Disclaimer – I still own nothing.

AN – Thank you all for your amazing reviews! Hope you all had a great holiday! Here is the next chapter. Getting ready to head out to visit some family, then have to get ready to head back to college. I am planning on there only being one more chapter after this, but there might be two, haven't decided yet. Trying to get it done before I get back to school, but we'll see. Anyways, hope you like this chapter! As always…

Enjoy!

Mac felt himself rise to the surface of consciousness very slowly. At first, it was the feeling of sheets under his fingers, then it was something soft under his head. The sound of a steady beeping came next. What really caught his attention enough to actually make him want to wake up however, was the feeling of something blocking his airway even though he could feel the oxygen running into his lungs.

So, slowly and weakly, Mac forced his eyelids open. His vision was blurry at first, but it gradually started to clear up. He could see bright lights above him, the top of an IV pole filled with bags at the edge of his vision.

He moved his eyes around because he knew he didn't have the strength to move his head. The first thing he did, was try to see what was in his mouth, though he had a pretty good idea. Sue enough, Mac could see a clear tube sticking out of his mouth. That was not good.

While he knew that he could breath, he couldn't help the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He had been injured before, but never bad enough to wake up to a tube helping him breath.

"Mac?" The blonde felt an immense relief at hearing the voice beside him, Jack's voice. The older agent's face suddenly appeared in Mac's line of vision. He could see the wide smile on Jack's face, and the bruise on his forehead. The young man tried to open his mouth to ask his friend if he was alright, but was quickly reminded of the obstruction in his throat.

"Mac! You're awake." Bozer's face came into Mac's view as soon as he heard his roommate's voice. Bozer also had a giant smile on his face, though Mac could see the worry in his eyes.

"Easy kid. Just hang tight, I'll go get the doctor." With that sentence, Jack disappeared. Bozer leaned closer, and Mac felt a hand grab his, squeezing it tightly. Mac tried to squeeze back, but could barely wrap his fingers around Bozer's hand. Bozer apparently could tell what Mac was trying to do, and gave him a reassuring look.

It didn't take long for Jack to return with not only the doctor in tow, but also Riley and Patricia. The doctor decided that Mac's lungs were strong enough to breath on his own, and removed the tube, but put nasal canal around Mac's face and into his nose to help him, as his lungs were still very weak from his injuries and the smoke.

After giving very strict orders to move as little as possible to Mac, and to let his patient rest and not agitate him to the others, the doctor left, reminding them to press the call button if they needed him.

"How're you feeling Mac?" Riley asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Mac opened his mouth to response, yet could barely let out a croak. Jack seemed to predict this, because there was suddenly a cup with a straw just under his mouth.

Mac was about to sit up to drink, but Jack already slipped his other arm under Mac's shoulder and held him up while turning the cup in the other hand so Mac could reach it. He did, and the minute the straw was in his mouth, he took a long gulp.

Unfortunately, the sudden cold and wetness of the liquid coming down his dry throat so fast caused a coughing fit. Mac was lifted up farther, so it would be easier for him to breathe. Once the fit stopped, Jack lowered the injured agent back down on the bed.

"I'm fine. You okay Jack?" Mac finally asked the question that he had wanted to ever since the bomb blew up in the subway station.

"Yeah kid, I'm good. You were a lot more hurt than me. Just have to be the best at everything, don't ya." Jack joked. While he had a smile on his face, Mac could read the concern and fear in the older agent's eyes like an open book. He had scared the man far more than Jack was comfortable with. As Mac looked around at all of his coworkers' faces, he knew he had scared them all.

"Sorry." Mac said sincerely.

"Don't worry about that now. You just get your rest. We'll be here when you wake up." Jack told the younger man.

"You're d*mn right we'll be here. Well, maybe not Jack, as he's still a patient, and should still be wearing his sling." Bozer informed his roommate. Jack looked over at Bozer as if the man had just betrayed him, which in a way, he had.

"Patient, sling? Are you sure you're okay?" Mac asked for reassurance.

"I got some stitches in my arm. The sling is just to help keep them from tearing. But I'm fine, and I'll be discharged tomorrow. Now you, get some sleep. You need it." Jack ordered. Mac wanted to protest, but the exhaustion he had been fighting since he first opened his eyes was starting to pull him under, not to mention the effects the painkillers that were coursing through his veins had on him.

So, Mac closed his eyes and let the world around him fall away.

MACGYVER2016

Jack watched his friend close his eyes and fall back into a, hopefully peaceful, slumber. He went to sit back down on the chair he had occupied earlier, but was stopped by his boss.

"Jack, you need to go back to your own room. You need your rest too." Patty told him. Jack was about to argue, when Patty threatened to get not only the doctor, but also her own agents if he didn't go of his own free will.

Very reluctantly, Jack followed the boss out of ICU room to his own hospital room. Riley took Jack's spot in the free chair by Mac's side. Bozer sat back down in the other one on their friend's other side.

"You okay Boz?" Riley asked. She had not actually talked to him alone since they sat in the waiting room while both Jack and Mac had been in surgery. Bozer looked completely worn out, not that she was one to judge. She knew she couldn't look much better than he did. If anything, she probably looked worse due to her make up being smudged from tears and constantly being rubbed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired." Bozer answered, running his hand over his mouth to cover a yawn.

"Why don't you take a page out of Jack's book and get some sleep. I'll watch Mac." Riley offered, but Bozer was already shaking his head before she even finished her sentence.

"No, I'm fine. Besides, you haven't gotten any sleep either. It's not fair for me to get some rest when you haven't had any." Bozer reasoned. Riley couldn't really argue with that. While she also wanted to get some sleep, she didn't want to leave Bozer alone. And she was still very worried about Mac.

The coughing, practically hacking fit, he had worried her. She didn't like that sound of it, nor did she like the look of pain on his face when he finally caught his breath. So, Riley stayed where she was, as did Bozer. They didn't last very long though. Seeing Mac wake up, breathing on his own, and hearing his voice had given them a sense of relief, enough for them to finally fall asleep on the uncomfortable chairs by Mac's side.