Chapter Twenty-five

National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda Naval Hospital), Bethesda, MD, 0845 hrs

The sunlight shining through the windows of the private hospital room that Animal was resting in, was just bright enough and intrusive enough to stir from sleep a curled up Meg Austin, in a what could not be comfortable hospital chair, who looked up blearily to see Animal looking at her with a soft smile. Stretching to get the kinks out of her shoulders and neck, she looked up to see the clock rounding nine. That woke her up just as Animal looked up to see RADM Stiles Morris come through the doors.

Animal said, "Good morning, sir." as Meg stood up at attention.

"Good morning, Captain Nakamura. Lieutenant Commander, no need to get up on my account, I'm just visiting to see how the Captain is faring."

"Better than I was…sir." Animal said. "Long way to go…though."

Morris nodded. Even though he was a staff officer, he'd seen the legal aftermath of shootings due to the fact that damages were often sued for. The trauma from the shootings often overshadowed the rehabilitation process and it was very rare for someone shot to be one hundred percent afterwards. "Commander, I've given you three weeks of leave to help care for Captain Nakamura. Let me know if you need any more."

"Thank you, sir." Meg was genuinely grateful for the generous leave-time. She knew that she was new to the office and such magnanimous gestures by the CO were rare to those who had just reported in.

"Wishing you a speedy recovery, Captain. The doctors are going to do what they can. I've talked to them and they are readying the course of treatment and rehabilitation. I'd have to say though that it is going to be a long, tough road." The admiral said as he turned to leave. "Now, I have to return to my office before things get out of hand."

"Thank you, sir." Animal replied, a little shocked that the JAG would come to visit him and rather dismayed at the revelation of the doctor's assessment of his condition. RADM Morris grinned, nodded his head in salutation and left. Meg was equally shocked as she was just expecting an acknowledging phone call and not the physical visit to Animal's hospital room. She looked at Animal in bewilderment as they both gazed at each other, grateful for the fact that they had each other to lean on…at least Meg would after Animal recovered. Meg held out hope that he would recover fully, but she knew that he had a long road ahead. There were therapies for brain injury, but unfortunately, these were still in the experimental stages and the efficacies of such treatment were hard to quantify.

"Are you alright?" Meg noticed that Animal was looking a bit down.

"I don't know…" he started to say, then paused for a long moment. "So much to do…don't know where to start…" He looked up with pleading eyes. "I just want to go home." He looked as though he was going to retreat into himself.

"I know, sweetheart." Meg replied as she reached for his hands. "But the doctors will guide you and I'll be there every step of the way."

Animal looked at her "Thanks…Meg." He said with gratitude. "I don't think…I could do…it without you." He replied. He looked towards the open window and gazed at the puffy white clouds floating in the blue sky. His heart was still broken watching those clouds wishing that he could be flying his beloved fast jets, but deep down inside, he wondered if the brain injury that he had suffered would even let him fly his little Piper Cherokee ever again. If he couldn't fly again, then why the hell was he still alive? Silently cursing the brain injury that he'd sustained; he slumped down in his bed and looked up at the ceiling. But then turning his head to Meg, he knew that he couldn't face her if he didn't give it all that he could to recuperate from being shot. Meg deserved his best. And he knew that he needed to do everything to give her the mate that she needed. After all her support, he couldn't very well give up on life. She wasn't going to give up on him so he needed to take the same mindset. And deep down he resolved that he would do everything that he could to make it back. Whether he flew or not was going to be unimportant. Whatever career he could salvage from the shambles of his brain, he would fight to get back.

Meg must have sensed Animal's deep internal struggle because she looked over at Animal with a concerned look on her face and she moved closer to him. She wanted to let Animal know that she was going to be right there with him every single step of the way.

"And what do you want out of life? Sir?" Meg had asked long ago in a bar outside of Yokosuka Naval Station in 1996.

