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Happy New Year

This is a sequel to 36 Hours and is set nearly three years on from the original instalment...liberties [aka guesses] have been taken with ages and such.

Disclaimer: Not mine... well, except for the little ones.

Tuesday

It was the phone call every parent dreaded; the one that includes the words 'your child' 'injured' and 'ambulance'. Harm couldn't quite grasp the entire story but that was due more to the frantic nature of Harriet's call rather than his own abilities.

With Mac having been in Florida for the best part of two weeks for a conference she was co-organising and presenting, Lily had spent the afternoon with Harriet and her younger children, after an early finish to the school day.
"Take a breath, Harriet," he said, trying to remain calm. "Then try again."
Harriet's second effort made little more sense than the first.

Just as he was going to ask for a third attempt, Bud came rushing into his office, concern etched across his face. Asking Harriet to hold on a moment, Harm turned his attention to the younger man,
"What is it?" he asked quickly.
"Jimmy just called me, Lily had an accident," Bud started. "Something about her and Nikki and the trampoline."
"Is she okay? Harriet's saying something about an ambulance?" Harm asked, his heart pounding against his ribs.
"Jimmy thinks she may have broken her leg...s," Bud offered and Harm's eyes widened.
"Legs?" he repeated, Bud could only nod.
"Harriet?" Harm said into the phone.
"Bud's right," she replied, having heard the conversation. "I'm not totally sure but she's saying they both hurt."
"Is she in much pain?" he asked, tearing up at the very thought.
"I think she's in shock," Harriet replied. "She's gone very quiet....I can hear the ambulance, Harm...I have to go."
"I'll meet you at Bethesda."

The arrangements with Bud were fairly simple. The men would exchange cars, at the end of the day Bud would pick up Mac and Harm's twins from the nearby day care and take Harry and Rose back to his place for the night.

As he rushed into the Emergency Room, Harm tried to compose himself. While he felt completely overwhelmed by the fact his seven year old was in hospital, he knew he had to appear calm and confident – if not for Lily's sake, then for Harriet's.

His composure lasted until he saw his little girl asleep on the gurney courtesy of the pain relief medication, her pale skin a match for the hospital linen. The tears which had been stinging his eyes on the trip in tumbled over.
"Harm, I'm so sorry!" Harriet exclaimed the minute she spied him.
"It's okay, Harriet," he replied, his eyes never leaving his daughter's face. "Accidents happen."
"I've told the kids so many times about one person at a time on the trampoline...they know the rules.... I can't believe..." she rambled, needing Harm to understand she hadn't been negligent when it came to her goddaughter.
"I know, Harriet," he answered, glancing in her direction and patting her arm. "It's okay. I don't blame you."
"Oh, thank goodness," she mumbled in relief. "You know I'd never do anything to hurt her."
"Of course I know that," he replied, moving up to his daughter and gently kissing her forehead. "Hey, pumpkin," he whispered. "Daddy's here."

Lily didn't wake and Harm had to concede it was probably a good thing. Taking her hand in his, he sat in the chair by the gurney and studied her face. Lifting his other hand, he traced his finger across new bruises appearing on her face.
"She did those too," Harriet all but whispered.
"When will the doctor be in?" he asked, ignoring her comment.
"The nurse thinks it will be about another twenty minutes. They did the x-rays on her as soon as we arrived," she reported.
"Okay," Harm said nodding. Twenty minutes wasn't too long to wait, he conceded.

It wasn't too long in general time but when waiting for news of injuries to your baby girl, twenty minutes was an eternity. Glancing to his watch every few minutes, Harm could have sworn time was standing still.
"Do you want to call Mac?" Harriet asked. "I can wait with Lily."
"No, it's fine," he replied. "I'd rather wait until I know what's what first."
"Okay," she said before a long pause. "Would you like some coffee? I can go get some."
"No, it's fine," he replied, his attention still firmly fixed on his daughter.
"Okay, she replied before drawing up another chair and sitting alongside him, joining him in the silence.

Before long a woman approached the bed, films in hand.
"Commander Rabb?" she questioned, looking at Harm.
"Yes," he replied, quickly getting to his feet.
"Commander, I'm Commander Jessica Hollows. I'm a paediatric orthopaedist," she said, offering her hand to Harm.
"Good to meet you, Commander," he replied. "How's Lily?" he continued, not thinking to introduce Harriet.

