JAG A Rabb )(one shot)

They ran for cover as fast as they could, but they both knew it was futile. They had made Bud stay behind with the Gunny in the Humvee. Harm had ordered Mac to radio them to take cover. Mac ran ahead of him, something she found odd because she knew that Harm could run faster than her. Mac glanced behind her, Harm was running right behind her only a foot between them. Harm glanced at Mac, looking completely serious, before he motioned to a spot up ahead behind a rock. Mac nodded her head and changed direction towards it, Harm followed her. Harm immediately ordered mac to lay down and place her hands clasped behind her neck, being face down. Mac recognized the position as what you would do in a bear attack. Mac frowned, she took up most of the space behind the rock, what was Harm- Mac gasped slightly as Harm laid on top of her, carefully placing his body so that it covered Mac fully. He was taller and bigger than her so he did so easily. Mac noticed that Harm was holding up his weight so that he didn't hurt her with his weight.

"Harm-"Mac started about to protest but Harm interrupted her.

"Mac, it's my fault you're here, the least I can do is make sure you live through it" Harm said. Mac was confused. Admiral Chegwidden said he wanted her to come with Harm as his translator. What was Harm talking about? Suddenly they heard the bomb go off, they heard this roar and they could feel its blast trembling the earth. Mac felt Harm press against her tighter, his hands were helping cover her head. What was he doing? He needed to protect himself at least somewhat! Harm must have sensed her change from confused to worry because he lowered his head and kissed her on the cheek and whispered into her ear:

"I love you, my Marine" and then the world went black as the rock they were hiding behind 'disappeared'. The last thing Mac feel is Harm holding onto her.

…..

Bud and Gunny looked at each other before they both darted towards the direction in which Harm and Mac had walked off in. The blast had thrown them a few feet but other than that they were just fine. They scanned the area hoping to see their friends. They saw debris, parts of shattered rock and-

"THERE" Bud yelled pointing towards two bodies. Gunny made note that neither were moving. They took off as fast as they could toward them, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.

"Oh God" Bud gasp. Gunny can't blame him, he feels sick to his stomach. He carefully moves Harm, careful not to lay him on his back, just onto his side. He checks to make sure he's still alive…His pulse is weak but he's still alive. Bud's looking over Mac, she doesn't really look injured except for the fact that she has a cut on her forehead. Harm must have protected her.

"Homeland this is Chaos, how do you read, over" Gunny spoke into his radio. He kept his hand on Harm, to make sure he stayed on his side, and partially to fulfill the ridiculous notion that the man wouldn't die if he was touching him.

"Homeland to Chaos, clear read, over" A voice said. Gunny knew who the man was, he was friend of his that Harm had once cleared of a rape charge in Japan.

"Chaos to Homeland, we need a medevac for two injured. One is in critical condition. The other has been knocked out by a debris, injury is on her head, over" Gunny reported.

"Homeland to Chaos, clear copy, how is the LZ (landing zone), over" the voice asked all serious now, before it had been relaxed.

"Chaos to Homeland, condition of LZ is unknown. Suggested precaution is to consider hostiles approximately 1.5 clicks north of our location which is 4 clicks east of last reported location, over" Gunny said.

"Homeland to Chaos, clear copy. Stand by, over"

Gunny sighed.

"How is she, Bud?" Gunny asked Bud had just finished assessing Mac of any further injuries.

"She's fine. She had miner lacerations on her side, legs and her arms and head. My guess is, is that Harm…Commander Rabb laid on top of her and shielded her as best as he could. The blast had to move the Commander off of her slightly for her to suffer any wounds as all. Commander Rabb probably did his best to cover her. I mean, he had to be in a lot of pain before he was knocked unconscious." Bud said. Gunny frowned. He knew Bud and Harm were close, Bud was trying to distance himself from Harm so that if he didn't make it, it wouldn't hurt so much right off. Gunny shoot his head with a sigh.

"Harm…(Gunny paused and stared pointedly at Bud who looked away briefly) is going to have a lot to recover from if he makes it. His pulse is weak and his injuries are fatal. I've requested a medevac to come-"

"Homeland to Chaos, how you copy, over" a different, very familiar voice said into the radio.

"Chaos to Homeland, copy clear, is this-"

"Homeland to Chaos, Yes, I was in the area. Anyway, your request for a medevac has been approved, over" Webb stated.

"Chaos to Homeland, Fucking fantastic. What's the E.T.A on it? And why did it take so long for it to be approved, over" Gunny asked.

"Homeland to Chaos, E.T.A ten minutes if not sooner. The CIA had a satellite coming over your area. I had them scan the area to get an accurate assessment of condition for the LZ. You have hostiles coming from the West and the North. You're looking at about thirty hostiles coming at you, we estimate they're at least twenty minutes out. In any case, you are advised by intelligence to switch your weapons to condition one, shoot anyone you see, they've been declared as hostiles. How…how are they, over" Webb asked. Gunny paused, he knew that Webb cared deeply for Harm and Mac, despite him trying not to show it, it slipped through with his actions.

"Chaos to Homeland, The Colonel will be fine, she's been knocked out by some debris. The Commander covered her from the bomb blast…he's barely hanging on. It's not looking good for him. Advise the medevac that the Commander cannot be laid on his back, only his left side or on his stomach, everywhere else is either burned or is too injured for his body weight to be rested on, over" Gunny ordered. There was a pause before Webb came back over com.

"Homeland to Chaos, clear copy. Medevac is being informed as we speak…"(Webb trailed off.)

"Chaos to Homeland, The Commander isn't going to die, I'll promise you that, over" Gunny promised.

"Homeland to Chaos, don't make promises you can't keep. Besides, I believe the Commander…is too pig headed to die unless he's flying. Be advised that hostiles are closing into your location. They should be at your location in about three minutes. Medevac is almost there. Be prepared, how you copy, over" Webb told them reading a note that the normal radio guy handed him.

"Chaos to Homeland, I copy just fine, shame it's not accurate (gun shots can be heard) Lt. drag her behind that fucking rock, I'll cover you) Leave it to military intelligence to be fucking late or wrong. Wait one, over" Gunny yelled into the radio.

Gunny looked down at Harm and grimaced, if the man was awake, this was going to hurt like hell.

"I'm sorry, sir" Gunny whispered to the man. Bud started to provide cover fire so Gunny hauled the larger man over his shoulder, blood pooling his uniform and dripping down onto his neck, face and chest. Gunny tried not to pay attention to it, tried not to let it bother him, but this was man he trusted, his friend and under conditions they've had to get through together, his fucking brother. Gunny ran to cover with his brother on his shoulders, firing his weapon briefly, toward another location near Bud.

"Are you hit?" Gunny yelled to Bud when he saw blood on his arm.

"Yeah, I got shot in arm, just a craze though, I'll be fine, what about you?!" Bud asked. Gunny assumed that Bud saw him when he was running over.

"No I'm fine, sir" Gunny informed. Gunny, from his place could see Bud clearly and he noted that Bud didn't look like he believed him. Why the fuck would he lie?

