A/N: I am not rushing to get to the end nor am I completing the testimony in the hearing. There will be more court scenes to come before the ruling. Stick with me and keep you seatbelts securely fastened. The ride just gets bumpier. Harm's incident is reminiscent of an episode my father had earlier this year.

As always, to Snugglebug, friends till the end. Hugs to you, Lady! J

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later and Maureen rode with her client. Mac's lawyer insisted she stay back and not ride to the hospital with Harm even though every ounce of her body compelled her to do that. Mac instead got a ride to the hospital with Mic, whom also transported Bud and Harriet.

Mac wasn't allowed to see Harm right away. Maureen was waiting talking to the nurse who was attending him. "Do you know anything?" Mac asked.

Maureen nodded, "Not much. His blood pressure was 200/110. They're trying to bring it down and they want to run some tests since he lost consciousness."

"When…when will they know what it is?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Maureen replied and walked away to get some coffee.

Maureen reached up and rubbed her neck. This was one of the hardest cases she ever tried in her career. Harmon Rabb was a sweet, loving, caring father, anyone could see that , but he'd made some very definite mistakes. They'd discusses the possibility of Annie testifying, but Harm assured her Mac would never put her on the stand and he didn't' want to have anything to do with her. Still, things could go either way and in those cases the father's lost. She bought her coffee and returned to wait for news.

Mac waited for nearly three hours while the doctors tested and examined Harm. Finally, one came out to talk with Maureen and with Mac. "Are you Mrs. Rabb?"

"Yes," Mac replied.

"This way," the doctor instructed and began to walk towards Harm's cubicle.

She followed him to a dimly lit cubicle, afraid of what she might find once she got there. "How is he?' she asked as they walked.

"He's resting," the doctor replied. "His blood pressure is coming down and he is feeling better, but...he's having some difficulties at the moment. We have to wait for the test results."

"I see," she said. "Could...is this a stress-related thing?"

"The elevation in blood pressure absolutely," the doctor replied. "The after effects of that...Mrs. Rabb, right now I'm going to have to ask you to be calm and patient with him. He's having trouble moving his right arm and leg and his speech is slowed somewhat. He also...you two are divorcing, is that correct?"

"We are," she answered softly. "No question where the stress came from."

"He doesn't seem to remember that," the doctor told her. "He's concerned about you and your children. He never mentioned the lawyer outside or the divorce. He was upset because his wedding band is missing."

Mac had to swallow hard. She knew he hadn't been wearing his wedding band for a few weeks; she remembered very well the night he took it off permanently.

"And while we're at it," he said forcibly. "You can have this back, too!" He pulled the 8mm band of gold off his finger and slammed it down on the table beside her. They'd been fighting for almost an hour over what was his versus what was hers, quite stupid really, and things were growing nastier by the moment. "There! Happy now?"

Mac removed hers as well and tossed the diamond adorned ring at him, "Not as happy as I am now! Get out!"

"No!" he said. "We're not finished here! Now let me go get the rest of my stuff out of 'our' room!"

"You have fifteen minutes and if you even try to go near the children I'll have you arrested and court martialed," she threatened.

"Oh, save it, Mackenzie" he scoffed as he started down the hallway. "I'm not in for any sick surprises, am I? Not going to stumble across any evidence of your current love life or anything demented like that? Wait a second; how silly of me - you can't have a love life, that's what started this whole thing!" He was in rare form that night; a horrible, vengeful, mean form.

"You bastard!" she hissed. "I'm so glad I'm rid of you. I don't know what the Hell I was thinking...oh wait, I was thinking he's a handsome abusive bastard to marry, so I can be just like my Mom! Fifteen minutes, I'll be in the living room."

Without further comment, Harm headed for the room they once called their own. He quickly threw what few items of his remained there - some books, a few things from the closet, some junk from the drawers - into a box and walked hurriedly back to the living room. On his way to the garage to get the tool box he' left out there, he spied his wedding band, still on the table where he'd left it earlier. He shook his head and continued out the door.

"Should I tell him?" asked Mac. "Should he know about the divorce?"

