Chapter Thirty One

Georgetown University Emergency Room

Harm rushed to the emergency room and burst through the doors. He ran to the desk. "I'm looking for Mathilda Johnson."

"Who are you?"

"Her legal guardian, Harmon Rabb." He showed his military ID.

"Exam room 4."

He ran to the room. He saw the nurse and Mattie's riding instructor from camp was with her. Mattie was looking groggy.

"Hey baby, Daddy's here."

"Daddy." She reached for him. He walked over to her, and kissed her cheek.

"Sweetie, I think you gave me a nice heart attack." He looked at her for the first time. She had her left arm in a sling, and her right leg in a cast. She had a noticeable bump on her forehead and a cut above her eye.

"Andrea, what happened?" He asked Mattie's riding instructor.

"Mattie was taking the kids on a trail ride. She was riding with one of the younger campers. There was a gunshot, and Mattie managed to get the camper off of the horse, but the horse was bucking pretty hard. Mattie was able to calm the horse, but while she was dismounting there was another gunshot, and it spooked the horse bad. The horse bucked hard and threw her. Mattie was doing everything right, the horse just was too spooked."

Harm swallowed hard. "She was wearing her helmet, right?"

"Of course Commander."

The doctor walked into the room. "Mr. Johnson?"

"I'm Commander Harmon Rabb. I'm her adoptive father." The doctor gave a skeptical look, and then when he saw how tender Harm was with his little girl, he began to ease up a bit.

"We are going to take her down for some CAT scans. We want to make sure that there is no permanent damage to her brain. We already took x-rays of her collar bone and ankle. The ankle wasn't badly broken and shouldn't take too terribly long to heal. She can probably have a walking cast by the end of the week." The doctor explained.

Harm held Mattie's good hand, and felt her squeeze when the doctor mentioned damage to her brain. "Don't worry honey, I have gotten so many concussions in my time, I think I am going on six."

She chuckled a little, "That explains a lot."

"Keep joking around Kiddo, and we will see if Santa visits you this year."

"I don't think Santa could top the gift I got last year."

"Did Santa get you a car?" The nurse asked politely.

"No, she got me a dad." Mattie said.

The nurse just smiled, really unsure of what to say. Harm went with her to the CAT scan suite. She saw the machine and looked at her dad with wide eyes.

"Daddy, please don't make me go in there." She pleaded with him, "Dad, don't make me go in there. Please, I hate little spaces." She repeated.

"Honey, look at me. I would never make you do anything unless it was absolutely necessary. Mattie, I never knew that you were scared of small places. You are fine when you are flying the Steerman with me. Honey, I can't go in the room with you, but trust me, if anything starts to happen to you, I will get to you within a heartbeat." She squeezed his hand again with reassurance.

"I love you Daddy."

While Mattie was in the scan, Harm tried to call Tom but there was no answer at his house, work, or cell. He then called the social worker on the case to let her know what had happened.

After the scan, they went back down to the emergency room. Harm sat on the edge of her bed, moving the hair out of her face. She had changed his life in an instant.

The doctor walked in with the scans, and showed them to Harm. "Mattie has a pretty bad concussion. I want her to stay awake for around 12 hours."

"When can I take her home?"

"As soon as I sign the discharge papers. Here is some pain medication for her wrist. The stitches are butterfly stitches, they will fall out in a couple of days. Also, she will probably have a bad headache the next couple of days. Give her some of these." He ripped out the prescriptions.

"Can you call these into drugstore so I can pick them up on my way home?"

"Why not Bethesda?"

"Because I'm only her legal guardian for right now, so I can't put her on my military insurance, but hopefully that will change in a few months."

"I will call these into the drugstore near your apartment."

"Thank you doctor." The nurse was situating Mattie in her wheelchair.

"Dad, I'm sorry."

"Honey, why?"

"I told you I would be careful, I promised, and I just couldn't get off fast enough."

He got down to eye level. "We know riding can be dangerous. But you did nothing wrong, and the horse was spooked. I am going to call the police to report the poachers though. There is no hunting in those woods. I am just so grateful you are okay. Besides honey, it is my fault. If I had let you skip work today, you wouldn't be here all stitched up and casted up. You do know I would trade places with you in a heart beat, right?"

"Yeah Dad I do. I am so glad you came today. Did you call Tom?"

