"Tested Hearts", chapter 12
Author: Chicmns
Category: Drama, angst
Disclaimer: All main characters belong to DPB, CBS, and Paramount. I know I've been dropping some serious angst on these people recently, but I promise they'll come out of it on top. Rating: G
Author's Notes: Thanks to all the kind reviews so far:
'jtbwriter' – Wow ... I was blown away with your review! I'm glad that the story rings true for you, and I hope you're not caught reading the next few chapters while at work! If so, I know a few good lawyers who might be able to help get you off! (
'mizukimarr910' – I was definitely pumped after reading yours! You inspire me to do a better job getting the upcoming chapters out in a more timely way, so that you don't have to wait too long! Glad you liked the kiss, too! It won't be the only one in this story, I can tell you! And I'm NOT talking about Harm and Mac, either – stay tuned!
'Mass Spec Lady' – So glad you like the work so far! I wanted this story to be as realistic as possible, both in characterization and in plot/backdrop – and your words show me I've succeeded so far! I'm also intrigued by medical advances these days, especially with computers. The more it can help people like Mattie, the better!
And to all the others ... my humble thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy it!
JAG HQ
"Admiral on deck!"
Admiral Chegwidden strode through the bullpen on the way to his office, grunting a distracted "As you were!" to the officers and enlisted staff at attention. He caught Lt. Harriet Sims-Roberts' eye and nodded, signaling his office manager that he wanted her to follow him into his office. As he passed through the door on the way to his desk, shedding his overcoat and cover and handing both to Lt. Sims-Roberts who followed behind him, Commander Sturgis Turner stood to attention at the Admiral's desk.
"Report."
"Sir, everything's in hand here. I've contacted Commander Rabb's and Colonel MacKenzie's clients and court judges, letting them know that both officers are dealing with a family emergency, and I've gotten postponements on all affected cases from the courts involved. Lt. Sims-Roberts contacted Mattie's school to let them know what was happening, and the SECNAV called. I brought him up to speed, and he asked that you call him when you got a chance, Admiral – he specifically said, 'no rush'. He also asked me to pass along that he and his wife are praying for Mattie's recovery, and he would like to be kept informed on her status and needs."
"Very well." The Admiral had reached his chair, filling the space Commander Turner had just vacated. Sitting heavily in his chair, he rubbed his eyes, then looked up into his officers' faces, both standing at attention.
"At ease, you two. Take a seat." He waved them into the chairs in front of his desk. There was a knock at his door, and he looked up and saw Lt. Bud Roberts standing there.
"Come in, Lieutenant, and have a seat."
"Thank you, sir," he replied, moving over to a chair at the small conference table in a corner of the large office, gently easing his artificial leg underneath the tabletop.
"Sir, how's Mattie doing? Is PO Coates OK as well?" Commander Sturgis started off.
"People, that's one sick little girl we have. Fell out of her bed this morning, waking Coates up, who found her unconscious with a 104 fever. Harm and Jen got her to GW around 5 this morning, and she's been out ever since. Docs seem to think it's severe pneumonia with some kind of bacterial infection; thing apparently came on Mattie like lightning. Jen started to see the signs last night during dinner, but didn't think it was bad."
Both Roberts' gasped at the details, and Cdr. Turner looked down at the floor, a concerned look on his face.
Harriet spoke up. "Harm and Mac must be scared our of their wits. Poor Jen, too. I know I am."
"I have to tell you folks, it was hard seeing such a vibrant young woman lying there, her body bathed in sweat, tubes and IV's everywhere." He shook his head slowly, then continued. "Coates was in bad shape, too, for a while – had to send her home before she collapsed from worry. Harriet, please mark her out with a family emergency until further notice – I don't want to have her lose time because of this, and I'll sign off on it with BuPers."
"Aye, sir. Thank you, Admiral." He waved it off.
"It's nothing. She's a part of that unique family, too. I ordered her home to eat something and try to rest until we get any more news from the hospital. Remind me to call her between 1600 and 1700."
"Yes, sir."
"Thank you, everyone, for covering things today. Cdr. Turner, I appreciate your assistance – I assume you'll all be heading over to the hospital after work?"
"Yes, sir." The three junior officers chorused.
"Good. Mattie hopefully will be awake by then. Doctors were starting her on an antibiotics regimen when I left. Should hopefully be taking effect by now. Meanwhile, I know we're more than a little distracted by this, but I'd like to try to keep things going till end of day. Anything out of the ordinary comes up-coordinate through Cdr. Turner. Any questions for Coates, do not call her. Run it past me or Cdr. Turner, whatever it is. When I have any more news, I'll pass it along. Dismissed."
All three officers stood and came to attention. "Aye, aye, sir." They turned on their heels and filed out of the office.
The Admiral pushed away from his desk and turned to stare out of his window.
MATTIE'S HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
Andre sat at a table in the quiet library, going over the list of assignments he'd collected from Mattie's teachers; a history paper on Henry V, an English essay that he'd been assigned as well, and a math quiz that Mattie's math teacher graciously allowed him to take to her, once he heard she was in the hospital. Miss Barrows must have greased some wheels with Mattie's teachers for him; all of them seemed to know what had happened with her, and were all understanding about his collecting her assignments.
Lunch had been pretty lonely and quiet without Mattie there to talk and joke with, and it gave him more time to wonder how she was doing. He'd almost called the hospital himself for information, but he knew he wouldn't get anything, since he wasn't family. He just had to rely on Miss Barrows to fill him in at four when he went to her office. He hoped that Mattie had woken up, and was busy complaining about being stuck in the hospital. He knew that she hated hospitals as much as he did, especially considering what had happened with her mother.
