Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: No infringement rights are intended to those who own JAG.
Classification: PG- 13
Category: Harm/Mac Drama
Summary: Although Harm aggressively works to help his brother gain US
citizenship, he fails to provide the needed evidence that Sergei is truly
his father's son. A major life threatening turn of events however creates a
greater need for Sergei to remain in the US.
Later that evening Sturgis brought Mac back to the hospital after she had gone home to shower and change. While Bud waited at Dulles for Trish and Frank's plane was to arrive. The Admiral had gotten an emergency visa to allow Sergei to return to the United States while Webb had Sergei rounded up and put on the first plane out to DC.
Harm had been moved to an isolation room designed to protect severely immune compromised patients from germs. Wearing a gown, shoe covers, gloves, cap and mask Mac entered his room to find a nurse holding his head while he vomited forcefully from the effects of the powerful drugs in his system. Mac reached for the damp wash cloth and gently wiped away the beads of perspiration from his forehead. His eyes strained to recognize the person behind all the isolation garb.
"Hey flyboy, you don't sound like you are having a very good time." Her voice muffled by the protective mask.
He smiled as he recognized her beautiful brown eyes, "Having a laugh a minute." He swallowed and winced. Mac looked worriedly at the nurse who pressed a remote control for his IV pain medication.
"Harm, when you need something for the pain, just press this button." She reminded him and then adjusted the IV rate before leaving.
"You know what is happening?" He whispered.
"Yes, the medication they are giving you is killing your bone marrow so it won't produce any more cancer cells. Sergei is on his way to give you some of his." Mac stroked his face cursing softly the fact that she could not touch his skin because of the gloves.
Harm stared at her for a minute before he spoke slowly just above a whisper, "I'm sorry I missed out on the chance for us to be together." Tears began to trail down his face.
"You are not going to give up that easily, flyboy." Mac demanded gently.
"I'm trying, but it's getting so hard. I'm so tired Sarah." He pleaded hoping she would tell him it was okay to let go.
"Just hang on a little longer…for us." Tears escaped Mac's eyes as she curled her gloved fingers between his.
"I can still keep my promise." He smiled sadly.
"Your promise?" Mac tenderly stroked his face.
"The baby promise, I made a deposit for you before I started chemo." He paused to rest. "You will make a great mother. You're a natural you know." He said as his eyes closed in fatigue.
"Not without you, never without you." She continued to stroke his face willing him to keep fighting as he slept.
***********
Trish and Frank left the family room after meeting with Dr. Owen to find the Admiral, Mac, Bud, Sturgis and his father the chaplain in the waiting room. The men promptly stood and everyone introduced themselves. Trish looked exhausted and dazed. Harm's white count had begun to decrease and his platelet count improved with the help of the blood transfusions, but the IV chemotherapy agents were severely depressing his neurologic and cardiovascular status. By morning, if he could survive, the chemotherapy, his bone marrow should be suppressed enough to prevent an immune response against the new bone marrow.
During the night Harm experienced a seizure and began to run a fever. Trish, Frank, Mac and Chaplain Turner maintained a constant vigil while the other JAG officers took turns offering support, as Harm grew weaker.
Sergei practically ran into the waiting room the next afternoon looking disheveled and exhausted. Alex, Harm's friend in the Russian military had picked him up from the factory where he worked and drove him straight to the airport.
"Sergei!" Mac announced in relief.
"How is he? What must I do?" The frantic young Russian addressed Mac in Russian.
Trish Burnett approached the young man. "Sergei, I'm Trish, Harm's mother. Thank you for coming." Tears began to trickle down her face.
"He is my brother. I would give my life for him." Sergei replied tenderly in English, and the two embraced.
"Mr. Zudkov this way please. We need to prep you for the procedure." A nurse interrupted and rushed him down the corridor.
After administration of epidural anesthesia, a large needle was used to puncture Sergei's skin and his iliac crest or hipbone multiple times for bone marrow to be aspirated. He then remained in recovery for several hours for observation of possible bleeding and hypotension following the procedure.
1500 ml of Sergei's bone marrow was immediately hung to transfuse through Harm's central catheter over a four-hour period.
After assessing Sergei and Harm, Dr. David Owen came out to update the worried family and friends. "Sergei will be discharged later this evening as soon as we feel confident that he will not experience any complications from the procedure. He will need to drink plenty of fluids, and the site will need to be watched for infection and bleeding."
"He'll be going home with me." Webb volunteered bringing a look of appreciation from Mac. "After all, I paid two boxcars full of wheat for him."
"Harm will remain in isolation until his white count is sufficient to protect him from infection. There are always the possibilities that he may reject the transplant or develop other complications such as infection, but for now he is doing fine." David smiled at the weary group. "Why don't you all go home and get some rest. This procedure is considered a 'hurry up and wait' procedure. It will take months before we know whether the bone marrow transplant will be a success." He added while being cautiously optimistic.
* NancyT's Stories * Please send Feedback! *