"I wouldn't say anything until we're certain if he's had a stroke or not. Just go easy, go with the flow. By tomorrow, he'll either remember or we'll at least be better about to assess his condition so we can break it to him in a controlled way. He just wants to see you," the doctor replied. "He's scared, Mrs. Rabb."

Mac cringed every time the doctor called her by her married name, part of her wondering if she'd ever get used to not being Mrs. Rabb. "I'll just sit next to him for awhile," she said as they finally reached the cubicle and she peeked in for a glimpse of the man she once loved more than life itself.

Harm was lying in the bed in a hospital issue gown. He was attached to a heart monitor, blood pressure monitor, brain wave monitor, and two IVs. He looked small; in that large bed, Harmon Rabb looked small. Mac stepped inside slowly. He smiled when he saw her.

"M...Mac," he stuttered.

"Yeah," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"

He was silent for a few moments, trying to get his mouth to cooperate. "Bad," he finally said.

She nodded, "You scared me, Harm. Don't do that again." She sat beside him and folded her hands in her lap. She wanted to take his hand, to hold onto him, but her bitterness and anger wouldn't let her, even if he was too sick to recall the hateful relationship they now had.

He moved his head to face her, slowly, and just as slowly he tried to speak. "Ki...kids?"

"They're fine," she replied. "AJ is with them."

Harm didn't respond, but the look in his eyes told her he understood.

"The doctors said you're having a hard time with your arm and leg," she said softly.

Again, silence followed by focused speech. "Yeah. Can...can't...move..."

"Can't move them at all or is it just hard?" she asked moving a bit closer to him, but still not touching him.

"Hard," he managed to reply. He was quiet briefly before moving his functional hand out towards her, his eyes begging the question "Why aren't you touching me?"

Mac wasn't sure how to reply to his unspoken question, so she simply said, "I was afraid I'd hurt you."

He took a deep breath. "W...won't."

Mac slid closer and took his hand, "There. Is that better?"

The sparkle in his eyes told all. The woman he loved, his wife, was beside him, and as long as that held true, he'd overcome this and be a better man for it. It was what he didn't know - didn't remember - that would surely break him.

"It's going to be okay," Mac comforted. He didn't remember and he didn't need to be upset further.

"St...stay...Mac?" he asked.

"What?" she asked. "I can't stay, you need to rest."

He looked into her eyes, his own eyes begging, pleading with her to sit at his bedside while he slept. He needed to know she'd be there like always.

She couldn't help but reach out and caress his cheek. "You want me to sit with you? Is that it?"

His answer was a lone teardrop in the corner of his eye. To the casual observer, it wasn't even there, but Mac saw it, knew exactly what it meant.

"I know it's scary," she comforted. "I know it is. Just close your eyes. I'll...I'll stay."

The faintest hint of a smile graced his lips as he drifted off to sleep, confident in the knowledge that Mac was at his side.

In spite of protests by Mic, Mr. Johnston, and even Maureen Mac didn't leave Harm's side. His CAT scans and MRIs all came back negative revealing that he did not, as feared, have a stroke. He instead had a very minor for of neurological event, a TIA the effects of which could be gone in a matter of days if not sooner.

Mac dozed in the chair next to Harm, holding his hand in hers as they both rested. He started when he woke and saw their hands clasped.

"What're you doing here?" he asked, a bit weary but otherwise fine.

"Sitting beside you, like you wanted," Mac replied.

"Like I...what happened?" he asked, looking down at their hands again, pulling his away.

"You...how does your arm and leg feel?" she asked. His speech had cleared up, but she wanted to be sure he was back to normal before she told him about his collapse in court.

"Uh, fine..." he said, unsure of much else.

"You can move them?" she asked.

He moved both arms and both legs in proof.

Mac smiled, "Good, do you remember being in court?"

"Vaguely," he answered. "Was I prosecuting or defending?"

"Testifying," Mac replied. "Do you know where your wedding ring is?"

He looked at his left hand, and the void that existed where his wedding band had been for almost 7 years. "Wherever you put it," he answered sadly.

"Good, you're back," she sighed. "You collapsed in court yesterday while Mr. Johnston was cross examining you. Do you remember?"

He shook his head. "Blood pressure again?"

