Divine Intervention

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I promise to give them back when I am finished.

What I think it is going to take to get Mac and Harm together. What might happen after Christmas Eve.

Sorry it has taken so long to update. RL stepped in as well as computer problems. Not to mention my depression over the end of my favorite show. I have now finished the entire story and will post a chapter each day until I get them all up. There are ten chapters, by the way.

Constructive feedback is always welcomed. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7

Bethesda Medical Center

ICU waiting room

1300 ZULU (0800 EST)

"How is she?" Harm asked the Doctor.

Trying to remain positive, but without building up false hopes, Doctor Booth said, "Well, she is improving. She is not out of the woods, but I'm cautiously optimistic of her recovery."

Harriet didn't have the patience to deal with this doctor, "What does that mean? How badly is she injured?"

Doctor Booth decided to give it to them straight and hope they could handle the truth. Raising her right arm and pointing to her right side the doctor continued, "The bullet entered her right side between two ribs. There was extensive damage to her right lung. We had to remove a portion of the lower lobe of that lung. The bullet continued on until it struck a rib and lodged against a vertebrae, about here," indicating and area in the middle of her own back.

Harm felt his own breathing stop and his knees began to buckle. Somehow he managed to find a chair to fall into. Harriet never let go of his hand. She just looked at him with understanding. She had been in his shoes before, when Bud had stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan. Harm and Mac had been there for her and Bud then and she would be here for them now.

Although Harm didn't really want to hear anymore, the doctor continued, "We don't know how much, if any damage has been done to her spinal cord. We won't know for sure until she regains consciousness and is able to tell us. Right now our biggest concern is her weakened condition due to loss of blood. We are continuing to give her blood, but that takes time. Right now, her blood pressure is dangerously low and we have placed her on a respirator to assist her breathing. If she has enough of a will to live to hold on for another…say twelve to twenty-four hours than I would predict a good outcome. She is young, healthy and in excellent physical condition. She should be able to adjust to losing part of her lung."

Harm had heard all he needed. She could come back from this. All she needed was to know that she had something to come back to. "When can I see her?"

The doctor seemed nervous, "We don't usually let anyone into the ICU, except for immediate family."

Harriet stopped the doctor in her tracks, "Doctor, we are her family. She doesn't have anyone else."

Harm looked at Harriet in shock at what she had just said. He had never thought about how close everyone at JAG was. He had just accepted it. He had also never realized just how alone Mac was in this world, but if she would let him, he would change that fact. Looking up to the doctor, "Please Doctor Booth let me see her."

Doctor Booth looked into the concerned faces of Harm and Harriet. Knowing that Lt. Colonel Mackenzie might need to know that there was someone here for her, she said, "All right, one at a time. It will be just a moment. The nurses are taking care of her right now. I'll send one of them to get you as soon as they are finished."

Mac's room in the ICU

1330 ZULU (0830 EST)

Taking a deep breath, Harm pushed open the door to Mac's room. He thought he had prepared himself for the worst. He was wrong. Looking at her, he couldn't help but think, 'she looks so small and frail in that big bed. Not like my kick butt Jarhead.'

He slowly made his way to her bedside. The steady beeping of her heart monitor and the rhythmic sound of the respirator were the only sounds in the room. Her face was so pale. The breathing tube made it impossible to see her lovely red lips. Her eyes were closed to him. He would give anything to see her beautiful chocolate colored eyes, fiery when they were arguing a case, sparkling when they were gently ribbing each other. He only had to close his own eyes to remember hers, but that was a pale imitation. Desperately he needed to see those eyes again.

Surveying the room, Harm took note of all of the equipment. There were tubes and wires everywhere. He hated to see her hooked up to all of that, but he knew it was keeping her alive. He felt the tears coming, but he fought them back. He had to be strong for her. 'No! No more 'Harm the Hero'. 'I have to be strong with her.'

Very gently, he touched her hand. Fearing that he might hurt her further, he couldn't bring himself to actually hold it. Using his fingertips, he lightly stroked the top of her hand and forearm, being careful not to touch the IV. "Oh Mac," he said as he released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "I'm here Mac. Just like I told you I would always be. I hope you know that I need you to always be here for me, too."

He heard a change in the beeping of her heart monitor. His musician skills told him that the tempo had picked up. Had she heard him, or should he alert a nurse? "Mac?" he asked breathlessly. "Can you hear me?" He watched for any sign of movement as he continued to stroke her arm. The beeping of the heart monitor gradually returned to it's former pace. He convinced himself that she was trying to respond to him the only way that she could. "Mac, I hope you can hear me, because I can't wait any longer to tell you that…I…I love you Mac. I always have, I guess. I don't know why it has taken me so long to say that but it's true. I love you so much that I don't know how to live without you." The heart monitor again started to beep faster. Taking this as a sign that she could hear him Harm continued, "That's right honey. You just keep trying to come back to me. I'll be right here, waiting." Grasping her hand gently, Harm began to rub small circles with his thumb on the back of her hand. He just needed to touch her. He needed to convince himself that she was really here. Harriet had said something about having faith, hope and love. He had faith in Mac not to give up. He had hope that she would pull through this and he had love for her. He had enough love to help both of them and love is the greatest of all.

