Hey there! Just me again…

"Hey buddy, welcome home!" Mac grinned as Jack hobbled out from the arrival gate.

"Hey Mac!" Jack grinned looking at Mac, "Is this payback for Massachusetts?"

Mac shrugged, "Maybe…"

"Well, I think I wore it better…" Jack chuckled as he pointed to Mac's shirt. "Dude, can you take my bag? It's kinda difficult to maneuver like this…"

"Of course…" Mac nodded as he moved in to free Jack from the duffle bag he had over his shoulder. "Did you have a nice 'vacation'?"

Jack nodded.

"I guessed so, I've barely heard from you!"

"What are you yapping about? I've called, I've texted…"

"Not as often as you usually do…" Mac smirked, "I mean, last time when you visited your sister… I think you called twice a day!"

"In my defense, YOU were recovering from that shoulder thingy…"

"You mean when I dislocated my shoulder?"

Jack nodded.

"And you had a broken collarbone!" Mac countered, "My shoulder wasn't any worse than yours!"

Jack shrugged.

"But you had a good time?"

Jack nodded again, "Yeah, had a great time!"

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Mac kept glancing over at Jack as he drove them back to Jack's place. "Leg still brothering you?"

Jack nodded, "Think I have to get some of the hardware removed before this one stops acting up…"

Mac looked down at the cast, then he nodded. "Kinda like that screw you had in your elbow after Cairo?"

"Exactly."

"Well, let's hope the break itself looks good…"

"Oh, it does."

"You've already been to the doctor?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I actually got a little nervous when it just kept on hurting… The fracture looks good."

"Good to hear man!" Mac smiled, guessing that his friend would be back in the field sooner rather than later. "So you're all set for going to the doctor again tomorrow?"

Jack nodded.

"You seem a little distracted…" Mac mused, "Is there something wrong?"

"Just…" Jack sighed, "I just miss her…"

"Michelle?"

"Yeah, who else?"

Mac shrugged, "She really means something, doesn't she?"

Jack nodded, massaging his thigh. "She does…"

"Man, I know you're easily wowed, but this is a whole different level." Mac chuckled.

"What can I say? I think I love her…" Jack admitted, "Really, really love her."

"Real serious in other words?"

Jack nodded again.

"More serious than Sarah?" Mac asked after a few seconds.

Jack didn't answer. Didn't nod, didn't shake his head. He just turned his head and looked out the window at the passing scenery.

The rest of the drive was done in silence.

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The next day

"So you suffer a lot of pain?" the doctor asked. Jack nodded. "And you would like to have the screws and the plate removed as soon as possible?"

"At least that big one, I don't know if it's necessary to take out the rest…" Jack shrugged glancing over at the X-rays. "Didn't you say something about that I could have that taken out after six weeks?"

"No, that was the cast I was talking about… But yeah, that's most likely the one causing all the trouble…" the doctor agreed, "Now. In general, I'd like for all of those screws and the plate to stay in for at least three months. In general…"

"I sense a 'but' coming…" Jack said with hope in his voice.

"-But… You've been my patient for what? The better half of a decade?"

Jack nodded, "Think it's going on six or seven years now doc…"

"To cut to the chase, I know you. I know you don't fuzz over nothing. So when you come here and tell me that you're in pain, I know that I should take you seriously."

The doctor studied the X-rays once again, his index finger tracing the lines of the fractures and the screws. Like he was memorizing them.

"I could make a compromise. But you would have to be extra careful for a few weeks. –And I'm not promising that it will help with the pain, but I think it's worth a shot."

"What are you saying doc?"

"It's only been four weeks, but I think I could be able to remove that big one." Doctor Andrews suggested, "Now, to make me feel more at ease, you would have to wear the cast for a few more weeks. Just so I know your leg has the extra support. I know I was talking about having that taken off at six weeks, but if I remove the largest screw, I would like you to wear the cast for at least eight weeks."

"Two more weeks then?"

"Two more weeks than we first planned for…" the doctor nodded, "Might still need more time, but we start off with two more weeks."

"Okay, but when can we do this?"

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"No, not yet…" Jack admitted. It was kind of embarrassing to admit, but he just hadn't gotten around to it. It was only 11:30 after all, and he wasn't in danger of getting assigned any missions for the time being.

"Had anything to drink? Water, coffee, anything?"

Jack shook his head, sensing that this wasn't some kind of evaluation to see how well he was coping with the stress of being injured or something like that. This was more of a formality before the doctor could answer his question.

"Well then…" doctor Andrews smiled, "I could have the staff prep the surgery room now. We'll put you under, have that nasty sucker out and you awake all before 1 p.m… How do you feel about that?"

"Sounds great." Jack grinned.

"Perks of your workplace having its own medical staff, right?" Andrews smiled.

"Yeah, I've been grateful for that many times…" Jack smiled, "I bet this wouldn't have happened in a public hospital."

"You might be right about that…" Andrews shrugged, "Now, who do you want to poke you?"

"-With a needle…" Jack asked, his voice suddenly cold as ice.

Andrews nodded.

"Is Jonah here?"

"It's his day off…"

"Claire then…?"

"Claire? Okay, I'll have her do it…" Andrews nodded. "I'll just go inform the rest of the crew and we'll get to it…"

Jack nodded.

"Just wait here, try to relax…"

Jack nodded again. "Man, I hate needles…"

Andrews chuckled, "You know what? It still amazes me… You've been shot, stabbed, nearly electrocuted. Broken bones, had dislocations. Been burnt, had bruises that normal people wouldn't believe if they saw them… You go out there, and do it all over again. –But you're afraid of needles."

"I didn't say I was rational, now did I?" Jack countered with the usual nine words he used for this specific situation. He knew very well where his fear of needles stemmed from, and his fear wasn't irrational either. Well, needles with something in them at least…

Okay, I admit it… I'm team 'Jack has a fear of needles'…
-I know I'm not alone!