NOW
Mac shook his head and flopped sideways. Riley grunted as she took more of his weight.
"Sorry." Mac mumbled. His mouth felt dry and full. He licked his lips and blinked his eyes forcing his head up, "Wh're we?" He asked stumbling into Jack. Jack stopped them. It was cold, their breath hung in the beam of the flashlight. Jack studied Mac and glanced at the radium dial on his watch. They'd walked over 90 minutes. They couldn't hear their followers, but Jack knew they were back there somewhere. By now Desi and Bozer would have gotten supplies and should be angling toward them from the east. Mac swayed and blinked at Jack frowning. He stepped from one foot to the other. The socks were shredded. After the first quarter mile, the forest had chanced to an old piney wood where the ground was covered with pine needles more than brush.
Taking in the terrain, Jack saw there was a tall trio of rocks with a giant ponderosa hanging off the top its branches drooping toward the ground. Good cover.
"Ok, over here." Jack grabbed Mac by the elbow. He and Riley
helped the blonde to the shadow of the stones. Mac dropped to the ground. Jack glanced at Riley.
"Ri, get a fire going. We should be out of sight for now."
"On it." Riley squeezed Mac's shoulder and slipped into the forest to gather firewood or pinecones. Mac groaned and turned on his side. Jack helped him scoot until his back was against the stone. Mac crossed his arms shaking with cold. Jack leaned back. He'd already given Mac his outer coat. Jack pulled off his leather jacket and tucked it under Mac's chin wrapping it around his arms and chest. Mac offered a weak smile. He looked blue in the flash's light. Jack straightened his long legs. Mac leaned his head back. He coughed and rubbed his abdomen.
"Easy, bud, let me see." Jack pulled Mac's hands and clothes out of the way so he could see the deep stab wound. Mac hissed and tried to push Jack away, "Shh-shh, it's ok."
"Got stabbed." Mac mumbled. Jack looked at him and chuckled. Mac's eyes were clearing and he seemed more aware of his surroundings.
"I know, do you remember how?" Mac closed his eyes and gasped as Jack pulled aside the makeshift bandage. Jack scowled. It had slowed, but was still bleeding. He readjusted the dressing and tied it back in place. His stomach churned as he dried Mac's blood on his jeans. Mac took a shaky breath then looked at Jack a puzzled frown on his face.
"A knife?" Jack tucked his jackets around Mac then turned lifting Mac's leg to check his feet. He winced at the red tears in the socks. Mac pulled his foot back as Jack tugged the sock off. Mac watched Jack shivering. Jack looked up and smiled.
"A knife? Do you know what happened?" Mac wormed a hand out and rubbed his forehead.
"There was a dome...water...falling, falling far…" Mac shuddered and looked at Jack eyes wide with fire. He grabbed Jack's arm. Jack winced with the cold grip, "I fell...far...like really far, over buildings...past windows...and the ground-" Mac broke off his breathing speeding.
"Ok-" Jack and Mac both jumped as Riley rejoined them. She smiled and brought the wood closer, "Sorry."
"No problem." Jack said his voice in the soft, soothing voice he used to calm a panicked Mac. Riley smiled then bent to start a fire. Jack didn't split his attention.
"Mac, it's ok. You aren't falling now, see here's the ground." Mac blinked then followed Jack's hand with his. He patted the ground then pulled his arm under the covers. While he calmed down, Jack pulled off his other socks. Mac moaned and twitched his foot.
"Ow." Jack and Riley shared an amused look at the petulant whine. Riley leaned down and blew on the embers. Soon there was a good sized friendly fire crackling between them. Mac watched the flames hypnotized. He frowned and looked at the others.
"Where are we? What's going on?" Mac turned and squinted into the darkness around them. The air filled with the smell of pine. Mac turned and blinked at Riley and Jack frowning. Jack shot a look at Riley. Were the drugs wearing off?
"Hey, brother, hold on a second ok?" Mac frowned as Jack shone the flashlight in his eyes. He turned aside and hissed. He pushed Jack away.
"Sto-what are you doing?" Jack leaned back.
"Your pupils are better, still dilated."
"Dila-drugs? They drugged ma?" Mac rubbed his forehead, "They did drug me...in the dome...then falling-" Mac put both hands on his head and groaned.
'Mac? Are you ok?" Riley asked.
"Hangover." Mac whispered.
"That su-" Jack stopped and whirled his Beretta up and locked.
