It had taken a while until MacGyver´s heavy breathing had slowed down and even longer until he´d finally fallen asleep. It had felt kind of endless to Thornton until the young man had stopped trembling and his skin hadn´t felt cold and clammy anymore. Although he´d already grown tired and worn out by then, Thornton had stayed enveloped in the sleeping bags with him for another hour before he´d loosened his hold around MacGyver. He had made sure the younger one was sleeping soundly and had been very careful not to disturb him when he´d eased himself away from Mac, laid him down, and wrapped him into the sleeping bags once more.
MacGyver had stirred only a little bit but calmed down quickly while Thornton silently observed him. Pete let out a relieved sigh and gingerly got to his feet. He stretched some kinks out of his back and then bent down to pick up his revolver and their water bottles. A glance at his watch told him it was already early evening and he knew he´d better go to refill them before it got too dark outside.
Thornton shot MacGyver a probing look and then quietly walked off toward the cave entrance, hoping the young man would remain asleep until his return. He had spotted a small creek during their hike from the river and planned on going there so he wouldn´t be away for too long. He concentrated on the rocks while climbing downward, but as soon as he strode off along the slope his thoughts also wandered off.
Thornton was truly relieved that MacGyver was finally resting… and hopefully also recovering. Pete had been surprised several times today by how the young man had kept going – despite getting beaten badly, despite getting injured, despite almost drowning and suffering from serious hypothermia. The beating he´d witnessed would have weakened most of the well-trained and seasoned agents Pete knew beyond the point of not being able to carry on anymore, especially after 24 hours without food or water – but MacGyver had not only carried on, but stayed vigilant, had quickly conjured up a 'diversion', as he´d called it, to save Thornton´s life and the camera, and been willing to put his life on the line while doing so. Against all odds, the rookie had survived the rapids and still found the energy to deal with pain and cold.
Pete had to admit he was thoroughly impressed by how MacGyver´s physical and mental stamina had allowed him to come through all he´d endured. And he also had to admit to himself that his attempts at keeping some professional distance from the young man were failing poorly. He remembered the evening when he´d sought out MacGyver after Dr. Gorman´s 'torture' lecture. Thornton had grown to like the man already by then, whereas MacGyver had refused to fully open up to him during some parts of their conversation.
Probably also trying to keep some respectful distance from me, from his new boss, back then, Pete mused. And now, he´s already gone through some real-life torture scenarios… food and water deprivation… physical pain… on his first solo assignment. He was still striving to keep his distance a while ago when he was so insecure about me sharing some body warmth. But in the end, he chose to trust me…
Thornton sighed deeply when he reached the creek a couple of minutes later. He knelt down and refilled the canteens, noticing some bloodstains on one of them. The one, MacGyver had used to wash the blood off his leg… Pete took a moment to wipe the outside of the bottle clean in the creek´s cold water and then stood up.
He´d hated causing the young one that much pain while taking care of his wounds although he knew there had been no way to avoid it. He´d hated watching how Mac had struggled with the agony and refused to cry out. Pete had been shocked when he´d returned to MacGyver only minutes after he´d left him to rest, only to find him on his feet so soon after nearly losing consciousness. Thinking back, Thornton now regretted snapping at him angrily in his surprise.
Thornton drew in a deep breath, straightened himself, and turned to hike back to the cave. He climbed up and reached their camp in the back of it, where he set down the canteens carefully, mindful of making any unnecessary noise. Satisfied to find MacGyver still sleeping soundly, Pete sat down on the somewhat even spot he´d placed his roll mat on. He leaned against the cave wall, so he could keep an eye on the young man while getting some rest himself. It was hard to tell in the little brightness the camping light provided, but MacGyver´s face seemed to have regained some color. He looked quiet, although the strain he´d gone through was clearly visible on his features.
