2205 ZULU

Harm had stayed by Mac's bedside for the last two and a half hours, holding her hand while he waited for her to open her eyes, the only sound in the room the steady hiss of air being pumped through the ventilator and the rapid blipping of the fetal heart monitor. The surgeon, a Captain Newman, had stopped by shortly after Harm had begun his vigil. He had explained that the ventilator was a precaution due to the collapsed lung, but that if everything went as expected, they would begin weaning her off it tomorrow.

Dr. Calder had stopped in three times to check on Mac, reassuring Harm each time that no news was very good news where the baby was concerned and that her chances of miscarriage diminished with each passing hour. Harm had simply nodded, not quite ready to believe that everything was going to be alright until Mac woke up.

Nearly everyone from the office had stopped by the ICU also, each being allowed by the ward nurses five minutes to check on their colleague and to try to convince Harm to get something to eat or to change out of his blood-stained uniform. Even Captain Sebring, who had been admitted due to his own wound, had stopped by accompanied by a nurse to offer his encouragement and well wishes.

Harm ignored the sound of yet another person entering the room, focusing his attention only on Mac, brushing a stray lock of hair off her forehead. He was understandably startled when a familiar voice spoke.

"Harm, I was sorry to hear about what happened," Clay said as he stood just behind Harm, looking down at Mac.

"This is just so senseless, Clay," Harm said quietly, the most he'd said to any of the previous visitors.

"I know," Clay responded.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Harm asked. Not that he thought Clay didn't care; Clay just wasn't one to spend his free time at someone's bedside.

"Checking on a friend and doing a favor for AJ," he answered. "I heard they caught the guy who did this."

"Yeah, he tried to run and ran right into the guards at the gate outside," Harm recounted the story which Gunny had told him an hour earlier during his visit.

"Anyway, Harm, there's someone here to see you and Mac," Clay said, motioning towards the door for his companion to enter.

"Clay, there's been nothing but a constant parade of people ... " Harm started before he looked up and recognized Clay's companion. "Colonel O'Hara!"

Matt was shocked at the sight of the man in front of him, such a contrast to one who had traveled to Leavenworth two days earlier. He looked like he needed someone to take care of him even more than Sarah did.

"Harm," Matt greeted him, putting his hand on Harm's shoulder. "Mr. Webb arranged a furlough for me so I could be here for Sarah ... for you."

Harm turned to Clay with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you," he said gratefully.

"It was the Admiral's idea," Clay insisted. "I just carried it out."

"Harm, how long have you been sitting here?" Matt asked, concerned.

"Since she came out of surgery," he replied, "about two and a half hours ago. Sarah would be able to tell you exactly ..." he trailed off.

"Look, you're not going to do anyone any good, especially Sarah and your child, if you run yourself into the ground," Matt said firmly. "On our way over here, Mr. Webb and I stopped at your apartment and picked you up a change of clothes at Admiral Chegwidden's insistence. Now, you are going to get out of that uniform, put on some clean clothes and come down to the cafeteria with us to get something to eat."

"I don't want to leave until Sarah wakes up," Harm insisted.

"Do I have to make it an order, Commander?"

"Admiral Chegwidden already tried that one," Harm replied.

"Well, as family, I'm going to insist," Matt countered, "even if Webb and I have to drag you out of here. Am I making myself clear?"

Harm sighed with resignation. Honestly, a change of clothes would not be a bad idea, the sight of her blood all over his uniform just one more unwanted reminder of how he had almost lost her. After that, well, he would see about the rest. "Okay," he acquiesced. "But I don't want to be gone too long."

"Acceptable," Matt agreed. "We'll even let the nurses at the desk know where we will be so that they can page you if there is any change."

Harm stood and kiss Mac on the forehead and pressed a hand to her belly before following Matt and Clay from the room. He headed into the nearest men's room to change into the clothes Clay handed him while the other two men waited for him at the desk, letting the nurse on duty know that they would be in the cafeteria.

A figure in hospital scrubs watched the three men leave, then slipped into Mac's room, making sure no one was looking his way. Walking up to the side of the bed, he set down the tank he was carrying and leaned over the bed.

"Good evening, Colonel," he said pleasantly. "I was beginning to think your Commander Rabb was never going to leave. Good thing someone finally talked him into it. I was not sure I was going to get to come in and visit with you."

He turned to the ventilator. "Looks like it's time to change the oxygen tank," he said calmly. "We don't want you to run out and develop breathing problems, do we? Of course not. We're all here to help you."

"There will be a brief interruption of airflow for just a few seconds while I switch the tanks," he explained as he disconnected the hose from the tank attached to the ventilator and hooked it to the tank he had brought in with him. "There. All done. Now everything will be fine, Colonel."

