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.
Part 2
She waited for a response only to receive silence. "I want you to go see a hematologist at Bethesda. I have taken the liberty to call a friend of mine, Captain David Owen. He is one of the best in or out of the military. I faxed my results to him and he can see you this afternoon."
"This is ridiculous Terri, I'm not sick." Harm chuckled humorlessly.
Recognizing his denial, she responded gently, "You are probably right, but you owe me a favor. I want you to have this checked out. Promise me?"
"Alright, but you are going to feel real foolish when he calls you back to tell you that he doesn't need to see healthy patients." Harm reluctantly agreed to the request and jotted down the information.
***********
Harm sat in the waiting room impatiently flipping through the outdated magazines. He looked at his watch again and frowned as he noticed that he had been waiting for nearly forty-five minutes. Just as he was about to go to the receptionist to cancel the appointment, a nurse opened the door and called his name. "What a waste of time." He mumbled as he followed the nurse into an examination room where he was given a gown and told to undress.
He pulled the gown around him in attempt to maintain his modesty and warmth. The room was not only cold because of the temperature, but the chrome and white ceramic tile gave the room a sterile frigid ambience. His head turned reflexively as the door opened. Another nurse approached him and proceeded to draw several tubes of blood and take his vital signs. She quickly exited without exchanging any pleasantries and was followed almost immediately by another nurse who sat down and asked him so many questions that he felt like he was being interrogated. Soon he was left alone again for another thirty minutes.
A short heavyset man in his late forties burst into the room with a chart in hand. "Commander Rabb, Dr. Owen." He extended his hand and then returned to perusing the chart.
He then began to palpate Harm's neck, under his arms and groin area. Harm sighed as he recounted the numerous physicals throughout his naval career. 'I just had my physical five months ago and everything was fine.' He reassured himself.
"When did you get this bruise?" Dr. Owen noticed the deep purple area on his thigh.
"I don't remember. I must have bumped into something." Harm said without concern.
"You have several bruises. Did you notice?" Dr. Owen said as he listened to Harm's chest with his stethoscope.
"I guess I'm just clumsy."
"Have you had any colds, sore throats, other infections?" The doctor quizzed as he continued his exam.
"Just the usual."
"Hum. Any fatigue?"
"Sure, but I've traveled enough in the past six weeks to circumnavigate the earth several times." He replied with mild sarcasm.
A nurse entered the exam room and handed the doctor a paper. The doctor sat down on a stool at a small desk next to the exam table. "Commander, I need to get a bone marrow aspiration to confirm the diagnosis."
"What diagnosis?" Harm responded irritably.
Dr. Owen sat the chart down and finally looked his patient in the eye. "Commander, your blood work indicated there is a possibility that you have leukemia...most likely chronic myelogenous leukemia. I would like to take a needle and aspirate a small sample of your bone marrow from your hip. I can confirm my suspicions with this biopsy."
"I'm not sick." Harm said firmly.
"Commander, may I call you Harm?" Owen's voice became gentle.
"Okay and I'll call you David." Harm replied.
"That's fair. Harm, your blood work indicated that your white cell count is close to 50,000. Normal is 5000 to 10000. Your neutrophils are elevated and since you don't have any obvious signs of a raging infection there are few other reasons for the elevation. Your lymph glands are swollen, and you have unexplained bruising. Your platelets are below normal. With leukemia your body produces numerous immature white cells and your platelets are depressed. The white cells fight infection if they are mature cells, yours are not. Platelets help promote clotting, and you are lacking sufficient quantities of these thus the unexplained bruising." David explained carefully maintaining eye contact with his patient. "The bone marrow will tell us definitely if you have CML."
Harm frowned. "But I don't feel sick."
"Your red blood cell count is just a little low so you probably haven't felt ill, just the slight fatigue. Do you have any questions before be start the procedure?"
Harm met the doctor's straightforward gaze. "What is the probability that you are wrong?"
"Only a bone marrow aspiration will prove whether I'm right or wrong. You are an attorney right. Well if I was experiencing legal problems I would have to put faith in your ability and expertise. I'm asking you to do the same."
Harm shook his head and laid back on the exam table as Dr. Owen called his nurse into the room. After explaining the procedure and possible complications he had Harm sign an informed consent.
"Okay Harm just turn on to you stomach. I will first deaden the area with a little lidocaine." Harm felt the cool sensation of the alcohol prep before he felt the painful insertion of the needle as Dr. Owen administered the anesthesia to the area. Soon Harm felt the pressure of the larger needle as it was pushed into his hipbone. "It will be over in just a few minutes Harm, just remain perfectly still." The doctor instructed as he removed the needle leaving a catheter in its place. Harm grimaced at the pressure. "Take a few deep breaths through your mouth. Just another few seconds." Harm squeezed his eyes closed against the pain as the catheter was slowly removed.
"All done." The doctor announced as a tight pressure dressing was applied along with an ice pack. "Now I want you to just lie here for the next thirty minutes and then you can get dressed after the nurse checks the site. Tonight you will have some soreness so I'll give you something for the pain." The doctor instructed.
"Lt. set the Commander up with a follow up appointment for Friday." Dr. Owen added as he left the room.
Harm lay prone on the white sheet covered exam table feeling overwhelmed. There is no way that I have cancer. The thought brought a wave a nausea with it. Just keep your cool, this is just a possibility...a very unlikely possibility. He told himself.
The nurse returned and checked the dressing as promised and released him to get dressed. She handed him an appointment card and an instruction sheet. Mechanically Harm dressed and retraced his steps out of the room down the hall back towards the waiting room.
"Commander Rabb."
Lt. Gwen Lee, Dr. Owen's nurse called the tall handsome new patient for the third time before she finally got his attention. "Commander Rabb, you left this." She handed him a prescription for pain medication. He took the bottle and nodded absently.
Gwen Lee had been a registered nurse in the Navy for fifteen years. The last four years she had worked with Dr. Owen as an oncology nurse. She had seen the same shocked look of patients too many times. "Commander, bring someone with you for your next appointment." She added gently but firmly. Friday's appointment would be harder than this one. Dr. Owen rarely missed a diagnosis. The last shred of denial would be wiped away and the raw truth of the disease and all of its unpleasant treatments would be revealed on Friday. Life would never be the same...if life was to be this patient's fate.
Harm pushed open the door and reentered the waiting room. He hadn't noticed the people who waited before. Many wore caps and scarves covering hairless heads. They had the look of refugees from the Holocaust with their pale skin and dark eyes. Harm shuttered, he was not sick. This is some huge mistake. The bone marrow test would prove it. He was a pilot who survived hours in the freezing Atlantic by god! He had survived a ramp strike. This was a mistake. He moved down the hall towards the exit.
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