Technically, it's Monday - 12:30am. ;) This weekend sucked, I didn't get to enjoy or unseasonably nice weather. (70s this weekend rather than 90s) Oh well. I also got informed that non of us know how to use a calculator properly. At least, not according to a trainee. I mean, did you know that 120 x 3 540?? Bet you didn't, but now you know!
Okay, so here is the next part and now I go to bed. yawn
Enjoy!
Jackie.
Special thanks to: SarahRabb705, Froggy0319, Nikki, harmsgirl-03, cool cat, Harmfan, Jackia, sailorgirl, starryeyes, XBlueShadowX, Anaika Skywalker, FoxyWombat, soontobeffwriter, maidenpride, BrokenSkye, Claire Vincent, Charmboy, Lyssa Grace, zeilfanaat, Fic-Chic, cbw, skates, Kat, NavyBabe, Heiros, Jenny R, xobabygurlxo, cool cat, Kristie, eridani, and anyone else I missed, for the feedback! :)
PART 10 – Lost and Found
0435 Zulu
Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
Hours, they'd been in the ocean for hours and the one SAR aircraft that had passed over his area, had not seen him. Harm knew he was going hypothermic, he could barely feel his hands and feet. But, when they would pass by again, he would point his weapon to the skies and open fire, praying they would see the blasts. "M-M-Maaa-ac, I'mmm, sor. . .sorrey." He said between chattering teeth, never keeping her out of his mind as the ocean relentlessly tossed him about. Hopefully the SAR crews had found her by now. Hopefully she was safe.
--
Mac had long since given up on trying to head towards Harm's location. Soon after she started kicking, she felt a strange tiredness. She was laying properly in the life boat once again, trying to conserve whatever energy she could muster. It was getting difficult now, so difficult she couldn't even tell how long she'd been out there. She only hoped a SAR crew had found Harm and he was safe. Looking out into the roaring ocean, her heart both sank and skipped a beat. She swore she saw something floating in the waves. "HARM!"
It was his raft and it was empty. "Oh God, no." She said softly as the raft floated by her only to be tossed around by the waves. "HARM ARE YOU OUT THERE?!" She managed to yell again, stronger this time, but she didn't receive an answer. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what an empty raft meant. "No. . .no please." Bringing one hand over her eyes, Mac gave into the overwhelming feeling of grief. The tears mixed with the rain and sea. There, in the middle of the ocean the Marine finally broke.
--
Harm figured he was going delirious, because he couldn't have possibly heard Mac's voice. She had to be miles away from him, if their ejection was any indication. His body was shivering so badly that he could barely hang onto the sonar buoy that he found from the Viking's pass over the area. Harm kept fighting the urge to fall asleep, but it was just becoming more difficult as time went on. "Sarah. . . I'm sorry." He said, as his head lulled against life vest. They weren't coming for him, it was time to give up.
Somehow, at the same time that Harm's body reached the crest of the wave, a series of lightening strikes lit the area brighter than it ever had been. Focusing her eyes, despite the rain pelting her, Mac knew that had to be Harm. Again, she tried fighting the waves as she attempted to maneuver her life boat towards him. "HARM!!!" She yelled as loud as possible.
This time, Harm heard her very clearly, giving him a kick of adrenaline that he needed to survive just a bit longer. Coughing up some seawater, he managed to clear his throat and yell, "MAC?!"
She nearly cried with joy at hearing him, perhaps they would get out of this after all? "Harm! Reach out! Please!" Holding on to the raft with one hand and reaching for Harm with the other, Mac stretched out to him. She managed to grab him in one try, pulling him towards the raft. He looked up at her, grateful that she arrived when she did and relived that she was still alive. "Can you pull yourself up?" She said loudly over the sound of the storm.
Harm coughed up some more water and looked up at Mac. "Not sure. . . too tired."
Stabilizing the raft as much as possible, Mac took a hold of Harm's life jacket and pulled up. "Help me damnit!" Mac grunted, managing to pull him up a quarter of the way. With another tug, Harm was on the raft, laying on her body. Mac was cold herself, it was impossible not to be with the heavy wind and rain, but Harm, she found him to be frozen. He wasn't wearing a helmet, both of his gloves were gone and his flight suit seemed to be slightly ripped which mean that some water had to have seeped in.
Harm breathed slowly in and out, aware that his head was resting right on Mac's chest, but, he was too tired to move. He tried trying to stop his body from shivering, but it was becoming much more difficult. His extremities were starting to lose feeling. "C-c-c-co-old."
Mac took off a glove and pressed it to Harm's forehead, she was right, he was freezing. Taking better note of his condition, warning bells started going off in her head. "Damnit, you're hypothermic." His lips were turning blue. His skin was ashen. She wished she could find a way to warm Harm up, bit it was practically impossible, so she tried to use body heat. Mac wrapped her arms around Harm, holding him as close as she could. His eyes started closing. "No! Harm. . . you need to stay awake."
