A/N:Hi there! How are you guys doing? I've just finished making some changes in this chapter (thanks poxelda, you're the best!), so here it is. I hope you like it!

And don't forget, when you're bored, take some paper and your favorite pen and enjoy writing!

Chapter 3. Permanent?

Mac had gone through hell and back in his life plenty of times, and he had always come back stronger, but every man has his breaking point. Jack feared this would be the one for Mac.

The young man had overcome a lot of things, and although he tried hard to hide from his loved ones, Jack knew better. He knew the toll it took on him. They had been in war together, and they had seen each other at their lowest. Jack knew about the night terrors and about the sleepless nights whenever some hurtful anniversary got closer. He knew all about the sounds and smells that could trigger a flashback and what Mac feared most, something that had nothing to do with heights.

Jack was afraid of what would come up from the doctor tests results. Mac was a man of action. He loved the adrenaline. Maybe it was true that he enlisted to use his skills and intelligence to help saving people's lives, but once he got a taste of the electricity running through his body when facing danger he couldn't get away from it. Jack knew Mac was an adrenaline junkie, just like himself.

Jack couldn't stop wondering what would happen to Mac if his blindness was permanent. What would the young man do? Jack would be there for him, of course, but would that be enough? No, it wouldn't. Mac wouldn't be able to bear an early retirement. He would think of himself as a burden, as a useless person, as somebody who wasn't worth it. That would break him. So yeah, Jack was terrified of the tests results.

He hoped they would be done by the time Mac woke up so Jack could give Mac good news. As usual usual, the blonde beat the odds and came around before expected. As soon as he stirred, Jack jumped from his chair and sprinted to his side to reassure Mac over and over that he was safe, and that everything was okay. Jack hoped he wasn't lying.

Bozer was on the other side of the bed, unsure of what to do. Jack told both Riley and Bozer what happened. Bozer didn't know if he should approach Mac or let Jack take charge of the situation. Riley was next to the door, ready to call the doctor if Mac got too anxious. She hoped she wouldn't need to.

Mac could hear somebody talking softly; he realized that it was Jack. His friend was with him. The rescue hadn't been a figment of his imagination. Relief flooded Mac. His head felt clouded and his eyes didn't want to cooperate, so he relied on his other senses. Both of his hands felt warm, so he assumed Jack and another person, maybe Bozer, were holding them. The smell, something between disinfectant and vanilla, told him that he was in a medical facility – probably in Phoenix – and that Riley was also in the room. Mac felt safe. He was surrounded by his family, and he knew that they must be worried.

Mac tried to open his eyes to reassure them that he was fine, but he found it hard. He tried a couple of times, but it didn't seem to work. His eyes were open, but the blackness was still there. That's when it struck him. He was blind! Mac tried to rub the darkness away, but the people holding both of his hands didn't let him.

"It's okay Mac, you're okay. Calm down kiddo, just relax." Jack whispered over and over. Luckily, this time it seemed to work maybe because there were some drugs still running in his blood. Mac relaxed, and stopped struggling against his holders.

"I'm blind," he murmured, "I'm still blind".

Mac didn't know how long it was since his rescue, but he had hoped that he would be able to see once he awoke. He was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Is it permanent?" He asked, trying not to show the fear and anxiety he was feeling.

Jack's sigh spoke volumes. "We're still waiting for the tests results."

"The doctor is optimistic, so are we," added Bozer brightly, trying to cheer Mac up.

"Thanks Boze", Mac replied squeezing his friend's hand, and smiling towards the place he imagined Bozer standing.

For a moment Mac was thankful that he was blind. He wouldn't have to see the pitiful looks in his friends' eyes. At least, that was what he thought he would see.

He was thinking how to break the uncomfortable silence when a voice he didn't recognize startled him.

"Hello Mister MacGyver–"

"It's Mac", a chorus of our voices corrected him.

"Of course, Mac, pardon me. I'm Doctor Ross, and I'm assigned to your case. It's good to see you awake. Your friends here warned me that you would wake up sooner than expected, but I didn't think it would be these soon. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine"

"Okay, so you don't feel any pain, dizziness or any other symptom I should know about?"

"No, not at all"

Jack couldn't help making a face at his friend's stubbornness. Thankfully, Matty had warned the doctor about her agent's typical responses.

"Anything? Not even… I don't know… some trouble with your vision, maybe?" The doctor was blunt, Jack would give her to that. Maybe that was just what Mac needed. She reminded Jack of Matty. "I'm just asking, you know, since ophthalmology is my specialty, and Matty asked me personally to help you… I thought you would have some vision-problem, but maybe –"

"I can't see, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Mac snapped, and she smiled.

It wasn't the first time she treated someone like Mac, and she knew that she had to push his buttons if she wanted to get him talking. The doctor had told them the truth; Matilda had called her not only for her knowledge about the eyes, but also because she was an amazing psychologist. That little detail would stay between Matty and her. No one else needed to know it, especially not MacGyver.

Thanks for reading! And please don't forget to leave me a review to let me know what you think. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you very much!