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Chapter 6

The first sensation that made it through the fog of Jacks mind was pressure. It felt like he was weighed down by a ton of … something. His back was pressed against a hard uneven surface. His arms and legs were pinned and he was unable to breathe. Panic threatened to overwhelm Jack. He couldn't get in enough air and it was pitch black around him when he finally managed to open his eyes. Calm down, slow your breathing, the Delta tried to get control back over his body and mind. After what seemed like an eternity he managed to fight back unconsciousness and was able to think halfway straight. What happened? Obviously Mac must have blown something up and they had been caught in the explosion. Mac! Jack tried to call out, but his mouth was so dry he only managed to croak a little. After gulping several times and producing enough saliva he tried again. „Mac? You there buddy?" No answer. Jack couldn't even remember the mission. He frowned. Something felt wrong about that. He hadn't been on an op with Mac for a long time, had he?

The Delta closed his eyes, when reality hit him hard. No, Mac wasn't here, because Jack was in Afghanistan and his partner had started a new happy life in Africa. Relief flooded through the Delta. Mac was safe. Jack and his team had been sent to get a CIA agent, who had screwed them over. He had taken Babyface with him, and threw a grenade in the cave where Jack, Berkman and Ferrari had been. The Delta opened his eyes and tried to make something out in the darkness. The light on his helmet was dead and there was only blackness. „Berks? Ferrari?" No answer. Jack tried to free his arms and hands. He was in a sitting position against the wall of the cave. The wave of agony that shot down his right side told him where he had taken most of the impact. He tried to breathe through the pain, but realized that it wasn't only the lingering dust in the air that made that task impossible. His chest rattled and set off a coughing fit and everything went grey. Jack must have passed out for a minute, because when he came to again his mouth was filled with the coppery taste of blood. He spit it out and sighed. Collapsed lung, no wonder the right side of his chest felt like it was moving.

The situation felt desperate, but Jack wasn't a quitter. Ok, one step at a time he thought and worked his left arm free. It was covered mostly with loose rubble and soon he managed to pull the limb out. Next he assessed his head. He ran his arm over his face. Blood was running down the side of his head. His helmet had taken most of the force, otherwise he would probably be dead already. With a little fumbling he pried the helmet off. There was a cut behind his ear, but Jack decided it was just something minor. He knew he had a concussion, but this wasn't his first rodeo, he had suffered worse ones in his career. Ok, next one. His hand roamed over his chest carefully and started to remove smaller rocks. He was covered up to his chest with rubble. Obviously his thinking was a bit slow, because only now he thought about moving his legs. God he hoped he wasn't paralyzed. Up until now he hadn't felt anything below his waist. Gritting his teeth his brain sent the order to move to his toes. His left toes wiggled a little and pain burned his way up his right calf and thigh right into his hip where it seemed to settle into a nice pool of pure agony. The relief Jack felt was soon replaced by the wish to feel nothing. His body decided it was not interested in suffering and sent Jack back into darkness.

Hanson couldn't say how long it took him to reach the entrance of the tunnel system. His injuries made him slow and he had to rest a couple times. But finally he could make out their entry point. Babyface sank down and immediately transmittted a radio message.

The team sat together in the war room, disucssing their plans for the future. They came to the agreement, that Mac wouldn't go out on missions until Jack was back. There was so much stuff to work on in the labs, the blond wouldn't be bored.

„And I want you to do training sessions with Bozer and Riley. None of you has been out in the field and you have to be in top shape. You'll want to keep up with Jack when he gets back." Matty ordered.

„Aw boss. Jack's twenty years older than me. I'm sure I'll keep up with the old man." Bozer boasted.

Mac shook his head laughing. „Jack runs five miles every morning, he'll kick your ass before you know what hit you."

Mattys phone rang and she stepped back and took the call. The banter between the others went on for a bit until Mac saw how dismayed his boss was at the news she just received. Matty ended the call with the words. „Send me everything you got."

„What is it Matty?" Mac urged, he stood and his posture was tense.

The director wrung his hands, before she answered. „It's Jack. I've been informed, that he and two of his team members got caught in a cave-in. Only one of the guys PFC Hanson got out, he was injured, but was able to inform his superiors."

Mac turned pale and his knees wobbled. He sat back down and stuttered. „Is he … is he d-dead?"

Riley made a choked sound and grabbed his hand. She was unable to utter a word and just sent pleading looks to her boss.

Matty shook her head. „We don't know yet. PFC Hanson tried to contact them, but he didn't hear anything. No voices, no banging on the rocks. But that doesn't mean they're dead." She hurried to reassure her team.

Tears were running down Rileys face and she didn't even try to hide them. „No, Jack no," she whispered brokenly.

Mac gulped heavily and then stuck out his chin defiantly. „I need to get over there asap Matty. Maybe I can help in getting them out."

The director nodded. „Of course Mac. The jet will be ready in twenty. I'll contact Jacks boss and inform him that you're coming. As soon as I got news on them I'll send it to you."

Riley stood up. „I go with him Matty and don't even try to stop me." She wiped away her tears and took a determined pose.

A small smile appeared on Mattys face. „I would have been disappointed if you wouldn't Riley. Bozer you'll help me here. What are you waiting for? Go and bring Dalton home so I can kick his ass for worrying us so much." And please don't bring him back in a box, she added in her mind.

