Writer's notes: Unfortunately the characters don't belong to me (except nurse Alex) and all references and known scenes from the series are also not mine. The "memories" (in italics) and the action around there are definitely my ideas.
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One more comment: Welcome back, my dear readers!
In my opinion the second season has more thrilling and intense episodes than the first one. That's why I decided to write again and work a little bit more on the beautiful friendship between Mac and Jack. In my "memories" I follow the action, which is more important in the episodes. Everybody who has not read yet "spotlights" is not forced to do so to understand my little snippets, but it's no harm done reading it now (smile). Have fun!
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Season 02 Episode 01: DIY or DIE
A knocking at the open door let Alex look up from a report with various lab results.
"Hello Mac, everything okay? I didn't expect you." The nurse greeted the agent with surprise.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I would like to know if you have more information about our guest."
"You mean Lieutenant Diaz? Astonishing well after that long time in captivity. He's a little bit malnourished, his muscles are weak because of the lack of movement and on his hands and feet are marks of the restraints. As far as we know there's nothing that can't heal with a good physiotherapy, balanced diet and an amount of rest. Nobody can say right now in which mental state he is, but even there he seems to be in a stable situation."
Mac sighed relieved. When he freed the hostage, he had memories from his time in Afghanistan he would like to forget.
It was a windowless small room. There were only rough walls and a hard loamy ground. The door was just simple wood, but Mac knew that an armed guard stood on the other side. A few rays of light came through the cracks. The men who held him captive for ten days now wanted him to build bombs for them. He still refused to do that. Slowly their waning patience came to an end. Even though he couldn't understand the dialect the men spoke, he noticed that his time was running out. Three attempts to escape failed and every time his guards punished him. Right now his thoughts whirled around a new possibility to break out. His body was purple and dark blue from the last beating, his left knee was swollen and he couldn't really hold himself upright. That wasn't making his situation easier. He was going through his plan in his mind, deciding if it really was worth trying, when he heard excited noises outside. There were gunshots, shouting, tromping from heavy boots on a tile floor. Even more shouting and cries and then there were orders given in American English with a heavy Texan accent. Mac flinched when the guard at his door fired a salve from his AK47 and after that he heard a thud. The wooden door couldn't withstand the heavy sole of the army boots. It crushed. Bright sunlight radiated without hindrance into the small room. Mac squinted his eyes, turned his face to the wall and tried to cover it with his bound hands.
"Mac!" This voice was the most beautiful sound in the world!
Slowly Mac lowered his hands and tried to smile. His swollen cheek and the bloodied lips let it look like a grimace.
"Jack? You're here?"
„Where else should I be, buddy? I'm so sorry it took so long. Can you walk?"
Mac nodded. Jack's calloused hands helped him very gentle to stand up and held him, when his leg threatened to buckle. Carefully Jack cut the ropes. Mac felt a warmth all over his body that wasn't induced by the sun. Tears of ease ran down his face. Exhaustion and the fall of the tense let his whole body shake like a leaf. Jack pulled him in a tight hug and ran his hand calming over the dirty, blood-crusted hair.
"Everything's okay, I'm here now. Come on, let's go home."
Mac only nodded. He didn't trust his hoarse voice.
"When I was held captive for the first time, Jack came for me." Mac confessed quiet. "Ever since he found me and brought me back when I couldn't free me on my own. He never gave up. Samantha showed the same loyalty to Diaz and for that I give her credit."
Alex looked for signs of emotions in Mac's features. What he felt with this statement. The only hint was his starring gaze to the floor.
"You like her," Alex declared simply. "I'm sure you're happy she belongs to your team now."
Only now Mac looked up and smiled. "Yeah, she's a great benefit for us. Exactly I think she's a perfect mixture of Jack and Frankie."
"What?" Alex choked and coughed convulsive. Mac patted on her back until she relaxed again. "I think I misheard."
"Nope. You heard right. Cage shares Jack's straight tactical thinking, her hand-to-hand combat style is similar. Everything else is like Frankie, her quick apprehension, her intuition, her empathy."
Still doubtful Alex looked the young man right in the eyes. "If that's so, you'll get along easy with her."
"Sure! And Jack will get used to her."
"I hope so. You can go to Lieutenant Diaz if you want. He asked for you. We stabilize him a little bit more, before he can go home. Matty informed his parents."
„Very well. It's always good, when a story like that has a happy end."
With these words and an indicated salute Mac went to the patients unit.