Face glanced over at Murdock, who was studying a map. The pilot had been really quiet for almost ten minutes. It was starting to make the rest of them nervous. He had talked nonstop up till then.

Finally Murdock looked up. "Hey, Hannibal?"

"Yes, Murdock?"

"Could we stop at a little town about twenty miles east of here? It's strawberry season there, and they have the best strawberries in the whole state!"

BA looked in the rear view mirror. "Strawberries?! I gotta get back for the big game at the Center!"

"And I've got a really important date."

"And I've got to get back to the set. Sorry, Captain."

Murdock sulked as he stared at the map again. He began to hold his stomach. "Hey, BA. Could you stop at the filling station a few miles ahead?"

"Murdock, I just told you-"

"I know, Hannibal. But the catfish I had for lunch isn't settlin' well. I don't want to get sick all over BA's van!"

BA glared at Hannibal. "We're stopping whether you like it or not!"

~AT~AT~AT~AT~

BA parked the van beside the station. Murdock crawled out, still holding his stomach. "I might be gone awhile, fellas. I don't feel too good."

Hannibal, Face, and BA went inside to pick up some snacks. Hannibal paid for the snacks and a newspaper, and they headed back to the van. Hannibal handed the finance section to Face and the sports section to BA. They settled in to wait for Murdock.

BA finished his reading and began watching all the cars drive by. After awhile, he glanced at the clock. "Hannibal, that fool's been in there over half an hour."

"I know. I'm beginning to wonder if he has food poisoning. Face, go check on him."

"Right." Face stepped out and headed back inside the station. He came back a few minutes later.

"Well? How is he?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?!"

"Exactly what I said. The man in the station said Murdock never went in the bathroom. He went straight to the road and hitched a ride."

"What's that crazy fool thinkin'?!

Hannibal lit a cigar. "He told us what he was thinking. Let's go find a town twenty miles east of here."

"Hannibal, you don't really think Murdock would run off just for some strawberries, do you?"

"No, I don't, Face. But I do know that he wouldn't disobey unless he had a very good reason."

~AT~AT~AT~AT~

Murdock stood by the stone, his hat held in his hands. Without wanting to, his mind went back to that day...

Murdock landed the chopper as smoothly as he could on the rough ground. His mission was to pick up any survivors. A few men emerged from the trees and dragged themselves towards him. They helped each other into the chopper. One of them, seeming to be the least injured, leaned up front to talk to Murdock.

"Private Peter McDonald, sir."

"Captain HM Murdock. What are you doing here, kid?"

"We were sent to ambush a VC camp. Didn't work too good."

"That's not what I meant, son. You don't look old enough to be here."

McDonald shrugged and grinned. "Little late for technicalities, isn't it, sir? Besides, beats being at home with an old man that likes to hit."

Murdock gave a curious glance to the Private as he started to lift the chopper off the ground. McDonald looked out at the treeline. He noticed a dark figure.

"Look out!"

Murdock struggled to hold on to the controls as McDonald threw himself against the pilot. Murdock worked as hard as he could to get the chopper out of firing range of the VC. He felt something warm on his arm. McDonald was slumped against him, blood running down from a bullethole in his temple. Murdock fought the urge to be sick. If Peter McDonald hadn't pushed him out of the way, it would have been him who was dead.

Murdock vowed he would always remember the boy who saved his life.

Hannibal gently placed his hand on Murdock's shoulder. The pilot didn't respond. Hannibal looked down at the small, unkept gravestone. "A friend?"

Murdock's eyes never left the engraved name. "A stranger. A stranger who saved my life."

"Are you okay, Captain?"

Pulling a small American flag from his pocket, Murdock stuck the stick of it into the ground in front of the stone. He stepped back and saluted it. Then he turned to his Colonel. "I'm fine now, Hannibal. I just wanted to say thanks."