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 9
"Commander Rabb, you will be investigating the mishap on the Stennis. You will need someone to assist you." The Admiral was assigning cases at the weekly staff meeting.
"Sir, I would like to request Lt. Singer assist on this investigation." Harm asked receiving some incredulous glances from the other officers seated around the long conference table.
The Admiral paused, "So be it."
"Thank you Sir, I will do my best." Singer replied with her usual faux smile.
"That will be all." The Admiral adjourned the meeting.
"Sir, can I have a moment." Harm interjected.
"Commander Rabb has the floor." The Admiral sat down with his arms folded across his chest wondering what was about to transpire. Harm stood up and asked for Tiner and Harriet to come into the room.
"For the past two months, I have been rather difficult to work with and for that I want to apologize." Harm paused gathering his nerve.
"Commander, you have been difficult to work with ever since I've known you." The Admiral responded with a smile.
Harm grinned, "More so lately though. I have been dealing with a personal crisis that I feel like I need to let you know about." His expression turned serious as he looked at concerned faces around the conference room.
"While attempting to help Sergei attain citizenship through DNA analysis of my blood and his it was discovered that I had a chromosome linked with leukemia. Further testing revealed that I have Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia." A joint gasp from Harriet and Mac broke the stony silence. "I've been on chemotherapy for the past seven weeks and yesterday I was told I am in remission." This time the Admiral let out a breath.
"I wanted to tell you, but everything seemed out of control. I didn't withhold this from you because I didn't trust you. I just couldn't face the truth. Kind of hypocritical of me wasn't it." He looked down, drew in a deep breath, and regained a confident demeanor. "But I've won this battle, and I plan to keep winning."
"Do you have any restrictions?" Bud was the first to respond with deep concern in his tone.
"Now I don't. I'm on a maintenance dose of my medication which will be a hell of a lot easier to tolerate than what I've been taking and what you've had to put up with." Harm smiled.
The others chuckled at his self-defacing humor.
Sturgis glanced over to Mac who was struggling to smile. She met his gaze silently remembering his words. "Things aren't always as they seem."
"Should you be traveling to the Stennis Sir?" Bud's anxiety over his mentor's health was clearly communicated.
"Like I said. I have no restrictions for now except that I am no longer flying for the Navy. One thing that I ask of you...Please don't treat me differently." He made direct eye contact with Bud and then Mac and the Admiral as his voice went from bravado to almost a pleading quality that quieted the group. "That's all I wanted to say."
"We need to get back to work people." The Admiral announced with a joyless smile.
Harm and Sturgis walked out together talking while Mac remained to speak with the Admiral. "He tried to tell me." She sighed. "So much for my 'psychic abilities'." She laughed harshly as she confided in her CO.
"Well I guess that makes two of us that feel like an ass. He tried to tell me too. I'm just thankful I didn't tear him up on his fit report." The Admiral shook his head.
"I hope he will take care of himself." Mac murmured softly.
"No Mac, our job will be to make sure he takes care of himself. His job will be to keep believing he can beat this." The Admiral responded firmly and walked out of the conference room.
Mac knocked timidly on Harm's office door, "Enter."
Harm looked up expectantly as Mac moved into the office and closed the door.
"One question." Her voice was soft.
He nodded expecting some dark question about his prognosis.
"Who is Gwen?"
Harm nearly laughed. "Dr. Owen's nurse?"
Mac closed her eyes in self-exasperation. "She's your oncologist's nurse?"
"Yes."
"She calls you weekly."
"Sometimes more often to tell me my lab results."
"She brought you to work the day after you got sick in court?"
"Yes, I took a cab to the hospital, and she had some business of her husband's to take care of downstairs so she brought me back."
"Why are you asking?"
"Terri was the one who first discovered your illness."
"Yes."
"Do you remember the day she called you?"
"It was on a Monday, the beginning of this nightmare."
"I had asked you out for 'a date'." Mac said with a pained look.
"I forgot about that. Mac, I'm sorry. Everything went to hell, and I'm surprised I remembered my phone number that week." Harm replied miserably.
"I thought you stood me up to be with another woman." Mac's expression matched Harm's miserable one.
"Another woman?"
"Gwen came by to return your gloves. I thought you left them at 'her place' the night we were supposed to go out."
"I left them at Dr. Owen's office." Harm began to realize Mac's impression.
"I'm sorry Harm. When you asked me to go with you that Friday. You wanted me to go with you to see Dr. Owen, but I was so jealous I just wanted to get back at you." Mac confessed.
Harm's eyebrow raised in a bemused fashion. "You were jealous?"
Mac blushed at her on confession. "Yes."
"Why didn't you say something. Throw something at me?" Harm asked.
"I know. I've been talking with Sturgis lately, and he said the same thing."
"You and Sturgis are pretty close?"
"It's not like that! He's just become someone that I can confide in and feel safe." Mac explained as Harm looked more dejected.
"You confide in him and not me?" His voice reflected his hurt.
"Yes...I was able to tell him that I was in love with you, and he kept my secret." Mac admitted as she watched Harm's expression change from hurt to shock to hopeful within seconds.
"You told him that?" His voice softened followed by a sorrowful look on his handsome features.
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