Disclaimer: I do not own nor did I create any of the A-team characters (main or support) nor do I own nor did I create any of the episodes. That credit is due to Stephen J. Cannell and his associates.

Spoiler Alert: None needed - an independent piece although it does draw on characters introduced in "Black Day at Bad Rock"

Author's Notes/Summary: Face and B.A. have a heart to heart.

No Phone Calls: by LAG

Chapter Three

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The night passed uneventfully for everyone. Maggie checked on Face every couple of hours and replaced his I.V as needed. B.A. was awake each time she visited and Hannibal asked for a quick update each time. She even caught Murdock peeking into the room during a few of her check ups.

When morning officially came. She found Murdock in her kitchen cooking up a mess if bacon. Hannibal was sitting at the table mixing pancake batter. She smiled at the two men. Clearly they were keeping themselves busy and useful to burn off their nervous energy and to show their gratitude.

"Face is starting to stir, Maggie." Hannibal informed her.

"That's good. I reduced the dose of his sedative the last time I checked in." she answered then explained,"I would like him to be alert enough to talk to me during my next fuller examination"

"When will you do that, Doc?" asked Murdock.

"As soon as Face wakes up."

Just then they all heard B.A.s voice rumble from the exam room, "Dang it, Faceman! Don't try to move fool. You're hurt man."

Murdock turned off the stove and they all went to Face's room. Maggie took control of the situation by going over to Face and gently elevating the head of his bed. Hannibal's order for everyone to stand down helped a lot too. Face stopped wiggling and B.A. stepped back.

"Well good morning Lieutenant. It's good to see your baby blues today." Maggie addressed Face.

"Yeah, Hi, Doc." Face replied as he sank back against the raised bed.

Maggie then told everyone to leave the room.

Murdock gave Face a fast pat on his leg and a wink, which Face weakly returned. Murdock then put his arm around B.A.'s shoulder to lead him out of the room. "Me and the Big Guy here will go make the pancakes."

Hannibal turned to the patient and the doctor.

"Good to see you awake, Kid"

"Good to be awake, Colonel".

"Maggie, do you want me to stay in case you need an assistant?" Hannibal offered.

Maggie smiled and said, "No thanks, we should be fine. Face won't have to move much."

"Lieutenant, do I need to stay to ensure that Doc Sullivan will hear accurate truthful answers?"

"No, Colonel. I'll be a model patient and tell the whole truth, no scamming.. I promise."

"Ok you two, I'll be right outside in the living room." replied Hannibal giving them both a deeply concerned look as he left.

"Good alone at last. Okay Face first off I'll give you the run through. Two broken ribs on your left side, which I've taped up. One clean through gunshot wound to your upper right arm and a fractured humerus from the gunshot. You lost a fair amount of blood. I have you on fluids, antibiotics, and a sedative. Now how do you feel?"

"Like a went a few rounds with a lawnmower and lost, Doc. I feel woozy. I'm super nauseated - probably the sedative. They wreak havoc with my stomach. My arm is hurting a lot so is my side. But hey none of this is a surprise, right?" Face tried to finish with his trademark grin but couldn't quite pull it off.

"I'll lay off the sedative if you promise to stay still and calm. I'll switch over to a simple painkiller that I expect you to take, Lieutenant."

Maggie then proceeded with her exam. Fortunately her patients Bp and temperature were within acceptable ranges. Both a little elevated which was an expected reaction of his healing body.

Then came the really important check - his breathing.

"I know this will hurt, Face, but I need you to take several really deep breaths. I've got to listen to your lungs. We have to make sure they stay clear." Face nodded his understanding and Maggie applied her stethoscope. "Oh Face, deep breaths in and out."

After several breaths Maggie told Face he could stop. He tiredly lean back against the bed. A few wisps of his hair clinging to his slightly sweaty brow revealed the toll this small task had taken on him.

"Well Lt. Peck. So far so good. Everything appears to be within acceptable normal, including your lungs. Are you hungry?"

"Only a little, Doc. Thirsty more so," Face quietly answered.

"Some food will do you good. I'll send one of the guys in with a plate and some tea." She then added, " Having something in your stomach will help with the medication induced nausea too. I'm guessing a trip to the rest room will make you more comfortable too."

When Face gave her a sheepish grin she said, "I'll send in Hannibal. The Colonel can help you make the walk."

