Harm and Mac had rented a car at the airport and driven to Sturgis and Varese's home to drop off their luggage and freshen up before heading for NMCSD. Varese was waiting for them at the nurses' station as they exited the elevator. Silently, she walked into Mac's outstretched arms and sobbed. Harm stood stoically by for only a few seconds before wrapping both women in his arms, and letting tears run down his own cheeks unencumbered. It was time. No matter what came of his chat, if it was even possible with Sturgis, the two had been roommates and like brothers for many years. Only one of them was likely to be leaving this hospital alive. It was a sobering realization.
"I haven't told him yet that you're coming. He's been so adamant that I keep his condition confidential. It wasn't until he required a walker that he even let me tell Zade the truth about his health. He's so damn proud! Dear God, his own daughter and even to her he refused to show vulnerability."
Harm nodded, but when he spoke he didn't elaborate on what she had said. "Have the doctors...do they think...should I be saying goodbye?"
Varese pulled out of Mac's arms as Harm loosened his hold on them both. "He wants to go home. According to him, hospitals are for the sick, not the dying. I've hired a nurse. She can start as soon as the doctor's give their agreement to his demands."
"Not 'if,' but 'when.' You have learned well over your years with Sturgis." They all chuckled at Harm's comment.
"Knowing him and understanding him are two completely different things." Varese replied.
"He's in room 422, down this hall on the right, third door."
Harm glanced at Mac, but she was already giving him the nod to go. He knew she would remain with Varese. They had their own catching up to do. At the moment, he was feeling every one of his 66 plus years as he walked the short distance to Sturgis's room. He paused outside the door, preparing himself as best he could for the unknown behind the closed door. Entering the hospital room, he stood and just watched the man with whom he shared over forty years of an on-again, off-again friendship.
The bed was positioned so that Sturgis was closer to sitting than lying down. Even though the ventilator mask covered a great deal of his face, Harm was still struck by the odd angling of his head. Sturgis's chin was tucked down towards his chest and each time he swallowed, a bit more drool appeared at one corner of his mouth. Pillows were behind, as well as, (delete this comma) on each side of his head to hinder any movement, which might make it harder for him to swallow. Harm was thankful now that he had spent the hours awaiting their flight the night before reading any and all information he could find on ALS.
When Sturgis at last opened his eyes and saw Harm, his facial expression seemed more spooked than angered due to his placement. A bare whisper could be heard as he mouthed something. Before Harm could move closer to try and catch what was said, an electronically enhanced version of Sturgis's voice sounded, "What are you doing here?" It took Harm a few seconds to realize Sturgis had a vocal recognition and enhancement unit, a VRE for short, hooked up somewhere amongst the wireless monitors surrounding his bed.
"Mac heard about Varese canceling the rest of her tour and the Kennedy Center nod on the news. Not having heard such important information from either of you, she had me call. Zade had to tell me what you should have."
"And here you are." Sturgis's hands, which were on a pillow in his lap, twitched, then he managed to lift one to swipe away the drool that had continued to gather.
"Here we are, Sturgis. Why would you let it get this bad and not tell anyone? If not for you, then at least for Varese and Zade. They need support through all this too, man. You have to see that."
"I'm the one dying, Harm!" He spoke with enough emphasis to be heard without the VRE unit. The words repeating regardless were almost like a death knell.
"Yes, you're dying, old buddy, but once you're gone, the women in your life are going to need all the love and support they can get to keep on living with joy and happiness in their lives. Come on, Sturgis, you've always had a strong sense of privacy, but what about your faith? What would your dad have thought to see you behaving like this?"
"Leave it to you, Admiral Rabb, to show up in my hospital room and pull rank."
"I did no-," but Harm let the rest of the comment slip away as Sturgis began to cough and a light spray of blood appeared on his gown under his chin.
"So use your rank, pull in some of those infamous favors you always had up your sleeves, do it as a last request from an old friend, Harm; however you need to look at it, but please get me out of this hospital. I refuse to die here. I want to go out with a celebration. I want..." he stopped, tried to swallow, coughed and spit up a bit more slightly pink tinged saliva. As Harm watched Sturgis struggle, he felt helpless and secretly thankful that the VRE unit didn't enhance the coughing. He moved a few cautious steps closer, but still remained near the foot of the bed until Sturgis resumed speaking, "Come here." His voice was even softer, much drier sounding, but Harm immediately obeyed.
Once he was at the side of the bed, he placed a hand on Sturgis's narrow, thin shoulder, "Tell me what you want." To Harm's ears, his own voice didn't sound much stronger than Sturgis's as he fought to keep his tears at bay.
Sturgis lifted the one hand that had remained until now on the pillow in his lap, and laid it over Harm's. "I want to see Annapolis one more time," he said. The tears in his eyes spilled over onto his cheeks and mingled with the drool. Allowing his own tears to fall, Harm used his free hand to retrieve his handkerchief and dabbed at Sturgis's face and then his own. A sigh and brief shudder passed though Sturgis's body as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Harm gently placed his hand back in his lap as he made a vow, "I promise, Sturgis. You and I are going to liven up the Academy together just like the old days." Then he quietly left the room, leaving Sturgis to rest.
