Chapter 24

Don got the pizza and two drinks and went back to the car. It had taken about 15 minutes. Reed's mouth watered when he smelled it. "Wow, that smells good, "he said.

"I'm starving," Don said. He looked at Mac who was lying over in the seat.

"He's exhausted, and he's not well."

"I know. He hasn't really recovered from all that other. Maybe he can now."

Don took a slice of the pizza out and passed the box back to Reed. While they were eating, Mac started to snore. "Well, I guess it's not going to be a quiet ride home," Don remarked.

"You never know whether somebody snores or not because they don't know until someone hears it."

"He's probably doing that because he's sick. I think everybody snores when they're sick."

"Probably."

After Don ate his slice of pizza, he cranked up the car and headed out. "Well, this is going to be a long night," he said.

"You know, he probably wouldn't know it if we got him out of this car and put him in a bed in a hotel room," Reed said.

"You think? I'll bet he would. He was pretty insistent about going home."

"Looks like he would be more comfortable in a bed."

"I think he just wants to go home because he doesn't want to be around other people. I assume that's why he didn't want to get on a cramped plane."

"So how long are you going to drive before you let me drive?" Reed asked.

"Until my eyes start crossing and seeing things."

Reed smiled. "Don't fall asleep driving."

"I don't intend to. I'm going to get myself some coffee."

"This is going to take a while. It's a long way to New York."

"Yeah, it is. He can't lay back there the whole time. It will take at least twelve hours to get to New York."

"So you drive six hours and I will drive six hours."

"Deal."

Reed wiped some pizza sauce off his mouth. "Wow, that burns," he said as the sauce was burning his busted lip. "Have you ever driven from New York to Chicago?"

"No, I prefer to fly myself if I have to go this far."

"Me too but I don't go to Chicago very often anymore. I work a lot."

"Work, work, work. It only gets worse."

As Don was driving, Reed lay his head back on the seat to try and get some sleep. After about two hours, Don had to stop at a gas station to go to the bathroom and get something else to drink. "I hope they have coffee in there," he said. "Wake Mac up and see if he needs to go."

Reed shook Mac's shoulder. "Hey, do you need to do anything while we're stopped here?" he asked.

Mac sat up and looked at Reed. "What?" he asked.

"We had to make a pit stop. You need anything?"

Mac seemed to be confused. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Uhm, we're about two hours from Chicago in Indiana somewhere. Don had to take a leak."

"I'm sorry." Mac lay back over on the seat.

Reed thought Mac did not know what was going on now. He had never seen him like he was after that run-in with Andy Bedford. He had been shaking all over and seemed to be a little disoriented. He supposed it was from the situation and all he had already been through too. He supposed he would be wanting to sleep too if he had been through all that. He had wondered for a while if he was going to survive himself. When Andy Bedford had come to his apartment, he had been disguised as a plumber. He had been having some trouble with plumbing and Andy had claimed to be hired by the landlord to fix it. He had let him in, only to find out that he was the guy who had been stalking Mac. They had struggled, but Andy had given him a sedative. He had woke up in a car bound and gagged. He had not really known what was going on until he heard Andy calling Mac. He knew then that he was just bait to lure Mac in. He had hoped that Mac would not come over there but he knew he would. Mac would not let someone suffer on his account.

Don came back and Reed got out of the car. "I didn't want to leave him alone out here," he said.

"That's fine," Don replied as he was stretching. "I need to stretch some more anyway. It's not easy being couped up in a car when you're tall."

"Tell me about it."

Don looked in the back seat at Mac. He wished they had a van rented so maybe they could make him more comfortable but he was certainly sleeping. He did not know what all had gone on in that hotel room yet but he was sure Mac would tell them when he got ready. He wondered if Mac would have shot Andy if he had not arrived. He remembered how Mac's hand was shaking. It had been a very tense situation. He remembered standing over that guy…he wanted to think that Mac would not have killed Andy, but he did not know. He did not think Mac was really seeing what was really going on. He seemed to be somewhere else. Don just wanted to get him home and back to the doctor to finish his treatment. He could not help but notice that rash.

