"Ma'am." Jen said as she tapped gently on Harm's office door on Friday
morning.
"Oh my god. What happened to you?" Mac asked as she saw the giant purple bruise across Jen's right cheek and the cast of her left hand.
"It's nothing ma'am."
"Like hell it's not. Come in and sit down." Jen slowly did as she was requested. "I'm going to kill Webb."
"Ma'am, it wasn't Mr Webb's fault it was mine."
"Would you care to explain it then?" Mac asked.
"Ali, that was the guy's name, had had too much to drink so I pointed out to him that he didn't need another drink. He took offence to it and back handed me into a table. Hence the bruise on my cheek and my bruised ribs." Jen explained.
"And the cast?"
"Security and the Agents at party heard the crash and came to help one of them stood on my hand and broke a couple of bones in it."
"So it wasn't Webb's fault?"
"No ma'am. But on the upside I did get a really nice expensive dress out of it and I know that in future to say no to Mr Webb."
"Why didn't you call me? I would have come?" Mac asked.
"After the party I spent until four am in the Emergency Room at Bethesda. Then they gave me painkillers which knocked me out for twelve hours. Then last night the CIA debriefed me."
"Should you even be here today? I've had bruised ribs and broken bones before they hurt like hell."
"The doctor told me I could come to work as I didn't do any heavy lifting for obvious reasons and I took breaks. He gave me painkillers which help."
"Have you seen the Admiral yet this morning?" Mac asked.
"No ma'am, I thought I should come and see you first give that you are my direct superior officer."
"Okay, I understand that. How about Tiner have you seen him?"
"No ma'am."
"I think we should take care of that now, if he sees you like that in the bullpen he's liable to jump to conclusions at least this way you can explain it to him."
"Sounds like a good idea ma'am."
Mac picked up her phone and dialled the extension for Tiner's desk.
"Tiner, it's Colonel Mackenzie. Can you come to Commander Rabb's office please? .... Thank you Petty Officer." She hung up. "He's on his way."
A minute later he knocked on the door before entering.
"Ma'am you wanted to see me? Hi Jen."
"Jason." Jen turned to look at him.
"What happened to you? Were you mugged?" He crouched down to look at her bruised face then noticed her hand.
"No, I wasn't mugged. But I need to explain what happened to you."
"Okay. Sorry Colonel." He realised Mac was watching and got back to his feet. "Ma'am, I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry Jason. This is why you called you here. We thought Jen should have a chance to explain this to you so you didn't see her in the bullpen and jump to conclusions. By the way is the Admiral free?"
"Yes ma'am." Tiner replied.
"Good, Jen take as long as you need I'm going to see the Admiral." Mac got up.
"Thank you Ma'am." Jen tried to smiled but her bruise hurt too much.
~
Mac tapped on the Admiral's door.
"Enter." He called. "Ah Colonel, what can I do for you?"
"I thought I should inform you that Petty Officer Coates is back and Petty Officer Tiner will be away from his desk for a while."
"Why Colonel?"
"They need to talk sir. So I left them in Commander Rabb's office so she can explain what happened without him jumping to conclusions."
"What exactly did happen Colonel?"
"She has a large bruise down her right cheek, bruised ribs and a broken left hand." Mac replied.
"Damn Webb. That's it he never borrows anyone from this office again. I don't care what the SecNav says."
"Admiral this wasn't Webb's fault technically."
"Why what happened?"
"She suggested to the diplomat's son that he'd had enough to drink. He took exception to that and back handed her into a table. Then one of the security guards who was coming to help her up stood on her hand and broke a couple of the bones."
"Should she even be here?"
"The doctors at Bethesda said it was fine if she took it easy and didn't lift anything."
"Do me a favour tell Tiner to take the day off and take her home? Bruise ribs are sometimes more painful than broken ones?"
"I was hoping you'd say that Admiral." "While you're here Mac what do you have planned for the rest of the day?" AJ asked.
"Writing up some notes for Harm on the cases I've worked for him. Then going over things I've missed while I was on maternity leave with judiciary."
"So nothing you couldn't do from this office?" He questioned.
"No sir, why?"
"I have to go to the Pentagon for the rest of the day. You're the most senior here, so you're temporary JAG for the day."
"Anything I need to know about sir?"
"You're down a lawyer and two support staff. You won't be able to contact me or the SecNav for the rest of the day either. You get to make the decisions."