Hopefully he could do something to cheer her up, and take her mind off of things. He sighed heavily, and pushed himself out of the chair to head off to his last class of the day before meeting Miss Barrows at four.
GW HOSPITAL CAFETERIA
After collecting a decent-looking burger with fries, along with a salad and iced tea for Mac, and a salad and water for himself, Harm headed back up to Mattie's room with the tray of food. He was thinking about what Mattie'd said while she was awake, trying to decide whether she'd been looking for her biological father when she called him "Dad." He decided that with her fever still dangerously high, it probably didn't matter...even though he wished with all his heart that she meant to call he and Mac "Mom" and "Dad." He couldn't fault her for thinking about both her biological parents, though, if that was the case. He'd do the same thing if he was laid up in bed with a high fever.
Stepping off the elevator near Mattie's room, he entered to find Mac lying on a bed that the nurse must have wheeled in from another room; it was a slightly smaller version of the one Mattie was in. Mac was facing Mattie on her side, their hands joined, and Mac seemed to be asleep. He smiled at the sight, relieved that Mac had relaxed enough to take his advice and try to rest. He quietly placed the food tray on a table in the corner, and moved between the beds to plant kisses on both girls' foreheads. Mattie had somehow pushed her ox tube away from her nose a little, and he reached over to move it back in place. She didn't stir at all, but he listened as Mac stretched on the bed, adjusting her position before opening one eye to look at him and smile.
"What'dja get me to eat, flyboy?" she asked him, a twinkle in her eye.
"What else? A burger and fries...although eating that stuff in a hospital makes for a nice circle of irony, don't you agree?"
"Just shut up and hand it over, squid. And if that salad is for me, too, you can just forget it. Mattie can have it when she wakes up."
"It is, and she will, believe me. This one, though," and he held the wrapped plate up for her to see, "is for me. Trust me- you'll feel better if you eat yours, Mac. Lots better than with that burger clogging up your jarhead arteries."
"Harm, don't make me beat you up and put you in this second bed! I'm not in the mood for rabbit food. Now, hand it over!" She held out her other hand, waiting for him to bring the wrapped burger to her, still holding Mattie's hand in her other hand.
"All right, all right...settle down. I got you some iced tea, too."
"Thanks. Have you checked in with the office yet?"
"Not yet. I wanted to wait until after I'd seen you two before calling the Admiral, in case she woke up again."
"'Fraid not, Harm. She's been sleeping peacefully. The nurse came in a few minutes ago and hung another IV. And her temp's still up there." The monitor still showed 102.8. "Her skin feels really dry, Harm. I don't-"
"She's dehydrated, Mac. That's what the saline's for...to try to get her electrolytes back into balance while the antibiotics are working."
Mac looked more closely at him, surprised at his awareness of the regimen Dr. Masters had put Mattie on. She took a bite of her burger, and grimaced.
"Not up to your usual standards?" Harm asked, watching her with a small grin on his face.
"Harm...you got it with mayo! Everybody knows burgers don't go with mayo-only mustard and ketchup! Haven't you ever read the Constitution, squid?" Mac whined, reaching for her iced tea and taking a long drink. Harm chuckled.
"Sorry, marine. Those things were pre-packaged. It was either that or a very bad-looking bologna sandwich. Why don't you just have the salad instead?"
Mac stared at him, a suspicious look suddenly appearing on her face. She pointed a finger in his direction.
"J'accuse! You staged this in order to get me to eat rabbit food! You KNOW how I like my burgers – you probably had them make it this way, then you'd just CASUALLY suggest I have that salad instead!"
"Mac! Would I be that sneaky and underhanded? Come on!!" He turned away from her, his shoulders shaking in laughter.
"Harmon Rabb, Jr., when this is all over with..." she shook her fist at him in a mock-threatening manner.
"Yeah, yeah...tell it to the judge." Harm smiled again at Mac, who stuck her tongue out at him...then moved closer to Mattie's bed and gently brushed her wet and tangled hair away from her still-flushed cheeks. He caressed her neck with his finger, and she softly moaned, turning her head towards his hand. The look of love and worry on his grizzled face took Mac's breath away in its' intensity.
"Harm..." she began, turning her gaze back to Mattie, "why don't you stay with her? I'll call in to the office. She needs you close by...having her dad sit with her will make her get better that much faster."
"Okay, Mac. Thanks. Did you nap at all while I was gone?"
"A little," she lied. He heard it in her voice and glanced reproachfully at her. She glared back at him. "Harm, how could I sleep?"
"You'd better, Mac. Remember who's on her way here as we speak? She'll take one look at you, and you'll be lucky if she doesn't talk Dr. Masters into strapping you down in that bed for some forced rest."
"Oh, don't be silly. She would'n—"
Mac saw the look in Harm's eyes, and her own widened in fear. She sighed, and rolled her eyes in defeat. "Ok, ok...just let me go downstairs and call in, then I'll come back to lay down and rest—I promise." She picked up her purse from the table beside the bed and slipped on her shoes, yawning as she left the room.
"I heard that!" Harm spoke from behind her.
"Bite me." was the tart reply as she left the room.
Harm grinned and shook his head, looking down at his daughter's face. "Mom's getting harder and harder to trick, Mattie. Using Grams as a threat was a low blow, but I had no choice...right?" He moved closer to Mattie, taking the hand Mac had been holding, and wrapped his long fingers through hers.
"I miss those hazel eyes, sweetheart. I can't wait to see them again. You just rest, though. I can wait a while longer. Grams and Gramps are on their way. You'll want to see them, right? I know you would, so...you just sleep, now, and I'll let you know when they get here, ok, sweetie?"
