Howdy Folks

Here's a quick piece for you to look at over the weekend. Hope you like it.

Bander
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The next morning found Pete seated at MacGyver’s side, his hands tightly gripping the edge of his briefcase to keep them still. He had gotten little sleep the night before, his anxious mind keeping him awake with countless worries and what ifs. He was trying to keep his nervousness from affecting his friend, but it was difficult. Drowsy as he was from the premeds he’d been given, Mac still picked up on his unrest and had tried to reassure him that things were going to be fine.

And I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting him… he thought, watching the younger man doze. The room was quiet, isolated from the morning routine of the ward behind its closed door. Pete hadn’t said much since he arrived, the situation calling for something more profound than small talk. He kept watching the clock, dreading the moment when the hospital staff would come and take his friend away, leaving him behind to wonder and worry about what was going on.

“I’d trade places with you if I could,” he said, finally breaking the silence.

Mac opened his eyes. “I appreciate it…but I’d never ask you to.”

“You’re a good man, MacGyver,” Pete declared, squeezing his arm. “I just wish there was more I could do for you.”

There was a light knock at the door.

“Morning, Pete,” Ferris greeted as she and a nurse entered the small room.

“Morning, Ferris,” he replied, his anxiety sharply peaking. “That time already, huh?”

She gave him an empathetic smile. “Yeah, it is.”

With a shaky sigh, the director stood and pushed his chair out of the way of the nurse who was preparing Mac to move.

“Hi, sweetie,” Ferris said, taking a moment with her patient. “You’re looking kind of sleepy. Are you nervous?”

“A little,” he uttered, privately thankful for the calming effect of the drugs coursing through his system. He typically managed stress well, but the inability to get up, move around, and burn off the excess energy it generated would have left him teetering on edge.

“It’s all right to be nervous. We’re going to do everything we can to make things go as smoothly as possible.”

“Ready when you are, Dr. Harper,” the nurse said, unlocking the bed’s final wheel for transport.

Ferris moved to allow the long bed to be turned and maneuvered out of the room. The older man stood stiffly against the wall, tightly clutching his briefcase and jacket against his chest. “Walk us to the elevators?”

“Okay.” He followed the small doctor out of the room and fell into step beside her.

“Were you planning on staying around?”

“Yes. I cleared my calendar. I know it’s going to be a long day, but I want to be here for him.”

“Franklin estimates the procedure will take about three, three and a half hours to complete. We’ll keep him in recovery until we’re certain he’s stabilized – probably a couple of hours. Do you know where the waiting room is?”

“Second floor, east wing?”

“Right. There’s a monitor there that will tell you where he is at all times. Once he’s settled in recovery, I’ll come let you know how things went.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

The procession came to a stop in front of the elevator bay.

This is it… Pete thought, his heart leaping into his throat. He drew in a steadying breath and stepped up to his friend’s side. “MacGyver?”

The troubleshooter cracked open an eye. “Relax, Pete, would ya? I’ll be fine.”

The candid remark made Pete grin. He reached out and took Mac’s hand. “I know you will. Good luck, kid. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

The elevator announced its arrival with a hollow ding, its stainless steel doors sliding open.

He gave Mac’s hand a final squeeze before letting go and moving out of the way. Ferris followed, turning back to offer him a kind smile.

“Take care of him.”

“We will,” she affirmed as the doors started to close. “I promise.”

Pete looked up at the number box above the sealed doors, watching the numbers slowly count down and stop at the surgical ward. With a sigh, he turned and made his way toward the public elevators at the other end of the hall.

Good luck, my friend… He thought with a heavy heart. Good luck.
*

Time passed slowly for Pete. Isolated in the far corner of the waiting room, he sat surrounded by the files and reports he’d brought from work doing his best to keep busy. He’d hardly moved from his chair, getting up only to visit the vending machines and restroom. A pile of coffee cups and snack wrappers had accumulated on the table in front of him, hiding the rumpled magazines and brochures beneath.

As the morning hours marched on toward afternoon, Pete barely noticed the other people as they came and went. He checked the status monitor at the front of the room constantly, his concern increasing tenfold when his friend’s time in surgery went past the three and a half hour mark.

