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 5
"We are good together. "Mac bit back tears as she watched Harm struggle to breathe. "Harm don't give up on me now. We have to talk. I have to tell you that the reason Mic didn't marry me was because he knew that I love you. Please Harm please try a little harder. I can't go on without you."
Harm gave her a small smile; "All those beautiful gowns... so beautiful Sarah... stepping out of my shower wrapped in a towel.. it would be a good time to make love." His eyes glazed, and he smiled seeing her in his fantasy.
"Your hallucinations?" Mac took the cloth and wiped his dry lips. He didn't seem to hear her and continued to ramble on deliriously.
"Renee knew... I called her Mac." He admitted as Mac held his face next to hers. "I love you Mac... I need to go away." He whispered as his eyes began to dim and his respirations became slower and slower.
"Harm, no you can't leave me... Please God... please don't take him away. I need him." She held him and cried not aware of the stranger who drew near.
"Why are you crying?" The deep male voice asked. Mac was so wrapped up in her grief that she wasn't afraid.
"He's dying , and I can't help him." She wept.
"You would give your life for his." The man tone was more of a statement than a question.
Mac nodded and continued to stroke Harms face wiping away the moisture of her tears that fell over him.
"And he would do the same for you."
"Yes he would. He never could tell me he loved me till now. Why now?" Her heart broke and she cried inconsolably.
" No greater love is there than when one lays down his life for another." The gentle voice penetrated her grief.
Mac sniffed and wiped away her tears to try see the stranger who was talking with her. It was dark and she could only make out his long robe. Perhaps he was one of the shepherds.
"Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter. Tonight is a night of miracles. Your shepherds were on a journey to see the greatest of all miracles. You and your friend did not want them hurt. You would have given up your lives for these simple people."
"Harm was afraid the men who were following us would hurt them. Please help me. He's dying. I can't live without him." Mac pleaded as she tried to look into the face of the stranger.
The stranger smiled and pointed to the distant sky filled with light and loud glorious music. "The world's miracle has arrived. Whenever you do something for the least of his people, you do it for Him." The stranger continued, " Now you have reached a crossroads in your life. You must decide which path to take. I can't help you make that choice." He then walked away into the dark.
"Wait! Please help us." Mac yelled into the darkness. With trembling hands she pulled Harm close and closed her eyes falling into an exhausted sleep.
*****
"They're alive!" Gunny Galindez called out upon reaching the pair. A frenzy of activity soon followed as Harm and Mac were quickly transported to Beth Israel Hospital in Tel Aviv.
Mac was the first to awaken feeling disoriented. "Where's Harm?" She started to get out of the hospital bed.
"Hold on Ma'am. The Commander is fine. He just got out of surgery so it will be a while before you can see him." Gunny Galindez's familiar voice was immediately calming to Mac.
"Gunny, where are we?" Mac lay back against the cool clean white pillow and tried to clear the fog in her mind.
"You're in Tel Aviv. I was with the search and rescue team that found you. You were lucky to have survived that crash."
"Harm's not dead?"
"Ma'am, the doctor has just assured me that he will be fine. I need to call Admiral Chegwidden. Everyone at JAG's been really worried. Now get some rest and as soon as the Commander is settled I will personally take you to see him."
Mac allowed herself to close her eyes and rest. 'Harm's alive.'
A few hours later she allowed Gunny to wheel her into Harm's room. They had removed her IV, and she was giving the nurses fits about going to see Harm. Gunny was the only one who could get any cooperation out of her. (It's a Marine thing.)
Harm was awake when she entered the room. Mac disobeyed doctor's instructions, got up, walked over to his bed, and kissed him on the forehead. "You had me so worried." Her voice broke in an usual display of emotion in front of the nurse and Gunny.
"We were lucky you were able to find us." Harm said to Gunny while weaving his fingers through Mac's to hold her hand.
"The pilot managed to get a distress signal out when the helo was hit, and the locator signal brought us right to the crash site." Gunny explained.
Harm and Mac both gave him a bewildered look. "The crash site?" Harm echoed.
"Yes Sir, it was a miracle all of you survived."
"But the pilot and copilot were killed." Harm said.
"No sir, the pilot is in ICU, but they expect to move him to a regular room tomorrow, and the co pilot is out of surgery and is stable."
"But we weren't near the crash site. We walked for miles." Mac sounded confused by what she was hearing.
The doctor walked in about that time, "Colonel Mackenzie, there was no way Commander Rabb walked anywhere. He has a compound fracture of the tibia plateau. In addition, you had a rather nasty concussion."