"Easy, Sarge." Desi called. Jack relaxed. The trees around them rustled as Desi and Bozer pushed their way through carrying arm loads of stuff. Jack and Riley helped them put their loot out around the camp. Jack grinned at a first aid kit. He dug through a pile of clothes and pulled out a full set that would fit Mac. Riley unrolled a thick sleeping bag.
"Anyone follow you?" Desi shot Jack a cold glare. He nodded.
"Right, sorry."
"We went to this place-"
"Moose's Emporium."
"A guy named Moose owns it?"
"No they served moose, here it's still a little warm." Bozer unwrapped an aluminum foil wrapped package. A pile of meat on skewers were inside. Jack sniffed and grabbed one. He gnawed on it sighing in bliss.
"That's good." He scarfed down the kabob and turned back to Mac. Mac stared up through half closed eyes. A furrow wrinkled the middle of his forehead.
"Hurtin', bud?" Mac shook his head and winced.
"Confused. Where are we?" Jack bent and picked Mac up. Mac yelped and closed his eyes clinging to Jack. Jack grimaced. He moved two steps then set Mac down on the sleeping bag. Mac laid back his chest heaving in fear. Jack frowned at the claws Mac dug into his shoulders.
"Hey, hey...easy, you're ok. See you're back on the ground." Mac slowly worked one hand away from Jack and patted the ground beside him. Mac let out a long breath and relaxed.
"Sorry, kiddo, should have warned you." Mac kept his eyes closed and nodded.
"Ok...I fell-"
"I know, brother. It's ok. We aren't going to do that again, ok?" Mac nodded and dropped both arms out to his side. Jack shared a worried look with the others. Bozer rewrapped the meat and set it close to the fire to keep it warm, but far enough away it wouldn't burn. Desi sat with a bag of bullets and began to fill spare magazines. Jack nodded at his Baretta. Desi nodded and filled some for his pistol too.
"We got some chicken salad." Bozer said as he reached into a backpack and brought out a plastic container. He pulled out another one, "We also got some buffalo soup-"
"Buffalo soup? What's in that?" Riley asked her nose wrinkling. Bozer grinned at her.
"Buffalo, duh?" Riley rolled her eyes and leaned over Mac to help Jack. Jack winced as he pulled his coats from around Mac. Mac shuddered as if he were trying to shake himself apart. His teeth chattered. He looked up his pupils huge. A memory of him sweating, sick and hallucinating brushed through Jack's head. He shook his head. Riley squeezed his shoulder. Jack met her eyes. He saw the same memories in her dark eyes. He patted Riley's hand then reached over to cut the brown scrubs off Mac.
"Mac, I'm sorry." Riley said softly. Mac blinked at her blearily.
"Wha-AAAAHHHH!" Mac arched back trying to escape agony as Riley poured a bottle of hydrogen peroxide over his stab wound. Mac's body shook worse and he fought to get away. Jack held Mac down and murmured meaningless things in his ear. The wound bubbled and frothed. Even in the dim light of the fire they could see bits of debris float away in the liquid. Riley poured the entire 32oz out. When she finished she leaned back. Mac sucked in air; his eyes clenched shut. Jack patted his cheek.
"You still with us?" Mac opened his eyes enough for them to see a glint of blue. Mac managed a ghost of a smile.
"Ouch." He whispered. Jack nodded.
"That's ok, brother. Good, we'll be done in a few minutes ok?" Mac nodded his head and closed his eyes. His body relaxed. Jack looked up to see the others staring at him. Jack rolled his eyes.
"I don't want him to clench, ok?" He hissed.
"Clench?"
"You know, tighten the six pack?"
"Mac has a six pack?" Bozer said amused.
"Oh yeah." Desi said licking her lips. The others stared at her. She rolled her eyes, "What? We spar."
"Is that what they call it." Riley growled. Jack's eyes narrowed and he looked back and forth between the two women. Desi shook her head.
"I'm going to check the perimeter." She turned and vanished into the shadows as if she were one of them. Jack turned his glare on Riley.
"Something you want to tell me?"
"We should take care-"
"I can multitask. Talk." Jack cleaned Mac's wound with a new towel. Dark clotty blood bubbled out of the wound.
"Well, Mac had a crush on Desi-" Riley began. Jack gritted his teeth and growled as he put on gloves and threaded an arced surgical needle. His hand shook as he remembered sewing up the kid's side. He let out a deep breath. This wasn't near that bad. It was deep, but only a couple of inches long.
"And Desi had a crush on Mac." Bozer offered as he set out what they were able to scavenge-duct tape, long kitchen knives…
"They were together?" Jack asked, his voice a note higher than his normal tone.
