Work Text:
S.E.R.E.
ONE
"One more second..." Mac said.
"Times up!" Jack replied as armed soldiers arrived and Jack exchanged gunfire with them.
"Done! Go!" Mac called leading him out the other way.
Jack fired off a few rounds and followed him down a set of stairs.
Mac pushed the door open and took a hit to the head from another soldier.
"Mac!" Jack shot the soldier and knelt down to check his partner, "come on Mac." He tapped his face.
'Jack?' He heard Matty and Bozer call at the same time.
"Mac got clocked, he's out cold. Ri, Boze, come down the alley and get him. Mac has the flashdrive. I'll draw them away while y'all get to ex-fil."
'Be there in five.' Riley answered.
Jack hefted Mac onto his shoulders and headed down another flight of stairs and out the back door where he placed Mac down and hid him with trash bags after placing two items in Mac's pocket.
"Nothing good comes from us splitting up does it hoss but we gotta do it this time." Jack said quietly, patted Mac's chest and jogged off.
Riley and Bozer entered the alley and drove slowly.
"There!" Bozer pointed and Riley stopped the car. they got out and tossed the trash bags out of the way uncovering Mac.
"Mac." Bozer shook him but he didn't rouse.
They maneuver him into the backseat of the car and drove away heading for ex-fil.
"Jack we have him." Riley said.
"Jack?" Bozer exchanged a look with her when there was no answer.
"Matty, Jack isn't--" He started to say.
'Jack ditched him comms, SOP. he'll meet you at ex-fil. How is baby Einstein?'
"Still out cold." Bozer answered concerned.
'Get him to ex-fil, I'll have them divert to medical.' She ordered.
"Will do." Riley replied and drove on.
Fifteen miles and twenty minutes later they pulled up to the ex-fil sight where the helicopter was waiting and they helped Mac aboard.
"We have to go." The pilot said a few minutes later.
"No! Jack--" Riley said.
"We don't have a choice Agent Davis, time is limited. If we don't go now we won't be able to go at all."
"Jack--"
"Mac needs a hospital." Bozer reminded her.
'Captain Dion get my agents out of there.' Matty ordered.
"Matty--" Riley tried.
'We'll find a way to contact Jack or he'll contact us but Mac needs help and Jack would be the first to make the call to get him out.' Matty cut her off and the helicopter lifted off.
Riley watched as the ground shrinked below them and looked at the unconscious Mac silently promising Jack they'd take care of him and that he'd better find a way to get back to them or she'd kicked his butt.
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TWO
Jack jumped into the car and quickly hotwired it and drove off.
He made sure the guys after him saw him and followed leading them far away from Mac, Bozer and Riley.
Get him out of here guys.
Jack squealed the tires as he went around the corner where he intended to lose them, hole up and call for ex-fil.
Fate had other plans when another car plowed into his and spun him sending him into a wall where he he hit his head off the steering wheel dazing him.
The door was flung open and Jack was yanked out, slammed against the car and searched.
"He doesn't have it."
"Where is the flashdrive?!?" A man with cold eyes asked him.
Jack blinked trying to clear his head and quell the headache.
"Bring him." The man ordered.
Jack was shoved into a van and driven away.
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THREE
Mac woke with a grimace.
"Easy Agent MacGyver, you suffered a concussion." The doctor said.
"We made it home?" Mac asked sitting up gingerly.
"Yes Mac, the information is in our hands thanks to you." Matty answered entering with Riley and Bozer.
"Where's Jack?" Mac frowned.
"We're looking for him." Matty replied, no use pretending with him, even not firing on all cylinders he'll know if we're lying.
"What do you mean looking for him? " Mac demanded.
They relayed the events of what took place while he was unconscious.
"You had these on you besides the flashdrive." Matty held out Jack's earcomm and cell phone.
"You left Jack there?!?" He looked at Bozer and Riley angrily.
"Jack's first priority is protecting you, you were down, he got you out of there. We are doing everything we can to locate him. Hopefully he got away and will contact us for ex-fil soon." Matty replied.
