A/N This is just a little later that morning,
"Okay Steve, I think I've got it, I'll call you tomorrow with another update, and we'll go from there." Jack hung up the phone and sat back to review his hastily scrawled notes. He jotted a few more things on a second scrap of paper, looking up just in time to notice Boze entering the room.
"What's up, they aren't revoking our days off are they?" He asked looking wary and indignant.
"No, buddy, I just checked in for advice on Mac. Our boy is running a little hot, but Steve says it might be nothing, just to wait and watch for now."
""He's not up at the crack of dawn, and running a temp? How can that be nothing?" Bozer asked, his hands going to his hips and his mother hen tendencies cruising into overdrive.
"Take it down a notch, I already got this, you know as well as I do how lightly we have to tread this particular mine field." Jack warned.
"Sit down and I'll tell you what Steve told me." He paused and waited for Bozer to sit. "I told him how irritable and exhausted Mac has been and he said it's not surprising. His blood counts will take a while to get back in normal range and these are common symptoms for low hemoglobin patients. As long as he doesn't spike a higher temp that's just something to keep an eye on. They already are treating his anemia with iron and prophylactic antibiotics, that's what his meds are for. It's just gonna take a while."
"He did have some suggestions that might help though. I need to pick up few things for some protein shakes and snacks he wants us to push and he's emailing you some recipes and tips to try to bulk him up without him noticing. He really knows our boy." Jack laughed at that. "I'm gonna head out, you can go ahead and start breakfast and I'll try to be back before he gets up." He gave Boze a conspiratorial wink and pat on the shoulder as he rose and headed for the door.
Bozer reached for his cell to check his email and smiled. Jack was one hell of a mother hen and he had to admit that the man took his job of watching out for his partner seriously, 24/7, and not just in the field. He had to be the best of best friends for Mac, besides himself of course.
Mac woke up and glanced lazily to the other bed expecting for Jack to still be snoring. He hummed in surprise to see that the bed was not only empty but made up neatly. Checking his watch he was surprised again. He rarely slept this late, but decided he must have needed it and getting up and ready for the day without the annoying adult supervision Jack had been providing in recently weeks was a sign of progress, to be appreciated fully.
After a hot shower and getting dressed he exited his room to the third surprise of the morning to find his three friends already seated and stuffing their faces at the table that was loaded with Bozer's usual spread.
"Bout time, I've been holding Jack off from stealing your share!" Riley announced cheerfully.
"Like there wouldn't be enough." Mac laughed, noting the half full platter of waffles, bacon and eggs still available.
"He's still on his first plate." Bozer piped up, passing juice and milk to Mac. Jack didn't even bother with an answer, he was too busy chewing.
"Not fishing this morning?" Mac asked, after enjoying a few bites and setting his fork down to reach for his milk.
"Boze is taking me swimming. He told me about the rope swing you guys had and I can't wait to try it!" Riley informed him excitedly.
"That'll be great!" Mac responded eagerly. "I'll probably have to replace the rope though, that was a while back."
"Boze can handle that, right Boze?" Jack interjected, pointedly. He continued, ignoring the icy glare that immediately commenced from across the table. "We're watching a couple new movies I brought. I bet some of that leftover bacon would be great in the popcorn." He raised a palm to ward off the expected argument from his friend. "I'm trying to make this easy on you bud. I didn't even bring my Bruce collection."
Mac raised his eyebrows at that revelation. "Still capitalizing, huh?" He offered, sarcasm tuned in at moderate in acknowledgement of the huge sacrifice involved. Riley and Bozer exchanged confused looks, but Jack just laughed and went back to the serious job of demolishing his mounds of food.
Even Jack had to agree that after eating his fill of that breakfast, and overseeing Mac taking his morning meds there was no desire for popcorn as they sat down to begin a The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings marathon.
Halfway through the first movie Jack hit pause and suggested a beverage. Coming back with milkshakes he passed Mac his and ignored the lifted eyebrows. Seeing it seemed to be made from fresh strawberries Mac gave a mental shrug and took a tentative slurp. Noticing his empty glass a half hour later, Jack congratulated himself for going with the medium size portion he had given his friend, although he was still enjoying his own large non protein version immensely.
As the second movie started Jack proclaimed he couldn't watch it without popcorn and since Mac insisted his be butter only he tossed crumbled bacon in his own and crunched happily only trying twice to get his friend to try it.
Two thirds of the way through and after three beers and all that popcorn Jack had dozed off. Thinking that five hours of sitting in one spot, ensconced on the couch with his legs stretched out on the coffee table and pillows everywhere, comfortable as it may be, was more than he could bear. Mac got up quietly, watching and listening for any change that signaled Jack had noticed and then grabbed his shoes and went out on the porch to put them on.
After a moment of relishing his new found freedom, he stepped off the porch and headed around to the shed where he thought he remembered storing the sling shots he had made for Boze and himself so many years ago. Wincing, he momentarily wished he had his knee brace on but knew going back for it would not end well. Putting his discomfort out of his mind easily, he found himself smiling as he recalled their competitions over the training range they had painstakingly created through the woods.
