roberts. He was at Bethesda. Harriett went into labor late last night." He paused to draw a ragged breath.
Everyone in the bullpen held their breath, trying to brace themselves for what they thought was coming. But nothing could have prepared them for the Admiral's next words. Nothing could have prepared them for the devastation of the news that he had.
His lips opened, and closed, and opened again. It was as if, he could not say the words. As if they were just too horrifying to be real. The Admiral closed his eyes, as if in pain. He could not look at his people as he said what he had to say, could not watch the horror come over their faces, could not watch the devastation that what he was about to say would cause. Maybe if he said it with his eyes closed it would not seem so real to him either.
"Harriett and Baby Sarah died twenty minutes ago. That is all. Dismissed!" he turned and strode back into his office, leaving desolation in his wake.
To be continued..........
Chapter 2
Monday, November 13, 2000 1000 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Sam Beckett felt strange. He always did right after a leap, and just a little disoriented really, nothing major. He was sitting at a desk in some kind of military installation, if all the people around him in uniform were any indication. Looking down at his desk, to try and find some more information about who he was this leap, and where he might be this time, before Al got here to fill him in, he noticed two things right away. He was also in uniform, and he would have normally have noticed that he had breasts next, but just as this registered he felt someone kick him in the stomach. That was when he realized that it was coming from inside of him. He was pregnant.......AGAIN! "Oh, Boy!" (fade to commercial hehehe)
"No, sweetie, we're having a girl. The doctor said the ultra-sound was pretty conclusive. Are you disappointed it is not another boy?" Bud asked his wife.
Sam looked up at the Lieutenant standing in front of the desk he was sitting at.
"Sam, that's your husband, answer him!" Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci told his friend as he step into the bullpen, dressed as what could only be an over-the-top version of Napoleon, coming through a brightly lit doorway to another time and place.
"Um...Ah...no, I'm fine with a girl," Sam said in a females voice.
"Okay, Sweetie, just making sure. I need to meet Commander Rabb in court now. I'll see you at lunch."
Al gave Sam a look that said, 'answer him already!'.
"Oh, um, sure, sweetie," Sam replied. "Al, we need to talk," he muttered almost under his breath, hoping only his holographic friend could hear him.
"Go to the bathroom, Sam, pregnant women are always needing to go to the bathroom! Meet you there!" Al told him as he punched something into Ziggy and stepped through the imaging chamber door.
Sam looked around and no one seemed to be looking at him, so he got up and began to search for the restrooms. He was pretty sure that asking someone where they were would not be the prudent thing to do. He wandered into a small room with cupboards, a fridge, and a coffee pot, that smelled like in needed dumping.... badly!
There was a two star Admiral about to pour himself a cup of what Sam could only describe as sludge. "Sir, don't drink that! It is way too old." Sam/Harriett took the pot from his hand and dumped it down the drain. Not noticing the stunned look on the Admiral's face, Sam added, "I'll make a fresh pot."
"Lieutenant, I had just made that coffee.... it WAS a fresh pot!" came the exasperated reply from the Admiral.
"But, Sir.......only Marines drink their coffee that strong!"
"Harriett, I heard that!" Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie said, coming into the break room.
To be continued..........
Chapter 3
"Sam, why did you come to the break room instead of the bathroom?" Al asked, stepping into the room and came face to holographic face with Mac. "Oh, god! What a Marine!"
Sam rolled his eyes at Al's lecherous comment, he knew he should be used to them by now, but it always surprised him how little respect Al had for women even though he had been married five times.
"Mac, she poured out our coffee! What are we going to do with her?" the Admiral asked the female Marine.
"Court-marshal her, Sir! I will prosecute!"
A handsome, dark haired Commander came into the already crowded room and asked, "Who is being court-marshaled?"
"Harriett, for killing a perfectly good pot of coffee," Mac told him.
"Did you make it, Mac? If so, I will defend her! Your coffee could kill!"
"No, Rabb, I made it!" the Admiral growled.
"Oh, in that case you are sure to get off, Lieutenant Sims!" he joked. "It was justifiable homicide!"
"Sam, bathroom now!" Al shouted at him.
"Um, excuse me....bathroom," Sam muttered and shuffled his pregnant body passed all the people in the small room.
"Lieutenant!" the Admiral called.
"Sam, that's you!" Al told him.
Sam/Harriett turned around, "Yes, Sir?"
"Leave the coffee pot, Lieutenant," he advised, with an indulgent grin.
"Oh! Yes, Sir!" Sam said and handed the pot to him. This time Sam followed Al through the bullpen and out into the hall passed the elevators and Sam had his hand on the door to the men's room without even thinking about it.
"Sam," Al sighed, rolling his eyes, "Men don't get pregnant."
It took Sam a minute to realize what Al was trying to tell him. He sighed too and entered the ladies room instead. When Sam got inside, he found Al sticking his head through the stall doors to make sure they were alone.
"Al!" Sam hissed, "Stop that!"
"Rats! No one in there!" Al pouted.
Sam sighed, "Okay, why am I here and why am I pregnant?"
"Gee, Sam, you're the doctor.....you should know how you get pregnant!"
"That is not what I meant and you know it! Now why does Ziggy think I am here?"
"He's not sure yet. All we know is that in two days time both you and the baby die during delivery. I would guess you are here to prevent that."
"I would say that that is a pretty good guess. What caused their deaths?"
"Working on it, Sam!" with that Al stepped back through the lighted door of the imagining chamber. Seconds later Sarah Mackenzie came into the restroom.
"Sure glad Al is gone," Sam muttered.
To be continued..........
Chapter 4
"Harriett, are you all right?" Mac asked her friend.
"Oh, yes, ma'am," Sam replied.
"Harriett, when will I ever get you to call me Mac or Sarah?" Mac grinned at her.
"I couldn't while we are at work, ma'am," Sam said, and quickly left the restroom as Mac entered a stall.
Sam went back to Harriett's desk and sat there trying to figure out what he/she was supposed to be doing. He found out that he was working at the Judge Advocate General office from the letterhead. There were pictures on the desk of the man Al had told him was her husband and a cute blonde haired little boy, whom he assumed was there son. 'Great!' Sam thought, 'Kids have seen through my jumps before and have also been known to 'see' Al. We might have a problem when I go home.....and I don't even know her son's name!'
"Ma'am, is everything all right?"
Sam looked up into the soft brown eyes of a very handsome Marine. 'Wow, don't they hire anyone here who is not gorgeous?' From the Admiral he had seen earlier to the Petty Officer at the desk nearby, everyone was great looking! Sam thought. "Um, no.....I mean yes, everything is fine...." Looking at the man's nametag, Sam added, "Victor." This got him a very odd look.
Victor wandered away still casting occasional glances Sam's way. Sam answered phones and did some filing and before he knew it, the morning had passed and his husband and a the tall dark Commander were coming towards him.
"Hi, sweetie, ready for lunch?" Sam's husband asked.
"I just need to deliver these files to Colonel Mackenzie," Sam responded. Before he could get up to do so, however, the Commander grabbed the back of Sam's desk chair and pushed him towards Mac's office.
"Rabb's file delivery service!" he announced as they entered her office.
Mac looked up and gave an exaggerated sigh, "Thank you, Harriett."
"Hey! No thanks for me?" Harm asked.
"No, Flyboy," she smiled.
Harm harrumphed, and guided the chair backwards out of the office and into the Admiral. "Ooof, Admiral!" Harm stiffened, and came to attention.
Sam tried to stand and do the same, but the chair he was in was in Colonel Mackenzie's doorway and he was trapped in it. The Admiral saw Harriett struggling to rise and placing a hand on her shoulder said, "As you were, Lieutenant. Commander, do you have a flight plan filed?"
"Sir?"
The Admiral sighed, he was not known for making jokes with his people, so when he tried, they did not 'get it'. Then he heard a slight snicker and looked into the office to see that Mac was trying hard to keep from laughing. 'So she "gets me"!' he thought. As Mac realized she had been spotted, she also jumped to her feet and came to attention.
"As you were," the Admiral said, as he stepped back so Harm could pull the chair out. That was when AJ noticed that Harriett did not have any shoes on. "Lieutenant, did the bullpen suddenly become 'footwear optional' without my knowing it?"
Now that he was free of the doorway, Sam struggled to his stocking clad feet, "No, Sir!" he said trying to snap to attention as best he could with his swollen belly and feet. "I was not expecting the Commander's actions, Sir, and had my shoes off under my desk because the swelling it them is so bad. Sorry, Sir, it won't happen again."
Bud had seen this entire exchange and had dived under his wife's desk to get her shoes. He brought them over to her and kneeled down in front of her to help her put them on. Sam tried to balance on one foot while his husband put on the first shoe, but the baby shifted just then and he felt himself starting to fall.
"Playing 'Prince Charming' is all fine and good, Lieutenant, as long as you don't knock Cinderella on her six!" AJ said as he caught her in his arms.
To be continued..........
Chapter 5
Monday, November 13, 2000 1200 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Sam gasped.
Mac giggled.
Bud exclaimed, "Harriett!"
Harm just stood there stunned.
AJ scooped Harriett into his arms and said, "This is how it should be done, son. With me, Rabb."
Harm started to follow....."Bring the chair, Harm."
They were all surprised when AJ sat Harriett on the edge of her desk and sat down in the chair. He held out his hand, and simply said, "Shoe." Bud put it in his hand and AJ placed Harriett's foot on his knee and gently slid the shoe on, then he held out his hand for the other shoe.
As he was putting it on, Al appeared in the bullpen. He took in what was going on and came over to Sam. Peeking over his shoulder at the Admiral, "Oooh! My Prince......." Al purred sarcastically. "Well, now we know how the two of you die! Your husband kills you in a jealous rage!"
Sam glanced over his shoulder at Al and glared at him.
"There you are, Cinderella," AJ said, standing up and helping Sam off the desk.
"Ready for lunch now, sweetie?" Bud asked.
"Yes," Sam replied and the three of them left the bullpen. Al was tagging along.
The afternoon was a little easier on Sam since everyone was sympathetic of Harriett's swollen feet. People brought her coffee, and got their own files. Gunny came by and stole the files Sam was about to take to the filing cabinet, and the Admiral came out at 1700 exactly to send Harriett and Bud home.
Sam had been dreading this. Children could sometimes see Al when he appeared and if he did that at the wrong time it could be a big problem. To top that all off, Sam was not used to young children and had no idea how Harriett behaved with her son.
"Ready to go, Harriett?" her husband asked.
"Oh! Yes, sorry my mind was just on dinner," Sam replied.
"Why don't you let me grill something tonight and you just rest?" Bud suggested as they headed to the elevators.
"That would wonderful, Bud." Hanging back a bit when they left the building, Sam allowed Bud to lead the way to their vehicle. He approached a mini-van and opened the passenger door for Harriett.
