Disclaimer: see first chapter.
A/N: Okay, we're delving into Mac's health situation and I'd like to state that my knowledge of such cases is limited despite the research I tried to do, so forgive me any unintentional mistakes and please let me know if I've gotten things wrong.
Thanks sooo much to my beta, Mary, for the encouragement, the great advice and of course for fixing my mistakes. Any mistakes left are mine.
Humongous thanks to the readers and reviewers for (obviously) reading and reviewing and not killing me for taking so g-d-long to bring you this latest chapter. Read on!
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("You did what?") Coming to work on Sunday was always just a little hard for Dr. Reut. The one day weekend was a much needed break from the usual hectic week, even more so in weeks following traumatic events like suicide bombings. So hearing bad things on a Sunday morning did nothing to make her beginning of the week easier.
("Uh.. the patient was unresponsive except for her open eyes, that's the textbook definition of vegetative coma. Her husband was adamant about getting information and you weren't there so I just filled him in...") Dr. Felner was reminding her a bit of her 5 year old. He was fidgeting under her glare just like a child caught doing something he knew he shouldn't have done.
("Woah, hey, wait a minute. Before I get into the whole medical fiasco, what husband? She isn't married. Did you even look at her chart!") This was the one and only reason she didn't like weekends – she came back to find everything messed up. It was yet another reason to not like coming back.
("Of course I checked the chart! He said...")
Reut waived the attempted explanation off. ("Now, listen to me and listen carefully. First of all, no talking to patient's families before talking to me about what you're going to say. Secondly, you don't make a differential diagnosis on the spot. And finally, a vegetative coma can only be diagnosed after a minimum of 3 months in a coma! Now I'm going to go see if I can prevent a law suit and we're going to have a very serious conversation later on, Doctor.")
With that she stormed off, her white lab coat billowing behind her. She knew she had a bit of a flare for the dramatic but this time the guy had it coming, medicine was not something to be learned merely by memorizing textbooks.
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("Good morning, how's our patient today?") Dr. Reut switched modes upon entering the room and directed her words at the 2 occupants of the last cubicle, one of which she didn't expect to answer.
"Good morning, are you her doctor?" Harm stood up and decided to start politely before making any accusations.
"Yes," Was her short reply as she checked the ECG and Mac's chart, "Are you the husband?" She looked him straight in the eye, pleased to see the confusion there. He obviously didn't have anything to do with Dr. Felner's misconception. "I'll take that as a no. My name is Dr. Reut, and you would be?"
"Commander Rabb..." He paused a minute, contemplating how to describe his relationship with Mac – partner? Best friend? "I'm listed as her next of kin." He chose practical.
Reut nodded and smiled, then mentioned for Harm to sit down and sat beside him.
"I understand Dr. Felner talked with you about Ms. MacKenzie's condition?"
"He did but-" Dr. Reut could see he already knew the diagnosis was wrong – this made the talk both easier and harder at the same time. Politely as she could, she interrupted him.
"She isn't in a vegetative state, at least not yet. It's actually very good news that she's opened her eyes already and the lack of response is expected and could be only temporary. I'm sorry if you've been unnecessarily worried." She got the whole speech out as fast as she could without swallowing any words in the process.
Harm seemed to be studying her intently and Dr. Reut had a feeling she was dealing with a powerful force.
"No, I actually found out that Dr. Felner was wrong so I wasn't too worried, but he should be if he wants to go on as a doctor." Harm didn't want to threaten outright, but he needed to be taken seriously, Mac's life was at stake.
Reut smiled slightly. "Let me worry about that, you have someone here who needs your full attention." She knew if she could focus him on her patient, they would all benefit greatly. It was a rare occasion to see such devotion from someone who wasn't even a family member and it would play in her patient's best interest.
"What happens now?" Harm was all business. The Dr. convinced him of her sincerity and seriousness. Her competence remained to be proven, but he felt she could be trusted, and he trusted his gut feelings.
"Now we help her get better." The light that shone in Harm's eyes brought a smile to her face. "I want to run some tests, nothing out of the ordinary or that I hadn't planned on doing before she opened her eyes." Getting a nod of approval she went on. "I'm sure you've found out that coma patients vary greatly. Only time will tell us how Ms. MacKenzie is dealing with it. Taking into consideration her military background I'm sure she's putting up a fight."
"I understand stimulation of the senses helps?" Harm tried to get the conversation moving somewhere useful.
"Yes, nothing has been proven, but there are studies claiming that. In my opinion it couldn't hurt. I've seen she's got herself quite a support group here, despite this being a foreign country to her. She's nowhere near the stage that requires inflicting pain to get responses."
Satisfied, Harm let out a small honest smile. "Thank you, doctor."
"You're welcome." Dr. Reut returned the smile and got up to leave. "If you have any questions, have one of the nurses page me."
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A phone's ringing brought Harm out of the light slumber he'd been enjoying. Studying Mac's face for a moment and noticing Ester had left the room he finally answered.
"Rabb."
"I take it you're still alive, Commander?"
"Sir?" The General didn't sound like he was in a good mood at 6:30 on Sunday morning.
