Name: Insanity
Summary: Murdock isn't insane...is he? (Warning for Character Death)
Author's Notes: This idea stemmed from a conversation I was having where my sister mentioned how odd it would be if I was the only one alive and everyone around me was dead. From there, I looked at Murdock-the insane one of the team and remembered how Face once mentioned that 'Murdock was the only one in touch with reality.' This is the product. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own A-Team.
_
Murdock is laughing hard, tears streaming down his face as he sits outside. The team—Hannibal, B.A., and Face—are sitting with him, visiting him for the first time in months.
And, for the first time in much too long, it's just the four of them reliving the more hilarious parts of the war they left so long ago.
They're sitting there, Hannibal lighting one of his trademark cigars while Face tells one of the few stories of his mischievous first weeks in the Army when she comes up. Murdock is watching as she smiles at him, noting how Face must love her.
Her smile is big, with perfect, white teeth and her legs are long and strong as they disappear into a black skirt.
And, from the look on the conman's face, he did like what he saw.
"Hello Murdock." She greets. Murdock smiles and gestures to the empty seat next to him, albeit reluctantly. It wasn't that he didn't like her—true; she was too pretty for his taste, but she was still friendlier than most of the other doctors. It was simply the fact that she was interrupting his visitation time.
In fact, if it wasn't for Hannibal's reassuring smile, he would have quickly told the nurse to leave.
But, instead, he smiled, offered her a seat and yanked on Billy's leash. The dog was turning purple, a sign that he was getting angry.
"Down boy!" He ordered.
"Murdock, do you remember yesterday?" She said, not at all put off by Billy. "We were talking about your te-"
"Not my team!" He suddenly lashed out. Face leaned forward, but didn't do anything.
It was never Murdock's team. Hell, even when Hannibal was gone it wasn't Face's team. It is always Hannibal's team.
"It's Hannibal's team." He corrects. The woman gives an apologetic smile.
"Right, Colonel John 'Hannibal' Smith." She says. "It was his team."
"It is his team." The pilot corrects. He's getting irritated with her. "It always will be."
"Sorry." She apologizes again. "Hannibal was the leader, right? Can you tell me about him?"
Murdock's getting antsy, looking around. Maybe she's stalling for the MP's or trying to get info for one of their many enemies—
Hannibal looks at him and gives him a nod to go ahead and Murdock follows his order.
"Well, we call him Hannibal after that guy in the history books." A small smile graces his face. "When he's on the jazz, he's unbeatable. And he takes care of us. Did you know that he was the one to get me back up in the air? He's…amazing."
She's smiling, happy that he's talking. "Who else is on the team?"
But he's lost in the memory of Hannibal sitting next to him in the cockpit, encouraging him to take the bird up—
"Murdock?"
He sighs as that woman speaks and derails his train of thought, sending it and it's screaming passengers careening into the—
"Murdock? You were going to tell me about the others on the team?"
He frowns, but only momentarily.
"There's B.A. Baracus. He acts all tough, but he's really just a big teddy bear with a love of milk and slugging anything with a nose. He and I are blood brothers, you know?" He says as she shakes her head. B.A. is scowling, trying to suppress the smirk.
"He says he doesn't care, but he does." Murdock quickly adds, although he doesn't know why. Maybe her smile is really having an effect on him.
"But there's one more, isn't there?"
Murdock's grin evolves into a smile.
"Faceman! Face is the type of guy to give you the shirt off of his back and then scam one for him. He's a great guy—my best friend. He was the first one to friend me over in the war, too."
Murdock looks to Face, who is glowing with embarrassment and struggling to say something.
"Murdock, what are you looking at?"
He turns back to the lady.
"Face. The team came by to visit. Say hello." He ordered, gesturing to the seats around him.
She looks.
"No one's there." She finally says. He stares at her and then slowly turns around to face his team.
"Yeah there is. They're sitting right there!"
His breath is short, staring in their eyes, begging them to say something.
"Murdock, do you remember Vietnam? When the plane went down?"
He's still staring, but not at the team. No, he's staring past them, back to the day the plane went down.
B.A. was ranting about how he hated flying with Murdock…
"They got out."
Face had taken a hit to his shoulder and was propped up in a seat, trying to fire his gun at Charlie down below…
"We went on missions together!" He screams at her.
Even Hannibal seemed worried about this one…
"No, Murdock. No one made it out but you."
Murdock was in the cockpit, but Hannibal was gone.
He was laying in B.A.'s van before it was sent to the sergeant's mom, but B.A. wasn't in there.
Face…
"Face is alive." He says aloud.
Because Face can't be dead.
Face can't…
"He is Murdock."
The pilot looks at his friend's blue eyes, begging for the man to demand that she leave.
But he doesn't.
None of them go to argue with her. Their smiles are gone. Their eyes are sad.
These aren't lies.
He's running in camp, following the medics who are carrying Face.
"You have to save him!" He's screaming.
"We can't." Morrison tells him.
Murdock looks at them, eyes wet and lip trembling.
Slowly, they fade out.
B.A.'s first. He gives Murdock a small smile and then leaves.
Hannibal's next. He salutes, lights his cigar, and then disappears.
Face is the final one. He's kneeling next to his friend, an arm slung around the pilot's shoulders.
"Don't leave me, Faceman." Murdock murmurs. Face gives his famous grin and leans forward.
"We never have." He whispers into Murdock's ear while tapping the man's chest, right over his heart.
Then he, too, disappears.
Murdock is left, shaking and tearful. He looks up at the woman with venom in his eyes.
"You made them leave." He growls. He wants to stand up, to attack her, but feels himself succumb to sleep instead.
The doctor looks at this torn pilot, shaking a little. Behind him stands the head of the V.A., a needle in hand and the reason for Murdock's sudden sleep.
"Don't worry Dr. Baker, he'll forget about this by tomorrow." Dr. Lynch reassured her. She stood up, still shaken. Swallowing, she gave a grim smile.
"I can see why Dr. Allen left." She said. Lynch frowned a bit.
"Yes, she could handle Murdock until he remembered." He gave a hefty sigh. "Well, we must get him to his room."
Two orderlies came over and lifted the man up, going to take him to his room.
"They'll be back tomorrow." Lynch says as Tawnia stood beside him.
"Maybe that's for the best." She replies quietly. They face each other.
"Lynch, I think that Murdock is beyond any help we can provide. If we let him see his friends—"
"His dead friends." Lynch is quick to point out.
"His only friends." Tawnia replies just as quick before turning to leave.