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Head Shy, Chapter 10 (PG)
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Bandersnatch
Posted: 12 April 2010 - 11:40 AM                                    
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Special Forces Agent
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Posts: 144
Joined: 22 May 2005
Gender:  Female
Country: USA
SAK owned: A sharp one

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Season: season 3
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Jacket:  Black leather
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Here's the next installment. Hope you enjoy it.

Bander

---------------------

“Knock, knock! Anyone home?”

Hearing Pete’s lively call from outside his door made MacGyver groan and flip the covers over his head. He wasn’t in the mood for company, especially the kind that would insist on cheering him up. He was tired, worn out from his exploits of the night before, and his body craved sleep. He wanted to be left alone, something he knew his friend would have a hard time accepting.

The door opened. “You awake?”

“Nope.”

“Come on, Mac, you’ve been asleep all day,” Pete said, entering the room despite the cold shoulder he was getting. He set down the paper bag he was carrying and looked at the formless lump on the bed. “You do realize it’s after six. Aren’t you going to get up at all today?”

He heard a muffled grumble come from beneath the blankets and grinned. “You know, Michael used to sound just like that when he didn’t want to get up for school,” he said, taking a seat. “I remember this one time he was so determined to stay in bed, I had to resort to dumping ice water over his head. He was so mad – he didn’t speak to me for days. Of course I caught hell from his mother for getting the bed wet.” He chuckled at the memory. “The look on his face was worth it though.”

There was no acknowledgment from the mound in the bed.

“Boy, Ferris was right when she said you were grumpy.”

“I’m not grumpy,” came the sullen reply.

“Could’ve fooled me.”

The lump began to move as MacGyver rolled over and pulled the blankets away from his head. Pete was surprised by how drained he looked despite his day of hibernation, the skin beneath his eyes puffy and dark.

“I’m just frustrated, that’s all.”

Pete thought he already knew the answer, but decided to ask anyway. “About what?”

“This,” Mac muttered, gesturing to the small room around him.

“You’re getting out Friday.”

“I should be getting out tomorrow.”

“Well, you had a minor setback.” He’d known the moment Ferris told him about keeping MacGyver an additional day wouldn’t ride well with the younger man. “Franklin and Ferris want you to stay the extra day just to make sure you’re really all right.”

Mac grunted. “I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

“Insatiably tired, and that’s not like you. You’re still healing, Mac. You need to take things slow.”

“All I did was fish a ring out a drain trap,” he said, disgusted with himself.

“I know. Ferris told me.”

“It’s not like I ran ten miles cross country to intercept a bomb.”

“But you just had…”

“Surgery. I know. Everyone keeps reminding me of that.” MacGyver sighed and turned his focus to the plain ceiling. “I don’t like being limited in anyway. I need to be in motion. Being told to ‘lay low’ and ‘take it easy’ just doesn’t work for me.”

“Don’t get me wrong – what you did for that nurse was a noble gesture – but sometimes you just have to lookout for number one and let others take care of themselves. Good Knight MacGyver doesn’t have to rescue every damsel in distress.”

Mac shot him an irritated look but said nothing.

“Ferris also said you haven’t eaten all day. What’s up with that?”

“I’m not hungry.”

Pete leaned down and retrieved the bag he’d brought. “What if you had something you liked – would you eat then?”

“Probably not…”

It became obvious the older man wasn’t going to take no for an answer as he opened the bag and removed a smaller one made of waxed paper. He set it on the bed.

“What is it?”

“Take a look,” he said, watching him expectantly.

Mac accepted the bag and peered inside, discovering the biggest blueberry muffin he’d ever seen. “Wow.”

“I found it at that new coffee shop a few blocks from the Foundation. I know it’s not standard dinner fare, but Ferris said it was fine. I also got you some fruit and a few rolls to go with it if you’d like.”

