That's a Wrap

It was only ten o'clock in the morning and MacGyver was already bored. After Joanna left, he had fixed himself a light breakfast and turned on a morning news show that failed to hold his attention. He pulled his guitar out from its resting place in a corner of the living room and began to pluck at the strings, but he couldn't concentrate. Deciding that maybe he needed to rest after all, he sprawled out on the couch. The blanket and pillow Joanna had used the night before were still there and he could smell her coconut shampoo and another scent that was uniquely hers. He sat up and put his head in his hands. He had flirted shamelessly with her at times the night before. What had he been thinking? He wished he could blame the pain medication, but he hadn't taken any. What's more, she hadn't rebuffed him, though she hadn't reciprocated, either. She had stood her ground, and he found that oddly stimulating. The telephone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Good morning," a cheerful female voice greeted him. "May I please speak with Mr. MacGyver?"

"Speaking."

"This is Jenny calling from West Memorial to follow-up on your visit to the emergency room yesterday. How are you feeling today?"

"Fine."

"Do you have any concerns or questions you would like a doctor to address?"

Well, he did have questions, but he highly doubted a medical doctor could help him find the answers. "No," he replied flatly.

"All right, sir. If you begin noticing new or worsening symptoms, please contact your physician or have someone bring you to the ER."

"Will do."

"Thank you for your time. Have a great day!"

"You too, Jenny." He hung up the phone.

He had barely taken two steps when the phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mac, it's Joanna."

"Hey, what's up?"

"Not much. How are you feeling?"

"Bored."

She chuckled. "Sorry about that. How's your head?"

"Okay."

"Need anything?"

"I'm good."

"Okay," she almost sounded disappointed. "I'll check back later."

Mac wanted to tell her not to bother, but a part of him liked the fact that someone was worried about him. He clicked off the call and poured himself a glass of milk. The gnawing question returned: What had caused his accident? He hadn't fallen on the ice since he was a kid. Well, not without being pushed anyway. And the rink had been perfectly maintained, no chips or cracks on the icy surface. He went to the closet and retrieved his skates, inspecting them carefully. The blades were smooth, sharp and balanced. He decided to return to the Pettit Center. Maybe going back to the scene would jog his memory.

MacGyver laced up his skates and stepped onto the ice. He skated around the perimeter of the rink slowly at first, testing his balance. With each circuit he increased his speed and his adrenaline began to flow. The headache he had nursed since last night all but vanished as he pushed himself across the smooth surface, clearing his mind as he flew over the ice. Unfortunately, no memories returned. After several laps, Mac decided to alter his approach. He closed his eyes and imagined his eager young athletes waiting for his instructions. Alone on the ice, he mimicked the drills he had put them through. The sound of raised voices caught his attention. A man and a boy were arguing in the adjacent rink. As MacGyver watched the quarrel, the fog in his brain began to lift. He closed his eyes again. Disconnected images appeared. A small boy. A larger boy. Yelling. Arms flailing. Weightlessness. Blackness.

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The morning dragged on for Joanna. Evelyn had scolded her for coming into work after the events of the previous night but really, what else could she do. After calling MacGyver, it was clear he no longer needed or wanted her help. His short, clipped answers had concerned her, but she was too tired to waste her energy trying to figure out that man. At least for now. Heat rose in her cheeks as she recalled climbing onto his bed not once, but twice. Good grief, she had acted like she was the one with the head injury! With her daily work well in hand, her next priority was to do a little detective work and see if she could unravel the cause of Mac's fall. He was too experienced a skater to take such a hard fall for no apparent reason. She had to speak with the boys who had been with him. They were the only witnesses.

Joanna patrolled the corridor as the students moved from one class to the next. She soon spied Damon on his way to the science lab.

"Damon!" She called as she approached him. His eyes shuttered when he saw her.

"Damon, could I talk to you for a sec?"

"I don't wanna be late to class."

"Don't worry, I'll give you a pass. I need to ask you some questions."

"If it's about Mr. Mac, I don't know nothin'! I told you that!" he spat.

"I know you did. I was just hoping you might have remembered something else since last night," she explained calmly.

"Well I haven't. Can I go to class now?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Joanna acquiesced with a sigh. It was clear Damon wasn't going to shed any new light on the topic. Based on his account from yesterday and his reaction just now, Jo had the uneasy feeling the boy was hiding something. But she needed proof.

A short while later Jo was assisting in the learning center when Raul raised his hand.

"What do you need, Raul?" she asked, her tone light and friendly.

"I don't get this math problem," he responded with a slight accent.

Joanna sat down next to him at the table. "That is a tough one," she observed. "How about if you do it like this?" She went on to show the solution step-by-step.

"Hey, that wasn't that hard!" the boy exclaimed causing Joanna to laugh.

