Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Macgyver. They belong to Henry Winkler, Paramount and associates.

*'s indicate one's thoughts

Chapter 4: The Eyes Have It!

"Pete, am I glad to see you!" Gratefully, Macgyver grasped the bars, anxious to leave the confines of the cell he currently shared with three other inmates.
Warily, Pete stepped back as the uniformed prison guard unlocked the door. "Are you yourself again Mac?"
Puzzled, Macgyver stared at Pete. "Of course I am. Why would I be any different?"
Troubled, Mac noticed that Pete couldn't quite look him in the eye. "I'm just glad you're okay," Pete answered quietly.
"You won't look me in the eyes, why? What have I done?" Macgyver asked, genuinely confused. Receiving no answer from his friend, Mac continued. "The police keep saying I tried to kill Nikki, but I would never do that," he said, almost pleadingly. "And that I helped a prisoner escape?" It was impossible for Pete to ignore the guilt, uncertainty and pain reflected in Macgyver's eyes.
Pete sighed in relief. His friend was back. "Yeah well, you are going to be even sorrier once Nikki gets a hold of you," Pete replied, a slight smile on his face.
For the first time since that morning, Pete watched as a small smile brightened Macgyver's face.
"Nikki's okay then? They told me I stabbed her . . . " he trailed off.
"Come see for yourself. Nikki has a good explanation for what happened. I'll let her be the one to tell you," Pete responded, ushering him into his car. As Pete gunned the engine he turned to Macgyver. "Oh and Mac?"
Macgyver turned his guilt stricken face toward Pete.
"Nikki's going to be just fine."
Macgyver wasted little time in making his way to her room. But time seemed to slow down as he actually prepared to see her face-to-face. Tentatively, he turned the knob to Nikki's room. "Nikk.." he trailed off when he saw the empty, neatly made bed. Nervously, Mac raked a hand through his hair, his eyes darting around the room.
"There you are. Took you long enough!" Nikki announced, awkwardly slinging her purse over her shoulder. Mac nearly knocked her off her feet as he enveloped her in a big hug.
"You're okay!" he cried, enthusiastic.
She pulled away, mildly surprised. "A little worse for the wear, but I'll live. No thanks to you," she added.
Mac backed away, looking much like a hurt puppy licking his wounds. She eyed him seriously, "Macgyver, I think maybe you should see a doctor, or a hypnotist perhaps, find out what's going on inside that head of yours." For emphasis, she tapped a neatly manicured fingernail against his temple.
Angrily, Mac backed away. "I don't believe in that mumbo jumbo. You know that."
"Normally I would agree with you Mac, but I think Nikki has a point this time," Pete added, stepping into the hospital room.
"Pete, you of all people.." he trailed off angrily.
"Alright then, care to explain how I ended up in the hospital with a stab wound, at your hand?" Nikki demanded. Downcast, Mac averted his eyes to the floor.
"I don't remember," he answered softly.
"That's why we're going to help you," Nikki responded, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Taking Pete's Honda Accord, they spent the next hour in Nikki's office going over what happened early that morning and the events leading up to it.
"You can't remember anything that may have been used to trigger the incident this morning Macgyver?" Nikki asked.
"No, nothing unusual."
Frustrated, Nikki continued, "But that's just it, Deborah could have used anything usual to have you react the way you did."
Clenching his fists, Mac's jaw muscle twitched continuously. Macgyver looked up at them, a wavering light of hope in his eyes. "Are you sure it was Deborah?" Macgyver rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes in frustration. "I can't . . . remember," he ground out.
Gently, Nikki reached over and patted his knee. "It was her Macgyver. You asked specifically for Deborah, according to the security guard."
Opening his eyes, Macgyver sighed. "Is the guard okay?"
"A nasty headache, but otherwise he is fine," Nikki assured him.
"So, you're sure . . . " Nikki pressed.
Angrily, Macgyver growled, "Nothing comes to mind Nikki."
Tired of going over the same ground and going nowhere, Pete suggested calling it a night. "We can work more on this tomorrow morning," he said decisively.
"I suppose you're right Pete. Okay," Nikki conceded.
Sighing, Nikki stepped out of the elevator. "Okay, let's see what we have here." Mentally, she counted off the information in her head. *Mac is still smarting from Deborah's betrayal, not to mention still carrying a brightly burning torch for her. "That much is clear," Nikki muttered to herself as she pushed aside the revolving doors of the high rise. Stepping out into the cool, night air, Nikki watched as Pete pulled out of the parking lot, Macgyver in the passenger seat. *Deborah and Macgyver spent a lot of time together in the few short weeks they knew each other. A disgusted frown marred her attractive face. Obviously, she gleaned quite a bit of information beforehand, since Deborah engineered a complete background test on Macgyver. She must have used his strengths and weaknesses against him, but what? I think his feelings for her are clouding the answer. It's right in front of our noses! Well, I certainly can't get inside his head, but I can find out how whatever she engraved into his mind is there. Next stop, the library!* A triumphant grin swept over her face as she threw the car into first. A short time later, Nikki eagerly dashed up the steep, stone steps of the historical structure. Pushing open the heavy wood door, the grandness of the downtown historical library never ceased to amaze her. As she passed the cherry mahogany librarian's desk and rows of book shelves, she couldn't help but stare in awe. *I could spend hours here.* Smiling softly to herself, her eyes gleamed as she spotted the expansive mahogany counter housing the card catalog. "Brainwashing, mind control.." she mumbled, thumbing through the many index cards. "Ah ha!" Several heads turned to stare at her. Apologetically, Nikki whispered, "Sorry." Clutching two index cards in her hand, Nikki made her way down several rows, finally stopping at the correct aisle. Seeing the ladder before her, she swallowed nervously. "Oh, I simply adore heights . . . " she trailed off, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. Scanning the lower shelves first, she was greatly relieved to discover both books she was searching for. "Mind Control: The Wave of the Future and Brainwashing: Subconscious Ailment. Nimbly plucking them from the shelf, Nikki turned around wonderingly as she heard a creaking sound from behind her. Looking up, Nikki's mouth dropped open in horror as the book shelf towering above her began to sway!