One Moment Of Truth - Part Three of Three:
Over the increasing noise, Mac heard his son shout again and he lifted his head to try and catch his words. Instead, he felt a cool breeze hitting his face, rapidly realising that fresh air was being sucked in from somewhere up ahead as the fire behind them devoured oxygen ravenously. Whether Sam had found a way out or not, hope definitely lay up ahead.
MacGyver felt Terry moving in front of him again, gradually putting distance between her feet and his outstretched fingertips. But before he could begin to crawl after her, the vibration of the concrete surrounding them changed tone.
Above the growing rumble, Mac heard Terry scream as the tunnel suddenly collapsed on top of them. A chunk of concrete hit his outstretched hand and MacGyver pulled back protectively, tucking his chin into his chest and covering his head as best he could with his right arm. He really didn't need any more concussive blows to his skull than he had already had in the last twenty four hours.
By the time the rock fall had stopped, he could feel a wall of rubble between him and Terry. Fortunately, most of it had missed his body, but judging by the cries coming from beyond, Terry was pinned down.
Shaking debris from his head and shoulders, Mac struggled to reach his jeans pocket and pull out one of the last matches. Striking it on a rock, he peered ahead through the cloud of dust, trying not to breathe too much of it into his lungs since he knew that coughing would only make his head and shoulder hurt even worse.
The pile of rubble and dirt formed a seemingly impenetrable barrier before him, several large pieces of concrete wedging together to block his path. The only good news was that the flame of his match was flickering slightly, fresh air was still seeping through, he wasn't going to die of suffocation. At least not unless the fire from the incendiary device was spreading his way.
A trickle of sweat ran down MacGyver's cheek and he suddenly realised just how hot it was getting in the tunnel. Rolling his eyes, he lowered his head to the ground exhaustedly, beginning to wonder just how much worse the day could get.
~~~~~~~
Just before the ceiling had begun to cave in, Sam had seen light up ahead. And not just a chink of light either, the whole side of the tunnel had been lit up in radiant daylight.
He crawled towards it rapidly, shouting back to his father with the good news. He was already several yards ahead of Terry when he felt the concrete start to shake. The vibrations grew and he realised it must be 9:05am. The incendiary bomb had exploded.
As the ground beneath him began to judder violently, Sam almost fell into the wide storm drain that their tunnel had finally joined onto. Twenty yards ahead he could see an opening into a concrete gully, designed to carry flood water down towards the Pacific Ocean. The only thing lying between them and escape was a rusting metal gate, designed to prevent entry of overly curious children. Such a barrier would be the least of their worries after everything else they had come through.
Above the increasing rumble, Sam shouted again, trying to pass the news of his discovery back down the tunnel. He felt a breeze blowing past him, sucking air from the outside as the flames began to use up all the oxygen in the building they had left some time earlier.
Suddenly, Sam heard Terry scream and the roaring sound became a cacophony. A cloud of dust hit him and he realised with horror that the tunnel had caved in on top of his two companions still trapped inside the cramped drainage system.
Barely waiting for the dust to clear, Sam squirmed back along the drain, struggling to clamber past the loose rubble towards the sound of Terry's cries. He called constantly, trying to reassure her.
"It's okay, I'm coming. I've found an exit. We'll be out in no time!"
Drawing closer, Sam thought he saw a flicker of light penetrating a pile of rubble and concrete that was filling the tunnel somewhere beyond Terry's head.
Reaching the stricken woman, Sam tried to quieten her. "It's okay, Terry. I'm here. I'll soon have you out of there. Look! You can see daylight coming through the tunnel ahead!"
When she felt him beside her, Terry calmed down a lot, her hysterical cries abating. Still breathing hard, she didn't dare try to speak again, instead patting Sam's arm in relief.
He squeezed her hand reassuringly and then began to lift pieces of concrete out of the way, crawling as close as possible to remove the rubble pinning her legs down. He slid past her head into the gap by her shoulders, lifting blocks of debris and passing them behind to where Terry could push them out of the way in front of her.
As he attempted to assess the situation, Sam called out to his father. "Dad! Are you okay? Dad!"
Hearing a faint answer, he let out a sigh of relief. "Dad? Are you okay in there?"
