1100 Local
Bethesda Naval Hospital
There's a saying that in the blink of an eye your life can change so dramatically you never knew what hit you. Well whoever wrote those words sure knew what they were saying. Mac thought as she watched the ceiling tiles and lights shift by.
If someone had told her she would be in this situation she'd have told them they were crazy then pulled every string possible to lock them up for a good long time. But here she was being transported through Bethesda with a worm's eye view of the ceiling.
Closing her eyes she thought back on the last few weeks. They were such a blur that if she wasn't laying there trying to move her limbs she'd have thought it was all one big horrific dream. Yet there she was and they weren't doing what they were supposed to be doing. The first week had been a blur of haze, pain and confusion. No one out rightly told her she was paralyzed but they didn't deny it either.
Then, through the drugs she vaguely remembered them telling her about another surgery to stabilize her neck. When she woke up again her head was a little clearer but mostly she slept.
The start of the second week had shown some movement in her shoulder and then the insomnia hit even though she really just wanted to sleep. Some illogical part of her mind kept hoping she'd wake up from this nightmare. It all seemed to be happening so quickly yet so agonizingly slowly at the same time.
She hadn't been able to gauge effectively how Harm was taking it. She didn't know whether he was putting up a brave front for her, Mattie or himself. Or maybe all three. She was just too tired to put much thought into it.
Mattie had been allowed in once a day for a very short amount of time. Mostly she was quiet and reserved. Mac hadn't the energy to contemplate it but now that she was going to a regular room maybe she'd question Coates about it.
"We're here Mac." Dee brought her out of her thoughts just in time to see the top of the door jam go by.
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1100 Local
Harm's Office
Harm slammed the file onto his desk. He really didn't want to be there but the General had no choice. They really were short staffed now that Mac…
Shaking his head to clear it his phone buzzed.
"Yes Coates."
"Sir General Cresswell would like to see you in his office."
Sighing Harm picked up the file he'd just slammed into his desk. "Coming."
Coates motioned him to go in when he approached and the General waved him off before he could come to attention. This was not going to be good.
"Commander we have some temps en route and I know you want time off right now but I really can't spare you until they settle in." Harm took the folder the General handed him.
"I need you to go to USS Seahawk to investigate a crash that occurred."
"Sir I can't leave now." Harm was shaking his head and already formulating his arguments.
"It's not an option Commander."
"But Sir I can't leave now. Mattie needs me and Ma… Colonel MacKenzie…"
"I thought you had contingency plans set in place if something came up that took you and the Colonel away?" The General interrupted. "That was the deal you two made with the court am I right?"
"Yes Sir." Harm shook his head. "No Sir. I mean yes Sir it was but none of them involved ahh…" He barely managed to stop his hand from running through his hair. "No one could have imagined the current situation and Mattie isn't dealing the best Sir and I can't go now. There are other JAGs that are capable of handling this Sir."
"You were personally requested Commander and you have your orders." The General held up his hand to stop Harm's argument. "Your COD is waiting for you at Andrews."
"Sir I have to stop by the hospital first. I can't just leave." Harm knew he was begging and bordering on pushing every one of the General's buttons.
"Those are you orders. A driver's waiting for you downstairs. Dismissed."
Harm didn't even bother coming to attention as he left.
"Sir." Coates stopped him. "I'll make sure Mattie is taken care of while you're gone."
"Thanks Jen." This time he did run his hand through his hair. "I'll find some way to make it up."
"You don't have to Sir. If I may Sir?" She waited for him to nod. "The sooner you leave Sir, the sooner you can finish and get back."
Same Time Room 113 Bethesda Naval Hospital
The nurse had barely left before a laughing voice drifted to her from somewhere near her right side. "Hey newbie. What's your name?"
"Leave her alone June." That was another voice off to her right. Farther away from the first. They sounded young.
"I'm just trying to make the newbie feel welcome. So what's your name?" June's interest had been peaked when the nurses and orderlies started bringing in special equipment this morning. She couldn't help it, she was just so bored.
"Maybe she can't talk June. You ever think of that?"
Mac waited until the ventilator filled her lungs. "I can talk."
Before anyone could respond Mac's nurse bustled in and into Mac's line of vision. She glanced to Mac's right and Mac followed her but couldn't see anything but the bars of her brace and the ceiling.
"Is June bothering you?"
"If you consid…" Again Mac waited for the ventilator to refill her lungs. "consider talking to me… a bother, then n… no. Entertainment yes." Mac smiled at her.