"I guess…"there was a long pause and another couple of drinks before he had answered, his tone wistful which struck a chord in Meg, feeling deep down the desire to take away his melancholy. "I want the white picket fence, the house, the wife, the two kids and dog and…" He paused and chuckled cracking a joke that he figured was wry. "the half a cat…ok…an intact cat."

Meg replied. "I think everyone wants that, sir." Her tone was also wistful; her heart knowing that she with a burgeoning career in the United States Navy was far from that. But she could hope and with a full heart, she did dream a daydream about what it would be like to be married to a wonderful man with the two kids, a dog and a cat.

The O4 Meg Austin was a bit older and a lot wiser than the former lieutenant JG who had asked the then Commander Nakamura that question, but she still felt the same pull towards the now Navy Captain who was lying injured in the hospital bed wondering if his life would ever be the same again. She understood him.

When he had said to her "But really, Lieutenant, all I really want is someone who understands me, who I am, as a person, not someone who just thinks of me as a guy with a sword in one hand, flight helmet in the other, and chest festooned with medals shouting. 'Follow me, men! Glory or bust.'. Inside, I'm not that guy…" he had meant every single word of what he'd said. He wasn't a glory-hound, he was just an ordinary guy trying to understand the situation that he'd been thrust into.

Harm had managed to become extremely jealous at the attention that Meg was paying Animal during the course of the Medal of Honor investigation and snarkingly replied as he had given her a sceptical glance "You know the allure of dress whites and gold wings." He gave her that big grin of his, that worked so well on other females. It didn't work as well anymore.

And she had responded to that jab with one of her own. "I'm sorry, sir…" she smirked back at him. "I've never seen him in dress whites and gold wings." She had said, an innocent tone in her voice as she had demurely blinked at him. She had turned to go back to Animal's side and turning slightly to look at Harm; had shot back with a retort of her own that successfully deflated Harm's ego. "but he fills out that set of khakis really well…and that blue ribbon with the white stars: rounds out that physique so nicely." *KABOOM*. Deep down, Meg would bet money that Harm had been absolutely jealous of Animal. As she looked at Animal resting, his head on the pillow, she reached out to caress his hand, which he upturned the palm and grasped her own hand, softly squeezing to show her his love for her. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Animal looked up at her with a wondering look on his face, gazing into her eyes with a questioning look.

"A penny…for your thoughts." He said slowly.

"Nothing much…just thinking about a few things in the past. What I should have said to you back then…" Meg replied as she gazed back at him, an enigmatic smile on her face.

"…and now?" Animal asked quietly hoping that things hadn't changed with his physical helplessness.

"…just…that…" she paused for a long minute to extend her other hand to take his other hand; leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips. "…I love you, always…Tosh."

His eyes softened noticeably when she used his given name. Animal had by now recalled that he was referred to as Animal because of the fact that he had used to fly F-14 Tomcats in the Navy. Animal was his call-sign although he wasn't still sure how he got it, but that was a memory that would come back eventually as his neural pathways reconstructed themselves. Hopefully the brain injury wasn't too severe to repair itself. Animal hoped so as he would like to still be able to function without needing outside help, though he knew that Meg would do whatever she could to give him a hand. But he needed independence, instead of lying in a hospital bed being helped to shower, shave and wipe his own butt when he had to excrete. In fact he had to go right now… He tried to heave himself out of the bed. "Hon…" he said, a pleading tone in his voice. "I think…I have to go…"

Meg got out of her chair and helped him to the toilet…then gave him privacy while he was in there. When it sounded as if he was finished, she helped him clean off when it seemed as though the stitches in his shoulder prevented him from being able to do so; washed her own hands thoroughly to keep from spreading bacteria and then helped him back to the bed, his gait slow...and painful as the stitches on his gunshot wound pulled slightly. He winced and Meg asked him if he was alright. Animal nodded and sat down on the edge of the hospital bed, sighing in relief. Just that exercise in elimination made him realize just how far he had to go to get back to where he had been originally. He had taken for granted just how much he had been able to do for himself and he wondered if he was ever going to be able to do the things he used to be able to do.

