I don't own MacGyver.

Mild spoilers for X-Ray + Penny. And I remember in the original MacGyver, his mother's name was Ellen.

And I know I'm jumping back and forth in order of episodes, and I apologize. But I had to write this!

I wondered, after Mac crawled out of the sewer in episode 2x4, what happened between then and when Mac was in the hospital. Not much of a description, but I hope you like this story. Please review!

The first thing Mac did was take a big breath of fresh air. He was vaguely aware of the car horns honking and voices shouting. But everything sounded like white noise. He stumbled to the curb, barely aware of some concerned onlookers yelling for help.

Mac rested his head on the sidewalk. An older man who could've been someone's grandfather grabbed Mac's wrist and checked his pulse. He saw a young woman cup his face with her hand. He saw her lips move as she looked at another woman on her cell phone, telling her that Mac seemed disoriented.

"Angus..."

Mac's eyes widened. He hadn't heard that voice in twenty years. No, he thought.

"It's all right," the older man said.

Mac tried to focus on what was going on. He opened his mouth to ask for help, but found his voice too dry.

"Angus..." The voice said again.

His eyes darted around, trying to focus on what was going on when he heard it again. He tried to close his eyes and his head lolled back. He'd almost gave in to sleep when a face appeared.

"Don't go to sleep now, Angus."

Mac knew he was hallucinating, but didn't want to come back to reality. His eyes widened and he gasped softly when he finally saw her.

"Mom?"

Ellen MacGyver smiled down at her son. "Don't go to sleep now. Help is on the way."

Mac's eyes filled with tears when he saw his mother. She looked exactly as he remembered her - strawberry blonde hair, warm smile, and his eyes. It was how she looked before she got sick and died.

"It's all right," Ellen assured him. "Jack's coming. And your friends - your family - they're going to find you."

A tear fell from Mac's eyes. He knew he was hallucinating, but he didn't want to come back to reality. "I miss you," he whispered.

"I know," Ellen said. "I miss you. But I've been watching you. I am so proud of you, Angus."

Paramedics arrived and began checking Mac out, but Mac stayed focus on the ghost of his mother. "Please, don't go," he said.

Ellen smiled warmly. "I'm with you," she assured him. "No matter what happens, I'm with you."

More tears fell down Mac's face as paramedics began loading him onto a stretcher. One medic, a young woman, saw Mac's tears. "Don't worry," she told the agent. "We're going to get you to the hospital. You're going to be okay."

Mac looked past her to the ghost of his mother. "Don't..." he mumbled before sleep overcame him.

"I'm here," Ellen said. "I love you. I'm always with you."

Mac opened his eyes to see that his mother's ghost was gone. As he was loaded into the hospital, he sent up a silent "thank you" to his mom for being there. His eyes drifted closed and he allowed sleep to claim him, remembering his mother's voice telling him he'd be okay.

When Mac opened his eyes again, he looked around and saw he was in a hospital room. Jack was sitting next to his bed, sleeping in an uncomfortable-looking chair. Matty anxiously paced the room as Riley and Bozer sat on the floor. Cage stood and stared out the window.

Mac smiled softly when he thought of his team - his family. He reached out his hand and touched Jack's arm.

The elder agent was up like a shot. He glanced around for a couple of moments before his eyes landed on the young genius. A relieved smile came to his face. "Mac!" he sighed in relief.

Everyone else looked to see Mac smiling at Jack. "Welcome back," Cage said.

"We were so worried," Bozer said.

Mac smiled, thinking of his encounter with his mother's ghost. "I knew you'd come," he said to Jack.

"Damn straight," Jack said with a relieved smile. "I'm always going to look out for you, Mac."

Mac smiled softly as he sat up. "She said you would."

"She?" Riley asked.

"Never mind," Mac said as he tried to get out of bed. "We've got to find Murdoc."

"And we will," Matty said. She pushed him back down on the bed. "We'll find him Mac, but you need to..."

"I'll rest when we find him," Mac said as he got up.


After the crash where Murdoc grabbed Henry the "teacher" and escaped, Mac and Jack were at Phoenix getting checked out by the medical team. Jack angrily shrugged off one medic's hand when he put a bandage on his forehead.

Mac hated that Murdoc got the upper hand again, but he was glad to be back with his extended family. He knew they'd catch Murdoc someday. Still, he couldn't help the small smile that came to his face.

Jack saw Mac's small smile. "What?"

"She told me you'd come," Mac said as the medics left the two alone in the War Room.

"Who's 'she'?" Jack asked.

Mac sighed deeply. "When I crawled out of there...maybe it was what Murdoc drugged me with, but...I saw my mom."

The younger agent expected Jack to laugh or ask if he didn't hit his head. But Jack simply smiled. "You did, huh?"

"I did," Mac said. "She looked exactly like I remembered her. She said I'd be okay. She told me she loved me. And my family here would save me."

Jack couldn't help but smile at his best friend. "She's right, brother. We wouldn't stop looking for you."

Tears came to Mac's eyes as he remembered what his mother said. "I miss her, Jack."

Jack's heart broke for the younger man who'd been through so much in his young life. "I know. But she was right. None of us would stop looking for you."

Mac smiled. "She said that. She said you guys are my family." He smiled at the Texan. "You are."

"Absolutely," Jack said. They didn't express their feelings often, but both men knew how much they meant to each other.

Mac smirked softly. "You think I dreamed it?"

"No," Jack said. "No. I think you saw what you needed to see. I never knew her, but...I think your mom would be proud of you."

"She said she was," Mac said. "And she said you would save me."

Jack smiled. "She was right. I'll always look out for you, Mac."

Mac smiled. "Always."

The End