"It's not my blood, sir, it's Harm's" I told him. Gunny saw Bud punch the rock, his face showed how angry he was. Gunny was pleased though. An officer that never saw combat kneeled in front of his fallen comrade while continuously peeking out and ducking back under cover to monitor the hostiles location, firing his rifle when he could, while keeping updated on everyone's condition.

"Gunny, get on the radio, tell them that the LZ is hot. Hostiles are grouping together like fucking sheep, tell them to fucking shoot them before coming to get us!" Bud ordered him. Gunny smirked, they needed more officers like him, but he supposed Bud got it from the Colonel and the Commander, after all they were his mentors.

"Yes, sir" Gunny affirmed. Gunny pulled the radio off his back and pulled the phone off.

"Homeland this is Chaos, how you copy" Gunny yelled over the gun fire. Bud shot off more gun fire, he saw three fall, DAMN that doesn't normally happen!.

"Chaos this Homeland, we read loud and clear, over" A voice that was not Webb's answered, but Gunny was sure that Webb was still there.

"Homeland this is Chaos, Lt. Roberts orders you to inform the Medevac to shoot hostiles six hundred yard to our Northern position, before coming to get us, how you copy, over"

"Homeland to Chaos, copy good, wait one…Medevac is about to blow those fuckers up, over" Gunny sighed in relief but noticed that a hostile popped up two hundred yards with an RPG.

"RPG, get down" Gunny shouted just in case as he shot at the man. Bud covered Mac with his body as he took cover. Gunny kept shooting, finally hitting the man and started to pick off the others taking careful aim.

"Bud, we're clear, Medevac should be here any sec." Gunny shouted over to him. Bud got up and started to fire his rifle as well, more or less making some take cover so that he could pick off the standing ones with better aim, you can only do so much while behind cover.

"Homeland to Chaos, how you copy, over" A voice said. Gunny picked up his radio after he signaled to Bud who just started to provide cover fire so they weren't over run.

"Chaos to Homeland, clear copy, over" Gunny said.

"Two tomcats have been deployed towards your location. Medevac experienced other hostiles, they are waiting for the tomcats to take care of the problem. ETA for tomcats is four minutes. Can you hold off hostiles, over" The voice said. Gunny froze briefly before swearing.

"What happened?" Bud asked.

"Medevac has to wait for tomcats to clear the area before coming, sir" Gunny answered. Bud glanced at Mac and Harm for a second. Gunny wasn't sure what he was thinking. Bud looked around as if he was tracing a route behind him.

"Chaos to Homeland, copy clear, wait one, over" Gunny said into the radio.

"If we stay here, we'll be over run. We're running out of ammo to hold them off…we need to get to the Humvee, we can hold them off there" Bud said. Gunny frowns.

"We won't be able to carry them to the Humvee without getting killed, sir" Gunny points out. When he see's no change of expression on Buds face, he knows that he already knows this.

"Which means that we have three options to choose from. Option one, one of us leaves here, runs to the Humvee and carries the ammo box back. Option two, we both leave here, run to the Humvee and hold cover there. Option three, we both stay here until we're either over runned or the medevac comes." Bud says.

Gunny can tell that if he wants to do option one, he'd be the one to go. He wasn't hurt and he was a faster runner. Option two, Harm and Mac are left behind to die or be captured but it was their best chance for survival and likely the only one. Option three was really the only one that made sense to him as a Marine-

"Marine's don't leave their own behind, sir, dead or alive!" Gunny yells to him. Bud nods his head.

"Good, neither do I" Bud yells back. Gunny knew, that this was no lie.

"Chaos to Homeland. We're likely going to be over runned or run out of ammo before the time medevac gets here, over" Gunny answered. Neither Gunny or Bud stopped firing their weapons, they tried to be a bit more precise in their aim but they had to randomly shoot so that they could hold them back.

"Homeland to Chaos, do you have any way to take cover and hold the enemy off for a longer amount of time at a different location, over" A new voice said. Gunny was a Marine, he didn't lie.

"Chaos to Homeland, Yes, but it requires we leave our wounded behind. We'd have to run back to our Humvee which is about 3 clicks (about three football fields away?) in open territory behind us, over" Gunny replies. Bud, Gunny can tell, is half way listening to the conversation.

"Homeland to Chaos, I order you to take that chance. Try to use cover as much as you can, how you read, over" Gunny stared at the radio in anger and disbelief.

"Chaos to Homeland, we read you, wait one, over" Gunny replies.

"Lt, we've been ordered to take option two, sir" Gunny yells. Gunny feels a jolt when Bud just stared at him with a raised eyebrow. Suddenly we both look to Mac she starts to come to. Bud helps her sit up and starts to talk to her. Gunny watches her look sharply to Harm who he's guarding and keeping on his stomach for now. Bud hold her down to keep her from running over to him, for which Gunny is grateful. She really shouldn't see him, it wasn't because of her being a female, the mere fact was, was that it was brutal and he barely was stomaching it. Gunny shoots a man three hundred yards away, he can see that they're about to be over runned. Gunny glanced at Mac and Bud again about to tell them, but he sees Mac picking up her rifle that was still attached to her by the strap and she starts to fire, her face full of rage. Gunny and Bud raise their eyebrows in surprise, every time she shoots, she hits her mark.

"Gunny give me that radio" Mac yells to him as she switched places with Bud.

"Yes, ma'am" Gunny yells to her. He grabs the radio and carefully tosses it to her. She takes the phone and yells into so that even Gunny can hear.

"Homeland this Chaos, I don't know who the hell you think you are ordering me to leave my wounded behind but let me inform you, you can eat the shit from the Presidents ass for all I care, but WE ARE MARINES and A NAVY OFFICER of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, WE DO NOT LEAVE OUR COMRADES BEHIND EVEN IF THEY ARE DEAD. YOUR ORDER IS UNLAWFUL IN THIS MARINES EYES AND I AM QUALIFIED TO MAKE SUCH ASSESMENT BECAUSE I AM A JAG OFFICER. GET ME MY FUCKING MEDEVAC HERE TO SAVE MY WOUNDED, GET THOSE FUCKING FIGHTER PILOTS HERE TO DO THEIR JOB! I DON'T GIVE A GOD DAMN WHAT RANK YOU ARE, IF YOU DO NOT DO AS I ORDERED, AND WE FUCKING LIVE THROUGH THIS, I PROMISE YOU AS A MARINE, YOU WILL REGRET IT! How do you copy, over" Mac yelled. Gunny and Bud jaws drop in shock, even though they can't live it long. Mac didn't have time to listen for a reply, and briefly, both men wondered if she even cared. Mac tossed the radio back to Gunny and for him to listen as she started to cover fire for him.

"I repeat, this is Assassin To Chaos, over" new voice said.

"Chaos to Assassin, go ahead, over" Gunny said.

"Assassin to Chaos, we just received an order from SecNav, we have just sent fighter pilots to your location and two black hawks. Black hawks are equipped with medical equipment for all of you. ETA for fighter pilot is three minutes. After the fighter pilots come through the black hawks will land in the LZ. We request that you continue to be on alert for any the fighter pilots miss. Load your most critical first! How you copy, over" The voice staid. Gunny sighed in relief though he felt angry.

