April 2006 Challenge

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

They had been at it for almost 12 hours. They had walked the corridors. They had visited with their friends who had come. They had spoken with their offices trying to get everything cleared for the next week. The gunny at his office was more than competent and had things running smoothly. The petty officer at her office was just a tad less competent than Harm’s aid but she knew what to do long term. More importantly, she knew how to fend off the diplomatic pseudo-crisis that seemed to crop-up everyday.

Calls had been placed to Washington, D.C. to speak with the General. He had tried to give Rabb some advice but the heavy panting was just too much for the General to bear. He had abruptly cut off the phone conversation with the admonition to Rabb to take care of matters.

A call was placed to La Jolla, California. Why they even bothered using a phone was beyond Harm. His mother had screamed her joy and frustration with the whole situation. She was taking the next flight out to get to her baby. She knew that she was needed since it was obvious that her son was too dense to call earlier.

Things had settled down after awhile. So far they had played cards, scrabble, colored in some children’s coloring books, and read to each other from a book of poems. She had napped for about 10 minutes when she awoke wanting to do something else. The only thing that was left to do was work on the mini-jig puzzle that Harriet had given them with the big teddy bear.

Harm dumped all 50 pieces out on the tray table. “Can you turn over here to help with this thing? “ He reached to give her a hand and something to pull herself up to.

She winced but pulled herself to nearer to the table. “Why did you dump them out like that? The last person who did this might have left them partially complete.” Sifting through the pieces as she spoke was simply a diversion to the renewal of the pains and having to time them. “O! I found a corner piece. O! That one hurt.” She panted and tried to ease into and out of the pain.

Harm held her hands to help steady her and give her some support. He was trying to time the pains also but was too involved with her reactions to really know how long they were lasting.

“Maybe this puzzle wasn’t such a good idea. You can’t really focus right now.” He was worried. The doctors were monitoring for fetal distress. So far so good but they were still worried.

Mac looked at her husband of a year. “No, the puzzle is fine.” She moved a few more pieces around until she found another couple of pieces to fit. “I just feel like this puzzle here. Every time I think I’ve put the pieces of my life together, someone comes along and jumbles them all up…..” She sighed but kept on finding pieces to finish out the puzzle.

Harm didn’t say too much. He had looked at her after that statement and knew that it was just the waiting that was getting to her. After about another couple of pain sets and some more puzzle pieces finding their way into the scheme of things, Harm pushed away from the table and the puzzle. “When you speak like that, I feel like I’ve got a big hole where my heart used to be.” He looked lovingly at her. “You are the only one who can find the piece to complete me, the puzzle that is me.”

She looked at him. Reading the pain in his eyes made her feel guilty about the turn of the conversation. Mac knew that she had to get him out of the funk that she had put him in. Taking a firm grip on herself and ‘sucking’ it up as any good Marine would, she reached for his hands. “Okay, squid. Sorry for the down moment. My puzzle is complete with you. Together we are one.”

She gave him a gentle kiss, then leaned back on the pillows with an odd look on her face.
“Harm, go get the nurse. I think your little princes just decided to be born.”

Harm pressed the call button and then stuck his head out the room’s door. “Marine about to deliver!” he announced in a commanding voice.

Fifteen minutes later, they had their little princess. And a puzzle they were going to take home and get framed.