Thnkas for the feedback and well wishing. I am feeling slightly better, anti-biotics rock! ;)
This part will bring home everything that happened to Mac in Aceh and will start to bring her and Harm close together.
Enjoy!
Jackie
PART 6 – Maybe The Rain Is A Good Thing?
1820 Zulu
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Bethesda, Maryland
During the ride towards Bethesda, it was still raining, in fact, it hadn't stopped. Harm had managed to secure early to be the first one over at the hospital. AJ didn't want to keep him in the office acting like a caged lion, so he did not get any arguments from him. The others would stop by during lunch or the end of their shifts. As he walked into her room, Harm couldn't help but wonder if this is what he looked like to her while he was being treated. Mac seemed pale and so small, laying against the bed. At least, she didn't have a zillion tubes coming in and out of her, he hoped it meant that her injuries were not that serious. He noted that and there were small scrapes and what appeared to be burns on her face and arm.
He slid into the seat by her bed and just watched her sleep. She was alive and she was home. Now, if they could only figure things out everything would be fine. "Harm?" Mac's groggy voice cut through his thoughts.
"Hey, there." Smiling, he moved closer to the bed and took a hand that she was offering. "How you feeling?"
Pulling out her other hand from under the blanket, he noticed the cast on her arm. "Forearm hurts like a bitch."
"You broke it?" It was a stupid question, he realized that the moment he said it.
Mac rolled her eyes. "No, I asked them to put the cast on for decoration."
He had to laugh at her spunk. "Okay, well. . . anything else broken?"
"Ribs are bruised, I have a headache that won't quit. . ." Sighing, she turned her head to the side. At the moment, she was talking like Mac the Marine, trying to be strong when all she wanted to do was be safely vulnerable. Turning her head back to face him, she couldn't help the tears that welled up. "I'm sorry for leaving. . . I didn't mean to hurt you."
Harm, who was still holding her hand, took that opportunity to kiss her knuckles. "I don't want to talk about that right now, Mac. . . you need to rest."
Mac sighed, "I know, but we need to talk. . . we have to."
"I agree, but you need to get back up to par. . . then, I promise you, we'll talk." Standing up, he kissed her forehead and smiled down at her. "Welcome home, Marine."
"I. . . need you to do something for me. . . It's important and it can't wait, please?"
Harm creased his brow, what could be so important? "Sure. . . anything."
"Help me find Lilyana, please."
1302 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Trying to get any information out of Indonesia was complete hell. Now, he understood why so little information about Mac and Gunny was presented when the consulate was under attack. Basically put, no one knew shit. At the hospital, Mac had told her side of how it all happened, ending with her running back to the school to find Lilyana. "I need to know she's alright." Mac had told him, with tears in her eyes and as soon as the doctor had kicked him out of Bethesda so that she could get some rest, Harm went to work trying to find anything about the little girl. The search began with Mr. Dart and somehow meandered it's way to Captain Jureau, the man that Mac had bartered with in order to free Corporal Lassiter. It was selfish, but Harm felt a little bit more at ease knowing she had given away Mic's ring. It made the notion that she split up with Brumby all the more real. "Captain, my name is Commander Harmon Rabb, I am. . . friends with Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, I believe you two met? She was sent to handle Corporal. . ."
"Lassiter, yes, yes. . . the Colonel is a very difficult woman to forget." Jureau said and Harm couldn't agree more, but he was going to keep that to himself. "Is there something I can help you with Commander? If you are wondering about the Colonel, I hear she and the Marines, including Corporal Lassiter evacuated. She should be safe."
"She is safe."
"That's very pleasant to hear. . ." Smiling Jureau slid deeper into his chair. "Well?"
"Ah, yes, the reason I am calling. . . there was a girl that the Colonel was concerned about, her name was Lilyana."
Jureau nodded, leaning against his desk. "Yes, Mr. Dart from the consulate informed me about her, sadly I do not have any information. . . Trying to find one missing girl in a land where so many are missing is. . ."
"Like finding a needle in a haystack?" Harm offered.
Jureau laughed. "I never tire of your colorful American terminology."
"Apparently, neither do we." Harm shot back and sighed. "If you find anything, could you possibly contact me back at JAG ops? It would mean a lot to the Colonel."
"Surely. . . and that would mean that you would be in my debt." Jureau said with a smirk and then added. "Are you the man who's heart she broke?"
Harm was tempted to say something snarky, but seeing as he wanted to find out about Lilyana for Mac and this was his last hope, he took a breath and answered. "No, I am not."
"No, of course not. . .you said you were her friend. . . but, perhaps there is a story there, no?"
"There's a story there. . .Look, Captain, please. . .You're our last hope."Jureau decided to drop it for now, "I will do what I can, but it may not be much."
Two Days Later
1640 Zulu
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
Mac looked down at he palm of her hand which held a flat box carrying a meritorious service medal. She looked between Harm and AJ, then sighed. "A meritorious service medal, sir?" She looked down at it with disgust and then brought her eyes back to their CO. "Admiral, I left our group to search for a little girl. Nearly got myself and the other Marines killed. . . to top it off. . . she is still missing."