Harm looked up at Mac and sighed. "I'm. . Sorrrrry, Maa-aac."
"Don't be sorry, just stay awake for me, please."
"Ddd-n't mea-an to c-c-c-ra-ash." Harm said with a frown. Each time he closed his eyes he saw the water rushing at him as he lost complete control of the aircraft. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before. It was as if someone had pulled some invisible power plug on the Tomcat and sent it spiraling out of control. "So-rrr-y I. . . made. . .you. . angrr-rr-y."
Despite the circumstances, Mac chuckled softly. "I forgive you, but I won't forgive you if you don't make it out of this with me Harm." She took a breath and placed a kiss on Harm's forehead, surprised that she did that without thinking. It felt so natural for her to comfort him. Maybe that was because they had been there for each other so many times before?
"S-s-sar-ah." Harm began, his voice softer than before. Mustering the strength he raised his head and looked up at her. "I. . .no-ot goin'. . . t-t-o make. . it." Mac was going to object, to hope that whatever strength she had left, would help him have the will to survive. "Let. . . me. . . t-t-alk."
"Okay." She nodded, figuring that if he was still talking, it would allow him to stay conscious until they were rescued.
"S-s-ydney. . .I, bac-ked away cos. . . cos I, wa-was scar-ed."
Mac creased her eyebrows, "Scared of what? Of me?"
"Of. . .you. . . le-lea-ving me."
Mac shook her head, she didn't understand. Why would she leave him? "Why?"
"Di-ane. . . died. . . Dad did too. . ." Taking a deep breath, he allowed for the tears that he usually held at bay, to form and fall. "Scaa-red. . .to lose. . . you, Sarah."
Nodding, Mac understood what he meant. She should have seen it then. She should have waited for him. "I'm sorry I didn't wait for you, Harm. . . I thought you didn't want me."
"You are. . . cr-cra-zy." Harm snorted. "Y-y-ou. . ar-re. . s-s-so in-credible."
Mac laughed at that and just held onto him tighter. "And you're crazy."
"Ov-v-ver you, Sa-rah." His eyes met hers despite the darkness conveying a sureness that he didn't really feel. The overwhelming need to close his eyes was threatening again. In the distance he heard the sound of what had to be the SAR crew. As they came closer, Harm tried to reach for his side arm, but it was of no use.
"Harm? What is it?" She felt the movement of his body on hers, confussed as to what they would be looking for. Mac too heard the rotors from above, though she couldn't see the helo between the sheets of rain.
"Pistol. . .grab. . . shoot up." Despite himself, Harm looked up at her and grinned slightly. "D-d-don't shoooot. . . the. . . helo."
Ignoring his attempt at a joke, Mac reached down his leg, pulling out his side arm and emptied the magazine up towards the sky. When she was done firing, she tossed the weapon overboard and wrapped her arms tightly around Harm's body.
Looking up, Mac released Harm long enough to wave her arms in the air. "DOWN HERE!!!" The helo turned and headed towards them until it was just above. Wrapping her arms around Harm again, Mac looked at him with a bright smile. "We're rescued. . . we're. . . Harm?" A flash of panic raced through Mac's mind, Harm had his eyes closed. "Harm?" Shaking him as hard as possible, she still got no response. "Harm you have to wake up! You have to hold on!" Looking up, she saw one of the SAR crew members being hoisted down to her. "HURRY please!. . . Harm, wake up, please WAKE UP Harm. . . damnit you can't die out here. . .damnit." By then she was sobbing so hard she barely heard the instructions from their rescuers. Where the crew member was trying to get Mac to let go of Harm, due to her grief she couldn't.
--
So has my mean/evil/horrible person status come up any? Muahahaa! Actually, I swear I didn't realize I have THIS manly cliffhangers. Call me Cliffy ;) No, I am chic – Cliffette ;).
I got an e-mail that I was dragging this out. Well? What do you want. Harm and Mac fall in the ocean, Harm and Mac are rescued, the end? Noooooooo!!!! ZZZzzZZzzz Boring!
XblueShadowX – Ummm so you gonna finish writing X-mas in Paris? Or are you, like other writers going to start blackmailing me? ;)
FoxyWombat – Work sucked, but thanks for the good wishes! LOL!
Zeil – Look! Look! Another part! ;)
Skates – Admiral punching Mic. . . damn, bit late for that – not too many more admiral/mic scenes but. . . I'll file that for later ;)
Froggy – They did!!! Seee!! They found eachother!! ;) (Goes back and re-reads) Whew! Just making sure! ;)
Navy Babe – I killed one of them off in the first series I wrote. ;) Made the other suffer for a while before bringing them back together. Yes, I am mean. ;) Seriously, I agree about the Harm leaving. It gave Mac a reason to get a bit too cozy with Mic. Oh well. . .:(