Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG and characters do not belong to me. This is only for
entertainment.
Classification: PG 13
Category: H/M drama
Summary: Harm and Mac's Christmas becomes a challenge to survive when
an assignment to the Middle East turns threatening. This happens during
season 7.
Written 12/01
PART 2
"The Hebrew word for "desert" is midbaar. It's from the word dahbaar, meaning 'to speak'...the desert is the place where God speaks, where He communicates some of His most important messages to us." Charles Swindoll.
The Marine helo flew over the semiarid Syrian desert and approached the mountains to the west. The area was often plagued by dust storms and sand storms. For now the weather was cold with snow or sleet periodically hitting around Damascus. The change to the cold damp climate brought an involuntary shiver from Harm that did not go unnoticed by his partner.
"It turned cold rather quickly." She commented as she continued to watch her partner who had been lost in thought for the past ten minutes or so.
"What? Yea." He zipped up his leather flight jacket and tucked his hands deep into the pockets.
"I don't think I will ever get used to the cold weather." She continued to make small talk trying to draw out her brooding friend.
"I'm not to keen on cold anymore either." He answered.
The anymore caught her attention. "Bad memories?"
Harm shrugged it off with a quick smile. "I'm fine." However, she knew his moods better than he did, but decided he didn't want to talk about that long night in the cold Atlantic. The loud chopping sound of the helicopter blades made discussion difficult anyway. That subject was one that he hadn't talked with anyone about to her knowledge. She had hoped that they would have some time to talk on this trip, but their busy schedule prohibited any personal conversation. Memories of the Guatalcanal and how he tried to talk with her, but she had shut him out crossed her mind. Now it was his turn to pull away. One day they would get it together...one day.
They continued over the mountainous terrain when the first missile from the ground fire zipped past. The helicopter banked sharply, but was struck by a second that just barely hit the cockpit. Everything went to hell as the craft spun crazily around as it headed downward. Harm tried to reach for Mac, but the spiraling movement of the helo only threw him back into his seat. "Harmmmm!"
He could hear her scream. He cursed his helpless state and then the tremendous jolt of the craft crashing into the side of the mountain brought a sudden halt to the uncontrolled descent.
Harm knew he must have blacked out because he jerked himself awake to meet a sharp pain in his chest and knee. Shaking the fog away he worked to focus and assess his surroundings. Mac! Oh my god! He struggled to release his seat harness and moved closer. "Mac? Mac talk to me." He stroked her face and arm.
He felt a pulse and felt somewhat less panicked.
"Oh..." She moaned and blinked her eyes. "Harm are you all right?"
"Yea, we need to get out of here. I smell fuel. This thing could blow any moment. Can you walk?" His hands moved down her arms and legs checking for any injuries.
"Yea, what about the pilots?" She said more strongly.
"I'm going to check on them, but you move." Harm ordered and crawled towards what remained of the cockpit.
He reached up and found no sign of life from either of the flight crew. "Damn."
The radio was not working so he backed out to find Mac gathering items and stuffing them into their flight bags. " The pilots are dead. Mac we need to move now!" He insisted when he saw sparks flying.
"Okay." She grabbed both of the bags and together they pushed the hatch open.
Harm tumbled out behind Mac as she threw the bags out ahead. A sudden fire ignited sending flames up and out. Harm was struggling to get up so she grabbed his jacket and pulled his arm around her shoulder and half dragged him away from the flaming body of twisted metal. The explosion threw them face down and Harm quickly pulled Mac close and wrapped his body around hers as another larger explosion occurred sending pieces of metal projectiles all around.
When the fireworks ceased Mac crawled back to retrieve their gear and joined Harm who was catching his breath against a large boulder. His smudged face was dripping in sweat and creased with lines of pain. "Harm, you're hurt." She looked worriedly over him.
"Maybe a little." He admitted as his ribs were wreaking havoc. "I must have cracked a few ribs, and I twisted my knee. But all things considered, I feel pretty lucky right now." He smiled weakly.
Mac looked around their surroundings. "Those guerillas are out here somewhere. We need to move. Can you walk?"
"Get me a stick or something to use and a six minute lead and I'll beat you to the finish line." He chuckled and winced in pain.
"I know it only hurts when you laugh." Mac said softly appreciating his attempts to lighten up the situation.
"What about you? It took you a moment to regain consciousness after the crash?"
His big blue eyes were filled with concern as his hand reached up and touched her face.
"I just have the queen of all headaches and a little nausea, but other than that I'll survive."