"Aye aye sir."
TBC
"Oh my god. What happened to you?" Mac asked as she saw the giant purple bruise across Jen's right cheek and the cast of her left hand.
"It's nothing ma'am."
"Like hell it's not. Come in and sit down." Jen slowly did as she was requested. "I'm going to kill Webb."
"Ma'am, it wasn't Mr Webb's fault it was mine."
"Would you care to explain it then?" Mac asked.
"Ali, that was the guy's name, had had too much to drink so I pointed out to him that he didn't need another drink. He took offence to it and back handed me into a table. Hence the bruise on my cheek and my bruised ribs." Jen explained.
"And the cast?"
"Security and the Agents at party heard the crash and came to help one of them stood on my hand and broke a couple of bones in it."
"So it wasn't Webb's fault?"
"No ma'am. But on the upside I did get a really nice expensive dress out of it and I know that in future to say no to Mr Webb."
"Why didn't you call me? I would have come?" Mac asked.
"After the party I spent until four am in the Emergency Room at Bethesda. Then they gave me painkillers which knocked me out for twelve hours. Then last night the CIA debriefed me."
"Should you even be here today? I've had bruised ribs and broken bones before they hurt like hell."
"The doctor told me I could come to work as I didn't do any heavy lifting for obvious reasons and I took breaks. He gave me painkillers which help."
"Have you seen the Admiral yet this morning?" Mac asked.
"No ma'am, I thought I should come and see you first give that you are my direct superior officer."
"Okay, I understand that. How about Tiner have you seen him?"
"No ma'am."
"I think we should take care of that now, if he sees you like that in the bullpen he's liable to jump to conclusions at least this way you can explain it to him."
"Sounds like a good idea ma'am."
Mac picked up her phone and dialled the extension for Tiner's desk.
"Tiner, it's Colonel Mackenzie. Can you come to Commander Rabb's office please? .... Thank you Petty Officer." She hung up. "He's on his way."
A minute later he knocked on the door before entering.
"Ma'am you wanted to see me? Hi Jen."
"Jason." Jen turned to look at him.
"What happened to you? Were you mugged?" He crouched down to look at her bruised face then noticed her hand.
"No, I wasn't mugged. But I need to explain what happened to you."
"Okay. Sorry Colonel." He realised Mac was watching and got back to his feet. "Ma'am, I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry Jason. This is why you called you here. We thought Jen should have a chance to explain this to you so you didn't see her in the bullpen and jump to conclusions. By the way is the Admiral free?"
"Yes ma'am." Tiner replied.
"Good, Jen take as long as you need I'm going to see the Admiral." Mac got up.
"Thank you Ma'am." Jen tried to smiled but her bruise hurt too much.
~
Mac tapped on the Admiral's door.
"Enter." He called. "Ah Colonel, what can I do for you?"
"I thought I should inform you that Petty Officer Coates is back and Petty Officer Tiner will be away from his desk for a while."
"Why Colonel?"
"They need to talk sir. So I left them in Commander Rabb's office so she can explain what happened without him jumping to conclusions."
"What exactly did happen Colonel?"
"She has a large bruise down her right cheek, bruised ribs and a broken left hand." Mac replied.
"Damn Webb. That's it he never borrows anyone from this office again. I don't care what the SecNav says."
"Admiral this wasn't Webb's fault technically."
"Why what happened?"
"She suggested to the diplomat's son that he'd had enough to drink. He took exception to that and back handed her into a table. Then one of the security guards who was coming to help her up stood on her hand and broke a couple of the bones."
"Should she even be here?"
"The doctors at Bethesda said it was fine if she took it easy and didn't lift anything."
"Do me a favour tell Tiner to take the day off and take her home? Bruise ribs are sometimes more painful than broken ones?"
"I was hoping you'd say that Admiral." "While you're here Mac what do you have planned for the rest of the day?" AJ asked.
"Writing up some notes for Harm on the cases I've worked for him. Then going over things I've missed while I was on maternity leave with judiciary."
"So nothing you couldn't do from this office?" He questioned.
"No sir, why?"
"I have to go to the Pentagon for the rest of the day. You're the most senior here, so you're temporary JAG for the day."
"Anything I need to know about sir?"
"You're down a lawyer and two support staff. You won't be able to contact me or the SecNav for the rest of the day either. You get to make the decisions."
"Aye aye sir."
TBC