His hitching breath conveyed to Meg, Animal's mood, his somber expression the hint of wetness and hopelessness in his eyes. Meg gathered him to her, holding him in her arms and whispered, "I'm not going to let you fall. I won't let you fall…"

JAG Headquarters, Falls Church, VA, 1300hrs

"Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie reporting for duty, sir." The silver oak leaves on Mac's service charlies were shiny new as RADM Morris stared at Mac.

"Quite a return, Lieutenant Colonel." Morris replied, his countenance not betraying a single hint as to his perception of her and Mac was certain that he wasn't pleased. The orders had come from over his head, presumably from the office of the SECNAV. "Under the circumstances of your TDY posting to DC, you will be serving as the Chief of Staff until such time as we can get this matter straightened out as per briefed by your CO back in RLSO South West." Mac knew that Morris would have preferred to get his own regime into place, but the simple fact that the Secretary of the Navy had overruled that pleased Mac immensely. It was a comfortable position and she had slipped into back into it.

"Yes, sir." Mac replied, also keeping her personal thoughts private as she figured that she would have plenty of time to get an ide of the lay of the land. And in any case she figured that she outranked that now red-headed bimbo of Harm's. Frankly, Mac thought, she'd be really amused to see Liandra's face when she stepped into the office.

"I hope that you will be able to return to your duties at RLSO Southwest as soon as possible." Morris' tone made it sound as though he was certainly going to ensure that Mac's stay at JAG HQ was as short as possible.

"Yes, sir." Mac replied, stiffening to a brace knowing that was a dismissal.

"Tiner?" The admiral hit the intercom on the phone. "Please make sure that Commander Gracen sees me about the Pettigrew case? Thank you. Tell her to see me in my office to hand the case over to Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie." Mac swore that the admiral had a smirk on his face.

It was not more than five minutes before a knock at the door caused RADM Morris to usher the familiar petite naval officer into the room, and Mac's enmity towards the shorter naval officer grew as she saw silver oak leaves on Lia's naval khakis.

"Good to see you, Colonel Mackenzie." Lia's eyes betrayed not a hint of surprise at Mac's change in rank while Mac's jaw hung open and that raised Mac's ire even further. Lia handed her the folder for the Pettigrew case and updated her calmly and professionally on the case.

"Good luck in judiciary. Commander Gracen." RADM Morris stated firmly to CDR Gracen who nodded to LCOL Mackenzie.

Lia acknowledged respect for RADM Morris with a "Thank you, sir." and was dismissed. Executing a crisp about-face, she nodded to Mac and left.

Mac wasn't sure exactly how to deal with the fact that her nemesis was still of equal rank to her.

"I see you were promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. When?" the RADM asked, frowning at her.

"Yesterday, sir." Mac said, looking towards the door.

"She still outranks you." RADM Morris replied. "She was promoted the day before yesterday...and she will also be trying the Pettigrew case; as the judge presiding." He paused, "Dismissed."

Mac, her mental state still in disarray, barely managed to get herself back together to snap to attention and flee from the office. The military was achievement oriented; and the Marines even more so. Mac was highly competitive and the military structure enforced that will to succeed. But her enmity towards Lia was based on the fact that she thought that Harm was hers. What right did that little auburn haired mouse have; to take Harm from her? She couldn't let that situation go.

"Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie? You're back?" She turned around when she heard Lieutenant JG Bud Robert's voice beside her.

"Yes, I am, Bud. Could you do me a favor?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Bud responded, about as eagerly as a golden retriever puppy.

"Find me an office."

"Yes, ma'am."

Office of the Naval Inspector General, Pentagon Detachment, 1425hrs

Concentrating on anything while Animal was in the hospital was near impossible. Vice Admiral Bennett had placed a temporary captain in the NAVINSGEN office until such time as Animal was able to resume his duties. And already the vice-admiral was making changes on how dangerous investigations were to be carried out. VADM Bennett was not pleased that the investigation had resulted in getting Captain Nakamura shot. He was also planning on recommending that attempted charges in addition to the capital conspiracy charges be laid if the person who had shot the captain was captured. Harm was beginning to receive a pounding headache. He would have to consult with the RADM Morris and while the two-starred Judge Advocate General certainly carried a lot of weight; the outraged screaming from a three-star would certainly carry more weight.

