Mac gasped and opened his eyes. Water ran down his face. Cold shower? Hands held him, movement. Was this real? Mac squirmed.
"Easy bud, you're ok. We're getting out of here." Mac looked up. A figure in a black hood hovered over him. Mac sucked in a shaky breath. He twisted and fought to get free. He was pulled in closer; fingers pressed deeper. Spots bobbed in the blur pouring down on him. Pain zapped across his chest in time with explosions of light and booming all around him. Mac fought harder. His breathing rasped.
"Dammit, Mac, SETTLE DOWN before I drop ya." Mac froze as Jack's voice broke through his daze. He blinked water out of his eyes. In a flash of light, he saw Jack's pale face looking down from him. Water ran off the edge of the hood of a rain slicker Jack wore. Mac let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. He was so tired. He blinked up slowly when the storm stopped. Mac grunted when Jack banged his head against the passenger's window hard.
"Sorry, my bad." Mac rubbed his head and fought to sit up. He flopped back with a cry of pain a hand over his middle. Jack slid a hand under his partner's back and knees and slid him farther into the car. Mac hissed and closed his eyes. Jack didn't think Mac could go any more pale, but he did. Mac's head tipped forward and he heaved.
"Crap, here Mac." Bozer said leaning over the front seat. He handed Jack a plastic bag. Jack held it up to Mac's mouth. Mac hurled a mouthful of stomach goo then slumped against Jack. Tears leaked from the edge of his eyes. Mac rubbed his chest and curled forward crying out in pain as he broke into a long row of moist coughs.
Jack and Boze shared worried looks. Mac's body trembled as he caught his breath. He sighed and leaned his head back. Jack put a hand on Mac's forehead.
"You're fever's up a little." Jack said unable to hide his naked worry. Mac opened one eye and glared at Jack, but he was too tired to say anything. His head tilted to the side and he was out. Jack leaned over and let out a deep breath, "His pulse is fast and weak but regular." The door on the other side of the car opened. Riley helped Jack move Mac into the center of the back seat. Riley slid in beside him. They stretched Mac out as much as they could. Jack made sure Mac's boot was on his swollen foot correctly and raised his leg onto a large pile of stuff in the foot well behind the driver's door. He bent Mac's leg enough to fit in the car, but hopefully not enough to cause pain. Bozer handed Riley Mac's blue blanket and a towel. Riley smiled as she and Jack wrapped the blonde up in the blanket. She gently dried Mac's face. She handed the towel to Jack who swabbed rain off his face.
"Ok, we got everything?"
"First aid kit, food, water…"
"Gas is in the trunk."
"How much did you get?" Riley asked.
"20 gallons."
"Is that enough?"
"Let's see we have to go 400 miles...so…" Boze frowned.
"We can go 560 miles if you don't speed." Mac mumbled. The others looked at him. He cracked his eyes open and managed a weak smile, "Might take longer...subtract...it'll be close." Mac closed his eyes and drifted off again.
"Well, ok then. I guess we're off." Jack shut the door careful of Mac's feet. He slid out of the rain slicker then slid into the driver's seat. He grunted and slid the seat back. Mac hissed in pain. Jack looked back. His partner held his knee and shot Jack a glare. Jack shrugged and looked to his right.
"Damn, Boze, do you have any legs?" Boze shrugged and turned right side in his seat. Jack shut the door and turned on the car. He waved at Mama who watched them over the light of a coleman lamp. Bozer leaned out.
"We'll call you when we get there, love you Mom!"
"Goodbye, dearies. Take care of everyone, Jack...including you!" Jack laughed and waved again. Boze hopped in. With a final glance at Mac and Riley Jack clicked on the lights and turned toward town.
Mac took a long breath in then out. Pain jangled through the nerves of his foot and leg. He grimaced as he squirmed trying to find a comfortable position. He moved to roll onto his side and ended up flopping back gasping in pain. He could feel moisture bead on his forehead and felt cold. He pulled the blanket closer.
"You ok?" Mac jumped and looked up surprised to see he was leaning on Riley's lap. Mac grunted and moved to sit up. Riley frowned and put a hand on Mac's forehead pushing him back down. Mac collapsed breathing hard. His mouth drooled and everything had a fuzzy edge. Mac bit his lip to keep from puking. He figured he didn't have anything left in his gut, but his gut didn't know that.
"...back." Mac shook his head and blinked away the black drape slipping over everything.