"Again?" Mac asked. "This has happened before?"

"Not that landed me here," he said. "Had bad headaches before, that's about it, but they...I was warned if I wasn't careful, this could happen."

"And you weren't careful, were you?" she asked.

"I've found it a little difficult to minimize the stress in my life as of late," he answered sarcastically.

"You..." she paused. Now was not the time.

"Where's my doctor? I wanna get out of here," he said.

"He should be in soon, he came by earlier with your results," Mac replied.

"And?"

"He said you didn't have a stroke, thank God," Mac replied. "I didn't know what we'd have done if you had. You were really sick last night."

"Doesn't surprise you, does it?" he asked. "Things haven't been easy, you know?"

"It's your own fault," Mac replied before she could catch herself.

Before Harm could reply the door opened and AJ walked in accompanied by a small five year old whirlwind, "Daddy!" she exclaimed and ran to him.

"Hi, Button," said Harm, smiling wider than he had in days. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too," she declared trying to climb up on the bed. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm okay," he said. "I didn't feel very well yesterday, but I'm better now."

"When can we go out for pizza?" Lucy asked eyes wide.

"Not for a few more days, baby," he said. "The next night I get to see you, I promise we'll go for pizza."

"I have a boo boo," Lucy told him and held up her finger. It looked slightly burned, like she'd touched a hot pot.

Mac inwardly cringed, if Harm found out Mic had her near the oven...

"It got burned," she replied.

"Burned? How did that happen?" He looked up at AJ, and over at Mac.

"Making dinner with Mic the other day," Lucy replied. "It hurt a lot and I cried."

His attention was instantly focused entirely on Mac. "He let her get burned? How?"

"I wasn't home, I don't know," Mac answered. "Lucy, don't bother Daddy with that okay."

"Oh, it's no bother," he said, his tone one of no nonsense. "Lucy Bear, tell Daddy what happened?"

"I wanted a drink and my cup was up high. I tried to tug on Uncle's Mic's leg so he could get it cause he didn't listen," she began and cuddled in closer remembering Mic's shouting at her.

He wrapped his arms around her. "What else happened?"

"He moved before I got to his pants and my hand hit the oven and I got hurt," she whispered and looked at her Mommy. "Then he yelled at me."

Now she had Mac's attention, "He yelled? Why didn't you tell Mommy?"

"I didn't wanna get in trouble," said Lucy, beginning to cry.

"You wouldn't be in trouble for telling Mommy the truth," Mac comforted. "Tell Daddy what Mommy did."

"Mommy..." Lucy had to pause to get herself together. "Mommy put ice on my boo boo and let me sit in her lap until I wasn't crying anymore."

"That's right baby girl," Mac soothed. "Now do you want to go with Mommy to find Daddy's doctor or stay here with Daddy and Uncle AJ?"

"I want Daddy," she answered.

Mac leaned over and kissed her cheek, "You be still. Don't pull out any of Daddy's medicines okay?"

"I'll be good, Mommy," promised the child as she settled in closer to her father.

Two hours later AJ dragged a crying Lucy away from Harm as he was discharged to go home with orders to rest for two days. The second day would bleed into a visitation day.

"I think it might be best if we skip this appointment," Mac told him as she prepared to leave.

"You're not going to let me have the kids?" he asked, not fully believing her.

"I just think it's best if you rested this week and took them next week," she offered.

He thought for a moment. "We're talking a fair and even trade? Next week for this week?"

"Right," she replied. "Unless of course the judge rules before then."

"Yeah, well..." He sighed. "Okay, I'll rest this week, but next week they're mine."

"Oh wait," Mac sighed. "Mic has circus tickets next week. Ho..."

"Mac, don't mess with me," he said. "Either I get them this week, like I'm supposed to, or I get them next week. What's it gonna be?"

"Harm, calm down," she tried to soothe.

"Not until we settle this," he said.

"Sunday," Mac replied. "You rest today and tomorrow, and you get them on Sunday instead of Saturday."

He sighed. "Okay."

"So...you take care, okay. This may come as a surprise but I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

He looked up at the sky, dreary and gray. "Coulda fooled me."