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Bozer being at the Dalton farm had done such amazing things for Mac’s mentality. He smiled more, was genuinely in a happy mood all the time, spoke about things that were bothering him instead of keeping them hidden. Saying goodbye at the airport hadn’t exactly put a cloud over everything, but Mac’s energy levels definitely started depleting after he was gone.
Jack had joked that Bozer had recharged Mac to full capacity, and with his leaving back to California, the energy levels started to drop. It was understandable of course. Bozer was Mac’s family in every way that mattered and his oldest friend, and they hadn’t seen each other in person in a good six years. Not to say that Mac had completely flipped when Bozer left, but he had definitely reverted to an earlier state.
“You sure you don’t wanna come? Probably gonna be gone a couple hours, and mama’s havin’ a girls day so she won’t be back until late.”
“Last time you told me you needed to see a man about a horse, you surprised me with my best friend. Kinda wondering what you’ll bring me this time.”
“Really is about a horse this time, promise… unless you want me to bring you back somethin’.”
Mac smiled and shook his head. “No, I’m alright. The only thing I really want is to finish what I was doing in the barn. It’s been sitting long enough.”
“What’ve you been doin’ anyway? I mean I ain’t really had a full handle of understandin’ when yer doin’ yer thing, but last few times I saw— kinda just looked like you were movin’ thing around without much goin’ together.”
“That’s kinda what it’s been. I’ve had so much on my mind that I couldn’t really focus, but I think now is as good a time as ever to try and figure everything out. Or at least clean and get rid of all the actual junk I can’t save or salvage.”
“Sounds like a good plan. Remember to be careful if yer doin’ like a deep dive on everythin’. There’s stuff in there even you haven’t touched and it’s a fine home for critters, snakes especially. And lots of rusted things. I don’t wanna come back and find out you need to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot.”
“I’ll be careful. I haven’t seen anything in there except for the occasional bird or mouse. You go see your man about a horse.”
Jack leaving allowed Mac to take a breath. It wasn’t that he was smothered at all, he was still very grateful for the everything done, but he hadn’t had the farm alone to himself since— at all really. Literally. There were usually workers mulling about the property and the actual ranch part, but that was one of the days where no one was there. There’d been a few in the early morning hours, before and with the sun, but they’d since left.
Mac didn’t remember having that type of freedom; a space as big as that to do what he liked. Harry’s home wasn’t the same, not really. It was legally Mac’s own house, but it didn’t truly feel like it. Granted, that wasn’t his farm or ranch, but the mere fact that it was just a large space changed the feeling entirely.
He did end up going into the old barn, which Julia had lovingly referred to it was his Mac Cave. Seeing Bozer did seem to pump him up, and it gave all new ideas and revamped old ones on what to do with all the old equipment in there. A large majority of it was rusted, yet still in working order, then there were things that, if moved incorrectly, would completely disintegrate.
It was all piled up as he left it, but it had probably been long enough and had more climate changes to actually alter how everything was, so Mac figured he might as well go through everything again and make more specific piles. And going through everything would help him see what there actually was.
Majority— a stupid snort went out— all of everything was farm equipment, mainly handheld tools, then a handful of old tractors and more heavy duty items that had been stripped for parts. That was fine. Mac was going to strip them down even further.
He started with the pile of handheld tools— all the old rakes, shovels, hoes, pitchforks— looking them over for severity of rust and how good the handles were. It was pretty half and half for handles for wood verses metal, and a decent chunk of the wooden ones were nearly detached from the heads already. It didn’t take too long to get through everything, and Mac wondered if Jack new anyone that could possibly melt all the old tools down and cast them into new ones.
He hasn’t realized how long it had been, nor how much stuff was actually out there. Upon taking a small break and returning, seeing the whole of the ground littered in scrap metal and splintering wood made him realize how much was really there. He started carrying the wood out, setting it near the porch to get cut up in a later date, then moved on to the rusted bits of jagged metal. He moved it all slower, outside to be thrown in the dumpster. One by one, careful not to let himself get cut and actual need tetanus afterwards.