ICU waiting room

1400 ZULU (0900 EST)

Harriet had been sitting in the waiting room for a while when Harm came staggering in. She stood as quickly as she could. "Harm, are you okay?"

He was beginning to feel his own injuries now, "Yes, Harriet. I will be." Looking at his long time friend, "how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Harm. How is Mac?"

Harm thought about that question and realized that he didn't have any idea. "I don't know. She looks pretty rough. She has so many tubes and wires hooked up to her body that I was almost afraid to touch her, but I talked to her and I think she could here me." Letting Harriet absorb this information, Harm continued, "The nurse said they needed to check her vitals and drainage tubes. They asked me to leave."

Harriet closed her eyes to gather her emotions. When she opened them she laid her hand on Harm's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Harm looked at Harriet and gave her a weak smile. How could this woman, obviously uncomfortable from the effects of being pregnant with twins, have the strength to stay here with him all day? 'I have got to convince her to go home and rest,' Harm thought. Quickly coming up with a plan, he began, "They said that one of us could go in to see her as soon as they were finished. I thought maybe you should go this time. She needs to know that we are all here for her."

Confused that Harm wouldn't want to spend as much time with Mac as he could, she simply nodded at the Commander.

Seeing her expression, Harm decided to explain his thinking, "After you see her, I want you to go home and rest." Noticing that she was going to argue with him, he cut her off, "I'll be fine. You need to concentrate on your health and the babies, besides I am going to stay in there with her as much as they will let me, and you would just be sitting here in this little room by yourself."

A look of understanding came to Harriet's face, "I want to be here if you need me."

"Believe me, Harriet, your being here means more to me than I can say, but I will be okay. You're getting close to your due date and if anything were to happen to you or the babies, I could never forgive myself…and neither could Mac."

"Okay Harm, I'll go home." She knew that he was right, but she was disappointed that she wasn't able to help her friends when they needed it, "but you have to promise to call me, if you need anything."

"I will," he said. Then giving her a grin, "but right now I'm going to call Bud and have him come take you home." After calling Bud and explaining the situation, Harm took Harriet's hand and led her to the large window that looked into Mac's room. He felt Harriet tense when she first saw Mac. The nurse was just leaving the room and Harm gave Harriet's hand a squeeze to let her know that she could go in now.

Mac's Room

Harm had been sitting by her bedside since Bud and Harriet had gone. He only left her side when the nurses asked him to, and they only did that when they needed to work on her. He was glad he couldn't stay for some of the things he knew they were doing to her. Now Harm sat in his chair just holding her hand and reflecting on how important Mac was to everyone in the JAG family.

Harriet's visit had been difficult for her. It was always hard to see someone you think of as strong in such a weakened condition. Mac wasn't even breathing by herself. Harm had waited with Harriet until Bud had shown up.

Bud had only stood at the window and looked in. He couldn't even go into her room. Mac had always been a hero for Bud, someone he admired and respected. She was someone that could relate to his childhood and had given him unconditional support and guidance in almost every aspect of his life. She had even taught him to dance.

Harm had noticed the tears in Bud's eyes as he reached up to place a hand on Harm's shoulder in quiet support. The emotion was very evident in Bud's voice when he quietly said, "Harm, if either of you need anything, please call me. I wouldn't be what I am today without the two of you. I owe you both more than I could ever repay and I want to do anything I can to help." The fact that Bud used Harm's first name instead of 'Sir' or 'Commander' touched Harm. Bud wasn't speaking to him as a senior officer but as a friend. Harm had to bite the inside of his lip and take a deep breath to regain his control before he could whisper, "Thanks Bud." Harriet had given Harm a reassuring hug before taking Bud's arm and heading for the exit.

Harm didn't know how long he had been sitting there. He had felt her hand twitch a few times but she had not opened her eyes. The nurses acted like she might be getting better. Her blood pressure was still very low but it was staying fairly steady and she was slowly being weaned off of the respirator. The longer she relied on that to breath, the harder it would be for her to recover. They seemed to be concerned about the possibility of infection and pneumonia.

Harm stared at her beautiful face and thought about all that they had been through together and how quickly they had become so close. How had they come to this point? Why had he been so afraid? Had Sturgis been right about things happening for a reason? What reason could there be for her to have to suffer so much in her life? Harm felt the guilt begin to build inside him. He had caused some of that suffering. She had hurt him too, but how many times had Harm hurt her without even knowing it.

Harm remembered when they had first met. He had been attracted to her immediately. Of course, she did look like Dianne. It had taken a long time for him to get over that. He really wasn't sure when that happened. Maybe that was what he was afraid of for so long. He and Dianne had been close for a long time, but than he had lost her.