"I know your feet hurt, sweetie, I'll run in and get AJ."
"Thank you, Bud." Sam was left alone in the van for a few minutes, a short time later Bud came out with a blonde toddler. Thinking quickly, Sam closed his eyes and tilted his head back on the headrest, pretending to be asleep, when they got into the van.
"AJ, let's be real quiet, okay? Mommy is sleeping."
"Okay, daddy," the toddler said as his father buckled him into his car seat.
When they arrived home, Bud gently shook Harriett's shoulder to wake her, "Honey, I will bring AJ in. Why don't you go in and just put your feet up until I have dinner made?"
"I feel useless," Sam replied.
"Sweetie, you are doing something I could never do! You are carrying our child, and that is not useless!" Bud told her lovingly as he came around the van to open Harriett's door and help her out. When Sam was standing in front of him, Bud leaned over to kiss his wife tenderly on the lips.
"Wow! Sam, I didn't know you swung that way!" Al exclaimed, appearing next to them.
To be continued..........
Chapter 6
Monday, November 13, 2000 1730 EST Roberts' Apartment Rosslyn, VA
Sam glared at Al over Bud's shoulder.
"Honey?" Bud asked when he got no response to his kiss.
"Sorry, Bud, I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
"Its okay, hun. Let's get you inside, so you can rest." Bud moved around the van to get AJ while Sam searched through his purse for the keys. Letting himself and Al into the apartment, Sam kicked off his shoes the minute he was through the door. Bud came in with AJ, and put him down, so he could go and start dinner.
"I'll start the grill, and then change out of my uniform. Could you make a salad, sweetie?"
"Um, sure. Let me get out of my uniform first." Sam walked down the hall till he spotted the bedroom. Al and AJ followed him.
"Mommy, is that an angel?" AJ asked, pointing at Al. For the first time, Sam noticed that Al was dressed in a white silk robe.
AL grinned at Sam and said, "Tina and I were in the shower when the information on.... never mind that right now," he turned to AJ and said, "Yes, I am and I am here to help your mommy and baby sister."
"Oh, okay! Can I go play in my room, Mommy?"
"Yes, you can," Sam told him. After AJ left the room, he turned to Al. "An angel?!"
"Well, it seemed like a good answer at the time!" Al responded.
"Yeah, but anyone less like an angel........"
"Hey!" Al pouted.
"We don't have much time, Al. Tell me what you found out!" Sam said as he started to take off Harriett's uniform. Then he noticed Al staring, "AL!"
"What?"
"You know very well 'what'!" Sam snapped, and stepped into the adjoining bathroom to finish removing the uniform and changing into maternity jeans and a T-shirt. He emerged a few minutes later fully dressed, much to Al's regret. "Okay, now what did you find out about why I am here?"
"Ziggy says it is 97% certain you are here to save the mother's life."
"We had figured that, but you didn't say anything about the baby. You said both mother and baby died. I must be here to save both of them."
"As far as we can see it is all about the mother! Terrible things happen when she died," Al said.
"Terrible things like what?"
"Sam, you know I am not supposed to tell you."
"Al, I need something to work on here! If I had some clue what goes wrong when she dies, then maybe I would know how to fix this mess."
"Gooshie will kill me if I tell you!"
"Al, I need to know!"
"Okay! But I will deny I told you! After she dies the whole JAG office falls apart... the Admiral retires, and spends the rest of his life alone. That pretty Colonel Mackenzie will start drinking again--she's a recovering alcoholic. Harriett's husband Bud commits suicide, leaving their son AJ alone. Commander Rabb never has a serious relationship in his life, and dies alone. PO Tiner never goes to law school, leaves the Navy, and ends up pumping gas the rest of his life. Gunnery Sergeant Galindez goes back to being a cop, and gets killed in a drive-by shooting. The Australian goes back to Australia and is never heard from again."
"Wow! She must be some woman if her death has that much affect on these people!"
"She is, Sam. She's very special."
"Then that's why I have to save both her and the baby! It would really help if you can locate her medical records and tell me what the cause of death is for both her and the baby."
To be continued...........
Chapter 7
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. They had dinner, and Bud kindly offered to give AJ his bath and put him to bed. Then came the moment that Sam had been dreading. It was time for Harriett and Bud to go to bed! 'How in the hell am I going to handle this?' Sam thought. His only comfort was that Al was off trying to get Harriett's medical files and would not be there to offer comments!
Sam searched through Harriett's dresser, while Bud took his shower. He managed to find a silk pair of pajamas that he thought would cover him well. Quickly putting them on before Bud came back into the room, Sam turned and was about to get into bed and pull up the covers when he realized.....he did not know what side of the bed Harriett slept on! How was he going to solve this one?
As Sam was trying to figure this out, Bud came out of the bathroom in a pair of boxers, towel drying his hair. "Ready for bed, sweetie?" Bud asked, throwing his towel into the hamper. He walked over to the bed and got in on the left side.
Getting in on the right side, Sam pulled the covers over himself. Bud reached out and pushed the covers off and began unbuttoning Harriett's pajama top, from the bottom.
"What are you doing?" Sam asked him.
"What I always do before bed, silly!" Bud grinned.
Sam watched in horror as Bud opened the top and then reached for a small jar on the nightstand. He opened it and took some cream out on his fingertips. Bud began rubbing it into Harriett's swollen tummy. Sam had to admit that it felt wonderful, but as was his usual luck, Al chose that moment to appear.
"Oh, Sam! I am really getting worried about you! First you are kissing a guy, and now you are letting him rub your pregnant belly?!" Al stood at the end of the bed shaking his head and smoking a cigar.
Since Bud was looking at Harriett's stomach, Sam took the opportunity to glare at Al. "Bud, I know it's late, but all of a sudden I am just dying for a toasted fried egg and peanut butter sandwich, would you mind making one for me, please?"
After grimacing at the thought of it, Bud threw back the covers and got up, "Sure sweetie, would you like something to drink with that?"
"Hot chocolate, please," Sam replied. Bud left the room thinking that this was the weirdest craving that his wife had had to date.
"Wow, Sam! You remembered your favorite sandwich? I used to cringe every time you ordered one of those in the cafeteria when we were getting the project off the ground."
"Never mind that now, we only have until Bud gets back to talk. What have you found out about how Harriett and the baby die?"
"That's just it, we are having trouble finding the medical records. Tina is still searching, and all we can come up with right now is for you to be very careful. I know it's not much, but until we can find the records, that's all we have."
"Keep looking. Al we only have tomorrow to find out."
"I will, Sam, and you have a good night with your hubby! Don't do anything I wouldn't...........wait, that would leave a lot of things open that would cause even me to shudder......just behave!" Al smirked as he stepped back into the imaging chamber and disappeared.
To be continued...........
Chapter 8
Tuesday, November 14, 2000 0730 EST Roberts' Apartment Rosslyn, VA
Sam did not wake refreshed that morning. He had been up and down several times in the night to go to the bathroom. It seemed that the baby had decided to spend the night riding on his bladder. The alarm, when it went off, almost got thrown across the room. Sam tried to rise to go to the bathroom yet again, but discovered that he could not move.
There was an arm and a leg holding him down. Bud was wrapped around his wife, and when Sam tried to rise, Bud snuggled closer, as if not wanting to let go. Rolling over onto his back, Sam was going to wake Bud so he could get up. However, when he felt Bud's morning erection, Sam thought better of waking him, and once again tried to slide out from under Bud's arm.
He loved her so much! She was the perfect wife and a wonderful mother to little AJ. Bud just knew their daughter would be as beautiful as her mother. He was the luckiest man in the world! They shared careers that they loved, had a child they adored and another due any day now, life could not get any better than this!
Bud, feeling his wife starting to stir, reached out to gently caress her breast. They were so much fuller now that she was pregnant again. It had been several weeks since they had had sex, and although he understood that it was uncomfortable for her now, he was still a healthy male with normal desires. Taking her nipple in his hand, he teased it to hardness. They were so sensitive now that she was so near her delivery date.
Sam moaned. He was getting turned on by Bud's caresses?! Struggling to sit up so he could get out of the bed and get away from this amorous man, Sam said, "Bud, I have to go to the bathroom!"
"Oh, honey......." Bud sighed, disappointed.
Then a little voice came from the hall, "Mommy, Daddy, me hungey!"
Bud sighed, "He has lousy timing," he said.
Sam sighed, 'He had great timing,' he thought, and hurried into the bathroom.
"Coming, AJ," Bud called as Harriett disappeared.
Sam got into the bathroom and closed the door. He had just flushed when Al appeared.
"Wow, Sam, your face is all flushed. Are you coming down with something?" Al reached out his hand as if to feel Sam's forehead and instead it went through his head.
"No, I'm fine, Al. What have you got?"
"But, Sam you're all red and you're breathing heavy." Al looked at him oddly and then noticed the hardened nipples under the silk pajama top. "Ooooh! Sam! You are horny! Way to go, man! Ooops, wait a minute! Are you horny for BUD?! Oh, Sam, I mean I know it's been a long time for you..........but a guy?"
To be continued...........
Chapter 9
"Shut up, Al!" Sam left the bathroom and after grabbing a robe headed to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Mornin', Mommy," AJ said from his high chair when Sam entered the room. He smiled at the child and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Mommy, why no kiss me?" AJ demanded.
Sam smiled and leaned over to kiss AJ on the forehead, as he did so the baby kicked and AJ felt it. "The baby kicked me!" he declared.
"Your sister was just saying 'hello'. She can hardly wait to meet you," Sam told him.
"And I can hold her when she gets here?"
"Yes, AJ, as long as you have help," Bud replied.
"We had better get ready for work," Sam said, gulping down the rest of his coffee.
"Go ahead, honey, I will help AJ get dressed."
"Okay, Bud, thanks." Sam entered the bedroom to find Al lying on the bed smoking his cigar.
"You know, Sam, you really hurt my feelings when you told me to 'shut up'."
"Yeah, right!" Sam replied, going to the closet and dresser, getting the pieces of Harriett's uniform. He was heading into the bathroom to dress when AJ ran into the room.
Spotting Al on the bed he hopped up beside him, and noticing that Al was wearing the same kind of uniform that his third favorite adult wore, AJ asked, "Are you an Admiral Angel?"
Al sat up, "Yes, I am, AJ. Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci!"
"Wow! Admiral AJ will be an Angel one day too, huh?"
"I am sure he will be, AJ. SEALS make great Angels."
"He hepped me be born!"
"He is very special then!" Al told him.
"AJ, where did you go?" came Bud's voice from the hall.
"Go and get dressed, AJ," Sam said, shooing him down the hall. He then went into the bathroom to get dressed out of Al's view. But just as Sam was buttoning the blouse of Harriett's uniform, Al stuck his head through the door.
"Hurry up Sam, we need to talk."
