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Date Posted: 14:32:13 02/26/06 Sun
Author: Sylvia Mohr Bartlett
Subject: FWWATT Chapter 4 Section 2
In reply to: Sylvia Mohr Bartlett 's message, "FOR WHICH WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL CH 4" on 14:17:56 02/26/06 Sun

FOR WHICH WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL CHAPTER 4 Section 2

by Sylvia Mohr Bartlett


Section 2: Battlelines Drawn


Sturgis and Mac hurried down to Sick Bay with Sturgis explaining to the Colonel what he had learned. He had to put an arresting arm out on the ladder to prevent her falling when he conveyed Harm was in critical condition the last the CAG had heard. He was glad he had kept her from seeing the blood inside the pilot's area of the cockpit or she might have wound up in Sick Bay herself, as a patient. The relationship between his two friends had gotten back on track since Bud's injury. Sturgis had the feeling in this case, after Singer's pregnancy had been discovered, absence had made two hearts grow closer. If she lost Harm now, just when things were getting back on track for the two of them.

The Chaplain's son sent a quick prayer skyward as they turned down the all too familiar corridor outside of Seahawk's Sick Bay. It wasn't that long ago Bud had… All thoughts of that difficult time flooded away at the sight of Boone.


Admiral Tom Boone was nearing the date of what he alleged would be his last retirement from the Navy. His head was buried in his hands and he looked even older than his years. He glanced up, as Turner cleared his throat and frowned at the two coming to attention, before him. "At ease. I'm here as Harm's godfather, not an Admiral."

"Any word, sir?" Colonel MacKenzie asked.

"They can't get him to wake up." His voice sounded strangled. "He should have come out from under the anesthesia by now. He's non-responsive. Deep shock, possibly even – aw, hell! The doc can fill you in. All I'll say is, they let me in there, for a few minutes, a little while ago." he swallowed hard, going on, "I wish to God that they hadn't. He's not just pale. This is way beyond that. I've never seen Harm look so damn fragile before." The older man stood quickly. "Sit down before you fall down, Colonel MacKenzie."

Mac complied, uncertain how much longer her legs would have held her up had he not offered.

"Could exhaustion prior to this injury be a factor here, sir?" Turner asked hopefully. "Maybe he's just tired and combined with the blood loss and the anesthesia, he's having a harder time shaking it off."

Boone regretfully shook his head. "They've given him counteragents that flushed the anesthetic from his system. Instead of helping, he deteriorated. No improvement at all – no what they call 'lightning of conscious level'."


A male doctor unfamiliar to the JAG officers came out of Sick Bay. He ignored the two younger officers and questioned Admiral Boone directly. "Does Commander Rabb have a Living Will, Admiral Boone? I know he has signed up for organ donation…"

Tom rounded on the man with an icy rage. "Why in the hell are you asking that? Harm is not dead!"

Obviously somewhat fazed by the taller man's balled fists and barely contained fury, combined with the glare now fixed on him by two JAG officers, the doctor stated, shrugging. "The brain can be irreparably damaged by blood loss, while other organs are entirely salvageable."

"It is a little early too early for that question, Doctor." Boone ground out between clenched teeth. "Don't you DARE give up on him this early in the game. Where in the hell is Doctor Reyes?"

Dr. Mahlberg, according to his name tag, replied. "I find in a case like this it is most useful to consider the patient's wishes well in advance of need. He is still unresponsive, even to painful stimuli. I'd have to classify him as deeply comatose. He's on total life support, ventilator dependent. I realize you have a close personal relationship with Commander Rabb, Admiral, which may make it impossible for you to be objective. The man does have in his records he wishes others to benefit if possible and does not wish to be kept alive on machines for a prolonged period of…"

Sturgis spoke up, his tones controlled but severe. "I hold Commander Rabb's power of attorney on medical issues, Doctor, and I can tell you, you are trying to hold this conversation WAY too early. I have a very specific set of criterion which would need to be met for him to be considered brain dead. If I see ANY evidence that you are handling his care with less than all due diligence, I will see to it that both your military and medical career go below crush depth in an instant. Do I make myself perfectly clear, Dr. Mahlberg?"

