A/N: As I promised, here's the next chapter, only a couple days after the last one. :) Thanks for all the encouraging reviews, they made me smile. :) Super hugs to LadyCommish for helping me plug along. :)
Chapter 82:
She retook her seat as the nerves began to creep up on her. "How's my husband?"
"He's in recovery now" Dr. Peddie replied. "By and large, he did fairly well in the surgery."
"It took longer than anticipated" she said. "At least 48 minutes longer, based on when you came out here. Were there any complications?"
"One" he replied. "When I opened him up, the damage was far more extensive than indicated on the MRI so it took longer to repair. He lost a bit more blood than I would have liked but we're giving him some O negative, and when alls said and done, he'll be just fine."
Mac felt a huge wave of relief wash over herself, yet there was still one big unanswered question. "Were you able to repair the damage without removing the disc?"
"Yes" Dr. Peddie replied. "But I can say this, it's not going to hold. There's no way its going to hold if he keeps flying and landing on carriers. Another punch out and well...nothing I can do will fix that. The next time I open him up, its going to be for a discectomy, that is if and only if he doesn't cause irreversible damage. He really needs to stop flying."
"I'm...I'm confused" said Mac. "If you know it's not going to hold if he continues to fly, then why didn't you simply remove the disc today and he could have been done with it? To our understanding, the only reason not to remove the disc was to enable him to continue flying Tomcats, and you've just told me he can't do that."
"He can do it" the doctor replied. "He just shouldn't do it. If he lands successfully, it could hold for two or three years, maybe longer. If he lands hard it'll probably go right off. If he punches out...like I said there'll be no need for me to operate then. Do you understand what another punch out means, Mrs. Rabb?"
"Yes, I do" she said. "Unfortunately, every mission he flies is a total crap shoot as far as whether he lands hard, lands soft or punches out. To say he can still fly, that's not the whole statement. The whole statement is he can fly, but every time he does so, he's risking losing the use of his legs if the repairs you made today give out suddenly."
"That's right" Dr. Peddie replied. "That is right. But at least with the disk still there it is his decision to hang up his wings."
Mac nodded, momentarily lost in thought. "In some ways" she said, "I almost think this will be harder for him to handle."
"I say again if he flies to qualify he should be good for a few years, if he punches out, he's in a wheelchair. He needs to know that. Would you like it to come from me?" he asked.
"No" said Mac with confidence. "He needs to hear it from me."
Mac was about to ask when she could see Harm when the OR nurse rushed out of the recovery area. "Dr Peddie!" she called urgently.
"What's wrong?" Mac asked the nurse, sensing the patient involved in this matter was Harm.
"Relax ma'am" the nurse comforted. "Dr. Peddie will be right back."
"Is there a problem with my husband?" asked Mac. "Commander Harmon Rabb? Is he okay?"
"He will be" the nurse assured her. "The doctor is seeing to him."
"What was wrong?" asked Mac, more urgently than before. "Please, tell me, I need to know."
Before the nurse could reply Dr. Peddie reappeared. "Mrs. Rabb, we need you. Come on back."
"Oh God" Mac said aloud, grabbing her purse and her sweater and hurrying to join the doctor and nurse.
"Easy, Mrs. Rabb" Dr. Peddie comforted. "He was choking on his intubation tube. He fought his way out of the anesthesia and spooked when he felt it, that's all. I removed the tube and now he's asked for you."
Mac breathed a sigh of relief. "Where is he?"
"Right in here" the doctor said, leading her back to Harm's cubical. "He's weak but he's fighting. He really wants to see you."
She smiled a little. "That's Harm."
"Now, let me warn you about a few things. He's immobilized on his side right now to keep pressure off the cut and the discs. Also, the medication we gave him is pretty powerful so it's likely he's pretty numb and might not be able to feel much, so if he complains of numbness or lack of feeling don't worry and try and reassure him. That'll all come back in a few hours. Are you ready?"
Mac nodded. "Yes, I am. I'm anxious to see him."
"He's still groggy and a bit weak from the trauma of surgery but once he rests some more he'll be just fine. Don't be worried." Dr. Peddie repeated, as he moved towards the cubicle at the end of the row.
