Tested Hearts, Chapter 5
A/N: Sorry about this – I'm grateful for all the wonderful reviews so far, and I hope to justify your confidence as this story unfolds! Any characters originally depicted in JAG are, of course, the property of DB and the production company, and not mine. All errors, however, ARE mine.
Mattie lay on a hospital bed in the ER of George Washington hospital, her body racked with shivers, her hair and face damp with sweat as her body fought the infection coursing through it. She was unaware of the nurse who hovered nearby, checking her vitals and the flow of oxy through the mask over her face. Unconscious, her mind flitted between half-dreams and remembered images in the desert of heat her body had become.
must be the hottest day of the year to go flying .... Mattie dream-thought as she brought the Stearman around in a tight turn over the airfield of Grace Aviation. She could feel the goggles tight against her face as the wind whipped across her cheeks and through her hair, not seeming to cool her off as hoped. She pushed the stick forward, increasing speed in order to force cooler air across her in the front seat of the biplane, but the faster she went, the higher the heat felt. She wondered what Harm was thinking of the heat, and turned as much as she could in her seat to shout the question to him. Her shout, while loud in her ears, came out as a whisper in the hospital room she laid in ...
"harmmmmm ..."
The nurse looked up from her notes, wondering if the girl was regaining consciousness. She waited to see if she would speak again.
Mattie heard no answer to her question, and didn't sense anybody in the seat behind her. "No, this isn't right," she thought, "Harm would never let me fly solo!" Her throat tightening, she hollered another question towards the seat behind her, thinking he just hadn't heard her the first time.
"Harmm..."
No answer. She decided to jiggle the stick a little – a standard way for pilots to get each others' attention while flying. Her gloved hand gave the stick a few quick movements, not enough to change the flight of the plane, but enough to get his attention.
No response.
Mattie tried not to panic as she looked around her and down at her instruments, like Harm had taught her to do. She was flying level, seemed to have enough fuel, but couldn't remember taking off or even what day it was. "Strange," she said to herself, trying to gather her thoughts through the overpowering heat. At first, she thought maybe the plane was on fire because of the heat ... but since she was still aloft and there was no flames or smoke, she took a deep breath and moved on to other possibilities. The heat meant something, though, her instincts told her ... if she could only figure it out before she ran out of fuel. If only Harm was here ...
Dr. Gentry made her way to the ER waiting room, looking for the tall man who was Mattie's father. Diagnoses and treatments ran through her mind like an automatic file cabinet as she strode down the hallway towards the large room with the ugly, uncomfortable plastic waiting chairs. That had to be part of the hell of waiting to hear about loved ones in the ER, she thought ... sitting in those damned chairs. She passed by the main desk, nodding to the nurses on duty, and started to look around the room. Harmon Rabb couldn't be hard to find, being a very attractive-looking man even in this situation, thought the young doctor. 'Hmm ... too many nights spent on ER rotation and not enough spent getting a social life', she mentally chastised herself as she finally caught sight of the tall officer, sitting next to – ah, that must be the mother, and she was beautiful! Didn't look much like Mattie, but she would definitely draw the attention of most men, thought the doctor as she started to walk over to them. She noticed as she drew near that he was leaning his head on her shoulder and they were holding hands and whispering quietly to each other. Hating to disturb them, she came to a stop a few feet away, and quietly cleared her voice so as not to startle the couple.
Harm sensed, even through the tumult of emotions he was feeling at the moment, someone coming towards them. Thinking it was the nurse with more paperwork, he stiffened, causing Mac to look up at him, and then they both heard the soft cough nearby. Turning their heads, they saw Dr. Gentry looking down at them with a curious look on her face, and Harm leaped to his feet, jostling Mac as she stood more slowly than he as they both gazed back at the doctor.
"Dr. Gentry! How is she? Can I see her?" Harm blurted out even before he'd gotten completely to his feet. Mac stood next to him, brushing her hair away from her face.