"Yeah!" MacGyver called back distantly, "But it's getting kinda hot in here!"
"Hold on! We'll get you out of there!" Sam reassured him, adrenalin pumping through his veins as he realised they were on a tight deadline. He worked even harder to move the last large chunk of concrete that was wedged down on top of Terry's thigh and blocking the tunnel, stopping him from going any further along.
"Terry, I can't reach the rest of the rubble further down, so when you feel this lift from your leg, you have to try to pull yourself out," he gasped as he attempted to budge the heavy weight.
With an agonised scream, Terry hauled herself forwards, feeling her left ankle bending in ways it was never meant to go as she tried to free it from beneath a pile of debris. She managed to move several inches, but it wasn't far enough.
"I can't!" she sobbed in pain, "My foot's jammed."
Thinking fast, Sam grabbed another chunk of rock and wedged it beneath the concrete block he was trying to shift, propping it up just above Terry's thigh. Then he scooted back out and positioned himself in front of her, taking her outstretched hands.
"Ready?" he asked, trying to sound confident.
"Yeah!" Terry said hoarsely, bracing herself for another painful try. "But I might break your hand!"
"Don't worry, I haven't got brain surgery in the morning!" Sam grinned and pulled hard.
Terry screamed, and Sam almost joined her when her grip on his hand tightened painfully. Then they were both suddenly moving, Sam almost flying backwards as Terry's foot finally came free.
Sam kept crawling backwards, pulling Terry the several yards towards daylight, partly to get her out of the way so he could free his father and partly because he knew how bad her claustrophobia had become whilst trapped inside the tunnel.
Long before the rock fall, he had heard her breathing rate increasing as she became more and more panicked. And Sam knew his father would want him to make sure Terry was safe, before going back to his rescue.
Leaving her at the entrance to the storm drain to check herself over and recover her breath, Sam dived back inside the tunnel, crawling right up to the rocky barricade. Doggedly, he began to remove chunks of concrete, working from the top of the pile downwards. As he worked, he could feel the heat building up beyond the barrier, and called to ensure his father was still okay.
"Dad? How you doing?"
MacGyver coughed, beginning to find breathing a struggle amidst the dust and heat building up around him. "I'm okay," he finally managed. "How's Terry?"
"I'm fine!"
Sam jumped in surprise at the sound of her voice behind him. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to stay outside!"
"I'm not going to hang around out there and leave you two in here to struggle!" Terry said angrily. It had taken most of her energy and resolve to crawl back inside the claustrophobic tunnel, especially with a newly damaged left ankle dragging her down. She wasn't prepared to fight Sam over her decision. "I'm staying! Now hand me that rock!"
Sam shook his head ruefully, realising that he really needed her help. Some of the blocks of concrete towards the bottom of the barrier were far too big for him to shift alone. And the sooner they broke through the pile, the sooner his father would have some fresh air to breathe.
Pulling blocks of rubble from the rock fall, Sam pushed each piece as far towards Terry as possible, she then dragged it further down the tunnel. Lining one side with the debris, she left enough gap for them still to escape through.
When they had cleared the smaller pieces, Terry slid up beside Sam, trying not to think of sardines in a can. Squeezing side-by-side into the gap was a tight fit, but together they began to make some headway on the heavier slabs of concrete.
With a last gasp of agonised exertion and a good shove from Mac on the other side of the barrier, they managed to shift the largest piece. The debris surrounding it fell away, showering them with particles of rock. When the dust cloud cleared, it revealed an empty gap behind it and a grime covered, but grinning MacGyver.
"Am I glad to see you two!" he spluttered, inhaling fresh air for the first time in several seemingly infinite minutes. "Don't suppose you want to give me a hand to get out of here? I'm getting kinda toasty!"
Knowing where she wasn't wanted, Terry wriggled out of the way and began to crawl backwards to the storm drain. Much to her relief, she rapidly reached the wider tunnel, revelling in the daylight afforded by the metal gate several yards down.
She was closely followed by Sam, who helped his father after him as best he could, determined to prove that three arms between two people were faster than one alone.