Was he afraid the same thing would happen if he and Mac started dating? He knew that he had never had a friend like Mac before. She was as loyal to him as anyone had ever been, but she wasn't afraid to tell him when he was going too far. They had trusted each other then. She had followed him on so many crazy adventures and saved his six so many times.

He thought about their first trip to Russia. She had been willing to get on that train to Beloika with him, even though she knew they could have been killed. She had convinced him to trust her that time and because of that he had been able to find out the truth about his dad. She had seen him cry over it and not judged him to be weak.

'Is that what made me hold back in Sydney? Was it the fear of messing up our friendship?" God he had wanted her that night. 'Was it because I was so physically attracted to her? Did I think that was all there was to us?' "No, the real problem was that I knew there was something more to us and I had never felt that way before. I was a coward." Thinking back on all the women he had dated, even though he knew he cared for them, he had never really loved them. Not like Mac.

It had taken Singer's murder and his subsequent imprisonment for him to realize how much he missed having Mac in his life. All of that time alone in his cell had given him a chance to reflect on what was really important to him. 'If she just hadn't gone to Paraguay.' He had asked her not to go, but by then she was fed up with him. She had told him as much, "You only show an interest when I have one foot out the door." Harm would never forget that line.

She was right. He had only tried to get closer to her when he thought he was going to lose her. 'It's no wonder she gave up on us. How did she hang on as long as she did?' He had let her down too many times.

Harriett's words to the doctor rang in his ears, "Doctor, we are her family. She doesn't have anyone else." 'I know now, why she turned to Mic and then Clay so quickly. She was all alone and I was too scared to see that she wanted me to be there for her. How could I have been so blind? She showed me so many times how much she cared for me, but I just kept pushing her away. I understand now, why she said never'

He had been so cruel to her over Mattie's custody hearing. "This is too important for you to screw up." That was what he had said to the best friend he had ever had. He had said it to hurt her, as if she had been the one to screw up what they had. Yet, being the true friend that she was, she had come to the hearing and tried to convince the judge to let Mattie live with him. When that didn't work out she had convinced Mattie's dad that it would be better for everyone if he stepped aside until he got his life together.

He had learned so much from Mattie about how to love unconditionally. Love was something that was so easy to give to Mattie. She had needed him and it felt so good to be needed by someone. Now he realized how much he had needed her, and how much he needs Mac.

Maybe that was what Sturgis meant about things happening for a reason. Maybe they needed to go through all of this to realize how special they are to one another. What they have is worth fighting for. They are both older now, more mature. While the physical attraction is still there, it is not center stage. Maybe now they can just enjoy being together in a relationship. Knowing that they have overcome so much already, will give them the strength to face whatever is to come in the future.

Harm was so lost in his thoughts that at first he did not hear the change in the heart monitor. A slight movement of the hand he was holding brought him back to the present quickly. "Mac, can you hear me?" Waiting a few seconds he continued, "Come on Marine, open those beautiful brown eyes for me." Her eyelids fluttered a few times but did not open. "Sarah, I need you to wake up. I have to tell you that I love you, and I need you to be awake so that I know you hear me."

Mac's hand squeezed his hand again. "That's my girl just keep fighting," Harm said but his look never left her eyes. He suddenly noticed a single tear coming from her right eye. Reaching up with his left hand he gently thumbed it away saying, "Aw Mac, don't cry. If you just open your eyes and come back to me I'll do everything I can to make sure you never cry again."

With an obvious effort Mac slowly opened her eyes, but the tears continued to fall. Harm was leaning over her now, their faces mere inches apart. "Thank you for coming back to me Sarah," he said as he gently placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Looking into her eyes he saw the sadness they held. "Mac, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere ever again. You are the most important thing in my life and nothing else matters. I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life." To confirm his commitment he raised the hand he held to his lips and softly kissed her knuckles.

Her tears continued to fall but her eyes seemed to lose their focus. Harm cupped his left hand to her cheek as he felt her loosen her hold on his right hand. "Don't fall out on me now Marine," he joked. His humor quickly changed to horror as he saw her eyes roll back and heard the alarm sound on the heart monitor.

"No! Don't leave me, I need you!" he screamed. Then he sobbed "Sarah. Please don't leave me. I love you." His horror was amplified as he felt her limp hand slip from his grasp. So focused was he that he didn't notice the medical staff rush into the room.

He jumped slightly as felt firm hands grasped his upper arms and push him toward the door. "I'm sorry Commander, but you need to let us do our jobs and take care of our patient. We will do everything we can. I promise."

Harm felt himself being pushed out into the hallway before he realized what was happening. He turned to go back to her but the door was already closed to him. Quickly moving to the window he caught one more glimpse of Mac before one of the nurses pulled the curtain over it. The emotions he had controlled for so long finally overtook him. As the tears came fast and free his knees suddenly became too weak to hold him up. Burying his head in his hands he leaned back against the wall and slowly slid to the floor.

"Dad, please send her back to me. I can't lose her now. Please Dad," begged Harm.