Hey y'all! Back at you with another chapter! Just a quick word of thanks to my fellow author altshmerz for the use of the exfil team characters. Thomas King, Meredith, Vincent Stone, and Lucia Sosa are all the characters of this fantastic author. Go check out those stories and make sure to leave reviews and support all the other authors on this site. Thank y'all! Don't forget to leave a review and pass on the love! Love y'all! Enjoy this chapter!

Dr. Reyes stared through the glass at the distraught young man in the hospital bed. After Jack left three days ago, Mac had curled up in a tight ball and hadn't moved since. He had pulled the blanket up so far that only his blond hair stuck out the top. None of the doctors had been able to get near him without him curling in tighter and begging them to leave. He'd become so agitated that finally, the doctors and nurses elected to just leave him alone, only walking in if an alarm of some kind went off. Even his new protection detail didn't really approach the boy, although they were definitely more comfortable being in the room with him.

The Sierra-November team had offered to take over as a protection detail for Macgyver as soon as they heard that Dalton had been removed. Matty had immediately agreed, knowing that they were the team that usually served as the exfil for Jack. The ex-delta knew them all by name and trusted them with his life so Matty knew that if he would approve of anyone, it would be the Sierra-November team.

"How is he doc?" the youngest member of the team, Thomas King, asked, approaching the doctor with his question, "he getting any better?"

Reyes frowned, shaking his head, "he was, but when Jack left he went into a downward spiral and his health is deteriorating. He won't eat, he can't sleep, and he refuses to let anyone get near him to help him."

Thomas frowned, "so he's not getting better?"

The doctor shook his head, "he's going downhill relatively quickly..." he trailed off, "I think," he scratched his head, "I dunno. All his vitals are good but he doesn't seem to be recovering," he sighed, "honestly I don't think his injuries are the problem. I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking but taking Jack away is literally killing Macgyver."

"If he's anything like Dalton," the team leader, Lucia, spoke up, joining them, "he'll survive.

"He has the same stubborn streak as Dalton that's for sure," Reyes said, crossing his arms and glaring at the young man, "a nurse tried to give him a morphine shot yesterday," he shook his head, "she came back out with the needle in her arm."

Thomas released a low whistle, "so Macgyver doesn't like needles."

"Clearly," Lucia smirked, "he'll be okay. Dalton will come back and then he'll be fine."

Thomas watched the young man sadly, "and if Jack doesn't come back?"

Reyes frowned deeply, concern painting deep lines on his face, "if Jack doesn't come back," he sighed, "Mac will probably die."

***Line Break***

Mac wrapped his arms around himself tightly, his mind hovering in a cloud. He didn't know what he did, so he couldn't fix it. He couldn't apologize and he couldn't fix whatever he'd done wrong. He squeezed his sides and curled in tighter, wanting to block out the world. The drugs the doctor had given him for the pain were dulling his senses so his brain felt like mush. That's what was wrong. That's why he couldn't figure out what he'd done. It was the drugs. Mac's hand trailed down near the needle, but hesitated... he didn't want to get in trouble. Mac's mind and stomach twisted in knots as he fought about whether or not to pull out the morphine.

His hand hovered near the needle before finally grabbing it and yanking it out of his forearm. He needed to leave. Jack clearly didn't want him there anymore so he needed to just move on. But he had to have a clear head in order to go. Mac bit his lip at the thought of his overwatch not wanting him. Jack had been his partner through thick and thin, never leaving his side and always talking him through everything. He'd always taken comfort in the fact that, should anything happen or should he need help, Jack would be there. Mac could only assume that Jack had gotten sick of him taking advantage of that fact. It didn't help that James had almost killed Jack. The delta probably didn't want anything to do with him anymore. He probably hadn't even wanted to help in the first place, but had done it out of obligation.