"What the fucking hell were you two yahoos doing?" the vice-admiral had stood him up behind his desk and was bellowing at him from less than a foot away. "You went into a black project base to conduct an investigation and then proceeded to play Crockett and Tubbs? Are you two fucking insane? If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you two shared a single brain cell between the two of you and that particular brain cell was developmentally challenged!" Harm would have sworn that the windows were flexing every time that the vice-admiral had let out another outraged bellow. He'd never seen that done with the human voice before. "Black projects…are investigated accompanied by a highly armed security detachment of the United States Marines! Secondly, you secure the entire base. Otherwise you end up with an incident such as a highly decorated officer of the United States Navy getting himself shot in the process!"

The only thing that Harm could do was stand at the position of attention, stare at a point somewhere about eye-level wall-opposite and hope that his "Yes, sir!" responses were good enough to warrant him not getting lined up against the wall and shot himself. It appeared as though the admiral was not so much furious at the investigation going awry than at the fact that he was concerned about Captain Nakamura's health.

When the vice-admiral's tirade was finished and he had stomped out of the office with a slammed door and a reverberating hmmph, Harm winced as Lieutenant Commander Manetti had come into his office and said staring at the door, "I guess that meeting didn't go well." That was the understatement of understatements. Harm had thought.

"Yeah…" was all that Harm could say.

"When are you securing?" Tracy had asked him as Harm was busy gathering up his case files.

Harm sighed deeply, "I know I have a lot of things to do, but I need to get up to the hospital and check up on Meg and Captain Nakamura. I'm sure they're both hungry and I was going to swing by a fast food joint and get them something. You want to come along?" He asked.

"Of course. Is Lia going to be meeting you there or do you need to pick her up?" Tracy asked, not wanting to intrude if he'd prefer to keep his and Lia's relationship private.

Harm relaxed a bit, "Yes, I'm going to drop by the JAG office and pick her up, but I'm sure that she wouldn't mind you being there. After all, you know Captain Nakamura and you've had dealings with him on a professional level. I'm sure that she'd understand." He continued to go through his investigative case files so that he could make sure and work on them when he got home from the hospital. Harm was going to have to do his work and hope that the Captain who had taken on Animal's interim role of Chief of Staff of NAVINSGEN was up to the task of dealing with the investigations that needed doing. SECNAV wasn't happy about the shooting, neither was CNO either and that was probably what prompted the grilling from VADM Bennett.

Tracy stood quietly watching Harm do what he needed to do to clear his slate. She sighed and said finally. "You know…they are worried, but what they were doing was unwarranted. Captain Nakamura went into the situation knowing that he could potentially get injured."

"I know that, Tracy, but it doesn't make me feel any better." Harm finally said, slapping shut a file that he was looking through; he found that he needed to shunt this one over to JAG.

"I know you feel guilty for it, Harm…but it's not something that you could have prevented." Tracy stated, meeting Harm's disbelieving gaze. "Unless you're infantilizing your superior officer and thinking that he couldn't think for himself…" she maintained.

Harm said cantankerously, "I don't think that he wears diapers…"

"So why do you think you need to watch over everything that he does?"

National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda Naval Hospital), Bethesda, MD, 1630hrs

"Hey…Animal…" Animal looked up to see a tall sand-color haired man standing at the entrance of his hospital room in civvie clothes. "I heard you went n' damn near got yer ass shot off…"

"It actually was a…chest wound, but thanks…for your concern…" Animal retorted. His recovering brain synapses registered that this was Jack Keeter. "So what are you doing here?"

