Of course he could hear. He wanted to tell Murdock that he was clear as day, right beside him. And why did Murdock keep shouting? Good grief, did he really think Face was deaf or something? He was the one who said coma victims could still hear.

Face could feel the darkness surrounding him and could hear the words being spoken by his best friend. Oh how he wanted to respond, so badly. Let the team know he was still there, still with them. Murdock said something about his hair, but for once in his life, Face did not care. The pain of the situation was unbelievable, just wanting to wake up and say he was alright. He knew this was hurting the team. Face tried, tried hard, but his eyelids would not lift, fingers would not twitch. He might as well be dead, at least they could accept he was gone.

"Hey man. Hannibal's still smokin' out there," That was a louder voice, speaking not to him but the man holding his limp hand. Murdock sniffed and let Face's hand drop. Face wanted to reach out and take it again, he didn't want to be left alone.

But Murdock spoke, "I'll go join Hannibal, you can talk to Face."

Face may have smiled, knowing B.A. wouldn't leave at least. But he seemed unsure. "Murdock, I don't really wanna-"

"No, trust me. It'll make him feel better. Doc said so...and come on...it's Face." Murdock must have left because the door opened and shut quickly and Face sensed a presence at his side where Murdock had been a moment before. He could nearly see the big man sitting there in that small chair, brown eyes set on his face, fists tight against his legs as he tried to think of something to say. Face knew he was not near as close to B.A. as Murdock, but whatever Bosco had to say would still mean something, Face knew.

And, it sorta of did. "Er...what's it like in there?" Face wanted to chuckle. "I see. Well...ya better not like it too much in there, Faceman. 'Cause we uh, we ya know, need ya aroun'. For missions, and somebody's gotta keep the fool under control."

Somewhere inside his messed up and ruined mind, Face knew if he woke up anytime soon, Murdock would hardly let him outside ever again.

B.A. had paused. Face knew he wanted him to wake up not just for missions and such, but because they were a family. If they didn't have Face...

"Damn it, Faceman. Why's it gotta always be you that...ya know...gets like this? Should always be Murdock, layin' on a bed, head wrapped up. Maybe one day, he's wake up normal or something. This, this is crazy. Will I eva have just one normal day?"

Face tried again to find the will to wake up but it wouldn't come. If he could move, he'd be on the verge of some serious tears. This was frustrating, he was able to think and feel and hear, but not move? And more than being frustrating, it freaked him out. What if he turned out to be a vegetable all the rest of his life.

That thought nearly mental tears down his mental cheeks. It just didn't seem possible.

It was a little chilly, going into late September. Hannibal had hardly taken but three drags on his cigar. In truth, he was trying to make it last a long time. He did not want to have to go back in that room and see the man he considered a son laying there, nearly a vegetable. It stung somewhere deep in his chest and playing it brave for the others was difficult when all he wanted to do was break everything in his path and find the man who dropped the bomb. Hannibal was thinking about how to make the bomber's death slow and painful when he heard slow, careful footsteps coming towards him. Though he wasn't absolutely positive, Hannibal's brain immediately thought MP and he whirled around, coming face-to-face with familiar green eyes. He sighed.

"Captain. You startled me there." He tried to make his tone casual, maybe even joking. It failed.

Murdock came around beside him, apparently hearing him, and stared at Hannibal through narrowed eyes. "Since when does that happen?"

Hannibal fingered the cigar. "Since you never know who can be sneaking up on you out here, in the open. Give me a warning next time, okay?"

Murdock leaned forwards, staring at the ground. His hands were stuck in his jacket pockets, hat pulled down low over his baggy and bruise-colored eyes. It had hardly been a full day and he was already a mess. "I was thinking...on my way down here." He began. "What're we gonna do if Faceman...like, you know...doesn't wake up?

A wind blew Hannibal's cigar smoke towards Murdock and he cupped a hand over his mouth and nose, too nervous to make eye contact. Hannibal did not answer for a while, waiting until his cigar was halfway done then finally muttered, "I don't know, Murdock. I don't know."

But Murdock's hearing was still impaired to a degree and when he leaned in towards Hannibal, the Colonel just shook his head and shrugged. Murdock got the message, stepping away and eying him.

"Look...I can see you're not in the mood to talk," He noticed. "I'm gonna go...somewhere. Permission to take a walk?"

Hannibal sighed, looking up for a moment and about to object when Murdock just turned and started walking away from him, away from the hospital. "If I don't see you back here in an hour, I'm coming after you, Captain!"

Otherwise ignored, Hannibal turned around and went opposite Murdock, through the revolving doors and back up to the floor. B.A. was perched in a chair beside the bed, murmuring to Face. But when Hannibal shut the door, he stopped and looked up, about to ask but Hannibal already knew what he wanted to know.

"Went for a walk. How's Face?" Hannibal pulled up the other chair and sat opposite Bosco. "Same. Fool says we outta talk to him, since they say coma victims can stil hear or whatever."

Hannibal nodded. He rested his hand over Face's forearm as B.A. offered a shrug then patted face's other arm before rising to his feet. The big man first sat on the bench then lay on it, on his side facing Hannibal. "I think, I'm gonna get some sleep." He rolled over and was silent.

Not wanting to wake B.A. or keep him from sleep, Hannibal just watched Face breathe in silence. A small part of his brain was chewing on where Murdock had suddenly run off to. He may have gotten up and went to investigate but didn't want to leave Face's side, regardless that B.A. was here.

A few people passed by outside the door. Fifteen minutes went by and a nurse quietly entered, throwing the Colonel a smile and filling Face's IV bag. When she left B.A. snored once and Face's machines continued to beep. It wasn't until the sky outside the big, square window began darkening did Hannibal finally realize how much time had really passed. It had been at least three and a half hours since he had sat down and B.A. went to sleep. Three hours that Face would never get back as he lay pale and limp, body weight already getting smaller. Hannibal kept hoping all he would have to do is glare at Face, in that way that always made him turn around angrily with an annoyed, "What?" and the man would open his blue eyes, eyeballing Hannibal. "What have I done now? Is my running pace unacceptable or something? Damn Boss. It's only an exercise."

In the past, that glare had gotten Face to obey at his worst, B.A. to back down, and Murdock to not jump off the roof for fun. Something he had acquired from the military.

Now as he waited, eyes on the window, majority of his brain was telling him to go find his pilot, Face would be alright. Bosco was still here.

Hannibal got out the door and as far as the elevator, though. As soon as the doors opened, he was in such a hast he ran right into the man stepping off. Hannibal felt his soaking clothes as they collided and as he stepped back to apologize, he saw the familiar face, making an 'ahh' sound.

"I was just coming to find you," He told Murdock. "I believe I said, an hour. Not three."

Murdock held his arms out a little, nodding. "I know. I got lost. And it's storming."

They got away from the doors, Hannibal leaning against the wall and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Just go back there, I'll be right there."

The pilot leaned in. "Did you say something about my hair?" He demanded, putting a hand around his ear. Without meaning to really, Hannibal faced Murdock fully and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him roughly. "I said to just go back! Start cleaning your ears out, or I'll get Bosco to pull them off!"

"I'm sorry!" Murdock nearly cried, prying himself away and staring at his CO with wide eyes. "Just go, Murdock. I'll be there...sometime..." Hannibal held up his hand and left the Captain in the hall, dripping with rain water.

A/N: Reviews please, thank you so much everyone!