What’s happening? Is everything all right? Did something happen? Did something go wrong? Would they tell me if something did go wrong? Would they let me…?

His worried thoughts were interrupted when the word beside MacGyver’s name changed from “surgery” to “recovery.” Pete slumped forward and buried his face in his hands for a moment, suddenly feeling exhausted. It was over. Now he just had to wait to hear how Mac had done from Ferris.

With a grunt, Pete stood and stretched out his tense, sore back. He contemplated another trip to the vending machines for more coffee, but his jittery hands and the pile of empty cups on the table told him he’d already had enough. Instead he settled for cleaning up his whirlwind of a mess, slightly amused that it had taken him a mere four hours to make his small corner of the waiting room look like his desk. He was just closing his briefcase when he heard a familiar voice say his name.

“Pete?”

“Ferris!” he exclaimed, catching his shin painfully on the table as he hurried over to meet her. “Mac…how’d he…is he okay?”

“He’s doing just fine, Pete,” she replied, motioning for him to take a seat and settling down beside him. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting for so long. I wanted to make sure was coming out of the anesthesia all right before I left.”

“So…everything went okay?”

The young doctor nodded. “The surgery went well. We did encounter some extra bleeding and swelling, but given the amount of irritation the mass was causing, it was to be expected. All in all though, it was a textbook procedure.”

“And was it scar tissue?”

“We’re sending samples to the lab just to be certain, but we’re fairly confident that’s all it was.”

“Thank god,” he muttered, relief evident on his face.

“He’ll probably be in recovery for another hour or two to give his vitals a chance to come up and stabilize. We’re giving him blood to replace what he lost during surgery, so that should help speed things up a bit,” she explained.

“When can I see him?”

“As soon as he’s out of recovery and settled in his room. You’ll have to keep your visits short for the next couple of days – rest is going to play an integral roll in the healing process.”

“Of course.”

“Listen, I should probably be getting back up to recovery. I just wanted to update you and see how you were doing.”

“I’m doing good,” he said. “Great now, in fact.”

Ferris smiled and stood, catching a glimpse of the empty cups and wrappers on the table behind Pete. “Lunch?”

“Breakfast, actually,” he admitted, his cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. “I didn’t want to stray far and I really wasn’t that hungry…”

“Tell you what,” she began, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing a small, laminated card. “Take this down to the cafeteria and get yourself some real food.” Visions of the previous day’s donut and coffee flashed into her mind and she quickly snatched it back. “Better yet, I’ll call down and order a meal for you. It’ll be ready when you get down there.”

“Ferris?” Pete said, his tone incredulous.

“You’ve been under a lot of stress lately. Eating junk food is only going to make you feel worse and will do nothing to help your diet.” She crossed her arms and looked up as if daring him to challenge her authority. He didn’t. Good. The conversation she’d had with MacGyver about his boss had paid off. She headed for the door.

“W-wait – what about…?”

“I’ll send someone for you when Mac’s ready for visitors. It’s going to be at least an hour, though, so take your time.” She left him then, disappearing between two groups of people congregating by the door.

What just happened? Pete thought, shocked by the appearance of Ferris’s tenacious side. He stood bewildered for a moment before shaking it off and going to gather his things. Disposing of his trash, he set a course for the hospital’s cafeteria, troubled by what the petite doctor might do if he arrived late to his prescribed meal.

*

“…Please try to limit your visit to ten minutes or less, and if he falls asleep while you’re there…”

“Don’t wake him up,” Pete interrupted, completing the nurse’s lecture for her. It had been a constant string of chatter since they left the cafeteria, but the young woman seemed so passionate about her speech he didn’t have the heart to tell her he’d been through several post-surgery visits in the past.

“Correct,” she said, leading him straight to room 604. “If you need anything, just give a ring. Have a nice visit.”

Pete smiled and nodded his thanks. He was anxious to see his friend, but he wasn’t feeling as tense as before. The hearty meal of a sandwich and soup that Ferris ordered for him had filled his stomach and settled most his nerves. Taking a deep breath, he grasped the doorknob and let himself into the dark room.

