Name- No Words Needed I Author name- Kate Martin (plane_jane00@yahoo.com) Rating- this part is PG but No Words Needed II will deal with the events leading up to the accident and it will also entail violence and sexual innuendo Spoilers- Code Blue (sort of) Disclaimers- Harm and Mac aren’t mine…what a pity Summary- Two days before their wedding, there’s an accident that will forever change the lives of all involved. Can Harm and Mac’s relationship survive? No Words Needed I JAG Headquarters 1100 Hours March 17, 2002 As Mac looked around the office, she couldn’t help but smile. Even though this was her last week at JAG, she wasn’t sad. She wasn’t sad because she was giving it up for the one thing that mattered most in her life- Harm. They were getting married in two days on Saturday and she couldn’t wait. Harriet brought her out of her thoughts. “Colonel? Are you alright? You seem a little distracted.” She smiled, “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just thinking about Saturday. I can’t wait!” “Oh, I know ma’am. I’m so excited for you and the Commander,” then she paused and added on a sadder note, “I’m just sorry you have to go ma’am.” “Me too Harriet. But at least I’m leaving for a good reason.” Before Harriet could respond, the object of Mac’s discussion walked up. “Mac, can I get a rain check on lunch? I have to go to Norfolk to interview Petty Officer Donaldson. He says he has proof that he didn’t kill Rawlins. Bud’s at the Navy Yard so I said I go and get his statement.” “Yeah, sure. When do you think you’ll be back?” “I should be back around 1500 hours. I have a briefing with the Admiral at 1600 and then we have the rehearsal dinner at La Tours. I’ll be sure to call you when I get there.” “Okay…. and you be careful! I don’t want to have to break in a new partner two days before my vacation.” He smiled goofily, “You know me.” She gave him the ‘yeah, that’s what I mean’ look. “I love you Ninja-girl. See you later.” And even though they were still in the office, he pulled her into a tender kiss and before she could recover enough to reprimand him, he was gone. Mac’s Office 1300 Hours While Mac was busy writing the notes on the William’s case, she heard the familiar voice of Trish Burnett speaking to Gunny. “I’m here to see Colonel Mackenzie.” Mac got and walked out to hug the woman that was like a mom to her. “Trish! What are you doing here?” The elegant older woman’s eyes lit up when she saw her future daughter-in-law. “Hello Sarah. Are you available to go to lunch with me? I thought I could treat you to an afternoon out. It would be a chance for us to talk before tonight.” “Sure. I was just getting ready to go to the cafeteria, but your office sounds much better. Just let me get my coat and tell Gunny where I’m going.” The Grove 1345 Hours “…And then Harmon stands up and says, ‘But Mom…that’s exactly what you told me to do. Harm and Grandma Sarah were in tears.” Mac was laughing so hard that she had tears in her eyes too. “Harm must have been a hell raiser as a little kid.” “Oh, he was on more than one occasion…but he was also very sweet and gentle.” Trish studied the young Marine she had grown to think of has a daughter. “I hope the both of you find out soon enough.” Her eyes lit up at that thought. “I hope so too!” She would have said more about how much she really couldn’t wait for her and Harm to have kids, and how wonderful of a father she thought he was going to be, but her cell phone rang and she reached into her purse to answer it. “Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie.” “Hello beautiful,” a smile went across her face, “What are you doing?” “I’m at The Grove having lunch with your mom. Where are you?” “Actually, I just got a call from Norfolk, Donaldson changed his mind, and so I’m on the Beltway heading back towards JAG. I would offer to meet ya’ll, but I the Admiral bumped up our meeting.” “Well I guess I’ll see you at the office later when I get back.” “Okay. See you then. I love you Ninja-girl.” “I love you too…. Mr. Wiggles.” “Oh no…she didn’t?” “I never really thought of you as an exhibitionist Harm.” “I though I proved that to you the other night.” He chuckled and he could almost see Mac blush. “I gotta go.” Before she could make a witty retort, he had hung up. She was still blushing when she turned back to Trish, “That was your son. He was calling to let me know that he’s back in D.C. and on his way to JAG. Would you like to come by and say hello?” “Sure…Frank’s in a meeting until around six and I’ve got nothing better to do with my time. I suddenly feel like I need to see him so much and I don’t understand why. He’s lived on the other side of the country since he was seventeen and it hasn’t ever bothered me this much.” Mac gave her arm a comforting pat, “In forty-five hours and thirty-six minutes, you’re gonna marry off your only child and that frightens you.” Trish laughed, “Well at least I’m loosing him to you…Sarah dear, you have to tell me how you do that thing with time.” She just smiled and leaned over into Trish’s ear. Trish’s brow shot up with amusement, “Well that’s a surprise. I would never thought of that.” “Yeah…” her voice trailed off as she realized something. “Oh my god…in all this excitement I forgot about my surprise for Harm. If we hurry, we can pick it up on time and then take it by the office.” She picked up her purse and Trish quickly followed behind. The Beltway Harm’s Car 1400 Hours Harm was in a hurry to get back to the office and the traffic didn’t seem to want to move. ‘Great…at this rate, I’ll be here long enough to get mail.’ He wanted to get back and finish his report so he could spend the evening with Sarah, and all his friends at the rehearsal dinner. The wedding was in two days and he really wanted to get everything in order before they left for their honeymoon. He looked up into his rear view mirror and saw the most terrifying thing in the world, a set of speeding headlights, spinning out of control, aiming directly for him. His last conscious thoughts were of his Sarah, and of the life with her that he might never know. A loud explosion and then nothing, blackness enveloped him. 1445 Hours Dulles International Airport Mac and Trish were waiting patiently for the surprise that would be arriving shortly. As people started walking off the plane, Mac scanned the crowd with anticipation. Finally she saw the tall, blonde-haired pilot walking towards them with a smile on hi face. “Keeter!” She ran and gave him a hug of appreciation and thanks. She knew how much it would mean to Harm to have his best friend there. Keeter was the only person out of everyone they had invited to there wedding that couldn’t make it, or so Harm thought. Mac’s plan was falling into place perfectly. “Jack! What are you doing here? Harmon said you wouldn’t be able to make it, that you couldn’t get leave.” Trish hugged the man that she considered a second son and that had been one of her son’s closest friends for the past twenty years. “It’s good to see you Trish…I actually almost didn’t make it, but apparently the skipper owed a certain two-star a favor…so here I am.” “Oh, Harmon will be so happy. I know he was disappointed when you said you couldn’t come.” “ I hope he does appreciate this. We were going to take leave in Naples in tow days and I was looking forward to hooking up with the locals.” He wiggled his brow in a mischievous, suggestive manner. Trish gave an exasperated sigh. She had known Jack since Harmon was eighteen. She had always thought of him as a son and she was more than aware of all his antics. Mac spoke like a child on Christmas day, “Come on Keeter, let’s go by the office and surprise Flyboy.” ‘I bet every thing you do is a surprise to Harm.’ “I can’t believe that my best friend, the poster boy for the Navy, is going to marry a Jarhead.” Keeter let out an infectious laugh that the others soon joined in on and then they were all headed towards Falls Church. 1530 Hours JAG Headquarters As Mac walked into the office, Bud spotted her and her guests. He immediately recognized one of them. "Commander Keeter!" He held out his hand, "It's good to see you sir…but I'm a little confused, Commander Rabb said you weren't going to be able to make it?" "I wasn’t, but some people called in favors and Mac planned the rest, so here I am." "That's nice ma'am. I'm sure the Commander will be really happy!" "I hope so Bud…where are my manners?" she indicated to Trish," Bud, this is Trish Burnett, Harm's mom." He held out his hand to the elegant older woman, "It's very nice to meet you ma'am. You have a wonderful son." She smiled at him warmly, "I know…and it's very nice to meet you too!" Mac spoke up, "Bud, could you take Keeter and Trish to my office? I need to speak to the Admiral." "Sure ma'am. If you would just follow me." They followed Bud and Mac headed towards the Admiral's office, expecting that Harm would still be in his meeting. "Tiner, is the Admiral available?" "Yes ma'am, but I would watch out! He's in a very bad mood." She laughed, "I'm willing to bet Commander Rabb put him that way." "You would be right ma'am. You can go in now." She nodded her thanks and proceeded to walk into his office. As she walked in, she thought that she would be seeing her fiancé and the Admiral arguing like always, but he wasn’t there and she immediately had a sinking feeling. “Colonel, I assume that you are here to tell me why the Commander decided not to show up to the meeting we had scheduled. I pushed back a meeting with Admiral Masters so that he and I could talk. I hope he has a very good excuse.” Mac could hear the anger in his voice. She flinched slightly as his voice rose with each word, ‘You’ve done it now Flyboy.’ “No Sir! I spoke with him earlier this afternoon; he said that he was on the Beltway on his way back. He should be here by now.” Her stress was very evident. The Admiral softened slightly, “Okay Colonel, let’s not jump the gun and assume the worst quite yet.” He pressed the intercom button, “Tiner, has Commander Rabb called in?” “Uhhm...yes Sir. I forgot to mention it. He called about an hour and a half ago and said that the Beltway was like a parking lot, something about an eighteen-wheeler that jack-knifed. He also said that his battery was running low and then the phone died. You were speaking with the Secnav and then I had to go down to ‘records’ to get the information on Master Chief Salazar. I’m sorry I forgot Sir. It won’t happen again.” He looked at her knowingly. “See. Everything is okay. He’s just stuck in traffic and sense he is then that leaves this to you.” He handed her a file folder. “ I need you to go to Quantico. It appears the Marines have gotten themselves into trouble…again. I was going to send the Commander, but since he’s not here and you are, you get to go.” “Sir, I would gladly go except that Mrs. Burnett and Commander Keeter are in my office. I was going to let them say hi to Harm and then take them to the hotel to get ready for tonight.” He sat there a moment and then he spoke. “Alright Colonel, here’s what’s going to happen. You go to Quantico and pick up the preliminary report from Colonel Stanson and then go home to get ready. I will take Mrs. Burnett and the Commander to the hotel and then we’ll meet you at La Tours at 1800 tonight. How does that sound?” “Very generous Sir, but what about finishing my last two cases before my transfer?” “Don’t worry about that Colonel. You may not be coming back, but the Commander is. I’ll make sure he has plenty to keep him busy. Dismissed.” “Aye aye, Sir.” As she turned to leave the office, she couldn’t help but smile at the humor that had crept into his voice. After telling Trish and Keeter where she was going and what was happening, she left to go to Quantico. 