Hannibal entered as she exited. "Hey Kid, wait for me." he said when he spotted Face trying to sit up and twist off the bed. The Colonel strode quickly to Faceman's side and supported him while he helped the Lieutenant swing his legs off the bed. Hannibal used the remote to lower the bed so Face's feet easily reached the floor. Positioning himself under Faceman's left arm, the two men stood up in unison and shuffled over to the en suite bathroom. Face said he could handle the rest on his own and, since his Lieutenant was clad only in his boxers, Hannibal accepted Face's assessment. Once the Kid emerged from the bathroom the pair repeated their shuffle back to the bed. Hannibal gently got Face resettled in the bed and noticed that he looked chilled. The Colonel grabbed a Johnny robe from the shelf and helped Face to put it on.

"Doesn't quite match with those designer skivvies you got on, Kid. But it will do for now," Hannibal teased. "Ha ha Hannibal." Face replied as Hannibal finished arranging the blankets and pillow around him.

Just then Murdock entered with a tray of food which he placed on the bed table and slide over to Face. Hannibal gave Face a fatherly pat on his healthy shoulder and left saying he was going to grab some grub in the kitchen. With his typical flourish, Murdock lifted the warming cover revealing a plate filled with a pancake, some scrambled egg, and two strips of bacon. "There's more in the kitchen, Buddy, but since I wasn't sure how hungry ya were I figured to start small."

"Good call, Murdock. This is just fine." Face said as he awkwardly picked up the fork in his left hand. He grinned gratefully when he suddenly realized that Murdock had cut the pancake into bite size pieces. "I figured using a fork and a knife at the same time would be a bother for ya, right now," Murdock explained.

Murdock had brought in a plate for himself too so the friends ate together. Once the Captain had swallowed his last bite he quietly said, "Ya gave me quite a scare, Facey. That wound bled like hell and try as I might I couldn't keep you conscious." Face looked at his best friend, "I'm sorry, Buddy." "I know, Facial One. It's just seeing any if us bleeding and hurt bad. Well it just makes fighting down the Nam memories a little extra hard."

The Captain sighed loudly and suddenly jumped off the bed, inadvertently jostling Face in the process. Face didn't complain though, he didn't want his friend to feel bad especially not while he was struggling to cling to his "good mood" to evade a "bad one". Face made a note to self to put Hannibal on high alert for any slippage in Murdock's grasp on reality.

"Well I promised the Big Guy I'd trade off KP duty with him as soon as we finished eating. I mustn't keep the Mudsucker waiting." With that Murdock ruffled Face's hair, gathered up the tray and left.

Face tiredly leaned back against the bed and closed his eyes. He heard the door creak open and B.A. slip into the room. Even with his eyes closed he could recognize B.A.'s footsteps. The Big Guy quietly took his seat in the chair from last night. Face heard him flip open a magazine as he settled into his seat, his post. Face smiled to himself.

"B.A. You know you don't have to keep vigil in here." Face said softly, without opening his eyes.

"Shut up, Fool. I'll sit wherever I want!"

"B.A. I'm going to be fine."

"I know that, Sucka. Doctor Sullivan wants to make sure breakfast stays in you and with your ribs broken you shouldn't be alone just in case it doesn't stay in. So I'm staying right here."

"Ok, Big Guy. Company isn't a bad idea, I guess."

"Yeah I know, Little Brother. You don't do well with alone, never have." Face was too tired to offer his usual denial and a little too surprised by B.A.'s astute observation as well.

After a few minutes of silence, B.A. quietly asked, "Faceman? What cha jumped in front of me for. That shot was meant for me, man."

"Because I saw it before you did. I just reacted, is all," Face responded guardedly.

"Aw you could have just yelled for me to drop".

"No I couldn't. That cement wall had knocked all the air out of me. I had no way to warn you."

"You didn't have to take the bullet, man".

"Yes I did. You were in the line of fire because you came to help me." Face winced internally because the pain medication was loosening up his tongue. Damn stuff was like truth serum to him - that's why he tried to avoid it at all cost.

"That was my choice, my risk, Faceman"

"And jumping in front of you was mine, B.A."

"You still haven't told me why"

Exhaustion, pain, and the meds got the better of the usually tight lipped soldier. Without intending to he told his friend the raw truth.

"Because I couldn't let you get killed. I couldn't let that phone call happen."

"Phone call?" B.A.'s confusion at this statement evident in his voice.

"Yeah the phone call. The call Hannibal would have to make to your mother if you got hurt or worse. I couldn't let anything happen to you. I couldn't put her through that. Or put Hannibal through that."

"Aw man. You getting hurt ain't any better than me getting hurt, brother."

"Of course it is. Don't you see. I get hurt, or worse, there is no phone call. Everyone and anyone who gives a damn about me would be right there with me. So no phone call. No burden on a Hannibal. No one devastated on the end of an AT&T connection."

"Aw, Faceman. Little brother."

"Just shush, B.A. Please just leave it be. I'm really tired now."

"Okay, Face. I'll drop it. Just get some sleep now so you can heal up."