“This is good for now, thanks” Mac replied, pulling off a chunk of the muffin and putting it in his mouth. The oversized pastry was loaded with blueberries and tasted great, but it was still a chore to eat. His body wanted rest, not food – a reality that seemed to be lost on Pete.

“You missed an interesting meeting today,” Pete began, settling back in his chair. “Well, that’s not quite true – the meeting itself would have bored you to tears – but while we were waiting for things to start, Wes Dempsey from Research and Development started complaining about…”

MacGyver sighed and picked unenthusiastically at his muffin. He tried to listen, but inevitably tuned Pete out. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about what his friend had to say – he just wasn’t in the mood for social visits or complicated stories.

“…I’ve never seen anyone turn to so red in my life,” Pete chuckled, his recount ending several minutes later. “Oh, and I almost forgot. Willis wanted me to tell you we had a high priority hit on the new software last night.”

“Really?”

“He said the signature was well coded, but still feels sure it was the “Hack-a-Mattack” guy based on the files he tried to access. He’s been on the phone with the private agency that’s tracking him for most of the day. They’ve placed him somewhere upstate. Apparently he’s been using multiple computers to do his work, and several of them are in areas of public access.”

“Sounds like the press release worked,” Mac replied, closing the bakery bag and setting it aside. He was less than a quarter of the way through the muffin, but was already feeling full.

“It worked very well. In fact, if this does turn out to be “Hack-a-Mattack” and the program successfully pinpoints his location, the security agency said they’d be interested in purchasing several copies from us to use on future cases.”

“Nice.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Hey, guys, how’s everything going?” Ferris asked, entering the small room.

“It’s going good,” Pete answered. “Mac even had some of the muffin I brought him.”

“Terrific.” She offered a kind smile to the young troubleshooter. “Hopefully we can get some real food into you tomorrow and get you home in time for the weekend.” He still looked tired, but she was glad to see some of the gloom had left his eyes.

“Are you heading out?” Pete asked, nodding toward the jacket she had over her shoulder.

“I am. I just wanted to stop by to see how things were going and let you know I’ll be a little late coming in tomorrow. Dr. Griffin will be here in the morning doing rounds, and it’s likely he’ll have a small group of med students with him.”

“Great…” Mac grumbled under his breath.

“It’s one of the inconveniences of being a teaching hospital,” she said, sympathizing with her patient. “But there is a consolation. If tonight goes well and Dr. Griffin clears you in the morning, than Pete will be permitted to take you out for a while.”

MacGyver’s eyebrows rose in interest. “Out? As in…outside?”

Ferris nodded. “There’s a private courtyard off the south wing for patients and guests. It has trees, benches, a fountain – it’s really nice out there. It’ll give you an opportunity to get some fresh air and sun.”

“Sounds great,” he agreed.

“Good. I’ll leave a note for the morning staff nurse. Just take it easy tonight, and I don’t think there’ll be a problem getting you cleared.”

“In other words, no heroics,” Pete said, patting his friend on the arm. He glanced at the clock on the wall and stood. “I should probably be heading out too. It’s getting late and you need to rest up for tomorrow.” He gathered his things, including the bag from the bakery. “I’ll leave this with the front desk in case you want it in the morning.”

“Thanks.”

“And if you get hungry tonight, please let someone know,” Ferris told him. “It’s important you keep your strength up, especially where you’re going home in a few days.”

“Have a good night, Mac. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“G’night, Pete.”

Ferris quickly fixed his blankets and squeezed his arm. “Sleep tight.”

Mac gave her a small wave and watched as they left, shutting the door behind them. Alone at last, he sighed and dropped an arm across his eyes. The prospect of going outside had lifted his spirits some. It wasn’t the same as going home, but it would certainly make his extra day of confinement more tolerable.

He shifted onto his side and looked out the window, the colors of the city warm and bright as the early fall sun sunk toward the horizon. Settling against the pillows, Mac shut his eyes and envisioned himself walking the shores of an endless, pristine beach. Within a matter of minutes he was fast asleep, enjoying the feel of the warm dreamscape sand beneath his feet.