"Actually just was in the area and thought that I'd drop in. Harm called me earlier to let me know that you bit off a bit more than you could chew with that little shindig up in the Great Lakes…" Despite his jocular tone. Keeter was worried; Animal could tell at least that much. "Hi, Meg." Keeter grinned at Meg who was sitting in the chair close to Animal. At that, Animal inquisitively raised an eyebrow in question. "Harm tells me that he got the third degree from VADM Bennett."

"Is that so?"

"It was a black operation. Animal. And those guys don't like getting investigated by someone not in the know. You're gonna be lucky if they don't track you down and try to silence you and Harm…and anyone who gets too close." Keeter was dead serious and he locked eyes with Animal to let him know just how serious he was. "When the Iraqis had me in 1999 in their sandbox, they were playing for keeps and my superiors dealt with a couple of alphabet soup agencies to try to get something done. But they didn't do me any favors for free. Once you're in, you're in deep." Animal could tell that Keeter was trying to tell him something. "You gotta watch your back when you have to deal with these guys. Animal…" Keeter shook his head, a sorrowful expression on his face. "Once you're in deep with these guys, it's going to take a lot to get out."

"I presume you're telling me…these horror stories…" Animal said slowly. "…that you've had some experience…in having to deal with these guys?"

"Animal…trust me…you don't want to get mixed up with these guys if you can help it." Meg and Animal stared at each other with the ominous warning ringing in their ears. "The pool's deep…and if you can't swim, you're gonna drown." Animal's eyes were drawn to the bulge behind Keeter's jacket. Keeter nodded, moving his jacket aside just enough for Animal to catch a glimpse of the M9 clipped to Keeter's waist. "I swung by your place…" he pulled the other side of his jacket to reveal Animal's familiar M92FS Beretta clipped in a paddle holster to his other side, which he pulled out holster and all to tuck it behind Animal's pillow, nodding at him silently. "You need this…" he said shortly.

"I'm…not going to…ask how the hell…you know where I live…and how the hell…you got in…" Animal said soberly.

"Sweetie?" Meg asked. "Wasn't your spare M92FS in your safe?" Animal looked at her then looked at Keeter silently. "How?" Meg asked.

"His grandma's birthday..." Keeter grinned at Animal's silent question.

"I'm changing…my goddamned combination!" Animal muttered, shaking his head.

JAG Headquarters, Falls Church, VA, 1700hrs.

By the time Harm and Tracy had pulled up to the JAG HQ guard shack, It was rounding 1700 hrs. After being ushered through and finding a place to park (in the guest parking), he and Tracy headed for the door. "I think she's still here." Harm mentioned to Tracy as they walked to the door, having to return a few salutes while doing so. The elevator ride up to the office was silent. When the doors opened, he stepped out, along with Manetti. "She's at Judiciary now." Harm mentioned quietly to Tracy as they stepped through the office doors only to run into a familiar face; a Marine whom he'd thought had gone to RLSO Southwest.

"Harm?"

Harm's gaze went to the Marine's collars; on it were silver oak leaves. Which meant that he and Tracy locked up to the position of attention. "Ma'am!"

"Lieutenant Commanders!" Mac replied as she looked at the two of them. "Can I help you?"

"I was just looking for Commander Gracen." Harm said…staring straight ahead. He hadn't realized that Mac would be one grade ahead of him and that stung in terms of competitiveness between him and the Marine Lieutenant Colonel standing in front of him. The fact that Lia had her O5 wasn't so much of an ego-busting situation as he knew for a damned fact that Lia had worked hard to get where she was and that her O5 was certainly a well-deserved one. But Mac's O5 so soon after her being cited for attempted murder of her husband that she hadn't disclosed, was a stinging slap to the face. He was absolutely certain that the promotion boards had considered his discharge of an MP5 in the courtroom from few years back and that had certainly postponed his promotion for a few months while the promotion boards reviewed his current conduct. He did swear that he could see green in Mac's eyes when he had mentioned Lia's name as who he was waiting for.