The slow, steady beep of a heart monitor greeted him as he wandered over to the bed. He found Mac asleep, lying semi-reclined under a pile of warm blankets. His head was swathed in a heavy white bandage, and a nasal cannula rested beneath his nose supplying him with extra oxygen. His pale face was swollen and his eyes bruised, both temporary side effects caused by the trauma of surgery.

He reached down and took MacGyver’s hand, mindful of the additional I/V lines that had been put in place. “You did it, Mac,” he said quietly. “You made it through. Everything’s going to be okay now.”

Through the dense fog of the lingering anesthesia, Mac heard the familiar tones of his friend’s voice. Clawing his way to the surface, he opened his puffy eyes and sought out his blurry form. “Pete…”

The director beamed. “Hey, kiddo. How do you feel?”

“Not sure. Can’t…feel much…” the troubleshooter slurred, the words grating uncomfortably against his dry, aching throat. “Water?”

Pete retrieved the ice water that was sitting on the bedside table. “Here,” he offered, holding it steady and guiding the straw to his friend’s mouth.

MacGyver sated his thirst with several deep swallows before relaxing against the pillows. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He returned the cup to the table. “Ferris said your surgery went well. Textbook even.”

“You stayed?”

“I did. I was here the whole time in case you needed me.”

The barest of smiles appeared on Mac’s lips. “Thanks,” he uttered, his eyes sliding shut as he began to lose the fight against the cocktail of drugs in his system. “Sorry, Pete. Tired.”

“I know. It’s okay.” He was reluctant to leave, but knew his friend needed rest more than he needed to be fussed over. “I’m going to go so you can rest. Can I call you later to see how you’re doing?”

MacGyver nodded once and fell still.

Pete smiled. He was glad to see the pain lines had faded from his face. He patted the younger man’s arm. “I’m proud of you, kid,” he said, and quietly let himself out.

*

Despite his best intentions, Pete saw little of MacGyver during the two days following his surgery. As Ferris forewarned, his visits were limited, the staff allowing him just three, short sessions a day. Mac was often asleep, either by his own accord or from the medication they were using to ease his post surgery migraines. Although he’d been reassured that such fatigue and headaches were to be expected, Pete still found it hard to see his friend in such pain.

Pete met with Ferris and Franklin on the second day as a follow up and to make plans for the days ahead. Both doctors were pleased by MacGyver’s progress and confident his recovery would be complete. A letter from the lab confirmed that the mass they’d removed was comprised of scar tissue, putting all worries of something worse to rest. Barring the unforeseen, Mac was set to be discharged the following Thursday with periodic visits scheduled to monitor his condition throughout the healing process.

By the third day, the restrictions on visitation had been lifted. Pete arrived to find his friend awake and sitting up, his bed littered with the many sections of the Sunday paper. Mac was finally starting to look like himself again, his color returning as the swelling and bruising around his eyes slowly diminished.

“Well, look who’s awake!”

“Morning, Pete,” Mac greeted.

“You must be starting to feel better.”

“I am.”

“That’s good,” Pete said, settling into the chair beside the bed. He nodded toward the scattered paper. “I thought Ferris said you needed to take it easy for a while.”

“She did,” Mac replied, confused.

“Then she’s obviously never seen you with the sports section before.”

The troubleshooter grinned. “It’s not like it’s hockey season. Besides…” He fished the local section from the pile. “I’m more interested in this.”

Pete took the paper and read the bold headline Mac pointed to. “ ‘Hack-a-Mattack’ Hacker Strikes Again -- 3 Businesses Crippled.’ Huh. I thought the police were onto this guy.”

“Apparently not. He managed to wipe the hard drives and effectively shut down two pharmacies and a bank overnight. According to the article, the authorities think he’s more of a nuisance than a threat.”

“But you disagree.”

MacGyver shrugged. “During the six weeks he’s been operating, he’s had ample opportunity to steal millions of dollars from private funds, but he hasn’t. Instead, he’s forced several dozen businesses to shut their doors while they recovered their data systems. He’s a conglomerate nightmare.”

“You think he’s laying the groundwork to do some real damage?”

“I think he’s practicing for something bigger, yeah. Or he’s bluffing.”

