Bethesda Naval Hospital
Room 507Shoving the door open with more force then he'd intended, Harm rushed into Mac's room. At her bedside in an instant, he immediately took hold of her hand.
"How's it going, Princess?"
"It's" …huff…. "going," Mac got out between breaths.
"The last time the doctor checked, she said the Colonel was already eight centimeters dilated and it wouldn't be much longer," Jennifer offered.
"Have you been taking lessons from Harriet? I thought it wasn't supposed to happen this fast?" Harm teased.
"It isn't. I didn't realize the back ache I've had since I got up this morning wasn't me having slept wrong, it was me having back ….labor. I've been in labor for ten hours, twenty four minutes, and thirty seconds." Mac took another deep breath, gritting her teeth.
"That's it, breathe," Harm encouraged.
"It doesn't work worth crap, you know." Mac blew out a breath.
"What?" Harm asked timidly.
"Breathing. It still hurts, and I'm not distracted," Mac hissed, feeling another contraction coming on she squeezed Harm's hand hard, really hard. No reason she should be the only one in pain.
Trying to distract Mac, "Did you see who the Admiral was with?"
"You're kidding, right? Do I look like I'm here to socialize?" Mac clenched her jaw tight and tried to breathe.
"Marcella Paretti," Harm answered, despite Mac's lack of interest.
"You mean Chegwidden," Jen volunteered.
"Chegwidden!" Harm and Mac chorused.
For the first time in hours, Mac was so startled she didn't feel a contraction coming on.
"She and the Admiral were having lunch when I called. That's why he wanted someone to bring his car to the hospital. Mrs. Chegwidden isn't familiar with the city and she was waiting for him in the car." Jen smiled contented with her news.
"AND…" Harm nodded. How could she just stop there?
Jen stared at Harm somewhat confused when it dawned on her what they were waiting to hear.
"Oh, she flew in from Italy two weeks ago to surprise the Admiral. Apparently they'd gotten rather, …friendly while he was staying with Francesca in Italy. When she showed up here on his doorstep, they decided what the hell, and got married again. They just got back yesterday from spending a few days at the shore.
"That about covers it," AJ said, coming in the door. "I've tried to talk Marcella into going home to wait for me, but she insists our place is here with my friends." AJ walked over by Mac's side.
"Looks like you've got a cheering section, Colonel." The doctor smiled from the doorway. "I don't suppose you'd all mind stepping outside a minute while I check our progress?" The doctor smiled waving one arm towards the hallway.
"Not you!" Mac hollered, tightening her grip on Harm's hand. "If I have to stay, you have to stay!"
Admiral Chegwidden and Jennifer both bit back a chuckle at the look on Harm's face, even in labor Mac was still a no nonsense Marine.
Within minutes of joining Marcella in the waiting room, Harriet came huffing through the door. "I got here as fast as I could. How's she doing?"
Before anyone could answer, Gunny and Henry Willis came barreling around the corner. "Any news?" Gunny asked.
"Not yet. The doctor's with her now but it should be any time." Stopping short at the unfamiliar face. "Who are you?" AJ barked.
Just as Henry was about to introduce himself, Pete Lawson came rushing into the room. "Am I late?"
"FOR WHAT?" AJ growled. "Is there anyone in DC who isn't waiting for this baby?"
Marcela, smiling to herself, moved closer to her husband and gently placed her hand on his arm.
Whipping his head around at everyone. "Are we expecting anyone else?" he asked with a forced smile.
"Only me," Admiral Chaidez replied. "I had to flip Turner for it, he doesn't know I have a two headed quarter," she grinned at AJ. If she was going to learn from the best, she'd have to start with his first lesson; your people always come first.
AJ nodded his head in silent affirmation of her choice. Turning to resume his inquiries of the new faces, he paused when he spotted a commotion at Mac's door.
"Looks like its time," AJ smiled earnestly.
Delivery roomShort time later
Harm stood behind Mac propping up her shoulders as she bore down for another push.
"That's it Colonel, we're almost there."
"You've been saying that for the last 23 minutes!" Mac grit her teeth as another contraction racked her already exhausted body.
Harm nervously watched the fetal monitor drop as it had with the last few efforts at pushing. The changing bleeps hadn't concerned him at first, but now he was all too aware of the increased tension in the nurses' posture every time Mac pushed and the heart rate slowed.
"Okay, Colonel, they don't come down this far and not come out – give me another push," the doctor encouraged.
"Come on Marine, let's get this done!" Harm urged, placing a soft kiss on her forehead as Mac scrunched her weight forward in another effort at pushing this new life out.
"There we..what…what the heck? Stop pushing." The doctor's hands began moving at an incredible speed, as though someone had clicked the fast forward button on a video. "No matter what it feels like, DO NOT push until I tell you."
Mac was too exhausted for the note of concern in the doctor's voice to register, but fear instantly gripped Harm.
"What's wrong?" His voice was barely audible.
Waiting RoomMaternity Ward
1650 hours
Introductions and explanations dispensed with long ago, the Rabb family friends paced anxiously waiting for the good news.
"Shouldn't we have heard something by now?" Gunny asked looking at his watch.
"These things take time," Hank Willis smiled. "But they're worth the wait."
"Amen," AJ assented.
"I gather there's no news?" Sturgis Turner's deep voice was heard as he approached the group.
"Who's holding down the fort?" Admiral Chaidez questioned.
"Secured everyone early," he nodded, then looked at Harriet. "Bud's downstairs parking the car."
Admiral Chaidez smiled and shook her head. If you'd told her when she joined the Navy that some day she'd be the JAG, in a maternity waiting room with half the JAG ops, waiting for her chief of staff's baby to be born, she would never have believed it.
The sound of Harm's heavy footsteps brought all conversation and movement to a stand still. His features tired and worn.
Stopping next to the Admiral, Harm's face sprouted the famous Rabb smile as he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out several chocolate cigars. "Seven pounds, 9 ounces, 21 inches long," he beamed.
The group gathered around him, offering back slaps, hand shakes, hugs and kisses. Hank Willis stood back slightly from the group, a knowing smile on his face.
"They're sewing Mac up now, and then you'll all be able to go in and see her and the baby. We had a few tense moments," he sighed. "Apparently, Victoria's elbow was up by her ear and the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck and arm."
"Oh dear," Harriet gasped. "But, she's alright now?"
"Yeah, Mac's a little nicked up from the elbow but she'll be ready for visitors in just a bit."
"Well, you'd better get back to her, son," AJ suggested, still patting him on the back.
"I will, but she insisted I come tell everyone." Harm smiled and turned back to be with his wife and daughter.
Harm returned to the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen, his brand new baby girl snugly wrapped in her mama's arms, quietly nursing her first meal. He inched his way closer, mesmerized by the motions of her tiny cheeks as she drank. One hand gently caressed the back of his daughter's head as his other rested casually around Mac's shoulders.
Stepping back a moment, Harm pulled out his cell phone and punched the familiar numbers.
"Hello, mom. What time do you want me to pick you up at the airport?" he laughed. "They're fine. 10:37pm. I thought so," he and Mac chuckled together.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, chatting with his mom, smiling at his wife, watching his daughter, and surrounded by friends, Harm couldn't refrain from sporting an enormous grin. Life was truly perfect.
The End
A/N: Please ignore my blatant disregard for the rule against cell phones in hospitals. Also if the procedures were a little off, I've never had a baby in a hospital so I tried to keep it as general as possible. Of course having a baby is having a baby. lol.