Title: Full Engagement -Aftermath & Epilogue
Author: Pat Steiner [Aftermath] and Kim Knipp [Epilogue]

Summary: Picks up the Full Engagement episode at the point where Harm and Mac are discussing the identity of "Sarah"

Disclaimer: JAG is owned by CBS et al. No copyright infringement is intended.

AFTERMATH: "Are You Family?"

Mac smiled at Harm's answer to her question about Sarah, happy to know that she was among the three Sarah's in his life. Her smile faded quickly however  as the view before her goggles began to swim in greater waves. The dizziness was increasing, keeping tempo with the throbbing in her leg. She tried to close her eyes and her eyelids felt hot as the skin folded. She wanted very much to stay conscious for Harm's sake as he had already done so much to bring her through and did not want to alarm him even further but the lure of the darkness was becoming overwhelming.

"Harm, I can't" she yelled over the wind.

Harm quickly leaned over her, hearing her cry. "You can and you will," he told her fiercely. "The field is right up ahead. Don't you do this to me now Marine. You will sit tall in that seat and you will stay awake."

"I'm trying," she moaned. "But I'm not making any promises."

"I don't want to hear that," he shouted and then a sudden bump of turbulence brought his attention back to the task of landing the Sarah.

The field at Leesburg loomed before him and he expertly guiding the yellow plane down to the runway, spotting both an ambulance and state police pulling up to its far end.

The plane touched down with a gentle thud and he urged it forward at maximum taxi speed, fear mounting within him at the sight of Mac's head lolling on her shoulders. He brought it to a halt just ahead of the waiting vehicles and was levering himself from the cockpit almost before the aircraft came to a complete halt.

"Hey, Mac, we're down," he said softly, carefully removing her helmet and goggles. He could feel the heat of her skin radiating even through his gloves and his alarm grew. There was no doubt she was becoming  more desperately ill with each passing minute and the thought was frightening.

"Harm," she managed to mumble when she felt his arms close around her and lift her from her seat.

"Yeah, right here," he assured her. "I've got you and help is here."

The two EMT's reached for her and he reluctantly released her to their waiting arms, following closely.

"She's got a buckshot wound to the thigh here," he pointed urgently. "And she's burning up."

"She is that," the woman attendant nodded as she and her partner settled her onto the gurney, Harm's hand firmly wrapped around hers. "I'm Dori and this is TJ. We're going to take good care of her. Loudoun Memorial is just 10 minutes down the road." She looked to her partner who was beginning to string an IV line. "TJ, no," Dori shook her head firmly. "Do it enroute--we need to move this patient now".

"Harm....Harm please," Mac called to him.

"Right here" Harm told her, giving her hand a hard squeeze and at the same time resting his other hand against her forehead. TJ and Dori quickly loaded her into the back of the ambulance and Harm started to climb aboard.

"Are you family?" Dori looked at him sharply.

Harm met her gaze directly "Yes."

"Okay, then," she smiled, knowing full well he wasn't but she could see that he was not going to leave this  woman whose hand he held so tightly. One of the police officers climbed up after Harm, followed by TJ and the ambulance left the airfield, siren screaming.

While TJ inserted the IV and placed an oxygen mask over her mouth, Harm knelt at the head of the stretcher, stroking her forehead and whispering that she was going to be all right in between relating the story of the past twenty four hours to the officer.

"Interview over," he told the police officer firmly when the ambulance screeched to a halt at the ER bay and he followed the stretcher to the ramp.

He ran along side, never releasing his hold of her, until he was stopped outside the ER cubicle by a doctor who blocked his path.

"Are you family?" he asked.

Harm was about to answer when Dori interjected "Dr. Young, he is family."

Harm shot her a look of pure gratefulness, mouthing 'thank you'.

With Harm helping, Dori and TJ transferred the very ill Marine to the hospital bed.

"Thank you," Harm called after them as they hurried out.

Dr. Young began barking orders at the nurses who seemingly appeared from nowhere and listened to the information they were relaying back to him. At the same  time he gently probed the leg injury. Mac squirmed in pain with his touch and moaned softly.

"Repeat the temp," Dr. Young ordered. "Doctor, it's 105  even," even the nurse sounded alarmed.

"That's bad isn't it?" Harm gasped.

"Sometimes it's an indicator of how hard the body is fighting the infection," Dr. Young told him. "And sometimes it's..."

"Doctor, Doctor Collins is ready," a nurse interrupted him from where she was speaking on a phone.

"Tell her we'll bring her right up," Dr. Young directed.

"Up where, what's happening?" Harm demanded at once.

"She needs surgery on her leg right now," Dr. Young  told him, already beginning to pull the bed and Harm and to hurry to keep her hand in his. "They're going to need to clean it out good and repair the tissue damage. You can ride up with us but you won't get much past the  elevator."

"I don't believe this is happening," Harm moaned. "Forty-eight hours ago I took a healthy woman up for a plane ride and this....." He looked  down at her pale features, unable to continue. "We'll do our best," Doctor Young tried to reassure him.

