TITLE:  "I Won't Leave Him Again"
AUTHORS:  Anne R. and Pat Steiner 
SUMMARY:  Missing Moments #3-this one from the episode Ghost Ship.  The 
third 
in a summer long series of 'in lieu of a new JAG' stories wherein older 
episodes will be revisited and we'll explore what happened that we did 
not 
get to see.  
DISCLAIMER:  JAG of course belongs to Paramount and DB productions et 
al.  No 
copyright infringement is intended.
FEEDBACK:  If you would like, but never expected or demanded.  Feedback 
addy 
is ssbpmn@aol.com
===========
"I Won't Leave Him Again"  

The scream of fire sirens mingled with their coughs as they made their 
way 
onto the deck of the Hornet.

"Mac?  Maaa-aaac."  Harm's scream mingled with that of the fire 
equipment and 
she at once wrapped her arms around him as he fought Mark Falcon's 
hold.  
"Falcon where is she.  I don't see her," he screeched.

"Harm stop.  I'm right here," Mac assured him, keeping her voice quiet 
so as 
to reach through his agitation.

"You got out OK?" he demanded.  "You're not hurt?  It's all fuzzy to 
me, and 
like I can't breathe."  A long cough punctuated his words and she 
smoothed 
some hair back from his forehead, looking pleadingly to Mark.  

"Slow deep breaths Commander.  Help's coming," Mark urged.  "And the 
book is 
safe.  Just relax and let this beautiful Marine take care of you. 
They're 
almost here Sarah.  He'll be OK."

She started to thank him when her own words were taken by a long hard 
coughing spell.  

"Mac you're not OK," Harm gasped, trying to reach for her.

"We're all going to need a little oxygen to clear our lungs," Mark 
reminded 
him.  "Relax Harm.  You're in good hands and so is she."
  
  "Harm I'm okay" Mac managed finally, once again reaching for him. 
"Just 
stay 
  calm please."
  
  "As long as you're okay" he murmured as the world around him started 
to 
  darken.
  
  "Harm" Mac screamed as she felt him go limp against her. "Harm."
  
  "It's okay Sarah. The rescue crews are on their way up. He'll be fine 
when 
  they get him to the hospital."
  
  "No he's not okay" Mac wailed as the paramedic's finally reached 
them. In 
  short order they were taken off the burning ship and attended to. Mac 
  attempted to hover over the men treating Harm, only to be gently 
pulled 
back 
  down on a nearby stretcher another paramedic.
  
  "Ma'am please. Just sit and breathe please" she said as she once 
again 
  handed Mac the oxygen mask. "They're talking good care of him."
  
  She nodded and took a few more breaths before once again removing the 
mask. 
  "Please I need to know he's going to be okay. He was unconscious when 
we 
  found him earlier and I don't know how long he'd been like that." Her 
words 
  ended with a long cough and the young woman gave her a gentle push 
back 
down 
  on the stretcher and replaced the oxygen mask.
  
  "Mr. Falcon has already informed of us everything" she told Mac. 
"Please 
you 
  need to relax. Your friend will be fine."
  
  "Sarah please listen to her" Mark said as he looked over at her. 
"Harm will 
  be fine. But he won't be if you're not."
  
  Mac nodded and moments later they were all taken to the waiting 
ambulances.
  
  "I need to stay with him" Mac begged as Harm was loaded into one of 
  vehicles. "Please."
  
  Her hand remained around Harm's during the ride to the hospital and 
it was 
  only when she was forced to let go that she did so.
 
 "Honey he'll be fine.  He's got the best looking after him."
 
 Mac turned quickly to see who was addressing her, finding her self 
face to 
face with a grandmotherly-looking nurse.  "Thanks.  I'm pretty upset 
right 
now."
 
 "You're Ms. Mackenzie?"
 
 "Yes ma'am."  
 
 "I've got orders to make sure you go back down to the treatment room 
while 
your friend is being taken care of.  And don't even begin to argue.  I 
raised 
three boys alone.  You won't win."
 
