Chapter 2

As the evening wore on, everyone's enthusiasm began to peter out as the game eventually ended with the team they were rooting for winning by a single point, which turned out to be a stroke of luck. By that point, the three men realized how tired they were and finally noticed how late it actually was.

MacGyver found himself gently rubbing his throat as Bill yawned and Michael's massive footwear shuffled to stand. When Mac noted how sore his throat felt, he recognized for the first time how much shouting he must have done along with the guys tonight… somehow, he thought he'd been the quietest one of the trio, but a certain rawness told him otherwise.

It reminded him all-too-well that… sometimes anyway, he could get very caught up in the ruckus himself when a great hockey game was going on–especially when friends around him were also being vocal–even if he wasn't at a live hockey game or playing in-person.

Mac and Bill hardly noticed as Michael began to scoop the remaining snacks that he deemed edible into his pockets and then made his way to the door, mumbling something about how he had a great time but he was ready to get home to the wife. Mac raised a hand to wave at him just as he vanished through the front door.

Bill stirred at bit at the sound of the door shutting, as though waking up after dozing off lightly. "Well, it's late," he commented as he yawned and stretched. "I guess I should call Ruby and ask her to pick me up."

"Bill, don't," Mac shook his head. "It's late, you don't want to call her out here at this hour."

Bill opened his mouth, then closed it. He ran a sheepish hand through his short, curly brown hair. "Yeah… you're right. I guess I just wasn't thinking about that." He sighed. "It's just such a pain to have my car in the shop."

"I could drive you home," Mac said.

Now it was Bill's turn to shake his head. "No, it's not fair to ask you to do that at this late hour, either. If I can borrow your phone for a sec, I'll just call a taxi."

"Well, if you're sure," Mac shrugged. "It's no trouble and it wouldn't cost you anything if I drove you."

"Nah." Bill got up and walked over to the phone to place a call to the taxi, while Mac momentarily occupied himself cleaning up some of the candy wrappers and dropped pieces of popcorn, putting them in the trash. By the time Bill was finished calling a taxi, the area around the TV looked a trifle cleaner.

Gem noiselessly moved to a more inconspicuous spot when Mac and Bill came out to wait for Bill's taxi. She watched them silently and continued to listen to their conversation while Mac kept his friend company during the wait.

"So, you got a ride to work tomorrow?" Mac asked conversationally, his hands in his pockets as he stood in a relaxed, casual manner next to Bill. Both of them were completely oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

"Yeah, Ruby said she'd give me a ride on her way to work."

"Ah. Where does she work?"

"She works at a laundromat about five miles from the Phoenix Foundation."

"Yeah, I know the place," Mac nodded. "A guy named Vince owns it. He's a fair guy, even if I think he bit off a bit more than he can chew by buying up five laundromats."

Bill chuckled. "Well, Ruby says that she and the other employees are often left to their own devices, and I don't think she particularly cares for the place. But… it's all she has for work right now." He grinned as his tone became more animated. "You know, I was actually thinking about asking Pete if there's some kind of position for her at the Phoenix Foundation. I think she might like working over there way more than the laundromat."

"Yeah? Have you discussed this with her?"

"Well, no… not yet. But I think she'd jump at the chance for pretty much anything else, she really doesn't like it over at that laundromat."

"What kind of work experience does she have?"

"Um…" Bill appeared a bit sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not much. Truth is, she's a highschool dropout who's been working at… whatever places would hire her ever since she quit school."

MacGyver pursed his lips briefly, looking thoughtful. He was trying not to judge; he didn't know the girl aside from her name, that she'd attended private schools and she seemed awkward and shy. But did that mean the girl was not particularly ambitious, or did it mean she had some other… issue? He knew it wasn't good to speculate anything without having more information or really knowing the girl, and… at this early stage, now was not the time to pry unnecessarily. Bill was his friend, but… Bill and Ruby had only been dating for a short time, and whatever was going on was their business.

Mac loved Bill almost like a brother, as he did many of his other friends. They had similar interests and morals, they shared a love for hockey and could talk the talk when it came to the latest tech and some things that were happening around Phoenix. They had even been out in the field together a few times, a solid bond forming between them when Mac had saved Bill's life twice during one mission, and Bill actually managed to return the favor on one of their missions together himself.

However, Mac opted to keep his opinions about Bill's previous choices in women to himself. During the course of their friendship, Mac had seen the man go out with a total of five different girls, with Ruby being the fifth and most recent.

The first two had been ditzy younger girls who just wanted an older man to buy them things and help pay off their student loans or credit card bills.

