OOOO
Part 7
Two weeks later…
The past week had been a tense one for all concerned, but especially for Mac. She was fielding a lot of questions from well-wishers and although they all meant well, Mac was feeling very down that she hadn't anything to tell them. Initial tests had so far charted nothing, apart from a change in levels once donor blood had been transfused into Gina.
But Gina wasn't showing any signs of illness or rejection, so Mac kept reminding herself to be thankful. She just kept on praying that time would prove to heal her sister.
When the first significant elevation of her neutrophil levels came on day seventeen, it was just after another blood transfusion, so the full nature of the improvement was unknown. Gina's doctor ordered for her to receive an additional transfusion of platelets and white cells, just to give her body a bit more of a boost. That was followed by another elevation of Gina's neutrophil levels, which Dr. Rennick suspected was more than just what was transfused into her.
But after a few stops and starts, the stem cells in the cord blood really began to get to work. Doctor Rennick was as delighted as his patient and her sister, but warned that Gina was still far from being out of danger, just yet.
OOOO
Panic struck the morning three and a half weeks after Gina's transplant, when Mac woke up to find she was full of a cold. She had been with Gina until late the night before and had felt tired before going to bed, but hadn't felt any of the symptoms now manifesting themselves. She called the hospital to let Gina's nurses know and was advised to stay home. She called Trish to let her know that she would take care of Penny today, but tried to hide the anxiety that was pumping through her veins.
It was with the uttermost surprise that Mac opened her door that afternoon to find Harm, obviously using up all of his lunch break to check on her.
"Mom told me that you're sick," Harm told her, "and she was concerned that you'd be worried about Gina."
"The nurses say that she's looking okay, but…" Mac paused, trying to hold herself together and not fall apart on Harm, "I was with her just last night…I could have been carrying this thing around for days and what if I've…Harm, it could kill her!"
Harm pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back gently, trying to soothe the shaking that had now wracked her slim frame.
"She'll be okay," Harm repeated several times, softly, then, "You and the hospital staff have taken every precaution with scrubbing, masking and gowning up before you've gone in there. And Gina may have very little of an immune system, but she's receiving heavy antibiotics. Give her time and her body will repair itself. We all just have to have faith."
But Mac didn't completely relax until five days after her own cold had dissipated, when Gina had still shown no signs of illness.
With her blood counts improving steadily by the day, Mac was finally able to relax once more…At least until they were woken at three in the morning, up by Penny crying, the next day. Penny never cried, not even when she fell down so when she discovered Penny with a raging fever, Mac really did worry. The little girl seemed to have head pain and her balance was off, so Mac thought it important to take her straight to the pediatrician. He diagnosed her with an inner ear infection and prescribed antibiotics before sending her home to rest. The first thing Mac did after tucking Penny into her crib for a nap was call the hospital, so that Gina knew why she hadn't turned up. As much as she wanted to check on her sister, she knew Gina would want her looking after Penny and also Mac would not take the chance of possibly bringing this infection into Gina. Trish came in the afternoon took Penny off her hands, so Mac had the opportunity to recoup the sleep she'd lost early that morning. She gladly accepted it, because she hadn't been sleeping well since before Gina's transplant. Harm joined them after work, looking as tired as Mac had felt before her nap, because he'd not gotten back to sleep after Penny woke them up, before he had to get up at 0630.
They ate a quiet dinner, before Mac volunteered to run Trish back to Harm's apartment. Harm lay down on the couch with Penny, intending to watch some tv, but was out for the count within minutes. By the time Mac came home, Penny was also asleep, so she had to gently lift her out of Harm's arms, to put her to bed. Then she woke Harm up, so that he could get off the couch and into a more comfortable bed. She didn't think his back would appreciate her leaving him to sleep there!
The two gratefully crashed in the double bed, not even having the energy to shift an inch before they were deep in sleep.
Mac woke at around 6am, to check on Penny. Relieved to find her temperature back to normal and that the little girl was sleeping comfortably, she indulged herself in crawling back in beside her favorite sailor!
"Mmm…" Harm stirred, as she climbed back in and tucked her cold feet in next to his warm ones, "Good morning to you, too, Marine!"
Mac chuckled as she snuggled in next to him.
He accommodatingly opened his arms and wrapped them around her, helping her get warm again.
"What would I do without you, squid?" she sighed, contentedly.
"Well," he supposed, enjoying this cuddly side of his Marine, yet knowing what time it was, "unfortunately for you, you'll have to find that out, 'cause it's time to start a brand new workday."
"Nuh-uh," she shook her head stubbornly, before burying it further into his chest, "No way."
"Sorry, Marine," he apologized, ruefully, "but I've got to get to work and my Mom's going to be here in an hour, so you'll have to get up and get Penny ready, soon."
"Just five minutes longer," Mac pleaded plaintively.
"Nope, afraid not, Mac," Harm playfully swatted her six on top of the duvet as he got out of bed and headed to the shower, "Up an' at 'em, Marine!"
OOOO
"How're you doing?" Harm asked, as he entered Mac's office.
Watching her rub her eyes again, he knew he had his answer and so brought out the cup of marine-grade coffee from behind his back.
"God bless you!" Mac took it eagerly from him and began to consume it, with vigor.
"I take it you're enjoying that…" Harm watched her, his gaze locked on hers and powerful.