"Chaos to Assasin, copy good. What the hell happened to the medevac and original fighter pilots, over" Gunny couldn't help but ask even though he really didn't have the time.

"Homeland to Chaos, they were ordered to stand down and return to base, over" The other voice said.

"Assassin to Chaos, from what I heard whoever was on the radio before caught the attention of a senior officer who was on deck at Homeland, he went above the guy's head and ordered us to react. Here we are, Marines and Navy being saved by the Air Force, you're so welcome, over" Gunny was about to reply but a voice below him got his undivided attention.

"Bet..he's... on a Navy...ship" Harm whispered making himself loose his breath.

"Sir! Ma'am, Harms conscious!" Gunny yelled. Harm forced his eyes open. He was in so much pain, he remembered what happen which surprised him. Most people forget, so why not him?

"What?!" both officers shouted. Harm turned his head towards them and a small smile appeared. They were alive, thank god. He saw them duck when bullets hit the rock. He looked back to Gunny, he was peeking over the rock.

"How many left?" Harm asked in bad grammar. Gunny ducked back behind the rock and looked at him as he reloaded his rifle.

"About fifteen, sir." Gunny answered. Harm sighed.

"Close?" he asked. Gunny nodded.

"If I threw a rock, I'd hit them" Gunny replied looking a little anxious. Harm groaned and closed his eyes, the pain he was feeling all over his body was starting to get to him.

"Turn me over. Left pouch, belt, grenades" Harm bit out. Gunny looked at him. Harm was currently on his stomach, his back was the main part of his body that looked like it received the most damage. If Gunny obeyed the order, he would cause Harm-

"Do it Gunny" Harm said softly. Gunny gulped and looked toward Mac and Bud, hoping that one of them would order him not to, but both were preoccupied. Suddenly Harm laughed softly. Gunny snapped his gaze back to his brother.

"I'm afraid…of feeling the pain I'm about to feel when you turn me over. If I cry Gunny, you won't tell will you?" Harm asked taking a breath for each word. Gunny stared at him for a long few second before closing his eyes.

"Of course not, sir" Gunny promised. Harm sighed before nodding his head. Gunny hesitantly gripped onto Harm before quickly turning him over. Harm screamed in pain, gaining Buds and Macs attention. Gunny could see tears falling from Harms eyes as he scrambled to get the Grenades from Harms belt. He sat them off to the side before quickly pulling Harm onto his side. Harms breathing was frantic. Gunny watched him carefully, Harm was about to pass out from the pain but he managed to grip Gunny and pull him forward and whisper something to his ear. Gunny nodded, his face full of pain but determination as he drew away from him.

Gunny grabbed one of the grenades. He peeked out and saw ten left, they were spread out into and closing in on them. He wasn't joking when he said he could throw a rock and hit them. He pulled the pin, counted to three and threw it towards a group of them. Bud saw it land at the feet of one of the men who smiles and picked it up quickly and moved to throw it back at them. However, it blew up in the man's outstretched hand. Bud gave a quick nod to Gunny. Six hostiles left. Mac shot one of them that was running and yelling at them. Her bullet went right through the man's head, blowing a chunk of it off. It didn't seem to faze her much, Gunny noted. Gunny grabbed the last grenade and tossed it over to Bud who had a better angle than he did. Bud shifted his gun behind him onto his back and took the grenade into his right hand. He peeked out but quickly ducked went bullets sprayed the rock. Mac peeked out.

"They're about fifteen yards at my one o'clock" Mac informed him. Bud nodded his head and pulled the pin. Gunny and Mac provided him with cover while he stood up and threw the grenade and immediately crouched back down. A few seconds later it went off. Gunny peeked out.

"Oh shit" Gunny said. He motioned for them to stay down.

"We've cleared about thirty hostiles. Problem, we have major incoming hostiles from over the ridge at our twelve, ten, and two o'clock. I only have one clip left and my mag only a fourth full, Ma'am" Gunny said addressing Mac for she was senior. Bud didn't seem to care about that though.

"I'm on my last clip, it's half full, ma'am" Bud reported. Mac nodded her head. She pulled out two clips from her belt and handed Bud one and threw Gunny one.

"Does Harm have any on him?" Mac asked Gunny. Gunny shook his head.

"It fell out…when I picked him up. We were taking fire and we had no cover-" Mac cut him off with a wave of his hand. Gunny took it wrong and grounded out 'No excuse, ma'am'

"Well, it's a good thing it was reason, Gunny"

Gunny stared at her for a second. Mac took a deep breath.

"Get on the radio Gunny, inform them of our current condition." Mac ordered.

"Ma'am?" Gunny asked. Mac peeked out from behind the rock.

"Tell them that we'll be out of ammo in thirty seconds of a firefight, that we'll be over runned in two minutes." Mac informed. Bud whipped his face.

"You know, ma'am, I really think I hate this fucking place." Bud tells Mac. Gunny laughs as he calls in the information.

"You mean the sand, the heat, or the people trying to kill us, Lt?" Mac asked him.

"Is there an option 'd. all of the above' ma'am?" Bud asked. Mac laughed.

"Ma'am, they're in shooting distance of our rifles" Gunny informed.

"Don't open fire yet, Gunny. We don't have enough ammo for it. Actually, we don't have enough men to even be in a fire fight like this. Four soldiers go to a war zone to investigate a friendly fire accident. Four soldiers leave base to go out on a report that a witness is willing to come forward in the matter. The Battalion Commander refuses support but tell them they are clear to leave the base in an open Humvee if they'd like. So they do, and you know what happens?" Mac asks, both men just stare at her.

"Both senior officers discover that it was set up, a bomb is set up in the fake witnesses' home. Senior officer orders the other to radio to the others to take cover behind the Humvee, hoping like hell that they'd be alright. Then the senior officer of the two orders that she take point in their position using that he could catch up to her in case he needed to slow down and cover fire if there was any hostiles still in the area. So the officer obey the order. So the two officers are running like mad, both of them know its futile, their survival is slim. The bomb was packed with enough explosive material to blow up five city blocks! Suddenly the senior motions in a direction for them to take cover… behind a rock. Their time was running out, they knew they couldn't make it back to the Humvee in time, even though it was 3 clicks away. Senior officer order the other to lay down on her stomach, clasp her hands behind her neck… and then…the senior lays down on top of her (Bud briefly thinks she sounds like a rape victim, but he knows that she wasn't and the after math is a bit worse in his opinion). Now the lower ranking officer knows what he's doing, she tried to tell him that he needs to take cover, to at least try to protect himself from the blast! You know what he says?" Mac ask but they shake their heads. Mac peeks behind the rock and she grips her rifle.

"He says 'it's my fault you're here, the least I can do is get you out of here alive.' And then right before the bomb goes off he whispers into my ear…' I love you, my marine'." Mac trails off, tears roll down her face and neither men blame her. Harm finally tell Mac how he feels and he's in a fatal condition for protecting Mac. They knew that had Harm not shielded Mac and tried to take cover, they'd bother me dead or in the same condition that Harm is in now.

