Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: Don't own JAG or characters. This is for entertainment
only. Quotes are from "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
Classification: Drama Harm but other characters are present
Rating: PG
Summary: Harm finds himself the target of an old enemy. Once again
Harm is the pawn and placed in an uncontrollable situation. I hope
you will find compassion in the characters I use later on. This
occurs during season 6. Mic is still around.
A special thanks to Barb and Carolyn for beta reading!
PART 9
Clayton received the copy of the 911 call from the night Harm's apartment caught on fire. He stuck it into the player of his car and listened to the caller. This could be what they were looking for. He drove to the agency lab and had them pull a voice file and compare it to the 911 call on a voice analyzer. That was it. He climbed back into his car and headed to JAG headquarters.
************
"Got good news for you Harm." Anthony leaned within inches of his face. "You, and the other zombie over there, got bumped up to level 2. You get to go outside today."
Harm was able to move more purposefully, but still moved slowly and felt numb. "Go... to... hell."
"Feeling better I see. You got to watch it or you'll get bumped back to level one and have to sit in this god forsaken day room forever." Anthony enjoyed tormenting Harm more than any other patient.
Nate walked up to Anthony, "Beware of God's wrath! Vengeance is mine saith the Lord!" He retreated singing 'Onward Christain Soldiers.'
Anthony just shook his head; "You're a real nut."
************
Anthony led Harm to the outside courtyard, where he sat alone at a concrete table with benches. Harm knew he was outside and could hear the birds and the breeze that blew gently through a large tree that shaded where he sat. He thought he remembered seeing his mother and Frank, but his mind was still so cloudy he wasn't sure that he had just had another dream. He leaned over and put his head on his arms and listened to the soft sounds of the outside.
He was suddenly jerked back to face Collier; the Marine Harm had prosecuted. "I've been waiting patiently for you Commander."
Harm tried to pull away, but his lack of coordination and slowed response rendered him helpless.
Collier looked at Harm's glazed eyes and laughed, "This will be easier than I thought. You should not have said all those lies about me in court. That sailor deserved what he got. He worked for the communists. You work with them too. You're planned on sending me here." Collier's eyes looked wild.
He grabbed Harm up and shoved him roughly on the ground and kicked him in the ribs. Harm curled up in pain. "You and your friends told the government that I was selling top secrets. Why did you lie about me?" Collier was breathing heavily and picked up a limb that had fallen and struck Harm across his left arm. Harm heard the crack, as he began to loose consciousness. Harm looked up to see Collier, holding the limb above him, preparing to come down towards his head. Harm curled tighter and closed his eyes in anticipation of the next blow.
************
Webb burst into the Admiral's office, where Bud and Mac sat reviewing upcoming cases with the Admiral. "You need to see this!"
The Admiral started to verbally reprimand the CIA agent for abruptly entering his office, when Mac jumped up, "Admiral this is important."
"Better damn well be."
"I got the voice tape of the 911 call that reported the fire at Harm's apartment and matched it with the voice file we have on Clark Palmer. It was a match. If he was in Leavenworth, how did he know to call the Fire department in DC?" Clayton explained excitedly.
"You're saying that Palmer was in town and knew about the fire." The Admiral looked surprised.
"He must have been in close proximity. Close enough to have placed drugs in Harm's water or wine. The fire was an accidental consequence. He didn't plan to kill Harm." Bud added.
"He would rather see Harm suffer...lose his career...embarrass him...hurt the people Harm cares about." Mac said softly.
"We need to get Harm out of there." Clayton glanced at the Admiral, who looked relieved.
"I'll call the judge that signed the commitment papers." The Admiral picked up the phone.
"I'll go call Trish," Mac smiled and headed towards her office.
***********
Instead of another blow from the limb, Harm felt a body drop, flaccidly, next to his. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Collier lying motionless next to him. His eyes were open and his neck was twisted in a peculiar way. Harm tried to push himself up, but fell back in pain. The last thing he remembered seeing was Charles standing over him.
Charles bent down and gently picked up Harm, as if he was a small child, and carried him into the building. One of the nurses saw Charles approach and screamed, bringing other staff running. Anthony ran up and tried to approach, but quickly backed away when Charles growled at him. Dr. Deglin appeared and tried to talk with Charles and received the same treatment as Anthony.
One of the security guards appeared, "We found a patient dead, from South building, named Collier. Looks like his neck is broken." The guard reported to Deglin.
"What are we going to do?" A nurse looked worriedly at Deglin. "Get all the attendants together. You stay close." He directed the security guard. "Did someone call an ambulance?"
Maggie arrived as Deglin began to organize ten of the attendants. "You will frighten him. Let me try to talk with him." She pleaded. Before he could object, Maggie approached slowly. "Charles, let's take Harm somewhere where it's quiet. I know your trying to protect him, so follow me so we can keep him safe." Her voice was calm. Charles didn't make any threatening sounds, so she eased even closer, until she stood next to him. "Come with me Charles."
Charles followed Maggie as she walked towards a conference room nearby. Maggie gestured for Deglin to stay away. When they entered the room, Maggie turned and continued to give clear simple directions, "Charles lay him on the table, so I can see how to help him." She patted the top of the table, and Charles gently lay Harm down.
Maggie cautiously stepped closer to Harm and was relieved to see that he was still breathing. She winced at the bruising on his arm and determined it was broken. Afraid that she would aggravate Charles if she continued to touch Harm, she stopped and stepped away. "Charles, Harm needs to go to the hospital in an ambulance, so they can help him, okay?"