It was all she could do not to gasp when she saw him. If Dr. Peddie hadn't told her he was fine she would have dissolved into tears then and there. He was lying on his side with a foam contraption that resembled a gigantic egg carton hugging his long frame. He was connected to several machines and monitors not to mention two separate IVs one giving what she assumed was fluids and medication and the other blood. Slowly she approached his side and touched his hand as it lay against the mattress. She wasn't sure if he was still conscious, so she softly spoke his name. "Harm? Harm, can you hear me?"
"Hmm..." he moaned, unable to make coherent conversation quite yet.
She reached out and gently caressed his cheek. "Come on, sailor. The doctor said you were making a racket in here earlier. Come on and look at me, weetie."
He heard her request, and fought with what little strength he had in him to keep his eyes open and focus on her. "Mac..." he whispered. "Missed...you."
"I wasn't far away" she said softly. "I missed you too. They had you a long time."
He felt like his eyelids weighed 100 pounds a piece, and he had to work very hard to keep them open. He knew he needed to wake up as much as possible, but having been under the anesthesia for so long it would take some time. He squeezed her hand and gave her the tiniest of smiles as his eyes drifted shut again.
Mac sighed and sat back in the chair. She held onto Harm's hand while he slept on in recovery for the next hour. When the nurses came to take him and settle him in a room, Mac once again went to call the Admiral and check on Ainsley, whom it was reported was being a little angel. She also used the time to call Trish and Frank as well as the General and tell them Harm had done fine in surgery and was now resting. That amazingly took another hour. Once she returned to Harm's side, she took his hand again and occasionally stroked his brow as she waited for him to stir and look at her with those beautiful blue eyes.
As he began to come to, he realized she was holding his hand. He also realized, slowly, that while he wasn't in any real pain, he also had no feeling from the middle of his chest down. He forced his eyes to open and his voice to work.
"Can't feel...my legs" he gasped, his throat dry and scratchy from being intubated. "What...went...wrong?"
Mac sat up straight and leaned over him, "Nothing, sweetie" she assured him. "Nothing. You're fine."
"Then...why?" he asked as best he could.
"The medication, honey. And probably a bit of swelling" she said gently. "Dr. Peddie says it'll come back in a few hours. You just relax and don't worry. Okay? Does your throat hurt?"
"Yeah" he whispered.
"How about some ice chips?" Mac asked reaching for the cup but waiting for his say so.
"'Kay" he said, struggling to remain awake.
Mac took the spoon and fed him two spoonfuls of the cooling ice chips. "What's wrong?" she asked him feeling something was not right. He was hurting or uneasy and she knew that. She also knew she wanted to make it better.
"Stomach" he said quietly, feeling queasy after the ice chips.
"Okay" Mac soothed and set the cup down. She leaned over him a bit and gently caressed his upper back. "You did really well" she told him with a smile. "You want to rest some more? Then maybe you'll feel up to talking a bit more."
"Mm-hmm" he replied softly. "Stay...with me?"
"I have to go and meet Mattie then I'll come right back, okay?" she said softly still rubbing his back between his shoulders.
"Mmm..." was his only reply as sleep once more consumed him.
Mac slipped off the bed and went down to the lobby of the hospital and waited for Mattie at the appointed meeting place. The teen wasn't going to stay, but she wanted and update on her father's condition, so one of her friends was dropping her by on the way home from school. Two minutes past the appointed time, a worried Mattie rushed through the door.
"How's dad?" she asked. "Is he out of surgery?"
"Yeah, he's out and he's in his own room already" Mac replied. "He's still really tired though. He's in and out."
"Did it go okay?" asked Mattie. "Did they fix the problem?"
"Mostly" Mac replied. "It's good for now."
"What do you mean 'for now'?" inquired the youngster. "Will he have more pain like this later?"
"Maybe, Mats" Mac replied. "The doctor said this will only hold for so long, and how long really depends on your dad. If he has a hard landing it could dislodge, or if he punches out of his plane...There are a lot of ifs. For now he's a bit weak and a bit numbed up, but he's fine. He just needs to rest. Once he gets his sleep, he'll be just fine."
A smile appeared upon Mattie's face. "I'm so glad you said that" she said. "I've gotta run; when he wakes up, give him my love, okay?"
"Sure will" Mac replied opening her arms for a hug. "You'll come see him tomorrow right?"
"Oh, definitely" said the girl. "Are you allowed to bring Ainsley to see him?"
"I don't think so" Mac replied. "But I'm going to try and surprise him with her. It'll be hard on him, four whole days without her."
