Author's Note: This is probably my favorite chapter thus far. Hope you enjoy!

The Setback

MacGyver pulled his Jeep into the Challengers parking lot Monday morning. He glanced at the clock on the dash, realizing he had never been this late before, even though school didn't start for thirty more minutes. He almost drove past his usual space since Joanna's Cavalier was absent. Mac was just climbing out of his car when the Chevy appeared next to him and Joanna jumped out, obviously running behind as well. She smiled at him over the roof of her car and together they headed into the building. He noticed a lightness in her step that hadn't been there a week ago.

"Did you get some rest?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, trying to stifle a yawn. "Just not enough," she added ruefully.

"Same here," he agreed as they reached their offices and began to prepare for the day ahead.

Joanna and MacGyver hadn't arrived home from the lake until late Saturday night after agreeing to stay a couple extra days to help Kat and her neighbors clean up from the storm. Though small in size, the twister had packed a punch, skipping along several miles and causing sporadic damage. After making sure that Jo and Kat would be okay cleaning up the resort, MacGyver had struck out on his own to help others, including emergency clean-up crews, clear the streets and haul away debris.

While he was cutting fallen trees, repairing chainsaws, securing power lines, and finding alternative ways to make the general tasks easier, Joanna and Kat focused on cleaning up what they could at the resort while still leaving enough of the mess untouched so the insurance adjuster could make an accurate report. Mac had found a pair of long iron bars and showed them how to magnetize them by striking them against a nearby fire hydrant. The two woman then carefully scoured the yard, picking up nails and other small metal objects that might have been missed initially.

MacGyver found Joanna to be a hard and willing laborer. She did what was needed without question and took each assignment, no matter how menial or dirty, to heart, not stopping until it was completed. She actually enjoyed donning oversized gloves and a hammer to pound nails out of boards that had been ripped free from the houses. She said it was a good way to get rid of her frustrations. Even though the weather had turned unseasonably warm and her sweaty bangs stayed plastered against her forehead and her cotton t-shirts were damp with sweat by noon, she never complained. In fact, Mac had never seen her smile or laugh so much, and he admired her work ethic and resiliency.

As for himself, MacGyver took great satisfaction in once again being able to assist people in challenging situations. At first, his body protested the onslaught of physical activity which used to be part of his daily routine. Long nights on Kat's lumpy couch added to his discomfort, but he didn't mind. Feelings of accomplishment far outweighed the physical pain and exhaustion.

By mid-morning, the students and staff had resumed their pre-break routine. Joanna knocked on Mac's open office door and he invited her in.

"I've been thinking," she began.

"Uh oh," he replied with a quirky smile that he knew disarmed her every time.

She rolled her eyes in the cutest way before continuing. "I've been considering your request to form a hockey team. I think it's a great idea. I've already gotten approval from Evelyn so you can start recruiting right away. If you could get a group together by summer, that'd be great. A lot of these kids' homes don't have air conditioning so what better place to cool off than a hockey rink?"

"That's great!" Mac exclaimed, standing up so fast he almost tipped over his chair. He wanted nothing more than to give her a celebratory hug, but he refrained, wary of pushing the boundaries of their developing friendship.

Joanna laughed at his exuberance. "On that note, Evelyn wants to see us in her office at noon," she stated before leaving, a smile still on her lips.

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The short, red-headed academy administrator leaned back in her desk chair. There was a soft knock on her door promptly at midday and she smiled, welcoming MacGyver and Joanna into her office.

"So, how was your vacation?" she asked, "tornado notwithstanding."

"Interesting." This from Joanna.

"Educational," replied MacGyver.

Evelyn leaned forward folding her hands on her desk. "It was a vacation. Not a field trip. How was it? Really?"

The two glanced knowingly at each other before Mac spoke up.

"It was good. Really," he replied. Joanna simply smiled in agreement. Well, that was interesting!

"I think I know you both well enough to assume that you discussed some work issues," Evelyn stated. "We have less than two months until the summer session. What are your plans for moving forward?"

MacGyver started speaking while Joanna chewed her lower lip.

