JAG Headquarters

Same Time

Harm paced in his office, frantically trying to memorize his opening statement off of his index cards. It wasn't working. The harder he tried, the more he screwed up, and the more frustrated he got. "Damn it!" He yelled throwing the cards as hard as he could into the wall, and pushing nearly everything off his desk. He winced as the phone, pens, lamp, and several folders crashing into the floor made quite a racket. Little did he know that the Admiral was walking into his office at that very moment. The Admiral, having heard the incident down the hall, rushed through the door just in time to see everything come to a crashing halt on the floor, causing a very surprised Commander to snap to attention.

"Sir!"

"My office, NOW RABB" He thundered in one of his more compelling and serious command tones as he took inventory of the now half-destroyed office.

"Aye aye, sir." He replied softly. He just followed the Admiral out into the hall and then through the bullpen, which immediately quieted when everyone saw the Commander following the Admiral at attention and coming to a halt in front of the Admiral's desk. The door to the Admiral's office slammed shut, and the bullpen slowly went back to its normal activity, just slightly quieter. The Admiral was obviously now in a bad mood, and no one had any intention of making it worse.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" The Admiral cut right to the chase. He continued to look at Harm, checking him over almost, and Harm could tell that his eyes finally came to rest on his own, which he was desperately trying to keep locked on some imaginary object in front of him. He managed to keep looking straight ahead. 'I knew I was lucky last time when he didn't punish me for falling asleep during that meeting. Now, I'm going to get a billet in Iceland for sure. I don't know what to say. I totally lost it in there. Nothing I can say could make my actions seem…well, there's nothing I can say,' Harm thought in an attempt to calm his now rapid pulse.

"No excuse, sir. I'm sorry, Admiral. It won't happen again."

"DAMN RIGHT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! I thought we discussed this, Commander. You didn't need leave because you had everything under control." His tone was getting more sarcastic by the millisecond, and it wasn't that big of a stretch to think that the guards in the parking lot could hear every word he was saying he was yelling so loud.

'At least he's not in my face,' Harm thought…and just a moment too soon, for right then, the Admiral moved around the chair and stood right in front of him, his face about 4 inches from Harm's.

"CONTROL MY ASS, MISTER!"

"Sir, it is—"

"Do you know who called me this morning?"

"Sir?"

"DID I STUTTER!"

"No, sir." Harm paused. "No, sir, I do not know who called you."

"Mattie. Mattie called me this morning. Now why do you think she might do that, Rabb?"

"I…" Harm stopped. He opened his mouth and was ready to give him an explanation, but when he went to speak, he found he had no clue why Mattie would have called. "I don't know, sir."

The Admiral moved back and leaned against his desk, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Because she's worried about you, and so am I." His words were harsh, but his volume had dropped considerably. "At ease."

Harm dropped his arms behind his back and put his feet shoulder width apart, his stance still rigid. "Really, sir. I'm fine. Mattie's been great. She's…um…"

"Worried about Mac too?" The Admiral finished.

"Yes, sir."

"So I suppose it was a tornado that went through your office when I wasn't looking?"

"It would appear so, sir."

"RABB."

"I over-frustrated myself with an opening statement, sir."

"Can I trust you not to loose your temper in court this afternoon, Commander?" Harm was thinking this through rapidly, but apparently he didn't answer fast enoughbecause the Admiral spoke again. "Your silence is I very /I reassuring."

"I'll be fine, sir. It would have been nice having a partner on this one though."

"I would have liked to have assigned one…" His voice trailed off when there was a knock on the door. "ENTER!" the Admiral barked. Coates stuck her head cautiously around the side of the door.

"Sir?"

"I'm in the middle of something, Petty Officer, whatever it is it can wait."

"Sir, nurse Maitlander from the Kelsey Rehab Center is on line two for you, sir."

"Dismissed."

"Aye sir."

The Admiral quickly moved around the desk and picked up the phone. "Chegwidden…When?…Are you sure?…No, no, I'll send someone out right away…Thank you." He hung up, and looked straight at Harm. "Lock it up, Sailor." Harm immediately snapped back to attention, and the Admiral wasted no time getting back in his face. "That was Mac's nurse. She got her memory back, but there are some complications. She said she needed someone to come out right away. Before you even THINK about moving, mister, you are going to listen to me and follow EVERY WORD AND INSTRUCTION I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU. You are going to go upstairs to the conference room, and tell Lt. Roberts that I'm ordering him to drive you out to the rehab center. You get the information you need, and you come straight back to this office."

"Yes, sir." Harm paused, hanging on the Admiral's words. "What complications, sir?"

"She's missing."

"WHAT!"

"Tone, Rabb."

"Sir-"

"Apparently, she ran off. I can't tell you anything else, which is why you and Roberts are going to figure out what the hell happened, and talk to the staff about where she might have gone. NOW GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF MY OFFICE AND UP TO THAT CONFERENCE ROOM! DISMISSED."

"Aye aye sir." Harm turned and practically ran out of the office, past a curious Coates, and started up the stairs. He reached the top, then practically flew into the conference room. Bud and Sturgis looked up surprised at the sudden commotion at the door.

"Sorry, Harm, we're not ready to plea bar-"

"Mac's missing." Harm interrupted, not giving the case they were all working on another thought. "Bud, the Admiral ordered you with me. Sturgis, I need you to please get a continuance from Admiral Morris. Let's go, Bud." But the latter was unnecessary as Bud was already up and moving toward the door.