Carlton Hotel – Edinburgh, Scotland
1828 Greenwich/ 1328 Eastern
Beth was laying on the bed, trying to get some rest. While they had been out shopping, she had just felt really fatigued and had been forced to make an early day of it. So now, Harm and Mattie were out to see something called Arthur's Seat, which had been recommended to them while they were out shopping by a helpful Scot would recognized them easily as tourists. He had said that the view was not to be missed.
Harm had been concerned about her, but Beth had insisted that all she needed was a good rest followed by a nice quiet meal tonight. To that end, they were going to do room service instead of finding a restaurant. Then, it would be an early evening for everyone and more sightseeing in the morning. Beth drifted off to sleep wondering what she would order.
When the rest of the family returned, Harm went into his bedroom while Mattie headed for hers. There, he found Beth sound asleep, looking so perfectly peaceful that he hated the thought of waking her. So, he quietly left the room and settled on the couch in the sitting room. After a couple of moments, Mattie came out of her room and saw him sitting there alone.
"Where's Beth?"
"She's asleep, Mattie. I thought I'd just let her stay that way for a little longer, before waking her for dinner," Harm said.
"I'm surprised, Dad. I've never seen Beth this tired before," Mattie said.
"I have, but that was usually after a long mission. Not a little sightseeing and shopping."
"She's going to be OK, right?"
"I'm sure she will be. But if she's still this tired in a couple of days, I'll recommend that she see a doctor. I promise, Mattie," Harm told her, laying a hand on her shoulder and giving it a brief squeeze.
"I'm holding you to that," Mattie said.
"Holding him to what, Mattie?" a sleepy-eyed Beth said from the doorway.
"I thought you were sleeping?" Harm asked.
"I was until you two decided to start having a chat right outside my room. Really inconsiderate, Hammer."
Harm had the wisdom to look properly shamefaced until he saw the edge of a grin on Beth's lips and the full-blown one on Mattie's. Then, he just shook his head as Beth's became a laughing smile.
"Well, now that you're awake, why don't we order dinner?" Harm asked, looking at the two ladies.
"That sounds great, Dad," Mattie said, smiling at the prospect of food, particularly meat.
"Absolutely. Get the menu, so we can decide," Beth told him, before going to sit in a chair while fighting back a yawn.
With that command, Harm went in search of the room service menu. Once found, he joined the ladies in making selections, which Mattie jotted down on a piece of hotel stationary. Then, Harm called down and placed the order. He was told that the food would be up to them shortly, whereupon he headed for the bath to wash up before dinner. Mattie and Beth both followed his lead, with Beth just finishing up when the floor waiter arrived with the food.
Harm had gone with a pasta dish, along with a salad. Mattie had wanted a burger and fries, but had been talked into having a salad as well by Harm. Beth, on the other hand, had decided on a steak with garlic mashed potatoes and the salad. Harm had been slightly surprised at the size of the steak that she had ordered, until he saw the challenging look in her eyes. This served to keep him well quiet.
What was even more surprising was the fact that, not only did she finish it, but she was done before either Harm or Mattie were.
"So, I was a little hungry," Beth said in her own defense when the other two pairs of eyes turned towards her.
"I would say so, Beth," Mattie said with a grin before taking the last bite of her burger, savoring how good it tasted.
"Hey, I notice that you didn't have any problems with your burger, missy."
"I've never met a burger I didn't like."
Beth and Mattie just looked at each other at that before breaking out in a fit of laughter than didn't stop for several minutes.
"I wonder what the burger would have to say to that," Beth said, drawing even more laughter.
"Well, considering it's a burger, it would have to be something like 'Mooove moover'," Mattie replied. The thought of a talking burger was too much for Harm, who just shook his head at Mattie's imitation of a cow talking was just too funny and reduced them all to tears.
"Oh, Mattie, that was just too funny," Harm told her.
"Hey, when you've got it, you've got it."
Beth just sat there for a long moment. Somewhere in the laughter, her stomach had started sending distress signals to her brain. Now, her face had taken on a greenish look, one that was noted by Harm as she jumped up from the little table and raced out of the room. A moment later came the sound of retching from the bath off the bedroom that the adults were sharing. Harm went after her and found her knelling before the toilet, holding her head up just before another wave struck her and she began vomiting again.
Harm dropped to his knees next to her and gently supported her as this went on for a few moments. When it was finally over, he helped her up and steadied her as they approached the bathroom sink. Here, she washed her face and got a glass of water, using it to help get the taste out of her mouth. Harm then helped her to bed before going back into the bath and flushing the mess down the toilet, as well as making sure there wasn't anything on the floor. Satisfied, he turned off the light and went back out to the bed.