"I want to continue to line up a metal detector and get communication devices installed throughout the building. Joanna just told me I have the go-ahead to start putting a hockey team together, so I'd like to get on that as well."

"Sounds like you have your plate full," Evelyn observed. "If I may ask, are you planning to stay longer than originally anticipated?"

She saw MacGyver glance furtively at Jo before answering. "I was planning on having another MRI in a few weeks and making a decision based on the results."

"That sounds fair," Evelyn replied.

"And what about you, Joanna?"

"Um, I think I'll let the two of you take it from here," MacGyver said as he started to stand. Joanna quickly turned her head and shot him a look. It wasn't the 'dagger stare' Evelyn expected, but a pleading gaze.

"Or I can stay if you don't mind," he responded, settling back into his chair. Things were getting interesting indeed.

Joanna took a deep breath. "Evelyn, I think you'll agree with me when I say that Challengers Academy has not stayed true to the vision we had for it. If anything, it has declined in all aspects since we first opened."

"I do agree," Evelyn concurred. "I assume you have some suggestions to help get the school back on track?"

Joanna glanced at MacGyver who appeared to be sending her looks of silent encouragement. She raised her chin a bit, her confidence firmly in place.

"I do," Joanna announced, "but they are both a bit radical."

Evelyn remained silent, consciously keeping her expression neutral as she waited for Jo to continue.

"The first thing I want to do is cancel the summer term," Joanna said matter-of-factly.

"And why do you want to do that?"

"Because I want to fire the entire faculty and staff and start from scratch to build a cohesive team, not continue on with the patchwork quilt we have now," Jo replied bluntly.

"That is a very radical proposition," Evelyn agreed. "I assume you realize it will take a great deal of time and energy?"

Joanna nodded.

"Do you feel confident this is the best solution?"

"I do," Joanna replied without hesitation. Clearly she had thought this through.

"Will the current employees have a chance to reapply?" Evelyn asked.

"Of course. But they also need to understand that if we find stronger applicants, we cannot guarantee their re-hire."

Evelyn paused for good measure as she pretended to seriously consider the plan. However, it was all she could do to contain her excitement that Joanna had finally made a firm, albeit drastic, plan to turn the school around. And it appeared she also had a partner in crime.

"Fine," Evelyn agreed. "I'll call a mandatory emergency all-staff meeting for Wednesday after school. No sense putting this off. I'll also inform Phoenix of the plan and keep them in the loop. Now, go grab some lunch. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

"Yes ma'am," Jo and Mac replied in unison before leaving the office.

Evelyn's eyebrows rose as MacGyver put his hand on the small of Joanna's back to guide her through the door. And Joanna let him.

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The next few weeks passed quickly at Challengers Academy. The emergency staff meeting was uncomfortable but necessary. To expedite the hiring process, it was decided that MacGyver would interview non-faculty applicants as well as perform all background checks while Joanna interviewed faculty candidates with Evelyn making all the final hiring decisions.

MacGyver had also posted hockey sign-up sheets around the school and names were slowly added as practice was scheduled to start the following week. Joanna found it curious that most of the interested students were freshman, many she knew to be small for their age, and several with no hockey or even skating skills. She smiled and shook her head. Knowing MacGyver, these were exactly the kids he was looking for. The underdogs. The kids who needed to gain physical strength and mental toughness. They probably would never win a game, but each goal would be a victory.

A week later, Joanna was working her way through an influx of resumes she had received since a nearby private high school had announced it was closing at the end of the semester. Several highly qualified teachers with impressive credentials were seeking a new home, and Jo was excited to start meeting with them face-to-face. But that would have to wait until school was out for the summer. She sighed and glanced at her watch, surprised to see it was already dinnertime. With the mid-May sun staying higher in the sky with each passing day, Joanna easily lost track of the time. MacGyver had been going to the ice rink every day right after school to coach his new team…if you could call it that. Even Evelyn was leaving earlier these days saying she needed to tend to her yard. Joanna had just begun to gather her things before heading home when the cell phone on her desk rang, startling her. She had kept it with her at all times since Mac had given it to her and it hadn't rung once. Checking the name on the small screen, she saw that it was MacGyver and quickly pressed the correct button to answer his call.

