Chapter 5

Two Weeks Later

"MacGyver," Ruby stated stiffly, without even looking at him, "I want to leave."

Mac's hand instinctively moved, just to hang somewhere between the back of the wheelchair and Ruby's hand. He could tell she felt overwhelmed, and he honestly couldn't blame her.

Initially, the funeral had almost been delayed an extra week due to the fact that Bill's pious relatives wanted to wait until a few high-dignitary guests could fly in. Plus, when they learned that Phoenix was going to help pay for at least some expenses, they insisted on ordering more flowers than a small florist shop would regularly stock, and they wanted the fanciest, most expensive, and most elegant casket. It had taken some careful negotiation from Pete to talk them down a bit.

But the thing that really took the cake was some of Bill's relatives. A few of them had interacted with the Phoenix employees in a kind exchange of condolences and pleasantries, but most of them behaved almost like a high-society clique. They were the ones who'd insisted that everyone dress up like this was the grand ball, almost, they kept mostly to themselves, and the only time they interacted with anyone else was to make snide, condescending, or passive-aggressive remarks.

Mac had done his part in dressing up in a suit and tie, and it was largely to honor Bill and so that Ruby wouldn't feel alone. There were at least a couple of snide remarks from Bill's sister and cousins that he was too 'crass' to wear an actual tuxedo, but he ignored them. He'd probably only wear a tux if he ever got married… which was a pretty big 'if' at this point.

Ruby had been reluctant to even discuss it when the subject of the funeral kept coming up, but when Mac gently pointed out they needed to talk about it at least so he would know what her decision was and what she wanted, they finally did talk about it.

When she assured him, after some hesitancy, that she wanted to go, he volunteered to take her there himself. He had made it clear that he would've understood if she didn't want to go, especially considering everything she'd been through… and the fact that she didn't know any of the Phoenix employees or any of Bill's family, really.

But she had insisted on going, that she would be okay, and he could tell that she had been regretting her decision ever since they'd arrived together. Mac was almost regretting his decision to come, too, but he did need to be here to pay his final respects to Bill.

And he had to be here for Ruby.

He'd stayed by her side during the entire service, having readily volunteered to push her wheelchair wherever she wanted or needed to go. Ruby was dressed in a nice cashmere sweater and an elegant black blouse, some of the nicest clothes she'd had back at her apartment for such occasions. She had a nice blanket draped over her lap and down over the front of the wheelchair at all times, to help conceal her partially amputated legs.

But the last few comments from some of Bill's family members had really gotten to Ruby. They had gotten to Mac, too, and he hadn't even bothered to hold back some of his own snark, especially since he was in a better position–physically and mentally–to defend himself and snipe back when necessary.

For Ruby, this had been the first time she had ventured out of the hospital since before the accident, the first time she had been outside and breathed fresh air. The first time she had shown any kind of confidence in coming out of her shell a little more, and not only accepting what happened, but also facing it.

And here she was, having to be here to face this crap. The straw that broke the camel's back, the thing that made her finally proclaim that she wanted to leave, was when several relatives–particularly Bill's half-sister, Lauren–said in a not-so-subtle way that she, and at least half of the family, blamed Ruby for Bill's death.

In a way… they even blamed Phoenix for Bill's death.

It was pretty much just a lot of hem-hawing and clucking that boiled down to, "If Bill hadn't been working for Phoenix or started going out with that black-haired secretary tramp, he'd still be alive…"

MacGyver found himself wondering how such a wonderful man like Bill could possibly be related to these vermin and snakes. Sure, Bill had his faults, but it was clear the fruit had fallen from the tree and rolled ten miles away.

"Yeah, okay," Mac said soothingly to Ruby when he noticed she looked like she was about to cry. "Let's go."

He pushed her wheelchair carefully back to his jeep, opened the passenger side door, then he bent down next to her. "Come on," he urged her quietly, "put your arms around my shoulders and neck." They had already been through this drill when they'd left the hospital, but he understood that this was all still new to her. After all… this was her first outing in her condition.