When he grabbed a piece, he thought maybe another had shifted and caught him on the wrist. It sucked, maybe he could go get a booster before Jack returned, but upon closer look—
Something moved. A flick of something small attached to something coiled around itself, but keeping a lock on Mac.
In all fairness, getting bit by a snake wasn’t exactly the same at needing a tetanus shot, so he wouldn’t have to hear Jack say I told ya so. Though the situation did make him think back to first time he and Jack went on a ride.
“She’s a good girl. Not alotta things outright spook her so if anythin’ happens, she’ll keep you on top and not buck ya off. She’s also real good at spottin’ any snakes that might be around; stompin’ everywhere and managin’ to either scare ‘em off or trample ‘em. Remember, smaller they are the more dangerous, specially the babies. They can’t regulate how much venom goes out so they’ll just keep bitin’ and bitin’ ‘til they can’t no more.”
It had only gotten him once, so that was a plus he supposed, but he didn’t exactly know what kind it was. Yellowish with blackish diamonds and patterns, shaking it’s tale like there should be something there. Maybe he’d gotten lucky and it was non venomous. A turn of events from what he was used to. Either way, he backed away and was holding his wrist above his heart and doing his best to keep the venom, if any, from spreading further through his bloodstream.
So much for his productive day.
“Lotta snakes out here are rattlers. Always give ya lots a warnin’ before doin’ anythin’. Easiest thing to do if ya see one and he starts shakin’, just back up real slow. You leave them alone and they’ll leave you alone. If ya get close enough after hearin’, then it’s kinda on you.”
Well, he didn’t think that was on him. That snake was shaking it’s tail but there was no sound coming from it, so either it was just imitating a rattlesnake or— something else. Either way he needed to get it taken care of.
He got his phone from his pocket, a task proven difficult when holding the wrist of the one closest. He’d called Julia first, knowing she was around town and would most likely be the closer one, but the call went unanswered. So did the second and third. He didn’t know what activities a girls day held, but he didn’t think he was going to get anything if he kept trying. In all honesty he didn’t have high hopes for getting Jack either. He said he might not have service before he left with how out and remote he was going to be, and upon the calls to him going unanswered as well, Mac found he was in a rather precarious situation all on his own.
Both cars were obviously gone, and the third was still sitting up on the jack with a tire removed. He knew he should’ve done that first.
His hand hurt. It was slowly swelling and turning different colors, from the bite and from the lack of regular blood flow. He scrapped the idea that the snake wasn’t venomous. He needed help. Of all the days for there to be no one else there.
He tried both their phones again as he headed inside, still with no luck. His hand got put under the faucet to help it bleed and hopefully get more venom out, and Mac did what he should’ve done in the first place.
“911 what’s your emergency?”
It was a surreal feeling. It sent Mac back to when he was younger and had to take care of himself. Not that he never needed to call 911 before, but that was the first time in a very long while that he was alone in a crisis. Someone was always there, and that someone was usually always Jack. He wasn’t completely helpless that he needed Jack to take care of him all the time, just the fact that calling emergency services wasn’t the first thing he thought of. Calling Jack usually fixed everything, so in Mac’s head, calling Jack was a no brainer.
“I got bit by a snake.”
Being on the other side of it something he didn’t expect. That’s wasn’t right. He wasn’t on the other side. Mac was usually on the side of obtaining help, only there was always someone else there with him, and it was always Jack. It wasn’t that Mac couldn’t care of himself, arguably, but it had definitely been some time since he had to — take control of the situation.
“Can you describe the type of snake that bit you?”
His hand hurt, the small throb growing gradually the whole time. The need to panic about the whole situation had been as well. Jack was always there telling Mac to take it easy and let him handle it. What he would give for Jack to be there at that moment.