1630 Hours Quantico As Mac was walking to the Colonel’s office, she suddenly remembered something she needed to tell Trish. She made a detour to the restroom and went to her purse to pull out her cell phone. It was then she discovered that it wasn’t in there. She sighed with frustration. ‘I hope she remembers the other gift I got for Harm.’ She left the restroom and headed towards the Colonel’s office. All she could think about was that gift. Keeter was the Admiral’s gift for him, but she had no doubt that hers would make Harm truly happy. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when told him. She was planning on telling him tonight at the rehearsal dinner, in front of his parents, their coworkers, all their friends, and his brother…Yes tonight he would get a great gift. Little did she know that she was on the verge of loosing her greatest gift in life-Harm. Same Time JAG Headquarters Trish and Keeter were in the Admiral’s office waiting for him to finish getting his papers organized when the intercom buzzed. The Admiral pressed it with great impatience, “WHAT?” It was Tiner’s grave voice that came over the speaker. “Sir, there’s a call on line two for you.” “Tell them I already left.” “It’s from Bethesda Sir. It sounds important.” He gave an exasperated sigh, “It had better be.” He put down his briefcase and picked up the phone. “Admiral Chegwidden…yes I am,” his face fell as he listened to the words. “How bad…we’ll be there as soon as we can. Thank you Captain.” He hung up the phone and his mind was racing. He looked over to where Trish and Keeter were talking in their own little world. ‘How am I going to tell her this?’ Sensing his thoughts, Trish turned to the man. “What is it Admiral? Is something wrong?” He nodded. “I’m afraid I have some bad news. That was Bethesda. They were calling to let me know that Harm’s been in an accident.” Both Trish and Keeter gasped. “Is he alright? Did they say how it happened?” “They wouldn’t tell me how bad it was, but they said it wasn’t good. They said it was a car accident. I’m going to call Mac and why don’t you call Frank and Sergei.” He pressed the intercom button,” Tiner, would you please find Lieutenant Roberts and Sims and tell them that I would like to see them in my office?” “Yes sir.” He picked up the phone and pressed speed dial three-his Chief of Staff. When no one picked up the phone, he slammed the phone down with a not-so-mild curse. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Here.” He motioned to the phone and moved when Trish walked over to pick it up. He couldn’t even begin to understand what this woman was going through, but he admired how strong she was being. A few minutes later she was off the phone. She was about to speak when Bud and Harriet walked in. “You wanted to see us sir?” “Yes, I just got a call from Bethesda. Apparently the Commander has been in an accident. I was wondering if the two of you would like to accompany us to the hospital.” Both of their eyes were wide. They nodded in compliance and then Harriet spoke up. “Is he alright sir?” “We don’t know anything yet Harriet, but it didn’t sound too good.” “Has anyone gotten a hold of Mac yet?” “No, I tried earlier, but she didn’t pick up. I’ll try her again once we get to the hospital, but right now we should probably get going.” This time Trish spoke up, “I talked to Frank and Sergei. Frank is going to meet us there and Sergei is going over to Sarah’s apartment. He didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell her over the phone.” “He’s probably right. Well, if that’s all taken care of, let’s get over there.” They all nodded in silent agreement and left the office in hurry, each hoping that everything would turn out alright. 1715 Hours Mac’s Apartment Mac moved around the apartment in a hurry. She had forty-three minutes until the rehearsal dinner started and there was no way she was going to be late for that date. She was heading towards the bathroom to do a final inspection of her outfit and put on the necklace Harm had given her for Valentine’s Day when there was a knock at the door. “Who could that be?” she asked Jingo as she patted his head. She opened the door and Sergei was standing there. “Sergei! What are you doing here?” But she already knew the answer- something had happened to Harm. She walked into his outstretched arms and whispered, “No!” “Come, I will tell you everything I know in the car.” She quietly complied as tears came to her eyes and they left the apartment. 1745 Hours Bethesda Naval Hospital They all arrived at the same time and the Admiral immediately went to find out what Harm’s condition was. All of them embraced and comforting words were whispered. Trish kept insuring Mac what a determine man her son was. The Admiral came back and was met with desperate eyes. “He’s been taken up to surgery. They’ll let us know the minute they can.” Mac sank into a chair. She was thinking of what her life without Harm might have been like. She quickly pushed these thoughts out of her head, Harm had to be okay!!! Trish could see Mac’s distress and she went and wrapped her arms around her. No words had to be spoken. They both knew what the other was thinking-‘He’s strong. He’ll be fine.” Thirty minutes later a doctor met them. He held out his hand to Frank, assuming that he was Harm’s father. “I’m Captain Marcum. I was Commander Rabb’s physician before he was taken into surgery. I wanted to come out here and tell ya’ll what happened.” He looked to Mac and asked her if she was his wife. “No, were getting married in two days. Please Doctor, how is he?” He looked right at her and then around the room. He saw all the people that were waiting for him. He knew that he couldn’t be anything less than absolutely truthful. “He’s very lucky to even be alive right now, the car was it very hard. It’s a miracle that the impact