Upon entering the larger of the two sheds that sat behind the cabin, the smile left his face. Looking around the well organized but rather full sets of shelves lining the walls, he was reminded of how many things he had created or attempted to create over the summer weeks he had spent here. Ok, this might take a while. Why had he not labeled the boxes? Because he knew what every box held, of course. But, that was a long time ago. I can do this, he thought stubbornly. He gazed at each box in turn, starting at the uppermost box on the first shelf, and proceeding left to right. He got to the fifth box on the second set of shelves before his eyes narrowed with heightened interest.
The box in question looked pretty much like most of the other boxes, but it somehow felt different. Reaching for it with his right hand he pulled at it and grunted as he noticed it's weight. The box was situated just overhead, and just thinking about reaching for it with both hands made his left side twinge. Maybe, if he slid it to the edge and put his right shoulder under it he could lever it to the work bench situated a few feet away and behind where he was standing. He glanced sideways at the bench, then the box, then the bench again, making the calculations automatically. Then he reached for the box again.
O~O~O
Jack roused himself as the sound of Riley's laughter filtered in from the porch. He glanced to where he expected to see his resting partner and immediately jumped to his feet, fighting down the urge to punch something or more specifically, someone.
"Mac!" He roared, startling Bozer and Riley as they entered and causing both of them to freeze in astonishment.
"Wha? What's going on?" Boze sputtered when he found his voice. He had seen Jack jump up and flash around the room in a heartbeat and now was glaring at them wildly.
"Where the hell is he?" He yelled. "I'm gonna kill him myself!" He swore, running out the door, leaving both of them with their mouths agape.
Dropping their damp towels they hurried to follow.
"Damn he's fast!" Boze mumbled under his breath as he reached the front step and looked around in confusion.
"In the back." Riley offered, grabbing his arm as she bounded past him. They both sprinted around the side of the house in time to see the large shed door rebounding from where Jack had slung it fully open. That resounding bang was quickly followed by what sounded like a full orchestra of smaller bangs, pings, and frantic scraping noises coming from within the building.
"What the hell Mac?" Jack's voice reached them before they reached the door. They dove inside to find Jack on his knees grabbing and tossing things aside as he dug what appeared to be scraps of metal and junk half covering a long lumpy mound on the ground.
"Stop it Ja..." A groggy sounding voice began from the just beginning to stir figure that suddenly began to take on a human shape.
"Lie still, God dammit!" Jack growled, as he held the weakly thrashing man down with one hand pressing on his chest and the other patting him down rapidly every where else.
"Stop it! I'm okay!" Mac insisted, his voice sounding stronger and much closer to normal.
"You're okay when I say you're okay!" Jack informed him, pressing harder and enforcing it with a glare that caused Riley and Bozer to raise their eyebrows and swallow as one.
It did seem to have an effect on the other member of the group as well, but only to still the struggling of his extremities, the expression on his face was a pretty credible copy of the one looming over him.
They both held their glares for a long minute. Then Jack began speaking, still holding his side of the stare. "You remember the woodshed I mentioned to you before?" His eyes squinted further and his chin lowered a little. "This may not be a woodshed, but I can make do." He informed his friend threateningly. Mac felt the heavy palm planted on his chest move, slowly bunching his shirt into a tight fist.
Mac's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, but Jack noticed and his eyes gleamed in triumph. Mac huffed and glanced away in defeat. "Just help me up Jack-Ass!" He growled.
"You got it!" Jack answer with a smirk and swept his friend up in both arms almost effortlessly.
"Put me down! I can walk!" Mac howled indignantly.
"If I put you down right now, I promise you won't be walking for week." Jack assured him tightening his hold on his bundle of furious Mac.
"Jack, I'm serious." Mac warned as he bit back a groan, forcing his left hand up to Jack's neck where he squeezed just lightly on the underside of Jack's jaw with his thumb and forefinger on opposing sides of his neck.
Jack tilted his head back in response and froze in place immediately.
"Alright now you're being a jackass, we'll both go down." Jack acknowledged.
"Guys, guys!" Bozer reached tentative hands out to touch both men on their shoulders. "Please!"
Riley jumped in more aggressively on the opposite side. "Really?" She demanded, channeling Thornton to the best of her ability. "Knock it off, both of you!" Three sets of eyes turned to her in surprise. Jack released Mac's lower half and moved his right arm to grab Mac's right hand dipping quickly and pulling it over his own shoulders. His left hand automatically catching the back of his friend's waist band as he felt him slumping at the abrupt change in position.
Riley's scowl did Thornton justice as she gave Jack's shoulder a two handed shove. What it lacked in brute force it more than made up for in attitude and Jack responded by hauling a surprisingly compliant MacGyver out of the shed and towards the cabin.
Bozer took a moment to admire her results, then composed his wide grin into a more serious expression, shut the door of the little building and followed them.
A/N Thanks to Gib once again for doing her blind squirrel, acorns trick and pointing out the more glaring typos and making helpful suggestions. Anything missed is totally my fault.
