Part IX

Hannibal glanced over at the package that was back in B.A.'s hands.

"Captain? Why don't you take John here inside and get acquainted while the three of us get a better look at this package in the back yard?"

"Roger that, mon Colonel."

Wrapping an arm around Johnny in a familiar way that Johnny wasn't at all sure about, Murdock began to guide him to the front door.

"If you're going to be hanging around the A-Team for awhile, you're going to have to start learning to translate. For example? What the Colonel just said actually means this: 'Hey Murdock, we have a package that may or may not explode when we attempt to open it. Either way, you starting to yodel while we're opening it isn't going to help and we don't want to blow up the guy we just met either because, well, that would just be a rude way to kick off a relationship.' It will become simpler to figure out for yourself as we go along. You look like you'll catch on quick."

Johnny's mouth opened, then closed again as the thought ran through his mind - 'I have to rely on these people to save the guys? Man . . .'

Then it was as if Murdock had read his mind. He pointed Johnny to a chair.

"Don't sweat it, Muchacho. I'm the only crazy one on the team - the others made it out with all their marbles still in the pouch. So, how long have you and Roy known each other?"

Sitting, Johnny continued to watch the pilot, not sure if this was an act he was putting on or real.

"At little over two years now. How long did you two know each other?"

"About six months. Before you say it, I know that might not sound long here, but believe me, in a war zone? That's a lifetime."

Staying in Johnny's sight, Murdock moved to the refrigerator.

"Got Kool-aid, milk or orange juice. What do you want? Don't say nothing. You need to stay hydrated."

That got a chuckle.

"That sort of thing is usually my line. Juice, please."

"Right. Paramedic. B.A. told me that."

Pouring cherry Kool-aid for himself and juice for Johnny, Murdock came back into the room and offered Johnny the glass.

"So. Roy said you saved his life over there when he ended up on your helicopter."

"Maybe. More like a case of luck - I saved my own life by picking him up."

Taking a sip of his drink, Murdock then flashed a grin at the puzzled look on Johnny's face.

"Roy-boy left out that part, did he? So - what did he tell you?"

"That the medical unit that he was at came under attack and that yours was the only one of the helicopters that made it back."

Pausing for a moment, Johnny thought back.

"He said you and the guy with you were both hit and that one of the panels was like lace from all the holes."

Thinking back on what Hannibal had said, Johnny paused then cleared his throat.

"Um - that is what happened, right?"

A slow nod came from Murdock.

"Yeh. Part of it. Listen. I wouldn't normally do this. I mean - you know - what Roy's comfortable with would be what you'd get. But you're his partner. Someday, something will remind him and take him back there. You gotta be there and bring him here. Promise?"

Something about Murdock's earnestness struck a chord deep in Johnny and he nodded.

"I promise to do my best to keep Roy in the here and now."

"Good man. Now - here's how it happened. We got the call to evac when a surge started without much heads up. Things were already bad before we got there. One of the tents had already been hit. I don't know how much you know about a bug-out, but you generally take the gear with you. There was none of that going to be happening then. We were going to be lucky to get the living out. They didn't send enough of us for even just the people if there hadn't already been heavy losses. Just weren't enough Huey's available on that short a notice."

Looking at his glass for a minute, Murdock took another swallow before continuing.

"It was every man for himself. Mostly. I guess that's one of the first things that drew my attention. Two men together. Made for a bigger target, you know? One of that pair was Roy - of course, I didn't know his name at the time. He was trying to get one of the wounded to my bird, but the guy was severely dragging him down. I couldn't stand seeing them struggle, so I told Greg to watch the controls while I went to the door to help them in. That delayed us getting up off the ground, but we took in four more guys. We were only supposed to carry seven - counting crew. But I wasn't going to tell anyone to get back off. That was a death sentence."

"First two birds off the ground? Fireballs. I got Snapdragon up to speed and got off the ground as the firing started, but at least it was gunfire and not rockets like the ones that killed the other two. Still, we took a lot of lead. I don't think anyone was onboard that didn't take at least one hit. One guy took three - we lost him before we landed."

Johnny noticed that Murdock's eyes seemed to have lost their focus - or maybe it was that he was focused on another place and time.

"When I got Snapdragon touched down, I looked back to see if we had anyone left."

That line chilled Johnny more than anything in the story so far. For a second, despite his lack of experience on being in a war zone, he fully connected to the story. He knew what it was like to drive someone injured to the hospital. He knew what it was like to have a patient in danger from their surroundings. It wasn't that hard for his mind to connect those two events. Murdock was deep enough into his memories that he didn't notice the shudder that went through his audience of one.

"Roy-boy was so pale, I thought he'd lost a lot of blood. All the blood on and around him made him look even paler. Then our eyes met and it was like a switch triggered. He got up just like we hadn't just been zigzagging through hell. I was bleeding like a stuck pig and he - started talking to me. Asking where I was feeling pain, putting a pressure bandage on my leg. Soon as he was satisfied that he had things under control for me, he moved over and started taking care of Greg. I could tell from Roy's reactions to Greg's answers that something was wrong, but about then, the cavalry finally arrived and started evac'ing the men from the back."

"It was while Roy was working on Greg that I saw the bloody gauze. Blood on Roy's shirt? That I expected - he was hip-deep in wounded. That gauze though? That meant he'd tried to bandage himself, but he hadn't been able to angle himself to where he could get the pressure bandage tight enough. So soon as he finished with Greg, I ordered him over to me. I could do that - I outranked him. He knew a lot more than I did, but I knew enough field first-aid to get the pressure bandage adjusted right. They were starting to take Greg out then, when Roy turned around to thank me, of all things. Our eyes really met that time and he gave me a sort of half-hearted smile. I think it started then. The best friend part, I mean."

Remembering his juice, Johnny took a long drink as Murdock continued.

"Greg and Snapdragon both flew their last that day. Greg lived, but hit he took? Well, soon as he was strong enough, they sent him home. He said live in a wheelchair was better than dead in a box. Guess that was the right way to look at it. Surgeons said I'd live to fly again, but that it was a good thing there'd been a medic onboard or I'd have bled out before I reached them. So that's what I meant abput it being my luck that I picked him up. If I'd been one of the first two birds off the ground, we'd likely have taken one of those shoulder rockets. And Roy kept enough blood inside me to keep the ol' heart pumping. Surgeons got the bullet out of him and Roy was going to make it and be back out in the field too - "

Something snapped then like a rubber band and Johnny found those soulful brown eyes lighting up suddenly into a smile as Murdock remembered where he was and who he was with.

"Well, not that him making it is any surprise to you, of course. We spend a few days side-by-side in the ward. I likely made him crazy. You've likely noticed I'm a bit of a talker."

Johnny's mouth formed a crooked half-grin at that.

"Bit of one myself. Some of the guys wonder how Roy puts up with it. I guess you got him used to it."

Then he remembered the danger Roy and the others were in and swallowed hard. It didn't escape the pilot's sympathetic gaze and he reached over to touch Johnny's leg briefly.

"Roy's a strong man around that soft heart of his, Johnny. He knows I won't give up on him and he knows you won't give up on him. That goes a long way in helping a guy get through things."

There was a noise from the door and they looked up to see the other three standing there with the now opened box. Murdock drew in a sharp breath. Their expressions told him things were bad. Very bad.