GOOD HOPE TREATMENT CENTER
OUTSIDE DC
Tom Johnson entered the treatment facility through the swinging front doors, his arms carrying a couple of bags containing things he'd picked up for Mattie's next visit. A bear, a couple of books, and a straw hat for the upcoming summer months. Mattie had her mother's delicate skin, and burned easily in the sun. As he handed them to the security guard to be examined for any hidden alcohol, the receptionist spoke.
"Tom, you have a message here from a Harmon Rabb." She handed the slip of paper to him.
"Thanks, Sue."
"No problem. It sounded urgent."
He read the short message asking him to call either Harm or Mac as soon as possible, and strode over to the pay phone in the lobby. Fishing out some coins from his pocket, he started to call Harm's cell number, and stopped. Ever since this whole business started about custody for Mattie, Tom had always suspected Harm's motives for gaining custody of Mattie. He just couldn't imagine anyone loving his daughter as much as he did, even if he wasn't the best father in the world. His terrible mistake was because of his problems with alcohol, and even though he knew he'd spend the rest of his life trying to make amends for causing the death of his wife and Mattie's mother, he always held out hope that Mattie would forgive him, so they could try to go on as a family. He hadn't wanted to enter a facility, but both the juvenile court judge and the social service worker assigned to the case were adamant that he seek treatment if he was to have any chance at all of keeping Mattie.
He still mistrusted Harm's sincerity; even though the man had been nothing but kind and respectful to him, he could see in the Navy officer's eyes the disdain and condemnation over what had happened over his horrible mistake. When he talked about his feelings over this in session, the counselor always tried to get him to accept responsibility for what had happened, and to understand that Mattie's hateful reactions to him were a result of it. He and his wife had been going through a rough patch right before the accident, and if he could turn back the clock and redo everything, he would. No one seemed to understand that; there were other circumstances involved, not just him getting behind the wheel with too much alcohol in his system. He had to try to make Mattie understand. Then she'd forgive him, he was sure.
The note said to call either Rabb or Sarah McKenzie back; he preferred to talk to the Marine who had somehow convinced him last Christmas to allow Mattie to go home with Rabb. She was persuasive, that woman. Beautiful, and charming as well. She'd make a good mother for Mattie; maybe, he thought with a smile, things could work out that she might be in both he and Mattie's future, after all. He started dialing her cell phone number.
GW HOSPITAL
Mac's cell phone vibrated in her purse as she walked out of the lobby of the front entrance, and she grabbed the unit from her purse. It was probably the Admiral, checking in with them.
"Hello?"
"Colonel, it's Tom Johnson. Good afternoon."
Mac's gut constricted; she'd have to be the one to tell him about Mattie. Giving an alcoholic bad news was never a good idea, as she well knew from personal experience...and she prayed that this time wouldn't be the cause of any bad times for Mattie or Tom.
"Good afternoon, Tom. How are you doing?" She tried to keep her voice level.
"Fine, Colonel. I just got back from a shopping trip for Mattie. Got her some things I think she'll like for when she comes to visit me next time."
This guy hasn't even asked about her yet, she thought. Just wants to try to buy his way into her forgiveness. She fought to keep the iciness out of her voice as she replied.
"Tom, I have some bad news. Jen and Harm had to take Mattie to the hospital this morn—"
"Hospital! What the hell did he do to her? I swear, Colonel..."
Mac was shocked, and fury leaped into her throat as she growled at him through the phone.
"Tom, Harm did not do ANYTHING to her! He couldn't! She's sick, you idiot! She has a bad case of pneumonia, and she lost consciousness! We brought her to GW and she's been here since 5 this morning. She's come to once, but the doctors are trying to reduce her fever with antibiotics. We just thought you should know."
"You mean, you thought you'd cover your rears in case Social Services and the court found out you weren't taking good care of my daughter! This dumb arrangement of her living with a stranger down the hall from Rabb wasn't something I was happy with from the beginning!" There was venom in his voice, and Mac returned it in kind.
"First of all, that 'stranger' is one of the sweetest, most dependable people I've ever met, her NAME is Jennifer, and Mattie loves her like a sister! Let me tell you something else about her - if you ever say anything against her in my presence, I'll break your nose. And if you recall, both the court and Social Services signed off on the 'arrangement', in spite of your objections. So, rather than complain about something that's already been put in place, would you like to hear more about Mattie, or is that too much to expect?" She practically shouted this last in her phone.
There was a pause before Tom answered in a deadly, quiet voice. "How is she right now?" Mac blew out a breath, trying to regain control before answering. "She's resting OK. When we got her to the hospital, her fever was 104. It's at 102.8 now, and the doctors have put her on broad spectrum antibiotics. They found a bacteria in her bloodstream, and she has fluid in her lungs that they might have to drain with a procedure. They're giving her oxygen to help her breathe."
"What procedure?" he demanded.
"It's a drain from her chest with a needle. The doctor wants to wait to see if she starts to eject the fluid once the fever subsides, but it's still an option."
"I don't want anything else done to MY daughter without MY direct approval, Colonel." The anger and implied threat in his voice was palpable. Mac squared her shoulders, and anyone who knew her recognized it as a sign her rare volcanic anger simmering near the surface. The people walking past her going in and out of the hospital entrance instinctively kept their distance, sensing the anger radiating off her in waves.
"MR. Johnson, may I remind you that HARM is Mattie's legal guardian at the moment, and that I also hold power of attorney with her? WE will make the decisions necessary to have her treated and get well again—not you. This is a courtesy call, not a 'get permission' one."
