The exam with Harm and Mac's audiologist went as to be expected. Well, for the most part, anyways. Harm was a no-go. They had tested him, and he heard nothing. She, the audiologist, even tried a hearing aid with him, just to see if anything would happen, but unfortunately, it did not. Still complete silence. Mac, on the other hand, was a different story. She had tried the hearing aid in her good ear, and while it did help, it wasn't a hundred percent, which to Mac, was ok. She didn't need complete hearing back but was willing to go for whatever they could get. It also turns out she is eligible for cochlear implants. Something she thought she wasn't. Now she really had to decide. Go with the hearing aid, something she had tested and knew would give her something in her right ear, or go through surgery for something that might not work.

Mac was a determined woman and would do anything to get some sort of hearing back. She couldn't rejoin the corps, but if they were going to do this law thing, having more hearing would definitely help them both. And it would help the kids, not having to be translators all the time. Which they said they didn't mind, but Mac knew they were not fond of it. It took things from the kids. Thankfully no awkward doctor's appointments, but there were school visits that Parker wished she could erase from her mind as they went a little awkwardly.

After a few days to think it over, Mac had decided to go for the surgery. She'd have a few more visits with her audiologist before having the surgery. It was the morning of, and Mac was super nervous. She hadn't had major surgery like this. She'd had the surgery on her leg to get the bullet out from the poachers, but that wasn't really surgery. They just gave her a sedative, numbed the area, and pulled the bullet out with some forceps.

Sitting in the surgery prep area, Mac was full of emotions. The kids had been sent to school with Bud and Harriet and would get to come by after to see Mac. If anything bad were to happen, Harm promised he would get a hold of the school.

'Scared.' Mac signs, looking at Harm as she waits for the nurse to come in with her pre-surgery medication.

'You know, you don't have to be.' Harm replies, sighing as he takes his wife's hand. He holds it tight for a moment to let her know he was there for her, but let's go as to not strangle her hands so she can speak to him.

'I guess I'm just nervous at the outcome.'

'One step at a time, I'm here for you.' Harm says, watching the nurse come in with a few pills and to get her set up with an IV. Mac had been getting good at reading lips but hoped Harm could interpret for her at the moment as she was starting to feel tired.

'You read lips.' Mac signs to Harm as she yawns.

'She's giving you IV to make you sleepy.'

'Just relax; you'll be asleep soon.'

Watching her doze off, Harm kisses her.

"I'll see you on the other side." Harm says, smiling as he pulls away from his wife and going out into the waiting room.

Taking a seat, Harm pulls out his phone and scrolls through it. He browses his Facebook and then sends a text to the Admiral and Bud, and Harriet. He wanted to keep everyone in the loop.

Harm to Admiral, Bud & Harriet: She just went into surgery. Should be out in a few hours.

Admiral: Great! Message if you need anything.

Harriet: Took the kids to school. I'll bring them by later.

Harm: Thanks, Harriet, Admiral.

After two hours of browsing his phone, pacing back and forth, and just general nervousness Mac is out of surgery. Normally they would have had Harm wait till Mac was awake, but Mac had been struggling, and they figured it best Harm be there when she wakes up. Walking back with the nurse, she helps him to Mac's room. There's a chair in Mac's room, and Harm finds himself in it quickly to wait out her recovery. She starts to wake up about 10 minutes later. Noticing her wake up, Harm moves his chair as close as possible.

'Hi,' Harm signs, smiling at her as she looks at him. Her ears are wrapped up from the little wires being placed inside the cochlea, and the receiver placed just under the skin. It will be a few days before she can get the bandage off and then a week before she can get her hair wet, and a few weeks for them to heal and everything to be hooked up and turned on.

'It went well,' Harm smiles, before leaning in and kissing his wife and pulling back to look at her.

'Tired.' She replies.

'I know, take it easy, soon the kids will come, and you can go home tomorrow. You acted kinda weird in surgery, and they just want to make sure you don't do anything funny again.'

'Funny?' Mac asks, waking up enough to start signing.

'They said it was nothing major, just a little blip.'

'Thirsty.'

'Water?'

'Please?'

Getting up, Harm walks out of the room and to the nurse's station. He hadn't brought any paper or pen with him and had forgotten he could use a text app on his phone as he struggles to ask them for water. The woman at the counter had been looking at her computer and had yet to notice Harm walk up. Forgetting the woman wasn't deaf, he takes a firm hand and slaps it on the counter like he would have at home to get Mac's attention. After he'd done that, he gets a blushed look on his face, realizing he shouldn't have been what others would see as rude to the woman.

