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Chapter 18:

Monsters and Sticks



"The test of courage comes when we are in the minority; the test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority."

--Ralph W. Sockman



2415 Zulu

4 February 2004

National Naval Medical Center

Bethesda, Maryland

Harm played with Mac's fingers idly. "I'm bored," he complained with a sigh.

"Harm, you've only been awake for a few hours today, how can you be bored?" Mac asked as she turned another page.

"Easy. You're reading a case file, I hate television, and I don't have anything to do," he said.

"I could leave and go find you a book to read," Mac offered.

Harm wrapped an arm around her. "Nope. I'm not that bored," he said with a tiny smile.

Mac had felt him stiffen slightly at her words, and knew that he was trying to pretend that everything was fine... again. It was part of her flyboy's MO; if he couldn't deal with something, he'd hide it and pretend that everything was okay. "The hospital staff won't let me stay here forever, Harm," she pointed out softly. "And you won't be in any shape to go home until tomorrow at the earliest or day after tomorrow."

"We can order 'em to let you stay," Harm said with a grin.

"And they're doctors, so they can trump our orders--after they get mad, they'll sic the admiral on us." Mac pointed out.

Harm hugged her to him. "So? I'm in the hospital here, so he has to be nice to me right now."

"Not true, stickboy. He's an admiral and he can revoke our leave and haul our sixes back in to work so that he can chew us out." Mac tried to keep a straight face, but didn't quite succeed.

Harm sighed and leaned his cheek against her shoulder. "I hate hospitals," he muttered.

Mac leaned over and kissed him on the crown of his head. "I know," she answered.

Before they could say anything more, a blond whirlwind came into the room. "Uncle Harm!" the little boy called.

"Hey, AJ," Harm said. "Want to come over here, buddy?" he invited.

"In a minute." Little AJ pulled a sharp, pointy stick out and started looking in corners and in the closet. "I'm gonna poke your monsters so that they go away, Uncle Harm."

Mac chuckled. "Are there really monsters in here, AJ?" she asked.

He nodded. "Uh huh. They give Uncle Harm bad dreams and make him sad." Little AJ stuck his lip out in a pout. "I don't want you to be sad, Uncle Harm. So I'm gonna make 'em leave so you won't be sad any more."

"AJ, there aren't any monsters in here--" Harm began.

Little AJ dived under the bed, and they could hear him poking at something. He emerged a few minutes later. "They're gone now, Uncle Harm. There were five of 'em under the bed."

Before Harm could say anything to deny it, Mac elbowed him lightly in his uninjured side. "Thanks, kiddo," he said finally. "Want to come up here?"

Mac looked at Harm closely, but this time, there were no signs of him flinching away. A huge smile stole over her face--he was still damaged, but her flyboy was on his way back. She suspected it had to do with the fact that the antidote had started to counteract the remainder of the drug in his system more than anything else. That at least gave him a semblance of control.

Little AJ considered the question. "Okay. I've got a present for you," he offered.

Mac leaned down, picked the child up, and set him on the bed. "There you go, little one."

Little AJ shot her an indignant look. "I'm not little, Aunt Mac. I'm big." He reached around Harm and gave him a big hug. "I love you, Uncle Harm."

Harm hugged the child back. "I missed you, junior flyboy."

Little AJ grinned. "I'm gonna fly planes just like you, Uncle Harm. When can we go flying again?"

"As soon as I'm better, AJ. I promise."

Little AJ gave Harm a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Cool. Can we leave Jimmy at home? I don't like that one. He cries all the time, and Mommy and Daddy don't pay much 'tention to me anymore."

Mac ruffled Little AJ's hair. "I'll come with, too so that both of us can spend time with you, ok sweetie?"

Little AJ snuggled into Harm's lap. "Ok. Aunt Mac and Uncle Harm, can I come and live with you? I don't like home. Mommy and Daddy are too busy at work and with Jimmy."

Harriet and Bud hurried in, breathless. "Sir, Ma'am, we hope that Little AJ isn't bothering you," Harriet gasped.

"He got away from us, sir," Bud chimed in.

Harm shrunk back into his pillows and used both Mac and Little AJ as his shields. Mac noticed and gave his hand a brief squeeze. "It's okay," she answered. "I figured that you couldn't be that far behind this little guy."

"Are you okay, Commander?" Harriet asked anxiously.

"I'll be fine, Harriet," he answered, his voice monotone.

Mac winced slightly; it was the same tone of voice that he used to use before he'd gotten his vision corrected when people asked why he didn't fly anymore. She reached over and rubbed his arm. "After I can spring him, I'm taking him to Pennsylvania for a while to recover," she said quietly.

"Uncle Harm, where's Pencil-pennsly--pennsyl..."

"Pennsylvania?" Harriet supplied.

"Uh-huh, that." Little AJ said with a grin.

Harm hugged the child gently. "That's where my grandma lives," he said with a smile. "She has a big farm up there, and your Aunt Mac and I are going to visit her. Maybe, if I'm good and you're good, my grandma and your mommy will let you come up to the farm for a weekend."

Little AJ kissed Harm on the cheek. "Really?" He asked, getting excited. "Mommy, can I go visit Uncle Harm at his grandma's house?"