"We won't die without a fight, ma'am." Bud promises.

"Even if we die, ma'am, you know that our bodies will eventually return home." Gunny says. Mac smiles as she remembers something.

"Do either of you remember what Harm said when he was officially given his rank of Commander?" She asked them suddenly. She knew the hostiles were around 400 yards of them.

"He swore to protect those under his command, through the politician's bull shit, through a war zone if he had to" Bud said nodding. Gunny grinned.

"Let this be my oath, an oath to those who serve in my command…" Gunny started the speech Harm gave to the whole office.

"I am given command of you as a naval officer. I swore and swear to uphold the constitution of the United States, to obey all orders given to me by my seniors as long as they are lawful in accordance to military justice…"Bud continues.

"But I will never leave a man behind in hostile activity, not in foreign or domestic territory, whether they are dead or alive, not while I am able to bring them with me with the safety of my men. If I am forced to leave a fallen comrade, I will do everything in my power to retrieve them…or their bodies. I will disobey any orders telling me to a leave them behind." Mac said. They all gripped their rifles and yelled the last part of the speech they were reciting.

"I will die if I must, to defend my men, I do not want men dying to protect me. If I am forced into a position to where my men shield me from danger, while I was able to switch places with them or order their escape, I will resign my commission. If I and my team are over run by the enemy, I will do my best to secure their safety before my own. If I have wounded, and my team decides to disobey orders to stay and give them a fighting chance, then I will stand in front of them and the enemy and I will yell to them 'I am the shield, you be the sword'." They yelled as they opened fire on the hostiles. Gunny stood in front of Harm who was unconscious, he didn't know that he was stepping on the button on the phone, that the radio man on both coms had plugged him into their speakers and that over six hundred me heard them and were either yelling in allegiance to the words or saluting.

Bud was the first to fall, he was shot in the shoulder and leg. Mac fell next, a bullet hit her abdomen just as she ran out of ammo. Gunny tried to keep up with the force he was facing but he ran out of ammo so he started to curse very loudly at them

"You fucking fuck tard, hurry the fuck up so I can stab you to death!" Gunny yelled chucking rocks at them. They were too far to actually hit them though. Suddenly he yelled in pain as a bullet him in his shoulder. Gunny fell right beside Harm. He was face to face to him. Gunny pulled his knife out and gripped it in his hand. He wasn't about to die while he could fight. Apparently Bud and had the same thought. Even Mac who was currently bleeding out sat up.

"MI wrong again" Gunny yelled.

"They're always wrong Gunny" Mac yelled to him as she pressed her hand over her abdomen.

"Well, since we're going to die, I just wanted to say, you all are my family." Bud said.

"Same here" Mac told him. Gunny nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad that…I chose JAG over infantry" Gunny said suddenly.

"Why's that?" Bud asks. Gunny smiled.

"I'm fucking afraid" Gunny yells as if it's the most funny thing in the world.

"Yeah…me to" A voice says. The three of them look to Harm whose awake for the moment, he doesn't look to be in any kind of pain.

"Sir!?" Gunny yells confused. Harm looks towards Mac and Bud before turning back to Gunny.

"I'm going into shock, Gunny." Harm says simply.

"WHAT, but-" Bud yells but Harm cuts him off. He starts to stand, and he grimaces.

"Sir, you have to stay down!" Gunny yells to him. Harm takes his pistol out from its holster.

"Gunny, get over to Mac and Bud, this covers almost shot down" Harm orders.

"Sir?" Gunny asks. Harm motions his head toward where Mac and Bud are. Their cover is bigger than his and sturdier. Gunny moves to take ahold of Harm, to help him but Harm shakes his head. Gunny's eyes widen, as does Bud's and Mac's.

"But sir-"

"Go Gunny." Harm says softly. Harm lied about going into shock, he felt the pain, the truth was, was that he's lost so much blood that he was too tired to express it. Harm need to draw the fire of the enemy, to give them a target to shoot at while he made them run to the Humvee. It was their only chance at survival.

"What do you plan on doing Harm?" Mac yelled. Harm smiled at her. He peeked over the rock, they were firing away at the rock, destroying it.

"When I draw their fire, go cover to cover to the Humvee. Once you are there, leave as fast as you can back to base." Harm ordered. The three of them just stared at him.

"Harm, are you out of you fucking mind!" Mac yelled at him, she wasn't obeying that order. Harm stared at her. He could see the defiance in her eyes as well as Gunny's and Bud's.

"Mac…I love you, how the hell am I supposed to move on in the afterlife if you don't live? Bud, you still have Harriet and baby AJ to go home to. Gunny, you and Bud are my friends and brothers, I'm your superior officer, there's no way I'm going to let you guys die when there's a chance for you guys to live!" Harm says truthfully. Not one of them spoke, Harm never revealed his feelings to them, not anyone. Harm nodded once he saw that they'd listen to him.

"Gunny, help Bud. Mac, take point. You're more likely to fall behind because of being shot in the abdomen. I said take point, I didn't say not to cover their sixes" Harm orders, his voice full of authority, not a trace of being hurt in his voice. Maybe that's what got them to listen…Harm was focusing the attention to their own wounds and that of each other, instructing them, and giving them orders, which way to take and what covers they could use, without letting them hear or even think about the pain he was in or the fact that they were to leave him behind to die.

"Ready?" Harm asks them. They looked at him, pain and regret and tears in their eyes. But they nodded their heads. Harm nodded in return. Harm tossed his 9mm to Mac, she understood…unfortunately, she would have more use for than he would.

"GO!" Harm ordered sending them running. Harm darted off in the opposite direction, towards the enemy making them target him instead. Harm was rather amused, there was a shit load of them and they can't shoot at in different directions. He slid behind a boulder that looked like it was going to crumble on its own if a twig hit it, let alone a bullet. He glanced towards where they should be, they were already half way there, damn Marines fucking move fast! Harm noticed that there attention was shifting from him to them when they were spotted. Harm took off towards them, there was no more places for him to take cover. This was it, he was going to fucking die, he just hoped that they would live. He saw at least a hundred men in garbs firing at him. They really have bad aim, Harm thought as he continued to run. He stole a glance behind him, he couldn't see them at all. They got to the Humvee! Harm reached one of the men, he took ahold of the AK he had and used it to hit the man sending him stumbling to the ground. He fired the weapon into the crowd that was running and shooting at him. Harm made a quick decision as the man who he just knocked over had recovered. Harm took ahold of him and maneuvered him into a position so that he was covering a good portion of himself. A few bullets hit the man, killing him. Harm supported the man's weight, still using him as a shield. It didn't last long though, he was already, he assumed fatally, hurt, he dropped the man. As soon as he did that he was shot in the thigh, sending him to his knees. Suddenly he heard no more gunfire. A man in a black garb marched up to him and stared at him angrily. Harm squinted at him through the sun. He licked his bloody lips.

"He was my brother!" the man snarled. Harm did his best at a shrug.

"He was shot by your men, perhaps you should yell at them" Harm says.

