For the first time in a month, Mac woke up to find himself free of any restraints. When he'd been left alone the night before he had assumed that that was his punishment, he hadn't been fed and no one had come back, he thought for sure he would wake up to find someone had secured him during the night. He didn't understand. When he sat up, he looked over and saw the Jack lookalike sitting in a chair. Maybe that was what had happened, rather than locking him up they'd had someone watch him instead.

"Morning kiddo, did you sleep ok?"

"Yes." Mac replied, wondering why the man had asked and why did he keep calling him kiddo? He pulled himself up, wondering if he should ask to use the toilet, it was right there, and he didn't need permission to use his bucket.

Jack could see Mac glancing to the bathroom door, and he realised the kid was looking for approval. "Go ahead buddy."

Mac got up and went in leaving the door open. Jack sighed, hoping that they would get some sort of routine going soon, he needed Mac to feel confident doing certain things, without looking so scared.

Jack had watched Mac sleep for a while, the kid had looked so peaceful. Dr Fray had come in and told him he wanted Jack to shower and eat and he would keep an eye on Mac. He wanted to say no, but knew it would do him good, when he'd returned he'd fallen asleep and he felt refreshed and ready for a new day.

While Mac was in the bathroom a nurse came in with some breakfast, bringing enough for both occupants. Dr Fray wanted Mac to eat, and then he would come in and see about sending him for some tests.

Jack was upset that Mac hadn't eaten the night before, he had no way of knowing the last time the kid had eaten and it didn't seem right. He hadn't wanted to wake him up though. When Mac came back, Jack stopped him.

"Breakfast is here."

Mac looked over and saw that there were plates and glasses on a table over the bed, he wasn't sure what to take, so he sat back down against the wall, hoping that he would be given what he was allowed.

Jack sighed, hoping that the kid would have sat on the bed to eat. Maybe later. He got up and took over the tray, settling on the floor himself. If Mac wouldn't come to him, he would go to Mac. He passed over the breakfast the nurse had indicated was for Mac. Something light, seeing as they had no way to know what his diet had been like. Then started eating his food. Mac just sat looking at the food, maybe he wasn't used to so much.

"Eat Mac, don't worry if you can't manage it all."

The word eat seemed to be all it took and Mac took the bowl, the contents soon gone, the juice finished and put neatly back on the tray.

Jack bit his lip, his anger clear, by the looks of it the kid wasn't even allowed to eat without permission. Finishing his own cereal, he carried the tray back over to the table, sitting on the bed.

"Dr Fray will be back in a bit, he said he might want you to have some tests," Jack said, wanting Mac to be prepared.

What kind of tests, Mac thought, maybe they were like the sessions his father had him do? That was a scary thought, at least he knew what to expect at home, he didn't know what they'd make him do here. He hoped there wasn't any pain, he was hurting enough already, although like his father said, if he deserved it then it didn't matter, sessions were there to either help Mac, or to punish him when he was bad. He had to except that, regardless of how he might feel.

Mac sat there quietly, waiting, flinching slightly when the door opened, and the doctor came in.

"Good morning Mac," the doctor said, approaching him.

Mac looked up, seeing that the doctor was carrying a small tray with him. There was a needle on it and Mac guessed that he needed to be given some sedatives for his tests. He turned his head so that his neck was exposed, hoping this man was quick like his father.

"You're not getting an injection Mac; I need to take some blood. Can you give me your left arm please?"

Mac complied, wondering why, he guessed the man was a doctor. Doctor's took blood, didn't they? The needle went in smoothly and a couple of vials were filled, it was painless.

"If it's ok with you Mac I'd like you to have a few scans. I want to make sure there's no damage inside you that we don't know about. You have quite a few bruises and a few ribs appear broken."

Maybe this was why he was here. His father had said a few times that he was worried about some of his injuries, but they couldn't go to a doctor. It was possible that he'd found a doctor that would see him. If that was the case he better be good and do as he was told. The doctor would no doubt report back to his father if he were obedient or not. He thought back to smashing the mirror, that was going to earn him a beating for sure, he better not mess up anymore. He nodded.

While Mac went for his scans, Jack decided to find the rest of the team to fill them in on what was happening. He knew that Riley and Bozer were keen to see Mac, he felt bad that they hadn't been able to, knowing he wouldn't have been able to stay away if he'd been asked. He hoped that he'd find them in the war room, and he was right. It was just the two of them which Jack was pleased about, he didn't want to talk to too many people.

"Jack, how is he?" Riley asked as soon as she saw him.

"Docs taken him for some tests, thought I better bring you guys an update."

"This is killing us Jack, knowing Mac's here but we still can't see him!" Bozer exclaimed, looking upset.

"I know Boze, and I'm sorry, but if you had seen him you'd know I was right. Hell, even I feel like I shouldn't be there."

"It's that bad?" Riley asked.

"It's worse."

They all sat in silence for a minute, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Tell us." Riley spoke up, looking at Jack, preparing herself for the worst.