 "I can't leave him.  I did that once on the Hornet and almost lost 
him."
 
 "Yes you can.  It's going to be an hour at least before he's back.  
You can 
have your treatment and we can get you out of those clothes, into a 
shower 
and into some scrubs so that you don't scare the man."
 
 "Bad things happen when I leave him," Mac whispered, thinking back to 
finding him lying in a heap on the filthy ship floor.
 
 "Not here honey.  Go.  Now."
 
 Realizing the futility in objecting, Mac did as she was told, 
submitting to 
the breathing treatment which she had to admit made her lungs feel 
better and 
the urge to cough subside.  Finally released she hurried to the 
information 
desk to ask after him.  

 "Mr. Rabb has been admitted," the clerk told her off-handedly upon 
consulting her computer screen.
 
 "My god why?"  The words escaped her before she could stop herself.
 
 "That you'll have to take up with the attending physician."
 
 "You damn right I will."  Eschewing the elevator, she ran for the 
stairwell, 
taking the steps two and a time for the floor and room the clerk had 
designated.  The doctor was just coming out as she was going in and she 
stopped just short of a collision.
 
 "Ms. Mackenzie I assume," he smiled.
 
 "Yes sir.  I see my reputation has preceded me, for which I make no 
apology 
because right now I'm pretty worried about him."
 
 "And he is about you.  Calls you Mac?"
 
 "Yes sir," she smiled and blushed slightly.  "How is he?"
 
 "Well he'll be better as soon as he sees you're OK.  I am keeping him 
for 
forty-eight hours though."
 
 "That doesn't sound good," she gasped.
 
 "Just a precaution," the doctor soothed.  "I'm going to want to run 
another 
battery of tests before I feel he's ready to leave.  He took quite a 
beating 
apparently from that old ship."
 
 "I'm afraid so," she sighed.  "But he is OK?  I can be with him?"  
 
 "Of course.  He's got an IV in, don't let it scare you."
 
 "It would take more than that," she smiled and hurried into the room.
 
 "Flyboy you are a piece of work," she gasped, trying to joke to hide 
her 
distress at seeing him in bed, seemingly more pale than she ever had 
seen him.
 
 "Mac get me out of here."
 
 "Do I look like Houdini?" she yelped, approaching the bed.  "Mister 
you're 
at your duty station for the next forty-eight hours."
 
 "You're not serious," he gasped.  "I'll go crazy.  Are you OK?"  As he 
spoke 
his hand flailed the air, wanting hers.
 
 "I am serious and I'm fine," she smiled, catching his hand.  "Aside 
from 
still recovering from being scared shitless about you.  I was worried 
about 
you Harm."  A lone tear tracked across her cheek and she wiped it off.  
"I 
was really afraid I could lose you."

    "Not likely" he said with a weak smile. "Going to take more than 
that to 
get 
  rid of me."
  
  "Yeah well I was still pretty scared" she whispered. "First when Mark 
took 
  me back to our quarters and you weren't there and then when we found 
you 
  unconscious. I swear I was about to have a heart attack when I saw 
you 
lying 
  on the floor like that. I should never have left you."
  
  "Hey it's not your fault" he assured her. "And I'm fine."
  
  "If you were fine they wouldn't be keeping you here for the next 
forty 
eight 
  hours" she sniffled.
  
  "Well we'll see about that. There is no way anyone is going to get me 
to 
  stay in here that long."
  
  "You wanna bet" the nurse smiled as she walked in. "You are not 
moving a 
  muscle Mr. Rabb. Head injuries like the one you have are nothing to 
fool 
  with."
  
  "You heard her" Mac gasped. "You are not going anywhere until they 
say your 
  okay. Of course none of this would be happening if I'd hauled your 
six here 
  when you first hurt yourself."
  
  "Mac it's not your fault" Harm said with a long glare at the nurse. 
"I 
don't 
  want you blaming yourself for what happened. I'm fine. I'll be out of 
here 
  in a couple hours."
  
