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Date Posted: 10:48:26 02/27/06 Mon
Author: Sylvia Mohr Bartlett
Subject: FWWATT Chapter 5 Section Two
In reply to: Sylvia Mohr Bartlett 's message, "FOR WHICH WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL Chapter 5" on 10:31:42 02/27/06 Mon

FOR WHICH WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL CHAPTER 5

SECTION 2: Troubling News

I'm not going to trouble you all with a long preamble this time. Just hang on to your hats. This chapter is a toughie, I admit.

By Sylvia Bartlett Mohr


Colonel MacKenzie paced between two rooms. In one, Harm battled heavy sedation and a rising temperature. In the other, Sturgis lay – still unconscious with several stitches in a scalp wound and an IV to combat shock.

Mac had almost ripped the Navy corpsman attending Commander Turner in half for his off-hand remark about JAG lawyers on the Seahawk dropping like flies. Fortunately, the alert Marine Lance Corporal had kept her off the other man. The corpsman had apologized profusely, but she still seethed with barely contained fury.

As she walked back into Harm's room, Admiral Boone finally snapped out. "Pick one room and heave to, Colonel. You are making this sailor sea sick. How's Turner?"

"Still out like a light. Does Dr. Reyes think Harm is suffering from an infection?"

Boone shook his head. "He thinks it’s a reaction to one of the blood transfusions. He is running tests to verify that." He took the face cloth off Harm's forehead, dipped it in the basin of cool water and gently patted Harm's face, adding gruffly. "Haven't done this for Harm since he was a little 'un." In a soothing voice, he murmured to his godson. "Easy, Hammer, easy. You are safe. Ride the wind, son. Glide on it." The words seemed to help, or the familiar touch; for Harm seemed slightly less restive.

Reluctantly, Sarah went back to Turner's room and sat down by his bedside. The shock had puzzled the doctor. Dr. Reyes had theorized that something in the report he was reading had shocked the Commander so badly it caused Sturgis' blood pressure to drop rapidly and he had simply passed out.

As the Marine guard had collected all the paperwork related to the investigation and locked it in the Captain's safe, Mac had no idea what he had been reading that could cause a strong man like the Commander to faint. Dr. Reyes had been pulled out of the room for a conference by Dr. Brake. For the moment, Mac could only wait and hope the head injury Turner had sustained had nothing to do with his still being unconscious.


The door to the corridor opened. The Colonel looked up, expecting Dr. Reyes returning. Instead, the Seahawk's Captain regarded her with dismay. "Colonel MacKenzie? Brace yourself. There's a helo on final approach with your CO on board. Now I have a very irate former SEAL two star admiral on my six. Was that necessary?"


"Sir, I had no idea he was coming out. I'm sorry, Skipper, but, honestly, I can't say I blame him at this point."


Reluctantly, the Captain conceded. "No. Of course, I don't blame any of you. It's a damn crazy situation we have in. A helluva mess."

"Yes, sir." The Colonel agreed, looking in a worried way at Commander Turner. "It is one hell of a mess."

The Seahawk's Captain left to greet the two star admiral coming aboard.



Colonel MacKenzie stared at Sturgis, willing him to —

The man's eyes fluttered open. Mac was a bit amused at seeing the black man blush so distinctly. He groaned. "Please, tell me I did not faint while on the phone with our Commanding Officer."

Mac tried to smile. "I could tell you that, Commander; but I would be lying to you."

"Oh, lord. Put me out of my misery now." Suddenly he started and looked at her with wide eyes. "Please tell me you DID NOT read that report, Colonel."

"I didn't."

"Thank God for that anyway." Sturgis ignored her attempt to stop him and sat up in bed, his hands covering his face. "How can I – how can I ever look Harm in the face again? Knowing that I nearly… that I would have…" he looked at Mac, "if we had gotten here sooner. If the drugs hadn't nearly have worn off. Oh, God." He buried his face again, unable to look at her as he said, despairingly. "Sarah, he would have met all the criteria we had agreed on. I would have seen exactly what Mahlberg wanted me to see. I would have signed the damn paperwork…signed Harm's life away. I would have helped that bastard kill my best friend. I would have been an accomplice in his murder. How can I live with that?" The sorrow radiated from him in waves of pain.

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Mac was frozen in horror at the thought. Finally, she shook herself out of pause and laid a gentle, but firm hand on Turner's arm. "It doesn't matter. Don't do this to yourself. That isn't what happened. We got here at just the right time, Sturgis. Before the doctor gave Harm more drugs to keep up the charade; and, at the point where the previous dosage had worn off enough for his eyes to react to light. We were MEANT to get here to Sick Bay right when we did. You saved him, Sturgis. How do you know so much about medical stuff?"

"I had a crash course when my mom was dying." He said bleakly. "I was trying to buffer Dad – to negotiate the information glut and extract the facts he needed to know so he could just concentrate on – on loving her over to the other side. Harm helped, you know. He was there for me and Dad…for Mom too. He'd make me take Dad to eat or for walks and he would stay with her and hold her hand and talk to her. He was strong for all of us. He loved my Mom like she was his own. It was tearing him apart, but he was strong for us all. Too strong." His expression turned dark. "Three days after her funeral…I found him collapsed in the head. He'd thrown up until he was vomiting blood. Stress, the doctor said. He had internalized all his pain to help us through, but it caught up to him, big time.

"We have to help him, Mac. Show him he doesn't have to be strong this time. If he tries, he'll break; and we may never get him back." There was still so much despair in the Academy grad's voice, as if there was something he was keeping back from her.


In just a few moments, raw cries of terror came from the other room and Mac could not have held Sturgis back if she had tried. She barely had a chance to grab his IV off the pole by his bed and hurry through the door with him so he didn't pull it out in his haste.

Tom Boone was straining to hold Harm down. The younger man's eyes were closed, but he was trying to break free and begging over and over. "Tell me it was a dream. Please, promise me it was only a dream."

Turner grabbed Harm's uninjured shoulder, frowning at the heat radiating from his friend. "Easy, Harm. Roomie, stand down. What? What do you want me to tell you was only a dream? I'm here, buddy. Talk to me!" It was a plea.

Harm slowly opened his eyes. All life, all hope, all fight seemed to drain from him, as he whispered hoarsely. "Tell me there wasn't another doctor, not Reyes, in here. Tell me he didn't call Tiner to see if I was a potential organ donor. Tell me I didn't lay here – unable to breathe on my own, unable to open my eyes, unable to cry out, while he started taking phone bids for my eyes, my kidneys, my heart. He - He was parting me out like a stolen car, Sturg. Want to know how much each part was going for? God, please. It's – It's all jumbled up in my head with the Watertown, but … but it all feels too real." His eyes closed as tears ran down his cheeks. "Please," he pleaded. "wake me from this nightmare. Tell me it was just a dream." His voice faded away as he slipped back into unconsciousness. The other three stood around him in dumb shock.

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Replies:

  • FWWATT Chapter 5 Section 3 Concluding this Chap -- Sylvia Mohr Bartlett, 11:25:37 02/27/06 Mon
  • Ending the thought started in the final preface to this Ch -- Sylvia Mohr Bartlett, 11:42:16 02/27/06 Mon
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