"Mr. Rabb, and ....?", she replied, looking between Harm and Mac.
"This is Sarah McKenzie, who works with me in the military. She's a close friend to both Mattie and I." Dr. Gentry shook hands with Mac, who repeated Harm's question.
"How is Mattie, doctor? Have you figured out what's wrong with her yet?"
"Mr. Rabb, Ms. Mackenzie ... please sit down, and we'll talk."
The two officers, not liking the serious tones of the doctor, slowly took their seats again and reached for each others' hands as Dr. Gentry sat in a nearby chair. Their joined hands weren't lost on the doctor, who was very observant.
"Mattie's still unconscious, and her fever is still high – dangerously high. We've put her on two drugs; ibuprofen and albuterol, which will hopefully bring her fever down and help her get more oxygen to her blood.. She has some fluid in her lungs, which is an early sign of pneumonia and bronchitis. The albuterol should start dealing with that part of things, at least, and if either her temp doesn't come down or she doesn't regain consciousness within 30 minutes, she will be admitted. I've ordered a blood sample drawn and sent it off to the lab in order to check for any foreign substances or infection, and she'll have a chest X-ray in a little while, pending the pediatrician's review of her chart."
The two officers clung to each other through the doctor's speech, swallowing nervously. It was Harm who spoke first.
"Doctor, what's wrong with her? Can we see her?"
"Mr. Rabb, at this moment, I'm seeing a severe, unusually fast-developing case of the flu which, since her roommate or you two don't seem to be suffering from, I'm assuming she probably caught from someone at school or a friend. The fact that she's unconscious with a very high temp means that we have to check all possibilities, because this could develop into the things I mentioned earlier. I would rather she not have any visits right now, because the pediatrician is going to check her over and we need to give the drugs time to work. Let's give it, say ...", and the doctor checked her watch before continuing, "45 minutes or so. Please wait here, and I'll come see you again ..."
She stopped speaking because her PMC beeped at that moment, and she pulled the unit from her pocket, checking the screen.
"Hmm ... her temp has dropped a few tenths of a degree, now at 103.1. That's a good sign," she murmured, scrolling through the data screens.
"You mean Mattie? What is that?" Mac asked.
"Yes, it's Mattie. This is my 'PMC', or 'Physician's Medical Computer'. It's a portable device that lets us diagnose and monitor patients from anywhere we are in the hospital through our wireless computer network. A very handy device, and I'm monitoring Mattie's vitals right now." She turned the screen towards the two officers, letting them see the screen which had 'Rabb, Mattie .." at the top, and temp, pulse, BP, and other info beneath her name. Her temp readout showed 103.1, just as the doctor had told them.
"Doc, I want to see her as soon as possible. We need to let her know that we're here," Harm said impatiently, obviously not caring about the gee whiz unit Dr. Gentry carried.
"Of course, sir. Let's just wait for the consult from the pediatrician, and then we'll see where we stand, OK? If she regains consciousness soon, we will let you know right away. Please have a seat, and I'll ask the nurse to find you some coffee."
Harm looked up after he and Mac had sunk back into their chairs, and answered, "Our other friend and Mattie's roommate went in search of some coffee a while ago. I wonder where Jen is??" He started looking around the somewhat crowded room for her.
"I'm sure she'll be back soon, Harm," Mac spoke up, rubbing Harm's back as she did. "Please let us know if there's any change at all, Dr., and thank you for what you're doing for Mattie." Mac smiled at the doctor, who returned it.
"We're taking good care of her, folks. I know she'll want to see you when she wakes up soon ... just try not to worry and be patient for her. I'll be back soon." She nodded at the couple, and turned away to walk back the way she'd come.