~~Commercial Break~~
May 27th, 2034
1510 Local Time
Hilton Hotel Banquet Hall
Annapolis, Maryland
"Have you seen my parents lately?" Ben asked as he wrapped his arms around his new bride.
Zade smiled over her shoulder at him and leaned up for a kiss before she answered. "In the corner over by the kitchen entrance."
Ben's eyes quickly scanned the room and found his parents locked in an embrace. "They look pretty cozy."
"Your dad seemed a bit preoccupied earlier," Zade replied. "Do you suppose everything's okay?"
"He's probably just concerned about Nikki," Ben replied. "Although from the look of them now, they're most likely reminiscing about their own whirlwind engagement and wedding."
"I've heard that story," Zade replied. "Mom used to tease dad about taking almost as long to propose to her as Harm did to Mac."
"Fortunately, the rest of us were smart enough to learn from our parents' mistakes," Ben said.
"A fact for which I am extremely grateful," Zade replied as she turned in his arms to kiss him properly. "I'm not sure I would've lasted nine years waiting for you, Benjamin Rabb. It was bad enough when it was just a crush on a really good looking guy that I only got to see on those special family occasions. Once we started to really get to know each other, I knew I was head over heels in love with you. I can't imagine trying to deny those feelings for one day, much less nine years."
"I know what you mean," Ben replied. "Although I thought that I might be rushing things proposing when I did."
They shared a smile as they drifted back to that day at Red Rock...
November 24th, 2033
1456 Local Time
Red Rock Canyon Nevada
Zade reached around Ben for the canteen, then leaned back against the wall of the cave they were in to help cool her overheated skin. She took several sips of the tepid water before handing it back to her companion who took it gratefully. "You should know that I am not at all opposed to making camp right now for the day."
"Giving up already, Ms. Turner?"
Ben gave her one of the smiles he inherited from his dad. She had seen first-hand what a Rabb smile did to her Auntie Mac and now she had to admit they were having much the same effect on her the more time she spent with him. "I'm a doctor, not a SeAL, Lieutenant Rabb."
"Meaning what? Come off it, Zade. I've seen you in action, remember? I also knew your dad and know you're his daughter right down to your tenacity and ability to make the rest of us question our sense of righteousness. What gives? Why are you suddenly so ready to stop for the day? We agreed to take a break and then climb for another couple of hours." He hadn't been looking at her while he spoke so he started slightly when she kissed the side of his neck. "Suddenly I'm seeing your point, doc. It is indeed time to call a halt to today's climb due to excessive heat. Shall we set up?"
Zade's only response was a grin of triumph. They worked together in silence for the short time it took them to establish a basic camp for the night.
As they finished, Ben gently captured her by the upper arms and hauled her into his lap. She came down a bit off center and got the edge of something in the left butt cheek. "Oww! That can't possibly have anything to do with how happy you are we are taking a break. What's in your pocket, Benjamin Rabb?"
"My, but you are inquisitive today," he replied as he shifted her into a more comfortable spot then turned his attention to the area behind her right ear which he knew made her sigh with pleasure.
Zade let her head fall to Ben's shoulder enjoying the sensation of his kisses until she could stand it no longer to not feel his lips on her own. Being here together, wrapped up in the embrace of the man she loved dearly, she fought down the guilt of not being with her mom during only the third Thanksgiving since her father's death. Knowing that her mom was happily with Ben's parents and the Roberts' at their annual Thanksgiving gathering helped some, yet her thoughts were not solely on Ben and the wonderful effects of his kisses. She knew he sensed her distracted state of mind when his hand that had slowly been loosening the bun in which she held the hair out of her eyes and off her neck in a futile attempt to try to keep a bit cooler, stopped against the base of her skull. Zade leaned away from him meeting his concerned gaze. "I'm sorry."
"Did I ask for an apology?"
She shook her head. "But?"
"But nothing, hon. I knew today wasn't going to be easy for you whether we were home or here. I wanted to fill this weekend with happy memories for you, for us."
Zade brushed away a couple of stray tears that threatened to fall. "You have and you do. Let's face it, I never expected to fall in love with you. You were always like a distant cousin or a step brother I saw at family reunions and special occasions."
Ben groaned in response. "So, what you're telling me is if you'd had a brother, we likely wouldn't be here and I wouldn't be able to do this?" He slid out from beneath her and knelt in front of her. Ben pulled a box out of his pocket and cupped it in his hands while holding it out to her.
Her gaze was riveted to the worn velvet box he held out. She knew what it was, she had dreamed of this moment a number of times over the past year since their friendship had steadily grown closer and then blossomed into something mutually exclusive they both held dear, but even knowing all that, she was still at a loss for words. Were they ready for this? Both her parents and his had been in their late thirties and early forties when they had married. Ben was deployed at a moment's notice, most often to places and to do things that would never be declassified enough in their lifetime for him to tell her about. She had, on the other hand, opted for a life as a civilian and spent most of her waking hours at the hospital trying to establish herself in her field of medical study, degenerative diseases, specifically, ALS.
