Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG and characters do not belong to me. No money made
here.
Classification: Drama with all characters.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Harm faces consequences for some of his "loose cannon"
behaviors.
PART 6
Harm was surprised when he found that his visitor was Admiral A.J. Chegwidden. He had expected it to be Mac. He had not seen or spoken to his former CO since he was taken from JAG headquarters in handcuffs.
"Sir?" Harm eased into a chair across the table from where AJ sat.
"You've lost weight," came a flat response that didn't totally conceal a look of concern in the older man's eyes.
"Yes sir, and just think people pay thousands of dollars to go to spas to loose weight," Harm replied lightly trying to conceal his self-consciousness.
"Humph, I just wanted to come by and check on you. Colonel Mackenzie and Commander Turner are assisting with a court martial on the Roosevelt. Lt. Roberts is TAD to Norfolk, and Harriet has been on leave because AJ has the chickenpox," the Admiral explained a matter of factly.
"Oh, I wondered," Harm stopped before he revealed any of his thoughts. "I appreciate your coming by. I realize you have a busy schedule..." Harm babbled.
"My schedule hasn't been that busy." The Admiral cut him off leaving them both momentarily silent.
"Admiral, I'm sorry all of this has created some embarrassment for you, and I realize you believe I let you down and this reflects badly on JAG." Harm broke the uncomfortable silence avoiding any eye contact.
"You think I've avoided you because you embarrassed me? Damnit I wasn't embarrassed, I was mad as hell." AJ held the younger man's gaze.
Harm looked down and remained speechless expecting a tongue lashing from his former CO.
"Harm, I'm not sure if I asked the wrong question or you gave me the wrong answer to the question when I asked you before you signed that confession statement. Let me try again." The Admiral's tone demanded Harm's attention. "Did you Commander Rabb share any confidential information with Colonel Mackenzie in any form or fashion, direct or indirectly?"
"Does it really matter now?" Harm felt a twinge of anger rising in his gut.
"Dammit Harm answer my question!"
"No I didn't Sir. I believe I told you that the day the shit hit the fan...Sir," Harm spat back.
The Admiral looked down at his hands.
"But you believed I did and Bud and Sturgis probably did...do too."
"Ha," the Admiral's response was hard. "Never knew you to give up so easily Commander!"
"I'm not a Commander anymore, Sir," Harm's retorted in agitation.
"But I'm still an Admiral, Mister!" AJ stood up stiffly.
"Excuse my disrespect Sir." Harm found himself standing at attention.
The Admiral looked at his former senior officer dressed in the orange of the prisoner's attire. He looked tired and as he had noted earlier much lighter in weight. His voice softened and sounded anguished, "Why then Harm?"
"I have my reasons, Sir," Harm swallowed and looked at the wall behind his CO.
"You really were afraid this would screw up Mac's career," the Admiral probed watching a slight flicker in Harm's otherwise impassive face. "You love her don't you?" he chuckled humorlessly.
Harm squirmed, "There's no need to drag Mac into this."
"Mac is already in this mess and will be until your ass is out of it. I thought she proved that when she went to Russia with you. And you! You'd drown in a cold ocean and go to prison for her. When in the hell are you going to get up the courage to tell her you love her!"
Harm slumped back into his chair, "I've tried. I just can't seem to do the right thing or say the right thing at the right time." He rubbed his face tiredly. "It doesn't really matter now because even if I get out of this situation, I would just screw up her life as badly as I've managed my own."
"Self pity doesn't become you Commander." AJ received a sour look from Harm. "Lt. Commander. Let's just work on getting you out of this situation and then you will work on yours and Mac's relationship and that is not a suggestion but an order!"
Harm moved his hands from his eyes to his chin and smiled half- heartedly. "So you want to get on this sinking ship too?"
AJ smiled, "Remember I started out as a Seal. A little water never scared me."
********
AJ knocked at the door of Dr. Henry Jacobs looking around at the plush surroundings. Dr. Jacobs was a successful vascular surgeon who raised his only son alone after his wife died when John had been born. Between the demands of his career and the absence of John's mother, Dr. Jacobs tried to compensate for his lack of time by giving John things. John's drug problem started in high school when the young man was in the throws of rebelling against his father in a desperate attempt to get his attention. Dr. Jacobs had tried to initiate strict rules to control John's behavior but was too late to make a difference. When his best friend Tim Jeffers died, John appeared to have awakened to the consequences of his actions, and allowed his father to help. It was the first time John ever felt that his father cared more for him than his career.
A maid dressed in a dark uniform answered the door and directed the Naval officer to the study. AJ noticed the many pictures on the bookshelves of John Jacobs in various sporting uniforms with his father. A picture of John in dress Naval whites was the center most predominant picture. He had been a handsome boy with a wide engaging smile. "John was quite the athlete. There wasn't a sport he didn't try at least once. He loved the Navy." Henry Jacobs' voice drew AJ away from the bookshelf.
"It looks that way. Admiral AJ Chegwidden, please accept my condolences Dr. Jacobs. I have a daughter about that age and I can't imagine what you must be going through." AJ extended his hand. Dr Jacobs reluctantly shook his hand and gestured to the leather chairs.
"Have a seat Admiral. What is on your mind?" Jacobs walked over to the bar, poured himself a drink, and offered one to the Admiral who declined.
