On Monday morning a woman in tight fitting blue jeans, brown low heeled
boots and a large red woolly turtle neck entered JAG wearing a visitor's
pass.
"Can I help you?" Harriet asked when she saw her.
"I'm looking for Harmon Rabb." She replied.
"I'm afraid Commander Rabb isn't here right now."
"He's not TAD to a carrier group or out on an investigation is he?" She asked. Harriet wasn't quite sure what to make of the military terminology.
"No ma'am, he's on leave for the rest of the week."
"Do you have a number where I could reach him? It's very important." She insisted.
"Could one of the other lawyers help Miss.? I'm sorry I didn't catch your name." Harriet said apologetically.
"Meg will do. I really need to talk to Harm. Does anyone know how I could get a hold of him?"
"Colonel Mackenzie will be able to help you. Come with me." Harriet crossed to Harm's office and knocked on the door.
"Enter." Mac called.
"Ma'am, there is a woman named Meg here looking for Commander Rabb, she says it's important." Harriet informed her.
"Show her in Harriet." Mac said slightly curious.
"Thank you Lieutenant." Meg said as she entered.
"Can you close the door please Harriet?" Mac asked.
"Yes ma'am." Harriet closed the door.
"I didn't catch your last name." Mac said.
"Austin. Meg Austin." She replied.
"Sarah Mackenzie." Mac shook her hand. "Please take a seat." It took her a second. "That name sounds familiar." Mac said.
"If you know Harm it probably would ma'am." She said.
"Harm had a partner called Meg Austin. A Lieutenant (j.g.)."
"That would be me ma'am, but it's Lieutenant Commander now."
"Congratulations." Mac said.
"Thank you ma'am."
"So how can I help you?" Mac inquired.
"I need to get in touch with Harm urgently ma'am. The Lieutenant thought you might be able to help me."
"Is there any way I can help? Harm's on leave this week."
"No ma'am. I really need to speak to him in person. Do you have a number at which I can reach him?"
"I can do you one better than that." Mac picked up the phone and dialled Harm's pager, which he was keeping on vibrate in case she need him for anything. "It's just a case of waiting a few minutes." She said as she hung up. The phone rang almost instantly. "Mackenzie." She answered.
"You paged me?" Harm asked. "Is everything okay?"
"It's fine. How's Abi?" She asked.
"She's fine. She still asleep in her car seat. But that wasn't why you called."
"No. I have a Lieutenant Commander Meg Austin sitting in your office. She says she needs to speak to you urgently in person."
"Is she blonde, fairly cute?"
"Yes and now that I know who she is she looks like her photos in the album." Mac replied.
"I'll be there in thirty minutes. Can you stash her in your office and have Jen bring her some coffee?" He asked.
"Sure. Anything else I should know?"
"She wouldn't have come to me unless it was important."
"I'll keep that in mind. Drop Abi by your office when you get here, I've got a couple hours free unless Admiral Morris needs me again."
"Okay. See you soon." He hung.
"Ma'am, who is Abi if you don't mind me asking?" Meg asked.
"Our daughter. She's seven weeks old. Harm's on paternity leave until she's old enough to go to day care next week."
"Harm took paternity leave?" She questioned.
"I wanted to come back to work last week and Harm wasn't happy with me bringing Abi here because there wasn't anyone to look after her. So the Admiral put him on paternity leave and gave me Harm's job for two weeks."
"No offence ma'am. I'm just having a hard time picturing Harm married with kids."
"We've been married almost nine months now. But right now it's time to put you in my office. Harm says he'll be here in half an hour, which could mean anything up to an hour."
"I thought this was your office ma'am." Meg said slightly confused.
"No, this is Harm's office. My office on the other side of the building, I'm a judge."
"I didn't realise ma'am." Meg said as she followed Mac out of Harm's office.
"Would you like some coffee?" She asked.
"If it's not too much trouble ma'am."
"Jen can you bring two cups of coffee to my office?" She asked.