Sam jumped nearly a foot he was so startled. "Al! Stop doing that!" He quickly finished dressing and came out of the bathroom. "Okay, now what have you got for me?"
Bud came into the room carrying AJ, "Who are you talking to, sweetie? The baby?"
"Nope," AJ told his father, "She's talking to the Angel. Right, Mommy?"
"Just praying that everything goes well tomorrow," Sam said.
"Tomorrow? At work?" Bud asked.
"Oh I just have a feeling that tomorrow is the day."
"Oh, way to cover, Sam!" Al exclaimed.
"You think you will have the baby tomorrow, honey?"
"Angel, why are you calling Mommy, Sam?"
"What, AJ?" Bud looked confused.
"Good one, AL!"
"Ooops," grinned Al. Thinking fast he said to AJ, "That is just secret Angel-code, AJ"
"OH!" AJ said as if he understood completely.
"AJ, what Angel?"
"The Angel Mommy is talking to!"
"You see an Angel?"
"Uh huh! He is wearing an Admiral's uniform and smoking a cigar. Angel, you know that that is bad for your health, don't you?"
Bud laughed at the mental image that brought. "Okay, you two, we need to get moving or we will be late."
Sam moved to the door, glad that Bud did not ask any more about the Angel. He would have to find a time alone with Al to see what he had found out.
To be continued...........
Chapter 10
Tuesday, November 14, 2000 0900 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
When they reached JAG HQ that morning, Tiner approached Harriett as soon as he saw her. "Ma'am, I put a little surprise under your desk for you this morning."
"A surprise?" Sam questioned.
"Yes, Ma'am, it is a little footstool............rats, now it is not a surprise! Me and my big mouth!"
"He would be great under interrogation!" Al muttered in Sam's ear, even though no one else in the bullpen could hear the hologram. But it cause Sam to jump because he had not seen Al appear behind him.
"Ma'am, are you all right? Did the baby kick?" Tiner asked in a loud, concerned voice.
All eyes turned to the pair, everyone cared for Harriett and it sounded like something might be wrong. The Admiral who was passing through on his way from the break room also heard.
"Harriett, is something wrong? You are not in labor are you!?" AJ wanted to be sure she was going to have this baby somewhere OTHER than his office! "Do you need to go to the hospital?"
Bud entered from the storeroom just then and assumed that his wife was in labor. "Honey! Let me bring the car around and we can go now!"
"Hold it!" Sam shouted. "Everyone freeze!" Everyone did, and turned to look at Harriett as if she was someone else! They had never heard her talk in that tone of voice before! "I am NOT in labor and I do not need to go to the hospital! Everyone go back to your duties."
The Admiral raised one eyebrow and considered the fact that a Lieutenant JG had just given him an order. "Lieutenant Sims, did you just issue an order to everyone in the bullpen?"
"Yes, Sir, I did. Everyone is running around like a chickens with their heads cut off and there is no reason for it," Sam replied without thinking about whom he was addressing.
Al was standing right next to Admiral Chegwidden and Sam glared at him, because he was sure that somehow this was all Al's fault.
"Lieutenant, did you just refer to me as a chicken?" AJ inquired.
"Calling a two-star a chicken, Sam?" Al asked incredulously.
"Shut up, Al!" Sam shouted.
"Harriett!" Mac exclaimed.
"Ma'am!" Tiner gasped.
"Ma'am!" Gunny warned.
"Sweetie?" Bud questioned.
"What did you call me, Lieutenant?" Admiral AJ Chegwidden demanded.
To be continued...........
Chapter 11
The elevator door dinged open, loud in the silence of the bullpen. Commander Rabb, not realizing he had stepped into the middle of a situation, walked up to Harriett and asked, "Lieutenant, did you get the research that I asked for?"
All eyes moved to him and Harm finally realized he had walked into the middle of something. "What is going on?" he asked.
"Lieutenant, get Rabb's research and then report to my office," Admiral Chegwidden said.
"Yes, Sir!" Sam replied, turning to Harriett's desk to get the file he had put the information in. As Harriett turned back to her desk the others in the bullpen reluctantly went back to work at a stern look from the Admiral, who walked back to his office.
Handing the file to Harm, Sam headed to the Admiral's office. Tapping lightly, he entered when he heard him say, "Come in."
"Admiral you wanted to see me?" Sam inquired, standing at attention in front of AJ's desk.
"So it's 'Admiral' now? What happened to 'Al'?"
"Yeah, Sam, explain about me!" Al said from his seat on the edge of the Admiral's desk.
"Sir, I am so sorry! I mean I don't know what came over me, I never think of you as 'Al'! I mean rarely even as 'AJ'. I was just so stressed I didn't know what I was saying. Please forgive me!"
"Take a breath, Harriett!" AJ advised.
"Cry, Sam!" Al told him.
"I will forget it this time, but don't let it happen again. All right?" he gently, but sternly, inquired.
"Thank you, Sir! It won't happen again, I promise!"
"Dismissed, Lieutenant."
Sam scurried out of the room as fast as his pregnant body would let him. When he did get back to Harriett's desk, he was pleased to find the surprise that Tiner had promised. The footstool was tucked under the desk and had a soft pillow top. It felt wonderful to slip off his shoes and put his feet up on it.
He received looks from everyone in the bullpen. It seemed that they were all concerned about how Harriett was taking being called into the Admiral's office. Sam tried to reassure them with a small smile. The rest of the morning passed rather slowly. Sam kept trying to find a time and place where he could talk to Al alone, but everyone in the office seemed to be determined not to leave Harriett alone even for a few minutes.
Even the bathroom was not a retreat! Just a minute or two after Sam entered the ladies room and checked to make sure he was alone, Mac came in just as he was about to call out Al's name. Sighing in frustration, Sam washed his hands and left the room. He also tried to find a minute alone in the storeroom, but had no more than entered that area when Gunny came in to offer his help in finding what ever it was Harriett had come in to get.
By lunchtime, Sam was ready to scream! He needed to find out what caused Harriett and the baby to die in less than twenty-four hours!
To be continued...........
Chapter 12
Because Sam's feet were hurting so much by lunchtime, he had told Bud that he did not want to go out for lunch as they had planned. Being the ever- concerned husband that he was, Bud suggested that they go down to the cafeteria. Sam/Harriett told him that even that much of a walk would be too much.
Overhearing this part of the conversation as she passed through the bullpen, Mac told them, "I was just going to order in myself today because I am rushed on the McKinley case. Why don't we order pizza and we could eat in my office?"
Sam sighed in relief and said, "Thank you, Ma'am! That would be heavenly!"
"I do have one condition to this offer, though..." Mac told them.
"What would that be, Ma'am?" Bud asked.
"That you both stop Ma'aming me while we are eating. It is Mac or Sarah..... or no deal!"
"Oh, Ma'am, I don't think we can do that," replied Bud.
"For pizza and not leaving the office I can do that and a whole lot more!" Sam told her.
"Okay, great! Harriett and I will have lunch together and you are on your own, Bud!" Both women looked at him, waiting for him to back down.
Gunny, who had heard the entire conversation from his near by desk, advised Bud, "When women start ganging up on you, Lieutenant, you had better just go with the flow.......especially when one of them is a Marine!"
Looking back and forth between the two women and Gunnery Sergeant Galindez, Bud said, "Thank you, Gunny, that sounds like very good advice. I will try my best to call you Mac, Ma'am, at least while we are eating."
Laughter flowed around the bullpen at Bud's comment, and Mac suggested that since Harriett would be out soon on maternity leave, they just make an office party for her and order enough pizza for everyone. This suggestion was met with enthusiasm and soon Gunny was gathering money and taking pizza orders. Forty-five minutes later, two deliverymen showed up in the bullpen after having been cleared by the front gate with eight large pizzas with assorted toppings. Harriett's centrally located desk was cleared and soon everyone was diving in.
Drawn out of his office by the cheerful, non-work-related chatter, and the smell of the fragrant pizza, Admiral Chegwidden, stood unnoticed in his office doorway. He watched his people and saw the enjoyment they had in each other's company. Even though the rank separation was always there, he could see that it blurred a bit at times like these. AJ wished he could join in on these occasions, but he knew that being their Commanding Officer set him apart in their eyes. He was liked and respected by them, he knew that, but he was not a friend, and never would be.
Mac looked up as she was stuffing her mouth with another slice of "Meat Lover's" pizza and saw the Admiral standing there. 'He looks so alone and left out," she thought, just as she realized that no one had even thought to invite him to join them. 'God! No wonder he looks that way! We did not even consider him!'
"Sir! Come and join us....we just decided on the spur of the moment to order pizza in."
At her words, Tiner leaped off of the edge of Harriett's desk and shouted, "Attention on deck!" Everyone snapped to.... Well, as best they could with pizza slices and pop cans filling their hands. This, of course, ruined the mood of enjoyment in the bullpen and re-enforced the gulf between the Admiral and the rest of the staff.
"As you were," he said. "I don't want to interfere with your party, Colonel, you folks go ahead have fun," and after saying that walked into the break room for the cup of coffee he had been intending to get.
Bud turned to Harriett and said, "You go ask him, sweetie. The Admiral has always responded better to you than anyone else."
"He said he did not want to, Bud," Sam argued.
"He didn't mean it, Harriett. He really just wants someone to convince him that it is okay for him to join us. Please ask him," Mac begged.
Looking skeptical, Sam got to his feet and waddled into the break room. AJ saw her come in and clutched the coffee pot in his hand a bit tighter. "You are not here to deny me my coffee again, are you, Lieutenant?" he asked.
To be continued...........
Chapter 13
"No, Sir. I'm here to ask you again to join us. We would like it very much if you would. It is sort of a going-away party anticipating the start of my maternity leave. And since we don't really know when that will be, we just ....."
"Harriett, if I agree to join you, will you take a breath?" he grinned as he interrupted her.
"Yes, Sir, if you promise to join us I will promise to......."
"Tell him you promise not to have him deliver this baby, Sam! He has always dreaded that happening," Al said as he popped into the room. Sam/Harriett gasped as Al startled him/her.
"Harriett? You're not going into labor are you?" AJ asked as the woman in front of him gasped for breath.
"Oh, no, Sir. I'm all right, it is just that the baby kicked," Sam lied.
The two them walked back into the bullpen and Harriett offered the Admiral his choice of pizza. "That is Harm's, Sir," Mac said when he reached for a closed box.
"And why does Mr. Rabb get his own pizza?" AJ questioned.
Four voices answered him at once, "It's vegetarian, Sir!"
"Oh! UGH!" with a grin he reached for a different box.
It took a little while, but everyone finally started to relax with the Admiral in their presence. People came and went from the group as duties decreed. Everyone was having such a good time that when 1700 rolled around someone suggested adjourning to McMurphy's. Bud and Harriett said they would love to, but would need to pick up little AJ and then arrange for a sitter.