alone didn’t kill him,” Mac let out a desperate gasp at those words. He paused and looked around the room again. “He came in with very serious injuries. There was a lot of internal bleeding and a punctured lung, and there’s the possibility of head trauma. There was too much swelling to determine the severity. He had other injuries as well, but they weren’t life threatening. I wish I could tell you more, but his surgeon would probably be more prepared to tell you what to expect. I’m very sorry, but I have rounds to keep. Please excuse me.” He cast another look over the emergency waiting room. He took sympathy and went to the nurse’s station. “Kathy, you see that group over there? Would you please escort them to the surgical waiting room? And keep them posted okay?” The nurse quietly led them to the third floor waiting room, all the while issuing a silent prayer for the family. They waited for another four hours until finally another doctor came out. “I’m looking for the family of Commander Rabb.” Mac quickly spoke up. “I’m his fiancé!!!” “He just got out of surgery and we’re moving him to recovery right now. He’s very lucky.” Mac was relieved that he was now out of surgery but there was something in the doctor’s voice that didn’t really sound like it was time to celebrate. “How is he? Can we see him?” The doctor walked over to Mac, “He’s actually doing surprisingly well all things considered. We repaired the internal damage, but we had to remove his spleen. We also had to repair his collapsed lung, so he’s on a respirator and he has a chest tube. His leg was severely injured so they will have to pin at a later date. I didn’t want him to stay under the anesthetic any longer than necessary because he lost a lot of blood. I would have to say that he will probably make a fairly normal recovery.” Everyone smiled in relief, but Mac picked up the under current of his words. “A fairly normal recovery? What does that mean?” The doctor sighed. “It means that we will have to wait until he regains consciousness to determine the severity, but both of the Commander’s eardrums were ruptured when the car that hit him exploded.” Trish, Mac, and Harriet all gasped. “What are you saying?” “I’m saying that he will have at least some hearing loss and possibly total deafness.” Mac wanted to cry, but she knew that she was going to have to be strong no matter what. “Is it permanent?” “We won’t have anyway of knowing until he wakes up…now if you want, one of you can go in with him.” They all looked to Mac and she silently followed the doctor to where Harm was. “You can stay as long as you like. Take your time and I’ll be back later to check on him.” She nodded and then slowly pushed the door open. When she looked inside, her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprang into her eyes. “Oh, Harm.” Harm’s Room Bethesda Naval Hospital Mac fought pointlessly to stop the flow of tears. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Her best friend, her lover, and her fiancé… he wasn’t supposed to be lying in a hospital bed. They were supposed to be at La Tours, surrounded by their family and friends. Not here, not like this. As she walked over to where he was laying, she let the doctor’s words run through her head. ‘Lucky to be alive’ and ‘possible deafness.’ She didn’t care if he ever heard another thing, well she did care, but as long as he was alive and they were together, she could handle anything. While she was grateful that he was still alive, she knew that he would see it differently. Being deaf would mean no longer being in the Navy, and she knew that would crush him. He had dedicated more than half his life to the Navy and now it was being threatened. He would be devastated. Right there, in the middle of the man she loved more than life it self’s hospital room, she made a vow. She picked up his hand and whispered gently, “Harm…I promise, no matter what, we’ll get through this together.” Outside Harm’s Room Bethesda Naval Hospital The mood was somber as the group seven sat there and tried to digest what was happening. Was this some cosmic sick joke? Had Harm and Mac not suffered enough in this life? Harriet and Bud lost baby Sarah. A.J. had seen more than his fair share of deaths, friends included. Trish had lost a husband and almost lost her son on more than one occasion. Frank had to watch his wife’s anguish and pain each time that she thought she had lost Harm Jr. And Sergei had been in hell in Chechnya. Would the constant torment ever end? Didn’t they deserve some happiness after more than a lifetime’s share of pain and suffering? Trish was the first to speak, “Someone needs to call the restaurant and tell them we won’t be able to make it over there. We need to find out when we can reschedule because I’m sure that Harmon and Sarah will want to…” Her words were cut off by Frank’s gentle hand and even gentler words. “Trish, that’s already been taken care of. He’ll be okay. Trish? Are you okay?” She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of that question, but instead it evoked anger. “NO! I’M NOT ALRIGHT!” she screamed. Everyone looked at her with a cross between shock and sympathy. She immediately lowered her voice, but the distress was still evident. “My son is in laying in there hurt two days before his wedding. No, I am not okay. I can’t lose him. I just can’t.” Frank hugged her tightly and whispered into her ear, “Have faith. He’ll be okay. We have to believe that. He’s got a lot to live for.” “You have no idea.” He gave her a questioning look, but before he could ask her anything, a nicely dressed man walked up to the group. Sergei noticed the man and stood up. “Mr. Webb? What are you doing here?” “I came as soon as I heard. How is he?” “He just got of surgery. The doctor says it was serious, but that he should recover.” Clay looked relieved at this news. “How’s Mac?” “She’s