Jen shook herself from her painful thoughts in the quiet of the hospital chapel, afraid she'd dozed off. She checked the coffee at her side – still warm. Her watch told her she'd only been here for a few minutes. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, trying to regain some measure of control before heading back to the Commander. 'Mac must be here by now,' she thought to herself as she stood and exited through the doors and walked back through the hallways to the waiting room, inwardly cringing at the disappointed looks she was bound to get from the two senior officers. She thought that they blamed her as much as she blamed herself, and she wasn't looking forward to meeting Harm's eyes when she saw him again. Mac would probably slug her for failing to protect her young charge and adopted sister ... and she deserved it. She should have paid more attention last night ... Mattie obviously wasn't feeling right, and barely eating her dinner before going to bed early were big signs for anyone to see, considering Mattie wasn't one to walk away from food of any kind, or go to bed before she had to. But Jen didn't pay attention to the signs – and now Mattie was paying for her inattention.
"I'm sorry, M ... I love you, and I'd never want to see you hurt or sick in any way," she whispered to herself as she reentered the ER waiting room. She kept her head down, her eyes staring fixed on the tops of the coffee cups she carried in her hands, and didn't notice Mac catching sight of her, watching her face closely as she shuffled along. Mac whispered something to Harm, then stood and walked unnoticed towards Jen, who barely missed running into a nurse who rushed past her from a nearby office.
Mac slowly walked over to Jen who seemed barely aware of anything around her, her eyes cast downward, looking either at the cups she carried or her feet as she slowly walked along. Not wanting to startle the obviously distracted younger girl, Mac slowly put a hand out, touching Jen's shoulder as she drew alongside her.
Jen felt a small hand on her shoulder, and she suddenly stopped, almost dropping the coffee cups in surprise. She looked up into Mac's concerned brown eyes and, seeing the care and worry there, lost what little control she'd regained in the chapel, bursting into tears while still holding the cups of coffee. Mac gently took them from the distraught young girl, placed them on the counter of the nurse's station, and pulled Jen into her arms, wrapping her up in a tight hug. Jen cried into Mac's shoulder, wrapping her own arms around the older woman as they stood there, Mac softly cooing to Jen, trying to comfort her. All of a sudden, they both felt two large arms wrap around both of them, and they could both smell the faint whiff of Harm's aftershave, a gift from Mattie for his last birthday.
"How are my girls doing?" Harm asked quietly, his chin settling on top of Jen's head. Both Jen and Mac sighed at that moment, drawing strength from their friend, and then they both chuckled, glancing at each other while still encircled in Harm's arms.
"What's so funny, you two?" Harm asked.
"Oh, nothing ... we're both just enjoying the comfort of a 'squid' hug, that's all," Mac chuckled again, and Jen grinned for the first time that day.
"Hmm ... "was all Harm had to say in response, tightening his arms around them again before releasing them. "Let's go sit down, OK? I'm out on my feet, waiting to see Mattie and for that doctor to come back."
"You two go and sit, and take this coffee with you. This stuff's probably too wimpy for a real Marine, and I have to check in with the Admiral anyway. Go ...now...." She shooed them both towards the chair where Harm's jacket and Mac's coat lay.
"Yes, ma'am." Jen said in a quiet, meek voice, wiping the tears from her face and sighing deeply, causing Harm and Mac to glance at each other in concern. 'Meek' wasn't an adjective one usually used when describing Petty Officer Jennifer Coates, and the senior officers knew that they needed to talk to the young girl to try and find out where she was, emotionally. Jen picked up the coffee cups and walked with Harm back to the chairs, his arm around her as he guided her slowly along. Mac watched them for a minute, knowing that Harm would start talking to Jen and hopefully get her to open up. Harm was one of the few who could pierce Jen's protective shell when she had it up around people, and the other was lying in a bed a few meters away from them. "Wake up soon, Mattie," Mac whispered to herself as she turned to walk through the sliding doors of the ER, opening her cell phone to dial the Admiral. "Jen needs you – we all do."
