***********
WOW!!! You guys have totally overwhelmed me with reviews, THANK YOU. And thank each and every one of you who helped me through my brain lapse. DUH, M is for MIKE!!!!! Seriously, I am ashamed of myself for that, *sheepish grin*, anyway I want to give a huge thank you to Maryann Reichenbach for loaning me her medical knowledge. You are a life save.
~Fiona
************
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Harm had been waiting in the lobby of the ER for nearly an hour. He was pacing like a trapped mountain lion.
A nurse approached him, "Excuse me, Sir. What would it take to get you to sit down for a little while?"
"Pardon?" I look up at her, confused at her reasoning. Why should I sit down when my best friend is...is...damn, I don't know what Mac is right now, that is why I am pacing. She has to be okay, she HAS to be.
"Sir?" Crap, I forgot that the nurse had spoken, now what was it she had asked?
"I'm sorry, what did you ask?" She looks at me compassionately a small sad smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Sir, I know you are worried about someone, but what would I have to do to get you to sit down. I think you are starting to scare the other people in the waiting area."
I sigh, and run a hand through my hair. Giving her what I hope is a charming smile I tell her what I want.
"I want to go back and see Colonel Mackenzie. Or at the very least talk to the doctor. I haven't talked to anyone since I filled out all the medical release forms almost an hour ago."
"If you sit down, I will go check on the Colonel's condition and try and get you in to see her. Deal?" She looks at me expectantly waiting for me to agree.
"Deal, oh, and thank you."
She smiles and walks into the ER proper. I sit down and really look around for the first time since I came in. There are about 15 other people sitting in the room with me. They all look so sad and scared. I wonder if I look like that too. Across from me is a mother with a little girl. She looks to be about five, with bright flame red hair, and freckles to match. She is staring at me. Tentatively I smile at her and wave a little. Her face breaks open with a smile that almost blinds me. Yeah, she is going to break some hearts when she gets older. The only other person I know of who has a smile that can compare is Mac. MAC, what the hell is going on? I guess my thought must be written all over my face because the little girl gets up and comes over to me, much to her mother's displeasure.
"Lacy, come back over here. Don't bother that nice man."
"Just a minute, Mommy." She is right in front of me now. She looks up at me and puts a hand on mine. "You look sad, is someone you love here?"
I take a deep breath before answering her, "Yes, my best friend is sick and I don't know what is wrong with her."
"That is okay. It is good you brought her here. They fix people here. My Daddy fell and gotten broken and right now they are fixing him, then we get to take him home. I am sure that they will fix your friend too, then you can take her home too." The smile appeared again, Lacy was very pleased with herself that she could explain to a grown man how everything worked.
Near tears now, I put my other hand over hers and squeezed gently, "Thank you, Lacy. I hope your Daddy is fixed very soon."
"So do I, I'm getting hungry." Lacy turned back to her mother, "Mommy can we go to Beltway Burgers after Daddy comes back?"
That innocent query from the five year old sends me over the edge. The tears that I had been so far able to hold back, come spilling out. Viciously scrubbing my face I try with all my might to regain my composure. 'I will take Mac to get as many Beltway Burgers as she wants if she gets better. NO, Rabb, WHEN, when she gets better.' I scold myself.
Lacy turns back towards me, and despite my best efforts, sees me crying. "Don't cry mister. My Mommy told me not to cry cause it would only make my Daddy sad to see me sad. You don't want your best friend to be sad do you?" She pats my hand sympathetically. "It will be okay, you'll see."
Lacy's mother comes over and takes her hand. "Come on Lacy, let's leave the nice Commander alone."
"But I want to make sure he understands everything." Lacy protests.
"Thank you Lacy, I understand. Thank you for explaining it all to me. I feel much better, really." I say this flashing a small but true smile.
"Okay, but if you get scared again, you just come get me, okay?" Lacy says this with such seriousness that I wonder if she is really a little girl, she seems a lot wiser than any five year old I have ever met.
"Okay, thank you."
"Okay, Mom, I can go with you now. Can we get something to eat soon?"
"Yes, Lacy. Let's go down to the cafeteria." She pauses and looks back at me, "I'm sorry if she upset you, sir. She just talks more than she should sometimes."
"No, please, ma'am, she said just what I needed to hear. You have nothing to apologize for." As I tell her this I realize that it is true. I needed someone to tell me that it was going to be okay. That Mac was going to be 'fixed'. Funny, here I am a grown man, lawyer, and macho ex-fighter pilot, and I find my comfort in the words of a five year old. Life is strange sometimes.
"Commander Rabb, I am looking for a Commander Rabb?" I look up at the nurse who has just announced this.
I jump up from my chair, "Yes, that's me. How is the Colonel? What is going on?"
"Sir, please come with me the doctor needs to talk to you immediately."
I follow her without a word. Finally! I am going to get to see Sarah. Finally I will get some answers.
**************
I know that this is extreme and could probably be described as cruel and unusual, but I have to end the chapter here. I also realize it is a kinda short chapter, the others will be longer. It isn't cause I am trying to be mean it is just the way the story as worked out, I PROMISE to post the next chapter within the next day. Please don't me mad at me, I just couldn't take that. ;)
~Fiona
**************
WOW!!! You guys have totally overwhelmed me with reviews, THANK YOU. And thank each and every one of you who helped me through my brain lapse. DUH, M is for MIKE!!!!! Seriously, I am ashamed of myself for that, *sheepish grin*, anyway I want to give a huge thank you to Maryann Reichenbach for loaning me her medical knowledge. You are a life save.