in there right now.” He motioned towards Trish and Frank, “Mr. Webb, this is Harm’s mother and stepfather, Trish and Frank Burnett.” He held his hand out to the couple, “Clayton Webb. I’m a friend of Harm and Mac’s. It’s nice to meet you, but I wish it were under better circumstances.” Trish smile grimly, “Me too…me too.” “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to talk to Admiral Chegwidden for just a moment.” She nodded and the two of them walked down the hall out of hearing distance. “What is this all about Webb?” “This wasn’t an accident.” “WHAT?” he said in a shushed whisper. “What do you mean this isn’t an accident? What have you gotten him into Webb?” “We’ve been keeping track of two men named Joseph Calvert and Peter Yakorov for the past year or so. We think they’re responsible for a new designer drug that’s hit the streets. We’ve suspected that they had an insider because all the evidence kept disappearing. We finally got what we needed a couple weeks ago. A.J. it goes all the way up to a congressman.” A.J. was getting extremely inpatient, at the same time a sense of dread was settling into his stomach. “And what does this have to do with Harm’s accident?” “Do you remember about a month ago, I had Harm help me out a little? Well, he uncovered the evidence we needed while we were at their warehouse. He was due to testify after they got back from their honeymoon. Calvert found out and they came after him.” “I don’t believe you Webb. He’s probably one of your only friends and you drag him into this? Do you realize how serious this is? He almost died, and he’s still in bad shape. TWO DAYS!…he had two days until his wedding and you let this happen?” “A.J. no one is more sorry about this than I am.” “Yea, well tell that to Mac. Go and tell everyone out there how sorry you are.” “You don’t understand A.J. This will rock all of Washington. Once they still find out he’s alive, they’re going to come after again. He’s not safe here.” “Well, then I guess you need to figure out how to protect him, don’t you? And his family.” “We need to move him as soon as possible. Move him to a safe location.” “Webb,” he said with an exasperated sigh. “He just got out of surgery and he needs more surgery on his leg. I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.” Webb rubbed his eyes. “Then I guess I should get a team on it as soon as possible. I don’t know what Calvert will do when he finds out.” “If you have evidence, then why do you need Harm?” “Because Harm is the evidence. He’s the final piece of the puzzle.” A.J. looked at him with confusion. “What do you mean he IS the evidence?” “He witnessed a transaction that took place. He heard names and places and he also saw something else.” “Webb…be straight with me here. What are you talking about?” “While he was watching Calvert, two other men came into the room. A police officer from the D.C.P.D and a very high ranking political figure.” “Who Webb, the president? Be straight with me for once.” “No, not the president…Congressman Jacob McWright. There was an argument and Calvert killed the cop. Harm saw the whole thing and it got leaked that he was going to testify… so you see? He’s not safe in Washington right now. They’re going to come after him again.” A.J.’s eyes had a troubled look. “Does Mac know about any of this? Does she have a clue why her fiancé is lying in a hospital bed?” “No, Harm didn’t want her to know. He knew what could happen and he didn’t want anything to happen to her. He made me promise, but now I’m beginning to wish that I hadn’t.” “Well, I definitely don’t envy you. You’re going to have one extremely pissed off Marine on your hands when she finds out.” “Yea…I think we should get back over there so the others don’t get suspicious.” Clay started off, but was stopped by a strong hand on his shoulder. “I’m warning you right now Webb. If anything else happens to Harm or Mac, or any of his family, you’re not going to live to regret it. Do I make myself clear?” “Perfectly…” as A.J. started to walk off, he heard Clay say, “Like you said, he’s my friend too.” They retuned to the group and everyone was just as quiet. They sat there with grim faces as they waited to see what was going to happen. Finally, after about thirty minutes of uncomfortable silence, Frank finally addressed Trish’s fidgetiness. “Trish, why don’t you go in there and see Harm. I’m sure Mac needs some support.” It didn’t take much encouraging because she wanted nothing more than to be with her son. She got up and walked to the door leading towards his room, steeling herself for what she knew was about to come. She slowly pushed the door open. As she entered the darkened room, her heart shattered when she saw her son, lying there hurt. His skin was pale and the gash over his right eye stood out visibly, the bruising along the right side of his face all evidence that he had struck the steering wheel. His lip was puffy and a deep purple, a tiny gash splitting it down the middle. There were tiny cuts all over face and his chest rose and fell with the swoosh of the respirator. A trail of tears made their way down her face, as she looked at her son, so weak and vulnerable. She took note of the young woman sitting by his bedside. She quietly whispered, “Sarah?” Mac’s head came up from its resting place on the side of his bed, her hand tightly holding his. There were tears in her eyes as she looked up to greet her future mother-in-law. She tried desperately to lighten the mood, “I’ve heard of cold feet, but this ridiculous.” Trish gave her a watery smile and Mac couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. Trish immediately took her into her arms and Mac sobbed uncontrollably onto her shoulder. “You heard the doctor. He’s going to be fine. He just needs some time.” Mac pulled away, “I know, but it will destroy him if he can’t be in the Navy anymore. I’m