The Admiral stepped in at that and suggested that they all go to Callisto's instead so that they could bring his namesake along. This idea was very well received, and Bud and Harriett were happiest of all. People scattered to their offices or desks to get ready to leave for the day.
Bud went in to get AJ after seeing Harriett safely settled in the minivan. This was finally the chance Sam had been waiting for all day! "Al! Al, where are you?!"
"Here, Sam," he answered, appearing next to Sam in the van.
"I have not had a minute alone today to talk to you and you seemed like you had some information this morning...."
"Yeah, Tina dug up some of Harriett's medical records, and we know how she and the baby die."
"Well for, heaven's sake, tell me before Bud gets back here with little AJ!" Sam ordered.
"Sam, there is an intern that does a cesarean section on Harriett, and she hemorrhages to death! While they are busy trying to save her, the baby also dies," Al informed him sadly.
"Why does an intern do it and not her regular doctor?" Sam wanted to know.
"We don't know that yet, but we are still looking. Hang in there, Sam! We will find out more, I just know it."
"Concentrate on finding out why her doctor was not there, Al. That could be the key to saving them both."
"Will do, Sam. Oops, gotta go, here comes your husband!"
To be continued...........
Chapter 14
Sam watched this group of people as they laughed and chatted that evening. They seemed to truly like and respect each other. He was amazed at what Al had told him about how each of them would be affected by the death of Harriett and the baby.
It was hard to believe, seeing Mac as happy and bright as she was tonight that she would start drinking again. Sam could feel the sexual tension between her and the Admiral, and wondered if anything would ever come of it. But he could also sense undercurrents between her and Commander Rabb.
Bud was such a sweet and caring husband and father, he was so attentive to both Harriett and their son. Sam wondered how he could have forgotten about little AJ being left alone when he killed himself. The devastation he must have been feeling had to have been overwhelming for that to happen.
And even though, he was in the Navy, Sam was sure Tiner was so young that he had not experienced the loss of someone close to him, so Sam could understand how Harriett's death would hit him hard.
Sam could also see that Victor Galindez treated Harriett like a sister and cared for her deeply. As for how Rabb and Brumby reacted to her death, Sam could only speculate that Harriett and Bud had the kind of relationship that they would like to have if they only admitted it to themselves. And then not being able to find that ideal in their own life, that when their ideal relationship crumbled they lost all hope of having a successful one for themselves.
The Admiral was a bit harder to figure out, because of his rank, he was more distant, and because not knowing him as well, harder to read. But Sam seemed to be able to draw on something from Harriett on this one.....he just seemed to know that the Admiral was a lonely man, who was badly in need of someone special in his life. From the sexual tension between him and Colonel Mackenzie, Sam suspected that there were feelings there that neither could admit to the other. And with Harriett's death weighing on them they would probably try and suck it up and face it alone. Each in their own way. Each alone. Both hurting terribly but not able to tell the other how they feel. So here was the potential for a relationship between two wonderful people that would also be ruined by Harriett's death if Mac started drinking and the Admiral retired and remained alone. Sam wished that there were something that he could do to put them on the right track towards each other.
Most of the group seemed very reluctant to allow the evening to end, but the restaurant wanted to close and little AJ was already asleep in his high chair. Sam/Harriett could hardly keep his/her eyes open either, so Bud unenthusiastically suggested that he take his family home. And jokingly told everyone that morning Harriett had predicted that tomorrow was going to be the day she had Baby Sarah, so they would need all their rest tonight.
The group hearing this quickly started a pool on what time this might happen. Everyone wanted in on the action, even Bud and the Admiral put up a dollar to choose a time. When Sam said that he wanted in also, they wondered if that were fair because she was the one having the baby, but after some discussion they determined that she could not really know when it would happen so let Harriett place her bet also.
Sam noticed that Al was there and raised an eyebrow at him for the time of the birth. Al checked with Ziggy and told Sam that Harriett would go into labor at about 5am and have the baby at 7:40am. Since Sam was still determined to find a way to save both mother and baby, he figured the money they won could go towards buying one of those spinning things for the top of the crib for the baby to look at. Harriett placed her bet for 0745 EST and Tiner wrote it down with the others.
Everyone said their good-byes with hugs or hand shakes and they all scattered to their own vehicles.
To be continued...........
Chapter 15
Sam didn't sleep much that night. He was tossing and turning as best as he could in his condition, but he finally got up, admitting that he would not be able to sleep anymore. He went over to a small Captain's desk that was in the dining room and sat to write a letter to Sarah Mackenzie, figuring that if the Roberts' were naming their baby after her and that she was godmother to AJ, that she was a very special person in their lives. He wanted her to find happiness and felt that AJ Chegwidden would be that happiness for her. So he wrote a letter for Sarah and sealed it and placed it in the desk under some stationary that was in there.
Bud came into the room just as Harriett was closing the top of the desk, "Honey, what are you doing up at this hour?"
"Just taking some time to catch up on my letter writing since I couldn't sleep. You know, I think we should give this desk to Colonel Mackenzie one day. It really is something that she would like."
"But you love that desk!"
"Yes, but I love her, too, and I think that somehow this desk is meant to be hers. Please remind me one day that I want her to have it. Maybe in a few years."
Bud looked at his wife strangely, but agreed to her request. "Now, why don't we get back to bed? It will be morning soon, honey." Placing a hand under her arm to help her to stand, Sam rose from the chair and nearly doubled over as a contraction hit.
Looking up at Bud, Sam said, "I think bed will have to wait. We are going to have a baby!"
Bud grabbed her bag and got AJ out of bed, they were all soon on the way to the hospital.
Wednesday, November 15, 2000 0730 EST Bethesda Naval Hospital Bethesda, Maryland
For just a minute, Harriett was left alone in the room. Bud was in the waiting room with Little AJ, and all the nurses were searching for Harriett's doctor. "Al! Tell me what I have to do to save them!" Sam demanded between the contractions.
Al looked down at the flashing panels in front of him. A strange look came over his face. Raising his eyes to look at Sam, Al said, "If this intern does the caesarian and fails she will never finishes medical school, and her life will be a failure."
"So I just need to stop this incompetent intern and everything will be all right?"
"The intern is not incompetent, Sam just young and inexperienced.......Oh, god!"
"What, Al?"
"Sam, the intern........the intern.....is Sammy Jo........your daughter!"
"WHAT!?"
To be continued...........
Chapter 16
"She is in medical school right now. This is way before she joins the project. Sam, you have to keep her from doing the cesarean! Harriett's death ruins her career, and she never makes anything out of her life!"
"But Harriett's doctor is not here, either!"
"He will be, Sam. He's out test driving his new car, but he will be here just in time to deliver the baby."
"But the baby still dies, right?"
"Yes, but if you allow the cesarean to happen Harriett dies and Sammy Jo is ruined! Also just by deciding not to have the cesarean, history is changing! Tiner goes to school and becomes a lawyer, Gunny leaves JAG to become a CIA agent? Well that's weird, but different from before. The Australian still goes away, and Rabb ends up dying in a plane crash, go figure! The Admiral and that sexy Colonel end up getting married! HooYah! They credit their happiness to some desk that they Mac was given and discovered something in it that brought them together."
"Well, that all sounds pretty good. What about Bud and Harriett? What happens to them?"
"Well, Bud goes off to duty on a carrier. Oh, this is not so good. He loses a leg to a land mine. Wow, that's not so good!"
"There has to be something more I can do to help them! They are such good people. If I stop the cesarean, I will jump soon! Al, there has to be something I can do!"
"I don't know what, Sam. Bud is too far to get to before you jump and you can't tell her anything as you leave the body. Who is left?"
"Al, that's it! Their son AJ can see you! Go and tell him that things will be all right and that he needs to help his parents move on."
"Will do, Sam!" and just before he vanished, Al said, "Sam! That did it! Bud comes home and things are hard at first, but become better and the two of them as a couple are stronger than ever before! They go on to have another daughter in a few years, and name her Mackenzie Margaret!"
"AJ!" Al said when he zeroed in on the child.
"Oh, hi, Admiral Angel," tears were sliding down his little face. "Did you know that my mommy is sick and daddy is really worried?"
"That is why I'm here, AJ. I have something very important to tell you, and you have to remember to tell your mommy and daddy, okay?"
"Okay, Admiral Angel, what is it?"
"You need to tell them that even though they are going to lose Baby Sarah, that she is going someplace special and will be waiting for them one day. You need to tell them that everything will be okay and that she is happy."
"She is going to be an angel?"
"Yes, she is going to be an angel," Al managed to say just before he was pulled back. He knew that Sam had jumped.
To be continued...........
Chapter 17
Wednesday, November 15, 2000 0800 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Admiral AJ Chegwidden put down the phone after talking with Mikey Roberts', Bud's younger brother. He rose from his desk as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and walked out of his office.
Petty Officer Tiner jumped to his feet, as usual and called, "Admiral on deck!"
As was the norm, everyone within earshot of this call snapped to attention. The Admiral's usual call of, "As you were." was not forthcoming that morning though, instead he called out, "Everyone front and center!"
Staff members filed out of their offices joining those already present. Mac noticed that Bud and Harriett were not among them. She worried that they would be in trouble for being late to work that morning, especially when it seemed that the Admiral had an important announcement to make. It was as she came to attention again once in the bullpen that she saw the look on the Admiral's face. Her heart dropped to her shoes even before the first words were out of his mouth. Something awful had happened and the Admiral was about to tell them all. He looked older than she had ever seen him look. Then it hit her, Bud and Harriett were not there! It was all she had time to think before the Admiral began to speak.
"I am afraid I have some terrible news," he seemed not to want to tell them the rest. "I just had a call from Mikey Roberts. He was at Bethesda. Harriett went into labor late last night," he paused to draw a ragged breath.
Everyone in the bullpen held their breath, trying to brace themselves for what they thought was coming. But nothing could have prepared them for the Admiral's next words. Nothing could have prepared them for the news he had.
His lips opened, and closed, and opened again. The Admiral closed his eyes, as if in pain, he could not look at his people as he said what he had to say. Maybe if he said it with his eyes closed it would not seem so real to him either.
"Bud and Harriett lost Baby Sarah twenty minutes ago. That is all. Dismissed!" he turned and strode back into his office, leaving desolation in his wake.
The End
Chapter 1
Wednesday, November 15, 2000 0800 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Admiral AJ Chegwidden put down the phone after talking with Mikey Roberts', Bud's younger brother. He rose from his desk as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and walked out of his office.
Petty Officer Tiner jumped to his feet, as usual and called, "Admiral on deck!"
As was the norm, everyone within earshot of this call snapped to attention. The Admiral's usual call of, "As you were," was not forthcoming that morning, though, instead he called out, "Everyone front and center!"