"You used him as a shield!"

"Well your men were shooting at me" Harm said obviously. The man sneered and pointed his gun at him.

"You will die American" the man said. Harm grinned.

"True, but not before you" Harm said pulling the trigger on the AK that they hadn't taken from him. The bullets hit the man in the chest. Everyone was frozen in place as the man finally hit the ground, dead. Harm didn't have such problem he began shooting them. As a human who has never been in a ground combat zone, who's never experienced killing a man so close like he was, he should feel…something. So, after killing as many men as he had so far at a close proximity like he was, seeing the effect, the damage and death he was dealing out, wasn't he feeling any remorse for them. Killing was bad, that is what he grew up believing. Here he was killing men left and right, not regretting it. The only thing he could think of was, at least he was killing so that his friends could live. Maybe that was why he didn't regret killing…and dying. Because he was doing so for his friends. He fell to the ground again, he just got shot in the shoulder. The force of the bullet forced him down. He yelled as he felt the bullet tear through his muscle. Wait! Why didn't he feel the bullet do the same to his thigh? That wasn't good. He couldn't get up again, he body was working but he noticed that his back, sides and his legs were numb, he couldn't feel them…but he could still use them. He frowned the AK ran out of ammo so he dropped it. He closed his eyes and took a breath. He heard bullets being fired…but they didn't hit him. He opened his eyes and saw a something that made his heart race. A Blackhawk helicopter was firing into the crowd. He turned his head in time to see a Humvee speed towards him. He frowned. They had planned on coming back for him all along, they suck at obeying orders! He shouldn't feel relieved; they were supposed to leave to safety not come back for him. He was dizzy, he was surprised that he was alive with his injuries. He knew his back, legs and arms were burnt like a roasted marshmallow with lacerations on his entire body from debris that the bomb blast blew.

"HARM!?" he heard Mac yell but Gunny motioned for her to stay still.

"Sir" Gunny called to him climbing out of the Humvee and running towards him. The Blackhawk kept the hostiles at bay by shooting them. Gunny scanned him over. Harm grinned.

"Hurry up and wait…I think they…should have…just hurried up" Harm gasp. Blood was causing him to choke. Harm swallowed the blood as best he could. He was breathing shallowly. He's been shot and blown up.

"Sir, the other Blackhawk is landing, its going to take us, you're going to be fine, sir" Gunny told him. Harm stared at him for a second. He looked towards Mac as she and Bud crouched beside him.

"I love you" He said in one breath. Mac was crying.

"I love you too, Harm" Mac told him. Harm gave Gunny a pointed look, Harm saw the tears roll down the man's face.

"I will, don't worry" Gunny said. Harm nodded slightly.

"Harm…please don't die, sir" Bud said, tears of his own falling. Harm stared at him for a second.

"I always…thought…I'd die…flying." Harm admitted. No one spoke at first.

"You're not dead yet, Harm" Mac pointed out. Harm smiled at her. She had a point.

"Not…everyone…gets to see…an..angel…before they…die" Harm manages. It was really hard not to drift into the darkness that kept clouding his vision. Mac reaches out and hold Harms face.

"Not everyone gets to know one either" Mac redirected. Harm smiled.

"Not everyone gets the honor of working and fighting for a man who's willing to sacrifice himself for his friends" Gunny added.

"…It is an honor to work with you, sir. I'll follow you anywhere" Bud says honestly.

"…It's a good way….to die…I think" Harm says his eyes closing and his breathing stops just as the medic arrives. They move away from him so that they can work on him. They yelled his name, as if it would bring him back. They heard large explosions to their left and they looked. The fighter pilots just took out more hostiles a further distance away, but they could still feel the heat and the change in wind direction. They looked back at Harm when the medic yelled for the other medic to help him with placing Harm on the stretcher.

"Is he alive?" Mac asked hopefully and fearfully. The medics looked at her seriously and nodded.

"Just. We need to get him to the base, I don't think we'll be able to stabilize him. We need to leave immediately, lets go" the medic informs. They all nod. After Harm is transferred onto the stretcher, each of them grab onto a handle and help the Medics carry Harm onto helicopter. After Harm is secured, the lead medic kept doing things to him, injecting him with fluids and such. The other medic was hooking them up and applying first aid to them, she looked surprised at them.

"What is it?" The lead medic asks. The medic taking care of them goes over to him and whispers something to him who stares at them with a frown. The three of them watch as the lead medic switches places with the other and comes over to them. He exams each of them and adjust a few things but he too is stunned. They notice that he's a little pale.

"Well?" Gunny ask.

"You all should be dead, especially the commander! You should have bled out, your way below the level of blood of what a human body should be capable of functioning. Yet here you are not only alive but conscious. That goes for all of you, with your injuries, your bodies should have…you should be dead." The lead medic said. The three glanced at each other.

"Act of God?" Bud says with a shrug. Everyone shrugged.

"It'll be an act of God if Harm lives" Mac said leaning back. Bud stared at her before he looked towards Harm. Gunny licked his lips.

"He told me when he gained consciousness the first time, to stay low, to shoot first, die last and kick some ass" Gunny says suddenly.

"He said, that he wouldn't let me live it down if Bud got more kills than me. He said the Marine Corp would have to admit that the Navy outdid two Marines…and that they'd be in the lead." Gunny finished staring at Harm. Mac stared at him before cracking a smile.

"It made me feel better. If he wasn't scared…if an officer in the navy who works in a court room wasn't scared, than why should I be?" Gunny asks.

"Because Harm shoots semi-automatic machine guns in a court room" Bud says. Mac and Gunny laugh. The medics watched Harm but listened to the others. They were curious about this man that lingered so close to death.

"What is the condition of our passengers, over?" The pilot asks over the com. everyone stops talking and the lead medic shakes his head.

"They're all in critical condition, ma'am. This commander that we saw coming in playing Rambo is the most serious. We lost him once so far but he's not stable either. The other three are stable but they can easily slip into critical. They should all be dead with their injuries, it's a miracle they're not. I ask that you request immediate evac be waiting for us when we land." The medic replied.

"I already have that done when we saw Rambo. What that guy's name?" The pilot asks. The lead medic looks towards the other who is by 'Rambo'. The medic picked up the dog tags and squinted.

"I can't read his tags, the blood is coated on it, sir"

"His name is Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. Naval officer" Mac said into the com, she looked out the door. They felt the helicopter jerk a little.

"Commander?" the co- pilot asks.

"Sorry about that Lt… I know the Commander. Colonel Mackenzie, it's good to know that you were one of the people to guard Harm's six down there" The captain says seriously.

"It was mutual, Commander Skates. It's good know that you're the one to fly the helicopter to save his six…" Mac says a little amused.

"Commander SKATES?!" Bud yells.

"Hey Bud!" Skates says grinning from her seat.

"What happened to flying tomcats, ma'am?" Bud asks her.

"I still fly. I switch my MOS to this. I keep up my quails though." Skates answered.

"Why'd you switch ma'am" Gunny asks, knowing both Mac and Bud wanted the answer. Skates was silent for a minutes.

