The long walk. Mac shrugged the long collar of his heavy ABS. The plates of kevlar chafed against his red sore skin. Grit and sweat turned the foam and plastic layers into sandpaper taking off layers of his skin. He blinked sweat off his eye lashes and winced as it dribbled into his eyes. He hadn't missed using the bulky green suits every day. If Jack had his wish, Mac would wear a bomb suit covered with bubble wrap all the time. Mac chuckled to himself.

"Mac? You good?" Jack's soft voice close in his ear calmed him, slowing the pounding in his chest.

"Yeah, how are you guys doing?" Mac licked his lips and looked up. He could see all of Phoenix watching him from the windows of the building. The building rose above him like a giant wave, and his friends and family in stacks getting washed away. Mac shook his head. The Long Walk, it messed up your head. Mac licked his lips as he approached the device. Focus, Mac told himself. He glanced up and saw Bozer, Riley, Matty and Jack look down at him their hands pressed against the glass as if they were holding him up. Mac's throat hurt when he tried to swallow the lump of emotion gathering there.

"You got this." Riley said.

"Without even looking." Bozer added. Mac appreciated their support, but his gut sunk when he looked the device over. He slowly ran his eyes along the wires, the connections and the components.

"Mac? What do you got?" Matty asked. Her voice held a slight note of worry. Mac knew it was more for him then those inside the building. Mac bit his lip as he pulled out his SAK and began to remove the plating off the back of the device. He checked for wires before he removed it. So far so good. Crystalline, semiliquid-XPN. Mac doubted they had wired it to make Nutrasweet. He chuckled under his breath at his own joke.

"Are you laughing?" Riley asked. Mac cleared his voice.

"No, just thinking. Looks like the primary blast is XPN and it...crap."

"Crap? What Crap?" Jack asked. Mac tuned out his friends and focused. He reached down and unclipped a small geiger from his belt. Like he suspected it went nuts.

"Mac, what's going on?"

"Well, Matty do you want the good news or the bad news?"

"Mac-"

"Well the good news is it's a dirty bomb."

"That's the GOOD news?"

"The bad news is I can either disconnect the high explosive bomb or the dirty bomb, not both." Mac leaned back on his haunches and slammed his fist on his lap. He looked up at his friends through the glass. There was a long pause.

"What's the bottom line, brother?"

"I can stop nuclear particulate from taking out LA or-"

"Or you can save Phoenix." Mac nodded. He leaned forward and slowly reran his calculations. He eyed how the bomb was wired to the building.

"Ok, Mac. Take care of the dirty bomb. We'll do what we can to minimize the damage."
"Matty, you don't understand-"

"Get on with it, Blondy. We got things to do, c'mon people." Mac felt tears leak from the corner of his eyes. He pulled off the helmet. He looked up and met Jack's glance. The older man put his fist against the glass as if they were bumping knuckles. Mac nodded and shrugged out of his suit. Well, if he was going to die he'd be comfortable while he does it. He leaned over the device and focussed on cutting wires and removing hardware. He rubbed sweat from his forehead and looked up. All of the people were still in the windows. It looked like there were hundreds more. Mac's chest hurt. A sob escaped him.

"I...I only have one more wire…"

"Do it, Mac."

"You go Kaboom, I go Kaboom-ha, I guess we finally get our wish."

"It's ok, Mac, we're all gonna be ok."

"Do it, Blondie. We're all with you." Mac nodded and licked at tears flooding down his face.

"I love you." He said softly. He leaned the scissors against the last wire. A tiny yellow filament ending everything he ever loved, "I'm sorry." He whispered as he cut it.

BOOM.

Mac screamed and bolted upright. Jack jumped and reached out to catch his friend from sliding off the table. Mac wheezed in air and broke in full chested sobs. Jack opened his mouth to talk to the kid when Mac grabbed him and pulled him in. Jack wrapped his arms around Mac and held on as the kid heaved out his soul. Jack had never heard such a soul breaking sound in his life. He had no idea what this last nightmare was, but it was real bad. Mac's body heaved as he pulled sob after sob from his gut. Jack murmured meaningless things as he held on. He rubbed Mac's back. Jack looked up at the others who had come running at Mac's scream. Jack sniffed and blinked back his own tears.