Staff members filed out of their offices, joining those already present. Mac noticed that Bud and Harriett were not among them. She worried that they would be in trouble for being late to work that morning, especially when it seemed that the Admiral had an important announcement to make. It was as she came to attention again once in the bullpen that she saw the look on the Admiral's face. Her heart dropped to her shoes even before the first words were out of his mouth. Something awful had happened, and the Admiral was about to tell them all. He looked older than she had ever seen him look. The flesh around his lips was drawn tight and faintly gray in color. He was in shock! Then it hit her. Bud and Harriett were not there! It was all she had time to think before the Admiral began to speak.
"I am afraid I have some terrible news." He seemed not to want to tell them the rest. "I just had a call from Mikey Roberts. He was at Bethesda. Harriett went into labor late last night." He paused to draw a ragged breath.
Everyone in the bullpen held their breath, trying to brace themselves for what they thought was coming. But nothing could have prepared them for the Admiral's next words. Nothing could have prepared them for the devastation of the news that he had.
His lips opened, and closed, and opened again. It was as if, he could not say the words. As if they were just too horrifying to be real. The Admiral closed his eyes, as if in pain. He could not look at his people as he said what he had to say, could not watch the horror come over their faces, could not watch the devastation that what he was about to say would cause. Maybe if he said it with his eyes closed it would not seem so real to him either.
"Harriett and Baby Sarah died twenty minutes ago. That is all. Dismissed!" he turned and strode back into his office, leaving desolation in his wake.
To be continued..........
Chapter 2
Monday, November 13, 2000 1000 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Sam Beckett felt strange. He always did right after a leap, and just a little disoriented really, nothing major. He was sitting at a desk in some kind of military installation, if all the people around him in uniform were any indication. Looking down at his desk, to try and find some more information about who he was this leap, and where he might be this time, before Al got here to fill him in, he noticed two things right away. He was also in uniform, and he would have normally have noticed that he had breasts next, but just as this registered he felt someone kick him in the stomach. That was when he realized that it was coming from inside of him. He was pregnant.......AGAIN! "Oh, Boy!" (fade to commercial hehehe)
"No, sweetie, we're having a girl. The doctor said the ultra-sound was pretty conclusive. Are you disappointed it is not another boy?" Bud asked his wife.
Sam looked up at the Lieutenant standing in front of the desk he was sitting at.
"Sam, that's your husband, answer him!" Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci told his friend as he step into the bullpen, dressed as what could only be an over-the-top version of Napoleon, coming through a brightly lit doorway to another time and place.
"Um...Ah...no, I'm fine with a girl," Sam said in a females voice.
"Okay, Sweetie, just making sure. I need to meet Commander Rabb in court now. I'll see you at lunch."
Al gave Sam a look that said, 'answer him already!'.
"Oh, um, sure, sweetie," Sam replied. "Al, we need to talk," he muttered almost under his breath, hoping only his holographic friend could hear him.
"Go to the bathroom, Sam, pregnant women are always needing to go to the bathroom! Meet you there!" Al told him as he punched something into Ziggy and stepped through the imaging chamber door.
Sam looked around and no one seemed to be looking at him, so he got up and began to search for the restrooms. He was pretty sure that asking someone where they were would not be the prudent thing to do. He wandered into a small room with cupboards, a fridge, and a coffee pot, that smelled like in needed dumping.... badly!
There was a two star Admiral about to pour himself a cup of what Sam could only describe as sludge. "Sir, don't drink that! It is way too old." Sam/Harriett took the pot from his hand and dumped it down the drain. Not noticing the stunned look on the Admiral's face, Sam added, "I'll make a fresh pot."
"Lieutenant, I had just made that coffee.... it WAS a fresh pot!" came the exasperated reply from the Admiral.
"But, Sir.......only Marines drink their coffee that strong!"
"Harriett, I heard that!" Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie said, coming into the break room.
To be continued..........
Chapter 3
"Sam, why did you come to the break room instead of the bathroom?" Al asked, stepping into the room and came face to holographic face with Mac. "Oh, god! What a Marine!"
Sam rolled his eyes at Al's lecherous comment, he knew he should be used to them by now, but it always surprised him how little respect Al had for women even though he had been married five times.
"Mac, she poured out our coffee! What are we going to do with her?" the Admiral asked the female Marine.
"Court-marshal her, Sir! I will prosecute!"
A handsome, dark haired Commander came into the already crowded room and asked, "Who is being court-marshaled?"
"Harriett, for killing a perfectly good pot of coffee," Mac told him.
"Did you make it, Mac? If so, I will defend her! Your coffee could kill!"
"No, Rabb, I made it!" the Admiral growled.
"Oh, in that case you are sure to get off, Lieutenant Sims!" he joked. "It was justifiable homicide!"
"Sam, bathroom now!" Al shouted at him.
"Um, excuse me....bathroom," Sam muttered and shuffled his pregnant body passed all the people in the small room.
"Lieutenant!" the Admiral called.
"Sam, that's you!" Al told him.
Sam/Harriett turned around, "Yes, Sir?"
"Leave the coffee pot, Lieutenant," he advised, with an indulgent grin.
"Oh! Yes, Sir!" Sam said and handed the pot to him. This time Sam followed Al through the bullpen and out into the hall passed the elevators and Sam had his hand on the door to the men's room without even thinking about it.
"Sam," Al sighed, rolling his eyes, "Men don't get pregnant."
It took Sam a minute to realize what Al was trying to tell him. He sighed too and entered the ladies room instead. When Sam got inside, he found Al sticking his head through the stall doors to make sure they were alone.
"Al!" Sam hissed, "Stop that!"
"Rats! No one in there!" Al pouted.
Sam sighed, "Okay, why am I here and why am I pregnant?"
"Gee, Sam, you're the doctor.....you should know how you get pregnant!"
"That is not what I meant and you know it! Now why does Ziggy think I am here?"
"He's not sure yet. All we know is that in two days time both you and the baby die during delivery. I would guess you are here to prevent that."
"I would say that that is a pretty good guess. What caused their deaths?"
"Working on it, Sam!" with that Al stepped back through the lighted door of the imagining chamber. Seconds later Sarah Mackenzie came into the restroom.
"Sure glad Al is gone," Sam muttered.
To be continued..........
Chapter 4
"Harriett, are you all right?" Mac asked her friend.
"Oh, yes, ma'am," Sam replied.
"Harriett, when will I ever get you to call me Mac or Sarah?" Mac grinned at her.
"I couldn't while we are at work, ma'am," Sam said, and quickly left the restroom as Mac entered a stall.
Sam went back to Harriett's desk and sat there trying to figure out what he/she was supposed to be doing. He found out that he was working at the Judge Advocate General office from the letterhead. There were pictures on the desk of the man Al had told him was her husband and a cute blonde haired little boy, whom he assumed was there son. 'Great!' Sam thought, 'Kids have seen through my jumps before and have also been known to 'see' Al. We might have a problem when I go home.....and I don't even know her son's name!'
"Ma'am, is everything all right?"
Sam looked up into the soft brown eyes of a very handsome Marine. 'Wow, don't they hire anyone here who is not gorgeous?' From the Admiral he had seen earlier to the Petty Officer at the desk nearby, everyone was great looking! Sam thought. "Um, no.....I mean yes, everything is fine...." Looking at the man's nametag, Sam added, "Victor." This got him a very odd look.
Victor wandered away still casting occasional glances Sam's way. Sam answered phones and did some filing and before he knew it, the morning had passed and his husband and a the tall dark Commander were coming towards him.
"Hi, sweetie, ready for lunch?" Sam's husband asked.
"I just need to deliver these files to Colonel Mackenzie," Sam responded. Before he could get up to do so, however, the Commander grabbed the back of Sam's desk chair and pushed him towards Mac's office.
"Rabb's file delivery service!" he announced as they entered her office.
Mac looked up and gave an exaggerated sigh, "Thank you, Harriett."
"Hey! No thanks for me?" Harm asked.
"No, Flyboy," she smiled.
Harm harrumphed, and guided the chair backwards out of the office and into the Admiral. "Ooof, Admiral!" Harm stiffened, and came to attention.
Sam tried to stand and do the same, but the chair he was in was in Colonel Mackenzie's doorway and he was trapped in it. The Admiral saw Harriett struggling to rise and placing a hand on her shoulder said, "As you were, Lieutenant. Commander, do you have a flight plan filed?"
"Sir?"
The Admiral sighed, he was not known for making jokes with his people, so when he tried, they did not 'get it'. Then he heard a slight snicker and looked into the office to see that Mac was trying hard to keep from laughing. 'So she "gets me"!' he thought. As Mac realized she had been spotted, she also jumped to her feet and came to attention.
"As you were," the Admiral said, as he stepped back so Harm could pull the chair out. That was when AJ noticed that Harriett did not have any shoes on. "Lieutenant, did the bullpen suddenly become 'footwear optional' without my knowing it?"
Now that he was free of the doorway, Sam struggled to his stocking clad feet, "No, Sir!" he said trying to snap to attention as best he could with his swollen belly and feet. "I was not expecting the Commander's actions, Sir, and had my shoes off under my desk because the swelling it them is so bad. Sorry, Sir, it won't happen again."
Bud had seen this entire exchange and had dived under his wife's desk to get her shoes. He brought them over to her and kneeled down in front of her to help her put them on. Sam tried to balance on one foot while his husband put on the first shoe, but the baby shifted just then and he felt himself starting to fall.
"Playing 'Prince Charming' is all fine and good, Lieutenant, as long as you don't knock Cinderella on her six!" AJ said as he caught her in his arms.
To be continued..........
Chapter 5
Monday, November 13, 2000 1200 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Sam gasped.
Mac giggled.
Bud exclaimed, "Harriett!"
Harm just stood there stunned.
AJ scooped Harriett into his arms and said, "This is how it should be done, son. With me, Rabb."
Harm started to follow....."Bring the chair, Harm."
They were all surprised when AJ sat Harriett on the edge of her desk and sat down in the chair. He held out his hand, and simply said, "Shoe." Bud put it in his hand and AJ placed Harriett's foot on his knee and gently slid the shoe on, then he held out his hand for the other shoe.
As he was putting it on, Al appeared in the bullpen. He took in what was going on and came over to Sam. Peeking over his shoulder at the Admiral, "Oooh! My Prince......." Al purred sarcastically. "Well, now we know how the two of you die! Your husband kills you in a jealous rage!"
Sam glanced over his shoulder at Al and glared at him.
"There you are, Cinderella," AJ said, standing up and helping Sam off the desk.
"Ready for lunch now, sweetie?" Bud asked.
"Yes," Sam replied and the three of them left the bullpen. Al was tagging along.
The afternoon was a little easier on Sam since everyone was sympathetic of Harriett's swollen feet. People brought her coffee, and got their own files. Gunny came by and stole the files Sam was about to take to the filing cabinet, and the Admiral came out at 1700 exactly to send Harriett and Bud home.
