Author: Nancy
Disclaimer: JAG doesn't belong to me.
Classification: Drama - Harm
Rating: PG
Summary: This is written to honor those who serve and defend.
He was dog-tired after flying support over the East Coast all weekend. With the war overseas and the ever threat of terrorist attacks, all reservists were being utilized to the max. Harm always enjoyed his time in the air, but he hadn't had a day off in weeks and he was feeling it. JAG headquarters was short staffed so everyone was doubling up on caseloads including Harm, and he spent every remaining available hour flying surveillance missions. Nevertheless, as exhausted as he felt it was a good feeling, what he was doing was important...serving and defending.
Dropping his bag into the passenger seat of his red classic corvette, he cranked up the sports car and headed to the gates of the PAX airfield. The guard stepped out and cautioned him, "Sorry Sir, we've had a group of antiwar protestors outside the gate all afternoon. So far, operations have not been disrupted, but just the same take it easy as you exit."
Harm sighed irritably and drove slowly past the twenty or so college- age demonstrators. "Stop the war, stop the war!" they chanted. Suddenly one of protestors noticed Harm's car. Several closed in looking into his car. "Hey he's a pilot! He drops bombs on helpless children!"
Harm couldn't believe his ears. The crowd became even more agitated and blocked his car as they continued their mantra..."Murderer, murderer, murderer!"
Harm was shocked at their words. He had read where a teacher at one university had gone so far to wish death to all military serving overseas, but most antimilitary protestors were not that fanatical and distanced themselves away from such extremists. It was strange that the military the teacher desired to die was the same that protected his rights to express his beliefs no matter how cruel.
Several of the guards at the gate rushed over and began to herd the protestors away from Harm's car so he could leave. One of the young protestors picked up a rock and threw it at the car creating a large crack in his windshield yelling "See how it feels!"
Harm slammed his car in park and got out to check for any further damage. He didn't see the hurling rock that struck him on the left side of his forehead.
*******
A few months earlier...
Maggie was one of the homeless mentally ill who roamed the DC area and stayed in shelters, abandoned buildings and alleyways most of the time. She had migrated to the Union Street area earlier that year with her baby stroller packed with all of her 'stuff'. She was harmless, despite her peculiarities. Mostly everyone just ignored her as she talked to her imaginary friends and children. Her prematurely graying hair and worn features were testimony to the hard life she lived.
One fall evening as Harm was finishing his jog from a nearby park; he spied a group of street thugs teasing Maggie. They had taken her doll that she considered her child and were playing keep away from Maggie pitching it back and forth. She screamed frantically as they continued to antagonize her by tossing the doll cruelly in the air. Infuriated at the heartless behavior, Harm ordered the gang to stop. Startled by the tall man's intervention the punks ran away, but not before pulling the head off the damaged doll and dropping it carelessly on the ground laughing as they took off.
Maggie fell to her knees, picked up the two parts of the tattered doll and wept inconsolably. "My baby, oh my baby." She rocked pitifully cradling the doll against her breast.
Harm knelt down and tried to talk with the confused elderly woman, but she was caught up in her despair over her loss.
"Let me see Maggie. Maybe I can help your baby." He offered gently.
She looked up at him with large sad eyes and stopped her sobbing. "You'll help my baby?"
"Yes, but you must come with me." Harm helped her stand and together they walked to a nearby pharmacy. He received several glares from the store clerk as he had her sit with her baby wrapped in an old discarded piece of a blanket.
He found a doll about the same size and appearance of the damaged one along with a new flannel baby blanket and several Band-Aids. After making his purchases, he placed a Band-Aid on the new doll's head for affect and wrapped it in the new blanket. He asked the now curious clerk to watch the doll pushing a twenty in his direction, and headed to where Maggie sat holding her precious bundle.
"Maggie, let me see the baby and let the doctor look at her." Harm shot the clerk a pleading look.
Clearing his throat, the clerk who wore a white lab jacket spoke out on cue, "I believe I can help your baby Ma'am, but you'll have to let me examine her."
Maggie looked suspiciously between Harm and the store clerk and then slowly surrendered the broken doll to Harm. He held it as if it was a living child and walked towards the clerk's check out stand. The clerk switched the broken doll with the one Harm had fixed up and made several medical sounding statements. "Yes, I believe we have her fixed up better than before."
Harm brought the doll back to Maggie hoping the woman would not realize that they made a switch. Maggie held her arms open and took the doll cradling it in her arms. "Oh how pretty, my pretty baby has a new blanket." She crooned and stroked the baby doll affectionately. She frowned as her trembling fingers touched the Band-Aid. "Bad boys, bad boys hurt my pretty baby."
With that she got up and left without saying a word...
************
Back to the present...
Harm stepped out of his corvette groaning as he looked at his cracked windshield. His head sported six stitches and a whopping headache, but mostly he felt drained. Visions of his father's friends returning from the war they fought to reticules had played repeatedly in his mind's eye as he drove home stealing away the pride he felt in defending his country. There would always be someone opposing war, hell, does anyone really want a war? He debated with himself trying to rationalize the behavior. As the war continued would the protestors grow in number and would they take out their frustrations on soldiers, sailors, and airmen? He felt disheartened and humiliated. Getting back into his car, he drove to the place where he could get perspective...the long gray black wall.
The early spring night air was unseasonably chilly as he stood looking at all the names of those who gave their lives in service to their country. Soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines memorialized on the shining dark wall that stretched too far with too many names.
One day more names on another memorial would be constructed for the ones who fought today he thought sadly. Would they know that they were respected or would they only know about the criticisms?
A quiet screeching from a wheel that needed oil broke his reverie. He turned to see Maggie pushing her baby stroller filled with her things and her 'baby'. She stopped and looked up at the tall sailor standing by the wall. "I know you." She smiled with a toothless grin.
Harm smiled back, "Hi Maggie, how is your baby?"
"She's got a little cold, but she's fine." Maggie grimaced and then she met Harm's gaze and for a minute stared thoughtfully, "I need to tell you something."
"Okay." Harm waited as she lovingly lifted her 'baby' out of the beaten up old stroller.
She approached him and touched the small bandage on his head and then the wings on his uniform frowning compassionately. "I just want to thank all of you for keeping me and my baby safe." She waved at the wall full of names and then looked up at Harm and placed her hand over her heart. "I'll be keeping you right here while you're up there." She looked up at the sky and then at him and grinned.
For a moment, Harm noted a sense of clarity in her eyes that he had never seen before.
The words almost caught in his throat. "Thank you Maggie, I needed to hear that." Harm whispered. She then cuddled her baby to her chest and pushed her stroller down the walkway humming some old tune Harm didn't recognize.
The End
To all of you who help keep me safe...thank you.