“Bluffing? You mean he’s not as good as he appears to be?”

“There’s a lot of power in intimidation, Pete. I’m just glad Willis got the rest of the computers upgraded.”

“You think he’s going to try to hit Phoenix?”

“Think? No. It’s more like hope. If the new program does what it’s supposed to, we should be able to get a lock on where this guy is working from and possibly shut him down for good.”

Pete chuckled and shook his head. “You sound just like Willis, you know that?” It was nice to hear MacGyver talking passionately about something. It was a sure sign he was on the mend. “So last night went well?”

“Yeah – I had a headache, but it went away on its own. I still get tired though.”

“You did just have a major operation, Mac,” Pete said, sensing his frustration. “You’re not going to be back at one hundred percent overnight. You’ve got to give yourself some time to heal.”

“I know,” he sighed.

“Ferris and Franklin are both happy with the progress you’ve made, and if all goes well, you’ll be out of here by Thursday. Apparently you’re healing faster than most people they’ve seen.”

“I guess my body wants outta here as much as my mind.”

The director smiled. “You been up and around yet?”

“Does to the bathroom count?”

“Certainly.”

“Then yes. Twice,” Mac replied, recalling how unsteady he’d been the first time on his feet. “Dr. Cooper said I can try a short walk around the ward when he comes in this afternoon. I guess he doesn’t want me wandering unsupervised yet.”

“Well, you need to take things one step at a time. Literally. You don’t want to rush into things and set yourself back, do you?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so.” Pete reached down for the bag he’d brought and settled it in his lap. “I’ve got something for you.”

“Oh?” The dejection instantly gone from his voice.

“Ferris told me you were feeling a little self conscious about your bandage, so I thought this might help.” He pulled out an oddly shaped object wrapped in black tissue paper and handed it to his friend.

Mac looked at the package for a moment before pulling off the wrappings, a boyish grin appearing on his face. “Sweet,” he uttered, staring down at the gaudy green, white, and yellow hat. He fingered the Minnesota North Stars hockey team emblem on the front.

“You have one like it?”

“Years ago – I think it got lost during one of my moves.” He studied it for a minute longer before placing it on his head. It fit like a glove and hid the white bandages almost completely. “Thanks, Pete,”

“You bet,” he replied; glad to have cheered the younger man up. “Well, since the nurses won’t be kicking me out of here for a while, is there anything you wanted to do? Maybe take in a movie? I hear they have quite a collection here.”

Although watching TV wasn’t high on his list of priorities, Mac agreed just the same. He owed his boss a debt of gratitude for all his support, and if watching a few movies was one way to do it, then so be it. “Sure, why not?”

“Great. They have a list at the nurses’ station. I’ll go get it.” Pete stood and headed for the door, pausing as he reached for the knob. “I know this will probably sound lame in comparison to what you’ve been through, but the past few days have been rough. Between not knowing what was wrong and waiting out the surgery, for a while there I thought…” he stopped and sighed. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m glad you’re going to be okay, MacGyver.”

“Me too.”

Smiling, Pete stepped out of the room, content in knowing that everything was going to be all right.

*

Awesome story. Ummm....I know I'm a dork for admitting it but I imagined Pete giving MacGyver a mullet toupee for a minute lol.

Yeah!! another chapter. Thanks God it was only scar tissue...still scary though.

Another well written chapter. I really like how the story is progressing. It's fun to see Mac already up and trying to figure out who the computer hacker is...can't keep a good man down for long, even if he jusst had brain surgery. Love his come back to Pete's comment on the sport's section. Great dialong between the two.

Love the present that Pete brought...MN North Stars hat....it was a guady colored logo wasn't it?

Another great chapter, Bandersnatch!
I love your writing and how this story is going.
Keep up the good job.

Hmm... never did think of that idea...

It was the ugliest! Not my first choice of colors. Or my second.

I'm glad you're liking the story thus far. I hope it's staying close to the traits of the characters on the show.

More to come next week

The MN WILD logo is much better....it was sad to see the NorthStars go, but at least we got a better logo in return....


And yes, you are staying very close to character with this story. Lookign forward to next week's chapter.

Really liked this chapter! Great job!