"How long have I been out?"
"Almost six hours." Bozer answered.
"Six hours? Jack would have contacted us by now." Mac slid off the bed.
"Whoa, Mac, you're in no shape to be up." Riley grabbed his arm as he wobbled.
"Jack's in trouble." Mac replied.
"We don't know that. On a CIA op once it took him two weeks to contact us for ex-fil." Matty replied.
"And you put him through a three day interrogation before you believed he hadn't been compromised. Jack is in trouble Matty. We need to find him."
"Clear the room." She ordered, the doctor, Bozer and Riley departed glancing back at Mac.
"I understand your worry but I can't help but wonder if it stems from what happened when you quit and Jack got into trouble in Bulgaria."
"Yes and no. My gut is telling me he's in trouble and one thing Jack taught me was to listen to my gut."
"We're doing everything we can to locate him. I've called in favors Mac, everyone is looking for him. You need to rest and heal. I will let you know if we hear anything." She promised and turned to go when he took a step to follow.
"Back in bed baby Einstein." She ordered.
"I need to be there." He answered quietly.
"Get dressed and have someone bring you to the war room." She nodded and left.
Mac breathed relieved and smiled as Bozer came inside and helped him dress then he reluctantly sat in a wheelchair, the only way the doctor would let him travel, and they headed to the war room.
Be okay Jack, we'll find you. I promise.
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FOUR
Jack took another punch to the face.
"Who are you?"
"John McClain, yippie kai ye mother--" Jack groaned as he took a hit to the stomach.
"I will break you." The man vowed and nodded to his goon and Jack was hit again.
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FIVE
Mac sat in the chair bending the paperclip, looking at the big screen as the information scrolled by.
He tossed the latest creation on the coffee table.
"You've been busy." Matty said entering and seeing the pile of symbols that included a star, cowboy hat and gun, all representative of his worry about Jack.
"It's been two hours since I came up, eight hours since I was brought here, what? another hour or two since I was concussed on the mission? That's nine or ten hours he's been missing...what have they done to him in that time Matty?"
Matty didn't answer, as a former CIA agent herself she knew what kind of torture her agent...her friend...was enduring.
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SIX
Jack coughed as he was doused with water.
He realized he was naked and hanging by his arms.
They will strip you naked to humiliate you.
"Still look better than you boys do." Jack chuckled and moaned as he was hit once again.
The interrogation lasted over two hours by Jack's reckoning then he was dumped into his cell where he passed out from the pain.
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SEVEN
Mac paced, they were trying to find Baronevski.
The man seemed to have fallen off the grid, Riley was having a hard time locating his electronic footprint...and Jack.
"Whoa! Hold up ! I got him! A small village in the countryside." Riley announced puting it on the big screen.
"How soon can we go?" Mac asked.
"A team will be heading out in ten but you're staying here."
"Matty--"
"You're recovering from a concussion Mac, not in any shape to go on a rescue mission." Bozer said.
"Jack--" Mac tried.
"Trained every one of those men. They have as much at stake in rescuing him too. They will find him." Matty touched his hand.
"I know it's hard being the one here waiting." She added.
Mac sunk into the chair and nodded silently, rubbing his eyes.
"Captain Lester, you have a go." Matty touched her ear sending the tactical team to bring Jack home.
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Jack felt the bile rise up and he managed to throw up on his captor's feet.
Baronevski looked down then stomped on Jack's bare left foot making him cry out.
Jack was pretty sure he'd broken a few bones.
The beatings started again then he was dumped into his cell as darkness fell around him.
He clamped his mouth shut as tears slid from his eyes.
A short time later he passed out and dreamt.
Dalton! What does S.E.R.E. stand for?
Sir! Survive. Evade. Resist. Escape. Sir!
That is correct.
Let me tell you the facts of capture and torture gentlemen.
You will cry.
You will wet, shit and puke yourselves.
You will be humiliated by your captors.
You may even be sexually violated.
Use it.
Use everything they do to you to help you escape.
Let them believe they have broken you.
Watch. Listen. Plan.