Moving to the display unit, Jessica hung up the three films in her hands and beckoned them over.
"Commander, as you can see..." she began, tapping at the relevant parts of the x-rays. "Lily has sustained fractures to both ankles."
"Oh no!" Harriet gasped.
"They are fairly simple as fractures as they go, a result of the impact coming off the trampoline," the doctor continued.
"But both!" Harriet said. She'd been hoping against hope that they were just sprained and bruised.
"Yes," Commander Hollows said. "And really, it's probably for the best; it shows the impact was shared equally between her feet. Had Lily landed on one foot, chances are she would have shattered her ankle, so this is probably the best result."
"How long will she be in plaster?" Harm asked, knowing that with summer approaching, his dancing, water baby wasn't going to be happy with her recovery limitations.
"We don't use plaster these days," the doctor said, pulling down the x-rays. "We use a fibreglass compound and Lily can choose her colour. I'd say six weeks at a minimum for young Lily."
"And crutches?" Harm asked.
"Wheelchair," the doctor replied and continued quickly when she saw the concern spread across Harm's face. "With crutches, you put your weight on your good foot and not on your fractured one. Lily..."
"Lily doesn't have a good one," Harm finished for her and shook his head. It made sense, he just wasn't thinking clearly at the moment.

It was a whirlwind three hours before Harm loaded Lily into the back on Bud's vehicle as Harriet hovered nearby.
"You'll call if you need anything, won't you?" she questioned him as he fixed Lily's seatbelt.
"Yes, I will," he replied, kissing his daughter's forehead as he stepped back from the car and closed the door. "Are you sure it's alright for the twins to stay with you?" he asked, not too sure how he'd manage the normal evening activities with the terrible two who were in their terrible twos, on top of Lily needing more TLC than normal.
"I'm more than sure," she replied quickly. "It's the least I can do...after....well...Unless of course you don't trust me..." she trailed, her eyes filling with tears.
"Hey, hey," Harm soothed as he gathered her in an embrace. "I trust you implicitly," he said, kissing her head. "It was just one of those things. I don't blame you."
"I promise I was looking after..." she began but Harm hugged her again.
"I know...I've told them about the trampoline at home many times too...it's just one of those things. I know the twins will be fine with you," he said, smiling at her. "I really do. After all, if I can't dump them on their godparents, where else can I dump them?" he asked with a grin.
"Thank you," she replied, hugging him quickly. "Will you tell Mac I'm sorry too?"
"I will, but I'm sure she'll say the same as I have," he reassured her before watching her make her way back to the waiting cab she had called and leaving.
"Ready to go home, pumpkin?" he asked as he slid into the driver's seat.
"Yes, daddy," Lily replied sleepily.
"Let's get something special for dinner...just for you and me," he suggested as he reversed out of the parking lot. "What would you like, angel?"
"Beltway Burgers," she replied with her mother's cheeky grin.
Usually Harm would protest the greasy meal request but right now he'd give his little girl anything she wanted.

Later that evening, with Lily tucked up in bed feeling a little sore and sorry for herself, Harm parked the wheelchair in the living room lest Lily decided to get herself up during the night. Instead he left a bell by her bed and told her to ring it at any time, for anything.

After cleaning up the remnants of the day, Harm tried Mac's cell again. Hearing it go to voice once more, he sighed deeply, more than a little concerned that after four messages she hadn't called back. Sitting in the armchair he grabbed a family photo from the side table and studied it. While it had only been taken three months ago at the twins second birthday it felt like a lifetime.

With his eyes fixed on his wife's face, Harm could only wonder what was going on with her. There was no disputing she hadn't been herself for months now. She was overly emotional, argumentative, and snappy and Harm forever felt like he was walking on eggshells around her. It wasn't a constant thing, there were days when she was more like herself – but it never lasted long.

Harm had taken to noting her behaviour to see if he could find a pattern. He had tried talking to her, thinking it may have been her cycle and although he was calm and non-judgemental she had flown into a rage which resulted in their first night going to bed in separate rooms while in the same house. Still, at some early hour, Mac had crept into the study and slid onto the sofa with him - desperate for him, his understanding and his love. She knew none of this was his fault, and, truth be known, it wasn't hers either and while she knew she just wasn't herself, she also knew she was worse when Harm wasn't around.

Shaking his head, Harm replaced the photo and stood up wearily. Turning off the lights and locking the doors he headed to his bedroom and took a long shower before dressing in his short summer pyjamas and sliding into bed.

He hadn't been asleep long before he felt Mac's side of the bed dip. Opening an eye he looked into the darkness.
"Daddy, can I sleep on mommy's side, please?" Lily asked.
"Lily?" Harm said, propping himself up on an elbow. "Why did you get out of bed?"
"I did ring the bell, daddy, but you didn't come," she reported, telltale tear trails down her cheeks.
"What did you want, pumpkin?" he asked wrapping her in his arms.
"I want mommy," she said tearfully as Harm pulled her close to him.
"I want mommy too," Harm agreed kissing her head.
"I miss her," she cried into Harm's chest.
"I know you do, Lily, I know," he soothed.
"When's she coming home?" she asked, trying to compose herself.
"In a few days, angel," he said, kissing her head once more.

The loving care and comfort from her father were all Lily needed to fall asleep and as Harm kissed her once more he prayed that the Mac that came home would be the one they were all missing desperately.

xoxoxo