"Raul, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Ms. Jo."

"It's about Mr. Mac."

Raul's eyes grew wide and Joanna knew she had to proceed cautiously.

"He's okay, isn't he?" Raul asked anxiously.

"Yes, he'll be just fine. He's at home resting today." Raul appeared to let out a breath he had been holding.

"Yesterday you told me that he fell on the ice."

Raul nodded.

"Can you tell me why he fell?"

"How do you mean?" the boy looked furtively around the quiet room.

"Hey, how about we go to my office and chat. We can get something from the rec room vending machines on the way."

"Okay!" Raul smiled. Bribery, especially with food, always worked.

After picking out a soda and a chocolate bar, Raul settled himself in a chair in Joanna's office. She left the door slightly ajar before easing into her own chair.

The boy was now happily munching away, his inhibitions lessened. "Raul, Mr. Mac is a very good hockey player," Jo began.

Raul nodded and swallowed. "I know. He told us he almost made it to the pros, but he got hurt."

"That's right," Joanna concurred, but she felt she was making little progress getting him to answer her question.

"Was Mr. Mac showing off how good a skater he was yesterday?" She tried again.

This time the boy shook his head emphatically. "No! He was skating real slow, showing us how we are supposed to skate so we can play hockey as good as him!"

So, Damon had lied and Mac hadn't been hot-dogging, just as she had suspected.

"Was there anything on the ice Mr. Mac could have tripped on?"

"No ma'am." Raul took his time finishing his candy bar and soda and Joanna sensed his hesitation to continue.

"Raul, I need you to tell me what made Mr. Mac fall, and don't pretend you don't understand what I'm asking you."

The boy sat silently staring at the floor for what seemed like an eternity. Joanna's frustration mounted, but she kept quiet. Eventually Raul met her gaze. Fear shown in his eyes, but so did the desire to tell the truth.

"Didn't Mr. Mac tell you?" The boy looked genuinely confused.

"No, he forgot how he fell when he hit his head."

"Oh." Raul seemed to consider her response before continuing.

"Mr. Mac was teaching us to skate like him. Damon started teasing us and then he pushed Jimmy and made him fall. Jimmy got up and tried to hit Damon. Mr. Mac got between them. He started shouting at Damon to leave Jimmy alone and then Damon shoved Mr. Mac real hard. That's when he fell and hit his head."

"And you were afraid to say anything because you didn't want to get Damon in trouble."

Raul nodded soberly.

"Thank you for telling me this, Raul. I'm glad you told me, and Mr. Mac will be too."

That prompted a small smile on his otherwise serious face.

The lunch bell rang and Joanna encouraged Raul to join his friends in the cafeteria. She, on the other hand, needed to talk to Mac. She picked up her desk phone and dialed. There was no answer. Unbidden thoughts of catastrophic events bombarded her. She asked Evelyn for an extended lunch break and headed straight to MacGyver's apartment.

Joanna parked at the curb as usual, but Mac's Jeep was nowhere to be found. He had been out of the hospital for less than twenty-four hours and he was already driving around?! This man was going to be the death of her. No, scratch that. Caring about this man was going to be the death of her! She grabbed her purse and searched for her cell phone before realizing she had left it on her desk. Drat! Where would Mac go? When he wasn't at home he was at school or…the ice rink!

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"Mac!" Joanna? MacGyver opened his eyes and turned toward the sound of her voice before skating quickly to where she stood on the other side of the boards, a smile emerging from his lips.

"I'm remembering, Jo! It's just bits and pieces right now, but it's all starting to come back!"

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "What do you remember?"

"There was some kind of fight. Someone was yelling. I think it was me. I see arms reaching out and then I'm weightless and falling. Then everything goes dark." He frowned, disappointed that he couldn't remember more.

Joanna was smiling and nodding her head encouragingly. "You figured out what happened, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded again.

"Tell me."

"I can't," she said weakly. "Or at least I shouldn't. The doctor said it was best if you remembered on your own."

"Did he say you couldn't give me hints?" He summoned up his most enticing grin.

"Well, not technically," she replied, her brow furrowed.

"Then will you 'not technically' help me remember?"

Joanna hesitated.

"C'mon Jo. I need to know what happened!"

"Alright," she agreed after a moment's consideration. "But we're gonna do it my way."

Had MacGyver expected anything less? He doubted it. "Fine. Let's just get on with it," he grumbled.

"Close your eyes," she instructed.

Mac had already tried this, but he complied.

"You were here with a small group of students. Can you see them?"

"I can't make out their faces. Who were they?"

Joanna continued without answering. "Is one of the boys bigger than the others?"

"Yeah."

"What is he doing?"

"I can't tell. Wait. He's picking on the other kids."

"Anyone in particular?"