“Uh, yellowish-brown with— I don’t know what kind of pattern— oblong diamonds? And the tail was black. Um, it was shaking it’s tail like there should’ve been something there but there wasn’t.”
“Alright sir, based on the description, minus the discrepancy of the tail, it sounds like it was a black tailed rattlesnake. Looks like that specific breed— their rattles can be broken fairly easy so it would make sense if you didn’t see or hear it. First off, are you someplace away from the snake?”
“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen irrigating the bite.”
“I need you to stop. If you’re able, pat it dry and apply a bandage. No unnecessary movement if you can help it. Given your location, EMS can get there in thirty minutes. How long has it been since you got bit?”
That was the question of the hour. Mac didn’t even know what time it was or how long he’d been out there.
“More than five minutes but probably less than ten?”
“Alright. EMS is on their way to you. I’m going to stay on the line with you until they get there and relay any symptoms you might start experiencing. Any right now I should know about?”
The heat of embarrassment was— well, embarrassing. He knew there was nothing wrong with asking for help, especially in that situation, but it made him feel like a kid.
“I don’t think so? It hurts obviously and it looks like it’s starting to bruise but nothing else. Maybe a little hot but…”
“That’s to be expected. And so you’re not too surprised about what else might come— nausea, vomiting, trouble breathing, there might be a weird taste in your mouth, and your appendages might start feeling numb. I need you to tell me immediately if anything like that starts happening.”
It sounded very much on par with what happened when he got bit in the sandbox. At least he didn’t have to worry about any sort of bleeding.
“What’s your name, sir?”
“Mac.”
“Alright Mac, my name is Grace. Can I have you tell me about your day?”
Same tactics as the sandbox as well; keep him awake and talking to see if there was any changes in mentality or cognitive responses.
“Uh, nothing much to tell. I was attempting to clean a mess in an old barn and just— didn’t see it. Typical situation for me, not even the first time I’ve been bit.”
“Can I ask about the other times?”
“Just once, a viper in Afghanistan while defusing an IED. It took a while for symptoms to show, so I’m kind of expecting that here was well.”
“Well let’s just hope EMS gets there before anything happens.”
“Any idea how long that’ll be again?”
“They should be there within twenty-five minutes, and I’m going to stay on the line with you the whole time until they get there.”
***
“Thanks for everythin’ man. I’ll pass this along to the head honcho and we’ll get back to ya.”
“And here I thought I was talking to the head honcho.”
“I’d like to think so, but mama would knock me down several pegs before that happened.”
Jack’s whole seeing a man about a horse venture had finally finished. It had been boring and there was a lot of statistics and old paperwork to look through, but when mama said she was going to look into a new horse, Jack knew he had to shoulder the initial look see. But it was over and he could finally start the trek back home. The only thing he truly hated was a lot of the places he’d gone to didn’t have any service, so no matter how boring it was, he couldn’t fake an emergency to get out of it.
So when he finally did get service back and saw he had several missed calls from Mac, he figured he was allowed to panic just a little, then a lot when he called back and Mac didn’t pick up.
Scenario after scenario was running through his head.
What if he fell and got injured? What if he stepped on something and couldn’t walk? What if something fell on him and he was trapped? What if somehow the barn caught fire and he was trapped inside? What if some crazy person drove on to the property and was holding him hostage? What if a stray bullet got him from someone shooting? What if he cut himself on a rusted piece of jagged metal and did actually need a tetanus shot?
Okay, some scenarios were blown a little out of proportion, but the overall panic of what could’ve happened was the same for each, and Mac’s tendency to not leave a voicemail didn’t help in the least.
Maybe, just maybe, all the calls were accidents. Maybe Mac butt dialed him and he was freaking out for nothing. Sure the timing didn’t make sense, but Mac was an odd guy so— it kind of made sense.
Yeah, thinking that didn’t really help to settle the worry at all.
He called Mac again, and again, and again, until finally the phone was answered.
“Mac!”
“No sir.”