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Dawn was still an hour away when the strike team moved into position.
"It's quiet Director. No activity." Captain Lester, the team leader reported.
Matty exchanged a look with Mac.
"Move in with caution." She ordered.
Matty, Mac, Riley and Bozer watched the team move stealthily into the compound, guns ready to remove any enemy target they came across.
They systematically searched and reached a door with a padlock on it which hung loose.
The team slipped inside covering each other as they silently descended the stairs.
They shone their nightscope assault weapons into each cell as they walked the length of the subterranian prison until they reached the last cell where they found a naked man with a buzz cut hair style facing away from them.
Riley gasped and Bozer took her hand.
The paperclip Mac held dug into his palm.
"Check." Matty ordered, outwardly calm but internally making bargains with the big guy upstairs to let Jack be alive.
Lester touched the naked man's neck and shook his head.
"No pulse Director Webber. He's cold." He said quietly.
"There's also a large pool of blood, he was stabbed some time ago and bled out." Lester informed them.
Riley wanted to look away but owed it to the man who'd been like a father to her.
I'll find them Jack and they will pay for taking you from us, she vowed.
Bozer swallowed and kept his own eyes on the screen, he owed it to Jack and to Mac, Riley and Matty.
Matty's heart ached for her young subordinates, she and Jack had been like parents to these three and it was a major blow to all of them to lose Jack, one she wasn't sure they could recover from.
You were my friend, as annoying as you could be , you were my friend Jack Dalton and I swear to you I will find out who did this and they will be punished...one way or another.
"Show me his face." Mac said.
"Mac--" Bozer touched his shoulder and mac shrugged him off.
"Show me!"
Matty, looked at him and understood he needed confirmation before he would let himself believe it.
"Do it Captain Lester." She nodded.
"Matty!" Bozer argued then wisely closed his mouth at her look.
Riley stepped up and took Mac's hand.
They would face the truth together.
Captain Lester rolled Jack over.
"BOMB!" He yelled and everyone scrambled to get away.
Those in the war room watched in shock and horror as the explosion whited out the screen.
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EIGHT
"Lester! Report!" Matty ordered as their video and comms went off-line.
"Ri-" She started and saw the young woman's face .
"Play it back." Mac ordered.
"Mac!" Bozer glared at him.
Mac turned on his heel and strode out.
Matty started to call for another technician to get them back on-line.
"I'll do it." Riley said reaching for her rig.
"Riley--" Bozer said soothingly.
"These were Jack's people Boze." She replied trying to re-establish contact with the team.
"Hey, I need to see that footage again." Mac said striding into the room next door to the war room.
"I don't...I mean...Director Webber needs to authorize--" The man stuttered.
"Do it now." Mac ordered in his best Jack Dalton deadly Delta voice.
The man quickly started typing in obedience.
"Fisher, Garson, Zechler and Tibbits need evacted."
"Someone is on the way. Do what you can until medical reaches you." Matty replied.
Riley had gotten them audio back but not video so Matty could see how bad her TAC team was injured.
"It wasn't him." Mac rushed inside.
"Mac!" Matty snapped.
"It wasn't Jack!" Mac handed her the still photo from Lester's video.
"Jack's alive?" Riley breathed seeing it was obviously not her 'old man' who was tortured, stabbed and blown up.
"How do you know? They could have killed him upstairs and then dumped his body in the jungle--"
"Bozer!" The trio said in unison.
"We'll get our guys squared away and start the search for Jack." Lester replied.
"Are you sure you're up to it? I can send another team." Matty said.
"Yes, ma'am. Jack would do the same for us." Lester replied.
"I'm coming down." Mac said heading for the door.
"Blondie--"
"I know Jack better than anyone." He looked at her.
"Bring him home." Matty said quietly.
Mac looked at her, Riley and Bozer, nodded once then left.
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NINE
Jack limped along, a permanent grimace on his face.
He thought back to just a few hours ago.
After the fourth beating Jack had been dumped into the cell again.
He'd done what his training taught him...let them think he was broken.