"We'll see, sweetie," Harried said.

A cloud passed over Little AJ's face, and his shoulders slumped. "Okay," he said with a sigh.

"Sir, have they said anything about when you'll be able to come home?" Bud asked. "We miss you terribly at JAG." He set the baby carrier he was holding on the floor.

"No, they haven't, Bud," Mac said, answering for him. "With Harm's injuries, I'm not sure when they'll release him--they couldn't even put a real cast on his broken leg."

"Why?" Harriet asked, looking concerned.

"Because I've got some cuts that aren't healed down there that the bandages have to be changed on," Harm answered, his voice still wooden. "It's splinted, and with the bones broken in two places, they need to monitor it, anyway."

Harm turned his head, burying his face in Mac's shoulder. She let go of his hand in favor of putting her arm around him. "Guys, I hate to cut this short, but the nurse should be here soon with Harm's medication, and it knocks him out."

"Sir--Harm, would you like to see the baby before we go?" Bud asked uncertainly.

"Sure, Bud," he answered.

Harriet leaned over, pulled the baby out of the carrier, and came over. She held the baby out and Mac took him. Harm smiled at Jimmy and brushed a finger over his tiny hand. The baby latched on to his finger and yawned. "He looks like you, Harriet," Harm observed.

"He's being good right now, Uncle Harm. And he's not smelly, 'cause he hasn't pooped his diaper yet. I wanted a sister; sisters aren't smelly and loud like stupid brothers." Little AJ wrinkled up his face and looked at the baby.

"AJ!" Harriet admonished.

"'S true," Little AJ said as he stuck his lower lip out and started to pout. "Babies are dumb." He looked hopefully at Harriet. "Can we trade him for an older sister?"

"AJ Roberts! No we can't and we wouldn't even if we could," Bud said. "I think it's time we went home and put you to bed. I don't want to hear anything more about trading in your baby brother, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Little AJ said, his lip still stuck out in a pout.

"Will we see the two of you before you leave?" Harriet asked quietly.

Mac nodded. "The Admiral wants to see us in his office before we go," she said.

Harriet took the baby back, settled him in his carrier, and motioned to Little AJ. "Come on, sailor. March."

"Yes, ma'am," Little AJ said. He slid down from the bed and glanced back at Harm and Mac. "I wanna stay here," he whined.

"Tough, kiddo; we're going home." Bud said as he picked up the baby carrier. "Sir, Ma'am, if there's anything you need, just call."

"We'll be happy to help," Harriet said.

"Thanks, guys," Mac said, her attention already going back to Harm.

Harriet and Bud left, pulling a half-protesting AJ after them. "I'm tired," Harm said softly. "I want to go home and sleep in my own bed, and not be in this stupid hospital bed anymore; it's too cramped in here."

"If I got out you'd have more space," Mac said.

Harm wrapped his arms around her again. "Nope. I want more space to spread out with you, Sarah."

Mac smiled. "Red light, Captain." She leaned in and kissed him softly. "At least, red light until you're physically and emotionally up to it."

Harm gave her a playful leer that belied the pain that she could see in his eyes. "Oh, you'd be surprised how 'up' to it I can be."

"Harm," Mac murmured. "I'm serious. I want to wait until I don't have to worry about irritating some of your cuts or hurting your leg again."

"I know--I just... want things back they way they were!" he burst out.

Mac brushed her lips against his. "I know, Harm. But you and I both know that we can't go back. Flyboy, get some sleep, and I'm right here if you need me, okay? I'm going to find out when they'll let me spring you."

"Don't leave, Sarah," Harm murmured. "I came so close to losing you forever," he said with a sigh.

"No, you didn't, Butch," she said. "I promised you once that you'd never lose me, and I meant it."

They sat together for a few minutes, and Mac started running her fingers through his hair again. "That feels good," he murmured.

"I know," she said softly. She tilted her head towards the door. "There's the nurse. Are you going to let her give you the medication, flyboy, or are you going to be difficult?"

"Don't stop, and I'll let her," he said.

Mac didn't answer, she just kissed him on the forehead. The nurse came in with two syringes and injected them into his IV shunt. "What were those?" Mac asked.

"One is the last dose of antidote to whatever they gave him, and the other is a sedative," the nurse answered. "It shouldn't take too long in his condition for it to take effect."

"Getting sleepy, flyboy?" she asked.

"Yeah. Need you, Sarah. Always have. 'Member that kiss on the pier? I let you believe I was kissing Diane. Wasn't, you know. I was kissing you." Harm yawned. "Wanted to. Wanted to do it on the Watertown after you read the riot act to the submariners, too."

"I thought you were laughing at me," she said.

"Nope. You looked sexy as hell. Gorgeous. You are, you know. Always are." Harm yawned again and his eyes started to close. "Tired."

"I know, Harm." Mac kissed him lightly. "Maybe Little AJ really killed the monsters," she murmured.

A soft snore was her answer.

She looked up at the nurse. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"You're welcome, ma'am." The nurse left the room and Mac started examining Harm's face.

"I think you're getting better, Harm," she whispered. "As long as you can tease me, I know that the Harm I fell in love with is in there somewhere. Sweet dreams; we'll find a bigger bed as soon as I can convince the doctor to let you out of here."