"Take care, Colonel," he said as he turned to leave, carrying the old oxygen tank with him. "I'll see you again soon."

Careful to make sure there was still no one watching, he slowly headed for a nearby janitor supply closet and slipped inside. Pulling off the latex gloves he had been wearing, he tossed them in a waste bin and grabbed a few towels to wrap around the oxygen tank. He would have to smuggle it downstairs to dispose of it. A tank in the supply closet would raise too many questions. He glanced at his watch. He estimated he had about ten minutes before Mac's oxygen levels dropped low enough to set off the alarm on the ventilator, especially since he had taken care to dial down the respiration rate on the machine before he had left. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

After doing to the first floor to dispose of the tank, the nurse returned to the ICU, this time not caring who saw him. He stopped at the ward desk and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Nurse Eustis and I work down in the emergency room," he said, smiling at the nurse on duty. "I was on duty down there when they brought that JAG Colonel in and I was just wondering how she was doing. I have a sister who's pregnant, you see, so I've been interested in how the Colonel is doing."

"She's doing fairly well," the desk nurse replied. "She came through the surgery very well. She's still unconscious, but she's suffered a severe trauma. It's probably to be expected."

"Is the baby okay?" he asked, glancing at his watch. Any minute now ...

"Dr. Calder says she's very hopeful," the nurse replied. "She's been up here ... dear God, that's the Colonel's room!" she exclaimed as a piercing alarm went off and a red light lit up on her panel.

Eustis followed the desk nurse to Mac's room. He made a show of checking the ventilator while the ICU nurse checked the rest of her vitals. "Oxygen levels are too low," he reported. "I'm dialing up the respiration level."

The alarm continued to wail as Eustis studied the unit. "It's not working," he said.

"Check the hoses," the ICU nurse ordered as she pressed went to the intercom to page Dr. Newman.

"Hoses look fine," Eustis said, moving around the back of the machine. "Damn, the wrong tank's hooked up to this machine! She's getting CO2 instead of O2. Find another tank! Quickly!" The nurse rushed out to get a spare tank out of the storage room while Eustis began reassuring the unconscious Mac.

"See, I told you it would be alright, Colonel," he told her. "I found the problem and it will be fixed momentarily. You're very lucky."

The ICU nurse returned with a fresh oxygen tank and handed it to him. Eustis quickly hooked it up as Dr. Newman rushed into the room followed by the head ICU nurse. Finally, the alarm stopped as the ventilator started pumping fresh oxygen into Mac's lungs and everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened her?" Dr. Newman demanded as he began checking Mac over.

"The alarm went off," the ICU nurse explained. "Nurse Eustis here from the emergency room had come up to check on the Colonel and came in here with me to check the alarm. He found a CO2 tank hooked up to the ventilator instead of O2."

"Congratulations, Nurse Eustis," Dr. Newman said, "you may have just saved this patient's life."

"I was on duty downstairs when she was brought in," he explained modestly. "I was just curious to see how she was doing. I was just in the right place at the right time, I guess."

"Well, I'm sure the Colonel will appreciate the coincidence," he said, looking down at Mac to find her eyelids fluttering. "Well, looks who's decided to rejoin us. Remain calm, Colonel. It will be more painful for you if you struggle against the ventilator."

"I'll go page her family," the head ICU nurse said, heading for the intercom by the door. "Commander Rabb, Colonel O'Hara, please return to ICU stat. Commander Rabb, Colonel O'Hara to ICU stat."

Mac blinked, trying to focus on the unfamiliar faces surrounding her. Her eyes finally focused on the older gentleman leaning over her.

"Colonel Mackenzie, I'm Dr. Newman," he told her. "Since you can't speak, just nod or shake your head to answer my questions. Are you in a lot of pain?"

She nodded yes, patting the right side of her chest with her left hand. "Understandable," Newman replied. "Do you remember being shot?"

She began to shake her head, then slowly nodded. It was all a blur in her clouded mind, but she vaguely recalled the sound of gunfire, Harm pushing her to the floor.

"That's okay," he said to her look of confusion, "some initial confusion upon regaining consciousness is to be expected. Things will clear up eventually."

Mac placed her hand over her stomach, her fingers brushing the monitor belt attached, and looked at Newman expectantly. He moved aside slightly so that she could see the fetal heart monitor. "Fetal heart rate of 132," he informed her. "No signs so far of fetal distress so far. I'll have Dr. Calder paged so she can discuss your pregnancy with you." He nodded to the nurse who had paged Harm and Matt and she picked up the intercom again.