He begged them to stop...told them half-truths, he was CIA, that they knew their plans, a team was hitting their factory right now...
They put him back in the cell and fell back on their contingency plans.
Jack was ready when the assassin came for him.
The man entered the cell and knelt down.
"I will make the end quick." The man said pulling his knife to slit Jack's throat.
Jack moaned to cover his leg movements.
The man put the knife to Jack's throat and Jack struck.
He rolled knocking the man off balance with the leg he'd slipped between them.
The assassin managed to get a slice in over Jack's ribs then Jack hit him in the throat and snapped his neck.
"Damn it." Jack hissed as blood dripped to the dirt floor.
He quickly stripped the man, dressing in his clothes and size too big boots, he wiped the knife on the man's neck and made his escape.
He had to evade some of Baronevski's men but made it out of the compound and into the forest, limping away as fast as his broken foot would allow.
Need to get as far away as possible before they realize I'm gone, he panted holding his side, the bleeding had stopped but it throbbed like an SOB.
Jack stopped to take a breath and used the knife to carve a sign into the tree to help Phoenix find him.
I've gone as far as I can, he admitted tiredly to himself as he carefully climbed a tree, doing his best to blend into the foliage.
Baronevski's men have night scope undoubtedly.
He looked up at the moon, I guess I've gone at least a hundred yards.
Come on Matty, I need a hand here, he thought as he laid his head against the tree trunk and closed his eyes.
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TEN
Jack was on the run, he knew he was close to the safe zone so he pushed himself even more and grinned upon spotting it, he crawled inside the grassy knoll with a giddy laugh and fell into an exhausted sleep.
He didn't know how much later it was but he woke to a dog licking him.
Congratulations Sergeant Dalton, you passed this part of the field training.
Can I sleep now sir?
Not quite yet son.
Jack woke to the sounds of the forest.
Damn! It's later than I thought.
He heard footfall below and saw one of Baronevski's men, he heard the man relay his position but that he hadn't found Jack yet, neither had anyone else apparently, making Jack smile.
He waited until the man signed off then quietly dropped from the tree knocking the man to the ground, he put the man into a headlock until he was unconscious.
Jack lifted the walkie-talkie and weapons then hid the man in the forest overgrowth, left another sign and quickly limped away.
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Mac helped get the injured strike team members onto the helicopter and they watched it leave.
"We found an entry point into the forest, it's pretty thoroughly trodden." Jacobs reported.
"They're looking for Jack." Mac replied.
"Let's find him first. Move out." Captain Lester quietly ordered.
Mac followed the strike team into the forest.
They'd gone ten yards when Mac found the first foot impression in the soft forest floor.
"Size 12...this is off." Mac frowned studying it, "the boot is too big and the indentation is wrong...how did the man in the cell die?"
"The quick look we got before the bomb appeared to be a snapped neck. There was blood but no obvious wounds." Captain Lester answered.
"Jack did it, he took the man's clothes...his boots...and escaped. Jack wears elevens but something is off about his steps...he's injured."
"They tortured him Agent MacGyver, of course he's injured. Move out." Captain Lester ordered.
Mac sighed and followed, he knew Jack had suffered at Baronevski's hands but Mac was thinking of the kind of injury his friend suffered from the boot inpression...leg injury? Foot injury?
We're coming Jack.
The strike team and Mac tracked the broken forest foliage and found Jack's sign.
"He headed north." Lester said and motioned his men that way.
'So Jack carves an arrow pointing east and we go west,' Thorpe chortled, 'it took them a full hour to finally figure out we were carving the arrow in the opposite direction from our real trail.'
'Say what you want about Jack but he's a hell of a tactician' , Munoz raised his beer bottle in salutation.
'And a hell of a sniper.' Fitzy added.
'To Jack!' Deacon grinned.
'Shut up and drink y'all!' Jack laughed.
"No!" Mac whispered, "Jack went the opposite direction."
"The arrow points north." Banks frowned.
"Trust me on this Captain." Mac looked at Lester.
'Captain, Mac knows Jack better than anyone.' Matty weighed in.