"Care to explain why I was woken up by the consulate in Jerusalem very early on a Sunday morning to be told you've vacated your hospital bed?"
"Uh... well, sir.." His stuttering wasn't accepted graciously.
"There had better be a very good reason why you escaped a hospital, Commander, because that's what I told the consulate when I told them to straighten things out with the hospital. I don't like to think I'm the lying type."
"No, sir." Harm gathered his wits. "I was informed on Friday night that Colonel MacKenzie had opened her eyes, I was concerned about the medical attention she was receiving and decided to watch over it myself. In retrospect, I was correct in my assumptions." It was a rather roundabout way of saying 'I just had to see her and make sure she was okay', but it wasn't lying and he had a feeling it was what the General was looking for.
"That's what I wanted to hear. Take good care of her, Rabb, and keep me updated."
"Yes, sir."
He ended the call with a sigh and turned his attention back to Mac's still form. She opened her eyes every once in a while but other responses were still lacking.
"Come on, Marine, give me something to work with."
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The tests revealed nothing of relevance – just that there was no visible damage, but that was usually the case. The information Bud found arrived via e-mail to Tal and then by fax to the hospital and to Harm.
The list of forms of stimulation had Harm's eyebrows elevated. Somehow he couldn't imagine himself flashing harsh light into Mac's eyes or knocking two blocks of wood next to her ears. It brought forth a mental picture of Goofy bringing together a pair of giant cymbals next to the unsuspecting ear of a sleeping toon that then proceeds to jump in the air, shaking from head to toe. No, the list was definitely not for Mac, but it gave him a few ideas.
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"I think I got everything you asked for, this would've been a lot easier if I could go to the market..." Tal walked in that evening carrying a big white bag.
Harm looked up gratefully and accepted the heavy burden, immediately rummaging through its contents.
"Thanks, Tal. I wouldn't have been able to manage without you." Digging out a small pipette, his eyes lit up. "Wow, this is great!"
"Never thought I'd see the day someone would be excited with that... good thing I know people in the chemistry labs." Tal chuckled and was delighted when Harm did as well.
The bag contained small nylon bags full of different aromatic herbs, a few flasks with sweet concentrates and some massage tools. At the very bottom he found the change from the money he gave Tal and took out the coins.
"Those massage tools were a little expensive..." Tal said apologetically, but Harm just smiled at her.
"It's just what I wanted, thank you."
The next few days seemed to fly by. Harm started a routine appealing to each of Mac's senses. He massaged her muscles at least twice a day, talked to her ceaselessly and morning, noon and evening brought aromatic herbs to her nose and placed sweet drops of fluid on her lips and tongue.
Ester, Simon, Tal and Gil continued visiting but were no longer doing shifts around the clock. Harm was taking care of himself and of Mac with a proficiency that shocked them all. He was doing just what he wanted to be doing from the first moment he woke up – taking things into his own hands without much outside help. He didn't think about much of anything besides getting Mac awake and responsive.
One evening, having just placed a drop of vanilla extract on Mac's tongue, Harm sat back to look at the already memorized features. She was still so beautiful to him. It was the first thought that entered his mind whenever he looked at her. Now, if only she would open up those beautiful eyes of hers and give him that smile of hers... But no, she was sleeping. She was his sleeping beauty.
Without thinking about it too much he rose and leaned over her. Brushing his thumb across her forehead and down her cheek, he brought his face down to hers. "Wake up, sleeping beauty." He touched his lips to hers. Maybe he wasn't prince charming but he'd do just about anything to be able to kiss her back to life.
Administering just one more kiss, he reluctantly pulled away. A curious gaze followed his moves.
"Mac?" It couldn't be that simple, his mind reasoned, this is not fairytale. And yet her eyes were open and this time moving. He moved closer and surely enough his move was tracked.
"Mac, do you recognize me?" He finally managed to get out, his heart pounding.
He got no response except further movement of the eyes. His head finally caught up and he moved away from the bed. "I'll.. I'll go get the doctor."
He practically ran out of the room and pretty much ordered the nurse on duty to page Dr. Reut, which was luckily on duty as well and appeared a couple of minutes later in Mac's room to find a very excited Harm clutching her patient's hand in his.
"She's moving her eyes, I think she recognizes me!"
Reut moved closer to examine the responses and then turned to Harm. "This is another good sign, Commander. She appears to be tracking and focusing on objects. I really think you're getting to her. Did you notice any change in her muscles?"
Forcing his mind to focus he gave the question serious thought. "I did feel they were a bit harder the last couple of days but I thought that was just because of the massages."
Reut smiled. "It means the muscles are getting their tone back. This is very good news. I want you to pay attention to her face – if you see twitches of any kind or tears those are good signs. Keep up the good work."
With that she left him. There wasn't much she could do at this point. The only reason Ms. MacKenzie was still hospitalized was their need to monitor her internal injuries and her body's coping with the blood loss, otherwise she would have been moved to a rehabilitation center.
Harm focused back on Mac and smiled at her, hoping her focused gaze was registering the emotions emanating from him. Leaning in closer in his seat he suddenly noticed moistness near her eyes. Reaching to caress her skin he found it damp and was halfway up to call the Dr. back when he reasoned there was no real need for it.
