Some of you asked for more, so here it is. Enjoy.

Bander
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Pete opened his eyes stared into the darkness of his bedroom. Except for the soft ticking of his clock, the air was still and quiet, leaving him to wonder what had woken him in the middle of the night. He couldn’t recall dreaming, but it was the most likely cause. Between the stress of the budget and MacGyver falling ill, sound sleep had become a rare commodity. And now with the budgetary piece coming to a close, the concern for his friend had nearly taken him over completely.

He looked over at his alarm clock; the red numbers showing it was just after midnight.

It’s too late to call…I hope he’s doing all right… He thought back to his last visit with his friend. The younger man had been miserable, uncomfortably hot and clearly hurting. He’d sat with him through another antibiotic treatment, watching as the drug and saline mix slowly fed into the line set just below his collarbone. Mac had slept fitfully during the hour-long process, occasionally waking and uttering incomprehensibly before going back to sleep.

The visit’s one silver lining was the presence of Ferris and her sympathetic ear. Pete told her about his confrontation with Brock Aspen, and how the young doctor’s poor attitude had shattered the confidence he’d had in the man’s skills. She’d apologized and said Aspen got his arrogance from his father’s legacy. Apparently the son had inherited his father’s intelligence, but missed out entirely on his highly revered bedside manner. She agreed he had no business treating people so callously, and believed time, experience, and inevitable failures would eventually humble him.

Inevitable failures… he thought dismally, her words echoing in his mind. As far as medicine was concerned, he could only think of only one. Don’t go there, Pete. It won’t do you or Mac any good…

He’d been reluctant to leave his sick friend behind, wanting to stay close in case something happened. Ferris eventually convinced him it was all right to leave after promising to call if something did go wrong.

The director rolled over and sighed. With no realistic reason to be awake, he closed his eyes and attempted to go back to sleep. He had nearly drifted off when the phone beside his bed began to ring.

Pete felt his stomach clench in anticipation as he reached for the receiver. Calls that came in at such a late hour seldom brought good news. “Hello?”

“Pete? It’s Ferris. I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour, but something’s come up.”

He wasn’t reassured by the apprehension in her voice. “What’s the matter?”

“MacGyver had another seizure about two hours ago.”

“Oh my god.”

“It was a bad one, but we were able to bring it under control with medication.”

“Is he all right?”

“He’s holding his own for the moment, but things aren’t looking good,” Ferris replied in all honesty. “Mac’s developed an abscess beneath his original incision – we found it during an MRI.”

Pete slowly sat up. “An abscess?”

“I’m afraid so. It’s small, but it’s causing a lot of pressure to build up around his brain. I called Franklin in and he’s decided to try surgically draining it. Hopefully it will alleviate the pressure and allow the antibiotic a chance to work properly,” she explained. “It’s a relatively simple procedure, the complications of his infection are going to make it very high risk.”

The director couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Hearing MacGyver’s initial diagnosis had been hard enough, but then to learn he had an infection and now an abscess – it seemed unreal. Everything seemed to have happened so fast; he wasn’t quite sure how best to react.

“Pete?”

“I’m here,” he replied. “I’m just…so his chances…they’re not good?”

“That’s a tough call to make at this point. Yes, he’s very sick, but he’s also proven himself to be a fighter. I can’t promise you anything, but that alone may help him come through.”

“Can I talk to him?”

“He’s already been taken down to prep. Besides, he’s not really that coherent right now. Between the after effects of the seizure, his high fever, and the medication, he’s pretty out of it. I’m heading down to scrub up after I hang up with you though, and I can give him a message if you’d like," she offered.

“Yeah – just let him know that I’m thinking about him and not to give up.”

“I can do that.”

“Thanks.” It wasn’t as good as saying it to him himself, but at least Mac would know there was someone on the outside pulling for him. “How long do you think it’ll take?”

“The procedure? Probably an hour or two. It’s not as involved as his first one, so it shouldn’t take nearly as long. I can give you a call when we’re through."

He reached out and turned on the bedside light. “Actually, I was thinking of coming in.”

“There’s nothing you can do for him right now, Pete. You’d just be making a very long night for yourself.”

“I know, but I want to be there in case he…” He stopped, afraid his voice would break if he said more.

The doctor understood him just the same. “Do you remember where my office is?”
“Yes.”

“I want you to wait in there. It’s private and quiet, and there’s a couch you can use if you get tired. I’ll let the front desk know you’re coming and they’ll let you in, okay?”

“Thank you, Ferris. I really, really appreciate this,” he said sincerely.

“You’re welcome. Listen, I need to get going – Franklin’s expecting me. Are you going to be okay driving in?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“All right. Take it slow, and try to stay positive. We’re not letting Mac go without a fight, and he’s going to need all the support he can get to pull through this. Can you do that?”

