Author's Note: I really hope that no one is offended by the description of
what happened to Mac...It's in this chapter and it's a little graphic.
-------------- Bethesda Naval Hospital Bethesda, Maryland 3 Hours Later
I sit in the chair next to her bed, my fingers steepled in front of me, staring at her hands resting on top of each other on her stomach. Her sleep- slowed breathing moves her hands up and down every few seconds, entrancing me in the spell that I'm under.
It's my fault she's here.
If I didn't care for her so much, didn't love her so much, she wouldn't be here. When I found her, I knew what had happened. I didn't need the note that had been left on her bed to know who had done this to her.
As much as I love mercy and justice, I am going to kill Clark Palmer the next time we meet.
Closing my eyes, I flash back to the bedroom where I found her.
~~~~ Pale moonlight filtered in through the open window, as well as the icy air that I had felt in the living room. A picture of Sarah and I sat on the dresser, the glass shattered.
When I saw her, my heart stopped.
She was tied to a chair, her head hanging down, her feet bound and her hands tied behind her back. She looked dead.
I raced to her side, lifting her head and feeling her throat, to be sure she was alive. Her pulse was weak, but it was there anyway. Blood streamed from the corner of her mouth, her right eye was swollen and blue. I tore my eyes from her face to check the rest of her body for injuries as I untied the ropes binding her feet.
Her Marine issue blouse was ripped open, buttons missing and I'm sure scattered all over the floor. Her bra was intact, but the white lace was stained with her blood, dark red. Bruises were scattered over her breasts and collarbone, dark and angry against the soft glow of the street lamp outside.
Once I had her feet untied, I started on her hands, still checking her over. Red marks marred the beautiful skin of her stomach and sides, where it looked like she had been kicked by her attacker.
Her hands and feet both untied, she fell into my arms, limp and cold. I had picked her up and put her on the bed, noticing with horror that her uniform skirt was riding high on her thighs. Too high. I hadn't done that when I moved her. Her pantyhose had huge rips in them, the large tears disappearing under her skirt.
I supressed the urge to be sick and pulled out my cell phone, calling 911.
'911 what is your emergency?' The disinterested voice had asked. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"My friend--someone broke into her apartment and beat her. She's--bleeding and it looks like she might have been raped." I said, my heart pounding in my chest as I choked out the last part. She may have been raped.
'What is her address?' The voice had asked, sounding much more interested. I rattled off her address and followed the instructions to make sure she was warm, then hung up. I looked at my unconscious partner, now covered in a blanket from a nearby pile of laundry, then reached down and wiped the blood from her face. She didn't stir.
The police and ambulances were on their way. What could I do while I waited for them? Stepping away from her, I had looked around, desperately trying not to think of what had been done to her, what may have been done to her.
Then I saw it. The note was on the bed, written in block handwriting on the back of the card that I had sent to Mac earlier that day. Chills and anger coursed through me when I read it.
'HOW DO YOU FEEL KNOWING THAT THE WOMAN YOU LOVE IS GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF YOU? YOU SHOULD HAVE KILLED ME LAST TIME WE MET, RABB. I'M GOING TO WIN OUR LITTLE GAME THIS TIME.'
Palmer. It could only be him. I made a silent vow then, as I looked at my unconscious love on the bed, saw the blood streaming from her split lip. I knew then that I couldn't let him get to her again. He would never touch her again, ever.
I decided then that I was going to have to kill him.
~~~~ I close my eyes for a second, supressing the rage that I've been battling since I saw the note. For the first time since I found her in her bedroom, I look at the face of the sleeping woman in the hospital bed.
She's so beautiful. So fragile, so tough...So many contradictory things all at once. She is amazing. And she's hurt, in the hospital because of that psycho Palmer.
For a moment, I allow my inner conflict and grief to overcome me, and I lie my head on the bed, turned away from her face. The top of my head is just barely touching her hip, but the physical contact is nice. Soothing.
He didn't rape her. According to the tests that had been done on her, she hadn't had intercourse in at least the past 72 hours. There were no traces of lacerations or bruising to indicate that she had been raped with some inanimate object. Nothing. He just wanted me to know that he could have done it.