Pete Thornton had been in the intelligence business for quite some time now and he´d made friends before during his work. But he also knew it was a dangerous thing to do. Because he´d also lost some of those friends due to the perilous nature of their work. While he silently watched MacGyver sleeping, Pete realized that without even attempting to do so, the young man was on the verge of overthrowing his struggle to stay emotionally detached.
Internally, Thornton scolded himself for it and shrugged off the thought. He´d get MacGyver to the helicopter alive, make sure he got into medical care as soon as possible, and then he´d concentrate on the films. The pictures, MacGyver had taken should provide some valuable information, judging by what Mac had related so far. With some luck, the DXS would finally be able to shut down the arms dealer network.
Pete shot the young man a last probing look before he allowed his eyes to fall closed and dozed off.
Silence.
Then a low sound that he couldn´t place at first.
But next, as MacGyver slowly woke up, a serious throbbing in his wounded leg made itself known. He hardly suppressed a quiet moan and blinked his eyes open. At the sight of the cave roof above him, all the events of the last day flooded his mind. MacGyver drew in a deep breath to cope with the memories, mentally pushed back the pain, and then let his head drop sideways, toward the sound he´d heard only moments ago.
His eyes found Pete Thornton leaning against the cave wall, eyes closed, head lolled to one side, fast asleep, snoring softly. A brief smile flashed across MacGyver´s face. After how long his boss had to have been on the move today, he could very well imagine him being exhausted.
Then Mac took a few moments to internally assess his own condition. His leg hurt, although he couldn´t really tell if the reason was his sprained knee or the injuries above and below it. Probably both, he mused. With every breath, the bruises Moreno and his men had caused were aching and his head was pounding. He sensed some lightheadedness, but at least the icy cold was gone. He´d stopped shivering. The realization that he wasn´t freezing anymore made MacGyver sigh with relief. All in all, he felt a little better than before, and he guessed he had to thank his boss for it.
He´d been caught totally off guard and unprepared emotionally when the older man had gathered him up close earlier to warm him up. At first, Mac had felt truly uncomfortable with it. When he thought back now, he understood that Thornton had prioritized improving his condition over pushing him into an awkward situation… and he´d also found the right words to help him relax. But he still wasn´t sure what to make of Thornton´s following words.
Partners? … Earned his respect? … I still feel as if I disappointed him… as if I nearly blew my assignment… as if I´ve failed… He had to come out here to rescue me… I doubt I could have made it out of Moreno´s prison any time soon… I could just as well be dead by now… and all the evidence lost… hadn´t Thornton found me this morning.
The thoughts still rotated in MacGyver´s head when the camping stove and the sealed pot caught his eye. His empty stomach instantly made itself known, effectively cutting off the thoughts about his boss. MacGyver drew in a deep breath, gingerly wiggled one arm free, and managed to pull the zippers partly open. As soon as he had gained more room to move, he pushed himself up a little and turned sideways. He bit back a pained gasp when his leg protested vehemently against the movement.
Only a second later, Mac glanced up at Thornton to make sure he hadn´t disturbed him. When he saw his boss still snoring, he cautiously rose to rest on his elbows. He slid closer to the cooker and pot, taking the sleeping bags with him to keep at least the lower half of his body warm and protected. MacGyver stretched out one arm to reach for the matches lying close to his backpack and lit the stove. He checked the contents of the pot before he adjusted the size of the flame and placed the pot on top of it.
Mac stirred the soup every couple of moments while heating it with a spoon he´d found laying on top of the pot, and every once and again shot Thornton a quick look. When the liquid was hot but not boiling yet, Mac turned off the camping cooker. He gave the warmth a minute to even out while he sat up and settled himself comfortably. He tried to be quiet when he started to eat, but after a couple of moments, the metallic clattering of spoon and pot got through to Thornton´s sleepy mind.
At first, Pete Thornton stirred only slightly, but then he tensed with alarm and his eyes snapped open. His right hand simultaneously flinched up to where his revolver was hidden. MacGyver winced with his sudden and intense reaction but then both men froze, staring at each other silently.