The things she was doing with that beverage just amazed him! God, to be that cup of caffeine-laden liquid!
"Hmmm?" Mac looked up, noticing him staring at her lips, "Thanks, Harm…You have no idea how much I need this…"
As she lavished him with a heart-felt smile, Harm felt his heart speed up, just as he had, this morning. But they were interrupted by a knock on Mac's office door. It turned out to be PO Coates.
"Ma'am, Sir? General Cresswell has requested your presence in his office…"
We'll be right there, Coates," Harm told her, before giving Mac a small smile in return, before going to his office. He knew what this meeting was likely to be about and he would need his notes on the case, in order to fill his CO in on their progress, so far.
OOOO
Almost 6 Months later…
"Mac?" Came Harriet's voice, through the crowd, "What's this mean?"
Mac stopped where she was operating the video camera, to see what Harriet was asking.
It was exactly six months since Gina's transplant and she and Harm had arranged a big bash to celebrate Gina's doctor giving her third all-clear, since her transplant. She was by no means cured, but she was making progress every day.
Mac watched Harriet make her best attempt at signing something, before realizing what it was.
"That's the sign for 'Mother'…" Mac shook her head, before asking, "Harriet, where did you…"
She was interrupted by a huge squeal.
"Gina?!" Mac quickly sidled through the crowd of people, to where she heard the commotion coming from.
Her sister was lifting her daughter high, twirling her around.
"I wouldn't do that, Gina," Harm was grinning, "She had cake not too long ago!"
"What?" Mac asked, looking from Gina to Harm, to Harriet.
"She signed "Mommy!'" Gina was beyond proud, "I have the cleverest little girl in the whole world!"
Although she couldn't understand what her Mother was saying at the moment, Penny knew that she had done something good and that her Mother was rewarding her for it.
And although Penny was still very much behind many children of her age, Gina didn't care; this was essentially her child's 'first word.' The fact that that word was 'Mommy' was also very much peace of mind to her, after having spent so much of the last year away from her child.
OOOO
"How about we go and get you a popsicle?" Mac signed to her niece, waiting for Penny to respond to her with a nod, before lifting her into her arms and bringing her into the kitchen to search for the promised treat.
Bud came in a few seconds later with a bag of balloons he'd using to entertain his own kids. He extracted a couple, blowing them up and securely knotting the ends.
"You're really good at that, Bud," Mac commented, watching Bud twist the pair of long sculpting balloons into the shape of a parrot on a swing, before handing it to her entranced niece.
"I spent my weekends working as an assistant to a magician and children's entertainer, my senior year of high-school," Bud revealed, setting to work on another balloon, "It's a great skill to have, particularly when you want to keep your own kids entertained, Ma'am."
With a flourish, he produced a balloon-squirrel, sitting up on its back legs. Penny grinned with delight.
"And to think I wasted all that time waitressing," Mac laughed.
"I think you'd have made a fantastic magician's assistant," Harm agreed, coming back into the kitchen to get some more drinks for their guests, a naughty grin on his face.
Bud blushed and Mac slapped him on the arm, as he squeezed past her, to get to the fridge.
"What did you do, for your first job, Sir?" Bud tried to ease the tension in the room.
"Uh, I worked as a boat-boy, for my Stepfather…" Harm gathered as many cans and bottles as he could manage, almost dropping a few before Bud quickly stepped in to assist him.
Mac lifted Penny, who was busy feeding her popsicle to her squirrel and her parrot and they all made their way back out to the living area.
OOOO
"Well, it's been one hell of an evening, but I'd better get this clever girl home," Gina sighed, lifting herself out of her armchair and scooping her daughter up off the carpeted floor.
She hadn't missed the strong sexual undercurrent that had been flowing between Harm and Mac, since the last lot of guests had left.
She brought her daughter over to kiss them goodbye, before kissing her sister and hugging her sister's boyfriend, thanking them for a wonderful party to celebrate her good news.
Harm and Mac, as much as they both loved Gina and Penny, barely even noticed the two disappear out the door.
"So," Mac finally brought up the thought that had been bothering her, much of the night, "tell me more about your first job…"
"Okay," Harm smiled, curiously, "What do you want to know about it?"
"Well, what exactly did this 'boat-boy' job entail?" Mac smiled, that dark look in her eyes setting Harm slightly on edge.
"Well," he began, pondering just what she was up to, "I spent a lot of time diving, inspecting and cleaning the hull of Frank's yacht, those sort of things…I wasn't too skilled in engineering, then, so I just took care of the menial tasks…"
"And," Harm couldn't help but notice her tongue darting out to wet her lips, as she scooted towards him on the couch, "I would guess you spent a lot of time in the sunshine, soaping it up…Uh, the boat, I mean…"
Harm couldn't help his bemused smile, as she climbed onto his lap…If he wasn't mistaken, Sarah MacKenzie had that hazy, dreamy look on her face, her voice deep and husky, her pupils dilated; all signs that she was being turned on!
Harm was caught off-guard when she fused her lips with his own, kissing him long and deep, with barely restrained passion, telling him just how she was aching for him.
How had they gotten to this point from Bud's original conversation, about teenage weekend jobs?
When the feverish kiss tailed off and she pulled away so that they could breathe again, he soon got his answer.
"So, I imagine a job like that would have often had you all, um…sudsy…"
FIN