Disclaimer: The characters of JAG don't belong to me. I just borrowed them from Bellisarius Productions, Paramount and CBS for this story. No infringement intended.
Bewitched in Gulfport
1934 ZULU
Day 1
Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport
Gulfport, Mississippi
Harm and Bud walked down the stairs to the ground floor, looking out for a familiar face who was to be their escort back to the Construction Battalion Center. Harm looked around to find a sign with the letters 'JAG' written on it in the hands of a beautiful brunette Chief Petty Officer.
"Welcome to Gulfport, Gentleman." she said with a smile on her face when Harm and Bud approached and stood at attention.
"Thank you. At ease, Chief."
It was odd for Harm to address the woman in front of him as Chief. To him, she was known as having the rank of a USMC Lieutenant Colonel, and not having the rank of a USN Chief Petty Officer.
"Consider yourselves as guests of the Construction Battalion Center, sirs." Mac kept on smiling.
"Thank you. Lead on."
"Ah, sir, we are parked in the far lot. You feel like taking a hike?"
"If you feel like carrying our luggage."
"'Course, sir."
Still a smile on her face, Mac reached for their luggage and carried it outside. Once they were out of sight, she stopped and dropped the bags in the middle of the road.
"Cute." she snapped and gave Harm a stern look.
"We didn't want to blow your cover, Mac." he excused himself, a teasing smile on his face.
"What about our friendship?"
"I am friendly with a Lt. Col. Sarah Mackenzie. I don't know much about a Chief Petty Officer Bonnie Johnson."
"She is just as unforgiving."
Though both Mac and Harm had a smile on their faces, Bud felt the air slowly growing tense between them. He needed to do something to ease the tension.
"Well, you do look snappy in that uniform, Ma'am." he uttered firmly.
"And you have baby food on yours, Lieutenant."
Bud quickly examined his uniform shirt for any possible stains of baby food. He sure hadn't thought about such a quick reaction from Mac. When he finally had made sure that his uniform shirt was clean and looked up, he saw that Harm had picked up his bag and was following Mac to their car.
"So what do you know anyway?" Harm asked.
"Typing is hard on the fingernails." Mac replied, a mischievous grin on her face that Harm couldn't see as she was walking ahead of him.
"About the witches, Mac."
"They worship naked."
Harm couldn't believe what he had just heard. He quickened his path and was immediately walking at Mac's side.
"Really?"
Mac nodded quickly, "Uh huh."
"Did you?"
Harm turned shortly to gaze at her only to find her looking back at him, a teasing smile on her lips.
"So what was it like? Was it cold? Was the sex involved?"
"I went for it. It was a warm night and no one touched me." Mac stated firmly.
"Did they touch each other, ma'am?" Bud cut in from behind them.
"No. We just danced around a bonfire and when the flames were lowering up, we jumped over."
Bud quickly cleared his throat. Did he just heard that right?
"You jumped over a fire naked?" he inquired, just to confirm his hearing was still perfect.
"Thanks to my track and field coach all the way."
"So what have you found out?"
Mac stopped next to their car and turned back to Harm.
"Harm, I've been talking to Wiccans all week. I haven't been able to find anything to substantiate Petty Officer Plunken's claim that she was raped."
"We have a meeting with her in the morning. Let's see what she has to say."
"So, you are a witch now, ma'am?"
"In training, Bud."
Annoyed, Mac climbed into the car and took her seat behind the steering wheel.
"They've taken me into the confidence, and I don't want to hear any cracks out of either of you." she warned them as they climbed into the car as well.
Bud took his seat in the back immediately while it took Harm some climbing to take his seat in the front next to Mac.
"How was your trip to Australia, ma'am? How is Cmdr. Brumby doing?"
"It was okay. And Cmdr. Brumby is fine. Thanks for asking, Bud."
"Just okay? What happened to such words as fantastic, excellent, ecstatic?" Harm inquired after he had finally taken his seat.
Mac remained silent. This was something she wasn't willing to discuss. At least not yet, and not in front of Bud. Harm stole a glance at her hands and saw that the diamond ring Mic had given her was gone. He quickly concluded that it sure was only because of her undercover assignment that she had taken it off.
Harm felt like he needed to break the unbearable silence. He knew he had probably said something wrong a moment before, though he had no idea why.
"I am not used to see you driving any of these, Mac."
"What did you expect?" Mac snapped back, still having a firm grip on the steering wheel.
"Bud?"
"A broom stick, sir?" Bud supplied for him.