"How high?" Jack asked, glancing back at them. Mac's eyes were incredibly heavy and everything hurt. He coughed wincing at the agony with every motion. Mac laid back limp, exhausted when he managed to suck in air. He closed his eyes and his body relaxed. He didn't drift off. The car rocked with the wind of the storm and rain slammed into its roof and windows. Flashes of blue-white sang counterpoint for loud explosions. Mac eyed Jack. The older man had white knuckled fists guiding the wheel. He leaned forward intent on the road in front of him. Normally Mac would have been anxious, but he was so tired. His eyes drooped. He felt safe, surrounded by family and out of the storm. From far away he felt a hard finger poke into his ear.
"100.9" Riley's voice hummed through his body. He sighed as her fingers brushed across his scalp. He heard Jack answer but his voice was far away radio static. Riley and Bozer joined in the wobbly chorus. Mac couldn't make out the words but he could hear worry and fatigue in the tone.
"'Morry." He mumbled. His voice was barely over a whisper. He felt Riley's hair fall into his face as she leaned closer.
" Morry?"
"He's saying sorry, sorry for what kiddo?" Jack called. The car thumped over a bump and seemed to slam down on top of him. Mac moaned and turned his head away. Sparks blazed fire across his skull. He tried to answer but he felt like his mouth was sewn shut with the biggest Milkdud ever.
"Shhh, it's ok, Mac. Just get some sleep, ok?" Riley's voice was like a soothing drink on a hot day. Mac cracked his eyes and met her worried gaze. He couldn't manage any words, but Riley heard them anyway.
"I promise, brother, we're all going to stay with you." Riley said. Mac managed a micro smile then yawned ending with a moist rasping cough. Every muscle weighed more than a ton of tons. Mac sank gratefully into blackness.
Mac itched under the cast on his arm. He looked over at Wilt...Boze he corrected himself. Since he was finally turning double digits, the pair decided to give up their kid name. It was officially Mac and Boze. They wrote it on their matching casts as proof.
"Only ten more minutes." Boze whispered. Mac nodded but didn't look up from the test. He'd finished the surprise quiz in five minutes. He was bored. He'd turned the test over and was sketching plans for a suit of invisible armor.
"Wilt." Mrs. Engstrom snapped quietly from her desk.
"Boze." Bozer offered back bending over his own test. Mac glanced over and smiled as he watched his friend mouth the words as he read and reread the questions. Boze chewed on his pencil and held his head in his hands as he shook it. Mac glanced around the room. Everyone was distracted. Mac leaned forward and tapped his pencil softly. Mrs. Engstrom glanced up. Mac leaned forward as if he were writing. He let his mop of hair drop over his eyes. When she looked away, he tapped again. He glanced over at Boze and huffed. He chewed off the eraser on his pencil and without looking up tossed it. It hit Bozer on the nose. He looked up surprised.
Mac held up the corner of his paper. Boze frowned. Mac rolled his eyes and pointed at the paper. Boze's eyes widened and he grinned. Mac shook his head. Boze nodded and ducked over his test. They waited for Mrs. Engstrom to look down then Boze held up 4 fingers. Mac smiled. Short-long. A. Boze squirmed in his seat and circled A. In less than a minute, they filled out the entire quiz.
"Alright, time's up." Boze leaned over and clapped Mac on the shoulder.
"You saved my life-"
"Shhh!" Mac hissed. Boze looked down. Mac rolled his eyes.
"You're gonna be the worst 00Boze ever!" Mac joked as he gathered his books. Boze grinned and gave his friend a bro hug.
"You however are magnificent! That was awesome!" The pair pushed each other until they got to their bikes. They sped to the Bozer home first.
"MOOOM! WEEEERE HOOOME!" Bozer bellowed. Mac rolled his eyes. As if Mama Bozer didn't know already. Bozer paused and glanced at Mac.
"Nobody's home." Mac rolled his eyes.
"DUH!" He shoved Bozer and ran for the door. They wrestled and tumbled for an hour, made PBJs then went to the lab to check on a new kind of slush they were inventing. It was starting to sprinkle when they hopped on their bikes and flew down around the curve to the MacGyver home.
Mac's gut knotted when he jumped onto the porch and ran inside. He paused in shock then grinned.
"SURPRISE!" He couldn't believe all these people came to his party. He'd known Mama Bozer and Gramps had been working on one. They would never survive as spies. It was better than he imagined. Music was cued and soon the house was throbbing with the bass beat of 'Return of the Mack.' Mac laughed. Penny Parker wrapped an arm around his shoulders and tugged him over to the prettiest girl Mac had ever seen.