Sam had been dreading this. Children could sometimes see Al when he appeared and if he did that at the wrong time it could be a big problem. To top that all off, Sam was not used to young children and had no idea how Harriett behaved with her son.
"Ready to go, Harriett?" her husband asked.
"Oh! Yes, sorry my mind was just on dinner," Sam replied.
"Why don't you let me grill something tonight and you just rest?" Bud suggested as they headed to the elevators.
"That would wonderful, Bud." Hanging back a bit when they left the building, Sam allowed Bud to lead the way to their vehicle. He approached a mini-van and opened the passenger door for Harriett.
"I know your feet hurt, sweetie, I'll run in and get AJ."
"Thank you, Bud." Sam was left alone in the van for a few minutes, a short time later Bud came out with a blonde toddler. Thinking quickly, Sam closed his eyes and tilted his head back on the headrest, pretending to be asleep, when they got into the van.
"AJ, let's be real quiet, okay? Mommy is sleeping."
"Okay, daddy," the toddler said as his father buckled him into his car seat.
When they arrived home, Bud gently shook Harriett's shoulder to wake her, "Honey, I will bring AJ in. Why don't you go in and just put your feet up until I have dinner made?"
"I feel useless," Sam replied.
"Sweetie, you are doing something I could never do! You are carrying our child, and that is not useless!" Bud told her lovingly as he came around the van to open Harriett's door and help her out. When Sam was standing in front of him, Bud leaned over to kiss his wife tenderly on the lips.
"Wow! Sam, I didn't know you swung that way!" Al exclaimed, appearing next to them.
To be continued..........
Chapter 6
Monday, November 13, 2000 1730 EST Roberts' Apartment Rosslyn, VA
Sam glared at Al over Bud's shoulder.
"Honey?" Bud asked when he got no response to his kiss.
"Sorry, Bud, I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
"Its okay, hun. Let's get you inside, so you can rest." Bud moved around the van to get AJ while Sam searched through his purse for the keys. Letting himself and Al into the apartment, Sam kicked off his shoes the minute he was through the door. Bud came in with AJ, and put him down, so he could go and start dinner.
"I'll start the grill, and then change out of my uniform. Could you make a salad, sweetie?"
"Um, sure. Let me get out of my uniform first." Sam walked down the hall till he spotted the bedroom. Al and AJ followed him.
"Mommy, is that an angel?" AJ asked, pointing at Al. For the first time, Sam noticed that Al was dressed in a white silk robe.
AL grinned at Sam and said, "Tina and I were in the shower when the information on.... never mind that right now," he turned to AJ and said, "Yes, I am and I am here to help your mommy and baby sister."
"Oh, okay! Can I go play in my room, Mommy?"
"Yes, you can," Sam told him. After AJ left the room, he turned to Al. "An angel?!"
"Well, it seemed like a good answer at the time!" Al responded.
"Yeah, but anyone less like an angel........"
"Hey!" Al pouted.
"We don't have much time, Al. Tell me what you found out!" Sam said as he started to take off Harriett's uniform. Then he noticed Al staring, "AL!"
"What?"
"You know very well 'what'!" Sam snapped, and stepped into the adjoining bathroom to finish removing the uniform and changing into maternity jeans and a T-shirt. He emerged a few minutes later fully dressed, much to Al's regret. "Okay, now what did you find out about why I am here?"
"Ziggy says it is 97% certain you are here to save the mother's life."
"We had figured that, but you didn't say anything about the baby. You said both mother and baby died. I must be here to save both of them."
"As far as we can see it is all about the mother! Terrible things happen when she died," Al said.
"Terrible things like what?"
"Sam, you know I am not supposed to tell you."
"Al, I need something to work on here! If I had some clue what goes wrong when she dies, then maybe I would know how to fix this mess."
"Gooshie will kill me if I tell you!"
"Al, I need to know!"
"Okay! But I will deny I told you! After she dies the whole JAG office falls apart... the Admiral retires, and spends the rest of his life alone. That pretty Colonel Mackenzie will start drinking again--she's a recovering alcoholic. Harriett's husband Bud commits suicide, leaving their son AJ alone. Commander Rabb never has a serious relationship in his life, and dies alone. PO Tiner never goes to law school, leaves the Navy, and ends up pumping gas the rest of his life. Gunnery Sergeant Galindez goes back to being a cop, and gets killed in a drive-by shooting. The Australian goes back to Australia and is never heard from again."
"Wow! She must be some woman if her death has that much affect on these people!"
"She is, Sam. She's very special."
"Then that's why I have to save both her and the baby! It would really help if you can locate her medical records and tell me what the cause of death is for both her and the baby."
To be continued...........
Chapter 7
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. They had dinner, and Bud kindly offered to give AJ his bath and put him to bed. Then came the moment that Sam had been dreading. It was time for Harriett and Bud to go to bed! 'How in the hell am I going to handle this?' Sam thought. His only comfort was that Al was off trying to get Harriett's medical files and would not be there to offer comments!
Sam searched through Harriett's dresser, while Bud took his shower. He managed to find a silk pair of pajamas that he thought would cover him well. Quickly putting them on before Bud came back into the room, Sam turned and was about to get into bed and pull up the covers when he realized.....he did not know what side of the bed Harriett slept on! How was he going to solve this one?
As Sam was trying to figure this out, Bud came out of the bathroom in a pair of boxers, towel drying his hair. "Ready for bed, sweetie?" Bud asked, throwing his towel into the hamper. He walked over to the bed and got in on the left side.
Getting in on the right side, Sam pulled the covers over himself. Bud reached out and pushed the covers off and began unbuttoning Harriett's pajama top, from the bottom.
"What are you doing?" Sam asked him.
"What I always do before bed, silly!" Bud grinned.
Sam watched in horror as Bud opened the top and then reached for a small jar on the nightstand. He opened it and took some cream out on his fingertips. Bud began rubbing it into Harriett's swollen tummy. Sam had to admit that it felt wonderful, but as was his usual luck, Al chose that moment to appear.
"Oh, Sam! I am really getting worried about you! First you are kissing a guy, and now you are letting him rub your pregnant belly?!" Al stood at the end of the bed shaking his head and smoking a cigar.
Since Bud was looking at Harriett's stomach, Sam took the opportunity to glare at Al. "Bud, I know it's late, but all of a sudden I am just dying for a toasted fried egg and peanut butter sandwich, would you mind making one for me, please?"
After grimacing at the thought of it, Bud threw back the covers and got up, "Sure sweetie, would you like something to drink with that?"
"Hot chocolate, please," Sam replied. Bud left the room thinking that this was the weirdest craving that his wife had had to date.
"Wow, Sam! You remembered your favorite sandwich? I used to cringe every time you ordered one of those in the cafeteria when we were getting the project off the ground."
"Never mind that now, we only have until Bud gets back to talk. What have you found out about how Harriett and the baby die?"
"That's just it, we are having trouble finding the medical records. Tina is still searching, and all we can come up with right now is for you to be very careful. I know it's not much, but until we can find the records, that's all we have."
"Keep looking. Al we only have tomorrow to find out."
"I will, Sam, and you have a good night with your hubby! Don't do anything I wouldn't...........wait, that would leave a lot of things open that would cause even me to shudder......just behave!" Al smirked as he stepped back into the imaging chamber and disappeared.
To be continued...........
Chapter 8
Tuesday, November 14, 2000 0730 EST Roberts' Apartment Rosslyn, VA
Sam did not wake refreshed that morning. He had been up and down several times in the night to go to the bathroom. It seemed that the baby had decided to spend the night riding on his bladder. The alarm, when it went off, almost got thrown across the room. Sam tried to rise to go to the bathroom yet again, but discovered that he could not move.
There was an arm and a leg holding him down. Bud was wrapped around his wife, and when Sam tried to rise, Bud snuggled closer, as if not wanting to let go. Rolling over onto his back, Sam was going to wake Bud so he could get up. However, when he felt Bud's morning erection, Sam thought better of waking him, and once again tried to slide out from under Bud's arm.
He loved her so much! She was the perfect wife and a wonderful mother to little AJ. Bud just knew their daughter would be as beautiful as her mother. He was the luckiest man in the world! They shared careers that they loved, had a child they adored and another due any day now, life could not get any better than this!
Bud, feeling his wife starting to stir, reached out to gently caress her breast. They were so much fuller now that she was pregnant again. It had been several weeks since they had had sex, and although he understood that it was uncomfortable for her now, he was still a healthy male with normal desires. Taking her nipple in his hand, he teased it to hardness. They were so sensitive now that she was so near her delivery date.
Sam moaned. He was getting turned on by Bud's caresses?! Struggling to sit up so he could get out of the bed and get away from this amorous man, Sam said, "Bud, I have to go to the bathroom!"
"Oh, honey......." Bud sighed, disappointed.
Then a little voice came from the hall, "Mommy, Daddy, me hungey!"
Bud sighed, "He has lousy timing," he said.
Sam sighed, 'He had great timing,' he thought, and hurried into the bathroom.
"Coming, AJ," Bud called as Harriett disappeared.
Sam got into the bathroom and closed the door. He had just flushed when Al appeared.
"Wow, Sam, your face is all flushed. Are you coming down with something?" Al reached out his hand as if to feel Sam's forehead and instead it went through his head.
"No, I'm fine, Al. What have you got?"
"But, Sam you're all red and you're breathing heavy." Al looked at him oddly and then noticed the hardened nipples under the silk pajama top. "Ooooh! Sam! You are horny! Way to go, man! Ooops, wait a minute! Are you horny for BUD?! Oh, Sam, I mean I know it's been a long time for you..........but a guy?"
To be continued...........
Chapter 9
"Shut up, Al!" Sam left the bathroom and after grabbing a robe headed to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Mornin', Mommy," AJ said from his high chair when Sam entered the room. He smiled at the child and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Mommy, why no kiss me?" AJ demanded.
Sam smiled and leaned over to kiss AJ on the forehead, as he did so the baby kicked and AJ felt it. "The baby kicked me!" he declared.
"Your sister was just saying 'hello'. She can hardly wait to meet you," Sam told him.
"And I can hold her when she gets here?"
"Yes, AJ, as long as you have help," Bud replied.
"We had better get ready for work," Sam said, gulping down the rest of his coffee.
"Go ahead, honey, I will help AJ get dressed."
"Okay, Bud, thanks." Sam entered the bedroom to find Al lying on the bed smoking his cigar.
"You know, Sam, you really hurt my feelings when you told me to 'shut up'."
"Yeah, right!" Sam replied, going to the closet and dresser, getting the pieces of Harriett's uniform. He was heading into the bathroom to dress when AJ ran into the room.
Spotting Al on the bed he hopped up beside him, and noticing that Al was wearing the same kind of uniform that his third favorite adult wore, AJ asked, "Are you an Admiral Angel?"
Al sat up, "Yes, I am, AJ. Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci!"