Mac glanced around the room, expecting to see Harm, her eyes falling on Nurse Eustis. She looked confused as she studied him for a moment. He seemed very familiar, but dark hair, dark beard? Something didn't seem right.

At the question in her eyes, Dr. Newman explained, "Nurse Eustis was on duty in the ER when you were brought in and he came up to see how you were doing. It's a good thing he did, he found that problem we just had with your ventilator."

She looked into his eyes and it finally clicked in her mind. She recognized his eyes. And the name. It wasn't his name, but it was one she recognized. Frantic, she began struggling while Dr. Newman tried to calm her. "Colonel," he explained, "you have to remain calm and not struggle. Your gunshot wound caused a collapsed lung. It will get worse if you strain yourself."

Eustis began backing out of the room, sensing that she recognized him. At least she wasn't able to talk with the invasive ventilation and he nearly smiled at the irony. "I need to get back on duty downstairs," he explained. "I hope you get better soon, Colonel."

Eustis walked slowly down the hall, pushing the down button for the elevator. Patiently, he waited for one to arrive, forcing himself not to react when one did, opening up to reveal Harm, Matt and Clay. But none of them noticed him, so intent on reaching Mac's room were they, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he got onto the elevator and the doors closed behind him.

Harm breathed a huge sigh of relief as they entered Mac's room and his eyes locked with Mac's. The doctor moved out of the way so that Harm could sit on the edge of the bed, Matt standing behind him, while Clay quietly excused himself to find the rest of the JAG staff.

"Nice of you to rejoin us, Marine," Harm teased as he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Hello, Sarah," Matt said, taking one of her hands in his. "It's good to see you again."

She looked from one to the other, silently cursing the tube in her throat that blocked all speech. She had to talk to Harm, to warn him. She tried to plead with him with her eyes, but he misunderstood.

"It's going to be okay, Sarah," he said quietly, pressing her other hand against his cheek. "The doctor says you should be fine and they're optimistic about the baby."

She shook her head, wishing she could make him understand, but she was so tired. She just wanted to drift back into the warm cocoon of sleep. No, she had to stay awake, try to communicate with him somehow. She finally removed her hand from Harm's cheek and made a motion with it. He shook his head in confusion. She repeated the motion a little slower.

"You want to say something?" Harm asked. At her nod, he turned to the others, "Does anyone have a pen and paper that she can write with?"

"I have some at the desk," the desk nurse replied. "I'll go get it."

Matt turned to Dr. Newman. "Doctor, my niece seems agitated about something," he said.

The doctor sighed. This wasn't exactly the kind of thing you wanted to tell family members whose loved one had just regained consciousness. "We had a slight problem with the Colonel's ventilator," he explained, "but an ER nurse who had stopped by to check on the Colonel found the problem and it was quickly fixed."

"What kind of problem?" Matt demanded.

"The last time the O2 tank was changed," he answered, "someone grabbed the wrong tank from the storage room and hooked up CO2 instead. Fortunately, Nurse Eustis was here and helped resolve the problem." At the angry looks Harm and Matt shot him, he continued, "In my twenty-three years of medicine, it's the first time I've ever heard about something like this happening, but I suppose a mistake like this is possible."

"Possible?" Matt exclaimed. "I'd like to know who is responsible for this 'mistake', Captain."

Newman picked up Mac's chart and studied it. "This is odd," he said. "The last record of the tank being changed was seventeen thirty hours, but it wouldn't have taken that long for the machine to pick up the oxygen deprivation. There had to have been another tank change after that time that wasn't recorded on the chart. What time did you leave the room?"

"Eighteen fifteen hours," Matt answered.

"Hmmm," Dr. Newman murmured as the nurse returned with a pad and pen for Mac. Slowly, Mac scratched out a single word and handed the pad to Harm. As he read the single word, his face drained of color.

"Dear God," he whispered. "How did he get out?"

"When was he ... " he began, then it clicked in his mind. "Doctor, what was the name of that ER nurse you said was here during the problem with Sarah's oxygen?"

"What? Nurse Eustis. Why?" Newman replied.

He smiled at Mac reassuringly. "I'll take care of it. I promise. Matt, can you come with me please?"

"Where are we going?" Matt asked as the two men headed for the elevators.

"Down to ER to have a talk with Nurse Eustis," Harm replied as an elevator opened to reveal Clay and AJ.

"Where are you two headed off to?" Clay demanded. "Is Mac okay?"

"Someone tampered with her ventilator," Harm informed them. "We're going after the person who I'm sure did it."

