-DISCLAIMER - Don't own it, lalala.
A/N - This is not one of my favourite sections, but… I hope you guys like it.
A/N - In addition to obsessively checking for reviews, I have now developed a habit of obsessively checking the hit count on this story - please, more of you review! It would be so helpful. :-)
Mac's eyes flickered open. He winced at the pain that lanced through his skull. Gingerly, the CSI touched his head. He blinked in the early morning light. With a detached, blurry feeling, Mac noted that his fingers were stained red. Blood. Somewhere at the back of his mind, that registered. He disjointedly started to search through his pockets. Nothing was working like it was supposed to. An attempt to sit up was quickly abandoned.
Even with his mind fuzzy, Mac noticed quickly that his wallet was missing. He realised then what had happened. He had been mugged. Chances were, they'd taken everything of value. Mac searched his pockets again for his phone, thanking God that he had stopped wearing his wedding ring. Miraculously, he discovered his phone in his left jacket pocket. Maybe he had landed on it, and the mugger hadn't been able to lift him. Or maybe they were disturbed.
Either way, Mac was very grateful. He started calling Stella with shaky hands. It was cold in the alleyway, and it had been raining for most of the night. The detective in him realised how lucky he was not to have been hurt worse. The phone rang for a few seconds, exacerbating his pounding headache.
"Mac? Is that you?" She sounded out of breath - and panicky. Not an emotion he would have associated with her.
"Hey Stella."
Then it all changed. "Where the hell have you been? Flack and Danny spent hours looking for you." she said furiously.
"I got mugged."
There was a sharp intake of breath at the other end of the phone. "What? Where are you?"
Mac looked at his stinking, soaking surroundings. "I'm in an alleyway - not sure where-" Mac squeezed his eyes shut against the constant thudding in his head. "I think near NYU - a few blocks away maybe."
"OK, stay on the phone, Mac." Stella sounded like she was moving now. She shouted instructions he couldn't quite make out to someone else. "Are you hurt?"
"I'll be fine. Just got hit on the head." he said tiredly.
"OK, nothing to damage there."
He laughed weakly at the feeble joke. "Thanks, Stella."
At the other end of the phone, Stella was racing down to the parking garage, with Danny and Sheldon in tow. Lindsey was busy examining trace evidence from the triple homicide. They made it in record time. Danny leapt into the driver's seat with a glance warning Sheldon not to argue. He hadn't forgotten their car ride a few days earlier.
Stella tried to keep Mac talking, but he was becoming less and less coherent as time went on. She gripped her seat tightly. There was no way Danny was driving at a legal speed. Predictably though, they hit traffic.
"You need to tell us exactly where you are, Mac."
He gave her a more precise area, but still couldn't tell her his exact location. Danny swore at the traffic, and turned off the road at the first opportunity. It felt like an eternity, but it could only have been minutes, before they pulled up in an illegal space, three blocks fron NYU. Stella was first out of the car. She looked around, trying to figure out which direction to go in.
"He's somewhere near here." The phone had disconnected just seconds before they had stopped. "Danny, you go that way. We'll-"
"No need."
Stella frowned. Danny's attention was focused on a point somewhere over her shoulder. She turned round. There on street, weaving slightly, but standing, was Mac. Streaks of blood marked his face, and stained his shirt, but to her he looked pretty good. Stella ran to his side, quickly followed by Sheldon and Danny. The two men supported Mac, whose weaving was becoming more pronounced.
"Hey." Stella said softly, as she examined his head wound. "It's good to see you."
He grinned. "Believe me, its good to see you guys too."
Mac related the whole sorry tale to them as they guided him carefully back to the car. He knew without asking that they were taking him straight to the hospital. In truth, he was quite relieved about that. The world was spinning crazily, he was beginning to feel nauseous, and the thumping in his head would not let up.
This time Sheldon drove, and Danny offered no argument. Stella sat in the back with Mac, making sure he stayed awake and sitting up straight. His eyes glazed over as the car screeched round a corner.
"Hawkes, try to make sure we arrive in one piece." Stella snapped.
"Sorry!" he called back over his shoulder.
Danny looked at his boss, whose face had gone deathly pale. "So how come this guy didn't get his ass kicked?" he asked, trying to take Mac's mind off the gash on his head.
"A cat." A look of confusion crossed Danny's face. "Distracted me." Mac explained.
Danny raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue. He winced as Sheldon took another corner at high speed. It was then that he noticed the white envelope sitting on the dashboard.