Bethesda Naval Hospital Emergency Room
"Doctor Kevinson, this is Commander Rabb." The nurse made the introduction then steps back a let the doctor talk with me.
"Ah, Commander, the Colonel's condition is quite serious. It appears that she suffered a blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The skull doesn't appear to be fractured, but she has a great deal of intracranial pressure. Ms. Mackenzie regained consciousness a short time ago. She was disorientated, had no memory of how she came to be in the hospital, or what happened before she came to the hospital. We are assuming she tripped and hit her head when she fell. She has a few bruises elsewhere on her body that supports that she fell. We did a head CT, to rule out any internal bleeding. We did find that she has some bruising on her brain. The amnesia and disorientation are common with severe concussions. So far we can't find any other injuries other than the bruises. We are going to be keeping her at the hospital for a few days to monitor the pressure and bruising. Do you have any questions for me at this time Commander?"
I just stare at him for a moment. "I--well--I'm sorry Doctor, I'm still trying to process everything you just told me. You said it was serious, is she out of danger?" I ask only wanting to hear one answer. I want to hear this man tell me that she will be fine.
"Her prospects are good, providing the swelling goes down within the next twelve hours or so, and the bruising doesn't cause any long term problems."
"How likely is that?"
"Well we won't know for sure until the swelling goes down and we can perform a function skills test. It is a waiting game now. Shortly she will be moved to the fourth floor. Would you like to go see her now?"
"Yes please. You said she was awake?"
"Yes she is, follow Lydia here, she will take you to the Colonel's room."
Before I turn to follow the nurse I extend my hand to Doctor Kevinson. "Thank you for all you have done for her."
He smiles at me and shakes my hand. "It's my job, but it is nice to be thanked."
I am eager to see Mac and nearly step on the nurse's heels several times before she stops in front of a doorway. She opens the door and says brightly "Well Colonel, you have some company. I must say he's been very anxious to see you."
I trail her into the room and see Mac, looking pale, and surprisingly frail. "Hey there, Ninja Girl." I give her my best flyboy smile, hoping to hide my concern.
"Hey. They tell me you made sure I got medical help. I guess I owe you." She smiles thinly at me.
"Naw, I think that I still owed you, so we are even. All I did was call 911 after you called me. You were the one that made sure someone knew you needed help by calling me."
"Really? I don't remember calling you. When the doctors told me you had called it in I thought that we must have met you on the trail or something. Why did I call you, why didn't Chloe?" Mac looked at me with a puzzled expression.
My stomach sinks, as a painful dread creeps into my body. "What do you mean, why didn't Chloe? Mac, are you saying that Chloe was with you?"
"Of course she was, didn't she tell you. She got into town last night, and demanded to come jogging with me this morning. You know how she gets when she has her mind set on something. So we went jogging--wait-- if you didn't know Chloe was with me, that means that she isn't with you now, Harm where is Chloe?" Mac's face shows her panic at the realization that Chloe is not with me.
I go to sit on the edge of her bed and take her hand. "Mac, you are sure that Chloe was with you when you went jogging this morning?"
"Yes! I know she was with me." She answers angrily.
"Okay, calm down." I want her to remain calm, having her blood pressure go up with swelling in her head can't be good. "Chloe wasn't anywhere around when the paramedics found you, nor did I see her when I got there. Do you remember if maybe she decided to sit and rest while you went on, or maybe decided to go somewhere else in the park while you finished your run?"
Mac laid there for a moment trying to remember. "All I remember is getting there and starting the run with Chloe, then waking up here. Oh, God Harm, where is she. We have to find her, ugh, Harm I'm going to be sick."
I grab the small bowl they have left on the table and get it to her just as she is sick. A nurse comes in just then. "Are you okay Colonel?"
"I don't feel well, I am sick to my stomach and my little sister is missing, no I am not alright." Mac snaps at the nurse.
"You need to remain calm, Ms. Mackenzie. Please, Commander but I am going to have to ask you to leave now." The nurse gives me a look that clearly says that Mac's distress is completely my fault. "We don't usually like to give concussion patients sedatives but Colonel we have to keep your BP down. You are going to aggravate the swelling in your head." With that she injects the liquid from a small syringe into Mac's IV.
"No, Harm, you can't leave. We have to find Chloe. Where could she be?" I don't know what was in that syringe but it was potent. Mac's last sentence was a bit slurred already.
My heart breaks as two tears slowly coarse a trail over her cheeks. "I don't know but I am going to go find out. You just relax and heal. She is probably sitting by your jeep worried about where you are. I will be back with her in a little bit I am sure." I give her hand a reassuring squeeze and stand to leave.
"Bring her to me soon Harm. Please." With that the medications Mac is on finally win and her eyes drift close against her will.
I step out of Mac's room and almost run into two police officers.