"I understand that you originated the complaint with the Secretary of the Navy against the JAG officer who represented your son." AJ began carefully.
"I've known the Secretary for nearly twenty years both professionally and as a friend."
"Yes, I understand you performed heart surgery on his wife. He believes you were responsible for saving her life." AJ smiled tightly as he remembered the SecNav's conversation about the whole incident.
"You don't have to like the fact that I used my connections. I had to insure that the death of my son did not go unpunished." Jacobs took a large drink. "But from what I've been told you found the evidence that put Rabb away and for that I owe you a debt of gratitude." He held up his drink in a toast.
"Dr. Jacobs the evidence was circumstantial at best, and I don't believe the truth was revealed. The pressure to expedite the proceedings didn't allow us to thoroughly investigate."
Jacobs leaned towards the taller man and growled, "If that man would have been doing his job the way he was supposed to, my son would be alive!"
"Dr. Jacobs up until the last morning of court, you and your son voiced no complaints about the defense Commander Rabb had been giving the Lieutenant. Colonel Mackenzie was just doing her job. Her own investigation led her to suspect your son had a previous drug problem that he relapsed."
"John didn't have a drug problem!"
"You and I both know that was not true."
"His drug screen came back negative!"
"He had the results fixed."
"That's not true, there was no proof just Rabb's word. You're just trying to find an excuse to get that sonofabitch off. My son was afraid and confided in his attorney about his problem in high school and it was used against him to make him look like some sort of druggie!"
"Your son broke the rules by using illegal drugs on an aircraft carrier. There is no room for drug impaired sailors on a busy carrier. It could put people's lives at risk and you know that."
"My son knew that! He would never have endangered anyone's life. He will never have the opportunity to prove himself because of what your man did. As professionals, we are bound by a code of ethics to protect those in our care! What he did was unforgivable!" Jacobs replied coldly.
"I'm just trying to get to the truth. A good officer and an honorable man is in prison and his career ended because of the lies of this case. The first lie was that Lt. Jacobs was not using drugs. He was and he tried to hide it just like it was hidden before when he was in high school. Where were the professional ethics when the records were altered?" AJ immediately regretted his accusation.
AJ caught the pain in the man's eyes as he yelled, "You're trying to make this my fault! Get out!"
"I don't think pointing fingers will determine fault or bring back your son. I believe you know the truth and it hurts so much that you want to do whatever it takes to try to make the hurt go away. That's what John did ...made the hurt go away." AJ paused as he observed the fury of the man fade into agony.
"Does making Commander Rabb the villain ease your pain?" AJ continued more gently. "You and I both know that those drugs and anyone who makes them available were the true villains. I promise you this Dr. Jacobs...we are doing the best that we can to find the dealer and stop the source. I just wanted to let you know I'm reopening the case and information you may not want shared will come to light whether you are friends with the Secretary of the Navy or the President himself." AJ left with that remark.
Jacobs walked over to the picture of his son in naval uniform and picked it up. "Why did you use those damn drugs John, you saw what they did to Tim. And now they've taken you too," he wept.
**********
Mac and Sturgis were prosecuting one of the LSO's a Lt.Temple on the Roosevelt on charges of negligence and dereliction of duty. He allegedly failed to follow up with a deck problem before the helo landed which was a major factor in contributing to the crash.
Two of the landing crew had testified that the officer wasn't focused and blew off reports of problems. When approached again about the problem, Lt. Temple lost his temper and threw a wrench at one of the crewmembers. Fortunately, no serious injuries resulted from the crash, but the helo sustained enough damage that it was not salvageable.
"Good cross this morning Colonel," Sturgis commented to Mac who was lead council as they exited the courtroom after the first full day of the trial against Lt. Temple. "You had him rattled."
"Sturgis see if you can get Temple's medical records. The way his behavior was described I wonder if something physical is going on."
"Will do, anything else?"
"A time machine, so I can hurry this trial along and get back home." Mac replied forlornly.
"You worried about Harm?"
"Now why would you ask that? He's stuck in a prison cell for a crime he didn't commit and it's my fault."
"Maybe we should have gone to trial."
"Yes we should because as it is Harm ended up getting the raw deal."
"If he hadn't stepped forward, you would have and you would be the one in jail."
"How did he know I was going to make a deal?"
"I informed Bud and him."
"Sturgis! Why did you do that? I thought Harm was your friend. I thought you were my friend! You used his feelings and his overdeveloped since of protectiveness against him!"
"Mac I did nothing ethically or legally wrong and my job was to keep you from making the exact mistake that Harm made. Besides, I wasn't one hundred percent sure that Harm wasn't planning on telling you. He wasn't too happy with his client."
"Well, Harm may have shot a gun off in the court room to prove a point, but he would not underhandedly break the rules. He would do it up front. I know because he's been in a similar predicament with a friend."
"As much as you think I may have acted to hurt Harm, I was only doing my job."
"And you do it damn well Commander. Maybe that's the difference between the two of you. You do your job and Harm lived his." The sound of the catapult launching an F-14 disturbed interrupted them. "Harm loves to fly because he's free in an endless sky. Now he's locked away. You did a damn fine job Commander!"
"Mac, Harm needed to know. Not only as your council but as his friend I needed to tell him."
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