Exhausted, but almost free, the three sank down against the side of the storm drain to catch their breath and assess their injuries. Recovering quickly, Sam took it upon himself to check over the other two.
"Dad, how you feeling?" he asked, moving in front of MacGyver to take a look.
Mac smiled wearily. "A bit *drained*, actually!"
"Oh, very funny!" Sam grinned, heartened by the fact that his father still had enough energy to make such a terrible joke.
In fact, apart from several new layers of dirt and sweat, MacGyver seemed no worse off than before. His arm and shoulder were killing him after the extra exertion and his head was still pounding, but otherwise he was fine now that he had been able to escape the furnace inside the tunnel.
Sam moved across to Terry, gently lifting her left leg to examine it. He pulled the double layer of socks from her foot to prod and probe her swollen ankle, already almost twice its normal size.
"Ow!" Terry reacted to the slight manipulation. "It's okay, I don't think it's broken. It just feels twisted," she explained.
"And I reckon you've got a few good bruises on the backs of your legs too," Sam guessed accurately.
Terry shrugged non-committally, but she knew he was right. The rock fall had given her quite a pounding and she could feel a few new aches that would be hurting in the morning.
Sam studied her closely, checking to see if she was telling him everything. Then he added cheerfully, "Well, look on the bright side. If you had shoes, you'd only end up carrying one of them now!"
Terry laughed, despite her thudding headache. "That's some reassuring bedside manner you've got there, Doctor Malloy!" She wiggled her toes slightly, as if to prove they were still working. "Now, can I have my sock back? Sorry, I mean *your* sock!"
Sam grinned, gently pulling the sock back on to her foot. Standing up, he held out a hand to help her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist in support as she hopped about unsteadily. MacGyver followed suit, gingerly hauling himself upright. Then the trio of walking wounded headed for daylight and the metal gate between them and freedom.
It turned out that the final obstacle was even easier to pass than they'd hoped. The metal bars were sunken into crumbling cement and thirty minutes of Sam chipping away with a sharp piece of flint was enough to remove the narrow barrier that the gate had been chained to, enabling them to simply push open the gate and walk out.
Somehow, their escape into fresh air and sunlight seemed like an anti-climax after all they had been through. Then again, since none of them had any money and they looked like a bunch of hobos, getting home would be another matter.
~~~~~~~
MacGyver was beginning to believe that payphones were non-existent in that run down part of Los Angeles, when they finally spotted one two blocks down. Sam, being the only one of them that still had any energy left, volunteered to run across and telephone Greg Willis. They had decided he would be the best choice, since he was bound to be at the Phoenix lab.
The plan was to ask Willis to come and get them and ferry them to the hospital where Pete was. Whatever happened, they needed to avoid the police, who would ask questions they didn't want to answer. And they also needed to prevent any one on Phelps' side of the organisation from finding out that they were all still alive. At least until MacGyver could be sure that Pete and Terry were safe.
While Sam was gone, MacGyver took the chance to talk to Terry. There were tests that would need to be made at the hospital if they were to find out the truth of what had happened. Tests that could prove distressing for her.
Sitting side by side on the kerb of the deserted street, Mac took Terry's hand in his and turned to her.
"You okay?" she asked, before he got a chance to speak. She studied him for a long moment, his exhausted face, the deep crease of frown, and the dark shadow in his eyes, as though he was fighting pain every step of the way.
"What happened to your arm? And your head? And Sam's head, for that matter!" she trailed off when she saw Mac gulp hard, a look of concern in his eyes that stunned her into silence. "What's wrong?" she eventually asked softly, feeling Mac's hand squeeze hers even tighter.
He swallowed again, speaking huskily, "I know how you feel about hospitals, but there's something you need to do when we get there." He hesitated when she frowned worriedly, "You're going to need a blood test to find out what the drug was that you were given. I think it was something called Rohypnol, and if it was the doctor will want to make some other tests."
"What kind of tests?" Terry asked, struggling to suppress her fear of hospitals.
MacGyver looked away for a moment, staring at some point in the distance. Then he drew a ragged breath and turned back to face her. "This drug is also known as the 'date rape drug'," he paused when he saw the recognition on her face.