“I can try.”

“Good. I’ll come by and update you just as soon as I can. Drive carefully.”

“I will. Thanks again, and good luck.” The connection terminated, but Pete sat with the phone to his ear for nearly a minute before hanging up. He was in shock, trying to come to terms with the notion that his best friend may not survive the night. It was a sickening thought, and one he wasn’t certainly wasn’t prepared to deal with.

He felt the need to cast blame, to fault the doctors for missing the warning signs that something was wrong. It was Dr. Griffin’s oversight and Dr. Aspen’s overconfidence that had led to MacGyver’s downfall. He was quite certain that if Ferris and Franklin had remained in charge of Mac’s care, none of this would have happened. But even with all the responsibility placed on other people, Pete found he felt no better for it. What had been done had been done, and what had happened may have still have happened even if things were handled differently. Placing blame wouldn’t make Mac better, and it certainly didn’t help his own stress levels any.

Once again, the diminutive Dr. Harper was right. “Stay positive…he’s going to need all the support he can get…”

Then that’s just what I’ll have to do… Wide awake despite the hollow hour, Pete slid out of bed and began getting dressed, anxious to help give his friend the fighting chance he deserved.

*

Ferris smothered a yawn in the crook of her arm as she made her way through the ICU. She’d been awake for nearly 24 hours and the lack of sleep was finally starting to catch up with her. It had been a very long night.

Despite their concerns, MacGyver’s surgery went without complication. It took just over an hour for Franklin to open, drain, and thoroughly flush the infected area with a strong antiseptic solution. Mac remained stable the entire time, his temperature even dropping a few degrees in response to the anesthetic. It was only when he began waking up in recovery that his distress returned, his body fighting to regulate itself as his fever rapidly rose. The decision was made to keep him sedated and on a ventilator to prevent his exhausted systems from stressing even more.

Hopefully Pete’s doing better…

The older man had been clearly shaken when she brought him down to see MacGyver. She had tried to prepare him, but there were no words that could fully equip a person to see a friend or loved one in critical condition. At first Pete had been stunned, speechless, and afraid to even touch his unconscious friend. After a little coaxing, he finally sat down and took Mac’s hand tentatively into his own. She’d stayed close until the director seemed more at ease, and then excused herself for a much-needed break.

An hour or so off for every 24 worked…and I thought I’d given those shifts up after college…

Ferris paused at the nurses’ station to check MacGyver’s file. She’d only been gone for an hour, but in the ICU, patients sometimes went from stable to critical in half a heartbeat.

“Ferris.”

She turned to find Dr. Miller coming from Mac’s room. “Hey, Grace. How is he?”

“Not much has changed, I’m afraid,” Miller replied quietly, removing her mask. “His temperature’s dropped half a degree since we put the ice back on him, but it’s still much too high. I’ve started him on his next dose of Vancomycin, per Franklin’s orders – he’s about half way through.”

“That’s good. The sooner we get it into him, the better chance it’ll have to work. How’s Pete holding up?”

“He’s asleep, actually. The poor man is going to have a terribly stiff neck, but I didn’t have the heart to wake him.”

“I think it’s been a long night for everyone.” She glanced at her watch – it was almost seven. “Are you heading out?”

“Soon. There are a few things I need to take care of before I hand the reins over to the morning crew.” She took in the petite woman’s haggard appearance. “I certainly hope you’re following suit?”

“Yeah. I’m leaving soon too – I just wanted to check on Mac one more time.” Ferris reached for the doorknob and stopped. “Thanks for your help last night, by the way.”

“My pleasure,” she said and nodded toward the door. “Now go see what you need to see and get out of here – doctor’s orders! You look like you’re about to keel over.”

Ferris grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” She gave her colleague a wave and stepped inside. The small room was quiet, broken only by the slow rhythm of the heart monitor and hiss-click of the ventilator. She found Pete still seated next to Mac, his head canted awkwardly to one side as he dozed.

The doctor went to the sink and washed her hands, the paper towel dispenser clunking noisily as she withdrew several from the opening.

“Huh? Wha…ow…” Pete’s startled question dissolved into a groan as he discovered his stiff neck.

“Sorry, Pete,” Ferris said, cringing sympathetically as he massaged his aching muscles. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay. I was just resting my eyes,” he muttered, looking around the room to get his bearings. His gaze settled on MacGyver and his confused expression instantly saddened. “Nothing’s changed.”

“I don’t expect we’ll see anything for some time yet,” she replied, pulling on gloves and mask as she went to her patient’s side.

Looking down at MacGyver, she could easily understand how difficult the circumstances must be for the older man. Bruised and swollen from the surgery, he barely resembled the handsome troubleshooter she’d met a week before. Heavy white bandages encircled his head, and a clear tube passed through his colorless lips to relieve his labored breathing. She glanced at the monitors set up around the bed. It would have been easy to blame the insufficient numbers on the medication, but there was no sense in denying the reality. He was a very sick young man, and for the moment, the scales clearly weren’t tipped in his favor.