"Then we're coming with you," AJ insisted as Matt and Harm entered the elevator. Harm pushed the button for the first floor as the doors closed.

"It's not Palmer again, is it?" AJ asked.

"No," Harm answered as Clay added, "He's still in Leavenworth. I checked when I called earlier to arrange for Colonel O'Hara's release."

"Well, the person we're going after is supposed to be in Leavenworth," Harm told them. "After this is all over, I want to know how the hell he got out without Sarah and I knowing about it."

"Who's supposed to be in Leavenworth?" Matt asked as the elevator deposited them on the first floor down the hall from emergency.

Harm didn't answer the question as he rushed to the emergency desk. "Excuse me," he said hurriedly, "I'm looking for Nurse Eustis. Can you tell me where I can find him?"

"Nurse Eustis just left for the day," the nurse on duty informed him.

"How long ago was that?" Harm demanded. It couldn't have been that long ago if he had recently been in Mac's room.

"Not even five minutes ago," the nurse replied. "He's probably on his way to the employee parking lot as we speak."

"Where would I find that?" Harm asked.

"Go down the elevator to sub-basement two," she told him. "What's the rush? He's due in to work tomorrow."

"He saved my fiancée's life up in ICU," Harm quickly explained. "I just wanted to thank the man. Can you tell me what he looks like?" Harm assumed he might be in some kind of disguise.

"Dark hair, kind of wavy, average height. Good luck in finding him," the nurse said as the four men took off for the elevator.

"Who's this Eustis and what would he have against Mac?" Clay asked.

"Eustis isn't his real name," Harm explained as they descended in the elevator. "It's Chief Petty Officer Hodge."

"Hodge?" AJ mused. "The name sounds familiar. I'm assuming he was a client or someone you prosecuted if he was in Leavenworth."

"Actually, Mattoni and Imes prosecuted since Sarah and I ended up as witnesses in the case," Harm continued. "Corpsman Hodge was on the USS Watertown."

It clicked for AJ as he remembered the case he had sent Harm and Mac on after a public disagreement about another case. A submarine had surfaced in the middle of a Norwegian sailing regatta after the entire navigation watch had taken ill. "That was that case with that syndrome, Munch ... "

"Munchausen by proxy, Sir," Harm completed the thought.

"Wait a minute," Clay said. "Isn't that where someone makes a person sick so they can take care of him?"

"Yes," Harm replied. "He tampered with Mac's oxygen so he could come in and play the hero."

"But how did he even know she was here?" Matt asked.

"It was probably just a coincidence," Harm suggested. "He would have already had to have infiltrated the hospital before today. Bud had said he did a tour here at Bethesda before he became a submariner. He changed his looks slightly, probably created a false resume and signed on here as a civilian nurse."

The elevator deposited them in the parking garage. Damn, Harm thought, he could be anywhere. He turned to the others and suggested, "Let's split up. We all heard the description so we know who to look for. We'll cover more ground if we separate."

Harm began moving quickly through the garage. He hoped he would be the one to find Hodge. This was the second time he had nearly lost Sarah to this monster. He shivered slightly at the thought as he remembered frantically performing mouth to mouth on Sarah on the Watertown after Hodge had nearly strangled her. As he spotted a figure in hospital scrubs up ahead, he slowed his pace. He hoped to have the element of surprise on his side. Hodge might not know that he had been made. Then again, it might not be Hodge at all.

"Excuse me," Harm said in a friendly tone of voice as he reached the man. He was nearly positive it was Hodge. "I'm looking for Nurse Eustis from the ER. I wanted to thank him for saving my fiancée's life up in ICU."

"I'm sorry," Eustis replied calmly. "I don't know a Nurse Eustis. It's a large hospital."

"Well, now that's funny," Harm continued in his friendly voice. "You look just like the description I was given of the man." It was a bluff; the description had been vague enough that it could probably fit any number of men who worked at the hospital.

"I'm sorry I can't help you," Eustis said genially as he reached to unlock his car door. Before he knew what was happening, Eustis found his back pressed against the car, an arm pressed against his throat.

"Nice try, Hodge," Harm said angrily. Eustis remained outwardly calm, but Harm had seen the brief flash of recognition in his eyes when Harm had called him by his real name. "Obviously, you didn't learn anything from our last encounter. Just because she can't speak doesn't mean she couldn't ID you."

Hodge kicked out, using one of his legs to sweep Harm's out from under him. As Harm tumbled to the ground, Hodge ran, Harm swiftly rising to give chase. He grabbed at Hodge, but he turned and swung at Harm, knocking him against the hood of a nearby car. He gasped in pain as his ribcage hit the corner of the car, knocking the wind out of him momentarily. As Harm struggled to get back up, Hodge started running.

