Here you go! all those nice reviews made me update faster, LOL. i hope you enjoy this chapter. it's more sobby than action but don't fear i will have more action in the next chapter. thanx to all the reviewers and the new alerts, favs and followers, you rock!

None of the recognisable characters are mine, sadly. the evil guys and Freddy is mine though. also the song is the reason by hoobastank also not mine. listening to the song while reading the part in this chapter will give you the right !

When Lindsay, Jo and Freddy arrived at the hospital they were met by Sheldon.

"They took him into surgery to clean the wounds on his back. Some of them were infected. They took the thing around his head off and found these little buggers in his ears." He lifted an evidence bag which contained two things that looked like hearing aids, "no wonder he didn't hear you Freddy. His eyes showed signs of chemical burns but we don't know from what. They cleaned it out and there shouldn't be any permanent damage but it will be painful for a while."

"Pepper spray." Freddy said softly and Sheldon made eye contact for the first time since he showed up with the girls.

"What?"

"When he first came there, they sprayed him with pepper spray to disorientate him. They didn't flush it out and just wrapped the bandage around. I didn't know about the ear pieces."

"Crap, well, all his injuries are being treated now so the only thing we can do is wait. One of the doctors will come see us as soon as they are done." He led the way to the chairs in the waiting room. The long wait was just beginning.

Mac stood in the waiting room looking at the four figures on the chairs. Three he recognized but not the fourth. Somehow he felt like he should have known him, but he didn't.

"Well are you going to leave them?"

Mac turned around to see his father standing behind him. "Dad?" Mac shook his head, "No, it can't be, you died."

"Yeah, I know son. But right now you have to live and standing around here is not going on with your life. You also need to know that Danny blames himself and that he needs you to be there for him."

"what? How?" Mac looked like a goldfish opening and closing his mouth. His father clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"And here I thought you were smarter than this. This is not your time son. Now go back and figure this out." With that his father gave him a shove that should have taken him to the ground, but instead of going down he went flying, everything passing in a haze until his 'ghostly' self slammed into his body and the pain hit with a vengeance. He felt the hands on his back and they left a trail of burning agony. He just didn't have the energy to do anything about it. He could feel himself breathing and that meant that there was a tube down his throat. 'What…..?' oh, now he remembered that last hit, he couldn't breathe. He actually couldn't remember anything after that. He felt strangely relaxed and calm. He could feel the hands working on his back, the pain was agonizing but he couldn't move away of flinch at all, all he could do was lie there in darkness. He knew he was in the hospital because nowhere on earth could the smell of disinfectant and medicine as much as a hospital. The last of his energy depleted he drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

How long Lindsay and Jo sat in the waiting room they didn't know. The doctor came out and called for 'Detective Taylor's family'. Everyone but Freddy stood up and walked towards him.

"We just finished cleaning the wounds on his back and we will be giving him some antibiotics to counter the infection which isn't too bad at the moment. Trying to nip it in the butt so to speak. Det. Taylor also have a sprained ankle, some broken fingers, two broken ribs one of which nicked his lung, a couple badly bruised, a broken collarbone, a dislocated shoulder, a chemical burn around his eyes, his back has got some serious whip damage but all that should heal in time. He has bruises, cuts and some very small burns all over his body which given time will also disappear without permanent damage. His larynx was damaged and there was deep bruising around his throat. All in all it sounds much worse than what it is and he should recover without complications."

A huge sigh of relief was heard all around the eager faces of the people in front of the doctor also of the two new faces that came in while the doctor was talking.

"Can we see him?" Jo just had to make sure that he was indeed fine.

"He is in recovery now, give him an hour or two and then we work it from there. He will be moved into a private room as per request from Chief Sinclair so you guys can stay with him as much as you want to as long as you stay out of the way of the nurses." After a couple of handshakes the doctor left with the gratitude of the team smiling at each other.

"OK, I'm sure we don't all have to stay but I know you so how about we divide into groups and take it from there?"

"Sounds like a plan. We still have to go after Phillip and with the evidence we collected in that house we should be able to put him away for a while."

"He won't give up." Freddy said softly, which made everyone turn around and look at him. He looked them each in the eye. "Phillip won't give up. He will try again until he either kills you or your boss. You need to stop him before he strikes again."

The team nodded but Don spoke up, "well we have evidence, now if we had a witness…." Don looked meaningfully at Freddy, who sported a small smile,

"Well, you got one of those too."

Lindsay gasped, "What?"

"I will turn state's witness or testify or whatever you want me to do, as long as I can help to put that bastard away where he belongs." He smiled at the team, briefly before a sad look crossed his face.

"Why are you guys doing this? After what I did, why do you still help me?" to this statement the team exchanged looks but it was Jo who answered.

"Let me explain something to you Freddy. We are more than just a team, we are a family. We help family even if they do something stupid, actually especially when they do something stupid. Now before you tell me that you are not part of this family, let me tell you, the minute you decided to help Mac even if you didn't know him and when you risked not only your freedom but also your life for someone that belongs to this family, you belong in this family." Jo walked up to him pulled him into a hug then kissed him on the cheek, "thank you, for saving his life." She whispered in his ear.

Freddy looked at the others with tears in his eyes. His gaze was met with smiles, his words stopped in his throat and he had to clear it to say a soft, "thank you"

"Let's get this started, Danny and Lindsay, can you guys stay with Mac first? I need to get to Ellie and make sure that the lab is still standing. Besides some of them would like to hear the good news..."

"No problem, Lucy is at aftercare till later and the nanny will pick her up tonight."

"Ok, I will spell you tonight." Sheldon said.

"Mind if I join you?" Sid joined the party to which Sheldon nodded eagerly not wanting to be alone during the night

"Freddy and I will take a trip downtown so we can make this whole little thing official, but do you mind if we grab something to eat?" Don looked at Freddy pleadingly.