"I need to clear your lungs."
The smile disappeared. "Do you have to?" She was a grown women and an officer of Marines but she was not against begging.
"Okay ladies lets give Colonel MacKenzie some privacy." The nurse disappeared from her field of vision and the squeak of the separating curtain told Mac she now had her privacy.
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June and Molly exchanged looks. A Colonel! What had they done to get an officer let alone a Colonel as their new roommate? More importantly what had June done?
Molly voiced this. "What did you do June?"
"Hey! I didn't do anything." June sounded indigent.
"Can you two keep it down for a minute?" The nurse spoke through the curtain before what they could only describe as a very painful sounding sucking noise drifted from Mac's area.
A few minutes later the curtain was pulled back.
"Do you need anything else Mac?"
"No I just want to sleep."
"Okay." The nurse made another adjustment Mac couldn't see before giving what could only be described as a warning look to her roommates. "Let Colonel MacKenzie get her rest now." To Mac, "If you need anything let motor mouth over there know. She'll call me."
An indigent 'hey' rang out from June. Or Mac thought it was June, she couldn't remember now. With one last adjustment the nurse left. Mac sent a small prayer for that elusive sleep to come. An unknown time later she forced her eyes open. Sleep was too much to ask for. She listened for any sound that the other two were awake.
"June?"
"Yes ma'am. Do you need the nurse?" Mac heard the bed shift.
"No." Mac thought for a second. "Can you tell me wh… what time it is…" Her voice trailed off with the ventilator. It was a sound Mac didn't think she was going to get used to. And she really wished her internal clock would reset itself.
"1300 Ma'am." June supplied.
"Call me Mac." Maybe she did fall asleep.
"Ahh." June sounded hesitant. "Yes Ma'am."
Mac smiled at that some things would never change.
"I'm Corporal Juninski. June for short."
"So Corporal what brings you here?" Mac smiled, she liked this Juninski already.
"Got a little to close to an IED." June deadpanned. "And you, Colonel, what brings you here?"
Without missing a beat Mac replied. "Got a little close to an oak tree."
"Th…" A knock interrupted whatever June was about to say.
"Ma'am?" Bud appeared in her vision.
Mac frowned. "Why are you on crutches Bud?"
"Ahh." Bud glanced down. "Just getting some adjustments to my leg. They were backed up so I thought I'd see how you were doing. The nurses told me they moved you here. It's okay I stopped by?"
"Pull up a seat." Mac wished she could turn toward him to get a better gauge as to whether he was really okay.
Bud pulled the chair closer before dropping into it. They'd been warned of how Mac would look but it still shocked him to his core to see his mentor like this. She was always so strong but like this she hardly seemed like the Marine he knew. None of the doctors or Harms words could really prepare him. Thinking of Harm, Bud frowned.
Mac noticed all the emotions flicker over Bud's face. Anger. Fear. Horror. Worry and something she couldn't read.
"I'm okay Bud." Relatively okay she thought. "How's Harriet?" She and the babies are fine Ma'am."
"Mac."
"Right. Ma'am."
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Once again Jen found herself driving a sullen and temperamental Mattie towards their house.
"Do you want to visit Mac later?"
Mattie just continued to stare out the window.
"Mac's in a regular room now." Jen tried a different tactic but she still didn't respond. With a heavy sigh Jen steeled herself for the battle she was about to spark.
"It's alright to be scared."
Mattie jerked her head around at that. "I'm not scared." She huffed before turning back to the window.
"Then you're uncomfortable around her." Jen supplied. Mattie's shoulders hunched a little more. "You know that it's okay to be uncomfortable right now."
"I'm not… it's just…"
"Just what Mattie?"
"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it and what do you know about it!"
Here we go Jen thought, silently steeling herself. "I know more than you think Mattie."
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USS Seahawk Arabian Sea
Skates looked at Harm with real concern. "Hammer you look like Hell."
Harm grinned at her. "I feel like Hell Skates." He let her take his sea bag before practically sprinting from the flight deck.
"You're to report to the CO immediately Hammer." She informed him, watching his face fall. "But first I have a message for you from the shore." She paused contemplating the message. "Colonel MacKenzie is the same and has been moved to a regular room. Is the Colonel okay Hammer?"
His eyes became guarded at her question. "Not exactly Skates. It's too complicated for now. I'll catch you up to speed later. Is the Skipper on the bridge?"
Skates just nodded at him, watching him flee. Whatever it was it couldn't be good.
