* * * NOTE * * *
Ahhhh. I'm very very very (did I mention very?) late with this update. During my absence here, I wrote parts of new chapters for this story but just couldn't find enough time to finish and post them.
Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the new followers, even though I've postponed a proper update for such a long time.
I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter as I'm already working on the next one as well. Fingers crossed I'll be posting that one soon too.
Please enjoy.
Cheers!

Chapter 10 - No Rest for the Wicked

The evening had been steadily setting in when a burly white-haired police officer with a big white mustache entered the E.R. and instantly headed for the waiting area.

Face, still occupying one of the uncomfortable rickety chairs while pretending to be enthralled with another car magazine, looked up at the newcomer. He'd recognize his disguised commander anywhere and anytime. For a short few seconds, the two men made eye contact. Face nodded ever so slightly, knowing it was time for his next move. He wasn't thrilled about it and had been arguing about the matter with his commander when the latter lay out his plan. But despite all his reluctance to leave the hospital, and leaving Murdock, it simply had to be done. At least Tawnia had been able to give him an update on his friend right before Hannibal's arrival. She had been faithfully keeping an eye on the pilot whenever she could without causing any suspicions. Face sighed. Well... it was time to leave. But he would be back.

The conman lazily put down the magazine, stood up, stretched and headed perfectly aloof for the exit.

The police officer made a beeline for the nurse station.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for nurse Bradley," he spoke with a stern and slightly scratchy voice. The head nurse, who'd just finished writing a note in a patient's file, looked up into the piercing blue eyes of the man at the counter. Her gaze was returned by a rather authoritarian stare.
"Yes, that's me," Nurse Bradley confirmed, a little thrown off by the intimidating man.
"And you are?" she asked, her eyes narrowing somewhat while glancing over the man's uniform and taking in his appearance.
"Sergeant Varjak," Hannibal said, showing her his badge.
Lowering his voice, he added: "I understand you've spoken to Officer Jones on the phone to report a shooting victim."
"Oh yes. Yes, I did", Nurse Bradley stammered, quickly glancing down at her notes.
"There was an...Ah here it is!" She said while screening her notepad. "They brought in a Mr. Reed Richards this evening. He was left on our doorsteps in a rather critical condition by unknown individuals."
Hannibal nodded, still feeling a bit queasy about their action but keeping his face blank of any emotions. He fumbled through his inside pockets for a photo of Murdock.
"Is this the man?" he asked, showing it to the head nurse.
After studying it for a second, she nodded.
"Yes, I believe that's him," she confirmed, feeling a little flustered.
Then she bent forward over the counter and lowered her voice too.
"Your officer asked me not to mention this patient to anyone else who asked for him, which is, if I may say so, a rather unusual request..." Nurse Bradley hesitated, before looking up at Hannibal with a nervous glance in her eyes.
"And it raises quite some questions. I'll have to ask, for the safety of our patients and employees; Is he... ?" She trailed off, giving the man in front of her an expectant look. She wanted to say 'dangerous' but somehow felt hesitant to say the word out aloud.
The sudden tension in the woman's body language didn't go unnoticed by the Colonel. The elderly woman was going to be an easy target. Hannibal made a point to look around the corridor and waiting area behind him before answering in a hushed voice.
"I trust on your professionalism as I'm leaning heavily on the medical confidentiality of this hospital." Hannibal continued. "What I'm going to tell you is in complete confidence, Miss Bradley. Our man, Mr. Richards, is one of our top agents. He's part of a major undercover operation. Some big and important people are involved."
Hannibal looked the woman meaningful in the eye without even doing so much as blink. If he kept the information vague enough, she would fill in the blanks herself. The head nurse's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply while taking in the information.
Satisfied with her reaction, Hannibal continued.
"I'm sure you'll understand that I can't reveal any more details. And I trust you won't reveal any details to anyone else, except me. If someone asks about Mr. Richards, you'll have to report to me, understood? Discretion is of the essence. People's lives are at risk here. It's crucial that I talk to the Doctor and get to see Mr. Richards' asap!"
Nurse Bradley looked slightly slack-jawed at the police officer before picking up the phone with trembling hands and dialing a number.
"Hello? Nurse Bradley here. There is someone who needs to speak to Doctor Blackwell immediately!"
Nurse Bradley looked up nervously at Hannibal as she waited for a reply from the person on the other end of the line. Hannibal gave her an encouraging nod.
Then she added: "Yes, tell her it's urgent!"

Face gently knocked on the van door in order not to startle B.A.
Comprehending that his friend would be on edge; it would probably not be wise to barge in on him unannounced. He didn't really fancy another black eye...
As Face opened the door, he climbed into the van and sank down into the passengers' seat with a heavy sigh. There was a moment of silence while Face fidgeted absentmindedly with his tie while staring out of the windshield. B.A shifted slightly in his chair before breaking the silence.
"How's he doing?" He grunted with his deep voice.
As if waking up from a trance, Face glanced up at the bulky sergeant.
Despite his friend's burning and silently interrogating eyes, the man appeared to be calm to the surface.
Maybe waiting in the van on his own had given him some time to relax and shake off some of the day's tension. Lucky for him...
Face moved a hand through his hair in a frustrated movement as he answered.
"All I know is that he was still in surgery some 15 minutes ago," He said.
Dropping his hand onto his lap he continued: "At least, that was the latest info Tawnia could give me before Hannibal arrived."
The conman sighed as he started fidgeting with his tie again.
"I don't know, B.A... I, ...I wish..." But Face's voice trailed off without finishing the sentence as he averted his eyes.
Another short silence fell over the van. Then B.A suddenly turned around to put a heavy bejeweled hand on the conman's shoulder. Face looked up in surprise.
The bulky sergeant knew exactly what was going on in his friend's head. If he'd gotten the chance, Face would rather be with Murdock and watch over him like a hawk the moment the man got out of surgery.
B.A had been listening to the argument that had sprung between the colonel and the lieutenant after Hannibal had laid out his plan. The mechanic understood the emotions that were bothering the conman. The feeling of abandoning a friend while having to take care of business... it was a feeling he'd felt all too familiar with after dropping off the fool, and leaving him crumpled and alone on the cold asphalt. But orders were orders and Face reluctantly complied knowing deep inside that Hannibal was right, and that they all had to play their part in this plan to make it work.