"Angus, this is Katy." Mac gaped at her open-mouthed. His awkward babbling kicked off the best night of his ten year old life. They danced. He had his first non-Penny kiss! He was surrounded by all of his friends as well as the entire Bozer clan. The only thing missing was the one thing always missing. Mac continuously scanned the storm outside. It started to get dark. No sign of his father. Bozer shoved him toward a pile of gifts. They did nothing to distract him from the horrible sinking worry in his gut.
Mac grinned at the CSI kit Boze had bought him. Penny had given him a carburetor her brother had pulled from his motorcycle. Mac grinned. Penny's brother swore it was useless. Mac already figured out what was wrong with it and thought about a way to convert it so it'd work with the engine he'd made. If only he-
Gramps pulled it from his hands and put a box in his hands. Mac frowned after the piece of machinery. The room erupted in laughter.
"He's like a puppy who wants the bag more than the bone." Mac
Scowled at Hetty, Wilt's sister, and took the package from Gramps. Mac smiled as he opened it. He scanned the squirming crowd around him but his father didn't pop out yelling "surprise!" He didn't lean against the wall watching quietly from afar. Dad wasn't there, yet. He would be. Mac knew he would be and he'd bring Mac the gift he promised, the- Mac felt pain in his chest. He felt his eyes fill with tears. It was the advanced chemistry set he'd wanted. It had to be special ordered from Europe.
Gramps bent over and leaned in close.
"I know your Dad promised to get that for you, but I couldn't resist. I got it special ordered in just for you." Mac put on a happy smile and hugged Gramps.
"Thank you, this is the exact one I wanted!"
"One thing, Angus-"
"Mac."
"Oh...uh, ok, Mac, promise me nothing gets blown up." Mac laughed.
"Don't be silly, Gramps." He playfully shoved his grandfather. His grandfather laughed but didn't lose the hint of worry in his eyes. Mac turned away and set the box aside. He absently folded the paper as he fought to keep it all in. It was supposed to be his Dad. Gramps put a warm hand on Mac's shoulder. Before he could say a word, the crowd parted and Mama brought out the cake.
"Happy Birthday!" Mama started the chorus. Mac smiled as he looked down on the birthday cake. Like everything Mama makes, it was perfect. The ten flaming candles blurred with his tears as he blew them out. He sniffed and shoved the familiar pain away feeling as if sharp razors tore through him as he did.
Mac stood on the porch watching Mama herd the Bozer clan into their minivan. He missed them already. He wished he could go home to their full and bustling home instead of the empty cold house behind him. Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Bozer lingered looking up at him.
"You sure you don't want me to stay." He asked. Mac stepped into the rain and grinned.
"Nah, it's fine. Thanks for coming, Boze." Boze studied him a long minute then grinned. He punched Mac on the shoulder.
"No problem, brother. See ya tomorrow." Boze pulled up his collar and sprinted across the rain into the van. Mac waved until the van was out of sight. The night was cold and quiet. Mac felt his tears mingle with the wash of rain down his face. He fell to his knees. Even as he told himself he was being stupid-why did he think his father would keep his promise THIS time? His hollowed out heart collapsed in on itself. He cried silently as he stared at the driveway.
"Angus! What in the-Come here!" Mac didn't move. Gramps hauled him up and pulled him toward the house. Mac growled and yanked himself free.
"No! Leave me alone!"
"Angus-"
"IT'S MAC! Angus is stupid!" Mac turned intending to run away, but his knees decided they were made out of Jello. Gramps leaned down. Mac shoved his hands away.
"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Mac's throat hurt with the scream. He gagged, "He's still coming!"
"Ang...Mac, MAC!" Gramps bent and held his shoulders. Mac watched a large drop of water fall frame by frame in slow motion from the old man's nose and felt it splash onto his face as the old man talked. The storm seemed to freeze and everything fell silent. Mac stared at Gramp's lips wondering how they moved, and enough air came out to change the rain's trajectory but made no sound. Maybe he'd gone deaf somehow.
"He's not coming home, Angus." Mac blinked and gaped at Gramp's eyes puzzled. Was that English? Why didn't he speak English anymore? Gramp slumped to his knees in front of Mac and leaned closer.
"He's not coming, Angus. I'm sorry, son." Mac stared at the man's lips, but they kept moving. He willed them to stop, but they didn't.
"I'm sorry, Angus. He's not coming." Mac's body slumped and he dropped his head. Gramps stopped talking, but his voice kept echoing through Mac's head. He's not coming. He's not coming home. He's never coming back.