"Wait just a mom—"
"One of us will be calling you later if anything changes. I'll tell Mattie we spoke when she wakes up. Good bye, sir."
Tom shook with anger, the dialtone from the pay phone buzzing in his ear.
JAG HQ
The phone on Admiral Chegwidden's desk rang, and he snatched up the receiver.
"Chegwidden."
"Sir, it's Colonel MacKenzie."
The tightness in Mac's voice made his instincts scream. "Colonel, hello. What's your status?"
"Sir, I..."
"Colonel, what's wrong? Has Mattie gotten worse?"
"No, sir...she's getting better. Sleeping right now. Sorry sir. I-I just had a really bad conversation with Tom Johnson."
"Mattie's biological father? You brought him up to speed, I take it. What happened?"
"Tried to, sir, in the middle of him blaming Harm, Jen, and me for what happened to Mattie...and demanding that he make all the decisions about her care—when he could manage to think about her at all, that is!" The anger in Mac's voice was a terrible thing, and he felt his own rising to match it. He leaned back in his chair, gripping the phone receiver tightly.
"The bastard."
"Yes, sir. I want to go over to that center and beat the living daylights out of him, but I won't do that to Harm and Mattie. I'm just glad I received his call instead of Harm – I don't think anyone could have stopped him from going over there himself if he'd heard the vile things Tom said. Sir, he even spoke against Jen, and I told him that if he ever did that in my presence, he'd get a broken nose!"
"You'll have to beat me to it, Mac. What an idiot. No wonder Mattie hates him so."
"It's understandable, sir. He barely asked about her at all, like any father would have. I try to understand what he's been through, sir, because I can relate on a personal level...but putting his own anger and insecurities above concern for Mattie—that I can't forget or forgive."
"Agreed, Colonel. How do you want to proceed?"
"Sir?" Mac was distracted by the Admiral's apparent change of direction.
"Colonel, you'll need to report that conversation to Social Services. It needs to be a part of Mattie's official case record. You know that he'll enter his own version of it, and yours should also be in there. The judge needs to hear about this before she rules on custody."
"Yes, sir. You're right, of course. I don't want to leave Mattie's side right now to go talk to anyone from Social Services or the court, though, Admiral."
"Not a problem. You have the contact at Social Services in your Rolodex, Mac? I'll make the calls, explain the basics to them and get them to come to the hospital to interview you. They can hopefully take your statement there."
"Great idea, sir. Thank you. And, yes, the Social services worker's name and number are written on my desk blotter. Bud or Harriet can get it for you."
"Good. Now, bring me up to speed with Mattie."
"Sir, she woke up for a minute about an hour or so ago, just briefly. She was pretty out of it, though, and only spoke a few words. But, sir, the really good news is that her temp is dropping! It's still up there, around 102, but the antibiotics seem to be working. They've given her more fluids, and the doctor doesn't want to drain her lungs unless it becomes necessary. Harm doesn't like the idea of them sticking a needle in her chest, and neither do I. Dr Masters seems to be playing things very patiently with her. Oh, and Harm's mom and Frank are flying in. They should be getting here in a few hours."
"That's great news, Mac. I'll let everyone know. Want us to arrange transport and lodging for them?"
"No, sir," and at that Mac suddenly laughed. "Harm's mom ordered us not to do any of that, only to make sure we stayed with Mattie and not to worry about them. I think that if anybody showed up at the airport, Harm and I would be on the receiving end of a tongue lashing, sir. They're just worried about Mattie."
Admiral Chegwidden chuckled into his phone. He'd met the formidable Mrs. Rabb before, and had no desire to do anything to get in her weapons range, either. "Very well, Colonel. How's Commander Rabb holding up?"
"Sir, he's still frightened and worried, but he's been so strong, too. I'm the one going all 'wiggy' here, but Harm's a rock. I'm really proud of him, and Mattie will be, too, when she wakes up."
"'Wiggy', Colonel?" the Admiral asked in a humorous voice.
"Sorry, sir. Mattie's teenage dialect has started to infect me." He could tell she was smiling into the phone, and chuckled.
"Sir, how's Jen doing?"
"She's at their place, and better be sleeping right now after eating something like I ordered her to! I'm calling her around 1700 to check on her, and let her know how things are with Mattie. If I find out she hasn't been resting, I'll have her butt keelhauled so fast..."
"I'm not sure you can keelhaul someone on land, sir." Mac replied, giggling.
"I'll find a way, Mac...or Harm will, believe me. Anyway, I'm sure she'll be back there this evening before her class, so expect her then, Colonel. Along with Bud, Harriet, Sturgis, and myself."
"I hope Mattie's awake by then, sir, so she can see how much we all love her."
"I'm sure she already knows. Have you rested at all yourself today, Mac? I'm not even going to bother asking about Harm."
"A little, sir. They brought another bed into Mattie's room for us. After this call, I'll head back to it and try to get some rest before Mattie's grandparents get here."
"See that you do, Colonel. Don't worry about us; if you're asleep when we arrive, we'll leave you be. We can talk later."
"Thank you, sir. Well, I'd better get back up there. Any message for the Commander?"
"Yeah. Tell him to stay in the tailwind. Mattie's going to be fine, and she'll wake up to a room filled with people who love her."
Mac's throat caught, and she had to swallow a few times at the emotion she heard in her commanding officer's voice.
"Thank you, sir, for everything. I'll see you in a few hours."
"Take care, Colonel, and get some rest. Grandmother's orders."
She heard the Admiral's handset close the call, and laughed as she pocketed her cell phone, turning to head back into the hospital.
