Jack felt a sharp pain in his thigh, like someone stabbed him with a white-hot blade. Suddenly he went from running to falling, as his leg gave out from beneath him.

"Jack!" MacGyver was beside him in a heart beat, hands patting over him until they found the bullet wound. "Crap!" Mac hissed, slipping his belt off and strapping it around Jack's thigh.

"Dammit!" Jack hissed at the pain that rippled through his leg.

MacGyver apologized, hating that he was hurting his friend. "Sorry...but I have to slow down the bleeding. It's not good, Jack. The bullet hit the femoral artery, you're bleeding out."

Jack felt hazy, almost like he was floating. "S'okay, Mac. Today...today is...is...a good day...to die." Vaguely he realized he was quoting some movie dialogue but, for the life of him, he couldn't remember what movie.

"Shut the hell up, Jack!" Mac pulled off the back pack he'd been carrying and searched the contents. He had to stop the bleeding. "Today is not a good day to die. You hear me?" MacGyver was trying to keep his cool, but watching the blood pumping out of Jack's leg was freaking him out. He knew he was running out of time and what he was going to do was risky, but he had no choice. He could hear the bad guys coming and they were still over a mile away from the pick up point.

Moving as quickly as he could, Mac packed the wound then used the lighter he'd slipped into his pocket earlier, lit it, then touched it to the packing. He ignored Jack's howl of pain, feeling too relieved that his idea had worked and the wound was sealed. It would not last long, but for now Jack had stopped bleeding out. Which would allow Mac to focus on stopping the bad guys that were still following them. Grimly, pulled an aerosol can out of the back pack and fired up the lighter.

Jack was dimly aware of shouting, then screaming, then MacGyver saying something about them having to hurry. He felt himself being pulled up to his feet but his leg wouldn't support him. Next thing he knew he felt his body shifting direction, then pain, then there was only darkness.

Awareness came back to Jack slowly, one level at a time, until he was able to peel his eyes open and blink against the sudden brightness. He realized he was in a hospital room and he remembered being shot. He also realized his leg ached but seeing the IV in the back of his left hand, he was apparently on the good drugs. Panic hit him suddenly as a horrible thought occurred and he used his free hand to yank the covers back to prove to himself that he still had two legs. A heavy wave of relief washed over him, leaving Jack feeling a bit dizzy.

He closed his eyes as he sagged back against the pillows, but they flew open as he felt someone drawing the covers back over him. Jack couldn't hide his surprised when he realized who it was. "Hey there, Patricia. What are you doing here?"

But before she could respond, Jack suddenly remembered something very important. "Where's Mac?"

"Right beside you," Thornton said, pointing to Jack's right.

"What happened?" Jack was stunned to see Mac lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and impossibly pale and still.

Thornton pulled the chair she had been sitting in closer to Jack's bed and sat back down. "Let's start with what you remember."

Jack closed his eyes and focused. "I got shot and then I woke up here. That's all I got. What happened to MacGyver?"

"Let me start from where you got shot," Patricia countered. "Apparently Mac packed your leg to seal the wound and has every doctor in this hospital fascinated."

"Sounds like Mac," Jack chuckled. "Wait...there were bad guys chasing us. What happened to them."

Thornton shrugged. "Let's just say there was fire involved and leave it at that."

Jack's curiosity was piqued, but he would ask the kid about it later. For now he had another burning question. "How did I get here? We were a good mile away from the pick up point."

"Thank MacGyver...again. He carried you to the pick up point." Thornton looked amused as she waited for Jack's reaction.

"No way!" Jack knew the kid could create something out of nothing, but carrying Jack for over a mile fell under a whole different kind of skill set. Sure he was lean and wiry and surprisingly strong, but...seriously? Jack would have to ponder on that for a time. "So...what happened to Mac? Is he going to be all right?"

Thornton was quick to reassure him. "He collapsed, but he's going to be fine."

Jack was not satisfied with that answer. "I need details, Patty."

"From what the head nurse tells me, MacGyver was with you every step of the way." Thornton stated. "She got him to shower because he was covered in your blood, only it turns out he got hit in the ribs. The bullet only grazed him but it was deep and he tried to take care of it himself."

"Damn, fool kid!" Jack cursed. They were so going to have yet another talk when MacGyver woke up.

Thornton shrugged. "Wonder where he gets that from?" she drawled. While Jack spluttered in search of a come back, she continued. "Anyway, he finally collapsed due to dehydration, lack of sleep and lack of food. Not to mention minor blood loss. So the IV's are to rehydrate him and pump him full of antibiotics. And before you ask again, he's going to be fine. You're both going to be fine, and you're both going to stay here for a few days."