When Reed came from the gas station, they headed out again. "Hey, Mac," he said and shook Mac.

Mac was startled and sat up but then he realized he was in the car. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"About two hours," Reed replied. "You want some pizza or chips?"

Mac considered that. "No, thanks." He felt so tired and…nervous. He did not remember ever feeling this nervous. He folded his arms and tried to stay awake.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. How long will it be before we get home?"

"About twelve hours," Don said.

"Twelve?"

"Yeah. We'll be there around eleven in the morning…although it will be Noon in New York."

That seemed to make Mac even more nervous. He felt trapped. "Hey, why don't you drink some of this soda?" Reed asked. "Maybe it will make you feel better." He pulled one of the drinks off the bunch and offered it to Mac.

Mac looked at it a moment and then took it. "I'm sorry I got you all into this," he said.

"Mac, you didn't get me into this," Reed said. "You had nothing to do with that."

Mac rubbed his face and his head. "I don't know what I'm saying. I think I need some air."

"We can stop again," Don said. "There are plenty of gas stations along this interstate."

Don found another station and pulled in. Don and Reed got out and then Mac got out. His legs felt weak. He did not know if it was from all the exertion he had been through or if it was because he had been so sick and wounded too. "You alright?" Don asked.

"No, I'm not alright," Mac said finally. He looked around them. "Don, I need out of here."

"Mac, we're taking you home. It's going to take time to get there."

"I don't know why I feel so nervous."

Don thought he would be shaking in his shoes too but he was not sure what to do. "You want to get something to eat or walk around a little?"

"I need to get a grip."

Mac took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at Don and Reed. He felt embarrassed to be nervous. He was not in danger now. He looked at his hands which still had the gloves on them. They felt sore and itchy. He finally just frowned. He did not know what to say or what he wanted to do. He felt like he was lost. "I think I'll go to the bathroom," he said.

Don and Reed followed him into the store. Mac went into the bathroom. "He's not doing well," Reed said.

"I know but we're not doctors," Don said. "I don't know what to do. I'm sure he doesn't want to go to a hospital out here."

"Probably not."

"I know this is not easy for him. Let's just try to act as normal as possible…like not standing here like this waiting on him."

"Right."

Don went back to the drink box to see what they had. He got a fruit drink from the box and then grabbed a bag of chips. He thought he was going to have to spend extra time at the gym if he ate like this all the way home. He could not believe he had to drive that long. He kinda liked road trips, but this was not a vacation and with Mac being sick, it was not any fun.

Mac was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom. He looked in the mirror. He thought he looked tired himself. He did not know if he was tired because of everything that had happened, because it was over, or because he had been sick. He thought it might be a combination of all of that. He left the bathroom and wondered if he wanted anything to drink. He thought he probably needed something. He went to the drink box and looked in at the selection. He was not sure what he wanted. He just got himself a soda and a bottle of water and then he grabbed a bag of chips and a pack of peanuts.

Don was just coming up to the register when Mac walked up there. "You getting hungry?" Don asked as he saw all the stuff Mac had.

"I guess," Mac replied.

They paid for their stuff and went back to the car. Mac looked at his hands and wished he could get the gloves off but he was not sure he could get all that off on his own…at least not so it would not be uncomfortable all the way home. He would just have to wait until he got there.

Don cranked up and they headed out again. "So, what are you planning to do when we get home?" he asked.

"I don't know," Mac said. "I want to get well first and then I want to go on a vacation."

"I don't blame you. Where you going?"

"I don't know. Somewhere quiet."

"I think I would like to go on a long fishing trip."

Mac shivered at the thought of that. "Not this time of year," he said. "I want to be somewhere warm."

"Florida?"