Even as all of these thoughts flitted through her mind, one thing stood out, she loved Ben and she knew he loved her. That was all it really had to come down to. Both of them were the product of healthy marriages, both of them knew what they wanted out of life, and dang it all, she wanted it all with him. "Are you going to ask me, Ben, or just spend the rest of the afternoon on your knees until I have mercy on you and tell you what you want to hear?"
"Patience my love." He whispered the words against her lips, but pulled back just as she leaned into him and the kiss. "Say you'll marry me, Zade. Tell me that together, you and I can have all that your mom and dad had together and all that my parents and Uncle Bud and Aunt Harriet have. We can be the envy of even Jen and Tom and Mattie and Rob."
"That good, huh?"
"Better!"
"Kiss me, Ben." And kiss her he did. Zade knelt as well and wrapped her arms lovingly around him as he cradled her in his embrace. She could feel the box he still grasped against her spine, but it was a pleasant pressure. She slowly ended the kiss, lingering a few extra moments to trace the outline of his facial features with her fingers. "I love you."
"And I love you. Is that a yes?"
"Oh yes," she said as Ben kissed her again then opened the box to reveal a ring with an opal at its center surrounded by a circle of tiny diamonds. "Wow, that's gorgeous."
"I'm relieved to hear you say that. When I told dad what I was planning a few months ago, he gave me my great grandma Sarah's ring. It's part of the Rabb legacy that you and I are going to continue," he said as he slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand, kissing her fingers, then her lips, then her neck as they celebrated their engagement in a cave high above the desert floor.
~~Commercial Break~~
May 27th, 2034
1515 Local Time
Hilton Hotel Banquet Hall
Annapolis, Maryland
"Grandpa Rabb?" J.T. said as he joined him and Mac.
Harm relaxed his hold on Mac and turned to face his oldest grandchild. "What is it, J.T.?"
"The band is wanting to open the dance floor, Sir," he replied.
"Then I suggest we find the bride and groom and get this show on the road," Harm replied with a quick grin.
"Chad is already heading in that direction, Sir," J.T. replied.
"What did you guys do?" Mac asked. "Flip a coin to see which one had to corral the old folks?"
"Always, Grandma," he replied with a wink. "It hasn't let us down yet."
Harm and Mac both chuckled as they all headed across the room to meet up with Ben, Zade and Chad. "Are you guys ready for your first dance as husband and wife?" Mac asked them.
"Absolutely," Zade replied.
"That's your cue, guys," Ben said as he looked over at J.T. and Chad. "Tell the band we're ready when they are."
J.T. and Chad both snapped off salutes before laughing and heading off to the dance floor. Ben merely shook his head as he met his dad's gaze. "It's going to be rough for Chad once J.T. leaves for school in the fall."
"Chad claims he's looking forward to being able to tell all the kids in high school that his cousin is already in college working on his medical degree," Harm replied. "Besides, Mattie has already promised him that he can fly out to California over fall break."
"I think it's nice that J.T. wants to go to medical school," Zade offered. "This family could use a little more diversity in it."
"Are you saying there are too many lawyers in the family already?" Mac asked.
"Military, lawyers and pilots," Zade replied. "I think we've got it covered."
"But they do look nice in their dress uniforms," Mac said with a wink as her eyes took in both her husband and son.
"There is that," Zade agreed.
"I think that's your cue," Harm said as the band finally began playing.
"I'm saving the next dance for you, mom," Ben said as he reached for Zade's hand and led her to the dance floor.
"I'm looking forward to it," Mac replied.
Harm draped his arm around Mac's shoulders as they watched the happy couple share their first dance as husband and wife. "Thank you," Mac whispered as she placed her arm around his waist.
"For what?" Harm asked.
"May 25th, 2007," she replied.
Harm looked down at her as he searched his memory for the significance of the date. When he came up blank, he gave her a slight grin. "Sorry, Mac. You're going to have to refresh my memory on this one."
"Another promise fulfilled," she replied. "You promised me that you would be here to see our child get married."
Harm nodded as recognition flooded his features. He remembered the conversation now. It was when they had finally agreed on the name "Benjamin Mackenzie" if they had a boy.
He smiled as he looked down at her again. "If I'm not mistaken, that was our first Hallmark moment that I managed not to screw up."
"You've gotten much better at them through the years," Mac replied.
"You've given me plenty of opportunities to practice," he stated. "I can't even begin to tell you how happy you've made me, Mac. Just look around us. We're surrounded by our family and friends. Our kids are happily married and have kids of their own who are growing into responsible adults who are ready to take on the world and make it a better place for the next generation."
"I think we've done okay," Mac agreed.
"Only because we've done it together," he replied.
"Always," she agreed.
They grew silent as they once again turned their attention to Zade and Ben. After several moments, Mac spoke again. "You did all you could do for him under the circumstances, Harm. I know you wish he could be here today, but you should take comfort in knowing that you made his last days as happy as you could."
Harm didn't try to speak around the lump in his throat. He merely nodded as he thought back to the last time he'd been with Sturgis...