"Hey Mac, what's up?"

"Is this Ms. Jo?" a child-like voice asked hesitantly.

"Yes, this is Ms. Jo. Who is this?" Joanna's defenses went on alert.

"This is Raul, from Challengers."

Raul. A small Hispanic boy who had transferred in mid-year and whose name she had seen on the hockey sign-up list.

"Raul? Where are you and why are you calling from Mr. Mac's phone?"

Repressed memories of Jesse James luring Joanna to the science lab surged to the front of her brain.

Before the boy could answer, she heard a man's voice in the background and then the shuffling of the phone being transferred from one hand to another.

"Is this Joanna Fairfax?" a gravelly male voice asked.

"Yes, this is Joanna," she replied cautiously. Her heartrate had quickened and her mouth had gone dry. Where was Mac and who was using his phone?!

"My name is Winston. I'm one of the managers here at the Pettit Center. There's been an accident and your name was listed in the phone as an emergency contact."

"I'm on my way!" Joanna gasped and clicked off the call, not bothering to ask for details. Something had happened to MacGyver. She had to get to him!

Pausing only long enough to lock the school's main door behind her, Joanna drove to the ice rink in record time. She was running through the parking lot just in time to see a side door open and two paramedics wheel out a gurney, heading towards an ambulance parked nearby. Several boys and an older man emerged from the doorway and stood against the building. All wore worried frowns. Joanna knew instinctively that Mac was the prone figure lying on the stretcher, his head and neck immobilized by a large, padded brace.

"Where are you taking him?" she called to the medics.

"West Memorial," the one in the lead said calmly.

Joanna nodded and watched as the gurney was loaded into the back of the ambulance. The doors slammed shut and the vehicle took off, siren blaring.

"What happened?!" Joanna demanded as she rounded on the little group.

"We're sorry, Ms. Jo," a young boy she didn't recognize whimpered, only to be slapped on the arm by a taller, African-American boy she did know.

"Damon?" She pinned him with her most menacing teacher glare.

"It was just an accident." Damon shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"What was 'just and accident'?" Joanna asked, enunciating every syllable. Her professionalism as well as her patience had flown out the window the second she learned Mac had been injured.

It was Raul's turn to speak up. "Mr. Mac was teaching us some skating steps when, when he, when he fell and hit his head." Since when did the boy stutter?

"Was Mr. Mac wearing a helmet?" she asked as calmly as she could.

"Naw man, none of us were," Damon answered her. "The dude was just showing off his skating moves when he wiped out. Must've caught the edge of his blade or something."

Mac didn't strike her as the type of man to be hot-dogging around a hockey rink, but before Joanna could respond, the older man stepped forward and addressed her.

"You must be Ms. Fairfax. I'm Winston, we spoke on the phone." He held out his hand and she shook it automatically.

"Did you see what happened?" Joanna asked.

"No ma'am, I'm sorry. They were just skating around like the kid said. I had to take a call in my office and when I got back the guy was laying on the ice."

"Did he lose consciousness?" Joanna turned back to the boys.

"He might've blacked out for a couple seconds, then he started groaning and holding his head," the boy she didn't know answered.

"Look, I gotta get to the hospital. Do you boys all have a way home?"

As soon as Winston assured her he would look after the boys, she hurried back to her car, pulling her cell phone from her purse and calling home to let her mom know what was going on and promising to call with any new information.

The automatic doors to the emergency room whooshed open as Joanna hurried through and found the nurses station.

"I'm looking for a patient. His name is MacGyver," she announced, hoping to catch someone's attention.

"Are you a relative?" a tall, gray-haired nurse asked brusquely.

"No. We work together. I'm his emergency contact."

"I'm sorry," the nurse replied firmly, "but we can only give out information to family members."

"But the paramedics brought him in about 20 minutes ago," Joanna continued, raising her arm to check her watch and confirm the time. Her fingers brushed the high work counter, her sapphire ring catching on the edge causing her to hiss as it dug into her skin. She absently rubbed the sore skin when an idea began to form. It was worth a shot.