"A bad one." Bozer murmured shaking his head. He squeezed Mac's shoulder, "It's ok, Mac, we gotcha."

"Yeah, little brother." Riley said leaned in and brushed Mac's wet mop back to kiss his forehead. Mama shook her head.

"It's like his soul is infected more than his side."

"Maybe so, but at least he's letting it out." Jack said softly. Mac was slowing down. His breathing was fast and desperate, "Riley, why don't you fire up that oxygen."

"Right."

"Boze go ahead and put in the IV."

"WHAT? I ain' doing no damn IV." Bozer had paled and stepped back horror in his wide eyes.

"Boze-"

"Why don't you put in the IV?"

"I'm going to be cutting out the bullet."

"See you're already going to be-"

"No, I ain' doing it. Get your ass over there and put that thing in." Jack growled.

"What's the problem?" Mama asked her eyes bobbing between the two men. Riley rolled her eyes.

"They're afraid of needles."

"They're-but you're doing the surgery?" Jack shrugged. He didn't get it either, "Oh my."

"I'll put in the IV, you two are pathetic weenies." Riley growled and she leaned between Mac and Jack and slid a nasal cannula over Mac's ears. Mac mumbled and moved his hand absently. Riley caught it and rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb. Mac slumped against his partner his breathing shaky hiccups.

"Hey, that's not fair! I'm gonna be cutting out the bullet." Riley shook her head.

"I can't wait to tell Sally." She growled.

"Sally?" Mama asked as she and Bozer pulled two Coleman lamps closer and lit them as bright as they'd go.

"She's the head nurse at Phoenix."

"You'd like her." Mama smiled.

"I'll have to meet her." They heard Mac mumble something. Jack laughed. Mama raised a questioning eyebrow.

"He said she's evil." Mama looked at Bozer and Riley confused.

"Mama, she's the only one who can get Mac to do what the doctor orders." Mama's eyes went wide.

"Now I really will have to meet her." Jack opened his mouth to complain when a pull on his shirt distracted him. He looked down. Mac blinked up at him, tired and confused. The blonde's eyes travelled around him. He murmured something. Jack couldn't hear his partner over the others back and forth.

"Alright, people. Bozer get that tube of whatever you made and get it ready, Riley-" Bozer looked over as if he was going to argue, but saw Mac's white knuckled grip on Jack's T. He nodded and pounded down the stairs to MacGyver Sr.'s lab in the basement.

"IV, got it."

"And I'll get everything in the living room ready." Jack nodded.

"Thanks." The others waved. Jack sat on the edge of Mac's bed. He held Mac's hand. Mac frowned.

"Why are we in my parent's room?" Mac's voice was wobbly and strained. Jack took in the room. He hadn't really looked at the room. When he carried Mac in, Jack had been focused on getting Mac warm and dry. Bozer had led the way to the large bedroom. Mama and Riley had given it a once over taking out the dust and cobwebs.

"This is your mom and dad's room?" Mac rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Jack could feel his sweaty torso heave. Jack brushed the kid's forehead. Mac looked up at him. Tears filled his eyes and dribbled down his lashes. Jack couldn't think of a time he'd seen Mac more miserable.

"Hey, it's-"

"Is this real?" Mac asked. He shook his head and brushed at his tears unable to stop them. His body shook, but Jack wasn't sure it was from his fever.

"Mac? What's going on in there? You hurtin'?"

"Jack...I can't...the nightmares, is this a nightmare? I can't do this much longer, Jack. Everytime I close my eyes...Jack, I don't know what's real-" Mac's face crumbled into tears and his breathing sped up.

"Aw, kid, c'mere." Jack carefully lifted Mac and pulled him in for a hug. Mac flopped against him too tired to do more than rest his forehead on Jack's shoulder.

"Jack? I-"

"Shhh, it's ok. This is real, brother. You have an infection from a bullet you neglected to mention in your side." Jack tried, but couldn't quite scrub his irritation out of his voice completely.

