[Disclaimer: I don't own Murdock and Face but I wish I did!]

[I'm thinking this could have happened just after the TV episode "The Doctor is Out". Dr Richter had been abducted by a bunch of US army men and Murdock was injected with some drug leaving him spaced out].

"I'm With You" – by Avril Lavigne

[VERSE 1]

I'm standing on a bridge,
I'm waiting in the dark,
I thought that you'd be here by now.

Murdock didn't know what had brought him to this place. He felt like he had been here before and he was sure that someone would be waiting for him.

There's nothing but the rain,
no footsteps on the ground,
I'm listening but there's no sound.

His khaki pants and T-shirt, bearing the words "Minds Are For People Who Think", were soaking wet. He had wandered out into the night without wearing his customary Da Nang flight jacket. He was oblivious to the fact that it was raining. He stood on the desolate bridge, looking round hopefully at anyone who might possibly be expecting to find him there.

Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?

Face was sprinting through the park towards the bridge at top speed. As soon as he had received the call from Dr Richter saying that Murdock had gone missing from the VA, he had a pretty good idea where he would find him. It was a place where he'd found the pilot several times before when he was having one of his "purple wobble" moments.

"Hang on Murdock!" he puffed under his breath. "I'm coming for you."

[CHORUS]

It's a damn cold night.
Trying to figure out this life.

Murdock shivered, more from disappointment than the cold, when he realised that no-one was going to appear. Maybe he had got it wrong. After all, his head was all over the place at the moment. Ever since he had been injected by those creeps in Dr Richter's office, he had been suffering with some seriously weird side-effects. Why else would he be here, in the middle of the night, freezing his balls off in the rain?

Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new.

But his instinct was telling him that someone would come and find him.

I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you

Someone whom he loved and trusted with every inch of his body and soul.

[VERSE 2]

I'm looking for a place,
I'm searching for a face,
Is anybody here I know?

When Face arrived at the Bridge he was relieved to find Murdock standing there. He knew it would take his friend some time to register who he was, so he came and stood quietly beside him. Murdock's brown puppy-dog eyes focused on Face beseechingly, hoping that he would recognise the young man.

'Cause nothing's going right;
and everything's a mess;
and no one likes to be alone.

Face could see the confusion and anguish etched on Murdock's face. He didn't know what had triggered off his intermittent memory loss. Perhaps it had been a sound, or a smell, or just a distant flashback of some nightmare that had lain dormant over the years.

Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?

Face leaned against the Bridge wall and looked up into the heavens. The rain had stopped but it was too cloudy to see the night sky.

Murdock loved coming here. On a clear night it was the perfect place to embrace the star-studded sky in all its glory. He would point out all the constellations to Face. He knew them all. The only thing brighter than the stars was the beaming smile on the pilot's face as he revelled in all their majesty. It was the closest feeling he got to flying without actually being in a plane.

And it was the nearest feeling he had to freedom before Face had to take him back to the VA.

[Chorus]

It's a damn cold night.
Trying to figure out this life.

"I guess we won't be able to look at the stars tonight," said Face quietly, hoping that Murdock would make some sort of connection as to who he was and why he knew Murdock would be here.

Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new.

Face's words penetrated through the fog in Murdock's head. All of a sudden he could see the images of all the constellations spreading across the sky.

I don't know who you are,
but I … I'm with you.
I'm with you.

But how did this stranger know that? Murdock still didn't know who he was, but he felt safe in the man's company.

[Bridge]

Oh! why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind.

Damn, he was beginning to feel anxious again. He could hear voices in his head telling him that this was just a dream. The sound of Vietnamese laughter filled his ears, breaking down his resolve – making him feel weak and worthless.

Anxiety turned into fear as he waited for the endless torture to begin. He began to whimper uncontrollably, trying desperately to block out the atrocities from his mind.

[Yeah-he-yaa, yeah-he-ya, yeah-he-yaa, yeah-he-yaa, yeah!]

But the torture never came. Instead, he felt a strong pair of arms holding him tight.

[Chorus]

It's a damn cold night.
Trying to figure out this life.

"C'mon buddy," said Face gently. "Let's go home."

Won't you take me by the hand?
Take me somewhere new.

"Back to the VA?" asked Murdock, in a small dismal voice. He didn't want this man to leave him. There was something familiar about him.

Murdock looked so sad and wretched that Face felt his heart breaking.

"No Murdock," he replied firmly. "You're coming home with me. There's a mushroom and pepperoni pizza in the freezer with your name on it."

I don't know who you are,
but I … I'm with you.

It was beginning to come back to him. The soft, honeycomb voice. The way he ran his hand through his hair. His immaculate appearance, despite the damp weather and the lateness of the hour.

I'm with you.

And most of all, he recognised that look of pure brotherly-love and devotion in his blue eyes.

[Outro]

Take me by the hand.
Take me somewhere new.

A big lopsided grin appeared on Murdock's face.

"And chocolate chip cookie ice-cream?" he asked.

I don't know who you are,
but I … I'm with you.

"Anything you want, buddy," replied Face. He slipped off his coat and put it round Murdock's shoulders.

I'm with you.

Murdock let out a long sigh of relief. Everything was going be okay.

I'm with you.

Faceman would make sure of that.

Fini

[Okay, so I cheated a bit here! First shuffle song was the soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which posed a bit of a problem as it didn't have any words. Second shuffle brought up "Sex Dwarf" by Soft Cell, which although could have made an interesting story, would probably have gotten me thrown off the website!

Thankfully, the talented Avril Lavigne came up trumps. Hadn't played it in ages but it reminded me of how much I loved this song. Hope you all enjoyed it. As always, please make my day and leave a review.]