"Harm didn't tell you… he's such a good man" Skates sighed.

"Tell us what?" Mac asks.

"I…got into some trouble. The CAG was secretly taking parts of my craft. Essential parts my craft needed to fly. I wasn't the pilot, I'm don't have to check the craft over (I don't know if they do or don't so…). The pilot does it, always. Well one day, the lack of parts took it's toll. We enter a tail spin, my pilot can't get control so he orders us to eject. But my seat doesn't eject…I'm stuck. We were only a few hundred yards when we entered the spin, so when the craft finally hits the water it doesn't explode… We were about to land you know. That's why we were so close to the water. But we were also close to the ship. The craft hits right before the ship. My aircraft is sinking, I'm stuck in my seat and I can hear the crew on deck yelling. I can make out their faces and the one I didn't see was Harm. I didn't see him on deck and at first think I think, he doesn't want to see me drown." Skates trails off laughing.

"Where was he ma'am?" Bud asks.

"Bud, think about it, this is Harm" Mac says smiling amused.

"That's right Colonel…Harm had jumped off the ship's deck and was swimming towards me. By the time he cut me lose, we were both under water. I'm not a good swimmer and I started to panic. Harm wrapped his arm so that my head was gripped under his arm and he swam us both towards the surface. We were so far under that I didn't even know which what WAS up. I ran out of breath before we even got to the surface. Harm and lifted me up and pressed his mouth, closed my nostrils with his hand, and he forced his air into me and then he swam harder, after he gripped onto me again. When we surfaced, Harm had swallowed so much water than when were pulled onto the helicopter, he was vomiting water and choking on it at the same time. I was perfectly fine, just a few bruises from the crash and Harm was sent immediately to the sick bay. He had to stay there twelve hours. He was mad about that." Skates finishes her tale.

"Why would he be mad?" Gunny asks. Mac was smiling.

"Harm hates hospitals. He says that doctors are like talking textbooks, the nurses hit on him and the smell is always the same that they should see about getting it copy righted." Mac answers. Gunny smiles.

"He sounds like a good man" The lead medic says. To be honest, the man sounds like a takes a lot of chances to still be alive.

"The admiral says he thinks Harm has a death wish, he takes to many chances." Bud says suddenly to the lead medic as if tracing his thoughts.

"Is the Admiral wrong?" The co-pilot asks.

"No…"Bud admits but he smiles. "He's right, I think, on him taking to many chances. He plays with death like a child will play with a snake. A child doesn't have the same fear we adults have on the mere fact that they aren't taught to. The child sees a snake, he's curious, so he plays with it. But unlike the child, when the snake strikes and causes the child to fear it and avoid it, Commander Rabb continues to play with death, no matter how many times death strikes" Bud says.

"So he likes the thrill of it?" The lead medic asks curious. However all three of his patients shake their heads.

"No, Commander Rabb is afraid of dying. His fear is that he'll do the same thing his father did to him and his mother, he doesn't want anyone who knows him to go through that." Mac informs.

"One time, when Commander Rabb and I were TAD on the USS Montana, the CAG and he were thrown overboard. The CAG couldn't swim well and he panicked. He tried to climb on top of Harm, causing the commander to go under water. Everyone on deck was yelling at the CAG to get off of him, telling to grab onto the pole that we were holding down for him. But the CAG, wouldn't, his focus was to remain on top of Harm. A minute later the only thing we see is the CAG holding his nose and Harm holding onto him, keeping him above water. Harm grabs onto the pole, we pull him up and then we go back to the CAG who began to panic again. Harm had punched the CAG, broke his nose, blood was just everywhere. Harm has to report to the Skipper a few hours later. The skipper asks 'What the hell happened?' You know what Harm said?" Bud asks smiling, looking like he wants to crack up.

"I did not have sex with that woman!" Skates says laughing as she quoted President Clinton. Bud breaks and he's laughing.

"You're serious? That's what he said?" Gunny asks shocked.

"Yeah, Harm told me about it when he came back to flying, we had all heard about it and we wanted to know about it. He says that the skipper showed him a video of the incident and that was the only thing that popped into his head. He said the skipper and everyone on the brig laughed. The CAG didn't think it was funny. He wanted to draw charges up on Harm for disrespecting a superior officer." Skates says with a sigh.

"Did he get charged?" Bud asks, he remembers that Harm had to go in with the Admiral and stand before Judge Morris.

"Yes. Judge Morris said he'd give him a raise but then he'd have to make him pay for the bullet holes in his court room so he just dropped the charges" Mac answers with a smile.

"Bullet holes in a court room?" the lead medic asks. Gunny grins, he heard about it from the very seal involved.

"Yeah, Scuttlebutt has it that the Commander shot a sub machine gun in a court room to prove a point after the judge forbade a recess to prove the point." Gunny supplied.

"The judge had Harm in contempt. We had to recess for the day so that the court room could do brief repairs. Admiral Chegwidden chewed Harm out for it, I thought he was going to get sent to Siberia for what he did." Mac added. Bud laughed while he shook his head.

"I overheard the Admiral on the phone while I was talking to Tiner after that happen. He seemed like he was gloating to the person. He won a bet of some sort that had to do with Harm. I asked Tiner who the Admiral was on the phone with, he said it was a Marine Corp General." Bud said gleefully.

"So let me get this right, you ease dropped in on an Admirals conversation?" Mac asks staring at Bud. Bud gulped and paled as he thought about it.

"Lt, I believe you've just confessed to a crime to a senior officer, will I be your witness again ma'am?" Gunny asks playing along.

"I believe that would be appropriate" Mac said still staring at Bud who was looking for something to say.

"I- Ma'am…it wasn't like that…we-I, I was just passing by, really…it wasn't like we had to pick up the phone to find out who the man was…really…honest" Bud stuttered. Mac cracked first and she broke out laughing.

"Oh God Bud, never defend yourself in court." Mac said between laughs.

"Bud, not only did you just rat yourself out but that of Tiner as well and then in your defense, you signed your own confession" Gunny laughed.

"Where did you two get him?" Skates asks. Mac glanced at Bud and smiled, the man was blushing.

"Harm actually vouged for him to the Admiral, it was the only way Bud could be approved…(Bud looks at her sharply, clearly stunned) The Admiral asked Harm if you were worth training as a Lawyer, Harm said that he'd stake his reputation on you. After your sixth complaint from a superior officer, the Admiral called Harm into his office and asked him if you were worth it. Harm said that you were. So, after your first big mistake, The Admiral gives Harm an option. He was either going to fire you or give you a write up on your permanent record. Harm tells the Admiral, I'm his superior officer, I vouged for him, I'll take his punishment and I handle him" Mac says trailing off as she stared at Harm.

"The Admiral accepted, he pushes Harm through PT as many times a day as he can for a month, gives him the crappiest of cases and works him as many hours as he possibly can." Mac continues. She can tell she has every one's attention. She smiles as she looks at Bud who is shocked and Mac can tell that he remembers Harm always running and looking stressed.