END OF CHAPTER 12
Author: Chicmns
Category: Drama, angst
Disclaimer: All main characters belong to DPB, CBS, and Paramount. I know I've been dropping some serious angst on these people recently, but I promise they'll come out of it on top. Rating: G
Author's Notes: Thanks to all the kind reviews so far:
'jtbwriter' – Wow ... I was blown away with your review! I'm glad that the story rings true for you, and I hope you're not caught reading the next few chapters while at work! If so, I know a few good lawyers who might be able to help get you off! (
'mizukimarr910' – I was definitely pumped after reading yours! You inspire me to do a better job getting the upcoming chapters out in a more timely way, so that you don't have to wait too long! Glad you liked the kiss, too! It won't be the only one in this story, I can tell you! And I'm NOT talking about Harm and Mac, either – stay tuned!
'Mass Spec Lady' – So glad you like the work so far! I wanted this story to be as realistic as possible, both in characterization and in plot/backdrop – and your words show me I've succeeded so far! I'm also intrigued by medical advances these days, especially with computers. The more it can help people like Mattie, the better!
And to all the others ... my humble thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy it!
JAG HQ
"Admiral on deck!"
Admiral Chegwidden strode through the bullpen on the way to his office, grunting a distracted "As you were!" to the officers and enlisted staff at attention. He caught Lt. Harriet Sims-Roberts' eye and nodded, signaling his office manager that he wanted her to follow him into his office. As he passed through the door on the way to his desk, shedding his overcoat and cover and handing both to Lt. Sims-Roberts who followed behind him, Commander Sturgis Turner stood to attention at the Admiral's desk.
"Report."
"Sir, everything's in hand here. I've contacted Commander Rabb's and Colonel MacKenzie's clients and court judges, letting them know that both officers are dealing with a family emergency, and I've gotten postponements on all affected cases from the courts involved. Lt. Sims-Roberts contacted Mattie's school to let them know what was happening, and the SECNAV called. I brought him up to speed, and he asked that you call him when you got a chance, Admiral – he specifically said, 'no rush'. He also asked me to pass along that he and his wife are praying for Mattie's recovery, and he would like to be kept informed on her status and needs."
"Very well." The Admiral had reached his chair, filling the space Commander Turner had just vacated. Sitting heavily in his chair, he rubbed his eyes, then looked up into his officers' faces, both standing at attention.
"At ease, you two. Take a seat." He waved them into the chairs in front of his desk. There was a knock at his door, and he looked up and saw Lt. Bud Roberts standing there.
"Come in, Lieutenant, and have a seat."
"Thank you, sir," he replied, moving over to a chair at the small conference table in a corner of the large office, gently easing his artificial leg underneath the tabletop.
"Sir, how's Mattie doing? Is PO Coates OK as well?" Commander Sturgis started off.
"People, that's one sick little girl we have. Fell out of her bed this morning, waking Coates up, who found her unconscious with a 104 fever. Harm and Jen got her to GW around 5 this morning, and she's been out ever since. Docs seem to think it's severe pneumonia with some kind of bacterial infection; thing apparently came on Mattie like lightning. Jen started to see the signs last night during dinner, but didn't think it was bad."
Both Roberts' gasped at the details, and Cdr. Turner looked down at the floor, a concerned look on his face.
Harriet spoke up. "Harm and Mac must be scared our of their wits. Poor Jen, too. I know I am."
"I have to tell you folks, it was hard seeing such a vibrant young woman lying there, her body bathed in sweat, tubes and IV's everywhere." He shook his head slowly, then continued. "Coates was in bad shape, too, for a while – had to send her home before she collapsed from worry. Harriet, please mark her out with a family emergency until further notice – I don't want to have her lose time because of this, and I'll sign off on it with BuPers."
"Aye, sir. Thank you, Admiral." He waved it off.
"It's nothing. She's a part of that unique family, too. I ordered her home to eat something and try to rest until we get any more news from the hospital. Remind me to call her between 1600 and 1700."
"Yes, sir."
"Thank you, everyone, for covering things today. Cdr. Turner, I appreciate your assistance – I assume you'll all be heading over to the hospital after work?"
"Yes, sir." The three junior officers chorused.
"Good. Mattie hopefully will be awake by then. Doctors were starting her on an antibiotics regimen when I left. Should hopefully be taking effect by now. Meanwhile, I know we're more than a little distracted by this, but I'd like to try to keep things going till end of day. Anything out of the ordinary comes up-coordinate through Cdr. Turner. Any questions for Coates, do not call her. Run it past me or Cdr. Turner, whatever it is. When I have any more news, I'll pass it along. Dismissed."
All three officers stood and came to attention. "Aye, aye, sir." They turned on their heels and filed out of the office.
The Admiral pushed away from his desk and turned to stare out of his window.
MATTIE'S HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
Andre sat at a table in the quiet library, going over the list of assignments he'd collected from Mattie's teachers; a history paper on Henry V, an English essay that he'd been assigned as well, and a math quiz that Mattie's math teacher graciously allowed him to take to her, once he heard she was in the hospital. Miss Barrows must have greased some wheels with Mattie's teachers for him; all of them seemed to know what had happened with her, and were all understanding about his collecting her assignments.
Lunch had been pretty lonely and quiet without Mattie there to talk and joke with, and it gave him more time to wonder how she was doing. He'd almost called the hospital himself for information, but he knew he wouldn't get anything, since he wasn't family. He just had to rely on Miss Barrows to fill him in at four when he went to her office. He hoped that Mattie had woken up, and was busy complaining about being stuck in the hospital. He knew that she hated hospitals as much as he did, especially considering what had happened with her mother.