"And you saved the lives of twenty-two people. . . you were a damned fine Marine officer out there." He pointed out, hoping that she realized, it was part of the service, the nitty gritty part that not everyone could be helped.
"But not a damned fine Human being." She said in a soft voice, disgusted with the outcome. She couldn't say that she knew everything would be okay, but why couldn't she catch a break? Why couldn't they all have made it?
Harm decided it was time for him to say something. "Mac, you did what you could." But, he knew too well that she could kick herself when things went out of her control. It must have really been hell if anyone was left behind, Mac wouldn't leave anyone if she could help it.
"Well, it wasn't enough." She said sadly then looked between the two men once more. "Does the feeling that you've failed ever go away?"
Thankfully neither of the men had to answer that question. "Admiral, Commander Rabb as an urgent call on two." Tiner said over the intercom.
"You can take it in here." AJ said, pointing towards his phone which Harm headed for immediately.
"Commander Rabb." The somber expression that was on Harm's face, suddenly changed. "You found here? Good. . .yes, yes. . . of course I'll let her know, thank you Captain. . . thank you." Putting down the receiver he turned to Mac and smiled. "They found Lilyana, she's in a local hospital, with a concussion but she is going to be alright."
1230 Zulu
Aceh, Indonesia
The flight to Aceh was exhausting, especially for Mac, who hadn't had a chance to fully get back on her feet. Somehow, Harm had managed to accompany Mac to Indonesia. She wasn't happy with that at first, but AJ insisted, and now, with as bad as she felt, it was good to have someone to take care of her. Captain Jureau had met them both at the airport, exchanged pleasantries and drove Harm and Mac to the local hospital.
There were several children in that area of the hospital, rows upon rows of beds. Harm followed Mac, coming to a stop just behind her. Slowly, Mac walked over to the little girl and breathed a sigh of relief. "Lilyana?"
Opening her eyes slowly, Lilyana smiled brightly. "Am I dreaming?"
"No, I am here, I came back to see if you were okay." Mac took the chair that Harm had slid close to her.
"Who is he?" Lilyana asked, her eyes glancing towards Harm who smiled back at her.
Turning to Harm, Mac fumbled for a moment on what she would call him. Partner? Friend? Boyfriend? She wished. "This is um. . .my uh. ."
"Friend. . .Harm." Moving cautiously around Mac, he took the little girl's hand then moved back, allowing Mac some space.
It was clear the Lilyana was hurt, as a strip of gauze went around her head. There were also some cuts and bruising on her arms and hands. Still, she smiled brightly at the two in front of her. "Is he Marine too?"
"No, he is in the Navy." Mac replied, sliding to the edge of the chair and taking Lilyana's small hand in hr own.
"Does that mean you order him about?"
Laughing Harm and Mac looked at each other and it was Harm that answered. "Sometimes, yes . . . and she does it very well." With a wink, he covered Mac's exasperated expression.
The two remained by the little girl for as long as the hospital could allow. Before they left, Mac presented Lilyana with her meritorious service medal, which Mac briefly explained what it was awarded for. "Wow. . . I have valor?" The little girl said with a wide eyed expression.
Mac smiled, biting her lower lip to help prevent the tears from forming. "You have much more than I did when I was your age." Feeling his hand squeezing her shoulder, Mac turned and looked into Harm's eyes, supportive and caring. She was glad he was there with her.
After exchanging goodbye's and Mac retrieving the picture of her that Lilyana had drawn, they stepped outside to find Captain Jureau waiting for them. "Colonel, I must commend you, not many would have returned in such. . .condition." He said, referring to the obvious injury to her arm. "Why was she so special?"
"Because she depended on me and I failed her."
Jureau shrugged and then opened the door for Mac. "Adults fail children all the time, it's a part of life. . .It's sad, non-tragic. . .Merely forces them to grow up."
Stopping to look at the shorter man, Mac thought something entirely different about parents and their role with children. "No Captain, it destroys something inside of them forever. . . I didn't want to do that to her or any other child if I can help it."
Jureau smiled up at Mac and then turned towards Harm. "Commander, I commend you for being with such a fascinating woman."
Mac snorted. "I am not that fascinating."
"Oh yes you are." Both men said at the same time and then chuckled.
Harm and Mac bid their farewells to the Captain and drove immediately to the airport. When the plane took off, Harm felt Mac's hand sliding into his own. He looked down at their joined hands then up to see Mac's chocolate colored eyes gazing into his own. "Thank you. . ."
Smiling, he raised their hands and kissed the back of hers, then squeezed and placed them on his lap. "Just wanted to make sure you got home safely this time." Lifting up the armrest, Harm pulled Mac towards him, making sure she was comfortable. "Rest, Mac. . ."
Lifting her head from his shoulder, where it had come to rest, she looked up at him. "We have to talk about a few things."
"And we will. . . but for now, just rest." Harm was happy not to get an argument or an 'I am a Marine' speech from Mac. It kind of worried him that she didn't protest, but he figured that she was just exhausted, she had to be. He wrapped his arm around her and sighed, Looking out of the window, he noticed it was raining, with a chuckle, he looked down at Mac and smiled. Maybe rain was a good sign?