thanks for the reviews. I'm so sorry that it took me this long to get out the next part b/c I really do hate with authors do that, so to make it up I'm going to post the rest of the story now.

and dansingwolf, thanks for your thoughts ;) the funk is getting slightly better.

p.s. has anyone figured out what all my chapter titles mean?

8:45 EST

Emergency Room Sentara Bayside Hospital

Harm sat in the waiting room, his head in his hands. He had heard her whisper his name and then the EMT had suddenly started sticking tubes and wires in her. Before he knew it, they were at the hospital, and Harm realized if Mac didn't make it, neither would he.

After an eternity had passed, a doctor came out of the ER and walked over to them.

"Are you here for Sarah Mackenzie?" He asked him.

Harm, Webb and AJ stood up. "Yes, how is she?" Harm asked.

"I'm Doctor McClain." He shook hands with the three men. "Well, she suffered some major injuries and is in a great deal of pain, but we're giving her medication for both."

"What kind of injuries?" Harm asked, his heart jumping to his throat.

"It appears she was beaten pretty severely, my guess is that she was kicked in the stomach repeatedly, the worst injuries are a few broken ribs."

Harm sighed with relief. Her injuries weren't wonderful, but at least she was alive.

"But with time she will heal and I'm optimistic about a full recovery. We'll be keeping her for a few days, just to make sure there are no other complications. After that, she can go home." Dr. McClain said.

"Can I see her?" Harm asked. He was relieved by the Doctor's opinion on Mac's recovery, but he needed to see her for himself, to make sure she was ok with his own eyes.

"Are you family?" The doctor asked.

"Her partner. She has no immediate family." Harm said. If the doctor didn't allow him to go see her, he'd force his way into her room.

The doctor nodded and seeing the look of determination on the man's face, consented. "That's fine. A nurse will come get you when she is situated in her room."

Minutes later a nurse appeared and escorted them to a room. Under the doctor's orders, only Harm was allowed to remain in the room. The Admiral and Webb left a few minutes after visiting Mac, who was still unconscious. Harm walked to the door with them and thanking them again for their help, walked back over to the side of the bed and sank into the chair beside the bed, clasping her hand in his. The pallor of her face startled him, even after his initial shock, and he wished she would wake up and reassure him herself that she would be fine. He needed more than the doctor's word.

Harm pressed her hand to his cheek, allowing the tears to fall in a silent cascade. He had always thought of himself as a somewhat intelligent lawyer, but now he wasn't so sure. He had been pretty stupid to not tell her how he felt before. She would wake up and hear him tell her he loved her. He knew she would. She had to. If she didn't . . .

"You're going to wake up. You can't leave me now." He leaned forward, and resting a head on the bed, laid his arm across her waist, and clutched her hand tightly as he drifted off to sleep.

11:00 EST

Next day Sentara Bayside Hospital

It wasn't until late the next morning that Mac began to wake up. Her eyelids fluttered and she struggled to bring into focus the blurred visions in front of her. She felt a hand on her head and tried to throw it off, but she found she was so sore and weak all she could do was turn her head away. She wouldn't let Brad touch her, or kill her, she decided with renewed courage. She couldn't let him. She still had to tell Harm she loved him, even if he didn't feel the same way. But then she remembered he was dead and allowed a tear to fall.

"Mac, Mac, it's ok." Harm whispered. A nurse entered the room seconds later and stopped at the head of the bed.

"Hello Miss Mackenzie. I suspect you're feeling pretty sore right now, huh?" She spoke while switching the IV bag. "Don't worry, the doctor is giving you medicine for the pain. You're going to feel a little disoriented, but things should start clearing up by the next time you wake up." She smiled at the patient lying on the bed, who tried to bring the images in front of her into focus, and after checking over the rest of the equipment, exited the room.

"Mac." Harm gently urged her to respond.

She turned her head towards the comforting voice. Was it really him? Her vision was becoming clearer now, and she thought she had heard someone come in just seconds before and speak to her about a doctor. Was she in a hospital? She couldn't think, she was too tired. Her eyelids started drifting shut and Harm gently placed his hand on the side of her cheek.

"It's ok, Mac. Go back to sleep, I won't leave here until you wake up again."

Mac fell asleep again, Harm resuming his vigil over her for the next few hours.

Mac woke up again a few hours later, this time with near perfect vision, but with a splitting headache as well. She found herself lying in a hospital bed, Harm asleep in a chair. She wanted to reach out and wake him, but moving her arms made her ribs scream with even more pain than she was already in. She just prayed he would wake up soon.

Harm woke up minutes later and found himself staring straight into his partner's liquid brown eyes. Smiling with relief, he leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Welcome back to earth, sleeping beauty."

"Harm . . . how did you – " Even talking hurt somewhat.

"Shh." He placed a finger on her lips. "It's ok. We'll talk when you feel better."

"But how did you find me?" She said in a rush. Talking slowly hurt all the more.

"I did a little investigating." He smiled. "You didn't think I'd let you disappear without a thought, did you?" He explained at her questioning glance. "All that matters is that I found you." He smiled again, still holding her hand.

She knew she couldn't wait any longer. She knew the pain she would feel when he told her he didn't feel the same would be greater than the pain she was already in, but she could handle it after all she had been through. "Harm . . ."

"What is it?" He asked, suddenly concerned. Was there something else that had happened? If Brad had done anything else . . .

"I love you." She whispered tiredly. There, it was said. Now to prepare herself for the blow she would receive.

Harm sighed with relief. Not only relieved that there wasn't something else, but relieved she felt the same way. "I love you, too, Sarah." He smiled as her eyes popped open with surprise. "I'm sorry it took this to get me to say that, but at least it wasn't longer. 'Cause I can't spend another day without you."

A tear slipped from beneath her closed eyelids and he gently wiped it away. She looked up at him with a watery smile and returned the kiss he placed on her lips. Just as he was about to deepen it slightly, she gasped in pain. She liked this, but her ribs suggested otherwise.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He asked concernedly.

She waited until the pain subsided and smiled up at him. "No."

As if understanding the look in her eyes, he said, "Don't worry, we have forever." He smiled while reaching for her hand again.

"Harm, when can I get out of here?" She asked, surprised to find her eyes drooping shut again. Hadn't she just slept for over ten hours?

"Soon, Mac. Soon." He waited until she was asleep again before calling the Admiral to update him on her condition.