Admiral Chegwidden's desk phone rang, and he snatched it up as he heard his staff begin to trickle in for the workday. He'd been standing by his window in his usual "thinking spot", as his sometimes brash young petty officer called it, thinking indeed about the young girl who lay ill in a hospital several miles away. AJ Chegwidden had long since left prayer and religion behind in the early days of his military career, having experienced and seen things that tended to burn a belief of God right out of a person – but he found himself offering a prayer for Harm's young daughter. God only knew what would happen if this turned out to be life-threatening for Mattie, and the Admiral had grown as strong of a protective streak for Harm's ward as anyone else at JAG. You just couldn't help it, once you'd met her. An extraordinary young woman, and an even better person; even at her young age. The Admiral could see right away how Harm had so quickly come to care for her, and even Mattie's comment to him about being a "mean bald guy" during their first meeting didn't lessen his feelings for her. He shook his head and grunted into the receiver.
"Chegwidden."
"Admiral, it's Colonel MacKenzie." Always cool and professional, like any good Marine, AJ thought to himself.
"What's it look like, Mac? How is she doing?"
"Sir, she's still unconscious, and still running a high fever. Dr. Gentry, her physician, came out and talked to us a few minutes ago. They've put her on some drugs, and are bringing a pediatrician in to look her over. The doctor said that if her temp doesn't go down, or if she doesn't regain consciousness in 20 minutes, they're going to admit her and take chest X- rays. She mentioned both pneumonia and bronchitis in the same sentence, sir, and I don't mind telling you listening to that has me scared."
"Damm. How's Harm and Jen doing?"
"Sir, he's ... ok. He wants to see her and be with her, of course, but they're keeping us away until after this second doctor sees her. He was freaking out a little when I got here, but I think he's in much better shape now. Jen is another story. You were right, sir – she's blaming herself big time over this, and Harm is talking to her right now. Mattie really needs to wake up soon and talk to her, sir ... I'm not sure anything anyone else says will sink in until Mattie tells Jen herself that she's not to blame."
"I know ... I had to practically order her not to be blaming herself when we talked on the phone earlier this morning, as I told you. I think she's discovering just how much she loves Mattie through all of this, and everything will be fine once Mattie opens her eyes. Colonel, maintain your position – I will be there within a couple of hours; I need to turn the office over to Commander Turner and make sure things are shipshape before coming over. Meanwhile, stay in contact. Call me again in an hour unless something changes, or if you four need anything. What's your take on the doctor seeing Mattie?"
"Dr. Gentry seems competent, sir. She didn't sugarcoat anything, and seems to have confidence Mattie will get better soon. I have a good feeling about her, sir."
"Very well. I have a message in to my Bethesda friend, and I'll fill him in later when we talk. Meanwhile, sounds like Mattie is in good hands. How are you doing, Mac?"
"I'm fine, sir, thank you. I know she'll be all right somehow, and I'm looking forward to seeing her wake up and getting to chew her out for scaring all of us like this, sir."
The Admiral chuckled at that last comment, and said, "You might have to stand in line after Harm and Jen, I'd wager. All right. We'll talk again soon – keep me informed, and tell Harm I'll see them soon."
"Aye aye, sir. Thanks again."
"Don't mention it, Colonel." He hung up, and left his office to go and fill Commander Turner and the Roberts in on the latest.
"I'm up here all alone", Mattie told herself in her fever-induced dream ... the nurse beside her waiting to see if she tried to speak again while double-checking the young girl's vitals. Mattie was still flushed with fever, very pale, and breathing rapidly through the oxygen mask covering her lower face. Her right hand was clenched, as if holding something in it, while her left hand lay limp on the bed. "What's happening? How did I get up here by myself, and where's Harm? It's SO hot ... making me sleepy, but I can't ... I'll crash ... if I drift off to sleep ..." Mattie moaned, still unconscious, and the nurse watched her with a concerned look on her face. She went to the computer keyboard attached to the monitors hooked up to Mattie, and typed in the electronic chart, "Patient showing signs of delirium ..."