A few unwanted tears escape, and I squeeze my eyes shut against them. Don't let them come, don't let them come. I can't let him get to me.
But he's already done that, hasn't he?
By attacking Mac and showing that he could have done any number of horrific things to her, he got straight to my heart. He knows that she's everything to me. It wouldn't even surprise me if he was at JAG today, watching the exchange between she and I.
Wait...The delivery man. It was him. I should have known, especially with the feeling that I got in my gut when he smiled. I knew he was familiar. God, he was right there. He was in my office, in her office...
Even more tears come now, pain laced with anger. I can't stand knowing that she's hurt because of me. I wish that she would wake up.
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my head, stroking my hair. I lift my head carefully, reaching up with my hands and taking the one that had been on my head. She's awake. And she's looking at me, her eyes sleepy and her brow furrowed. She takes her hand out of mine and lifts it to my face, thumbing away my tears.
"Hi." I whisper, my voice choked. She blinks slowly, her right eye still black and blue. My heart constricts when she winces in pain, and I find myself wincing too.
"Hey." She chokes out, her voice cracked and quiet. She looks around, not moving her head, and then frowns even more than before.
"What?" I ask. She winces as she shifts in the bed.
"What happened?" She asks. It feels like there's a truck sitting on my chest. I clear my throat.
"Don't you remember?" I ask her. She shakes her head.
"I--I got home and I was going to change, for you to come...Someone came in my window...He hit me with something. I don't remember anything after that." She whispers. I shake my head.
"It was Palmer. He--beat you up pretty badly. I found you in your room, tied to a chair, bleeding and bruised up. You were in pretty bad shape." I mutter, my eyes roaming her face.
"He's out?" She asks. I nod.
"I talked to...To Webb. Palmer escaped from Leavenworth a few days ago. Webb posted some men around the room and at your apartment. Not that they'll be able to catch that psycho." I say. When I mentioned Webb, her eyes flashed with some mysterious emotion, but I let it pass. Ex-lovers are never easy to deal with, especially in her condition.
"So what's my status? When can I go home?" She asks weakly. I shake my head.
"They said that they want to keep you for a few days. Just to make sure." I whisper, my voice on the verge of breaking again.
"Harm, what is it?" She asks. Her voice is so weak, her face so pale and tired.
"I thought he--raped you." I choke out. Her frown deepens and her eyes widen slightly.
"Why did you think that?" She says. I shake my head again.
"He ripped your pantyhose and hiked your skirt up...He made it look like he raped you. Just so I would think that." I growl, anger beginning to seep back into me. Panic enters in her eyes.
"But he didn't, did he?" Her voice is thin, but I can tell that she knows she wasn't raped. I shake my head.
"No. He just staged it that way." I say. She nods. She's being incredibly calm about all of this, but I'm going to kill the sick bastard the moment I can catch him.
"Harm, what are you thinking about?" She knows. I shake my head, leaning forward and kissing her forehead, being careful of her eye.
"Nothing. Just how glad I am that you're okay." I whisper. She doesn't believe me, I can tell.
"Harm, don't do anything stupid, please." She says, her voice holding more strength than before. She's pleading with me. I settle back into the chair, holding her hand.
"I won't. I'm not leaving you." I say, looking into her eyes. She nods, staring back at me.
"You know I love you, right?" She murmurs. I nod, smiling at her.
"Yeah, I know." I whisper back to her. She looks satisfied and smiles at me, lying back and resting with her head turned so she can look at me. After a few minutes, she falls back asleep.
The only comfort that I have right now is knowing that the entire JAG family is being protected by the CIA, and that Mattie is staying with the Admiral and Meredith. But Mac is still hurt.
This is all my fault, but I'm going to make it up to her. I swear to God I will. But I'm also not going to leave her. Palmer will be back, to finish the job. I can't let that happen. My sidearm is in my car, waiting for the ride back to my place when I take Mac home. Palmer is going to pay this time.
He's messed around with my mind and my emotions before, but this time he violated a sacred thing. He crossed the line from being a menace that should be in jail to a sick animal that I'm going to kill the next time I see him. He's going to pay for hurting my love.
