DISCLAIMER: He's not Banner and I think that sucks. That's all I have to disclaim.

Authors Note: I wanted to at least do a little bit of something since it's been a week. So here's a short (for me at least) chapter. This gives a bit of insight into where Sam's head is at (a place it shouldn't be) and Murdock's attitude (which is just what she needs.)

Enjoy and I promise more soon. Reviews are love.

Chapter 4

Samantha woke up to the sensation of her shoulder being shaken and a voice saying "You'd better not be dead…"

She cracked her eyes which felt sticky and sore from crying and looked up into the face of Murdock who looked relieved when he saw that she was in fact still alive. "Yeah, that would have been awkward." He said letting out a sigh.

She realized she was still sitting on his lap and she'd been there probably a good while. Sam also realized she'd drooled on his robe. "Oh god I drooled on you." She said aloud her voice rough and still drowsy.

Murdock looked down and saw she was right. "Oh…uhm…eww." He seemed fairly calm about it.

She tried to dab at the spot with her shirt sleeve. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry, its not the first time it's had drool on it. Most likely not the last." He glanced out towards the hallway. It was getting near dinner time. He was surprised the monkeys hadn't found them yet. She'd been asleep for a few hours and he'd actually dozed off at one point too. Unfortunately his legs were getting numb, which had been the reason he'd decided to wake her up. He needed his legs. He didn't even have to ask her to move, she slipped off his lap and onto the floor next to him, rubbing her face with her hands. He bent his knees up and was rewarded with a pins and needles sensation.

"It wasn't a dream…they really did it to him didn't they?" She mumbled into her palms.

Murdock glanced over at her, his lips going thin. "Give him a night or two…before you really start worrying."

She looked up at him with doubting eyes while he massaged the feeling back into his right leg. "Trust me." He told her, giving her a smile. It wouldn't do for her to storm the castle to try and save the wizard. Not until he was able to walk at least and not until he knew what the lay out was. He sure as heck wasn't letting her go into battle alone.

Sam sucked in a breath and sighed it out slowly. "I do…" she said, surprising herself and the pilot.

"You do…what?" He asked, going to work on his other leg.

"I trust you…which really is nuts." She gave a sort of laugh.

"Uhm…thanks, I think…" He replied. "Little late now to doubt my trustworthiness though. I mean…you did just sleep with me…in the truest sense of the words of course. I mean….I'm noble." He grinned widely while Sam looked slightly freaked.

She pondered it for a full thirty seconds. If he was going to try anything he had plenty of opportunity while she was sitting on his lap unconscious. She didn't feel violated and he had gotten her calmed down and stopped her from doing something stupid. Her shoulders slumped and she turned and looked back at the ground. "Thank you Lancelot." She said softly, feeling tears trying to come back to her eyes.

Murdock saw the change in her, his smile turning into a frown of concern. "Guinevere…you're down in the dumps again."

She laughed at the phrase. "Yeah, I guess I am…" Sam ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's not very quiet in here right now…" She gestured to her head, where far too many thoughts fought for her attention.

Murdock nodded. He knew how that was. He stood slowly, hopping up and down on each foot to test for any remaining rubbery feelings in his knees. Then he offered a hand to her. "Come on, I'll buy you dinner." He gave her another toothy grin, his green eyes catching the hallway light and twinkling manically.

Sam stared at his outstretched fingers for a few moments and then placed hers into them. He gripped her hand gingerly and helped her to stand. He turned to go but she kept hold of him. Murdock turned and gave her a funny look. "I'll need that back at some point." He told her gesturing at his arm.

"I don't have many friends." She told him, hating how small her voice sounded in the nearly empty room. "Especially in here…so…thank you." Sam couldn't quite meet his eyes at the confession. She felt worthless most of the time, helpless. Even worse she was starting to feel like maybe she deserved being in there.

Murdock was crazy, but he wasn't stupid…something he had to tell people every once in a while, or remind them of. He'd seen people who'd been betrayed before, who'd been gutted by something that had happened to them. He knew that feeling personally; the minute they'd removed his rank in front of the tribunal, when he and the team had realized what Morrison had done to them all. He'd known that feeling far better and more often than anyone should have to.

And looking into her haunted eyes he saw that being reflected back at him. His princess had been hurt badly by something, something far more dangerous than flying monkeys. Murdock could handle those fur balls. But this he needed more intel on before he could attack it with a flaming sword or a really big gun. Until he had that part figured out, he'd do his duty as best he could.

He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled. "Just doing my duty m'lady." He spoke again in his rather convincing English accent. "Tis my honor and privilege and I will take no refusal to my request to dine in the castles hall this fine evening."

Samantha couldn't resist it. He was too damn good at acting the part. She couldn't stop the grin spreading on her face. She pulled her hand from his and curtsied. "T'will be my honor to accompany you sir." Sam replied in an equally flawless reproduction of a Brit.

Oh yeah, a big gun was on the horizon for whoever had hurt this gal. Murdock offered her his arm which she slipped hers through. The two of them started walking down the hallway to the cafeteria like they owned the place. Which in Murdock's mind they sort of did.

"So what sort of feast has been prepared do you suspect?" He asked her, noticing the glances from some of the other residence and returning them with a sort of Queen Elizabeth wave of his hand.

"I do believe its ye old sloppy joe." Sam replied stifling a laugh.

"Charming." Murdock said with little enthusiasm. He'd no doubt have to use an entire bottle of hot sauce just to cover up the actual taste of whatever they'd used to make it with. He pined in his heart for a bottle of anti-freeze.

"I layer it with tater tots. I find it helps." She patted his hand comfortingly.

The pilot looked thoughtful. "You are not only graceful but intelligent as well m'lady. I like the way you think."

They entered the cafeteria to find the line had already formed for the night's dinner. Divide and conquer sounded like a good plan. "You get in line and I'll snag the hot sauce." She told him, and then quickly hurried to the condiment table where only one lone bottle was left. She snagged it just before one of the larger female patients went to wrap a meaty paw around it.

"Tha's my girl." Murdock said to himself while sliding into place in the long line of hungry and psychotic residence.