Chapter 1
Face was keeping up much better than when they first left Phillip's farm and the team was making good time going through the southern states as they made their way to Ohio and BA's mom who would join the group before making their way to St. Louis and Maggie Smith.
They were only a few miles from entering the state of Ohio when Hannibal called a halt for their noon-day meal under a tree and near a pond. "This looks like the best place to stop for lunch."
"Good, it's about time. My stomach has been growling for the last few miles," growled BA.
"So, that is what I've heard? I thought it was thunder," remarked Murdock with a smile. He then dismounted and began to unpack his saddlebags to see what they could rustle up for lunch. Hannibal and BA soon joined him pooling their supplies while Face gathered up the horses' reins to lead them to the pond to drink.
It didn't take them long to get lunch ready, seeing that it was only cold biscuits and jerky with water from their canteens. They waited for Face to join them and when he didn't appear within the next ten minutes Hannibal looked towards the pond and saw that the horses were grazing and not drinking. "What's keeping that boy? BA see if you can hurry him along!"
BA got up, grabbed a biscuit along the way hurried to the pond grumbling about what he was going to do when he got his hands on their kid for delaying his lunch when he came to an immediate stop. Face was in the middle of the pond staggering around like he was drunk. "FACE! Get out of there at once!"
Hannibal and Murdock looked up at the shout and grinned. "What do you think the kid's done to get BA's ire up?" Murdock asked.
"I don't know, but whatever he did we are about to find out, here they come!"
Their grins turned to expressions of concern when they saw a wet BA carrying a completely soaked Face. "Hannibal, he's burning up! He was in the pond cooling off when I arrived complaining of being hot and dizzy!"
"Captain, find us some shelter, I don't care what kind you located, but he needs to get under a roof for us to treat him!"
It only took Murdock a minute before he was mounted and riding away, knowing that his little brother was in good hands with Hannibal but also knowing that they needed shelter to treat the boy. As he rode over the next hill his face lit up as he stared down at a lone farm only a few feet away. He saw a good size cabin but more importantly a large barn that looked in good condition. He turned around and rode quickly back to where he had left his team.
"Hannibal! I found a good size homestead only a few miles away. It should do nicely if the homeowner will allow us to stay!". As soon as he gave his message Murdock wheeled his horse around and headed back to the homestead to talk the homeowner into allowing them to shelter in their barn. He knew that BA would help Hannibal with Face.
BA and Hannibal with Face still sitting in front of him made as good of a time as they could and rode into the farm yard about fifteen minutes later. Face was now complaining of being cold with his teeth chattering as well.
They could see Murdock, with his hat in hand, talking to the lady of the house.
"Colonel, this is Mrs. Stephen Moore, and she has graciously agreed to allow us excess to their barn."
"Please call me Sally, and what's wrong with the boy?" She thought that the sick one had been an adult and not the child sitting in front of the white-haired man.
"I don't know…he was complaining of being hot when he was pulled from the pond and now he's cold with teeth chattering. We tried to dry him off and get him in dry clothes but I'm afraid the dip didn't do him any good."
Sally reached up for Face and could feel the heat coming off of him. "He's burning up…bring him into the house, he needs a bed, medicine, and tending."
Murdock was there in an instant and pulled Face from in front of Hannibal and carried him into the house with Hannibal and BA bringing up the rear. It only took her a minute to get Face out of his clothes and into a nightshirt and then straight into bed. "We need to get his fever down. Would one of you bring me a bucket of water? The well water is cool this time of the year."
BA returned within minutes with the bucket of cool water and watched as Sally dipped clean rags into the water to bathe Face's forehead and body. "Let me help Miss Sally, I've helped my mother when she has tended to people with fever."
Sally nodded and soon not only was BA taking over her job but Hannibal was there helping.
Murdock turned to her to ask, "what can I do to help?"
"Kill me a chicken and dress it, I'll make some chicken soup. He will need something light to eat to get his strength back."
Murdock was out the door before the words were barely out of her mouth searching for the best bird in the yard. It was during this time that Steven and Johnny, his son rode up.
"What's going on here? What are you doing with that chicken?"
"Killing it so your missus can make soup with it," and before Steven could say more Murdock did just that. It didn't take him long to pick it clean or gut it all the while as Steven and Davy watched with amazement.
It wasn't until they saw Murdock reenter the house with the dressed chicken that father and son came out of their stupor and follow. "Sally, what's going on?" Steven began when Hannibal walked out of his son's bedroom and Steven stopped at once to say, "What are you doing here?"
Sally recognized the look of recognition her husband was giving Hannibal. "You know this man?"
"Yes, he was the officer who stopped the soldier for torturing our son after the Battle of Shiloh. I owe you a world of thanks for what you did, Colonel!"
"I would hope that if the roles were reversed you would have done the same thing for my drummer boy, who by the way is why we are here. He got sick on the way to Ohio and your wife is treating him."
Steven stepped past Hannibal and looked into the bedroom, noting BA and the boy in the bed. "These are some of your men from the war?"
"Yes, they were under me. The lanky one in the kitchen is Captain H.M. Murdock, the man in with the boy is my Sargent, BA Baracus, and the boy in your son's bed is Davy Davis, my nephew and drummer boy. He is also known as Face, a nickname he received during the war and I am Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith. We are on our way first to Ohio to pick up BA's mother and then on to St. Louis to pick up my wife and adopt Face. We will be going to Wyoming, to start a new life."
"Your boy is in good hands, Colonel. My wife will heal him, she has had experience with our children and myself."
"Children? You have more than just the boy?"
"Katy is visiting her grandmother, who lives in town. She is six. My son is probably about the same age as your boy."
"HANNIBAL!" bellowed BA from the bedroom.
"What's wrong?" Hannibal asked as he hurried to the bed.
"Momma," sobbed Face as he struggled to get out of the bed. "Momma, where are you?"
"I'm here baby," Sally replied as she sat on the bed next to the sobbing child. She put her cool hand on his forehead and leaned down to kiss him.
Face quieted down sensing the woman, but in his fevered mind thought it was his mother coming back to take care of him. "Momma, I found Uncle Davy…and I have two big brothers to take care of me now. I wish they had been there to protect us from Papa."
Sally listened quietly to the feverish talk of the boy, lovingly pulling him to her to comfort him as best that she could. "That's a good baby. I have some tea I want you to drink for me…can you do that, baby?"
Face nodded and Sally whispered, "there's a cup on the kitchen table…it should be cool enough for him to drink. It's Elderberry tea, good for fevers."
Murdock was there with the cup within seconds. Sally took it from him and held it to Face's lips where he took several sips before laying his head back down. He closed his eyes and went to a more peaceful sleep. "We need to get as much of that tea in him throughout the day. It will help with the fever."
It wasn't until later that night that the fever broke. Sally dried him off before putting him into a dry nightshirt and back into bed. Face slept throughout the whole thing. "He'll be fine now, but weak. I recommend that he stays until he regains his strength…probably in three or four days."
"Thank you, Sally. That boy means the world to us. We are in your debt." Hannibal said.