so scared for him. What if he wakes up to a world of silence that he can’t ever escape? It’ll kill him. He won’t ever get to fly a plane again or be a lawyer. I don’t want him to have to go through that.” “I know, neither do I, but at least he has you there to help him out. Everything will work out. Frank’s right, we need to have faith. Besides, the doctor said he didn’t know the severity of his injury. He could wake up and hear just fine.” Mac nodded, “I hope you’re right.” She looked at Harm while she spoke, “You know, I was going to tell him tonight. It was going to be my wedding gift to him.” “It still can be Sarah.” “I know.” She sighed deeply, “Right now we just have to get through this. We can celebrate later.” They sat there for a while until Frank and Sergei came in. Frank walked over to Trish and offered her a comforting hand while Sergei stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. Mac took notice of this and motioned for him to come over next to the bed. “Get over here little brother.” He quietly obeyed. It was then that he caught sight of his brother. He didn’t know what to feel. Anger? Sorrow? Pity? Sympathy? No, he decided that pity would never be anything he felt for his brother. He gave Mac the best smile that he could, but it fell short of the reassuring effect he hoped it would have. She smiled back, able to sense his thoughts, “I know. You would never think he could lay still this long.” Everyone let out a small chuckle, eager to relieve some of the tension. A few moments passed and then Mac spoke. “Where are Bud and Harriet and the Admiral?” Frank replied, “The Admiral suggested that they go home. He and Mr. Webb left too.” “Webb was here?” Before he could reply, a nurse walked. “Good evening everyone. I need to check Mr. Rabb’s incision and visitor hours are over, so I need to ask you all to leave. I’m sorry, but ya’ll can come back in the morning.” They all nodded in compliance except for Mac, “I’m not leaving him the entire night. When he wakes up I’m going to be right here. Do I make myself clear Ensign?” she asked in her best Marine Colonel voice. “Yes, ma’am. I still need you to leave while I check his incision. When you come back I’ll get you a cot so you can stay in here. For now I need you all to leave.” She ushered them out the door quickly, but gently. Once outside, Trish turned to Mac, “If there’s any change you’ll call the hotel? I mean the minute he wakes up?” She nodded, “I’ll let you know the minute there’s any news. Now go to the hotel and get some sleep. We don’t want to scare Harm when he wakes up do we?” They all gave hugs and reassuring words. Mac walked them down to the lobby where they gave their final goodbyes and then she headed back up. As she stepped off the elevator, she saw the same nurse talking to two doctors. She immediately feared that something had happened so she rushed up to the group. “What’s wrong?” she asked frantically. “Nothing is wrong. In fact, he’s doing fairly well considering. He’s probably going to wake up in the next few hours and once he does we can see about taking him off the respirator.” Mac sighed in relief and the doctor continued on. “Now, this is Dr. Littleton. He’s a otolaryngologist.” Mac looked at him in confusion. “That’s just a very fancy term for ear, nose, and throat doctor. Now if the two of you will excuse me, I have some more patients to attend to and then I’ll come by and see if we can discontinue the respirator.” With that he left, leaving Dr. Littleton and Mac alone. “It’s nice to meet you Ms…” “Mackenzie. Sarah Mackenzie, I’m Harm’s fiancé…will he be able to hear when he wakes up?” “It’s too soon to tell. We have to wait for him to regain consciousness and then we’ll be able to better assess the situation.” “How severe do you think it will be?” “Once again, we have to wait for him to wake up to know how severe it will be…now I do have to warn you that if there will undoubtedly be some auditory damage. Did anyone explain to you the nature of his injury?” She shook her head, “The surgeon just said that his eardrums ruptured because of an explosion.” “Well, that’s not entirely correct. It wasn’t his eardrums that were injured. The ear is divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Each section performs its own separate function in a process that converts sound waves into nerve impulses, which are then transmitted to the brain. The inner ear has two parts. One is made of bone, the other of a membrane that lies inside the bone. Both have complicated shapes, and they are called labyrinths. Each labyrinth has three parts: vestibule, semicircular canals, and cochlea. There was a great deal of swelling in both of his ears so I wasn’t able to get a very clear view, but it was enough for me to know that his cochleas were damaged.” “How serious is that…I mean is it curable?” He hesitated a moment before proceeding gently. “It’s serious. In some cases there’s the option of having a cochlear implant, but that’s a very invasive procedure and it would be very evident that he had the implant.” “Buy it could help him hear?” “Now that depends on how much damage has been done. I think we should wait and see when he wakes up and then go over our options. Plus I understand that he’s going to have to have orthopedic surgery soon anyway.” “Yea…his leg was pretty messed up…” she paused and let some of the information sink in. Finally, the doctor put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him and said, “Thank you Dr. Littleton. I really appreciate you being so helpful.” “Sure thing…I’m going to make my other rounds and come back up around eight tomorrow morning. He should be awake by then and then we can talk.” She nodded her head and the doctor turned and walked down the hall. As she walked back into the room she realized what time it was. “Thirty-six hours flyboy. We were supposed to get married in thirty-six hours and twelve minutes.” A silent, bitter tear made it’s way down her face. She didn’t know how much more heartbreak she could endure in her life. There had already been too much as it was. These thoughts were going through her mind as she drifted into a restless sleep. 