"You don't understand," she told the nurse, trying to sound believable. "I'm his-"

"Excuse me," a middle-aged doctor wearing a white lab coat approached her. "Did I hear you say you were looking for a Mr. MacGyver?"

"Yes!" she replied hopefully.

"Is your name 'Joanna'?"

"Yes, I'm-"

"Right this way. He's been asking for you." The doctor led her down a long hall, past several partitioned off rooms. "In here," he said, motioning to the last door on the right.

Joanna paused on the threshold, unsure of what she might see. MacGyver lay flat on his back in a hospital bed still wearing his clothes from school. The bulky brace the paramedics used had been replaced with a more moderate plastic collar. Mac's sandy colored hair splayed across his pillow.

"We've immobilized his head and neck until we can run some scans and determine the extent of his injury," the doctor explained.

Joanna nodded her understanding before gingerly making her way to MacGyver's side, leaning over the bed slightly so he could see her without having to move his head.

"You came," he whispered hoarsely, slowly raising his hand from the bed, searching for hers.

"Of course," she whispered back, her hand finding his.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he interrupted politely, "but it's time for Mr. MacGyver to go up to radiology."

It was then that Joanna noticed two hospital orderlies entering the room.

"Joanna," the doctor continued, "you can go to the waiting area and someone will get you as soon as we bring him down."

"You don't have to…" Mac whispered.

"No. But I will," she replied, gently prying her hand from his as he was rolled away.

The doctor escorted Joanna to the emergency waiting room. "We found his Phoenix Foundation ID in his wallet and contacted them immediately. They are faxing over his medical records as we speak so we should have them by the time the test results come back."

Jo simply nodded and sat down, watching the doctor disappear down the long corridor to tend to another patient.

An hour later a nurse came to inform Joanna that Mac was back in his room and escorted her down the hall. Once again Joanna stopped in the doorway. Mac was now wearing a hospital gown, but the neck brace was gone and the top of his bed had been raised to a forty-five degree angle. Moving closer she saw that his eyes were bright and the earlier grogginess seemed to have faded.

"Hey," she greeted him, pulling a molded plastic chair next to the bed and sitting down.

"Hi," he replied, his voice less scratchy. "They should have the test results pretty soon. When they found out I work for Phoenix I became a top priority," he grinned wryly.

"What happened at the ice rink?" Joanna asked. "How did you fall?"

MacGyver closed his eyes and ran his large hand down his face. "I can't remember," he confessed. "I remember showing the kids a few basic skating moves but that's all." There was frustration in his voice, but Jo didn't want him to get upset so she quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, thanks for asking for me." Seeing MacGyver's puzzled expression she explained further. "When I first got here they wouldn't let me see you because I'm not a relative. I was about to…lie, when the doctor saw me and said you'd been asking for me."

"Yeah, they're pretty strict about that stuff," he concurred. Then he grinned mischievously. "I told the doc you were my fiancé. I was counting on you wearing that in case we needed proof." He pointed to her birthstone ring.

Joanna let out a small laugh and then blushed. "I was going to tell the nurse the same thing. I guess great minds think alike!"

Just then there was a knock on the door and a different doctor entered. He said he was from neurology and began discussing the results of MacGyver's brain scans. The old bruise was still present and he confirmed that Mac had sustained another concussion when his head hit the ice earlier.

"Can you recall the accident?" The doctor asked.

"I remember skating, but that's it. The next thing I knew I was on a gurney."

"That doesn't surprise me," the doctor said flatly. "From your medical records it appears you collect brain injuries like some people collect stamps. I suspect you are suffering from remote temporal retrograde amnesia."

"What exactly does that mean?" Joanna asked.

"It's the reason I don't remember the accident, at least not yet. It may come back to me in time," Mac supplied with a sigh.

Jo looked to the neurologist for confirmation. "He's correct," the doctor replied to her unspoken question. "Right now the best thing he can do is get a lot of rest." To MacGyver he said, "We'd like to keep you overnight for observation just as a precaution."