Hopefully he could do something to cheer her up, and take her mind off of things. He sighed heavily, and pushed himself out of the chair to head off to his last class of the day before meeting Miss Barrows at four.
GW HOSPITAL CAFETERIA
After collecting a decent-looking burger with fries, along with a salad and iced tea for Mac, and a salad and water for himself, Harm headed back up to Mattie's room with the tray of food. He was thinking about what Mattie'd said while she was awake, trying to decide whether she'd been looking for her biological father when she called him "Dad." He decided that with her fever still dangerously high, it probably didn't matter...even though he wished with all his heart that she meant to call he and Mac "Mom" and "Dad." He couldn't fault her for thinking about both her biological parents, though, if that was the case. He'd do the same thing if he was laid up in bed with a high fever.
Stepping off the elevator near Mattie's room, he entered to find Mac lying on a bed that the nurse must have wheeled in from another room; it was a slightly smaller version of the one Mattie was in. Mac was facing Mattie on her side, their hands joined, and Mac seemed to be asleep. He smiled at the sight, relieved that Mac had relaxed enough to take his advice and try to rest. He quietly placed the food tray on a table in the corner, and moved between the beds to plant kisses on both girls' foreheads. Mattie had somehow pushed her ox tube away from her nose a little, and he reached over to move it back in place. She didn't stir at all, but he listened as Mac stretched on the bed, adjusting her position before opening one eye to look at him and smile.
"What'dja get me to eat, flyboy?" she asked him, a twinkle in her eye.
"What else? A burger and fries...although eating that stuff in a hospital makes for a nice circle of irony, don't you agree?"
"Just shut up and hand it over, squid. And if that salad is for me, too, you can just forget it. Mattie can have it when she wakes up."
"It is, and she will, believe me. This one, though," and he held the wrapped plate up for her to see, "is for me. Trust me- you'll feel better if you eat yours, Mac. Lots better than with that burger clogging up your jarhead arteries."
"Harm, don't make me beat you up and put you in this second bed! I'm not in the mood for rabbit food. Now, hand it over!" She held out her other hand, waiting for him to bring the wrapped burger to her, still holding Mattie's hand in her other hand.
"All right, all right...settle down. I got you some iced tea, too."
"Thanks. Have you checked in with the office yet?"
"Not yet. I wanted to wait until after I'd seen you two before calling the Admiral, in case she woke up again."
"'Fraid not, Harm. She's been sleeping peacefully. The nurse came in a few minutes ago and hung another IV. And her temp's still up there." The monitor still showed 102.8. "Her skin feels really dry, Harm. I don't-"
"She's dehydrated, Mac. That's what the saline's for...to try to get her electrolytes back into balance while the antibiotics are working."
Mac looked more closely at him, surprised at his awareness of the regimen Dr. Masters had put Mattie on. She took a bite of her burger, and grimaced.
"Not up to your usual standards?" Harm asked, watching her with a small grin on his face.
"Harm...you got it with mayo! Everybody knows burgers don't go with mayo-only mustard and ketchup! Haven't you ever read the Constitution, squid?" Mac whined, reaching for her iced tea and taking a long drink. Harm chuckled.
"Sorry, marine. Those things were pre-packaged. It was either that or a very bad-looking bologna sandwich. Why don't you just have the salad instead?"
Mac stared at him, a suspicious look suddenly appearing on her face. She pointed a finger in his direction.
"J'accuse! You staged this in order to get me to eat rabbit food! You KNOW how I like my burgers – you probably had them make it this way, then you'd just CASUALLY suggest I have that salad instead!"
"Mac! Would I be that sneaky and underhanded? Come on!!" He turned away from her, his shoulders shaking in laughter.
"Harmon Rabb, Jr., when this is all over with..." she shook her fist at him in a mock-threatening manner.
"Yeah, yeah...tell it to the judge." Harm smiled again at Mac, who stuck her tongue out at him...then moved closer to Mattie's bed and gently brushed her wet and tangled hair away from her still-flushed cheeks. He caressed her neck with his finger, and she softly moaned, turning her head towards his hand. The look of love and worry on his grizzled face took Mac's breath away in its' intensity.
"Harm..." she began, turning her gaze back to Mattie, "why don't you stay with her? I'll call in to the office. She needs you close by...having her dad sit with her will make her get better that much faster."
"Okay, Mac. Thanks. Did you nap at all while I was gone?"
"A little," she lied. He heard it in her voice and glanced reproachfully at her. She glared back at him. "Harm, how could I sleep?"
"You'd better, Mac. Remember who's on her way here as we speak? She'll take one look at you, and you'll be lucky if she doesn't talk Dr. Masters into strapping you down in that bed for some forced rest."
"Oh, don't be silly. She would'n—"
Mac saw the look in Harm's eyes, and her own widened in fear. She sighed, and rolled her eyes in defeat. "Ok, ok...just let me go downstairs and call in, then I'll come back to lay down and rest—I promise." She picked up her purse from the table beside the bed and slipped on her shoes, yawning as she left the room.
"I heard that!" Harm spoke from behind her.
"Bite me." was the tart reply as she left the room.
Harm grinned and shook his head, looking down at his daughter's face. "Mom's getting harder and harder to trick, Mattie. Using Grams as a threat was a low blow, but I had no choice...right?" He moved closer to Mattie, taking the hand Mac had been holding, and wrapped his long fingers through hers.
"I miss those hazel eyes, sweetheart. I can't wait to see them again. You just rest, though. I can wait a while longer. Grams and Gramps are on their way. You'll want to see them, right? I know you would, so...you just sleep, now, and I'll let you know when they get here, ok, sweetie?"