'Water!' He signs as the woman finally looks at him. She's confused, trying to understand him.

'My wife, water.'

"Hold on." The woman slowly speaks, slowing down to help him. She pulls a paper from the printer and attaches it to a clipboard, and handing it to him with a pen. Harm feverishly writes on it.

"Wife, room 207, water." He writes, handing it back to the woman.

"Let me make sure she can have water." She writes, looking for the woman's chart and studies it. She finds that she can have water and looks at Harm.

"Give us a moment, and we will bring by water." She adds to the bottom of the paper and smiles at Harm. Heading back to his wife's room, he tells her water will be in momentarily. About a minute later, a nurse comes in with a cup and straw, and a pitcher of water. She pours water into the cup, and Harm helps her with drinking. Watching her slowly sip out of the straw.

"Thank you!" Harm says to the nurse. His voice had returned back to normal and he didn't have to yell anymore.

'Should I tell Harriet to bring the kids? They get out in about an hour. You can nap till then.'

'Please? I want to see them. I miss them.'

As Harm pulls his phone out to let Harriet know she can bring the kids by, he lets Mac take a nap. He knew she was tired, and giving her as much sleep as possible was something he wanted to do.

Within the next two hours, Harriet had arrived with the two kids for a visit. Watching them come in her room, Mac beams. It was nice to see the familiar faces of her kids. The two come to the bed and hug her tightly, with Parker asking all the questions. She was an inquisitive child and liked being in the loop.

'I'm happy to see you!' Mac smiles, shifting in the bed.

'When, mama?' Parker asks, making the sign for hearing aid.

'A month or so.' Mac replies, watching Jonah climb into his father's lap.

'They have to get activated, and then I'll start hearing.'

'That's a wait…' She signs, really just hoping for her mother to get back to some sort of normal.

'I know, but it will be here soon. I'll make sure we have special parent days between that. Maybe you and Dad can go flying.' Mac looks at Parker and then over at Harm, hoping that maybe He'd finally ask her to go flying with him.

'Would you wanna do that?' Harm asks his daughter as Jonah has slipped from his father's lap and over to his mother. Harm's lap had been uncomfortable from the start, and he figured he could snuggle with his mother. Harriet had stepped out to give the family some time and would scope out a vending machine so she could get the kids a candy as a treat before heading home.

'You want to fly with me?' The girl asks, excited to finally be asked to go for a fly in Sarah but scared at the same time. She knew her father was one of the best pilots out there, I mean, he was a Rabb, after all, but with his new condition, she was worried it wouldn't go right. She needed to trust her father, though. He would never hurt her.

'Let me think about it.'

'You do that.' Harm replies, watching Mac get plastered with wet kisses from her son.

He laughs for a second but gets up and pulls his son off his wife. She had made a face that to Harm told him she was done.

'Hey, I know you love Mommy, but she needs some space.' Harm tells his son.

'When she gets home, you can love on her all you want.'

Seeing Harriet walk back in with a nurse at her feet, she tells the woman that visiting hours are over and they would have to go home.

"Alright, kiddo's, come with me; I spied a candy machine down the hall; we can get a candy. Mommy needs some rest." Harriet smiles and helping the kids out of the room. Harm thanks her, and the nurse steps in the room to check vitals and make sure Mac was in good condition to go home tomorrow. She'd get a few more of these visits throughout the night and into the morning, and by the third one, Mac had wished they would stop. She just really wished she could have a few solid hours of sleep. She'd wanted Harm to sleep with her in the bed, but that would probably get them some looks and for sure get Harm kicked out, so he slept in the chair that turned into a small bed. His feet hung off the end as it definitely was not made for tall people, but it was better than sleeping upright.

Getting up the next morning, he's thankful that they finally get to go shower for Mac just yet, but she's had a lower body sponge bath and feels a little better than she did. Helping her off the bed, he steadies her and helps her get changed into her going-home clothes. A simple pair of sweats and a T-shirt. Nothing that might interfere with the giant bandages on her head. After finishing up the discharge papers, the two can finally go home.

'Let's go home.' He smiles, taking his wife's arm and walking out of her room. They had been assigned a nurse who would make sure they got their car and help carry everything for them.

'Thank you.' Mac signs, smiling as she kisses her husband.

'Always.'