That was enough for Mac. She turned on the engine, put the gear in and sped off as fast as the car was taking her. Harm and Bud didn't really know what happened to them when the car pulled out of the parking spot. Harm reached for the top of the front window for support when Mac's speeding pushed him back into his seat and he almost fell out of the car.
"Geez, Mac!" he exclaimed.
"Anything wrong, Commander?"
"Would you please slow down? We are not on a racing circuit. This is an airport parking lot."
Mac turned to look at him shortly. Returning her glance on the traffic, she continued her fast driving.
"I am sorry, all right? This whole case just sounds so weird."
"Rape is nothing weird, Harm."
"No, but claiming that she was put under a spell when it happened is. C'mon, Mac, there is nothing such as witches."
Mac finally slowed the vehicle down when they reached the highway. Due to the heavy traffic, she couldn't get faster than 40 miles per hour, and Harm was just glad about it!
"Bud?" Mac uttered, quickly turning her glance back to the junior officer to tell Harm about his research.
"Sir, it was stated in ancient history that there indeed were people with certain powers that were not of human origin." Bud uttered on Mac's cue. "Some Indian and African tribes still believe in those powers. It is a combination of certain herbs and aphrodisiacs and your stage of mind."
"All right, Bud, I got the picture."
"Why don't you just talk to Lt. Plunken and hear what she has to say. Maybe you will think differently afterwards."
1604 ZULU
Day 2
CBC Administration
Gulfport, Mississippi
" I'm speechless." Mac uttered and closed the door to JAG's temporary office behind her.
"And we're helpless, ma'am." Bud countered, heading for one of the two desks in the room to claim it his.
"There is no way to make this fly." Harm sighed.
"You wanna drop it?"
"What's our argument? The Petty Officer couldn't say no because Chief Murker put a spell on her?" Harm chuckled sarcastically.
Mac started to get annoyed with her partner and rolled her eyes. Ever since she had picked them up from the airport, he had not taken this case as seriously as he should.
"Need I remind you that Navy policy requires all personnel to take seriously any charge of sexual assault?"
"But we don't have anywhere to begin this with."
"We better figure it out. I was sent down here because of Wicca's growing presence in the military."
"I got the same speech, Mac. The Navy wants to know if this is an isolated incident. Otherwise it has to reevaluate its policies on religious freedom."
Harm gave Mac the exact same speech the Admiral had given him the day before.
"So what do we have?"
"We have what you've given us. Chief Murker is friendly, accommodating and personally powerful."
"I'll go deeper." Mac uttered frustrated and turned to leave, but stopped when Harm spoke up.
"What if we go public with this? It could open a conversation within Wicca and something might fall out."
"Works for me."
"Bud, give me what you can find on these names."
Harm handed a paper over to Bud who nodded at him, willingly taking the paper, and eager to get at his work.
"Yessir. Oh, sir FYI, I found a case in the manual for courts martial that involved Santera and live chickens."
Harm and Mac shortly looked at each other before giving him an uncertain look.
"What?"
"More than I wanted to know, Bud." Harm chuckled and returned to his desk. "Meanwhile, I will drive to the place you Wiccans like to worship naked. Bud, call me when you are finished."
Grinning at Mac, he reached for his briefcase on the ground to retrieve his cell phone. Flipping it open, he noticed that he obviously had forgotten to charge it over night. The battery was empty.
"Damn."
"What's the matter?" Mac asked, leaning over the desk to take a look at Harm's cell.
"The battery is dead."
"You can use mine."
Harm grimaced before he took the cell phone Mac was handing him.
"But don't forget to give it back. You know where to find me."
"Thanks, Mac."
They shortly smiled at each other before Mac turned around and left the office.
1702 ZULU
Day 2
5 miles East of Gulfport, Mississippi
Mac's cell phone began to ring in Harm's breast pocket. Thinking it might be Bud with any news, he pulled to the side of the road and reached for the phone, flipping it open. Before he could answer, the penetrating voice of Mic Brumby rustled into his ear.
"Please, Sarah, before you say anything, hear me out. And don't hang up like last time, luv."
At first, Harm thought about letting Brumby know that it was not Mac on the phone, but then again, it sounded like she was mad at him for whatever reason - and he wanted to know why.
"I am sorry, luv," Mic rambled on, "I know I was not the gentleman you thought I were and I apologize. I love you, Sarah. I thought you did as well, so why did you send the ring back? What can I do to apologize for what I did? I was a jerk, I know, bloody hell, but you have to understand that I never had to deal with such a situation before. You can't blame me for not knowing, how could I? You should have told me."