"Oh," Terry whispered, understanding the implications immediately. She gulped audibly, gazing at him for a long moment before she spoke again, her voice confused, "Surely I'd know if......." she trailed off, catching the look in Mac's eyes.
He shook his head. "It causes amnesia. You won't remember anything after it was taken. Not even that," he said painfully. "Look, I doubt if you were. But you need to know for sure, for your own peace of mind." And mine, he thought to himself.
Terry nodded, glancing away. He watched her rub her eyes tiredly, her hand shaking like a leaf. Mac knew this was probably the final straw after everything else she had been through in the last two days and he wished there was something he could do to help her.
"You won't have to stay in hospital overnight," he assured her, "You only need to be there for as long as it takes the test results to come through. I'll wait with you. That is, if you want me to."
Terry nodded again. "Yeah," she said quietly, "That would be good, thanks." She squeezed Mac's hand, taking comfort from his gentle contact.
~~~~~~~
Despite Sams vague warning, Greg Willis was shocked by the state of the trio when he arrived half an hour later. They looked battered, bruised, exhausted and grubby. Clearly they were all in need of a good shower, sleep and hospital treatment. Not necessarily in that order.
"What on earth happened to you three?" he asked as he drew up the car.
"Ask us again once we've had some sleep!" MacGyver told him, helping Terry into the back seat before sliding in beside her and resting his head on the back ledge tiredly.
Willis met Sam's equally shattered gaze, as the younger man climbed into the front passenger side, and promptly fell silent, knowing any further questions would be wasted. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen any of them look quite so far gone as they did now. Certainly, this would be one tale worth waiting for!
~~~~~~~
The attending physician in the emergency room had his work cut out for him. He was faced with three bedraggled patients, all requiring X-rays and thorough examinations, but none of who would let him keep them in overnight for observation.
What worried him more were the signs that something criminal had occurred here, especially when he saw the obvious marks where the woman had been struggling against a set of handcuffs. But the trio refused to allow him to involve the police and, without any other evidence to back up his claim, there was little he could do to force the issue.
So, after much arguing and coming up against three brick walls of stubbornness, the doctor settled on testing for broken bones, fractured skulls and internal bleeding; bandaging up torn ligaments; cleaning and dressing head wounds and a multitude of other abrasions; administering doses of aspirin; and taking a blood test from the woman, at their request. Then all three were released with the code "AMA" written on their charts - Against Medical Advice.
While they awaited the results of Terry's blood test, the exhausted trio went up to see Pete. Their grubby appearance was frowned at by the nurse on duty, but they ignored her expression and entered the room, greeting the patient as though nothing had happened to any of them.
When Terry leaned over to kiss Pete's cheek and say hello, his face lit up with delight.
"Terry! You're okay!"
"I'm absolutely fine, Pete, thanks to these two," she forced a smile into her voice, feeling MacGyver squeeze her hand in gratitude for her good acting.
The Phoenix agent guarding Pete gave them all a very long stare, before shaking his head in astonishment and vacating the room to give them some privacy.
MacGyver was still only part way through the shortened version of their story when a nurse knocked on the door.
"Excuse me," she looked at Terry, "Miss Wightman, could you come with me please."
Terry glanced nervously at MacGyver, who nodded, rising from his chair and holding out his hand to help her up.
"Pete, we'll be back in a while," he explained, keeping his tone light and gesturing to Sam to continue the tale in his absence.
Sam plastered a false grin on his face and picked up where his father had left off, trying to sound as cheerful as possible, whilst worriedly watching Terry leave.
~~~~~~~
It seemed like Terry had been inside the treatment room for hours, and, with each passing minute, MacGyver grew more concerned.
Trying to be as reassuring and comforting as possible, he had stayed with her whilst the nurse explained the basic process and asked various preliminary questions. Terry had been so quiet, her answers reduced to single syllables. And, when it had been time for him to leave, Mac could see how scared she was from her tense posture.
He had been escorted out of the room to a row of plastic chairs, wincing inwardly when he heard the nurse ask her colleague for a rape test kit.
Now, sitting in the waiting room, Mac couldn't help wondering whether he had done the right thing by telling Terry about the drug. Would she have been better off not knowing?