He sat back down and coaxed Mac's neck to turn to the side facing him. "This whole process is probably killing you too, Mac. You're as used to slow progress as I am. But you'll get through this." He choked on his words in happiness and worry combined. "And then you can laugh at me all you want for becoming such a softy."
Harm leaned in to kiss her lips once, then once more. Even if it wasn't his kiss that brought forth this latest stage in her recovery, he was past holding himself back with his feelings for this woman.
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The following weeks were marked with the stages of slow continued improvement. Each step along the way was celebrated like a small Independence Day, excluding real fireworks. Mac's frustration at being so limited in her own body shone through more and more everyday, but Harm was there with a smile plastered on his face each time to remind her just how thankful she should be.
"You think you're frustrated? I think I'll let you hear my mom's side of the conversation next time she calls. I'm actually surprised she hasn't shown up here yet."
On one of the first days since the first show of recognition, the ability to control the facial muscles of the mouth came back to her and she started smiling and frowning in response to her surroundings. Harm's words and obvious shows of affection always brought on a smile, whereas nurse's or doctor's visits, besides those of Dr. Reut, were sure to be followed by frowns.
Harm introduced and re-introduced Tal, Gil, Ester and Simon, who were active participants in each and every celebration of progress.
Slowly but surely, Mac regained control of her body. Relief started shining in her eyes when she could express some of her thoughts and feelings. If she found Harm's frequent caresses and kisses strange at first, she gave no sign of it. Of course, she did have a while to get used to experiencing them before she could respond to them in any way.
She was learning how to use her body all over again, the Dr. had explained, she was going through an abbreviated version of growing up, from using the muscles, to saying her first words, to voicing her thoughts. Only difference was her thoughts were far more advanced than the rest of her body, which was the major source of frustration. Appropriately enough, her first word was his name. As Harm's heart swelled, he wondered if this was how fathers felt when their child uttered the first word. He couldn't be any prouder.
Even though it was almost three weeks since Mac's awakening, and she was actually starting to verbally express her discomfort at his constant hovering, Harm refused to leave her side for more than very short and defined periods of time.
He wondered when the General would finally have enough and order him to come back to the US, he never brought it up. One thing he knew for sure – he wasn't about to leave Mac alone. If he was going back home then so was she, by whatever means necessary.
The Dr. was already hinting that Mac's release from the hospital was imminent and Harm's mind was working over-time on figuring out how to handle what was to come. Harriet made a point of reminding him during every phone call that they wanted to help with whatever they could, so he knew he could count on the Roberts' help. His mother was sure to come and visit once the ocean-in-between factor was removed, and above all he was pretty sure his Marine would insist on becoming self-sufficient ASAP.
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It was a beautiful Tuesday morning. Harm woke up early, used by now to the early morning rounds and the sun filtering in through the blinds. It looked to be another cloudless sunny day in the holy city.
In what had become his morning routine, Harm went to shower and shave and buy himself and Mac some breakfast outside the hospital. He liked the mornings, always so full of promise; you never know what the day would bring.
The day before had been wonderful. Mac had been able to participate in conversations with Tal, Ester and him in Hebrew, Farsi and English to the extent that Harm had to remind himself that this was an event in and of itself.
Usually by the time he got back from his early walk, Mac was awake or just stirring, and today was no different. She was just starting to move around, still half asleep, when he walked in with coffee.
Setting the cups on her bedside table, he ran a hand through her hair and kissed her forehead.
"Good morning, beautiful."
Confused, slightly blurry, eyes opened and held his gaze.
"H-Harm?"
He smiled at her, his hand still in her hair, and leaned down for a short peck to her lips. The confusion in her features was becoming more evident and in the back of his mind he felt something was not quite right.
"What-where am I? What... what happened?" The warning bells were getting unbearable and his heart was pounding in his chest. This was not a good sign.
"What do you mean, Mac? You don't remember?" His hand, completely forgotten, was still caressing her hair, having been left out of the unsettling scenario that had developed in a few short seconds.
Mac's face contorted as she obviously tried to dig the memories out of their hiding place. "I, uh- I remember the ride to Jerusalem... the market- oh my god!" Realization seemed to hit her. "Harm- what happened?"
Clinging tightly to the hope that she was regaining some pre-bombing memories, Harm softened his tone. "There was a terrorist-bombing, we were both hurt. You lost a lot of blood. You were in a coma, you were just coming out of it... don't you remember?"
His words sounded desperate to his ears and the look on Mac's face wasn't helping matters. Just then Tal chose to walk in, cheerful as ever.
"Good morning, Mac, Rabb! How're you two doing today?" The looks on both their faces must have answered her question, because all the cheer left her features as she looked from one to the other in a different, silent question.
Mac was also making the impression of following a tennis match, when she finally looked to Harm and broke the heavy silence.
"Do I know her?"
Something shattered in the distance, highlighting a point in time. The heavy silence resumed and held, as one heart broke, another sympathized and a third fought a wave of psychologically induced physiological stress.
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TBC
Hang in there – love shall prevail:-)