"I hope you're right Agent MacGyver." Lester said and motioned them south.
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ELEVEN
Jack carved another arrow and limped the opposite direction, he could hear Baronevski's men all around the area, he'd avoided them twice now, just barely, and took two more single men down but now they had wised up and were patroling in pairs.
He limped past a tree and stepped into a hole crying out as he went down.
He struggled to push himself up and escape .
Jack was slammed against the tree and spun around.
"This ends now." Baronevski sneered.
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Mac heard the cry and started toward it when Captain Lester pulled him back and signalled to his team and they all stealthily moved forward.
Mac looked aorund and grabbed a few native plants then pulled items from his backpack.
He touched Lester's arm and raised two fingers when they saw Jack surrounded.
Lester frowned but nodded, Jack trusted Mac to do his 'science thing' as Jack often said.
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"Barry, Barry, Barry. The only end is gonna be you bud--"
Jack grunted as he was hit in the gut.
"You will die here! The earth will consume you and no one will ever know where you are." Baronevski pulled his gun and put it to Jack's head when he was hit by a clump of dirt in the side of the head.
He spun around furiously then cried out as the side that got hit started to burn, the men with him also went down in pain.
Jack smiled as Lester and his men emerged and placed Baronevski and his men into custody.
"Good to see you awake bud." He smiled seeing Mac.
"Good to see you alive big guy." Mac smiled back.
'What are his injuries Mac?' Matty asked through the ear comm.
"How bad are you hurt Jack? The truth." Mac asked soberly.
"Pretty sure I got a couple of cracked ribs, a knife slice over them and my foot is broken. The rest is surface damage." Jack answered honestly.
'Ex-fil is half a mile east, can he walk?'
Mac relayed the information and her question.
"Let's go home boys." Jack nodded tiredly.
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TWELVE
Mac helped Jack into the helicopter, he and Jack took one with a few of the TAC team while Lester and his other men took the other helo with the prisoners in custody.
Jack closed his eyes letting the rocking of the helo lull him into a doze.
Mac kept a close eye on him, there were multiple bruises on Jack's face and he knew there were far more under the borrowed clothing.
"Stop staring at me bud," Jack looked at him, " I've had far worse and we both know it."
"When I woke up and found out you hadn't made it back..." Mac sighed.
"I'm here now and you're getting me home. What was that dirt stuff by the way?"
"Native plants and a mix of chemicals I brought with me to make them burn on skin contact."
"I'm damn glad you're on our side." Jack chuckled.
"I'll always be on your side." Mac smiled.
"Same here."
"We'll be home in a few hours." Mac touched his arm.
"Just gonna close my eyes then." Jack said and followed through.
Mac kept a close eye on him all the way home.
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The doctor exited the exam room to find Mac, Matty, Bozer and Riley.
"Agent Dalton has entensive bruising to his torso due to being beaten repeatedly. He also suffered a knife lasceration across his ribs, it didn't need stitches, we cleaned it thoroughly though and put him on heavy anti-biotics for infection.
"He has three cracked ribs and we're keeping an eye on his kidney output as he suffered repeated blows to them.
"Lastly we're going to take him down to radiology to have his foot x-rayed to determine how many bones were broken and the course of treatment, though he'll more than likely need surgery for it. He's resting comfortably."
"I...we...want to see him." Mac said.
"Go ahead, we'll come and get him when things are set up." The doctor nodded and headed down the hall.
Mac led them to Jack's room and they quietly entered.
Each took in the bruising on his face.
Mac was the only one to have seen him and even he was shocked by how bad it was now that Jack had been cleaned up.
"I must look like death himself the way y'all are staring." Jack opened his eyes and looked at them.
"You've got some spectacular bruising there Jack, almost rivals Cali, Columbia." Matty said.
"Another one right up there with Cairo." Jack muttered.
"What I do for my country." He chuckled then grimaced.
"You okay old man?" Riley asked concerned, touching him arm, mindful of the bandages wrapped around his wrists.
"I want to shove a catheter up Baronevski's--"
"We get it Jack." Matty cut him off.