"Oh, I know it" she said, understanding the special connection Harm had with his youngest child. "When will you be home tonight? Are you staying the night with him?"
"Tonight yeah, I promised him" Mac replied. "When you're done at Kim's go to Uncle AJ's, okay?"
She nodded. "I will. She's waiting, I better go." She gave Mac one last hug and hurried back out the door.
Slowly, Mac turned around and went back upstairs to Harm's room. He was still out so she went into the bathroom and changed her clothes, A US Naval Aviator t-shirt and jeans. The she used the remaining time to pump a bottle for Ainsley, and even got a sandwich as she waited for Harm to awaken again, hoping that when he did he'd be more alert.
Nearly 3 hours had passed by the time he came to again. His mouth was bone dry and his throat was a little sore, but still he felt no pain in his back. Willing his eyes open, he glanced up to see his wife sitting in a chair beside his bed, just as she'd promised to do.
"Hey" he whispered, then coughed a couple times.
Mac turned to Harm and frowned with concern. "Hey, you okay?" she asked moving to pat his back gently above the incision.
He nodded just a little bit. "Dry" he whispered. "Thirsty."
"You want some more ice? Or do you want to see if you can have some water?" she asked him in that soft singsong tone she used when she talked to Ainsley.
"Water" he replied, holding back another small cough.
Harm lay in bed, propped up and situated on his side, feeling a bit unsure of what he was feeling emotionally. He assumed Mac had spoken with the doctor and had gotten the complete report, but he wasn't ready to hear it quite yet. The anesthesia was beginning to wear off, and he could feel his head growing clearer as the minutes ticked off the clock. The glanced up and saw the IV pole with two bags hanging from it; one of them obviously blood. He began to worry about why he was getting that when Mac returned.
"The nurse said you can have some water, but it might make you feel a bit sick so if you get nauseous let me know" Mac said, coming to sit beside him and pouring some water into the cup. She slipped a straw into it and held it to his lips. "Small sips."
He took the straw into his mouth and sipped slowly, the cool liquid feeling heavenly on his irritated throat. After three swallows, he spit the straw out. "Good."
"I'm glad" Mac smiled and set the cup down. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired" he said, his voice a bit stronger and clearer. He once again looked up at the IV pole and began to worry. "Why the blood?" he asked her.
"Don't worry about that" she replied gently, smoothing back his hair from his head. She didn't want to tell him yet, and if she got into the extra blood she'd have to go there and she just wasn't ready to break his heart like that.
He knew there was something to the matter, but he could tell she didn't feel it was anything he needed to know yet, so he let it go for the time being. "How long was I in there?" he asked instead.
"Five hours, forty eight minutes, and twenty-one seconds" Mac replied. "I was starting to get worried."
"Wow" he said. "What took so long?"
"There was more damage than they figured on, honey" Mac replied. "That's why you need the blood. You lost a bit while they were fixing it."
Harm was silent for a moment as he took in what she'd said. "How much more damage?" he asked, beginning to feel very nervous.
"Enough" she replied, playing it cagey as she assessed his demeanor.
He knew she was trying to spare his feelings; he'd do the same if he were in her place. "Am I...fixed?"
"For now, yeah" she smiled. "You're fixed."
His expression became quizzical. "For now?" he repeated. "I don't get it."
"He was able to do the repair and save the disc" Mac replied. "But it won't last forever, Harm. The more landings you make, the less time it will last."
He closed his eyes, concentrating on each word she'd spoken to him. "So if I fly" he said, "I'm risking screwing things up again."
"Each flight you take will risk that, yes" she replied. "He...Well, let's just get you better for now. You're a long way from a cockpit anyway" she said with a false smile.
With a simple nod, he changed the subject, sensing there was more to the story but knowing they'd both had enough for now. "How's the baby?"
"She's doing really well. The Admiral adores her and she him" Mac said, glad not to have to tell him the consequences of another punch out or bad landing for the time being.
"That's good" he said. "Have you talked to Mattie since I got out?"
"Yes, she stopped by on her way home. She says to say she loves you and she'll see you tomorrow night" Mac told him, still holding his hand. "Want some more water?"
"Okay" he said. "My mouth is so dry; feels terrible."
"I'm sorry, sweetie" she replied gently, and brought the straw to his lips once again for him to drink.
He again took a couple careful swallows and spit the straw out. "How long will they make me lay like this?"