GOOD HOPE TREATMENT CENTER
OUTSIDE DC
Tom Johnson entered the treatment facility through the swinging front doors, his arms carrying a couple of bags containing things he'd picked up for Mattie's next visit. A bear, a couple of books, and a straw hat for the upcoming summer months. Mattie had her mother's delicate skin, and burned easily in the sun. As he handed them to the security guard to be examined for any hidden alcohol, the receptionist spoke.
"Tom, you have a message here from a Harmon Rabb." She handed the slip of paper to him.
"Thanks, Sue."
"No problem. It sounded urgent."
He read the short message asking him to call either Harm or Mac as soon as possible, and strode over to the pay phone in the lobby. Fishing out some coins from his pocket, he started to call Harm's cell number, and stopped. Ever since this whole business started about custody for Mattie, Tom had always suspected Harm's motives for gaining custody of Mattie. He just couldn't imagine anyone loving his daughter as much as he did, even if he wasn't the best father in the world. His terrible mistake was because of his problems with alcohol, and even though he knew he'd spend the rest of his life trying to make amends for causing the death of his wife and Mattie's mother, he always held out hope that Mattie would forgive him, so they could try to go on as a family. He hadn't wanted to enter a facility, but both the juvenile court judge and the social service worker assigned to the case were adamant that he seek treatment if he was to have any chance at all of keeping Mattie.
He still mistrusted Harm's sincerity; even though the man had been nothing but kind and respectful to him, he could see in the Navy officer's eyes the disdain and condemnation over what had happened over his horrible mistake. When he talked about his feelings over this in session, the counselor always tried to get him to accept responsibility for what had happened, and to understand that Mattie's hateful reactions to him were a result of it. He and his wife had been going through a rough patch right before the accident, and if he could turn back the clock and redo everything, he would. No one seemed to understand that; there were other circumstances involved, not just him getting behind the wheel with too much alcohol in his system. He had to try to make Mattie understand. Then she'd forgive him, he was sure.
The note said to call either Rabb or Sarah McKenzie back; he preferred to talk to the Marine who had somehow convinced him last Christmas to allow Mattie to go home with Rabb. She was persuasive, that woman. Beautiful, and charming as well. She'd make a good mother for Mattie; maybe, he thought with a smile, things could work out that she might be in both he and Mattie's future, after all. He started dialing her cell phone number.
GW HOSPITAL
Mac's cell phone vibrated in her purse as she walked out of the lobby of the front entrance, and she grabbed the unit from her purse. It was probably the Admiral, checking in with them.
"Hello?"
"Colonel, it's Tom Johnson. Good afternoon."
Mac's gut constricted; she'd have to be the one to tell him about Mattie. Giving an alcoholic bad news was never a good idea, as she well knew from personal experience...and she prayed that this time wouldn't be the cause of any bad times for Mattie or Tom.
"Good afternoon, Tom. How are you doing?" She tried to keep her voice level.
"Fine, Colonel. I just got back from a shopping trip for Mattie. Got her some things I think she'll like for when she comes to visit me next time."
This guy hasn't even asked about her yet, she thought. Just wants to try to buy his way into her forgiveness. She fought to keep the iciness out of her voice as she replied.
"Tom, I have some bad news. Jen and Harm had to take Mattie to the hospital this morn—"
"Hospital! What the hell did he do to her? I swear, Colonel..."
Mac was shocked, and fury leaped into her throat as she growled at him through the phone.
"Tom, Harm did not do ANYTHING to her! He couldn't! She's sick, you idiot! She has a bad case of pneumonia, and she lost consciousness! We brought her to GW and she's been here since 5 this morning. She's come to once, but the doctors are trying to reduce her fever with antibiotics. We just thought you should know."
"You mean, you thought you'd cover your rears in case Social Services and the court found out you weren't taking good care of my daughter! This dumb arrangement of her living with a stranger down the hall from Rabb wasn't something I was happy with from the beginning!" There was venom in his voice, and Mac returned it in kind.
"First of all, that 'stranger' is one of the sweetest, most dependable people I've ever met, her NAME is Jennifer, and Mattie loves her like a sister! Let me tell you something else about her - if you ever say anything against her in my presence, I'll break your nose. And if you recall, both the court and Social Services signed off on the 'arrangement', in spite of your objections. So, rather than complain about something that's already been put in place, would you like to hear more about Mattie, or is that too much to expect?" She practically shouted this last in her phone.
There was a pause before Tom answered in a deadly, quiet voice. "How is she right now?" Mac blew out a breath, trying to regain control before answering. "She's resting OK. When we got her to the hospital, her fever was 104. It's at 102.8 now, and the doctors have put her on broad spectrum antibiotics. They found a bacteria in her bloodstream, and she has fluid in her lungs that they might have to drain with a procedure. They're giving her oxygen to help her breathe."
"What procedure?" he demanded.
"It's a drain from her chest with a needle. The doctor wants to wait to see if she starts to eject the fluid once the fever subsides, but it's still an option."
"I don't want anything else done to MY daughter without MY direct approval, Colonel." The anger and implied threat in his voice was palpable. Mac squared her shoulders, and anyone who knew her recognized it as a sign her rare volcanic anger simmering near the surface. The people walking past her going in and out of the hospital entrance instinctively kept their distance, sensing the anger radiating off her in waves.
"MR. Johnson, may I remind you that HARM is Mattie's legal guardian at the moment, and that I also hold power of attorney with her? WE will make the decisions necessary to have her treated and get well again—not you. This is a courtesy call, not a 'get permission' one."