"Bullet?" Mac asked slumping back. Jack flipped the kid's pillow and put it under his head. Mac's eyes blinked slowly. Jack wished he'd pass out for the surgery. They didn't have anything to knock the kid out. Bozer's homemade laughing gas would only daze the genius. Even with pain medicine on board, Mac would be awake the whole time. Jack gulped. He'd had to take bullets out of conscious and awake people before, one time even Mac, but it wasn't something he liked to do.

"Yeah, along your side." Mac licked his lips. He jumped when a blast of thunder exploded and made the whole house shake. Mac's eyes widened and he moved to sit up. Jack put a hand in the middle of his chest, "It's ok, Mac. It's just a storm."

"You sure? I tried to disarm the device but-" Jack cupped Mac's cheek.

"Hey, hey. That was a dream, Angus. Stay with me, ok." Mac swallowed and grimaced as he weakly coughed. He nodded at Jack.

"Desi." Mac whispered.

"What about her?"

"She was about to get shot. I-"

"Pushed her out of the way, yeah I thought it was something like that." Jack shook his head. He knew it was unfair, but he felt a surge of anger at Desi. Knowing his partner too well, Mac mumbled under his breath.

"Not 'er fault." Jack rolled his eyes.

"I know, kiddo," Mac smiled and his eyes slowly closed, his body relaxed, "Hey, Mac?"

"Hmm?"

"We're gonna take that bullet out in a few minutes." Mac opened one eye and stared at Jack. Jack could see the confusion cloud the kid's eyes.

"Hrm?" Jack smiled down and rubbed circles on Mac's back. Mac let out a long sigh and melted into the bed.

"It won't be as bad as Herat-"

"Neukmkf?" Jack laughed.

"No, we don't need your little red knife." Mac let out another breath then eased away into sleep.

"I have no idea how you can translate Mac's mumbles." Riley said as she knelt beside the bed and set out plastic cases of everything she'd need to put in the IV.

"Practice. I'm going to go-"

"Go ahead and run away, old man. I got this." Riley said rolling her eyes. Jack bent and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thanks, darling." Jack bumped into Mama as he dashed from the room. He apologized on the run.

"He really doesn't like needles." Mama said with wry amusement.

"You don't know the half of it. Getting Mac or Jack to medical takes a lot of finessing, especially Mac." Riley glanced at Mac fondly as she straightened his arm and felt along his antecubital with her fingertips. The house rattled with another roll of thunder.

"He's never liked Doctors. I imagine it has something to do with all the times he's spent in the hospital over the years, especially watching his Grandpa waste away. I can't believe he had to go through all that again." Mama sat on the bed across from Riley and held Mac's limp hand as she brushed his hair away from his face, "He looks so worn out. I swear he's aged 50 years since he left here."

"I wouldn't either. He carries so much on his shoulders and his Dad coming back...it was hard."

"Bozer told me he left for Africa for awhile."

"Living in a village built of nothing but tin and spit? Definitely his view of heaven."

"And he had a girlfriend?"

"Nasha."

"Was she ok?" Riley paused and frowned up at the older woman.

"I never really met her. Mac was happy around her, but after Nikki and his Dad...I don't think he can ever trust anyone fully. It's like he has a trapdoor under everyone and is braced for it to open any second and whisk them away."

"He's been like that since he was a child. It breaks my heart."

"He's such an awesome guy, it's not fair." Riley murmured as she tied a tourniquet on Mac's bicep.

"No. I can't believe James had been so close his entire life and couldn't pick up a damned phone! You have no idea how many times I want to smack that man upside his head with my rolling pin." Riley laughed as she cleaned Mac's arm with alcohol.

"I'd hold him down for you. They were better when the old man died, but-" Riley stopped as she slid the needle into Mac's skin. She got flashback on her first try. She smiled pleased. Sally would be proud. Bozer and Riley had taken their first aid training at the same time. Riley didn't think she'd ever seen Sally so frazzled as when she tried teaching Bozer how to do an IV. Riley had picked it up quickly. She'd never say this to the boys, but she kind of liked putting in IV's. She taped the site down with extra tape. Mac will probably fight, Riley thought grimly.