*

“…Jason Cluff was arrested late last night at his Westhaven home in connection with the “Hack-a-Mattack” computer attacks. According to investigators at the Compu-Saf cyber crime detection agency, the 34-year-old program designer has caused nearly two million dollars in losses and damages to small businesses all over the state. Cluff has been under scrutiny for several weeks by the private agency, but was not formally charged with the crimes until he was caught attempting to access personnel and finance files at the Phoenix Foundation, an independent think tank in downtown Los Angeles. The Foundation just recently equipped its computer network with an experimental anti-hacker program, which aided in locating the suspect and the half dozen computers Cluff allegedly used to commit his crimes…”

“Willis, you son of a gun, you did it,” MacGyver muttered, taking a final bite off the apple he’d been eating and pitching the core into the trashcan across the room. His appetite was still absent, but he’d managed to eat some of the items Pete had brought him the night before. The rest of his breakfast, syrup drenched waffles and a pile of scrambled egg product, were left to congeal on the tray.

Mac looked back at the TV where a young anchorwoman was going over a timeline of the “Hack-a-Mattack” crimes. Sighing, he muted the sound and turned his attention to the view of the Los Angeles skyline outside his window. It was a beautiful day, warm, sunny, and clear, the ideal weather for being outdoors.

The troubleshooter yawned, watching as a flock pigeons flew lithely across the blue sky. He’d been awake since five, taking advantage of the early hours to get cleaned up and refocused after spending an entire day in bed. He was still tired; the burning ache behind his right temple seemed to be sapping most of his strength. He’d woken with chills, but they’d gone away once he started moving around. Despite not feeling himself, Mac was determined to spend some time outside with Pete; certain it would improve the way he felt.

Dr. Griffin and his procession of medical students had already come and gone, taking less than five minutes to assess his progress. MacGyver had been less than impressed by the older physician, who seemed more interested in amazing his students with big words and haughty looks then the actual condition of his patient. Either way, the doctor cleared him for going outside, and now all he had to do was wait for Pete to arrive.

Mac returned his attention to the silent TV. The anchorwoman had moved from the timeline to an interview with a straight-backed, balding man from Compu-Saf. He hit the volume button on the remote.

“…A motive? Well, we really can’t say for certain at this time. Mr. Cluff just arrived at the LAPD station from Westhaven a short time ago, and we won’t have a chance to officially interview him until they’ve done their piece. However if I had to take a guess, I’d have to say greed. Although we have yet to find evidence that he actually embezzled funds from the businesses he hacked, it’s fair to say he never found the dollar amounts he was looking for. That may have been the reason he attacked the Phoenix Foundation…”

“You don’t know,” MacGyver argued, frowning at the man’s ignorant statement.

“…We’ve found that some private corporations don’t always keep their finances under secure lock and key. Now I’m not saying this is the case with Phoenix, but several other nonprofit organizations were targeted as well. Although I can’t give any specific details, we did find evidence of several fake accounts he had created for siphoning money undetected…”

Mac shook his head. Give a guy five minutes of airtime and he’ll say anything to make himself look smarter than he really is...

There was a distinct knock at the door.

“Hey, Pete.”

“I’ve got some great…” Pete’s words dissolved into a disappointed groan when he saw what was on the screen. “I was hoping to beat that!”

“It’s okay, Pete. This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about anyway.”

“That’s Norton. He’s the public relations officer for Compu-Saf. He talks big, but he’s really just a rented suit.”

“He sounds more like a stuffed suit to me. He’s gonna get his mouth in trouble if he doesn’t watch what he’s saying. He’s been speculating on potential motives and lax security.”

The director sat down. “Have they shown Willis yet?”

“No. Wait – they interviewed Willis?”

“They got a few words out of him. He’s been so busy with the technicians from Compu-Saf that he’s hard to track down.” They watched the broadcast in silence for a few minutes before a familiar face came on the screen.