END OF CHAPTER 5
A/N: Sorry about this – I'm grateful for all the wonderful reviews so far, and I hope to justify your confidence as this story unfolds! Any characters originally depicted in JAG are, of course, the property of DB and the production company, and not mine. All errors, however, ARE mine.
Mattie lay on a hospital bed in the ER of George Washington hospital, her body racked with shivers, her hair and face damp with sweat as her body fought the infection coursing through it. She was unaware of the nurse who hovered nearby, checking her vitals and the flow of oxy through the mask over her face. Unconscious, her mind flitted between half-dreams and remembered images in the desert of heat her body had become.
must be the hottest day of the year to go flying .... Mattie dream-thought as she brought the Stearman around in a tight turn over the airfield of Grace Aviation. She could feel the goggles tight against her face as the wind whipped across her cheeks and through her hair, not seeming to cool her off as hoped. She pushed the stick forward, increasing speed in order to force cooler air across her in the front seat of the biplane, but the faster she went, the higher the heat felt. She wondered what Harm was thinking of the heat, and turned as much as she could in her seat to shout the question to him. Her shout, while loud in her ears, came out as a whisper in the hospital room she laid in ...
"harmmmmm ..."
The nurse looked up from her notes, wondering if the girl was regaining consciousness. She waited to see if she would speak again.
Mattie heard no answer to her question, and didn't sense anybody in the seat behind her. "No, this isn't right," she thought, "Harm would never let me fly solo!" Her throat tightening, she hollered another question towards the seat behind her, thinking he just hadn't heard her the first time.
"Harmm..."
No answer. She decided to jiggle the stick a little – a standard way for pilots to get each others' attention while flying. Her gloved hand gave the stick a few quick movements, not enough to change the flight of the plane, but enough to get his attention.
No response.
Mattie tried not to panic as she looked around her and down at her instruments, like Harm had taught her to do. She was flying level, seemed to have enough fuel, but couldn't remember taking off or even what day it was. "Strange," she said to herself, trying to gather her thoughts through the overpowering heat. At first, she thought maybe the plane was on fire because of the heat ... but since she was still aloft and there was no flames or smoke, she took a deep breath and moved on to other possibilities. The heat meant something, though, her instincts told her ... if she could only figure it out before she ran out of fuel. If only Harm was here ...
Dr. Gentry made her way to the ER waiting room, looking for the tall man who was Mattie's father. Diagnoses and treatments ran through her mind like an automatic file cabinet as she strode down the hallway towards the large room with the ugly, uncomfortable plastic waiting chairs. That had to be part of the hell of waiting to hear about loved ones in the ER, she thought ... sitting in those damned chairs. She passed by the main desk, nodding to the nurses on duty, and started to look around the room. Harmon Rabb couldn't be hard to find, being a very attractive-looking man even in this situation, thought the young doctor. 'Hmm ... too many nights spent on ER rotation and not enough spent getting a social life', she mentally chastised herself as she finally caught sight of the tall officer, sitting next to – ah, that must be the mother, and she was beautiful! Didn't look much like Mattie, but she would definitely draw the attention of most men, thought the doctor as she started to walk over to them. She noticed as she drew near that he was leaning his head on her shoulder and they were holding hands and whispering quietly to each other. Hating to disturb them, she came to a stop a few feet away, and quietly cleared her voice so as not to startle the couple.
Harm sensed, even through the tumult of emotions he was feeling at the moment, someone coming towards them. Thinking it was the nurse with more paperwork, he stiffened, causing Mac to look up at him, and then they both heard the soft cough nearby. Turning their heads, they saw Dr. Gentry looking down at them with a curious look on her face, and Harm leaped to his feet, jostling Mac as she stood more slowly than he as they both gazed back at the doctor.
"Dr. Gentry! How is she? Can I see her?" Harm blurted out even before he'd gotten completely to his feet. Mac stood next to him, brushing her hair away from her face.