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Hope you like it. I should have the next chapter up in a few days.
-
-------------- Bethesda Naval Hospital Bethesda, Maryland 3 Hours Later
I sit in the chair next to her bed, my fingers steepled in front of me, staring at her hands resting on top of each other on her stomach. Her sleep- slowed breathing moves her hands up and down every few seconds, entrancing me in the spell that I'm under.
It's my fault she's here.
If I didn't care for her so much, didn't love her so much, she wouldn't be here. When I found her, I knew what had happened. I didn't need the note that had been left on her bed to know who had done this to her.
As much as I love mercy and justice, I am going to kill Clark Palmer the next time we meet.
Closing my eyes, I flash back to the bedroom where I found her.
~~~~ Pale moonlight filtered in through the open window, as well as the icy air that I had felt in the living room. A picture of Sarah and I sat on the dresser, the glass shattered.
When I saw her, my heart stopped.
She was tied to a chair, her head hanging down, her feet bound and her hands tied behind her back. She looked dead.
I raced to her side, lifting her head and feeling her throat, to be sure she was alive. Her pulse was weak, but it was there anyway. Blood streamed from the corner of her mouth, her right eye was swollen and blue. I tore my eyes from her face to check the rest of her body for injuries as I untied the ropes binding her feet.
Her Marine issue blouse was ripped open, buttons missing and I'm sure scattered all over the floor. Her bra was intact, but the white lace was stained with her blood, dark red. Bruises were scattered over her breasts and collarbone, dark and angry against the soft glow of the street lamp outside.
Once I had her feet untied, I started on her hands, still checking her over. Red marks marred the beautiful skin of her stomach and sides, where it looked like she had been kicked by her attacker.
Her hands and feet both untied, she fell into my arms, limp and cold. I had picked her up and put her on the bed, noticing with horror that her uniform skirt was riding high on her thighs. Too high. I hadn't done that when I moved her. Her pantyhose had huge rips in them, the large tears disappearing under her skirt.
I supressed the urge to be sick and pulled out my cell phone, calling 911.
'911 what is your emergency?' The disinterested voice had asked. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"My friend--someone broke into her apartment and beat her. She's--bleeding and it looks like she might have been raped." I said, my heart pounding in my chest as I choked out the last part. She may have been raped.
'What is her address?' The voice had asked, sounding much more interested. I rattled off her address and followed the instructions to make sure she was warm, then hung up. I looked at my unconscious partner, now covered in a blanket from a nearby pile of laundry, then reached down and wiped the blood from her face. She didn't stir.
The police and ambulances were on their way. What could I do while I waited for them? Stepping away from her, I had looked around, desperately trying not to think of what had been done to her, what may have been done to her.
Then I saw it. The note was on the bed, written in block handwriting on the back of the card that I had sent to Mac earlier that day. Chills and anger coursed through me when I read it.
'HOW DO YOU FEEL KNOWING THAT THE WOMAN YOU LOVE IS GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF YOU? YOU SHOULD HAVE KILLED ME LAST TIME WE MET, RABB. I'M GOING TO WIN OUR LITTLE GAME THIS TIME.'
Palmer. It could only be him. I made a silent vow then, as I looked at my unconscious love on the bed, saw the blood streaming from her split lip. I knew then that I couldn't let him get to her again. He would never touch her again, ever.
I decided then that I was going to have to kill him.
~~~~ I close my eyes for a second, supressing the rage that I've been battling since I saw the note. For the first time since I found her in her bedroom, I look at the face of the sleeping woman in the hospital bed.
She's so beautiful. So fragile, so tough...So many contradictory things all at once. She is amazing. And she's hurt, in the hospital because of that psycho Palmer.
For a moment, I allow my inner conflict and grief to overcome me, and I lie my head on the bed, turned away from her face. The top of my head is just barely touching her hip, but the physical contact is nice. Soothing.
He didn't rape her. According to the tests that had been done on her, she hadn't had intercourse in at least the past 72 hours. There were no traces of lacerations or bruising to indicate that she had been raped with some inanimate object. Nothing. He just wanted me to know that he could have done it.