"One night, he calls me from the office. He's asking where a file is, a file that we worked on together when we were first partnered. I ask him why he needs it. He says something that makes no sense at all. After I talk to him for about five minutes I understand. He's asleep" Mac says.

"Ma'am?" Gunny asks confused.

"Harm had been pushed to physical exhaustion through PT and his change in work hours. The Admiral gave him small cases, a lot of them. Now, not only is he physically exhausted but mentally as well. In this state, Harm's body is running off of what the body knows. His body tells him to sleep, his body needs to rest as well as his mind, but a part of Harm's brain and body, says work, it's familiar. So that what Harm did, while asleep. When I get to the JAG, I have to call the Admiral" Mac trails off again with a frown.

"Why?" the lead medic asks after a full two minutes of silence. Mac shifts.

"Harm had…made his way down to the basement. He had hit his head and he was bleeding when I found him. He was panicking…" Mac said.

"The Commander's afraid of blood?" the other medic asks. Gunny is the first to shake his head.

"No…It wasn't the blood that was getting to him, not even the fact that he had been hurt was it. He just…" Mac was unsure how to word it.

"When Harm and I got partnered together the first time, he warned me that if he ever flipped out and started to panic and demand to know where his RIO was, to shoot him if I could and If I couldn't, to eject. He made me promise him that I'd either stop him, or escape from him. At first, I thought he'd lost his mind. But I got to know him and I never thought about it again. Did I hit a bulls eye, Colonel?" Skates asks. Mac nods her head.

"Yeah. He asks me where his RIO, Carmichael, was. I didn't know who that was but when I called the Admiral he told me to get away from Harm as fast as I could. Harm sounded calm so I thought the Admiral was over reacting. I should have listened" Mac said. Mac was staring at Harm, a pained expression of sadness was plastered on her face, something they all read.

"I told Harm that I didn't know who he was. Harm had stared at me with a judging expression. He wasn't with it. I was in civvies, I was a stranger to him in that moment." Mac said.

"He attacked you?" Gunny asks surprised. Mac nodded.

"You've seen him brawl…but you've never seen him fight" Mac said.

"It isn't because I'm a Marine, the Marine Corp teaches survival not fighting. Had I not kept up with that training, I think Harm might have…But I held him off. I led him out of the basement and back up stairs. The Admiral had arrived and we both subdued him. Even then it was hard. The Admiral had to knock him out. I asks who Carmichael was. The Admiral told me…" Mac trailed off closing her eyes.

"Carmichael was Harms RIO that Harm flew with his entire naval career as a Naval Aviator before they were shot down and captured by enemy forced, the Admiral didn't tell me who they were but he said that Harm had been forced to watch as Carmichael was killed by his head being hacked off with some sort of pocket knife. According the Admiral, Harm wasn't able to recall, wasn't able to remember everything that was done to him. But when the Admiral and Harm were forced to bunk with seals for the night, someone had snuck in to talk with the Admiral and Harm had woke up seeing that person creeping toward the Admiral and he snapped. Admiral says it took six seals to stop and pulls Harm off of the guy. The man had to have thirty something stitches from Harm pulling a knife on him." Mac said.

"So, are you afraid of the Commander, Colonel?" The co-pilot asks.

"No…I convinced him to talk to my uncle. Since then, when he's snapped like that, he calms down when he recognizes someone familiar. He hasn't snapped in three years, but he continues to talk to my uncle" Mac informs. They all stare at Harm.

"He has PTSD?" Bud asks. Mac shrugs.

"I'm not a psychologist." She says.

"But…Commander Parker was" Bud pointed out.

"Yes, but Harm didn't let her in on his past. He said she prodded for it but he couldn't bring himself to tell her. He said he didn't want to scare her or make her think differently of him. He's afraid of that you know, that people will treat him differently if they know about his past. That he'll be questioned when he's happy, how he could be and such." Mac says with a sigh.

"That's why he only lets certain people close and even then he's on guard" Gunny says leaning back.

"I'm glad he let us in. We all hold secret of his. I'm sure Harm said you could tell us that?" Bud asks. Mac smiled softly.

"He asked me to tell you guys and Harriet three months ago. But, I shared his fear" Mac admitted. Gunny and Bud nodded.

"The commander is a very…curious man" the lead medic said truthfully. He was keeping an eye on his stats constantly, adjusting and administering things here and there.

"An honorable man." Gunny corrects automatically.

"So why was Harm running at the hostiles?" Skates asks suddenly, they were five minutes from base and she was curious to know.

"He was drawing their fire while we ran like cowards to safety" Gunny bites out.

"He order you to leave?" Skates ask.

"Yeah. We only obeyed because we figured we could make it to the Humvee, reload our rifles and haul ass back and save him." Mac answers.

"We were late it seems" Bud adds.

"Speaking of being late…do you know what the hell happened" Gunny growls.

"Nope. I got orders to gear up and take off within five minutes. I was told that we had men down and that a Marine was threatening a general in the com room. It wasn't until we were in the air that we heard from our fellow Blackhawk pilots that you guys were wounded and were about to be over runned. We heard about the medevac being ordered to stand down and the other fighter pilots were being sent back. The pilots on the medevac was air force, returning to a navy ship. I can't wait to hear about what happens to them!" Skates says gleefully.

"What makes you think something will happen to them?" Mac asks.

"Those pilot were returning to the USS Sea hawk, ma'am." Skates says. Mac smiles and shakes her head.

"What does that matter?'' the other medic asks.

"The Commander was a fighter aviator…he was assigned to two different carriers. The USS Patrick Henry and the USS Seahawk. Now, the Commander is highly respected and loved on the Seahawk. Especially after he let a dirty nuke lock onto him and play tag with the damn thing." Mac informed.

"Those Air Force Pilots left men behind, regardless of orders, they're going to eat shit when the Seahawks crew find out Harm was one of the men left behind. Add Bud to the mix and that make two former comrades they left behind. And the Marines on board will be pissed because of the Gunny and Colonel. You NEVER leave a marine behind, dead or alive!" Skates added.

"Prepare to land" the co-pilot said.

The only one's that moved were the medics. The got everything transposable for Harm. They took the I.V and other fluids and laid them on to hooks that were attached to the stretcher while some were laid by Harms side.

"Colonel, you protect him, ma'am" Skates asks of Mac. Mac glanced up towards her form her seat.

"I will, for the rest of my life. It's a marine's job after all, to guard navy squids" Mac said. The last thing Mac heard before pulled off her helmet was Skates laughing.

As they landed, crew members came on board and helped the medics escort Harm off. They loaded him onto a stretcher. Mac made the other medics take Bud, the Gunny and then herself. The co-pilot watched this and smiled, it was good to see that there were good leaders still. He's seen good men demand, because of rank, that they be treated first. It has cost men and women their lives. From what he gathered, the Commander had protected his team, not once but several times during their duration in a hostile zone regardless of his condition. The Lt and Gunny had protected their superior officers without a second thought, willingly staying with them and disobeying orders to stay and fight when all hope was lost for them. And the Colonel, he had been walking by the com room when he heard what she said, he had heard over the com what they all had recited, a part of the Commanders speech that he had, in the end, lived up to as his team did. He glanced to Skates and saw that she looked worried.