Ruby gripped his shoulder with one hand and put her other arm securely around his back and neck, then hugged him closely as she let him lift her out of the wheelchair to set her gently in the passenger seat of his jeep. He leaned over her briefly to make certain her knees were situated in a certain way so she wouldn't shift or fall, in a manner that was so casual and natural she barely even noticed.

Then he took hold of the seatbelt and silently half-offered it to her, so that she could still exercise some independence and not feel like a complete invalid. He understood she needed some of that more than anything right now. She looked at him, then at the proffered seat belt, but just as Mac was about to give up and make a move to click it into place for her, she finally took it and did it herself.

He flashed her a small, approving smile, then shut her door and folded up her wheelchair to place it in the back of the jeep.

The drive back to the hospital was fairly quiet, though he sensed that was what she needed for the moment. He realized it was what he needed, too. The actual service hadn't been bad at all, what with the final blessing from a very kind-hearted pastor and the eulogies had been well-written and heart-felt enough. But it was everything that had come after that… well, Mac could tell that the heckling, cruel statements and passive aggressive remarks had been so bad, even around Pete personally, that his friend had almost, almost, regretted using some of the Foundation's funds to help pay for the casket and flowers.

Mac just hoped that Ruby would be able to bounce back from this. Had she even been able to get some of the closure that he'd been hoping to help her get? He wasn't sure anyone could under those conditions. If he had known Bill's family was going to be like that, he might have even thought twice about bringing Ruby, but… apparently there was a reason why he had not introduced Ruby, or even his longtime friend Mac, to any of his relatives.

Mac couldn't blame the poor guy. He couldn't even tell which was worse, having almost no relatives at all like himself, or having a collective of relatives like that. Mac had lost a lot of people he loved due to very tragic circumstances, but at least he had known enough love and support to get him off the right foot in life.

For people like Bill, the only way they could be a good person and do what they wanted in life was to have the courage to break away…

When they arrived back at the hospital, Mac quickly parked the jeep and retrieved the wheelchair, setting it up and then murmuring softly to Ruby as he gently scooped her up and set her in it. Once he had her well-situated, he casually shook his head and waved off a couple of orderlies as he entered the building. He wanted to oversee this himself, to make sure she was going to be okay.

She needed a friend right now, and he wanted to keep proving to her that he was going to be that friend for as long as she needed him. Particularly since she seemed adamant about not contacting any of her own family, and if she did have parents somewhere close by, she apparently didn't want to talk to them. Since he still didn't know much about her, and she didn't seem inclined to share, he simply had to respect her wishes for now.

Who knows? Maybe one thing Ruby and Bill had in common was a desire to steer clear of their relatives…

Irina followed Mac as he pushed Ruby's wheelchair back to her room. He positioned the wheelchair in the corner of the room, next to a tall lamp and a small table that had a few books and magazines he had personally brought her for something to read and keep her mind off things. "I'll be right back," Mac told her gently, "I'm just gonna talk to Irina for a moment."

Mac and Irina stepped out of the room and shut the door behind them, then moved a little further out into the hallway to converse.

"How did it go?" Irina asked.

MacGyver sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Not good. She seemed to liven up a little during the actual service and the eulogies, and she was very alert. But then some of Bill's relatives started getting on her and everyone else's case." He sighed. "They even told Ruby to her face that she is to blame for his death."

Irina looked sympathetic and a little angry on Ruby's behalf. "Yeah, I know those types. Pious, uppity, and always looking to blame someone else when a tragedy happens rather than themselves."

"And here I was hoping she would find some peace and closure," Mac stated regretfully.

Irina touched his forearm. "Sounds to me like you did everything you could, and you had no way of knowing."

That didn't make Mac feel much better. "Have you been able to get her to talk about the accident at all?" he asked after a moment. All of his attempts to get Ruby to discuss it had failed for the most part.