Mac started shaking his head before the doctor finished the sentence and then winced in pain.

"C'mon doc," MacGyver began to protest, "You just said I've had concussions before. I know the drill, and I'm going home."

"Is there someone who can stay with you tonight?" the doctor asked.

MacGyver smiled slyly, reached out and took Jo's hand, threading his fingers through hers. "My fiancé here won't leave my side, I promise. Right sweetheart?"

That rat!

"I'll be on you like a flea on a dog, dear," she promised.

"Alright then. You go ahead and get dressed, Mr. MacGyver, and I'll give your fiancé instructions for follow-up care." The doctor and Joanna stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. Mac grinned broadly. He had managed yet another escape.

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"I need to stop home and grab a few things if I'm going to spend the night at your place. It'll only take a couple minutes," Joanna informed MacGyver as she drove out of the hospital parking structure.

"You didn't think I was serious about that?!" Mac asked incredulously. "I only said that so they'd spring me!"

Joanna's heart dropped to her toes. How stupid she was to think that MacGyver might actually need her, want her, to help him.

"But the doctor said someone should check on you hourly to make sure you don't lose consciousness again. Do you have a friend or neighbor—"

"Look, I've been through this before. If it'll make you feel better I'll set my alarm every hour to wake me."

"And I suppose your alarm will call 911 if you slip into a coma and don't shut it off!" Joanna shot back.

"I just don't want you to feel obligated," he said softly.

"I thought we were friends, Mac. That makes me automatically obligated. Now please, swallow your pride for one night and let me help you."

"Alright," MacGyver gave in. "You can play Florence Nightingale for tonight, but that's it."

"It's a deal," Joanna grinned.

The stop at Jo's house lasted only long enough for her to change into jeans and a sweater, throw some other necessities into a small duffle bag, and place a call to Evelyn to let her know what was happening. Soon she and Mac were slowly walking through the lobby of his apartment building. He dug in his pants pocket and pulled out a key.

"While we're here, mind if I get my mail?" he asked, not waiting for a reply as he walked gingerly towards the wall, opened his box and pulled out its contents. When they entered his apartment, he flipped through the envelopes before handing them to Joanna.

"Things are still a little fuzzy," he explained, lowering himself to the couch.

Joanna shuffled through the mail to make sure there was nothing important when she saw a familiar postmark.

"Looks like you got a letter from Sam," she told Mac who had closed his eyes and was resting his head on the back of the sofa.

"Would you read it to me?" he asked sheepishly.

"Of course," she replied, stunned that he trusted her with such a personal letter. She tore open the envelope and began to read:

Dear Dad,

Thanks for the long letter. I'm not much for words. I use pictures to tell my stories. Hopefully you can see them someday soon. I was supposed to get a couple weeks of leave, but stuff happened. Actually, a lot of stuff happened, but it's hard to explain. I know you understand.

The Challengers Academy sounds really cool and Joanna sounds like a great lady. You need someone like her in your life. Do you think she's step-mom material?

Joanna paused and glanced at MacGyver. His eyes were still closed but a blush was creeping up his neck. She quickly continued reading:

I'm glad you finally had your headaches looked into and that it's nothing serious. By the time you get this letter you'll probably be back in the field, just like me!

Gotta run, another story calls!

Love,

Sam

MacGyver lifted his head as Joanna handed him the letter and sat down next to him.

"I hope you don't mind that I told him about you?"

"No, not at all," Joanna replied quickly. "Maybe I'll get to meet him someday," she added.

"Yeah, sure," Mac agreed listlessly as a heavy silence permeated the room. Neither one wanted to broach the subject of the last paragraph.

After several long minutes, MacGyver sighed gustily. "Well, I might as well face it, after tonight I'm done as a field agent. Guess I'll be hanging around longer than I thought," he told Jo.

"Look at it this way," she tried to encourage him. "Phoenix's loss is my, um, Challengers gain."

"Yeah," he forced a small smile.

"Maybe after another few months you can have another MRI and—"

"Didn't you hear what the doctor said?" he snapped. "I still have the bruise from last time. I wouldn't have passed concussion protocol even if I hadn't fallen on the ice!"