"Hi…Harm." Lia's cheery voice was heard coming down the hallway from the judiciary section of the office. "Are we going up to the hospital to see Animal tonight?" She frowned a moment when she saw Harm and an Asian female Lieutenant Commander standing at attention and sure enough, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie was involved in the matter. "Is there something the matter? Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie?" She asked, not particularly wanting to hear the answer.

"Well, I was just wondering why the two Lieutenant…Commanders…" Mac stated with an emphasis on the Lieutenant part of the rank. "…were wandering around the JAG office…"

"Ma'am." Harm said. "I was just waiting for you…"

"Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie…I'll take it from here, thank you. As you were…" Lia said, as she ushered the now relaxed two junior officers to her office, giving Mac a pointed look as if to say we're going to talk about this later! Tracy thought that there was some tension between the Navy commander and the Marine Lieutenant Colonel.

"Are you just about finished?" Harm asked quietly as Lia shut the door and started gathering her case files putting them into her legal briefcase.

Lia continued with her gathering, looking up just long enough to say, "Just about…Harm." When she had finished, she turned to Tracy and said, "Good to see you again, Tracy. Are you coming up with us to the hospital?"

"Yes, ma'am." Tracy said. "Harm invited me to see our colleague and I figured that I would accept his offer."

"That's great." Lia replied as she gathered her light jacket and cover. "Well, I'm done. Time to go up and see Meg and Captain Nakamura."

National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda Naval Hospital), Bethesda, MD, 1820 hrs.

Animal looked up to see Harm standing at the door along with Lia and Lieutenant Commander Tracy Manetti. "Hi, you three…c'mon in…" Harm looked over to the third chair in the corner in which Keeter was sitting; while Meg was sitting right next to Animal.

"Keeter…what are you doing here?" Harm asked.

"Well, I wanted to see our ol' instructor here from RAG and see what he'd gotten himself into." Keeter replied, smirking as he saw the nonplussed look on Harm's face. "C'mon in…I need to talk to you about something." Harm and the two female officers stepped into Animal's hospital room. Keeter got up and walked over to the door and shut it for privacy. He then looked at the three of them with an expression that spoke of a serious talk forthcoming. "Harm…buddy, you and your CO stepped into some big problems…"

"Yeah, tell me about it." Harm replied.

"I've got my handler trying to take care of the situation, but…you've gotta be on your toes. Those alphabet soup agencies don't like it when people snoop around their black operations…" Harm looked at Keeter in shock.

"…handler?"

"That's right, Harm…you remember the incident in Iraq…the one that we're not supposed to talk about." Harm nodded quietly. "All I can say is that was my introduction to the world of national security." Keeter gave him a hard look which started from Harm then scanned across the room at all of them. "The guys up at Great Lakes…that black base you were on…knew that you guys were trying to find out about where the money was siphoned. And they don't like it one bit." Keeter turned to Animal. "The stuff that they were working on is so damned hush-hush…one word leaks out and a whole department can get eliminated…swept…as in no more." Keeter made a cutting motion with both hands." And if you get too close, you're going to get cleared out…cleaned." Animal sure didn't like the sound of the word cleaned if that was the connotation that Keeter was attaching to it. "It means you're getting too damned close to what they don't want you to know. Are you guys getting what I'm telling you?"

Harm looked over at Animal, Lia and Meg. "So what does that mean for us?" Harm asked his old friend.

"You have two choices." Keeter said. "You can either take your chances…" He shrugged. "…or go into hiding, until we track these bastards that went rogue and shut them down. If I were you, I'd pick the option that allows you to keep breathing."

"Fuck!" Animal muttered. "…and me limping around like a lame duck." When he was angry it seemed that the brain synapses worked a hell of a lot better.

"So how are you going to explain our disappearances to our superiors?" Harm asked.

A creak of the door opening…caused Keeter to brush his hand against his jacket reaching for his weapon.

"Stand down, Keeter. I've got this…" Harm looked over at the door to see another familiar face stepping into the room. "Hi, Rabb."

"Clayton Webb…" Harm grumbled. "I hoped I'd never have to see you again…"