"No-"
"Maybe-" Jack leaned down and began to sew the stab wound. He cried out and tried to pull free. Riley captured his hands and held them.
"It's ok, Mac, you're ok." She said leaning closer to him.
"What do you mean 'maybe'?"
"Well, there was this cave in-"
"Cave in?"
"Only a small one." Riley jumped in to reassure.
"But they were stuck together, and they-"
"We do not know that, Boze."
"Oh, come on, you saw the same looks and pink-"
"Boze!" Riley growled.
"What?"
"Go on, Boze." Jack said. He didn't spare a glance up as he tied the final stitch and cut the string. He leaned back and looked at the pale blonde in front of him.
"Well, after that they were easy around each other." Jack looked at him a fond look on his face.
"They were together?"
"No, they weren't." Riley snapped. She looked at Jack confused, "You'd be ok with them getting together?"
"Why not they're both great people and I just want them to be happy." Riley leaned back a sour look on her face.
"I want that too, but Mac hasn't had good luck with co-workers." Jack sighed and motioned for Riley to help him. Mac huffed in pain as they sat him up and dressed him in a heavy knit sweater and a thick parka. Mac closed his eyes in bliss. Riley and Jack muscled a pair of sweats over his scrub pants. Riley lifted his left foot and settled it on her lap.
"Here, Boze give me some light." Boze crept forward and took the Maglite. He aimed it at Mac's foot.
"Oh man, that's not good."
"Yeah, good thing is he was out of it for most of it. He's gonna feel it later though." Jack winced as he pulled a thorn out of Mac's heel and brushed twigs and debris away. Mac mumbled and kicked his foot.
"Sorry, partner. Hold on, this is gonna sting." Jack pulled out a small bottle of vinegar.
"This is gonna hurt, hold onto his leg tight." Riley nodded grimly.
"This is too much like-"
"I know, kiddo, Boze?"
"Yeah. Got it." Boze balanced the flashlight against a stone then came around to sit beside Mac. He shimmied behind his friend and leaned Mac against his chest. Mac opened his eyes a crack and yawned.
" 'oze?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"Missed you. Here bit on this."
"Taths bad." Mac mumbled around the towel Bozer had rolled into a log then slipped between Mac's teeth. Bozer slid his arms around Mac and captured Mac's cold hands in his.
" Hold on tight ok?"
"Thall?" Mac's body tensed. He turned to look up at Boze then broke off arching back with a muffled scream. Jack closed his eyes but forced himself to keep pouring. Riley bit her lip. Finally, the vinegar was gone. They all let out a deep breath. Jack wrapped Mac's foot in gauze then slid two thick socks over his foot. Jack brushed hair out of Mac's face. Mac slowly turned to Jack.
"Thaththuked."
"I know kiddo. We got one more foot-"
"More? Thit."
"Totally agree, bro." Bozer said snuggling his shivering friend closer.
"Ok here we go." The second foot needed more thorns plucked out. Mac's screams broke off into wordless sobs as he gasped. Jack gritted his teeth tipping the bottle more. The vinegar poured as fast as it could, but it seemed to move in excruciatingly slo-mo. Finally it was over and Jack bandaged the foot and slid it in socks.
He met Riley's moist eyes and nodded. Mac laid limp in Boze's arms, tears running down his face.
"All done, kiddo. You did so good." Jack said softly removing the saliva soaked rag. Mac's eyes cracked open and he quirked one corner of his mouth up. They muscled Mac around until he was zipped up in the sleeping bag near the fire. Jack brushed Mac's damp hair back.
"Here." Bozer handed Jack a blue and black beanie cap. Jack raised an eyebrow. It had the profile of a grumpy old man and had "Hardrockers" in fancy script under it.
"What the hell is the hardrockers?" Riley asked. Jack shrugged. He wasn't up on South Dakota sports teams.
"It's all they had." Bozer said, his voice a little defensive. The trio turned and sorted through the remaining packs. They sat down eating moose and chicken salad. Jack looked between the two.
"So?" The pair looked confused, "Mac and Desi?"
"I think there was attraction, but I don't think it went anywhere." Riley said wiping her greasy fingers on her black jeans. Jack frowned.
"I was hoping they could help each other." He stared sadly into the flames.
"I think they did. They are a good team. Not like you and Mac, but still pretty good."
"And Desi kicks serious ass." Jack smiled around a bottle of water. His eyes were far away.
"That she does."
