Something slammed into his forehead sending white flashes across his eyes. He opened his eyes, he was in a cage! Something heavy and dark was above him—he was buried alive! Something grabbed his foot, he kicked out. He heard an animal wail. He went to kick again, but nothing was there. He punched at the cage. Spiders crawled across his face! He brushed them aside, he was suffocating! He thrashed, he couldn't breathe. Something grabbed his foot, he was getting pulled down…No! He screamed in blind panic. He kicked out and felt his heel connect with something solidly…still he was dragged…light…he could move…something grabbed his waist…Dead! It was the dead! Cold hungry hands dragging him underground, he was trapped. His hands and legs were held down… He was going down, down…falling…he screamed and arched his back…he managed to get his right hand free, he shot out an elbow. It connected with something solid…he kicked out hard…he didn't connect but the thing tangled around his legs let him go. He rolled away and went to stand up. He was pulled back to the hard ground. His ragged breathing was halted by the body slam. Something heavy sat on top of him…crushing him. He lashed out. His left fist hit something solid. Clamps fastened on his wrists held them down. Gas mask…not again…No! He howled trying to buck the thing off him. Torture…torture…no, no, no not again! Please, no! Not again!

"Damnit, Mac!" Jack said trying to break through the panicking form thrashing under him. Mac was rasping in air too fast, his face was red, hair stuck to the sweat pouring from him. Jack was close enough to see his eyes. The pupils were so large Jack could barely see any blue. Jack leaned more on his friend's chest cursing himself. This was all his fault. The damn drugs—why had he left Mac under the bed? Mac's movements were beginning to slow down. Jack considered Mac's terrified eyes, they were looking more distant. Mac was about to pass out. Jack eased off his grip. "Mac! Mac! C'mon partner! Wake up, wake up. WAKE UP!" Jack's voice cracked across the room. Mac froze. Jack could feel the kid's pulse thud through his entire body—too fast, but his body was beginning to quiet. Jack eased up more. Mac's eyes blinked several times slowly. He was still breathing fast, but not heaving for air like he had been. Mac squinted up into Jack's face. Jack held his breath and leaned in closer giving Mac the time he needed to see him clearly. Mac relaxed his body.

"Jk?" Jack grinned and gently rolled off his partner. Mac took a few deep breaths and stared around him confused for a long moment. He turned toward Jack again and slowly pushed himself up to sitting with arms that shook. Jack sat back leaning against the closet door. He waited patiently dabbing at his split lip. The kid had a nasty right hook. Mac looked around him. His face was losing some of its redness and his breathing was easing back to normal. He brushed at his face and made a disgusted face flipping the clot of dust away from him.

"You really gotta clean under your bed, kid." Jack said.

"Bed?" Mac asked. His head dropped and he looked like he was having trouble holding it up. He reached up and rubbed his shoulder. He looked behind him. He finally realized he was in his own room, at home. His brain sluggishly put together the clues. "Why was I under the bed?" Jack shook his head trying to think of how to answer that. Mac looked at his wrists. Jack winced and looked away. His hand prints had left a shadow that was already purpling. Mac rolled his wrists and winced. He noticed the bruises. He looked up at Jack and noticed the blood trickling from his lip and a red bump swelling over his right cheekbone. Mac straightened up. Jack could see the realization hit him. "What happened to your face?"

"Look, Mac. It's my fault alright? All of this is my fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Jack said. Mac looked down frowning wondering why his brain wasn't working. His brain normally worked nimbly, like a well-oiled set of clockwork gears—too well sometimes—but now he could barely think. He felt like someone had stuffed his head with cotton balls. And it hurt. He leaned forward with a soft groan. "Mac?" Jack scooted over to his side in a single move. He ducked in close. Mac had his eyes closed and held his hands over his temples. "Mac? Talk to me man." Mac looked up with reddened vampire eyes. He squinted as if the dim light in the room burned him.

"We were on a plane?" Mac asked. Jack nodded and waited. "Dictator in New Zealand…" Mac frowned. No, that didn't sound right.

"No, warlord in Bogota." Jack said. Mac nodded bits coming back to him.

"Then the hostages at the Indian consulate…" He put in, his voice strengthening.

"Then the bomber in New Zealand." Jack added smiling. Mac was starting to return to normal. Mac nodded and tried to keep talking but a string of yawns stopped him. Jack frowned. Mac had slept about four hours, but it was not anywhere near enough to keep his sanity. "You needed some sleep…"

"What the hell pills did you give me?" Angus demanded. Jack shrugged and pulled out the bottle. Mac took the bottle and squinted at it. He rubbed his fingers over his eyes, blinked a few times then leaned in closer. He nodded and handed the pills back. "How long was I asleep?"

"You got about four hours."

"Under the bed." Mac's mouth rose at the corners. He chuckled and rubbed his hands over his face. He then tried to shake the dust off his hand. "I really do need to clean under there." Jack chuckled relaxing back.

"You need to make a little sweeper robot, you know something cute like that dog you made…" Mac frowned at him.

"Dog? What are you talking about?"