Joanna looked down at the floor, unsure of how to respond.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Mac said, gentling his tone. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"That's okay. I understand," she told him softly. "Maybe you were right all along. Maybe I should just leave you alone tonight."

"No!" he exclaimed quickly. "I mean, after all your fussing you might as well stay. At least until I can rig the alarm clock to call 911. I'm gonna go change and then you can tuck me into bed. How does that sound?"

"It sounds corny as heck," she replied bluntly.

Mac smiled. "Sorry that you have to bunk on the couch. There's a pillow and blanket in the front closet."

"Thanks. And don't worry, I'll be fine out here."

As MacGyver headed to the bathroom, Joanna went to the kitchen to raid his 'fridge. She hadn't eaten since lunch. As she passed the breakfast bar she saw the message light blinking on his answering machine.

"Mac," she called, "you have a phone message."

"Be right there," he answered.

She had just grabbed a yogurt when Mac appeared before her wearing pajama bottoms and a long sleeved t-shirt.

"Bathroom's all yours if you want to change," he offered.

"Oh, no thanks. I'm good."

"You're gonna sleep in your clothes?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I want to be ready just in case…well, belt and suspenders, ya know?"

"I know," he replied solemnly before hitting the playback button on the machine.

"MacGyver! What in the world is going on?! Phoenix just notified me a Milwaukee area hospital put in an emergency request for your medical records! Call me…if you can. If not, have someone else call me." The message ended abruptly.

"Aww Peeete!" Mac ran his hand down his face. He was tired, sore and frustrated. He did not want to have to make this call but knew he needed to.

"Go ahead and call him," Joanna instructed. "I'll just get settled."

Jo rummaged through the bag she had brought, pulled out a thick novel, and curled up on the couch. She tried to concentrate on the words, but couldn't help overhearing MacGyver's side of his conversation with Pete.

"I'm fine!" Mac insisted. Jo could hear the older man's voice on the other end of the line but couldn't make out his words.

"I don't remember," MacGyver admitted sheepishly.

"No, I'm not alone." Then, "she's a friend, Pete."

"I will. Goodnight." And with that he hung up the phone.

"Everything okay?" Joanna asked.

"Yeah," Mac mumbled.

"He's only upset because he cares," she offered.

"I know," MacGyver replied repentantly as he flopped down on the sofa next to Jo.

"You must be hungry," she ventured. "I could fix you a snack or something."

Mac shook his head and winced. "Do you want some aspirin?"

"No," he sighed. "I just want to crawl in bed and forget this day ever happened. No pun intended."

"Holler if you need anything. Otherwise I'll see you in an hour," Jo informed him as he rose from the couch.

"Hey, thanks for everything, Jo. I mean it." He bent down and placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head before turning towards his bedroom

"No problem," she declared as she set her travel alarm and settled in for a long night, her head tingling where his lips had touched.

Joanna's eyelids were growing heavy and the words of her novel were beginning to blur when her alarm chirped for the first time. She shut if off then hesitated, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. She had been in Mac's place several times, but never in his bedroom. Of course, she was just being silly. They were only friends and, on top of that, he was injured and needed her help. She rubbed her tired eyes, chiding herself. Eyes. She needed to check his pupils like the doctor had told her. She rummaged in her bag once again, pulled out a small pen light, and headed to his room. Mac had left his door slightly ajar and a dim lamp burned on the dresser. She knocked softly on the door before walking in. MacGyver lay on his back in the middle of his double bed.

"Mac," she whispered, reaching out to shake his shoulder. No response. "Mac," she said a little louder. "Are you awake?"

"I am now," he grumbled as Joanna let out a sigh of relief.

"The doctor said I need to check your pupils to make sure their equal and reactive. Could you scooch over? I can't reach from here."

"No," Mac muttered.

"Look," Joanna said, no longer shy but determined. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Are you gonna let me look in your eyes?"

He just shook his head even though it must cause him pain.