"Probably at least until tomorrow, until the incision starts to knit" Mac replied. "Why? Are you hurting or uncomfortable?"
"Little uncomfortable" he answered. "I'm a side sleeper, but this is a bit much."
"Is there anything I can do to for you?" she asked, once again caressing his upper back gently.
"Not really" he said softly. "I'm glad it's over, aren't you?"
"Yeah" she whispered her voice clogged with emotion. "Yeah."
Mac spent the night in a fold-out lounge chair next to her husband's bed. Neither of them had a very restful night, since the nurses seemed to enter the room at least once each hour to check one thing or another. Mac awakened to Harm's soft call of her name shortly before 0300.
"What, baby?" she asked, rushing to his side as she tried to wake up.
"Need a drink" he whispered.
"Okay, sure" she replied, getting his cup and holding the straw to his lips so he could take his usual small sips.
"Much better" he said with relief after spitting the straw out. "Sorry I woke you up."
"Hey, don't be sorry" she said with a smile. "This is what I'm here for. Are you in any pain?"
"Not much" he said. "Really sleepy, though. Wish they'd just leave us alone till morning."
She smiled again. "I remember feeling like that when Ainsley was born. Every time I'd nod off, someone would come in to check something. All part of the glorious hospital experience, I suppose."
"It sucks" he said, closing his eyes again.
"I know" she agreed, planting a soft kiss on his lips before climbing back into her bed for the night. "Sleep well, sailor. I love you so much."
Harm stirred first the next morning awakened by a cramp in his shoulder from lying on his side for so long. He looked over at Mac, who was sleeping peacefully in a recliner chair. He didn't want to wake her but he needed to get out of this position and fast.
"Mac" he called, his voice raspy and a little hoarse.
Mac heard Harm's hoarse call and immediately reacted to it. She was up like a shot and at his side. "Yeah, baby?" she asked. "What is it?"
"Bad cramp in my shoulder" he said, the discomfort evident on his face.
"Which one? The one that exposed or the one under you?" she asked him, immediately sympathetic to his pain.
"Under me" he said. "It hurts bad, babe."
"Okay, ssh" Mac soothed. "I'm going to get a nurse, you just relax." She leaned over to kiss his forehead. "I'll be right back."
"I know" he said, very glad that Mac was there to take care of him.
Mac rushed out to the nurses station and waited until a nurse paid attention to her. When one finally did she spoke, "Lieutenant, my husband, Commander Rabb, is complaining of a bad cramp in his shoulder. He's still lying on his side and he's in a good deal of pain."
"I'm not his nurse, ma'am" replied the lieutenant. "I'm not sure who is."
"Does that matter?" Mac asked. "You're a nurse, he's on this floor and he's in pain. Can't you help him?"
A bit reluctantly, the nurse rose from her seat behind the desk. "Yes, ma'am, I'll see what I can do."
Mac turned on her heel and led the nurse to Harm's room. "Sweetie, a nurse is here now. She's going to help you." Mac's eyes held the young woman's gaze firmly.
"Good" he said. "You've either gotta flip me over or put me on my back or stomach, I can't stay here any longer, my shoulder is throbbing."
"I'll have to check with your doctor first, sir," the nurse replied. "He's the only one who can authorize that."
"Do that then, Lieutenant" said Harm.
The lieutenant left the room and Mac sat down beside Harm, "Its okay, sweetheart" she whispered. "Want me to try and rub it for you or just leave you alone?" she asked wanting desperately to help him.
"See if you can rub it any" he said. "It'll be fine once they let me move."
Mac moved around behind him and was surprised to find access to his shoulder blade was easy to obtain. She rubbed her hands together and gently began to rub the muscle. "How's that?" she asked softly.
"Oh, that feels good" he sighed. "Do that all over my entire body while you're at it." He knew she couldn't do that, but he sure wished she could.
"Why?" she asked worriedly. "Are you in pain? Do you need medication?"
"I'm hurting enough to need something" he said. "I know they've been pumping me full of stuff since the surgery, but I need a little something else. My back is starting to ache and I know there's no need for me to lie here and feel that pain."
Not knowing what else to do until Dr. Peddie arrived; Mac leaned forward and placed a tiny kiss at the base of Harm's neck. "I wish I could feel it for you, babe. You know that."
He smiled a bit. "I seem to recall saying that very thing to you about 5 months ago in this very place."