"Whoa!" Mac said cautiously after a moment and defensively raised his hand with the spoon. "It´s just me… eating… I warmed up the remaining soup."
Thornton blinked, realized there was nothing wrong and no danger imminent, and then relaxed. He drew in a deep breath and let his hand sink down from the gun´s handle again.
"I´m sorry," MacGyver apologized before he returned to eating. "I didn´t mean to wake you."
"It´s alright," Thornton waved his apology off while he glanced around the cave. "I didn´t mean to fall asleep that deeply. I meant to keep an eye on you." His focus narrowed on MacGyver again. "I guess, I should be relieved by seeing you up and eating. How are you feeling?"
"A little better," Mac said between two spoonfuls of soup. "Not freezing anymore." He paused and looked up at Thornton. "I appreciate your help." It took some concentration from him not to add the 'Sir', he´d gotten so used to, at the end of the sentence. He gestured at the soup with the spoon. "Shall I leave some for you?"
A brief smile crossed Thornton´s face with the young man thanking him for sharing his body warmth. "No, thanks," Pete answered and stiffly got to his feet. "You need it more than I do. You want something else afterward?"
"Not yet." MacGyver shook his head. "For now, I don´t think my stomach can handle more than this… maybe later."
Pete Thornton nodded and gazed toward the front of the cave. He was concerned about the bad weather he´d noticed closing in earlier.
"I´m gonna check outside," Pete said after a glance at this watch. The evening had gotten late by now. "I saw a lot of clouds gathering earlier." He explained when MacGyver raised his eyebrows questioningly, and then strode off.
The sun had set a while ago, and it was almost completely dark outside when Thornton reached the cave entrance. The sky was now entirely covered with thick clouds and the wind had picked up speed. He saw lightning flashing in the faraway distance and sighed. Pete fervently hoped the storm would have passed until the morning. They were high up on this mountain and MacGyver´s injuries and condition wouldn´t make it any easier to get down the slope and across the valley to the pick-up site. Slippery or wet ground or even rain wouldn´t be helpful either. But apart from that, the woods seemed quiet. With the bad weather coming up, they should be relatively safe from Moreno´s men patrolling the area, at least during the night.
With a short huff, Thornton stepped back from the edge and returned to MacGyver. The young man had finished his meal, laid down again, and was trying to adjust both sleeping bags around himself when Pete arrived.
"We might be in for another storm during the night," Pete said as he crouched down and helped MacGyver wrap himself up.
Mac´s eyes were tired when he looked up at his boss startled by those words, but he pushed himself up instantly.
"Whoa!" Thornton stopped his attempt with one hand on his shoulder. "What are you up to?"
"If we gotta prepare for rain, wind, and cold…" Mac explained, resisting to let himself be pushed back to the ground. "You´ll need a sleeping bag too. I´ll manage with one."
Thornton held MacGyver´s exhausted gaze silently for a few moments and tried to judge the young man´s condition… behind the façade, he carefully kept up for his boss.
"MacGyver, I´ve got my padded coat and the roll mat." Pete then stated. "I´ll be alright."
"But I…" MacGyver tried to argue but was cut off by Thornton´s stern look.
"You need the warmth more than I do," the senior agent insisted. "Now lie down and get some more sleep. Tomorrow will be a hard day. Especially for you."
MacGyver drew in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds as he thought about objecting once more, but then decided against it. He had to admit, the older man was right. He was still considerably weakened. He gave in, relaxed into a lying position, and puffed the air out of his lungs. The throbbing radiating through his leg also reminded him that he had to rest and recover.
Pete closed both zippers and got up again. Mac´s eyes followed his superior to where he sat down on his roll mat and reached for some of their remaining food. The warmth of the soup in MacGyver´s stomach mingled with the coziness of the sleeping bags and made his eyelids grow heavy. He only saw Thornton pull a small hunting knife out of his backpack and cut off a slice of jerky before his eyes fell closed and Mac drifted off into an exhausted sleep.
