A/N: My dear readers, thank you for your condolences on the loss of my furbaby. It's hard to believe it's already been over a month. The hardest part about writing since he departed is that he used to curl up on top of my feet under my desk while I was writing. Silly butt thought he was a cat! His remaining buddy seems to be adjusting okay to the loss, finally. Max was running around the entire house last night with a "Damnit Doll" in his mouth having a blast. It was nice to see such puppylike behavior when he just turned 12.
Chapter 12: I'm Cute
As Harm starts to lower his head to give her a sweet kiss, sealing the words they just spoke, a nurse enters the room. The nurse is thoroughly embarrassed, realizing that he has just interrupted a very private moment. He thanks god that they are in a civilian hospital, since the man he is about to address is apparently a Rear Admiral, whom he wouldn't want to endure the wrath of. However, he isn't aware that the woman is a retired Marine Colonel that he should fear as well, perhaps even more so than the Admiral. The nurse clears his throat, and speaks, "I'm sorry to intrude, but there is a phone call for an Admiral Rabb, and I was told that I could find him in this room."
Harm rests his forehead on Mac's shoulder in disgust, muttering something unintelligible. Of all the times in the world to get a phone call! Can him and Mac ever catch just the tiniest break? And why didn't they call his cell phone? He figures it has to be Jack, because no one else knows where he is. Mac fails miserably to suppress her laughter. She tells the nurse, "If you can point him in the right direction, the Admiral will be right there."
The nurse shuffles his feet, nervously, and responds, "Of course, just take a right when you exit the room, and the nurses' station will be near the end of the hall." He proceeds to leave the room, and offers a parting, "I'll see you in a moment."
Mac immediately replies, again, with a "Thank You," for Harm, who is now inadvertently slightly nuzzling her neck as he moves his head side to side in annoyance against her shoulder. The intense jolt of electricity that is running through her at his sweet touch is almost too much for her to bear. She idly wonders why all the feelings she has been able to suppress for all these years are suddenly impossible to contain. Perhaps, she had just gotten too good at pretending they didn't exist, or she was in denial. Either way, the tremors don't want to stay hidden anymore, but a hospital room is hardly the place that she can act on them. Hopefully, since her injuries are minor, she will be able to get out of here soon.
Only once the nurse has left the room, does Harm lift his head to find Mac still laughing. He looks at her with his eyes dancing, "You find something funny here, Mac?"
She chuckles, "Yes! I knew that you were a prude, but I don't think I've ever seen you that embarrassed. The tips of your ears resembled the shade of Rudolph's nose. I knew that you helped the Toys for Tots plane a few years ago, but I didn't realize you were leading Santa's sleigh at the time. You left that part out of your story."
Harm isn't quite sure whether he should be offended or amused at her teasing. He thinks, 'I'll show her Santa indeed, the moment she lets me climb down her chimney!' He starts to move his hands down to her side to tickle her, before he remembers that it might not be the best idea. Her ribs might be too sore from the accident, and the last thing he wants to do is cause her anymore pain, physical or emotional. Instead, he merely shakes his head, and gives her a much too quick peck on her nose. As he removes himself from her arms, he shakes his index finger as he tells her, "We'll discuss this in further detail when I get back, Miss Clarice."
Mac gets a befuddled expression on her face as she searches her mind for the reference. Once it dawns on her, her cheeks turn the identical shade that Harm's was a few month ago. Thoroughly embarrassed herself, she tries to turn her head away from him, but as she hears his chuckle, she knows that she is busted too.
She admits, "Touche," as he reaches into his pocket for his cell phone to find it turned off. He hits the power button, and smiles sheepishly at Mac, "Dead Battery, Oops! Let me just go inform Jack that we both are in fact still alive, and that we haven't killed each other yet, and that I will call him later on. Then, I will be back to pick up where we left off." He walks over to his toiletries bag to find his charger, and plugs it into the phone, and leaves it on the window sill. He reminds himself to look at it when he comes back into the room to ensure he hasn't missed any more pertinent messages that might need his attention. He highly doubts it, considering pretty much all of the top brass in the District is probably three sheets to the wind at this point from the retirement festivities. However, duty does call when you least expect it to.
She smiles, "I look forward to it. Tell Peter Pan I said 'hello' if you don't mind." As an afterthought, she adds, "Oh, and remind him that he still owes me a lamp."
Harm furrows his brow, "A lamp? What is that about?"
Mac chuckles, "Ask Jack. And get your cute butt out to the phone to talk to him already." She motions to her hospital bed with her uninjured arm, "I'm not going anywhere."
Harm has an odd combination of facial expressions on his face as he makes his way to the nurses' station. He has a wide grin from her comment, and furrowed brows wondering what the hell she means about a lamp. The odd looks he gets from folks as he passes them in the corridor makes him wonder if they are questioning his sanity, but right now he could care less. He is currently suppressing the urge to prance down the hallway claiming "I'm cute, I'm cute! She thinks I'm cute!"