The One With the Gun

Disclaimer: I do not own The A-Team movie or television series or any of the delightful characters found on The A-Team.

Restless

I lie awake

And try to escape

Memories that never sleep

A taste of bitter sweet

I'll hold on to forever

Still I'm stuck in yesterday

I'm closer than ever

To the edge

And I'm falling

I'm falling

From the world I used to know

From Falling by Clay Aiken

Chapter 36 Another World

Fool's gonna jump if we don' get there.

Fool's gonna fall if we both rush 'im.

Ta make it all worse, Faceman's come outta the room an' there's no tellin' what he's gonna do when he sees what's goin' on. Maybe he'll try ta get ta him. Will the fool even listen if Face tries ta talk him down?

I'm already at the top of the stairs an' lookin' ta Hannibal for what he wants me ta do now.

Hannibal nods at me ta start walkin' t'ward them. He heads t'ward Murdock, Faceman followin'.

They ain' movin' very fast probably ta keep from makin' noise an' alertin' Murdock ta what they're doin'. I take a step only when they do an' listen for any creak of the boards under my feet.

The fool keeps stretchin' out his arms, keepin' his eyes closed, lookin' like he's ready ta take a swan dive off the deck railin'.

Now he's swayin' a li'l an' I'm still about ten feet away from him.

Hannibal sees the same thing I do an' moves a li'l faster. But neither of us will be in time if Murdock lets himself fall forward off the deck.

oooooo

Murdock's expression is one of contentment and peace, not anguish like you would think it would be if he intended to kill himself.

I don't understand it but I relax a little, knowing he's somewhat in control of whatever this is that he's doing.

When he starts swaying, I get worried again. Does he realize where he is and how dangerous his actions are?

Maybe he's detached himself from reality. If he has, that pavement below will bring him back to the real world quickly and painfully. I can't let that happen.

I try to push past Hannibal but he gestures for me to stay back.

Screw him! I'm not going to stand by and watch my best friend take a step into empty air.

Pushing the Colonel out of the way, I move quickly until I'm standing a foot away from Murdock, all the distance I need to reach out and grab him around the legs and pull him back to safety.

But I don't yet. I want to make sure what's going on in his head.

If I do something sudden and he thinks he's being attacked . . . I remember he said he thought Meg was a witch . . . he could struggle against my rescue efforts and fall.

"Uh . . . Murdock? Buddy?" I swallow the huge lump in my throat.

He doesn't answer right away. Maybe he is thinking of jumping and is just summoning up the courage to do it.

I've got to get through to him. But how?

oooooo

As soon as I hear Face speak to Murdock, I realize that no matter what kind of hard feelings there were these past few weeks between them, they've become meaningless for now.

I hate to admit it, but Face was right to try his hand at getting Murdock to get down from that railing. B. A. edges closer until he's as near to him as Face is. Between the two of them, they should be able to drag Murdock to safety.

The sooner they can get him down the sooner I can reassure him that I have no intention of dropping him as our pilot.

Then we'll take care of the nightmares and fear that has paralyzed my men. Maybe I'll begin by suggesting they both take showers. They need it.

But for now, we have to focus on preventing Murdock from jumping.

oooooo

I 'magine myself balancin' on the upper wing of a Boeing Stearman, nothin' keepin' me from fallin' but the rack I lean 'gainst 'n' the safety harness 'n' cable that secures me t' the wing.

I wish I could open my eyes but if I do, all this'll vanish.

Reality can go t' hell! I don' wanna see any more reality if it means I can't ever be up here where I b'long anymore.

The wind tugs at my clothes 'n' threatens t' toss me off but I ain' 'fraid. My pilot does a loop de loop 'n' the world's turned upside down for a few seconds. Some folks'd be beggin' t' get back t' the earth after some o' the moves the guy in the cockpit makes. Not me.

This is my sky, my place o' safety 'n' peace. The only thing that'd be better is if I was the one flyin' this sweet li'l lady.

I howl with the pure d'light o' bein' up here 'n' stretch my arms out as wide as I can get 'em. If the sky were a woman, she'd be gettin' the hug o' her life.

"I am the Marvelous, Magnificent, Wingwalkin' Howlin' Mad Murdock." I say it out loud, knowin' no one, not even my pilot can hear me over the roar o' the engine 'n' buffet o' the wind. He's startin' his swoop down over the field where the people're watchin' us.

So what should I do as my first stunt? A walk t' the end o' the wing 'n' back? Yawn. Not daredevil 'nough.

A headstand? Gets the audience's 'ttention but it don' really get the blood pumpin' for me.

A freefall. That's it! Let the cable 'n' harness stop me. That'll bring 'em t' their feet.

'N' if I'm unlucky . . . well, I ain' the first wingwalker t' fall from the sky.

oooooo

I don't know what Faceman's waitin' for. Murdock ain' hearin' him.

The fool opens his arms out even wider 'n' lets out the kinda howl I r'member from Nam whenever he lifted us outta a hot LZ.

It's the kinda thing that'll freeze yer blood. It reminds me too much of bein' in a chopper with him at the controls. I can't let that yell get ta me. But what he says next jolts me ta action.

"I am the Marvelous, Magnificent, Wingwalkin' Howlin' Mad Murdock."

He ain't thinkin' straight.

He's gonna do somethin' stupid.

Well, I ain't gonna let him. Before he steps off the railin', I reach out with both arms ta grip him 'round his legs.

oooooo

I hear my buddy's howl and his words and know he's in some kind of delusion. I'm not sure what he's going to do but he isn't going to take the short way down to the parking lot below if I can help it.

I reach up to grab Murdock around the waist just as B. A. wraps his arms around his legs. He yelps with surprise and struggles to stay where he's at. Between us we pull him down from the railing and flat on his back on the deck. His head hits the floor so hard I flinch. For a second he stares up at me, stunned. Then he tries to squirm away, muttering something under his breath.

"What the hell, Murdock!" I force his shoulders down but he continues to resist. His legs bent, he bucks and flails against my hold.

B. A. has already released him. I notice he doesn't stand up. He just kneels there close enough to tackle Murdock if he should get to his feet and make a run for the railing. I guess he thinks that he might hurt Murdock if he has to step in.

"Stay still, fool! Don't make me hafta pin ya down," B. A. mutters as he narrowly avoids getting kicked.

Murdock manages to get one arm up. He takes a swing at me but there isn't enough force behind the punch. His fist hits my cheek and glances off.

"Could use some help, B. A." I admit defeat. Murdock is locked in some kind of alternate universe of his mind and it'll take all three of us to get him back.