Silence greeted MacGyver again when his mind slowly surfaced from the velvety darkness for the next time. Little by little, his foggy mind remembered what had happened last afternoon and evening – not knowing yet how much time had passed. He cautiously drew in a deep breath and took a few moments to internally assess his condition. Kind of automatically, he compared how he felt at the moment to back then and was relieved to notice that it hadn´t worsened. His overall exhaustion had lessened, as had the constant aching throughout his body. He even sensed a bit of hunger.
With another deep breath, MacGyver slowly blinked his eyes open and was greeted by a little, dim daylight shining around the bend and painting shadows on the cave´s ceiling. So the night had passed. He´d slept through it, although he sensed the blurry echo of some unsettling dreams lingering in the back of his mind. Gingerly, he turned his head to the side and glanced around himself. He saw Thornton´s place on his roll mat empty and all their stuff readily arranged for packing.
Mac wiggled one arm free and slid the zippers of both sleeping bags down a little. With a low moan, he pushed himself up to one elbow and turned to reach for the water canteen, Thornton had left within his reach. He moved slowly since he didn´t want his body to remind him of the beating he´d taken on the day before. MacGyver sat up, drank a few large gulps, and set the bottle down with a long sigh.
Carefully, he straightened himself and prepared to get up, when he suddenly heard steps nearing through the cave. Reflexively, his body tensed up, only to relax a moment later, when he recognized Pete Thornton coming around the bend. Pete slowed his steps a little when he noticed MacGyver was awake.
"Good morning!" Pete greeted as he set down the freshly refilled water bottles next to their backpacks. He scrutinized Mac closely while he crouched down.
Without planning to do so that often, Thornton had checked on the young man several times during the night. He´d been startled awake by the storm raging through the area as well as by MacGyver moaning in his sleep. Pete had observed him and was convinced the young one had gone through a few nightmares during the night. It hadn´t been bad enough to justify waking him and Pete wasn´t going to mention it now either. He fervently hoped his rookie wasn´t remembering much of it.
"How are you feeling?" Pete asked.
"Morning," Mac replied slowly. "Alright… I think. A little hungry."
Thornton shot him another long, probing look.
"I´ll take that as a good sign," he then nodded. "Since it´s already mid-morning. But I let you sleep. You needed the rest."
MacGyver raised his eyebrows surprised and glanced at his watch. Past 10 a.m. A bit of alarm rushed through him, knowing that hiking to the clearing where the helicopter would pick them up would take a few hours… even under normal circumstances. But with his injuries slowing them down…
"We need to get going," Mac said quickly as he raised his eyes back to his boss. Thornton had turned to their stuff.
"Yes… We should," the older man answered while he gathered some of their food supplies and then concentrated back on MacGyver. "But you gotta eat some breakfast first. You´ll need the energy." He sensed that Mac´s temperature seemed a little above normal when their hands met briefly as he handed over the food. He´d already noticed that Mac had moved the canteen he´d left behind for him. Pete gestured toward it. "Have you emptied that one?"
"Not yet." MacGyver shook his head as he took a bite of the bread. "You went to refill the other ones?" he asked after he was done chewing.
"Yes." Pete nodded. "And had a look around. The storm has passed. It´s not raining anymore. Also haven´t spotted any patrols so far. All seems quiet."
He turned to their belongings once again, rolled up his mat, and started packing while MacGyver ate. All the heavy or delicate items went into his own backpack, leaving only a couple of lightweight things for MacGyver´s pack. Mac watched him quietly for a while before he got curious.
"The camera just went into your pack..." he stated. "Did you find all the films I kept hidden within my stuff?"
"Yes… last night, while you were asleep," Pete replied, not looking up from his task. "Five rolls, not including the one in the camera."
"Right." Mac nodded and focused back on his meal.
As soon as Thornton was done with the heavier pack, he got up and took it to the front of the cave before he returned to MacGyver.