~Fiona
************
Bethesda Naval Hospital
Harm had been waiting in the lobby of the ER for nearly an hour. He was pacing like a trapped mountain lion.
A nurse approached him, "Excuse me, Sir. What would it take to get you to sit down for a little while?"
"Pardon?" I look up at her, confused at her reasoning. Why should I sit down when my best friend is...is...damn, I don't know what Mac is right now, that is why I am pacing. She has to be okay, she HAS to be.
"Sir?" Crap, I forgot that the nurse had spoken, now what was it she had asked?
"I'm sorry, what did you ask?" She looks at me compassionately a small sad smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Sir, I know you are worried about someone, but what would I have to do to get you to sit down. I think you are starting to scare the other people in the waiting area."
I sigh, and run a hand through my hair. Giving her what I hope is a charming smile I tell her what I want.
"I want to go back and see Colonel Mackenzie. Or at the very least talk to the doctor. I haven't talked to anyone since I filled out all the medical release forms almost an hour ago."
"If you sit down, I will go check on the Colonel's condition and try and get you in to see her. Deal?" She looks at me expectantly waiting for me to agree.
"Deal, oh, and thank you."
She smiles and walks into the ER proper. I sit down and really look around for the first time since I came in. There are about 15 other people sitting in the room with me. They all look so sad and scared. I wonder if I look like that too. Across from me is a mother with a little girl. She looks to be about five, with bright flame red hair, and freckles to match. She is staring at me. Tentatively I smile at her and wave a little. Her face breaks open with a smile that almost blinds me. Yeah, she is going to break some hearts when she gets older. The only other person I know of who has a smile that can compare is Mac. MAC, what the hell is going on? I guess my thought must be written all over my face because the little girl gets up and comes over to me, much to her mother's displeasure.
"Lacy, come back over here. Don't bother that nice man."
"Just a minute, Mommy." She is right in front of me now. She looks up at me and puts a hand on mine. "You look sad, is someone you love here?"
I take a deep breath before answering her, "Yes, my best friend is sick and I don't know what is wrong with her."
"That is okay. It is good you brought her here. They fix people here. My Daddy fell and gotten broken and right now they are fixing him, then we get to take him home. I am sure that they will fix your friend too, then you can take her home too." The smile appeared again, Lacy was very pleased with herself that she could explain to a grown man how everything worked.
Near tears now, I put my other hand over hers and squeezed gently, "Thank you, Lacy. I hope your Daddy is fixed very soon."
"So do I, I'm getting hungry." Lacy turned back to her mother, "Mommy can we go to Beltway Burgers after Daddy comes back?"
That innocent query from the five year old sends me over the edge. The tears that I had been so far able to hold back, come spilling out. Viciously scrubbing my face I try with all my might to regain my composure. 'I will take Mac to get as many Beltway Burgers as she wants if she gets better. NO, Rabb, WHEN, when she gets better.' I scold myself.
Lacy turns back towards me, and despite my best efforts, sees me crying. "Don't cry mister. My Mommy told me not to cry cause it would only make my Daddy sad to see me sad. You don't want your best friend to be sad do you?" She pats my hand sympathetically. "It will be okay, you'll see."
Lacy's mother comes over and takes her hand. "Come on Lacy, let's leave the nice Commander alone."
"But I want to make sure he understands everything." Lacy protests.
"Thank you Lacy, I understand. Thank you for explaining it all to me. I feel much better, really." I say this flashing a small but true smile.
"Okay, but if you get scared again, you just come get me, okay?" Lacy says this with such seriousness that I wonder if she is really a little girl, she seems a lot wiser than any five year old I have ever met.
"Okay, thank you."
"Okay, Mom, I can go with you now. Can we get something to eat soon?"
"Yes, Lacy. Let's go down to the cafeteria." She pauses and looks back at me, "I'm sorry if she upset you, sir. She just talks more than she should sometimes."
"No, please, ma'am, she said just what I needed to hear. You have nothing to apologize for." As I tell her this I realize that it is true. I needed someone to tell me that it was going to be okay. That Mac was going to be 'fixed'. Funny, here I am a grown man, lawyer, and macho ex-fighter pilot, and I find my comfort in the words of a five year old. Life is strange sometimes.
"Commander Rabb, I am looking for a Commander Rabb?" I look up at the nurse who has just announced this.
I jump up from my chair, "Yes, that's me. How is the Colonel? What is going on?"
"Sir, please come with me the doctor needs to talk to you immediately."
I follow her without a word. Finally! I am going to get to see Sarah. Finally I will get some answers.
**************
I know that this is extreme and could probably be described as cruel and unusual, but I have to end the chapter here. I also realize it is a kinda short chapter, the others will be longer. It isn't cause I am trying to be mean it is just the way the story as worked out, I PROMISE to post the next chapter within the next day. Please don't me mad at me, I just couldn't take that. ;)
~Fiona
**************