Mac started to shake his head but then paused. "Yeah, Jimmy, the little blonde kid."

"What is the bigger boy saying," Jo continued to prompt.

"His name is Damon," MacGyver declared with certainty. Then his eyes popped open, memories clicking like gears in a fine Swiss watch. "His razzing caught my attention and I saw him push Jimmy to the ice. Before I could get to him, Jimmy was on his feet going after Damon. I got between them and yelled at them to knock it off. That's when Damon pushed me hard in the chest and I fell backward. I blacked out."

Joanna was smiling and nodding her head furiously. Apparently his memories corresponded with what she had learned.

"That's exactly what Raul told me!" Joanna concurred. "Now that you remember, you need to tell Evelyn what happened."

An hour later, MacGyver was sitting in Evelyn's office, giving her a clear, step-by-step account of his 'accident'. "So," he concluded, "what's going to happen with Damon?"

Evelyn sighed deeply. "Damon struck a fellow student and injured a staff member. At any other school that would be grounds for expulsion."

MacGyver winced.

"However," the administrator continued, "this isn't your average school and Damon isn't your average student."

"How do you mean?"

"Damon has been in the foster care system since he was a young child. Over the past several years he's lived with five different families. None of them wanted to keep him. His school record is pretty much the same. He's been expelled and suspended for more days than he's attended. He has severe anger management issues and receives counseling, but apparently it's not helping. Normally I would suggest a suspension from school and no more hockey, but I fear that would just perpetuate the cycle. Challengers is supposed to be about breaking that cycle."

For the first time since Mac had met Evelyn she appeared tired and defeated. Her fire and passion gone.

"Before you make a decision, can I talk with him?" MacGyver asked.

"Be my guest. But don't disappointed when he doesn't listen."

MacGyver was standing outside the English classroom waiting for Damon's last class of the day to end when the dismissal bell rang and students poured into the corridors. It didn't take long for Mac to spy the boy.

"Damon, can we talk?"

"I got places to be," Damon scowled and turned his back.

MacGyver was by his side in an instant. "We can walk and talk 'til you get there."

The boy rounded on Mac. "I don't got nothin' to say!"

"Well maybe I do!" MacGyver said quickly, struggling to keep control before Damon walked away. "How about we raid the vending machines in the rec room?"

Damon shrugged. "It's your dime,"

MacGyver smiled to himself. He never knew a kid, including himself, who could pass up free food.

Ten dollars and a pile of junk food later, Mac sensed Damon was willing to talk. Or at least listen.

"Look Damon," he began, "I know what happened at the ice rink the other day. I remembered everything."

The boy looked wary but didn't bolt, so Mac continued.

"You could be suspended from Challengers and barred from playing hockey."

"No problem there, man. Summer vacation'll come early for me," the teen said with false bravado.

"Oh yeah? What about not being allowed back on the ice?" MacGyver challenged.

The boy shrugged, head down.

"From what I've seen, you're a pretty good skater. Probably better than all the other kids put together. Am I wrong?"

"So I skate!" he shot back. "Don't see too many Black guys from the 'hood in the NHL, do ya?!"

"You're right," Mac conceded. "But that can change. It can start with you!"

"Easy for you to say! You're white!" Damon hissed.

"No, it's not easy for me!" MacGyver banged his hand on the table. "When I was your age I wanted nothing more than to play in the NHL. But stuff happened. I didn't make it. But at least I tried! Are you going to give up without trying?"

Thirty minutes later, MacGyver walked Damon to the front door and shook his hand.

"See ya tomorrow?"

"You bet, Mr. Mac."

MacGyver smiled and turned to find Evelyn watching him in disbelief.

"What just happened here?" she asked.

"Damon and I came to an understanding, that is if you're willing to not suspend him and allow him to play hockey."

"That boy could be big trouble, Mac," she warned him. "Are you sure about this?"

"He gave me his word. That's good enough for me."

Evelyn didn't look convinced, but she nodded and headed back to her office, leaving MacGyver to hope he just hadn't made a really big mistake letting Damon off the hook.

The following morning, MacGyver was once again sitting across from Evelyn at her desk.

"Mac, I called you in today because there a couple things we need to clarify."

He was sure he already knew what they were, but he kept quiet and allowed his superior to continue.

"First of all," Evelyn began, "I need to know how long you are planning on staying at Challengers. As you know, next week Friday is the last day of school for the summer. Originally your assignment was open-ended, but with the changes Joanna has proposed, I'm afraid I need a more definite timeline."

"I can stay as long as you need me to."

"That's not a definite answer," Evelyn quirked her brow.

"I can guarantee I'll stay through the summer," he responded. Given his latest head injury, he wasn't in a hurry to have Phoenix put him on the desk duty he knew was in his future.