Then Harm heard a single gunshot and looked up to see Clay reholstering his gun under his suit coat and Hodge lying facedown. The sound of the gunshot brought Matt and AJ running and Matt reach down to help Harm up as the younger man grasped his side in pain. AJ checked Hodge's pulse and said, "He's alive. We should get some medics and the MPs down here. I want this man back in Leavenworth where he belongs."

"I'd be interested to know how he got out in the first place," Harm said between gasps for breath.

"I'll have Gunny and Bud on that first thing in the morning," AJ told him. "How are you?"

"I feel like I've been kicked in the ribs by a mule," Harm said ruefully. "I think they're just bruised, though. I want to get back upstairs."

"Come on," Clay said. "Let's get you back to your fiancée."

"Don't tell her I said that," Harm warned. "I haven't officially asked her yet."

"Why the hell not?" Matt demanded. "Isn't that what your visit to Leavenworth on Saturday was about?"

"I had plans for this weekend after we moved into our new house," Harm explained, "but now that is obviously on hold. So now I guess it's time for plan B."

"What's plan B?" Clay asked.

"When I figure it out," Harm said as a laugh quickly turned to a grimace of pain, "I'll let you know."

-----

WEDNESDAY, 9 AUGUST
1905 ZULU
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
BETHESDA, MARYLAND

Mac sat back with a smile as she watched her Uncle Matt get further acquainted with Trish and Frank Burnett. To her and Harm's delight, the three had hit it off immediately upon meeting Monday night. All three had hovered protectively nearby the last two days, probably as much to watch over Harm as her. After all, that damned squid practically had to be dragged away to eat or sleep. She sighed, carefully not to take to deep a breath, still recovering from the collapsed lung. Fortunately, the ventilator and intubation tube had been removed the previous night, so she could at least talk, even if her voice was a bit hoarse.

"What are you thinking?" Harm asked, watching her watch their families interact. Matt was relating the tale of Harm's hanging from the helo skids in the desert.

"How lucky we are," she said in a hoarse whisper.

"I know," he whispered back. They both looked up at a knock at the open door. Sydney stuck her head in.

"I can come back later if it's a bad time," she insisted, taking in the already crowded room.

"It's okay," Harm said as Mac motioned her in.

"How are you feeling?" Sydney asked.

"Throat hurts," Mac complained hoarsely, "and an elephant sat on my chest."

"I guess that's normal," Sydney laughed.

Before anyone could reply, Dr. Calder entered the room, pushing a cart with equipment on it in front of her. "I guess with all the excitement of the last few days," she said, "you forgot about your appointment this afternoon. We were supposed to do your first ultrasound."

Harm and Mac looked at each other. They had forgotten. Everyone else began making excuses to depart, but Mac held up her hand to stop them. "Please, stay," she croaked.

Harm looked at her and understood. Their families probably needed reassurances about the baby as much as the two of them did. He nodded and everyone settled back down.

"You too, Sydney," Harm insisted as she moved to leave. He knew Mac and Sydney had grown closer in the weeks since Beallsville, almost like the mother Mac had always wished she had.

Trish moved out of the way to make room for Dr. Calder as the doctor moved the ultrasound machine into position and Mac pushed the bedcovers aside, pulling her hospital gown up above her abdomen. Calder spread the gel over Mac's abdomen, Mac shivering slightly at the coolness. Making sure the machine was operating, she began moving the wand over Mac's belly.

"That's very good," Calder said as she studied the image. "Everything looks normal for twelve weeks gestation. I can see the sac and ..." she paused, looking closer at the image on the screen as Mac clutched Harm's hand, suddenly afraid.

"What is it?" Mac asked in a hoarse whisper. "Is something wrong with our baby?"

Dr. Calder turned to them and smiled widely, moving slightly to the side, so they could see the screen for themselves. As she did, Sydney gasped, the doctor in her recognizing what the image on the screen meant. Mac and Harm both looked at her, concerned, but she simply smiled at them.

Pointing to the screen, Dr. Calder began to explain what everything meant for all the non-medical personnel in the room. "Here is the amniotic sac and this little blur here would be the baby inside," she explained.

"So tiny," Mac said in awe.

"Don't worry," the doctor assured her, "it will get bigger. Much bigger."

"Then what's this other circle over here?" Trish asked, indicating another portion of the screen. Everyone looked at where she pointed as Dr. Calder and Sydney's smiles grew wider.

"That would be the other baby," the doctor replied. "Congratulations, Sarah and Harm. You're going to have twins."

-----

To be continued…