Nine years ago, blissful ignorance had never been her preferred option. But that was nine years ago. People change in nine years, and they had hardly renewed their friendship long enough for him to make that kind of decision on her behalf.
Then again, didn't he just make such a decision by telling her about the drug? Mac shook his head dejectedly. The question of whether he had done the right thing was something he would only find out after the fact. It didn't matter how many times he went around this circle, this was one answer he would never know without asking Terry. In the meantime, all he could do was wait helplessly.
~~~~~~~
MacGyver woke slowly, feeling something tickle his cheek.
"Hey sleepy head. Time to wake up," a soft feminine voice whispered in his ear.
Mac recognised the words as his own, his mind taking him back to a cold tiled room. Yet, somehow, he felt warmer now, more comfortable.
Gradually opening his eyes, Mac met a stunning green brown gaze, suddenly remembering where he was. He was almost as startled by the smile on Terry's face as he was embarrassed by the fact that he had fallen asleep whilst waiting for her.
MacGyver sat up so fast that he practically fell off the uncomfortable plastic chair. Not so uncomfortable that he couldn't sleep in it though, he thought ruefully.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep," Mac said sheepishly, gazing at her for a long moment as he tried to figure out what had changed. Then he realised that she looked as though a weight had been taken off her shoulders and he regarded her hopefully, wanting to ask the question but unable to voice it.
Terry noticed his speechlessness and smiled shyly. "It's okay," she reassured him quietly, "The tests were negative." She sat down in the chair next to him, sighing in relief.
MacGyver slumped back in to his own chair, feeling completely exhausted. Silently, he thanked God for answering his prayers and keeping her safe.
He was surprised when he felt Terry's fingers sliding between his own. "Thanks," she said, squeezing his hand gently. She looked up to answer his unspoken question, "For telling me what might have happened."
She glanced away then, trying to find the words, "I know that can't have been an easy decision for you. Blissful ignorance or extreme distress isn't a very good choice at the best of times!" She turned back to meet his gaze gratefully.
"I wasn't sure I'd done the right thing," Mac said quietly. "I mean, after nine years you might have changed your attitude to life."
He was surprised when Terry laughed. "The chances of that are about the same as the likelihood that your life has gotten boring in the last nine years!" Her smile faded and she added gravely, "That man's really out to get you, MacGyver. Promise me, you'll watch out for yourself."
"You can count on it!" he smiled sincerely. Then he gently closed his fingers around her bandage wrapped hand and stood up, helping her to her feet ready to head back up to Pete Thornton's hospital room and then home.
~~~~~~~
Whilst they had been waiting at the hospital, Greg Willis had arranged for MacGyver's Jeep to be retrieved from outside The Devil's Cauldron, where it had been left the previous evening. Willis also had a truck collect Sam's motorcycle and return it to his apartment, figuring none of them wanted to return to the scene of the crime any time soon.
Willis had extended his task as clean-up man as far as arranging for one of his lab teams to do a complete forensics sweep of the abandoned nightclub. Searching for fingerprints, hair and fibre particles, footprints, and photographing anything that might add ammunition in their ongoing quest to bring down the Alliance.
Initial reports from the old burned-out school were sketchy, confused by the tip-off from an anonymous eyewitness who saw three homeless people inside the building just before the fire broke out. The report was well planted by Willis, who was becoming increasingly devious the longer he worked with MacGyver.
So, thanks to Willis, the battered trio were free to return home and rest easy, at least for a while. They would certainly be safe until Phelps figured out they were still alive. And, so long as they all kept their heads down, that could take a few days.
With MacGyver unable to drive with one arm in a sling, Sam drove him and Terry down the coast to Terry's home.
>
Terry was greeted at the side entrance by an extremely excitable Roadie who had been on his own for far too long, since Mac and Sam had been forced to leave him there when they were called to the emergency at the hospital the previous morning. Fortunately, the ever-reliable Greg Willis had been in to feed him a couple of times.
Behind her, Terry heard Sam call after his father as he was about to follow her and MacGyver turned back towards the Jeep curiously.
"When are we going after Phelps?" Sam asked through the open window of the vehicle.
Mac frowned at him, somewhat disturbed by the tone of his voice, "We're not. Not yet anyway."
