Chapter Eleven:

Mac walked with the doctor down the corridor to Harm's hospital room. "Colonel, I want to let you know that is that he hooked up to a ton of machines and IVs right now. He is pale from fighting the infection."

"Alright Doctor." She walked into his room and saw his face, battered and bruised. The doctor pulled up chair for her to sit in.

"Colonel, I'll have the staff bring you something to eat. It isn't good for you to live on salad alone, can you handle a chicken sandwich?"

"Yes, thank you doctor."

"I also overheard you talking to your friends out that, are you still experiencing nausea?"

"Yes."

"I'll call your OB, is it Commander McElveen?"

"Yes."

"I'll make sure she stops by to write you a prescription for some anti-nausea medication so you can start gaining weight."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Is there anything else I can do?"

"Can you call Commander McCool? I have been seeing her for the past year, and would like to talk to her."

"Sure. I don't know what I would do if I my husband came back from the dead. Colonel, I have seen lesser men bounce back, and I would say don't give up on him yet. His brain and body are remarkable. He just needs time to heal. I will be back to check on him later. Oh, Colonel you can call me Liz, I am sure we will be seeing a lot of each other over the next couple of days." She said walking out the door.

"Call me Mac." She said settling down into her chair. She picked up an ice chip and ran it over his chapped lips. "Hi Flyboy, I bet that this feels great."

She brushed her hand over his hair. She leaned in and gave him a kiss. "You know Harm, I knew deep down that you were still alive. Everyone told me to believe that you were gone, but I just couldn't believe it." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "When you are feeling up to it, we will take Mattie, Brennen, and Mackenzie to the beach. I will be as huge as a whale, and if you ever tell me that, after I give birth I will kick your six!" She told her sleeping fiancé. "Come back to me soon Harm. I need you here."

She pulled her chair closer to him and leaned in to put her head on his chest. She felt the steady rise and fall of his chest due to him breathing. Luckily he hadn't had to be put on a ventilator. She shut her eyes for a few moments and listened to the hustle and bustle of the hospital.

Dream:

"Harm, where are you?" Mac screamed. She was in Iraq again, dirty and in camos. She heard the three men come up behind her again, tugging her hands behind her and pushing her down to her knees. They threw a dark mask over her face and drug her around.

They threw her into room. Lt. Aslambad took off her mask and she saw Harm. He was lying on the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

"What did you do to him?" She hissed, struggling to get to her feet, only to be knocked back down.

"He had information we wanted, so we tried to beat it out of him." Her captures answered.

She heard him groan and watched him get back up. Shaking his head, his eyes locked with hers. "I love you." He mouthed to her. The captures saw him getting up and kicked him in the head. She saw him kick him over and over.

She screamed for them to stop and one of them started shaking her.

End Dream

"YOU'RE HURTING HIM!" Mac screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Mac, sweetheart, it's AJ." He said calmly to her. Dr. McCool stood in the corner of the room unnoticed by both of them.

"AJ, I couldn't protect him. I tired, but I felt like I was being pulled back by my captures. They were beating him, kicking him in the head."

"Lucky for us, Harm has a thick skull Mac." AJ answered smiling at her. Mac shook her head and let the tears fall.

"I should have been there for him; I should have followed my instincts. He is going to hate me for not being there for him."

Dr. McCool stepped out of the shadows. "You know Mac, I think you hate yourself for not being there for him."

"I didn't need a psychology to tell you that!" She bit at her. "He is my heart, my soul. I should have known. I love him so much, and all I can do is sit here."

"You are used to fighting your way out Mac, now he has to be the one to do the fighting. I have learned a lot about you. You hate feeling helpless. Which was worse, being held hostage or watching your kids get sick?"

"When Mattie was hurt or Mackenzie was sick. When I was being held hostage, I could at least try to fight them. But I am their mother, and I couldn't do anything for them. Now look at Harm, I could have done something for him."

"I have a feeling that Harm is stubborn like him. Give him time to heal, and I am sure you too will be chasing Mackenzie around again in no time."

"Yeah Mom, don't discount Dad yet." Mattie said walking through the door holding a very tired Mackenzie.

Mac ran up to her kids and swept them up in a hug. "I won't. I forgot that your father is a Rabb for a moment."

"MAMA!" Mackenzie screeched burying her head into Mac's shoulder.

"Hi Mackie." Mac said rubbing her back. "Mattie, Mackenzie is a little warm."

"Yeah. She wasn't feeling well last night, so I stayed up with her and watched Dad movies. I will take her home and keep an eye on her. I expect you home tonight to get a good night's rest."

Mac looked at her teenager and was getting ready to refuse, but Admiral Jonas came it. "Sounds like an excellent order Miss Rabb. Mac, I need you to take care of your kids. I will stay here and make sure no harm comes to Harm. You will be my first call tomorrow morning."

Mac knew she had been beat. She hadn't left the hospital since 32 hours ago when she first found Harm. His Navy sweatshirt had his blood on it, and she really needed a shower. "I'll go home for a few hours tonight, but will be right back here tomorrow morning." Mattie took her Mother's hand and led her down to the elevator where Frank and Trish were waiting. She watched them drive away and she made her way to the Pacifica and followed them home.

AN: Sorry so short guys, but this chapter came to me, so here it is. Answer to reviews:

Just wondering: I am usinga communication chart saying that most children by ten months can say one or two simple words. Mackenzie is ten months old, so I thought MAMA, DADA, and MATTS were easy enough words for her to say.

Manic Penguin: Thanks, I might just do that. Good luck on your doctorate, I just finished my masters in speech therapy, I don't envy you one bit. I wrote a paper a couple weeks ago on traumatic events and selective mutism.

Aserene: As always, am glad to see that you are still keeping up. I hope I didn't shock you too bad with the news that he was still alive.

Nisha: His family just adores the ground he walks on, I haven't written that far, and it is slow going, but I think that Harm will have some ups and downs, and his family will be there for him.

Amanda: I haven't figured if it will be a boy or a girl yet. I might make Harm suffer the same way my dad did with four girls. I will take votes on boy or girl.

To everyone else: Thanks for reading and reviewing.