Harm kept her hand folded within his through the trip upstairs. An older woman doctor met them at the doors of the operating suite.

"Thank you, Dr. Young," she smiled and looked to Harm. "Are you family?" she asked kindly.

"He is," Dr. Young interjected. "He needs to stay with her."

"You can wait in the surgical lounge," Dr. Collins told him. "As soon as I'm done I'll come out to speak with you."

"Thank you both," Harm said, wishing his words expressed the sincerity of his thoughts. He bent low over Mac, stroking her forehead and cheek with the back of his fingers. "You're going to be okay and I'm going  to be here when you wake up." He lifted her hand to his lips and held it there until it was pulled away from him. "Mac, I am so sorry," he whispered as she was taken from him.

One of the nurses showed him where he could wait but he was able to sit still only for a few minutes at a time, pacing the length of the long corridors. It was an interminable ninety minutes later when Dr. Collins finally reappeared, taking off her surgical cap as Harm hurried to her.

"Mr. Rabb," Dr. Collins greeted him. "First of all, she's okay for now." He gave a long sigh of relief and leaned weakly against the wall behind him. "There's more," Dr. Collins cautioned him. "She tolerated the surgery well and that was an easy matter once we got in there. Her main problem is the infection. It's gotten into her blood stream. Now we have her on massive amounts of antibiotics and that should prevent her from going into septic shock but....." she paused and looked to Harm.

"It doesn't always, does it?" he said softly, closing his eyes to steel himself for the doctor's answer.

Dr. Collins shook her head. "No, it doesn't; but her age and her health should work in her favor. We'll know more when she wakes up," She motioned to Harm. "Come on, I'll see to it they let you into recovery."

Harm followed her, numbness now setting in.

"Ms. May, let this gentleman sit with Ms. Mackenzie, please," Dr. Collins directed. "And yes, he is family." Harm again mouthed his thanks and followed the nurse.

"Now remember, she's going to look pretty frightening right now," Ms. May cautioned. "But you can still take her hand."

He could not suppress his gasp when he saw her, lying deathly pale and still under a mass of wires and tubes. "Thank you--I seem to be saying that nonstop," he told Ms. May. He gave another long sigh and sat down, pulling the chair as close to the bed as possible. "I'm here, Mac," he said softly, picking up her hand and pressing it against his lips as he had done in the ER, and then letting it rest against his cheek as he held it tightly.

Nearly four hours passed, during which she moved not at all, nor did he. He held tightly to her hand, brushing it against cheek now and then. Finally he directed his gaze upward, something he had not often done since he was a small boy.

"God, please don't take her from me," he whispered. "Not now, not just when we've maybe begun to find...." He paused and his mind involuntarily went to the fields and woods where they had been desperately  trying to avoid the poachers. And all at once he knew, knew that he was not just helping a friend who had been hurt. He was trying to save the life of a woman whom he was desperately afraid he would lose before he had the chance to tell her what he had been keeping deep within his heart. "When we've begun to find out what we..." he continued his prayer but before he could say more he felt her hand move in his.

"We what?" she mumbled, barely audibly.

Harm was so startled to see her waking up that he had to swallow twice before he could speak. "Hey, you," he said softly. "I'm here." With his free hand he  reached to stroke her forehead and instead of the burning dryness of earlier, she was cool and damp. "No fever," he gasped and for the first time allowed  himself to think she might be all right.

"What are we?" she mumbled again, trying to open her eyes and focus on him.

"Never mind that," he told her, his elation obvious. "We'll talk about that another time. I'm just glad you're waking up here." His voice broke with emotion and he took a deep breath. "You have no idea how scared I've been," he sighed and impulsively placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

She smiled slightly, slowly realizing what he had been saying. "Harm, I don't remember anything, anything after I asked you about Sarah in the plane," she  said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Do you remember my answer?" he asked gently and she nodded. "Good," he smiled. "Because the rest doesn't  matter right now. The only thing that's important is that you concentrate on getting better." He took his thumb and wiped the wetness from her cheeks.

"But what about...about 'we'," she protested, struggling slightly. "It's not going anywhere," he promised her firmly. "Not this time."

She smiled again and closed her eyes once more, nestling her hand against his cheek.

A short time later Ms. May returned to announce they would be moving her to a regular room. She gave directions to another nurse and an orderly. "And Mr.  Rabb is to be allowed to stay with her." she ordered. "He is family."

Epilogue: "Now It Begins"

Three Days Later: Harm held Mac close in his arms and carried her across the threshold into his apartment, his eyes never leaving hers. Standing in the middle of the room with her cradled to his chest, he smiled tenderly at her.

"I thought I was going to lose you out there," he drawled softly.

"You got me out of there in one piece. That's all that matters. I would have died if it hadn't been for you," Mac stated in earnest.

Releasing her legs, Harm felt her body slide along his, heightening senses that were already in overload. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, but like him, she was tired of delays. Standing there in a fading patch of sunlight, he drew her to him, sliding his hands around to her back. Mac felt him everywhere ...

And, the rest of this is NC-17