The third one had been someone more Bill's age– and he was the same age as MacGyver–but it turned out that she was just a divorcee who was on the rebound, and she was also just trying to make her ex-husband jealous, but… she actually prized her freedom and single life.

The fourth one had been barely out of college, a flake who didn't know what she wanted out of life. The relationship between her and Bill ended rather abruptly when the girl became pregnant with some other man's baby.

Now there was, apparently, Ruby. A twenty-something highschool dropout who didn't seem to have any particular career goal in mind, at least based on what Bill said, and… he was apparently going to try and get her a job at Phoenix just because she wasn't happy at the laundromat.

Mac held his tongue, but he couldn't help but feel that this relationship might end just as badly as all of the previous ones. He didn't discriminate when it came to age differences, considering he had sometimes dated women who were a fair bit younger than himself, plus… it really wasn't his place to say anything in general. He'd broken at least a few hearts due to his inability to commit or stay in one place…

"I just know that she'd be happy if I could help her find something at Phoenix. It's the best place anyone could possibly work for!"

"Hey," Mac raised a hand with a small smile, "you don't have to sell me on that point. Just make sure it's something she wants."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll love it there if I can find the right position for her!"

Mac eyed his friend thoughtfully for a moment. "You're really quite taken with her, aren't you?" In some ways, Bill had gushed over the previous women he'd gone out with, but… there seemed to be something different about the gleam in his eye when he talked about Ruby.

Bill beamed. "Mac, she's not like any other girl I've gone out with. I mean, the others would keep doing things like… trying to keep tabs on how much money I had on me, or they would complain if I didn't take them to a nice restaurant. Ruby doesn't even seem to care where I take her or what we're doing together. Sometimes she's rather quiet, but she's great at companionable silence, and… I just feel like I can be myself around her."

"I hope it works out," Mac said with a nod, meaning every word.

"Thanks, man."

As if on cue, the taxi pulled up nearby.

Bill shook Mac's hand. "Thanks for the fun evening, man."

"My pleasure," Mac returned the handshake with a nod.

A few moments later, Mac stood alone in the parking lot of the Marina. He turned and headed back toward the door of the houseboat.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Despite staying up so late the previous night, MacGyver found himself waking up feeling relatively refreshed and ready for a new day. Evidently, the time spent with Bill and watching the hockey game had been more relaxing and therapeutic than even he had realized.

He began his morning with a nice, hot shower and a healthy breakfast of whole wheat bread toast, sliced fruit, and a fresh fruit smoothie. After that he brushed his teeth, got dressed, then finally got around to picking up the dishes from the previous night and putting them in the sink. He'd deal with them, along with his breakfast dishes, later.

Just as he was about to head for the door, however, the phone rang. He made his way over to the phone in a smooth stride and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Mac, it's Pete."

Mac frowned, knowing that Pete knew that he would've been at the Phoenix headquarters within the next half hour or so anyway. That meant this had to be something that couldn't wait. "What's up, Pete? Everything okay?"

There was a heavy sigh on the other end. "No, Mac, I'm afraid it isn't."

Mac had a feeling he needed to sit down for this one. Still holding the receiver to his ear, he used his other hand to pick up the rest of the phone and set it on the coffee table, as close to the couch as the cord would let him, then he sat down on the edge of the couch. "What's the matter, Pete? What happened?"

Pete finally continued, as though he had been waiting for the indication that his friend was indeed sitting. "It's Bill, Mac. He and his girlfriend were in an accident a little while ago." He stopped, allowing that news to sink in.

MacGyver's hand tightened slightly around the receiver. He impulsively tried to swallow, but his throat had constricted and he found he couldn't. "Are–" He licked his lips, trying to get enough moisture back in his mouth to get words out. "How are they? Are they okay?"

"Well, they've been taken to the hospital closest to the accident site. I'm about to head over myself. I don't know anything yet, but Mac, it sounded pretty bad. The other driver was found dead at the scene, and both cars were totaled. Bill and Ruby were last reported as alive, but in critical condition."

"I'm going over there right now." Mac heard the roughness in his own voice. He snatched a nearby notepad and a pen. "Which hospital is it?" When he heard the name, he realized it was one he was already quite familiar with, so he didn't bother writing it down. "Okay, I'll see you over there."

"Okay. Drive carefully, Mac."

"You too."

Mac hung up and made a beeline for the door, only pausing to grab his leather jacket and slip into it before heading out. He began to make a beeline toward his jeep, gritting his teeth the more he thought about everything.