Not Mac. Someone who was not Mac had his phone.
“Who is this?”
“My name’s TK. I’m with EMS.”
Mac needed help. Mac needed help and called Jack. And Jack hadn’t picked up. Panic. Panic was brewing to burst.
“Where’s Mac, uh, the guy who’s phone this is? Blond, skinny, Californian accent.”
“I got him right here. He’s unable to speak at the moment, but we’re on route to the hospital to treat him for a snake bite.”
The panic was there, no longer rising, but still definitely there.
“Which hospital?”
***
Jack knew that hospital. He’d been inside it a few times; twice for himself— once for a broken arm, and once when his shoulder got dislocated. Other times were when he was visiting friends, and the last time was for his dad. Needless to say it didn’t hold great memories.
Everything looked like it had been updated since the last time; new paint, new chairs, lots of screens everywhere. But the halls were the same. The waiting room was the same. The overall feeling of not wanting to be there was the same.
“‘Scuse me. I need help findin’ someone.” He tried to keep his tone relatively calm as he spoke to the lady at front desk. “He was brought in on an ambulance? Angus Macgyver? Or Mac?”
At first he didn’t think she was listening with how she continued typing on the computer, proven wrong when she answered.
“Yes— Angus Macgyver— brought in for a snake bite… he should be settled currently. Relation?”
“Jack Dalton ma’am. I’m—” what was he? Mac would have listed him for something, Jack knows he did. A quick you’re my emergency contact and nothing more said as he rushed to do something, “I’m his emergency contact.”
The nurse eyes Jack for a moment before continuing. “That you are. Room 154. Take the left hall, make a right at the end and go about half way down.”
The various noises did little to settle the nervousness in his chest. The talking, beeping, someone screaming in the opposite direction. He didn’t know what to expect when he got to Mac’s room. A snake bite? The snakes in the general area were mostly all nonvenomous. They’d spent an hour looking through a catalog of all the different native ones. Mac would’ve known if it was a false alarm or not.
Not, apparently. Since he called Jack a handful of times, asking for help that would never come. That was immensely worse than what happened in the sandbox. Jack was there for that. Jack saw it happen. Jack made a joke out of it right as it happened, ignoring the fact Mac got bit by one of the most venomous snakes out there.
What would Mac look like in that hospital bed?
Nothing. Mac just looked like he was sleeping.
Jack was looking in through the window; Mac was laying back against the pillows, one hand over his eyes while the other was by his side with an IV attached to it. It was both calming and unnerving. He didn’t bother knocking.
“Mac?”
His hand didn’t move, but Jack saw his lips twitch up. “Before you say anything, I also got a tetanus shot.”
His brow furrowed before remembering their conversation at the beginning of the day. “You know, when I said I didn’t wanna come back and hear ‘bout you needin’ one, I kinda meant— everythin’.”
“This was not my fault.” He gestured.
“What happened?”
“I was moving a pile of junk and there was a rattleless rattle snake. Happened in a second.”
Jack sucked in a breath. “Shit, man.”
“I called your mom first since she was closer, but she didn’t pick up, and I didn’t think you were going to either. Uh, I’m gonna be honest, not how I pictures by day going.”
“Sorry Mac. I didn’t realize I would be outta range for cell coverage. I woulda come racin’ back.”
“I know you would’ve. It’s fine. I’m alright. They gave me antivenom and want to keep me for a few hours to see if any other symptoms pop up. Right now I just feel nauseous.”
“I’m gonna look into gettin’ satellite. We should be able to reach each other no matter what.”
“Getting back into the sandbox headset huh?”
“Hey our comms were nearly perfect, minus all the times you had to take somethin’ from ‘em.”
“Speaking of communication, we should probably call your mom so she doesn’t start freaking out like you did.”
“I did not freak out. Worried, sure, but not freaked.”
“Whatever you say. Hey, you know what?”
“Huh?”
“This one is way better than the one in the sandbox.”