Why'd he bothered getting a doctorate in the first place was beyond him. Why he thought getting other members of the team was a sane option, he didn't have a clue. And how...how on earth these two just fitted was unbelievable. Peck's youth didn't match his demeanor, no, he had matured well beyond his limited years; being quite the opposite to his patient, who appeared to be a constant child. Somehow they balanced each other's insecurities and pain while heightening their insanity. Resulting in the fact that Murdock's shared session was driving the poor doctor crazy.
"I think that is quite enough!"
"But,"
"Don't say butt to a doctor Facey, they put sharp things there."
"Murdock!" The doctor was very close to either slamming his clipboard into his face or committing himself at the institute across town.
"Well, it's true." Face rammed his elbow discreetly into Murdock's side as he pouted. "Aw, come on, loosen up a little!"
The Lieutenant's eyebrows arched skywards, miming the unspoken, 'Oh really?' Which the Captain shrugged off, 'This chance doesn't come every day...' His action answered. With their eyes locked as they conversed silently, the pair didn't notice the shrink's growing frustration.
"Out!" Their attention was back on him immediately. "That's it, session over, we're done." He watched as they shared a quick glance and saw both draw that last second breath that preceded speech. Jumping to his feet, the doctor beat his sanity and left first, trying to figure out where it had begun to spiral out of his control. They might be Ying and Yang, but right now he couldn't care less. His patient was more stable -even if he wasn't- so at least the plan was working.
Shrugging at each other, they headed back to the music room as if nothing unusual had happened. In their mind nothing had.
"Whatcha think did it?" Murdock drawled merrily.
"I'm not sure, maybe sometime between you performing Hamlet in just a few minutes and our discussion on the definition of a 'bad' landing."
"Oh, I though it might've been when I jumped up on your lap when he mentioned Jerry."
"Well he was saying, 'Jerry - cans,' Murdock."
The same woman was still seated at the piano, playing the same melody that she had last night. Her mind drifting back to the better days... She wasn't alone in her thoughts either. Murdock kneeled before the window, leaning against the frame as he gazed out into the garden. The man who was still following him sat, propped up by the window's adjacent wall with his legs stretched over Murdock's; humming the melody he was hearing. Then it clicked, he knew this song. He had known it for as long as he could remember. The notes soon turned into words.
"God his own shall tend and nourish; in his holy courts they flourish. From all evil powers he spares them; in his mighty arms he bears them." Face choked over the first verse, recalling the words and power the old Sister had sang this same hymn. He continued with greater confidence as another small voice joined his.
"Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord his children sever; for to them his grace revealing, he turns sorrow into healing.
God has given, he has taken, but his children ne'er forsaken; his the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy."
Murdock faced the room again as soon as he heard Face sing. His voice was pain and melancholy and it hurt him to hear his little brother sing in such a way. It was so hard to remember a time when the kid had really acted his age, he came to the team broken and had been moulded into the twenty-five going fifty years old man he was now. There were times that the child got out; where Peter Pan got a chance to fly. But the main question was why they were both singing.
"Miss Anderson, how come you never sang with me before?"
"Crap," The boys could feel her paling.
"Don't worry Kay, Facey's the best." Murdock reassured her, as Face joined in realizing he hadn't spoken to her yet.
"Kay I promise you he's telling the truth. You can trust me."
"Why?"
"Because you have every reason not to."
Kay spun in her seat. Very few people would answer that way. In fact only one ever had, he knew the hymn backwards, upside down and inside out too. 'It couldn't be, could it?' "T?" She waited nervously as the man stared at her.
"Kylie?!" He leapt to his feet, pulling the girl up into his arms and twirled her around as a cheeky grin grew. Face looked at her as if seeing her for the very first time. "You've grown up. What are you doing here?"
"Duh, I'm eighteen you dolt."
"Really? I wondered what had happened to those cute little pigtails..." Face mused, tapping the ends of her hair up playfully.
"Templeton!" She pouted, flicking her hand against his arm hard.
He laughed it off, "They were cute."
"And so the plot thickens, the Lady reunites with her knight..." Murdock interjected in his best British accent, trying to prompt an explanation. "But, the King was lying in wait. Waiting for his chance to foil the fair maiden's plan and dispatch the distracted hero." Feigning to grab a sword from his waist and pulled it on Face.
Face's lopsided smile turned back onto him, "HM, this is Kylie Saunders,"
"T was my 'protector' at the orphanage. He used to watch out for me and chase away the monsters under my bed."
"Always a sucker for a pretty face Face." HM tutted, "But I thought your name was And..."
"Anderson? It is, I changed it when I was adopted. Kay was a nickname from Dad, he said I was like Sir Kay when I bet up my sister's bullies."
Both Temp and Murdock burst out in laughter. Even Kylie relented into flashing an innocent grin their way. She could understand the humor; being a slim five-six with long strawberry curls it was hard to see her as a fighter; especially in a mental hospital. Dad had always called her a wild flower because of her delicate looks and the subtle thorns. Her humor stilled, 'God I miss you. Both of you...'
"Kye, what are you doing here in the VA?"
A stray tear crawled slowly down her check. Instinctually Face reached out his had and brushed it away with his calloused thumb, releasing the spring, setting the tears free as her body collapsed against Temp. As the younger man held her tightly whispering soft words, Murdock quietly left the room.
