Author Notes : The whole story has been beta'd in American English, so it will be easier to read! Thanks to my new beta reader, Chris, for her advice!
I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter!
Stress
The next day – Wednesday, April 14th
2:45 PM
Harm was in his office, going over files. He couldn't concentrate on them. The only thing he could think about was the Kendry trial this morning. It left him with a strange feeling. Mac was defending, and as usual, brilliantly defending. She didn't make things easy for him. She succeeded in obtaining a light penalty for the Lieutenant. He admired the way she did that.
What worried him more was her tired face. Some of her reactions made him think that something was wrong. For instance, she arrived late to the trial, which was unlike her. To someone who didn't know the Colonel well, it would have seemed a normal trial, but Harm had noticed a slight change in her behaviour.
Putting his pen on his desk, he decided to talk to her. He walked over to her office and knocked firmly at the door. Hearing "Enter" he turned the knob.
"Harm," Mac said, "What can I do for you?"
Her voice sounded cooler than she intended. It caught Harm off guard.
"I just wanted to see if you were all right …" he replied.
"I'm OK. Why?"
She couldn't help being nervous. She was exhausted and had too much work to do. The morning sickness she'd been experiencing the last four days hadn't let her get a good night's sleep. More so, she hesitated to tell Harm the truth right now.
As for Harm, he sensed a quarrel was imminent, he didn't want to start anything.
"You looked tired in court this morning. Is there a reason I should be worried about you?" Harm inquired.
"No, there isn't… Excuse me… It's kind of you to ask. I feel fine. Tired, but fine." Mac said, managing to recover her good manners.
"I wonder if we could have dinner together this evening."
Mac watched him, puzzled. That would be a good idea but the last time they had dinner together…
"I don't think dinner would be a good idea." Mac answered.
"I mean… We need to talk, Sarah…" Harm insisted.
On hearing him call her Sarah, her resolution began to dissolve.
"Maybe."
"Let's say 7:00PM? At my place?"
"Well…I don't think that would be a good idea." Mac hesitated.
"If you can control yourself, I promise to do the same" Harm teased, smiling.
"That's not what I meant. Don't be so confident in your charms, flyboy…"
She didn't know why but she started panicking. She wasn't ready to tell him yet… Of course he had to know, but not like that. She was just managing to get used to becoming a mother… On the other hand, she couldn't deny him knowing he was going to be a father.
"What are you afraid of, Sarah? Being alone with me?" exclaimed Harm.
"I'm not…" answered Mac very quickly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
I'm afraid of your reaction, of what you may or may not say. Afraid of your smile making me lose control. Afraid of what will happen when you know…
"I need time." Mac went on, while getting up and crossing her arms nervously.
"We've had nearly two months. We've had enough time. I don't want to wait any more, I need an explanation. Mac, can't you see how our friendship is slipping away again?"
"Yes, I can. BUT, just because Commander Harmon Rabb decided so today, it's explanation time? What about me? What about what I want?"
"OK, so what do you want? Tell me Mac, I'd like to know."
Only silence followed Harm's words. As he was hanging on, waiting for Mac's response, he saw her right hand tightening on the back of her chair.
"Sarah" Harm whispered as he saw her swaying. He rushed towards her to prevent her from falling.
* * * *
A few hours later
In the hospital
Harm was sitting next to Mac's bed at Bethesda hospital. The doctor had finished with the exams, and she was still sleeping. He wouldn't tell Harm anything except that she would be OK. She needed rest - a lot of rest - and to stay stress free. Then he let Harm in the room to wait for his colleague to wake up. The Admiral and Harriet, who came to support him, went back home relieved. But Harm remained concerned about her fainting. It was mainly due to stress.
Stress? What kind of stress? She didn't talk to me about it. Maybe it was linked to our relationship… I wasn't there for her and now…It's my fault…
He was thinking over the last several days, trying to find something that might give him a clue as to what might be going on. But he hadn't really seen much of her. With a sigh, he reached over and took Mac's hand. He had been so scared when he saw her faint.
The first thing Mac saw when she woke up was a worried Harm sitting next to her bed. A kind of fog was invading her mind. She vaguely remembered speaking with Harm at the office, but then, everything went blank.
On seeing her opening her eyes, he leaned forward to talk with her.
"You fainted. How do you feel?" Harm asked gently.
"A bit foggy. Then a horrible thought crossed her mind.
"What did the doctor say?" Mac went on, starting to fear she might have lost her baby.
"He said you fainted because of stress and that you need rest." Harm answered, wondering why she started fidgeting.
"Did he say anything else?" she asked anxiously.
"No, he didn't."
"I want to talk to him..." she said a little too loudly.
"Okay, I'll go and get him. But please, stay calm!" Harm interrupted, getting up from his chair to get the doctor.
Harm returned a few minutes later with the doctor. Harm left the Dr. with Mac, and waited outside the room. Harm was a bit startled by Mac's reaction. It was as if she feared something more serious.
"How do you feel, Colonel?" the doctor asked.
"Tell me Doctor, how is the baby?" Sarah whispered.