As Mac's mind began to clear, the pain began to come back. His chest ached and so did his side. It was horrible, but not as bad as it could have been. Mac knew James hadn't gone for the kill, if he had then Mac would be dead. Mac shifted as he felt a warm trickle run down his arm, a sharp pain now throbbing where he'd pulled the needle out. Mac shuddered, he hated needles. He'd had too many forced on him as a child, teenager, and even as a young man. The needles had been full of strange trial drugs that Mac had been subjected to many times over. It had permanently scarred Mac, inside and out.

He froze as the door to his room creaked open. He listened to the footsteps as they crossed his floor and a hand touched his arm. He was unable to hold back his shudder at the touch. He also couldn't smother the whimper that escaped him as he pushed himself backwards, away from the hand.

"Easy Mac," it was one of his new bodyguards, Thomas King, "take a breath, you're okay."

"Stay away from me," Mac snapped, his anxiety spiking along with his heart rate, "and turn that damn thing off," he snapped, referring to the heart rate monitor that was now screaming at the man.

"Mac," Thomas' voice was lowered, "kid, you have to calm down," his voice came back again, but angled away as if he were talking to someone else,"Jack, I can't get him to calm down. He's gonna panic."

A muffled voice reached Mac's ears and something cold pressed into the side of Mac's face. The blond flinched back, a muffled shriek escaping him as the cold shocked him out of his panic. Thomas pulled back and Mac sat up enough to see that the cold object was a phone.

Thomas gestured to it, glancing at the window, "come on Mac, just take the call. And hurry up, I don't wanna get caught."

Mac hesitantly took the phone from the agent and held it up to his ear, "hello?"

"Mac," it was Jack.

"What do you want?" Mac snapped, all his hurt and anger welling up inside him at the sound of his former friend's voice.

"Mac, listen kid," Jack pleaded, "just listen for a second-"

"You don't have to explain yourself Jack," Mac snapped, sitting up but curling in on himself, "I get it. You don't have to feel obligated to stay. You helped me, and I thank you for that. But you don't have to-"

"Macgyver, for the love of all things holy will you shut up and listen to me," Jack interrupted him, eliciting a flinch from Mac, "listen to me kid, I didn't want to leave. Okay? You hear me? I didn't want to leave you behind. I didn't have a choice in the matter. It was either I leave you in the hospital or they leave me in a cell, and there ain't no way I can keep you safe if I'm behind bars. Now are you hearin' me? I didn't want to leave kiddo. I wouldn't ever leave you behind, you hear me, not in a million years. Not even if someone offered me all the money in the world and held a gun to my head. Sometimes the best way I can keep you safe is by leavin you somewhere I'm not. So, you have to eat, okay? and you have to sleep and get all better so you ain't dead when I come back to you, okay? Because I'm coming back. You hear me Mac, I am coming back to get you," there was a pause as he took a breath, "Mac, you there?"

Mac furiously rubbed away the tears that had come to his eyes, "you promise, Jack?" he asked tentatively, scared to death of being hurt again, "because if you aren't being honest with me-"

"Angus Macgyver," Jack snapped, trying again to break through Mac's insecurities and fears, "have I ever lied to you? Have I ever steered you wrong or left you behind?"

"No," Mac whispered, feeling a sense of calm as Jack's familiar reassurances washed over him, "no, you haven't."

"Then there you go kid," Jack's voice took a gentler tone as he realized that he'd finally broken through Mac's stubborn head, "now, I need you to cooperate with the doctors and let them do what they need to do to get you better, okay? Is Reyes still taken care of you?"

"Yeah," Mac sighed, not wanting Jack to hang up but knowing he needed to soon, "it's still Dr. Reyes."

"Good," the blonde could hear Jack's grin from over the phone, "and Sierra-November is your watch team. Listen, kid I trust them all with my life. What's more, I trust them with yours. You have to let them do their jobs, okay?"

Mac hesitated, "I... I don't know, Jack..."

"Kid, if I didn't trust them, then I wouldn't let the within twenty miles of you," Jack assured his kid, "you're safe with all of them, ya hear?"

