Disclaimer: None of the fine folks from JAG belong to me....
A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've had a rough past few days, and this is the first chance I've had to work on it. Like I promised earlier, this story will NOT go unfinished - it may take me longer than originally planned with my upcoming surgery, but it'll get done, don't worry!!!
Thanks to everyone who's sent well-wishes and reviews, I appreciate both so much!!!!!
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Chapter 13:
"Good morning, my love" said Harm as he walked into Mac's office, closing the door behind himself.
"Good morning, yourself" she replied, leaning across her desk to meet his waiting lips with hers.
"Did you sleep last night?" he asked her.
"Not much" she replied, "you?"
"Probably about as much as you did" responded Harm, "guess we're a little excited about this appointment, huh?"
"Ya think, flyboy?" laughed Mac. They were indeed excited, very excited…and nervous…even a little bit afraid. So much was riding on what Dr. Kendall would find that afternoon, it was natural for them to feel everything they felt and then some.
"So, meet you at the car around 3:00?" asked Harm as he headed towards the door.
"3:00 sharp" said Mac, "until then let's try to get some work done, OK?"
"I'll try" he said, "I've got a big case due in court next week, still got tons of research to do, maybe that'll keep me busy until we have to leave."
"I hope so" said Mac as she walked over to where Harm was standing with his hand on the doorknob, "see you later", and they kissed once more before Harm left.
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Later that afternoon…..
"I'm more nervous than I thought I'd be" said Mac as they sat in the exam room waiting for Dr. Kendall. The nurse had gotten her weight already and asked her a few routine questions before showing them to the room, so now all they needed to do was wait.
"Why's that?" asked Harm
"I dunno" she said, "probably because this is all so new, and after what we've been through I think a part of me is afraid that he'll find something wrong today." She folded her hands in her lap and looked timidly down at the floor.
"Hey, remember what we said, we're thinking positive" replied Harm. "I'm nervous too, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not at all concerned that the doctor could find something wrong, but so far all the news has been good this time around, and we're going to keep believing that today will be good, too, right?"
"Right" said Mac, a little smile appearing on her face. He was right and she knew it, maybe she just needed to hear him say it.
"Hello" said Dr. Kendall as he entered the room. "How are you doing today?" he asked.
"We're good, thanks" replied Mac.
"Let me start by congratulating you both" said the doctor, "things have made a positive turn from a few months back, haven't they?"
"Indeed they have" responded Harm as he smiled at Mac, "we're optimistic that today won't be any exception to that."
"I don't see any reason why it would be" said the doctor, "all the blood work so far has been right on track, and you haven't had any complications that you know of, have you Sarah?"
"No, I haven't" replied Mac.
"Well then there's no reason to think today's news won't be just fine." said the doctor in as confident a tone as possible.
"What exactly will you be checking today?" Harm asked the doctor.
"I'll do a physical exam, make sure everything is as it should be there" said Dr. Kendall, "and I'll do an ultrasound, where we should be able to see the baby."
"Really?!" exclaimed Mac, "I didn't know we'd be able to see the baby so soon."
"Oh yeah" said the doctor, "it's not a guarantee, but most often by 6 weeks, we can see the baby. Of course it just looks like a little peanut at this stage of the game, but that'll change soon enough. Shall we get the physical exam out of the way so we can get a look at your baby?"
"Definitely!" said Mac, still amazed that they were going to get to see the baby.
Whereas he usually stood right next to Mac during all the exams, this time Harm stood back a bit, leaning against the wall and reading a poster about the different stages of pregnancy. This was the first time the exam wasn't being done under sad or painful circumstances, and while he was close enough to be right at her side if she needed him, he could sense that this time, she was fine without him.
"Very good, Sarah" said the doctor as he finished the exam, "everything appears to be just fine physically."
"Great" said Mac as she sat back up on the table, "there's one concern off my mind." Harm looked at her as if to say "don't worry, remember?", but she got the message without him saying a word. She gave him a little smile, and he gave her one in return.