Harm listened on. So that was why Brumby's ring was gone on Mac's finger. But what the hell had he done to piss her off like that? Why couldn't he mention even one word what he did? Cheated on her? Maybe even beat her? He quickly cast the latter aside. Whatever it was, it was enough for Mac to act strangely and not be herself, Harm had gathered that much just from talking to her that day and the day before.
"Sarah," he heard Brumby's annoying voice in his ear again, "I want you to come back to me so we can work this out. Come back to Australia please, and I will make it right. I know there certainly is no excuse for what I did, but I miss you. I can still smell you on the pillows, on the towels, on my clothes. I wake up to your scent, and go to sleep smelling it, but that's not what I want. I want to wake up with you in my arms and go to sleep after making love to you. I want to kiss that spot behind your ear that drives you crazy, I want to see you writhe under my touches, hear you moan and tremble when your orgasm catches you."
That was enough for Harm. The thought of Mic and Mac in bed alone made him sick, and his heart ache. This was enough to bare, he needed to put an end to it.
"You are sick, pal." Harm groaned into the receiver. A gasp on the other end showed him that Mic finally had noticed that it was not Mac on the phone, but Harm. "I give you some piece of advice. Leave Mac alone."
With that, he clicked off the phone and placed it back in his breast pocket.
"Dammit!" he cursed and bashed his fists on the steering wheel.
1932 ZULU
Day 2
CBC Enlisted Quarters
Gulfport, Mississippi
Harm knocked at the door of Mac's quarters. She immediately let him it, so nobody would see him waiting in front of her room.
"I just wanted to give you your cell back. Thanks for letting me use it." he smiled at her and handed her the phone.
"You're welcome." she replied shortly and placed it on her night stand.
"Anything else I can do for you?"
"I met a wildlife photographer out there. He told me he shot a couple of pictures of you Wiccans worshipping naked. He is going to hand them over to me as possible evidence."
"Oh, I bet you are very eager to get a hand on those." Mac replied annoyed and sat down on the bed.
She wasn't in the mood to talk and hoped Harm would get the hint. But instead of saying goodbye and leaving, he pulled up a chair in front of her and sat down.
"Mac," he started and picked up her hand to get her attention, "I know something is bothering you. Why don't you tell me?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." she answered, pulling her hand away from his, but he refused. Instead, he lifted it and held it in front of Mac's eyes.
"Where's the ring, Mac?"
"I took it off."
"Why?"
When Harm felt that Mac wasn't going to open up to him, he decided to tell her about Brumby's nice phone call a couple of hours earlier.
"There was a phone call for you while I had your phone. From Australia."
Mac's head snapped up to look at Harm surprised.
"What happened between Brumby and you that you sent the ring back?"
"Did he tell you that?"
"He thought it was you on the phone, and he didn't give me the chance to tell him until the very end of his minutes long monologue. Mac, what did he do to you?"
Mac got up from the bed and started to pace the floor.
"Nothing I wanna talk about."
"Did her hurt you? Mac, let me help you."
"Don't you understand that you can't help me, Harm?" she exclaimed. " What happened in Australia is something I don't wanna talk about, at least not yet. All I can tell you is that I realized Mic Brumby is not the man I thought he was."
"Mac, please, talk to me. I feel like whatever happened between you two is affecting your work, and I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Just when did you start caring for me?" she screamed, tears welling in her eyes.
"I always cared for you, Sarah, and I never stopped."
Harm reached out for her and pulled her into a tight hug, allowing her to cry into his chest. And for the first time since her return from Australia, Mac allowed herself to be weak and cry.
0232 ZULU
Day 3
Construction Battalion Center
Gulfport, Mississippi
Mac sat down on the stairs in front of Wicca's church, sighing. Whatever Murker had done to her during the ceremony had certainly disturbed her completely. Therefore she wasn't very pleased when he sat down next to her, but knowing that for Murker she was Chief Petty Officer Bonnie Johnson, she had to play on.
"What's your wish?" he asked, watching her place her cup of coffee down on the chairs.
"Ah, how did you know I was making one?" she played along.
"Up is where hope lives." Murker replied, and looked up at the stars like Mac had done a moment before.
Mac shortly smiled at him and nodded.
"So it's a guy?" he asked further, forcing Mac to chuckle nervously.
"All right, if you know so much, what was I wishing?" she finally countered.