"Are you alright, Beth?"
"I don't know what happened, Harm. Everything was fine and then my stomach decided it just wasn't happy and …."
"It wouldn't have had anything to do with the size of that steak, would it?" Harm asked, teasingly.
"No, Mister. I've eaten steaks bigger than that before and my stomach has never done that before. And before you ask, I've eaten tons of garlic mashed potatoes, too," Beth replied a little hotly.
"Well, maybe you've just picked up some bug or something."
"Gee, you think. It certainly couldn't be because someone decided on a fun weekend outdoors in February, could it?"
Harm was hard pressed to figure out whether she was joking or not, though her tone of voice suggested she wasn't. So, he decided that the best course of action was retreat. Going back to the sitting room, he finished off his meal before camping out on the couch. Mattie had already retreated to her room, returning with her book. She settled into a chair and opened the book before looking at Harm.
"Is Beth alright?" Mattie asked.
"She should be. I think she might just be coming down with a bug of some kind. We were outside a lot in the cold today and she may have gotten chilled or it might be something she picked up at home that's finally hitting her. We'll just have to see how she's feeling tomorrow," Harm said.
"I hope she's feeling better tomorrow, Dad. Being sick while on vacation can't be much fun."
"I doubt being sick at any time can be called fun."
After that comment, Mattie turned her attention to her book while Harm was thinking about what to do if Beth was ill tomorrow. They had to check out of the hotel by noon and he had planned on visiting the Royal Yacht while they were here. But if Beth was not feeling well, it might just be best to head back to London and let her rest rather than more exposure to the cold and wind off the water that such a visit would entail.
Harm was sure that he could exchange the tickets they had for seats on an earlier train. If not, he would just buy new tickets or they pay for an extra night at the hotel and check out later in the day. Depending on what they decided to do, he would also have to think about calling Bob and changing their pickup time from the station, too.
With something of a start, he realized it was later than he had thought. Levering himself off of the couch, he said goodnight to Mattie before heading for the bedroom. Beth was sound asleep where he had left her, so he undressed and slid under the covers to join her.
February 8, 2004
Train from Edinburgh to London
1321 Greenwich/ 0831 Eastern
The day had no proceeded well. Harm had been awoken before dawn to the sound of Beth being sick again. When she eventually returned to the bed, her face was paler than he could every recall seeing it and she laid down heavily onto the bed. Harm had offered no comment, instead laying an arm loosely over her in an effort to convey his love. Beth had tiredly placed her hand over it and given it a slight squeeze before drifting back to sleep.
Once awoken, Harm found it impossible to get back to sleep. So, he got up and packed their belongings, except for something for each of them to wear for the day. Then, he went into the bathroom and took a brisk shower, shaving as he did so. With that accomplished, he dressed before leaving the suite and going downstairs. The restaurant was just opening, so Harm was able to go in and get an early breakfast along with a welcomed cup of coffee.
After that, he made his way to the hotel gift shop for something to read, finding a copy of the local newspaper. Harm rarely had time to read a full paper, but the stories were much more detailed in them than could be found on the evening news programs. An added advantage was the near silence they presented as opposed to his turning on the television in the suite, which would undoubtedly wake Beth from what he believed was a much needed sleep.
Going back up to the suite, he found Mattie reading in the sitting room. Before he could say good morning, he heard Beth in the bathroom again. A frown crossed Harm's face, as worry began to set in. Leaving his paper on the small table, he went into the bedroom and on to the bath. Beth looked exhausted, as she knelt before the toilet. Helping her up, Harm guided her back to the bedroom.
"I think we should skip the rest of the day and go back home," Harm said.
"I'm sorry, Harm," Beth responded softly.
"Hey, it's not like you planned this, darling."
"That doesn't mean I can apologize for wrecking this trip."
"Edinburgh will be here next weekend or do you think it's about to fall in the Forth," Harm said with a grin.
"I know, but Mattie was so happy about the trip," Beth told him.
"And she'll be just as happy the next time we come here."
Beth sighed softly, knowing there was no use arguing with a lawyer. Besides, she didn't have the energy to put into it at the moment. Another time, she would have kept going, but not now.
"When you can, why don't you take a quick shower and get dressed. I left a pair of slacks and a blouse out for you to wear," Harm said. "And I'll call the train station and see if we can take an earlier train back."
Harm was as good as his word, leaving the bedroom to go out in the sitting room and make the call. It cost to have the tickets changed, but he was more than willing to pay that. Beth and Mattie's wellbeing came before something as trivial as money and, right now, Beth was decidedly not well. As soon as he was off the phone, Harm saw that Mattie had gotten up and went into her room. Going over there, he saw through the doorway that she had her bag out and was packing it.