"If you get dizzy let me know and you can lean on me." He smiled gently and added. "While I lean on you."
"Deal." She smiled and helped him to stand.
"Okay Marine, I'll navigate, and you can be in charge." He said as the gimpy looking pair made their way through the rocky landscape.
"I can't believe you are actually letting me be in charge."
"The Navy always knows when to hand off to the Marines."
"Harm are you sure you didn't bang your head when we crashed."
"Now why would you say that?"
"I must be hallucinating then."
"I hallucinated once after I fell out of the Admiral's chair."
"You did? What did you see?"
"It was classified."
"It was about Renee."
"Nooo, it was definitely not Renee."
"We have at least a hundred miles of mountains and desert to cross. I bet I can get it out of you before we reach the nearest village."
"You want to make a bet?"
"If I win you buy Christmas dinner."
"If you win you probably won't want to have dinner with me."
"Ohhh so this alleged hallucination had something to do with me?"
"I didn't say that."
"It's what you didn't say Harm."
"I'm good at not saying things."
"You have something to say Sailor?"
"My knee hurts."
"You changed the subject."
"I told you I was good."
"Be prepared, I can eat a lot of turkey and stuffing."
"How about goat?"
"You mean sweet little kid goats?" Mac cringed.
"You're the meat eater remember."
"Well I do have my limits."
"Now I've just learned something new about you."
"There are lots of things you don't know about me."
"Okay lets try this. You share something about yourself that I don't already know, and I'll do the same." Harm bit back a gasp of sharp pain that traveled down from his knee to his foot when he put too much weight on his leg.
"Okay, it's your time. You found out I don't eat goat." Mac knew he was trying to cover up his discomfort and pulled tighter to the hold she had around his waist as she responded to his question.
"I don't like brussels sprouts."
"This is going to be a long trip."
"My knee hurts."
"I despise, black jelly beans."
"See this helps pass the time."
*****
After walking for over an hour Harm pulled away from Mac and slid to the ground, "Sorry but this sailor needs a break."
Mac slid down beside him and began to dig into one of the bags they brought and pulled out a water bottle and the toasted pecans Singer had sent for Gunny.
"Take a sip. We don't have much water, but we do have a bottle of aged bourbon, toasted pecans and peanut butter fudge." She took a sip and passed the bottle to Harm.
He opened the pecans and tried a couple. "My compliments to Singer. Don't you want some?"
"I'm still a little queasy." She said with her eyes closed against the persistent headache.
"It's going to be dark and colder soon." Harm carefully stretched his painful extremity and closed his eyes.
"Remember the night we spent together in the woods after those psychotic poachers tried to kill us." Her eyes still shut but a smile formed on her lips.
"Yea, only this time we have fanatics and two dead Marines." He added morosely. "Somebody's son, brother, father died right at Christmas time."
Mac opened her eyes to see the pained look on his face. Her hand reached over and picked his up. "We get so comfortable in our safe little world and don't realize what it takes to make the world safe."
"I hope this sudden surge of patriotism and new found respect for the people who serve in the military doesn't loose its appeal as this war continues." He said sorrowfully and rubbed his thigh.
"We don't ever need to loose those things even after this war." Mac caressed his hand between hers feeling him squeeze hers and hold it before releasing it.
"You know that my favorite animal at the zoo was always the giraffe." He suddenly changed the subject in typical Rabb fashion.
"I'm just guessing that it was one of the few animals taller than you." Mac chuckled as she tried to imagine Harm as kid a head taller than the rest of his class.
"I wasn't always the tallest kid in the class. Lou Anne Pendergrass towered over every kid in my class until the guys hit puberty."
"And you were in love with Miss Pendergrass?"
"No. She was mean, and I wasn't allowed to hit girls."
"If I would have been around, I would have decked her for you." Mac said with mock seriousness.
"Thanks, I knew I could count on you." Harm replied rather sarcastically. "Now you've changed the subject. What is you favorite animal besides Jingo the wonder dog."
Mac shot him a warning look and responded, "Don't talk about my dog. I liked the tigers."
"Ohhhh I should have guessed that one. I can see that. You can identify with them right?"
"Was that a compliment?" She watched an evil grin flit across his face.
"I think it's time to be on our way." He added innocently.
"Your mind was in the gutter!"
"My mind is safely tucked between by two ears."
"And where was it when you were hallucinating about me?"
"How about lets sing Christmas carols? On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." He started as they stood and began to make their way across the rocky desert terrain.
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