Murker seemed to ignore her question. His eyes locked with Mac's, his hand reached for hers, and suddenly Mac didn't know anymore where Chief Petty Officer Bonnie Johnson ended and Lt. Col. Sarah Mackenzie started.
"You want to be with him?" Murker asked with a soft tone in his voice, trying to convince her to trust him and to answer him.
"Yes." Mac replied in a hushed whisper, unable to withdraw her hand from his.
She felt like she was paralyzed, not able to move, only able to answer everything he asked.
"But you can't." Murker probed further.
Mac shook her head, "No."
"Why?"
"He said he can't let go."
Mac broke eye contact with Murker and looked down at her hands. She had told him something about Sarah Mackenzie's life, and not Bonnie Johnson's. Her life was sacred and not subject to Wicca, so she hoped he wouldn't ask any further questions about her love life.
"Can I help?"
"What could you do?" she inquired, not sure if she even wanted to know.
"What would you like?"
Mac felt more and more uncomfortable with his line of questioning, and remembering that he had tried to come on to her the night before already, she knew she needed to break off this conversation immediately or she wouldn't be in control anymore. Something strange was happening to her, something she couldn't explain. But she was sure about one thing. Chief Petty Officer Murker was the source of it.
"Uhm, we're starting up again." she uttered awkwardly and raised from the stairs to go back inside, leaving Murker to himself.
1541 ZULU
Day 4
CBC Administration
Gulfport, Mississippi
Mac was sitting in a chair in front of Harm's desk, relenting last night's events to him and Bud.
"He tried to put a spell on me." she sighed, already knowing that Harm would take this the funny way.
"What did he do? Sprinkle ferry dust on you?" Harm chuckled, leaning against his desk.
"Salt water." Mac replied coldly, looking up at him. "And then when we went outside, he took my hand and..."
"You resisted, I assume."
"Yes, but someone weaker, younger and more naive may had a harder time. This guy is compelling."
"Mac, what kind of powers are we talking about anyway? Magical or personal? Because if he has only seduced Petty Officer Plunken, we can go home." Harm reasoned.
"He came on to me the night before too, Harm."
Too shocked to speak up immediately, Harm just stared at her. Why didn't she tell him? Why didn't she confide in him, her partner, and hopefully still her best friend.
"Ma'am, what happened last night? Was it after the ceremony?" Bud inquired.
Mac nodded, "Yes."
"Same as Petty Officer Plunken. Chief Murker doesn't have the ability to cast spells, but somehow, he convinced the Petty Officer that he does. The thing is if she really believed that she was incapable of saying no, that makes it rape. I mean you could directly compare that to being drugged or hypnotized. In each case the person is being denied their free will."
Surprised, Harm turned back to Bud, sitting in the chair behind the desk he was sitting on.
"What happened to Bud Roberts, the cold expert?" he inquired.
"Reminding himself that he is an attorney, sir."
Feeling that this conversation was going in the wrong direction, and obviously no one was really believing her, Mac rose from her chair frustrated and started pacing the floor.
"Lets not jump all over the concerned issue that you have to prove intend on the part of the accused that he expected the Petty Officer to resist but made her think that she couldn't so that he could take advantage of her."
"Anything further, counsellor?"
"Yeah, good luck." Mac replied sarcastically to Harm's cold question and left the office.
Harm shortly looked at Bud who shrugged his shoulders before he grabbed an envelope from the desk and rushed after Mac outside. Much to his relief, she was still inside the building when he caught up with her and nobody of Wicca would be able to see them talk.
"Mac, please, wait." he called and grabbed her by her upper arm, forcing her to stop.
"I thought you might wanted to have this. I didn't want it to appear as evidence."
Wordlessly, Mac took the envelope Harm was holding out to her and looked inside. It was a close up picture of her that obviously the wildlife photographer had taken when she was worshipping with Wicca.
"Thank you, Harm." she smiled lightly at him, knowing that he was withholding evidence by giving her that photo.
"Ever since you told me you had a tattoo, I was wondering where one could find it and what it was. I have to say, nice choice. Of both place and motive."
"Can we talk?" she suddenly asked.
Harm nodded silently, guiding her back to his temporary office. He gestured for Bud to leave them alone for a moment. After he had left, he offered Mac the same chair she had been sitting in before and slid a second one next to her, sitting down. Then he waited - waited for Mac to finally confide in him.
"There are things about me and my life that only you know of, Harm." she started. "There are only a few people who know I am an alcoholic, you being the only one at JAG who knows. One night back in Australia, Mic planned this candle light dinner for us and picked up a bottle of wine. He got really upset when I wouldn't touch it."