"He'll get through, Faceman." B.A grunted before removing his hand awkwardly and turning the key in the ignition. The mechanic didn't feel very comfortable in these kinds of situations. He wasn't usually the comforting type, but he knew his friend had needed it. Face nodded while silently appreciating the rare gesture of his friend.
A comforting low rumbling sound emerged from the van's engine as it shockingly came to life.
Skillfully maneuvering the black vehicle around the tall shrubs, B.A sped up and made way for the main road.
"Don't forget he's not alone." B.A suddenly muttered after another moment of silence. "Hannibal and Tawnia are there. We'll be back in no time."
"I guess," Face said grudgingly, rubbing the bridge of his nose while mentally preparing for their next meet-up. He felt exhausted. But... as always; There was no rest for the wicked.
It was time to pick up the 'Vette and meeting up one last time with their clients to round up the job before returning to the hospital. Fortunately, they didn't have to travel too far away, and the conman hoped he could wrap it up quickly.
They had to be able to make a swift exit out of the area. Decker would probably still be lurking around, and Hannibal just didn't want to leave loose ends untied...

Beep... ... ... ... ... Beep... ... ... ... ... Beep... ... ... ... ...

Murdock had been listening to the odd repetitive noise for a short while now, and it sort of boggled his clouded mind. It was a calm beeping sound, somewhat familiar, but he just couldn't put a finger on it. SO annoying.

Beep... ... ... ... ... Beep... ... ... ... ... Beep... ... ... ... ...

Murdock made an attempt to move, but his heavy eyes and limbs protested the action. Groggily, the lanky man made an attempt to count the beeps instead. Maybe it was Morse code, and someone wanted to send him a message? His features pinched a little at that thought..., because whatever he tried, it didn't seem to make sense. His mind was so agonizingly slow. He realized he was drifting in and out in waves. But this was important! He was sure of it.

Beep... ... ... ... ... Beep... ... ... ... ... Beep... ... ... ... ...

...What was it again?
Five long beeps could mean a 'zero.' But he was positive he'd counted more than five already. And what would zero zero zero even mean? Was the Colonel sending him a message? Did the team need him? He had to wake up! His mind screamed for an answer, but he couldn't do a thing.
Still vaguely wondering about The Meaning of the Beep the hurt pilot gradually sunk back into a void of darkness again, unable to ease his troubled mind...

Meanwhile, a nurse who was replacing one of the IV bags glanced down at the pale face of their newest patient. He'd just come out of surgery, and she expected him to wake up within the next 45 minutes. The surgery hadn't taken too long, as they found out that the bullet had already been removed. And even though it hadn't been done professionally, most of the infected tissue had been removed as well. They simply had to clean out the wound properly and stitch it up to prevent further infection.
It had been a bit of a surprise. As for now, the man's background was a true mystery to them. Rumors were already spreading through the hospital wing as Doctor Blackwell had been urgently called away to meet with some police officer. A sergeant.

The lanky man's forehead was covered in a thin sheen of transpiration. The nurse looked down at her clipboard and nodded approvingly.
The patient had been very dehydrated when they'd brought him in. So seeing him sweat again was a good sign.
As the nurse watched his pinched features, she observed the slight flush on his cheeks. Checking his temperature, she noticed he was still running a slight fever. Though, fortunately, his temperature had dropped considerably. The antibiotics were finally kicking in.
Satisfied that the new IV bag was dripping steadily, the nurse looked up at the new intern who'd just entered the recovery room with a bowl of water.
"Good," the nurse said, making a final note on the clipboard and hanging it back on the patient's bed.
"I will be back in a few minutes. I trust I can leave you alone with the patient for now?"
The intern nodded timidly as she approached the bed and carefully placed the bowl onto the bedside table.

Murdock stirred slightly, and a small grimace appeared on his mouth as the intern mopped his forehead with a cool damp sponge.
Reassuring herself that she was all alone with the patient, the young woman moved closer to the unconscious man.
"It's okay, Murdock," Tawnia said quietly while wetting the sponge in the bowl again. "Hannibal is here, talking to the doctor who operated on you. He will be here real soon."
Even though she wasn't sure if he could actually hear her, Tawnia felt relief when she noticed Murdock's features relax again.
It was very confronting, seeing the man like this; connected to all these tubes and wires, and with an oxygen mask on his face. Suddenly the risks of their missions had become very real to her. Too real.
Tawnia exhaled slowly as she continued mopping Murdock's forehead. She was happy to be able to keep an eye on the crazy man for the time being.
He wasn't quite out of the woods yet, but at least his condition wasn't life-threatening anymore...

TBC