Chapter 15

Hoping to be able to keep the 'kiss wish' out of it until he and Sarah had more time alone to explore their new found feelings for each other, AJ mentally scrambled for some kind of believable explanation, when Sarah jumped in with an answer. "I had made a remark to her at Thanksgiving that the Roberts' traditional Christmas dinner sure wouldn't be the same without the Admiral there. It seems that Chloe has become somewhat of a drama queen lately and instead of just asking him to come back early, she made up this elaborate story. Believe me both A…the Admiral and I will be getting on her case for this!" Mac assured them.

Harriet was the first to react, "So you're really and truly not going to die?"

"I'm sure that I will someday, Harriet, but I'm really and truly not going to do so in the foreseeable future, certainly not before Christmas dinner at your house!"

"But you're here in the hospital!" Bud protested.

"I had a small car accident yesterday and they only wanted to keep me twenty-four hours for observation. In fact, Harm was to pick me up so we could head to your place. I hope you didn't cancel dinner?"

"Well, there really wasn't time," Harriet admitted. "But other than those of us here we were only having General and Mrs. Creswell and Bud's father and brother. I told Bud to call the General and cancel and Mike and Big Bud are at the house watching the children."

A guilty look spread across Bud's face and everyone knew what he was going to say before he confessed, "Oh Harriet! I'm so sorry! I forgot to call the General!"

"Buddy!" she cried, looking at her watch. "They're probably there or at least on their way to our house by now! It's too late to call them!"

"Well if we aren't calling off the dinner because the Colonel isn't dying, then we could head home and everything would be alright!" Bud offered.

"That's a great idea!" Mac chimed in. "Harm, why don't you go with them? I'm sure the Admiral will give me a ride to the house, besides we still need to come up with an appropriate payback for what Chloe did."

"Sarah, Bud and Harriet weren't planning on me being there, it might be better if…"

"Oh Sir, please!" Harriet jumped, "We wouldn't think of leaving you out now that you are here in town. I always make more than enough food, and since the table isn't even set yet, there is no problem with adding another place setting."

"Thank you, Harriet, I am surprised that you want me there after all this, but would be honored to accept your gracious invitation. I hope my casual attire isn't a problem?"

"Not at all, Sir!" she insisted.

"Well, in the interest of not holding up dinner either, I'll have to wear what I was in before the accident too," Mac tried to ease his worry.

"We don't care as long as you are both there," Bud assured them.

When the two of them were alone, AJ told Mac, "I'll go and make sure that your release paperwork is in order while you get dressed to leave."

"Alright," she agreed with a grin. Mac didn't want the first time she undressed for him to be in this hospital room. However, she was hoping that event might happen later that night after dinner at the Roberts' house.

Mac discovered just how stiff and sore she was as she tried to dress. Her normal four minute pace took nearly double that, luckily she still had several minutes to sit and recover before AJ returned to the room from dealing with her paperwork. He was accompanied back by an aide pushing a wheelchair.

AJ wisely interpreted her gaze and before she could protest at the method of transport, he told her, "Its hospital policy and the faster you comply, the faster we can get out of here." With a grin at her sigh of frustration, he gave her a hand into the chair while the aide held it steady.

The climb into his Escalade felt more like climbing Mount Everest, but Mac tried to hide that fact from AJ. He wasn't fooled.

Once he was in the vehicle he handed her the pain medication prescription he had filled at the on sight pharmacy and a bottle of water. "You should take two of these now if you want to be able to get through this evening," he instructed.

To be continued…..