Freddy couldn't help but laugh at Don's childish pout "Sure, no problem. I'm pretty starved myself."

"Ok, then let's get going because here is the nurse and we don't have much time left today. Tomorrow we can start the search for Phillip Thomas. With nods all round, the team split up and went about their business. Lindsay smiled at Freddy encouragingly trying to reassure him. He would be fine with Don so she wasn't worried about that but she felt that she needed to send him some support.

Walking into Mac's room both Lindsay and Danny settled themselves into two chairs with Lindsay putting her hand on Mac's arm. "We're here Mac; you just rest and get better. We'll be here." The two settled in for the long haul. After an afternoon of quiet conversation and the occasional stolen nap, not much has changed. Sid and Hawkes knocked softly, causing Danny to look up. He was thinking about this whole situation during the afternoon and couldn't help the guilt hitting him square in the chest, he had to make it right somehow, he just had to make it up to Mac.

Danny sat next to Mac's bed. He had asked the others to give him a couple of minutes alone. The man on the bed was pale and the only indication that he was alive was the rise and fall of is chest even if it was with help from the ventilator. His body showed the bruises vividly over his exposed abdomen. His fingers were in splints and his shoulder wrapped tightly to protect his broken collarbone. He had small burns all over his body, his ankle was also wrapped tightly, and luckily it was more sprained than broken. There was a thick bandage around his throat. His eyes were taped shut to give them chance to heal, apparently pepper spray can create serious burns if not treated and left as long as Mac's, well it created not just some ugly looking burns, it also dried out his eyes and it was extremely painful.

Danny put his hand on Mac's arm. He was just staring at Mac when words to a song popped into his mind. Funny how he told Lindsay that it sounded silly and now that same song meant so much to him,

"I'm not a perfect person

There are many things I wish I didn't do

But I continue learning

I never meant to do those things to you

And so I have to say before I go

That I just want you to know"

"Mac, you hired me with all my nonsense. Even when everyone warned you not to. I didn't have the clean background other people had, I wish that I could undo somethings I've done. But you helped me through everything."

"I found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is you"

"Mac, you showed me that I don't have to be a bad ass. That there is another way to do things, a better way."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you

It's something I must live with everyday

And all the pain I put you through

I wish that I could take it all away

And maybe be the one that catches all your tears

That's why I need you to hear"

"Mac, this whole mess is my fault. I caused this and maybe one day I will deserve your forgiveness. If could I would take it away, I would have taken your place without a moment's hesitation. I would have stopped this pain and hurt. But I need to tell you, Mac, the lab still needs you."

"I found a reason to show

A side of me you didn't know

A reason for all that I do

And the reason is you."

"Mac, you are like a father to me. You showed me the ropes to make the best of everything not just to be a good CSI but also to be a good father to Lucy. Everything I have become is thanks to you. Mac please, I need you to come back. I need you to fight, for Lindsay and Don and Jo and Adam and Hawkes and Sid and little Lucy but also for me. Freddy also wants to meet you, he wants to shake your hand and explain some things." Danny looked down at his watch, "I have to go now. I have to catch this bastard and I promise you that he will never hurt anyone else again. Get well soon Mac." With that he got up and left.

Sid and Sheldon settled in for the night, each with a cup of coffee in hand. First they just sat in silence, their gazes fixed on the still form of their mentor, friend and boss. Then Sid started chuckling, and Sheldon threw him a questioning look.

"Sorry, Sheldon. I was just thinking of the time when Mac hid in the morgue when that women chased him all over the lab looking for his number." Both men laughed softly. Sheldon spoke up and his voice was hoarse, evidence that he was struggling with a lump in his throat,

"I feel so helpless. He helped me when I was down and out, stood by me when I got injured and even listened to me complain about all the unfairness in this world. Now I can't even help him! Sid I can't do anything for him, it's just not right." Sheldon ran out of steam and wiped his eyes. Through his little tirade Sid kept an eye on Mac but also kept silent, letting the younger man get the feelings off his chest.

"Then we are already doing all we can. Sheldon, you know as well as I do that it's all up to Mac now, we're just on the ride for support." He broke off suddenly and moved to Mac's side. He was turning his head and frowning as if looking for something. The bandages around his eyes were removed but the burn still looked painful and angry. Of his eyes opened and the other one followed sluggishly. Sid moved closer and called out to him, talking to him in a soft voice. Mac's eyes seemed a little out of focus but he tracked the voice easy enough. He tried to talk but only noises came out.

"Mac, don't talk. You're on a ventilator to help you breath, you're in the hospital. Blink once if you understand me." Mac blinked once, but it was with a huge effort. "Sheldon see if you can get Mac's doctor. Mac the doctor will be here soon." Mac blinked again.

As Mac looked up at the voice, his tired brain throwing names all over the place, eventually he managed to drag Sid's name from the hundreds of names. For a brief second he thought if he was in the morgue because Sid was talking to him and even Hawkes was here, but that was ridiculous right? The doctor came in a couple of minutes later, and after a short examination, he injected a pain killer into the IV he left. Another minute or two and Mac fell into another slumber, leaving two very relieved doctors smiling. The two doctors settled in again to continue their vigil over their injured friend sharing stories about the man on the bed. The soft sound of their voices worked like a lullaby to Mac giving him a feeling of safety and peace. Hopefully this nightmare can end now. That was his last thought before giving in to the welcoming blackness.

Somewhere in another part of the city, a man was getting a phone call. He smiled as the phone went dead. Three people that needed elimination, one at the cop shop, one at the crime lab and another at Trinity, room 512.

So what do you think? those reviews make me feel really good and the muse LOVES them - if you get my drift! till next time, Flea.