"Ma'am, you and the Commander were still strapped into your safety harnesses when we picked you up." Gunny explained.
"What is today?" Mac asked trying to figure out her conflicting memories.
"Christmas Eve. We found you about six hours after you were shot down. Luckily, you and the Commander sent the evidence ahead from the Mossad agents about the F-14 crash. Hussein lied about the deaths of those children. The tomcat hit a deserted warehouse. The pictures of all those casualties were from a plant explosion that occurred earlier this year. That certainly cooled things down, now everyone is talking peace. I guess that is why they attacked the helo. They thought you were bringing back evidence. I still am amazed that they didn't get to you before we did. Someone must have been looking out for you guys." Gunny smiled.
Mac looked over at Harm who looked every bit as surprised as she. "I don't remember any of that." She mumbled.
"Colonel, after head trauma temporary memory loss is not all that uncommon." The doctor explained. "I planned on releasing you tomorrow, but the Commander won't be ready to be transported for a few more days. I think that you could stand the extra days, and I'll discharge you the day after Christmas." He picked up a chart and scribbled on it before leaving.
"Sir, Ma'am. I know how hospital food can be. I have a friend who owns a restaurant that I can smuggle you up a nice Christmas dinner tomorrow. Do you want the traditional turkey, stuffing or something cultural?" Gunny offered.
"Actually the Commander owes me dinner, but since he is incapacitated, I'll take you up on the offer." Mac gave Harm a wink.
"As long as it's not goat. The Colonel doesn't eat goat." Harm said emphatically.
"Oh really Colonel. I figured there wasn't a four footed creature around that you wouldn't eat." Gunny laughed.
Mac squeezed Harm's hand. "There are a few things I won't eat, but just make sure the Commander doesn't get brussels sprouts, and we'll be just fine."
Gunny looked back and forth between the two officers and shrugged.
"Gunny, there were no Bedouins or shepherds around the crash site?" Harm asked.
"No Sir." Gunny answered.
"Did you get our things from the helo?" Mac asked.
"Yes ma'am, and I personally gathered them at the crash site and placed them in your lockers here." Gunny smiled proudly.
"Tiner sent you some peanut butter fudge." Harm said and rubbed his head still trying to figure out his dream.
"Yes, and Lt. Singer sent you some toasted pecans." Mac added.
"There is a bottle of bourbon for you too." Harm said slowly.
Gunny wrinkled his brow. "Sir, I personally stowed away all your personal belongings and none of those items were with your things or the Colonel's."
"Maybe someone took them before you arrived?" Mac said incredulously.
"I don't know why they would have taken those items and left the gifts the pilots were carrying? Homemade cookies, a bottle of scotch, some fruit."
Harm and Mac looked to each other. "Are you sure it's Christmas Eve?" Harm asked.
"Maybe you need to get your rest Sir. Colonel, can I escort you back to your room?" Gunny looked worriedly at the two officers.
"No thank you. I'm going to stay with the Commander a little longer." Mac replied and watched Gunny leave.
"Harm, it really happened right? The shepherds."
"The snake in the cave."
"You hallucinated about me in a towel stepping out of your shower."
"Remember you have a head injury."
"What's your excuse?" Mac began to grin, "You called Renee Mac."
"That's not fair I didn't get to see your tattoo. Besides, I already had a memory problem from the last crash."
Mac leaned over and placed a kiss on Harm's lips that would have made the Corp proud. "That will have to do for now. Do you think you can remember that?" She said huskily.
"Maybe, but I think that I could use another one of those if I have to wait to see the tattoo. After all I had more than one hallucination" He pulled her back to him and kissed her until she heard bells ringing.
"That was quite a kiss there sailor. You made me hear bells although they came from the temple downtown. Maybe someone is trying to tell us something."
"I believe someone already did. Speaking of bells, I guess we need to decide on our new favorite Christmas carol, Sarah." He leaned back into his pillow listening to the bells chime out.
"Something about the shepherds."
"Most definitely and it's time to start a new relationship between us." He started humming a beautiful old carol as he slipped his arms around her and kissed her again. So wrapped up in the moment, neither noticed the soft knock on the door or the man with a wiry grin that quietly backed away from the doorway.
Santa's elf dressed in Marine green was heard to proclaim as he strolled down the hospital hall. "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night… and I can't wait to tell Lt. Sims and Tiner what I just saw! This truly is a season of miracles."
The end
'The first Nowell the angel did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep,
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.'
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