Secrets and Consequences Part Seven
Rated: R

As often was the case with MacGyver, Pete found himself in the austere, sterile confines of the hospital, the wait to hear any news of his condition interminable and agonizing, almost too much to bear. Hours later, Dr. Warren emerged from the surgery he performed to safely remove the chip from MacGyver’s brain, the white lab coat he wore making him look like a respectable, distinguished surgeon instead of a felonious scientist with a dubious past. Without a word except for a heavy, loaded sigh, he sat down beside Pete, the cheap, worn, and cracked plastic chair in the waiting room creaking in protest beneath the tremendous bulk of his powerfully built frame.

“The surgery was highly delicate and sensitive in nature, as it was more difficult to extract the chip from the numerous, intricate folds and layers of his brain tissue than it was to insert it, but I can report to you with absolute certainty and confidence that it was a success,” he said with his mild accent and carefully constructed English.

Pete sighed in relief. “That’s wonderful news,” he said, his voice tired and strained, all his emotions thoroughly wrung from him.

Dr. Warren produced a plastic bag containing the chip, showing it to Pete. “Here is the device,” he said. “I freely give permission to your foundation to study it, and then destroy it.”

Pete studied the chip for a long time. “It’s so small,” he said. “To think that something that looks so harmless could have caused so much damage.”

Dr. Warren nodded solemnly and bowed his head. “I bear full responsibility for its design and creation,” he said. “I appreciate the concessions you are willing to make for me for in exchange for sharing my knowledge, but I also understand if you do not wish to grant my requests and want to proceed with incarcerating me instead for my crimes and indiscretions.”

Pete looked at him. “You saved MacGyver’s life,” he said. “Of course I will honor the deal I made with you. How is he? Can I see him now?”

“We had to induce a comatose state in him,” Dr. Warren said. “His brain activity was too unstable. Also, he had some severe internal injuries and hairline fractures that we had to repair, but if I were to make an honest assessment and prognosis as to his condition, I would say that he will recover, albeit slowly.”

“What about his brain? Will there be lasting effects from the chip and the surgery?”

Dr. Warren shook his head. “That I cannot be certain of, Mr. Thornton,” he said. “We can only wait until he regains consciousness and determine the extent of any damage from there.”

Pete nodded. “I understand,” he said, sighing again. “Thank you, Dr. Warren, for everything you’ve done. You’ve taken an enormous risk, uncovering the secrets of your organization and turning your back on them, but we appreciate it and will make sure you are afforded all the protections necessary for you cooperation.”

“I only wish it had been unnecessary,” he said. “At least now the man who caused MacGyver suffering and the device used to inflict it are no longer capable of doing so. He can now rest, and perhaps his long nightmare will at last end.”

“I hope so,” Pete said. “Although, I’m not so sure. This could only be the beginning. He has a long road to recovery.”

Dr. Warren smiled cryptically. “With you at his side, I am positive he will make it,” he said.

***

Pete kept vigil by MacGyver’s bedside for several weeks as he slipped in and out of his medically induced coma, his periods of consciousness and awareness brief, still not lucid enough to recognize him or his surroundings, lost in a daze, his eyes glassy and staring blankly. Gradually, he was able to respond to external stimuli and remain awake for longer periods, but his reaction time was still slow, and he was still confused and disoriented. He looked like a traumatized, wounded war vet, one side of his head heavily bandaged where the surgery had been performed, tufts of his sandy hair sticking up wildly from beneath the dressings, his body motionless. Dark circles formed under his eyes and contrasted sharply with his pale skin, his face still creased in pain, the heavy strain that had been placed on his body still evident. After lingering in this state for many days, Pete began to wonder if he would ever recover and be able to function normally again, despite the initial brain scan results he received informing him that, so far, there appeared to be minimal, almost negligible damage as a result of the operation.

For MacGyver, he found himself trapped in a limbo of unreality where his mind was lost in a haze. Voices murmured around him, sounding sympathetic but he couldn’t be certain, unable to clearly hear or distinguish what was being said. Unaware of what happened to him, lost in the murky darkness of uncertainty, his body alternately numb or aching in pain, he couldn’t respond, and his inability to do so frightened him. He couldn’t remember anything except constant torment and pain, and now it was gone somehow, replaced with caring voices and nebulous blackness. Eventually, he forced himself to open his eyes, straining to allow the harsh light flood his pupils, the blurry, indistinct form before him gradually materializing, assuming the shape of Pete.

Noticing that MacGyver’s eyes were open and he appeared more alert than he had on previous occasions, his eyes wandering around the room, Pete smiled and squeezed his hand.

“Can you hear me, Mac?” He asked, tears in his eyes. “Come on, please…”

MacGyver moved his dry lips, struggling to form words. “P-Pete,” he whispered softly, his voice barely audible. He blinked slowly, his eyes still searching the hospital room in a disoriented state.

“That’s it, that’s right,” Pete said, firmly squeezing his hand again, encouraging him. “I’m here.” He pressed the button to alert a nurse. One appeared shortly afterward. “Get Dr. Warren,” he said to her. “Tell him his patient is awake and responsive.”

When Dr. Warren arrived, he was equally pleased and excited to see MacGyver fully returned to consciousness, recognition in his eyes where before there had been an empty stare from two vacant, dark voids.

“This is incredible,” he said.

“It looks like you were right,” Pete said, smiling tearfully. “He will recover. Oh, thank God…”

“Do you know where you are, MacGyver?” Dr. Warren asked.