0645 Hours Harm’s Hospital Room A slight movement in her right hand awaked Mac. As her head popped up, she was his eyes begin to flutter. She ran out into the hall and yelled for a nurse. A few minutes later Harm’s eyes slowly, but surely, drifted open. Mac squeezed his hand tightly as he looked around in confusion. When he tried to talk, the tube going down his throat inhibited him. He moved his hand to touch it, but was stopped by Mac’s firmer one. She leaned over into his line of view and spoke. “No, no. Don’t touch it Harm the doctor will be here soon.” Tears sprang into her eyes as she watched his face flush over with fear and confusion. She knew right then what they had feared. Her beloved flyboy was deaf. =============================================================== He instantly knew something was wrong. As he tried to talk, he could feel the tube that had been put down his throat rendering him speechless for the time being. He also couldn’t hear Mac when she tried to talk. He looked up at her in confusion as he tried to decipher what she was saying. He shook his head slightly to indicate that he didn’t understand and he regretted it immediately because that action sent a dagger of pain through his head. ‘Where am I?’ ‘What’s going on?’ So many questions were running through his head. In a sudden flash, everything came back rushing back to him. He was on the way to JAG when he spotted the car coming up behind him. He knew instantly that it was Calvert. He was in danger and that was putting Mac in danger too. He had to get out of here. He had to get away so she could be safe. He started thrashing about violently, ripping the IV in his arm out. All the emotional pain was replaced by physical pain as the stitches in his incision gave way and he felt a searing pain travel up his leg and into his lower back. The pain was unbearable and he welcomed the blackness again. Once again, his last thoughts were of his Sarah, but not if he would ever see her again. But it was thoughts of her safety. =============================================================== As I watched those beautiful blue eyes open, relief washed over me like nothing has before. But then it was replaced with dread and anxiety. The ever-present question off whether or not he could hear was about to be answered and I can’t help but be a little more than scared that this will shatter him. I see his hand move to touch the respirator tube and I say ‘no,’ but he doesn’t respond so I move over to look him in the eye and that’s when I see it. The confusion, pain, realization, and fear that settles into his eyes. My heart breaks as hundreds of thought race through my mind, all of them starting with ‘I have to be strong for him no matter what.’ The enormity of what’s happened hits me all at once as I watch him come to understand what’s happened. A single tear treks it’s way down his face and I don’t even think he knows and that’s when I have my revelation. ‘My flyboy is deaf.’ I don’t even have time to think because he starts moving violently. Before I even have the chance to hold him down; I see the intense pain that washes over his face. I would give anything to take it away. It must be unbearable because he passed out as the doctor entered the room. The doctor turned and looked at me after checking Harm. “He tore some stitches and ripped part of the chest tube out. We are going to have to restrain him if that happens again. We don’t need any more setbacks with his condition.” I nod silently because I don’t think I could handle speaking at this moment. The one person that I love more than life itself will never be the same and it’s killing me inside. As the doctor leaves, I pick up his hand and squeeze it gently. “I love you Harm.” 0700 Hours Harm’s Hospital Room As Mac sat in the recliner next to Harm’s bed, she crossed a hand wearily over her eyes. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. “Oh my God Trish! I forgot to call Trish.” She reached for the phone to dial, but the door opening interrupted her. Dr. Littleton, Trish, Frank, and Sergei all walked in. None of them looked like they had had any sleep. Trish walked over to Mac and gave her a reassuring hug. “Dr. Littleton told us he woke up earlier this morning. Don’t worry Sarah. My Harmon is too stubborn to let this keep him down.” Everyone in the room laughed because they had all in one point in time seen the famous-Rabb-stubbornness. It truly was a force to be reckoned with. Finally Dr. Littleton spoke up, “From what I heard about this morning, when Harm woke up he wasn’t able to hear. Like I said there is no way to judge the severity right now, so when the respirator is removed and he’s a little more coherent, I’m gonna run some more tests and see what we’re dealing with. That’ll probably be in a couple of hours.” Mac nodded her head in understanding. “What do we do then? What do we do if it's severe?” He motioned towards Trish and Frank. “I’ve already talked with them about that possibility. Washington has one of the foremost institutes for the deaf. Gallaudet University offers many programs to help people adjust with deafness. Depending on the degree of damage, there is also the option of hearing aids. Then there’s American Sign Language. That will help him with communication. He will be able to function normally in society. Washington has a rather large deaf population and there are many opportunities out here for him." Everyone nodded their heads in understanding. They were all trying to digest the information that Dr.Littleton had just given them. Dr. Littleton patted