"He a friend of your?" He asks her as they watch everyone raced away to receive medical attention.

"He saved my life more than once…he keeps his word when he swears it and he has values that he doesn't bend or break under any circumstance. He's a good man, I'm just worried that he won't make it this time. He doesn't look good…" Skates trailed off. He stares at her, the Commander sounded like a good man and it sounded like he looked out for his soldiers…

"He'll make it, Skates."

"You know, Lt. you look an awful lot like him. If you didn't have that mustache and were a little older I swear you could be his twin" Skates admits. The man smiles and turns away from her as he pulled off his own helmet.

"Say, why didn't you take it off earlier?" Skates asked curious. The co-pilot looks at her and shrugs.

"I'm not used to flying second seat, ma'am. I think I was caught up in that fact than I was about my helmet" He says honestly.

"You a pilot, Lt?" He nods his head.

"Ever fly Tomcats?" Skates asks.

"During Vietnam" the man says. Skates looks at him sharply. They stare at each other before the man walks away.

"It's a nice day to fly" He yells over his shoulder. Skates stares at the man with wide eyes. She turns towards where Harm was back to the man, but he was gone! Skates closed her eyes. She snapped to attention and saluted. She just flew with a dead man!

"Rabb's" She muttered.

…

Admiral AJ Chegwidden walked up to Lt. Sims with a solemn expression. The bull pen was eerily quiet. Clayton Webb had informed the Admiral about the situation and was keeping him updated, which the Admiral was eternally grateful for. The admiral had alerted the office and told them that the Colonel, Commander, Gunny and Lt were in a hostile situation but that was all. The admiral knew that no work was going to get done when they were all worried, but he had to tell them something! The news were playing a recording of a part of Harms speech that he had made when he was promoted to Commander that Gunny, Lt Roberts and the Colonel had recited, he assumed that the button on the phone was either being pressed by accident or jammed. Not only that, but bullets could be heard after that and orders being yelled.

Harriet stood up as the Admiral approached her. Her eyes were rimmed red and a few stray tears leaked from her eyes. It's been over an hour since the Admiral told them…an hour that she didn't know the fate of her husband or friends.

"Lt. Sims, Lt Roberts is in critical condition, but it's looking good for him. He was shot in the leg and the shoulder, he had several other minor lacerations and bruising but he'll…he'll be fine" Admiral Chegwidden told her quietly. Harriet bursted into tears and hugged the Admiral. AJ momentarily closed his eyes and hugged Harriet back. After a minute AJ drew back and turned slightly away from her to address the whole office.

"Lt Roberts, Gunnery Sergeant Galindez and Colonel Mackenzie are all in critical condition. They have been stabilized at the nearest base, which I cannot say which, and they have been further transported to the USS Seahawk who happened to be in the area. From there they are going to be transported to a base in Australia, then to Germany and then back state side. It'll take about a week or two for them to be back home. Although they are critical they have a high survival rate as it stands. I don't want you to think that their out of danger, the medic on board the Blackhawk that picked them up, said that they should have been dead already…(He let that sink in) but they're looking good" Admiral Chegwidden said. He turned and started to walk away when one brave soul dared to ask the question he was hoping to avoid.

"Sir, what about Commander Rabb?" Tiner asks. AJ glares at his Yeoman, but Tiner looks defiant, like he was willing to try and beat the answer out of him. AJ sighs and suddenly looks his age.

"Commander Rabb…doesn't look good. He…sustained serious fatal injuries…my informant has seen Rabb and he's read his chart…" AJ trails off shaking his head.

No one moved as the Admiral closed his office door. Several were freely crying, others looked shell shocked.

…..

Clayton Webb considered himself a strong man. He could keep his head in situations even trained professionals lost their own in. He kept his emotions under check and he used logic most of the time. But, when it came to Harmon Rabb Jr. it was different. Harm had saved his life and always seemed to show up right when he needed him. So when he heard the ear piercing scream of pain and confusion from the man, it made his heart break. Harm had just woken up from a drug induced coma. One may ask why, and the answer would be simple; the doctor didn't want Harm on the drugs anymore. Something was happening with the drugs that Harm's body merely didn't agree with. So the Doctor needed to find out if he was allergic to something in the drug.

"Commander Rabb!" The Doctor yelled over Harm's screams of pain. Harm looked at the man in a white coat in confusion. The last thing he had remembered was being in a desert not a building.

"Commander, are you allergic to anything?" The Doctor persisted when Harm took a breath. For a minute Webb watched as Harm try asses where he was, no doubt confused and anxious. What happened next left everyone shocked.

"Harmon Rabb, United States Navy, 623-25-0357" Harm mumbled, still trying to find something to identify.

"Commander, you are safe in a Navy Hospital. I've just given you a pain killer so I could talk to you. Colonel Mackenzie, Gunnery Sergeant Galindez, and Lieutenant Roberts are safe as well. Now, can you tell me if you are allergic to anything?" The Doctor asked. Webb briefly wondered why the Doc didn't give Harm those pain meds to begin with. Harm snapped his gaze to the Doctor, still not aware of Webb's presence. Webb frowned, that look…

"Doctor, get away from him!" Webb shouted just as Harm reacted to the mention of his friends. Harm had grabbed a needle, which turned out to be a sedative, and stabbed the Doctor with it. The orderlies reacted quickly and moved to pin Harm down but Webb stepped in front of them, not wanting any harm to come to Harm. Instantly Harm stared at him in a dangerous manner before recognizing him.

"We're are we and where are Bud, Gunny and Mac?" Harm asked him, ignoring the others.

"We are, like the doc said, in a navy hospital. Bud, Mac and Gunny are still being hospitalized for their own injuries. They'll be released sometime later this week. You were the worst injured. You've made a 30% recovery from your wounds. Most of your cuts and bruises have healed but your burns and bullet wounds are nowhere where the docs want them to be. You were placed in a drug induced coma, it's been about a month since you've been in this hospital, your state side. The reason you've been pulled out of the coma is because the drugs reacted badly to your body. Doc thinks it's because your allergic to something. Do you understand what I've told you?" Webb asks his friend who seems to have calmed down.

"Basically, I didn't die in a desert. I've been transferred around bases until I've landed in this one which is in America. Mac, Bud and Gunny are okay and they should be released from this hospital within the week. I was in a coma for a month and I was woken up because the drugs reacted badly to my body." Harm states. Webb nods.

"So are you allergic to anything?" Webb asks curiously. Harm raises an eyebrow.

"Are you supposed to know this, Clay?" Harm asked taking a jab at Webb's occupation.

"Amuse me Rabb" Clay snaps back as if the jokes been used too many times.

"…Just Red 40. But I've eaten and drank stuff that has that and I've been fine." Harm answers.

"Nothing that would cause a negative reaction." A voice came over Harms shoulder. Both Harm and Webb looked to see the Doc staggering to his feet.

"Sorry about that Doc, thought I was a POW…" Harm says sheepishly.


End file.

JAG, Family, Hurt-Comfort