A few unwanted tears escape, and I squeeze my eyes shut against them. Don't let them come, don't let them come. I can't let him get to me.
But he's already done that, hasn't he?
By attacking Mac and showing that he could have done any number of horrific things to her, he got straight to my heart. He knows that she's everything to me. It wouldn't even surprise me if he was at JAG today, watching the exchange between she and I.
Wait...The delivery man. It was him. I should have known, especially with the feeling that I got in my gut when he smiled. I knew he was familiar. God, he was right there. He was in my office, in her office...
Even more tears come now, pain laced with anger. I can't stand knowing that she's hurt because of me. I wish that she would wake up.
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my head, stroking my hair. I lift my head carefully, reaching up with my hands and taking the one that had been on my head. She's awake. And she's looking at me, her eyes sleepy and her brow furrowed. She takes her hand out of mine and lifts it to my face, thumbing away my tears.
"Hi." I whisper, my voice choked. She blinks slowly, her right eye still black and blue. My heart constricts when she winces in pain, and I find myself wincing too.
"Hey." She chokes out, her voice cracked and quiet. She looks around, not moving her head, and then frowns even more than before.
"What?" I ask. She winces as she shifts in the bed.
"What happened?" She asks. It feels like there's a truck sitting on my chest. I clear my throat.
"Don't you remember?" I ask her. She shakes her head.
"I--I got home and I was going to change, for you to come...Someone came in my window...He hit me with something. I don't remember anything after that." She whispers. I shake my head.
"It was Palmer. He--beat you up pretty badly. I found you in your room, tied to a chair, bleeding and bruised up. You were in pretty bad shape." I mutter, my eyes roaming her face.
"He's out?" She asks. I nod.
"I talked to...To Webb. Palmer escaped from Leavenworth a few days ago. Webb posted some men around the room and at your apartment. Not that they'll be able to catch that psycho." I say. When I mentioned Webb, her eyes flashed with some mysterious emotion, but I let it pass. Ex-lovers are never easy to deal with, especially in her condition.
"So what's my status? When can I go home?" She asks weakly. I shake my head.
"They said that they want to keep you for a few days. Just to make sure." I whisper, my voice on the verge of breaking again.
"Harm, what is it?" She asks. Her voice is so weak, her face so pale and tired.
"I thought he--raped you." I choke out. Her frown deepens and her eyes widen slightly.
"Why did you think that?" She says. I shake my head again.
"He ripped your pantyhose and hiked your skirt up...He made it look like he raped you. Just so I would think that." I growl, anger beginning to seep back into me. Panic enters in her eyes.
"But he didn't, did he?" Her voice is thin, but I can tell that she knows she wasn't raped. I shake my head.
"No. He just staged it that way." I say. She nods. She's being incredibly calm about all of this, but I'm going to kill the sick bastard the moment I can catch him.
"Harm, what are you thinking about?" She knows. I shake my head, leaning forward and kissing her forehead, being careful of her eye.
"Nothing. Just how glad I am that you're okay." I whisper. She doesn't believe me, I can tell.
"Harm, don't do anything stupid, please." She says, her voice holding more strength than before. She's pleading with me. I settle back into the chair, holding her hand.
"I won't. I'm not leaving you." I say, looking into her eyes. She nods, staring back at me.
"You know I love you, right?" She murmurs. I nod, smiling at her.
"Yeah, I know." I whisper back to her. She looks satisfied and smiles at me, lying back and resting with her head turned so she can look at me. After a few minutes, she falls back asleep.
The only comfort that I have right now is knowing that the entire JAG family is being protected by the CIA, and that Mattie is staying with the Admiral and Meredith. But Mac is still hurt.
This is all my fault, but I'm going to make it up to her. I swear to God I will. But I'm also not going to leave her. Palmer will be back, to finish the job. I can't let that happen. My sidearm is in my car, waiting for the ride back to my place when I take Mac home. Palmer is going to pay this time.
He's messed around with my mind and my emotions before, but this time he violated a sacred thing. He crossed the line from being a menace that should be in jail to a sick animal that I'm going to kill the next time I see him. He's going to pay for hurting my love.
--------
Hope you like it. I should have the next chapter up in a few days.
-
