what we went through in two parts

story by: Takada Saiko

A/N: I own nothing. This follows just after 'Crash'. Kinda dark, I guess?

Part One: Face

Face paced uneasily in the hotel room. They had splurged – by Hannibal's standards, not his – by renting out four separate rooms. Hannibal had said they deserved it if they were to really relax for the four week leave that they had. This was a time to recover and recoup. Easy for him to say, Face thought bitterly, because Colonel Smith had not seen just what that POW camp had within its borders. He didn't really know what Face and Murdock had been through in the couple of long days that they had been there.

They'd been back in the United States for a week now and Face woke every night either from his own nightmares or the screams of his friend in the next room over. At first he'd rushed in to make sure that Murdock was alright. He was, after all, still recovering from the injuries that he'd suffered at the hand of the Viet Congs. He'd rushed in there to find HM Murdock staring wide-eyed and confused. "You screamed," Face would say. The pilot would cock his head to the side and shrug, never admitting anything or acknowledging much at all. Then he'd go back to sleep and Face would return to his own room to stare at the ceiling all night. That had been their habit since returning to the US of A five days prior.

Face massaged the bridge of his nose, exhaustion tugging at his being. Murdock whimpered in his sleep across the room. A nap… that was all it was, and he couldn't even find peace there. Of course Face wasn't sure how many times he'd had the same reaction in his sleep. He woke himself up as much as Murdock had woken him up.

The conman jumped as Murdock leapt up from his place, eyes wide and a scream dying in his throat. He collapsed back onto Face's bed where he'd been napping, hand clutching at his broken ribs and the barely closed bullet hole that had caused him so much of his rare blood. The pilot let out a groan and sank against the sheets. "I just want to know what I keep dreamin'," he grumbled.

"No you don't," Face murmured, eyes never turning to meet his friends.

"You keep sayin' that, Faceman, but you don't know. What could be so bad that I can't remember the dreams, huh? They keep waking me up and I should at least remember what they are, right?"

Face shrugged.

"We going to see Willy Wonka today?" Murdock asked in his childish way. His eyes shined, the just-beyond-reach nightmares pushed even further away.

Lieutenant Peck stood and crossed the room, placing one hand up to the injured pilot's forehead, feeling for temperature. "You've got a touch. We should probably put it off-"

"Ah, Faceman," Murdock wailed, "I don't wanna put it off again. You promised we'd go see it. If you won't go see it with me, I'll go by myself."

"No," Face said quietly. He moved to the window, peeking out the curtains. Anti-war riots were regular in the streets. Hippies were the constant fad and he didn't even want to imagine Murdock running into the snide remarks – or worse – alone. Maybe that was just because he wouldn't want to face them alone. He really needed to check this new overprotection of his friend. "I'll go with you."

A grin broke out across Murdock's face and he stood. "I'll get my jacket," he announced and started for the door, leaving Face to sit on the bed. The pilot paused before leaving. "Hey Face?"

"Hmm?"

"I've got a question. It's kinda serious."

"What is it, Murdock?" Face asked patiently.

The pilot turned, his dark eyes more serious than Face liked to see. "Do you think… BA's right?"

"About what, Murdock?"

"That I'm crazy. He's always saying it…."

"BA's just running his mouth," Face grumbled. He didn't need to hear this. He couldn't take it right now.

"Well, I was just wondering. Ya know, they say ya don't know if you're crazy and all that." He shrugged. "I was just wonderin'. Let's go see the movie, 'kay, Face?"

"Yeah," Face answered and he stood as the door closed behind his friends. "Anyone'd be crazy after what you went through," he murmured to the place the pilot had been standing. "After what we went through."

TBC