****
Oh, what a cliff-hanger!! Just let me know what you want to happen in a review!!! ;-)
I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter!
The next day – Wednesday, April 14th
2:45 PM
Harm was in his office, going over files. He couldn't concentrate on them. The only thing he could think about was the Kendry trial this morning. It left him with a strange feeling. Mac was defending, and as usual, brilliantly defending. She didn't make things easy for him. She succeeded in obtaining a light penalty for the Lieutenant. He admired the way she did that.
What worried him more was her tired face. Some of her reactions made him think that something was wrong. For instance, she arrived late to the trial, which was unlike her. To someone who didn't know the Colonel well, it would have seemed a normal trial, but Harm had noticed a slight change in her behaviour.
Putting his pen on his desk, he decided to talk to her. He walked over to her office and knocked firmly at the door. Hearing "Enter" he turned the knob.
"Harm," Mac said, "What can I do for you?"
Her voice sounded cooler than she intended. It caught Harm off guard.
"I just wanted to see if you were all right …" he replied.
"I'm OK. Why?"
She couldn't help being nervous. She was exhausted and had too much work to do. The morning sickness she'd been experiencing the last four days hadn't let her get a good night's sleep. More so, she hesitated to tell Harm the truth right now.
As for Harm, he sensed a quarrel was imminent, he didn't want to start anything.
"You looked tired in court this morning. Is there a reason I should be worried about you?" Harm inquired.
"No, there isn't… Excuse me… It's kind of you to ask. I feel fine. Tired, but fine." Mac said, managing to recover her good manners.
"I wonder if we could have dinner together this evening."
Mac watched him, puzzled. That would be a good idea but the last time they had dinner together…
"I don't think dinner would be a good idea." Mac answered.
"I mean… We need to talk, Sarah…" Harm insisted.
On hearing him call her Sarah, her resolution began to dissolve.
"Maybe."
"Let's say 7:00PM? At my place?"
"Well…I don't think that would be a good idea." Mac hesitated.
"If you can control yourself, I promise to do the same" Harm teased, smiling.
"That's not what I meant. Don't be so confident in your charms, flyboy…"
She didn't know why but she started panicking. She wasn't ready to tell him yet… Of course he had to know, but not like that. She was just managing to get used to becoming a mother… On the other hand, she couldn't deny him knowing he was going to be a father.
"What are you afraid of, Sarah? Being alone with me?" exclaimed Harm.
"I'm not…" answered Mac very quickly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
I'm afraid of your reaction, of what you may or may not say. Afraid of your smile making me lose control. Afraid of what will happen when you know…
"I need time." Mac went on, while getting up and crossing her arms nervously.
"We've had nearly two months. We've had enough time. I don't want to wait any more, I need an explanation. Mac, can't you see how our friendship is slipping away again?"
"Yes, I can. BUT, just because Commander Harmon Rabb decided so today, it's explanation time? What about me? What about what I want?"
"OK, so what do you want? Tell me Mac, I'd like to know."
Only silence followed Harm's words. As he was hanging on, waiting for Mac's response, he saw her right hand tightening on the back of her chair.
"Sarah" Harm whispered as he saw her swaying. He rushed towards her to prevent her from falling.
* * * *
A few hours later
In the hospital
Harm was sitting next to Mac's bed at Bethesda hospital. The doctor had finished with the exams, and she was still sleeping. He wouldn't tell Harm anything except that she would be OK. She needed rest - a lot of rest - and to stay stress free. Then he let Harm in the room to wait for his colleague to wake up. The Admiral and Harriet, who came to support him, went back home relieved. But Harm remained concerned about her fainting. It was mainly due to stress.
Stress? What kind of stress? She didn't talk to me about it. Maybe it was linked to our relationship… I wasn't there for her and now…It's my fault…
He was thinking over the last several days, trying to find something that might give him a clue as to what might be going on. But he hadn't really seen much of her. With a sigh, he reached over and took Mac's hand. He had been so scared when he saw her faint.
The first thing Mac saw when she woke up was a worried Harm sitting next to her bed. A kind of fog was invading her mind. She vaguely remembered speaking with Harm at the office, but then, everything went blank.
On seeing her opening her eyes, he leaned forward to talk with her.
"You fainted. How do you feel?" Harm asked gently.
"A bit foggy. Then a horrible thought crossed her mind.
"What did the doctor say?" Mac went on, starting to fear she might have lost her baby.
"He said you fainted because of stress and that you need rest." Harm answered, wondering why she started fidgeting.
"Did he say anything else?" she asked anxiously.
"No, he didn't."
"I want to talk to him..." she said a little too loudly.
"Okay, I'll go and get him. But please, stay calm!" Harm interrupted, getting up from his chair to get the doctor.
Harm returned a few minutes later with the doctor. Harm left the Dr. with Mac, and waited outside the room. Harm was a bit startled by Mac's reaction. It was as if she feared something more serious.
"How do you feel, Colonel?" the doctor asked.
"Tell me Doctor, how is the baby?" Sarah whispered.
****
Oh, what a cliff-hanger!! Just let me know what you want to happen in a review!!! ;-)