"I'll get right on that ma'am."
"Thank you."
TBC
"Can I help you?" Harriet asked when she saw her.
"I'm looking for Harmon Rabb." She replied.
"I'm afraid Commander Rabb isn't here right now."
"He's not TAD to a carrier group or out on an investigation is he?" She asked. Harriet wasn't quite sure what to make of the military terminology.
"No ma'am, he's on leave for the rest of the week."
"Do you have a number where I could reach him? It's very important." She insisted.
"Could one of the other lawyers help Miss.? I'm sorry I didn't catch your name." Harriet said apologetically.
"Meg will do. I really need to talk to Harm. Does anyone know how I could get a hold of him?"
"Colonel Mackenzie will be able to help you. Come with me." Harriet crossed to Harm's office and knocked on the door.
"Enter." Mac called.
"Ma'am, there is a woman named Meg here looking for Commander Rabb, she says it's important." Harriet informed her.
"Show her in Harriet." Mac said slightly curious.
"Thank you Lieutenant." Meg said as she entered.
"Can you close the door please Harriet?" Mac asked.
"Yes ma'am." Harriet closed the door.
"I didn't catch your last name." Mac said.
"Austin. Meg Austin." She replied.
"Sarah Mackenzie." Mac shook her hand. "Please take a seat." It took her a second. "That name sounds familiar." Mac said.
"If you know Harm it probably would ma'am." She said.
"Harm had a partner called Meg Austin. A Lieutenant (j.g.)."
"That would be me ma'am, but it's Lieutenant Commander now."
"Congratulations." Mac said.
"Thank you ma'am."
"So how can I help you?" Mac inquired.
"I need to get in touch with Harm urgently ma'am. The Lieutenant thought you might be able to help me."
"Is there any way I can help? Harm's on leave this week."
"No ma'am. I really need to speak to him in person. Do you have a number at which I can reach him?"
"I can do you one better than that." Mac picked up the phone and dialled Harm's pager, which he was keeping on vibrate in case she need him for anything. "It's just a case of waiting a few minutes." She said as she hung up. The phone rang almost instantly. "Mackenzie." She answered.
"You paged me?" Harm asked. "Is everything okay?"
"It's fine. How's Abi?" She asked.
"She's fine. She still asleep in her car seat. But that wasn't why you called."
"No. I have a Lieutenant Commander Meg Austin sitting in your office. She says she needs to speak to you urgently in person."
"Is she blonde, fairly cute?"
"Yes and now that I know who she is she looks like her photos in the album." Mac replied.
"I'll be there in thirty minutes. Can you stash her in your office and have Jen bring her some coffee?" He asked.
"Sure. Anything else I should know?"
"She wouldn't have come to me unless it was important."
"I'll keep that in mind. Drop Abi by your office when you get here, I've got a couple hours free unless Admiral Morris needs me again."
"Okay. See you soon." He hung.
"Ma'am, who is Abi if you don't mind me asking?" Meg asked.
"Our daughter. She's seven weeks old. Harm's on paternity leave until she's old enough to go to day care next week."
"Harm took paternity leave?" She questioned.
"I wanted to come back to work last week and Harm wasn't happy with me bringing Abi here because there wasn't anyone to look after her. So the Admiral put him on paternity leave and gave me Harm's job for two weeks."
"No offence ma'am. I'm just having a hard time picturing Harm married with kids."
"We've been married almost nine months now. But right now it's time to put you in my office. Harm says he'll be here in half an hour, which could mean anything up to an hour."
"I thought this was your office ma'am." Meg said slightly confused.
"No, this is Harm's office. My office on the other side of the building, I'm a judge."
"I didn't realise ma'am." Meg said as she followed Mac out of Harm's office.
"Would you like some coffee?" She asked.
"If it's not too much trouble ma'am."
"Jen can you bring two cups of coffee to my office?" She asked.
"I'll get right on that ma'am."
"Thank you."
TBC