"Did he hurt you?"
Mac shook her head, "No, he didn't. I wanted to tell him that I was an alcoholic, but I didn't feel very comfortable. The next night, everything seemed to be forgotten when he told me he wanted to introduce me to some of his friends in a pub close to his bungalow. They had a good time reveling in old memories, and he had a couple of beer too many when he started that 'why I wouldn't touch anything else than water' line again. He was drunk and ordered a beer for me without asking. I told him I would not consider drinking it, so he tried to force me in front of his friends and all those people in the pub. I was so disgusted at that moment that I spit the beer at him. He took the beer bottle and hit it on the bar before he grabbed me by my upper arms and held the shattered bottle at my throat, letting me choose whether I would drink it on my own or if he had to force me."
"What did you do?"
"Smacked him and told him never to offer an alcoholic a beer if they said no. That shocked him. He dropped the bottle and staggered backwards, away from me like I had some contagious disease. Forcing me to drink I maybe could have forgiven him because he was drunk and I know how mean you can be, but his reaction to me being an alcoholic, that's something I can't ever forgive him. The very same night, I packed my stuff and left him. I spent the night at a hotel and took the first flight I could get back home to DC. I haven't spoken to him since then, and I don't intent to ever cross path with Mic Brumby again."
Mac was in tears by now, so Harm gathered her into his arms. If Mic Brumby hadn't been in Australia that very moment, he would have killed him for doing something like that to Mac.
"I am sorry to hear that, Mac." he uttered, choking on his words himself.
"Why didn't you come to me in the first place to tell me? I would have listened, and it would have made you feel better talking about it."
"This is certainly nothing you can tell the man you..." Mac stopped abruptly and pulled out of Harm's embrace, staring up at him with teary eyes.
"The man you consider your best friend?" he finished for her.
Mac nodded, seeing in his eyes that he knew what she was about to say but for her sake - for both their sakes, didn't say it. He knew deep in his heart that this was not the time to return to that same exchange of words which they had had back on the ferry. The wounds which they had inflicted on each other that night had not yet had time to heal fully. The return of their deep friendship had to come first. Deeper emotions would take more time.
With a gentle smile, he pulled her back into a hug, letting her know that her best friend was always there for her to listen. He was there for her with a shoulder to cry on, and he was there for her to comfort her from whatever bad in the world she suffered. He prayed to God that one day, their friendship would be like it had been before, Mac trusting him without a doubt, and no man standing between them.
2022 ZULU
Day 7
CBC Administration
Gulfport, Mississippi
" This court martial is adjured."
Harm rose from his chair, turning back to Mac behind him. She gave him a smile to let him know he had done good with this. Chief Petty Officer Murker was found guilty of sexual misconduct, and if it hadn't been for Harm and his cleverness to call Mac to the stand and have her relent Seaman Stork's experience with Murker to the jury, he probably would have walked out of the courtroom as a free man.
"You are going to pay for this, bitch!" Murker screamed in Mac's directions when two orderlies tried to escort him back to the brig from where he was being sent to jail.
Murker wriggled in their grasps, and before they could handcuff him, he sent one of them to the ground with a hard right hook. He immediately ducked away from the second guy, who was trying to get a firm grip on him and lunged for Mac.
Harm was paralyzed that very same moment. First, he saw Murker grabbing Mac, now he was holding her in front of him, a piece of his shattered water glass at her throat. Mic Brumby, that was the first thing that sprang to mind. Deja vue.
He was not there in Australia to help Mac when Brumby attacked her, but he was here now. He looked into the eyes of this usually strong Marine held at knifepoint in front of him, and what he saw was pure despair. Silently, she cried for his help, and whatever it needed him to get her away from Murker, he was ready to do it.
"Chief, this is not going to help you." Harm coaxed, trying to convince Murker with his soft voice to loosen his tight grip on Mac, but instead, he made it worse.
Murker just beared his teeth and nicked Mac's throat with the glass. Mac twitched her face painfully, stifling back a cry of pain. Her eyes slowly filled with tears which she desperately tried to hold back.
Seeing Mac like this made Harm's heart ache. What could he possibly do to help her? Blood was tripping down her throat, and he feared if he went for Murker, he would hurt her even more. Suddenly, his eyes focused on Bud standing about 4 yards behind Murker and Mac.