Jack was okay with that, he could keep an eye on Mac. "When is he expected to wake up?"

"He's been out for about six hours," Thornton replied. "The doctor figures he'll be out sixteen to twenty hours total."

"So figure maybe six more hours," Jack calculated. "How long have I been here?"

Thornton glanced at her watch. "About twenty-four hours. You've been in an out a few times before you finally woke up." She got up and put the chair back in the corner. "I'm heading back to the foundation, but I expect you both to follow doctor's orders. I will be keeping an eye on you."

Jack knew she would. "We'll be good, Patty. Cross my heart."

"Can I get you anything before I go?" she asked.

"Something to eat?" Jack patted his stomach. "I'm feeling a bit empty."

Thornton nodded. "I'll speak with the nurse on my way out. Call me if you need anything, the both of you." With that said, she exited the room.

Jack sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face as he looked over at MacGyver. The kid hadn't stirred. "Well, I guess it's just you and me, kid." Leaning his head back, Jack let himself drift a bit, remembering the first time MacGyver had gotten hurt on a mission. It was the third mission since they'd partnered up and, per usual, they were running from the bad guys.

They had started out driving only to have the tires shot out, which sent the car off the road and down an embankment, despite Jack's best efforts. They had ended up rolling, landing on the roof and Jack had been trapped by his seatbelt. Mac had cut him out and dragged him out of the car just seconds before it blew up. Which, on the one hand had the benefit of making the bad guys believe they were dead so they left. On the other hand, they had to walk all the way to the pick up point.

They were spending the night and separated to clean up. Jack had finished first and made his way to Mac's room, walking in unannounced to find MacGyver pulling his shirt on. Only the kid's entire left side was a giant bruise and Jack had flipped out on him. MacGyver had argued it was only bruises and that they had been in a car accident. Jack had countered by making him promise to tell him the next time he was hurt or injured, whether it was something major or minor. Rolling his eyes, the kid had said he would.

Good thing he hadn't promised, because two months later they were running from the bad guys and one of them threw a grenade. Both MacGyver and Jack had gone flying, with MacGyver slamming hard into a tree. The kid had gotten right back up and he and Jack had kept on running, until MacGyver was able to rig up a trap to catch the bad guys. Mission accomplished, everything was good.

Until the plane ride home when Mac just up and collapsed, totally freaking Jack out. Turns out the kid sustained a concussion from the blast. When MacGyver woke up in a hospital room to Jack glaring at him, the kid had simply shrugged and said he was fine and it was no big deal. Which had sent Jack off on a tirade ending with him explaining why it was necessary for Mac to be honest about his injuries, always. Then he had warned MacGyver that if he lied about, or hid an injury again, he was going to throw him over his knees and whup his ass.

Jack chuckled remembering the kid's reaction to that threat. MacGyver had appeared both disturbed and disgruntled. He had, however, seemed to take the threat somewhat seriously because the next time he was injured, he told Jack. To this day Jack wasn't sure it really counted seeing as how Mac had twisted his ankle to the point where he couldn't walk on it, so he wouldn't have been able to hide the injury. Jack still took it as a win and, for the most part, Mac fessed up when he was hurt significantly. When it was something minor he still tended to blow it off. And, on occasion, he still tried to hide it if he thought he could get away with it. Mostly it boiled down to MacGyver having a different understanding of what *okay*, *good* and *fine* really meant.

The sound of a cart being wheeled into the room brought Jack out of his trip through memory lane. It was a nurse with a food tray. She asked how he was feeling as she took his pulse and check his readings. Since the pain meds were still working, Jack told her he was fine, just hungry. So she set his tray on the bed table and swung it over his lap.

"Hit the call button if you need me," she told him. "I'll be back to get the tray." Before leaving she checked on MacGyver, seemingly satisfied with his readings. She also paused long enough to fluff Mac's pillows a bit and smooth the covers over him before tucking them in a bit.

Jack watched in amusement, not the least bit surprised. She was about Mac's age and very pretty, not that the kid would have noticed the attention even if he had been awake. It never failed to amaze Jack how MacGyver could be so oblivious whenever a pretty woman noticed him. Even with Nikki, she had been the one to make the first move and she hadn't been the least bit subtle about it. Still it had taken a few tries before Mac had gotten the hint. In retrospect, Jack wished he'd never gotten the hint, then his heart wouldn't have been broken. But that was a story he hoped was behind them. For now Jack was content to dig into his food, until he discovered it was mashed potatoes, applesauce and green jello. He hated green jello.