  "One of those" the nurse sighed.
  
  "He's not going anywhere" Mac assured her. "I'll make sure of that."
  
  "Good. Can you make sure he rests as well? He needs to rest and stay 
calm."
  
  "I'll see what I can do" Mac smiled. "Course we may have to tie him 
to the 
  bed to do that."
  
  "On that note, I'll leave you two alone" the nurse smiled. "Try and 
rest 
Mr. 
  Rabb. It really is for your own good."
  
  "Mac this is crazy" Harm complained. "Why do I need to stay here? I'm 
fine."
  
  "If you're fine then lets see you get out of bed and walk across the 
room" 
  Mac snapped. "If you can do that without falling on your face then 
you can 
  leave. If not, you're going back to that bed and not moving a muscle 
unless 
  the doctor says you can."
  
  "Deal" Harm said as he threw back the covers. He swung his legs over 
the 
  side of the bed and was immediately met with a wave of dizziness. He 
took a 
  deep breath and waited for it to pass before forcing himself to his 
feet. 
He 
  managed just a few steps before everything spun around him wildly.
  
  "Okay I've got you sailor" Mac said softly as she quickly grabbed him 
and 
  helped him back to the bed. "I'm not sure that was such a good idea 
but I 
  think I've made my point."
  
  "Okay maybe I need to rest for a bit" he murmured as he closed his 
eyes and 
  sank back against the pillows.
  
  "We had a deal" she reminded him. "You're not moving again until the 
doctor 
  says you can. And I'm staying right here to make sure that's the 
case."
  
  "I promise I'll be good" he sighed. "But you need to rest too."
  
  "I'll rest right here in this chair," she said softly as she reached 
for 
his 
  hand. "Right now I'm worried about you and that's all."
  
  "Don't you want to go check on Mark?" he murmured tiredly.
  
  "No I don't" she whispered as she soothed back the hair from his 
forehead. 
  "I'd much rather make sure you're okay. I don't care about Mark. I 
care 
  about you."
  
  He opened his mouth to speak and closed it again.  "You. . .you care 
about 
me?"
 
 "Oh come on Flyboy that's not such a strange concept now is it?" she 
demanded, resting her palm on the top of his head.
 
 "No I guess not," he gasped.  "It's just that you and me. . .well we 
don't. 
. .we haven't talked about. . ."
 
 "No we haven't," she admitted.  "And now really isn't the time.  Not 
while 
you're having god knows what dripped into you.  But for the record your 
honor, yes I care about you.  Very much in fact, and I've been scared 
and 
upset and yes I'm about to cry and I hate that.  I must be tired or I 
wouldn't be this emotional."  
 
 "I don't mind a bit," he smiled and reached up to thumb away the one 
tear 
that was slowly making its way down her cheek.  "But I do want you to 
rest.  
You should go back to our quarters."
 
 She sniffled and leaned against his palm for a long few seconds.  
"Maybe 
later.  Right now I just want to sit by you and know that you're OK."
 
 "For a little while, only because I don't have the strength to make 
you 
move.  But I want you to promise you'll later go back and get some 
decent 
rest yourself.  Mac I'm not going anywhere, and that thing we haven't 
talked 
about--well I want to."
 
 "So do I," she whispered, feeling her heart pound in her chest while 
his 
green eyes met her chocolate browns.  
 
 He blinked several times, fighting the urge to sleep and she stroked 
his 
forehead again, trailing her fingers through his silky brown hair.  
"Sleep 
Squid.  I'm going to close my eyes too."
 
 A short time later his even breathing told her he was sleeping and she 
allowed herself to relax, his words about wanting to talk ringing in 
her ears.
 
 For the rest of the day Harm slept much more than he was awake and 
that 
night she did finally leave him to go back to their quarters, having 
been 
assured he was recovering.  "I'll see you in the morning Flyboy," she 
had 
told him when she got up to go, leaning down to place a fleeting kiss 
on the 
corner of his mouth.  Had she not hurried off, she would have seen the 
small 
smile that came to him, even in sleep.
 