"Excuse me. I need to talk to you guys."
They both look at me expectantly. "Yeah, what can we do for you?" The officer who has addressed me is tall, about my height, with bright blonde hair, his name badge identifies him as Sgt. Williams. He looks me over, taking in my uniform and wings.
"My name is Commander Harmon Rabb. I am with the JAG Corps, my partner Lt. Colonel Mackenzie was brought in almost an hour ago with blunt force trauma to the back of her head. She doesn't remember how it happened, the doctors think she fell and hit it. I think there may be or to it than that. She just told me that she was jogging with her little sister Chloe. When the paramedics got there the Colonel was alone."
"Well could the girl have been scared and not wanted to come out to the paramedics?"
"You don't know Chloe, and even if that were the case, I arrived shortly after. Chloe knows me, she loves me, she would have come out. Now it may just be that they separated and Mac doesn't remember it because of the concussion. I was wondering if maybe you guys had someone near West Bend Park, and could have them go to the head of Trail Three. Sarah's Jeep is still there, maybe Chloe has returned to it and is wondering where Mac is." I watch as the officer absorbs all that I have told him.
"Let's go out to the car, we are not allowed to use our radios in here, don't want to interfere with the medical equipment. I'll see that a unit is sent over to the park, while we are en route."
Relief floods through me, they don't think I am insane; they are just as concerned as I am. "Thank you. My car is parked out front-"
"Why don't you just ride with us, we can drop you off back here once we find her." Williams partner offers. "By the way I'm Randy Yates"
"I'm Harm. You won't have to bring me back here. I will just pick Mac's Jeep up and drive that. And thanks I would be grateful to ride with you."
"Yeah, your vehicle doesn't have lights and a siren." Williams smiles.
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West Bend Park
Trail Three
As the police car pulls up I can see that another car is already there. Two officers are standing by Mac's jeep. On the way here Williams confirmed that no one matching Chloe's description had been brought into any police station. The two officers look up as the car stops.
The three of us get out and walk over to them.
"What have you got?" Williams asks one of the two new officers.
"Not much, there wasn't anyone here when we arrived and we haven't seen anyone but a couple of joggers since we have been here."
Frustrated and worried I scan the area, looking for anything that would help me find Chloe. I walk a few feet away from the group of officers.
Cupping my mouth I start yelling for Chloe. "Chloe! It's me Harm! Chloe, answer me sweetie. Chloe if you can hear me come toward my voice. Please, Clo. Mac is worried about you. Mac is ok but she needs to see you. Chloe! Chloe it's Harm if you can hear me shout." I stop yelling and all five of us hold our breath as we wait, straining to hear a response. After what feels like an eternity Yates speaks up.
"Harm, do you know the most likely path they would have taken jogging?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well let's start following it. Maybe she is hurt and can't respond. Zeak, get some other units out here, we may need a few more to help search."
One of the other officers starts speaking into his radio as Yates, puts a hand on my shoulder. "Lead away Commander. Let's go find Chloe."
We start on the trail taking the normal forks that I know Mac would have taken. We walk slowly, searching the path, and the woods lining it, for any sign of Chloe. Every jogger we meet we detain to ask if they have seen Chloe or anything unusual on the trail. Every answer is negative. An hour later we are nearing the end of the three mile loop, still with no sign or clue of where Chloe is. We continue our slow process, visually searching everything. I am almost ready to scream when I see something laying the thicket at the side of the trail.
"Hey, I think I see something." The other three men with me look to where I am pointing. Other officers have arrived and are checking the parts of the trail that I don't think Mac and Chloe would have taken, but better safe than sorry.
"What is it?" Williams asks as we all make our way over to it.
It seems to be metallic, glinting in the sunlight that comes filtering through the trees above. As we draw near I see that is a hunting knife, it is sitting on top of a nicely folded sweatshirt. Putting on a latex glove Yates picks up the knife, oh no, I now see that it is bloody. Williams carefully picks up the sweatshirt, turning to me.
"Do you recognize this Commander?"
I have to swallow past the lump that has suddenly formed in my throat. "It's Chloe's, Mac gave it to her for Christmas last year."
I look at the Marine green sweatshirt with USMC printed in bold black across the front. It is ripped and partially soaked with blood.
"Oh, God. Chloe." My voice breaks and I can't stop the tears that well up in my eyes.
Yates speaks into his radio. "Dispatch, this is two-four-three, our possible missing person just turned into a possible homicide. Get a detective and CSI's out here now."
He turns to me with sympathetic eyes, "Come on Harm, let's go back to the cars and wait for them to arrive. I am sure they will have some questions for you."
Numbly I nod. I can't tear my eyes away from the sweatshirt, Chloe's bloody sweatshirt.
"Dear God, please let her be alive. Please let us find her alive." I whisper softly.