"Yeah, okay Jack," Mac sighed, risking a glance at Thomas who had slid outside while Mac talked, "but..."

"Hey," Jack said, knowing immediately what made Mac so hesitant, "Thomas or Lucia can sit in while the doc uses any kind of needles. You can hold onto their arms, or hands, whichever makes you feel comfortable. I've been over it with the doc too. He's gonna be the only one to give you shots of any kind, and he'll fill up the needle in the room so you can see. I've got the bases covered, kiddo. You don't have to worry. I'll be back as soon as this whole thing blows over, okay? You don't have to worry."

"When will that be?" Mac questioned, anxiety lessening slightly at his friend's assurances.

"I don't know kid," Jack sighed, "but I'm gonna have to get off the phone before someone catches me. I ain't even supposed to be talkin' to you, but I couldn't leave it like that. Get some sleep kiddo, and cooperate with the people watchin' over you, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Mac nodded, "yeah, Jack," he sighed, "I can do that I guess."

"Good," Jack's smirk was almost audible, "and kid."

"Yeah," Mac wondered what Jack could possibly have left to say to him.

"Put your morphine back in," Jack ordered, "I can hear you wincing from here. Now put it back in and let the team do their job for you."

"Okay Jack," Mac snorted, Jack always knew.

"Mac," Jack's voice took a more serious note, "I love you kiddo."

Mac paused, "love you too, Jack."

***Line Break***

Thomas nodded to Mac as the young blonde handed him back the phone. He looked far more relaxed after speaking to Jack and it made Thomas feel better about breaking the rules.

"Thanks," the younger man spoke up, "I know you weren't supposed to do that, but thank you."

Thomas dropped his hand lightly onto Mac's shoulder, ignoring the slight flinch, "it's my pleasure, Mac. Any friend of Jack's is a friend of mine," he knelt down closer to the blonde, "and he filled me in on our common enemy," he flashed a grin, "I'm not a fan of needles either. Feel free to squeeze the life outta my hand if you ever wanna. Lord knows I've snapped Lucia's hand more times than I can count."

Mac smiled slightly, Thomas' easygoing manner relaxing him, "thanks."

"Any time Mac," Thomas dropped his hand and left the room, nodding to the doctor on the way out.

"How's he doing Tommy?" Meredith, their team's polyglot and resident brain, asked him quietly.

"Better now that he knows Jack doesn't hate him," Thomas sighed in relief, "I think he just wasn't ready for all that. Between everything that he went through and then Jack leaving, the kid just had too much going through his brain. Knowing that Jack will come back has relaxed him a lot."

"That's good," Meredith smiled, "that poor kid has had to deal with enough already. He needs solid people in his life. It's good that Jack is that person for him."

Thomas nodded, "I'm just glad we could help him out. Jack's a friend and I'm glad we could do this for them both."

"Don't tell me you're already getting attatched to this kid, Thomas," The team lead, Lucia Sosa, spoke up from behind him.

"You know I am," Thomas grinned, turning around and lightly bumping her shoulder, "it's impossible not to. He's just been hurt a lot and needs a safe spot. I'm more than happy to step up and help Jack and Mac while I can."

Lucia smiled, "well, then I guess you won't mind taking another shift on guard duty?"

Thomas snorted, "you wish, Sosa," he clapped her on the shoulder, "I need a nap, so take your shift, my friend. Take your shift."

He grinned as she rolled her eyes, "fine, Tommy. Go sleep some. I'll take it from here."

"Thanks," Thomas nodded, "I'm taking a break and sleeping, you guys got him from here. If he needs me, I'll be in the conference room."

"Go," Lucia pushed him down the hallway, "sleep. We've got this covered."

***Line Break***

Mac stared at the window, watching his protection detail carefully. They were talking about him, he knew they were. But oddly enough, he found that he wasn't worried. Jack trusted them. So, he could too.

Alrighty, guys! There you have it! Hope y'all enjoyed chapter 9! Don't forget to leave a review telling me what you guys think! Love y'all!

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