"I´m afraid, your boots haven´t dried up completely yet." The senior agent stated as he knelt down again. "I placed them near the camping cooker, but without a fire burning throughout the night…" His words trailed off when MacGyver looked up at him.
"I´ll manage," the young man answered and ate the last bite of his breakfast.
He reached for his boots, opened the sleeping bags fully, and gingerly moved his long legs out and on top of them. Pulling a bit of a pained grimace, he slipped into his damp shoes and tied them. His wounded leg protested against the movement, and Pete wordlessly offered his help when MacGyver prepared to get up. Mac held his breath and bit back a moan when the older man pulled him to his feet. He needed a moment to steady himself and nodded at his boss as soon as he felt secure on his feet. Some lightheadedness returned, now that he was standing upright again. Thornton only let go of him after a long, measuring look.
"I´m gonna pack the last of our stuff," Pete stated. "Then I´ll help you."
MacGyver balanced himself with one hand against the cave wall and took some weight off his injured leg. He briefly focused toward the cave´s entrance and then found Thornton´s gaze.
"Thanks," he said in a tone he wanted to sound confident. "But I´ll be alright… I think."
Mac tried to smile reassuringly but sensed that the senior agent doubted his words. Nevertheless, Thornton nodded and crouched down to gather the sleeping bags and roll mat Mac had been resting on. MacGyver drew in a deep breath and allowed himself a moment to find some determination within himself before he limped off to the front of the cave.
They had made it down the rock face quite similar to how they´d climbed it the day before. Thornton had eased MacGyver down with the help of his shoulder holster, had then let the lighter one of the backpacks slide down across the rocks, and MacGyver had caught it. As soon as Thornton had also made it to the bottom with the heavier pack, they´d started their hike down the mountain. Pete had shouldered the heavier backpack whereas MacGyver had insisted on carrying the second one. But MacGyver had at least agreed to the senior agent helping him along when the terrain had gotten too rough.
They´d been on their way for about one hour, when MacGyver stopped, steadying himself against a tree with one hand. He was panting heavily and took the weight off his injured leg, yet straightened himself the moment he became aware that his boss had turned around and was standing next to him and scrutinizing him. Pete Thornton saw some sweat glistening on MacGyver´s face and noticed how the strain was getting to him despite the well-trained man´s best efforts to conceal it.
"Need a break?" Pete asked.
Mac looked sideways at the older man. Their eyes met briefly and MacGyver saw concern in Thornton´s questioning gaze.
"Just a few moments," Mac answered and drew in a deep breath. "I´m fine."
Thornton nodded silently although inwardly he wasn´t buying the young man´s 'I´m fine'-act anymore. He reached for the water bottle dangling from his belt and wordlessly offered it to MacGyver.
Mac took it with a grateful nod and leaned against the tree with his shoulder. He opened the canteen and took a few large gulps while he let his gaze wander around their surroundings.
After a couple of moments, his dark eyes caught on a large fallen branch laying several yards away. Instantly, his mind started considering its size and form. Pete noticed his sudden shift in concentration.
"What are you up to?" he queried with a sideways glance at his rookie. "By now, I know that look. You´re thinking of something."
MacGyver nodded a little absently, his mind still caught up with the idea forming in his head.
"Hand me that branch, will you?" he asked after another quiet moment.
Thornton´s gaze followed Mac´s and he took the few steps over and picked up the wood. He eyed it briefly before he dragged it to MacGyver.
"So?" Pete said as he took the water bottle and gave Mac the branch. "What now?"
"Can I borrow your hunting knife?" Mac asked as he turned the wood in his hands, giving it a closer look now.
Thornton froze briefly before he set down his backpack and dug the knife out of the side pocket.
"What happened to that small, red pocket knife of yours?" Thornton queried as he handed Mac the knife.
"Thanks… Moreno took my Swiss Army knife after my escape attempt." A little wistful expression crossed MacGyver´s face. "Gotta get a new one once we´ve made it home."