"Mr. Rabb, and ....?", she replied, looking between Harm and Mac.
"This is Sarah McKenzie, who works with me in the military. She's a close friend to both Mattie and I." Dr. Gentry shook hands with Mac, who repeated Harm's question.
"How is Mattie, doctor? Have you figured out what's wrong with her yet?"
"Mr. Rabb, Ms. Mackenzie ... please sit down, and we'll talk."
The two officers, not liking the serious tones of the doctor, slowly took their seats again and reached for each others' hands as Dr. Gentry sat in a nearby chair. Their joined hands weren't lost on the doctor, who was very observant.
"Mattie's still unconscious, and her fever is still high – dangerously high. We've put her on two drugs; ibuprofen and albuterol, which will hopefully bring her fever down and help her get more oxygen to her blood.. She has some fluid in her lungs, which is an early sign of pneumonia and bronchitis. The albuterol should start dealing with that part of things, at least, and if either her temp doesn't come down or she doesn't regain consciousness within 30 minutes, she will be admitted. I've ordered a blood sample drawn and sent it off to the lab in order to check for any foreign substances or infection, and she'll have a chest X-ray in a little while, pending the pediatrician's review of her chart."
The two officers clung to each other through the doctor's speech, swallowing nervously. It was Harm who spoke first.
"Doctor, what's wrong with her? Can we see her?"
"Mr. Rabb, at this moment, I'm seeing a severe, unusually fast-developing case of the flu which, since her roommate or you two don't seem to be suffering from, I'm assuming she probably caught from someone at school or a friend. The fact that she's unconscious with a very high temp means that we have to check all possibilities, because this could develop into the things I mentioned earlier. I would rather she not have any visits right now, because the pediatrician is going to check her over and we need to give the drugs time to work. Let's give it, say ...", and the doctor checked her watch before continuing, "45 minutes or so. Please wait here, and I'll come see you again ..."
She stopped speaking because her PMC beeped at that moment, and she pulled the unit from her pocket, checking the screen.
"Hmm ... her temp has dropped a few tenths of a degree, now at 103.1. That's a good sign," she murmured, scrolling through the data screens.
"You mean Mattie? What is that?" Mac asked.
"Yes, it's Mattie. This is my 'PMC', or 'Physician's Medical Computer'. It's a portable device that lets us diagnose and monitor patients from anywhere we are in the hospital through our wireless computer network. A very handy device, and I'm monitoring Mattie's vitals right now." She turned the screen towards the two officers, letting them see the screen which had 'Rabb, Mattie .." at the top, and temp, pulse, BP, and other info beneath her name. Her temp readout showed 103.1, just as the doctor had told them.
"Doc, I want to see her as soon as possible. We need to let her know that we're here," Harm said impatiently, obviously not caring about the gee whiz unit Dr. Gentry carried.
"Of course, sir. Let's just wait for the consult from the pediatrician, and then we'll see where we stand, OK? If she regains consciousness soon, we will let you know right away. Please have a seat, and I'll ask the nurse to find you some coffee."
Harm looked up after he and Mac had sunk back into their chairs, and answered, "Our other friend and Mattie's roommate went in search of some coffee a while ago. I wonder where Jen is??" He started looking around the somewhat crowded room for her.
"I'm sure she'll be back soon, Harm," Mac spoke up, rubbing Harm's back as she did. "Please let us know if there's any change at all, Dr., and thank you for what you're doing for Mattie." Mac smiled at the doctor, who returned it.
"We're taking good care of her, folks. I know she'll want to see you when she wakes up soon ... just try not to worry and be patient for her. I'll be back soon." She nodded at the couple, and turned away to walk back the way she'd come.