"Thanks, Mattie," Harm said to her.
"For what? It's my stuff, right? So I should be the one packing it up, not waiting for you to come help me," Mattie said, giving him a look.
"No, thanks for understanding."
"Well, it's not like you have a monopoly on loving Beth. She's going to be alright, right?"
"Sure, but on Monday, I'll take her to the doctor just to be sure," Harm said.
"In that case, what's for breakfast," Mattie said, drawing a shocked look from Harm. "Hey, I need to eat, don't I?"
Harm had to chuckle at that before taking a few bills from his wallet and sending her downstairs to the restaurant. Somehow, he doubted that Beth would take too kindly to food at the moment. By the time Mattie returned, Beth had managed a shower and was dressed for the day. Mattie helped her along, while Harm was detailed to carry the various bags down to the elevators.
When they reached the first floor, Harm handled checkout while Mattie and Beth went outside. The doorman expertly flagged down a taxi for them, something greatly appreciated by Beth even though the hotel was close to the train station. If she was feeling better and the weather a little nicer, she would have been content to walk there. Today, however, walking didn't seem smart. Harm came out a few moments later and joined them for the short drive.
At the train station, Mattie found a small cart that they were able to put the bags on. This freed Harm up to be with Beth, while the teen wheeled the luggage along behind them. They found a bench to sit on, while they waited for the departure time to approach for their train. Beth snuggled against Harm, who wrapped his arm around her and held her close.
Finally, it was time and they walked the short distance to the waiting train. Finding their seats was simple and they settled in for the trip home. Once the train started moving, Beth and Mattie changed seats, so that Beth was facing the direction that the train was traveling. She hoped that this would help with the queasy feeling in her stomach. She tried to settle in and let the gentle motion of the train lull her to sleep, or a state approaching it. Anything was better than the nausea, even sleeping the day away.
February 9, 2004
US Naval Medical Facility – RAF West Ruislip
0802 Greenwich / 0302 Eastern
Harm and Beth sat in the waiting room, waiting for one of the medical staff to see them. When Beth had awoken this morning and almost immediately proceeded to be sick again, Harm had called for his staff car to come early. He also left work with the overnight duty clerk to push the morning staff meeting back until he came in. If any of the officers had to be somewhere, then they were to carry out whatever duties they might have. When pressed, he'd told the petty officer where he would be, but that he had no idea how late he would be.
Beth, in turn, had called her superior officer and let him know that she was taking a personal day. She highly doubted that anything the medics gave her today would achieve anything before tomorrow. And if it was something more serious, she would fill him in when she knew more.
"Commander Rabb," called a man in a white medical coat over a white shirt and black slacks. "Follow me, please. I'm Commander Tony Harper and I'm be the doctor seeing you today."
Going back, he led them to a little curtained room. He had Beth sit on the bed that was there, while Harm took the seat next to it.
"So, what seems to be the trouble today?"
"Fatigue and nausea, since Saturday," Beth said.
"Anything unusual happen that might have triggered it?" the doctor asked.
"We went to Edinburgh for the weekend. Saturday morning, it was cool out and we went to see Edinburgh Castle."
"Huh, that might explain a cold and the fatigue could be your body conserving energy to fight it off. But the nausea isn't something that I would normally associate with a cold. And you say it's still continuing?"
"I was nauseous yesterday and this morning," Beth said.
"How many times yesterday," the doctor said, as he took her blood pressure.
"Once in the morning, then again on the train and lastly at the train station here in London."
"Alright, take a deep breath for me, please."
Beth did as she was bid, while the doctor listened to her lungs and her heart. Then he checked her eyes, ears and throat, taking a culture there. He also had a nurse step in and draw some blood. A suspicion was forming in his mind, but the doctor knew better than to guess. He would, instead, wait for the lab results and see what they had to say. For the time being, he told Beth to get comfortable and relax. They would have her feeling better as soon as possible.
With that assurance, the doctor left them momentarily. Beth looked over at Harm and recalled their last hospital adventure. Then, it had been him as the patient and her watching him. Now, the roles were reversed and she wasn't sure she liked this one any better than the other.
"Hey, you're going to be alright, Beth," Harm said, catching the look on her face.
"Can you promise that?" Beth asked, feeling a little guilty as soon as she said the words.
"I can't make that promise, darling. But I have to believe that this will be alright. That this is just a virus you picked up that your body is trying to get rid of or maybe it's the product of all that beef you're eating."