"Dad, we have to go after them!" Sam said a little too loudly, feeling the anger he had held back for so long now bubbling to the surface.
"We will, soon," MacGyver replied emphatically. "But first it's our job to make sure that Pete and Terry are safe."
He stepped closer, leaning against the door of the vehicle and lowering his voice, not wanting Terry to hear them arguing about such a thing. "Look, Sam, I know how you feel. But you know as well as I do that revenge isn't the answer. For now, Craig Phelps isn't going anywhere. And, when we do take him down, it will be done legally, not like some vigilante slaying!" he paused, relieved to see Sam nod slightly, his son's expression gradually changing to one of reason instead of anger.
Mac patted Sam's shoulder, "We have a bit of breathing space before Phelps realises what happened. That gives us time to figure out how to protect our friends," he said grimly. "And what's more important? Revenge, or keeping safe the people we love?"
Sam nodded more agreeably, "Yeah, you're right." He glanced across to where Terry was still fussing over Roadie. "We need to look after our friends."
MacGyver smiled. "Now go home, get cleaned up and get some sleep. You look terrible!" he told Sam. "I'll call you later."
Mac stepped back and watched his son drive away. Pete would be protected now by some of the old guard from the Phoenix Foundation. But how to protect Terry was another matter, especially now that Phelps knew where she lived. Still, he was sure they could come up with something.
An even bigger question was how to safeguard Sam from further run-ins with Phelps and the Alliance, without his son realising he was being protected.
They had both come so close to losing their lives this time, and MacGyver would never forgive himself if something happened to his son because of him. It was bad enough simply knowing how beaten and bruised Sam had got in trying to save him.
Somehow, he would find a way to protect his son. But he could just hear the arguments now if Sam ever discovered his own father was trying to shield him from harm!
Mac shook his head ruefully and turned to follow Terry and Roadie into the house.
~~~~~~~
It had taken a lot of soap and water, and several aspirin. There had also been some difficult balancing acts, with each of them being short the use of one limb. But both MacGyver and Terry were finally clean and now faced the difficult decision of food or sleep.
In the end, they both settled for a large mug of steaming hot chocolate, grateful for what little energy they would get from the drink, whilst glad of the warmth and comfort it would provide.
They sat in easy silence at the kitchen table, a location chosen out of genuine concern that if either tried sitting in a comfy chair they would fall asleep before they got a chance to finish their drink.
Eventually, Terry broke the peace. "Mac, there's something I need to tell you," she said quietly, almost shyly, "I promised myself that if I got out of there alive I would say it."
MacGyver glanced across at her and smiled, that gentle reassuring smile that still had such an extraordinary effect on her heart beat after all these years. "Yeah, me too!"
Terry gazed at him, losing herself in his soft brown eyes for a moment, and she knew it had to be said, whatever the consequences. This was one truth that needed to be spoken.
"Mac, I'm in love with you.......again, or still......." she shrugged nervously. "I know it doesn't seem like it's been long enough, but I can't deny it any longer."
MacGyver's smile widened, his eyes alive with passion. "Good!" He got up from his chair and moved around to her side of the table, pulling Terry up onto her right foot gently. "Because I feel the same way!" He hugged her warmly with his right arm, long distant memories of three simple words making their effect even more heartfelt.
Terry wrapped her arms around him tenderly, needing to say more, to tell him of a decision she had made whilst still at the hospital, but not knowing how to break the news.
Slowly MacGyver pulled away and looked at her, cocking his head to one side. "There's a 'but' isn't there?" he studied her carefully. "That job in Alaska you told me about last week." He could tell from the look on her face that he'd guessed correctly.
Terry nodded, lowering her gaze. "I'm going to take it. It's only for a few months. And maybe when I return you'll have shut down the Alliance for good." She faltered, her voice soft and hesitant, "And then.......maybe.......we can talk?"
"I'd like that," Mac assured her quietly, embracing her again as though to reaffirm his words.
"Besides," Terry sighed softly against his shoulder, knowing for both their sakes that she'd made the right decision, despite how much she knew she'd miss him, "I've always wanted to visit Alaska and see the aurora borealis. And I promised myself that I'd start ticking off a few more things on my 'to do' list!"
