Author: NYWCgirl
Fandom: Macgyver 2016
Pairing: none
Characters: Angus Macgyver, Jack Dalton
Warning/genre: hurt/comfort, prompt no. 29, whumptober, serious injuries, #intubation #reluctant bedrest
Spoilers: none
Rating: Gen
Author's Notes: this fic was written for whumptober prompt nr. 29
Word Count: ~770
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine…
Summary: Waking up intubated is never fun.
This fic can be found on
AO3 Mac slowly claws his way into consciousness. God, he must stop with those truth or dare games with the team. He can hear the low rumble of Jack’s voice, he would recognize it anywhere, although he can´t make out what Jack is saying. Did he fall asleep on the couch again, because everything hurts. The more awareness comes back, the more he notices he hurts everywhere. He is not sure if he can move at all, it seems to take too much effort. Maybe if he slept a bit longer, it will be better when he wakes up again.
When he wakes again, his eyes feel like they are glued shut. He can hear noises, bleeps, beeps. I she in a hospital? He needs to open his eyes. Wait, why does his throat hurt? And now that he focuses he feels his jaw is also sore.
And then all of a sudden, he realizes he isn´t breathing. It all comes rushing back, El Noche, the chair. He can´t breathe, he needs to get the mask off. He pulls in a breathe, but he almost can´t get any air in. He can hear alarms but he needs to het the mask off. With herculean effort he grabs whatever is over his mouth and pulls it away. His throat feels like it is ripped open and nothing makes sense. Jack’s voice suddenly starts shouting but he can´t understand what he is saying. Something hot travels through his arm and the world darkens again.
* * *
‘What happened? I thought you said he was sedated. He was clearly in distress.’
‘Mister Macgyver seems to have metabolized the drugs quicker than anticipated. He managed to extubate himself. But since his sats are holding up, we will need to re-intubate.’
A nurse enters with a box, revealing soft restraints.
‘You can´t restrain him, he was kidnapped and held…’ Jack’s voice breaks when emotion overwhelms him.
‘We understand Mister Dalton, but the extubation can have injured his vocal cords, we don´t want this to happen to his NG tube , IV lines or catheter.’
‘But you can´t restrain him, I will guard him.’
The doctor knows this isn´t going to work, so he tells the nurse to order some mittens. When an logistical employee brings them, the nurse gently slides Mac’s hands in them, strapping them around his writs.
‘This way he can´t flex his fingers, so he won´t be able to grab anything.’
* * *
A couple of hours later the doctor is back on rounds.
‘Since he is clearly doing better and ready to wake up, we will start weening him of the Propofol.’
Jack is happy, after the last three days he needs Mac awake. The nurse warns him that it will take some time for Mac to wake. But Jack isn´t taking any chances, he quickly leaves the room to grab some food, because he is going for the long haul. This isn´t his first time Mac was seriously injured and it is never easy seeing Mac trying to work himself to consciousness. This is the first time he reacted this badly.
When he comes back, Mac is still the way he left him, but Jack knows it can go quickly. It is somewhere in the middle of the night when Mac moves. Jack immediately puts his hand on Mac’s arm.
‘Mac? You’re in hospital. You’re OK.’
Mac quickly settles again. Over the course of the night, he wakes several times, but never to full consciousness.
It isn´t till later afternoon the next day what Mac tries to open his eyes. Jack carefully wipes a wet washcloth over his face and then two blue slivers can be seen. They are unfocused, but they are there, so Jack counts it as a win.
‘Welcome back Mac.’
Mac lifts his hand towards his face but Jack catches it and guides it back to the bed.
‘Take it easy Mac, you are intubated, you can´t go pulling on tubes.’
But clearly the little movement took it out of him, because his eyes already slipped close again.
Over the next couple of days Mac is able to stay awake a bit longer and to follows instruction from the medical staff. Jack explains what happened and what the doctors are doing.
The nurse promises to discuss taking him of the ventilator when he gestures at it. Mac is soon fast asleep again. Jack knows this is going to be one with a long haul, but he is ready to be here for his boy.