"I don't know."

"You can always fish in Florida."

"I don't want to fish. I think I want to rent me a cabin in the Smoky Mountains and sit by a warm fire while I watch it snow outside."

"That sounds pretty good, but what else are you going to do?"

"Absolutely nothing except maybe read a book."

By the time they got back to New York, they were all tired of riding but they had drunk enough soda and coffee that they were wide awake and talking and laughing. Even Mac could not help but chuckle at the jokes Don was telling. He did not really feel like laughing much but he had to admit, Don was a joker. He had even told of all kinds of cases he had been on and the kinds of people he had met. Don had plenty of stories to tell. He was in the back seat now and Reed was driving.

Mac looked out the window as they were entering the city. He did not know what he would do when he got out of this car. He still felt nervous and he knew he needed to go back to the doctor with his rash. It had popped out all over him and it itched. "Take me back to the hospital," he said.

Don looked at him. "You alright?" he asked.

"I need more medicine for this rash."

"Okay."

Reed drove to the hospital. "I'll go in with him, Don," he said. "It's been fun."

Don smiled as he got back in the car. "Sure has," he said.

Mac and Reed went into the hospital. Mac felt slightly better but he still felt a little nervous and…he did not know what else. He just did not feel like himself. He remembered how he had felt when he was standing there over Andy and he did not like that. He thought that was what made him the most nervous…he had "wanted" to kill Andy. He had wanted to end his terror and assure himself that it would not happen again. He folded his arms as he thought of that. It made him feel cold.

Mac went into the hospital and told them that he had left early and that he needed more treatment. He would have to go through the whole process again but they would not keep him in the hospital this time. He got four shots and three bottles of medicine. Mac frowned as he dropped the medicines off at the pharmacy. He hated taking medicines. He was already taking medicines for his fingernails and feet. His feet were well now though. He was taking antibiotics and medicines to help his nails grow back. He knew that would be a long process.

"You gonna wait on them?" Reed asked.

"No," Mac said. "I don't have to take them till morning. I'll get them then." He yawned. "Besides, I'm sleepy."

"I'm a little tired myself. It was a long drive."

Mac looked at Reed. "Let's have lunch sometime."

Reed nodded. "Thanks for coming after me. I know it couldn't have been easy for you."

"The decision was easy. I would do it again."

Reed hugged Mac. "Take care of yourself."

"You too."

Mac got a cab and went home. The shots they had given him were definitely making him sleepy. He took his jacket off and hung it on the coat rack and went to his bedroom. He wanted a shower. They had unwrapped his hands at the hospital and had wrapped them in fresh gauze, but he had to have a shower anyway. He unwrapped them and took a hot shower. Then he got into bed.

Just as he was about to relax, his phone rang. He groaned as he reached for the phone. "Hello," he answered.

"Mac, how are you?" Jo asked.

"Sleepy."

"Is everything okay?"

"Right now it is. Why?"

"Just wondering. I know this situation must have been hard on you."

"I'll be alright, Jo."

"Well, if you need anything, just call me."

"Thanks."

Mac put his phone back on the table and lay down again. He stared at the ceiling. He had felt incredibly nervous after all that was over. He thought maybe it was just because of the tenseness of the moment. Don and Reed had helped him to calm down while they were on their way home. They were good friends and he knew they intended to help him even when he always wanted to keep everything to himself. However, he could not hide that nervousness. It had been severe and he had been shaking all over. He still felt that way a little but he was glad to be home and he hoped he could go to work tomorrow. He had been at work the day Andy sent that donut to him. He wondered if that guy was finished. What if he had people out there somewhere who would do things for him? Mac shook his head. He could not live in fear like that but he could not help but think of it. He had people who had helped him with his other plans. Mac turned over on his side and looked out the window. He had to get a grip. He would not let that guy torture him anymore…especially when he was locked away. He wanted to make sure he was locked away. He would check on that in the morning…