"Wait just a mom—"
"One of us will be calling you later if anything changes. I'll tell Mattie we spoke when she wakes up. Good bye, sir."
Tom shook with anger, the dialtone from the pay phone buzzing in his ear.
JAG HQ
The phone on Admiral Chegwidden's desk rang, and he snatched up the receiver.
"Chegwidden."
"Sir, it's Colonel MacKenzie."
The tightness in Mac's voice made his instincts scream. "Colonel, hello. What's your status?"
"Sir, I..."
"Colonel, what's wrong? Has Mattie gotten worse?"
"No, sir...she's getting better. Sleeping right now. Sorry sir. I-I just had a really bad conversation with Tom Johnson."
"Mattie's biological father? You brought him up to speed, I take it. What happened?"
"Tried to, sir, in the middle of him blaming Harm, Jen, and me for what happened to Mattie...and demanding that he make all the decisions about her care—when he could manage to think about her at all, that is!" The anger in Mac's voice was a terrible thing, and he felt his own rising to match it. He leaned back in his chair, gripping the phone receiver tightly.
"The bastard."
"Yes, sir. I want to go over to that center and beat the living daylights out of him, but I won't do that to Harm and Mattie. I'm just glad I received his call instead of Harm – I don't think anyone could have stopped him from going over there himself if he'd heard the vile things Tom said. Sir, he even spoke against Jen, and I told him that if he ever did that in my presence, he'd get a broken nose!"
"You'll have to beat me to it, Mac. What an idiot. No wonder Mattie hates him so."
"It's understandable, sir. He barely asked about her at all, like any father would have. I try to understand what he's been through, sir, because I can relate on a personal level...but putting his own anger and insecurities above concern for Mattie—that I can't forget or forgive."
"Agreed, Colonel. How do you want to proceed?"
"Sir?" Mac was distracted by the Admiral's apparent change of direction.
"Colonel, you'll need to report that conversation to Social Services. It needs to be a part of Mattie's official case record. You know that he'll enter his own version of it, and yours should also be in there. The judge needs to hear about this before she rules on custody."
"Yes, sir. You're right, of course. I don't want to leave Mattie's side right now to go talk to anyone from Social Services or the court, though, Admiral."
"Not a problem. You have the contact at Social Services in your Rolodex, Mac? I'll make the calls, explain the basics to them and get them to come to the hospital to interview you. They can hopefully take your statement there."
"Great idea, sir. Thank you. And, yes, the Social services worker's name and number are written on my desk blotter. Bud or Harriet can get it for you."
"Good. Now, bring me up to speed with Mattie."
"Sir, she woke up for a minute about an hour or so ago, just briefly. She was pretty out of it, though, and only spoke a few words. But, sir, the really good news is that her temp is dropping! It's still up there, around 102, but the antibiotics seem to be working. They've given her more fluids, and the doctor doesn't want to drain her lungs unless it becomes necessary. Harm doesn't like the idea of them sticking a needle in her chest, and neither do I. Dr Masters seems to be playing things very patiently with her. Oh, and Harm's mom and Frank are flying in. They should be getting here in a few hours."
"That's great news, Mac. I'll let everyone know. Want us to arrange transport and lodging for them?"
"No, sir," and at that Mac suddenly laughed. "Harm's mom ordered us not to do any of that, only to make sure we stayed with Mattie and not to worry about them. I think that if anybody showed up at the airport, Harm and I would be on the receiving end of a tongue lashing, sir. They're just worried about Mattie."
Admiral Chegwidden chuckled into his phone. He'd met the formidable Mrs. Rabb before, and had no desire to do anything to get in her weapons range, either. "Very well, Colonel. How's Commander Rabb holding up?"
"Sir, he's still frightened and worried, but he's been so strong, too. I'm the one going all 'wiggy' here, but Harm's a rock. I'm really proud of him, and Mattie will be, too, when she wakes up."
"'Wiggy', Colonel?" the Admiral asked in a humorous voice.
"Sorry, sir. Mattie's teenage dialect has started to infect me." He could tell she was smiling into the phone, and chuckled.
"Sir, how's Jen doing?"
"She's at their place, and better be sleeping right now after eating something like I ordered her to! I'm calling her around 1700 to check on her, and let her know how things are with Mattie. If I find out she hasn't been resting, I'll have her butt keelhauled so fast..."
"I'm not sure you can keelhaul someone on land, sir." Mac replied, giggling.
"I'll find a way, Mac...or Harm will, believe me. Anyway, I'm sure she'll be back there this evening before her class, so expect her then, Colonel. Along with Bud, Harriet, Sturgis, and myself."
"I hope Mattie's awake by then, sir, so she can see how much we all love her."
"I'm sure she already knows. Have you rested at all yourself today, Mac? I'm not even going to bother asking about Harm."
"A little, sir. They brought another bed into Mattie's room for us. After this call, I'll head back to it and try to get some rest before Mattie's grandparents get here."
"See that you do, Colonel. Don't worry about us; if you're asleep when we arrive, we'll leave you be. We can talk later."
"Thank you, sir. Well, I'd better get back up there. Any message for the Commander?"
"Yeah. Tell him to stay in the tailwind. Mattie's going to be fine, and she'll wake up to a room filled with people who love her."
Mac's throat caught, and she had to swallow a few times at the emotion she heard in her commanding officer's voice.
"Thank you, sir, for everything. I'll see you in a few hours."
"Take care, Colonel, and get some rest. Grandmother's orders."
She heard the Admiral's handset close the call, and laughed as she pocketed her cell phone, turning to head back into the hospital.
END OF CHAPTER 12