“Hospital,” MacGyver croaked. He tried to move but found the pain merciless as he did so, causing him to groan and wince, his body stiff and uncooperative.

“Here,” Pete said, arranging the pillow around him and helping him get comfortable. He offered him some water, which he sipped on greedily until he coughed. Pete took the cup away and wiped his mouth. “There. Is that better?”

MacGyver nodded weakly. “Hurts,” he said. “Sore. Everything…aches…to move…can’t…”

“I know. It’s going to be all right, though. It’ll get better soon, I promise.”

“Do you remember what happened to you?” Dr. Warren asked.

“N-no…” MacGyver said, his voice trailing away in exhaustion. His eyes wandered distractedly around the room and for a moment it looked as if he would lose consciousness again, moaning softly as he leaned his bandaged head heavily against his pillow.

“You were tortured, Mac,” Pete said, a trace of anger and disgust in his voice over the absolute cruelty and barbarity of what had been done to him. The technology and methods used to inflict the harm were different, neater, and much more sophisticated than other forms, but it was still torture all the same, the damage it caused still evident.

“Wha…? By whom?” MacGyver asked, gazing at Pete.

Pete and Dr. Warren exchanged concerned glances.

“By an enemy agent,” Dr. Warren said. “He claimed you drove his sister to suicide after breaking off a romantic relationship with her.”

“Ashley,” Pete said.

MacGyver frowned. “Ashley…who…? I don’t…know…Ashley…” he said faintly.

“You don’t remember her at all? You just visited her grave a few weeks ago. I was there with you,” Pete said in alarm.

“No…I-I…don’t know…don’t remember…”

MacGyver released another soft moan, his eyes rolling back in his head, his tenuous grip on consciousness once again lost.

“Well, that’s worrisome,” Pete said, staring at MacGyver’s fragile, still form in dismay. “He’s been through all that emotional turmoil and guilt over her death for years, and now he doesn’t even remember or know who she is.”

“It may only be a temporary condition,” Dr. Warren said. “As he continues to improve I will conduct more cognitive and motor skills tests on him to determine any permanent brain damage.”

“But you heard him,” Pete said. “He doesn’t remember a woman he knew intimately, a woman who killed herself over him. He doesn’t remember the guilt he felt, or that he was tortured by someone else close to her over the tragic circumstances of her death.”

“That may not entirely be a terrible thing, Mr. Thornton,” Dr. Warren said.

“What are you suggesting?”

Dr. Warren shrugged. “Perhaps it is better if he does forget,” he said.

Pete began to remember that he was dealing with someone who was unscrupulous, someone who had worked on a device designed to manipulate and control the complex functions of the human brain, someone who obviously didn’t share the same principles as others in his profession who wished to preserve the integrity of the brain and the value of a person’s memories, not destroy them.

“How could you say that?” He asked angrily. “It’s obvious MacGyver’s brain has been damaged by the procedure and the chip! He can’t remember a key moment in his life!”

“A painful moment,” Dr. Warren said, “a moment he regrets and would most likely wish to forget.”

“Painful or not, doesn’t he deserve to have that memory remain intact?”

“Not after all he has suffered as a result, no, I don’t think so.”

“How can he preserve her memory if he doesn’t know her anymore?”

“Perhaps she is best forgotten. Perhaps the entire tragic incident is best forgotten, so that he may move on with his life. Remembering her only caused problems, not only for MacGyver, but for her brother as well. Imagine if Evan could have forgotten, Mr. Thornton. MacGyver would never have been tortured.”

Pete realized that in his own form of twisted logic, Dr. Warren did have a point. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Maybe not remembering her will allow MacGyver to continue with his life after he recovers, forgetting both his emotional pain and the physical torment he had to suffer as a result at the hands of a man whose memories wounded and haunted him, were still vivid and fresh in his mind, not allowing him to forgive.”

“You see? Then you do understand my position. Of course we are only speculating as to his future condition at the moment, but if it is permanent memory loss of that specific event, then it could potentially be a new beginning for him.”

Pete thought about the fresh red rose MacGyver had placed on Ashley’s grave, its petals full and lush. It was wilted by now, decaying and neglected like everything else in the cemetery.

“Yeah, and one more abandoned, lonely, untended grave,” he said sadly.

To be continued…

Great stuff as always. I really like your style, I think I'd be able to recognise it in original fiction too.

You set an interesting question here, about whether it would be better to remember or forget. As a psychologist, I must say that deep down, nobody ever forgets. But it is possible to seal it away, that memory, as a defense mechanism, maybe forever if the person doesn't have the energy or safety to process what happened, and all the emotional impact that goes with it. Can't wait to see where you will take it

And a slight um... detail thing. One that movies rarely are faithful to, as it is often shocking.

Brain surgery would require that the docs shave Mac's pretty hair all off.

How many screamed when they read this?

The rabid fans would hunt down dear MacsChick and we can't have that! The magic of the "movie world" is... you can make brain surgery to the HOT main character and he'll remain HOT for us rabid fans to fest upon

I do agree with Dr. Warren, though. Sometimes is better just to fully forget and get on with life. (or at least that's my opinion )

Awesome chapter, MacsChick! Thanks!

Yeah, I know they shave a person's head before brain surgery, but I just couldn't do it to poor Mac, not even for the sake of realism! I'm glad you liked the chapter, though. The next (and last) one is coming up, and then there will be a new story!