"I hope I'm on that list!" Mac grinned affectionately.
"You bet!" Terry smiled. Then she added soberly, "I'll contact the agency in the morning. I can probably leave by the end of the week. Do you think Sam will water my plants for me?"
"Of course! He'll even look out for landmines if you ask him nicely!" Mac grinned.
"I'm hoping that won't be necessary!" Terry chided ruefully. She gazed at him for a long moment as she pondered her next question. Then she took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers together. "Stay with me tonight," she said, her voice husky with emotion.
MacGyver met her gaze, absorbing the affection in her green brown eyes. Gently, he pulled her towards him again, wrapping his arm around her.
"You bet!" he said softly.
~~~~~~~
It was amazing how much difference thirty six hours could make, Terry thought to herself as she carried a mug of hot tea from the kitchen into the living room, limping slightly as she favoured her strapped up left ankle.
For a start, all that sleep and bed rest had helped, not to mention eventually managing to get some solid food inside her. And the side-effects of the drug had finally worn off. She no longer felt the need to sit on the bathroom floor hugging the toilet bowl, and that had to be a good thing!
To top it all, it was amazing what thirty six hours of good company and sympathetic conversation could do to alleviate the terror of abduction and captivity. After the initial relief at being home had worn off, it had been a long time before Terry had stopped crying, shaking or throwing up.
It had all started with tears before bedtime that first evening. When Terry had come across a seemingly innocuous bottle of mineral water in the fridge, the whole terrifying affair had come flooding back, quite literally. She was still embarrassed at how suddenly her mood had changed from relaxed and happy to complete emotional breakdown. And when her stomach had also begun to rebel against the simple drink of hot chocolate, that had made her state of mind even more fragile.
Whether she would have been quite so sick and emotional without the drugs in her system was open to question. But she was eternally grateful to MacGyver for helping her through it.
She still felt guilty for monopolising his time though. Judging from the bruises on his body and the damage to his head and left shoulder, Terry knew Mac had been through just as much as she had and, by all accounts, so had Sam and Pete.
Sam had dropped round the previous afternoon and they had talked for hours. By the time he had left, he seemed back to his old effervescent self, much to his father's relief.
From their own conversations, Terry knew that Mac felt as responsible for what Sam had been through as he felt guilty for what had happened to her and Pete Thornton. And he was even more determined to expose the Alliance and finish Phelps' reign of terror. As far as MacGyver was concerned, the danger to his friends and family had to end.
Thankfully, Pete was due to be released from the hospital later that day. And now Terry was also feeling much better. She had arranged her next work contract and was actually looking forward to packing for her trip. Granted, the weather in Alaska would probably require her entire wardrobe of sweaters and she couldn't help wondering how she and Roadie were going to cope with the twenty degree drop in temperature after living in California for three years, but she was relishing the new challenge.
She was certainly going to miss MacGyver though. The last thirty six hours, plus everything they had been through before their escape, had drawn them even closer together. Although, she wasn't sure that she would miss those rather unique protein shakes he kept concocting in her kitchen each morning.
Terry grinned when, as if on cue, the sound of her blender suddenly started up through the open door behind her.
The noise was so loud that she barely heard the telephone ringing across the room. Quickly, she placed her mug of tea down on to the nearest table and began to limp towards the phone, hoping the caller wouldn't hang up before she managed to reach it.
The sound of the blender stopped just before Terry lifted the receiver. Holding it to her ear, she answered brightly, "Hello?"
"Tell MacGyver I'll be waiting for him!"
It was a horribly familiar voice, bringing chilling images of a malevolent masked man flooding to the fore, and Terry stared at the phone in wide eyed horror.
MacGyver was just walking into the room, casually sipping a glass of his usual breakfast drink, when he saw the receiver slip from Terry's nerveless fingers, hitting the table with a crunch as it fell.
"Terry?"
He looked at her anxiously, beginning to move towards her, even as she turned to gaze at him, her face pale and distressed. As he drew closer, Mac could see tears of concern glistening in her eyes.
"Terry, you okay? Who was that?"
~~~fin~~~