“…Please remember this is an experimental program. We just got it installed network wide last week, and I’ve been working on customizing it for the Foundation’s specific needs. The fact that it was able to detect Mr. Cluff’s unlawful entry attempt so early in development is very encouraging. Unfortunately we won’t know the program’s full capabilities until it can be properly put through its paces. I’m awaiting the return of one of my colleagues for that, and I feel quite confident in saying that if he can’t find a way past it, nobody will…”

Pete glanced over at MacGyver, watching as the surprise appeared on his face.

“He’s been holding off on the final tests because of me?”

“Because he wants you to do them personally, yes,” he replied. “He trusts you to do a thorough job. And so do I.”

The troubleshooter sighed and looked up at the TV. They had moved onto the weekend weather report. The “Hack-a-Mattack” hacker was old news.

“That’s um…that’s really…thanks,” he stammered. “I appreciate it, but he didn’t have to wait. I don’t want to put him behind and jeopardize a contract.”

“You’re not jeopardizing anything. Willis said he’d wait for you, and that’s what he’s going to do. Your skills are the best, Mac. If you can’t break that system, no one can.”

No pressure there… MacGyver thought humbly.

“So, how’re you feeling? You still look a little pale.”

Mac switched off the TV. “I’m all right. A little tired still, that’s all.”

“The front desk said Dr. Griffin cleared you to go outside. You feel up to it?”

“Definitely.”

“Good. I brought along a chessboard if you’d like to play a few games. That is if you don’t mind loosing.”

MacGyver raised an eyebrow at his boss’s overly confident statement. “Oh, really?”

There was a knock at the door and it opened, admitting a nurse pushing a wheelchair.

“Ready to go out for some air and sun?” she asked. “I hear it’s gorgeous out.”

“I am,” Mac replied. “But not in that.”

The nurse smiled patiently. “It’s part of the deal, I’m afraid. There’s quite a walk between here and the south wing courtyard. Dr. Harper wants you to use the chair so you don’t tire yourself out.”

Mac turned to Pete for help.

“Hey,” he said, putting his hands up. “Don’t look at me. If you don’t feel like going outside, we can visit in here.”

The younger man stared distastefully at the chair.

“Just get in it,” Pete said when his friend’s deliberation began to drag out. “I know you’d rather walk, but it’s a short ride and it’ll make Ferris happy.”

“But, Pete…”

The director pointed. “Chair!”

Ignoring the look of poorly hidden amusement on the nurse’s face, Mac slid off the bed and into the padded chair. “Happy?”

“Ecstatic.” He snatched the ball cap he’d given him off the nightstand and dropped it on partner’s head. “Now, is this so bad?”

MacGyver merely grunted and folded his arms across his chest.

Pete looked to nurse who appeared close to his own age and shrugged. “Kids.”

She chuckled. “At least someone has control over him. Come on, I’ll give you directions to the courtyard.”

Taking the handles of the wheelchair, the director swung MacGyver around and headed toward the door, determined to cheer his brooding friend up.

*

They couldn’t have asked for a better day. The air was seasonably warm and fresh, the hazy morning fog that so often choked the city having burnt off shortly after daybreak. The courtyard turned out to be quite charming with its cluster of trees, tables, park benches, and paved paths. It was quiet and private – a discrete haven for patients to enjoy. At the center of the garden stood a large stone fountain, the constant trickle of water adding a natural feel to the already tranquil ambiance.

The two men sat opposite one other at a granite table, a chessboard spread out between them. Pete had his finger on a black rook, trying to decide whether to sacrifice it for a chance at MacGyver’s queen. They had each won a game, and were working on the tiebreaker. He suspected Mac had let him win the previous game, having given up several key pieces early on. Chess wasn’t the director’s strong point, but he still looked forward to the day he beat his friend fair and square.