"Well, then I guess we do this the hard way," she proclaimed as she climbed onto the bed, crawled over to him, and sat with her legs straddling his stomach. The shocked look on his face made her want to laugh out loud, but she controlled herself.

"I gave you a choice," she shrugged. Clicking on the small flashlight she leaned over to look directly into his eyes.

He rolled his head to the side. "Not tonight, dear. I've got a headache."

"In your dreams," she scoffed.

MacGyver laughed and finally allowed her to examine his eyes. When she was satisfied that both pupils were of equal size and shrunk when the light hit them she crawled off the bed and straightened the sheets she had wrinkled.

"See you soon," she said, but doubted he heard her. Mac was already snoring when she reached the door.

And so the routine began. Every hour, on the hour, Joanna's alarm chirped and she padded down the hall, called Mac's name, received a grunt in reply, and went back to reset the clock and catch another fifty-five minutes of sleep. In the early, pre-dawn hours she felt the need to check his eyes again. Just to be sure.

"Mac," she whispered loudly standing by the bed. "Let me check your eyes again."

"OK," he agreed, all resistance gone. She figured he was just too tired to argue.

"Could you scooch over this time?" she asked nicely, hoping he would see fit to comply.

"No. I liked it the hard way." He then gave her a long, slow smile which would have curled a lesser woman's toes.

"I should've just left you to die," she muttered under her breath as she once again crawled across his bed.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied innocently. She readied her flashlight and started to lean forward when she felt his hands settle softly on her jean-clad thighs. Her stomach did a little dance, but she wasn't about to let on how his touch affected her as she continued with her examination.

"Am I gonna make it, doc?" Mac grinned up at her.

"I think you'll pull through," she proclaimed, leaning back but making no move to leave. His hands stayed warm on her legs.

"You're planning on going to work tomorrow, aren't you?" he asked.

"Technically it's today and yes, I planned on going in."

"Then would you please forget about me and get some rest." It wasn't a question but a command.

"It's only a few more hours," Joanna protested.

"Exactly."

"We'll see," she murmured as she crawled off the bed.

When Joanna next awoke, sunlight was streaming through the front window. She bolted upright and looked at the clock. She had slept three hours straight! How had she slept through the alarm? She checked the clock again, this time noticing that the alarm button was set to the 'off' position. Had she forgotten to set it when she returned from checking Mac's eyes? What kind of care-taker was she?! Throwing off the blanket, she rushed to his bedroom only to find him sitting on his bed, already dressed and putting his shoes on.

"Something wrong?" he asked innocently.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I must have accidentally shut my alarm off when it rang and I didn't—"

"It wasn't an accident," he cut her off. "I couldn't get back to sleep so I turned it off. One of us needed to get some rest."

"I agree. And it should have been you!"

"How was I supposed to sleep when you kept pouncing on my bed all night?" he teased.

"I didn't pounce— "she stopped short, refusing to take the bait. "How do you feel?"

MacGyver raised an eyebrow to let her know he hadn't miss the sudden change of topic.

"I have a headache, but I've had worse," he shrugged, standing up and heading to the kitchen.

"Any dizziness, nausea?" she asked, following behind him. "Do you want an ice pack, some aspirin?"

MacGyver stopped and turned so abruptly Joanna almost smacked into his chest. "I'm fine," he insisted. "I told you, I've been through this before. No big deal. Besides," he continued when he saw her frown, "I had a great nurse looking after me."

"Thanks for saying that."

"I'm only telling the truth," he replied. "Not many people would've hung around like that."

"Well, maybe I'm 'not many people'," she smiled shyly, realizing they had had a similar conversation in reverse not that long ago.

"I'm glad," he smiled back.

"I should really go home and change before work," she said, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Yeah, you probably should."

"I'll tell Evelyn you'll be out the rest of the week."

"Tell her I'll be in tomorrow," he retorted.

"I'll call you later," she said as if she hadn't heard him, then hesitated. "Have you remembered anything more about your fall?"

"Nope," he sighed, clearly frustrated that the memory eluded him.

"Hang in there, it'll come," she said as she gathered her things and walked out the door. In the meantime, she was going to try and find some answers herself.