Jen shook herself from her painful thoughts in the quiet of the hospital chapel, afraid she'd dozed off. She checked the coffee at her side – still warm. Her watch told her she'd only been here for a few minutes. She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, trying to regain some measure of control before heading back to the Commander. 'Mac must be here by now,' she thought to herself as she stood and exited through the doors and walked back through the hallways to the waiting room, inwardly cringing at the disappointed looks she was bound to get from the two senior officers. She thought that they blamed her as much as she blamed herself, and she wasn't looking forward to meeting Harm's eyes when she saw him again. Mac would probably slug her for failing to protect her young charge and adopted sister ... and she deserved it. She should have paid more attention last night ... Mattie obviously wasn't feeling right, and barely eating her dinner before going to bed early were big signs for anyone to see, considering Mattie wasn't one to walk away from food of any kind, or go to bed before she had to. But Jen didn't pay attention to the signs – and now Mattie was paying for her inattention.
"I'm sorry, M ... I love you, and I'd never want to see you hurt or sick in any way," she whispered to herself as she reentered the ER waiting room. She kept her head down, her eyes staring fixed on the tops of the coffee cups she carried in her hands, and didn't notice Mac catching sight of her, watching her face closely as she shuffled along. Mac whispered something to Harm, then stood and walked unnoticed towards Jen, who barely missed running into a nurse who rushed past her from a nearby office.
Mac slowly walked over to Jen who seemed barely aware of anything around her, her eyes cast downward, looking either at the cups she carried or her feet as she slowly walked along. Not wanting to startle the obviously distracted younger girl, Mac slowly put a hand out, touching Jen's shoulder as she drew alongside her.
Jen felt a small hand on her shoulder, and she suddenly stopped, almost dropping the coffee cups in surprise. She looked up into Mac's concerned brown eyes and, seeing the care and worry there, lost what little control she'd regained in the chapel, bursting into tears while still holding the cups of coffee. Mac gently took them from the distraught young girl, placed them on the counter of the nurse's station, and pulled Jen into her arms, wrapping her up in a tight hug. Jen cried into Mac's shoulder, wrapping her own arms around the older woman as they stood there, Mac softly cooing to Jen, trying to comfort her. All of a sudden, they both felt two large arms wrap around both of them, and they could both smell the faint whiff of Harm's aftershave, a gift from Mattie for his last birthday.
"How are my girls doing?" Harm asked quietly, his chin settling on top of Jen's head. Both Jen and Mac sighed at that moment, drawing strength from their friend, and then they both chuckled, glancing at each other while still encircled in Harm's arms.
"What's so funny, you two?" Harm asked.
"Oh, nothing ... we're both just enjoying the comfort of a 'squid' hug, that's all," Mac chuckled again, and Jen grinned for the first time that day.
"Hmm ... "was all Harm had to say in response, tightening his arms around them again before releasing them. "Let's go sit down, OK? I'm out on my feet, waiting to see Mattie and for that doctor to come back."
"You two go and sit, and take this coffee with you. This stuff's probably too wimpy for a real Marine, and I have to check in with the Admiral anyway. Go ...now...." She shooed them both towards the chair where Harm's jacket and Mac's coat lay.
"Yes, ma'am." Jen said in a quiet, meek voice, wiping the tears from her face and sighing deeply, causing Harm and Mac to glance at each other in concern. 'Meek' wasn't an adjective one usually used when describing Petty Officer Jennifer Coates, and the senior officers knew that they needed to talk to the young girl to try and find out where she was, emotionally. Jen picked up the coffee cups and walked with Harm back to the chairs, his arm around her as he guided her slowly along. Mac watched them for a minute, knowing that Harm would start talking to Jen and hopefully get her to open up. Harm was one of the few who could pierce Jen's protective shell when she had it up around people, and the other was lying in a bed a few meters away from them. "Wake up soon, Mattie," Mac whispered to herself as she turned to walk through the sliding doors of the ER, opening her cell phone to dial the Admiral. "Jen needs you – we all do."