„Berks, Ferrari?" Jack wheezed for the umpeenth time. He didn't know how much time had passed, but it felt like hours since he came to. The Delta felt himself drifting in and out of consciousness. He knew he should stay awake, but without Mac by his side it was incredibly hard to do so. Finally he heard a cough somewhere on his left side, where Berkman had been standing. A groan followed and Jack tried again. „Berks? That you?" Speaking hurt and made breathing even harder, so he kept it short.

Another cough. „Jack? Fuck, what happened?"

Relief flooded through the Delta when he heard Berkmans voice. „Man, am I glad you didn't buy the farm. That CIA … wheeze … asshole screwed us over. Threw a … wheeze … fucking grenade." Jack had to stop, it felt like a vice was crushing his chest.

A hiss of pain came from Berkman accompanied by the rumble of moving rocks.

„Give me a sitrep. How bad are you hurt?" Jack demanded after he got his breath back a little.

„Broke my leg and … God damn it all to hell. Just wait until I get my hands on that bastard. I'm gonna rip his fucking head off …" Berkman let out a colorful string of curses.

„Hey easy there bro. Take a deep breath and tell me what's wrong." Jack tried to calm his team mate down.

„My left hand. Broke all my fingers. Fucking shit." Berkman complained.

„Yeah, I admit that sucks, but you're right handed. So what's the big deal?" Jack queried.

„You remember I'm on leave next week? I was planning on taking Sheryl to Vegas and marry her, but now the ring I've bought wont fit." The soldier revealed.

A small voice came from the far side of the room. „You really think, she's gonna marry an ugly jerk like you?"

„Ferrari! You son of a gun. Well, that means I won't get your Play Station, damn." Jack joked, but his voice was lacking his usual strength and it was getting harder to focus.

„Nope, you're too clumsy anyway. Every twelve year old kid would kick your ass." Ferrari shot back. „Damn, it's as dark in here as in an elephants ass."

„What's the damage Ferrari?" Jack was worried.

„I'm fine boss. Maybe a few cracked ribs and a twisted ankle." Ferrari tried to be cheerful.

„Yeah sure. You were only napping for hours, because the company was so boring." The Delta remarked sarcastically.

Berkman laughed and Ferrari grunted annoyed. „I maybe got my bell rung a bit. What about you boss? You don't sound so great yourself." Worry was shining through his words.

Jack gulped the rising nausea back. Throwing up with a crushed chest was simply not an option, he decided. „Concussion and my right side took most of the impact. A couple broken ribs …" A coughing fit kept him from ending his sentence. Rico did that for him, when the hacking finally stopped and changed into a wheezing. „And by the wet sound of that cough a collapsed lung. Try not to move too much boss."

„I can't. I'm stuck under the rubble, got only my left arm free. How ´bout you?" Jack manage, but his voice got weaker and fighting back the black spots got harder and harder.

Berks answered first. „I'm relatively free, but with the broken leg I can't move around much. Ferrari?"

„Something is pinning my leg down, but I dont think it's broken, only my ankle hurts a bit. The rock's too heavy to move." Rico reported.

„So, we can only hope that Babyface … managed to kick the CIA guys … ass and gets us …" the rest of the sentence was a garbled mess and Jacks head lolled to the side as he lost consciousness. His team mates frantic calls remained unanswered.

Mac was pacing the Phoenix jet for over thirty minutes now and it was getting on Rileys nerves. She held out a hand and grabbed his wrist to stop him. That startled Mac and he stumbled, pushing over Rileys backpack and the contents spilled on the floor. The blond bend down and started to pick up the items, when his eyes landed on a piece of paper with a familiar handwriting on it. He froze. „That's Jacks handwriting."

„Yes, these are all the letters he wrote me over the last year. At first I complained, when he asked me to exchange handwritten letters. That was until I received the first one, then it all made sense. It's something to hold on to and to know he held it in his hands makes it more personal." Riley sighed. „These letters were my lifeline this past year." She ran her hand over them lovingly before she held them out to Mac. „You can read them if you want, but I have to warn you some of them are difficult to process."

Hesitantly Mac took the stack of papers. „Are you sure? I don't want to intrude." The blond offered.

Riley thought for a minute, before she answered. „Part of me wants to keep them to myself, but I think it's important for you to see Jacks vantage point of the situation. He doesn't blame you, you know? I'm honest I'm still a bit mad at you about the way you left. Jack never was, he just was hurt. You two have a lot to talk about, when we get him back and maybe reading the letters will help a little to clear things up." She smiled encouragingly and shoved the letters into Macs chest.

The blond didn't know how to respond, so he only nodded. He moved to the back of the plane to have a bit more privacy. He stared at the papers for at least five minutes until he gathered enough courage to open the first one. When he had read them all he let his head fall back to the seat and closed his eyes, but a few tears escaped nevertheless. He felt like an asshole. The letters made him realize once more, what a big mistake he had made. Throwing away the most precious thing in his life. How could he have been so stupid? All he had to do, was answering the messages Jack had sent him. Talk to him and not leave him hanging, blaming himself for Macs departure. No matter how he looked at it, he was the reason Jack he re-upped. Mac was also the cause for Jacks and his dads fight, that resulted in the Delta losing his job. That was a price much too high to pay for being Macs friend. He simply wasn't worth that much trouble. Jack had made a huge mistake back then, when he decided to stay in Afghanistan to look after a skinny bomb nerd with a silly hamburger name. His friend deserved better. God he only hoped he would get a chance to make things right.

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