MacGyver broke off a couple of smaller side branches and trimmed the wood to a length of more or less five feet with the hunting knife. He cut a side branch close to the top to about one foot and rounded all its edges. He´d only worked on it for a few minutes, then eyed it all over again, and handed the knife back to Thornton. The older man had been watching his doing with interest. A smile widened on his face before he stuffed his knife back into the backpack.
"Now I get it!" Pete exclaimed. "You made yourself a crutch."
MacGyver leaned on his makeshift crutch a little, tested how it felt, and probed if it would carry his weight. Then he raised his gaze to his boss and shot him a lopsided smirk.
"Yep. Should make getting to the clearing a lot easier." he grinned.
It was only a little after midday when MacGyver stopped for the next time. They had made it about halfway down the mountain when Mac leaned against a tree once more and strove to slow his breath. Thornton had been a few steps ahead and turned back instantly when he sensed MacGyver was no longer following him. He only looked back questioningly at first, yet when he saw the young man starting to cough, he hurried the few yards up to his side.
Pete noticed how pale Mac´s face had gone since their last brief stop and saw his skin damp with sweat. MacGyver had just regained control over his breath when he felt Thornton´s hand on his shoulder. He raised his head, met Thornton´s concerned gaze, and squared his shoulders.
"I´m fine," he stated, trying to quench his superior´s worries.
"Yeah… Sure." Pete sighed sarcastically. He quickly scanned their surroundings with his eyes. Undergrowth and dense bushes close to the tree Mac was leaning against provided some cover. The place was suited quite well for taking a break. His eyes returned to MacGyver´s.
"You do need to rest, though," Pete said with a small squeeze of Mac´s shoulder. "Give me your pack and then sit down."
MacGyver held his gaze silently for a long moment as he internally assessed their situation. They had almost six hours left until they had to meet the helicopter. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a more than comfortable amount of time. But considering his weakened condition and how it slowed them down… they didn´t have a lot of time to spare for breaks. On the other hand… if he didn´t take a break in time, MacGyver wasn´t sure if he would be able to stay on his feet for this long at all. So far, he was still striving to conceal it from Thornton, but he had to admit to himself that the strain was getting to him, more than it usually would.
MacGyver nodded quietly and gave in. He gingerly shrugged off his backpack, set it down, and let Pete help him lower himself to the ground. He stretched out his injured leg in front of him and leaned back against the bottom of the tree´s trunk with a sigh, his crutch lying beside him. Mac closed his eyes and willed the pain in his leg to lessen, now that he could fully relax it, but it didn´t quite obey. He heard Thornton´s clothes rustle as he also settled down and got rid of his pack.
"Water?" Pete asked softly after a few moments.
MacGyver´s eyes drifted half-open again.
"Please." He nodded tiredly and took the bottle Pete held out for him.
Thornton watched him drink silently and with serious concern. By now, after he´d eased Mac down, he was sure that the young man was running a fever. He´d felt the heat through the shirt while holding on to his arms.
"Hungry as well?" Pete probed further while he was trying to gauge how much of a façade his rookie was still putting up for him. Mac set down the canteen and drew in a deep breath before he answered.
"Not really," MacGyver said. "Just need to rest."
Thornton puffed out a deep sigh. He noticed the reddish tint, Mac´s skin had taken on next to the edges of the bandages covering the wounds on his leg. Not a good sign. Especially when combined with his fever, the coughs, and the amount of pain MacGyver tried to hide.
"Alright." Pete decided to grant the young man some time to recover. "I´ll keep watch."
MacGyver nodded once and then let his head drop back against the trunk. Pete observed as Mac closed his eyes before he stood up again. He stepped a little out of their cover and let his gaze do a sweep of the area. So far, they had been lucky. No patrols from Moreno had been around. He just hoped it would stay that way. They still had quite some distance to cross and with all the signs pointing to MacGyver´s condition not getting any better, Pete was worried if the man would even be able to make it to the clearing; if he´d even be able to hang on for that long.