Beth chuckled a little at that, which had been Harm's intention. Worrying couldn't do her any good, so he wanted to keep things upbeat and light. Even though he was worrying just as much as she was.
"Well, Mister, I happen to like my steaks and burgers, so don't expect me to go all veggies any time soon. And you know damned well I eat other things besides just red meat. I like chicken and fish and lamb and potatoes and even salads."
"Ach aye, lassie, I've seen ya eat," Harm said, in a terrible excuse for a Scottish accent.
"God, that's bad, Harm. Promise me you'll never do that again?" Beth said, the grin on her face contrasting with the stern tone of her voice.
"How am I supposed to make it better if I don't practice, tell me that?"
"You don't. If I was a Scot and heard that, I'd think you were mocking me."
"Fine, I'll never use it again," Harm said, pouting a little, which got a laugh from Beth.
"Nope, that's not going to work, Mister. I meant it, stick with your own accent and leave the others to those people. That includes no surfer dude, no Texas cowboy, none of that. Just be you," Beth said.
"Spoilsport."
Whatever response Beth might have had in mind died on her lips as the doctor came back in, this time joined by a younger woman whose attire matched his own. Beth and Harm were both curious as to the presence of a second doctor, neither taking it as a good sign.
"Commander Rabb, we've gotten your test results back," Doctor Harper said.
"Well, what's wrong with me," Beth asked as Harm took her hand in his.
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with you, but you may experience sickness for the next few months."
"If there's nothing wrong with her, why is she going to…."
The two doctors smiled as they saw wheels rapidly turning in both Harm and Beth's heads. It was Beth who grasped the concept first.
"You mean I'm pregnant?" Beth asked quietly.
"Yes, Ma'am," the female doctor said. "I'm Lieutenant Ashley Clark and I'll be OB-GYN, if you don't have someone else in mind."
"No, Doctor, I don't mind that at all."
"Good, Ma'am. So, let's lay down the ground rules here. Out there, you outrank me, but when you come to my office, I'm in charge, Ma'am. Our joint mission is for you to deliver a healthy baby. Everything I tell you to do or not do is with that goal in mind. Now, I've look over your chart and see neither of you smokes, that's good. What about drinking, Ma'am?"
"We have an occasion glass of wine at dinner, but other than that, no," Beth told her.
"Alright, I'd suggest stopping that, but the rare glass won't harm the baby," Doctor Clark said. "Now, your iron level is a little low, which might explain the fatigue. I'm going to prescribe some vitamins and you will need to take them. The sickness isn't, however, something we can readily treat. Hopeful it will settle down once we get your body back to something approaching normal. But, even if it continues, you need to make certain you eat. Plenty of red meats, stay away from fish for the most part and lots of vegetables, too."
Beth looked pointedly at Harm, who just grinned at her. He'd fix her a whole cow if that's what made her happy and the baby healthy. If the doctor had said she needed to be on a diet of caviar and goat's milk, then he would have done that too. The seat felt like it was feet below him as his joy rose. He and Beth were going to have a baby! Beth was experiencing similar feelings, as a broad smile crossed her face at the thought of carrying Harm's child, their child.
Doctor Clark looked on, seeing the happiness on the faces of her patient and her husband. This was why she'd gotten into this field, the joy of new life and helping it to enter the world. When she'd gone to medical school, one of her professors had wanted her to take up oncology but the thought of being surrounded by death every day had been too difficult for her. This was especially true once she and her husband had had their first child. She didn't think she could have faced working with cancer patients while simultaneously carrying a new life inside herself.
"Do you know when I'll be due?"
"As of right now, I'd put it around the end of October. I need to have a few other things checked before I can give you an exact date, however. Now, I'm going to give you these prescriptions and I'll want to see you next week to firm up that due date. Monday at 1600, here. My office is on the second floor, number 225."
"Thank you, Doctor," Harm said.
"Don't thank me yet, Sir. That can come after you meet your child for the first time," Doctor Carter said before she and Doctor Harper left the couple alone. Harm and Beth just looked at each other for the longest time, both of their smiles getting bigger as the news sank in. Finally, he couldn't contain himself any longer and scooped her up into a giant hug and knee-weakening kiss.
"Back off, sailor. That's how I got into this fix in the first place," Beth said with a laugh. "At least let me have this one before you start working on the next."
Harm had to laugh at that before they walked out of the room and down the hall. Seeing a sign for the pharmacy, they got Beth medications taken care of before going outside. Given his rank, Harm rated an official car and a driver, both of which were waiting for them as they exited. Harm had the driver deliver Beth home first before taken him to his office. The smile on his face never left it, even as he entered the building and tendered a cheerful greeting to the Marine guards.