"When they spring you I'll make your favorites."
"You're on Boze." Jack smiled.
"Radiology is ready." A nurse said coming inside with two orderlies.
"I'll be right here when you get back." Mac patted his shoulder.
"Lead on MacDuff." Jack pointed toward the door and was rolled out.
"I have some prisoners to interrogate." Matty said coldly and departed.
"Guess we'll settle in until Jack gets back." Riley said and found a spot by the far wall and opened her rig.
"I'm going to make a coffee run."
"Thanks Boze." Mac nodded.
"He's going to be okay Mac, this is Jack we're talking about." Riley said once Bozer was gone.
"This wouldn't have happened if I had been more cautious, that guy couldn't have knocked me out and Jack wouldn't have had to protect me by leading them away."
"And Jack would tell you that was his job Mac. No point in looking at the back end of the horse when you're done riding."
"What?" Mac asked puzzled.
"Something he said when I was a kid and I still have no idea what it means." She shrugged.
Mac sighed and settled into the chair.
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THIRTEEN
Jack slowly woke and went to rub his face wincing as he lifted his arm.
"Easy big guy."
"Mac?"
Mac smiled, when Jack was tired, hurt or sick his southern drawl became much more pronounced, like now.
"Yeah buddy it's me, you just came out of surgery to repair your foot. Doc says it went well."
"Hmm...that's good...need my foot." Jack yawned.
"Get some sleep, you've got a few days here before they cut you loose."
" 'kay." Jack mumbled and dozed off.
Jack had been in the hospital three days now, they'd done the surgery after removing the catheter and making sure his kidney's were functioning like they should. He would remain another two days before recouperating at Casa de MacGyver as he knew Jack would call it.
Bozer would make sure there was plenty of food to eat as he was at the house right now cooking and freezing the meals.
"We got you covered big guy, you just concentrate on healing."
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FOURTEEN
"Easy." Mac said guiding him into the house two days after the surgery.
Matty had also placed Jack on leave until his foot was healed, but as she confided in Mac she fully expected him to show up at Phoenix by the end of the week, she would find something for him to do to keep him occupied.
Jack crutched his way to the couch and sat down with a sigh.
He placed his foot on the coffee table and closed his eyes, smiling as Mac gently lifted his leg and placed a pillow under his foot before setting it back down.
"Thanks bud."
"Bozer's on his way over with breakfast fixings, his words and he make enough meals for two weeks for us. Do you need a pain pill?"
"Nope, wake me when breakfast is ready."
"You got it." Mac replied and draped the Dallas Cowboys throw over him that Mac had purchased for when Jack spent the night.
Bozer arrived and quickly made breakfast, Mac woke Jack and they all ate.
As Bozer and Mac were cleaning up Jack crutched his way onto the deck, they had banned him from helping with the clean-up, and sat a the picnic table.
Mac touched his shoulder and Jack looked up smiling.
"I like your house bud, the view is peaceful."
"It is." Mac agreed sitting then sighed.
"What?" Jack asked.
"You got hurt because of me."
"I got hurt because Baronevski caught me."
"If I hadn't gotten knocked out--"
"Mac stop. My job is to protect you, just like in the Army. I did my job so you could do yours. Matty got the info right?"
"Yeah, speaking of..." Mac handed Jack his cell phone.
Jack smiled in delight seeing he wouldn't have to replace it again the pointed at his foot.
"This will heal hoss, Baronevski will never get out of prison. Score one for the good guys." Jack held his fist out.
"Yeah, I'm glad you're going to be okay Jack." Mac bumped it.
"Me too son." Jack rose balancing on his crutches, "Boze have any hot chocolate?"
"I'll make you a mug." Mac nodded and rose motioning for Jack to go first.
"Hey Jack...?"
"Yeah?"
"What does, 'no point in looking at the back end of the horse when you're done riding' mean?"
Jack laughed and half turned to him.
"That's for your ginormous brain to figure out partner." He replied and crutched his way inside.
Mac watched him and smiled fondly then went to make the hot chocolate.
The End 2018