Title: Long ago and far away
Author: Harper's Cat AKA Stormchilde
Archive: please ask, you know I'll say yes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Magnum P.I., Hawaii or any of the characters you recognize from television. I make no money from this, no copyright infringement is intended.
Rating:T for adult language and violence.
Setting/Season: Late fourth season.
Spoilers: Season Four – Distant Relative
Warnings: Adult language, violence resulting in death.
Comments/Feedback: Please, feed The Cat!
Summary: Thomas asks Rick to help him out on a case by going undercover – as a patient at a psychiatric facility.
A/N: I always wondered what made Orville into Rick, where he got the scars both physical and mental.
Many thanks to my ever patient beta: DiClare, without her I'd have been lost.
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In 1967 a young man named Orville Wright went to war in Vietnam …
He never returned.
Rick stood in the doorway of the helicopter, the backwash from the rotors whipping his dark hair into his eyes. He tensed, staring into the tangled undergrowth as he heard the sounds of something crashing through. Rick flicked off the safety and cocked the M-60, preparing to mow down the approaching soldiers if they weren't Americans. Rifle fire cracked just beyond the clearing.
"We can't stay Orville, we're gonna be overrun any minute."
"Just a couple more minutes Theodore. They're gonna be here, I can feel it."
"With a bunch of VC on their tails." TC grumbled.
Soldiers tore into the clearing, occasionally turning to fire back into the woods they had so quickly departed.
"Get your asses in here!" Rick shouted. "I'll cover you!" He fired over their heads, peppering the trees with bullets.
The GIs crouched low, darting through the tall grass and toward the waiting chopper. One soldier remained behind, still firing back into the trees.
"Move it you guys!" Rick yelled as the men crowded on board. "Lieutenant! Get in, we gotta go now!" He shouted to the remaining soldier.
The lieutenant turned and darted for the chopper, Vietnamese soldiers ran from the trees and Rick methodically picked them off as they tried to advance on the bird. The last man jumped on just as Theodore lifted off. Rick continued to fire, taking out more of the enemy troops. The Vietnamese soldiers were close; so close he could see the expressions on their faces as they died.
"I just need someone to go in there and keep an eye on her. It's an easy job, just a couple of days."
"If it's so easy why don't you do it?" Rick was busy checking the paperwork against the wines that had been delivered.
"I can't, if she knows someone is watching her she'll alert who ever it is she's working with on the outside and I'll never break this case."
"Why me?" Rick asked, still not paying much attention to Magnum, "Why not TC?"
"TC's booked this week. Come on Rick, I really need some help on this." Magnum handed Rick a photo, "She's just a kid and if she's not involved in it, she's going to need someone in there to protect her." Thomas knew that Rick wouldn't turn down a woman in danger. It didn't hurt that Mia was the same age as Rick's sister and bore a slight resemblance to the murdered girl.
"Why is that whenever I agree to help you on a case I always end up regretting it?"
"You won't regret this one."
"That's what you always say." Rick signed the receipts and put them in an envelope, "If I'm gonna pull this off I'm gonna need a couple of days to get stuff together."
"How about tomorrow night?"
"Thomas!" He scowled at Magnum, "This isn't like convincing your mom you're too sick to go to school, we're talking doctors here!"
"Well, can't you speed things up?"
Rick shook his head, knowing it was useless to argue; "I'll do what I can."
"Great!" Magnum grinned, "I'll pick you up at four."
Rick sighed; it was going to be a long 22 hours.
When Magnum met him at the door the next evening the taller man almost didn't recognize his friend.
The normally meticulous Rick was unshaven, his hair was messy, dark circles ringed his bloodshot eyes and the shirt he was wearing looked like it hadn't been taken off in a week.
"What happened to you?" Magnum asked.
"Nothing happened to me. What the hell do you want?"
"What?"
"I'm getting into character, okay," Rick ran his fingers through his hair, spiking it even more. "I'm supposed to be grouchy, I haven't slept in three days."
"Huh?"
Rick rolled his eyes, "Forget it Thomas, just let me do the talking when we get there."
Magnum didn't say much at the hospital, just agreed that Rick was behaving very un-like himself and that he thought Rick needed help before it developed into something more serious.
It was well after 7 o'clock when Rick was finished with all his lab work and he returned to the consultation room where Thomas had been waiting for him.
Magnum was amazed at the way Rick acted, the younger man paced swiftly, eyes moving just as quickly as his feet. Even his speech was rapid; it was as if his entire body was on overdrive.
When the doctor suggested that Rick needed help and might benefit by staying at a local in patient care facility, Thomas almost cried when Rick refused.
"Come on Rick," he pleaded, not in the least putting on an act, "You'll like it there; Manoa Palms is a really nice place. I can visit you every day." Magnum glanced at the doctor who nodded. "Please man, you need help."
Rick paused for a moment, glancing furtively at Thomas as if he suspected some kind of trap, "Just for a couple of days, no longer?"
"Just a couple of days, I promise."
"I can leave if I want to?" Rick asked the doctor.
"As long as you aren't a danger to yourself or others and I'm not seeing anything like that right now."
"All right," Rick sighed, "I'll do it."
Magnum nearly laughed, he was so relieved.
Dr. Collins signed some papers and handed them to Magnum, "Just give these to the nurse at Manoa. I'll call and get everything set up for his arrival."
Thomas filled Rick in on the case when they went back to the house to pack a bag for Rick.
"Her name is Mia Metcalf, her father, Walter, was the controlling owner of MetaCor before he died. The balance of the stock belongs to her stepmother Brooke and her cousins. Two of the three cousins have died in bizarre accidents, Brooke thinks that someone is out to get the family fortune by killing off the rest of the stockholders. All I need for you do to do is talk to her and find out what she knows."
"Sounds easy enough." Rick agreed.
Manoa Palms resembled a private vacation paradise once you got past the security doors and guards. A nurse was waiting in the lobby for them when they arrived. She accepted the papers Magnum handed her and laid out a few more that Rick had to sign. The aide that showed them back to the room was a couple of inches taller than Magnum, the smile on his face did nothing to set Rick at ease.
Magnum accompanied Rick to his room, helped him unpack and listened while Rick was given a list of the rules and an itinerary for the morning.
"Listen man," Magnum yawned, "it's late so I'm going home and I'll let you get some sleep. I'll come back tomorrow and see how you're getting on."
"It'll be late before I can do much of anything, how about I call you if I find anything."
Magnum tried to cover another yawn, "Yeah. That's fine."
Rick didn't have to pretend he couldn't sleep that night. He'd never show his unease in front of Magnum but the very idea of being in such a place completely unnerved him. He paced the room, hoping to wear down the anxiety that plagued him. He didn't know why he did it, but he couldn't stop himself from checking to see that the door to his room was unlocked every time he passed it. He was startled by a soft knock after once such check, and his voice wavered when he answered, "Yes?"
"Mr. Wright, I'm the night duty nurse, Susan." The door opened and the young woman who had met them when they arrived, stepped in, "I noticed your light was still on, can I get you something to help you sleep?"
He debated the offer, he needed sleep if he were going to be any help to Thomas but the idea of being drugged in a strange place didn't really appeal to him either. "No. Thanks, I think I'll just read for a little bit then I'll go to sleep."
Susan smiled, "Let me know if you change your mind, all you have to do is dial 300."
"I keep that in mind." Rick continued to pace after she left but after a half an hour he turned off the light and laid down on the bed. He tried to relax but his mind refused to sleep, he was still awake when the morning shift nurse came by to escort him to the dining room for breakfast.