"Good," Evelyn responded, apparently satisfied. "Now, for a more pressing issue. Since we will be interviewing for new staff as well as getting communication and safety devices in place, I asked the custodian to turn on the air conditioning. He couldn't get it to work, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to see if there was something you could do?"

"I'd be happy to take a look, but I can't make any promises."

"That's all I ask." Evelyn grabbed a set of keys from her desk drawer and led MacGyver up the stairs and out onto the roof of the building. A decades-old air conditioning unit stood sentinel in the far corner. MacGyver pulled out his Swiss Army knife and removed the panels. He poked and prodded, bent over this and crawled under that. Finally he emerged.

"Well…" Evelyn prompted.

Mac sighed, "I hate to tell you this, but I think it's shot."

"Isn't there something you can do? Pete used to say you could make a bomb out of chewing gum and a paperclip!"

"Pete tends to exaggerate," MacGyver replied dryly. "There's too much damage for a quick fix. Several parts are broken and they probably aren't even made anymore." Mac wiped his brow and sighed. He hated when he had to admit that some things could not be fixed.

"So we need to replace the entire unit," Evelyn stated in a dismal tone.

"Afraid so." Then he had an idea. "You wouldn't happen to have any old window A/C units would you?"

"I don't know. I'll give you the keys to the storage room and you can take a look."

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The last week of the semester arrived and it couldn't go fast enough for Joanna. She was looking forward to cleaning house, both figuratively and literally, and creating the school environment she had been striving for since she was first hired on. She was also excited that MacGyver would be staying on, at least for three more months. Unfortunately, she had a number of reports to complete and submit from this past year before she could move on. To make matters worse, the weather had turned unseasonably warm and the central air was out of commission making students, faculty, and staff even more eager for summer vacation.

Thankfully, MacGyver had found an old window air-conditioner tucked away in the storage area. After tinkering with it for several hours, he declared that it should help fight the heat as long as it wasn't overused. Evelyn decided to have him install it in the teachers' lounge which, over the next few months, would serve as the interview room. Of course, there was a good chance schedules would overlap and toasty offices would have to be utilized as well, but it was better than nothing.

The day before school ended, MacGyver headed down to the Phoenix Foundation offices in Chicago to present his final report on the Milwaukee-based Challengers Academy. Joanna had expressed her concerns to him several times over the past few days, and each time he reassured her that everything was going to be okay. That he was on her side and would get them the money and manpower needed to make the school comparable to its L.A. counterpart. Nevertheless, Jo was unable to concentrate on her work and spent a good amount of time pacing in her office. When that space became too restrictive, she moved to the main corridor on the pretense of monitoring hallways and classrooms. The truth was, she wouldn't be able to relax until MacGyver returned and gave her a detailed report of the meeting and, more importantly, the final outcome.

It was late in the afternoon, long after the final dismissal bell, when MacGyver pulled his Jeep into the school parking lot. Joanna and Evelyn had been waiting by the front entrance since he had called to tell them he was back in town. They both frowned when he walked in. His suit was wrinkled, dress shirt disheveled, tie askew.

"Long day?" Evelyn ventured.

Mac rubbed the back of his neck and headed to his office.

The two women exchanged concerned glances and followed quickly behind him. They found him staring out his office window, suit jacket already hanging on the back of his chair. Joanna knew his mannerisms too well. The silence, the staring. Things had not gone well.

"What did the board say?" Joanna asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"I told them about the plans to shut down for the summer, revamp the faculty and add extra security measures," he said, all while continuing to look out over the parking lot.

"And…?" Jo's stomach was burning up.

MacGyver finally turned around, a huge smile plastered on his face. "And…they praised your initiative, volunteered any assistance we may need, and basically handed us a blank check to cover any and all expenses."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Evelyn cried and quickly reached up and wrapped MacGyver in a celebratory embrace.

Joanna was more reserved. "Are you kidding?" she asked.

MacGyver disengaged from Evelyn and walked to where Joanna stood. He put his hands on her shoulders and ducked his head to look into her eyes.

"I have never been more serious," he said in a low, smooth voice. "Phoenix promised to fund whatever the anonymous donation doesn't cover."

Caught in his gaze and trying to process the welcome news, Joanna didn't immediately react causing Mac to back away, his smile fading. Evelyn silently slipped from the room, giving MacGyver a motherly pat on the arm as she past.

"I've never met anyone who's taken good news so poorly," Mac remarked to Joanna.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, just explain."

Joanna sighed, "I guess these past few months are just catching up with me. Jesse, the tornado, your accident, not knowing if I was going to have a job next week..." She looked up and gave MacGyver a shy smile.

"…not knowing if you were going to have me around next week," Mac concluded for her.

"That too," she agreed, her smile deepening.