"I can't believe it was that long ago" Mac sighed as she worked on his shoulders. "She's getting so big, Harm."
"She sure is" he agreed. "Doesn't seem like it's been even close to 5 months."
Before the conversation could continue, a cherished sound was heard from the doorway; at least for Harm this voice was now cherished. "Good morning, Commander Rabb. Mrs. Rabb" Dr. Peddie greeted. "What's this I hear about shoulder pain?"
"I'm having some and I'd like it to stop" said Harm with a half-hearted laugh.
"Okay, if you're done with your massage there I can check the cut then we'll see about moving you" Dr. Peddie said. "How are you feeling otherwise?"
"Not bad, I guess" said Harm. "I don't have any prior experience with this particular situation to gauge anything by, but I'm not feeling too terribly bad."
"That's good to hear" Dr. Peddie smiled. "How are your legs?"
"Stiff" replied Harm. "Once I can actually walk and move like I used to, they won't know what to think!"
"We're going to try and get you up a bit later on today" Dr. Peddie told him as he pulled back on the bandage to examine the cut.
"Is that alright?" Mac asked worriedly. "Isn't it too fast I mean, he just had major surgery and..."
"It's okay, sweetheart" said Harm. "If the good doctor here wants to get me up, believe me, I'll give it a try!"
"We like to get the patient up as soon as we can after surgery. It will overall reduce the amount of recovery time" he said, then said "Hmm" as he examined the cut.
"That's not a comforting sound coming from you, doc" said Harm. "Something wrong back there?"
"Its just not what I expected" Dr. Peddie replied as he gently touched the exterior of the cut with a gloved hand. Mac moved closer to Harm and reached for him, needing his comfort as much as she needed to give him her comfort.
"Better than you expected" asked Harm, grasping Mac's hand tightly, "or worse?"
"Much better" the doctor replied. "There's hardly any oozing, and the wound is already knitting nicely. We can let you lie on your back a bit if you'll think that will be comfortable for you."
"Definitely" said Harm. "Almost anything would be better than this!"
"Okay, Mrs. Rabb, if you'll excuse us we'll get the Commander bathed and squared away then you can come back and be with him again. We have to discuss his post op care and his therapy" Dr. Peddie outlined. "While the nurses see to him, I'd like to speak to you."
"Go ahead, babe" said Harm with a smile. "I'll be here when you get back."
Dr. Peddie led Mac out of the room and down a small corridor. When they were out of earshot of Harm's room he spoke. "How did he take it?"
"Well, what he knows" she said, "he's taken well."
"What does he know?" the doctor pressed. He needed to know so he didn't say anything out of turn in the post op briefing.
"That the operation was successful for the short term" said Mac. "That you were able to fix the problem for now, but that flying will put him at risk of re-injury. I didn't tell him what would happen in a punch out."
"Can I ask why not?" the doctor asked.
Mac sighed. "I don't know if he's strong enough to hear that yet. I know he has to be told and I know I want to be the one to tell him, but when we were talking last night, after he'd just really shaken the anesthesia, I didn't feel that was the right time for something that important."
"The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be" he told her gently, reaching out to touch her shoulder in a supportive manner.
She nodded and looked down at the floor. "Should I tell him before you go over the post op and therapy information with us?" she asked.
"That's up to you" Dr. Peddie replied. "You know him and you'll know how he'll take it. However you think he'd respond best to the therapy information is what I want. If you think he could be told first then tell him, if not, wait until I'm done then do it."
She pondered the matter for a few moments. "If it's not crucial that he be told before you speak with us, I'd prefer to wait until later."
"Its not crucial" he replied. "We best get back. I have office hours this afternoon and I don't like to shortchange anyone."
The doctor led Mac back to Harm's room and took her inside. Immediately she sat down beside him and took his hand. He was now lying on his back and looked much more like himself. "Is that better, sweetie?"
"You have no idea" he said.
"I'm glad" she smiled and kissed his skin. "So Dr. Peddie, what kind of rehab are we looking at?"
"Well, I'd like to work on his legs first and get them accustomed to being used again. Also, strength training for his back is in order. We're looking at about three weeks of daily therapy, once a day here and once at home. Then three days a week for at least six weeks. How does that sound?" he asked after he outlined it.
"Sounds okay" said Harm. "I'll do whatever I have to do to get this entire experience behind me."