Mac on the arm reassuringly. “I’ll have one of the nurses bring you some more information on some programs and hearing aids. I’ll also leave a message to be paged when he wakes up.” They all nodded and Dr. Littleton turned to leave. As he reached the door, he turned around and spoke, “This will only keep him down if he lets it.” 1100 Hours Harm’s Hospital Room The whole family had been sitting there since Dr.Littleton’s visit earlier when Trish finally decided they needed a break. “Frank, Segrei, Sarah, why don’t we go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat. We all need to keep our energy.” Mac looked up at her wearily, “I think I’ll just stay here in case he wakes up.” “You need to eat something darling. He’ll be upset that you haven’t been taking care of yourself. You can stay here, but I’m bringing you something back and you ARE going to eat. Do I make myself clear Colonel?” She smiled. ‘That sounded just like Harm. “Perfectly. I promise to eat whatever you bring back.” Frank and Trish got up to leave when Trish noticed Sergei still standing there. “Sergei, why don’t you come with us?” He looked up with a meek smile. “I think I will sit with Sarah. Will you please bring something back for me?” She gave him a knowing smile and patted his arm, “Sure thing. Come on Frank.” Once they were alone, Mac studied Sergei. She knew that he was taking this hard, but that he was trying to be strong for everyone else. ‘He acts so much like Harm.’ “You’re not used to seeing him like this and it scares you doesn’t it?” He looked her straight in the eye. “It terrifies me. He’s is so strong and it is unreal that this could happen.” Finally, after twenty-four hours, Sergei Zhukov broke down and cried, “I just found him and now it seems like he’s being ripped away from me.” Mac quickly pulled him into to her arms. They sat that way for a few moments until he finally pulled away and wiped away his tears. “He would make fun of me if he saw me crying.” “Sergei, it’s okay to cry. He’s done it too you know?” He was about to reply when he caught sight of movement coming from Harm’s bed. “I think he is waking up.” Mac quickly got up and grabbed the pen and paper that she had placed on the night table so that there wouldn’t be a repeat of last time while Sergei ran to get the doctor. She hurriedly wrote down instructions, ‘Don’t move. Everything is okay and the doctor is coming.’ He nodded carefully. Sergei came back in with the doctor. “Well…it seems that Mr. Rabb has decided to join us.” He checked all the monitors and turned to the nurse that had come in as well. “Jenny, I think we can remove the respirator now.” He held out his hand to ask for the pen and paper and Mac quickly complied. ‘On the count of three I want you to blow out hard and then take small, even breaths.’ He nodded again. He raised his hand and began to count on his fingers while speaking, “One…two…three.” The next sound heard was a mixture of coughing and agony as the movement brought pain to his chest. Mac instantly became worried and moved to his side, “Is he okay?” The doctor nodded, “He’s fine, but just to make him more comfortable, I’ll have one of the nurses bring him some more medication. Also,” he turned to Jenny, “could you page Dr. Littleton and tell him that his patient is awake. Harm looked up at Mac and whispered hoarsely, “What’s wrong with me?” She put a finger to his lips and shook her head. He nodded in understanding and then asked dejectedly, “Is it permanent?” Tears sprang into her eyes. Dr. Littleton hadn’t said it was permanent, but the undercurrent was there. They all understood that it was very likely that he would never regain his hearing and would most certainly not be in the Navy any longer. Her tears were the only answer he needed and he turned away from her, tears coming to his own eyes. “Goodbye Sarah.” She looked at him with confusion and picked up the pen and paper. ‘I’m not going anywhere. Your whole family is here and so are your friends. We will all get through this together.’ When he wouldn’t look at her, she cupped her hands to his cheeks and kissed him. ‘I love you. No matter what and you won’t push me away.’ She knew him too well. “I love you so much.” Her response was cut off as Dr. Littleton entered the room, followed by Sergei who had left to go and get Trish and Frank. Dr. Littleton pulled out a piece of paper he had already written. ‘We’re going to go and take some tests so we can know the damage.’ Harm nodded tiredly and Mac squeezed his hand. She gave him a tender kiss as he was wheeled out of the room. After Harm had left, she moved to Mac and wrapped her arms around her. She whispered sweetly as sobs began to rack Macs body, her heartache pouring out with each tear. “It will all be okay.” 1230 Hours Harm’s Hospital Room Everyone sat quietly as they waited for Dr. Littleton to return with the tests results, although they already knew what they were. Harm had been asleep when they brought him back into the room about thirty minutes ago. Every person in the room was preparing themselves for the heartache they knew was about to come. As Harm slowly stirred, he murmured, “Sarah?” She quickly picked up his hand and gave it a gently squeeze. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked around and spotted everyone that was in his room. His mom, Frank, Sergei, the Admiral, Bud and Harriet, and Keeter. Although he wasn’t sure what Keeter was doing there. He watched as the doctor walked in. He watched his mouth move and even though he couldn’t hear the words, the look on everyone’s face told him what the results were. He closed his eyes in resignation and let the tears fall. His world was coming down around him and he couldn’t even hear the words that had sealed his fate. “I’m sorry everyone, but the damage was too severe. There is no way to repair it. I’m sorry.” THE END………for now