Forcing down a forkful of faux mashed potatoes, Jack washed it down with a swig of apple juice and almost spit it out when he realized MacGyver was stirring. Pushing the tray table aside, Jack looked over at his friend. "Hey, Mac...you with me?"

"Jack?" MacGyver's eyes shot open and he half sat up only to gasp and freeze.

"Easy...," Jack drawled. "You're okay, kid. It's all good."

Easing back against the pillows, MacGyver took stock of his surroundings. Seeing the hospital room jogged his memory and he stared over at Jack. "You okay?"

Jack nodded. "I'm okay. All thanks to you, I hear. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Mac stared at the IV taped to the back of his left hand and started to pick at the tape.

"Touch that and I call the nurse," Jack threatened. "She's mean and bigger than me." A total lie but worth it if it got the result he wanted. And it did.

MacGyver grimaced but left the IV alone. He used his free hand to scrub through his hair, leaving it standing up in spiky tufts. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, looking worried.

Jack understood and was quick to reassure him. "I'm tough and you know it. I'm a bit sore but I'll be fine. Speaking of which, I'm going to give you a pass on not telling me you were hurt this time. I mean, given how I was unconscious and all. But let me add an addendum to our talk." He held up a hand to cut off MacGyver's protest. "When you can't tell me, you tell someone else. Got it? You don't wait until you collapse."

"It was just a scrape," Mac insisted.

"A bullet scrape? That's what you're calling it?" Jack was astounded.

Mac snorted. "To be honest...carrying you was more painful. You're heavy."

Jack was insulted. "I am not heavy, I'm muscular. You just need more meat on your bones, twiglet."

"You did not just call me that," Mac shot back, totally offended and glaring daggers at Jack.

"I did." Jack felt smug and let it show. "Thornton told me you passed out from lack of sleep, lack of eating and dehydration. Oh...and let's not forget blood loss."

MacGyver shook his head. "Don't talk to me about blood loss. You almost died, Jack!" He broke off and buried his face in his hands, taking a moment to regain his composure.

Jack heard the break in MacGyver's voice. "But I didn't die because you did your MacGyver thing and saved me. I hear all the doctors are impressed and please don't tell me what you did, I do not want to know." Just the thought of what crazy thing the kid had to do freaked Jack out a bit, in part because he did remember it involved a lighter and a whole lot of pain. "Carrying me to the pick up point...that right there is just damn impressive. I can't thank you enough, bro."

"You don't have to thank me," Mac mumbled. "Just don't get shot again. Or, at least don't get shot in the leg. I seriously don't want to have to carry you again."

"I'll promise not to get shot in the leg if you promise to tell someone when you get hurt," Jack countered.

Mac sighed. "I was too worried about you to notice anything was wrong with me," he said softly. "So, technically, I didn't break my promise."

Jack couldn't argue with him on that point, because he understood that the kid was worried. He couldn't fault him for that. "How about we both promise not to get hurt again any time soon."

"Works for me." MacGyver knew they couldn't really keep that promise in their line of work, but he accepted the peace offering for what it was. "So...how long are you going to be here?"

"We...are going to be here for a few days, according to Patricia," Jack replied. "So don't even think about sneaking out, because I will call her and rat you out."

Mac knew that he would so he said nothing. At which point the nurse entered the room, smiling at MacGyver and she walked right past Jack's bed to his own. She wasn't bigger than Jack, she was however very pretty. Mac was totally going to get even with Jack for lying to him. For now, however, he answered her questions about how he was feeling.

Jack watched on, totally amused with the way the kid flirted with the nurse, laying on the charm. He knew MacGyver was trying to charm his way into being released. It was fun watching him fail, when the doctor arrived with perfect timing to inform MacGyver that both he and Jack would be staying for at least three days.

"Nice moves with the nurse," Jack teased, when both she and the doctor left them after the doctor checked them both.

"I hate you," MacGyver shot back, pouting.

Jack chuckled, ready to tease him some more when the nurse returned and injected something into both their IV's. "What is that stuff?" he demanded.

The nurse smiled. "Something to help you both sleep. Sweet dreams, gentlemen." Before leaving she once again fussed over MacGyver.

Who was too busy drifting off to sleep to notice.

Jack did notice and he would tease him mercilessly, after they woke up again. Feeling liquid warmth seeping through his veins, Jack closed his eyes and let the darkness sweep him away.

THE END