"Okay...it'll be hard at first, and tiring, but when it's all over, this will seem like a bad dream" Dr. Peddie smiled. "You will, however, have to be very careful when you're flying, if you are cleared."
"I understand, doctor" said Harm. "I certainly plan to continue flying, but I suppose time may tell of a change in plans. We'll see..."
"Yes, well...I'll leave you two now. You get some rest, Commander and I'll check on you later today" Dr. Peddie smiled. "I'm very please so far. Keep up the good work."
"I plan to, doctor" said Harm. "Thanks for everything."
With a nod and a smile, Dr. Peddie departed leaving Harm and Mac alone. She sat studying their clasped hand, saying nothing.
"Tell me, Mac" he said softly as he caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.
"I don't think I can" she whispered, fearing his reaction to her words.
"There's more to what you know than you're telling me" he said. "I can sense it just by the way you're acting. Whatever Dr. Peddie told you, babe, I can take it. Please."
Mac opened her mouth to speak but couldn't get the words to come out so she took another route. "I don't want you to fly anymore."
"That's not anything new" he said calmly. "You've made that known for years, and very well known over the past few weeks."
"I'm serious this time, Harm" Mac said. "You won't fly again, promise me."
"Are you just adamant about it because of all this" he asked, "or is there something else, something with regards to the injury?"
Her reply was a choked sob as she tried to control her emotions.
"Baby" he said, opening his arms to her. "Here."
Mac leaned against him a moment and whispered, "Why won't you just promise me you'll give it up?" she asked once she had control again.
"It's not that simple, and you know it" he answered with love. "You can't ask me to make a blind promise about something like this. It's not fair to me or to you."
"Don't make me say this Harm, please" she whispered. She knew she was making a mountain out of a molehill, but she didn't want to see his spirit fall and know she caused it.
"Mac, baby" he said as he held her hands in his, "I know there's something that you need to tell me, that you're not telling me because you're afraid of how I'll take it. I promise you; not knowing what is making you so upset will be a lot harder on me than anything you have to say."
Mac sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Remember last night when I said that the more landings you make, the less time the repair will hold?" she asked him.
"Mm-hmm" he said, reaching up to wipe her tears for her.
"I left something out" she confessed.
"I thought you might have" he said. "But you can tell me, whatever it is."
"The doctor said...he said you can't punch out again, Harm. If you do…he won't be able to fix you if that happens."
"If I punch out, I'll end up in a wheelchair." stated Harm plainly.
"That's right" she managed through more tears. "And we never know what'll happen when you go up. We never know..."
He pulled her close again, letting her rest her head against his shoulder. "You're right."
"And...I..." She cried against him. "I...don't..."
"Ssh..." he said, rubbing her back as he spoke. "I'm not happy to hear this, but I can't say it's a complete surprise, either. I've done punch out's, I know how rough they are on my body. I also know that the decision to give up my wings can't be made while I'm still laid up like this. I need time to heal up, and then I'd like to talk some more about it with you."
Mac nodded and snuggled closer to him rubbing her face against his hospital gown, "I should be going soon" she said after a moment.
"Yeah" he said. "I bet Ainsley misses her mama."
"Right now mama is missing her a bit too," she sighed.
"Well, go get our girl" he said with a smile. "Take her home, the two of you and Mattie get a good night's sleep, and you can come back tomorrow. I'll be fine tonight, so don't worry too much."
"We'll be here to see you after supper" Mac assured him. "Ainsley too, if I can manage it."
"That sounds great" he said. "Now go on, you look as tired as I feel."
Mac leaned over him and placed a kiss on his lips. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you, too, baby" he replied.
Mac, Mattie and Ainsley made the trek to the hospital once a day. Mac made the trip herself twice a day, until four days later when Harm was finally able to come home. He had to use a cane for support, given his legs had weakened from weeks of bed rest, but over all he was healing beautifully from the operation and was now relatively pain free. He still had a couple months of physical therapy ahead of him, as well as the decision of whether or not to turn in his wings, but life was finally looking up for the Rabb Family, and no one was more glad to see that than Harm.
A/N: Yay! Harm's okay - at least, the surgery was a success, but he's still got to decide about his wings. Does he give them up of his own choosing? Does he keep them in hopes he never has to punch out again? Will his wife and children be able to make the decision any easier for him? I'll let you know as soon as I can... :)