"Wow! Admiral AJ will be an Angel one day too, huh?"
"I am sure he will be, AJ. SEALS make great Angels."
"He hepped me be born!"
"He is very special then!" Al told him.
"AJ, where did you go?" came Bud's voice from the hall.
"Go and get dressed, AJ," Sam said, shooing him down the hall. He then went into the bathroom to get dressed out of Al's view. But just as Sam was buttoning the blouse of Harriett's uniform, Al stuck his head through the door.
"Hurry up Sam, we need to talk."
Sam jumped nearly a foot he was so startled. "Al! Stop doing that!" He quickly finished dressing and came out of the bathroom. "Okay, now what have you got for me?"
Bud came into the room carrying AJ, "Who are you talking to, sweetie? The baby?"
"Nope," AJ told his father, "She's talking to the Angel. Right, Mommy?"
"Just praying that everything goes well tomorrow," Sam said.
"Tomorrow? At work?" Bud asked.
"Oh I just have a feeling that tomorrow is the day."
"Oh, way to cover, Sam!" Al exclaimed.
"You think you will have the baby tomorrow, honey?"
"Angel, why are you calling Mommy, Sam?"
"What, AJ?" Bud looked confused.
"Good one, AL!"
"Ooops," grinned Al. Thinking fast he said to AJ, "That is just secret Angel-code, AJ"
"OH!" AJ said as if he understood completely.
"AJ, what Angel?"
"The Angel Mommy is talking to!"
"You see an Angel?"
"Uh huh! He is wearing an Admiral's uniform and smoking a cigar. Angel, you know that that is bad for your health, don't you?"
Bud laughed at the mental image that brought. "Okay, you two, we need to get moving or we will be late."
Sam moved to the door, glad that Bud did not ask any more about the Angel. He would have to find a time alone with Al to see what he had found out.
To be continued...........
Chapter 10
Tuesday, November 14, 2000 0900 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
When they reached JAG HQ that morning, Tiner approached Harriett as soon as he saw her. "Ma'am, I put a little surprise under your desk for you this morning."
"A surprise?" Sam questioned.
"Yes, Ma'am, it is a little footstool............rats, now it is not a surprise! Me and my big mouth!"
"He would be great under interrogation!" Al muttered in Sam's ear, even though no one else in the bullpen could hear the hologram. But it cause Sam to jump because he had not seen Al appear behind him.
"Ma'am, are you all right? Did the baby kick?" Tiner asked in a loud, concerned voice.
All eyes turned to the pair, everyone cared for Harriett and it sounded like something might be wrong. The Admiral who was passing through on his way from the break room also heard.
"Harriett, is something wrong? You are not in labor are you!?" AJ wanted to be sure she was going to have this baby somewhere OTHER than his office! "Do you need to go to the hospital?"
Bud entered from the storeroom just then and assumed that his wife was in labor. "Honey! Let me bring the car around and we can go now!"
"Hold it!" Sam shouted. "Everyone freeze!" Everyone did, and turned to look at Harriett as if she was someone else! They had never heard her talk in that tone of voice before! "I am NOT in labor and I do not need to go to the hospital! Everyone go back to your duties."
The Admiral raised one eyebrow and considered the fact that a Lieutenant JG had just given him an order. "Lieutenant Sims, did you just issue an order to everyone in the bullpen?"
"Yes, Sir, I did. Everyone is running around like a chickens with their heads cut off and there is no reason for it," Sam replied without thinking about whom he was addressing.
Al was standing right next to Admiral Chegwidden and Sam glared at him, because he was sure that somehow this was all Al's fault.
"Lieutenant, did you just refer to me as a chicken?" AJ inquired.
"Calling a two-star a chicken, Sam?" Al asked incredulously.
"Shut up, Al!" Sam shouted.
"Harriett!" Mac exclaimed.
"Ma'am!" Tiner gasped.
"Ma'am!" Gunny warned.
"Sweetie?" Bud questioned.
"What did you call me, Lieutenant?" Admiral AJ Chegwidden demanded.
To be continued...........
Chapter 11
The elevator door dinged open, loud in the silence of the bullpen. Commander Rabb, not realizing he had stepped into the middle of a situation, walked up to Harriett and asked, "Lieutenant, did you get the research that I asked for?"
All eyes moved to him and Harm finally realized he had walked into the middle of something. "What is going on?" he asked.
"Lieutenant, get Rabb's research and then report to my office," Admiral Chegwidden said.
"Yes, Sir!" Sam replied, turning to Harriett's desk to get the file he had put the information in. As Harriett turned back to her desk the others in the bullpen reluctantly went back to work at a stern look from the Admiral, who walked back to his office.
Handing the file to Harm, Sam headed to the Admiral's office. Tapping lightly, he entered when he heard him say, "Come in."
"Admiral you wanted to see me?" Sam inquired, standing at attention in front of AJ's desk.
"So it's 'Admiral' now? What happened to 'Al'?"
"Yeah, Sam, explain about me!" Al said from his seat on the edge of the Admiral's desk.
"Sir, I am so sorry! I mean I don't know what came over me, I never think of you as 'Al'! I mean rarely even as 'AJ'. I was just so stressed I didn't know what I was saying. Please forgive me!"
"Take a breath, Harriett!" AJ advised.
"Cry, Sam!" Al told him.
"I will forget it this time, but don't let it happen again. All right?" he gently, but sternly, inquired.
"Thank you, Sir! It won't happen again, I promise!"
"Dismissed, Lieutenant."
Sam scurried out of the room as fast as his pregnant body would let him. When he did get back to Harriett's desk, he was pleased to find the surprise that Tiner had promised. The footstool was tucked under the desk and had a soft pillow top. It felt wonderful to slip off his shoes and put his feet up on it.
He received looks from everyone in the bullpen. It seemed that they were all concerned about how Harriett was taking being called into the Admiral's office. Sam tried to reassure them with a small smile. The rest of the morning passed rather slowly. Sam kept trying to find a time and place where he could talk to Al alone, but everyone in the office seemed to be determined not to leave Harriett alone even for a few minutes.
Even the bathroom was not a retreat! Just a minute or two after Sam entered the ladies room and checked to make sure he was alone, Mac came in just as he was about to call out Al's name. Sighing in frustration, Sam washed his hands and left the room. He also tried to find a minute alone in the storeroom, but had no more than entered that area when Gunny came in to offer his help in finding what ever it was Harriett had come in to get.
By lunchtime, Sam was ready to scream! He needed to find out what caused Harriett and the baby to die in less than twenty-four hours!
To be continued...........
Chapter 12
Because Sam's feet were hurting so much by lunchtime, he had told Bud that he did not want to go out for lunch as they had planned. Being the ever- concerned husband that he was, Bud suggested that they go down to the cafeteria. Sam/Harriett told him that even that much of a walk would be too much.
Overhearing this part of the conversation as she passed through the bullpen, Mac told them, "I was just going to order in myself today because I am rushed on the McKinley case. Why don't we order pizza and we could eat in my office?"
Sam sighed in relief and said, "Thank you, Ma'am! That would be heavenly!"
"I do have one condition to this offer, though..." Mac told them.
"What would that be, Ma'am?" Bud asked.
"That you both stop Ma'aming me while we are eating. It is Mac or Sarah..... or no deal!"
"Oh, Ma'am, I don't think we can do that," replied Bud.
"For pizza and not leaving the office I can do that and a whole lot more!" Sam told her.
"Okay, great! Harriett and I will have lunch together and you are on your own, Bud!" Both women looked at him, waiting for him to back down.
Gunny, who had heard the entire conversation from his near by desk, advised Bud, "When women start ganging up on you, Lieutenant, you had better just go with the flow.......especially when one of them is a Marine!"
Looking back and forth between the two women and Gunnery Sergeant Galindez, Bud said, "Thank you, Gunny, that sounds like very good advice. I will try my best to call you Mac, Ma'am, at least while we are eating."
Laughter flowed around the bullpen at Bud's comment, and Mac suggested that since Harriett would be out soon on maternity leave, they just make an office party for her and order enough pizza for everyone. This suggestion was met with enthusiasm and soon Gunny was gathering money and taking pizza orders. Forty-five minutes later, two deliverymen showed up in the bullpen after having been cleared by the front gate with eight large pizzas with assorted toppings. Harriett's centrally located desk was cleared and soon everyone was diving in.
Drawn out of his office by the cheerful, non-work-related chatter, and the smell of the fragrant pizza, Admiral Chegwidden, stood unnoticed in his office doorway. He watched his people and saw the enjoyment they had in each other's company. Even though the rank separation was always there, he could see that it blurred a bit at times like these. AJ wished he could join in on these occasions, but he knew that being their Commanding Officer set him apart in their eyes. He was liked and respected by them, he knew that, but he was not a friend, and never would be.
Mac looked up as she was stuffing her mouth with another slice of "Meat Lover's" pizza and saw the Admiral standing there. 'He looks so alone and left out," she thought, just as she realized that no one had even thought to invite him to join them. 'God! No wonder he looks that way! We did not even consider him!'
"Sir! Come and join us....we just decided on the spur of the moment to order pizza in."
At her words, Tiner leaped off of the edge of Harriett's desk and shouted, "Attention on deck!" Everyone snapped to.... Well, as best they could with pizza slices and pop cans filling their hands. This, of course, ruined the mood of enjoyment in the bullpen and re-enforced the gulf between the Admiral and the rest of the staff.
"As you were," he said. "I don't want to interfere with your party, Colonel, you folks go ahead have fun," and after saying that walked into the break room for the cup of coffee he had been intending to get.
Bud turned to Harriett and said, "You go ask him, sweetie. The Admiral has always responded better to you than anyone else."
"He said he did not want to, Bud," Sam argued.
"He didn't mean it, Harriett. He really just wants someone to convince him that it is okay for him to join us. Please ask him," Mac begged.
Looking skeptical, Sam got to his feet and waddled into the break room. AJ saw her come in and clutched the coffee pot in his hand a bit tighter. "You are not here to deny me my coffee again, are you, Lieutenant?" he asked.
To be continued...........
Chapter 13
"No, Sir. I'm here to ask you again to join us. We would like it very much if you would. It is sort of a going-away party anticipating the start of my maternity leave. And since we don't really know when that will be, we just ....."
"Harriett, if I agree to join you, will you take a breath?" he grinned as he interrupted her.
"Yes, Sir, if you promise to join us I will promise to......."
"Tell him you promise not to have him deliver this baby, Sam! He has always dreaded that happening," Al said as he popped into the room. Sam/Harriett gasped as Al startled him/her.
"Harriett? You're not going into labor are you?" AJ asked as the woman in front of him gasped for breath.
"Oh, no, Sir. I'm all right, it is just that the baby kicked," Sam lied.
The two them walked back into the bullpen and Harriett offered the Admiral his choice of pizza. "That is Harm's, Sir," Mac said when he reached for a closed box.