Maggie saw Deglin standing at the door signaling that help had arrived. "Charles, the men that drive the ambulance are here. They are going to come in and put him on a stretcher and take him to the hospital. You need to let them help Harm." She continued to reinforce the message that Harm needed help. He stood silently as two EMT's cautiously entered the room and carefully transferred Harm to the stretcher. "We can follow them and watch them put him in the ambulance." Maggie reached over and took Charles' arm and led him behind the stretcher to the waiting ambulance. As soon as ambulance drove away, Charles sat down on a nearby bench and resumed his catatonic posture.
************
The Admiral had called Deglin to let him know they were coming to get Harm. Instead the Admiral just listened, as the speaker on the other end of the line seemed to be doing all of the talking. The Admiral's face clouded in anger; "You have some explaining to do Mister! I can assure you that there will be a thorough investigation." He put the receiver down and looked at Bud, Clay and Mac, who waited anticipating the news he was told.
"Looks like we don't have to go get Harm. They just sent him to the hospital. It seems he was attacked by another patient."
***********
As Harm began to wake up, he was immediately surrounded by his parents, the Admiral, Mac, Bud and Clay. The drugs that he had received, along with the effects of the anesthesia and pain medication, had him disoriented.
His clouded mind finally perceived who stood next to his bed, "I didn't do this." He mumbled and returned to sleep.
Everyone looked at each other, "I guess the last time he woke up in a hospital, he was accused of trying to kill himself." Clay said a little sarcastically.
The Admiral looked a little shame-faced, as did the others who stood around the bed.
"By the way, I found out how Palmer pulled it off." Clay added, "But I think I'll wait till Rabb wakes up and tell him." Clay looked down at his sleeping friend, "See ya later, when you're up to talking." He left the room like the cat who swallowed a canary.
"I guess we deserved that." Bud said humbly.
"I'm still going to insist that Harm come home with us as soon as he's able to travel." Trish stroked her son's hair.
"He's going to need to stay somewhere, until he gets a new place. He can stay at my place." The Admiral offered.
Mac and Bud shared a 'you've got to be kidding look'. "He can stay with me." Mac countered, a little to quickly.
The eyebrows all shot up. "Well...I live closer to the office." She stammered.
***********
Mac drove the car through the gates of the VA Psychiatric Facility. Harm, still wearing a sling to support his casted arm, carefully exited the car with Mac's help.
"Are you sure you're up to this?" She looked with concern and reached up to stroke his cheek.
"There are some people I need to thank." Harm smiled and placed his arm around Mac and led her to the building. They stopped at a counter and signed in.
Harm went straight to the elevators and pressed the button. When the doors opened, Maggie stood waiting. She smiled that smile that lit up her face and gently hugged Harm. She wiped away tears and laughed, "Someone once accused me of getting too close to my patients. I guess that was the only thing he got right. Deglin and Anthony are gone... You look good Harm."
"Thanks Maggie. This is Sarah Mackenzie." Mac extended her hand, and Maggie squeezed it warmly.
"I've heard so much about you." Mac smiled realizing she was everything Harm had said she was. Maggie reached for the large ring of keys in her pocket and quickly picked out the correct one to open the door. "How do you know which one opens this door." Harm asked.
"It's got the number one on it. All the other keys are numbered according to the rooms." Maggie thought the question a little odd until she remembered being told how Harm tried to escape, but couldn't find the right key. She turned to him with a knowing smile, and he just shrugged.
"You never know when that information may come in handy." He smiled back while Mac looked bewildered.
"Oh, by the way, Jerrod got to go home with his sister yesterday. He is doing great! Mike and Josh are living in a half-way house, but Nate and Charles are still here." Maggie pushed the door open.
This time the unit didn't seem so cold and frightening. The odd behaviors were not threatening. Harm was almost attacked by a short little man, who chattered excitedly about all the angels arriving, and Satan being cast into the fiery pit. Mac looked dubiously at Harm, who seemed to ignore the words but understand the meaning. "Palmer's locked away." Nate starting singing, "Amazing Grace" and walked happily away.
"He's not getting better." Harm said sadly to Maggie.
"We're going to move him to the chronic unit. He can't tolerate the world, so he will remain here where he feels safe." Maggie responded.
Harm placed his hand at Mac's back and walked to the day room. In the corner sat the largest man Mac had ever seen. Harm walked over and sat across from him and gestured for Mac to sit next to him. "Charles, this is Sarah. She's very special." Charles didn't bat an eye or move a muscle.
Mac spoke hesitantly, "Hi Charles, I want to thank you for looking after Harm for me. That's usually my job, but I didn't do such a good job this time." Charles continued to sit motionless.
Harm reached into a bag he brought with him and pulled out a can of soda and a book. Harm opened the can and placed it into Charles' hand and lifted it to his lips. Charles drank until the can was empty. Harm removed the can and lowered Charles' arm. Harm pulled out a book and flipped to the last chapter of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. "I never had the chance to finish reading the book."
Harm read the last chapter, "...'An' they chased him'n' never could catch him 'cause they didn't know what he looked like, an' Atticus, when they finally saw him, why hehadn't done any of those things... Atticus, he was real nice...' His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. 'Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.' He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he wouldbe there when Jem waked up in the morning."
Harm closed the book and patted Charles on the arm, "Most people are, when you finally see them." He said softly.
The End
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