I'm enjoying writing this friendship and banter so much! Hope you enjoy reading it.

Two

Harm pulled the Jeep around to the double doors of the hospital where a nurse was bringing around a wheelchair bound Sarah Mackenzie.

They spent a day and a half at the hospital after her surgery. The extra day was to ensure that the wound was not infected after the doctor heard of their escapades. The doctor provided her with a referral to do the rest of her follow ups at Bethesda, and could be released, with the condition that she has someone stay with her. Mac begrudgingly allowed Harm to volunteer himself, because she hated sitting in the hospital.

Sarah Mackenzie was not used to someone doting over her, and certainly had not spent a day in the hospital since she and Eddie were brought in, over a decade prior. She hated the memories that came with the smell and the sounds. She hated that when the doctor asked her who would be assisting her, she could not name anyone.

For all intents and purposes, she was an orphan. The only relative she knew was locked away for the foreseeable future. She just PCS'd to DC and haven't had time to made friends between work and work trips. Besides, she wasn't one to make friends easily.

And Harm, well. She had a feeling he volunteered only because he felt guilty. They barely knew each other. A couple of months, at most. And strangely, the last couple of months they have formed a close partnership and work relationship. It petrified her, because the last time someone got this close, they died.

True, she had a couple of Marines, female marines, who she got particularly close with throughout her duty stations. But they were scattered throughout the world. And there was nobody she felt a connection to like Harm.

He pulled her car around and hopped out to help her, by letting her stand on her good leg, then lifting her up to the passenger side. He threw a smile at the nurse and a quick thanks before jogging around the car to get into the driver seat of her Jeep.

"What about your car?" Mac asked worried, knowing how much he treasured his Corvette.

"The Admiral brought it back to DC," he said checking her over. "You ready to go? You have everything?"

She rolled her eyes. "For the tenth time, yes. I do."

He nodded and focused on the road. "Have I…"

"Told me how sorry you are? Yes," Mac responded leaning her head against the window. "Harm, I know you would never purposefully put me— us, your plane at risk."

"I just…"

"And you know, you can just drop me off at home. I can…"

"Take care of yourself?" He finished her sentence for her. "I know, but you don't have to."

She knew arguing with him would be futile, especially with the Admiral as his trump card. She was given a week of sick leave, then she'd be back at work with restricted duties until cleared by a physician.

"Do you mind if we swing by my place on the way to yours? So I can grab a bag."

"Still don't keep a sea bag with you, sailor?"

"You haven't gotten me trained, Marine. Maybe you should take this time to sharpen your skills."

"Wait till I can walk straight again," Mac said, earning a raised eyebrow and grin from Harm. Mac rolled her eyes. "You're a child."

"And you're stuck with me, for six to eight weeks!"

"You are not staying with me for that long."

"We'll see what the doc says, huh?"

"Have you even lived with a woman for more than a two-week liberty, Rabb?"

He put his hand over his heart in a mock hurt gesture. "You wound me, Mackenzie… 'course I haven't! You'd be the first."

He winked at her.

"I don't know if I can stand this for the drive back!"

"We've spent more time TAD."

"Yeah but we had work," Mac countered looking out the window at the beautiful landscape passing by.

"We'll play scrabble."

"I'll beat you."

"I doubt that."

"If I win you have to eat a juicy steak."

"And if I win?" Harm countered, one hand stroking his chin with a smile. He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "You eat Harm's meatless meatloaf."

She looked over at him, pretty confident that she would beat him. She extended her hand.

"You're on Rabb."

He took her hand and shook it, giving her a sideway glance.

"Do you prefer tofurkey or tofu?"

Hope you enjoyed!