Admiral Chegwidden's desk phone rang, and he snatched it up as he heard his staff begin to trickle in for the workday. He'd been standing by his window in his usual "thinking spot", as his sometimes brash young petty officer called it, thinking indeed about the young girl who lay ill in a hospital several miles away. AJ Chegwidden had long since left prayer and religion behind in the early days of his military career, having experienced and seen things that tended to burn a belief of God right out of a person – but he found himself offering a prayer for Harm's young daughter. God only knew what would happen if this turned out to be life-threatening for Mattie, and the Admiral had grown as strong of a protective streak for Harm's ward as anyone else at JAG. You just couldn't help it, once you'd met her. An extraordinary young woman, and an even better person; even at her young age. The Admiral could see right away how Harm had so quickly come to care for her, and even Mattie's comment to him about being a "mean bald guy" during their first meeting didn't lessen his feelings for her. He shook his head and grunted into the receiver.
"Chegwidden."
"Admiral, it's Colonel MacKenzie." Always cool and professional, like any good Marine, AJ thought to himself.
"What's it look like, Mac? How is she doing?"
"Sir, she's still unconscious, and still running a high fever. Dr. Gentry, her physician, came out and talked to us a few minutes ago. They've put her on some drugs, and are bringing a pediatrician in to look her over. The doctor said that if her temp doesn't go down, or if she doesn't regain consciousness in 20 minutes, they're going to admit her and take chest X- rays. She mentioned both pneumonia and bronchitis in the same sentence, sir, and I don't mind telling you listening to that has me scared."
"Damm. How's Harm and Jen doing?"
"Sir, he's ... ok. He wants to see her and be with her, of course, but they're keeping us away until after this second doctor sees her. He was freaking out a little when I got here, but I think he's in much better shape now. Jen is another story. You were right, sir – she's blaming herself big time over this, and Harm is talking to her right now. Mattie really needs to wake up soon and talk to her, sir ... I'm not sure anything anyone else says will sink in until Mattie tells Jen herself that she's not to blame."
"I know ... I had to practically order her not to be blaming herself when we talked on the phone earlier this morning, as I told you. I think she's discovering just how much she loves Mattie through all of this, and everything will be fine once Mattie opens her eyes. Colonel, maintain your position – I will be there within a couple of hours; I need to turn the office over to Commander Turner and make sure things are shipshape before coming over. Meanwhile, stay in contact. Call me again in an hour unless something changes, or if you four need anything. What's your take on the doctor seeing Mattie?"
"Dr. Gentry seems competent, sir. She didn't sugarcoat anything, and seems to have confidence Mattie will get better soon. I have a good feeling about her, sir."
"Very well. I have a message in to my Bethesda friend, and I'll fill him in later when we talk. Meanwhile, sounds like Mattie is in good hands. How are you doing, Mac?"
"I'm fine, sir, thank you. I know she'll be all right somehow, and I'm looking forward to seeing her wake up and getting to chew her out for scaring all of us like this, sir."
The Admiral chuckled at that last comment, and said, "You might have to stand in line after Harm and Jen, I'd wager. All right. We'll talk again soon – keep me informed, and tell Harm I'll see them soon."
"Aye aye, sir. Thanks again."
"Don't mention it, Colonel." He hung up, and left his office to go and fill Commander Turner and the Roberts in on the latest.
"I'm up here all alone", Mattie told herself in her fever-induced dream ... the nurse beside her waiting to see if she tried to speak again while double-checking the young girl's vitals. Mattie was still flushed with fever, very pale, and breathing rapidly through the oxygen mask covering her lower face. Her right hand was clenched, as if holding something in it, while her left hand lay limp on the bed. "What's happening? How did I get up here by myself, and where's Harm? It's SO hot ... making me sleepy, but I can't ... I'll crash ... if I drift off to sleep ..." Mattie moaned, still unconscious, and the nurse watched her with a concerned look on her face. She went to the computer keyboard attached to the monitors hooked up to Mattie, and typed in the electronic chart, "Patient showing signs of delirium ..."
END OF CHAPTER 5