"And why does Mr. Rabb get his own pizza?" AJ questioned.
Four voices answered him at once, "It's vegetarian, Sir!"
"Oh! UGH!" with a grin he reached for a different box.
It took a little while, but everyone finally started to relax with the Admiral in their presence. People came and went from the group as duties decreed. Everyone was having such a good time that when 1700 rolled around someone suggested adjourning to McMurphy's. Bud and Harriett said they would love to, but would need to pick up little AJ and then arrange for a sitter.
The Admiral stepped in at that and suggested that they all go to Callisto's instead so that they could bring his namesake along. This idea was very well received, and Bud and Harriett were happiest of all. People scattered to their offices or desks to get ready to leave for the day.
Bud went in to get AJ after seeing Harriett safely settled in the minivan. This was finally the chance Sam had been waiting for all day! "Al! Al, where are you?!"
"Here, Sam," he answered, appearing next to Sam in the van.
"I have not had a minute alone today to talk to you and you seemed like you had some information this morning...."
"Yeah, Tina dug up some of Harriett's medical records, and we know how she and the baby die."
"Well for, heaven's sake, tell me before Bud gets back here with little AJ!" Sam ordered.
"Sam, there is an intern that does a cesarean section on Harriett, and she hemorrhages to death! While they are busy trying to save her, the baby also dies," Al informed him sadly.
"Why does an intern do it and not her regular doctor?" Sam wanted to know.
"We don't know that yet, but we are still looking. Hang in there, Sam! We will find out more, I just know it."
"Concentrate on finding out why her doctor was not there, Al. That could be the key to saving them both."
"Will do, Sam. Oops, gotta go, here comes your husband!"
To be continued...........
Chapter 14
Sam watched this group of people as they laughed and chatted that evening. They seemed to truly like and respect each other. He was amazed at what Al had told him about how each of them would be affected by the death of Harriett and the baby.
It was hard to believe, seeing Mac as happy and bright as she was tonight that she would start drinking again. Sam could feel the sexual tension between her and the Admiral, and wondered if anything would ever come of it. But he could also sense undercurrents between her and Commander Rabb.
Bud was such a sweet and caring husband and father, he was so attentive to both Harriett and their son. Sam wondered how he could have forgotten about little AJ being left alone when he killed himself. The devastation he must have been feeling had to have been overwhelming for that to happen.
And even though, he was in the Navy, Sam was sure Tiner was so young that he had not experienced the loss of someone close to him, so Sam could understand how Harriett's death would hit him hard.
Sam could also see that Victor Galindez treated Harriett like a sister and cared for her deeply. As for how Rabb and Brumby reacted to her death, Sam could only speculate that Harriett and Bud had the kind of relationship that they would like to have if they only admitted it to themselves. And then not being able to find that ideal in their own life, that when their ideal relationship crumbled they lost all hope of having a successful one for themselves.
The Admiral was a bit harder to figure out, because of his rank, he was more distant, and because not knowing him as well, harder to read. But Sam seemed to be able to draw on something from Harriett on this one.....he just seemed to know that the Admiral was a lonely man, who was badly in need of someone special in his life. From the sexual tension between him and Colonel Mackenzie, Sam suspected that there were feelings there that neither could admit to the other. And with Harriett's death weighing on them they would probably try and suck it up and face it alone. Each in their own way. Each alone. Both hurting terribly but not able to tell the other how they feel. So here was the potential for a relationship between two wonderful people that would also be ruined by Harriett's death if Mac started drinking and the Admiral retired and remained alone. Sam wished that there were something that he could do to put them on the right track towards each other.
Most of the group seemed very reluctant to allow the evening to end, but the restaurant wanted to close and little AJ was already asleep in his high chair. Sam/Harriett could hardly keep his/her eyes open either, so Bud unenthusiastically suggested that he take his family home. And jokingly told everyone that morning Harriett had predicted that tomorrow was going to be the day she had Baby Sarah, so they would need all their rest tonight.
The group hearing this quickly started a pool on what time this might happen. Everyone wanted in on the action, even Bud and the Admiral put up a dollar to choose a time. When Sam said that he wanted in also, they wondered if that were fair because she was the one having the baby, but after some discussion they determined that she could not really know when it would happen so let Harriett place her bet also.
Sam noticed that Al was there and raised an eyebrow at him for the time of the birth. Al checked with Ziggy and told Sam that Harriett would go into labor at about 5am and have the baby at 7:40am. Since Sam was still determined to find a way to save both mother and baby, he figured the money they won could go towards buying one of those spinning things for the top of the crib for the baby to look at. Harriett placed her bet for 0745 EST and Tiner wrote it down with the others.
Everyone said their good-byes with hugs or hand shakes and they all scattered to their own vehicles.
To be continued...........
Chapter 15
Sam didn't sleep much that night. He was tossing and turning as best as he could in his condition, but he finally got up, admitting that he would not be able to sleep anymore. He went over to a small Captain's desk that was in the dining room and sat to write a letter to Sarah Mackenzie, figuring that if the Roberts' were naming their baby after her and that she was godmother to AJ, that she was a very special person in their lives. He wanted her to find happiness and felt that AJ Chegwidden would be that happiness for her. So he wrote a letter for Sarah and sealed it and placed it in the desk under some stationary that was in there.
Bud came into the room just as Harriett was closing the top of the desk, "Honey, what are you doing up at this hour?"
"Just taking some time to catch up on my letter writing since I couldn't sleep. You know, I think we should give this desk to Colonel Mackenzie one day. It really is something that she would like."
"But you love that desk!"
"Yes, but I love her, too, and I think that somehow this desk is meant to be hers. Please remind me one day that I want her to have it. Maybe in a few years."
Bud looked at his wife strangely, but agreed to her request. "Now, why don't we get back to bed? It will be morning soon, honey." Placing a hand under her arm to help her to stand, Sam rose from the chair and nearly doubled over as a contraction hit.
Looking up at Bud, Sam said, "I think bed will have to wait. We are going to have a baby!"
Bud grabbed her bag and got AJ out of bed, they were all soon on the way to the hospital.
Wednesday, November 15, 2000 0730 EST Bethesda Naval Hospital Bethesda, Maryland
For just a minute, Harriett was left alone in the room. Bud was in the waiting room with Little AJ, and all the nurses were searching for Harriett's doctor. "Al! Tell me what I have to do to save them!" Sam demanded between the contractions.
Al looked down at the flashing panels in front of him. A strange look came over his face. Raising his eyes to look at Sam, Al said, "If this intern does the caesarian and fails she will never finishes medical school, and her life will be a failure."
"So I just need to stop this incompetent intern and everything will be all right?"
"The intern is not incompetent, Sam just young and inexperienced.......Oh, god!"
"What, Al?"
"Sam, the intern........the intern.....is Sammy Jo........your daughter!"
"WHAT!?"
To be continued...........
Chapter 16
"She is in medical school right now. This is way before she joins the project. Sam, you have to keep her from doing the cesarean! Harriett's death ruins her career, and she never makes anything out of her life!"
"But Harriett's doctor is not here, either!"
"He will be, Sam. He's out test driving his new car, but he will be here just in time to deliver the baby."
"But the baby still dies, right?"
"Yes, but if you allow the cesarean to happen Harriett dies and Sammy Jo is ruined! Also just by deciding not to have the cesarean, history is changing! Tiner goes to school and becomes a lawyer, Gunny leaves JAG to become a CIA agent? Well that's weird, but different from before. The Australian still goes away, and Rabb ends up dying in a plane crash, go figure! The Admiral and that sexy Colonel end up getting married! HooYah! They credit their happiness to some desk that they Mac was given and discovered something in it that brought them together."
"Well, that all sounds pretty good. What about Bud and Harriett? What happens to them?"
"Well, Bud goes off to duty on a carrier. Oh, this is not so good. He loses a leg to a land mine. Wow, that's not so good!"
"There has to be something more I can do to help them! They are such good people. If I stop the cesarean, I will jump soon! Al, there has to be something I can do!"
"I don't know what, Sam. Bud is too far to get to before you jump and you can't tell her anything as you leave the body. Who is left?"
"Al, that's it! Their son AJ can see you! Go and tell him that things will be all right and that he needs to help his parents move on."
"Will do, Sam!" and just before he vanished, Al said, "Sam! That did it! Bud comes home and things are hard at first, but become better and the two of them as a couple are stronger than ever before! They go on to have another daughter in a few years, and name her Mackenzie Margaret!"
"AJ!" Al said when he zeroed in on the child.
"Oh, hi, Admiral Angel," tears were sliding down his little face. "Did you know that my mommy is sick and daddy is really worried?"
"That is why I'm here, AJ. I have something very important to tell you, and you have to remember to tell your mommy and daddy, okay?"
"Okay, Admiral Angel, what is it?"
"You need to tell them that even though they are going to lose Baby Sarah, that she is going someplace special and will be waiting for them one day. You need to tell them that everything will be okay and that she is happy."
"She is going to be an angel?"
"Yes, she is going to be an angel," Al managed to say just before he was pulled back. He knew that Sam had jumped.
To be continued...........
Chapter 17
Wednesday, November 15, 2000 0800 EST JAG Headquarters Falls Church, VA
Admiral AJ Chegwidden put down the phone after talking with Mikey Roberts', Bud's younger brother. He rose from his desk as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and walked out of his office.
Petty Officer Tiner jumped to his feet, as usual and called, "Admiral on deck!"
As was the norm, everyone within earshot of this call snapped to attention. The Admiral's usual call of, "As you were." was not forthcoming that morning though, instead he called out, "Everyone front and center!"
Staff members filed out of their offices joining those already present. Mac noticed that Bud and Harriett were not among them. She worried that they would be in trouble for being late to work that morning, especially when it seemed that the Admiral had an important announcement to make. It was as she came to attention again once in the bullpen that she saw the look on the Admiral's face. Her heart dropped to her shoes even before the first words were out of his mouth. Something awful had happened and the Admiral was about to tell them all. He looked older than she had ever seen him look. Then it hit her, Bud and Harriett were not there! It was all she had time to think before the Admiral began to speak.
"I am afraid I have some terrible news," he seemed not to want to tell them the rest. "I just had a call from Mikey Roberts. He was at Bethesda. Harriett went into labor late last night," he paused to draw a ragged breath.
Everyone in the bullpen held their breath, trying to brace themselves for what they thought was coming. But nothing could have prepared them for the Admiral's next words. Nothing could have prepared them for the news he had.
His lips opened, and closed, and opened again. The Admiral closed his eyes, as if in pain, he could not look at his people as he said what he had to say. Maybe if he said it with his eyes closed it would not seem so real to him either.
"Bud and Harriett lost Baby Sarah twenty minutes ago. That is all. Dismissed!" he turned and strode back into his office, leaving desolation in his wake.
The End