Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG and characters do not belong to me. This is for
entertainment only.
Classification: PG-13
Category: Harm and Mac angst/romance
Summary: How much do Harm and Mac need each other?
You may want to read "Speechless" but it is not necessary. This could
stand on its own. This occurs during season 6 and Mic and Renee have
departed.
Thanks to Marianne, who beta read and made numerous tedious corrections.
PART 4
2000
Bethesda Naval Hospital
ICU Waiting Room
The young man dressed casually in jeans and a knit pullover shirt entered the room with a man dressed in a three-piece suit. He glanced around the room seeing only an older middle-aged couple.
About that time a doctor wearing scrubs and a white lab jacket joined the occupants of the waiting room. "Is anyone here for Commander Rabb?"
The couple and the young man and his partner walked up to the doctor simultaneously.
"I'm Commander Rabb's mother, Trish Burnett and this is his stepfather Frank." The young man was about to respond, but Clayton Webb added, "We're close friends." The doctor looked at the faces that anxiously awaited his news. Carefully he started, "I have good news. Commander Rabb's blood gases have improved over the past eight hours, meaning that we can try to start weaning him off the ventilator." A collective sigh of relief could be heard, but the doctor did not smile. "I am concerned that he has not regained consciousness. I want to give him another 24 hours before I order some neurological studies."
Trish asked apprehensively, "Do you believe he has suffered some sort of brain damage?"
"There is a chance that because of the profound shock the commander experienced when he was brought in that the anoxia or lack of oxygen could have caused some damage."
Frank placed his arm around Trish supporting her as tears formed in her eyes. Webb shot Sergei a concerned look while wondering if he understood the doctor's message. Sergei took in a deep breath as his shoulders slumped. "When may we see him?" his accent communicating his nationality.
"If you could visit two a time. You may see him now." The doctor looked sympathetically at the distraught individuals before him.
Trish and Frank followed the doctor into the ICU leaving Clayton and Sergei in the waiting room. "That was Harm's Mother, why did you tell her I was his friend?"
"Sergei, I don't think Harm has told his mother about you. He told me she did not deal well with the news about your Father's death, and he was afraid of how she would respond about the news of you." Clayton explained uncomfortably. "Harm tends to try to protect people he cares about."
"I see." Sergei responded softly.
Trish Burnett's heart broke when she saw her only child so helpless in that bed with all the tubes and monitors surrounding him. Frank held her closely and guided her to the bedside.
The doctor had difficulty maintaining eye contact as he felt pity for the mother seeing her grown child so seriously ill.
Trish reached over and stroked her son's cheek and began to speak, "I know that you hate being in this bed...
When you were little I could never keep you in bed whenever you were sick...Remember when you had the chickenpox." She smiled as she reminisced, "I found you in the back yard in your tree house asleep with that cat of yours.... I know you will wake up soon." She held his hand. "I know..." Frank smiled at his wife as he saw the hope she managed to find. "That's right son." He added and squeezed his wife's hand that held Harm's.
Harm felt the touch of her hand on his face and his hand. His dreams took him to the kitchen of his childhood home. He had skinned both knees sliding into home base while playing baseball with the neighborhood kids. He was six years old and tried desperately not cry in front of his friends.
His mother had sent them all home and was applying hydrogen peroxide and iodine to the wounds. The iodine burned, and he could not contain the tears any longer. She blew softly on the areas where the iodine was painted trying to ease the pain. Then she picked him up and sat him in her lap and let him cry........ He knew she was here.
Frank stroked Trish's back as she spent the next fifteen minutes talking softly to her son encouraging him to wake up. Trish looked to Frank, "His friends are waiting to see him too. I guess we need to leave...Harm, Frank and I will be back in a little while."
The Admiral and Bud had arrived after work and were waiting and talking with Clayton and Sergei. No one noticed when he Burnett's returned to the waiting room.
"Harm told us that he had a brother in Russia..." Bud said as Sergei was introduced to him and the Admiral.
Trish stopped dead in her tracks not sure she heard what she thought she had. All eyes turned to see her shocked face as Bud felt immediate remorse for the comment.
The Admiral looked towards Clay, "I take it Harm didn't tell his mother."
Clay stepped forward about to explain when the Admiral stood up and took control of the situation. "Mr. and Mrs. Burnett, I believe I have met you before under better circumstances. I think you know Lt. Bud Roberts. This is Clayton Webb and Sergei Zhukov. If you would please sit, I believe I can help explain what you just heard."
Over the next forty five minutes the Admiral, Bud, Clayton as well as Sergei explained the situation. The Burnett's listened quietly taking in the news calmly. A nurse broke up the meeting by informing the group that more visitors could see Harm. Trish looked towards Sergei "I think it's your turn." Sergei jumped up to follow the nurse with Clay at his heels.
Trish looked exhausted and leaned back into the chair. Frank suggested they go to the hotel and get some rest. Trish needed some time to sort through everything that she had experienced over the past hour.
"Someone needs to stay here for when he wakes up." Trish Argued.
The Admiral responded reassuringly, "I have a feeling Sergei is not planning on leaving anytime soon. If you'll give me your hotel number, I'll see to it that the nurses call you if he wakes tonight. They already have mine and Mr. Roberts." Frank smiled gratefully and guided his wife down the hall.
Sergei walked into the darkened room where he barely recognized the man he had met just months earlier. He swallowed harshly and approached the bed not believing that the brother he had just found could look so close to death. Webb stood in the background not wanting to intrude, but to be of support if need be.
"Big brother, you don't look so good...I should have showed you how to avoid bullets." He sat in the chair next to the bed and reached up to touch his brother's arm mostly to reassure himself. "You wanted me to come to America.. I am here.. I need you to show me your home.... I need you to still be my brother." He paused struggling with his motions.
Harm felt so confused. He wasn't sure he was dreaming or that people were really talking to him...He must be dreaming.. Sergei is in Chechnya fighting in the war there.. he couldn't be here and yet, that stubborn voice with the Russian accent sounded so real... He began to visualize Sergei and he going to the Wall together. Harm saw himself pointing to their father's name while Sergei took a piece of paper and traced the name. Sergei looked up to him and smiled.
Harm began to cough sending waves of pain throughout his Chest. A nurse adjusted the airway and then suctioned him Causing more coughing. The pain brought tears to his yes...
Sergei looked worriedly at the nurse, and Clay stepped forward concerned about the activity. Seeing his friend with tears of pain brought an uncharacteristic reaction from Clay as he nervously rubbed his hand through his hair, "Where the hell is Mac? Mac should be here for him."
Sergei looked with confusion at the agent. "Where is Colonel McKenzie? She is usually here for Harm, yes?" He remembered her appearing in Chechnya to assist Harm. She had traveled by taxi across a dangerous war zone. Harm had told him she was with him when he found out about their father's death. Where was she now?
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