He waved his hand in the air, signaling for Harm not to give Murker any reason to suspect anyone was behind him and turn around. He was trying to make a move on the Chief Petty Officer, and if he was successful, Harm needed to catch Mac and take her to safety.
"Murker, attacking an officer will not help your situation, it will just worsen it." Harm carefully said, trying to find the right words as to not make him any angrier than he already was. "The Colonel was not the one prosecuting you, I was. Take me."
"No!" Murker screamed. "She may not have been the one prosecuting me, but she infiltrated Wicca! She betrayed my trust! And why should I take you if I can as well hurt you by hurting her?"
Those words stung Harm. If one thing of what Murker was saying was right, it sure was that if he wanted to hurt him, he needed to hurt Mac. It was that simple. But how did he know about that?
"Oh, you are wondering how I know about that, Commander?" Murker laughed evilly. "The Colonel and I had a nice little talk about the man she is in love with but can't be together with. It didn't take much thinking who that was once I found out she was not Chief Petty Officer Bonnie Johnson, just some time watching you two."
As Murker was rambling on about this issue, he loosened his grip on Mac and removed the glass piece from her throat, wagging it in the air in Harm's direction to get his point clear. This was Bud's time to act.
He reached for a chair next to him and lifted it in the air, aiming for Murker's back. He nodded, telling Harm to make his move for Mac. Murker didn't even know what came over him, when first Harm reached out for Mac's body, and then something hard came crushing down on his back, sending him to the ground out cold.
Bud smiled and admired his work shortly before he turned to the two people huddled on the floor next to him and knelt down.
"Are you all right?" he asked concerned.
"Call an ambulance!" he got in response from Harm.
When he looked closer, he saw that Harm was pressing his hand on Mac's throat, and she had turned white like a ghost. He looked up helplessly from his two best friends only to see that someone was already calling an ambulance with their cell.
2129 ZULU
Day 7
CBC Medical Clinic
Gulfport, Mississippi
Harm was waiting almost 30 minutes in the waiting room already, pacing the floor, making Bud dizzy just from watching him. The junior officer had given up telling him to sit down, the Commander wouldn't stop pacing until someone gave him any news on Mac.
His heart was aching, aching for Mac to be all right. And his mind was one big tohoowabohoo. Whenever his mind turned back to today's events, Murker's evil grinning face somehow turned into the face of Mic Brumby.
Mic Brumby, the guy who had told Mac he loved her, the guy who had wanted Mac to marry him, the guy who had held his best friend at knifepoint. He wished he could put his hands on his neck and choke the last bit of life out of this bastard, but for Mac's sake he was glad he was far, far away in Australia - glad that Murker was in the brig, otherwise he would have had the same fate than Mic Brumby.
"Commander Rabb?" a friendly smiling young woman asked and approached them.
Harm's head shot up when he heard his name being called. There were news about Mac.
"How's Colonel Mackenzie doing?" he inquired.
"She's lost some blood, and the cut on her throat looked more severe than it actually is. That's nothing a few days of rest can't cure. If there is anyone who can take good care of her for the next few days, we will discharge her later today. Otherwise, we will keep her at least over night."
"I can do that, doctor."
"I knew you'd say that." the young doctor smiled at Harm. "I will make the papers ready for you to sign. Please make sure she has the stitches removed in 7 days."
"Can I go see her?"
"Sure. She's been asking for you. Just go down that corridor, room 3."
Harm smiled his appreciation and thanks before he headed off to see Mac. He found her in the last cubicle, sitting up on the bed, her legs propped up. Her face lit up when she saw Harm.
Without saying anything, he sat down next to her and pulled her into a big hug.
"What was that for?" Mac asked after breaking the embrace.
"For seeing you are all right. I am so relieved. I think I had some sort of deja vue in the courtroom earlier."
"Not only you. I am glad you were there for me though."
"I am thankful I could."
With a smile on his face, Harm picked up her hand and cradled it in his.
"The doctor told me they would consider discharging you if I promise to take good care of you for the next few days and see to it that you take it easy and have those stitches removed in a couple of days."
When Mac started to object, Harm placed his index finger on her lips to still her.
"Best friends take care each other, Mac. Best friends help each other through bad times. Best friends are there to comfort each other, and best friends will listen. Best friends will never question any decisions made 'cause best friends only want to see each other happy. I never want you to forget that."
"Does this mean I have my best friend back?"
"You never lost him."
A smile formed on Mac's lips as well before she placed a kiss on his cheek and hugged him tightly. The feeling she thought she had lost months ago was back, the feeling that there was one person caring for her above all else - her best friend.