"If you'll go ahead and get dressed, we'll head to the ultrasound room" said Dr. Kendall. "Just come out when you're ready, and one of my nurses will show you down the hall, OK?"
"OK, thank you" said Mac as the doctor left the room.
"Here you go, babe" said Harm as he handed Mac her clothes.
"Thanks" she said. "Can you believe we're about to see the baby?" she asked him.
"Nope, I can't" replied Harm, "but I'm excited about it, I know you are, too."
"You know me well" stated Mac as she did up the last button on her uniform jacket. "Ready?'
"Let's go" said Harm, opening the door for her.
A nurse was waiting behind a nearby desk, and showed them to a little room down the hall.
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"I've concluded something, Harm" said Mac as she once again undressed from the waist down and wrapped up in a sheet.
What's that?" he asked.
"Military uniforms and OB visits aren't a good combination" she replied.
"No, I guess not" said Harm with a little laugh, "you had to do it all up a few minutes ago just to walk down here and undo it again."
"I know it" said Mac, "maybe from now on I'll bring civvies to work on appointment days and change in the bathroom when we get here. Something a lot more easy-on-easy-off than these Marine greens."
"Oooh, easy-off, I like that thought" said Harm with a naughty little gleam in his eye. He pulled a chair over next to the table, sat down and leaned back in it with his arms crossed.
"You would" said Mac with just a touch of playfulness in her tone, "but there's nothing you can do about it here."
"I know, but I still like it" said Harm with a wink. Their banter was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
"Are we ready to have a look at this baby?" asked Dr. Kendall as he entered the room and laid Mac's chart on the counter.
"You bet we are" said Harm, beginning to feel more than a little nervous but not letting Mac know it.
"We're ready" agreed Mac, also nervous and also trying to hide it from the love of her life.
Dr. Kendall reached for a bottle of ultrasound gel. "This might be a little cold" he said to Mac, "but we keep it in a warmer so it shouldn't be as bad as you think." He then held the bottle over her abdomen and squeezed.
"Whoa!!" exclaimed Mac, "for being in a warmer, it's still pretty cold!"
"Sorry" said the doctor with a compassionate smile, "you'll get used to it here in a second." He then took the ultrasound wand in his hand, hit a couple different keys on the keyboard in front of him, and the monitor screen came to life.
"Commander, would you please flip that light switch for me?" he asked Harm, who was closest to it.
"Sure thing" replied Harm, and the room darkened.
Harm sat back in the chair and watched as the doctor moved the wand around on Mac's tummy. Everyone was silent for a few moments as the doctor got his bearings about him and began pointing things out.
"OK, here's your bladder…..your ovaries….." said Dr. Kendall, "your uterus….and….."
Harm and Mac were holding their breath….
"…your baby." The doctor held the wand in one spot and pointed to a little gray area on the screen.
"Oh my gosh" said Mac as she fought back tears.
"Would you look at that?" said Harm in joyous disbelief. He reached out for Mac's hand and kissed it gently.
"This little flicker here" said Dr. Kendall as he used a little arrow on the screen to point out what he was referring to, "that's the heartbeat."
"Oh, Harm..." said Mac, losing her battle with the tears.
"Wow…" was all Harm could say.
"Would you like to hear it?" asked the doctor.
Unable to speak through the tears, Mac simply nodded her head.
The doctor turned a knob on the panel in front of him, and the room filled with a "wooshing" sound.
"Nice and strong, a very reassuring heartbeat" said the doctor as Harm and Mac looked at each other, trying to comprehend that they were hearing their precious little one's heart, beating away inside of Mac.
"So everything looks good, doctor?" asked Harm, still holding tight to Mac's hand.
"Yes, the baby is measuring right on track, heartbeat is fantastic, everything looks just wonderful" replied Dr. Kendall. "Here you go, I know you'll want this" he said as he handed Mac a small piece of paper.
"Oh…" was all she said before she began to cry again. Harm took the paper from her, looked at it and wiped away a couple of his own tears before they could fall on the paper.
It was a picture of their baby.
Next chapter coming as soon as possible.....