 The next morning with a call to the hospital to assure herself he was 
holding his own, she elected to run along the water before she 
returned.  
Hence it was mid morning by the time she arrived at the hospital and a 
stop 
to check on Mark further slowed her.  Mr. Falcon had been discharged 
the day 
before she was informed.  If she thought it odd that he had not 
contacted 
them, she put it out of her mind as she hurried to Harm's room.
 
 "Oh thank god get me out of here," Harm screeched the second he saw 
her.  
"They're threatening to tie me down and I swear the last nurse who was 
in 
here could play defense for the 49ers.  Get me out of here."
 
 "That's two get me out of here's and not a single good morning hi Mac 
how 
are you," she smiled.  "Now what's the matter?"
 
 "Well first they tried to kill me with that," he muttered, pointing to 
the 
remains of his breakfast tray.  "And they're still not letting me up to 
go to 
the bathroom even.  Before that during the night they woke me up twice 
to ask 
if I was sleeping well, took my blood pressure and shined that damn 
flashlight into my eyes.  And no one will even tell me how I am.  Then 
this 
morning, breakfast came and you didn't and breakfast sucked."
 
 "Mr. Rabb is not very happy this morning," the nurse said from the 
doorway 
before Mac could respond. 
 
 "You're kidding, I hadn't noticed," Mac laughed as she reached the bed 
and 
slipped her hand into his.  "I'm sorry," she smiled sweetly.  "How can 
I 
help?"
 
 "Get me the hell out of here." 
  
  Mac turned back to the nurse who shook her head. "Doctor Tuttle wants 
him 
  here for another 24 hours just to be sure."
  
  "You heard the woman" Mac sighed. "You're stuck here for another 
day."
  
  "Mac" he wailed. "I will not lay here another day. Please get me out 
of 
  here."
  
  "Sorry. If they thought you were well enough to go they'd release 
you. 
  Obviously they don't. So you're going to lay here like a good little 
boy 
  until they do."
  
  "This sucks" he groaned.
  
  "I know. But you'll deal with it" she said with a sympathetic smile. 
"Harm 
  it's for you own good. You need to rest and let them make sure you're 
okay."
  
  "All right. I'll do that. Just tell me you're not going to leave me 
alone 
  here all day. Honestly I will go crazy."
  
  "I'll be right here with you sailor. And you look like you still need 
to 
get 
  some rest."
  
  "Well if they hadn't been poking at me all night I might have gotten 
some 
  sleep" he sighed. "I swear every time I was asleep they came in for 
  something."
  
  "Why don't you rest now then?" she suggested. "I'll make sure they 
don't 
  wake you this time."
  
  "Mac have you seen Mark?" Harm asked as he leaned back against the 
pillows.
  
  "No they said he'd been released yesterday. I was surprised he didn't 
stop 
  by and tell us that. But as soon as you're released tomorrow we'll go 
to 
the 
  station and talk to him."
  
  "And get the book" Harm said quietly. "I want that book."
  
  "I know. And you'll get it. But right now you need to rest. Can you 
do that 
  for me please?"
  
  "Promise you're not going to go anywhere?" he sighed as he closed his 
eyes, 
  his hand reaching for hers.
  
  "Not going anywhere" she assured him softly. "Now sleep."
  
  With his hand in hers he finally fell asleep. But it was anything but 
a 
  peaceful sleep, as he started to toss and turn a short time later. 
His 
  agitation increased and she could make out the word "Dad" in his 
mumbling.
  
  "Harm it's okay" she whispered as she gently stroked his forehead. 
Her soft 
  touch seemed to work and he finally fell back into a quiet sleep.
  
  She was still watching him when he woke a few hours later, her hand 
wrapped 
  around his.
  
  "Hi Sailor" she said softly. "How you doing?"
  