"Dog, the one you made for Andre's kid? She's turning three?" Mac frowned. Andre? He shrugged and leaned his head back. He was so tired. He felt hungover, everything ached and he felt chilled. He felt everything seem to fade a shade around him.

"…with me Mac?" Jack said. Mac blinked and looked over at his friend. He tried to smile reassurance. Judging by Jack's expression he failed horribly. Mac grunted and pushed off the side of the bed and stood up. Or he tried to. His legs were wobbly and he almost faceplanted. Jack seemed to uncoil from the ground to standing in one move. He managed to catch Mac's shoulders and pivot him to sit on the bed. Mac closed his eyes against the spinning of the world around him. He swallowed feeling his mouth water he was about to heave. He leaned forward, there was a flutter of movement and a blurry trash basket was thrust under his chin as his stomach tried its best to turn itself inside out. What his stomach lacked in food, it made up with in energy. His gut and chest muscles felt like a fist sharply working an empty tube of toothpaste. Finally, he could gasp in air and spit. The basket was taken away and replaced by a damp towel. Mac gratefully took it and wiped his whole face, letting it rest against his skin for a long minute.

"Is he ok?" Riley asked at the door. Jack glanced over at her. She held the basket away from her, her nose wrinkled.

"Worst. Hangover. Ever." Mac said through the damp towel. Jack and Riley shared a smile.

"Is Penny OK?" Jack asked. Before Riley could ask, Mac looked up quickly.

"Penny's here? What happened…?" Mac's eyes widened as he remembered kicking something. "Is she hurt? Did I…?" Mac jumped to his feet and almost fell over face first. Jack easily caught him. Mac turned a terrible chartreuse. Riley held out the basket. Mac closed his eyes leaning forward. Jack eyed him a long moment, holding him steady by the shoulders. Mac breathed in deeply. Slowly he opened his eyes. Jack looked at Riley and shook his head. Riley nodded and disappeared with the basket held in front of her. Mac slowly looked up at Jack. "Did I hurt her?" Jack hesitated. Alarm flared in Mac's eyes. He sat up straight. Jack kept him from rising.

"She was here for Bozer. They were working on some sort of Alice in Wonderland thing. Riley, Bozer and I stepped out to get some donuts. We saved you some, by the way," Mac grimaced, "Bozer'd forgotten that she was coming over. We tried to intercept her so she wouldn't wake you up. She was already inside when we got here." Jack trailed off. Mac glared at him. Sighing, Jack continued. "We heard screams. We came running and you were having your…" Jack trailed off. Nightmare? Flashback? Jack wasn't sure what kind of hell Mac had been in for that long few minutes.

"Did I hurt her?" Mac asked softly looking down.

"No, not really." Mac glared at Jack. Jack held up a hand in surrender. "You hit her nose pretty good. Bozer took her out of here. I don't think it's broken."

"Her face? I kicked her in the face?" Mac mumbled to himself. He rubbed his forehead with a shaking hand. He yawned again. He felt heavy, hollow. Nothing seemed quite real. He frowned and looked up at Jack. Jack looked down confused. There was an odd look on MacGyver's face he'd never seen before. Mac reached out a finger and poked Jack in the chest, hard.

"What the…?" Mac frowned then poked Jack's chin hard enough to turn his head. "Mac, what are you doing?"

"Am I asleep? Are you real?" Jack was about to laugh when he saw Mac's pupils begin to bulge again. He could feel his partner's body tense. Jack knelt to eye level with Mac.

"No, you are not asleep and yes I am real." Mac didn't seem completely sold on the idea. "Look Mac, you know the advanced stages of sleep deprivation as I do, add on the fact that the effects of the pills haven't even peaked yet, you aren't going to be firing on four cylinders for a while until you get more sleep. A lot more sleep." He went to push Mac gently down into bed. Mac stayed him with a hand on his arm. Jack frowned. Before he could protest, Mac nodded and raised his eyes to meet Jack's. There was an unease and tinge of fear Jack didn't understand.

"You're right, Jack. I will sleep. First I need to make sure Penny's ok then a shower."

"And a bite of real food in you." Mac seemed to turn a shade greener but nodded. He knew it would help absorb the sleeping pills. Mac yawned again and folded forward bracing his elbows on his knees. He yawned three more times and closed his eyes trying to summon the energy to stand. Jack put a hand on his shoulder. Mac looked up into his face, deeply lined with concern. "You just wait here. Bozer will help you in the shower…" Mac opened his mouth to protest that he didn't need help, but Jack put a finger across his lips. "Non-negotiable. I'll make sure Penny's ok and then we'll make you some food. Anything you're hungry for?" Angus closed his eyes and Jack smiled wondering if he was going to blow chunks again. "Never mind, we'll find something. After that you are going to sleep…a long, long, long time, alright amigo?" Mac looked down fighting off more yawns and just nodded. Jack patted his shoulder then left the room. Mac leaned over on his knees. He rubbed his forehead wishing he could just wipe away the layers of cobwebs there. He remembered feeling spiders…he shuddered and forced his eyes opened. He really, really didn't want to sleep if that was what was waiting for him under his eyelids.

"This really sucks." He told the empty room. Mac smiled when nothing answered him back.