"Crystal clear, Commander. You may come in and see the Commander. You'll note he has three blood transfusions and an additional IV with antibiotics on board. I am doing everything I possibly can for Rabb. However, his level of consciousness has reached one I would term deeply comatose, as I said before. I fear I can NOT be encouraging about the long term outlook." He swung the door open.

Harm lay, covered only by one thin blanket, his whole body shuddering.

"I thought you said he was beyond pain." Mac said in a horrified whisper.

"That isn't pain, Colonel." Sturgis was the first to cross the room to his friend's side, placing his hand on Harm's forehead. "Harm's got strong lungs – in spite of needing the ventilator, it's an insult to his system. Easy, my friend, let the machine work for you."

"He can't hear you." The doctor's voice dripped with scorn.

"Like hell." Sturgis said. "Medical studies would not agree with that assessment. Get him more blankets. It is freezing in here." Since the contact with his forehead had been established, Harm seemed to be shuddering slightly less.

A corpsman shot a look that could only be called venomous at the doctor and told Turner. "I have two blankets heating in the other room, Commander. It won't take but a minute or two.

The former submariner's eyes ran over the read outs on the equipment surrounding his friend. "Blood pressure isn't all that bad considering everything. Heart rate's good. Oxygenation levels are the lower limits of acceptable, but with the blood loss." He took a pen flashlight from his pocket and checked Harm's pupils. He looked up at Mahlberg sharply. "His pupils respond normally."

The doctor shook his head, snorting. "What's a lawyer know about medicine? They've been extremely sluggish to respond." He leaned in to prove his point with his own penlight and started back at the result. "Wait." He repeated the test another time and grudgingly admitted. "There is improvement." He pinched Harm's skin at the breastbone. The aviator seemed to flinch slightly. "All right. We may have a little progress here. Not much, but some." He noted one of the blood units was empty and moved to replace it with an IV bag, regulating the drip.


The Navy corpsman came back in with the heated blankets and Tom Boone moved up the other side of the bed to help cover Harm, tucking the blankets close to his body. His godson was shaking considerably less when he finished. He grabbed the doctor by the throat, causing Sturgis to move to intervene. "His skin is freezing. What in the hell are you doing, trying to induce hypothermia?" The black officer pulled his hands off the other man, but didn't pull him too far back, allowing the implied threat to linger.

"No, Admiral. He just doesn't think comfort is important for an organ donor." The chief flight surgeon and head of Sick Bay entered followed by the Captain and two Marines. "Get Mahlberg out of here. I want him confined to quarters until I decide if charges are warranted."

Dr. Timothy Reyes knew everyone in the room, but he ignored them and walked over to Harm's side with a concerned frown on his face. "He'd actually written 'Organ donor' on Rabb's chart. I've been in surgery with another crewman since I moved Rabb here. We had an arresting cable break. Traumatic amputation of both legs and chest injuries. We lost him. Tempkins sent another corpsman in to tell me what was happening in here." He took a vial and several tubes and began to draw blood from a heparin lock in Harm's hand. "Harm wasn't 'emerging'? Doesn't make any damn sense." He handed the vials to the corpsman. "You know the tests I need - I want them double time STAT, got it?"

"Yes, sir, Doctor." The corpsman left fast.

The doctor took Harm's good hand and gave it a firm squeeze. His eyes brightened as he felt an almost imperceptible return pressure. "Okay. Which one of you wants to try and get through to him?"


"Can I have a few moments alone with him?" Mac asked quietly, urgently.

If anyone in the room questioned the 'good order and discipline' of the request, such questions were stilled by the almost wolfish smile that curled the lips of Admiral Thomas Boone. "Let's send in the Marine's." He made a gesture for everyone else to exit.

Dr. Reyes looked at the expression on the Colonel's face and said quietly. "I'll be right outside if he needs me."

Mac just nodded, her eyes only on Harm.

Sturgis bent down and whispered something in Harm's ear. He gave Mac a nod and left with the others.

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  • FWWATT CH 4 Section 3 -- Sylvia Mohr Bartlett, 14:34:46 02/26/06 Sun
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