  "I'm all right" he sighed as he looked over at her.
  
  "You were dreaming about your Dad weren't you?" she asked quietly.
  
  "Yeah how did you know?"
  
  "You were tossing and turning and a few times I caught the word Dad. 
  Anything you want to talk about?"
  
 "Russia Mac.  He is--or was--a POW in Russia.  How could they do that 
to 
him.  How could the US let that happen to him.  And more importantly, 
how am 
I going to find him?  I don't even know where to start, but that's what 
I 
need the book for.  God Mac.  How could. . ."  His words poured forth 
as he 
let out all of his frustration in one breath and he pounded the 
mattress with 
his fist to emphasize his distress.
 
 "Whoa Sailor, power down," she smiled, pressing her free hand to his 
forehead.  "In the first place you're not alone on this.  Secondly, 
let's get 
you well before you start booking your flight OK?  I mean our flight."
 
 "I can't ask you. . ."
 
 "You didn't ask.  I invited myself along.  You want to talk about that 
dream?"
 
 "It's just all jumbled.  I could see him, like behind a wire fence, 
but I 
couldn't get to him.  Like my feet were stuck in clay."
 
 She nodded in sympathy, letting her hands express her feelings at the 
moment. 
 
 "But Mac as far as you hanging with me. . ."
 
 "Hey that is a closed subject.  I was with you when we found the book 
and 
I'm going to stay with you to see this through.  Partners and friends.  
And 
you need help.  Last time I checked you couldn't even say where's the 
men's 
room in Russian."
 
 "We'll talk about it later--if there is a trip to plan," he murmured.
 
 "Nothing to talk about.  You are stuck with me."
 ================
 24 HOURS LATER
 
 "I swear that nurse was serious when she threatened to tie me down," 
Harm 
sighed as they climbed the stairs to the Alameda police station.  "Now 
I'm 
ready to find Falcon, get that book and get back to D.C. and start 
making 
some calls."
 
 "Sir we're looking for Lt. Mark Falcon" Harm said to the man behind 
the 
 desk.
 
 "Lieutenant, can you take care of these officers."
 
 A man stopped walking and looked at Harm and Mac. "Can I help you?"
 
 "We're here to meet Lt. Mark Falcon" Mac spoke up.
 
 "About what?"
 
 "He's holding evidence for us" Mac continued.
 
 "Evidence?" the obviously perplexed man asked.
 
 "It's a book. It's in the station safe. If you just let the Lieutenant 
know 
we're 
 here" Harm spoke up.
 
 "I don't know what you're talking about."
 
 "Well Lt. Mark Falcon does" Mac interrupted.
 
 "Ma'am, I'm Lt. Mark Falcon."
 
 Mac turned to Harm, the look of shock evident on his face.
 
 "No" Harm whispered. "He couldn't have been."
 
 "Thank you sir." Mac sighed as she reached for Harm's arm and led him 
out of 
 the police station.
 
 He was silent all the way to the airport and Mac didn't push him to 
make 
 conversation. It wasn't until they were in the air that he finally 
looked 
 over at her, a determined look on his face.
 
 "I'll find him Mac. I'll find him and the list if it takes the rest of 
my 
 life."
 
 "I know sailor" she said gently. "And I'll be there with you the whole 
way. 
 You're not alone Harm."
 
 "Thank you" he whispered as he reached for her hand. "For everything. 
I know 
 I was a pain the last two days. And now this. God Mac, I was so close 
to 
 finding out what happened to him."
 
 "We'll find him Harm" she said softly. "We'll find your father."
 
 "He could still be alive. He could still be somewhere in Russia."
 
 "I know. And if he is we'll find him. Together." She squeezed his hand 
and 
 gently urged him to lay his head against her shoulder. "Rest" she said 
 softly as she stroked his forehead. "It's going to be okay."
 
 "Thank you" he murmured softly as he closed his eyes.
 
 "You're welcome" she whispered as she gently kissed his forehead.
 
 
 The End