"Why are you sitting in the dark, Murdock?" Face asked when he entered the room.
There was no response.
"Murdock?"
Immediately after that he clicked on the light. The messy room was unveiled. For a moment a sense of panic washed over him. It was, after all, only a month ago that Murdock was kidnapped by some bounty hunters. And this scene scared the conman.
Face blinked and pulled the fake doctor glasses off. Murdock was nowhere to be found. His room sure was a mess. The wardrobe was ransacked. Socks and blouses were scattered everywhere on the floor. A pair of shoes, some worn black al stars, were hanging on the lamp. They were actually firmly attached trough the lamp with a tight knot with the laces. With a puzzled frown Face realized that it was impossible to do that since there was nothing high enough in his room to get to the light bulb. With a grin Face shook his head. Typical for Murdock to accomplish something like that. But why?
There was a sudden rustle from under the bed and Face nodded relieved.
Murdock wasn't in trouble. Not yet, anyway.
"Gosh. Something tells me that my friend isn't here. Hmm. Where could he be?" For a moment Face played along to humor his friend. He walked through the closet and looked inside. The closet was emptied.
"Hmm. Guess he isn't in here, either. I guess he has to be under the bed."
He wanted to walk to the bed and pool his teammate out from under there, when he was startled by some raised voices. In a reflex Face pushed his glasses back on his nose with one hand while straightening his lab coat. He hoped that the sisters didn't found the doctor in the broom closet. He hasn't been really smart to enter the VA hospital and thinking that no one will recognize him from the scam last week. Unfortunately one of the doctors did. And at that moment he had no choice but to let him sleep in with the brooms; and get the hell away from here.
Down the hall of the clinic there were two nurces chatting peacefully while pushing a cart with coffee and tea for the patients. So, there was no danger. But, better to be safe than sorry, Face thought. With a quick move Face clicked off the light and shut the door of Murdock's room completely. It was a reflex. Silently Face waited until the chattering ladies walked by. His eyes wandered on the cute blond one on the right and he just smiled to himself thinking that his friend Murdock was a lucky man to be daily surrounded by such beauties. When the coast was clear, he took his glasses off again and clicked the light back on.
All of the sudden he stood face to face with Murdock. His friend's face was only inches away from his nose and Face flinched back.
"Wow, Jesus, Murdock! Why'd you do that!" Gasping he reached for his hair and rubbed his white face.
It took some time before Murdock said anything. The tall man looked at him for a while. Grinning mysteriously.
And Face finally assumed that his friend had taken on a new form of entertainment where he, Hannibal and BA may or may not going to enjoy this, during their new mission. Then Murdock began to laugh in a creepy tone.
Face pooled an eyebrow at him.
"Hey, Copperfield. That was a nice trick. BA is gonna love this one."
"Hey, Faceman. I knew you'd scream. I felt it coming. But do not worry, my friend. That is normal. It is understandable for a normal citizen like you. Yeah ... I was shocked too when I found myself invisible for the first time while looking into the mirror. Invisibility is a curse and a blessing. It's a blessing for those with bad hair, like me. And a curse for those with a pretty face, like you." His voice was soft and his words were spoken in a strange Russian accent.
Face blinked confused with his bright blue eyes. With a still trembling hand he put his fake glasses back on his nose and took a deep breath to resume himself again to the role as doctor Woodcalm. The man that was willing to take his patient to the mall with him, today. On a therapeutic basis.
"I see. Invisible. That explains why the shoes are hanging on the lamp." Face was playing along, ones again.
"Yeah… about that. I kinda need your help for getting them back, Faceman." Murdock pointed at his bare feet. And Face couldn't help but smile. With a shrug he looked around in the room. Finding a chair and a table and started to build some sort of ladder.
"How did this happened?" Face just asked.
Murdock looked confused.
"What? The shoes, or my new ability?"
"Well," Face began while climbing up to the table and chair, "Let's just start with the shoes and we will talk about that other thing in the van. BA and Hannibal are waiting for us. And I am pretty sure Hannibal has his stopwatch on to count the minutes how long this scam would take. As always. That bastard." When he looked up at where his friend was standing a few minutes ago, he realized that Murdock ones again had disappeared.
Face just smiled and fumbled the tight knot out of the laces and finally threw the shoes on the bed.
"My goodness, I would do everything for being invisible sometimes. Like spying on the ladies at the gym class. Etc. etc."
He was open to his friend's new thing. At least it was better than Murdock, the philosopher, or Murdock, the filmmaker. And Boy he hated that last one.
It was only the question whether BA could handle this one. All though, there were a lot of reactions to imagine why BA liked an invisible Murdock. Face realized that he would know his reaction soon enough, if Murdock hurried up a little.
When Face climbed down of the chair and jumped of the table he saw his friend standing on the same spot again. Looking pleased at his favorite shoes. Face blinked in surprise. Boy, he was good.
"Thanks, Faceman! I really have no clue why they were up there."
"Yeah? I was wondering that earlier. Maybe the green men did that, right?" Face teased. Murdock just nodded and walked over to his bed and started to put his shoes back on.
When he was finally ready, they went through the door were a wheelchair was waiting for him.
"Oh, wait, Faceman. Don't forget to click of the light, will ya?" Face, looking like a doctor again, he did what his friend asked and he started pushing the chair.
"But Murdock... why where you sitting in the dark? To save money, or what?"
Murdock just shrugged his shoulders at him.
"Because I wanted to keep it secret. You know how it goes with the government. If you have a gift like turning invisible they force you into the CIA or NASA. Too hard work and too little freedom. You know what I am saying, Faceman?"
"I hear ya, pal." They walked out the VA hospital without any trouble. And when they were out the building, Murdock jumped up from the wheelchair and started to walk next to him.
Ones again, Face put off his fake glasses and rubbed his eyes. Boy, he hated those glasses.
"Well, I am glad you are that protective about staying here with us, Murdock. Who else could do the flying," Face add.
"Yeah. Same for me, man. I couldn't imagine a live without the moody BA and you guy's. Moreover, they hate dogs."
Face grinned.
"Poor Billy, right?"
Murdock nodded and started to run when he saw BA standing angry next to the open van.
"What took you so long, man! I was starting to think that Face screwed up big time," the dark man sad.
Murdock swung his arms around the man and pulled him in a hug.
"Aw, BA. I didn't knew you missed me that much. I came as fast as I could!" With a loud growl he pushed of the crazy man.
"Get off me, fool. I didn't miss you. The only thing that you are here is because we are gonna fly. And I hate that fact. I ant' no stupid. From now on nobody is touching me. Especially you, Sucker!"
Hannibal was sitting in the van and stopped his stopwatch with a stern look on his face.
"It took you a while, kid. You are getting sloppy."
"Wha… Sloppy? I-I… Murdock, tell him what happened."
Murdock just shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know. I have intermittent memory loss."
…
"Nice, Murdock…" Face signed.
This was a nice start of the day.
The end.
…
AN: I couldn't sleep. That's all.