"Are you sure?"

Riley nodded and Bozer agreed. Jack told them all that had happened since he'd found Mac tied up to just ten minutes ago when he'd immediately assumed he was being drugged when he saw a needle. He stopped a few times when one of them looked sick or that they couldn't go on, Jack gave them credit though, they stayed tough throughout, even when he told them what Matty told him about the torture.

"Do you think he'll ever be the same?" Riley asked, her voice shaky, she'd been crying.

"I hope so Ri. But all we can do is help him get stronger, and if he's never the same Mac again, we have to except that."

"He'll always be Mac, no matter what," Bozer said, swallowing hard against the nausea he was feeling, not knowing how his friend was still alive let alone not completely crazy.

Jack nodded, getting out his phone when it went off. "Mac's coming back from his test's and the doc wants me to meet him. I'll let you guys know how it goes."

Without a backwards glance Jack headed back to medical, hoping there wasn't any bad news.

When Jack opened the door and looked at the bed, there was no Mac, instead he was back in his corner. Dr Fray was sitting in the chair Jack had spent the night in.

"Is he ok doc, he looks a little out of it?"

"We had to give him a sedative to calm him down."

Jack looked shocked; the kid had already been pumped with enough sedatives. "What the hell for?"

"He wouldn't lay on the bed to get the tests done and he became very agitated, I decided that a slight sedation was better than putting him in restraints. Seeing as it's clearly happened before."

"He's been sedated lots of times before too doc, please tell me you didn't stick it in his neck?"

"Of course not. But maybe that would have been better. He had to be pinned down so that his arm was still enough for me to get the needle in. He stilled immediately when the hands were holding him down, I'm afraid we might have traumatized him even more."

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing, the poor kid couldn't catch a break.

"I put a port in the back of his hand while his was calm, so if we need to give him anything else we won't have to hold him down again. We finished all the tests. He's got three broken ribs, two on his right side, one on his left, his whole insides are one big bruise, his kidneys are the worst, but I'm hopeful as he rests they'll bounce back. I could only give him an ultrasound, sticking him in an MRI with those cuffs wouldn't be a good idea, maybe in a few days if he's not better we might have to attempt it."

"If the kid was out of it when he was brought back, why isn't he in bed?" Jack asked, flinching when he thought about Mac's broken ribs, he knew how painful that was.

"I made the decision to put him on the floor. If he woke up on the bed and got agitated again he could hurt himself."

Jack hated the fact that it looked like the kid had just been dumped on the floor, but knew the doc was right. He hated to think what Mac's reaction was going to be after he realised he'd been drugged, they were trying to get him to trust them, this would push that back.

Mac tried not to let on that he was awake, he didn't want anyone to know, he'd been so bad when they had tried to run their tests that they'd sedated him. He could still feel their hands pinning him down, he was sure one of them had hit him in the side as well. What was his father going to think? He was still not restrained, and he was tempted to secure himself, the cuffs were still on, he did it all the time at home. He stopped himself though, maybe there was a reason behind it, he didn't want to make anything worse.

"Hey kiddo, you don't look comfortable lying like that, shall I help you sit up?" The man who sounded like Jack was back, he wouldn't look weak in front of him, so he pushed himself up and lent against the wall.

Mac looked over and saw the doctor, was he here to punish him some more?

"I've wrapped your ribs; you need to rest so that they can heal. Lying somewhere soft like the bed would be preferable. I need you to drink plenty too, there is a lot of bruising on your kidneys, flushing them out is the best way to heal them. So, plenty of fluids and empty your bladder regularly."

Jack handed Mac a bottle of water. "That means you don't have to ask permission to use the toilet, go when you need to. Ok?"

Mac nodded, they were trying to make him better, he had to do whatever they asked so he could go home, he wouldn't sleep on the bed though, his father had forbidden it. He could rest fine on the floor, this one was soft, which was what the doctor had suggested. He so desperately wanted to ask when he was going home, but he didn't want to speak out of turn.

"Mac, what do you want to ask? I can tell there's a question," Jack asked, seeing his friend's eyes crinkle, it was a sure indication.

"When am I going home? Father won't want me away for too long, it's not safe."

Jack got up and walked over to the doc, not sure how he was going to answer that, if he said never then Mac would probably get upset, but he didn't want to lie.

"Soon," Dr Fray said. "Just rest for now and drink that whole bottle. We'll make sure you get some more soon."

Mac nodded, sipping the water, soon probably meant a couple of days. He better hope that he was fixed when his father next saw him. He wondered if his father would wait to punish him, it seemed silly to heal up and then get hurt again. But if he did deserve a beating, then his father could always bring him to this doctor again. Maybe that would be what would happen, if his father had to hurt him too badly this doctor would fix him, so his father didn't have to worry. Mac would be ok with that, at least when he was here he wasn't tied up.

Dr Fray and Jack stepped outside.

"Soon?" Jack asked.

"I was better than saying nothing at all." And Jack supposed he was right.