Chapter 1
The run back to base was 2.5 miles. Face had good pace throughout most of the run, but he started to lag behind on the last half-mile. He hadn't felt it before, but his side was beginning to ache, where the mercenary had hit him with the piece of tree branch. He told everyone he was fine. At least, he thought he was fine.
Maybe I should have Maggie take a look.
Face struggled, but he finally made it back to base. Everyone else had already made it back. He could hear B.A. yelling at Murdock as he approached the house, and slowed to a walk. He stopped in the doorway as he came inside, and braced himself in the door frame as a wave of pain shot through his ribcage. No one seemed to notice this.
Why would they notice, anyway?
When the pain had subsided, he made his way into the kitchen.
"About time you got back, Facey," Murdock teased.
"I guess I'm more out of shape than I thought," Face lied. "Where's Hannibal?"
"In the shower," Murdock replied. "You need him?"
"No."
"Okie dokie, Face Guy. B.A. and I are going to dispose of all this milk, and go get some non-tainted stuff. You want to come?"
"No thanks, Murdock."
"Hurry up, fool!" B.A. shouted angrily from the porch.
"Gotta go."
Murdock hurried out to the porch to join B.A. Face wandered into the living room, where he found Maggie and Tawnia sitting on the couch, having tea. Maggie looked up as Face entered the room, and her smile faded to a concerned stare as he lowered himself into the barkalounger.
"Are you all right, Face?" she asked, setting down her tea and moving to his side.
"No, I'm not. It's my side, where that guy used me for batting practice."
"May I look?"
Face nodded. He sat up far enough to remove his track jacket. He sat back as Maggie lifted his T-shirt up. She gasped at the livid bruise on his ribs. She gently pressed her hand on his rib cage. A shout of pain escaped Face's lips.
"You may have a cracked rib or two. Why didn't you say anything before?"
"It didn't start-ow-hurting until the run back from the dairy farm."
"We're going to have to wrap this, Face. You need to take it easy for about a week."
"Right, take it easy, with Hannibal?"
"I'll talk to him," Maggie offered.
"No, I'll tell him."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"All right. Let me get my bag, and we'll bandage you up."
"Thanks."
Maggie disappeared into one of the bedrooms, and came back a minute later with her medical bag. She made short work of patching him up, and he thanked her as she put away her bag. Seconds later, Hannibal emerged from one of the bedrooms.
"There you are, Face! When did you finally make it back?"
"About ten minutes ago."
"Everything okay?"
No, not really.
"Fine," he lied. "I guess I'm in worse shape than I thought."
Maggie glared at Face when Hannibal glanced down briefly to pluck a cigar from the box on the side table. Face momentarily lowered his eyes, and brought them up quickly as Hannibal lit his cigar.
"Rest up, kid. We move out in about an hour."
"Right, Hannibal."
Hannibal walked off into the kitchen as B.A. and Murdock returned from their milk run.
Maggie crossed her arms and glared at Face.
"You have to tell him."
"I will. Just, not right now."
"Promise me you'll tell him. You can't hide that kind of injury."
"I promise, Maggie."
"Good. Get some rest."
She smiled and left Face alone in the living room.
Face leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He remembered the fight. He'd had the upper hand for most of it, until he got knocked down. He never saw the hit coming until the thick tree branch slammed into his gut, and he hit the ground - hard. Murdock had come up and punched the guy out moments later, as Face rolled around on the ground, groaning.
Maybe he was getting soft. Maybe he was out of shape. The bandage on his ribs was proof of that. He needed to step up his game. He needed to prove to Hannibal that he wasn't as soft as the Colonel assumed he was.
"Face!"
His eyes snapped open, and he sat up quickly in the chair. He realized what a bad idea it was when pain from his bandaged ribs shot through his body. He hissed through the pain, and schooled his features as Hannibal came into the living room.
"Up an at 'em, Lieutenant. Time to leave."
Face nodded and stood. He headed for the bedrooms.
"Murdock already grabbed your things for you," Hannibal said as he retrieved his safari jacket from the coat closet. "Come on, let's move. B.A. heard the Sheriff on his CB while they were in town. Decker knows where we are."
"Wonderful," Face said sarcastically. "Let's get out of here."
Hannibal handed Face his favorite leather jacket. Face put it on and they left the house together. Hannibal climbed into the front seat, and watched Face in the side mirror as he climbed into the back of the van. He had a pained look on his face as he pulled himself up into the seat.
"Are you feeling all right, Lieutenant?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, never better, Hannibal."
"Good. Let's get out of here, B.A."
Face closed his eyes as B.A. started the van, and drifted back to sleep as Hannibal turned around to check on him. Something was up with his Lieutenant, and he was determined to find out what it was.
TBC...