"Well, she did tell me a little about it the other day," Irina answered slowly. "It seemed she was in a bit of a hurry because she was gonna be late for work, although Bill still had plenty of time. She'd put the pedal to the metal, and didn't notice someone coming from the opposite direction. According to the police, that other driver had run a red light, and he was highly intoxicated."

Mac grimaced, knowing full well that there were a lot of people who died every year due to driving under the influence. "The other driver–" he started to inquire.

Irina interjected, "From what I understand, that guy died the very instant the vehicles collided and knew little or no pain due to all the booze in his system. But both Bill and Ruby were in great pain when the paramedics arrived on the scene, and both of them had to be sedated."

MacGyver's face revealed quite clearly what he was thinking and feeling, although he didn't bother to say it. His mouth pressed into a thin, grim line. It was an unfortunate thing whenever anyone died, but this was a case where the perpetrator took another life, irreparably changed the life of another, yet succumbed to a quick and painless end… without ever having to see the consequences of his actions, and what he left behind in his own wake.

"I'm gonna check on Ruby," Mac finally said. "Thanks again for everything, Irina."

"No, thank you," Irina replied readily. "Ruby still won't talk to myself or her doctor or anyone on the staff that much. She has also refused to speak to a therapist. I have a feeling that if it wasn't for you, she would have withdrawn fully into herself and might be beyond help. Just keep doing what you're doing, and maybe we can continue making some slow, gradual progress with her."

Mac nodded appreciatively, relieved that he was apparently doing at least some good in helping the poor girl. Then he headed back into Ruby's room.

He found her sitting almost idly in her wheelchair, right where he'd left her, except she was at least flipping through one of the magazines. It appeared to be her favorite, or at least the one she kept going back to at least once a day for whatever reason.

Mac grabbed the nearby chair and moved it a little closer to her, then sat down near her. This had been the way they had been conducting themselves during his visits over the last week or so, ever since she had healed a bit from her amputation surgeries. "You really seem to like that one," he remarked conversationally, indicating the magazine in her hands.

She glanced up for a moment, then back down at the magazine. "It's just nice," she commented like it barely mattered. "All the pictures of nature, lakes, flowers, wild animals…"

"Do you like being out in nature?"

"Yeah, I do… at least sometimes." Ruby shrugged. "But I also like the city just fine. Each kind of place has their pros and cons."

Mac couldn't argue with that. "Hey, would you like me to take you out someplace where you could see a lake and trees? I bet I could get Dr. Collins to approve a few hours–"

Ruby shut the magazine and tossed it on top of the stack on the table. "No," she sighed, an edge of bitterness in her tone. "I think I just want to go to bed and try to forget this day ever happened."

MacGyver frowned, leaning forward a little. "It's not even 3:30PM yet," he said. "I mean, you still need to have dinner a little later, and then I was thinking we could sit and talk or watch some TV–"

"Not tonight, okay?" Ruby snapped, looking directly at him now. "I just want to be left alone right now."

Mac stared at her for a long moment, a little stung and disappointed. In a way, he supposed he couldn't blame the fact that she clearly wanted space, but he had thought he had already been successful in getting through to her. He felt he had been on the verge of keeping her from withdrawing back into her shell, and now it sounded like she just wanted to retreat.

Then again, maybe she really did just need some space. Today had been very rough, for a number of reasons. Mac found himself realizing that maybe he needed some time to himself, too, in order to recoup from the events of the day and recover from some of those venomous barbs at the funeral.

"Okay," he agreed softly, and rose. He also realized he really needed to get out of this suit; the tie was starting to feel like a noose, though he refrained from tugging at it–in front of her, at least. "I'll be back to see you tomorrow."

He felt another twinge of concern when she still didn't answer. She didn't even look at him. He gave her one final glance, then quietly walked out, hoping that she just needed some time and space. Maybe in the morning, after a good night's sleep, she would be in a more receptive frame of mind. He would also be sure to let her know that the offer to take her out to see a lake would still stand… he felt he could use a couple hours at the lake in some fresh air, too.