She began to unwind his bandages, careful of the electroencephalogram electrodes dotting his forehead. “How are you doing?”

The director heaved a shaky sigh. “Okay, I guess. Better than when I first got here, at least.”

“That’s good.”

He nodded absently and watched silently as she examined the newly opened incision on his friend’s temple. The fresh wound was difficult to look at, the skin around the bone staples still raw and red.

“It’s definitely draining, but it actually looks pretty good – much better than it did anyway.” Ferris changed out the soiled gauze padding and rewrapped the outer bandage. “I know he looks bad, but he is doing as well as can be expected.”

“Franklin said the same thing when he came by earlier,” Pete replied. The surgeon had stopped by to check on his patient and was nice enough to take the time to explain to him what he’d done. Although most of it was over his head, he was grateful just the same. “He said the next 24 to 48 hours would be the most important.”

“That’s right, they will. It’s when we’ll learn if the antibiotics are going to work or not.”

“Do you think it will?”

The doctor hesitated. Outcomes were often hard to predict, especially when they involved the brain. The addition of a rare, potentially deadly infection certainly didn’t make things any easier.

“It’s hard to say,” she said at last. “His EEG is strong, but the prolonged fever and infection have left him physically drained. There’s still a chance he may not have enough strength to make it through the healing process. Unfortunately we can only wait, watch, and hope.”

Pete nodded absently, his expression a mixture of weariness, worry, and sorrow. “I guess it is, isn’t it?”

“I wish I could tell you he was going to be fine, but I can’t. And I’m not going to give you false hope.”

“I appreciate that,” Pete uttered, his gaze never leaving MacGyver.

Satisfied with her patient’s condition, Ferris made the decision to call it a day. “I’m going to be heading out in a few minutes,” she said. “And I was hoping I could convince you to do the same.”

“I’d rather stay here with Mac.”

“I know, but right now he needs to rest.”

“He might need me,” the older man replied, still unconvinced.

“He’s sedated, Pete. He doesn’t even know you’re here.”

“And what if something happens?”

“Then you’ll be notified just like me,” she pushed. “You don’t want to set yourself up to get sick, Pete. They won’t let you anywhere near the ward if you do. Take care of yourself now so you can be around when and if he begins to recover.”

When and if… he thought, the words making him cringe. “Can I come back?”

“Of course – just give it awhile. I’m going to talk to Dr. Aspen about lengthening your visits, but I don’t expect he’ll give you much more. To the critically ill, undisturbed rest can be just as important as the medication they receive.”

Pete sighed, torn between leaving and staying. He understood what Ferris was saying, but the unknowns surrounding Mac’s condition made him reluctant to leave.

“It’s okay to be worried,” she said, seeing his uncertainty. “But he needs time to heal.”

The director nodded and slowly got to his feet. He placed a hand on MacGyver’s shoulder, discouraged by the heat he felt despite the efforts being made to cool him down. “I need to leave for a little while, kid. I’ll be back later though, I promise. Just get some rest, and don’t give any of the nurses a hard time, all right?” When there was no response from his sleeping friend, Pete squeezed his arm and turned to leave.

“You going to be okay?” Ferris asked, pulling the paper mask away from her face as they left the room.

“I think so,” he replied, his voice lacking conviction. “I’m just going to go home and get a few hours of sleep, then probably head into work for a while. See how they’re surviving without me.”

“Good. Keep yourself busy. That should make things a little easier.” She offered him an empathic smile. “Come on. Why don’t we go get changed out of these stylish scrubs and meet up by the elevators? You can walk me to my car.” Without giving him a chance to answer, the petite doctor turned and disappeared down the hall.

Bewildered, Pete couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. It quickly faded, however, when he looked back at MacGyver’s closed door. Sighing deeply, he turned away and walked slowly toward the dressing rooms, hoping for luck and praying for a miracle.

Another beautifully written chapter. Really liking Dr. Ferris in this chapter. She has a bedside manner. Poor Pete, receiving a late night phone call...how awful yet beautifully written.

I'm almost afraid to ask for another chapter because I fear things aren't looking too good for poor Mac. You really are putting Mac and Pete (and your readers) through the wringer with this story. Please let him have the strength left to make it through the healing process....

Don't worry -- the end is in sight. Well, at least it is from end... More to come this weekend. I'm glad you're liking it.

In retrospect, it was an interesting and challenging story to write. The feedback always helps to string us writers along too

I read this but never got around to commenting (my computer was acting goofy that day). Great chapter. Can't wait to see more.

Great job on this chapter! Love it!