Unable to forfeit such a powerful piece, Pete left the rook in the corner and moved a pawn instead. Satisfied, he sat back at waited for Mac to make his move. He’d noticed the young troubleshooter had grown more reserved over the last hour, his face having lost some of its earlier color. His focus on the game seemed to be fading as well; his prompt, decisive moves becoming slow and haphazard.

Maybe he’s getting tired… he thought, watching his friend study the game board. When he still hadn’t made a move several minutes later, Pete nudged him under the table with his foot. “MacGyver?”

The younger man looked up, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. “Huh?”

“It’s your move.”

“Oh. Right,” Mac replied, sounding distracted. He looked down at the board and selected his remaining white knight, moving it in the familiar “L-shaped” pattern.

It seemed like a pointless move, but Pete had learned the hard way that every move in chess had a purpose. He suspected Mac was trying to distract him from going after his queen.

Well it’s not going to work this time… he thought, going back to his rook and moving it half way across the board. Again he sat back and waited for Mac to make his counter move, but it never came. He seemed to be lost in thought behind his dark sunglasses, his head propped up against his hand. “Mac…”

“Wha – oh! Sorry…” He picked up the same knight and moved it back to its original position.

Pete frowned. That’s odd…I thought for sure he would have captured my rook. Maybe he made a mistake last time? He moved another pawn to quickly end his turn. “You’re up.”

As if running on autopilot, MacGyver selected his knight and remade the same move he had just undone.

“Mac, what’s going on?” Pete asked, realizing something was wrong. “You just repeated the same move you undid last time.”

“It’s nothing,” he muttered, though his voice held no conviction.

The director watched him closely for a minute, noticing the fine pain lines on his face for the first time. “Do you feel okay?”

“I’m tired.”

“Do you want to go lay down?”

“Yeah.” Mac allowed the older man to help him back into the wheelchair without protest. He didn’t feel right, and wanted nothing more than to lay down.

“MacGyver?”

He looked up to find Pete standing in front of him. “What?” Why does he sound so worried?

“I asked what was wrong.”

“My head hurts. I’m cold. Achy.” He felt something wrap around his shoulders. It was Pete’s jacket. He pulled the light material tight against his body and sighed.

“Just sit tight, Mac. I’ll get you back upstairs in no time.” Turning the chair as not to jar his friend, Pete quickly walked up the path and back toward the building, trying to ignore the cold knot of apprehension forming in his stomach.




"What's a "MacGyver" and why does it have a convention?" ~ Bart Simpson

 
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Geekgirl
Posted: 12 April 2010 - 01:35 PM                                    
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DXS Agent
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Another great chapter....but I'm back to being concerned for Mac again. Please tell me it's not a bad complication, just a cold right? nothing serious?

Looking forward to seeing where this continues to go.




“Typical. Just when you're getting ahead, someone changes the odds." - MacGyver


 
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MacLovin
Posted: 13 April 2010 - 04:44 AM                                    
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Trouble shooter
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Posts: 54
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I thought this fic was over but it's just getting better. I'm on the edge of my seat, update soon!



 
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Bandersnatch
Posted: 14 April 2010 - 09:37 AM                                    
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Special Forces Agent
***

Posts: 144
Joined: 22 May 2005
Gender:  Female
Country: USA
SAK owned: A sharp one

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Episode:Trail to Doomsday (Movie)
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Jacket:  Black leather
House:  House boat



QUOTE (MacLovin @ 14 April 2010 - 12:44 AM)
I thought this fic was over but it's just getting better. I'm on the edge of my seat, update soon!

Yeah, I probably shouldn't have broken the story where I did a few chapters ago -- or I should have at least said it wasn't the end. <-- Insert "Hindsight" cliche.

More to come by this weekend. Glad it's keeping your attnetion smile.gif



"What's a "MacGyver" and why does it have a convention?" ~ Bart Simpson

 
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jaebird
Posted: 3 June 2010 - 10:01 AM                                    
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Trouble shooter
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Country: United States
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Episode:Strictly Business
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Eyes are glued to the screen! Can’t wait to read more! biggrin.gif



 
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