When he opened the door on the jeep and got behind the steel, he ended up thrusting the key into the ignition with more force than necessary. He gave the dashboard an undeserved smack, feeling like he wanted to kick himself.

He had offered to take Bill to work. Maybe if he had… things could have ended up different. Ruby might still be okay. Maybe Ruby and Bill could have avoided being hit by another vehicle. Then again… he hadn't been there, so he didn't really know what happened. He might not know until he had a chance to talk to them, assuming they were going to be alright.

Mac pressed his lips into a thin line, then started the engine and pulled out onto the road. Being mindful of traffic and going as fast as he legally could, he began what felt like a torturously long drive to the hospital.

0o0o0o0o0o0

When MacGyver found that Pete had arrived at some point before he did, he could already tell something was wrong. Pete was standing near the receptionist desk about ten yards from the front entrance, and there was a deep expression of sadness in both his eyes, and the nurse he was speaking to.

Both Pete and the nurse glanced up sharply when Mac came near.

"Mac, I'm glad you're here," Pete greeted him. There appeared to be an invisible yet heavy cloak of weariness and sadness settling about his shoulders.

"Pete," Mac said, steeling himself, "what is it?"

Pete sighed, closing the distance between them and placing a hand on Mac's shoulder. "Bill just passed away five minutes ago," Pete said, his voice raw and filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry. His injuries were just too great, there was nothing they could do."

For a long moment, MacGyver just stood there as frozen, his face a rictus of stunned grief. Five minutes ago? Bill died five minutes before he even walked in through the front door? When the shock faded a tad, Mac felt his heart tumble into his stomach.

"You okay?" Pete put a little pressure on Mac's shoulder, not quite a squeeze but a mannerism meant to comfort and show he was there.

"No," Mac answered truthfully, still feeling the raw stinging in his chest. He cleared his throat and blinked several times, trying to stay in the present. His mind had momentarily slipped to just last night, when he and Bill were having a perfectly normal evening with popcorn and a hockey game. Neither of them had any way of knowing that would be the last time they ever spent together.

"How is Ruby?" he asked with some urgency, suddenly remembering her.

"We think Ruby has a better chance of pulling through," the nurse answered readily. "Bill's chest was crushed in the accident, and he suffered severe head trauma with a fractured skull," she went on gently. "But Ruby's survival odds are much higher. She does have some damage to the lower area of her spine and several areas of her legs are shattered. We have her surgery right now, and we will let you know when we know more."

Pete and Mac exchanged glances, knowing there wasn't much either of them could do here right now. This was simply one of those situations where they just had to wait and see, and let the hospital staff do what they did best.

"I… need to head back to the office," Pete finally said, "and I also need to call some of Bill's family and let them know." He looked at MacGyver. "Are you coming?"

Mac gave a minute shake of his head. "No, Pete, I think I'll stay here for a while."

Pete clapped him on the shoulder one final time. "Take as much time as you need, Mac. You know where to reach me." With that, Pete headed out.

"Any idea how long Ruby's surgery may take?" MacGyver already had a fair idea that that was a question that might not be answerable right now. For some reason, he just needed to ask it anyway, just to fill the space of silence and grief if nothing else.

The nurse shook her head. "It will probably be at least a few hours. In the meantime," she indicated the waiting area, "please have a seat."

"Thanks," Mac deadpanned, still somewhat numb inside. Even after the nurse turned away and left, he remained standing exactly where he was for a few moments longer.

Finally, he turned on his heel and headed out of the hospital. He really needed to just move and walk around. He needed some time to process this, to deal with it.

He considered taking his jeep someplace, but decided against it. The walk would do him some good, particularly when his feet ended up taking him a little ways from the hospital, where he happened to spot a small ice skating rink.

Decision made, he hiked back to his vehicle just long enough to extract the pair of ice skates he always kept in the back, then returned to the ice skating rink. Once inside, he put on his skates and donned a hockey stick and a helmet, then spent the next hour and a half knocking puck after puck into the net.

He had worked himself a bit harder than he usually did, with a bit more intensity, and his hands and arms were feeling it. But on the inside, perhaps he was beginning to feel a tad better.

After he got a lot of it out of his system, he put the helmet and other borrowed equipment back in the lockers where he'd originally gotten them from, then slung his skates over his shoulder and headed over to a pay phone located on the street corner just outside, wanting to know the status of Ruby before deciding what to do next. The same nurse he'd spoken to at the hospital spoke to him briefly on the phone, revealing that Ruby was still in surgery and there was no news yet.