"I tried all his numbers, but he was no wear to be found."

The social worker walked up talking to the other social worker of the hospital. "Commander, I came as soon as I could. Mattie, I need to talk to you alone, and the other social worker, Ms. Crane, is going to need to talk to your guardian. It's just routine. Don't worry."

"The camp already called on the poachers Commander." Andrea said. "That should take one thing off your mind. Mattie, I will see you once you get back to work. Bye."

Harm nodded and waved goodbye. "Dad, why do I have to talk, I'm to tired to do this now."

"I'm sure it will just be a few minutes Mathilda. Cooperate and the sooner we get to leave."

"Commander, I realize how hard this day has been. Can you tell me why Ms. Johnson was here today?"

"She got into a work related accident. She was riding a horse and work, and got thrown off."

"I understand you have horses at home."

"That I do with a riding instructor to teach Mattie and when she is older enough, Mackenzie, the proper ways of riding and how to avoid injury. Mattie started taking lessons last week, but already knew the basics."

In the room, Mattie was being asked many different questions. "Mattie, do you resent Harm for making you get a job?"

"No. He said it helps build responsibility, and it is a fun job. Today, I wanted to skip, but Dad wouldn't allow me to. He said that it shows good discipline to do things we don't want to do. I love him. My dad told me the sweetest thing today."

"What was that Mattie?"

"He said that he would take away all the pain I am going through and take it on himself. My real dad never said anything like that."

"Okay Mattie. You realize that this was just a formality, and that you Commander Rabb is not in trouble."

"Yes."

She wheeled Mattie out of the room. "Commander, Mattie, you guys must really care for each other. You got here within 25 minutes of the call. When you guys go to court again, this will look remarkably well on the court record."

"Thank you. I am going to take Mattie home now and pick up her prescriptions. You will be by soon for your next home inspection since you moved."

Harm gave her a nod and looked at Mattie. His cell phone started ringing. He looked down and realized it was his mother.

"Hi Mom," He said into the phone. "Mattie's will be okay. She has a concussion. We will have to keep a really close eye on her the next couple of days. I'm going to put her on the phone."

"Hi Grandma." The social workers realized that Mattie had found herself a great family. They nodded off and wrote up in the report it was a work accident, and Mattie received excellent care.

"Mathilda Grace you gave me a heart attack. How can I finish up shopping with you in the hospital?"

"Gram, finish up. My dad is taking me home as we speak."

Harm got the phone from her. "Mom, can you pick up some DVDs for Mattie. I think she deserves the new edition of Dirty Dancing and whatever movies you think she will like." Mattie's face lit up as he hung up the phone.

"Dad, can we go now."

"Sure honey. I'm going to stop and pick up food for the JAG crew on the way home. What do you want to eat?"

"Mr. Ho's House of Noodles?"

"Works for me kiddo."

He got her home without incident. She was feeling dizzy, so Harm insisted that he would carry her in. Mac was waiting impatiently for them to come. Frank and the guys were out finishing up painting the booths.

"Everyone, they are here." Mac called out to them. She ran out to them. Harm had Mattie in his arms. "Mattie, honey, are you okay. Is something broken? Harm, why are you carrying her?" She kissed her on the forehead.

"Mom, you smell good today."

"No honey, it's Mac."

"I know, but can I call you Mom from time to time?"

"Of course you can baby. Mattie I was so worried about you today. I was hysterical." Mac gave Harm a long look. "As for me smelling good, your dad got this for me for Christmas last year he gets me perfume every year for Christmas. Maybe this year he will get me something different. Honey, of course I was worried about you. I love you, don't forget that. Let's get you inside and get you settled. Your grandmother has put the baby down in the nursery, but you are going to be settled in the pool house where me, you, Harriet, Jen and your grandmother are going to watch girly movies and bake snacks."

"Sounds great." Harm still had his little girl in his arms. He realized how close he was to almost losing her today. He put her in the pool house on the sofa bed that he brought in from storage. Mac had made up the sofa bed for her, making her promise not to fall asleep for at least ten more hours. He walked into the small kitchen and brought her a tray of food. He set down the tray of food, and gave Mattie a quick hug, he then left to go on a walk. Mac started to disperse the food to the rest of the work crew when she realized that Harm was no where to be found.