After that, Mac headed down the street a little ways to a small cafe. Part of him felt like he had no appetite, another part of him felt he should eat something, especially after that workout. Besides… what else was he gonna do to pass the time? He didn't want to venture too far from the hospital, but he also knew he needed to take care of himself.

He bought himself a serving of steamed spinach and broccoli with a side of uncooked lettuce, along with a glass of peach punch just for something different. He found himself staring off into space for the first few minutes, lost in thought until one of the cafe employees gently mentioned that he really needed to eat his meal, especially since they might soon have other patrons coming in at lunch hour and they might need the table.

Mac ended up devouring the contents of his plate almost robotically, barely registering the taste and texture. The beverage went down his throat like flat tap water, and he couldn't tell if that was a testament to how bad the drinks were in this place, or if his taste buds were dead due to his mood.

When he finished up, he left some food on his plate, knowing his mother would have been appalled but found he didn't care. There were probably a lot of things about his present-day life that his Mom wouldn't have liked very much… or it would have shocked her a fair bit, at least.

He found himself thinking briefly of Harry, his grandfather. Since the two of them had managed to reconnect a while back, maybe it would be a good idea to try and get together with him sometime in the near future. If recent events had told him anything, it was that sometimes… you just never knew when your last time with someone might be.

A frown creased his features as he pulled out his wallet and counted out some bills, some to pay for the meal, some as a tip for the staff. Did Ruby have any family nearby? He remembered Bill mentioning that she apparently had her parents living someplace nearby, but the rest of her relatives were up north someplace? If she pulled through, he would make it a point to ask her if there was anyone she wanted him to contact.

If worst came to worst, he could also get Pete to pull some strings and find out who her relatives were and how to contact them. Even if they could contact just one relative, that might be adequate enough, considering one person could tell everyone else who wanted or needed to be informed.

Besides… as far as Ruby was concerned, Mac was still a relative stranger, and vice versa. Apart from both of them being associated with Bill, they might as well be two strangers in the night passing on the sidewalk. But still… Mac felt he had to do something. He owed that much to Bill, especially since it seemed he really liked this girl in particular. There had been a certain light in his eyes the other night when he talked about her.

MacGyver left the cafe and decided to walk back to the hospital, a hike which took about twenty minutes.

When he re-entered the building and glanced in the direction of the receptionist, he found that same nurse in the general vicinity. She cast him a knowing yet sympathetic look, gave him an informed shake of her head, to which MacGyver gave a silent nod in acknowledgement.

Sighing inwardly, MacGyver decided he would wait in the sitting area for at least a while. He found himself flipping through at least some of the magazines, more or less interested in one that showed some sights and gave some descriptions of historical landmarks overseas.

Another one he flipped through had to do with some of the most recent discoveries or advancements in science and technology, and he found himself freezing on a page in the middle that had to do with something at one of the Phoenix research facilities.

Bill's name was there. This was an article where Bill himself had been briefly interviewed, in regards to an invention he had recently perfected. MacGyver knew exactly which prototype they were talking about, because Mac himself had helped work some of the kinks out of the template when it was still in the blueprint and experimental stages…

And now, Bill wouldn't even be able to see his baby finish coming to life.

MacGyver released a heavy sigh and flipped the magazine shut, tossing it aside. A fresh wave of grief rolled through him.

Another fifteen minutes rolled by. He was debating whether or not he should inquire with the staff one more time, or possibly just go out for another walk or something, when the nurse finally approached him. It was all he could do to keep himself from leaping to his feet and asking an anxious question.

He did stand, but he calmly waited for the nurse to speak.

"Hey, MacGyver," she greeted him, "I just wanted to let you know that Ruby is out of surgery, and out of danger. As far as we know, it looks like she's going to make it."

Mac didn't even bother trying to hide his sigh of relief. "Can I see her?" he asked.

The nurse gave a slight shake of her head. "I'm afraid not. She's still heavily sedated, and we really want her to rest for a while before she sees anyone. But you're welcome to come back tomorrow if you want to, and we should be able to let you see her then."

MacGyver nodded. "Okay. But do you think she'll make a full recovery?"

"Well, the doctor still needs some time to look over her X-rays and finish examining her once she is feeling a little better," the nurse answered, "so we still don't know the full extent of the damage to her legs or spinal column. But otherwise, she should live."

"Hey, I don't think I caught your name," Mac said suddenly, realizing he had been a bit unintentionally rude.

The nurse smiled. "I'm Irina."

"MacGyver." He shook her hand briefly.

"If you want to leave your number with me, I could let you know tomorrow when she is ready to see visitors," Irina offered.

Mac gave a little nod, then wrote down his number on a piece of paper. "I'd appreciate that."